Tuesday 01-12-2020 - 10:45

Max Kendix, Assembly Media Observer, reports from the November Assembly meeting.

The second SU Assembly of the academic year took place on Zoom on Thursday. The meeting featured several Officer motions for core positions on Covid-19, a motion to campaign for lower rents in college accommodation, and a motion to stop the SU from working with the Durham Union Society. President Seun Twins chaired the meeting, after two candidates for Chair withdrew and one was deemed ineligible, as they held another elected position.

Covid-19 core positions

The Undergraduate Academic and Postgraduate Academic Officers Nailah Haque and Sarah McAllister presented the first motion of the evening, a core position on the future of education under Covid-19. The motion argued that the “blended learning approach” of online and face-to-face teaching should continue. “Students are entitled to a fair and equal access to their education”, said Nailah Haque, who committed to “lobby the University to address ongoing issues of digital poverty and to ensure study spaces are kept safe”.

Sarah McAllister added that although the University has told Officers that last year’s no-detriment policy will not continue, “we are now lobbying for blanket mitigations to make sure that it takes into account what’s happening during Covid and that you can request extensions when necessary”. 94% of Assembly voted in favour of the motion.

The next motion, a core position proposal from Welfare and Liberation Officer Ewan Swift, was presented by Sarah McAllister at Assembly. By pushing the University to end tenancy agreements early for students who will not return in Epiphany Term, and by lobbying landlords to renew the Student-Landlord Pledge “to ensure student tenants are treated fairly and with compassion and flexibility”, the motion aims to make sure that “no one is detrimentally impacted” by the pandemic.

Sarah McAllister also pointed out positive steps taken by the University, such as the inclusion of housing in Durham’s upcoming Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and its backing of the SU’s Take Time to Sign campaign. The motion passed with a vote for of 94%.

Opportunities Officer Anna Marshall presented the next motion, a core position on wider student experience during the pandemic. “We should be treating [the wider student experience] as vital to academic wellbeing […] and intrinsically linked to our offering at Durham University”, said Anna Marshall, who proposed asking the University to set up support networks for student leaders and to launch grant funding to improve access, including through online activities, to the wider student experience. The motion passed with 85% for voting for the new position.

Cut the rent

St. Aidan’s College SU Representative Emily Jolliffe presented the next motion on behalf of the Ripped Off campaign. “Accommodation prices in Durham are unjustifiably high”, she said, putting forward four concrete demands, which SU Officers will be mandated to communicate to university management. The demands include an immediate cap on fees for standard, single catered rooms of £6746, and significant discounts for returners living in college.

“All of these demands are based on extensive SU research and NUS recommendations.”, said Emily Jolliffe, who also responded to concerns that another one of the demands – at least 25% of rooms capped at 50% of the maximum maintenance loan – would cause perceptions of “rich” and “poor” areas of college. “The benefit it would cause in terms of allowing lower-income students to come to Durham in the first place. I agree that it is a problem, but it is less of a problem than what we’re seeing right now.” The motion passed with 90% voting for.

The Durham Union Society

After some updates on the recent work of the Officers, and a short access break, Assembly returned to debate the topic which saw the widest range of contributions, including from non-Assembly members. 

The motion concerned Durham Union Society, which is a debating society established in 1842 at Durham University, and is separate to Durham Students’ Union. Presented by Yash Raju, the motion resolved to bar the Durham Union Society (DUS) from participating in SU events, including Freshers’ Fair, and from being advertised or promoted by Durham SU. 

“This motion is about solidarity with the victims of the DUS, with those who have been traumatised by their membership”, said Yash Raju. “And by the people at the top who have enabled and been complicit in what has essentially been systemic harassment, bullying, bigotry and gaslighting from that society.”

In a lively debate, several students shared their personal experiences in the society. Some questioned the effectiveness of the motion itself in achieving its aims, while others noted the long-term nature of the accusations against the society.

DUS President Tristan Pahl, who does not sit on Assembly, was invited to speak against the motion. “It’s not for me to deny that there’s evidence that different individuals have expressed offensive or hateful views within our society, but I can categorically state that the vast majority of our exec[utive committee] are against racism, homophobia and other sorts of bigotry”, said the President.

“I think racism is a problem endemic in our society and that racists are in every institution, and the Durham Union is unfortunately no exception to that.” He emphasised the existing procedures in place in the society to combat the issues raised. After extensive discussion, 93% of Assembly voted to pass the motion.

Watch the full Assembly here