Thursday 17-02-2022 - 11:09

Laura Sadler, Assembly Media Observer, reports from Assembly, Thursday 10 February.

Chair: Natasja Enthoven
 

Highlights:

Election Results

Officer Updates

Committee Updates

Association Updates

Motion - Ending the Use of Non-Disclosure Agreements

Motion - Decocracy Review: Assembly Membership Proposal

 

This Assembly follows this week’s well-attended Papers & Pizza event, where Assembly members and students met in-person with a Domino’s to hand! If you would like to come along and informally discuss the issues important to you, please look out for this event, held on the preceding Monday to Assembly.

 

Election Results

Assembly members voted to elect Aalaina Khan as NUS (National Union of Students) delegate. Aalaina will represent Durham SU at the NUS Conference in Liverpool, championing DSU’s Freedom of Speech motion for national debate.

 

Officer Updates

Seun Twins (President):

• Induction of the new Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor.
• Discussion around current industrial action, including regular meetings with the UCU (University and College Union).

Jonah Graham (Welfare and Liberation Officer):

• The roll-out of the mental health survey.
• Successfully encouraged the new VC to sign the NDA pledge (for more information, see the motion on NDA agreements).
• Consultation and advice, particularly on EDI, to Student Groups.

Jack Ballingham (Opportunities Officer):

• Reforming the Student Group Agreement.
• Continuing to lobby against the government’s proposed Higher Education Freedom of Speech bill. You can read Jack’s thoughts on this bill here.
• Recently interviewed in Palatinate and published in RedPepper.
• Return of pizza to Riverside Café (soon!)

Charlie Procter (Undergraduate Academic Officer):

• Producing material for the UCU campaign.
• Project which aims to increase UG engagement with museums and archives.
• Encouraging the SU to provide resources to all Common Rooms regardless of status (some are now independent charities).

Declan Merrington (Postgraduate Academic Officer):

• Ensuring exams will only include material not affected by industrial action.
• Investigating PGR working conditions, including sick leave.
   

Committee Updates

Here’s an update on what some of our committees have been getting up to and are planning:

Academic Affairs

• Comments from three faculties – Business: exception to online exams; Science: stringency of marking; A & H: marking consistency.
• Lack of voice for Student reps on SSCC (Student-Staff Consultative Committee).

Government & Grants

• Approved several grants for societies and speakers.

JCR PresComm

• Logistics of holding in-college graduations.
• How PresComm can better represent JCR executives (not just Presidents).
• How to improve post-offer days.

SU Rep

• Continuing with the anti-spiking campaign.

Societies

• Plan to host a Student Group forum.
• Intention to co-ordinate with Durham SU Marketing to advertise new societies.
   

Association Updates

Here’s an update on what some of our associations have been discussing and planning:

Students with Disabilities

• Overall accessibility of the university
• Deciding what campaigns to run

Womxn’s

• Termly General Meeting
• Events for International Women’s Day

LGBT+

• Security issues in Durham nightclubs
• Sexual health campaign
• Cabaret event with DST & History Soc

People of Colour

• Anti-racism staff workshops
• Protesting the Hassockfield detention centre
• Student events, e.g. ball

Working Class

• Collaboration with food bank
• Joining the UCU picket line
• Accessibility of first year seminars

International

• Community for international students over Christmas
• Lunar New Year celebration

Mature

• Recent election
• Establishing PG relationships and encouraging engagement
   

Motion: Ending NDA Agreements

The motion (what was presented for debate)

Presented by: Jon Chan

Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, the government minister for Higher and Further Education) has asked universities to pledge to end the use of legally-binding NDAs  (Non-Disclosure Agreements) against students and staff who come forward to report abuse in sexual harassment cases. NDAs can limit an individual’s freedom to speak about their case, the support given to them or the disciplinary outcome. Jon noted that these NDAs ‘silence victims for the sake of university reputation.’ Since the motion was originally presented, Durham University has signed this pledge. Jon noted however, that less than 30 universities across the UK have agreed to sign. An approved amendment to the motion asks Durham SU to encourage and support other Universities to follow Durham in committing to this pledge.

Vote (assembly members decide whether to pass or reject the motion)

The motion was taken to a vote and passed.

Future action (what this means going forward)

The SU will look to collaborate with other Students’ Unions across the UK to further University commitment to the NDA pledge.
 

Motion: Democracy Review - Assembly Membership Proposal

The motion (what was presented for debate)

Presented by: Jack Ballingham (Opportunities Officer)

This motion attempts to resolve the final part of the Democracy Review by proposing a reform to Assembly Membership. This is the culmination of a two year piece of work to reform the democratic process of Durham Student Union, and has included extensive consultation with Assembly members and the wider student body (findings from the research were published here last January). A previous proposal was discussed at Assembly in June. With feedback, this has been reconstituted and brought back to Assembly.

Substantial changes to Assembly’s membership proposed in this remodel include:

• 2 UG and 2 PG Students elected on to Assembly from each of the university’s academic faculties
• Increased number of open places available to the wider student body
• Students elected on to Assembly from engagement in each of the student group areas (e.g. Politics & Causes; Culture & Faith)
• Student leaders from the University Enrichment Department (Experience Durham) will have a place on Assembly for the first time.
   

The new model will increase the number of students on Assembly and allow more students to directly influence decision making. Jack Ballingham argued that the new ratio proposed for Assembly accurately represents student life at Durham. He consolidated that this motion does not propose that all students can vote on their college or faculty reps, only students affiliated with that body (e.g. Collingwood students can vote for their rep, Business School students can vote for their rep). A friendly amendment (accepted by the motion proposer without remit to a vote) removed the part of the motion referring to the appointment methods of Assembly members.

Opposition (argument against the motion)

Opposition against this motion argued that Assembly members had not had enough time to discuss the remodel. Opposition underlined that whilst some elements of the proposal were well thought-out, there was still debate needed with regards to Wider Student Experience representation. They flagged as potential issues with the proposed reform that the grouping of Associations was contentious, and that Student Group representation was over-weighted. Opposition argued that it would be preferable for the proposal to be deferred to the next Assembly to allow time for amendment as they would be ‘much happier with further refinement’.

Vote (assembly members decide whether to pass or reject the motion)

The motion was taken to a vote and did not pass.

Future action (what this means going forward)

The Assembly membership reform will be further discussed with feedback and amendments from Assembly members. It will be proposed for re-vote at a future Assembly meeting.