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Should our New Sabbaticals Turn SUSU Upside Down? Carla Bradman On Thursday 13th May 2010 the Southampton University Students’ Union (SUSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place. An opportunity for students to put forward motions that they think will help change the University, many planning the proposals for months. However many students were left angry and disillusioned after the event ‘descended into a complete farce’. In the wake of the AGM, the Wessex Scene look at what went wrong and ask whether next years sabbatical team need to turn the Union upside down. Originally set to start at midday, proceedings were delayed by 45 minutes as the 250-person quorum required, as stated in the constitution, was not immediately reached. With the room already showing mild signs of impatience the sabbatical officers delivered reports of their year in office, before the proposed motions were heard. Student and ex-Union Council member Terry Robinson highlights just one of the many issues which arose, explaining that the ‘advertising wasn’t effective or targeted enough’. The Union has responded, saying that they did distribute flyers and used Twitter and Facebook to communicate, but explained they were not allowed to send a direct email to all students. Several other criticisms were levied about the AGM during the meeting as it developed into what has been described as a ‘rowdy circus’. With eleven motions proposed, only six were heard due to time limitations, which left many students who had spent three hours waiting to support a motion angry and frustrated. One such student agreed, explaining that ‘the AGM started off promising, but quickly descended into pointless discussion. Democracy was undermined today by political rambling’. Union representatives have sympathised with these frustrations and have accepted that a revision of the antiquated methods of debate currently employed is necessary. The AGM started off promising, feel they are both matters that the wider student but quickly descended into McKay presents a summary on the facebook wall: News Todd Geary ‘ population deserves to vote on and therefore it ‘The fact that motions raised by union members pointless discussion. Democ- would have been better for them to be raised at A campaign to save former pub The Crown & were not heard due to matters which should have racy was undermined today by the AGM than at Union Council.’ Sceptre on Burgess Road is being mounted in been (and have already been discussed) in Union political rambling There was further bemusement at how the opposition of proposed plans by the University to Council is inherently unfair to members who aren’t votes were counted. Attendees were given a red demolish the building in June this year. It has been By the time the sabbatical’ officers had read their part of the council. Most of the time was spent wristband, and told to raise their hands to support vacant for several months, is due to be redeveloped end of year reports, there was little time left to dealing with motions arising from disagreements or oppose a motion. This made the private process as part of University plans to expand the land-use hear the eleven motions that had been proposed. within union council that had not been properly of voting a public matter, and with 250 voters adjacent to Highfield Campus’s Building 45. The Those that were not heard were carried over to challenged within the council meetings (motions present, there is no guarantee that those raised plans also call for the development of the former an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) arranged that had passed then but were being challenged hands were counted correctly. One of the tellers pub The Gate, approximately 150 metres down for Monday 17th May. However, after again not now), resulting in normal members losing their discounts this notion, explaining that ‘each person the road from the Crown & Sceptre. reaching quorum, the EGM was converted into own voice in the only open voting meeting of the The campaign, organised by local resident a Union Council meeting, wherein only elected When I protested against the year. When I protested against the University two James Smith, started an online petition protesting council members were allowed to vote. After it was years ago, fighting for the student voice not to be against the demolishment. The campaign website University two years ago, silenced by the University, I didn’t realise we’d not announced that quorum had not been reached, ‘ agrees that it is “notWessex practical to hinder the project many who were rendered unable to vote left, fighting for the student voice be able to use our voice properly in our own Union not to be silenced by the by objecting to the redevelopment of The Gate indicating that the relevant constitution and the a couple of years later’. site” but that “The Crown & Sceptre could easily be way in which future AGMs are organised need University, I didn’t realise we’d Two letters of criticism were read aloud to saved and co-exist in harmony with the University to be addressed. A motion was passed which not be able to use our voice those at the EGM, the first, written by Aaron Bali, development”. A Facebook group offering support consequently allowed all those in attendance the properly in our own Union a complains about many of the issues aforemen- has managed to attract over 400 members. right to be involved in the discussions, although couple of years later tioned based on the flaws of the AGM. The second The building, originally The Crown & Sceptre those who had proposed a motion but do not sit ’ letter of correspondence from Emma Bacon to the Hotel in 1931, survived the bombing of South- on Union Council were denied an opportunity had a section’ to count. However due to the block Council implied disaffection with the work of the ampton in the Second World War and remained to vote for their own cause. Commenting on the seating arrangements and the tellers counting current Sabbatical team, and suggested that the as a pub until late last year, when it closed for procedures, Union President Steve O’Reilly said predominantly from the aisles, a miscalculation 2008-2009 Sabbatical team were more effective business alongside The Gate because of dwindling that ‘we are just going on the constitution as it could easily have been made. Again, SUSU have and hardworking. The Union Sabbatical team are customers and increasing running costs. stood before motion one’, and this is ‘us playing promised to re-consider the methods of voting aware of the issues, but with only a few weeks The campaign suggested that it would be more by the rules’. However for those students who had currently used for future meetings, but have said left in there tenure, it is likely that next years beneficial for the University to lease the building waited a whole academic year to be given their there are many problems, particularly the time it sabbatical team will have to find a way to deal with as a pub, in order to improve public relations only guaranteed opportunity to propose a motion, would take to count a paper ballot and the money student disillusionment. and retain an important social amenity. However, this is not satisfactory. Peter Apps, who proposed it would cost to pay for enough ‘blippers’ for every Visit: www.wessexblog.com to comment and this solution seems unlikely to occur, as a lack motions about course and warden cuts, explains attendee. vote in our poll asking whether you feel the of interest in developing the building for other that, ‘I’m annoyed that I took the time out of exam A facebook group has been created for students sabbatical team next year need to turn the Union interests led to the current situation developing. preparation to draft a motion and attend council. I to give their comments on the SUSU AGM. Dave upside down. Gareth Brading www.wessexscene.co.uk Issue 8; 2009-2010 8; Issue Thursday 29th April 2010 April 29th Thursday Scene Editorial page 2 Scene Wessex Higher Interest Rates for Student Loans: The Russell Group of Universities, of which Diary Southampton University is one of, has revealed Carla Bradman that fi gures suggest they will face a £1.1bn defi cit in fi nance by 2012-13. The stability of these top universities has been deemed “severely at risk”. Southampton Solent Student Dies: An inquest began in to the death of a 20 year-old As another academic year draws to a close, Southampton Solent student who was found dead on his bedroom fl oor last January. Police are Back in Septemberthe, the Wessex Wessex Scene Scene editorial Februaryprepares was an toexciting say month, goodbye with the input for to the the debate, summer. and used the topic to promote not ruling the death suspicious, but the tragedy team headed back to Southampton full of ideas, release of our own Sex Issue. Scandalous and discussion on their own Sociological Images site. remains a mystery after post-mortem results of ambition and energy. We re-designed the paper,Enjoy full ofa statistics, brief it became summary the focus of numerous our year. the body were inconclusive. stormed through training week in an excitable lectures and seminars, much to our delight. We In May the Excellence in Volunteering Awards manner, and produced our fi rst Wessex Scene also attended an Investigative Journalism master- returned and student volunteers were rewarded University Chaplain Saved: issue as a team. class as a team in London, where we heard from for their contributions to University life.