Students’ Unions are amongst the most democratic membership organisations in the UK. Every one of them has its own structure for debating ideas and campaigns and making decisions. They’re run by students who are elected by students – and everyone can have their say.
Here at Christ Church SU, our highest democratic decision-making body is called Union Council.
The Council meets several times a year and discusses issues affecting students: your life, your university life or your union. It can pass policy, which requires the Union to work on specific things, or can be a forum for students to raise issues for the Union to take forwards in other ways.
The council also runs campaigns to change things for the better of the student experience and the community, and about issues which matter to you.
Union Council Officers
The Union Council is made up of 12 students elected from the whole student body, and 12 students nominated from existing democratic communities, who represent the diversity of students we have across the university. This year's available positions on Union Council are listed below.
Elections will be held in late October 2020, and we will email all students to invite you to nominate yourself if you wish, and to vote in the online elections. Being on Union Council is a great way to get more involved in what the Students' Union does, and to make sure that we are working on the issues that are important to you and other students like you.
Positions available for election:
Positions to be filled from existing communities:
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Environmental Officer (to be nominated by the Eco Students Society)
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LGBTQ+ Officer (to be nominated by the LGBT+ Society)
LGBTQ+ Officer (Women’s Place) (to be nominated by the LGBT+ Society)
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Mature Students’ Officer (to be nominated by the Mature Students Society)
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Postgraduate Research Students’ Officer (to be nominated by the PGR Students' Association)
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Tunbridge Wells Students’ Officer (to be nominated by the Salomons Society)
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Faculty Representatives x 3 (to be elected alongside other course reps)
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Societies Representative (to be nominated by the Union Societies Executive Committee)
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Sports Representative (to be nominated by the Team Christ Church Executive Committee)
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Wellbeing Representative (to be nominated by the Wellbeing Executive Committee)
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How decisions are made
Any student can submit an idea for discussion at Union Council - if you have something that you would like to be discussed, just email coursereps@ccsu.co.uk. Ideas from students and Union Council Officers will be collated in an online interactive repository for Officers to begin commenting on, and the agenda for each Union Council meeting will be drawn from this two days in advance.
Some ideas may be acted on quite quickly, and the Union will report back on progress at the meeting. Some ideas will be further developed at the meeting, and some may be developed into a proposal for Officers to vote on. If a proposal becomes a policy then the Union takes that as a statement of belief of the organisation on the particular issue. These policies, then placed, can then instruct officers to carry out tasks, such as running campaigns on a particular issue.
Once a policy is made, it normally lasts for three years, and within that time the Union Council reviews them.
You can view current policies and motions in the democratic policy tracking sheet HERE
Who is responsible for ensuring policies are followed within the Union?
When a policy has been approved, the Union Council mandates and oversees the work on the policy; however the party that is responsible is the elected officer(s) that has been selected to ensure the policy is worked on.
Union Council Meeting Dates for 2020/21
Dates will be set to align with Union Council Officers' availability once all are elected. There is usually one meeting in each of the months of November, December, February, April and May.
Agendas and minutes from previous years
Academic Year 2018/19:
- 1st meeting 12 December 2018
- 2nd meeting 7th February 2019
- 3rd meeting 5th March 2019
- Agenda
- Minutes and Actions - Cancelled - not quorate
- 4th meeting 3rd April 2019
- 5th meeting 10th May 2019