STUDENT ASSEMBLY - 9 TH FEB 2017

Transcription

1 STUDENT ASSEMBLY - 9 TH FEB 2017 MOTIONS & AMENDMENTS DOCUMENT Published: 3rd February 2017 If you need this document in another format, please contact democracy@goldsmithsu.org

2 CONTENTS Motion 101: Introduction of the role of a part time Trans and Non-Binary Students Officer Motion 102: Supporting the Every Month Campaign Motion 103: SU to officially oppose the new university regulations Motion 104: Trump the Ban Motion 105: SU response to the new Student Engagement system Motion 106: Strengthen disaffiliation from the Socialist Workers Party, including affiliates

3 Motion 101: Introduction of the role of a part time Trans and Non-Binary Students Officer Proposer: Emil Squire Diefenthal (Goldsmiths SU LGBTQI Officer) Seconder: Charlotte Hamilton (Goldsmiths SU LGBTQI Officer) This Union Notes: 1. Trans students have specific needs and experiences which are often distinct from those who identify as LGBQ+. 2. Tran students therefore require specific representation within the union. 3. The current role of LGBTQ+ Officer does not guarantee this representation. 4. In the past year (and likely in previous years) trans students at Goldsmiths have experienced misgendering in classes, inadequate knowledge of correct pronoun use, and a lack of training/understanding of trans identity from staff members. This Union Believes 1. A student voice flagging trans issues, and being an elected figure within the students union, would be pivotal in helping students who are facing said issues know that the Union takes them seriously. 2. This role would ensure representation for trans students who have faced transphobia from within the LGBQ+ community. 3. This role would work towards fixing the issue of cisgender LGBTQ+ officers overlooking trans-specific issues on campus. This Union Resolves 1. To formally introduce the elected role of part time Trans and Non-Binary Students Officer for the academic year 2017/18.

4 Motion 102: Supporting the Every Month Campaign Proposer: Shannon Howard (Goldsmiths SU Housing Officer) Seconder: Brittany Irwin This Union notes: 1. That problems surrounding the stigma of periods negatively affects homeless people and those experiencing poverty more than others. 2. That periods do not only affect women 3. That homeless people, and people experiencing poverty, find it more difficult to access sanitary products when necessary including during menstruation. 4. That personal wellbeing is dramatically affected by one s ability to care for themselves, and thus, if a person is unable to access the right materials necessary when menstruating, this can directly affect their wellbeing. This Union believes: 1. That everyone, regardless of their situation, should have ready and available access to pads and tampons. 2. That such access can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of any individual who may need it. 3. That we need to support and empower those who have periods, and allow them to care for themselves independently. This Union resolves: 1. To support the Every Month Campaign in both a financial and non-financial manner, through regular funding and access to materials and spaces necessary for fundraising. 2. To publicise the Every Month Campaign on appropriate Students Union media outlets. 3. To establish a drop off point in the Students Union where students and visitors can donate pads and tampons.

5 Motion 103: SU to officially oppose the new university regulations Proposer: Joe Williams Seconder: Mollie Kneath (Goldsmiths SU Education Officer) This Union notes: 1. In the academic year 2016/17 the university implemented a new set of regulations, asking students in second year and above to opt in or out. 2. First years were not given the option to opt out. 3. These regulations have introduced a cap at 40% for resits of summative assessment, replacing the previous system of taking the average of the first and second mark. 4. The logic behind this change is that it would encourage students to put more effort into their exam the first time. 5. The changes to regulations were not checked with academics or students representatives before they were launched. 6. The Regulations Working Group, that the Education Officer sits on, are yet to meet to discuss the new regulations. 7. You were unable to enrol into the university until you had chosen to opt in or out. 8. Several Heads of Dept, including English and Comparative Literature who want to extend official support for this motion, didn t know about the changes to assessment until after they had been passed Academic Board. The Union believes: 1. The new regulations will place a lot of pressure on students and exacerbate their anxiety around exams and assessment - rather than encourage students to put more effort in this will make those students who do have to resit completely disengage with the subject and have the opposite effect. 2. They will put students with long-term mental health conditions under a lot of pressure, especially those who suffer with anxiety. 3. They unfairly impact students on practice-based degrees, such as Fine Art, Design, Computing, and English and Creative Writing. These kinds of degrees have large final assessments such as degree shows and final projects that make up a significant proportion of their final grade. If they have to resit these assessments their final classification will be seriously affected, and this in turn will have a knock on effect on the university.

6 4. These regulations were poorly advertised and have been pushed through unfairly with no consultation and advice. The Union resolves: 1. To encourage all students to opt out of the new regulations if asked during online enrollment. 2. To lobby the institution to remove the 40% cap on resits and reinstate the average of first and second mark. 3. To lobby the institution to seek consultation from academics and student representatives before implementing future policy and regulations that affect students final grades.

7 Motion 104: Trump the Ban Proposer: Daniel Nasr (Goldsmiths SU President) Seconder: Jaxon Kramer This Union Notes: 1. Donald Trump has been inaugurated as President of the United States 2. During his first month in office, he has signed an executive order banning all travel into the united states from Iraqi, Iranian, Syrian, Sudanese, Libyan and Somali nationals. 3. This includes those who hold dual nationalities (i.e., Iraqi- British) 4. He has also signed an order banning refugees from 20 countries from entering the United States 5. That families have been separated because of this ban, leaving nationals from the above countries stranded in transit to the United States. 6. Other executive orders and legislation include a global gag order on abortions, a wall on the southern border and the advancement of the Dakota Access Pipeline This Union Believes: 1. Donald Trump is a bigot 2. That the ban is a racist and blatantly islamophobic policy 3. That the United States was built on the backs of enslaved black people and immigrants from all over the world. 4. That to separate families and deny entry on the basis of religion is a violation of human rights 5. That free movement of the people is a fundamental right This Union Resolves: 1. To lobby the university to offer sanctuary at Goldsmiths to students that have been stranded due to the ban 2. To mandate the Union Officers to write to the US embassy with these concerns on behalf of the student body 3. To call on the University Warden to take a public stance on this issue 4. To support students wishing to use direct action to oppose these policies

8 Motion 105: SU response to the new Student Engagement system Proposer: Eva Crossan Jory (Goldsmiths SU Campaigns & Activities Officer) Seconder: Jun Lim (Goldsmiths SU International Officer) This Union Notes: 1. University management have approved the trial of a new student engagement system 2. The UNiversity are going to implement student engagement software in four departments and want to roll this out to every department 3. This system would include the student's use of the VLE, library and IT services. It would also monitor attendance rate through the use of an app and swipe card access. 4. This would be the first time all this information for each student would be collated and for some areas collected. 5. Students will not be able to opt out of this system 6. That there is electronic monitoring already happening at Goldsmiths such as the seat monitoring in the library, which seems to not be accurate as the reports show the library as never being more than 60% full, 7. That universities such as Kings have been monitoring student s, a direct invasion of students privacy This Union Believes: 1. That retention and wellbeing issues at Goldsmiths urgently need to be addressed. 2. That the money spent on implementing this software could be put to better use by being spent on counselling, specialist support for students that DSA used to pay for, a paid peer assisted learning program and better more extensive access to wellbeing services for students. 3. That the university could do more to recognise the systemic flaws that mean students fall behind or never feel comfortable at uni, factors that result in students dropping out of uni 4. That the regularity with which a student logs onto the VLE can be seen as arbitrary to their wellbeing especially regarding the different nature of course structures at the University. 5. This system will unfairly target international students

9 6. There is reasonable concern that this data can be directly linked to Prevent data kept on students 7. There is also reasonable concern that once this data is collected and collated there is the potential for it to be used as a resource for government surveillance. This could have a very negative effect on students here on international study visas. 8. Students should not see their University as another branch of the UKBA. (UK Border Agency) 9. That monitoring student s movements by swipe card access is unnecessary as departments already take registers and internally monitor student progress. 10. There are serious concerns as to how this data will be used in a rapidly changing political environment with policies such as Prevent already in place we should be incredibly cautious of student surveillance. 11. This system will increase the vulnerability of international students and further restrict their freedom whilst being here, their attendance of lectures could be used against them. This Union Resolves: 1. For the Union to work with the University to find new ways to make students, both incoming and existing, to feel included at University and help students know where to turn in times of trouble. 2. For the Union to lobby against swipe card access into lectures and seminars. 3. To oppose the swipe system if it is implemented, as it will add unnecessary pressure and create a hostile environment where suspicion comes before trust. 4. To lobby the University to ensure further data protection policies are in place to protect international students who will be largely affected should such data be shared with UKBA and other agencies.

10 Motion 106: Strengthen disaffiliation from the Socialist Workers Party, including affiliates Proposer: Lynsay Hodges (Goldsmiths SU Campaigns Officer) Seconder: Mollie Kneath (Goldsmiths SU Education Officer), Dan Dawson This Union Notes: 1. In 2013, accusations of rape and sexual misconduct within the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) surfaced, with around 700 members resigning in opposition to how the allegations were dealt with and subsequently covered up 2. In academic year 2014/15, Goldsmiths Students' Union passed an assembly motion to disaffiliate from the SWP and their student swing, the Socialist Workers Student Society, in opposition to this and to ensure solidarity with survivors 3. Stand Up To Racism, as well as other groups such as Unite Against Fascism, deny being affiliated with SWP despite being listed as one of their campaigns on their homepage, and having numerous other links including shared central committee members (Media Diversified, 2016) 4. Numerous liberation groups have spoken out against Stand Up To Racism, pressuring others and public figures to disaffiliate and not share a platform with them (ibid) 5. Approximately 97,000 people are raped every year in England and Wales, amounting to roughly 11 rapes per hour, and around half a million sexual assaults take place (Rape Crisis England and Wales, 2016) 6. 1 in 7 women students experience sexual and/or physical violence on campus in the UK (NUS Hidden Marks Report, 2012: 11) This Union Believes: 1. Goldsmiths Students' Union has a duty to protect its members and prides itself on taking a proactive stance on issues of liberation and safe spaces 2. Violence is not just physical but can also exist symbolically, and the presence of SWP and its affiliates constitutes a form of symbolic violence against survivors, furthering their traumatisation 3. We cannot build an effective movement against racism and the far right without being intersectional, and this necessitates recognising the widespread issue of sexual violence and opposing those who perpetuate, deny or obfuscate its debilitating realities

11 This Union Resolves: 1. To continue and strengthen its disaffiliation from the Socialist Workers Party by extending this policy to its affiliates including, but not limited to, Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism 2. To practically apply this disaffiliation through various means, including asking them to leave when leafleting and removing any propaganda posted around campus 3. Campaign and promote other grassroots movements that tackle similar issues to those being capitalised on by the SWP and its affiliates, in order to strengthen an intersectional approach to liberation