The UWE Students’ Union is a student membership led organisation.Each year 4 full time officers/presidents are elected to support and represent the views of the students at UWE.

The Students’ Union holds several different Council and General Meetings each academic year. The purpose of these meetings are to act as a forum for students to set policy, express their views and any concerns, to make decisions, and also to hold the elected officers/presidents to account.

Any UWE student can submit a motion to the relevant council or general meeting.

AGM – meets once a year. Motions can be submitted to the SRC Vice President on any matter relating to the student wide experience wide.

Sports Council – meets 5 times a year. Motions can be submitted to the Sports President on any matter relating to or impacting on the recreational and sporting experience of students.

Activities Council – meets 5 times a year. Motions can be submitted to the Activities President on any matter relating to the extra curricula or social experience of students.

Student Representative Council – meets 5 times a year. Motions can be submitted to the SRC President on any matter relating to the educational and academic experience of students.

What is a motion?

A motion is a document that you submit to the relevant council, in order for it to be discussed and to implement action and change that you may want to see take place. If there is something that matters to you, you can submit a motion, have it debated and voted on.

How are motions discussed?

Every motion must be proposed and seconded by a member of the Union. The seconder of the motion is giving support and agreement with it. The seconder must be prepared to speak in favour of the motion, if it is opposed.

The motion proposer will be given 3 minutes to try and convince the meeting to support it. If somebody wants to oppose the motion they will be given the same amount of time to speak against it.

Debates normally go on for two or three rounds of speeches which are balanced for and against. If a certain part of the motion is particularly contentious someone may attempt to amend the motion. If the proposer agrees to the amendment it then becomes part of the motion for discussion. If they reject the amendment, it is then discussed and voted upon.

If the amendment is agreed by the meeting the proposer of the motion would change hands to the amendment proposer.

Voting

Full members of the respective councils and all students attending the Annual General Meeting have a vote.

If a motion is carried it then becomes policy of the Union for the next 3 years. For example if you succeeded in mandating the Presidents (and their successors) to lobby the University for better facilities for cyclists, they would have to do this for three years.

How to Write a Motion

Motions are not complicated to write they only have three sections:-

1. This Union Notes
2. This Union Believes
3. This Union Resolves

This Union Notes : this is where you list the facts which are relevant to the subject.

This Union Believes : this section contains the opinions that you believe to be true.

This Union Resolves : this section contains the actions that you would like to take place.

Finally

Remember that all motions have to be submitted a week before the meeting take place. If you have any questions or queries regarding policy setting order of meetings or motion writing please contact either the Presidents or nerys.neath@uwe.ac.uk

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