Hey everyone,
Thought I’d post a link to my blog which explains the detail behind the proposals. Take a look and feel free to comment or email me questions @ vpdr@guild.bham.ac.uk
http://tomguisevpdr.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/time-for-a-change-vote-yes-in-the-referendum/
This is the first time in 90 years the Guild has proposed reforms to its way of democratic decision making. The status quo is tired and archaic, but most of all it simply doesn’t work. I’ve sat on Guild Council for nearly 4 years (geek points!) and I’ve constantly been a loud voice for reform along with many others. I am determined to take power away from a small group and give it to the student body at large. I can completely understand the concerns and emotion around the proposals. This is a really important decision for people to make but I wanted to express my views on this group for people to take into consideration as well. This is the great thing about referenda…everyone gets a chance to have their voice heard on the issues!!
Some key things among the changes;
1) New completely open meetings on key themes that all students can attend – question officers and raise important issues. These will happen monthly. There is room for cross-over, so you can raise an entirely different issue in the welfare forum for instance (the only down-side to that is that it may take more time for it to be dealt with).
2) A clearer Guild Council, ensuring students are all fairly represented by well-trained and resourced individuals. Making policy relevant, well-informed and truly student-led. Smaller Guild Council means the meeting runs more efficiently but more importantly that representatives can be given much greater support and training. We currently have over 400 people sitting on Guild Council with very poor training and very little support because of their numbers. Out of 160 academic Guild Councillors there are only 64 and very few turn up. Student groups make up the vast majority of a meeting but only because they’re forced to attend and most of them leave half way through.
3) A one-stop shop for all students to quickly have their issues resolved without having to attend meetings or navigate archaic bureaucratic guild procedure. The steering group (working title) which will report back to Guild Council on every decision made, GC can appeal those decisions and hear any policy submitted by ANY student that was not given a hearing by the steering group. Officers form this group because they’re always around and it will work quickly to respond to students but decisions made will always have the scrutiny of a more effective Guild Council at mind.
4) Annual referenda, giving ALL students a chance to finally have their say on important policy decisions. Taking power a way from a small clique and giving it to the majority of students!
Most of the questions asked in this group are answered in my blog above, so please take a look at that.
However, for the last 6 months I’ve always asked for personal feedback, if you’d like to meet up and discuss these reforms please let me know, or if you’d like to email me please do so contact: vpdr@guild.bham.ac.uk alternatively you can post anonymously on my blog if you wish.
Thanks for reading (sorry for the essay),
Tom
Vice-President Democracy & Resources
P.S. Before anyone says they’re not – funds are made available for a “no” campaign on campus. Let me know if you wish to access them…vpdr@guild.bham.ac.uk
Hi Tom
Just wondering if you are able to say what the actual question for the referendum vote will be? Hoping it isn’t going to be along the same lines of, “do you want to save the guild?” again…
Thanks.
Anna
By: Anna Loosley on 07/03/2010
at 08:20
Anna,
2 members of this years Officer team were actually involved in the alternative Yes campaign during the last election which produced material which explained the changes and facilitated discussion on a different facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=14164&uid=10150123588400188#!/group.php?gid=8943061023&ref=ts). We really want to concentrate on having a debate and explain the issues.
Join the debate here:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=14164&uid=10150123588400188#!/group.php?gid=10150123588400188
By: Fabian on 08/03/2010
at 18:45
Hi Anna,
Here’s the question;
“Should the Guild of Students develop and implement new democratic decision making processes based on these proposals, which can be found at http://www.guildofstudents.com?”
It will link directly to information on the new proposals…
Hope that helps.
Tom
By: Tom Guise on 07/03/2010
at 08:36
“3) A one-stop shop for all students to quickly have their issues resolved without having to attend meetings or navigate archaic bureaucratic guild procedure. The steering group (working title) which will report back to Guild Council on every decision made, GC can appeal those decisions and hear any policy submitted by ANY student that was not given a hearing by the steering group. Officers form this group because they’re always around and it will work quickly to respond to students but decisions made will always have the scrutiny of a more effective Guild Council at mind.”
wait so would I have to go up against the officer team to get my motion on the table if rejected? I wouldn’t do that… some issues are very sensitive and personal e.g liberation issues.
you couldn’t appeal the independent chairs, which was wrong and should be changed, but at least they where nominally impartial….
By: anom on 07/03/2010
at 21:38
There has been a few motions this year and last when the guild council has voted against a officer team recommendation.
these motions are unlikely to pass under this new system.
as for a one stop shop, well it would be for issues with the approval of the steering group.
I hope the steering group will be run on a consensus basis rather than a vote systerm, thats not clear in the proposals?
By: Edward Bauer on 07/03/2010
at 21:50
anom – guild politics isn’t adversarial so you’re not “going up” against the officer team. officers will be forced to make decisions knowing they will be scrutinised in detail which means they will think very very hard about everything they do in relation to the steering group. i actually don’t think there will be that many appeals because of this. but we are giving a crucial new power to students.
giving the right to appeal a decision of the independent chairs will actually mean that they will stop being independent.
edd – as you know most guild meetings are actually run on a consensus basis. the only meeting i’ve ever voted in has been guild council (when i was a student). don’t think i’ve ever been asked to cast a vote in a guild meeting since then.
also – not sure why you think these motions are unlikely to pass in new system, could you explain a bit more please?
By: Tom Guise on 08/03/2010
at 00:27
Well guild officer group is another meeting you vote on, to give approval or rejection to motions at guild council.
If guild officer rejections and approvals where to be used as the agenda, then these motions won’t make the table let alone pass.
there is a reason why the independent chairs where created where created separately from the officer team by making the officer team the independent chairs and giving the officer team control of the agenda, we would be directly ranging the officer team against those with differing views …. a tight core will only lead to a tight ideology and create an “in power”- “out of power” adversarial dynamic, in guild council.
By: Edward Bauer on 08/03/2010
at 02:05
sorry its quite late that last paragraph made no sense
there is a reason why the independent chairs where created separately from the officer team. By making the officer team and the independent chairs one and giving the officer team control of the agenda, we would be directly ranging the officer team against those with differing views …. a tight core will only lead to a tight ideology a tight agenda and create an “in power”- “out of power” adversarial dynamic, in guild council.
By: Edward Bauer on 08/03/2010
at 02:08