Help Your SU to Develop
Help Your SU to Develop - Democracy and Governance Review (Proposed Changes to Officer Roles)
By Your SU
Over the past few months, Your SU, in partnership with our external consultant Counterculture, has taken on board the views of students, staff and the University in our Democracy and Governance Review. We want to ensure that Your SU continues to meaningfully engage with members, and this means changing and adapting how our governance works.
Our Articles of Association were last updated in 2018, with 2018’s student cohort in mind. Over the past few years, it is evident that our members have changed the ways that they engage with us, and our governance needs to reflect this change so that we can provide the best services to our members. It is because of this that we are sending the recommendations of our Democracy and Governance Review to a Members Meeting for final approval.
Following engagement with staff, students, Officers, the University and the Board of Trustees, Your SU has determined that a move to a model to facilitate, engage, and raise a range of student voices is more appropriate over the current model – devolving power from central roles to wider groups of students engaging with Your SU.
Recommendations
In summary, we propose to move to this model by implementing the following recommendations:
- Moving to a President structure of one President: Sunderland and one President: London.
- Giving greater emphasis to already existing student groups such as societies, Course Reps and Student Voice Reps – as well as organising students with this in mind.
- Removing Union Council in order to introduce more fluid and dynamic accountability mechanisms.
- Removing the requirement for a Members’ Meeting every year, whilst still allowing members to call for one should it be necessary.
- Making greater use of referenda for decision making.
- Removing the Officer Executive Committee and passing its power to wider groups of students such as society committee members.
- Replacing Part Time Officer roles with other student leadership posts when required.
You can view the full paper and recommendations here.
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Company registered in England no: 07702161
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University of Sunderland Students' Union
City Campus,
Edinburgh Building, Chester Road
Sunderland, SR1 3SD
Company limited by guarantee.
Company registered in England no: 07702161
Registered Charity no: 1148212
VAT no: 178592316
