Print

Education Zone (12th March 2014)

Minutes

Switch to Agenda

Name of Committee Education Zone
Date and time 12th March 2014, 16:00
Place The Board Room
Present Members
(voting)
Vice President Education Samuel Dedman
Physical Sciences & Engineering Faculty Officer Giles Howard
Natural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Officer Kane Hands
Business and Law Faculty Officer Jack Brigden
Social and Human Sciences Faculty Officer Alex Bees
Carla Jardim
Engineering and Environment Faculty Officer Shruti Verma
Absent with Apologies Union President Emily Dawes
Sabbatical Evie Reilly
Union Councillor Katherine Spires
Health Sciences Faculty Officer Katy Elliott
Humanities Faculty Officer Lawrence Smith
Absent without Apologies Student Groups Rep Lucy Upshall
Union Councillor Evrim Ozbey
Medicine Faculty Officer Alexander Oldman

Actions and Decisions

TypeDescriptionWho
Action Email CMT to get log in details for Faculty Officer email account. Kane Hands
Action Email Lawrence and Jack a list of their reps. Carla Jardim
Action Write a new policy to replace policies 0910P39 and 0910P18 Samuel Dedman
Action Clarify with Democracy when this years' AGM and Open Union Council would be. Carla Jardim
Action Email to be sent round so that the commitee can approve these decisions, and the minutes. Carla Jardim
Action Email commitee a document outlining the dates and nominations process for the ETAs Carla Jardim
Action Recall to be discussed at Union Council Samuel Dedman
1. Welcome and Apologies

 1.1 - David noted that Sopia, Emily and Sohaib were in attendance at the meeting. 

 1.2 - The apologies were noted as above. 

1.3 -  David noted that because the meeting was inquorate, any decisions would have to be ratified by the committee via email. 7 committee members' votes would be needed to ratify these minutes.

2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting

2.1 - Carla confirmed that she had added PGT/PGR Officer to the agenda.

2.2 - Kane had been asked by CMT to email them to recieve the log in details for the Faculty Officer email account. 

2.3 - As Lawrence was absent, the video reccording survey will be discussed at the next meeting. 

2.4 - Jack Brigden asked whether there had been any meetings regarding Art Course Reps. David Mendoza-Wolfson explained that the elections for course reps would be taking place later this term, and that Jack would be involved with any further conversations. The committe briefly discussed whether all course rep elections should take place at the start of the academic year. David Mendoza-Wolfson suggested that this discussion be continued as part of A.O.B.

2.5 - David Mendoza-Wolfson noted that Carla should have been actioned to email Jack and Lawrence the updated list of Course Reps. 

2.6 - David Mendoza-Wolfson asked the commitee if he could prepare the policy on course closure for the next meeting. The committee agreed.

2.7 - David Mendoza-Wolfson said he had not yet given out the prizes to Shruti and Grace for their role in generating responses to The Big Question. 

2.8 - David Mendoza-Wolfson noted that there had not been enough votes on the next Big Question for him to choose one question. He suggested that the question be voted on by the committee under A.O.B. The committee agreed.

Action Email CMT to get log in details for Faculty Officer email account. (Kane Hands)
Action Email Lawrence and Jack a list of their reps. (Carla Jardim)
Action Write a new policy to replace policies 0910P39 and 0910P18 (Samuel Dedman)
3. Policy Review

Shruti explained that she and Giles had contacted David Mendoza-Wolfson because they felt that any industrial action policy should have input from as many  students as possible, because all students would be affected by any future industrial action. Shruti suggested that because Union Council was a more representative body than Education Zone Committee, it would most likely produce a policy that was more representative of students views. Giles suggested that the policy be discussed in an ideas session at the next Union Council, then written by David Mendoza-Wolfson, then brought to Education Zone Commitee before being approved at Open Union Council. 

David asked the commitee to vote on whether they want the policy approved by Open Council or Union Council. Commitee moved to a vote; 4 voted in favour of Open Council and 1 voted in favour of Union Council. 

The committee asked for clarification on when the date of the Open Union Council and AGM would be. 

Action Clarify with Democracy when this years' AGM and Open Union Council would be. (Carla Jardim)
4. Funding - Round 3

4.1 - Environmental Science Student Society - Conservation Trip Travel (£140)

  • Carla noted that the society had asked for £1,000 in the last round, but the commitee had declined the application because it was felt that the cost could be more suitably covered by the Community Action fund. Carla had spoken to Student Activites, who had not recieved an application from the society. 
  • It was felt that the society should have approached Community Action for funding. 
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 5 voted to decline the application. 1 abstained. The application was DECLINED. 

 4.2 - Film Society - Printing (£50)

  • It was felt that the society could cover these costs quite easily by charging a minimal entrance fee for the event, or by charging a membership fee.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 4 voted to decline the application.  The application was DECLINED. 

4.3 - Film Society - Cinema Screenings (£80)

  • As above, it was felt that the society could cover this cost by charging a minimal entrance fee for the event, or by charging a membership fee.
  • Sophia also suggested that since 30 people had attended the event, a lecture theatre at Avenue campus could be used. 
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 5 voted to decline the application. The application was DECLINED.

4.4 - Italian Society - Advertising, First Aid Training and Food Hygene Training (£278)

  • Carla informed the commitee that she had emailed the society to try and establish what Food Hygene training they needed, but had recieved no reply.
  • Sohaid noted that the St John's Ambulance Society could offer the First Aid Training free of charge. Jack and Shruti questioned whether flyers were a cost-efficient way of advertising. 
  • The committee moved to a vote. 5 voted to approve some of the application; 1 voted to approve none of the application.
  • The commitee moved to a vote on the cost of advertising. 1 voted to approve some of the cost; 5 voted to approve none of the costs. The cost of the flyers was DECLINED.
  • The commitee moved to a vote on the cost of First Aid training. 6 voted to approve none of the cost. The cost of First Aid training was DECLINED.
  • The commitee moved to a vote on the cost of Food Hygene training. 1 voted to approve some of the cost; 5 voted to approve none of the cost. The cost of Food Hygene Training was DECLINED.

4.5 - Life Sciences Postgraduate Sciences Society - First Aid Training and First Aid Kit (£415)

  • As above, the commitee noted that the St John's Ambulance Society could provide this training fee of charge.
  • The committee moved to a vote on the cost of First Aid Training. 5 voted to decline the cost. The application was DECLINED.
  • The Commitee moved to a vote on the cost of the First Aid Kit. 5 voted to approve the cost; 1 voted to decline all of the cost. The cost of the first aid was APPROVED.


4.6 - Life Sciences Postgraduate Sciences Society - Weatherproof Banner

  • The commitee suggested that banner requested in the application was too large to be suitable for indoor uses. Shruti noted that the society charges no membership fee. David Mendoza-Wolfson suggested that the cost of a smaller banner could be funded, if the commitee felt it would be more suitable. The committee suggesed £20.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 2 voted to fund none of the cost; 4 voted to cover some of the cost. The application was APPROVED TO THE VALUE OF £20.

4.7 - FrenSoc - Lille Trip 2014 (£1,000)

  • Sophia noted the trip had been cancelled last year due to a lack of funding. The commitee noted that it would not be possible to allocate the request amount. Sohaib suggested that some money could be allocate to go some way to bringing down the ticket price. Emily suggested that a smaller subsidy would not greatly reducy the ticket price. The commitee discussed how useful a small subsidy would be to individual students.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 4 voted to approve none of the cost. The application was DECLINED.

4.8 - Geological Society - Academic Guided Tour of the Isle of Wight (£700)

  • David Mendoza-Wolfson noted that SUSU's policy is generally not to fund transport. He also noted that the total amount asked for in the application seemed to be £100 higher than expect. The society noted that the trip would cost £1500, but that £900 of this would be funded by students and asked that SUSU make up the shortfall. David Mendoza-Wolfson explained that this should be £600, not £700 as stated in the application.
  • Kane suggested that the money was based on 52 people attending the event - he suggested this was unlikely.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 6 voted to fund some of the cost. A figure of £350 was suggested by Shruti. The commitee moved to a vote on the amount to be approved. 2 voted to allocated £400; 4 voted to allocate £350. The application was APPROVED TO THE VALUE OF £350.

4.9 - History Society - Trip to Berlin (£515)

  • The commitee agreed that the trip seemed worthwhile, and carefully tailored to benefit History students.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 4 voted to approve the application. The application was APPROVED.

4.10 - Civil Engineering - London Day Trip (£538)

  • David Mendoza-Wolfosn noted that the society could save money on their travel if they purchased an Oyster card for the day.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 3 voted to allocate the full amount; 1 voted to allocate some of the amount. The application was APPROVED.

 

David-Mendoza Wolfson noted that because the meeting was not quorate, the funding would not be allocated until the minutes had been approved by at least 7 members of the commitee (to reach quoracy).

Action Email to be sent round so that the commitee can approve these decisions, and the minutes. (Carla Jardim)
5. Excellence in Teaching Awards

5.1 - David Mendoza- Wolfson announced that the Excellence in Teaching awards would take place on the 8th May, and that nominations would open on monday 17th of March. Carla explained that the process for nominations. The committee requested that the nominations process be explained via email so that this information could be passed on to Academic Presidents and Course Reps.

Action Email commitee a document outlining the dates and nominations process for the ETAs (Carla Jardim)
6. Changes to Optional Module Selection Process


6.1 - As the meeting had already run over, this item was postponed.

7. PGT/PGR Officer

7.1  - As the meeting had already run over, this item was postponed.

8. Any Other Business

8.1 - Alexander Oldman

  • David Mendoza-Wolfson noted that SUSU usually considers the recall process of officers if they do not send apologies for 3 meetings. He noted that Alex had now missed 7 meetings without sending apologies, and that Alex had not responded to any emails throughout the year. David Mendoza-Wolfson explained that he would like to recall Alex, but would like to know what the committee thought about this proposal.
  • Jack noted that Alex was still chairing SSLC meetings. David Mendoza-Wolfson accepted this, but noted that there were serious issues in medicine that had not been addressed by Alex, and which David did not even know about.  Jack further noted that Alex may be unclear on his role, although Emily noted that this would not stop him responding to emails.
  • The commitee moved to a vote. 2 voted to recall Alex; 1 abstained.
Action Recall to be discussed at Union Council (Samuel Dedman)
9. Date of the Next Meeting - 15th April (Provisional)

9.1 - The commitee noted the date was during the Easter break. Carla will send out a doodlepoll to confirm the date of the next meeting.

Key: P (Papers Provided), PF (Papers to Follow)