The Annual General Meeting is the ultimate decision making body of the Union. The Meeting is open to all students to attend and to raise motions to be voted upon. The biggest changes to the Union are decided at the AGM.
Any student can raise a motion (a call for a change in Union policy) by simply sending the idea (with a back-up signature and student number from another supportive student) to president@newport.ac.uk.
An Example from last year’s AGM:
TITLE: “Motion for Newport Students’ Union to commit to a review of it’s and the University’s environmental operations in 2009/10”.
PROPOSED BY: Rhiannon Tate (+student number)
SECONDED BY: Hannah McKimm (+student number)
THE UNION NOTES: (This bit will become the Union’s ‘belief’ on an issue) “Though the University and the City of Newport receive plaudits for their work in environment and ethics there are great improvements which could be made to recycling and energy consumption
The student body is almost completely unaware of an work or policies the University and/or Union have done/do in these areas”
THE UNION RESOLVES: (This bit is actually what the Union will be committing to doing if voting through) “A commitment to a full review of its (the Union’s) and the University’s environmental operations in 2009/10, including recycling facilities, a green energy policy and raising awareness amongst staff and students”
Debating
The person proposing the motion has the right to speak explaining their motion for 2 minutes. The floor is then opened to people to oppose, then open for people to defend and so on and so forth until a member from the floor (any student attending) brings forward to the chair a piece of paper asking for an end to debating.
There is then a vote on whether we should continue debating the issue or go to a vote on the issue.
If we go to a vote then it works like this…
Voting
Every student at the AGM gets one vote per issue. The chair will ask
students to raise their vote card if they are in favour of the motion, these are then counted by the Chair and Chair’s assistant. The chair then asks students to raise their vote card if they are against and count. Then the chair asks if anyone wishes to abstain (not vote because they are undecided or don’t wish to get involved etc.) and counts these.
Finally the chair works out the totals and declares whether or not a motion becomes policy or not.
What else goes on?
The Sabbatical officers deliver reports on their year in office and can be questioned by students.
The General Manager delivers a report on the finances of the Union and can be questioned by students.
