Change, Policy and Research

GUILD COUNCIL

Democracy and Governance Committee22/10/14

Chair: Emily Bevan

Change, Policy and Research

AGENDA

1. Apologies

2. Student Idea: Reduce the Burger Meal back to £5

Report on online votes and methodVote on further action

3. Student Idea: Make a Slide down Cardiac Hill

4. Student Idea: Add to the Slide Down Cardiac with a Chairlift Up

Change, Policy and Research

5. Student Idea: Widen the Staircase Beside the Student Health Centre

6. Student Idea: The Guild Should Have a Deli-style Salad Bar

7. Student Idea: Install More Laundry Machines in Student Accommodation

8. Student Idea: Put 'Residents Sleeping' Signs Up Around the Campus

9. Student Idea: Have a Small Kitchen in Devonshire House

10. Student Idea: Have Water Fountains In All Buildings

Change, Policy and Research

Apologies

Maria FinnertyOscar Maddox – proxy to Natalie

AndersonBen Street – proxy to Matt BateRachel Gillies – proxy to Matt

BateKate Hawkins – proxy to Matt

BateCarlus Hudson – proxy to Lucy

WhitakerKane Davis – proxy to Harry

WhiteFong Khei Mah – proxy to Milly

Hindle

In Attendance

Nicola CarterJulia Bush

Present

Emily BevanMatt Bate

Milly HindleKhoa NguyenLucy Whitaker

Naomi ArmstrongNatalie Anderson

Harry WhiteAlexandra Beeler

Natasa ChristofidouMarcel Golten

Bess Tuo

Change, Policy and Research

2 . Student Idea: Reduce the Burger Meal back to £5

127 votesFalls within ‘neutral’ category – but over 65%

strongly agreePossible financial impact

Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea60-burgers/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea60-burgers/StudentIdeaReport-60-BurgerMealDeal2.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

2 . Student Idea: Reduce the Burger Meal back to £5

Nicki Carter (Students’ Guild Commercial Operations Manager) explained that the reason prices rose were due to increased supplier costs and the introduction of the living wage for Ram staff. Harry White spoke in defence of the living wage for staff, and expressed that this in addition to inflation meant that the 50p increase in price did not seem unreasonable.

Marcel Golten asked for an estimate of how much it would cost the Guild to reduce the price back to £5. NC estimated that given 3500 deals were sold in freshers’ week alone, this could cost the Guild £10,000 in revenue that funds other Guild services, such as societies and representation.

Matt Bate stated that he works throughout the year to review prices.

Council voted to keep the price the same and take no further action.

YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

3 . Student Idea: Make a Slide down Cardiac Hill

197 votesHighly positive

Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea63-slide/

Report: http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea63-slide/Student-Idea-Report-63-Slide.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

3 . Student Idea: Make a Slide down Cardiac Hill

Several councillors raised doubt that this idea would ever be implemented, given financial, health and safety and planning issues. Lucy Whitaker asked if there was an access problem with the hill. Julia Bush recommended a possible course of action of using the idea to implement creative and fun events. MB stated that FXU created a water slide, and Milly Hindle said that this was something RAG had looked into in the past.

Council voted on two options:A. Instruct Matt Bate to propose the exact idea to the

UniversityB. Instruct Matt Bate to continue the idea of a slide on

campus in some form, possibly as a one-off student society event

A - 0 B - 17 ABSTAIN - 3

Change, Policy and Research

4 . Student Idea: Add to the Slide Down Cardiac with a Chairlift Up

62 votesNeutral

Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea68-chairlift/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea68-chairlift/Student-Idea-Report-68-chairlift.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

4 . Student Idea: Add to the Slide Down Cardiac with a Chairlift Up

Emily Bevan raised the issues of cost, health and safety and planning and cast serious doubt on it ever being created. MH raised the idea of finding other ways of making ‘Cardiac Hill’ a more positive experience, for example art installations. HW suggested promoting the health benefits of the hill, or making it into a competition, e.g. your name on a plaque for running up in a certain time.

Council voted to instruct the sabbatical officers to explore these and other creative ways of making ‘Cardiac Hill’ more bearable.

YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

5 . Student Idea: Widen the Staircase Beside the Student Health Centre

87 votesVery strongly positive

Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea62-stairs/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea62-stairs/Student-Idea-Report-62-Stairs.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

5. Student Idea: Widen the Staircase Beside the Student Health Centre

A photo of the queue was shown to Council. EB made the point that any changes would have to be made by the University. MB said that there could be a reason that it can’t be expanded due to the building’s listed status.

Natasa Christofidou and MH discussed alternative, less busy routes to the staircase. Harry White and Bess Tuo supported this and recommended publicising these routes better, possibly with signs along the route.

Council voted to instruct Kate Hawkins, VP Welfare and Diversity, to work with the University in seeking alternative options to the problem, such as suggesting alternative routes.

YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

6 . Student Idea: The Guild Should Have a Deli-Style Salad Bar

35 votesNeutral

Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea64-saladbar/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea64-saladbar/Student-Idea-Report-64-Salad-Bar.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

6 . Student Idea: The Guild Should Have a Deli-Style Salad Bar

EB raised the point that salads are available from Comida, but aren’t labelled very clearly. MH agreed with the idea in theory but questioned where it would go, especially as DH1 has only just been refurbished. NC told Council that the Guild tried this idea a few years ago but couldn’t make enough money with it. JB pointed out that all previous salad options were still available, and this could be an issue of publicising them better.

MB reminded Council that a previous student idea had instructed Rachel to explore healthier options (especially for dietary requirements).

Council voted to not recommend creating a new salad bar, but to pass on these comments to Rachel in her work on looking at healthier food options.

YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

7 . Student Idea: Install More Laundry Machines in Student Accommodation

40 votesPositive (technically neutral, but very close to

positive threshold)

Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea65-laundrymachines/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea65-laundrymachines/Student-Idea-Report-65-LaundryMachines.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

7 . Student Idea: Install More Laundry Machines in Student Accommodation

JB reminded councillors that due to low voting figures on this idea, the Guild recommends doing further research on how many students are affected by this before going to the University. HW agreed but said more needed to be done to consult with residents first. AB suggested letting Moberly residents use the Birks Grange machines. Council discussed the best way to work on this – from a sabbatical officer, or from the students themselves.

Council voted on two options:A. Instruct Kate Hawkins to lobby the University on this idea

B. Contact proposer to work with Kate Hawkins and other residents on taking this to the Residents’ Life TeamA - 0 B - 19 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

8. Student Idea: Put 'Residents Sleeping' Signs Up Around the

Campus

42 votesNeutral

Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea66-sleeping/

Report: http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea66-sleeping/Student-Idea-Report-66-ResidentsSleeping.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

8 . Student Idea: Put 'Residents Sleeping' Signs Up Around the Campus

MB acknowledged that this is an issue taken very seriously by the Guild, but that similar signs were put up by the City

Council in freshers’ week with little effect. MH suggested that these signs can in fact provoke students to make more

noise.

Council voted to take no further action on the idea.

YES (take no further action) - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

9. Student Idea: Have a Small Kitchen in Devonshire House

32 votesNeutral

Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea67-kitchen/Student-Idea-Report-67-kitchen.pdf

Report: http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea67-kitchen/Student-Idea-Report-67-kitchen.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

9. Student Idea: Have a Small Kitchen in Devonshire House

JB pointed out that these facilities already exist in Devonshire House (DH1). MH stated that she didn’t know she could use

them, and so it is likely that others don’t either. Wider publicity of these facilities were discussed, but it was

decided that the facilities would not be able to cope with mass demand.

Council voted to inform the proposer of the idea that these facilities are available for use.

YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

Change, Policy and Research

10. Student Idea: Have Water Fountains In All Buildings

63 votesPositive

Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea69-fountains/

Report: http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea69-fountains/Student-Idea-Report-69-waterfountain.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

10 . Student Idea: Have Water Fountains In All Buildings

Due to the meeting overrunning, this idea and any other business was postponed

until the next Democracy and Governance Committee.