Dialogue, Not Division

TAMARA HOPEWELL BARREDA REPORTS ON A THIRD MOTION BEING PROPOSED ON HOW TO ORGANISE THE ROLES OF THE SABBATICAL OFFICERS

Following two motions to change the sabbatical officer roles, a third motion, called ‘Dialogue, not division‘, has been submitted to the UCLU General Assembly.

The proposer is Luke Blackett, chair of Culture Club. The motion has been seconded by 15 students from various societies, and has Pi’s full support.

It proposes that members from all interested parties, such as liberation networks, societies and also ‘four disengaged students’ who did not vote in last year’s elections, meet and discuss a way in which UCLU can be reorganised so that it ‘protects, promotes and facilitates the needs of all stakeholder groups’ while also meeting the objectives of ‘organisational effectiveness, increased student engagement, and financial good health’.

The motion also criticises the way in which the review was handled. It notes that while sabbatical officers were able to work on one of the motions for several months, the other was put together by students who were given only two working days notice to submit an alternative.

It also stresses that the process be inclusive and transparent to all, a particularly important point as only 20% of UCL voted in last year’s elections. Blackett and those seconding the motion highlight that the union is failing to work with students, clubs and societies, which makes it ineffective and fosters a general apathy towards the union among students.

All this could be difficult to achieve, particularly in time for the 2015 union elections in the spring. However, Blackett hopes that something of this size would be given priority: “the irony is that the process which we are criticising is also the one that has brought us to such a tight timeline”.

The General Assembly is on Tuesday 9th December at 6:30pm. The motion proposed by Sam Inkersole of UCLU Boat Club can be read here, and the motion proposed by the current sabbatical officers here.