The Hull Observer

The End of Days

2009-03-13T21:54:00.002Z

Well ladies and gentlemen, it's been a while since I last posted on here. Partly because I felt that our mission was better served informing people in person, partly because the CSA project was effectively over. Council was full of new people, and there was a clear three way divide between Labour councillors, Conservative councillors and Independent councillors. Last year we were happy to work together to make progress, this year this didn't happen.

However, the events of the last few weeks have changed things. An acceptance, above all, that we as union officers and councillors need to work together if we're to achieve common goals.

So I am here announcing the rebirth of the old accord. From now on there shall be Unity and Understanding amongst our friends. We will also begin publishing our own alternative newspaper to represent the views of the people we serve.

For the Union, United.

Iain

NUS Extraordinary Conference

2008-11-17T19:18:00.004Z

Last week we all trawled down to Wolverhampton, which is actually quite a nice place, to vote on the NUS Governance review. It needs to be voted through twice to replace the existing constitution, so they're probably going to hold two of these to push it through. I would personally say that this is quite undemocratic, since a lot of little HE unions and FE unions just send Sabbaticals or activists to extraordinary conferences without an election. Personally, I'd rather the constitution had a more democratic mandate, but the rules are such that if 25 unions call for an extraordinary conference we have to have one, and there are rules that unions can opt-out of elections. As in the last NUS conference, the vote was roughly divided between the right of student politics, led by Labour Students and the Organised Independent vote, and the 'Save NUS Democracy' umbrella group, which covers ENS, SWP and a whole host of little left groups. The crucial difference between this conference and the last was that there were less independent votes and FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies) voted for the motion. I am not going to ramble on about the ideology behind the opposition to the review, I think Hull-Left sums it up pretty well here, but roughly speaking the objections are as follows (again, I've borrowed their list):

Trustee Board: Gives power to non-student professionals, to guarantee that there is some actual financial and legal experts making sure the NUS doesn't do anything illegal. HUU have had these for a couple of years now, and I am glad they're there, as their advice has been very helpful at times and they're very aware that their position is limited by their roles (in our case, a charity expert, financial expert and legal expert).

Liberation Spaces: there is no liberation representation on the trustee board. I completely agree with this- the liberation campaigns have representation, but in the end the Board is intended to administer the Union not direct policy. Also, I would hope that the student leaders elected onto the board represent all students, and that the sectionalisation and pidgeon-holing which goes on elsewhere in the Union isn't necessary there. Keep the politics in the council.

Zone Conferences: This would hopefully clear all of the motions about Iraq out of the way. It would also mean stuff like 'this conference believes anorexia is a serious problem and the NUS should support research into it' that everyone agrees on anyway wouldn't have to waste conference time. Virtually nobody speaks against most of the motions and there are very few motions at national conference which are close enough to require a count. Zone Conferences would free up more time for issues which can't be agreed on without debate. Think about it: a whole half hour to debate a motion!

The National Ballot: Sounds good, and from what I can read our comrades on the far left agree.

Also, the left talk a lot about how we should solve the NUS' problems by more direct action and protests, but I don't see how that's going to help our finances. Sort out the money and we'll be able to run bigger campaigns!

I voted YES to the final motion, and voted as following on ammendments:

1. NO
2. NO
3. YES*
4. YES
5. NO
6. YES
7. NO
8. YES
9. YES
10. NO
11. NO
12. NO
13. NO
14. YES
15. NO
*I voted for this after parts were taken so it was reduced from a 'let's go home whilst there is an investigation into the effect of the constitution on minorities' to a 'let's have an investigation into the effect of the constitution on minorities' ammendment.

The only really contentious ammendment was 7, which proposed mandatory gender quotas for NUS delegations. Basically at least 50% (rounded down) would have to be women. I voted against because I believe in egalitarianism, and just as I would be happy to be represented by anyone provided they had the best interests of all students at heart, I would like to think I could represent female students. I don't think the fact our President is a woman, or our national President is gay reduces the amount of representation I get, and I think this applies both ways.

So until next time,

Iain

Victory!

2008-10-27T23:05:00.002Z

The HUU Governance review has passed, and I for one can finally relax after a year of madness. Well done to the Sabb team for getting it passed, especially to Coralie and Gibson for lecture shouting people, Priscilla for going out there and collaring people, and the marketting team for plastering the place with gear.

Not only did it reach quoracy (amazingly) but it was a 90(+)% Yes vote- admittedly the posters and materials were rather biased but I was expecting more objections from Scarborough! Good times.

Iain

NUS Elections

2008-10-24T12:34:00.003+01:00

The NUS elections are over, and the following candidates were successful:

Chris Marks
'Irish' Mark Alcorn
Richard 'Priscilla' Jackson
Emma Kinloch
Irving Anderson
Urslaan Waheed Khan
Iain Keers
Ben Wilcox
Thomas Digby

congratulations to those who got elected. There will be an elections appeals committee coming up soon, so the list is still up for change.

Council

2008-10-15T15:19:00.002+01:00

Hello and Good Day, fellow Hull Observers. I'm writing a quick post here as a summation of the last council meeting, and more specifically our current situation regarding No Platform.

On the 13th of the Month we held Union Council, and although a largely dull meeting there was a plethora of questions (admittedly mostly from me) to the President and the UST.

Firstly Helen got questioned as to our current lack of a No Platform policy- an issue raised not only because nearly every Union has one by default, but because she attempted to introduce one and was voted down six to one by her UEC!

Secondly, Alex was questioned extensively on the wholly undemocratic and unconstitutional elections held the Thursday before. Only 60 people in total voted in the elections, which I work out as being a shade over four people per candidates. Considering this candidate didn't even have the chance to vote for himself, this is a disgrace. No election dates were announced- and despite the fact that all the Tory candidates were elected I have been assured that even they only found out it was on when someone texted them to say that they've voted for them!

Oh dear:- where now from here? A complete failure for the first public duty of the year, followed up by Mr Hamilton failing to agree with the President what dates the Union will be holding voting for it's new constitution on. A farce all round.

But now back to the topic of choice- No Platform policies, and the furor around them. Here is the facebook group, where most of the arguments are laid out. Our position here has always been to firmly keep to the centre ground, whilst maintaining freedom of speech. We will quite happily meet the BNP, the NF, Islamist groups, Stalinists and other extremists on neutral grounds to debate- and we will win. However, the Union is a private building dedicated to helping and supporting students. It is funded by students, and quite simply, with a third of students international, and another fifth non-white, why should we have racist, xenophobic groups spoiling their Union with their propaganda?

Of course, we recognise others hold different views, and so at some point we will be organising a debate between both points of view. We'll let you know when that happens, but the easiest way would be to join the group above.

best,

Iain

Newsflash update on the new constitution!

2008-10-01T20:14:00.002+01:00

Most people thought the lid had finally been nailed down on the constitutional white paper when the last UEC approved the document before leaving office. As you know, it is convention that the new UEC respects the decisions made by the old, even if they disagree with them. Last year, for example, the UEC disagreed with the 2006-07 policy of pulling out of the scheme, but they stuck by that commitment.

However, on the 20th of August 2008 the new UEC took a vote on the matter and voted 3 to 2 not to carry forward the document to referendum, breaking what was supposedly a 3 year commitment. This was discovered by combing through the UEC minutes- despite the enormous importance of this decision no consultation was made and no information released. After the lengthy consultation period established by the last UEC, with input from all sources including the new UEC, disregarding the white paper now appears to be nothing less than an abuse of power. Much credit to President Helen Gibson, who despite disagreeing with the paper in many aspects was one of two UEC members to defend it.

If the paper does not meet the timetable then it will not be ready for the 2009 elections (provided it passes) throwing everything up in the air.

The question is: where now from here? The UEC must be held to account over this decision, which has thrust the process surrounding the white paper from the light firmly into the undemocratic shadows which haunted previous years' proposals.

Freshers week

2008-09-30T12:38:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to the new academic year. Freshers is a time of fun, but there is a bit of politics to be discussed! We have the traditional political society recruitments, with Labour and the Conservatives both at the fair on thursday. However, in addition a newly resurgent politics society will be recruiting, so make sure you sign up.

The following week the real action starts, as emergency elections begin to get new members elected for council, finance committee and so on. Everyone intending to stand needs to get their forms in for the end of freshers week. Elections for NUS delegates will also take place that week. You can download forms here.

Hope you enjoy freshers, and hope to see you soon for the new year :)

Withdrawal

2008-08-05T02:22:00.002+01:00

I am formally withrawing the last post. Although as an organisation we are committed to good (ie incisive) journalism, the last post went perhaps too far. In future it will be policy not to use social networking sites as sources of information. There has been precedent in the past (which has not been challenged by the new administration) of using facebook to hold officers to account. I felt that it was wrong at the time of the precedent, and I feel it is wrong now: and two wrongs do not make a right, as I was always taught.

I want to apologise personally for any harm done to anyone's feelings, especially those of the new president, who was offended by the post. In future we will consult all members involved before publishing posts which might inadvertantly cause dispute, to minimise damage.

Phones4U's Appalling Customer Service

2008-07-15T13:50:00.011+01:00

Yesterday afternoon I spent an unnecessary amount of time dealing with Phones4U. In September 2007 I bought a mobile phone from Phones4U which then proceeded to break three months later. I took the phone back to the shop and was advised to send it straight back to Sony because it would be a faster turn around than if I were to go via Phones4U's repair service. During this time I was able to borrow a phone and finally after two months and numerous calls to Sony, I had my fixed phone sent back to me. Not long after, another button broke but I decided that it wasn't worth sending the phone off again to be fixed as I had no idea how long I'd have to spend without it. On Sunday evening my phone died without any prior damage done by me or anyone else and so yesterday I took it back to Phones4U, to the same branch from which I bought it back in September. The manager of the shop told me that I could send it back to Sony via them but that they were unable to provide me with a temporary phone to use in the meantime.

As far as I'm aware, other companies such as The Carphone Warehouse do provide temporary phones, or at least loan phones whilst your phone is being repaired. I decided that this was unacceptable as I was given a choice of spending 2 weeks without a mobile (the one I used before is in Hull at the moment and I'm in London) or spending money on a second mobile phone, money which as a student I don't have very much to spare. I got straight on the phone to Phones4U's customer service team and was given exactly the same information as I had been given in the shop. I refused to accept this as a final answer and explained that if I did not have a mobile that I would not be able to work properly and potentially lose money. The team member I spoke to asked to speak to the manager of the shop at which point I handed the phone over and then the phone was put down. I asked what had been said and his reply was "She asked me to reiterate what she had said to you." I have never been so insulted and offended. Not only did this Phones4U customer service team member feel the need to put the phone down on me but she clearly knew it was wrong because she didn't have the guts to do it directly to me. Eventually I spoke to the manager of customer services who told me that despite being at the top, he didn't have the authority to use his initiative and go against company policy nor could he put me onto anyone above him. When asked about the results of the internal investigation that would be held regarding the woman who put the phone down on a customer, he said that because it was internal we would not be told the results. Needless to say, the assumption was made that there would in fact not be any investigation at all.

Unfortunately I had to give in and agree to send my phone off to be fixed without being given a temporary phone, luckily The Carphone Warehouse do sell a basic phone for £5 which I ended up buying. What shouldn't be surprising by this point is that Phones4U do not sell anything as cheap as this and even if they had, I was not prepared to buy anything further from them.

This experience with Phones4U went far beyond the lack of a temporary phone being provided for me by them and I was able to see first hand quite how little this company actually care about their customers. I'm not naive, I don't expect huge international companies to really care for other people and understand that it is probably far more about the amount of money they make than genuine customer satisfaction. However, everyone knows that on the outside the customer always comes first and no matter what you think of them, you do not hang up on a customer and you try to make their lives easier if you have sold them a faulty product.

I have no concerns about Phones4U and will happily do everything that I can to make business more difficult for them as they completely ruined my day yesterday. It began with setting up a facebook group and I will do anything more that I can to ruin at least one day, if not more, for Phones4U.

Handing Over, Redux

2008-06-26T19:44:00.003+01:00

At 12 o'clock tomorrow, the new UEC of Hull University Union officially take office, marking the end of an... er... eventful year for the UEC of 2007/08. With an updated constitution coming into force, many tricks and turns have awaited the UEC this year, and some may think that it is a wonder that they managed to come through it in one piece!!!

But they did. After the teething problems of the Open Forums, the attempted removal of a UEC member (twice), contriversial plans for Union entertainment, a disputed election, and heated debate over a proposal for a new constitution of HUU, resulting in a few members of the Union being... er... dissatisfied, many people fail to recoginise the UEC's achivements. The "Reclaim the Night" protests, extended Library hours, higher turnout in elections, increased awareness in the Union politics and democratic structures, to name but a few.

As I look on to next year, I hope that, through the highs and the lows, the UEC of 2008/09 will be just as strong, and will deliever results, as the UEC of 2007/08 did.

All that remains for me to say is, Ed Marsh, Jay Webster, Daniel Harrison, Warwick Norris, Charli Hill, Hannah Shooman, Tom Metcalfe, Iain Keers, Craig Phillips and Heiko Loeffler, thank you for leading HUU this year, and good luck with your future endeavours.

Be proud of your uni!

2008-06-21T13:30:00.002+01:00

Skipping through the internet, I found that TimesOnline had updated its profile for the University of Hull a couple of days ago. Thankfully, the article is mostly good news, opening with our biggest accolade:

"Students at Hull are among the most satisfied in the country – the university has never been out of the top ten in the first three national surveys of their views."

The satisfaction of our students is something we as a Union of Students should be proud of, since it is largely our battles with the university (plus our own outstanding services) which have secured this happy state. Academically, Law and Geography joined Politics as level 5 departments (with level 6 being the top as international class-top 50 in the world). Which is good. Also the new business school gets a mention, which it should, considering how expensive it must have been. We're also apparently growing, not that I've noticed... We now have 19000 undergraduate students, a massive number. In terms of achievement, Politics get a special mention, not only for it's world class research but for it's teaching, which is

"...reflected in a steady flow of graduates into the House of Commons."

Finally, on access (ever important) we have the second-highest percentage of state schooled pupils of any traditional university, at 92%. Roughly one third of pupils come from working class backgrounds. This shows that despite the growing standards of the uni it remains firmly in the tradition of the surrounding city.

Overall, Hull has done itself proud.

Handing Over

2008-06-16T17:30:00.004+01:00

The last job of every executive team is to hand over the reigns of the Union to their elected successors. At the end of the month, our Sabbatical team will be stepping down, and going their separate ways, and next years team will step up. A lot of people have commented already on the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the individual members of the new team, but that's a big mistake. Individual strengths and weaknesses are irrelevant on our UEC, it's all about the strength of the team. Sometimes a really poor team has pulled through because they remained united, and the next year a team of incredibly strong individuals have collapsed into infighting and achieved nothing. So we're going to ignore all of the little jibes people have been making, and wait to see how the team does. After all, you can't judge them on their record until they've done something. However, on a light note, CSA does have a few words of advice for the new team.

Don't punch anybody. No matter how much you get into the boxing.
Don't go up against a Pirate. They're surprisingly resourceful.
Try not to get called unethical, it's not the best albatross to hang around your neck
Don't ban the military. They're more popular than you think.
Remember to read ednet, it can be incredibly funny.
Lastly, remember to read and write for the Common Sense Alliance. You know you want to have your say!

Good luck to the new team, don't call me Prophet but I think they might need it! CSA

To the White Paper...

2008-05-30T23:33:00.003+01:00

Well, the consultation period for the Big Conversation is over, and, from what I have seen, it has been quite a lively debate and a lot of valid points have been made, at least, from what I can see. If you've not made a submission for the review, unfortunately, the deadline has come... but there will still be opportunity to have your say in the future, see http://hullstudent.com/bigconversation for the timetable of events.

Now, we look onto the White Paper, due to be published on the 9th June, and you can be sure that I will be taking an in-depth look into the White Paper on the CSA site, and what it means for you. Who knows, I might even add in a couple of diagrams!!! Stay tuned!

Safety on Campus

2008-05-24T18:22:00.003+01:00

Just a quick notification about safety. With the new Library opening hours more students than ever are out late at night on campus. Unlike when you go out drinking, when you go to study the journey home can be lonely and quiet. I'm not trying to worry anyone, but in light of recent incidents I thought I'd reiterate the University safety advice on here:

Do not walk alone
If you absolutely have to walk alone, especially at night, make sure you walk close to street lights and facing oncoming traffic, to avoid anyone pulling up behind you.
If you think someone is following you, cross the road.
Having crossed the road, if you still think someone is following you, go to the nearest building and call the police.
Always tell people where you are going, and when you intend to arrive, before you set off.
If possible, take public transport
Don't speak on your mobile phone whilst walking, or carry conspicuous handbags
Attack Alarms are available from the HUU shop

If you have a problem on campus, HUU security can be called on 01482 465555- keep safe!

CSA

Do students care about politics?

2008-05-23T16:43:00.003+01:00

After stumbling across this article in the Independent I decided to focus a little on finding a solution to apathy in students. Obviously the presumption is that there is a certain level of apathy at least amongst students, but it isn't of the brand we normally find amongst the general population. When we talk about resolving low turnout nation-wide we normally talk about educating people about politics and what it means for them, however on campus it's a different battle. As the article points out, only 45% of young people feel they understand the democratic procedures of the UK, but that won't translate into 45% of students. Students after all are more educated than the average 18-24 year old, so presumably the figure is higher.

The problem in my view isn't that people don't understand how it works, it's that people don't understand how it works for them, and how they can get involved in a branch of politics which interests them. One of the best pages I've seen on getting involved in politics is on Conservative MP Mark Field's website, and for a party political site it's remarkably unbiased too. Ultimately there are a number of ways to get involved and engage people in politics which often go unmentioned, including:

Joining a charity
Joining a pressure group such as Amnesty or Greenpeace or whatever floats your boat
Joining a political party (There are more than 3 if you don't like those ones)
Standing for elected office in your students union
Join a candidates team whose policies you agree with: they'll appreciate the help!
Joining a trade union
Joining one of the political societies on campus. At the minute there are Labour Students, Conservative Future plus a few other protest groups such as Human Rights Action and People and Planet to choose from: look on the noticeboard in the corridor of power.
Join a HUU Campaigns team. Pretty easy to do, find the Chair of Campaigns and ask what needs doing, there is always work to be done.
write to/email your SU executive with your problems
Invite speakers to come to the University who you like. It's easier to get them along than you'd expect.
Vote!

Hopefully some of these will appeal to you to get involved. If you need any more information about any of these routes, please leave a comment and we'll signpost you in the right direction.

CSA

What Do You Reckon?

2008-05-18T23:18:00.010+01:00

OK, I admit it, this is another post on the Governance Review at HUU, but since I last posted with a summary of the review, there has been plenty of discussion on the subject of this review, which is good. However, I just wanted to remind people that the consultation period is still ongoing, and HUU are still looking for as much input from the student body as possible.

To this end, there is now a group for the big conversation on Facebook, where you can go and express your opinion and debate the review with the others on the wall and discussion board. Are you a student from Scarborough? The group Should Scarborough have a full-time Vice-President? should interest you too. These groups have been set up with the express purpose for you have an input, use this chance to do so! If you don't want to post publically, or you don't use Facebook, that fine, use the comments box at the bottom of the "Big Conversation" page at http://hullstudent.com/bigconversation instead, or email Ed Marsh, the Union President, directly at e.marsh@hull.ac.uk. Remember, you have until the 30th May to have your say, don't let it go to waste!!

Now, on a lighter note, most of these blog posts are accompanied by a picture, so I thought I'd go one better and post a video! It is a sketch from Mitchell and Webb, but it does have a lot of relevance. Watch it, laugh, see what I mean, then go and tell HUU what you reckon!

Investing in Arms

2008-05-17T21:43:00.003+01:00

The arms trade is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world. It was once said that ultimately all men need to eat, so farmers will never be poor; all nations need to fight, so sword smiths are never hungry. In the latest edition of Hullfire magazine Hull University Union's investment in the arms trade was brought under fire. The article pointed out that HUU is a listed investor in companies such as BAE Systems and Rolls Royce, some of the biggest arms companies in the world. I have decided to do a little analysis of my own, and I've come to a few conclusions.

Firstly, we invest a tiny amount of our total portfolio in arms. It works out at about £1052.96, out of a total investment portfolio of around £400 000. Taking into account BAE alone has an annual revenue of £15 710 000 000 I don't think we're really changing the world by investing, except maybe for the students who benefit from having a financially viable union.

Secondly, investing in arms isn't an ethical issue unless you're a pacifist. BAE is one of the biggest suppliers to the Ministry of Defence, providing everything from Jet parts to state-of-the-art aircraft carriers to the British Armed Forces. Rolls Royce engines helped win the Battle of Britain in the Second World War, and BAE built the Spitfire fighters they flew in. I don't see there being an intrinsic problem with us investing in them. If we were funding weapons development in a hostile nation I could understand objections: I would object. But we're only supporting our home grown industry. I'm sure they could do with that £1052.

Finally, I would ask those who still dissent even after this...why? A lot of people are opposed to the arms trade, because it causes wars in the third world (too much watching films there), or because our arms mysteriously make it into Insurgent hands. Well that's just daft: If you make millions of weapons, then they get about. Old regimes sell on their weapons for quick bucks (Russia), or simply hand it out to whoever is likely to cause trouble (China). In the West gun-running is both illegal and heavily punished. BAE don't sell weapons to Sudanese regimes, or Iraqi dictators- that would be China and France respectively. You tend to find that behind every major arms distribution is an ambitious nation with interests in the region, rather than a faceless corporation.

To get back to the main point, regardless of your beliefs about war or the arms trade, this is really a non-issue at Hull. Other Unions have moved away from having Arms as part of their portfolio, but they have equally exploitative and dangerous industries. Other Unions have also recently banned military organisations, yet another naive move and a slap in the face to the brave men and women who fight for the nation. Let's hope we don't go down that route. Someone I know pretty well keeps reiterating the difference between perception and reality: well I always thought it was our jobs to act on reality, not play to the perceptions.

Let's not make an issue out of this!

CSA

Equivalent or Lower Qualifications update

2008-05-13T11:33:00.007+01:00

There's been lots of talk about ELQ funding, about how the government is cutting it, about the funding debate which has ensued from them cutting it and about whether at Hull the effect of this cut could be drastic reduction or complete removal of University funding to the Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL). Broadly speaking, I certainly think that there's a danger that we could lose our more vocational courses such as drama. The impression we get from the government is that they're quite happy to maintain funding on courses that would increase what they see as target skills areas: computer literacy is a big area for them for short courses, and obviously nurses and teachers are always in demand. However the basic result of the funding cuts is to make the university system into a marketplace, so that 'in-demand' courses get funding whereas already popular courses are ditched. Presumably they think that this will encourage people to do one of the free courses, which in my opinion is completely stupid. I for one wouldn't co to the CLL looking to do Drama, then decide to do computer studies instead on the basis of funding. It simply means that less mature and re-skilling students are going to get trained, which has a net negative effect on society. In a recent parliamentary debate Rammell once again dodged the question

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the sector assessment of the impact of the new funding criteria for equivalent or lower qualification students will be published. [198524]

Bill Rammell: We will respond substantively to this point when we publish our response to Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee's recent report. But any full analysis has to look not just at the characteristics of existing students but also at the millions of potential students without a first HE qualification who will have more opportunities in future as a result of our policy.

Unsurprising there.

What can I do?

I worry about how much the NUS is going to do about this ELQ funding with the far greater fees battle looming: I wonder personally whether they will sacrifice the ELQ battle to win the fees war. All we can do here in Hull is continue to pressure the University to use the re-allocated funding to support the CLL. The Government has technically withdrawn £100m of funding from ELQs and redistributed it amongst universities. However since the universities still have the money they can still spend it on ELQs: they're just choosing not too.

We also suggest that you write to your MP, in Hull that is either Diana Johnson, Alan Johnson or John Prescott.

Good Luck!

2008-05-13T00:06:00.003+01:00

Hello guys- if you're wondering why we might be posting a little less frequently it's due to the pressure of exams: it affects us all! I hope everyone is feeling confident, despite the fact that the sunny weather has meant that nearly everyone has spent the last week in beer gardens/barbecues/general outdoor fun.

Also, I notice that the lineup for new bands in October went online on Hullstudent today. I can happily say I don't have any idea who any of them are, apart from The Courteeners who my Brother informed me are the new up-and-coming indie sensation for this Summer. I'll trust him on this one.

Anyway: good luck everyone, I hope you do well. Keep visiting, and we'll keep you updated with events in the Union over the last few weeks of term, and over the Summer as well.

CSA

Out with the old and in with the new...

2008-05-10T11:02:00.006+01:00

Ahhhh, my second year of university is wrapping up nicely. With only two exams to go and what should be an even more entertaining ball than last year (Neil knows what I'm talking about)I feel contented with the year that's been.

However while thinking back about the past I can't help but worry about the state of student accommodation in Hull. My house for example has been a nightmare of leaks, holes and general Club Easy incompetence couple this with a bathroom and kitchen which are slowly disintegrating and appear to have been styled by an angry goat with a stick and what you have is one very dissatisfied customer.
Even the argument of cheap accommodation does not apply any longer as I'm sure you will all no doubt be aware of the skyrocketing rent rise in Hull. My modestly styled and pitifully maintained abode has gone from £51 to £65 a week, understandable if the house had recently been refurbished, though all we've received is a fine for a hoover that never worked and a hole in our front path filled in with cement.
Some might say the price rise is in preparation for a general refurbishment project across their entire portfolio. But when this is occurring across the board, it is not update and modernization which the large accommodation companies are espousing, its greed.

So whats being done? Well our students union is attempting to push through a series of reforms to turn the universities' much vaunted 'scheme' to turn it from an impotent shield for corporate greed and criminal negligence into a body which delivers for students. This would eventually feature a full ranking and accreditation system for all students homes in Hull. A massive improvement when you consider that the current system allows landlords to pick one property for inspection which will then pass all the others in their portfolio.

While this is a definite start, the process of reform is slow and no doubt will feature the usual lengthy adventure which is the bureaucratic university committee structure. In the mean time next years set of student tenants will be again preyed upon by the large landlords and likely face even higher and more extortionate rental fees and then likely the same the year after that.

Looking to the future, particularly now that the governance of the union is up for debate perhaps now is the time for us to have an accommodation officer who would perform where the university has failed miserably.
Especially in light of the rising cost of living and the subject of student debt never being so pertinent can we really ignore such a blatant attempt to grab our cash?

Last Council finished...what now?

2008-05-09T17:20:00.005+01:00

And with the last council of the year now receding into memory, the trauma of another year of scrutiny is over. Hacks have been seen wandering around aimlessly, reading through Hullfire in a desperate search for controversy and drinking relentless in a search for further political interest.

But for us here at CommonSenseAlliance the fun is only really beginning. With the governance review all out in the open for all to see we have the biggest battle of our existence on our hands. First of all to make sure that we can steer the review, in it's current moderate and structural state, through angry roiling rapids of trotskyism and radicalism to the calm waters beyond; and secondly, to then pass the governance review next year to cement a future Union with a strong governance system which can weather future storms of controversy.

As the CSA reported earlier, this council was a good laugh (not), with piles of boring bureaucracy coupled with endless questions about this or that aspect of governance from people who had only skim-read the document. Hopefully the serious contributions will be beginning to flow in presently! Union strategy was presented, and lo and behold one of the top targets for next year is to increase the Union's profile amongst the non-traditional students! Well we think we can probably help you there Helen Gibson and your band of Merry Sabbaticals. CSA is looking at being a prominent and politically charged alternative to the media driven interests of our current newspaper and radio station. Why not? After all, we have the authors, we have the topics to talk about, what don't we have...

Oh yes: money. Because although the existing student media breaks even due to advertising income, we have no such luck! Although we'd dearly love to advertise ClubEasy housing we'd have to consider the moral qualms of our readers, especially since some of them have the misfortune to live in their sub-standard housing... more on that from Josharius methinks. So where can we get our money from? Should we pay? We'll have a pretty low yield if that's the case. Or should we pass the costs onto the consumer and charge per issue....but will that sell?

Well I'm throwing it open to you guys reading this: should we become a newspaper/letter in the true sense of the word, or remain as we are? We do a lot through the internet, and as a group working in the Union, but perhaps it's time to expand and come out of the cyber-closet...what do you think?

Israel Turns 60

2008-05-08T15:01:00.011+01:00

60 years ago Israel became an independent country and a homeland for the Jewish people. Ever since that declaration of independence, Israel has been a war zone and a target of abuse for the media. Needless to say, the British media has not portrayed Israel in a good light in recent years. Whilst this is not an attack on the media - if something horrible isn't happening then it isn't news, nobody really cares that much about the beautiful or interesting aspects of the Middle East, it's certainly more exciting to know how many innocent civilians were killed - I'm prepared to blame the media for some "facts" I've heard about Israel today.

It was brought to my attention that one or two students at Hull seem to think that it's pointless to hope for peace in and around Israel because they are doomed for a nuclear attack and that Jews don't deserve a homeland because "you lot killed Jesus and everyone blames you for it". Ok, this is possibly an extreme example of some foolish attitudes towards Israel and Jews but it's obvious that people assume that either all Jews always side with Israel or that all Israelis are Jews and hate Palestinians. I shouldn't need to explain that Israel is made up of many different religions and many people, most of whom actually get on and do just want to live in peace.

The BBC reported on Israel's birthday and to their credit, it was fairly balanced in comparison to usual. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7389052.stm

There are many ways to look at Israel: a war zone where it's unsafe to be, a country which once kicked out one group of people from their homes and destroyed their lives, a homeland for just one group of people who have never been safe anywhere, a country which tries to include as many people as they can whilst sticking to their inition declaration of independence, or a country who is only 60 years old and is struggling to catch up with the rest of the world and hasn't quite got it right yet. All of those options make sense in one way or another but until you've been somewhere, seen the people, talked to the suffering, spoken to the unsure & unsafe, it's unsafe to make any real judgement on the country or its people. Never confuse your opinion with fact.

On a personal note, happy birthday Israel - you are a beautiful country with a lot of problems.

The Governance Green Paper

2008-05-07T22:27:00.002+01:00

If you have been following this blog, or even just the goings on in the Union, you will be aware that HUU embarked upon a constitutional review, that is, looking into rewriting the whole constitution and standing orders. To see the reasons why this has started, please read the post "A New Way Forward for HUU"

The initial consultation period has now ended, and at Council last night, a "green paper" was presented. 39 pages long, this document might seem daunting at first, but it describes the new powers of the various Union officers, the Trustees and Council, and introduces new structures to make the Union work better and be more accountable to students. This document is available from hullstudent.com, read more about it, and download it, here.

While this document tries to be as clear as possible, not everyone will understand what it actually means. So, I'm going to try and pull out the main changes, CSA style, and explain what it means for you in it's current form. Apologies for the length of it, but a big change means a big post!

The Constitution and the Four Objectives

As per the Charities Act of 2006, Hull University Union, a registered charity, must have clearly defined areas in which they must operate in. These four areas are Welfare, Education, Community and Sport. This review creates 4 "Zones" of Hull University Union, one for each objective, plus a "Governance Area/Zone", more on this later.

The Proposed Major Union Officers.

The review proposes the reduction of the number of Full Time Officers (more affectionately known as "Sabbaticals") from 7 to 5, and an increase the number of Part Time Officers to 5. These positions are all elected in week 5 of semester 2 each year.

Full Time Positions (all are members of the Union Executive Committee and Trustee Board)

President
Vice President Education
Vice President Welfare
Vice President Community
Vice President Sport

Paid Part Time Positions

Chair of Scarborough Executive Committee (member of UEC)
Chair ISA
Campaigns and Democracy Officer
Media Officer
Societies Officer

If you want to see the full breakdown on what each position does, please refer to the green paper, as it is clearly defined in there.

The Trustee Board

While Hull University Union has always had a trustee board (it has always been a charity and therefore required to have one), up until August 1st last year, the members of the UEC were the trustees. That changed, and now, only four of the UEC members are Trustees, and three "external" trustees were selected to make the new Trustee Board - of which the President chairs. The Trustees are responsible, in the eyes of the law, for the Union, and are liable should any financial or legal problems occur. Therefore, they "technically" have the power to veto any policies that are proposed, though they would have no reason to do so unless it was a legal or financial risk.

The review keeps this body in place, but increases the membership to 5 UEC members and 4 external trustees. It also states that the chair will be elected from the external trustees (of which elections take place annually) - and will therefore only has a casting vote (meaning this member will normally not have a vote in any issues unless there is a tie), and one external trustee will be an Honorary Treasurer - who will keep an eye on the Union Finances - which is currently done by the Union Secretary and Treasurer.

The Union Executive Committee

The UEC will remain the highest policy making body, with the Board of Trustees as the only body able to overrule it's decisions. As is the case now, the officers are only allowed to serve for a year. The UEC will meet every three weeks in term time.

As said above, UEC consists of the 5 full time sabbaticals and the Chair of Scarborough Executive Committee.

Union Council.

Union Council will remain the major scrutiny body of the Union and UEC, consisting of 48 councilors, rather than 32 - which is currently the case.

32 councilors will be elected with portfolio, 8 from each zone, where 24 are named volunteer officers of the Union. Each Councilor will also sit on their Zone's committee (see below).

The 6 Senate Reps. shall also be Councilors, along with the two runners up from the Senate elections from the two biggest faculties. Finally, 8 councilors shall be elected without portfolio in cross-campus elections. These councilors shall also be assigned to a random Zone, and sit on that Zone Committee.

Council will only meet twice per semester, as more focus will be shifted to the more specialized Zones and Zone Committees. However, Council has more overall power than the zone committees, and a much more formal environment than it has been, with stricter sanctions available should a Councilor step out of line.

Zones!

The Zonal system has been proposed to make the management of the different objectives easier, and to give each of the four objectives equal importance. Each of the four major Zones' committee will effectively be the same, and effectively have the same power as each other.

The Zone committees have the power to scrutinise the actions of the Vice President of the zone, and can move to caution this VP, or propose a caution in any other officer within the zone. They are effectively, less powerful, more focused, versions of Council, scrutinizing a subset of the Union's activities.

Zone committees also have to formulate policy to go to Open Policy Forum, in which they must submit one policy to be debated.

There is also a fifth Zone, the Governance Zone, which is a more minor zone, as it has less powers than the major Zones, but provides zonal scrutiny of the President, and contains members from all Zones, particually the Zone Chairs and Chair of Council, as well as the part time officers. The Governance Zone can only pass on recommendations, and while it can not pass a motion of Caution against the President, it can recommend it to Council. In the same way, policy can be recommended to UEC, but cannot be proposed by the zone itself to Open Policy Forums.

If you want to read more about the different zones and their functions, please refer to the green paper.

Open Policy Forums

This year, Open Policy Forums were introduced - and haven't been the biggest hit in the Union... It is all down to the shortcomings of the Constitution - it only had about three lines about OPF's - so really, the UEC have done a good job with it. But this review cements it into the constitution.

OPF's will, under the proposal, take place twice a semester at pre-allocated times. Each Zone must propose one, and only one, policy that they would like to implement, and the student body vote on whether they would like to see it implemented or not. If voted through, the policy will go to referendum, like it does now. Policies are voted on individually, and all four could go through.

If an important policy, not directly tied to any zone, for example, if it was on a govenance issue, then a fifth motion can be proposed at the discretion of the Chair and the majority of attendees of the OPF.

Any policy that goes to referenda requires 10% turnout in the referendum with a majority YES vote, which will be carried out in the same way as they are now, in order to become policy, barring a veto from the Board of Trustees - which can only be done on legal grounds. If the turnout is below 10% - then the vote is indicative - and will be followed unless UEC or the Board of Trustees veto it, much like it is now.

Conclusions

Even the above is a bit wordy, but hopefully will allow you to get the gist of the reform - and the CSA encourages you to read more about it in the Green Paper. Remember, you can have your say, and the CSA recommend that you do, on the reform from now until the 30th May, visit The Big Conversation on hullstudent.com and use the comments box to "Have Your Say".

Remember, like it or lump it, the time to make your views heard is now!

-CSA

Regional Conference

2008-05-05T14:19:00.003+01:00

On Monday the 12th of May there will be a NUS regional conference in Liverpool. The conference is on the council agenda for the Council meeting, which will be at 6.30 in the University Council Chambers in the Venn building. This is just a pre-emptive warning to attending councillors, as well as those who can't make it, that the event is on. Since it is a local conference with no voting powers and is mainly just a networking event, I think the plan is to offer it to council, and if more people wish to go that there are delegate places (President + 5) there will be an impromptu election which all present will be eligible to stand for. Having cross campus elections for regional delegates is something HUU are apparently looking at introducing, especially with new governance proposals being developed. However the current system doesn't support this, and so this is the best of a bad bunch of options.

I urge every CSA supporting councillor and attendee to put themselves forward for this conference. I know there are problems with deadlines and exams that we all face, but the simple fact is that we need you to go because we need the CSA to be active and up-to-date with national student politics as well as local. It can be frustrating, and at NUS annual conference (where there was a significant CSA presence) the phrase 'not in my name' was used a lot, but we have to put the effort in to go and resist the radical left in the same way we resist all extremist politics. Your presence might swing the opinions of independent students more than you think- often they are convinced into supporting Respect, the SWP (Socialist Workers Party), ENS (Education Not for Sale), SBL (Student Broad Left) or one of the other factions who in real-life politics could only be described as hard left. If there is a strong moderate presence, however, we can change that.

So stand for election, HUU and the CSA need YOU!

CSA

Union Council

2008-05-02T01:41:00.004+01:00

Hello chaps, just a quick post to let you all know that Union Council will be on this Tuesday. Union Council is where Sabbaticals are available to be scrutinised about their actions. Being the last Union Council of the year the reports of the Sabbs will cover the whole year in brief, and you'll be able to question them about how they've done and so on. Feel free to give them a grilling!

Governance!
There will also be a section on the HUU governance review where a green paper (very rough draft) of the final constitution will be offered. We strongly recommend that all CSA supporters go to this council so that you can have your input into the new constitution, and so that we can make sure the student voice is heard, and is not drowned out by extremists. Please mass message all of your friends at Hull asking them to come too. Students are on our side, but we need to make sure they come along and show it!

Strategy!
Finally there will be a summation on the strategy for next year, including a brief slideshow. It is very important that you hear this, since it will be this strategy which you will scrutinise next year's exec with. If they fail to fulfil it, you must question them as to why they have failed- but it's hard to do that if you don't know what their success should be measured by!

Common Sense Alliance!
Also, if the CSA doesn't get a mention or two, then I will be surprised... we have appeared rather suddenly!

Remember, Union Council will be held on a Tuesday, because of the bank holiday