1. Welcome.

NB: The meeting will be recorded and published online. Notice. 

Discussion Guidelines.

3. FOR APPROVAL: The minutes from the last meeting.

Guild Council must agree the notes accurately reflect the last meeting.

Paper: GUILD COUNCIL – 2022.03.25 – MINUTES – draft. 

6. FOR INFORMATION AND DECISION: The Democracy Review – update and Byelaw changes.

As has been discussed at Guild Council previously, the Guild has been reviewing we do student democracy and is now excited to announce our new approach for empowering students to make change.

This paper outlines the new approach and the how it was developed:

Paper: GUILD COUNCIL – 2022.05.25 – PAPER – Real Change. 

This new approach requires changes to the Byelaws to take effect. Guild Council is asked to vote to replace the current Byelaws with the following proposed Byelaws:

Paper:  GUILD COUNCIL – 2022.05.25 – PAPER – Proposed Byelaws.

Byelaw changes also require the Board of Trustees to vote in order to take effect. As such, these changes would take come into effect in July 2022. 

Guild Council also invites members and students to discuss, under this new approach, how the Guild could best facilitate democratic engagement of a wide diversity of students. 

7. FOR DISCUSSION: UCU Industrial Action.

Update on the University and College Union’s (UCU) announced industrial action and consideration of a stance.

More information: Industrial Action - Students' Guild (exeterguild.org).

8. FOR DISCUSSION: Campus shops to accept cash again/abolish so-called "cashless campus" rules (Student Submission).

Cashless systems discriminate against poor and working class people disproportionately (see info). It also restricts personal choice and freedom to pay how you wish. Discriminates particularly against new international students (20% of the uni) who may not have a UK bank account, or would face extortionate card fees.
It also mandates usage of technology systems run by the global banking industry which is complicit in the exacerbation of inequality and climate change.

The 2018 Access To Cash report details other that cashless societies harm: 'including physical or mental health issues which make it hard to use digital services (2%), the risk of overspending and going into debt (9%) and those who rely on others to buy things for them (4%). For these groups, cash offers a degree of control which digital doesn’t
yet achieve. (see info) “17% of the UK population – over 8 million adults – would struggle to cope in a cashless society”.

9. FOR INFORMATION: Trustee Requirement.

Outline of the upcoming process for the Guild to appoint new external trustees. 

More information: Trustee Board - Students' Guild (exeterguild.org).

10. FOR DECISION: Delegation of Guild Council authority for the summer. 

In anticipation of business that Guild Council will have to conduct over the summer (until the end of the terms of office – 30 June 2022) and the inconvenience of organising a formal meeting outside of termtime, it is proposed that Guild Council conducts that business via email rather than in meetings. It is hoped this would be more convenient for the members of Guild Council.

Paper: GUILD COUNCIL - 2022.05.25 - PAPER - Motion to Delegate Authority.