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November UGM – live blog

18:22 – The meeting comes to a close. The next deadline for motions is Thursday 27th November for the December UGM.

18:21 –  Motion nine passes as amended.

18:20 – Proposal to amend to specify which officers should have training to include accommodation, environment, welfare and campaigns. This is accepted into the motion.

18:14  – Motion nine is about fuel poverty and would commit the Union to take action.

18:13 – Motion eight calls for a quiet study space and Vernon Square. It passes unanimously.

18:11 – Motion seven – Justice for Sanaz. Hannah highlights case of Sanaz Raji who is an international student who had a PhD scholarship revoked and faces deportation. The motion would support her campaign and passes unanimously.

18:08 – Free education motion passes unanimously

18:06 – Now motion six on free education. Georgie highlights the marketisation of education that has accompanied hikes in fees. The motion supports next week’s demonstration.

18:05 – Motion five passes unanimously.

18:03 – Motion five is about disabled access to the building. Grace speaks in support saying that the entrance needs sliding doors. Karmel says there are various parts of SOAS that aren’t accessible to people with mobility issues.

18:01 – Motion four passes with a handful of votes against.

18:00 – Grace points out Cher’s support for trans rights. Ned questions whether Believe is the right Cher song.

17:59 – Motion four on writing a letter to Cher. Adam says Cher is a pop goddess and that the motion should make Believe the secondary union anthem.

17:56 – Motion three on overhauling the student loan system. Grace speaks for, saying that the current system is inadequate. It passes unanimously.

17:55 – Motion two passes unanimously.

17:54 – Rob takes the speech for, saying it would call for SOAS to affiliate to workers’ rights organisation.

17:53  – We don’t have quorate for constitutional changes (80) so we move to motion two: Sweatshop Free SOAS

17:51 – Question for James – How can we persuade students that don’t support the action? He says we need to explain students that it is about maintaining the quality of education because academia is becoming a less attractive career.

17:50 – Question for James – Is any solidarity action being taken for staff who’s pay has been docked at other universities? He says they have sent a message of solidarity to staff at University of Liverpool.

17:48 – Question for James – when might the dispute be resolved? He says the action may be suspended soon if negotiations progress but the union is having an internal debate about keeping up pressure on employers. In theory the action could go on for months.

17:47 – Question for James – will external markers be brought in? He hasn’t heard anything about this.

17:46 – Question for James – what is the School’s position? He says they’re not docking pay but have asked Universities UK to “re-validated” their mandate ie. check that all universities still support the plans.

17:45 – Question for James – how can students show their support? He encourages students to write to Paul Webley encouraging him to oppose the pension changes and to tell staff they support their action.

17:43 – James Eastwood from UCU gives an update on the marking boycott. Staff are taking the action because their pensions could be cut by between 11% and 27%. He says the evaluation of the pension fund is flawed and that these cuts to pensions don’t need to be made. The marking boycott is set to continue until there is a satisfactory offer through negotiations. Students should still submit work on time, he says.

17:39 – Now reports from part-time officers.

Academic Affairs Officer Simon highlights an event next week about the production of knowledge with speakers from the History department.

Disabled Students’ Officer Karmel highlights an event on Drugs, Madness and Capitalism next week and various support groups that are running.

Women’s Officer Hannah talks about reclaiming reclaim the night, due to its history of transphobia and anti-sex worker rhetoric. She is also organising a letter writing campaign for Ghoncheh Ghavami and plans for work with student sex workers. They’ve also set up a community accountability forum to look at how structures of oppression are replicated in radical spaces.

Environmental Officer Phoebe talks about work on Meat Free Monday, introducing more environmentally friendly paper in the Union and work to make the North Block project sustainable.

Campaigns Officer Grace updates on Surround Harmondsworth demo that happened last week and also on an upcoming event on the Bhopal Medical Appeal. She also urges students to contact her with ideas to improve engagement within democratic processes.

LGBTQ Officer Tom says Equality and Diversity Committee has agreed for equality and diversity training for all staff on mitigating circumstances panels and highlights trans day of remembrance, HIV testing week and World AIDs Day.

Postgraduate Research Officer Mohammad talks about more information on scholarships, progress with the Research Students’ Association and support for the fractionals campaign.

17:25 – Kabir Joshi, Co-President Activities and Events, gives his report. He thanks Ella, Black Students’ Officer, for her work in organising black history month. He also flags up the end of term parties being planned.

His report is agreed.

17:23 – Georgie’s report is agreed.

17:22  – Now an update from Georgie Robertson, Co-President Welfare and Campaigns gives an update on the free education demo next week and the run up to it. On Monday there will be a know your rights session for dealing with the police and event in the evening called ‘Beyond the Neoliberal University: How do we Free Education?’. Georgie has also been working on complaints about housing at Dinwiddy and says there will be a campaign to improve conditions there. She has also been setting up equality and diversity training for societies and reminds all presidents attendance is mandatory. Monday is also International Students’ Day. She also says there’s going to be renewed action around the Justice for Cleaners campaign.

17:17 – Suber’s report is agreed.

17:16 – Question for David – why doesn’t SOAS already have an academic senate? He says this is because academic representation has shrunk over the past 15 years?

17:15 – David Suber, Co-President Democracy and Education gives an update on his work over the past month.

He encourages people from courses that still don’t have student reps to run for these positions. He’s also been working on sending 35 students to Calais for an immigration demonstration that the last UGM supported. Suber also gives an update on the work of Democratise SOAS and the review of the School’s governance structure which is on-going. The review will focus on accountability, creating an ‘academic senate’ and changing the way committees make decisions.

17:11 – The meeting is now getting under way and the minutes of the last meeting have been agreed. Tonight’s Chair is Sean Rillo Raczka

17:00 – Hello, welcome to our live blog of this evening’s Union General Meeting (UGM). We’ll be taking you through the debates and the votes as they happen. Tonight’s meeting will discuss a range of motions on everything from free education to Cher, you can read them all here.

Last month’s UGM had 22 motions and lasted three and a half hours, this time we have only nine so we’re not expecting things to be quite as long.

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