Wednesday 08-02-2023 - 14:42

The Annual Members Meeting (AMM) – Bristol SU’s biggest democratic event! 
 
Whether you’re navigating your way through the first few months of uni or find yourself on the final stretch of your Ph.D., you can come and have your say on SU policy. It’s for each and every student, so don’t miss out! 

Perhaps you have a burning idea for what we at the SU should be focusing on, or you’d love to debate your fellow students on a motion that’s been brought to the meeting. Maybe you’re just interested in eating some free dominos and listening to democracy unfold.  

Whatever it is, you should come on down to the Biomedical Building E29, on Monday 13 February – from 4 pm until 7 pm – for this year’s AMM!  

Here is a simple guide explaining AMM and what to expect on the day. 

Introduction to officers 

Every March, seven Full Time officers are elected by the student body and paid to work full-time to lead Bristol SU for a year. These officers are a crucial part of the SU – they represent you and help improve your experiences at Bristol.  
 
AMM is your chance to find out if officers have implemented their manifestos and plans for change and to question their responses to reactive challenges this year. Have their intentions created results? Are there other changes you would like to have seen? 
 
We’re here to help remind you of each officer, their role, and responsibilities, and offer example questions of what you could ask them at AMM. 

1. Izzy Russell: Student Living Officer

 This role represents you in all areas related to living in Bristol, including your accommodation, health and wellbeing, finance, and interaction with the local community. As part of this, this Officer will work to make sure that you have access to good advice in these areas and are represented to student support services. Check out the full officer description here.  

 Responsibilities include: 

• Working for the SU and university buildings (including housing) to be sustainable and accessible. 

• Fighting for student rights. 

• Making sure that students’ interests in health and well-being are represented within the University support services. 

• Supporting and developing the Sustainability Network, Fundraising and Volunteering Network, Wellbeing Network, and other Networks as appropriate. 

Example of a question someone may ask them at AMM:  

“Do you have an example of when you have fought for student rights, especially in terms of accommodation?” 

2. Adam Michael: Union Affairs Officer 

This Officer represents you and your interaction with the SU. This involves making sure that our communication and services are effective, accessible, and relevant for everyone. This officer also works to represent the interests of all students to university executive management. Check out the full officer description here.  

Responsibilities include: 

• Looking after democracy and representation in Bristol SU.  

• Making sure that students are at the heart of Union decision-making.  

• Responsible for how students interact with the Union, including effective communication channels and oversight for Union services such as those provided for societies, and volunteering & fundraising (RAG). 

• Helping to chair and convene the SU Board of Trustees Finance, Risk and Governance Committee. 

• Working to explore the development of student societies. 

Example of what you could ask them at AMM:  

“What have you done this year to increase the informal way SU officers receive feedback?” 

3. Saranya Thambirajah: Equality, Liberation, and Access Officer 

So that everyone is represented at our SU and Uni, this Officer works to make sure that all students, particularly underrepresented or marginalised groups, are represented on issues related to their experience at the University. This is so that these interests can then be addressed in the development of Union and University policies. Check out the full officer description here.  

Responsibilities include: 

• Working to ensure that Bristol is an inclusive, safe, and accessible university for all students.  

• Giving a platform to the voices of students from marginalized backgrounds and identities. 

• Working with networks and societies to centre student experiences in the SU and the university. For example, supporting and developing Women’s, Black Students, BAME, LGBT+, Trans, Disabled Students, Multifaith, and Widening Participation Networks. 

• Supporting students on issues relating to the Bristol SU Equality Policy and overseeing Bristol SU’s equality objectives. 

• Working with the Sport and Student Development and Union Affairs Officers to support campaigns, activities, and research into diverse student experiences to ensure any barriers to participation are removed. 

Example of a question someone may ask them at AMM:  

“What work have you done to champion the voice of students from marginalized backgrounds? Have they felt heard as a result?” 

4. Lucy Matthews: Sport and Student Development Officer 

It is important to develop the opportunities that you and your peers have, to make sure that you can engage in a variety of sports. For this reason, this Officer liaises with the University Centre for Sport, Exercise, and Health and oversees the organisation and promotion of sports clubs, the varsity series, and sports participation activities. Check out the full officer description here. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Representing sports societies and student groups and their members who are represented throughout the university community, in the SU, and beyond.  

• Ensuring that students have access to recreational sporting opportunities. 

• Representing the interests of students on matters of personal development.  

• Promoting the importance of co-curricular participation and skills development. 

• Working with the Equality, Liberation, and Access Officer and relevant Chairs of Networks to ensure that the Union’s Equality Policy is upheld in all Member-led sporting activities and to ensure any barriers to participation are alleviated. 

Example of a question someone may ask them at AMM: 

“Have you created any sporting opportunities for individuals that normally face participation barriers? Did it work and have they continued to participate in activities they wouldn’t have before?” 

5. Nicole Antoine: Undergraduate Education Officer 

This Officer represents your learning and teaching experiences if you are an undergraduate student. They will also make sure that you receive sufficient academic and welfare-related support. As well as this, they will lead and empower undergraduate Course and Faculty Reps so that their own interests are represented within the University Student Services. Check out the full officer description here. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Representing undergraduate students on academic and welfare matters 

• Ensuring that undergraduate students are represented at every level of Bristol SU and the University. 

• Leading and empowering undergraduate academic elected representatives (Course and Faculty Reps).  

• Working with the Postgraduate Education Officer to represent, empower and champion academic societies.  

• Supporting and developing the Education Network and other Networks as appropriate. 

Example of a question someone may ask them at AMM: 

“How have you increased student awareness of important academic advice that is available to them?” 

6. Lu Macey: Postgraduate Education Officer 

This Officer works to represent you, if you are a postgraduate student, to the Uni and SU - especially in terms of research academic and welfare matters. This officer will make sure that all postgraduate students represented at every level of the SU and university. Check out the full officer description here. 

Key responsibilities:  

• Representing postgraduate taught and research students on academic and welfare matters  

• Ensuring postgraduate students are represented at every level of the SU and university. 

• Supporting the postgraduate student network to offer a variety of social environments to postgraduate students  

• Helping to shape and inform regulations for Postgraduates within the university 

• Shaping a more inclusive across the SU for postgraduate students 

Example of a question someone may ask them at AMM: 

“Have you conducted research into how the cost-of-living crisis affects Post Graduate Research? If so, what did you find and what will you be doing to help?” 

How does AMM actually work?

Democracy, Discussion, and Domino’s – it sounds good right? 

AMM is the perfect opportunity to get your voice heard directly and help set the agenda of the SU. You have the power to improve your university experience and vote on important SU policy!  

But, as well as looking towards the future, this space will also offer you the chance to reflect and hold your current Full-time Officers to account.  

The meeting is also a chance to renew any policy that is about to expire. There are currently 10 policies that are about to expire, click here to take a look at them. 

Any items, or ‘motions’, that pass will become active SU policy for 3 years! 

What has been happening in the run-up to AMM?

In the past couple of weeks, we opened a window for idea submissions, or ‘motions’, and these will get debated between you and your peers at the meeting.  

Although the deadlines for submitting this year’s AMM motions has now passed, you can still have your say. An amendments window will be open until 10 February, which means you can try and change the actions (of a motion) if you don’t agree with them, or if you feel the wording is not quite right. You will get a chance to vote on these amendments at AMM. 

An example of this could be replacing an action that states, “to give everyone a free hat so they’re warm in the winter” with “give everyone access to winter clothing at a discount from the SU shop.” 

Here are the motions that you are able to amend this year: 

• Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Students & Campaigning for Gender Justice  

• New and Improved Prayer Room for Muslims on Campus  

• A Plant Based Students’ Union  

• Stopping Mandatory Sub-Group Subsidisation in Student Groups
   

Do you see any amendments that you would like to make? If so, please send an email to bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk letting us know which action point you're amending, and what your recommended change is. 

This will be your student, democratic space. No matter who you are, if you are a Bristol student, you get to have your say about what the SU cares about! 

Wait, what even is a motion?

Sadly, we’re not referring to the nightclub on this occasion. For AMM, a motion is the formatted way that a student idea comes to us. It will include a background explaining why they are sending it, a purpose to describe its intent, and any actions that give clear guidance on how we can enact the idea.

At the meeting, these actions will be displayed on a PowerPoint for each motion that is discussed. 

While we are here, you may find It useful to check out the following terms: 

1. Policy – when a motion is passed by students, it becomes policy. This is in place for 3 years at the Students Union and can be renewed at the Annual Members Meeting. 

2. Amendment – a suggestion from another student to a student’s motion, which can “amend” what exactly the motion may enact. 

3. Chair – the person at the front leading the meeting. 

4. Democracy Desk – a group of elected students, Democratic Standards Committee, who you can ask procedural questions to any time. 

How do Motions come into existence? 

A student will have a new idea on how to better their SU. They then meet with the Liberation and Campaigns Team, to help shape this into a motion. Sometimes students will be ahead of the curb and have a fully-fledged motion ready to submit!

What happens once a motion is approved?

The finished motions then get sent to Democratic Standards, to be approved for debate. Democratic Standards will make sure it’s appropriate to go to AMM and approve it if it is. The SU staff team will notify and brief the student that submitted the motion that they will have to propose it at AMM.

Breaking a motion into parts

When you’re looking at the actions displayed on the PowerPoint at AMM Actions, you might notice some things that you want to happen – but not every action that is listed. If so, you can speak to the Democracy Desk and ask for a motion to be broken into Parts.  

Here’s an example: 

The Motion: “A Warmer University” 

The Actions: 

• Action 1: To give everyone a free hat so they’re warm in the winter 

• Action 2: Make sure heating is on in all student study spaces during the day 

• Action 3: To ensure university halls remained heated 

You might think that two of the actions make sense but think Action 1 is a bit silly. So, you could approach the Democracy Desk so that everyone votes on each Action, not all of them grouped.

How is the meeting structured?

At the meeting, you will get to speak for a motion if you introduced the idea, to propose and convince the student body that it works! Then the Chair will allow someone to speak against the motion if they don’t agree with it.

If you didn’t propose it, you will be able to ask any questions you have about the motion to its proposer, but mainly just to further clarify the idea – not t o deliver an opposition speech against it! This is then rinsed and repeated until we need to hold a vote! 

There might be a chance that the Chair thinks there needs to be another round of arguments. This is because sometimes an idea might be quite complex, so it’s making sure it’s heard fairly.

Why it is important to debate?

Imagine if the SU suddenly decided it was against their practice to ever support the football or to never host events past the month of March. It would feel pretty unfair, right?  
 
You can have your say and change this decision through debate – which is designed as a chance to hear from everyone. This way, we can carry on being a Union for all Students! 

Even if a motion that is a ‘good thing’ is proposed in the meeting, it may take SU time away from other valuable things. So, the debate is a great opportunity to establish current SU priorities.

Would there ever be a referendum?

If something is seriously contentious, and you think that it needs even more students to help make a change, then might you propose it goes to Referendum. This means you have to: 

1. Have this voted on by Council/AMM attendees 

2. Have a question agreed with Democratic Standards Committee 

3. The question must be in a “Yes/No” binary

I am still confused! 

Hopefully, this handy guide has answered some of your questions about AMM and what to expect on the night. But it’s a confusing topic! If you have any further questions or would like to find out some extra info that hasn’t been included, feel free to send an email over to  bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk 

Follow the fumes of hundreds of free pizzas and come along to this year’s AMM. We can’t wait to see you!