Passed by: The Big Meeting
Passed on: 04/03/2024
Policy lapses: 04/03/2027
Status: We are Working on it
Officer Responsible: Opportunities Officer
Details:
At the moment, we have a vote of no-confidence policy for academic reps and student groups committee members which simply does not work for smaller groups, because it only requires 10% of a committee to do it. For a three-person committee, this is less than a person.
After doing research into student group votes of no confidence in other student unions across the UK, here is an updated policy: If an elected member of a committee is not performing the standards required of the committee, the following steps should be taken:
Other committee members should have an informal meeting with the individual to ask if they are struggling with the role and what can be done to help.
Efforts to resolve the situation within the group should take place before any attempt to make a vote of no confidence.
If the issue has not been resolved after the individual has been given opportunities to fix it, then the committee should contact the Opportunities Officer (suopportunities@aber.ac.uk) and/or their relevant co-ordinator (suclubs@aber.ac.uk susocieties@aber.ac.uk) to arrange a mediation meeting. The officer and staff will play a neutral role, and they will facilitate the meeting with the aim to resolve the dispute.
If no compromise is reached, then a Vote of No Confidence (VONC) may be initiated to remove the committee member. VONCs can be upsetting for everyone involved and it is the last step. It should only happen if no compromise has been reached after mediation attempts have been made.
VONC Process: To call a VONC, a petition must be signed by 15% of standard members in a student group OR 10 standard members (whichever is larger). This petition will be sent to the Opportunities Officer and the relevant coordinator to approval. This is just to confirm necessary steps have been taken before calling a VONC.
Once approved, an all-standard member online VONC administered by the Student’s Union will be called, and in order for the VONC motion to be carried, it must be supported by two-thirds of those voting.
Only members of the student group may vote and all EGM regulations apply. Therefore, only standard members may vote. If the VONC motion is successful, a by-election, as outlined constitutionally, for the role will follow.
Submitted by: Tiff McWilliams
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