Keeping our side of the bargain

We should be really proud of our students’ union. It brings together so many passionate people to work in societies and charity drives, campaigns and volunteering.

It offers advice to all students on a free and confidential basis and supports SSLCs in improving our courses. And of course, they provide the Duck, the Bread Oven, the Terrace Bar, et al. But to make decisions of how and where we can deliver the best experiences to students, we’re (supposed to) have something called democracy. For those unfamiliar with the term it involves all students voting on something and then it being upheld by the SU.  The last part of that definition is important but it’s also the trickiest.

When we make a decision, we need to see effects. That applies to the decisions we made in electing who we did. But it also applies to our policies. Would you be surprised if I told you the SU has dozens of policies passed democratically? These come from a termly week-long online ballot, taking place after an All Student Meeting where new policies are discussed. But what of them? After they are added to the policy cabinet, do they ever see the light of day again until some keen councilor wants to renew it two years along the line? Here at Warwick we have several strong campaigning groups who pass policy to complement their already existing campaigns, e.g. No More Page 3.

To make decisions of how and where we can deliver the best experiences to students, we’re (supposed to) have something called democracy.

That there is a way in which we can support campaigners and lend them our collective endorsement is good, but it is not good enough. Not all students have the time, the experience or just the will to create a big independent campaign. More than just making sense, actually executing policies seems like a minimum of respect we owe to the students who took time to write, campaign (for or against) and vote on these policies. But that’s not actually what’s happening. Let’s take a look at a few examples. We decided we were going to move to an ethical bank by the end of 2012/2013. Not achieved. We decided to work towards paying staff the Living Wage. Not achieved. When I started as Faculty Rep, exam feedback wasn’t an issue in the SU, even though it’s a key aim of Policy #001. In a survey I conduct- ed over August and September, it turned out the students I represent thought exam feedback was the most important and urgent issue.

I’m proud of our SU. But for it to be representative, it must hold up its part of the bargain: to implement the policies voted for by students. And in that regard, there’s a lot more work yet to be done.

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Photo: flickr/97330421@N08