Update: Dave Stanley was elected as Student Council chair, and Emma Thomas and Joe Hicks were elected as student representatives on the SU’s board of trustees.
The University of Lincoln Students’ Union held its first Student Council last Thursday, November 29th. The meeting saw an improved turnout over even the last one of the previous academic year, when a No Platform policy was debated.
The Council voted unanimously to accept the No Platform policy, and it was dealt with in a very mechanical way, perhaps showing that the SU had been successful in persuading people it would not affect freedom of speech.
Also discussed was the bus service that takes students to the Riseholme campus from Lincoln. Sarah Hanson, a student rep, complained to the Council that the current service means students often have to wait around for a long time before and after lectures.
“To get there for a 10am lecture you have to get an 8.20am bus. You either come back at 3.20pm or wait and come back at 5.15pm.”
“On the first day they send one bus, and there weren’t enough seats. People missed their first lecture [of the academic year],” Hanson said.
She said that in the past the university had said there wasn’t a problem.
“They asked 30 students and said there was nothing wrong.”
Mike Saks, a senior pro vice-chancellor at the university, said that “this is a really serious issue,” and “to wait a month or two is not acceptable”.
Speaking to The Linc on Friday evening, Saks said he had already begun talking to people within the university in an attempt to get things changed.
Sarah Hanson’s motion about the bus service, which stresses the importance of students being able to get to lectures and says “the university and the [Students’ Union] need to make it a priority… to resolve this”, was accepted unanimously by the Council.
Quite some time was also dedicated to finding a Council chair and two student members to sit on the SU’s board of trustees. Only one person nominated themselves for the position of Council chair, Dave Stanley. Three people put themselves forward to be trustees: Jonathan Holmes, Joe Hicks, and Emma Thomas.
Amanda Davidson, the previous chair, was not present at the meeting.
The meeting also discussed the LGBT society’s plan to protest outside the blood donation sessions to be held at the Engine Shed on Wednesday, November 4th.
The Union was also asked whether it would be able to get involved with a rally against the English Defence League in Nottingham. Mark Crowhurst, the SU’s general manager, said that the organisation itself could not get involved in certain political activity due to legal restrictions, but that officers could so long as it was in an individual capacity.
Also, a student asked if the SU planned to get involved in the Youth Fight for Jobs, a national campaign. Chris Charnley, the SU’s president, said: “The Union is not currently aware of the campaign.”
Steven Greaves, the vice-president for welfare, said: “I’ve personally never heard of it,” but also that he would look in to it.
The Council will now meet every two weeks, with the next one on Thursday November 12th.
Surely a protest by the LGBT against blood donation’s is a political campaign and is therefore banned under the No Platform Policy.
Fraser, there is no political campaigning behind the blood donation protest. It is campaigning for equality, and therefore allowed by the university. We will be there tomorrow, pop down and see us :)
Johnathan, the protest is against government policy so therefore it is political.
The no platform policy is regarding extremist views and unethical discrimination; this motion is available on request by anyone who wants to view it, but from my understanding it doesn’t restrict the LGBT protest in any way.
-Joe/SU Trustee
Obviously, Mr McFarland apparently likes to protest in favour of Fascism and against LGBT rights! Shocking! No wonder he got sacked from his role in CF.