The University of Lincoln’s Annual General Meeting took place on Monday, November 14th in the Engine Shed. The AGM saw both the proposed motions passed and a guest lecture from Professor Mary Stuart.
The meeting opened with Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln Professor Mary Stuart’s talk on the benefits of higher education. She spoke of the ‘wider benefits’ of Higher Education and the positive aspects of ‘studentification’ in local communities. Professor Stuart said that ‘the personal benefits [of Higher Education] also benefit society’ and that she wanted to ‘counter the perception of students’.
Two motions were put forward at the AGM, the first proposing more vegetarian and vegan food options at the university, and the second motion proposed a restructuring of the SU officers structure.
The motion for better provisions for vegetarian and vegan students, proposed by Jack Dobson-Smith, was passed with 119 votes for and 12 against. The question of providing Halal and Kosher food was also raised, although Liberation Officer Maryam Saghir said that Halal and Kosher options had been trialled previously, but that there ‘was not the uptake’ amongst students.
The motion proposing the restructuring of the SU officers roles was passed with 54 votes for the motion and 18 against. The motion states that the existing Student (part-time) Officer roles are to be scrapped in favor of nine new positions.
The new nine Student Officer positions that are to replace the current model include an Officer for each of the three University Colleges, which are the Colleges of Science, Social Science, and Arts. This change also supports the university’s move to a ‘College’ based system, rather than the previous ‘School’ system.
Students will be able to run for four positions as Officers of Sports, Societies, Students and Groups respectively. The remaining two officers will have no specific portfolio.
Newly elected NUS Deligate Dan Derricott questioned the viability of the Sports and Societies Officers chairing their respective councils and proposed that an external person should chair them. This led to a vote for an amendment to the motion which would see an external person chair, in which the 20 voted for, 47 against and 33 deflected.
The initial motion was therefore passed without amendment and these positions will come into effect in July 2012.
Ari Sharif, president of the Students’ Union was present following a month of unpaid leave at the beginning of term.