Extra Sabbatical remits discussed

Union Council has discussed giving extra remits and remaing the Sabbatical positions in the Union (except for Felix Editor and Medics President). Over the last ten years, the Union roles and remits for the President and four deputy Presidents have been kept relatively constant.

The paper was brought to Union Council by the current Sabbatical Team. It explains that during the last ten years, the Union has developed to be a different organisation to what it used to be: it is a registered charity that employs 45 members of full time staff and has a turnover of £5.5 million. External factors have also changed significantly, for example the change in tuition fees

The current Sabbaticals are proposing changes to the exact role descriptions for the role of the Sabbatical; they also believe this is something that should be reviewed every 4 or 5 years according to the needs of current students.

A comparison of the Union with other student Unions was undertaken. Comparisons were made with institutions that are a similar size to Imperial, as well as those who scored well in the NSS survey question where students are require to rank their students’ union.

The paper states that the Sabbaticals believe the Union does not do enough to: support postgraduate students, support volunteering, support international students, support students based on campuses other than South Kensington, enable internationalisation amongst the student, effect liberation of minorities, develop student’s career opportunities and campaign for fairer living costs in London. The last of these they say was under the spotlight “particularly this year, with #AgainstActon and the North Acton development”.

The paper also says that the Sabbaticals are keen to add in careers, student development, an aspect of post graduate support and volunteering to the current role of the Deputy President (Finance & Services, DPFS).

This proposal has two discussion points. The first is adding in the remits state above into the Sabbatical roles. The second is renaming the role of the DPFS to D

eputy President (Community & Development), where the remit of the DPFS will remain but with the aforementioned additions. The reason given is that “this would more aptly describe what the DPFS role does on a day-to-day basis.”

The paper is clear to mention that the Sabbaticals are “not proposing removing any remits from any of the roles. We are happy (and believe) that sabbaticals in this organisation should always retain certain powers and ability to do things, even if they’re not what they (going forward) are required to do day to day.”

At the moment, it is merely a discussion and not an action.

Proposed additions to remits

President

Accommodation

Deputy President (Clubs & Societies)

Non-SK Campuses

Volunteering

Deputy President (Education)

Internationalisation

Deputy President (Finance & Services)

Student Development and Skills Development

Postgraduate Social

Volunteering Accreditation

Deputy President (Welfare)

Liberation

International students

Accommodation