Exeter Students' Guild

Guild to restructure ExTunes

The Guild has announced substantial reforms to ExTunes, which has raised concerns amongst committee members of the ExTunes Council.

Last Wednesday (15 May), committee members of the ExTunes Student Council were told that the student group will go through a significant restructuring in August. The Guild has concluded that ExTunes in its current format does not fit within the governing structures outlined in the Guild bylaws.

The University ceded responsibility for the provision of music to the Guild in 2016. ExTunes was then created to reproduce the musical services then supplied by the University. At this time, the Guild took no action to make ExTunes compliant with Guild governance.

the student group will go through a significant restructuring in August

When Exeposé asked the Guild to justify the lapse of time, a Guild spokesperson said ‘ExTunes and the associated music services were run by the University for several years. When the University decided that this provision no longer fit with their activity, the Guild took on the services to safeguard the facilities and provision for the benefit of students. How the governance of ExTunes fits with the rest of the has remained an unresolved issue since then that is now being addressed as part of the bylaws review.”

Six months ago, ExTunes committee were informed of plans for a music development scheme to redevelop the student group’s constitution. One of the issues cited was membership. Guild members must first buy an ExTunes membership before they can buy a membership to specific musical societies; a provision that does not exist in Guild rules. The committee were not informed of any concerns relating to Guild bylaws until last week.

The Guild held consultations with ExTunes committee members in January. Following these discussion, the Guild developed two possible operational plans to revise ExTunes’ governance structure.

During the Wednesday meeting, the Guild provided a document that outlined two proposed reforms to ExTunes’ constitution.

At present, ExTunes is defined as a student group that answers directly to VP Activities Sabbatical Officer. It consists of a committee of eight people, and arrangement would change under the new proposals.

The first solution suggests that the ExTunes President and the Music Society Officer would be re-merged into a single role. As a result, the ExTunes committee would be demoted to a sub-committee. Members of the sub-committee would support the Music Society officer in performing the representational work carried out by ExTunes.

ExTunes expressed dissatisfaction with the Guild’s handling of the consultations

In response to the first solution, ExTunes former Vice-President Harry Smith raised several welfare concerns. In a statement to Exeposé, they said ‘the reality of the Guild’s care about mental health is worrying it has sprung this change onto the ExTunes Committee with no warning, and in the middle of exam season.

They added “meanwhile, they are expecting a single student to, next year, fulfil the roles that two people (ExTunes President and Music Societies Officer) have undertaken in previous years.”

The second solution proposes that ExTunes becomes a society. This means there will be no sub-committee to support the President.

Furthermore, the matter of handling equipment will be the responsibility of Guild staff.

ExTunes President Katy Jones noted that the “proposed changes will impact over 1,300 members, yet only a fraction have been consulted.”

According to the Guild document, students are able to scrutinise the performance of Guild staff. However, according to the aforementioned document, the current way in which scrutiny is applied breaches employee law.

A Guild spokesperson said: ‘The lack of documents that outline the governance processes that relate to ExTunes leaves an area of ambiguity about the management of a number of Guild Staff member’s responsibilities, resolving the current ExTunes governance will address this providing clarity for students and staff.”

ExTunes expressed dissatisfaction with the Guild’s handling of the consultations. Smith felt that “What is very obvious is that student enjoyment is at the bottom of the Guild’s priority list. Instead, they are stubborn about needlessly having ExTunes meet the structure they want it to. It is frustrating and disheartening that, despite the passion and dedication shown by ExTunes members, the Guild is committed to working against the desires expressed by students in that meeting.”

“[the guild] are expecting a single student to, next year, fulfil the roles that two people have undertaken in previous years”

VP Activities Rosie McDonagh, who is working with the ExTunes committee throughout the transition, said: “It is important that within the current work on the Guild’s bylaws we find a way to accommodate the representation and social activity that ExTunes currently provides to ensure the voice of music students is given as much weight as any other group of students within the representative structure of the Guild.

I have been listening to feedback from the current ExTunes president, committee and membership to move this forward in a constructive way that meets the overall objectives of the bylaws review. We have delayed the election of roles that would be impacted by this work to ensure that we can listen to as many views as possible and incorporate them into how we move forward.

The Guild will be working with the incoming Music Societies Officer, as well as the other society officers to make sure that as many of their manifesto promises can be achieved and ensure that they are supported in their time representingthe views of their societies.”

Exeter votes to stay in the NUS, again

May 31, 2019 – by Aaron Loose

The Exeter Students’ Guild has voted to stay in the National Union of Students.

1,291 students voted, surpassing the 1,187 total the referendum needed for a legitimate result. Out of the 23,615 students eligible to vote, only 5.5 per cent voted.

681 students (52.75%) voted “For” continued affiliation

The online vote opened at 9am, Tuesday, 28 May and closed at 4pm, Thursday 30 May 2019. The three options for voters were less diverse than those offered for ordinary student ideas. Voters could choose to vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ the Guild to remain affiliated. Voters could also choose to ‘abstain’.

681 students (52.75%) voted “For” continued affiliation, whilst 589 students (45.62%) voted “Against” the Guild’s continued affiliation to NUS. There were also 21 abstentions (1.63%).

A Stay campaigner, on Forum Hill. Image: Aaron Loose

Grace Frain, Students’ Guild President and leader of the For Campaign, said: “It is great to see students use their voice about something they clearly feel so strongly about to help the Guild stay affiliated to NUS, who I believe have a huge part to play locally and nationally. Our campaign worked hard to engage students to understand why staying affiliated would benefit them and the rest of our membership. I strongly believe that the Guild has a duty to improve the communication and engagement relating to NUS here at Exeter. I look forward to seeing how NUS continues to develop and I hope that our incoming Sabbatical Officers are able to engage and work positively with NUS.”

ENGAGEMENT in the vote DECREASED BY OVER 79% from the 2016 referendum

The referendum was the third Exeter has held in fewer than five years. The previous two referendums both reached the conclusion that Exeter was better inside the union than outside of it. As of the time of publication, the Guild cannot hold another referendum on its future in the NUS until 2021.

In the 2016 referendum, over 5,334 students voted, amounting to a 30 per cent turn out. At the time, this was the highest level of engagement in any single-issue vote recorded at Exeter.

However, overall student engagement decreased by over 79 per cent in 2019. According to campaigners, only four students attended the 28 May NUS Debate. Both the “For” and “Against” campaigns agreed the low student interest may reflect a lack of student engagement in the NUS.

Guild President Grace Frain and Rose Ahier, Students’ Guild VP Welfare & Diversity, led the “For” campaign. A campaign video posted to the campaign’s Facebook page featured contributions from Amatey Doku, the Deputy President of NUS, and Eden Ladley, LGBT Officer. Both representatives visited the campus during the week to support the “For” campaigners.

we’re grateful to the Agree campaign… for [their] good nature and friendliness”
Warren Bingham-Roberts, leader of the Against Campaign

The “Against”campaign to disaffiliate was represented by Warren Bingham-Roberts, Harry Burton and Will Klintworth. The ‘Against’ side campaigned from Exiter, a Facebook community of over 563 followers. Small teams also handed out flyers on Forum Hill.

Bingham-Roberts, Students’ Guild VP Education, and leader of the Against campaign, said: “As disappointed as we are with the result, we’re grateful to the Agree campaign, and to Grace and Rose, for the good nature and friendliness of the campaign.”

Rosie McDonagh, Students’ Guild VP Activities, said: “I would like to congratulate both campaign teams on their efforts this week; they did a fantastic job in getting students involved in democracy, especially during such a busy time of the year. Very well done to the ‘Stay with NUS’ campaign for their success! It is so important to hear the voice of all our students on a decision this big, and we are excited to see how the Guild can continue to work with NUS in the future to help benefit our students here at Exeter.”

UPDATE: In a statement to Exeposé, Ali Milani, NUS Vice President Union Development, said

“We’re delighted that Exeter students have voted to remain affiliated to NUS. This coming year is an important one as we reform NUS and rebuild the organisation, so student voices are genuinely heard and acted on, and students’ unions receive support that’s better than ever.

“We’ve put in place the frameworks to succeed, but we’ve now got the difficult task of changing the way we work, the cultures in our movement, and ensuring students feel we’re relevant to them.

“We look forward to working with Exeter Students’ Union and our other members to achieve this.”

Incoming Guild Chief Executive appointed

The Students’ Guild have announced the appointment of Joff Cooke as their incoming CEO. Cooke, who will start in August, has been appointed after a two-day recruitment process chaired by Guild President Grace Frain and supported by trustees and senior management from both the University and Students’ Guild.

Cooke, who has had a long history with Students’ Unions and the National Union of Students, states that he is “delighted and honoured” at being appointed to the role, and is “looking forward to get to know the Exeter students more and helping them have a truly world class and exceptional experience”.

[Cooke] has “never felt as excited at the prospect of working at such a great institution as Exeter”

Cooke has also been Chief Executive of FXU, the Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union in Penryn, and held managerial positions in Plymouth and Bournemouth universities. He was also the Regional Officer for the NUS from 1996 to 2000. He states that after 30 years of working at Students’ Unions, he has “never felt as excited at the prospect of working at such a great institution as Exeter”.

Guild President Grace Frain has also expressed her “delight at the outcome of the process” and stated how she was “excited to see what the Guild Staff team can achieve under the leadership of Joff”. She also thanked all those involved in the recruitment process.

This appointment follows an announcement of the departure of current Chief Executive, Tracy Costello, who has been a part of the organisation for 14 years, and has been Chief Executive for six.

Students’ Guild announces referendum on NUS membership

The Students’ Guild announced last night that a referendum will be held to decide whether they should remain affiliated with the National Union of Students.

Student campaigner registration will be open from Monday 13 May to Thursday 16 May, with voting open from Tuesday 28 May to Thursday 30 May.

The announcement comes only three years after the Guild’s last referendum on the same question, in May 2016. A previous referendum on the issue was held less than 18 months before that. The last campaign was marked by reports of harassment and intimidation by campaigners, with the remain camp winning by a margin of just 144.

The NUS aims to provide a collective voice for students in the UK and currently accounts for more than 95% of students’ unions in the UK.

Students are expressing concern that the referendum is being held during exam season, making it more difficult for all students to get fully involved.

Sabbatical officers have yet to declare their positions on the referendum. More updates as they come.

Guild responds to NUS Exeter delegate’s Israel comments

Update: After this article was published on 11 April , the Exeter Students’ Guild apologised to the student on 17 June for releasing a statement that “unintentionally implied” the student’s comments at the conference were of a hateful nature. The Exeter Students’ Guild’s full apology can read here.

Exeter Students’ Guild has responded after an Exeter delegate to the NUS National Conference in Glasgow congratulated the re-election of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, 10 April.

Mathematics undergraduate Jack Morewood was subsequently suspended from the election pending a code of conduct investigation, which today resulted in his candidacy being allowed to continue.

[Morewood’s] views and actions on stage do not reflect those of the Guild or of the manifesto he was elected on by the student body.

A spokesperson for the Students’ Guild said, “NUS Delegates are elected by students based on their manifesto and although Jack Morewood is representing the Students’ Guild as an NUS Delegate, his views and actions on stage that caused his suspension do not reflect those of the Guild or of the manifesto he was elected on by the student body. The Guild President and lead delegate has reiterated to Jack that he is a representative of the whole student body we expect him to consider their views in what he says and does at conference. There is no place in our institution or in the national movement for hateful comments that may harm or isolate the students that we are here to represent.”

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government is under United Nations Human Rights Council investigation for humans rights abuses in the Palestininan Territories.

Students’ Guild launches Go Green Week

On Monday 18 March, the Exeter Students’ Guild launched Go Green Week, a weeklong event aiming to raise the student body’s awareness of sustainability issues.

The Forum hosted several events throughout week. An ‘Ideas Tree’ was available in the campus centre for students to contribute ‘sustainability pledges’ to improve the university’s policies towards managing climate change.

There were also several scheduled lectures, including ‘Treeconomics: The Value of Trees’ at Newman Red LT. Attendees learnt about the important role trees play in the natural environment.

Moreover, a ‘Community Warden Litter Pick’ event was open to students, who joined the university’s community warden team to litter pick around the campus grounds.

WHETHER YOU’D RATHER BE INDOORS OR IN THE MUD, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

The Guild have also opened an ongoing student feedback system titled Eco Echo. Interested students can submit ideas regarding environmental issues to the DVP Sustainability. Moreover, students are encouraged to tweet questions and ideas to the #MyGreenChange.

Some of these posts were addressed at a special Q&A panel event which took place at Streatham Court D at the close of Go Green Week.

James Wijesinghe, DVP Sustainability, told Exeposé ‘Our aim is to raise awareness of global and local environmental issues, facilitating education and action to help alleviate such problems. By pledging a #MyGreenChange we hope people will make their day-to-day lives more sustainable. There are also opportunities to make environmental recommendations to the University/Guild, and to learn about their upcoming projects and strategies. Whether you’d rather be indoors or in the mud, there’s something for everyone. The onus of climate change is on us’.

‘No meaningful communication’ on sanitary products student idea

Students have sent an open letter to the Students’ Guild which states that there has been ‘no meaningful communication’ on a student idea calling for free sanitary products to be available on campus, despite the idea having been passed in December. The letter asks the Guild to contact the person who originally submitted the idea and inform them of how and when the idea will be implemented, commit to adopting a free sanitary product scheme and consult universities which have successfully implemented such a scheme.

“[the guild] have shown no desire to introduce a scheme which would make campus and higher education a more inclusive place for people who menstruate”

Molly May Smith, who created the idea, told Exeposé: ‘‘Since the idea passed in December there’s been next to no meaningful communication from the Guild. They’ve shown no desire to introduce a scheme which would make campus and higher education a more inclusive place for people who menstruate. The recent government announcement of free sanitary products for all those in secondary schools and colleges shows there is a real need for us to engage in a wider conversation around period poverty and the taboo around menstruation, a discussion which has yet to reach Exeter’s campus and has in fact been halted by the Guild’s inefficiency.’’

Neha Shaji, DVP Democracy and Governance, said: ‘‘I was unaware of FemSoc not receiving any feedback on their idea, and am quite disappointed that they have not. The Student Ideas system was closed down for this term to allow staff to work on existing ideas, and in theory this means that ideas which have passed would eventually receive a contact on the progress of their idea. However, it is important to also consider that staff time this term has been taken up by a governance review and the student elections, hence responses may have been slower. However, as it seems that it’s been quite a while, I will go check on this myself and urge staff to respond to this idea as soon as possible. It seems like a fantastic initiative and I am excited to see it carried out by the Guild.”

“it is important to also consider that staff time this term has been taken up by a governance review and the student elections”

A Guild spokesperson told Exeposé: ‘‘The Guild can confirm that this student idea passed, and that the proposer of the idea was communicated with by email regarding the progress of the idea earlier this week [beginning 18th March]. The idea will be developed the same as other student ideas, and is still in stage one of progression. Stage one sees Sabbatical Officers agree to remit under the mandate of their roles, templates and communication drafts are put in place and the University is contacted by Sabbatical Officers. Ongoing progress updates are made to the tracker, available on the Guild website.’’

This article originally appeared in print 25/03/2019.

BioSoc and PhySoc social renamed due to ‘derogatory’ language

A Biology Society and Physics Society joint social has been renamed after intervention from Exeter Students’ Guild due to the derogatory language used on the Facebook event page.

The event name, originally ‘BioSoc and PhySoc present: Golf H*oes & Cricket Bros’, was called into question after complaints regarding the language. One complaint sent to the Guild and shown to Exeposé said, “I am beginning to be very concerned with such events occurring within societies, especially at a time when the university is claiming to be improving diversity and inclusion at Exeter.” The complainant also pointed out that they had persuaded Exeter University’s boxing club to take down a social with a similar name.

The term used in the title has been pointed out to be misogynistic and racialised. It has since been changed to ‘BioSoc and PhySoc present: Golfers and Cricketers’.

“I am all but fatigued to find a society is, yet again, using sex workers for comic value”

– Kate Byard, VP Postgraduate-elect and sex worker rights advocate, University of Exeter

BioSoc and PhySoc’s event had not been approved prior to its promotion, and the name of the social on the risk assessment was not the same as the one which has prompted the complaints. The Guild will now be working with the societies to run committee training in light of the issues raised, and have informed Exeposé that the event was submitted before it was advertised.

Kate Byard, VP Postgraduate-elect and sex worker rights advocate, pointed out the timing of the event:

“The very week I spent campaigning for the University to realise the large percentage of students involved in sex work, I am all but fatigued to find a society is, yet again, using sex workers for comic value.

“I am particularly concerned about Biology Society’s involvement in this event as it impacts wider issues. Last year, research by Dr Fiona Meth (Leeds Beckett University) demonstrated that sex workers avoid interacting with medical personnel as they believe they will be mocked. When biology students (and I am making the reasonable assumption that a portion will go on to work in the medical sector) run events precisely for the purpose of doing just that, I do not envision Meth’s disheartening findings, or the extreme health inequalities sex workers face, to change any time soon.”

Byard also consulted a sex worker on the issue, who said: “they used an asterix so they know it’s gross the di*****ds.”

Rosie McDonagh, VP Activities, said: “It was brought to our attention that a society had begun promoting an event which its name and nature did not accurately reflect the risk assessment submitted, if it had, the Guild would not have approved the event. The Guild does not condone events that are derogatory or not inclusive and will be re-emphasising this in upcoming society training.

“The Guild does not condone events that are derogatory or not inclusive and will be re-emphasising this in upcoming society training.”

– Rosie McDonagh, VP Activities, Exeter Students’ Guild

“We have worked with the society to rectify the situation so that the event being promoted reflects the risk assessment submitted.”

This article was updated on 6 March 2019 to include the following clarifications and edits:

Added: ‘One complaint sent to the Guild and shown to Exeposé said, “I am beginning to be very concerned with such events occurring within societies, especially at a time when the university is claiming to be improving diversity and inclusion at Exeter.” The complainant also pointed out that they had persuaded Exeter University’s boxing club to take down a social with a similar name.’
The phrase ‘after complaints that the language was both misogynist and racialised’ now reads: ‘after complaints regarding the language. The term used in the title has been pointed out to be misogynistic and racialised.’

Guild or Union?

NO matter your opinions on the Students’ Guild, it’s an organisation you have to really go out of your way to avoid on campus. That is unless you forego societies, DH1, or (God forbid) the Lemmy and the Ram. It acts as the hub for many essential campus services, and as we have seen in the last academic year, it is also a means through which student activism can happen. It also has a democratic system of representation which any affiliated student can engage with; in short, it’s our student union. So why on earth is it called the Exeter Students’ Guild? Why can’t we be like everyone else?

There are many rumoured reasons why it’s called the Guild, not the Exeter Students’ Union. Some state that it’s because of the political leanings of the University when the organisation was founded, where others (such as one user on popular student website The Student Room) assume it’s just Exeter being ‘extra’.

A popular rumour for the name ‘Guild’ usually goes along the lines of “something something Queen visit, something something royal charter.” The University of Exeter was officially chartered in 1955, or in the words of the royal charter itself: on the “21st day of December in the fourth year of Our Reign”. There is no mention of a Guild of students within this document, or even a reference veiled behind its old-timey language. The much more boring reason for the name is in the founding statutes claiming there will be a “Students’ Guild of the University and there shall be a Guild Executive which shall have a President and other such officers.”

Now we know why it is called the Guild, and that it is not tied to Queen Lizzie’s personal wishes upon her visit to Streatham. We can go through why Exeter Guild should join with most of the rest of the country’s Unis, rebranding as Exeter Students’ Union. While this is hardly the most crucial debate of our time, changing the name may finally put an end to the confusion.

The label of ‘union’ conjures up images of solidarity, causes such as fair pay for workers, and people banding together for a common goal.

Unionism, as an ideology, is inextricably tied to the role of student organisations like the Exeter Students’ Guild. Earlier this year, the Guild acted as a student union when it backed the University College Union strikers in their fight against changes to pension schemes. A union is an overtly and inherently activist organisation. Regardless of a student’s left/right-wing political alignment the ideas of unionism, protest, and campaigns are a significant portion of student life when it comes to the organisations of a student union.

Contrastingly, the label of ‘guild’ has its roots in craft groups who would join together for the purposes of protection from government regulation. This label also connotes profit and industry, which is a far cry from the purpose of the organisation as a support structure for students and their campaigns — be it standing in solidarity with the UCU, standing against anti-Semitism and racism on campus, or any other cause. Arguably, the name of ‘guild’ is not quite accurate for the purpose of the modern student union, given that these organisations are more about campaigning than escape from legislation.

Exeter already has a reputation for being posh; changing the name to ‘union’ may be a step towards alleviating this. Aside from being a pointlessly pretentious distinguishing factor against other university student organisations, here is the way the Students’ Guild introduces itself on Facebook and even its own website: “The Students’ Guild is the students’ union for students at the University of Exeter’s Streatham and St. Luke’s campuses.” The mere fact the Guild feels the need to begin by clarifying that it is, in fact, a students’ union suggests they are no different to any other organisation, but just have a special name… because it’s Exeter.

Refreshers Week 2019: What’s On?

Exeter Students’ Guild Refreshers Week is to be held from 13 to 18 January, and will include an official launch party at the Lemon Grove on Sunday 13 January.

Refreshers Week is a fixture of the university calendar and is intended to welcome returning students while providing students an opportunity to sign up to a campus societies.

To celebrate the occasion, the Guild and several campus societies have planned several events. Exeposé will hold a Meet and Greet in the X-Media Office on Wednesday, while Campus Cinema shall host a special interactive screening The Room on Friday.

Other societies will also be taking part. The Harry Potter and Quidditch Society are hosting a dinner at popular pub the Old Firehouse, while the Amnesty International Society are planning a casual evening at The Ram. XpressionFM will also be in the forum across parts of the week.

There are also opportunities to become involved in sport. The Exeter University Trampoline Club and the Volleyball Club are offering free taster sessions at St. Lukes Campus that are open to students of all different skill levels.

Several campus society stalls shall be open in the Forum during Refresher’s Week. Interested students shall be able to talk to society representatives and join campus groups.