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Absolutely Sabb-ulous?

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Absolutely Sabb-ulous?

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AS someone who’s now in their fourth year at this University (I feel so old), February brings me more dread and repressed exasperation than any other month. Yes, the upcoming Sabb elections once again loom – everybody try and contain your excitement. Once again, Forum Hill will transform into a minefield of campaigners trying to bombard you with manifesto points as you take your merry stroll up to your 8:30 lecture in Peter Chalk. But don’t worry if you manage to avoid them; they’ll still find you on your social media – normally in the form of those ridiculous campaign videos that make me cringe harder than a Nicholas Sparks novel. For me, these elections just become a symbol of all the disconnect I see between student reps and the student body itself.

To be clear, I don’t blame the Sabbs themselves; it’s more the system they’ve become stuck within. Let’s start with the elections. I love the passion that the people running hold to do good, but there must be a better platform for their campaigning. Jumping on people on campus really cannot be the only method for student engagement. You can be walking down Forum Hill with friends, having your own private conversations about the latest house drama, or who pulled at TP this week, when suddenly some stranger jumps in and thrusts a flyer at you. Either that or they prod chocolates or cakes at you like you’re a performing animal or some small child that won’t stop crying. I once had one follow me all the way down Forum Hill as they rattled off their friend’s manifesto even though I had already politely declined to engage. Top tip – pestering might not get you votes. Of course, some people do enjoy the interaction with the candidates and their teams and that’s great. Yet, I wonder if those who feel uneasy in social situations enjoy this form of hard-hitting canvassing? Has anyone stopped and asked?

But the campaigning is only one small part of my issue with the whole concept of the Sabbs. There is just very little there that encourages student engagement.

I don’t feel like I would go to the Sabbs if I had a problem – I would go to a tutor, SID or even the head of my department first. I do know people who have and have had good experiences, but my point is that it’s not always the obvious solution. The Sabbs are locked away in their tiny office in the corner of DH1, obscured by all the super committed students with their Pret cups that swarm that corridor like bees to a flower. It’s an odd setup. Are the Sabbs approachable? Do you need an appointment? Can you just email them out the blue? Which one do you email? It’s all very muddy.

I know people at other universities in which the student representatives are much less involved, and others in which they’re so much more visible. It’s the culture of the uni. There isn’t a checklist of things I could take to the Guild and say ‘Do this to make things better’, it’s one part of the overriding issue. I’ve had the most interaction I’ve ever had with the Sabbs this year (which isn’t saying much) and they are all lovely people who genuinely work hard to improve this university. But the system doesn’t seem to help them. The rest of us, as part of the student body, are expected to vote these people in every year, and that’s where our input stops. If I wasn’t on a society committee, I’m not sure that I would even know their names. I still don’t even know the difference between each of the roles.

The counter-argument to all this, of course, is that maybe it’s down to me to get involved. Maybe I should take more of an everyday interest in these things. Take the leap. Talk to the Sabbs, join Shadow Council, go to the meetings etc. All fair points that I thought about before I started typing this very article, yet there’s something in the back of my mind that says no. Why should I feel like I would have to do that to gain any interaction or knowledge of them and what they do day-to-day? I need more than an email every so often, or to see their picture in the  corridors, or have them thrust a bloody pamphlet at me as I’m trying to get to my class. I want something more.

Happy campaigners on the Forum Hill trail during 2017 Sabbatical Elections

My point simply is – what do the Sabbs do for me on a daily basis? That sounds super selfish at first glance, but I do struggle to see how they change my everyday experience. I don’t mean I want the Sabbs to jump out at me and show me all the good they’ve done, more that I would like it to be clearer what initiatives are theirs. That might be a start. You’ve done a thing – be proud of it and shout it at me. Don’t make it all about you, but at least tell me you’ve had a hand in it. Some might say it’s not about the individuals themselves, but the changes they make. In this case, it is precisely about the individual. We vote for them in terms of their personality and their policies. We deserve to see the results of our supposed faith in them. As I write this, without any googling, I couldn’t tell you more than two or three initiatives introduced in recent years the Sabbs have directly had a hand in. I know that digital check-in is still going even though the student body voted to get rid of it. How does that work? Do the students here have a voice for change, or simply just a voice that can be ignored when it suits the University?

There needs to be a whole culture change in the way this university deals with its student voice. Even our representatives seem marginalised.

The most annoying thing about all this is I can’t tell you specifically what that would be or how it would emerge. It’s not just one thing. The Sabbs feel like an afterthought, a box checked, rather than anything created as a force for substantial change. They don’t feel part of us. It won’t surprise you to learn that I’ve never voted in these elections, because why would I want to? I don’t feel represented by these people. Once they’re in office, they disappear. They fall into the background like wallpaper – always there, but nobody really stops to pay attention beyond a glance. I have friends at other unis that are in their respective Sabb positions, and they tell me how integrated they feel within the student body itself. They are at the heart of the uni, they live and breathe it. They lead from the front as pillars newer students look to and aspire to. Here, it feels a little bit different. I’ve never felt that the Sabbs are integrated into the student community. If anything, they’re enclosed within a tiny box room opposite a technology shop – obscured by the very people they wanted to help.

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’.

Image: Wikimedia

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.

Censored on campus: Exeposé removed during open day

heT Students’ Guild has said it was “disappointed” that the University removed copies of Exeposé from the Forum on a recent open day without informing the paper’s editors. The issue’s sex-themed content was “inappropriate” for children, the University claims. However, the Guild has told Exeposé it advised against removing the papers.

This year’s Exeposé Valentine’s Day special was published on Monday 13 February. The issue, featuring themed content along with a 12-page insert on the week’s Sabbatical Elections, ran with the headline: “Swastika found in Birks” – a story which soon received national attention and sparked an anti-fascism march on campus.

However, the University has said the removal of papers from the Forum during an open day the following Wednesday was “nothing to do with” this story.

“During the offer holders’ open day, held during the half- term holidays, there were many underage children – some of them related to potential students – in the Forum,” a spokesperson told Exeposé.

“The paper included…explicit sexual matters which were felt to be inappropriate for under-age children.”

Organisers were “concerned that the adult themes in the special Valentine’s Day edition of Exeposé – entitled Sexpose in large pink print on the front page with a ‘Sexpose special’ about getting ‘down and dirty’ advertised on the cover – would be inappropriate for their age group,” they continued.

“The paper included a photograph of a topless girl, discussion about dildos, Tinder, lube, personal accounts of sexual encounters and other explicit sexual matters which were felt to be inappropriate for under-age children.”

They therefore decided to “make the newspaper less visible for a very short period of time,” they said.

Just before midday on 15 February, Exeposé members noticed the three bins usually on display in the Forum had been made completely inaccessible.

One was found tucked behind the Student Ambassadors’ welcome desk, while the other two (pictured) were hidden between two noticeboards and underneath the Forum stairs.

“Exeposé was still readily available around campus for both current and potential students,” the University argued.

“The University informed a staff member at the Students’ Guild that the Exeposé newspaper bins were to be moved throughout the offer holder open day,” a spokesperson said. “The Guild advised against this and explained that the newspaper bins in Guild space should not be moved or covered, due to important information within them.”

“We’re disappointed that the event organisers didn’t contact the student editors to inform them of this decision”

The newspaper bins in Guild space did remain on show – but the Guild was unable to prevent the University removing Exeposé from the Forum.

“We’re disappointed that the event organisers didn’t contact the student editors to inform them of this decision,” the spokesperson added.

The University is “committed to supporting independent student journalism,” a spokesperson added, “and recognises the hard work which goes into producing Exepose each fortnight, and the important role the newspaper has in keeping students informed about important issues.”

They failed to explain why no communication with editors had taken place prior to moving the papers. However, the University’s Marketing and Communications department later apologised for being “not able” to contact editors “to discuss the best course of action.”

Students’ Guild #WeAreAllExeter and #HumansOfExeter campaigns launched

The Students’ Guild has launched a new campaign that aims to increase inclusivity and celebrate the diversity that exists within our community.

The campaign, named #WeAreAllExeter, claims to offer an opportunity for students to share their stories, as well as a chance to “learn more about [their] friends and fellow students and their lives.”

Led by a team of Sabbatical and other Guild offi cers, as well as STAR, LGBTQ+ Society and the Athletics Union, #WeAreAllExeter is currently being widely promoted around Devonshire House, with staff at several Guild outlets wearing t-shirts in support of the campaign. The campaign is also being run with the support of several other organisations, such as Refugee Support Devon, This Girl Can and Exeter Pride.

One of the more visible arms of the campaign is the #HumansOfExeter series, which sees photographs of various students across campus accompanied by a brief tale of their background posted on the Guild’s Facebook page. Other are also being encouraged to upload their photos in a similar style using the hashtag, in an attempt to allow more students from differing backgrounds to have their stories heard.

These campaign photos are being shared on Facebook in instalments, with a caption of a brief insight into the student’s life, for example one focused on student January Mim: “I’m from Seoul, South Korea. I’ve been living in Exeter almost two years. I study drama. I have always wanted to study drama since I was young. There are a few international students here from Canada and Australia, but then there’s a stereotype that Asian students are really good at maths but not at humanities. People don’t expect that much when they see Asian students studying humanities and arts, which is wrong.”

Several events are also being held under the #WeAreExeter umbrella, with black and LGBT history events taking centre stage, among others. Societies that want to hold events as part of the campaign have to agree to advertise their event more broadly, welcome others, ensure that the event covers the topics at hand fairly and that any costs are kept as low as possible so that nobody is excluded from taking part.

The campaign also offers an outlet to those who feel that the University or Guild aren’t inclusive enough to have their voices heard. Students who feel this way are encouraged to speak to the Advice Unit, use the Reporting Information Directory (RID) or to use the #WeAreAllExeter page on the Guild website to provide feedback.

 

Are Student Ideas taking the mick?

The Guild has defended its Students Ideas system following complaints that some proposals are simply “taking the mick.”

It doesn’t want to treat students “like naughty children,” a spokesperson told Exeposé. Over the past year, the online Student Ideas platform has registered votes on issues from NUS affiliation and Right2Debate to exam timings and the University’s controversial “hubs” system proposal. However, recent Ideas have sparked annoyance among voters.

“This is funny, but please vote Disagree or Strongly Disagree so that this doesn’t get passed,” commenter Adam Eveleigh urged students on two Ideas – one calling for “Harambe to be recognised as Eternal Supreme Leader of the Guild,” and one demanding the Guild “provide stables so I may ride my pony to campus.”

Exeposé contacted Eveleigh for his take on Student Ideas. “It’s a brilliant system,” he said, admitting the mechanism is “very clever and seems to work rather well.”

“However,” he added, “some students do seem to be taking the mick somewhat.” These jokes are “delegitimising Student Ideas,” Eveleigh complained. “It is not taken as a serious policy platform but more a place for students to have a laugh and perhaps get annoyed about non-issues.”

Whatever the case, the Guild was apparently forced to take the Harambe Idea seriously: “The position of Eternal Supreme Leader of the Guild does not exist, and even if it did, a dead gorilla cannot consent to this role,” Guild Change responded on the Idea page. “We therefore cannot go through with the Idea.”

“The system is designed to be fun,” a spokesperson told Exeposé, “therefore fun Ideas are a part of it.” Stressing that the Guild does not “censor or suppress, “they added “staff will not judge” the Ideas, or the students who propose them.

“The fact that the system has virtually no restrictions on submission is one of its strengths,” they said. Systems that pre-vet student proposals are “patronising in the extreme to students,” they said, “treating them like naughty children rather than fully functioning adults who are capable of reaching individual judgement on any given Idea and voting accordingly.”

Eveleigh agreed that “silly ideas” shouldn’t necessarily be banned. Instead, the Guild “should stress how important Student Ideas is as a policy-making body and ask that students focus on issues which will help improve the university experience for everyone,” he told Exeposé.

In any case, the Guild added, the vast majority of Ideas classed as “fun” have been rejected. “We therefore continue to trust the judgement of the students of Exeter,” they said, “who appear fully capable of passing sensible and necessary Ideas only.”

Student Ideas: the best of the worst

“Provide stables so I may ride my pony to campus”

“Adopt a campus dog!”

“Harambe to be recognised as Eternal Supreme Leader of the Guild”

“Sell foie gras in the Ram”

“The Guild should declare its plans for a Zombie Apocalypse”

“Show the Robot Wars final in the Ram”

“The Guild should erect a statue of Cecil Rhodes in the Forum”

Timetabling and carers

Freshers’ Week is in full swing and that can only mean the yearly “timetable controversy” is back in full force. Weighed down by the rising number of students the University of Exeter, in 2015 the university decided to modify the start and end of the teaching day, scheduling classes to start at 8.30 instead of 9 in the morning.

Classes in the evening were also scheduled to finish later in the afternoon. The change in planning caused quite a few grumbles amongst the student populations, with complaints arising from the fact students were being forced to drag themselves out of bed earlier than usual.

https://pixabay.com/en/photos/planner/
https://pixabay.com/en/photos/planner/

The real issue at hand is not having to trudge up Streatham Hill earlier in the morning, but why these changes have been made necessary in the first place. An investigation launched by Exeposé in 2015, found that students, teaching staff and Guild employees alike were concerned by the growth in student population, with 80% of students finding that campus was overcrowded, with the lack of study space and concerns about wellbeing provision and teaching quality also being a concern. With many of our Continental neighbours such as the French and the Italian starting their regular day at 8 o’clock, it is crucial we do not to get distracted from the pressing issues at hand, otherwise we risk feeding the stereotype that students are insulated from the real world – a claim that has been often thrown to delegitimize student protests.

However, timetable changes are a completely different matter from those amongst us affected by disabilities or caring responsibilities.

Whilst some disabled students can avoid problematic timetabling changes thanks to their ILP (Individual Learning Plan), students and lectures who have children are left struggling with the demands of childcare, with single parents and single carers being hit the hardest by the early starts and late endings. A Guild spokesperson pointed towards two bursaries that the university has specifically set up to deal with those commuting from rural areas and caring responsibilities, aiming to cover any additional transport and care costs caused by the change in timetabling. The main issue remained awareness, as it is crucial to make those who are entitled to these forms of support informed about their existence. So far, the main source of communications with student parents has been the peer support group set up by the Advice Unit and the Student Guild is looking to further spread awareness about the existence of these bursaries. Hopefully, these will effectively alleviate the struggle some members of the university have to face.

Guild Awards shortlist announced

The shortlist for the Students’ Guild Awards 2016 has now been made available online. There are up to five nominations under the eleven different categories, ranging from “Campaign of the Year” to “Outstanding Individual Contribution”.

exeterguildawards

Alongside the published shortlist, students also have the option to vote this year’s “Peoples’ Choice” category. Shortlisted students include Ben Cartwright (Station Manager of Xpression FM), Amy Squires (Societies Officer and Footlights President), Lucy Curry (Vice President of Feminist Society), Harry Grocott (President of Mixed Touch Rugby), and Femi Kalejeiye (NOOMA President).

This is the third year the Guild Awards has taken place; it was first introduced in 2013 to recognise the “outstanding commitment of Exeter students to creating the best possible experience for their peers.”

The awards focus on celebrating individuals and societies who have enhanced student experience at Exeter through Guild involvement.

Mind Your Head Society say they are thrilled to have been nominated twice. Their campaign to spread awareness of mental health in sport has been shortlisted for “Campaign of the Year”. They are also on the shortlist for “Outstanding Commitment to Student Welfare and Support”.

Society presidents Leah Fuller and Rija Tariq told Exeposé: “Being recognised shows we’re another step closer to breaking the stigma around mental health.”

Fuller has also been individually shortlisted under the same category. Meanwhile, Sam Jackson has been nominated for “Student Leader of the Year” following his Guild involvement as the Challenges Officer for RAG, a Welcome Team Senior and a Housing Team Leader.

He said: “To be recognised at Guild Awards for the hard work that myself and my team have put in is a real honour, and it’s something that I never imagined would happen”.

Nominated for “Student Group of the Year” are Soul Choir, Postgraduate Society, Islamic Society and First Aid.

Shortly before the Students’ Guild awards shortlist was made available, the Teaching Awards ceremony took place on 28 April. The 2016 winners were announced to academic staff who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to delivering education.

The student results will be announced at an invitation-only gala this term, with the date to be confirmed by the Guild.

Students’ Guild Award Categories

• Campaign of the Year • Community Impact • Event of the Year • Exceptional Contribution to the Academic Experience • Outstanding Commitment to Student Welfare and Support • Outstanding Individual Contribution • Outstanding Student Sta Member • People’s Choice • Student Group of the Year • Student Leader(s) of the Year • Student-led Project of the Year

Second NUS referendum in 18 months to be held in May

A Referendum is to be held to decide whether The Students’ Guild should disaffiliate from the National Union of Students (NUS) for the second time in less than 18 months, after a Sabbatical election candidate proposed a Manifesto Idea to leave the Union on 23 February.

The vote to decide whether to stay in the NUS will take place between 2 May and 13 May, with at least 900 votes required for the referendum to be legitimate. In order for the Guild to leave the NUS, a simply majority of 51 per cent of students will need to vote in favour of disaffiliation. The options on the Idea will be the same as for all other Student Ideas (Strongly Agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly Disagree and Confused), with a vote to decide the exact wording of the referendum question taking place in April.

As part of a new ‘Reward and Recognition’ scheme launched following last year’s Sabbatical elections, for every 450 votes received by a student who does not go on to win the election, a Manifesto Idea – the equivalent of a Student Idea that passes automatically – is granted to the candidate to start a project. Proposed projects costing less than £1000 require that the candidate received a minimum of 450 votes in the Sabbatical elections, but those over this threshold are only granted to candidates who received over 900 first preferences. The NUS affiliation vote was chosen by Paul Rota, who ran for the position of VP Welfare & Diversity this year, as a Manifesto Idea.

Commenting on the decision to call the referendum, Rota said: “Last year, the NUS leave vote failed on the promise that there would be substantial reform in the NUS. There was not.

“We see NUS officers working with extremist group CAGE – a group who supported Jihadi John; we see the No-Platforming of LGBTQ+ and anti-racism activists Peter Tatchell and Hope Not Hate; we see the NUS spending tens of thousands of student money campaigning against the Liberal Democrats. And all the while, the NUS have been deliberately and maliciously blocking ‘One Person One Vote’, the one motion that would bring true democracy to the NUS.”

Rota, who finished last in the VP Welfare & Diversity election, also stated during the election debates that he wanted “to tear down the Guild not become part of it”.

The Students’ Guild last held an NUS referendum in December 2014, with 78 per cent of students voting to stay with the organisation. Due to the financial costs associated with disaffiliation, a majority of 66 per cent was required in order for the Guild to leave the Union, a significantly higher figure than the simple majority needed in the upcoming vote. The lower percentage now required for this year’s referendum is due to changes made when Student Votes were absorbed into the Ideas system by the Guild.

President of Labour Students John Chilvers, who lead the campaign to remain in the NUS in 2014, told Exeposé: “It is a farce that we’re having another referendum after we received 78% of the vote to stay just over a year ago but we are determined to come back and fight once more.”

“It’s also ridiculous to hold a vote on something so vital to our student experience here at Exeter when everyone will be busy revising for their summer examinations.”

The Sabbatical Officers have also outlined their intention to campaign to stay in the NUS. Laura-Jane Tiley, Guild President said: “As Sabbatical Officers, we will be supporting the campaign to stay in the NUS. We value the national representation as well as the benefits students receive in terms of good value prices through our outlets.

“We value student debate on this topic, but although parts of the NUS must improve, we want to safeguard our voice at national level.”

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Charlie Evans, the proposer of the Student Idea calling for a vote on continued NUS membership in 2014, stated his intention to wait until the NUS national conference in April before deciding which team to campaign for. “I will remain independent until I go to the NUS conference and submit proposals for reform,” he said, “If it is the status quo, then I will campaign to leave.”

The NUS currently has over 600 member students’ unions. However, several unions across the UK have voted in recent years to become independent from the organisation. Imperial College London left in 2008, whilst the University of Southampton has been disaffiliated since 2002. Other student unions not affiliated with the organisation include the University of St Andrews, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Dundee University and Glasgow University. In a student vote in May 2014, the University of Oxford also voted to disaffiliate from the organisation, but remained after allegations of vote rigging. Student Unions associated with the NUS must have the capacity to hold a referendum on membership on a yearly basis if required.

One of the major arguments to leave the NUS purported by leave campaigners is the financial cost associated with membership, with a £50,000 affiliation fee charged by the Union yearly. The stay side claim the financial benefits currently received by membership to the organisation outweigh this cost. If Exeter were to leave the NUS, the Guild would stand to lose a projected income of £22,000 from the sale of NUS extra cards. This income is currently put back into Guild services such as supporting societies, boosting Advice Unit services and providing discounts on food, drink and stationary items across campus.

However, the NUS has increasingly come under fire for what some students perceive as a failure to protect their interests. In 2014, their refusal to condemn ISIS at the Union’s national conference sparked controversy, whilst in recent months their policy to “No Platform” individuals or organisations deemed racist of fascist has been criticised in the press for restricting freedom of speech on university campuses. NUS campaigns to have benefitted students, though, have included overturning the proposed government cuts to the Disabled Students’ Allowance and becoming the first national organisation to take a stance on gay rights. Last year in Exeter, a successful campaign by NUS Women’s Liberation Representatives led to the removal of ‘luxury’ taxes applied to sanitary products purchased in Guild outlets.


James Beeson & Susannah Keogh, Editor & News Editor