Arts Students’ Union belongs to its students. It is down to you, the student body, to shape the Union's priorities and direction. If you want to influence the Union's view on any issue or have a specific initiative at the forefront of our priorities, the best way to do this is to submit a motion. Any motion that you propose will be debated at a democratic meeting, known as the Student Council.

Student Council Dates 19-20

28th Nov, 2019

23rd Jan, 2020

27th Feb, 2020

30th April, 2020

What is a student council?

The student council is:

• The largest democratic, decision-making committee at Arts SU.
• A space where the committee votes on motions submitted by students.
• Made up of sabbatical officers, part-time officers and liberation officers plus student representatives. Any current student at UAL is allowed to join these meetings and offer their views.
• A forum for all students at UALto discuss relevant and important topics or initiatives.
• A forum where students can come together to discuss the current state of the Union.
• Whatever you make it - If you have an idea, this is your chance to make change!

What is a motion?

A motion is a document that proposes a change to be made to the Union’s policy. Motions can be submitted on any issue, ranging from a University or Union decision through to wider national and even international concerns.

If a motion is accepted the Union might be committing itself to campaign for change or stating where it stands in relation to this motion. This will result in officers, staff or representatives being assigned to a particular task to make this motion a reality.

How do I get a motion passed?

Motions must be submitted 24 hours before a council meeting, by emailing democracy@su.arts.ac.uk.

The title for the motion must be a statement, not a question, and must clearly set-out what you want the Union to do. All motions should be written in third person (no "I believe" or "I think").

Each motion will be listed on the agenda. All motions will need a student proposer (the student who created the motion) and another student to be the seconder of the motion.

The role of a proposer

The proposer of the motion will be invited to Student Council to make a speech in favour of Student Council voting to pass the motion. After the proposer has advocated for a vote to pass the motion, members of the Student Council or other students in attendace will be invited to make a speech against the motion or to ask any questions regarding the motion.

A motion can be amended at the Student Council by submitting an amendment request, which can be done by any student in attendance.

Once the motion has been debated it will be put to a vote. A simple majority is required for the motion to be passed into policy.