SU’s final senate meeting: what are the proposals and how can you get involved?

The Students’ Union is running the second senate meeting of this academic year on February 13. 

The proposals that are set to be debated and voted on are for the SU to support University and College Union (UCU) strikes and take a stance against university involvement in the development of lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS).

Students are able to submit suggestions and policy proposals that they want the SU to implement to the Union website. If there are 50 or more votes in favour of the proposal then it will be debated and voted on at the Union Assembly. Any motions that are passed will then be adopted as SU policy.

 The proposal to support UCU strikes, proposed by Ryan B, urges for clear student solidarity and support towards striking staff in order to put greater pressure on the university and boost the effectiveness of the strikes to avoid future disruption.

The second confirmed proposal, suggested by Aleksandra B, calls for the SU to sign a Future of Life pledge that will take an active stance against the development and research of LAWS at the university.

A proposal to support the rent strikes, campaigning against increases in rent despite the inadequate quality of university halls, has also reached over 50 votes. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether this proposal will be voted on. 

The Union Assembly is open to any students who would like to attend and is free of charge, with tickets available on the SU website.

Previous Union assemblies have been really impactful, for instance, at the last assembly in October 2022 the ‘cops off campus’ motion was passed.