EUSA makes second pass at constitutional reform

Motions for Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) General Meeting have been submitted, with the Enabling motion being resubmitted under a new name after its controversial failure last November. 

Despite passing unanimously through the Committee of Management and the Student Representative Council, last year’s motion failed by a narrow margin at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

On the night, opposition from the Debating Union motivated by concern over their funding swung the vote.

The newly named Referendum motion calls for the introduction of online referenda as an additional and more inclusive way for the student body to decide on union issues. 

President Thomas Graham said: “One of the main reasons for us failing to get the motion across was that people did not fully understand exactly how the referendum would work.” 

The Association Executive has stated its commitment to present the model of governance it has devised to the University of Edinburgh student body, before their time in office ends.

Six motions are up for consideration, with two submitted by candidates for the Association’s presidency. 

Presidential hopeful Laura-Jayne Baker, currently Societies Convener, has submitted a motion opposing the government's plans to change its policy regarding international student visas. 

She told The Journal that the newly suggested scheme is simply “a headline for the government” and attempts to “appeal to those in society who are against all sorts of immigration".

Ms Baker felt that “international students are the scapegoats for a wider problem”. 

Postgraduate Convener Liz Rawlings, running for presidency for a second time, has submitted a motion on feedback. 

Ms Rawlings told The Journal: “My motion proposes a change of tack if we fail to see improvement - essentially the student body can choose whether to continue to prop up the university's official line, or we can launch a direct action campaign to tell the university that we won't settle for second-rate feedback.”

Speaking about how best to get a quorate meeting, Ms Rawlings said: “It's really important to involve the entire student body because a campaign such as this won't be effective without engaging and mobilising students.

"EUSA campaigns have too often failed to effectively involve those students who don't sit on the SRC.

“What I'd like to see is a big, visible campaign on feedback culminating in a public meeting for all students where we discuss a course of action. Feedback is an issue students care about so with the right campaign it shouldn't be too hard to get lots of people involved.”

In addition, EUSA President Thomas Graham has submitted a motion demanding the university take action on poor bus services to King’s Buildings and Easter Bush.

Other motions include a ban on the usage of the social networking website Facebook on library computers during peak times, and a motion relating to an Ethics and Environmental Strategy. 

The meeting will take place on 23 February in McEwan Hall at 7pm.