Union Council Guidance Document

Agenda
1) Agenda items on the agenda for ordinary meetings of council shall include: i. ii. iii. iv. Apologies Acceptance of Agenda Elections Formal Business: 1. Ratification of Council Minutes 2. Matters arising from Council Business 3. Reports and Questions Consensual Business Motions Emergency Business Any other competent Business

v. vi. vii. viii.

2) Agenda items shall be prioritised according to the following factors: i. Logic ii. Time: Time sensitive issues should be given precedence in the order of business. iii. Consensuality: More consensual items of business should be given precedence in the order of business.

Elections
3) The following elections shall be held at Union Council: i. Officers of Steering Committee ii. Elections Committee 4) The Democracy & Communications Officer shall act as Returning Officer for these elections.

Reports
General 5) Reports required by Union Council must be submitted to Steering Committee. 6) Reports shall only be amended by the author. 7) Reports shall be accepted by a simple majority of Union Council. 8) Steering Committee shall notify Union Council of those who have failed to submit a report as specified in either the Union Council Bye Law or the Union Council Guidance Document. Content 9) All reports shall focus on the impact that the author or the groups reporting to them have made through their position(s) since the last close of business.

10) Equality & Diversity Officer Reports shall inform Union Council about their work as an officer and about the work of their Network/Bureau/Associations. 11) Student Group Heads inform Union Council about the work of their Student Group. 12) The Delegate Leader for each NUS National Conference shall provide a general overview of the conference and delegate behaviour. 13) Steering Committee shall not submit a set of template questions for reports. Format 14) Reports shall be no longer than 400 words, unless the author has received prior permission from the Chair of Union Council. 15) Reports shall be titled with the Authors name and position. 16) Reports shall be in sentence form, where appropriate.

Consensual Business
17) Consensual Business shall contain motions that affect uncontroversial change that can be agreed on a consensual basis. 18) Prior to the start of Union Council any councillor, supported by 4 other councillors, can request a motion is removed from Consensual Business. 19) After the start of Union Council parts may be removed through the relevant procedural motion as stated in the Standing Orders Guidance Document. 20) The Chair of Council may present an oral summary of the motions contained within Consensual Business. 21) Consensual Business requires 2/3rd majority to pass. 22) A motion that requires more than a 2/3rd majority or more than one vote shall not form part of Consensual Business.

Business
23) All items of business for a Council shall be submitted to the Steering Committee by the Close of Business. 24) The agenda for a meeting of Union Council shall be available on the fifth Students Union Day before that Council. 25) Motions and amendments submitted over 200 words in length shall be accepted or not at the discretion of the Steering Committee. 26) Items of business not finished by the end of a meeting of Council shall be prioritised at the next ordinary meeting of Council.

Emergency Business

27) Business submitted for a Council after the close of business for that Council shall be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the Steering Committee. 28) Emergency business should be made available to all members of Council present at the relevant Council. 29) The Steering Committee shall include, although not necessarily exclusively, the following criteria in considering whether to accept or reject emergency business: i. Could the business have been submitted before the close of business for that Union Council? ii. Is the business of significant importance to the Union? iii. Can the business wait until the next ordinary meeting of Union Council?