Students' Unions and Associations are run democratically. And that means you can have a say in what your representative body does. The best way for students to do this is through Policy. Here's how you can help us change the narrative on insurance!
Step 1: Starting a conversation.
Most students rush into proposing a motion without backing. Often, it is much easier to seek backing from Union/Association Officers before making a proposal. So, as a first step, get in touch with your Officers.
The lead person for the democratic process will often be either a President, Union Affairs Officer or Union Development Officer. Sometimes, the process may be entirely run by staff. You can find the relevant contact information on your Union/Association's website. Things to look out for are either a 'Policy process', 'Ideas process' or 'Student Assembly Process'.
Get in touch by email requesting a short meeting. You'll want to go through:
What the campaign is about and how students are relevant to this fight;
What the process is to get this motion passed; and
How Officers can support you throughout and whether they can sponsor/back the motion.
The way to get a motion tabled varies drastically between Unions/Associations. Many require a first round of student voting before they are brought before a Student Assembly. A lot of the time, some of this process can be avoided by getting an Officer to support you. So ask! The worse they can say is no.
Step 2: Getting your motion passed.
Writing a motion can be daunting; our policy template can help you get started. We've taken the core bits of what needs to be in your motion and made it available to you below. Feel free to adapt it as needed and amend as your Union/Association recommends.
Table your motion and once it is, it will usually be put before a Student Assembly (Officer Group, Parliament or General Meeting).
The next bit is all about convincing others to vote in favour of your motion. Here, it's important to work the room. If you've secured Officer support previously, make sure to get their help. Answer questions with curiosity and look to bring a critical mass of people on board. From experience, it's important to be flexible: some may want to change wording or turns of phrase - these are not important, so just be remember to keep your eye on the ball and focus on getting core content passed rather than semantics.
Step 3: Celebrate!
Once you've passed your motion, get back in touch with us - it's time to celebrate!! We'd love to feature your win on our pages and platforms. If you can, get some pictures or footage of you passing the motion or looking fab outside your meeting room and send them to us.