Swansea University Students’ Union
Annual General Meeting
30/04/2024
Singleton Park Campus, Fulton House Lecture Room A
18:00-19:30
Attendance: 28 (22+6 Officers)
Simple Majority (number needed): 14
Agenda Points
- Welcome and introductions
- Presentation of the audited accounts
- Trustee board update
- Executive committee update
- Motions Officer questions
- Any other business
1. Welcome and Introductions
President, Pablo Josiah, welcomed attendees and introduced the current full-time officer team and staff present.
An overview of the agenda was provided.
Union services were detailed with:
- Education Officer, Michelle Okpala detailing the Rep System and Union involvement within education
- Welfare Officer, Abigail Egwuatu explained the purpose of the Union’s Advice and Support Centre
- Welsh Affairs Officer, Macsen Davies detailing mainstay events such as Summerball and current sustainability objectives
- The Union van was swapped to a new electric van
- The Union is working towards the Green Impact Award again this year with the aim of excellent
- Secured SU polytunnel space for students and the SU Nursery to use
2. Presentation of the Audited Accounts
The Audited Accounts were presented by Societies & Services Officer, Ronnie Kowalska and approved
For: 100% Against: 0% Abstain: 0%
3. Trustee Board Updates
- Central elections were recently held to elect a new full-time officer team for the 2024/25 academic year. The successful candidates were Megan Chagger as President, Madelyn Jones as Societies and Services Officer, Carys Dukes as Welsh Affairs Officer, Cameron Messetter as Sports Officer, Katie Wilkinson as Education Officer, and Marzia Sartori as Welfare Officer
- One new staff member, a Social Media Coordinator, has been hired in the Union since the last meeting
4. Executive Committee Updates
Macsen Davies, Welsh Affairs Officer
- Intercollege Eisteddfod hosted in Swansea in early March. Welcoming 500 students from other Welsh Universities
- Sustainability – introduction of Polytunnel and working towards achieving excellent Green Impact Award
- Clwb Cymraeg held a semester-long with CampusLife to introduce more students to learning Welsh
Megan Chagger, Sports Officer
- Varsity was held this term, last week. The event sold out. Student feedback has been positive and a healthy amount of money was generated
- Varsity Captains Presentation was held for all Varsity Captains this year and was appreciated by many students
- Working with Sport Swansea on several ongoing large projects such as a governance review and department rebrand
Abigail Egwuatu, Welfare Officer
- Anti-Racism module launched. One of the few and first universities to introduce this. Created with students
- Period poverty campaign has received positive engagement all year, funding is the main issue going forward with developing the project.
- RISAC, Race Inclusion Students’ Advisory Committee has been a success with lots of mentoring
- SHAG Week to occur soon to support students' sexual health next week with buy-in from the local hospital and the police
Ronnie Kowalska, Societies & Services Officer
- Societies Awards are back in person for the first time since pre-covid. Recognize societies more. Sold out event
- Looking to introduce a Societies’ Matrix as a new way of scoring societies against one another on some core fundamental criteria. This would create more responsibility for society's executive committee. Hope to foster community and engagement and gain a more visible view of where support is needed
- Investigating creating a £5 membership fee for all societies to enhance the funding we have for societies and justify increasing costs of services and lack of increased block grant. Similar to that of Sport Swansea membership fee
- Offer more funding as a result and subsidize larger projects such as training opportunities. Could have potential implications for some free societies. Other Unions across the UK charge a similar fee for this
- Cost of living vouchers will be made available soon in partnership with Campus Life
- New HEAR award introduced for society executive committee
- Services are all doing well this year
Michelle Okpala, Education Officer
- StudyAid was well received by students and will continue again this May, starting next week
- Rep Conference will happen next week to commend reps for their efforts and to learn more about what has happened in the wider University over the last year. Awards and rewards for Reps to be given out
- Working on the recording of lectures and lack of uniformity across courses through University Policy
- Working with MyUni around referencing courses that many students still struggle to reference and many aren’t taking up these resources
Pablo Josiah, President
- Cost Of Living Campaign is still ongoing. We’ve assisted in feeding over 1000 students breakfasts
- Exploring Cost of Living Vouchers to assist with lunches for students struggling
- Free LinkedIn photoshoots for professional headshots have been running on and off this semester for students to make use of
- Worked closely with the university to increase funding for international students and home students suffering through hardship. More work to be done
- Buses - New timetable and services introduced. M91, M92 and more services. Along with a new way to pay on First Buses of tap-on-tap-off. Feedback is still being taken and appreciated
- University communications team and analytics team to make communications more engaging and pertinent. Reducing the amount of emails that students received which were not relevant to them
Additional info regarding ongoing work from Officers can be requested as this list is not exhaustive
5. Motions
No motions were submitted
6. Officer Questions
- What’s been done to improve the culture of sports clubs? – Training delivered at the beginning of the year, culture workshops for certain teams that require more support in this area. Regular reminders too. Efforts to create a positive culture through fan engagement project
- Societies guild membership cost benefits? Money will go towards creating and fostering a sense of community through cheaper and bespoke events. More money is available to be applied for. Subsidising costs of current activity and things that already happen like insurance, equipment hire, and room booking systems to name a few
- Some students were disrespectful to bus drivers and the public at Varsity. Chants are calling someone a sex offender. What will be done to address this poor behaviour? Certain behavioural information was sent out to ticket holders. It can’t all be curtailed. Our staff dealt with what they could on the day as it was made known to us
- Support with first aid training and diversity training and support for a committee working with those with additional needs and neurodivergence. Expanding on this. It’s on our radar, but we don’t yet have a solution. Hope to pay for such courses with any membership fee
- Why was Root closed this year? Not financially sustainable, despite the desire from some students, it wasn’t widely felt. Costcutter does have some comparable products. Remember that your feedback impacts the products we sell
- Will Fulton House closure be all at once during development? Will the rooms be accessible? The development will be staggered and displacement of activities will be planned for with additional rooms provided.
- There is a lack of sanitary bins in the Margam building, is anything being done? Unaware of this issue until now. To be followed up after this meeting
- Disability History Month had a very low profile this year. Why is that? The Students with Disabilities Officer didn’t take the opportunity we’d hoped in running this project. Despite support from Disability Officer and Sport Swansea to run certain projects. The Disability Officer is currently under-resourced but we’re keen to support more
Attendees are encouraged to stay to ask any further questions to the officers or get in touch
7. AOB
No other business presented