Student Forum Minutes, January 2025

Swansea University Student’s Union: Student Forum

Introduction – Marcus J, Gen Sec

• Students have their chance to speak
• Have their say to improve the SU
• Scan QR code to submit questions for FTOs

 

Agenda

• SUSU Welcome & Introductions
• A democracy update from our Student Voice Team 
• Trustee Board Updates
• Executive Committee Updates
• Motion -  Genocide and Apartheid Off-Campus
• Officer Q&A

 

What is the SU?

• We support the running of student groups – such as sports clubs and societies.
• We represent you academically through the Rep system so that your feedback on learning and teaching is heard and acted upon
• We run several services on campus, such as JCs, Costcutter, and this venue Cove.
• We also put on some pretty great events and nights out, not just recently during Freshers, but all year long.

 

FTO  introductions - FTOs

• We have 6 full-time officers. I’ll leave it to them to present themselves and tell you a bit about what their roles entail…
• More on our elected Officers, we have appointed 3 new part-time officers since our last forum:

 

Jamil Ahmed as our Race Inclusion Officer,
Rishik Nageswara as our Atypical Students Officer,
and Nivera Appaiah as our Postgraduate Officer.

 

A democracy update from our Student Voice Team 

• The SU’s Student Elections are now open. If you like what these guys have to say tonight and you think their jobs sound interesting, or if you don’t like what you hear tonight and think you could do better than them, nominations are now open for our annual Officer elections.   
• Students can nominate themselves to stand in the elections any time from 9 am today until midnight on Sunday 16th of February. 
• This is your time to lead.
• We’re recruiting for the 6 full-time officer positions and the 10 part-time officer positions represented here tonight. This is your chance to make a difference in Swansea and lead 25,000 students. 
• If you choose to stand in the election, you will be campaigning for the votes of any and all students at Swansea University against other candidates. I think the current officers can all agree it’s nerve wracking and hectic, but an exciting thing to be a part of. 

 

SUSU Trustee Board Updates – Meg Chagger, President

• Trustee board oversees the strategic direction, governance, and financial health of the Union to ensure it operates effectively and in line with its mission to serve student interests.  
• Comprised of 6 elected officers and 3 externally appointed trustees, combines internal student leadership and opinions with external expertise for balanced decision-making.  
• The board is responsible for ensuring compliance with legal obligations and promoting the union's long-term sustainability. 

 

Update 1: Internally recruited for a new Events Manager

We have had one member of staff leave us, Chris, a long-time member of staff from our Advice & Support Centre are still in the recruitment process for a new Advice Manager

Progress and Outcomes

Now have managers in all parts of union

Update 2:

The Union’s accounts for 23-24 were presented to our external auditors, with no major recommendations

Progress and Outcomes:

 17^th audit

Update 3:

Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statement for 23/24 were approved

 

 Update 4:

These will be presented to the University Committee and by the Union at our AGM in late March

Progress and Outcomes:

 

 

Officer Updates (see full updates Officer Updates for Forum 28-01-25.docx )

 

Meg Remit updates:

MEDR (HEFQ) funding, has been submitted to the university. This funding will determine what we can do until the end of the year. We would like to use it for hardship grants for student groups, campaigns, cost of living, period poverty and student well-being.

Varsity – the price has stayed the same this year, to make it cost effective for students. There were over 2500 students at the launch, sold a 1/3 of tickets. General release Wednesday the 19^th 12pm. They also offer a deposit scheme of £15.

 

Manifesto

Engagement and culture – introduced Swansea University students Union Ents Instagram, increasing Engagement of our events. 

Accessibility for all students – still work being done with the university's estates team to make both campuses more accessible. They are making an audit to see what we do already, ranking it 1-5. The goal is to have better teacher spaces, health spaces...

 

Marzia Remit updates:

Gender-Based Violence Campaign – White Ribbon Day

• 130 students made a promise
• Student leaders joined us to make videos and opened conversations regarding consent and sexual violence

 

Transgender Day of Remembrance

• Hosted successful drag and cabaret night

 

Manifesto updates:

Promoting Wellbeing through physical activity

Improving Awareness and Understanding of Support Services on Campus

• Reviewing website content and user journey
• Updating information

 

Maddy remit updates:

Christmas Marketing

• Our services have seen drops in customers 
• Promoting our services in fun ways with student friendly deals

Societies Matrix 

Developing Society involvement in Open Days

• Benefits for you, and recruitment for the Uni

 

Manifesto updates:

New inclusive and exclusive events for societies

• Showcasing Dance and Skate
• Societies Sports Day 

 

Increasing training provision for societies

• Fundraising, food hygiene, financial management
• Welfare 
• University welfare services and handling emergencies
• Drinks, Drugs and Nights Out Safety

 

 

Cam remit (Meg reads) updates:

Sports Strategy 

Facilities concerns

Varsity

• Launch Day yesterday. Tickets go live tomorrow
• Event logistics and new sports being finalized
• Captains Presentation 28th March 

 

Manifesto updates

Maximizing Student time in facilities

• New timetabling
• Adapting to changing and limited facilities

 

Campus Culture 

• Podcast highlighting your advocacy, achievements and personal stories

 

Carys remit updates:

Defnyddia Dy Cymraeg 25/11 – 09/12

• Raising awareness and usage of Welsh in daily life
• Deals and incentives
• High social media engagement
• Welsh mini-market success

Manifesto updates:

Welsh Academic Reps

• Recruitment period closes tomorrow
• swansea-union.co.uk/representation

Welsh holidays and activities

• Dydd santes dwynwen, dewi sant, six nations

 

Katie remit updates:

StudyAid, supporting students in exams

• Over 2000 students attended events, and 88,000 views across social media
• A huge thank you to Reps for supporting and leading on aspect of the campaign

Academic Rep System

• Rep Card benefits expanding
• RepCon – Feeding into Education Strategy and Gateway Project
• Expression of Interest has re-opened for January Entry Courses

 

Manifesto updates:

Improving Officer Visibility and Communication

• Campus drop-ins, identifying Bay Campus issues
• @SUSUEducation page improvements

Improving Academic Support

• Timetable improvements
• AI policy, advice and guidance

 

Environment & Ethics – Archie – PTO updates

Curriculum Mapping with SOS-UK

• Putting sustainability into your curriculum
• Adapting to changing and limited facilities

 

Go Green Week

• Next week, with the main Fair on Tuesday 4th Feb
• Focus: building community and learning new skills

 

Atypical Students – Rishik – PTO updates:

Restarting Student Plus Society 

• Mature Students 
• Parents 
• Carers 
• Commuter students 
• Students coming out of the armed force
• Postgraduates 
• Care Leavers 
• Estranged

 

Motions – Marcus

• Motions are ideas for change

They are set out as: This union…

Notes (facts relevant to the motion)

Believes (the opinion of the proposer)

Resolves (the actions the SU will take)

 

• How will the motions be discussed?

Presenting the motion: The motion will be presented by the proposer

Discussion: Open to the floor to speak for and against the motion

Taking Parts: A chance to remove unreasonable actions to resolve the motion 

Vote: Vote for or against the motion

 

Examples motion:

Motion: To Get A Union Cat

Proposer: Maddy Jones

Supporter: Marzia Sartori

THIS UNION NOTES

1. Cats eat rats, and sometimes charging cables
2. Cats are known to make good house pets 
3. There are no cats currently living on campus

THIS UNION BELIEVES 

1.  A cat on campus would ward off uninvited guests like rats and mice
2. A Union owned cat would make students more likely to engage with the Union

This Union Resolves 

1. To get at least one cat, or other kind of feline
2. To house the Union Cat in Y Twyni 001
3. To turn the bollards on campus into scratching posts
4.  To name a Union cat either Doja Cat or Tiger Woods

 

Student discussion:

Katie spoke against, suggesting she is allergic to Cats and we should get a dog.

 

Motion 1:

Motion: Genocide and Apartheid Off-Campus
Proposed by: Edie Stanton
Supported by: Nadin Almadani 

 

This Union Notes 

1.   Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 186,000 Palestinians (Lancet, 2024), displaced 90% of the entire population and destroyed or damaged a large number of houses, hospitals, factories, schools and universities (BBC, 2025).
2. Israel is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders for crimes against humanity and war crimes (United Nations, 2024).
3. Israel’s offensive in Gaza follows decades of violations of Palestinian human rights, ethnic cleansing, and the imposition of a system of oppression against all Palestinians that is recognised internationally as meeting the legal definition of apartheid (Amnesty International, 2022).
4. Palestinians have called on their counterparts around the world to support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to end all complicity with Israel’s crimes (BDS, 2024).
5. Swansea University has ties with companies that are complicit in the genocide and/ or apartheid of Palestinian people. For example, companies such as General Electric, The RAF, Keep Looking Ahead, Rolls Royce, Valero and CGI were invited to participate in the careers fair on the 14th and 15th of October 2024.
6. Israeli warfare accelerates the climate catastrophe. Israeli munitions are estimated to have generated nearly 281,000 metric tonnes of CO2 in the first 60 days following 7th October 2023 alone (The Guardian, 2024). All aspects of Gaza’s environment have been devastated, including the contamination of the water, soil and air (United Nations, 2024).
7. Starbucks sued the union organising baristas for expressing pro-Palestinian solidarity (The Independent, 2023).

This Union Believes 

1.   British academic institutions should not contribute to crimes against humanity and have a responsibility to end their complicity in Israeli war crimes.
2. Not ending this complicity is incompatible with the universities’ aims outlined in the sustainability policy.
3. Inviting companies complicit in the genocide and/or apartheid of the Palestinian people to career fairs exposes students to potential employers whose actions may conflict with their ethical values, often without the students' knowledge.
4.  It is currently unclear to students which companies Swansea University has investments in and making this easily accessible will empower students. We have a right to know as stakeholders in this institution. 
5. That global boycotts are a non-violent, legitimate, and effective tactic that assisted in the successful struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
6. That we should express solidarity with Palestinian human rights and the campaign for their freedom, justice, and self-determination.
7. The ceasefire deal is a welcome step in achieving justice and liberation for Palestine. However, it does not undo the last 76 years of oppression by the Israeli regime and does not mark the end of the struggle for a free Palestine. British institutions still have a responsibility to end complicity with the apartheid state of Israel and the illegal occupation of Palestinian land and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. 
8. Conflating the legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Jewish racism undermines the possibility of demonstrating solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against oppression and undermines freedom of speech and academic freedom. Further it stigmatizes Jewish people for a government they have no inherent link with.

 

This Union Resolves 

1. To work with Swansea University to ensure that any companies which are found to be complicit in the genocide and/ or apartheid of the Palestinian people should be banned from attending Swansea University in any capacity, for example the careers fair.
2. To lobby the university to include a full list of companies and universities on the website with which Swansea University has contracts and/ or working relationships.
3. The ethical investment and banking policy 2023 states that Swansea University can invest in companies which derive less than 10% of their income from armament and nuclear weapon manufacture. The SU will request to amend this to exclude these companies. 
4. The SU will request that a comprehensive list of all companies in which Swansea University has invested should be made easily available alongside the income report in the annual review.
5. To adopt or maintain support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and to lobby the university to do the same. Including but not limited to HP and Intel.
6. To lobby the university to adhere to BDS and maintain an academic boycott of Israeli Universities and publicly state this intended official boycott.
7. To lobby the university to not renew the lease with Starbucks and pledge to replace it with a Welsh company that adheres to BDS.
8. To support students at the University of Swansea in their efforts to campaign for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
9. To advertise a list of companies outside Costcutter that promotes the No Thanks app and highlights companies that are complicit in the genocide and/ or apartheid of Palestinian people so students know who to avoid buying from.

 

Taking Parts:

Student discussion – This Union resolves:

 

• A student had questions for parts 5 and 6. It was asked that instead of doing just a boycott list, do a list of alternatives as this can be difficult sometimes with essentials.
• The proposer's reasons: It was advised the Students Union to adhere to BDS and lobby with the university to do the same. Also, adding the SU could have a list of products students could buy instead.
• The student also quested part 1, linking to her own experience her motion that was passed in the last forum, if the union has enough authority to hold the university to ban companies which are found to be complicit in the genocide and/ or apartheid of the Palestinian people from attending Swansea University in any capacity.
• The proposer's reasons to part one: Due to the university being a private institution, they have the power to say yes or no to people. The SU has to work with the union to make sure these companies that are found to be complicit with genocide, can’t come to careers fayres.

 

 

• Another student questioned part 1. They advised that it's not just companies that are complicit in genocide but the government, limiting the viability of armed forces, paramedics etc. They agreed if we would be ‘shooting ourselves in the foot’, making harder to join these trades.
• Edie the proposer's response to this: based on personal opinion, people should join the army as they participate on war crimes.

 

 

• A different student had a question about part 7, asking if Starbucks a really supporting Palestine.
• The proposer replied that workers for Starbucks went to support Palestine and Starbucks sued them. They aren't official on the BDS list, it's a personal boycott. Also, it would be good to have a local coffee shop instead of corporate.
• Another question about part 7, were Starbucks Sueing because they didn't want to pick a side or because they didn’t support Palestine.
• A student responded advising that Starbucks have different ownerships, but they are known for human repression. It's claimed each owner has a different opinion, so they leave it to the opinion of the country it's in.
• Another student asked if we should expand point 7 to get more independent shops instead of subway, Tesco etc.
• The proposer responded advising this was a good idea, but it can’t be added to the motion at this current time.

 

Taking parts:

For argument removing Part 1 – SU doesn’t have enough authority to do this.

Against argument for removing part 1 – regardless of if they have enough authority, it's still good to try.

For argument removing Part 1 - a large number a student all Engerineering courses, are making or studying military aspects. If the Uni were to ban more companies in the genocide, these degrees will struggle to find employers at careers fayre.

Against argument for removing part 1 - this is a common stereotype in engineering, if we push for companies more sustainable, it will align with students more, in general instead of having big contractors, such as Rolls Royce.

For argument removing Part 1 – if all British armed forces are banned, this could impact the grants given to civil jobs.

Against argument for removing part 1 – if someone has thought about joining the armed forces, they don’t need routes here to acknowledge if you’d like to apply or not. It's not going to be detrimental to society but having more sustainable, safe, companies come in that we don't know about will be a lot more positive.

 

Votes:

In favour of removing – 4

Against the removal – 32

Abstain – 5

 

Outcome -

Can keep in part one.

No one wanted to remove the other parts

 

Vote on the motion

Outcome

Vote to pass this motion:

• For: 43
• Against: 3
• Abstain: 7

 

 

 

Officer Q&A

Katie – You mentioned a gateway project. What is this? I presume this isn't to put more gates on campus.

Response:

The proposed Gateway Model is a unified, branded, first point of contact for all student facing services, offering query resolution, clear guidance and referral / signposting to specialist services with flexible access options, both in-person and online, across campuses and remotely. It supports students through asynchronous and real-time methods, ensuring a seamless experience by shielding students from internal university structures and reducing bounce from multiple points. So basically, all aspects of student journey throughout their degree programme (finance, fees, hardship, academic, welfare and wellbeing, IT, visa amongst others) will be managed through a single-point gateway, just like a one-stop-shop.

 

Maddy – What is happening with the empty shop in Fulton?

Response: We have recently been hiring it out for pop-up shops like the barbers, music pop-up. We have also used it for study aid events and campaigns. We will update once we know more.

Any officer – For the PTO positions, what will the campaigning period be like?

Tom  (SV manager) responded – nominations are open for three weeks. There will be no question time for PTO officers as this could take a lot of time as usually get more nominations. We will work with candidates to help support them, talk to people and campaign. Please attend our info sessions to find out more.

 

Meg – Can we actually get a union Cat or Dog?

Response – all up to the CEO.

 

Question: What is the SU's stance re AI therapy in light of recent criticism? Does the SU seek to adjust its position etc.?

Hannah (SV) response – Out native platform sometimes advertises new things. We have had some student backlash but taken this feedback on board. We do have a veto list of some companies we won’t promote such as Tabacco etc. If you feel passionate about the SU endorsing AI please submit a motion. Also, if you aren’t interested in AI, it’s not something you have to read if you don’t like to.

 

Tom (SV manager) advised that the veto list cost money and we would rather put this money back into students.