Democracy Jargon Buster

All these democracy terms can get a bit confusing! Let the jargon buster help you out.

 

Constitution

Well, the Oxford English Dictionary says it is ‘The system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and limits of a government or another institution.’ The constitution governs all our processes and actions. It acts as a guide and rule book for union officers!

 

Cross-campus ballot

When motions (see below) or elections are voted upon by all union members across campus.

 

EGM

An extraordinary general meeting is called to discuss one motion only which is considered too urgent to wait until the next Union General Meeting (see below.)

 

E-Voting

Online voting has been used at York since 2005 and takes place at www.yusu.org/vote

 

Internal Affiliates

Groups which operate within the university may choose to affiliate and receive funding and they have representation upon the unions governing body.

 

Mandate

A mandate is a command or authorisation to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to its representative. So students tell their officers what to do.

 

Members

Every student at the university automatically becomes a member of the union. Collectively the student body is referred to as the membership.

 

Motion

A motion is a piece of proposed policy. A motion suggests a way that the union should run or something it should do.

 

Policy

When a motion is passed by a UGM vote it becomes active policy. It provides a plan or course of action and influences and determines decisions, actions, and other matters within the union.

 

Quoracy

Quoracy refers to the number of people required to be present before a meeting can conduct business. This is set to ensure that meetings are representative. For a Union General Meeting (see below) it is set at 2.25% of our member population.

 

Ratification

A process of approval which student societies must go through so that they are operate within the union and receive funding.

 

Sabbatical

Students can be elected to become sabbatical officers of their students' union, either taking a year out of their study (in the academic year following their election) or remaining at the institution for a year following completion of study. Sabbatical officers are given a living allowance in return for their work.

 

STV

Single transferable vote (STV) is a preferential voting system designed to minimise wasted votes and provide proportional representation. It achieves this by transferring votes that would otherwise be wasted. STV initially allocates an individual's vote to their most preferred candidate, and then subsequently transfers unneeded or unused votes after candidates are either elected or eliminated, according to the voter's stated preferences.

 

Union Exec

The business decision making body of the union which meets weekly.

 

Union Senate

The principal steering body of the Union and meets biweekly. All the union officers and heads of internal affiliates plus 3 Boards of Studies Reps. Senate holds Exec to account. This is an open meeting which anyone is free to attend.

 

UGM

Union General Meetings are held at least twice a term. They serve as a discussion forum about the direction the union should take and the way it should conduct itself. In turn, these discussions are posted on our website and the motion is voted upon.


 

 

Page Created: 17th Sep, 2007
Last Updated: 4:00pm on 17th Sep, 2007 by Anne-Marie Canning