YUSU

BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS

The University of York Students' Union is a democratic organisation that is run by students, for students. Every student enrolled at the University is automatically a member of YUSU, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, and they each have an equal say in what we do and how we do it.

On this page, you will find all the information about how YUSU functions democratically and how you can  get involved - by submitting your Ideas, by having your say in meetings, by standing in elections, by voting and by campaigning for change. Follow the links from this page to find out more about each of the parts that make up the way YUSU works.

HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE

The diagram below summarises the path that your Idea will take from being submitted online to changing the way we do things. Click on each part of the diagram to take you to more information about how that part works.

WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

Nothing happens without our members, the students. You are the people with the power to make a difference, but only if you get involved. The icons below represent the main ways you can get involved with the Union. As you scroll through the rest of this page you will see them next to the different parts of the system to show which of them applies.

REFERENDA

A Referendum is an opportunity for all our members to have a say on a major issue facing the Union, the University or the world. This could be deciding our stance on tuition fees, whether we stay affiliated to the NUS or to take a stance on a humanitarian crisis, as well as many other things besides.

Issues for Referenda are raised like other Ideas by submitting them online. If Democracy Committee judges it to be necessary for all students to have their say, it will go to the next Referendum scheduled, or to an Extraordinary Referendum if it's urgent. The motion for the Referendum will be a neutral, closed question like 'Should YUSU remain affiliated to the NUS?' and students will be able to campaign for one side or the other to make the case they believe in. There will be a Referendum Debate immediately before the start of voting, then everyone will be able to cast their vote online. Go to the Referendum page to find out about any current or future Referenda.

ASSEMBLIES

YUSU has four Assemblies where most of the Ideas that members submit are discussed. Assemblies are opportunities to bring together a range of ordinary students as well as elected officers and other representatives to discuss and decide how we can ensure all students at York get the best time at university possible. Assemblies are centred around areas of what the Union does:

• Academic Assembly for issues relating to the education of students, their representation in departments and the services and opportunities provided by the University.
• Community Assembly for those issues that affect us all as residents and users of the campus and the City of York, it includes representation from Colleges and covers everything from Entertainments to environmental sustainability.
• Liberation and Welfare Assembly for issues that relate to the wellbeing of students, both as individual across areas such as mental and sexual health, finance, personal safety and employment, as well as the fair, inclusive and equal treatment of all students.
• Student Development Assembly covers all the things York students do so well - societies, sports, volunteering and RAG - looking at ways that they can collaborate to provide even more extensive opportunities and ensure that students get the most out of their time here.

Assemblies are not just boring meetings, they are interactive sessions designed to put members at the heart of YUSU's activities, whether it's gathering feedback to represent to the University or helping to improve the support we offer students during their time here, you can come along and have a real input into what we do together as a Union.

Assemblies are also the main opportunity to hold your elected representatives to account. Each Assembly is chaired by a directly elected, independent student who will ensure that there are adequate opportunities to question and consult officers during Assembly meetings so that you can be confident they work for you.

Go to the Assemblies page to find out more about how they work and when they are.

CAMPAIGN NETWORKS

Everyone knows that individuals are stronger together, our connections to other people provide us with support and can help us to achieve things that we wouldn't be able to do alone. That's why YUSU has a number of grassroots Networks based around interest groups that bring students together on a given set of issues. Anyone can sign up to these Networks, just go to the relevant section on the Campaigns and Representation page and follow instructions to subscribe to the mailing lists. Networks have at least two Open Meetings a term, details of which can be found on the What's On page

Each Network has a committee to organise the meetings and act on decisions made by members between meetings, they also will coordinate any campaigns the Network wishes to run. Becoming a committee member is a great way to meet people, learn new skills and make a difference. For details of upcoming elections, visit the Elections page.

There are currently the following Networks

• Disabled Students' Network
• Environment & Ethics Network
• International Students' Association
• LGBT Network
• Mature Students' Network
• Racial Equality Network
• Women's Network

COORDINATION COMMITTEES

Because we are a member-led organisation, most of the events we run and the opportunities we provide have a lot of input from student committees. You can stand for election to any of these committee in all sorts of roles, allowing you to get first-hand experience of everything from planning and running large events to undertaking a high-profile campaign or starting a volunteering project.

There are currently the following Coordination Committees

• Campaigns Committee
• Entertainments Committee
• RAG Committee
• Societies Committee
• Volunteering Committee
• York Sport Committee

DEMOCRACY COMMITTEE

While Officers are elected to be the student executive, there needs to be an impartial group of students who monitor their progress and hold them to account. Democracy Committee is chaired by the Union Chair with other positions held by the four chairs of the Assemblies and up to four ordinary members elected just as DemComm members. As well as scrutinising elected officers, the committee is responsible for receiving and steering members' Ideas to the relevant Assembly or Referendum to make sure the issues on the Union's agenda are always the ones students care about.

ELECTIONS

Elections are an important part of any democracy - and YUSU is no exception. They offer you the chance to choose who will lead the Union for the coming year and who will sit on the committees that ensure YUSU responds to its members. There are elections every term for different things, a summary of which can be seen below:

Autumn Term

• Committee positions
• NUS Delegates
• JCRCs (College elections)

Spring Term

• Full Time Officers
• Part Time Officers
• Union Chair

Summer Term

• Committee positions

For further details about upcoming elections or for more information on what standing for elections entails, visit the Elections page.

YOUR OFFICERS

Some of the biggest cross-campus elections are for members of the Officer Group who will lead the Union for the coming year, which take place in the Summer Term. There are two types of Officer:

Full Time Officers

These are elected students who take a year out of their studies (a sabbatical) or take office after their final year of study to devote their time to running the Union. They form half of the positions on the Board of Trustees, responsible for the financial and legal sustainability of the Union, as well as representing students at high-level committees across the university. There are five positions available:

• Union President
• Academic Officer
• Student Activities Officer
• Welfare Officer
• York Sport President

Part Time Officers

These are students who perform the role of Officer alongside their studies, representing students in specific areas of the Union. They are a vital link between the student body and the Officer Group, ensuring that students get the best out of everything during their time at York. The Part Time Officer positions available are:

• Campaigns Officer
• Disabled Students' Officer
• Entertainments' Officer
• Environment & Ethics Officer
• International Officer
• Mature Students' Officer
• LGBT Officer
• Racial Equality Officer
• RAG Officer
• Volunteering Officer
• Women's Officer

TRUSTEE BOARD

According to charity law the Students' Union needs to have a Trustee Board who set the operational strategy of the organisation and guarantee the legal security and financial sustainability of the Union. The majority of the Board are elected students, five of them are the Full Time Officers, a further three students are elected solely as trustees and the remaining three positions are filled by appointment from external candidates based on skills and experience that is advantageous to the Board.