Lancaster University students’ Union (LUSU) is to hold a General Meeting on Wednesday 20th June.
Open to all, last term’s meeting attracted over 370 students: surpassing quoracy for the first time in three years and resulting in the passing of a motion to scrutinise a business process review (BPR) that would otherwise have rendered several University administrative staff redundant.
While any student may propose motions or submit discussion points for LUSU general meetings, a motions and discussions workshop held earlier this month yielded no new items for the upcoming meeting on Wednesday. Presently, the meeting agenda therefore comprises officer reports and any other arising business.
While LUSU General Meetings have frequently failed to attract students in the past, a Postgraduate General Meeting earlier this month witnessed the passing of several motions after reaching quoracy, including one motion which will pave the way for a complete reform of postgraduate representation from the next academic year.
Student response to the upcoming meeting has been mixed. Commenting on the approaching general meeting, one first year student remarked: “I’ve always been too intimidated to go to general meetings, because they seem to be very severe and stern, and I hear from a lot of people that they’re long and dull.”
Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed that perhaps LUSU “should have purchased two more £800 plastic cows so that 18 people turned up.”
The student also added: “Despite the truly appalling turnout figures it is still important to note that LUSU is still technically functioning – even though it has very little democratic credibility anymore.”
Other opinions were more positive, however. “Democracy does work at Lancaster University,” one third year student and ex-JCR representative said. “It’s just a matter of getting students interested and involved. In a weird way, I think the LUSU cow helped a lot with that, earlier this year.”
The meeting is to be held at 5pm in Faraday Lecture Theatre, Wednesday 20th June.
