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Union Council

The Students' Union is led by students, for students. Find out how you can shape the decisions we make - you've got the power!

Union Council

At the heart of the Students' Union is Union Council. As the highest decision-making body within the Students' Union, it is comprised of Officers and Reps that represent a wide range of student groups, ensuring that we are the truly reflective voice of students at Hallam. There are also six elected open space reps that act as additional representatives of the student body.

Please email democracy@shu.ac.uk if you would like to attend as an observer or require support with working on a policy.

Upcoming dates

Union Council 2

Date & Time 19/01/2023  17:30 - 19:00   | Location Hubs (The Enterprise Centre)

Big Ideas/Motion deadline: 18/01/2023 at 17:00
Policy Development Committee: 12/01/2023   17:30 - 19:00

Minutes to be for Union Council 1 can be found here.

Council Members 2022/23

View all elected Council Members

All students are welcome to attend Union Council sessions, though we ask that you let us know in advance so we can add your attendance to the minutes and send you the Microsoft Teams link.

Propose a policy

If there's something you're passionate about that you think we could make a difference on, then why not see if you can make it an official policy?

Any student can influence the work of the Students' Union by proposing a policy to Union Council. If you have an idea for improving the lives and education of Hallam students, let us know!

Submit your policy idea

Current Policies

A policy is effectively an idea that a student, or a number of students, have had which they believe will make improve the student experience at Sheffield Hallam University. Once passed, policies are binding for three years - and the Students' Union needs to work to make sure they happen! As a Students' Union we have a number of policies on various topics, the details of these and the person responsible for them can be found below...

Education Policies Campaigns and Events Policies Sustainability Policies Welfare Policies SU Policies

Education Policies

Content Warnings

Approved: 21/01/2021 | Expires: 21/01/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • Mandate full time elected officers to support this policy and implement content warnings on relevant Students' Union content.

Policy document

Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers

Request an update on this policy

BAME Mentoring Scheme

Approved: 19/05/2020 | Expires: 19/05/2023

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To mandate the Students' Union under the lead of the President and the BME Rep to implement the mentoring scheme. a BAME matching mentoring scheme will be an effective way to ensure BAME students access support. Due to cultural barriers BAME students experience and the difficulty of obtaining culturally- diverse support within Sheffield Hallam University. This scheme would effectively help BAME students improve their confidence and share their experience with a mentor of shared background.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President, College Officers and BME Rep

Request an update on this policy

Academic Rights

Approved: 03/12/2019 | Expires: 03/12/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To deliver an annual campaign that promotes awareness of students' academic rights, and the support available and steps students can take if they feel their rights have been infringed.
  • To mandate the Education Officer to work with the University to develop and implement an 'academic agreement' that outlines students' key rights and responsibilities clearly in a single document.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Education is a right, not a privilege

Approved: 03/12/2019 | Expires: 03/12/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • The students union, the Education officer and President must ensure that there is representation of Hallam Students and that agendas on HE that may affect Hallam Students, are highlighted and efforts are made to lobby for Hallam Students educational rights.
  • Through organisations like NUS and the Office for Students, Hallam Officers must lobby to highlight the potential risks associated with reducing tuition fees, and higher subject costs. This limits the access to education for our student membership.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Attendance Monitoring

Approved: 23/04/2021 | Expires: 23/04/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To mandate both the Education Officer and Welfare & Community Officer to take forward any student concerns on this issue to the University.
  • Full Time Officers should strongly oppose any future proposals from the University to incorporate attendance into disciplinary matters.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Wednesday Afternoons

Approved: 23/04/2021 | Expires: 23/04/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To lobby the University and campaign to keep Wednesday afternoons free from timetable sessions.
  • To establish a protocol for students to report any Wednesday afternoon timetabling issues which can be fed straight to the University.
  • To mandate full time elected Officers to make all volunteers and representatives within Sheffield Hallam Students' Union aware of this policy

Policy Document

Updates:

  • 2014 - The University Guiding Timetabling Principles were created and indicated to avoid where possible the scheduling of activities on Wednesday after 13:00 for full-time undergraduate students.
  • 2015 - The SU conducted research into barriers of taking part in Sport and found that timetabled activity on Wednesday affected belonging, academic performance, team selection and making friends.
  • 2016 - The 2015/16 Student Voice Report recommended that the University create a strategic plan with the aim to reduce Wednesday afternoon teaching.
  • 2017 - The 2016/17 Student Voice Report noted that there had been a 39% reduction in timetabled activity on Wednesday afternoons and recommended that there be an annual measured reduction.
  • 2018 - The SU gathered student opinion to inform and update the University Guiding Timetabling Principles to reflect current student needs.
  • 2021 - The policy is renewed for further work.

Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Decolonizing the Curriculum

Approved: 08/03/2022 | Expires: 08/03/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To utilise the #SHUDecolMovement (which started 2021/2022) to support the #NUSDecoloniseEducation campaign. The #SHUDecolMovement strategies include but are not limited to social media awareness, workshop sessions, conversation platforms, expression through talents and more.
  • To promote the establishment of a curriculum that is diversified and inclusive by maintaining a working relationship with the Academic, Development and Diversity Team of the university and the Head of Learning and Teaching of Departments.
  • To use the existing platform of the BAME Researchers established 2021/2022 to conduct further research and to create engaging activities for students geared towards 'decolonizing the curriculum'.
  • To utilise the available resources on decolonizing the curriculum 2021/2022 to train and enhance the knowledge and capacity of course reps and departmental reps in supporting students in a more diverse way.
  • To make use of the page created for decolonizing the curriculum on the Union website page for related events.
  • To support and promote projects of Sheffield Hallam students relating to decolonizing the curriculum.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Supporting Nursing & Midwifery Students

Approved: 12/04/2022 | Expires: 12/04/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To lobby the University to continue and improve communication with Nursing & Midwifery students via:
    • Keeping up to date information on the Sheffield Hallam web page about placements i.e phone numbers, names etc.
    • Utilising emails/ social media to cohorts to keep them up to date with late placement allocations or issues with place numbers in certain areas.
  • To lobby for increased awareness of support available to Nursing & Midwifery students on placement, such as financial and mental health support.
  • For Elected Officers to gain clarity from the University about the support or compensation available to students who are unable to complete their placement hours on time.
  • To encourage the University to increase the awareness of the current situation around placements to prospective students to allow them to make an educated decision about committing to a degree in Nursing and Midwifery at Sheffield Hallam.
  • To lobby the University to adopt a clearer policy on responding to student enquiries, including minimum expectations.
  • To lobby the University to ensure students are kept up to date on:
    • Changes to placement numbers in the region
    • Placement shortfalls and how they will be resolved
    • Changes to placements in a timely manner, using the notice previously promised by the University of three weeks.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: HWLS College Officer

Request an update on this policy

Campaigns and Events Policies

2021/2 UCU Strikes

Approved: 29/11/2021| Expires: 29/11/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • 1. To stand in solidarity with striking staff and to lobby the University to meet all of Sheffield Hallam UCU branch’s demands.
  • 2. To actively support the strike and any student led campaigns to support the strike and encourage others to do the same
  • 3. While supporting the UCU, make provisions to ensure students are not significantly negatively affected and support students who complain to the university- ensuring complaints are directed towards the university management rather than individual lecturers.
  • 4. To lobby the university to put any pay docked from striking lecturers into student services such as mental health and sexual violence support
  • 5.To allow the SU building to be available for student facing events run by the UCU including, but not limited to, events such as teach outs and Q&As.
  • 6. To use its social media and email database to tell as many students as possible why the strike is happening, why the SU is supporting it, where they can get support during the strike and how they can get involved with supporting the strike (they can get involved by contacting the Sheffield Solidarity Group who have a society at Hallam).
  • 7. To lobby the Vice-Chancellor to ask UUK resumes negotiations on the pensions dispute that is affecting teaching staff at other universities such as the University of Sheffield.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: Officer Team

Request an update on this policy

Support Rent Strikes

Approved: 10/03/2021 | Expires: 10/03/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To stand in solidarity with those currently withholding rent, either through inability to pay, or to lobby the University to meet all of SHU rent strike's demands.
  • To support the rent strike by publicising the rent strikers demands to all students in a joint letter with campus unions, and financially by covering reasonable printing and campaign material costs.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Islamophobia Awareness Month

Approved: 15/02/2021 | Expires: 15/02/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To educate students on Islam via Islamophobia Awareness Month and lead on this every academic year in November.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

TEDxSheffieldHallamUniversity

Approved: 19/05/2020 | Expires: 19/05/2023

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To mandate the SHSU led by the President and the College Officers to take the lead on this policy and ensure that SHSU acts as a supportive custodian of the TEDxSheffieldHallamUniversity ideologies.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President & College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Support for Disabled Students

Approved: 03/12/2019 | Expires: 13/12/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To lobby the university to better promote Disabled Student Services and its services, including DSA application support, to students.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President & Disabled Students Rep

Request an update on this policy

Preventing Prevent

Approved: 03/12/2019 | Expires: 13/12/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To mandate the Officers of this Union to not engage with the Prevent strategy or implement the proposals of the Act, and to boycott it as far as legally possible, including no member of staff including directors and the CEO to attend the safeguarding steering group.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

One Race

Approved: 08/11/2016 | Renewed: 13/01/2020 | Expires 13/01/2023

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • The International Students' Rep to take the lead on this policy and ensure that a practical programme is developed for international students to integrate.
  • To lobby and work in partnership with the University to provide the Hallam International Students' ("ONE RACE") event.
  • The ONE RACE event will be an annual event held by the Students' Union and led by the International Students' Rep.

Policy Document

Updates:

  • May 2017 - Sheffield Hallam SU hosted it's first One Race event.
  • May 2018 - SHSU hosted it's second annual One Race event.
  • May 2019 - SHSU hosted it's third annual One Race event.

Officer(s) Responsible: International Students Officer

Request an update on this policy

Solidarity With UCU

Approved: 22/01/2019 | Expires: 22/01/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To work with UCU to ensure the best outcome for staff with minimum impact on students.
  • To stand in solidarity with UCU staff, if and when they ballot to strike or go on strike, and in other matters.
  • To educate students on UCU matters and encourage students not to cross the picket line on the day.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: Presient & College Officers

Request an update on this policy

Ukraine Solidarity

Approved: 08/03/2022 | Expires: 08/03/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To condemn Russian (Kremlin led) attacks on Ukraine.
  • To stand in solidarity with Hallam students, people of Ukraine and others negatively impacted in consequence of the current situation in Ukraine.
  • To take reasonably practicable steps to support those negatively impacted in consequence of the current situation in Ukraine. These steps, although not limited to, may include the following:
    • Publishing a statement of solidarity on the Hallam SU website and social media.
    • Publicising relief efforts by Hallam students (for example, Cycle to Ukraine initiative organised by the Department of Law & Criminology) via the Hallam SU website and social media platforms.

Policy document

Officer(s) Responsible: All Officers

Request an update on this policy

Sustainability Policies

Bottled Water

Approved: 12/02/2019 | Expires: 12/02/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To make it the responsibility of the student union to remove ALL still bottled water from sale with immediate effect and replace these items with a reusable alternative
  • To meet with and lobby the University to get ALL commercial outlets on Sheffield Hallam University campuses to remove ALL still bottled water from sale and replace these items with a reusable alternative.
  • To work in conjunction with the estates team to install and maintain more accessible water fountains/coolers so that reusable bottles can be filled easily.

Policy Document

Updates:

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

A Motion to Create a Sustainability Committee

Approved: 28/05/2021 | Expires: 28/05/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To establish a Sustainability Committee at Sheffield Hallam Students' Union and to ensure that a committee is promoted and elected every year.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

Welfare Policies

Accessible Social Media

Approved: 23/04/2021 | Expires: 23/04/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To ensure all media posted on social media platforms, including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, are accessible.
  • To ensure posts are accessible by taking the following steps:
    • Include captions/subtitles on video content
    • Add image descriptions ('alt text') to all photo images/graphics (see appendix 1)
    • Include warnings if a video contains flashing images
    • Include content warnings at the start of posts/videos with sensitive topics, acting in line with the Content Warnings Policy - e.g. Content Warning: Eating Disorders
    • Be mindful of the number of emojis/emoticons - e.g. avoid using the same emoji multiple times in a row
  • The Students' Union President and Officer Team will lobby the University to follow the same steps as SHSU to create inclusive and acceptable social media posts.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President and Officer Team

Request an update on this policy

Consent Workshops

Approved: 22/01/2019 | Expires: 22/01/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • That the Students' Union has the short term aim of delivering consent workshops workshops as regularly as is feasible, to freshers and within skills training drives.
  • That the Students' Union has the long term aim of lobbying the university to implement them as a part of the induction week for new students.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport ad Physical Activity Officer

Request an update on this policy

LGBT+ Inclusivity

Approved: 23/04/2021 | Expires: 23/04/2024

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To change the use of 'LGBT' to 'LGBT+' in all SHSU documents, literature, posts and any other use of the term.
  • Update any online resources and literature to 'LGBT+' where this is not already the case.
  • Urge Sheffield Hallam University to adopt the use of 'LGBT+' in all forms of literature, information resources, communications and any other form of media.
  • Promote the reasoning behind the change and educate staff and students of SHU and SHSU about identities covered by the '+' and why it is important to identify these in the LGBT+ umbrella name.

Policy Document

Updates:

  • 2016 - All Sheffield Hallam Students' Union documentation, including the Articles of Governance uses the term LGBT+.

Officer(s) Responsible: President & LGBT Rep

Request an update on this policy

Mind Your Head

Approved: 01/02/2022 | Expires: 01/02/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

Culturally Competent Care

Approved: 01/12/2020 | Expires: 01/12/2023

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To work with the university to create a comprehensive, coherent plan to improve the wellbeing of students that is built on student feedback, particularly those of liberation and minority students. Our campaigns and stances will be inclusive and caring, and developed with and for all members of students' unions.
  • To prioritise the voices of the liberation groups, by taking direct steps to tackle the lack of culturally competent support services across departments, campuses, and placement providers.
  • To relaunch Students Not Suspects, and fight the Prevent agenda in education, counselling services and society as a whole.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

Zero Tolerance to Spiking

Approved: 01/02/2022| Expires: 01/02/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

Policy Document

Updates:

 

  • ...
  • ...

Officer(s) Responsible: ...

Request an update on this policy

Sports Tours Stance

Approved: 01/02/2022| Expires: 01/02/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To no longer support or promote sports tours to Hallam students.
  • The Union will empower students to make informed decisions through educational resources that include but not limited to Alcohol awareness and Personal safety i.e. risks of traveling abroad.
  • To discourage student engagement in sports tours through education and training.
  • To work with sports clubs to support and promote legitimate orientated trips and visits (e.g. ski club and canoe club), student representation at both the World and European University Games, and to work with students identify other appropriate opportunities.
  • For the Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity officer to communicate our position to sports tour operators.
  • To invite students planning to participate in sports tours to engage with the Sports Service before planning or booking.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: Wellbeing, Sport & Physical Activity Officer

Request an update on this policy

Student Safety in Accommodation

Approved: 12/04/2022| Expires: 12/04/2025

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To mandate the Advice Centre to provide written and online resources to enable students to anonymously raise concerns regarding safety and security in accommodation, including but not limited to advertising the Unipol national code for student accommodation and associated complaints procedure via the Students’ Union website, leaflets and posters in the Advice Centre and via in person advice sessions.
  • To lobby the University to insist on rigorous standards for the provision of security and safety in student accommodation in its nomination agreements including those set out in the Universities UK / Guild HE code of practice referenced above.
  • To undertake thorough consultation with the student body to ascertain how safe students feel in nominated halls of residence, areas for improvement and any concerns regarding safety and security.

Policy Document

Request an update on this policy

SU Policies

Ringfenced Funding for Liberation Committees

Approved: 17/12/2010 | Expires: 17/12/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To ringfence £200 (or an equivalent proportion of the Rep Committee campaign budget, should it be altered in future years) of Rep Committee's campaign budget for each Liberation Committee.

Policy Document

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

Council Transparency

Approved: 12/02/2019 | Expires: 12/02/2022

Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Resolves:

  • To ensure that all Union Council meetings are at the very minimum sound recorded, and all members of Union Council to sign documentation agreeing to this.
  • To ensure a published agenda for each upcoming Council session is uploaded to the Students' Union website - along with the date, time and location of the session.
  • To ensure minutes from Union Council meetings are added to the Students' Union website, starting from the 22/01/2019 and continuing until such time as this policy is reviewed.
  • To make all audio/video footage of the meetings available to all students via social media as well as keeping a copy for the archive.

Policy Document

Updates:

  • April 2019 - Details of each Union Council can now be found on the SHSU website.

Officer(s) Responsible: President

Request an update on this policy

If you have feedback or opinions on any of the above policies, you can contact electedrepsupport@shu.ac.uk with your comments. Let us know if you would like your comments forwarded on to any specific reps/officers - if not they will be provided to the Council as a whole.