Referendum April 2010
Should the LUU Advertising Policy be amended to better support Student Activity Groups?
Proposer name:
Josh Landy
--------------------------
Seconder name:
Chris Belcher
--------------------------
Motion Name:
Should the LUU Advertising Policy be amended to better support Student Activity Groups?
--------------------------
Motion Category:
Activities, Strong & Active Union
This Union Notes:
1. That the current advertising policy passed in March 2008 is extremely prohibitive in respect to who societies can accept funding from.
2. That LUU is unable to satisfy the needs of all societies’ requests for grants from the Union.
3. That several societies severely struggle to obtain sponsorship which affects the ability to take part in Student Activities due to increased cost and as a result this lowers participation.
4. That in research held by LUU in 2009 the number one concern for students was employment upon leaving University.
5. That in the November 2008 Referendum, with a 75% vote Sports Groups were made exempt from the current Advertising Policy and currently have no guidelines.
6. That at a Sports Assembly in June 2009 there was a unanimous vote to accept Resolve 4 (below).
This Union believes:
1. The current policy is unfair on societies.
2. That the policy can be updated and won’t put the Union at significant financial risk and will particularly benefit Leeds Student, which has had to lose three issues in the year 2009/10.
3. That it is necessary to outline the situation for Sports Groups in regards to resolves from the November 2008 Referendum.
4. Certain students are being prevented access to activities that would greatly benefit their overall University experience, in particular their potential employability upon leaving Leeds University.
This Union Resolves:
1. To remove all companies currently banned by the ‘Commercial’ element of the LUU Advertising Policy March 2008 to allow them to sponsor Activity Groups with the exception of competitors of Union Books as currently outlined.
2. To remove that Activity Groups need to seek approval from their Development Coordinator to permit them sponsorship from a bar or club.
3. That if any Club or Society wishes to accept funding from any business or organisations currently banned under Union policy, including bars and clubs, that they make a request to a committee of the Activities Officer, the Communications and Internal Affairs Officer and their Development Co-ordinator who decide whether to allow the sponsorship based solely on the premise of it clearly heightening the eduation or potential employability of their members.
That in line with the unanimous decision at Sports Assembly on 4th June 2009 Sports Clubs would only not accept sponsorship on some Ethical issues.Namely that there would be a ban on sponsorship from Tobacco companies and Strip Clubs.
Appendix:
The following was passed unanimously on June 4th 2009 at Sports Assembly.
LUU Sponsorship Policy for Sports Clubs
We have split the companies we will not accept sponsorship from by the reason for excluding them;
• Welfare; accepting sponsorship jeopardizes the welfare of our members
• Ethical; accepting sponsorship compromises our values
Welfare
Ban on all forms of sponsorship:
- Tobacco products
- Credit Cards
- Jobs that are paid on a commission only basis
- Housing agents deemed unacceptable by the Student Advice Centre
- Companies with student employment practices deemed unacceptable by the Student Advice Centre
Ethical
Ban on all forms of sponsorship:
- Tobacco companies
- Strip Clubs