How Council Works
How Council Works
We hold around 6 Student Council meetings every academic year.
These meetings are open to all Queen's students, who can:
- submit motions/issues in advance for discussion at the meeting
- submit questions to the Student Officers
- attend and speak during the debates at the meetings
Only Councillors can vote on motions; and submit and vote on amendments to the Students' Union's Constitution.
What's decided at Council meetings fall into two areas:
- Students' Union Policy
When a motion passes at a Council Meeting, it becomes Students' Union Policy. This is what Council has agreed your Union should do for you, such as campaigning to change something on your course, campus, Union, in the University or the wider community. This could be like working with Queen's to increase library opening hours or lobbying politicians not to increase tuition fees. - Students' Union Rules and Procedures
When a constitutional amendment carries at a Council Meeting, it alters the Students' Union's Constitution, and in turn changes the way your Union works. This could be like how Clubs & Societies are run, how decisions are made and how you choose your Representatives.
Once policy and constitutional amendments are agreed at these meetings, Council will assign them to a Student Officer or a Committee.
It’s then up to Council to hold the Student Officers or Committees to account, to make sure they are working hard to achieve change.