There will be two policy making rounds this year; one in the first semester and one in the second. All policies, however agreed, last for a maximum of four years when they lapse unless they are reinstated by the Board of Trustees, referendum or student vote.  In all cases policy can only be reinstated by the appropriate mechanism as defined in the Articles, Bye-laws and Regulations.

SU Policies and how they are made are defined in Regulation 9.

A policy round will generally last for about 3 to 4 weeks. Policy proposals should be submitted by the published deadline, which will be available on this page. After the deadline, the proposers will meet with the Campaigns Co-ordinator who will give advice on whether the proposal is realistic, how to put the proposal and the process in general.  The proposals are then submitted to the SU Officer Group which will consider the them to decide if the proposal is realistic, suitable and appropriate. They might decide that the policy can and should be implemented without the need for a formal vote. They might offer advice to the proposer on how to improve the proposal.  There will be an opportunity for discussion and for other students to suggest changes or additions to the policy proposal.  However, the decision as to the final wording of the policy lies with the policy proposer and the SU Officer group.  The policies will then be put to the vote on-line.

If you wish to submit a policy, please email it to the SU President. They will be able to help you with the terminology within your policy, as well as offering suggestions on the activity that can be undertaken alongside, or instead of, policy. They will also offer guidance and support in the next steps if the policy is passed. 

For policy-proposals to be adopted as policy, the vote must achieve a simple majority with at least a 5% quorum. 

Policy can only be something that the SU has control over.  Don't submit proposals that are completely outside the SU's control.  For example, the SU can not make changes to University eateries, retail or accommodation; it can only put a case for change to the University and the University might not agree.

You should be aware that there are some issues which cannot be changed by policy because the procedure for making change is already defined in the SU's governing documents.  Additionally, financial demands and changes to the elections rules, ruling on which lies with the appointed Returning Officer, cannot be made through the policy making process.

Additionally it is important to understand that some activity, like campaigning, may be better suited outside of policy. The SU endeavours to support student led activity across the Union, and if there is something you want to change at the University, locally or nationally the SU will help support you in bringing about that change without the need of policy. If you want to run a campaign look at our webpages giving you the tools to create a positive impact on the student experience.