Committee Handbook 2024

BUCKS STUDENTS’ UNION COMMITTEE HANDBOOK

Updated: November 2023

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Contents Introduction from the President.......................................................................... 3 Union committee Structure................................................................................ 4 What is a committee?........................................................................................ 7 Guidance for committee members..................................................................... 8 Guidance for chairing a meeting...................................................................... 14 Guidance for being a committee secretary or minutes secretary....................... 17 How to plan a meeting – timeline.................................................................... 23

Welcome to our 2023-24 Committee Handbook If you are reading this it’s likely that you are involved somehow in the invaluable work that Bucks SU Committees do, either as a staff member, or as a Lay or Student Trustee. There are quite a few committees here and they affect almost every aspect of student life at Bucks.

Being on a committee is a great way of developing your skills, both formally and informally. It’s also an excellent opportunity to meet interesting and influential people; and have a good time (of course!).

Life as a committee member is interesting but can also be tough. It takes time, commitment, dedication, and above all, a real belief in what you’re doing. By putting in the effort to prepare for and attend meetings, you’ll make a difference to the lives of our members by helping to build a co-operative and caring Students’ Union community.

Hopefully this guide will provide you with all the things you need to know to be an effective committee member for 2023/2024. If you can’t find the answer to any query that you have in this book, ask at the SU Helpdesk at either the High Wycombe or Uxbridge Campus and they should be able to find the answer for you.

So, I hope that you find the experience of being a committee member a good and valuable one, and don’t forget to enjoy it as well!

Brandon Tester President 2023-24

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Union Committee Structure TRUSTEE BOARD

UNION COUNCIL

ED FORUM

ATHLETIC UNION COUNCIL

STRATEGY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE

FINANCE AND STAFFING COMMITTEE

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

OFFICER RENUMERATION COMMITTEE

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

SOCIETIES COUNCIL REPRESENTATION MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

POLICY MANAGEMENT GROUP

ENVIRONMENTAL, SUSTAINABILITY AND FAIRTRADE COMMITTEE

ELECTIONS PLANNING COMMITTEE

STUDENT ADVICE AND WELFARE COMMITTEE

STUDENT ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE

SOCIETIES FUNDING COMMITTEE

WORKING GROUPS

Trustee Board This has ultimate responsibility for the strategic direction and the financial stability of the Students’ Union. It approves policies, regulations and procedures and approves the annual budget and Audit Report. It is made up of (amongst others) the Chief Executive Officer, the four Sabbatical officers, four elected student members (Student Trustees) and four lay trustees who are independent of both the SU and the University. It has an overview of everything that the Students’ Union does.

Trustee Board delegates some of its authority to a number of sub committees:

Finance and Staffing Committee This monitors and scrutinises the financial performance of the SU and makes decisions on staffing levels, training and other HR related issues. It meets monthly.

Governance Committee This makes sure that the Union sticks to its published constitution and governing articles, scrutinises policies and suggests changes to these when necessary.

Officer Remuneration Committee This meets once a year to make decisions on the terms and conditions of the Union’s Sabbatical officers.

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Strategy and Planning Committee This committee is responsible for the construction and delivery of Union strategy and reviews the SU Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), operating plans, SU campaigns and committee structure on a regular basis.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee A committee for the Sabbatical Officers, Executive Officers, senior staff, and trustees to discuss, approve and monitor Equality, Diversity and Inclusion actions and issues across the Union; and to help in the formulation of SU policy and campaigns.

Representation Management Committee This monitors the effectiveness of the Union’s Representative system using feedback from student reps and School Officers to identify issues and themes to inform Union planning and campaigns.

Student Activities Committee This committee is responsible for the planning and delivery of services to our members and monitors the management accounts for clubs and societies.

Elections Planning Committee This establishes the process and timescale for Union elections and has responsibility for running them.

Student Advice and Welfare Committee This is the committee that deals with all aspects of student advice and welfare, and it helps to inform Union strategy and planning.

Societies Funding Committee Establishes the principles and criteria for the allocation of societies funding and makes approves grants to societies in line with those principles. It usually meets twice a year.

Union Council This provides feedback from members on Union services and provides feedback on the direction of Union campaigns. All students, as Bucks SU members, can attend Union Council.

Athletic Union Council This provides feedback on the provision of support and services, shares good practice and contributes to the planning of events such as the Athletic Union Awards Dinner and Varsity. It also has an overview of the financial position of clubs within the Athletic Union.

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Education Forum This is a forum for School Officers to engage with the Representation Team in any of the student lead campaigns. It is also used to inform members of current research and potential policy developments.

Societies Council This has a very similar role to the Athletic Union Council but covers societies and clubs that are not competitive sports based.

Exec Committee This is a forum for the Sabbatical Officers to keep in touch with the elected Executive Officers and help them with their campaign objectives.

Working Groups There are a number of these within the structure. They are small groups set up to organise or manage a specific event, project or area. The current list of working groups for 2023/2024 are: AU Dinner Planning Group Union Awards Planning Group Rep Conference Working Group Audit Process Working Group Feedback Oversight Group Sabb and Student Leader Training Group

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What is a Committee?

The dictionary definition of a Committee is “A group of people officially delegated to perform a function, such as investigating, considering, reporting, or acting on a matter”. A Committee usually has: • A Chair • A Secretary • Sometimes a Minutes Secretary • Members – these can be divided into three categories: » Ex Officio Member – Someone who is on a Committee because of their job or position – they are not elected or nominated. Ex Officio Members are there to fully discuss the issues brought to the Committee using their expertise. » Member – An independent constituent of a Committee. Some are elected by the student body and some are selected by Chair of Committee nomination. Members are also there to fully discuss the issues brought to the Committee and then feed back to their course or School. Members are not there to give their personal views, but to represent a group within the SU. » Co-opted Members – Members who join a Committee at the invitation of the Chair and with the agreement of the existing members. Most of the SU Committees have the power to co-opt. Co-opted members are usually invited to join a Committee because of their specific expertise.

Sometimes there are also: • Guest speakers or people in attendance – These people will have been invited to the Committee for a specific reason, to talk about an area of expertise or contribute to discussion on an agenda item. They are sometimes referred to as ‘in attendance’.

• Observers – These are people invited to the Committee for job or personal development reasons. They are not allowed to speak during the meeting unless specifically invited to do so by the Chair and are not referred to or questioned by members. They are simply there to observe the proceedings.

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Guidance for Committee Members

Although in general Student Union and University committees are relatively friendly and not very formal, in order for them to work well and effectively they must follow some standard procedures. We understand that many people can find meetings and the way they are conducted a bit intimidating at first and new committee members usually feel slightly uncertain about some of the aspects of their role. This guide attempts to provide the answers and includes a few suggestions which are intended to enable you to attend meetings and participate without worry or stress.

It primarily deals with the structure and working of the larger committees but the principles can also be adapted for smaller and less formal groups.

WHY DO WE HAVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS? Meetings can be held for a number of reasons, for example: • The pursuit of economy and efficiency.

• The exchange of views and information.

• To recommend actions.

• To investigate or generate ideas.

• To make decisions.

However, by far the most common functions of meetings are to communicate information and/or to help the executive decision making process.

In general Student Union / University meetings are: • Information meetings – where members are updated or advised, and then feed the information back to their departments and colleagues.

• Decision making meetings – where goals are set and problems are discussed and solved.

DOCUMENTATION When you become a member of a committee it is always a good idea to have a look at the following documents before you go to your first meeting: a) Terms of Reference: published online bucksstudentsunion.org/union/constitutionandbyelaws These contain lots of important information about what the particular committee actually does. Essentially, it is a list of things that the committee is responsible for and so will give you a good idea of what is likely to be discussed at meetings. b) Previous Minutes: published online bucksstudentsunion.org/union/committeeminutes/ It is always a good idea to find out what the committee has been discussing before you joined, as there are bound to be some topics where the discussion continues. Go back and read the minutes of the previous two or three meetings and you will be much better prepared from the start. Most minutes for the main committees of the University and the Student Union will be available on their website.

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Although it is not always possible to guarantee, it is normal practice that the agenda and committee papers are distributed electronically a few days before each meeting. You should expect to receive the relevant documents in sufficient time before the meeting so that you can do the most important thing to ensure that you are an effective committee member, and that is preparation. If you have not received the papers you should contact the Secretary at least two days before the meeting, which should give you enough time to get a replacement set and then to have time to read them.

After the meeting the draft formal minutes are issued by the Secretary (after checking and confirmation by the Chair). They are sent out as soon after the meeting as possible and preferably not more than two weeks later.

MEMBERS’ ACTION CHECKLIST Before a meeting: • Accept any electronic invitations and this should record the date, time and venue in your phone or Outlook calendar / Microsoft Teams so that you don’t miss it. For the main committees, groups and working parties of the University and the Student Union, a calendar of dates is posted on the web, or you can ask at the Student Union for a copy.

• If you are unable to attend the meeting you should always inform the committee Secretary in advance so that your apology can be recorded. There are times when you may be asked for your comments on a particular agenda item and they need to know if you can’t be there.

• If you have an item you would like to be included on the agenda speak to the Chair or Secretary at least a week before the meeting (and be prepared to provide relevant paperwork if necessary).

• Read the committee documents and make notes of any questions that you have or things that you wish to say at the meeting.

• Undertake any necessary preparation e.g. consulting with other students on your course to get their opinions.

• Understand the meeting objectives. Look at the agenda to see what the meeting hopes to achieve.

• Understand your role. Go fully prepared so that you can take part in an informed way.

During the meeting: • Listen and participate. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or make relevant points.

• Be open-minded and receptive. Be prepared to be persuaded by the arguments of others.

• Keep to the agenda item / subject. Don’t use the committee as a platform to air your views about topics that are not on the agenda.

• Avoid side conversations with other committee members during the meeting.

• Ask questions to ensure your understanding. If something isn’t clear to you then ask for it to be explained. It will make it easier later on when you feed information back.

• Take notes on any personal action items so that you remember if you have anything to do before the next meeting.

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• Don’t answer your phone / text / use social media / answer email / tweet during the meeting. The best thing to do is turn your phone, laptop or tablet to silent or even better turn it off completely. Don’t let them become a distraction.

After the meeting: • Have a look at the draft minutes when they arrive. If you have any queries or changes to suggest, contact the committee Chair or Secretary and discuss it with them.

• Think about the decisions that were made at the meeting and the impact that they might or will have in for your course or area of work.

• Feedback to others as appropriate. If you are a student or School representative on any committee it is important that you act as an effective and accurate channel of information. Consider how to feedback or circulate information to your course; by email or by raising issues at subgroups, Programme Committees, School boards etc.

• Make sure you take any agreed action – particularly points for you – in the agreed timeframe. Let the Secretary know when your actions have been completed so that any Action Sheets can be updated before the next meeting.

THE IDEAL COMMITTEE MEMBER The ideal committee member has some, if not all, of the following qualities: • Interest and motivation in the purpose of the meeting. If you prepare properly the meeting will be a lot more interesting.

• Relevant knowledge and experience and a willingness to contribute. You are there as a representative of your club, society, course or School, so make the most of your opportunity to input into the discussions.

• Time to prepare for and attend meetings. Be organised and make sure you leave enough time to read the papers and attend the meetings. If you can’t go remember to send apologies.

• The authority to contribute to the making of decisions and approval of action. If you prepare thoroughly, you will be able to participate more fully.

• The ability to represent a group and to feedback information. It is important that you gather the opinions of others before you go and then feedback any relevant information and decisions afterwards.

• The willingness and ability to take the necessary follow up action. If you have any action points make sure you either sort them out or at least progress them before the next meeting.

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UNIVERSITY MEETINGS PROTOCOL The University has a seven point meetings protocol, which is as follows: 1. Be punctual - meeting attendance is an indicator of the way people view the importance of others’ time 2. Be prepared– the key to a successful meeting lies in the preparation of the secretary and the attendees 3. Be participatory – a good meeting involves positive interaction among the secretary and the attendees 4. Be positive – share ideas, shape and challenge opinions, and propose new approaches to solving problems 5. Be productive – every meeting should have goals or objectives, to work toward 6. Be polite – show respect for other meeting attendees 7. Be proactive– ensure the meeting ends with a successful conclusion.

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PARTICIPANT You will be an effective participant if you or those that you represent know what you want from the meeting.

Points to consider: • Listen - As you listen to other member’s contributions in the meeting your own confidence will improve as will your value as a participant.

• Presenting your view - Prepare by clarifying your thoughts, recommendations and position and then consider how you want to present your information / argument. Making some notes might help you with this.

Why not practice on a friend if you don’t feel confident.

• Be positive - Approach the discussion from a positive point of view. If you disagree with another’s position state your disagreement in a pleasant but positive manner. When speaking, use a positive tone of voice. If you are negative people will be less inclined to listen.

• Speak slowly - To ensure that you are understood by everyone.

• Make eye contact - Use eye contact with the member you are speaking to or move eye contact in open discussion • Sit attentively - A good posture gives the appearance of interest. Slouching makes you look bored and uninterested.

• Balanced gesturing - Be careful: excessive arm movements destroy the effectiveness of a presentation, whereas subtle hand movements can give animation to the words and aid understanding • Take a position, but be open-minded - Don’t be afraid to start with one opinion, and then as you develop a greater understanding through listening to the discussion, change your position. Be open-minded and flexible.

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CONVENTIONS, STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR AND TERMINOLOGY ‘Speaking through the Chair’ Simply to avoid the meeting deteriorating into a free-for-all it is important to ensure that only one person speaks at a time. The Chair is responsible for inviting contributions from members and establishing which members wish to speak on a particular item. When you want to say something attract their attention, or that of the Secretary and when you are invited to speak, address the Chair even if you are directly following up a point just made by another committee member.

‘Speaking to a paper’ When a paper is circulated as background to an agenda item a member is usually allocated the responsibility for guiding the committee through the main points – this is known as speaking to a paper.

‘Conflict of Interests’ A conflict of interest arises when the interests of a member of the committee are in conflict with the interests of the organisation they are helping to govern. This can be direct, in relation to the interests of the individual, or indirect, in relation to the interests of a close relative or business partner. If you feel at any time that you might have a conflict of interests you must tell the Chair, who may ask you to withdraw from the meeting whilst the item is being discussed.

THE AGENDA The agenda defines the purpose of a meeting. It is an absolute requirement of any successful meeting and helps to prevent the meeting from getting off the subject or failing to achieve its goals. It is a means of ensuring that all topics are covered as the meeting progresses. It is considered good management practice to invite meeting participants to contribute to the agenda prior to its setting.

The agenda is there to: • Define the order of the meeting.

• Allow for items to be prioritised. The most important items that will take the longest time to be discussed are normally near the top.

• Provide a logical flow to the meeting and maintain a degree of structure and control for the Chair and members.

• Provide participants with the opportunity to prepare for the meeting.

• A standard agenda would normally include the following: 1.

Date, time and venue of the meeting.

2.

Apologies for absence.

3. Minutes of the last meeting. The Chair will ask members to confirm the minutes. This is the opportunity to have any factual inaccuracies amended. It is appreciated if you speak to the Chair or the Secretary in advance of the meeting so that they can check any records. Once the minutes are confirmed as a true and accurate record the Chair signs them. This final approval then allows the minutes to be formally published.

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Matters arising from the minutes (not included elsewhere on the agenda). Usually, the Secretary will provide an action sheet with the previous minutes. The Chair will ask the responsible committee members to update any relevant matters.

Please note however that you should not raise items which appear subsequently in their own right later on the agenda, and this should not be regarded as an opportunity to re-open major debate. If you wish to raise an important matter which will require consideration, you should contact the Chair or Secretary in advance and discuss the possibility of it being included on the agenda as a specific item.

5.

A list of other items in the order in which they are to be discussed. Sometimes this order may change if someone speaking to a paper needs to leave a meeting early.

MINUTES A minute is a formal record of the discussion. There should always be somebody at a meeting whose job it is to take the minutes.

The minutes are the collected record of all items discussed at the meeting and they contain: • The date, time and venue of the meeting.

• The names of those present are recorded, and any apologies received.

• Each subject discussed, appropriately itemised.

• A brief summary of relevant background to the discussion.

• A clear and unambiguous record of the decisions reached.

• An indication of those responsible for taking subsequent action. This is sometimes also recorded in an action sheet, for immediate and easy reference.

CONFIDENTIALITY Generally, members of Student Union or University Committees have a role which involves providing appropriate feedback to colleagues. However, there are occasions when a degree of judgement is required, or when the Chair or the Secretary asks members to treat information as confidential. Once the minutes are available to other people the items may be discussed but it still may be the case that members should not discuss every aspect.

Unconfirmed minutes (the version available before being signed off as a true record by the Chair) may not be published in any form outside the Union.

QUORUM A quorum is the minimum number of persons required to be present at a meeting in order to conduct the business of the meeting. The normal quorum for SU and University committees is 50% of members, excluding the Chair, the Secretary and the Minutes Secretary. If a meeting is inquorate the Chair might decide to continue (with the agreement of those members present) but any decisions taken would need to be ratified subsequently at a fully quorate meeting as appropriate.

REPRESENTATION

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As a representative for your course or School you should canvas the views of all the students that you represent. However, if this is not possible you should just establish the view of others as and when possible and communicate their ideas to the committee.

The constitution of a committee sets out clearly the aims, objectives and jurisdiction of that committee (in the terms of reference) and how its membership is made up (category of membership, method of appointment and duration of term).

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Guidance for Chairing a meeting

HOW TO CHAIR A MEETING EFFECTIVELY Effective chairing will hopefully ensure that a meeting achieves its aims and objectives. The role of the Chair is to facilitate, encourage, focus and clarify.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHAIR? • An understanding of the issues and topics being discussed and the ability to listen carefully to the discussions.

• Being able to prevent discussions wandering off topic, to politely prevent those without anything new to add from repeating the same point and being able to move the meeting on when a point has been discussed as far as possible.

• Ensuring that all committee members have an equal opportunity to express their point of view.

• Showing respect for the views and actions of others.

• Encouraging all members to take equal responsibility for the meeting proceeding smoothly.

• Being impartial.

• Being able to sum-up the points made in discussions.

BEFORE THE MEETING Chairs should meet with the Secretary of the Committee in good time to agree and to prioritise the topics on the agenda. Any committee member can request an item to be put on the agenda. Important business should be put at the top of the agenda rather than at the end as there needs to be enough time to discuss such matters properly.

AT THE MEETING Chairs need to lead the meeting so that all those involved can make useful contributions and unhelpful digressions and arguments are discouraged. Chairs should present information and summaries clearly. They need to ensure that the objectives of the meeting are achieved in the time available and that decisions are communicated to all those who need to know.

Chairs should, through their own behaviour and body language, be a model of good meeting behaviour and should accept nothing less from colleagues. They should also be careful not to generate antagonism. A healthy professional discussion where the diversity of ideas and approaches is constructively used to create the best solution and not as personal attacks is the ideal. If colleagues are going to give of their best, they need to know that all contributions are valued, that they will get credit for their ideas and that the committee is strengthened by their collective success rather than scoring points off one another. It is the Chair who sets the tone and manages the process.

Meetings should be run in ways that are as inclusive as possible. The Chair should always be aware that not all people are familiar or comfortable with formal meeting procedure and that it can alienate and intimidate people, creating barriers to participation. People who do not know or understand what is going on around them are less likely to take the risk of speaking up. Chairs must ensure that there is real democracy and that everyone is involved and encouraged to take part.

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Other points to successful and effective chairing: a. Start the meeting on time. This respects those who turned up on time and reminds late arrivals that the start time is serious. If you start late to accommodate late-comers, then they will assume it is always okay to come late. b. Introduce yourself and welcome all present, especially new members or any speakers invited to attend to talk on a specific item and thank them for their time. If it is the first meeting of the committee (or the first of the academic year), it is good practice for all members to introduce themselves. c. At the start of the meeting, review the overall agenda briefly and involve members in committing to the agenda. This will give participants a chance to understand all proposed major items and to indicate any adjustments you may need to make to the agenda for new problems or priorities. d. Review Matters Arising, congratulating members when things have been accomplished. e. At the start of each major agenda item, there should be a short introduction to develop a common understanding and to encourage participation. Clarify at the outset the type of action needed, the outcome expected (decision, information point, action assigned to someone). f.

Remind members what preparation was expected of them and if colleagues were expected to read papers before the meeting don’t read them out. If you do, the next time you ask them to read beforehand they will assume it is not worth the effort.

g. Keep the meeting focussed on time and encourage equal participation and contribution from all members.

Summarise key points afterwards if lengthy. If discussions are side-tracked, take appropriate action to get back on track. Keep an eye on the time, and remind the rest of the meeting – e.g. “We need to move on if we are going to cover all the other business. We need to make a decision about.... Our options are....” h. Don’t let people interrupt all the time. This is really frustrating for the person who is trying to talk and can lead to frayed tempers. Politely ask others to wait until the person speaking has finished. i.

Ensure that all members understand any jargon, initials or acronyms – you should not assume that everyone has equal knowledge or understanding.

j.

Check with the Secretary or Minutes Secretary that all the key points are summarised, agreed and noted for the minutes and that any actions are assigned to individuals where appropriate with a proposed timeframe.

k. Ensure unresolved items or non-agenda items raised during the meeting are parked for later attention and it is agreed how they will be followed-up, e.g., agenda item for next meeting, sub-group to address the issue outside of the meeting etc.

CLOSING THE MEETING a. Wherever possible, end the meeting on a positive, up-beat note. b. Clarify that minutes and actions will be reported back to members within the normal timescale. c. End the meeting on time. This shows respect for the participants and will encourage people to commit to staying to the end.

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AFTER THE MEETING a. Confirm with the Secretary / Minutes Secretary that they have a record of all key discussions, outcomes and actions. b. Check carefully the draft minutes sent to you by the Secretary / Minutes Secretary, make any necessary amendments and return them promptly. c. Arrange any follow-up discussions.

FINALLY, A FEW DOS AND DON’TS Do • Introduce yourself - maybe new members or others observing don’t know who you are.

• Make everyone feel comfortable.

• Try to keep the meeting on track and all discussions relevant.

• Enjoy yourself.

Don’t • Talk too much.

• Assume everyone has the same knowledge or knows what you are talking about.

• Take sides.

• Become a participant of the discussion.

• Manipulate the meeting towards your own agenda.

• Criticise the values and ideas of others.

• Force your own ideas on the meeting. If necessary, have someone else chair the meeting so you can take part.

• Make decisions for the members without asking them for agreement.

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Guidelines for being a Committee Secretary or Minutes Secretary INTRODUCTION This guide is designed to help you if you have never been appointed as Secretary (or Minutes Secretary) to a Committee or Ad Hoc meeting before. It may seem daunting, but with a little forethought and preparation being a Secretary is quite straightforward and can be enjoyable. You may not need to follow all these procedures if your Committee is fairly small and informal – pick and choose the ones that you require.

All of the standard paperwork required for Committees is already available as templates on the SU website under the Your Union section.

THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARY The Secretary is an officer who keeps records, takes minutes of meetings (unless there is a Minutes Secretary) and answers correspondence. At BNU the Secretary is responsible for the following areas: • Setting and producing the agenda for the meeting in conjunction with the Chair.

• Ensuring that any papers either requested or promised from Committee Members and reporting sub-groups are received in time to be distributed.

• Distribution of papers. Ideally, these need to be sent out at least seven days (five working days) before the date of the meeting.

• Ensuring that a room is booked for the meeting and refreshments ordered if necessary.

• Inviting observers to the meeting, with the approval of the Chair.

• Recording attendance and non-attendance at meetings including apologies.

• Taking minutes and drafting them if there is no Minutes Secretary.

• Keeping copies of minutes, action sheets and papers – both hard copies and electronic copies is good practice.

• Sending copies of the draft minutes and action sheet once approved by the Chair to the committee members.

• Picking up issues referred from other committees by keeping appraised of their minutes once posted or contacting the relevant Secretary for information.

THE ROLE OF THE MINUTES SECRETARY A Minutes Secretary is an officer appointed to larger committees and they are usually responsible for some of the duties normally the responsibility of the Secretary. These can include: • Distributing Committee paperwork to members.

• Taking notes at meetings and drafting minutes.

• The duties of the Secretary as detailed above if they are absent or ill.

Individual responsibilities should be discussed between the Secretary and Minutes Secretary to ensure that all areas are fully covered.

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WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE FIRST APPOINTED AS A SECRETARY OR MINUTES SECRETARY • Introduce yourself to the Chair (if you don’t know them already).

• If you are taking over from somebody else, ask if you can attend one or two meetings with them as an observer, so that you can start to get to know how the committee works and who the members are. It might also be worth taking notes at these meetings and comparing them with the Secretary to get an idea of how much detail is needed for the minutes. If this is not possible, consider being an observer at a similar level Committee elsewhere in the SU. • Try to attend the Committee training run by the Student Union. The course is tailored to the way committees operate at the University and will help you to become familiar with procedures.

• Read back through the agendas, minutes and action sheets for the previous year of meetings of the committee to familiarise yourself with business currently being discussed as well as the format of the minutes.

• Familiarise yourself with the place of your committee within the SU committee structure – what feeds into the Committee and where your minutes will go for information and discussion.

ORGANISING A MEETING There are a number of things that need to be done when organising a meeting: 1. Make sure that a room is booked for the meeting well in advance. Most committees have dates and times of meetings set at the beginning of each academic year so the rooms may already be booked. If not, book a room with Room Management using Blackboard. When booking a room you will need to consider the following: • Date and time of booking • How many people are attending – the room needs to be large enough to hold the meeting comfortably.

• Whether you need tables and chairs, study chairs or a lecture theatre • Will you require a special layout?

• Will you need any special equipment e.g. flipcharts? If so, you will need to book these too.

2. Try to find out whether any of your committee members, observers or guest speakers have any disability access requirements or need a hearing loop. If they do, make sure that the room that you book is accessible to members or guests with disabilities. If you are providing lunch check whether anyone attending has any special dietary requirements (vegetarian/vegan, Gluten free, food allergies, or religious requirements).

3. If you have a guest speaker attending the meeting or someone is doing a presentation, find out what equipment is required and pre-book a room accordingly. Try and familiarise yourself with the equipment in case they need assistance.

4. If necessary, organise refreshments (tea, coffee, water) once you know where the meeting is going to be held. Keep a note of the booking reference so that you know what to chase if they don’t turn up in time for the meeting. It is good practice to have tea, coffee etc available on arrival at the meeting, so you

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might want to order them to arrive 15 minutes before the start. This also helps the meeting to commence promptly. If your meeting is likely to be lengthy (over two hours), you might want to order a top-up of refreshments to arrive about half way through the meeting.

5. Occasionally you may need to change the room booking you have made. If this happens don’t forget to change any bookings for refreshments and inform all the members of the Committee, plus observers and guests if there are any.

6. Set the agenda with the Chair. Check back with the Action Sheet and minutes of the last meeting to pick up on items that need further discussion. Also check the minutes of other Committees that feed into yours for any action points or issues passed to your Committee. Draft an agenda about two weeks before the meeting and discuss it with the Chair, either by email, telephone, or arrange a meeting to talk to them about it. Try to finalise the agenda well in advance of papers going out.

7. Once the agenda is finalised chase any outstanding papers that have been promised by Committee members. If you don’t receive them in time to go out with the papers they can be circulated electronically before the meeting if there is time or tabled at the meeting.

8. Check with the Chair to see if there are any observers or other employees or visitors in attendance at the meeting. If there are, don’t forget to invite them and send them a set of papers for information.

9. Ideally, papers need to go out by email to members at least 1 week before the meeting to give people sufficient time to read them. Print one copy of the papers for yourself to take to the meeting, the rest of the members should do their own or use electronic copies.

10. Send out to each Committee member: • An agenda • The minutes from the last meeting of the Committee. These will need to be amended and/or approved at this meeting • The action sheet (if there is one).

• Any papers for this meeting in the order in which they appear on the agenda.

11. Once papers have gone out you may start to receive apologies from members of the Committee who cannot attend. Make a note of them and take them to the meeting. If a member cannot attend invite them to send written comments, or if there is a specific area that needs discussion, nominate another colleague to attend in their place. Advise the Chair before the meeting if this is the case.

12. If appropriate, confirm final numbers for refreshments two days before the meeting.

13. Do your homework - Read all the paperwork thoroughly so that you are fully appraised of all the issues.

It will really help in writing the minutes. If necessary, read wider around a topic as this may be of help both to you and the Chair.

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WHAT HAPPENS AT A MEETING • Remember to take your copy of the Committee papers, and any apologies that you have received with you, as well as a plentiful supply of paper (to write minutes on) and a couple of pens (just in case one runs out).

• Sit next to the Chair (and Minutes Secretary if there is one) so that you can hear what is going on and can advise the Chair if necessary and seek clarifications.

• Note who attends the meeting, who has apologised and who is not present. If you don’t know the names of everybody at the meeting, discretely ask the Chair who they are. It might be worth doing name plates to place on the table in front of each member for the first couple of meetings until you are familiar with everybody. This might be appropriate too at the first meeting where not all the members may know each other. If it’s a large meeting circulate an attendance list for people to sign.

• If the Committee is a major Committee you must check whether the Committee is quorate. A quorum is defined as ‘the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority’. In the SU a meeting is quorate if 50% of the appointed membership are present at the meeting, excluding the Chair, Secretary, Minutes Secretary and those invited to attend/observe. In the event of a meeting being inquorate the business can continue to be transacted and recommendations can be made but no decisions can be confirmed until Chair’s Action has been taken, or by ratification at the next scheduled quorate meeting of that Committee, or at an extraordinary meeting scheduled and advertised in the normal way. You should still take notes as these will be used to advise the next quorate meeting of the Committee, but they cannot be written up as official minutes. If the Committee is a more informal meeting then quoracy isn’t an issue.

• When taking minutes, if you find that somebody is going too fast or you do not understand some of the debate, ask them politely through the Chair to slow down a little, or to reconfirm the point for the minutes.

• Through the Chair, the Secretary is able to take part in debates if appropriate. The Minutes Secretary cannot participate unless invited to. Remember that it is very difficult to take minutes and speak at the same time so unless there is a Minutes Secretary to rely on it is best to keep participation to a minimum.

• When taking minutes don’t try and note the discussion verbatim. After a little practice it becomes easier to know what to put into the notes and what to leave out. Try to capture the key issues and points, the decisions made and any actions required.

• Some Committee meetings may have Reserved Business, which is privileged (private and confidential) and is not for general publication. Discussions regarding Reserved Business should be kept strictly within the committee. After discussion at the meeting any papers relating to reserved business should be returned to the Secretary for shredding.

• After the meeting has finished collect up any loose papers left behind by members and recycle / shred them as appropriate.

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WRITING MINUTES • It is good practice to try and write the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting, whilst events are still fresh in your mind and you can still read your notes. Ideally, draft minutes should be completed within two working days of the meeting and returned to the Secretary by the Chair within one week.

• Firstly complete the attendance/apologies box using the notes that you took at the meeting.

• Next, start the minutes. It is probably easiest to put in all the headings first and the text afterwards.

• When writing minutes use bullet points to detail discussions and themes rather than record them in a long paragraph. Minutes are primarily a record of decisions rather than a verbatim transcript of a meeting.

• Don’t forget to highlight action points.

• The minutes of any reserved business should be printed on coloured paper to identify the status of the material immediately and distinguish it from standard minutes. An electronic copy should be sent to all Committee members including those who gave apologies and those who did not attend. Reserved Business minutes are also sent to non-members who were formally in attendance at the meeting. They are entitled to know in order to contribute to discussion and, if appropriate, decision-making and they are bound by the Committee rules of confidentiality, including confidential disposal.

• If the meeting was inquorate (i.e. less than 50% of the membership attended – see above) official minutes cannot be written. In this case notes are taken which inform the next quorate meeting. The notes should be careful not to record any decisions but they can ‘suggest’ and ‘advise’ the next meeting and can ‘support’ or ‘recommend’ a Chair’s Action as appropriate. The notes prepared should be approved by the Chair as an accurate record of the inquorate meeting but they will only be published internally. Numbering of items should carry on from the previous set of minutes.

• Once you have completed the first draft of your minutes, it is a good idea to put them to one side for a short while and do something else. Then return to them and re-read them, checking for errors and omissions.

These are much easier to spot if you give yourself a break from writing minutes for a while.

• When the minutes are drafted send them to the Chair by email. You might want to ask a colleague to proofread them before you send them as a fresh pair of eyes can spot things that you have missed.

• Save them in the relevant Committee file using the Committee name and the date of the meeting (e.g.

Trustee Board Minutes 19 February 2014).

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APPROVAL OF MINUTES • Minutes need to be approved by the Chair of the Committee. As noted above this should be done within 1 week of the date of the Committee.

• It is good practice to advise/remind those people with actions from the meeting that they need to do them well in advance of the next meeting. If the person who needs to take the action is not a member of your Committee drop them an email to let them know.

• Once minutes have been approved you can email these to all Committee members and to those who attended the Committee as observers or guests for information.

• The minutes can then be formally approved at the next quorate meeting of the Committee.

STORING MINUTES • Store minutes electronically in the relevant Committee Minutes file on a shared server. They should not be stored on your hard drive or personal drive space.

CONCLUSION • Effective meetings depend upon the goodwill and professional conduct of all involved.

• Each committee member – Chair, Secretary, or Member has specific responsibilities.

• Meetings involve a lot of time both to prepare and to hold. It benefits everyone and the Student Union if all concerned combine to ensure that meetings operate effectively.

• Meetings are often criticised by members and non-members alike as a waste of time or not worth the effort.

However, meetings are a necessary part of the University and Student Union operating structure and are an important part of our culture.

• The effectiveness of any meeting will ultimately depend on the members involved.

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How to plan a meeting - Timeline

Book appropriately sized room using portal on Blackboard

As soon as the meeting is proposed:

and put the date, time and venue into relevant Outlook Calendars

At least 2 weeks before the meeting:

Invite members to meeting. Record any apologies received

Draft agenda using last set of minutes and send to Chair /

At least 10 days before the meeting:

Secretary for approval

At least 7 days before the meeting:

Finalise the agenda

Send documents (finalised agenda, minutes of last meeting,

At least 4 days before the meeting:

action sheet and any papers) to members with a request that they look at any actions assigned to them

At least 4 days before the meeting:

Book refreshments (if appropriate)

Day of Meeting

No more than 7 days after the meeting:

No more than two weeks after the meeting:

Draft minutes and action sheet and send to Chair for approval / amendment

Once approved send draft minute and action sheet to members and to Comms to put up on the website

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Union Membership of University Committees 2023-24 Meeting

Pres

VPEW VPAB

CEO

DCEO SEC

SEM

ACM

ACs

SAM

CMM

HRM

FO

Other

University Committees Academic Planning Committee Academic Year Planning Group Education Committee

1 BAME, 1UG and 1 PG student

Equality & Diversity Committee School Boards

Up to 2 student representatives from level 5,6 or 7 provision and/ or alumni (TBC)

Periodic Review Meetings

School Officers and Reps

Quality Enhancement Committee Research & Enterprise Committee

1 PG research student nominated by the Head of BNU’s Graduate School

Research Ethics Panel Senate University Council

Student member

Validation Panels

1 SU representative

Student Experience Committee Student Experience Forum Sustainability Committee Pres

SU Green Ambassador SEC

Student Engagement Co-Ordinator

SAM

Student Activities Manager

VPEW Vice President Education & Welfare

ACs

Activities Co-Ordinators

CMM

Communications & Marketing Manager

VPSI

Vice President Student Involvment

SEM

Student Experience Manager

FO

Finance Officer

CEO

Chief Executive Officer

HRM

Human Resources & Development Manager

DCEO

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

ACM

Advice Centre Manager

President

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Union Membership of University Committees 2023-24 Meeting

Pres

VPEW VPAB

CEO

DCEO SEC

SEM

SWA

ACs

SAM

CMM

HRM

FO

Other

Student Union Committees Athletic Union Council

Student Chair

AU Dinner Planning Education Forum Elections Planning Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Environmental, Sustainability and Fairtrade

Student Trustee

Exec Committee

Exec Officers

Finance & Staffing

Lay Trustee Student Trustee

Governance

Lay Trustee Student Trustee

Officer Remuneration

Lay Trustee 2 Student Trustees

Feedback Oversight Group

Advisors

Representation Management Societies Council

Student Chair

Societies Funding

Lay Trustee 2 Student Reps

Strategy & Planning Student Activities Student Advice & Welfare

Advisors

Trustee Board

All Lay Trustees & Student Trustees

Union Awards Planning Union Council

Student Chair

26