SPA AGM Guide 2021

Annual General Meeting 2021

A Guide to the AGM

Chair’s Welcome This year has been a challenging one for student publications and journalists around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. However, at the SPA, we’ve been doing our best to provide training resources, react to your concerns, and recognise your hard work through awards, as well as a whole host of other things. Our hope is that our work has eased some of the strain in the last year.

The Annual General Meeting provides our members with a great opportunity to find out a bit more about how we’ve been doing not just the above, but loads more behind the scenes, to scrutinise the work we’ve been doing, to steer the direction of the SPA, and to stand for election yourself, if you so wish.

Although this year’s AGM will once again be online - hopefully for the final time - it is still one of the most important aspects of our National Conference, and a wonderful chance for us all to get together for the common good of the SPA.

We’ve put together this booklet to make it easier for you to find out more about the various ways you can get involved with this year’s Annual General Meeting, from the process to submitting motions, to standing for election yourself, describing all the roles which are available. However, although we’ve done our best to answer any questions you might have here, if you have any others, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email on chair@spajournalism.com, and I’ll do my best to help.

Ben Warner Ben Warner Student Publication Association Chair 2020/21

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What is the AGM? Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is one of the final opportunities of the year for our members, Officers and Trustees to meet to discuss important matters, vote on policies for the year ahead, as well as elect a new Executive Committee to lead the SPA through the next academic year.

The 2021 SPA AGM is set to take place on Saturday 8 May.

Until last year, AGMs had usually taken place at that year’s National Conference (SPANC), and held physically in the host city. And sadly, although we look to be on the road out of lockdown, the Trustees have decided that it would still not be safe to attempt to conduct inperson events, and hence this year’s AGM will take place online.

The 2020 AGM provided a great opportunity to test different procedures, which we implemented to ensure the AGM could take place in a smooth and orderly fashion - even if it wasn’t one any of us were necessarily used to. These changes included an online voting system for election ballots and motions. We’ll be maintaining those changes, as well as looking into ways we can improve procedures where possible.

All member publications have the right to cast votes at an AGM, and further details on how to access the online voting system will be made available to member publications ahead of the meeting.

For more details on what will take place at the AGM, check out pages 4-5. For more information on how you can get involved, check out pages 6-7. For information about the roles we have up for election, check out pages 8-9.

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What happens at the AGM? Where to start?

Even in a shortened year for the SPA such as this one (the current team only took the reins in October), there’s still been lots going on, and hence lots to discuss at this year’s AGM. In all, at the AGM, the SPA’s members do the following:

• Scrutinise the work of the SPA, by receiving reports and accounts; • Steer the direction and strategy of the SPA, by discussing and then voting on motions; and • Stand for election, and vote to appoint officers and trustees to lead the SPA in future years

So, what does each of these involve?

Scrutinise Although the SPA does its best to keep you up-to-date with what we’ve been doing, there’s lots that goes on behind the scenes as well. The AGM is a vital opportunity for members to understand what the SPA has been up to since the previous AGM, and why.

The SPA Constitution says the AGM must be presented with a copy of the trustees’ annual report, and the latest financial accounts.

The SPA’s Executive Officers also present individual oral reports to discuss what they did over the course of their term, and how this aligns with goals they set themselves at the beginning of their time.

Copies of written reports will be provided to members in advance of the AGM, and time will be allotted to ask questions to officers and trustees.

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Steer Motions will be proposed which change how the SPA operates and what our aims are.

Amongst other things, these motions could even change the SPA Constitution, Bye-laws, or induct new honorary lifetime members.

Motions are brought forward by members of the SPA, and will be put to the floor by the Chair.

It’s then up to members to ask questions, or argue their point and convince other members to vote one way or the other. To finish, each member publication is entitled to one vote, either for or against the motion.

More detail about how to submit motions can be found on pages 6-7.

Stand One of the most important tasks at the AGM is to elect the next team of SPA officers, and a trustee. These are the individuals who will lead the organisation for the coming year.

Candidates who wish to run for election are invited to stand at the meeting, give a short speech and field questions from members. Voting takes place in a similar fashion as for motions, with each member publication entitled to one vote.

At the 2021 AGM, we will be electing five new Executive Officers, and one member of the Trustee Board.

To find out more about the roles up for grabs, check out pages 8-9.

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How can I get involved?

The business which takes place at our AGM is at its best when our members choose to get involved.

However, getting involved and having your say can seem a bit daunting. So, check out the guidance below to find out more about how you can get involved!

Propose motions Do you think you have ideas for improving how the SPA should be run, and make sure we’re serving student journalists as best we can?

At each AGM, we take motions submitted by the members and put them to a vote, helping determine the path the SPA should take. You don’t need to have been involved in the past to propose a motion, you just need to have ideas for how the SPA can fix problems we face!

While there isn’t a specific format your motion should follow, we recommend a short explanation followed by clear actions the SPA resolves to follow. However, if your motion would amend the Constitution or Bye-laws, you must identify which text is being replaced, and provide the exact text that you want to be added.

You must be an individual member to submit a motion, and your motion must also be seconded by another individual member. An individual member is:

• Somebody who is a member of an SPA member publication, or who was in the past 12 months; or • Somebody who is a current student of journalism and has registered as an independent member.

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You can submit your motion by emailing it, along with details of the proposer and seconder, to chair@spajournalism.com. You must do this by Thursday 22 April. If you send it after this date, it cannot be debated at the AGM. Once submitted, the Chair will review your motion to ensure it is in order and compliant with constitutional and legal requirements. Although the Chair will attempt to liaise with proposers if issues arise, they reserve the right to rule motions out of order or to rule any vote indicative until the Trustees determine if it is in order or not.

Stand for election Elections at an SPA AGM are fairly relaxed affairs, and some people only decide they want to run during the course of the meeting! You don’t have to do anything ahead of time, but we do recommend considering the following if you’re interested in standing:

• Speak to current SPA Officers to learn more about the roles • Prepare a short speech outlining your goals, and why you believe that you are the right person for the role (maximum 2 minutes for Chair, 1 minute for all other roles)

Just take part!

Even if you don’t want to propose a motion or stand for election, you have a valuable role to play in the AGM by just showing up, speaking where you want to, and casting a vote.

Everything you do shapes the future of how we support student journalists.

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What roles are up for election?

Chair The Chair is the public face of the Student Publication Association, and as well as that, has a number of additional responsibilities. These include overseeing and supporting the other Executive Officers to help them accomplish their goals, supervise the team of Regional Officers as they organise Regional Conferences, chair General, Executive and Trustee meetings, and oversee SPA campaigns and lobbying.

Term: Until 1 May 2022

Communications Officer The Communications Officer is the Executive Committee lead on membership. This means their main responsibilities are recruiting new members, processing applications, and maintaining both public and private lists of members. They also keep up two-way communications with members, including sending round a monthly newsletter and take and share minutes of SPA meetings.

Term: Until 1 May 2022

Conference & Events Officer The Conference & Events Officer’s responsibilities are paramount throughout the year, right from Regional Conferences through to the showpiece National Conference and Awards at the end of their term. They serve as the Executive Committee lead on organisation of the National Conference, while also overseeing the activities of all officers who are organising any other events for the SPA.

Term: Until 1 May 2022

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Sponsorship Officer The Sponsorship Officer co-ordinates efforts to secure advertising and sponsorship revenue, as well as donations, for the SPA to continue its work. They also manage event sponsorship and budgets, in order to ensure obligations to corporate partners are met, whilst they also support other officers, including Regional Officers, in securing sponsorship for their events where appropriate.

Term: Until 1 May 2022

Training & Opportunities Officer The Training & Opportunities Officer’s responsibilites are wide-ranging, covering a number of different areas, including the production of training resources for SPA members, and ensuring these adapt to the ever-changing needs of student journalists. They also run the SPA’s mentorship scheme, and maintain contact with industry professionals to benefit SPA members.

Term: Until 1 May 2022

Elected Trustee At the 2021 SPA AGM, members will elect one Trustee to join the Board. The Trustees oversee the work of the organisation, with an eye on strategy as well as the long-term future of the SPA. Ensuring the financial viability of the SPA is a vital part of the role. There are currently four elected Trustees, who sit alongside three appointed Trustees, and two members of the Executive Committee, who sit as Trustees ex oficio.

Term: Four years

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If you have any questions about the AGM, please email chair@spajournalism.com

Annual General Meeting 2021