If you are a Union Council member, you are able to submit a policy for debate. This means, if you have an idea, or something you want to change, you can present it to the council to debate and vote on. Policy can be difficult if you have no experience with it, with this in mind, we have outlined a one stop shop on how to write policy for union council!
What are policy proposals?
Policy proposals are written items for discussion and decision at Union Council and when passed become Union Policy for three years. Union Council members are elected to represent student and need as much information as possible to make an informed decision.
What does policy look like?
There is a clear and concise name at the top, alongside the names of the proposer and seconder. The proposer is the person writing and proposing the policy; you. As outlined in our constitution, you need a seconder to submit policy. This means you need two people to propose policy to council, and you both must be councillors. It is best to approach a councillor who you know shares the same views as you on the matter to which you are proposing or go directly to an Officer who can support you.
Beyond this, the policy is clearly separated into sections: summary, proposer's engagement and thought formation, council notes, council believes, council resolves, EDI (equality, diversity, and inclusion) considerations and actions with required resources.
If you need support writing policy, feel free to contact the Campaigns and Democracy Officer at c.kershaw@uea.ac.uk or contact the Voice Team at su.voice@uea.ac.uk.
Download example