Government
The Guild is a students' union for the purposes of the Education Act 1994. Under section 67 of the Act, all students of the University are by law automatically members of the Guild unless they deliberately opt out, and the role of the Guild is to democratically represent this body of membership. However, the University of Birmingham does not disclose any details of its students to the Guild, which natually makes the Guild's job of democratically representing its membership something of a challenge.
The Guild's Constitution sets out in detail how the organisation should be run.
The Guild's sovereign body and Union Council is Guild Council, made up of elected councillors representing academic, student group and hall of residence constituencies, as well as 12 who have a cross-campus mandate. There are 80 seats on Guild Council. The role of Guild Council is legislative: it hears, debates and votes on policy proposals to guide the Guild Executive; it holds the Executive to account over their actions in pursuit of approved policy and their duties generally; and it has a role in setting the Guild's priorities by hearing and voting on the Guild budget.
In August 2008, the Guild moved from its previous model of an unincorporated association to become a charitable company limited by guarantee (CLG) and as result; a Trustee Board was established to provide guidance, expertise and strategic oversight of the Guild of Students. The Guild became a charity in 2010.
This decision was made following a Referendum which took place in February 2008 and was approved by over 4000 students, the Executive, Guild Council and the University. Key to the governance review was a need to clarify how decisions were made and by whom, especially in respect to the role of the Trustee Board and Guild Council.
The Trustees have ultimate responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Guild, which is delegated to the Chief Executive and Management Team. They ensure the Guild remains legally compliant and solvent, in accordance with Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Bye-laws and Guidance and Strategy documents.In the past, when it had far fewer members than today, this group of trustees was Guild Council. The Trustee Board is made up of 4 Sabbatical (Officer) Trustees, 3 Student Trustees, 3 (external) Lay Trustees, 3 University Alumni Trustees and 1 University Trustee.
Read more about this topic: Birmingham University Guild Of Students
Famous quotes containing the word government:
“Which government is the best? The one that teaches us to govern ourselves.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)
“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“There exists in a great part of the Northern people a gloomy diffidence in the moral character of the government. On the broaching of this question, as general expression of despondency, of disbelief that any good will accrue from a remonstrance on an act of fraud and robbery, appeared in those men to whom we naturally turn for aid and counsel. Will the American government steal? Will it lie? Will it kill?—We ask triumphantly.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)