Students attending a Student Members' Meeting in a lecture theatre

Passed Student Members' Meeting Motions

As a Students' Union, our actions are led by students. That means you direct our work year on year.

About motions

One way of making change at LSE is by sending a motion to a Student Members' Meeting, where all students can vote on whether your motion should be something the Students' Union works on for the next three years. Anything that's passed at a Student members' Meeting (as long as there’s no resource or legal implications) becomes a Union policy, which means it is something the organisation should be actively working on.

Below is a list of our current policies. Why not come along to our next Student Members' Meeting to ask your officers about our progress on them?

Motions from 2020-21

Should LSESU Introduce a Part-Time Neurodiversity Officer?

We have introduced a Part-Time Neurodivergent Students' Officer. This role was elected for the first time in Lent Term 2021, and you can find out more about the role and the current Officer here

You can read the original motion document here.

Should the LSE be Apartheid-Free?

This motion was passed in June 2021.

You can read the original motion document here.

Motions from 2019-20

Should the LSE change and improve its sexual harassment and abuse support provision?

Met with academics to create a thorough proposal for implementation of this motion Presented a list of recommendations for LSE to change, centring around the need for an ISVA and for a reporting student to only disclose once. Joanne Hay, Deputy COO, responded with a written response committing to a working group and took on board a few of the points raised. The SU has submitted a response to the Office for Students consultation on proposed regulation on this issue. The Task and Finish group has met regularly since Lent Term 2019, and has undertaken a functional review of the issue with LimeCulture. The Group has agreed to fund an SMA, and has commissioned training for all key decision-makers working on related disciplinary cases. The SMA role will be advertised soon

You can read the original motion document here.

LSESU should declare and lobby the LSE to declare a Climate Emergency and Ecological Crisis

  • The campaign is working with the Sustainability Division to maximise responses to their piece of consultation on a new Sustainability Division strategy which consists of a) a survey b) three workshops that will feed into the strategy. We can help them out by publicising the survey (this will be an ask that we will get from the campaign). This strategy relates to the campaign because it will mostly like ask for more resource allocation which will aid a 2030 net zero target. The Sustainability Division also said that the School will be certified carbon neutral by the end of the year (which is apparently different from net zero).
  • The campaign have agreed to work on note-takers to send to the workshops to ensure their comments are adequately reflected in the final strategy.
  • I have asked Andrew Young, who asked B, if student representation will be permitted at the SMC where the strategy will be adopted. B said no, as well as to the request for an observer at the Sustainability Strategy Advisory Board
  • The sabbatical officers released a statement of support on the website
  • No progress has been made on fossil fuel companies and armament divestment, but this could be included in the Sustainability Strategy for LSE I have set up contact between the campaign and a Professor of Political Economy who has an idea of a practical plan for prioritising climate change across courses in Economics courses
  • LSESU supported the Youth Climate Strikes by photographing the demo and releasing the pictures to the campaign for social media
  • Investigating to what extent the Scottish Widows pension plan used by LSESU is invested in fossil fuels
  • Investigating to what extent the Union's bank account Natwest/RBS is sustainable.
  • The LSESU policy on working with stakeholders who invest in fossil fuels has been updated.

    • You can read the original motion document here.

    Should the LSE improve their provisions for mental health support and change the university culture to better the collective wellbeing of our community?

    We have been supporting the campaign to undertake research and run events for LSE students.

    LSESU have also been undertaking research into the cultural competency of LSE's mental health services.

    We have also been working on the launch of the Support Map, which should be launching in the 21/22 academic year.

    You can read the original motion document here.

    Banning Beef at LSE

    Met with LSE Sustainability Team and decided to collaborate on calculating the carbon reduction of replacing beef with tasty alternatives Planning to develop an information campaign about said carbon impact and other arguments against beef We are looking at how the results of the Sustainability Division Strategy Consultation can inform how plant-based food will be introduced Met internally to discuss the impact of introducing plant-based food in LSESU catering, and to work to write a document with information for the Trustee Board meeting in June, however this was paused due to the impact of the pandemic.

    You can read the original motion document here.

    Drug Policy Reform

    Raised the motion at a LSE/LSESU Liaison meeting (chaired by Dilly Fung, Pro Director Education) Made contact with Louise Nadal, School Secretary, about the next steps for reviewing the School's drug policy and requesting funding for drug testing kits. Awaiting a response from the school's legal team. The school are looking at providing a drug and alcohol counsellor who will operate via Zoom. Additionally, the school is working with the SU to look into the possibility of substance free housing for first years. The Three Tuns is now providing anti-spiking materials to ensure student safety. LSESU are looking into providing drug testing kits.

    You can read the original motion document here.

    We have a microwave situation

    This motion was passed in March 2020. You can read the original motion document here.

    Should LSE and LSESU make it a strategic priority to alleviate homelessness in the local area?

    1) Launch a Sustainable Strategic Partnership: The LSE Homelessness Partnership (LSEHP) has been created between LSE, LSESU & St. Mungo's. The partnership is scheduled to last at least 3 years with the option to be dissolved after 1 year. The partnership includes an annual £40k donation to St. Mungo's. The LSEHP is governed by a steering group, with 5 autonomous streams underneath it (research; volunteering; fundraising; security; communication) which aim to jointly deliver the LSEHP's mission: "The LSEHP’s mission is to lead and empower the LSE Community to play a meaningful, active and leading role in: (i) Alleviating homelessness in the local community (ii) Efforts to end homelessness in society" Each stream has two leads who jointly oversee the activity within that stream - one lead from LSE; another lead from LSESU. 2) Skills & Careers Fair for Rough Sleepers: An informal agreement is in place to deliver this fair once every term with St. Mungo's. Unfortunately the pandemic and associated restrictions mean that it is not currently safe nor feasible to do so. Whilst not yet agreed, it is likely that the implementation of this Motion Action will eventaully fall under the LSEHP's Volunteering stream.

    This motion was passed in March 2020. You can read the original motion document here.

    Should LSESU act in solidarity with LSE cleaners?

    J4C has become an SU campaign, and has undergone extensive campaigns training. The campaign has create a strategy for working with relevant stakeholders with three proposed goals: Have United Voices of the World recognised as the cleaners’ union Improve pay and conditions for cleaners, especially in the context of better PPE and more breaks for cleaners in the wake of a global pandemic Hold LSE's Directorate to account for its promises to cleaners. The campaign has published a series on their instagram which tells the story of the cleaners' struggles over the last five years, which will be posted as a blog on the website.

    This motion was passed in March 2020. You can read the original motion document here.

    Motions from 2018/19

    Should LSESU begin an initiative to provide free menstrual products for students in the Saw Swee Hock building?

    We are providing tampons and sanitary towels throughout the SSH building.

    You can read the original motion document here.

    Should LSESU have a new approach to a transparent student democracy?

    The Students' Union has taken steps, such as creating this webpage, to improve how it reports on the implementation of motions passed at Student Members' Meetings. We will also be undertaking a democracy review in the 21/22 academic year which address the concerns and questions raised in this motion. We are planning to create a joint student voice/communications strategy within the SU, and have improved the amount to which LSE promotes democratic opportunities within the SU.

    You can read the original motion document here.

    Should LSE hold a Summer Ball?

    A Summer Ball was planned for Summer 2020 had to be postponed. Update October 2020 - event likely to be postponed in 2021, unless Covid-19 safety measures significantly change. Pandemic and online teaching for rest of 2020/21 means there will not be a Summer Ball in 2021.

    You can read the original motion document here.

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