YES campaign force CUSU to campaign for class lists

To confirm the victory for class lists last week, a motion was submitted to confirm that CUSU would campaign for them to stay. 

Campaigners from Save the Class Lists and the YES Campaign, Nicholas Taylor and Jack Drury put forward a motion to CUSU council which asked CUSU to send a fly-sheet to Regent House members. The motion wanted CUSU to confirm ‘that the student referendum must be respected’ and the the Grace passed by the University Council was inconsistent with the views of students.

It’s up to Fellows to decide the class lists’ final fate, with a vote due later this term. The Vice-Chancellor seems to have submitted the Grace to abolish the class lists because CUSU Council last year voted unanimously to get rid of them.  The University Council passed a Grace (yes, we’re confused by these terms too, but just go with it) which confirmed the abolition of Class Lists.

How terrifying

The Class Lists referendum last week – which decided ‘CUSU should campaign to keep the Class List with an easier, opt out process’ – passed with a Yes vote of 55.34%. This was the second largest mandate in CUSU history and called into question the representativeness of CUSU Council. Amatey himself said that Council should “constantly think about how best to represent students” and use this result as an opportunity for reflection.

Much representation. Very power.

It was agreed – in amendments to the motion – that CUSU would emphasise that students didn’t vote for the current situation. To keep the class lists in any form, the current Grace has to be voted down, and then it’s up to CUSU to emphasise at University Council that students want an unconditional opt-out. Amatey confirmed that the concerns of the 44% who wanted to abolish the system would be heard.

In an interesting reflection on CUSU’s view of their own influence (or lack thereof) within the university, the Education Officer, Roberta, was very pessimistic about the possibility of getting the opt-out system in place.

The motion passed in the end with a clear majority. There were very few nos and five abstentions, a clear reversal from last year’s vote.