Meeting Minutes
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN THE BULL-PEN AND VIA ZOOM ON WEDNESDAY 31 AUGUST 2022 AT 2.01PM
PRESENT
Melissa Lama (Chair), Maya Polaschek, Emily Fau-Goodwin, Jade Mills, Elisepa Taukolo, Tulsi Raman, Patrice Sueur (zoom), Te Āwhina Pounamu-Waikaramihi (zoom).
IN ATTENDANCE
Debbie Downs (Chief Executive Officer), Donna Jones (Minute Secretary) and Kathryn Corry (Club Development Officer).
APOLOGIES
Lily Marsh, Caitlin Hancy, Ravneel Chand and Sean Teow
Jade Mills for leaving early and Emily Fau-Goodwin for lateness
Moved from the Chair
253/22 THAT the above apologies be accepted.
CARRIED U
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE MEETING
Moved from the Chair
254/22 THAT the minutes from the executive meeting held on 17 August 2022 be accepted as a true and correct record.
CARRIED U
EMERGENCY MEETING MINUTES
Moved from the Chair
255/22 THAT the minutes of the emergency meeting held on 24 August 2022 be accepted as a true and correct record.
CARRIED U
RATIFY EMERGENCY MEETING MOTION
Moved from the Chair
256/22 THAT the minutes of the emergency meeting held on 24 August 2022 be ratified.
CARRIED U
SPEAKING RIGHTS
Moved from the Chair
257/22 THAT Debbie Downs, Donna Jones and Kathryn Corry be granted speaking rights for the duration of this meeting.
CARRIED U
TE RŌPŪ MĀORI UPDATE
Jade attending Te Mana Ākonga (National Māori Students Association) meeting in Auckland
Kapa haka practice keeping the team busy, September a busy month
Starting 2023 election preparation.
UNIVERSITY OTAGO PACIFIC ISLAND STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION UPDATE
Finalising planning for mental health week starting 19 September
Pacific Island awards week
Tongan language week coming up
Jade left at 2.05pm
Āwhi arrived at 2.05pm
HEALTH AND SAFETY
A member of the public had a medical event in the clubs and societies centre but all managed well.
Emily arrived at 2.06pm
Our Poster person had a plastic bottle thrown at him in anger. He wasn’t hurt so assistance wasn’t called for.
OUSA UPDATE
Budgeting for 2023 in the final stages. Mukesh our Financial Controller has been adjusting figures and continues to help UBS out with their accounting and systems.
University Book Shop have officially moved back into the refurbished building. The outer scaffolding etc is still to be removed and later there will be an official opening.
Moved from the Chair
258/22 THAT the meeting moves into confidential committee for reasons of commercial sensitivity at 2.09pm.
CARRIED U
Moved from the Chair
259/22 THAT the meeting moves out of confidential committee at 2.20pm.
CARRIED U
NZUSA UPDATES
NZUSA working on a revised nation-wide fees free campaign; hoping for 3 years free study.
AFFILIATED CLUBS CONSTITUTION REVISITED
The Affiliated club’s constitution template was first brought to the Executive meeting on 17 August being told it was a guideline and it was received at that meeting as a guideline. There appeared to be some confusion over this document being seen as an operational matter and not governance. Since then, after there being negative feedback and complaints from some clubs who felt the changes weren’t practical for their club and would have liked consultation before it is finally implemented. There is substantially more information in the revised document as it is now 12 pages long and the old document was only 5 pages.
There was agreement at the meeting the revised template be put out to the clubs for consultation/feedback and returned to clubsrep@ousa.org.nz and/or kathryn@ousa.org.nz by 4pm on 7 September 2022 and then the Executive would re-consider it at the following meeting.
Kat was thanked for her hard work and attending this meeting. There was a request to have a written guide on the correct procedure/process for implementing these documents in the future.
ARISE CHURCH
A comprehensive report has been circulated. There has been a review commissioned by the board of Arise Church considering the stories which were shared in the public domain about hurts and harm some people from the church had experienced during their time in the church. Senior Leaders have since resigned.
Owing to the seriousness of this, the affiliated Students of Arise Club will be suspended owing to the national body not meeting OUSA’s values.
OUSA has been supporting local members and will continue to do so. Kat our Club Development Officer has been in regular contact with the club’s president and the University Chaplains have been offering support to them also.
Moved from the Chair
260/22 THAT OUSA temporarily suspend the affiliation of the Students of Arise Club owing to their national body not meeting OUSA’s values, and not adhering to sections 6.2.4 and 6.3 of the OUSA Affiliation Policy.
CARRIED U
Tulsi will draft a letter and get it to Kat for distribution to the President of Students’ of Arise Club as soon as possible.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
We attempted to hold an AGM on 23 August 2022. Owing to there only being 42 members present we had to abandon it at 1.15pm as inquorate. The Incorporated Societies indicate we must hold an AGM to pass the financial accounts but told us to contact the Charities Commission as we are a registered charity. It appears we must hold a binding AGM. The financial statements have been passed through a referendum, but this isn’t viewed by the charities commission as a binding outcome.
More discussions to be held on how we can obtain quorum in future. We incentivised with a meal voucher this time.
REFERENDUM DATES AND PROPOSED QUESTIONS
Polaschek/Fau-Goodwin
261/22 THAT the Secretary be directed to call a Referendum from 9am 10 October 2022 and close at 4pm on 12 October 2022.
CARRIED
Polaschek/Fau-Goodwin
262/22 THAT the Referendum being held 10-12 October 2022 be held by electronic means only.
CARRIED
Polaschek/Fau-Goodwin
263/22 THAT the following questions be put to the Referendum being held on 10-12 October 2022.
- Should the proposed Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) budget for 2023 be recommended in its entirety to the student body?
- Should the Association Secretary, Donna Jones, be re-appointed for a fixed term of four (4) years?
- Should OUSA have no confidence in Chris Hipkins as Minister for Education, on account of the Government's failure to fulfil its 2017 promise to restore postgraduate access to Student Allowances?
- Should OUSA support efforts to break-up New Zealand's supermarket duopoly?
- Should all Executive members to be regularly available in person in the OUSA Office, study and health permitting?
- Should OUSA appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers as the auditors for 2023?
CARRIED
There was a request if the results of the former Referendum held earlier in the year be actioned where practical. Melissa and Donna to consult on this.
GENERAL BUSINESS
Full degrees on graduation certificates – Caitlin was congratulated for her work on getting this done. It won’t be implemented until next year.
Diversity Week – next week there will be some events for diversity week. There are Sensory Rooms being set up in the Union Hall.
Meeting closed at 3.29pm
Signed: ___________________________________ Date: _________