Democracy and Governance Day 2006

Dear all

Thank you for attending the democracy and governance event in December. Below you will find all the resources you will ever want to aid you in making changes in your students' union.

Thanks

Stephen Brown

Building Unions/ Building Communities Online

ICELE - International Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy

ICELE Website

ICELE Leaflet

Participation in local and national elections

Alex Markham, Electoral Commission

Students’ unions have traditionally promoted voter registration, but with ever diminishing levels of student participation it could be time to readdress our strategy for getting out the student vote.

Top tips for getting out the student vote

Public awareness resources on voting and democracy

Can’t Vote, Won’t Vote

Electoral Commission Website

Successful Union Decision Making

Paul England, NUS

This session looked at what you have to do to make meetings successful, taking in best practice from around the UK.

Successful Student Council Checklist

NUS Guide to Successful Meetings

The elephant in the room meets the sacred cow

Jim Dickinson, NUS

Governance Reviews have become the new "in thing" to do- but what do they mean, and how can you ensure that the process and results are effective for your union?

Union Governance

Governance and Charity Law

Democracy Toolkit

The Power Enquiry: Implications for Students and their Unions

The POWER Inquiry was set up in 2004 to explore how political participation and involvement can be increased and deepened in Britain. Its work is based on the primary belief that a healthy democracy requires the active participation of its citizens.

Power Website

Social Enterprise meets Clubs and Societies- the Long Tail in human form

Alex Bone, KCLSU

How can the ‘Long Tail’ theory be applied to Students’ Unions? We will explore the importance of all members feeling involved and examine how Students’ Unions can make full use of their involved students.

Presentation

Dissect it and deal with it- Student Apathy in the UK

Paul England, NUS

A more in-depth look at student apathy today in the UK and what can be done to engage students.

Smash Apathy Now

Running fair & legal elections

Tim Mallender, NUS

Ensuring Fairness in Elections

Generating involvement in elections

Chris Shelley and Paul England, NUS

Generating involvement in elections

E-Democracy in Students’ Unions: Elections and More

Andrea Breau, University of Warwick Students’ Union and Richard Caulfield, UniServity

More unions are looking at e-voting to increase participation but is e-voting really a viable alternative to the traditional ballot box?

E-Voting: Improving Democracy in Students’ Unions

Making Membership Work: what does it mean to be a member?

Stephen Brown, National Secretary

This session will look at promoting participation through the process of joining a students’ union. It will look at the values of ownership and belonging that are created by other membership based, democratic organisations and how these can be applied to the student movement.

Turning Students into Members