Democracy

What is a referendum?

A referendum is when all SHU students are asked their opinion on key student issue(s) and/or important matters of the Union.

How does a referendum happen?

A referendum may be called:

• By a vote in Union Council or Officer Committee
• By a petition in writing addressed to the President

Petitions must be signed by at least 1% or 250 (whichever is greater) of the student body.

How can I set up a petition for referenda?

A petition for referenda must include the proposed question and name three people from petition, at least one of which is to act as representative(s) of the petitioners. Attached is the template for you to use:

What happens if a referendum is passed?

If a referendum is passed it then becomes policy of the Union, and the Union is mandated to the result, except in cases where the decision would have negative and damaging effect to the finances or reputation of the organisation. If this were the case the Trustee Board (Link) would intervene as appropriate.

When has a referendum been held at Hallam?

An example of a referendum held by Hallam Union was in December 2009.

REFERENDUM ISSUE: The Officers wanted to change the Officer Roles in order to make them more representative for students

REFERENDUM CALLED: Officer Committee called a referendum

REFERENDUM HELD: Hallam Union ran the referendum, the “YES” campaign group canvassed students

REFERENDUM RESULT: Students voted 92% in favour of the new Officer Roles Proposal

REFERENDUM RESULT IMPLEMENTED: The new look Officer structure was launched and new role were elected in March 2010