DUSA Referendum Results & Responses 2014 On the 27th and 28th of March every student at the University

of Dundee was given the chance to vote on twelve motions which were presented to them by various groups on campus. Voting took place on MyDundee. None of the motions proposed reached the necessary quorum of 10% of students (1,633), but the DUSA Executive declared prior to the voting that they would be responding to all motions no matter the result. Below you can read each motion individually, the result, as well as DUSAs response. Motion 1: DUSA will declare its support for equality on its web page and actively campaigns against misogyny, racism, classism, ableism, transphobia, homophobia, other discrimination against sexual minorities, ageism and xenophobia. DUSA would be required to display posters aimed at educating, thwarting forms of discrimination, and promoting support services on campus next to their current posters which market events. Total votes cast: 535 Votes for: 299 (55.9%) Votes against: 236 (44.1%) Abstentions: 0 (0.0%) Although this motion did not reach quorum, DUSA will look into declaring on its website that it does not support discrimination of any kind. DUSA will continue working with the Universitys Student Services and new Enquiry Centre to promote the services they offer. Motion 2: DUSA will include rape awareness and rape prevention leaflets in the Freshers Week packs. These leaflets will explain consent, the circumstances under which consent can/cannot be obtained, and what is not acceptable behaviour in clubs (i.e. involuntary touching). These leaflets will not engage in victim blaming (the premise that the victims clothing, sobriety or other factors justify why they were assaulted). Total votes cast: 604 Votes for: 445 (73.7%) Votes against: 157 (26.0%) Abstentions: 2 (0.3%) The DUSA Executive will be looking to include a leaflet containing details of our recently launched Zero Tolerance campaign in all Freshers Packs. This will include information about what is and is not acceptable behaviour and detail what will happen to you should you commit an offense. These leaflets will not engage in victim blaming in any way. Motion 3: DUSA will conduct annual polls to gauge the level of discrimination on campus and have these findings included as data in the Freshers Week pack. The aim of this is to show that Dundee is actively trying to reduce discrimination on campus with time. Total votes cast: 663

Votes for: 341 (51.4%) Votes against: 321 (48.4) Abstentions: 1 (0.2%) The DUSA Executive will review the annual questionnaire distributed by the organisation to all students and will consider relevant questions regarding discrimination levels. Motion 4: DUSA will make all single user toilets it controls on campus genderless and lobby the University to do the same. Disabled toilets will remain unchanged. Total votes cast: 683 Vote for: 223 (32.7%) Votes against: 459 (67.2%) Abstentions: 1 (0.1%) This motion did not pass, and DUSA does not control any single user toilets on campus which are not designated for disabled users. Motion 5: Gendered multi user toilets DUSA controls will feature a sign saying All trans*, genderqueer and cis users welcome. Information on gender terminology will be made available on campus. Total votes cast: 646 Votes for: 132 (20.4%) Votes against: 513 (79.4%) Abstentions: 1 (0.1%) This motion did not pass. Motion 6: DUSA will declare that it opposes discrimination and victimisation against sex workers (commonly termed whorephobia) via its website and other media outlets. Total votes cast: 479 Votes for: 222 (46.3%) Votes against: 254 (53.0%) Abstentions: 3 This motion did not pass. Motion 7: Songs, such as Blurred Lines, that are considered to be potentially triggering of PTSD will be considered for being banned from playing within the Union should a request be sent to DUSA. Responsibility to deciding on a ban will lie with the VPSW and DUSA President and they must publish an explanation of why they reached their decision. Disagreement between the VPSW and President will result in the song being banned. Total votes cast: 873 Votes for: 157 (18.0%) Votes against: 714 (81.8%)

Abstentions: 2 (0.2%) This motion did not pass. Motion 8: All gender boxes on forms distributed by DUSA will contain a third option, or an other box. DUSA will also actively campaign for this to be the case University-wide. Total votes cast: 598 Votes for: 332 (55.5%) Votes against: 264 (44.1%) Abstentions: 2 (0.3%) All gender boxes on forms distributed by DUSA should already contain a third option after changes made by the DUSA President, and the President has requested that any examples where this does not happen be brought to his attention for amendment. The President has also already lobbied for the University to ensure this is the case on all of their forms as well, and will continue to do so. Motion 9: DUSA will actively combat lad culture something which is harmful to the student body, and make sure its future endeavours do not contribute to it. Total votes cast: 720 Votes for: 229 (31.8%) Votes against: 489 (67.9%) Abstentions: 2 (0.3%) This motion did not pass. However, DUSA would like to make members aware that it already campaigns against, or is planning to campaign against, certain aspects of lad culture as defined by the proposers at the Referendums Debate, including drug and alcohol awareness campaigns and our new Zero Tolerance campaign. Motion 10: DUSA will pay all its staff under the age of 21 at least the equivalent of the minimum wage for people aged >21 years old. The feasibility of this action will be reviewed semesterly until it is deemed affordable by the board. Total votes cast: 641 Votes for: 476 (74.3%) Votes against: 162 (25.3%) Abstentions: 3 (0.5%) The cost to DUSA of implementing this change would be significant, approximately 52,000 per annum. This issue will be discussed at DUSAs next meeting of its Board of Trustees, but it is important to note that DUSA is an incredibly cash-focused business and it only takes a small change in the external market for our finances to take a very significant hit, as happened last year when DUSA posted a loss of over 110,000. DUSA will provide more information to members after its Board has met and further discussed this issue. Motion 11: Insofar as is legally possible DUSA will implement this motion.

Dundee University Students Association notes: That the State of Israel continues an illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories the West Bank and Gaza Strip an illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, and enacts a system of Apartheid that has been described as far worse than Apartheid South Africa by the chair of the African National Council (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa. That the aforementioned state is responsible for widespread and ongoing human rights abuses against the local Palestinian population; including the destruction of homes, theft of land and water resources, arbitrary imprisonment without trial, torture of prisoners, systematic segregation, and the construction of Jewish-Only settlements on occupied Palestinian land. That the actions of this state are in violation of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & the Charter of the United Nations. The construction of Israeli settlements and Apartheid Segregation Wall has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice, the UN Security Council res 242, and the UK government. That, as noted by Nelson Mandela, the Israeli occupation reflects the former apartheid government of South Africa through the daily breach of Palestinian human rights. The South African Apartheid System was itself brought to an end in part due to an effective and global boycott campaign. That, the human rights group Amnesty International published a report on the 27th of February 2014 accusing the Israeli army of using excessive force in the West Bank, killing dozens in the past three years in what might constitute a war crime. That, in 2005, Palestinian civil society called for a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law, allowing the realization of Palestinian rights. A truly global movement against Israeli Apartheid is rapidly emerging in response to this call. DUSA believes: That fundamental human rights and international law should be acknowledged and adhered to by states and businesses. Just as individual sanctions against apartheid in South Africa led ultimately to its demise there, so individual and collective sanctions against the state of Israel will end apartheid and suffering in Palestine. DUSA Resolves: To ensure that products sold by this union were neither grown nor produced within occupied Palestinian territories, nor by companies which are complicit in the occupation of Palestinian territories To resist, insofar as legislative considerations permit, any action or commercial transaction that gives political or economic support to the State of Israel and corporations directly complicit in its violations of international law To endorse the global BDS movement against the state of Israel until it ends the occupation, complies with international law, recognizes the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality, and respects the Palestinian Right of Return as stipulated in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution #194 [http://www.bdsmovement.net/call].

Furthermore, DUSA shall henceforth follow the precedent already set by other Scottish Students Associations such as Edinburgh and Glasgow Caledonian and formally endorse the Palestinian Right to Education Campaign [http://www.right2edu.org]. This resolution and information within shall be permanently displayed on DUSAs website in an area accessible to students and public. Total votes cast: 660 Votes for: 479 (72.6%) Votes against: 179 (27.1%) Abstentions: 2 (0.3%) Many of the aspects of this motion would not be implementable by DUSA due to restrictions placed on student associations by legislation including the Education Act 1994. DUSA will take this feedback on board when looking at future purchasing and service contract options. Motion 12: Insofar as is legally possible DUSA will implement the following motion. Based on the portfolio from the 1st, October, 2013, the University of Dundee is investing in BP, Royal Dutch Shell (more commonly known as Shell), and BG group. All of these are oil and gas producers, and it seems that Dundee invests around 1.4 million pounds in this industry. This petition is part of a UK-wide campaign led by students of People and Planet and requests that our Universities stop investing in fossil fuels. The choice not to invest in fossil fuels, given the amount of money invested by UK universities, may have actual effects on the future of energy. Already the campaign has gathered roughly 230 signatures from Students of The University of Dundee (please review the attached petition). This Union Notes: That the University of Dundee has public commitments to tackling climate change and furthermore, the principal has signed a policy for Climate Change Commitment (please review attached files). That the University of Dundee has an endowment of 23,116,000 including investments in fossil fuel companies including BP, Shell and BG group, totaling at least 1,400,000. That BP and Shell are among the worlds 200 largest fossil fuel companies, by proven carbon reserves, and that these reserves are well in excess of the amount of carbon that can be safely burned to have a chance of staying below 2C of global warming. CarbonTrackers Unburnable Carbon 2013/12 report which highlights the overvaluation of fossil fuel reserves and the huge financial risks of investing in fossil fuels. That People & Planet, in partnership with 350.org and others, has launched a Fossil Free UK campaign, calling on UK higher education institutions to divest from fossil fuels and sever their links with these companies. That 6 higher education institutions in the United States in addition to 17 Cities and numerous faith groups have already committed to divesting from fossil fuels for both moral and financial reasons.

This Union Believes: That we are running out of time to keep global warming below 2C above pre-industrial levels- the limit for ensuring a safe and stable future for the economy, the planet and all people on it, as recently outlined in the IPCCs 5th Assessment Report. That the fossil fuel industry, by extracting, processing, promoting and facilitating the use of, selling and profiting from fossil fuels, as well as by having a major influence on government policy, is complicit in causing climate change and its catastrophic impacts. That we must do everything in our power to rapidly reduce the global use of fossil fuels and expand clean energy alternatives. That our university should be a role model in society, acting responsibly and helping create a safe future that is better for everyone. That the University of Dundees investments in the fossil fuel industry undermine its commitment to tackling climate change and fulfilling their climate change commitment. That the University of Dundees commitment to tackling climate change should extend to its investment portfolio, as well as its own operations and research priorities. That the University of Dundees environmental policies should include an Ethical Investment policy and a Green Education Declaration. This Union Resolves: To mandate the DUSA Executive to coordinate and put resources toward a high-profile Fossil Free campaign around fossil fuel divestment on campus, including the dissemination of information about The University of Dundees investments and the companies it invests. To mandate the relevant DUSA Executive to request quarterly updates of the Universities investment portfolio. To mandate the DUSA Executive to lobby for and secure student representation on all university investment committees. For the DUSA Executive to lobby the university to end all future investments in fossil fuel companies and to divest from fossil fuel industry companies immediately. To mandate the DUSA Executive to lobby the Careers Service to ensure no fossil fuel companies are allowed to recruit potential graduates onto campus and to lobby for the provision by the Careers Service of ethical careers advice. To mandate the DUSA Executive to actively work with People & Planet and other external organizations involved in fossil fuel divestment and related campaigns. To support and encourage other student unions to submit similar policies and launch their own Fossil Free campaigns. Total votes cast: 548

Votes for: 363 (66.2%) Votes against: 182 (33.2%) Abstentions: 3 (0.5%) As with the previous motions, DUSAs ability to enact all parts of this motion would have been constrained by legislation had it passed. However, the DUSA President is already in discussions with the University to ensure that there is student representation on all committees relating to investment. The DUSA President will also discuss this issue with the University Senior Management Team in discussions regarding the Universitys Ethical Investment Policy. Finally, DUSA will, as it has always done for matriculated societies, offer support to the People & Planet Society with any campaigns that they choose to run where possible as determined by our Constitution, Bye Laws and relevant legislation.