After three months of work, numerous re-drafts, consultation, reports, discussions and meetings the Union has a new Constitution and associated Bye-Laws. I wrote a comment piece for Felix a month or so ago, explaining the key points and reasons behind the changes – the comments that came back seemed to be that some people didn’t think the changes were important. They are crucial to the Union’s survival though. Whilst hardly anyone will be affected by the changes, the changes were necessary so that wecan retain the status quo. If the changes hadn’t happened, the Union’s charitable status would have disappeared and the Union as you know it would cease to exist: either swallowed up as a department of the College, or paying hundreds of thousands in tax (either cutting club funding, or raising bar prices…). The changes have been – for the most part – preventative, instead of reactionary.

I say ‘for the most part’ on the basis that some changes weren’t related to charity registration: the opportunity for changes to the sometimes baffling governance structure the Union had was seized at the same time; there was no point in locking ourselves into a constitution with the Charity Commission that had bad structures in place.

Part of my efforts can now move onto the strategic future of the Union: redeveloping Charing Cross bar, Imperial West, a new Sherfield Walkway and trying to improve the ways the College and Union can work together in all catering and bar outlets – including the proposed Holland Bar – to provide the best student experience possible, for everyone, at all campuses.

Changes that you'll notice

• Union Council can now discuss anything; operational or political (as long as it's not ultra viraes to the Union as a whole...)
• The RSM and Silwood Park now have the same 'importance' in the Union's Governance structure as the RCSU, ICSMSU and CGCU
• Clubs and society elections no longer have to fulfil half as many 'tick-box' requirements, and are much simpler to administer
• We no longer have a 'Court' or 'Court Advocate'