What is a Union General Meeting (UGM)?
Upcoming UGMs
Agenda for the Next UGM
Voting for the Next UGM
Guidance on Writing a UGM Motion
Submit a UGM Motion
Previously Passed UGM Motions
A Union General Meeting (UGM) is a meeting of SOAS Students' Union whereby SOAS SU policy decisions are made by the student body. UGMs happen once per term, and are a means of democratic participation where students can directly suggest, ammend, and pass new Union policy. UGMs are run in accordance with the SOAS SU Constitution.
Any member of the SU can submit a policy motion to be discussed and voted on at a UGM. A motion should be brought to a UGM if, by its nature, it affects a majority if not all of the SOAS student body, or if it needs the weight of the Union behind it in order for it to be enacted. UGMs are a structured form of democracy - if you're not sure whether your idea needs to go to a UGM speak to our Democracy & Education Co-President or our Governance, Communication & Sustainability Coordinator who can advise on the best route to achieve your idea.
Motions which are brought to UGMs are subject to questions and amednments, and need a simple majority in order to pass. Once passed, it is the responsibility of the motion proposer and the SU Co-Presidents to ensure the motion is carried out. Passed UGM motions are then active SU policy for the next 3 years.
If you're attending a UGM for the first time - either as a motion proposer or just as a student attendee - read over our SOAS SU Union General Meeting Guide which explains how a UGM works on the day, so you know what to expect! For online UGMs, check out our UGM Zoom Guide for more information on how the online process works. Don't forget to also make yourself familiar with the UGM Ground Rules, which layout the conduct expectations of the meeting.
- Term 1: -
- Term 2: Monday 22nd February 2021, 3pm - 5pm
- Term 3 (part 1): Friday 7th May 2021, 3pm - 5pm
- Term 3 (part 2): Friday 21st May 2021, 11am - 12:30pm
You can now view the agenda for the upcoming UGM: May 21st Agenda
You can also view the Officer Reports here: May 21st Officer Reports
You can vote on the motions of the May 21st UGM, and the reopened motions of 'Sabbatical Role for Black African, Black Caribbean and Black Students of the diaspora' and 'Introduce a ‘QTIBPOC Officer’ to SOAS SU' from 12:30pm Friday 21st May - 12:30pm Saturday 22nd May: May 21st UGM Vote
UGMs are a structured form of student democracy, and policy motions should be submitted in a specific format.
See our How to Write a UGM Motion page, or speak to our Democracy & Education Co-President or our Governance, Communication & Sustainability Coordinator for details on how to shape your policy motion.
You can use our UGM Motion Submission Form to submit your UGM policy motion. Motions submitted will be discussed during the next UGM. All motions must be submitted at least 3 working days before the next UGM. Deadlines to submit you motion can be found below:
- Term 1 UGM: -
- Term 2 UGM: Friday 12th February 2021, 12pm
- Term 3 UGM (part 1 and 2): Friday 30th April 2021, 12pm
Active SU policy which was a result of a UGM motion can be seen in our UGM Policy Library.
For updates on each motion, see the Progress pages in the UGM Policy Library, or speak to our Democracy & Education Co-President.