Proposals brough to AGM should follow the below structure:

1. Title: The title of your motion
2. Proposed by: The name and student number of the motion proposer (who will speak at the AGM)
3. Seconded by: The name and student number of the motion seconder (who does not have to speak at the AGM)
4. This Union Notes: These are facts which provide context to the motion
5. This Union Believes: These are opinions which the proposer and seconder believe are good for students to know, to aid their motion in passing
6. This Union Resolves*: These are the actions that the proposer and seconder want to happen if the motion passes

* in terms of Union Resolutions, SOAS Students Union is a registered charity and as such there are certain actions we are unable to do by law.
If you're uncertain about the achievability of your resolutions, please speak to our Democracy & Education Co-President or our Governance, Communication & Sustainability Coordinator who can provide you with more details.

When a motion passes and becomes SU policy it affects all students in SOAS SU.

You should be thinking about all the ways your motion impacts upon different areas of the student body and the SU as a general, such as:

• Equality implications: Will this proposal negatively impact any protected student groups?
• Democractic implications: Will this proposal impact the ability of all students to democratically vote for the work of the Union?
• Welfare implications: Will this proposal negatively impact the welfare of any students?
• Financial implications: Will this proposal require Union funding, and if so, where / which budget will this money come from?
• Responsibilities for implimenting the proposal resolutions: Who will be responsible for enacting the resolutions of the proposal?
• Are you prepared to work with the Students' Union to achieve the resolutions of this proposal?: You must be prepared to support the Union in carrying out the resolutions of your propsal - we will need clarification on your aims, and to work with you to achieve what we can.
   
• Clarity of your proposal: Finally, it's worth thinking about how clear you want to be in your Resolutions. Very clear Resolutions will help students know what you want to achieve, however they may limit the ability of the Union to achieve them if they are too specific and we are unable to do them as stated. Vague Resolutions may make it difficult for students to understand what you want to achieve, however may provide greater flexibility in how we can action your proposal as there may be more than one way to achieve your aims. You will need to find the right balance between being clear about your aims and allowing room for flexibility.

Below is an example AGM Proposal, showing how to properly structure a proposal.

Note: This proposal has deliberately been created imperfectly to allow for Example Questions to also be listed below. You should try to provide more detail in your proposal!

Title: SOAS SU To Get A Cat

Proposed by: A Student (123456@soas.ac.uk) 

Seconded by: B Student (234567@soas.ac.uk)

This Union Notes:

1.1 Cats eat mice and small rodents

1.2 Cats are low maintenance pets

1.3 Animals are good for emotional wellbeing

1.4 Some people are allergic to cats

This Union Believes:

2.1 That a cat would add to the atmosphere of the SOAS SU

2.2 That a cat in the JCR would scare off rats and small rodents from the SU spaces

2.3 That SOAS SU needs a mascot, and a cat would fill this role

This Union Resolves:

3.1 To buy a cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (under £200, ideally ginger)

3.2 To train the cat to sit by the SU door so students can see it

3.3 To hold a student vote to name the cat

Examples of questions students might ask at AGM:

• Who will feed the cat?
• What budget will the cat and cat food come from?
• How can we ensure the welfare of the cat in such a busy, public setting?