Croker’s policy proposals cause concerns among Students’ Union Liberation Officers
SU President elect Rich Croker has been condemned by liberation officers, who threatened to resign if his plans to degrade their posts once he takes charge at the end of the present academic year were implemented.
Croker has said “I believe there is no need for a LGBT nor Women’s Officer” within the Executive; the committee which controls the day-to-day running of the Union.
He added that although he said the roles were “essential to the running of the Students’ Union”, he felt they could achieve this by only being constitutionally recognised in Senate, the SU’s chief governing body.
Since Croker’s comments, liberation officers of the current year and next year have reacted angrily to the proposal arguing that there is great need to maintain their current status as members of both Executive and Senate committees. LGBT officer for 2006/07, Rose Rickford added that she didn’t believe he felt that women are discriminated against.
Grace Fletcher-Hall, current SU Women’s officer, who had resigned earlier in the year in protest of the proposed constitution explained that even though she has had discussions with Croker at the recent NUS regional conference and admitted the issue had been taken out of context she still believes there is a “problem”.
The argument from liberation officers about the proposed plans is that current members of the SU do not understand the role they play.
Erin McAlister, recently elected SU Woman’s Officer said “there is a big issue regarding the understanding of the liberation officers within the SU. It is very important to have someone representing you at a higher level”.
Of Croker she said “he doesn’t want anyone disadvantaged to have a vote,” concluding “ultimately its about representation”.
Croker has also caused a stir after he revealed plans to review the role that the National Union of Students play in the running of the Students’ Union.
This comes after relations between the two organisations were brought into question by the SU’s recent withdrawal of support of the AUT strike.
Croker said “the NUS conference [he recently attended] was highly politicised and was not representative of student bodies across the country” commenting that he doesn’t believe in politics in the SU. However, he was keen to stress the changes of a suggested disaffiliation from the body was unlikely during his tenure.
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