Bangor University Students’ Union (Undeb Bangor) is proposing updates to its Articles of Association the governing document that sets out how the Union operates. The Articles have been updated following a Democracy Review and consultation with students, staff, and trustees, aimed at making the Union more accessible, accountable, and student-led. These changes aim to simplify governance, improve accountability, and reflect current terminology and structures.

 

What are Articles of Association?

Knowing exactly how any charitable legal entity functions is important in making sure procedures are followed correctly and help meet its goals. Undeb Bangor’s Articles of Association is the rule book of Undeb Bangor, setting out the framework, which sit next to Byelaws that are the day-to-day rules of the organisation, providing a detailed description of the organisation’s operations.

 

Why are the Articles being updated?

The Articles as they stand do not meet the changing needs of the organisation or the membership (you, the students!).

You can read the proposed changes to the Articles of Association here.

 

What’s Changing?

In summary, the main change is a shift in terminology and governance structure to better reflect how Undeb Bangor operates today. The term “Sabbatical Officer” will be replaced with “Student Officer” throughout the Articles to make roles clearer and more relatable. References to outdated structures like the Student Council will be replaced with the Executive Committee, and governance roles such as the Chair of the Board will now be held by an external trustee, with the President acting as Deputy Chair.

This change to the Chair role is designed to strengthen the Union’s governance by ensuring continuity, stability, and professional expertise at the Board level. While the President remains a key political leader of the organisation, separating this role from the Chair of the Board allows the Union to benefit from external experience in strategic oversight, while freeing up the President to focus on representing and campaigning for students.

Importantly, student leadership remains at the heart of the Union’s governance. The Board of Trustees will continue to include five elected Student Officers and four Student Trustees, ensuring that students hold the majority voice in decision-making. Additionally, the Articles propose the adoption of an additional Lay Trustee to bring in further expertise and support the Union’s strategic development.

These changes will give the Students’ Union more flexibility, clearer accountability, and a structure that better supports student-led decision-making. The day-to-day rights of members won’t change, and students will continue to elect the student officer trustees.

For these changes to be adopted, your approval as members is essential.