The Articles of Association are the  governing document that defines UPSU’s aims and objectives and sets out the way we undertake our core functions. They manage how the students’ union is governed and how students can engage with our democratic processes.

Any changes to the Articles needs approval from the UPSU Board of Trustees, the members of UPSU, the University Board of Governors before finally being agreed by the Charity Commission who are the principle regulatory body for most students’ unions, including UPSU.

The UPSU Board of Trustees are proposing two small amendments to the Articles of Association which reflect the changes in UPSU since the initial creation of the Articles in 2017.

The Trustee Board is currently comprised of four External Trustees, four Sabbatical Officer Trustees and two Student Trustees.

Proposal 1

To reduce the minimum number of times the whole Board of Trustees must meet each year from four to three.

This will be the absolute minimum number of meetings and UPSU will be able to call additional meetings as needed. This change better reflects the structure of the academic year and reduces demand on Trustees time, especially that of External Trustees. External Trustees are volunteers who generously give their personal time to support the students’ Union, not only attending meetings of the whole Board but also regular sub-committees and Union activities, as required.

Proposal 2

To reduce the number of Sabbatical Officer Trustees required to make a binding decision from three to two.

The minimum number of Trustees required to make a decision will remain at least five, comprising at least two External Trustees. However, the minimum number of Sabbatical Officer Trustees shall be reduced from three to two.

This reflects the reduction in the number of Sabbatical Officer roles from June 2026 from four to three.

Any feedback about this proposal can be shared at su.governance@su.plymouth.ac.uk