What is a referendum?

A referendum is a general vote by our members (current AUB students) on a single question that has been referred to them for a direct decision. The question in this case is “Should the Students’ Union (and University*) be prohibited from using A.I.?” YES or NO.

Why is this happening?

AUBSU received a petition signed by 500+ AUB students in response to the use of A.I. within our Freshers branding. As a part of our constitution our members are entitled to petition us to create new, or alter existing, policies. The final decision is always made democratically by the whole student population & the result can only be validated if enough of the student population participate in the vote.

Who will be affected by the result of the referendum?

The referendum will influence AUBSU and any student group or elected representative affiliated with AUBSU. This means that it will impact the staff in our office & elected Sabbatical Officers, and the result will also apply to all AUBSU Clubs and Societies, Course Reps & Student Executive Officers.

The result will NOT directly impact University policy in the same way it will for us as your Students’ Union. This is because we are legally separate entities with different procedures for policy creation. The result will be communicated to The University and will form part of any future decisions they make around this topic, but it will not dictate their next steps. It will form our position as a students’ union about how to represent your voice to the University in these discussions.

What is Hustings?

Hustings is a session for candidates in an election to address their potential voters. Our Hustings will be hosted in The Arts Bar on Wednesday 12^th November 12:30-1:30pm. Come along to hear directly from the candidates and campaign agents why they feel you should vote for their cause, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions & speak to candidates and campaign agents collectively and individually so you can make an informed choice when you come to vote!

How do I nominate myself?

Simply send an email to SUdemocracy@aub.ac.uk with your name, student number and which role you wish to nominate for (campaign agent for yes, campaign agent for no, or student executive officer). We will be in touch with you to confirm your nomination and provide you further information and support during the process.

How do I vote?

Via our website! Our elections platform will go live & we will advertise this across our homepage and our social media channels.

What will happen after the results are announced?

AUBSU will get to work actioning the result of the referendum, there will be a Student Assembly on the 20^th November that all students are welcome to attend where we will present our next steps to you.

Will the sessions on A.I. still go ahead?

The 6 open-discussion sessions exploring A.I. and Creativity, that were promised in our

statement on Instagram and our website, will still go ahead. The dates for these will be confirmed after the result of the referendum is announced. This process has shown us there are a lot of strong and varied opinions amongst our membership regarding A.I. and Creativity and we are committed to exploring the topic with the nuance it deserves – but only after we have democratically answered this important referendum question. The sessions will cover:

1. Critical Thinking & Judgement
2. Sustainability & Ethics
3. Creative Industry impacts
4. Education & Assessment
5. Equity & Representation
6. Next steps & Recommendations

I want to be involved, but not nominate/campaign, what can I do?

There are lots of ways to be involved!

You can:

• Attend Hustings to ask questions and interact with the campaigners.

• Cast your vote in the referendum!

• Come along to our Student Assembly to discuss next steps once the referendum result is confirmed

• Interact with our A.I. and Creativity discussion sessions once they’re scheduled and advertised.