Kingston Students Union have set the stage for a showdown with the careers service by voting to ban the armed forces from recruiting at the University a fortnight before the RAF are booked to visit.

The vote to ban recruitment by the armed forces was one of the motions passed by students at the annual student union meeting this week.

The motion, which was only passed by a small majority, was put forward by Joshua Ogunleye to protest against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The ban follows similar moves by other London universities such as UCL earlier this year.

However, SU President Olrick Coker, admitted: “All policies that we are putting into place depend on the University complying with what we say.  Something we can do now is continue lobbying.”

Coker said the SU would contact the careers service “to say that students don't want this on campus”.
The visit by the RAF to the Roehampton Vale campus on December 8, will be the second time the RAF have come to Kingston University this year.

The vote to ban the forces from campus was passed after heated discussions on war and freedom of expression, among the 100 or so students in attendance.

It was the first time in many years that a student union annual meeting has had enough students in attendance to pass any motions at all. Policy has previously been made by the student council because not enough students turn up.

Media Vice President Mark Callaby said: "I don't think this has ever happened at Kingston before." But the number of students in the meeting was still more than matched by the number propping up the bar or in the Foodstore. RiverOnline reporters counted at least 200 eating and drinking during the meeting.

Chair Hannah Smith said the Union had "had a fight on its hands" to get staff to cancel classes for the AGM, adding that many members of KU staff felt that it was pointless because no students cared about the meeting.

One student in the bar said: “People's views are not properly represented by the student union. I knew about the event from studentspace but I didn't go, partly because I don't really care.”

One proposal defeated at the meeting was to introduce a gender neutral toilet at each campus to meet the needs of trans-gender students.

Further motions passed at the meeting were:
* the extension of labelled recycling bins across campus, including composting facilities
* the abolition of the positions of nursing officer, chair of the union council and site reps and the introduction of LGBT officer, part-time students' officer, postgraduate student officer and 2 non-portfolio officers
* replacing the Union Council with general meetings open to all
* changing the name of the Vice President Media to VP Communications and Campaigns
* campaign for further prayer/quiet space at Kingston Hill
* the replacement of the Sports and Societies Council with AGMs and working groups.

Picture credit: David Hartley/Rex Features