THE DEADLINE set by the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) for submitting questions to be considered for an online referendum has now passed, as the process enters its second stage.

The initiative attempted to encourage students to be at the forefront of change and innovation within the University of Edinburgh, and EUSA has been working hard to promote the new process of submitting questions online via the EUSA website as a unique opportunity for students to bring “burning issues” to a vote within the student body.

16 potential questions are now required to collect 100 valid student signatures by 1 February, as those hoping to have a question put to an online University referendum were asked to do so by noon on 25 January.

Those questions which successfully gather the support of 100 students by February 1st will go to a university wide vote on 7th and 8th February, following two Referenda Debates, which are to be held in George Square Lecture Theatre at 7pm on 7th and 8th February and are open to students.

The questions submitted give much attention to the way student representatives are selected, with six of the 16 questions relating to student elections and similar issues, with some addressing problems encountered by students on a day-to-day basis.

One question suggests a complete reorganisation of EUSA to a system of councils, in order to “give the greatest number of students direct democratic control and meaningful participation” while another called for EUSA representatives to resign their positions if they fail to show “significant signs of achieving at least forty per cent of their campaign promises” within six months of taking up their post.

One question promising to generate both support and disagreement deals with the reoccurring issue of “reserving” library space, with the question challenging students to pass judgement once and for all on the previously entertained idea that library staff should be able to remove possessions left at desks or computers for more than half an hour.

Other questions highlight more controversial topics among activists at the university, particularly one which suggests that links with Birzeit University in Palestine should be strengthened by a EUSA organised annual visit to Edinburgh of a delegation of Palestinian students from Birzeit.

Financial worries among students appear to have manifested themselves in more than one proposed question, with one requesting that the University be obliged to “make students aware of any additional costs they are going to face on their course” and to “minimise these additional costs”, as well as one question which highlight’s EUSA’s current failure to pay its staff a “living wage of £7.20 an hour” and asks that this is rectified in EUSA policy.

The full list of questions is available to view on the EUSA website.