In same way as a hall Junior Common Room Committees (JCRs) Orbital is not formally affiliated to the University of Bristol Student Union in any way. It does, however, along with the JCRs, have a say at the Union.
The presidents of Orbital, and those of all the Hall JCRs, sit on a committee called the Student Residences Forum. This organisation is chaired by the Sabbatical Officer for Community and aims to allow all those in attendance to share best practice and maintain good communications. There are two spokespeople for the forum, one from Orbital and one elected from the amongst the hall JCR presidents.
Two Part Time Officer positions, with full voting rights, are reserved for these spokespeople on the Student Council. The Student Council is the executive decision making body of the Student Union and its decisions can only be overturned by an Annual General Meeting (held once a year in February and open to all Students) motion or by a cross-campus referendum.
The Student Council meets 12 times a year, or roughly once every 3 weeks during term time, on Thursday evenings in the Union building. Any student has the right to attend and to present motions, though only Sabbatical Officers and Part Time Officers, those elected from amongst the student body, hold voting rights.
If you want to find out more about how the Student Council works, want to read previous minutes or fancy coming along yourself then they have their own page on the Union website.
If there is an issue you feel strongly about why not write a motion and take it to Student Council? If you want any help with your idea, want someone else to write or present it for you, or if you think it's a motion Orbital should campaign on, or support, then please contact the President.