2015-02-15

A JCR meeting was held on the 15th of February in the Bridgetower Room.

ATTENDANCE:

Those present were:

James Troup – President, JTr hereafter
Solene Fercocq – Vice-President, SF hereafter
Emily Bosley – Treasurer, EB hereafter
Eowyn Elliott – Welfare, EE hereafter
Joe Pape – Access, JP hereafter
Kate Jones – Ents, KJ hereafter
Martin Dunne – Ents, MD hereafter
Dominic O’Neill – Frep, DON hereafter
Sandy Rushton – Women’s Officer, SR hereafter
Jacob Sen – LGBT+, JS hereafter
Jenni Irons – Special Considerations, JI hereafter
Oli Lane – Webmaster, OL hereafter
Charlotte Attwood – MCR rep, CA hereafter

Apologies from: Anna Edgar (Green & Ethics), Joel Daramola (Welfare), Baifeng Quek (International), Furquaan Kaji (Black & Ethnic Minorities), Jennie Towler (Frep), Catriona Ashley Miller (Frep).

SUBLETTING SCHEME

SF states the scheme was only intended to tide the college over until Wyng Gardens is complete. Will run over the Easter break.

ALUMNI DEVELOPMENT – JCR

JTr – college want to merge Secretary with new ‘Alumni & Development’ role.
- Would involve feedback from careers, promoting careers, feeding JCR news to alumni, publicising telethon etc.
- Keen on the idea – better integration of college bodies, exert more leverage on college.
EB – Change in constitution? Action – bring up at next open meeting and next governing body.
- People haven’t enjoyed the telethon, role of Secretary is to advertise but not promote actively.
SF states the Secretary is meant to call meetings and write agenda rather than the Vice President.
- VP could do with less work, secretary could do more.
- JTr agrees, would have preferred more work during his tenure.

4^th YEAR ACCOMMODATION

JTr went to governing body asking for a guarantee for 4^th year accommodation
- Governing Body opposed the motion, as expected by the JCR.
EB asks about a guarantee for intermitting students – been pushing for half a year, confusion between JCR and governing body
- Asks if people can move down the ballot if they intermit. Accommodation situation needs to be appreciated with 4^th and 5^th years etc.
- JTr stresses that this is the exception, not the rule.
- EE states Integration into the year below a crucial aspect of this.
- SF suggests a better tutorial office will be able to handle this.
- Needs to be made clear to the students the pros and cons.
- JTr wants people to speak to tutors, let people move down the ballot if they’re comfortable.
- JI – Student going into fourth year, changed tripos, have special consideration requests to stay with returning 4^th year MML. Individual cases need to go through Dr. Jackson to get accepted.
- JTr – Spec cons needs to be clear – exception to rule as opposed to a change in the rule.
- EB suggests it should come from the welfare team with the support of the JCR. Suggests a meeting with Rosie and encourages people to meet with tutors. If students live in private accommodation due to of matters out of their hands they can apply through the Benn Bursary – word of mouth, not 100%
- SF suggests reassuring the JCR with the college’s stance, expecting to accommodate everyone without the word ‘guarantee’ as a result of uncertainties surrounding 4^th years.
- CA discusses the summer pool – not a lot of time for students to find out their accommodation plans privately
- JS describes the Churchill/Wychfield arrangement.
- SF adds that college provides extra rooms to other colleges at a time of shortage for TH students, would be difficult to find additional accommodation
- College reluctant to guarantee full accommodation

ACTION: Upbeat email – cleared with Dr. Jackson to ensure facts are correct.

4^th YEAR JCR/MCR MEMBERSHIP

CA – College asked for MCR and JCR to submit written stances which are submitted separately
- College says MCR/JCR membership is unsustainable, made them JCR members
- Now 4^th years are both, not a long-term solution
- Should they be JCR or MCR members?
SF states this is due to financial reasons
EB adds it’s too confusing to have JCR/MCR memberships
JS suggests they aren’t considering the views of those affected
EB – Issues can be circumvented through the JCR MCR
JTr – proposals will be similar and agreeable
EB – £75 per year to be part of both
- Asks is it fair for those current affected by the issue to decide permanently for future years?
SF moves towards a solution, seeing if there are ways of mitigating the downsides
- Have discussion at the open meeting next week discussing pros/cons, formals, superhalls, accommodation – need all the details from tutorial office
- Send out an email with Google form – ask people to register to vote since some people vote blindly. Open voting system afterwards
JTr – Vote would be open to entire JCR – not clear who is going to be a fourth year
- Isn’t keen on restricting the vote, just filtering it so those who have an interest get their voices amplified
EB raises the issue of bursary access disparities between JCR and MCR members
- Not going to get grad accommodation and bursary together – some benefits
JTr implores a spirit of cooperation – social event flexibility etc.
- 4^th years expected to go MCR
EB – grads pay college fee, undergrads pay through tuition fee
SF points out that it’s a complicated issue. All grads pay college, some go to MCR to fund socials and to subsidise their halls
- 4^th years would not pay college fee and therefore get benefits for free
CA – Less money shared out
EE – £75 fee is a problem for people who vote against
JS suggests this isn’t agreeable – college would benefit financially from letting 4^th years join the JCR.
SR wants to find out what 4^th years want out of MCR membership and JCR membership and find a middle ground
CA – Next year 4^th years in the JCR will be able to join MCR events but no guarantee – varies with the views of the MCR president of the day
JCR will work out an exact time later

ACTION – hold discussions at open meeting, hold referendum and then stage the ballot. JCR action needs to be decided by 3^rd of March.

CO-OPTED INTERVIEWS

SR moves towards deciding when to have the interviews
- Solene sent out an email with provisional dates
SF will receive nominations throughout this week
JTr – needs to be approached with individual co-opted positions
- Will make clear the new role of the secretary
SF asked about two international reps? Position isn’t big enough for this
JTr – job shares are feasible but not ideal. Competitions are a good thing.
- Committee would become too big in addition.
- EE points out that Welfare Sub-committee didn’t used to attend meetings.
SR – logistically difficult to democratise the election process

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES REVIEW

EE – Brought up in buildings, health and safety
SF – Last governing body, JCR made proposal
- Clear gender imbalance in college
- Needs to be reviewed in all committees and departments
- Discuss representation in committees
- Positive mention in ICT
- JP – Equal opportunities wasn’t brought up in Educational Policy Committee
EE – gender neutral toilets.
- Staircases are.
- JT – Bar and Viva important areas
- Important we appreciate all welfare considerations.
- Can change the signs in the the terrace room toilets.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

JTr – update on committee meetings
- Coffee in the reading room
Kitchens
- Return of plastic cups in hall
- Allergen labelling in hall
  - Common allergies can be labelled
  - JS – unsustainable.
  - Problem is liability.
  - JP suggests labelling.
  - Cross contamination in the salad bar.
  - Solution – go to JCR to find out pertinent needs.
  - SR – other colleges do it and do it well.
Welfare updates
- MCR had ceded from the JCR locker.
- Big welfare tea – 1^st of March at 3pm.
- Sandwiches for 50, cakes for 70.
Treasurer
- JCR pettybox suggested as a means of supplying the JCR with quick-access money.
IT
- New IT support website.
- WiFi rollout complete.
- Bateman Street not included.
EE
- Issues with automatic door locking.
- Will send email – fire hazard.
- Manufacturer will guarantee faulty locks replaced for free.
Educational policy committee – JP
- Positive news regarding applicants from the maintained sector, with a percentage above the university’s average.
- Concerns raised with regard to English, Economics and Biology-related science subject applicants.
- Additional funding for the language centre in summer.
CUSU updates
- TH aren’t due rent updates for a while.
- MCR doing papers to governing body.
- Within James’ prerogative to deal with future proposals.
JS
- CUSU LGBT haven’t ever met up.
SR
- Women’s forum – grad student proposing campaign within domestic abuse
- Plan is to make posters, signs of domestic abuse both physical and emotional.
- JP raises the issue of emotional triggers – work will be done to avoid these.
JI
- Disabled students campaign exists.
- Open meeting at the end of week 6.
Motions presented by SF
- Aforementioned women’s motion. All ayes, no nos.
- Fight the use of unpaid internships. No nos.
- Amendment on consent and anti-abuse education to form a central part of KS2 teaching. Student initiatives in higher education, fighting abuse. CUSU support for future consent workshops. SRE – sexual relations education. Improving sex ed on campus and beyond. All ayes, no nos.
- Motion to improve sab contracts. All ayes, no nos.

AOB

SR need for decent bike pumps.
- Advertise good bike pumps at Wychfield, bring them down here. Suggestion made that Sainsbury’s £14 pumps will be feasible.
Issue of guest beds raised by EB. JCR agrees to keep beds but have flexibility of better futon/camp beds
JTr – Non-JCR items in the JCR office including gowns, sports kit and leftover June event items.
DON raises problem with the Sky box. JCR notes it’s an on-going issue which is receiving due attention.