Committees
Executive Committee 2024-25
The Executive Committee oversees the day-to-day running of the Society and represents the views of the JCR to the college and the University.
Governance Committee
Governance Committee (GovComm) are in charge of running JCR Meetings and elections, as well as maintaining the governance of the JCR.
There are seven members of GovComm:
- JCR Chair
- Senior Returning Officer (SRO)
- 3x Junior Returning Officers (JROs)
- Stool
The President and Vice-President also sit on GovComm.
The role of the JCR Chair is to organise and chair JCR Meetings, as well maintain the Standing Orders and Constitution of the Society. It is their role to advise members on issues of governance and assist with the running of motions. They’re helped by the Stool. The Chair also sits on the Executive Committee.
The SRO is in charge of running elections, which are held in the second half of JCR Meetings. They’re assisted by the three JROs, who work together to ensure that elections are fair and run smoothly.
The two JROs and the Stool are elected in the first meeting of the year, so if you want to get involved in GovComm, email the SRO (details below). These roles require no experience whatsoever, and are a great way of getting involved in Cuth’s
If you want to get in touch about motions or governance, you can email the Chair at chair@cuths.com. If you want to get in touch with the SRO about elections, you can email sro@cuths.com.

Finance Committee
FinanceComm manages the JCR’s finances, and getting involved is a great way to see how the whole JCR operates. It’s also great for getting financial experience, from bookkeeping and budgeting to VAT and the charities commission.
FinanceComm is a great way to get involved with Cuth’s and to gain experience working in Finance!
The committee help the Treasurer pass and adjust budgets and can approve significant spends for the JCR. It’s a great opportunity to gain experience managing the accounts of an independent charity turning over £150,000.
FinanceComm has several purposes:
- to assist the FCO in their duties;
- to ensure financial motions submitted to JCR Meetings are reasonable and legitimate;
- to oversee the use of JCR assets by the Excutive and Library Committees as well as the Senior Clubs and Societies.
Membership
Finance Committee consists of the following people:
- President of the Society
- Vice-President
- Treasurer
- Assistant Treasurer
- 4x Finance Committee members
How Can I get Involved?
Assistant Treasurer and the 4 positions in the committee will be elected through application and interview once term has started! Look out for posts on the Freshers’ facebook group or email Saf at fco@cuths.com!
Welfare and Welfare Campaigns Committees
- Louise – Senior Welfare Officer senior-welfare@cuths.com
- Naomi – Welfare Office welfare-officer@cuths.com
- Cara – Female Welfare Officer welfare-female@cuths.com
- Ferdie – Male Welfare Officer welfare-male@cuths.com
This committee on a wider level is put in place to make decision about JCR welfare support structure, making sure everything we do here at Cuth’s Welfare is accessible to every member of the student body.
We also have a Campaigns team, lead by our Campaigns Manager Hannah, who runs (with the help of the rest of the Campaigns team) campaigns and events with the aim to educate and inform, and tackle stigma surrounding mental and sexual health. If you are passionate about raising awareness for these topics, you can apply to be part of our campaigns team in Freshers Week – keep an eye on the Cuth’s Welfare instagram page for applications!
Communities Committee
The Communities Committee is responsible for strengthening our college community through members of minority groups. Its purpose is the supervision and assistance of activities relating to working class and local students, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ and international students. We organise campaigns to promote and ensure the wellbeing of these students, as well as providing different support services to present relevant issues such as integration, special arrangements, opportunities and representation to the Executive Committee, SU committee and/or any other suitable bodies. We facilitate discussions and collaboration to ensure all voices are heard in all relevant discussions, groups and undertakings within Cuth’s JCR and Durham University. Anyone can advise the Committee and bring forward their proposal for events and campaigns.
We work closely with the Welfare Committee to provide a confidential, non-judgemental and non-advisory listening support service. If you ever want to report a concern relating to social or systemic factors affecting your wellbeing, send us an email or pop into one of the drop-in hours. The Committee is Chaired by the Communities Chair and is currently formed by elected representatives. Watch our for any updates regarding vacant positions and elections.
The Current Committee Consists of:
Communities Chair
President of the Society,
Vice-President,
Students with Disabilities (SwD) Representative,
Working Class Students’ (WCS) Representative,
LGBTQ+ Representative
People of Colour (PoC) Representative,
International Representative,
Assistant Students with Disabilities Representative,
Assistant Working Class Students’ Representative,
Assistant LGBTQ+ Representative,
Transgender and Non-Binary Representative,
Assistant People of Colour representative,
Assistant International Representative,
Local Students’ Representative,
Postgraduate and Mature Students’ President, and
Mature Students’ Representative.
Contact
Sara – LGBTQ+ Rep- lgbt-rep@cuths.com
Ralfs – Working Class Students’ Rep- wcs-rep@cuths.com
People of Colour Rep –poc-rep@cuths.com
Mary – Local and Northern Student’s Rep- local.students.rep@cuths.com
Charli – Students with Disabilities Rep- swd-rep@cuths.com
Harry – International Rep- international@cuths.com
Outreach Committee
Outreach Committee meets at least twice a term to plan the charitable ventures of Cuth’s JCR.
Outreach Committee meets every two weeks to plan the charitable ventures of Cuth’s JCR. We focus on fundraising, volunteering opportunities and project work. Every member of the committee has their own role, such as ‘Fundraising Representative’ or ‘Event Manager’ and we work to provide opportunities to our students and support local, national and international charities.
Postgraduate and Mature Students' Committee
Postgraduate Committee represents all postgraduate members of the JCR, as well as running postgraduate events including postgraduate welcome week.
In most other colleges, postgraduates are organised into MCRs (Middle Common Rooms). However, at Cuth’s, we do things a bit differently and are all under the JCR (Junior Common Room). Within the JCR, we have a Postgraduate and Mature Students Rep, who is responsible for making sure the views and concerns of postgraduate students are represented in the JCR. The Rep chairs the Postgraduate Committee, which meets at least twice a term to organise and put together various events, both academic and social, for the benefit of the whole postgraduate community.
The roles on the Committee are:
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Vice-President
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Treasurer
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Social Secretary
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Academic Representative
- Mature Students’ Representative
- Postgraduate Representative
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ International Representative
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Students’ Union Representative
- Fourth Year Representative
- Postgraduate Welfare Representative
- PGCE Representative
- 2x General Committee Members
All roles on the postgraduate committee are meant to support and represent the postgraduate students of Cuth’s, to ensure they are taken into account within the JCR and to further develop the community as a whole. Being involved is not only a great experience for you and looks great on the CV, but also can go a long way in the postgraduate community itself.
If you wish to get in touch with the committee, email pg-rep@cuths.com.
Green Machine Committee
The Green Machine Committee is responsible for overseeing all JCR owned facilities. They manage all tech and equipment for events (known as the Green Machine). They also run hires to other colleges, generating income for the JCR.
The Committee Consists of:
- Tech Manager
- President of the Society
- JCR Treasurer
- Vice-President
- General Technician(s)
Library Committee
The Library Committee is made up of a team of dedicated students who together run Cuth’s Library. As the only student-run library in Durham, Cuth’s Library is built on the participation of volunteers. LibraryComm meets irregularly, but at least once a term. The positions on the committee are:
- Society Librarian
- President of the Society
- Vice-President
- Assistant Librarian
- 4x Stock Managers (a paid role!)
- Volunteer Librarians
Get in touch at librarian@cuths.com if you have any questions at all! Applications will be out just after Freshers’ Week, so keep an eye out and follow us on Instagram (@cuths_library) for updates
Social Committee
Social Committee runs all JCR social events that take place each year, including Freshers Week, Oktoberfest, Cuth’s Day and the Feast of St. Cuthbert.
The social committee make up the team of people who assist the social chair with the organisation and running of events. The committee is decided by application, and the process is run in Michaelmas term. Positions include:
- Social Publicity Officer
- Social Music Officer
- Social Ents Officer
- Social Arts Officer
- Formals Manager
- 6x Social Committee members
International Committee
International Committee provides international students with a close-knit community to reach out to.
Our elected representative and assistant representative focus on creating a support network for international students, providing a range of services to help the transition to university and a new country run smoothly, as well as ensuring that international students’ voices are heard. Throughout the year, we organise a range of events to celebrate international holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Lunar New Year and Christmas, and some smaller get-togethers. We also work closely with the other members of the Communities Committee and Welfare Committee to ensure that international students have access to resources and feel supported.
International Committee is chaired by the International Rep, and meets at least twice a term to organise events, and run campaigns to inform and educate students. The positions on the Committee are:
- Events Manager
- Publicity Manager
- Campaigns Manager
- Assistant International Representative
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ International Representative
Applications for these roles will open at the start of Michaelmas term, so keep an eye on our Instagram (@cuthsinternational)! Getting involved is a fantastic way to meet more people and is also great if you want to become more involved with Cuth’s JCR!
If you have any queries, email Harry at international@cuths.com or message us on social media!
Environment Committee
Environment Committee aims to raise awareness of environmental issues and reduce the carbon footprint of the JCR. They work to promote environmentally positive action which will aid the environment around college and the wider Durham area, including primary action such as litter picking. The committee has a crucial role in ensuring the environment of college is adequately cared for, and that college takes necessary steps to ensure a low carbon footprint, minimum waste and the protection of natural habitats. The positions on the committee are
- Environment Representative
- President of the Society
- Vice-President
- Media Manager
- Events Manager
- Greenspace and SU Representative
- Embrace the Waste Representative
- Bailey Wardrobe Manager
- 4x Environment Committee Member
SU Committee
SU Committee meets 2-3 times a term to discuss how Cuth’s will vote (on things they want the student’s union to change or address) at SU assembly. It’s a fantastic, easy way to get involved with the JCR and SU, especially for people interested in student politics and university policy.
The SU officer chairs the committee, which consists of the President of the Society, Vice President, PGM President, Communities Comm officer and three junior SU reps which you can hust for!
We will be recruiting junior SU reps in first term, keep an eye out for applications if you want to get involved!