Present: EM (VP), AK (President), JG (Facilities), SM (Comms), EP (Outreach), EC (Chair), JC (PG&M), AB (Treasurer)
Absent: EMo (Sports & Socs) (is stepping down but hasn’t officially stepped down yet)
Apologies: JB (International Rep)(sick), MM (Social Chair( (migraine), EB (Librarian)
Setting: AK’s flat. It’s bit messy because AK has been ill this weekend and people leave lots there
Agenda:
1a) Minute approval from last meeting
1b) Action point check
1c) Mini exec reports
2) Trustee proposal rebuttal (AK)
3) Standing orders (EC)
4a) Alumni Association Proposal – Film Festival (AK)
4b) Green machine investment (AK/JG)
5) Dealing with non-elected method II positions (JC)
6) AOB
[Meeting almost starts but then we realised EB wasn’t here yet but then we remember she sent her apologies a month and a half ago]
1a) Minute approval from last meeting
Lots of confusion about which meetings we’d actually had and when they were so lots of faffing with that
AK: Is everyone looking at the minutes?
Everyone: Yes.
AK: Are we happy?
Everyone: Yes.
1b) Action Point Check
AK checked about how to find out about who does non integrated postgrads (with regards to last meetings discussion on whether they should have to pay another year’s worth of levy), but no one she talked to has a good way of checking this
EC asks why would returning bother to postgrads pay? Because they can come to things as alumni anyway?
But that doesn’t include everything
This is the first time alumni can come to Michaelmas – but we might change this because it isn’t fair. The only reason we said they could come was because we had a higher capacity, but that was only for ents. Therefore, we should only let alumni come to ents considering the high demand for tickets
How many alumni did get dinner tickets? We know one.
They can’t join sports and socs
AK is getting lists of people who study what for other reasons so she might be able to tell how many people this issue is relevant to based on that
People will send SM housing things by tomorrow
1c) Mini exec reports
AK: Michaelmas ball, trustee stuff
AB: Insurance, opt ins, Michaelmas budgets, money, reclaims
JC: Founders day meal, bar crawl, research forum
SM: Got into website, protested, newsletter
EM: Typing, getting left over stash to people, stash order closed on Sunday
JG: Not a lot, did the tech we want from alumni, silent disco stuff
EC: Going through motions for meetings, slowly working on fixing Standing Orders
EP: Framda started today, now have a committee, working out how to do shoeboxes because the lady in Newcastle is no longer doing them
2) Trustee proposal rebuttal (AK)
AK hasn’t got far with this because she was ill at the weekend. EM has transcribed the minutes completely so will be able to do that within the next few days. Sorry for the wait!
ACTION POINT: AK to upload rebuttal by Friday at the latest
3) Standing orders (EC)
EC says they are all a shit show and we all know this so stop telling her. She can’t sort them all out properly and do her degree at the same time. Is going to do bits and bobs through the year and then have a blitz after exams
She is going to make a google doc so people can post things that they find wrong with the orders- but also doesn’t want people to go through the standing orders with a fine-tooth comb because it just becomes too much. It is useful to hear from other people, but she is getting an awful lot of emails about things that are wrong. She doesn’t want people to do her job for her
AB asks what sort of things she wants. Like, not spellings?
AB notes that the little things don’t matter- she will notice them as she goes through, and things like page numbers will change anyway and be sorted out at the end. But if there is something missing then that’s important- like Fashion show comm don’t exist at the moment- so fundamental big things, then let her know about that via the google doc
EC notes that none of the chairs have updated the orders based on what’s passed in meetings for the last few meetings – which is mad because that’s a pretty important part of the job
So she is going to go back to 15/16 and read all of the minutes (because those are what we have and we don’t want to go back before memory) (and because, if we enforce rules decided before them but that we have never enforced, then it’s like introducing weird rules no one knows anything about) and is going to make all of the appropriate amendments from meetings
JC notes that one thing we shouldn’t forget is that there used to have to be specific exec in sports and societies, but we repealed that and it never got changed in the orders
EC notes that this sort of thing is a good thing to put on the google doc
JC asks what to do when we are trying to pass motions that are based on orders that no longer exist- for example, the order that is missing is the Terms of Office Order in this instance
EC notes that SP (SRO) actually wants to write these specific orders so we are letting him do that
EC suggests that JC should address this in the motions and EC will make the amendments accordingly when she gets to changing that bit of the orders
EC wants people to sign off what people put in the google doc so she can ask for clarification on any points
ACTION POINT: EC to ask SP to have those orders done by the next JCR meeting
JC wants to create things to help him for just this meeting so he can pass a motion and EC says fine
4a) Alumni Association Proposal – Film Festival (AK)
AK was asked by someone from Collingwood about a film festival that the alumni had decided we were having but hadn’t told us about. The Alumni Association want to invest in film tech which is what they meant by “buy the JCR a camera”- which we discussed in an earlier meeting
It’s all a bit iffy, because we don’t even have a photography society at the moment
SM notes that DV is photographer officer which is a role in Art Soc now
AK says “don’t even get me started on DV”
[Everyone looks at the proposal]
AK notes that we already have a JCR camera that’s not really used that much
Everyone notes that there is really not a need/want for what the alumni are proposing at the moment
Even if there is a bit of interest at the beginning, it would fade out because students aren’t really interested in this kind of thing
EC thinks this is “DUMB”
The only way people would be okay with having a student filming ball would be to have someone with a go pro on their head because that would be funny
We think this has been proposed because other colleges have youtube channels that they use – like Van Mildert – but we aren’t really missing that
We should at least scope some interest first?
SM notes that photo soc died last year so there can’t be that much interest
This proposal is almost nearly 5k. It’s basically what the woman who proposed it would have loved it because that’s what she is into, without thinking about what students here want
Noted that it also takes away from more common interests- especially because we don’t have people doing a Media degree here
EC says no student is going to take this training and film a Cuth’s Ball or something that they would be going to anyway for free, when they could get paid to do it at another college
Editing takes forever and a weekend of training isn’t enough
[W (Porter) comes, says it’s nice we are having a meeting, embarrasses EC, then leaves]
The guy who did the video for Cuth’s day and ball all sorts of fancy tech- things that strapped to his chest and shake proof things – not just a camera. We’d never be able to make the same quality videos
Do we have to come up with an alternative?
AK and JG have come up with an alternative
So is this a general no from everyone?
Everyone is like, yeah, it’s definitely a no
4b) Green machine investment (AK/JG)
[Gosh faffs as he tried to post a proposal on the group chat and can’t despite the fact he is the techy one in the gang] “drag and drop!” -AB
POI from JG “I’m not the tech man, I just plug things in”
[sorted]
This is our alternative to what’s been proposed by the Alumni Association – invest in a lot of tech
It comes up to 2.5k ish, it involves the projector that the we talked about in the last meeting, we need to add a screen, but it would mean that we could hopefully put on pantos and plays ourselves and then we could hire it out
EP asks what the policy would be for Cuth’s students using tech even if it’s for a uni wide society? We can think about that, JG thinks we could do a discount maybe
It’s a long term investment, it can raise the profile of the alumni association, can bring benefits to a wide group of Cuth’s students (better than a boat),
AB asks what Fresnel – a light that you can cut off at the edges. Elena has trouble spelling Fresnel
Everyone is pretty happy with this – the proposal, not Elena’s terrible spelling abilities
We’ve had a big increase in budget in what we are getting back from silent disco things last year
The money in our tech budget is going into maintaining the tech we already have so that’s why we can’t get all of this stuff ourselves
AB asks if we have enough space in the Green Machine room? AK says there is so much shit in that cupboard that we don’t use but no one wants to get rid of because MC (Pres 16-17) told CM (Pres 17-18) not to bin it. So, we can create space if we need it
There are things in there that no one has any memory of being used for years, and that will never be used again
JC notes that even if we don’t rent it out, the most expensive stuff will be used at least 4 times a year, and then small stuff would get used periodically so it’s still a good investment
AK where is the smoke machine? JG says it didn’t make the cut. Everyone things it should have
AB wants to know how much extra a UV canon would be? Because they are fun. We do still have them? Yeah but the bulb has gone
ACTION POINT: JG to change blub
The Alumni did try and make it so they only spend 3k a year to make sustainable
If the alumni bought us this, we would then have spare money in the tech budget to use on getting the tech we have now to a good standard
Remember when we looked into getting a car? Yeah
AK spoke to SCA about how they pay for insurance. Basically, Experience Durham sort it. Basically no one lower down the pecking order knows how much it is to work their insurance, so we can’t really find anything out
We all think it would be super expensive and there is normally at least someone
We are happy to propose this tech proposal, rather than the car idea, once UV canon is in there
ACTION POINT: Write a proposal rebutting a film festival and camera, but do want lots of cool tech
[tangent about changing all the lights in the dining all to UV lights]
5) Dealing with non-elected method II positions (JC)
JC received a lovely proposal about what to do when roles in the committee are not filled but he doesn’t like it. Instead, he is basically proposing that if a position runs and no one is elected, then the line manager can appoint someone unofficially until the next JCR meeting, then the position is run at said meeting. If it’s unfilled again, the line manager can temporarily appoint someone again, and then if it’s not filled a 3rd time, the line manager can just appoint someone to the role
First offered to any previous holders of the position
The President and Vice President will have the power of veto
Everyone asks why this isn’t interview?
JC thinks it’s as hard to get people to do that as it is to get them to run for something so doesn’t think it’s a good option
EC takes issue with this proposal because what if someone new wants to take the position but has no experience and is against the person who has been appointed to the role on a temporary basis. The latter candidate will have an edge
JC notes that these are basically always uncontested elections
Not sure we want people doing the job if they can’t even be asked to go to a 3 meetings and do an uncontested hust. This is not a good way to pick someone who is going to do a job well. Why are we giving people positions after they haven’t shown any real commitment
JC says sometimes people can’t come to meetings
But people can run in absentia
EP notes that however you go about it is going to be bias
JC yeah it will undoubtedly be someone the line manager knows
EP then that makes it very unfair
Why don’t we have interviews?
JC because it’s just as hard- people still need to email and turn up
AK notes that it’s not just as bad as an election because the scary part of standing up in a mostly UG meeting would then be illuminated
AJ (PG&M 2017-18), kept talking about changing things to interviews
JC notes that even AJ’s plan involved appointing people after things weren’t filled
EC things the basis is good because it’s really problematic not to have PG committee, but people are going to kick up a fuss about people in the interim. Thinks a better idea would be to do it by application – but that can be informal
Decided we should scrap the interim thing, but then have it as applications so everyone can apply if they want to- rather then the line manager approaching people. AB thinks this should be after 3 because of the order about positions being uncontested twice then someone who already has one can run for that one
Everyone agrees
Is JC going to run this at the next meeting? JC says it’s not urgent but would like to if it won’t cause problems. Make sure you clarify that the last few meetings count with regards to positions being unfilled
ACTION POINT: JC to write motion about how some method II positions can become application based after they are unfilled for a period of time, and having been open to other people with method II positions
5b) EP committee membership question (EP)
Ell asks is there anything in the rules about people being in more than one committee? No
JC says that we should make interview positions in the JCR, which there aren’t currently, even though they aren’t run through elections
So people who have roles in committees (that they have got through interview) are the same status, and should have to do the same things as method II people should, but at the moment, because they aren’t “JCR positions” but there is nothing holding them do that at the moment
ACTION POINTS: JC is going to write a motion to create interview and application based positions in the JCR
Based on these proposed changes, we need to work out if application have to follow the same rules and therefore, is someone holding a method II committee position at the same time as an interview committee position in violation of any rules?
EC has an idea; if x number of people apply for a committee via interview, and the chair decides that there aren’t enough suitable candidates to fill all the positions – thus leaving a position unfilled- then people holding method II or other committee positions can go for that empty space
Noted that, if we went with EC’s idea, the chairs of JCR committees might then be fighting to have the earliest interviews so they get the good people who are considering two committees
AK feels uncomfortable talking about this when JB and LM aren’t here because they are some of the people who are in charge of committees with an interview process
ACTION POINT: JC is going to draft a motion, but not going to pass it without asking JB and LM what they think
6) Exec Accountability (EC)
EC had exec accountability on her manifesto. To go about achieving this, she’s going to advertise that people can ask the exec anonymous questions through her/ her email. So EC would like us all to be prepared that we might have some questions to answer in the meeting but she will let us know the day before if there are any
7) AOB
AK is confused about fish and is not ready for her discourse