Setting
In EM’s flat immediately after SU comm. MR (ethnic minorities rep) is present and responds to EM sassily. RJ is perfect.
Present: EM (President), RJ (FCO), JC (Vice-President), MW (Social Chair), SW (Chair), AJ (Librarian), SA (Outreach Chair), SM (Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Chair), ES (Senior Welfare Officer), EE (International Rep), CG (Communications Officer)
Apologies: AC (Sports and Societies Chair), JR (Facilities Manager)
Absent:
Exec Updates
CG: I’ve been talking with SU rep comm, and we’re going to spend our money on telling people how to get involved with the SU and buying bucket hats. SU Assembly agenda is now on facebook. Newsletter will soon not be called newsletter.
EE: I’ve been filling international comm, it’s now almost full. Our next campaign will be homesickness and loneliness. We’re also running an event on 7th December in Brooks. I’ve been drafting some motions to discuss later.
ES: We’ve done a pub quiz, we have another one today, we’ve done some podcasts with minority reps, went to a mental health consultation meeting to discuss how things could be improved. We’ve been doing movember photos for awareness of testicular and breast cancer.
SM: We had a really successful pub quiz. Research forum went well. Research slam is coming up. I’m going to SC (Vice-Chancellor)’s house soon.
SA: Charities formal went well. 12 days of outreach is a go go. FRAMDA and rugby project are floating along. FRAMDA is scraping by and needs more volunteers.
AJ: Got stock managers going, and they’re happy. Going through and cataloguing book orders. Rotas. Thinking about opening library over the holidays.
SW: Chaired some meetings. Another one on Thursday. Met with minority reps about making JCR more accessible, specifically relating to meetings. Eg. If people don’t want to stand up and present a motion. I’ve been working through and correcting motions. Trying to think of more jobs for the stool. People who have sent motions, I normally do it first come first served, because that seems fairest. But some people don’t know that and wait until just before the meeting to send them.
MW: Michaelmas Ball happened. Thanks for everyone’s help. I’ve been thinking about refreshers’. Welfare and outreach comm are doing a night. It will be fun and we’ll enjoy ourselves.
JC: Stash order has arrived, done lots of minuting.
RJ: Been talking about restructuring facilities comm. Removed all old signatories on the bank account. Started considering long term financial plan. Had a bar comm meeting. Ordered furniture for Brooks. Asked why we don’t have levies or freshers’ week money yet. PVC colleges is in support of us. Emptied exec office of cash. S&S subs have come in.
EM: Indie forum happened. SW was helpful. We told other common rooms to become independent. There’s a lot of misconceptions about being independent. Went to women’s event in London. Spoke to MC about alumni things and she told us to just do our thing. We’ll need to check memoranda of agreement. It can’t be called the 1888 club because that already exists for people who donate lots of money. Loads of emails and meetings.
Long Term Financial Plan – RJ
RJ: I didn’t know what a long term financial plan meant. SB from the trustees wants big long term thinking and reasons for spending reserves. What will we use our money for? Maybe a JCR wishlist. On my plan, there are comments relating to strategy. For example, buying lights for drama was done with long term money to have a long term impact. SB suggested some outreach projects to have impact. So what do we want as students?
AJ: For book club, everyone buys their own books, but maybe we could buy them.
RJ: Good idea, I’m thinking bigger though. We could do that anyway.
EM: Pop-up dark room.
RJ: Or study space. SB thinks we’ll have more money in future but I disagree. We just need to spend what we have. I’d like 3-5 goals that are achievable but big scale.
SM: We’re one of few colleges with no postgrad only space.
EM: I want the garage renovated. Bike racks.
SM: Lighting in conference room.
EM: The JCR is a bit of a waiting room not a place people go to socialise.
SW: That room is a difficult space.
EM: We could get a decent sofa for there and some new chairs.
EE: I’d like a ping pong table but don’t know where we’d put it.
Action: RJ to post a document on the exec group for people to add ideas.
Action: EM to find out who owns the chairs in the JCR and how to get rid of them.
Uni Accommodation Fees – EM
EM: KM (SU president) has told me that accommodation fees will sort of go down. She’s happy and it’s probably the best we’ll have for a while. Next year, they’ll rise as much as every year, but double rooms will go down. The year after there’ll be differentiated prices, within and across colleges. The SU is opposed to some colleges being cheaper than others. There’ll be 6 tiers of pricing levels. Every college will have some in every tier. This could work in Cuth’s. I don’t know how it will work in colleges where every room is the same. I think it will lead to the most expensive rooms going to international students and cheap rooms going to home students from disadvantaged backgrounds. But hopefully it wouldn’t be in blocks. UEC have rejected this plan before because it’s too difficult. I think they’re doing this because it’s better for them than lowering all the prices.
CG: I don’t like this plan.
SM: If some rooms become nicer, will those prices go up?
EM: Don’t know.
CG: Proportion of rooms with different prices will reinforce stereotypes.
EE: If we all disagree, what can we do?
EM: I don’t think there’s anything. I think it’s a poor solution but it’s the best we’ll get for now.
South College – EM
EM: We need to make people go there. Here are some things to tell people. I put something on the Instagram today too. They want 420 people to live in college, including 120 pioneer students. They’re hoping to have 15-20 by January. There’s a £500 grant for certain people going. The USP of South College is apparently that it will be inclusive but so is every college. Students interested in IR, history or politics might like it because of the Principal. I’m concerned about sports teams. They’ll look at merging with other colleges if needed. They have a huge budget. Pioneers can frep there. They’re planning to have separated JCRs and MCRs. There’ll be 2 music studios. 2 exercise suites. A dining hub shared with John Snow. Principal doesn’t like the name. They don’t have a mascot so we need to go to vote against it being a penguin. Buildings will be finished by March. President could be anyone who’s graduating.
ES: How will they choose a JCR exec?
EM: President will go through University HR. If there are pioneers at that point they’ll be involved. All of the exec will be chosen in the first meeting of term. There won’t be a library. If you know anyone who is constantly frustrated by things here, encourage them to go. People can sign up in groups. They’re prioritising people who will live in, but people can also live out.
AOB
RJ: We have loads of tables and chairs from Brooks that college wants to keep, let me know any suggestions of where to put them. Maybe in Brooks kitchens?
MW: Not necessarily Brooks but kitchens in general.
EM: At JCR meetings, please spread out. And when a motion comes up, ask people around you what they think.
EM: I know lots of people have their own Instagrams, please also use the Cuth’s JCR one. I’d like a post every few days. Take pictures of you guys having fun.
SW: I want to ask people why MW’s standing orders include running a casino.
*No-one knows*
Action: SW to remove that line.