Motion 1
International Welfare Representative Motion:
Proposer: CM
Seconder: MG
This JCR notes:
That currently there is an International Rep who sits on the Executive Committee, representing international students and supporting them during their time in Cuth’s. There is also an International Committee who run events for international students. The positions on this committee are general positions and there is currently no position in the JCR specifically relating to the welfare of international students who require a lot of attention during their transition to university.
This JCR believes:
That the welfare issues facing international students can often be different to issues facing other students e.g. culture shock and homesickness. Although there is an international rep, they are often more focused on running events and by having a specific JCR role to attend to the welfare of international students would allow for a smoother transition into Durham. The welfare team may not consist of any international students, hence creating a specific role to address this would fix this problem.
The JCR resolves:
By creating a new JCR position, ‘International Welfare Representative’ in order to be able to address specific needs facing international students within the welfare team. This position will sit on the Welfare Campaigns Team, Welfare Committee, and International Committee with their supervisor being the International Rep. This position will be a Method I position elected in the first JCR meeting of the final term.
Manuela: wants to make this to help international students with their specific welfare needs
DT: method 1 position? Are they often supervised by other method 1 positions?
AB: Yes e.g. welfare
DT: better to make it method 2? People don’t tend to run necessarily?
SP: we discussed this as well – we’re placing this at equal level as male and female welfare officers so would be unfair to have them not equal. Also it’s in Easter term and hopefully people would be comfortable by then
Passed on a general aye
Motion 2
This JCR notes that the JCR standing orders set out the rules and guidelines for the JCR’s day-to-day activities. This JCR notes that the standing order titled ‘Meetings of the JCR Order’ explains how JCR meetings must be run and the standing order titled “Election Rules” sets out the rules for JCR elections. This JCR notes that the following things are stated in the current standing orders.
1. There is no specific deadline for Governance Committee members to notify the SRO/Chair if they want to run for a position;
2. There are no explicit guidelines about candidates including photos of the current position holder in their election materials;
3. Standing orders implicitly say that only campaign team members may campaign for a candidate;
4. Campaign teams can be put together 7 days before the JCR meeting, before all of the manifestos/candidates running are published
5. The JCR Chair is mandated to advertise JCR meetings 7 days before they take place.
This JCR believes that the following changes to the standing orders would improve the functioning of the JCR, the fairness of elections and more clearly state some rules that are already in place but lack clarity:
1. Members of Governance Committee must inform the SRO/Chair (if the SRO is running for a position) 7 days before the JCR meeting if they are wishing to run for a position. This is so that they will not be aware of any other candidates running and governance committee can function without concern a potential candidate is still a member of a committee that must be neutral on all elections;
2. The current standing orders state that Campaign Team members must not “Be a previous holder of the position (on the exception that the candidate is re-running for a position)” and although already implied implicitly, it would be useful to more explicitly state that photos of people holding the current position should not be allowed on election materials for candidates running for said position. This will be at the discretion of Governance Committee as some group photos showing experience for the role may be accepted;
3. The current standing orders implicitly say that only campaign team members may campaign on social media, but this isn’t stated explicitly;
4. Members of a campaign team should support a candidate because they believe they are the best person for the role. In order to do this, a potential campaign team member must know the other candidates running and the platforms they stand on to ensure they can decide who they believe is the best candidate. Hence this JCR believes that campaign team members should not be able to be selected until all candidates and their manifestos have been publicised. However, a candidate may want advice about approaching potential campaign team members and aspects of their manifesto, therefore being allowed to approach a Proposer and Seconder no more than seven days before the husting would be helpful;
5. That the JCR chair should be mandated to advertise JCR meetings 14 days in advance as well as announcing all JCR meetings (and elections being run) for the term at the beginning of each term in order to improve engagement and give people more time to consider running for a position or attending;
This JCR resolves by changing the following standing orders:
1. Election Rules, point 1.2.4 shall be added stating “Members of Governance Committee must inform the SRO (or JCR Chair if the SRO is running in an election) seven days before a meeting if they wish to run for a position in that meeting;
2. Election Rules, point 3.6.1.8 shall be followed by “Any photographs that include any member of governance committee or the incumbent must be authorised by Governance Committee”;
3. Election Rules, point 3.1. shall include an additional point, 3.1.4, stating “Only Campaign team members may campaign for a candidate. It will be the candidate that is responsible for all campaigning done on their behalf”;
4.
a. Election Rules, point 3.7.1 1) shall be replaced with “The candidate may approach potential campaign team members no earlier than 48 hours in advance of the JCR meeting. When approaching a potential candidate they must also state who else is running in their election and provide information on how to view all of the candidates’ manifestos. The candidate may approach a potential Proposer and Seconder no earlier than 7 days before the JCR Meeting husting.”
b. To match this, Election Rules, point 1.2.1 shall be amended to state that manifestos must be submitted 72 hours before the candidate’s husting. This means that Governance Committee can review the manifestos, and that the SRO can advertise who is running and publicise their manifesto from the JCR elections page 48 hours before the meeting so that all potential campaign team members can review this before deciding who to support. Other campaign materials will still be submitted 24 hours before their husting.
5. Meetings of the JCR Order, point 1.3 shall be replaced with “The Chair shall advertise General Meetings at least fourteen days in advance and call for motions to be submitted at least five days in advance. The Chair must also publicise the JCR meeting dates for the term at the beginning of each term including the positions being run.”
CM: the standing orders often need improving and we found a few things that we want to have changed to make things fairer
SWC: anything about election materials? E.g. I thought the ones given to SRO are the only things you can use
AB: in the standing orders it outlines the allowed and forbidden – and things not explicitly said is at the discretion of Gov Comm and so they should be consulted
Passed on a general aye
Motion 3
Volleyball Budget
Assets
Please list all the items owned by your club
Item (description and make/model/brand) Quantity Cost to replace Notes
Budget from 2016/17
How much did you apply for? £ –
How much were you allocated? £ –
How much did you raise from self income? £ –
How much have you spent? £ –
How much did you have in your reserves at the start of the year? £ –
Remaining reserve: £ –
Is the above calculation of your reserves correct? If not, how much do you have in reserve?
What is the purpose of these reserves? (Eg. Are you saving for new kit, going on tour, repairs etc.)
Budget for 2017-18
What are your expected expenses?
Item Category Item price Quantity Total Cost Amended
Michaelmas Term £ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
Epiphany Term Referee costs Referee/Umpire £ 5.00 7 £ 35.00
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
Easter Term £ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
£ – £ –
Total expected expenditure of club: £ 35.00 £ –
Subs and other Income
Estimated number of members in 2017-18 8
Recommended self income: 17.5
Note: Recommended self income is based on the principle by which finance comm vets budgets, and you do not have to stick with it. Significant deviations will, however, be pointed out during the budget meeting.
Subs and other Self Income
Type of Membership/Payment Cost of Membership Estimated Number of Members/Payments Total Income Amended Cost
Standard £ 3.00 8 £ 24.00 £ –
£ – £ – £ –
£ – £ – £ –
£ – £ – £ –
£ – £ – £ –
£ – £ – £ –
£ – £ – £ –
£ – £ – £ –
Overall Total £ 24.00 £ –
Difference from Recommended: £ 6.50 £ –
Are you expecting any other sources of income in 2016 – 2017 and if so please indicate?
(Sponsorship, Ticket Sales etc.)
Type of Income Value of Income Estimated Number of Payments Total Income
£ – £ –
Overall Total £ –
Total Income £ 24.00
Funding Application
Total Expected Expenditure £ 35.00
Total Expected Income £ 24.00
Total Funding Requested from the JCR £ 24.00
Net for year 2017-18 £ 13.00
Under normal circumstances, surpluses are stored in a club’s reserves and deficits are taken from reserves. If you would like a different arrangement, please explain here.
Further Comments (E.g. Reasons for greater predicted expenditure, what subs are spent on, club structure)
Just to mention, there wasn’t a volleyball team last year so we’re pretty much a new society – though Cuth’s volleyball was around in previous years. As of the time of writing, we’ve spent £10 collectively as a club on referee costs for the first two games this term. We’ll most likely have played a few more games by the time this budget form is looked over though. Subs are only going to be spent on ref costs, but I’m hoping that we can get reimbursed for what we’ve already paid and have the rest of the costs covered by the JCR if possible seeing as the games are part of a college tournament.
AK: they didn’t exist before and didn’t have a budget and it’s normal and I approve
Passed on a general aye
Elections
Method 1
Senior Freshers’ Week Rep
RJ
Second year. Was a frep this year. Team leader this open days. Dedicated and organised and work well in a crisis – have experienced this when working with children on projects. Have worked with social comm as a part of my exec role so have experience working with the social chair. Need to impart enthusiasm to everyone – will make a quoteboard for the freps of funny things they’ve been told. Will interview as fairly as possible for the roles as well. Need to be able to adapt as well – will continue the freps integrating with the freshers and not forcing as much into the bar. Want to make more quiet nights as well. Will speak to previous presidents and head freps and learn more from their experiences. For international students I think there needs to be more clear of a plan.
CM: how do you think you’ll deal with the freshers that think they don’t need the freps and motivate the freps
RJ: freps give their time to the JCR – say to them that if they work with the freps they’ll learn more about the JCR and all the things to be involved with and hopefully in a year’s time
SW: joke about sharking
TD: being head frep has long hours – how will you deal with that?
RJ: I’ll find it hard at points like everyone would – I’ve done long shifts in previous work, but I think the best way is to be around people and making games with each other to keep you going. Treats as well and taking breaks is always the best too – can’t run yourself into the ground.
ALJ: every year there’s a way to divide the teams by the buildings and one building normally has too many or too little – you thought about this?
RJ: not thought about it yet – with my experience so far the teams are all the same size – after a few days of seeing what it’s like then move individuals – and work with the situation
Librarian
EB – not present – on year abroad
Hi I’m EB – running to be librarian – in Bolivia. Lots of experience – been librarian in various forms over 8 years. Was stock manager last year. Am helping restocking a library in Bolivia. Secretary for Sexpression and webmanager for other societies. Want to add more books – especially expensive textbooks. Will talk to societies that want them as well e.g. feminism. Will look into subscriptions to magazines too e.g. economist and new scientist. Will also introduce gluten free biscuits and hot chocolate.
No questions as not present.
Sports and Societies Chair
CA
First year – current sports and society reporter – event manager for du thinktank so can organise events e.g. freshers fair. Want to create collaborative events between sports and societies and hopefully improve societies that have low membership – encourage engagement with cuths. Create a hall of fame – want to promote engagement with sports and societies – can work with awards and colours in summer too. Posts that receive the most with people are posts about past events rather than future – a fellow reporter has made nice graphics for future ones and I’d like to continue this and make it better. Will continue naked calendar and have a refreshers fair. My experience has given me organisational and promotion skills – my life is sports.
EM
Fresher – completely passionate about promotion of sports and societies – believe it’s the best way to get involved in uni life. Will bring all my enthusiasm. Lots of volunteering experience and head girl at school. Will represent cuths with team durham with pride. Want to give more advertisement for lesser known societies – mostly via social media – will interview people in diff societies. Restructure the funding process to help fund the ones that need it. Big challenge is the naked calendar – will do competition for the theme – will advertise earlier and more. Will work tirelessly with cuths to promote the JCR’s numerous opportunities. Been here for just two terms and loving it and want to give back to this community
ALJ: big thing is liaising with Team Durham – what do you think the biggest issue with this is
EM: I don’t do any team durham sports – but I’ve heard it’s the organisation thing that is the issue – need to ensure the communication is sustained and improve it
CA: current DU athlete and have communicated with them before – for them it’s a matter of priority – I would make sure I’m always there and will keep badgering
SC: you said you want more involvement in smaller societies – how?
CA: will create collaborative events between different societies to try and get more promotion for them e.g. joint socials
EM: regular posting on facebook about them to bring them to people’s attention
RJ: you’re in charge of over 40 sports and socs and working with Team Durham and you won’t have equal knowledge of everything – how
EM: I am keen to learn more about it and I’m comfortbale knowing I won’t know immediately how it works but I think I’ll pick it up quickly
CA: this year I didn’t know anything for events manager for thinktank and I’ll apply this for myself
DT: what’s the nicest thing about the other person running?
CA: EMis really lovely and so approachable and she’d be great
EM: CA I don’t know how she does it with all her sports and keeping up her degree and social life
X: what sports and socs are you involved with?
EM: poledancing, French and Spanish, fitness
CA: rowing and art are my favourite in cuths – both give different things – art is chill and nice and rowing is great socially
International Rep
JB
Having experience the struggles and international student goes through I want to put my experience to use to help the transition. Will make move-in period warmer and more welcoming – having the banners set up etc. and have more freps support it. Have themed bar crawls and events in the gardens. Inclusiveness. International handbook for them as well. Also want to help prospective international students and have queries via facetime for students. Will have a blog by students at cutsh as well to show what life is like at cuths and durham. Increase promotion of the information useful for them. I have firsthand experience. Involved in outreach projects e.g. duck and pro bono. Participate in lots of cuths events and also do thing outside cuths to get a broad perspective.
DuT
First year lawyer. Been to at least six schools in as many countries – I’m essentially a professional international student. The experience of forcing myself to integrate so much has made me louder than I used to be. I know what it is to be poorly judged for your own culture or lost in class because of idioms and accents and I think I can help alleviate issues with my experience. Sometimes you just need someone with experience available. Can’t be shy in this role – joint socials are a big way to integrate with other students. International-ness as a theme is often thin and not helpful – food and music often a basic way to bond – would be interesting to have things like silent discos with international music or a blind formal with international food.
CL: what do you think are the main responsibilities?
DuT: organising events around international freshers week and throughout the year
JB: empathising with international students struggles and being aware of the issues
SP: what are your plans for students with loads of questions about durham?
JB: I experience being clueless about what durham life will be – will do the post offer skype calls to make them interactive. Doing student vlogs about what durham life is like.
DuT: want to create a forum online before the students arrive about the things to expect with all the pros and the cons
AK: big overlap between postgrad and international community – how would you work with the postgrad rep?
DuT: am currently postgrad rep on social comm because of the overlap – lot of international postgrad friends – would get to know a lot of postgrads and help liaise between the postgrad and international concerns – make sure to have a relationship with the postgrad rep
JB: will interact with the postgrad rep and committee and help with the issues
MM: international freshers struggle with integrating and shy away from cuths welfare or socials – how would you make them feel comfortable outside of freshers week and outside of socials
JB: the door-to-door system of knocking on doors and making sure people know what’s going on – getting to know them yourself automatically gives them a friend and means they’ll know someone when they go to events
DuT: keep in contact outside of freshers week – you can always be around meet them and speak to them – always keep in contact
K?: what is the best piece of advice you’d give to a nervous prospective international student?
DuT: immediately plan a trip to Newcastle with friends to get some more perspective
JB: get involved early and make friends early
EM: a lot of events held at the minute are representations of different cultures which is great but only attracts international students – how would you integrate domestic students into these events so they can understand you better
JB: from a multicultural background I understand this issue – publicity is key for this
DuT: slow neutral introduction between the two cohorts with events that aren’t expressly international themed – just adding flairs of international things to events e.g. the silent discos – the introduction will give them a personal stake in issues brought up
Method 2
Social Committee:
Cuth’s Day Manager
SA
First year – fell into social comm – applied on the day – a great accident though – loved it so much – have experience doing things in college – event with catering and charities – got lots of ideas – will make it as epic as possible
MD
Second year – experience with events – exec for cuths fashion show talking to lenders and running storage and transport of clothing and decorating venue – working organising art exhibition launch party – want to build on success of last cuths day – efficiently utilising all the gardens – same as usual plus chill activities too
AK: what if it rains?
MD: effectively use the space as possible – potentially marquees too – great indoor activities
SA: doesn’t matter – marquees and tents – people go to music festivals in the rain – as long as we have great entertainment I think it’ll just add to the atmosphere
X: what would be your ideal headliner?
SA: won’t give that away just yet
Note that social comm thought that James Blunt was going to come
MD: I think let the people decide!
SP: from feast, anything inspire you?
MD: some people get greedy with sweets and things – worked well having bacon butties to get there – making lots of spaces open at different times – spread out the activities
SA: IR inspired me to go for this – got lots of ideas for stalls and food – and experience with social comm means I have contacts
A?: if you could get any food for cuths day what would it be?
SA: hot cookie dough cos I love it
MD: Greggs – want something substantial at points as well outside of sweets
SA has been elected
Summer Ball Manager
JC
Fourth year – been on social comm all year so helped with Michaelmas and Feast – organised coaches for Michaelmas and things – been on exec for two societies so have experience organising – communications experience as a liaison officer – it’s my final year and want to go out with a bang and give a final thank you to cuths
MM
Elected as social chair for next year – social comm this year – social sec for pol soc and organised a ball before – want to gain more experience this year to perform even better next year for cuths specific events – can’t promise too many things and build on the success of last year
JO
Second year – love organising events – been part of year 13 ball committee and fashion show exec. Use my organisational skills to help make them run – did lots of behind the scenes with fashion show with forms and things. Spoke to local companies, negotiated prices – will have creative skills to make the ball as enjoyable as possible and want tribute acts for music
IR
Done a lot of events in the past – did my summer lunch for 200 people – did Feast this year too – got experience meeting production companies and learnt how these events run – hardworking and reliable – considering events management as my career – will always be enthusiastic
SP: any themes you have in mind?
IR: secret garden theme could be great – would work with the white marquee and greenery – centrepieces could be big flowers – could play on secret garden movie and have the nametag with a key
JO: a midsummer’s night dream so similar to Issy – have a flower wall for pictures – making the most of the outside with lots of fairy lights and greenery on tables
MM: similar ideas – fairytale themed with flowers and lights – masquerade ball could be really cool too for the beginning of the night at least
JC: an Aladdin/arabian nights could be cool – lots of tapestries and shisha and incense and lots of colour
DG: based on Michaelmas ball and what you enjoyed – what was your favourite?
JO: how well the theme was executed – the little details
MM: the production – setting up the room it felt empty, but when completed it feels full and complete
JC: the attention to detail – makes it something special – how much effort is put into it – the comradery of social comm too
IR: the lots of extra things like the sweet cart for the ents
DuT: one of you mentioned the necessity of real food – what real food would you offer
Note that we only do dinner tickets
MM: since it’s summer I would do ice cream
JC: with my theme I think there’d be a lot of options with middle eastern and Asian food
IR: something substantial at the end of the night with burger van
JO: some mention that they have hog roast at their colleges (with veggie option)
X: what challenges have you encountered planning events – how overcome them and what did you learn
JC: I sliced my finger open at Michaelmas – learnt time management – having to catch up after getting it dealt with and only having a semi functioning hand
IR: realising how much time the little things take – e.g. the dairy milk bars with Wonka signs – make sure you take that into account and not leave it to last minute
JO: on day of fashion show we realised we didn’t have six chairs – contacted cat and got them from college using my own initiative – taught me to count the chairs
MM: organising pol soc ball was just me – main issue was the budget and what to cut out and to keep and I think I can deal with that pressure now
JO elected
Postgraduate Committee:
DSU Rep
International Rep
Social Rep
No candidates