2019-06-18 Minutes (Budget Meeting)
Present: AB (treasurer), EC (chair), AK (president), EM (vice president), JC (PGM rep), SM (communications), EuM (SWD rep), DT (student trustee), RSD, SWK (student trustee), SP (SRO), RP, RM, AR, KW (LGBT rep), JS (welfare campaigns), MH, ES (male welfare), AA, KM, SS, JS, TD, KB, TW, EE (JRO), OO, LC, TC, VP, EL, HH, LL, FD, SOO, TS, RW, JoC, HG, CG, GH, RH, MP (sports and socs), KH, HG, MD, DV (POC rep) , MW, JK, AC, GM, TC, WN (keeper of the bell), AM, JoR, JaP, SPk, MPl, EBa, CA, EO, PA, EB
Apologies: JG (facilities), AW (music rep), AJ (assistant librarian), MW (social comm), RJ (head frep), MG (welfare), LM (Senior Welfare Officer), MW (SU Comm),
Absent:
Agenda:
Summary Manifesto Motion (SP)
Referenda procedural Motion (SWK)
SRO frep Motion (SP)
LGBT+ Soc Motion (RM)
Law Society Motion (EE)
Method IV Positions Order (JC)
Live-in Exec Motion (JC)
Election Rules order (EC)
SPORTS AND SOCS BUDGETS
Elections:
Method 1
Student Trustee x3
Fashion Show President
Working Class Students’ rep
Students with Disabilities rep
Yeah Abroad and Placement Liaison Officer
Welfare Campaigns x 2
Method 2
Gym Manager
Postgraduate and Mature students rep
OVERALL JCR BUDGET
Meeting:
Summary Manifesto Motion
The JCR notes
- That in the current Durham University Voting System (DUVS), the publishing of manifestos is restricted to word document and the system often distorts the format and not publish pictures of these manifestos.
The JCR believes
- That this often creates disparities between candidates’ manifestos and can be considered to be unfair to a candidate.
The JCR orders
The Election ruless standing orders
3.0.1.4 The candidate must submit electronically a 200-word summary of the manifesto 72 hours before the meeting to the SRO for approval.
3.1.1.4.1 The summary manifesto will be published on the DUVS website and will include
– Candidates name
– Name of the position the candidate is running for
It must not include
– A picture of the candidate
– Cuth’s Crest
– Signature of the Candidate
Proposed by SP
Seconded by JC
SP: one thing this last year that has been an issue is that manifesto formats are not compatible with the uni voting website. People used to submit summary manifestos. We should do this again.
Passed on general aye
Referenda Procedure Motion
This JCR notes:
- That there is currently no procedure for referendums in the standing orders.
This JCR believes:
- That a procedure for referendums is needed in order to make them legitimate and trustworthy democratic processes.
This JCR repeals:
- Clause 10 in “Meetings of the JCR”
This JCR orders:
Election Rules
Article 2: Referendum Rules
- A referendum may be called upon:
1.1. A motion being seconded by 49 full members passed in a General Meeting, or
1.2. A 75% vote by the JCR Executive Committee.
- A referendum may also be called by the board of trustees on usual voting procedure. The board of trustees is not bound by the JCR standing orders and as such the following procedure refers only to the ordinary JCR membership.
- Any Executive Officer must recuse themselves from the vote on the motion for referendum in the event of a conflict of interest, i.e any monetary, social, or other benefit they may personally receive from the vote which does not apply to other JCR members or the charity in a wider context.
- The process for referendum is as follows:
4.1. The proposer for a referendum must find 49 seconders, unless they wish to pass the proposal at an Executive Committee meeting rather than a General Meeting;
4.2. The fully seconded proposal must be sent to the board of trustees by the proposer, generally though the student trustees;
4.3. Options passed by the trustees must pass either by a 75% JCR Executive Committee vote or be passed at a General JCR Meeting;
4.4. The motion for referendum may be amended at the General Meeting by a simple majority vote. If the motion is passed by the Executive Committee, it shall be taken to the next General Meeting to allow opportunities for amendment;
4.5. If there are no amendments the original motion shall proceed;
4.6. If the motion is amended, it must be reviewed again by the board of trustees;
4.7. If the amended motion is passed by the board of trustees or if the motion proceeds in its original form, a case must be prepared for each option passed;
4.8. An Extraordinary General Meeting must be called;
4.9. The options decided on by the previous process must be debated at the Extraordinary General Meeting;
4.10. Voting must be opened from midnight on the day of the Extraordinary General Meeting;
4.11. Voting must be closed after a period of 64 hours;
4.12. A period of appeals of 72 hours must be held; and
4.13. The period of appeals must be closed and the result confirmed and declared.
5. All options for referendums must first be passed through the board of trustees, who may accept, reject, or amend the options. Trustees should veto only out of concern for legality or serious concern regarding the operation or benefit of the given options. Student trustees should make efforts to understand and represent the thoughts of the JCR membership when contributing to these decisions.
5.1. Trustees are expected to respond to referendum requests within one week of the request being sent. They may request one further week for research.
5.2. Any member wishing to propose a referendum must find 49 seconders before presenting the options to the board of trustees through the student trustees.
5.3. The options should be presented to the trustees in the form of a motion. Members may also prepare a case for argument of no longer than two A4 pages. For guidance on how to write the motion members should refer to the JCR Chair.
- Should a referendum proposal be passed by both the board of trustees and a General Meeting or an Executive Committee meeting following any amendments, an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called to debate the proposal.
6.1. The Extraordinary General Meeting should be called no later than three weeks after the passing of the motion, excluding the procedure for amendments. Should the motion be passed at the end of term, the Extraordinary General Meeting must be held within the first two weeks of the following term.
6.2. If the options for referendum splits the JCR Executive, each side of the Executive in conjunction with the proposer of the motion shall be responsible for producing a speech of no longer than 10 minutes and a document to state their case.
6.3. If the options for referendum do not split the JCR Executive, the Chair shall be responsible for the production of a speech and case for argument for both options. The Chair may consult with whomever they wish to complete these cases, and may select any JCR member to speak on behalf of the prepared case at the Extraordinary General Meeting. Usually the Chair will select one member of the Executive to present their preferred option and present the other themselves.
- In recognition of the fact that referendums are likely to be votes that will have a long-term effect on the direction of the JCR, aside from the JCR Chair there is no officer of the JCR that is expected to observe complete public and private impartiality. Nonetheless, the President and other officers may choose to do so. All members of Governance Committee excluding the Chair, President and Vice-President may vote but may not publicly advertise their opinions. President and Vice-President may both vote and publicly advertise their opinions.
- All forms of campaigning for referendums are permitted along the same rules as for Method I elections, unless otherwise specified.
- Voting rules and periods are the same as for Method I elections, excluding the 72 hour appeals period.
- Referendum results are considered to be final and binding and may only be overridden in extraordinary circumstances.
Meetings of the JCR
- Extraordinary General Meetings
10.1. Extraordinary General Meetings may be called under any circumstances:
10.1.1. By the President of the Society with the agreement of the Vice-President and the Chair;
10.1.2. For the purpose of conducting an election by the SRO with the agreement of the President of the Society;
10.1.3. Following a submission to the Vice-President of a petition requesting such a meeting which shall be signed by at least fifty Full or Honorary Members and include the petitioners’ agenda; or
10.1.4. Following the passing of a motion for referendum either at a General Meeting or by 75% vote at an Executive Committee meeting.
10.2. In any of the circumstances contemplated above, excepting 10.1.4, an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened within seven days. The Vice- President and Chair shall advertise the meeting by all available means during the time provided. In the case of 10.1.4, an Extraordinary General Meeting must be called no later than three weeks following the motion passing. Should this vote occur at the end of term, the extraordinary meeting must be held within the first two weeks of the next term.
10.3. The Chair may accept other motions presented to them no less than 24 hours prior to the commencement of an Extraordinary General Meeting and at their discretion.
10.4. The order of business for an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be as decided by the Vice-President and/or the Chair, except in the case of referendums, when it shall follow the process as laid out in Article 1, Meetings of the JCR, clause
11.1.
- Extraordinary General Meetings (Referendums)
11.1. The process for any extraordinary meeting called to debate the options of a referendum is as follows:
1.1.1. A coin shall be tossed or another equivalent and fair method shall be used to decide which option is presented first. The toss shall be between the speaker on behalf of each option. The Chair shall speak on behalf of any option that has no other speaker. The coin toss must be observed by a member of Governance Committee.
1.1.2. The Chair shall begin the meeting by very briefly outlining each option.
1.1.3. Whichever speaker won the coin toss will present their case. They may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes.
1.1.4. Whichever speaker lost the coin toss will present their case. They may speak for a maximum of 10 minutes.
1.1.5. The floor shall be opened for questions. Should the Chair be speaking, the Stool will chair this part of the meeting. Questions may be directed to a specific speaker, but both will be given an opportunity to respond to every question.
1.1.6. The Chair shall conclude the meeting by outlining the voting procedure.
11.2. Extraordinary General Meetings for referendums must be held within three weeks of a referendum passing in either a General Meeting or an Executive Committee meeting. Should this vote occur at the end of term, the Extraordinary General Meeting must be held within the first two weeks of the next term.
11.3. There shall be no opportunities for the amendment of either option at this stage.
11.4. Notice for the Extraordinary General Meeting must be given no less than one week before.
Proposer: SWC
Seconder: AK
SWC: We didn’t have this before and now we need it. It says we can call them by trustees, by vote of the exec and a normal member with enough seconders.
Passed on a general aye
SRO Frep Motion
JCR notes
- That the Senior Returning Officer of the St. Cuthbert’s Society isnt currently an automatic Frep and has to apply by application to run.
JCR Believes
- That elections are an important part of cuths JCR and the overall student experience at Cuths. It further believes, that advertisement and advisement of elections and for elections respectively is important for the students which are interested in getting more involved with the JCR.
The JCR orders
Positions in the JCR order
4.2.3 The Senior Returning Officer will be a Frep during Freshers week for advertisement and advisement of elections. If a circumstance arises where the Senior Returning Officer is unable to Frep, only then the opportunity to Frep may be made available to a Junior Returning Officer to be selected at the discretion of the SRO and Head Frep.
Proposed SP
Seconded by RP
SP: lots of important positions. The JCR runs with people finding something they are passionate about. SRO would make fresh passionate and advice them.
Questions:
DT: what does SRO bring as a frep?
SP: elections and how things run and roles in the JCR
DT: Why can’t the exec just do that?
SP: because they had other things to do
WN: most minority frep roles are welfare related. Why SRO?
SP: I think SRO is also doing JCR work because they have things to impart.
SM: any SRO is probably going to be very knowledgeable about the JCR, why can’t they just go through the normal process
DV: the reason the welfare roles are there as a result of the need for it. The exec already get status. Chair could bring. Frepping is already over subscribed. It’s taking a place away from someone else who is just as qualified. Unsure whether it’s really needed when we have other positions
SP: I disagree. Welfare has a specdal need and I respect that. This is more comparing it with the exec. the sro is not on the exec for partiality reasons. The idea that chair would be willing to do the SRO job makes the SRO a redundant job. Advertising them is important
DV: there is some discrepancy because the chair and the returning officer
SP: the sro does things election related. It gets a spot in the freshers handbook
CG: would a better idea be for committees to promote themselves. No offence but you are one frep. We could have 20 posters.
EM: as someone who ran for a position in the first meeting, 17 mandated freps got there because they ran in an election. I could have just asked one of them. it’s taking away from someone. The SRO could just have applied for the role.
There is lots of opposition.
This motion has not passed.
LGBT+ Soc Motion
This JCR Notes:
- That at present there is no such ratified society in our college that exists for LGBT+ students.
- The important work the welfare committee do for the welfare of LGBT+ students.
- Particularly the work of Kiera White, the current LGBT+ representative, who sits on the welfare campaigns committee.
- We have previously opened up a discussion in this JCR on Caucuses and the autonomy of minority groups.
- Similar groups exist successfully at St Aidan’s, St Mary’s, St Hild and St Bede and Josephine Butler Colleges
This JCR Believes
- The Addition of an LGBT+ Society would be beneficial to LGBT+ students at Cuth’s, giving greater autonomy, representation and community engagement.
- Being LGBT+ is not simply a welfare issue, as often LGBT+ people just want to meet others in the community and have fun, but creating a greater network for social events would improve LGBT+ member’s welfare.
This JCR Resolves
- To create Cuth’s LGBT+ Society, a network for Cuth’s students identifying under the banner of LGBT+.
- Initially, on the executive committee, there shall be a chair, a Vice-chair, a treasurer, and a social secretary.
- The Chair and Vice-Chair will be a reserved place for the JCR LGBT+ representative and the Assistant JCR LGBT+ representative, while the other roles will be elected at the first general meeting.
Proposed by: RM
Seconded by: AR, KW, JS, MH, ES, AA, KM, SS, JS, TD, KB, TW, AK
KW: there is no group like this in Cuth’s but there are at other colleges. We have a rep at the moment but this says they will have a place in this society. It would be good.
Passed on a general aye
Law Society Motion
This JCR notes:
- There is a modern necessity to promote and develop skills related to concentration, emotional maturity, analytical observation, and decision-making. There is no current Cuths Law Society that allows students from Cuths to develop networking skills and connect with fellow alumni in legal placements in an informal friendly environment.
This JCR believes:
- The foundation of a St. Cuthbert’s Law Society is required to enable students to benefit from the previous mentioned skills without prejudicing members of the high fees of the University Law Society.
- This Society would be an optimal alternative to the Durham University’s Law Society, with the substantial distinction of a more welcoming and open environment.
- The wellbeing of its members will be guaranteed with constant pizza parties, great socials and constant networking events. Additionally there will be LinkedIn account to help students find their way in the legal sector.
- This JCR resolves:
- A St Cuthbert’s Law Society shall be ratified allowing networking events and Lectures in a suitable environment.
- For the purposes of this motion a “suitable environment” is considered to be:
- Brooks Bar
- Bailey Bar
- House 8 Conference Room
- Any other appropriate space inside or outside University.
- The logistics of every meeting will be arranged by the society depending on the availability of the different locations.
- No allocation of JCR funding is required for the creation of this society as there are sufficient resources at the moment for the initial formation of the society.
- The Society will be managed by the following positions:
- President:
- Treasurer:
- Publicity Officer:
- Alumni Officer:
- Social Sec:
*More positions can be made available at the discretion of members.
Proposer: EE
SECONDERS: OO, LC, TC, VP, EL, HH, LL, FD, SOO, TS, RW, JoC, HG, CG,
EE: Durham Law society is £65 for the year and it’s not accessible for people who aren’t doing law. Networking. Lets have our own one and go for it (or something to that affect)
Passed on a general aye
Method IV Positions Order
This JCR Notes
- That many JCR positions that previously existed as Method IV are no longer in the standing orders
This JCR Believes
- That many of these positions are important, and should be re-instated
This JCR Orders
Positions in the JCR order:
- Leader of the Song Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- Their duties shall be to:
- Lead the singing of the college song after every JCR meeting
- Endeavour to ensure that all members of the JCR know the lyrics to the college song
- The Orbiting Professor of Martian Anthropology Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- Their duties shall be to:
- Recite Shakespeare sonnets during the battle of the exec
- They should be the shortest person in the room during the election
- The Golden Bedspring for fornication Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- The red herring for persistent and unadulterated lying Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum Award Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- The soft cushion for academic blagging Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- The wooden spoon for stirring disharmony Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- The anonymous Magistrate’s Paper Bag for technicolour yawning Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- The keeper of the couplets Method IV, Meeting 3.3
- Their duties shall be to:
- Write a set of rhyming couplets to be read out before every JCR meeting
- The Wincrete Memorial Trophy Method III, Meeting 3.3
- This position will be awarded to the person who can consume a pint of soda water fastest
- Their overseer shall be the SRO
Proposer: JC
Seconder: SP
JC: we have a number of fun positions that have made their way off the SOs. Put them back on!
Passed on a general aye.
Live-in Exec Motion
This JCR Notes
- That college reserves two rooms in Brooks and 3 on the Bailey (excluding the President’s flat) for live-in exec
- That Senior Welfare was recently made live-out, leaving only 4 live-in exec positions
- That currently only certain exec members are allowed access to the exec rooms
- That only two non-presidential exec members have opted to live in since 2016
This JCR Believes
- That there would be some benefit gained to almost any exec member living in
- That it would be beneficial to have more exec members live in so that they’re most visible around college
- That some positions would gain more than others by living in
- That giving more exec positions the opportunity to live in will increase the number who opt to do so
This JCR Repeals
- All mentions of Li B/P in the Positions in the JCR Order
- Positions in the JCR 3.1.7 “Those positions defined as live-in…”
- Positions in the JCR 3.1.8 “If a candidate declares they intend to live in…”
This JCR Orders
Positions in the JCR Order:
3.1.7 There shall be a priority system for allocating the rooms in college set aside for the executive
committee
- a) The available rooms on each site will be offered sequentially to elected officers according to
the priorities list
- After being elected, officers who wish to live in must declare this within one week,
and the site on which they wish to live
- If they do not, they will lose their priority, and the rooms will be offered to officers
who are elected later
- If a position is not elected during the meeting it is first offered at but is elected
subsequently, the officer that is elected may not have an exec room that has already
been allocated, regardless of priority
- If, after the entire executive committee has been elected, some of the rooms have
not been allocated, officers who previously declared that they would live out will be
given a second opportunity to live in, with priority following the priority list
- b) The President of the Society and Finances and Compliance Officer will not be included in this
system as they are required to live in, and the relevant flats will always be reserved for them
- c) The Senior Welfare Officer will not be permitted an exec room
- d) The priority list for the Bailey rooms will be as follows:
- Vice-President
- Librarian
- Facilities Manager
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Committee Chair
- International Rep
- Social Chair
- Sports and Societies Chair
- Chair
- Communications Officer
- Outreach Chair
- e) The priority list for the Brooks room(s) will be as follows:
- Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Committee Chair
- Facilities Manager
- International Rep
- Vice-President
- Social Chair
- Chair
- Sports and Societies Chair
- Communications Officer
- Outreach Chair
- Librarian
Proposer: JC
Seconder: MP
JC: exec can live in, but not many people take up the flats at the moment. Rather than having 5 positons reserved for the exec, so if other exec want it then they can live in based on a priority system
RH: will there be a discount?
JC: No, because it would be a big spending for the JCR. That is the main reason people don’t live in but it wouldn’t be worth it.
GH: how did you pick the order?
JC: based on how often you need to work with other exec and be with college staff and use facilities.
Passed on a general aye
Election Rules Order
This JCR Repeals:
- The election rules standing Order
This JCR Orders:
The election rules standing order:
Article 1 Method I and Method I Presidential Election Rules
- Method I Election Rules
- 1. Eligibility to Run in a Method I Election
- 1.1. You are eligible to run in a Method I election if you meet the following criteria:
- You are a Full Member of St Cuthbert’s Society Junior Common Room (JCR), and will be for the duration of the term of office of the position you are running for.
- Winning the election would not result in you holding two Method I positions, or Method I and a Method II position, or a Method I and a Method III position at the same time.
- 2. Applying for a Method I Position
- 2.1. 72 hours before their husting at the JCR Meeting, the candidate must submit a copy of their manifesto that is no longer than a single A4 page. This must be sent electronically to the SRO for approval. Should the SRO deem a statement made in the manifesto untrue or misleading, the candidate will be asked to amend their manifesto accordingly.
- 2.2. 24 hours before their husting at the JCR Meeting, the candidate must submit electronically to the SRO for approval a copy of their official poster.
- 2.3. 24 hours before their husting at the JCR Meeting, if the candidate wishes to campaign with these methods, the candidate may submit to the SRO:
- Table slip designs.
- An official photo to be used on the DUVS site (in JPEG or MPG format).
- 2.4. The candidate is strongly advised to speak with the incumbent holder of the position the candidate wishes to stand for to further understand the requirements of the position.
- 2.5. Members of Governance Committee must inform the SRO (or the 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.
- 3. Meeting Procedure for Method I Elections
- 3.1. Election Materials
- 3.1.1. At the beginning of the JCR Meeting in which the candidate will be husting they must submit in hard copy to the SRO:
- Two copies of a manifesto,
- Seven copies of their official poster,
- A fully signed election form (which will be provided in the meeting) including on it a named proposer and seconder.[1]
- 3.2. Posters and Manifestos
- 3.2.1. Posters shall be no larger than A4 and should display at least:
- The name and signature of the candidate,
- A photograph of the candidate,
- The position the candidate is running for, and
- The official St Cuthbert’s Society crest.
- 3.2.2. Posters and manifestos should not display the names or signatures of the candidate’s proposer or seconder.
- 3.2.3. A total of 7 posters shall be placed across St Cuthbert’s Society with one poster in each of the following locations:
- Refounders’ House,
- Parson’s Field Court,
- Fonteyn Court,
- Brooks House JCR,
- 12 South Bailey,
- St Cuthbert’s Club (12 South Bailey), and
- Brooks House Bar.
- 3.2.4. A total of 2 manifestos shall be placed across St Cuthbert’s Society with one manifesto in each of the following locations:
- 12 South Bailey JCR, and
- Brooks House JCR.
- 3.2.5. The manifesto of each candidate shall be displayed on the DUVS website.
- 3.2.6. The JCR will reimburse the cost of printing from a University printer only upon the production of a valid receipt.
- 3.2.7. The JROs will be responsible for the distribution of posters and manifestos.
- 3.2.8. The removal or defacing of a candidate’s poster(s) by any member of the Society (that is not the SRO or a JRO) is forbidden.
- 3.3. Table Slips
- 3.3.1. Table slips are not a mandatory method of campaigning and the following instructions should only be followed if the candidate wishes to facilitate this method of campaigning.
- 3.3.2. Designs for table slips shall be submitted to the SRO for review at least 24 hours before the JCR Meeting in which candidates will hust.
- 3.3.3. The SRO shall manage the distribution of table slips.
- 3.3.4. The candidates shall be responsible for managing the printing of table slips. At the beginning of the JCR Meeting in which the candidate will be husting, hard copies of table slips should be submitted to the SRO.
- 3.3.5. Table slips shall be no larger than A6 and display at least:
- The name of the candidate, and
- The position the candidate is running for.
- Table slips shall not display the names or signatures of the candidate’s proposer or seconder.
- 3.3.6. Table slips shall be distributed at:
- The first dinner after the hustings, and
- The first lunch time after that dinner.
- 3.3.7. The defacing, removal, or relocating of a candidate’s table slip(s) by any member of the Society (except by the SRO or a JRO) is forbidden.
- 3.4. Hustings for Method I positions
- 3.4.1. Hustings shall be held in a JCR Meeting.[2]
- 3.4.2. All candidates for Method I positions may hust for a maximum of three minutes.
- 3.4.3. Hustings may not include any topic which conflicts with the Forbidden Campaigning Methods.
- 3.4.4. If a candidate is running in absentia, the candidate’s speech will be read by a member of Governance Committee.
- 3.4.5. There shall be an opportunity for candidates to be asked questions by meeting attendees on their hustings, manifestos, and any other relevant topic after all the candidates have husted.
- 3.4.5.1. Questions must not be aimed at a specific candidate, and must be answerable by all candidates.
- 3.4.5.2. Any questions deemed inappropriate shall be declined by the SRO.
- 3.4.5.3. If a candidate is running in absentia, no questions shall be asked to any candidate in that election.
- 3.4.5.4. Candidates shall give their answers in alphabetical order by surname. For each successive question, the order shall shift up by one (i.e. first respondent becomes last respondent, second respondent becomes first etc.)
- 3.2. Posters and Manifestos
- 3.1. Election Materials
- Method I Presidential Election Rules
- 1. Eligibility to Run in a Method I Presidential Election
- 1.1. You are eligible to run in a Method I Presidential Election if you meet the following criteria:
- You are a Full Member of St. Cuthbert’s Society Junior Common Room (JCR).
- You are due to graduate at the end of the academic year in which you will hust for the position.
- 2. Applying for a Method I Presidential Position
- 2.1. 72 hours before their husting at the JCR Meeting, the candidate must submit a copy of their manifesto that is no longer than a single A4 page. This must be sent electronically to the SRO for approval.
- 2.2. 24 hours before their husting at the JCR Meeting, the candidate must submit electronically to the SRO for approval the following:
- A copy of their official poster
- A copy of their hust
- A copy of their proposer’s hust
- 2.3. 24 hours before their husting at the JCR Meeting, if the candidate wishes to campaign with these methods, the candidate may submit to the SRO:
- Table slip designs.
- An official photo to be used on the DUVS site (in JPEG or MPG format).
- 2.4. The candidate is strongly advised to speak with the incumbent holder of the position the candidate wishes to stand for to further understand the requirements of the position.
- 2.5. Members of Governance Committee must inform the SRO (or the 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.
- 3. Meeting Procedure and Election Materials for Method I Presidential Elections
- 3.1. Election Materials
- 3.1.1. At the beginning of the JCR Meeting in which the candidate will be husting they must submit in hard copy to the SRO:
- Two copies of a manifesto,
- 21 copies of their official poster,
- And a fully signed election form (which will be provided in the meeting) including on it a named proposer and seconder.
- 3.2. Posters and Manifestos
- 3.2.1. Posters shall be no larger than A4 and should display at least:
- The name and signature of the candidate,
- The names and signatures of the candidate’s proposer and seconder,
- A photograph of the candidate,
- The position the candidate is running for, and
- The official St Cuthbert’s Society crest.
- 3.2.2. A total of 21 posters shall be placed across St Cuthbert’s Society with:
- One poster in each of Houses 8, 13, 26, and 27 South Bailey,
- Two posters in Refounders’ House,
- Two posters in Parson’s Field Court,
- Two posters in Fonteyn Court,
- Six posters in Brooks House landings,
- One poster in Brooks House JCR,
- One poster in 12 South Bailey JCR,
- One poster in Brooks House Bar,
- One poster in St Cuthbert’s Club (12 South Bailey Bar), and
- One poster in the Society Library.
- 3.2.3. A total of two manifestos shall be placed across St Cuthbert’s Society with one manifesto in each of the following locations:
- 12 South Bailey JCR, and
- Brooks House JCR.
- 3.2.4. The manifesto of each candidate shall be displayed on the DUVS website.
- 3.2.5. The JCR will reimburse the cost of printing from a University printer only upon the production of a valid receipt.
- 3.2.6. The JROs will be responsible for the distribution of posters and manifestos.
- 3.2.7. The removal or defacing of a candidate’s poster(s) by any member of the Society (that is not the SRO or a JRO) is forbidden.
- 3.3. Table Slips
- 3.3.1. Table slips are not a mandatory method of campaigning and the following instructions should only be followed if the candidate wishes to facilitate this method of campaigning.
- 3.3.2. Designs for table slips shall be submitted to the SRO for review at least 24 hours before the JCR Meeting in which candidates will hust.
- 3.3.3. The SRO shall manage the distribution of table slips.
- 3.3.4. The candidates shall be responsible for managing the printing of table slips. At the beginning of the JCR Meeting in which the candidate will be husting, hard copies of table slips should be submitted to the SRO.
- 3.3.5. Table slips shall be no larger than A6 and display at least:
- The name of the candidate, and
- The position the candidate is running for.
- Table slips shall not display the names or signatures of the candidate’s proposer or seconder.
- 3.3.6. Table slips shall be distributed at:
- The first dinner after the hustings, and
- The first lunch time after that dinner.
- 3.3.7. The defacing, removal, or relocating of a candidate’s table slip(s) by any member of the Society (except by the SRO or a JRO) is forbidden.
- 3.4. Hustings for Method I Presidential Positions
- 3.4.1. Hustings shall be held in a JCR Meeting.
- 3.4.2. All candidates for Method I Presidential positions may hust for a maximum of ten minutes.
- 3.4.3. The proposer for a candidate for the President of the Society may hust for a maximum of three minutes.
- 3.4.4. Should either the candidate or the proposer not be able to attend the meeting; the speech will be read by a member of Governance Committee.
- 3.4.5. Hustings may not include any topic which conflicts with the Forbidden Campaigning Methods.
- 3.4.6. There shall be an opportunity for candidates to be asked questions by meeting attendees on their hustings, manifestos, and any other relevant topic after all the candidates have husted.
- 3.4.6.1. Questions must not be aimed at a specific candidate, and must be answerable by all candidates.
- 3.4.6.2. Any questions deemed inappropriate shall be declined by the SRO.
- 3.4.6.3. If a candidate is running in absentia, no questions shall be asked to any candidate in that election.
- 3.4.6.4. Candidates shall give their answers in alphabetical order by surname. For each successive question, the order shall shift up by one (i.e. first respondent becomes last respondent, second respondent becomes first etc.)
- 3.2. Posters and Manifestos
- 3.1. Election Materials
- 2. Applying for a Method I Presidential Position
- Campaigning in Method I and Method I (Presidential) Elections
- 1. Permitted Campaigning Methods
- 1.1. The period of official campaigning shall be between the times that the online vote opens and when the online vote ends.
- 1.2. A candidate may campaign via:
- Word of mouth (canvassing),
- Official posters,
- Table slips, and
- Social Media
- 1.3. If the candidate seeks to campaign in any way not explicitly defined within this order they must have the approval and authorisation of the SRO in writing. Failure to comply to this could result in Methods of Sanction.
- 1.4. Only Campaign Team members may campaign for the candidate. The candidate is responsible for all campaigning done on their behalf.
- 2. Pre-Campaigning
- 2.1. Pre-campaigning is strictly limited to word of mouth (canvassing).
- 2.2. Pre-campaigning is permitted 24 hours before the JCR Meeting in which the candidate will hust.
- 3. Social Media
- 3.1. Campaigning via social media is permitted. However, you are:
- Only permitted to campaign from a personal account,
- Not permitted to make or repurpose an existing video or website, and
- Not permitted to make or post on any Facebook pages, groups or events.
- 3.2. On the Facebook Fresher’s pages, the SRO will advertise the elections and the candidates fairly and impartially.
- 3.3. On smaller Sports and Societies Facebook groups and pages, captains and group admins may advertise elections but they may not endorse any particular candidate.
- 4. Forbidden Campaigning Methods
- 4.1. Candidates and campaign team members are forbidden from:
- Using amplified public address systems to endorse a candidate,
- Campaigning in either St Cuthbert’s Club (12 South Bailey Bar,) St. Cuthbert’s Dining Hall, or Brooks House Bar (except for when there are hustings),
- Any form of bribery or exchange of value for votes,
- Pressuring or coercing Members to vote for the candidate, with the candidate in attendance,
- Campaigning for request new candidates,
- Personally attacking a JCR member or previous JCR member,
- Any action or form of campaigning that the SRO deems as negative campaigning,
- Associating or affiliating with any member of Governance Committee, the Executive Committee, Student Trustees or the incumbent. Any photographs that include any such persons must be authorised by Governance Committee.
- Any privileges associated with a current JCR position may not be utilised at any point during the election (including but not limited to: repurposing of official St. Cuthbert’s Society social media pages and/or websites, emailing from an existing official St. Cuthbert’s email account.)
- 4.2. Any campaigning violations may result in the sanctioning of the candidate.
- 5. Campaign Teams
- 5.1. A campaign team is defined as any person the candidate has asked to campaign on their behalf.
- 5.2. The candidate may approach potential campaign team members no earlier than 48 hours before the JCR Meeting husting. 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.
- 5.3. The candidate may approach a potential Proposer and Seconder no earlier than 7 days before the JCR Meeting husting, at any time of day.
- 5.4. Campaign team members must be a Full Member of St. Cuthbert’s Society JCR.
- 5.5. A campaign team may contain no more that:
- 10 members in a Method I Election, and
- 15 members in a Method I Presidential Election.
- 5.6. The proposer and seconder are members of the campaigns team of the candidate they propose or second.
- 5.7. A candidate’s campaign team must be recorded and approved by the SRO at the start of the JCR Meeting in which the candidate will be husting.
- 5.8. Campaign team members must not:
- Be a member of an opposing candidate’s campaign team,
- Be a previous holder of the position (on the exception that the candidate is re-running for a position), nor
- Be a member of the Executive Committee or Governance Committee.
- Be a Student Trustee.
- 5.9. Candidates are responsible for the actions of the people within their campaign team.
- 6. Budget
- 6.1. The candidate of a Method I Election has a budget of up to ten pounds sterling which will be reimbursed by the JCR on receipt of documentation detailing their spending.
- 6.2. The candidate of a Method I Presidential Election has a budget of up to fifteen pounds sterling which will be reimbursed by the JCR on receipt of documentation detailing their spending.
- 6.3. Only campaign materials funded by the candidate’s JCR budget may be used to campaign for election.
- 6.4. The budget may be spent on only campaign materials approved before purchase by the SRO.
- Voting and Results Procedure in Method I and Method I Presidential Elections
- 1. Procedure
- 1.1. Voting in Method I and Method I Presidential Elections shall be done via the Durham University Voting System (DUVS) which can be found at apps.dur.ac.uk/vote
- 1.2. Voting shall be done using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) method[3]
- 1.2.1. It shall be conducted by secret ballot.
- 1.2.2. All elections shall incorporate Re-Open Nominations (R.O.N.) as a candidate.
- 1.3. In the event of any failure of the online voting system, the election shall be either restarted or shall be carried out via paper ballots with the voting point being available for at least ten hours in total in such a place as is accessible to all Members, at the discretion of the SRO,
- 1.3.1. Voters must present their campus cards in order to be eligible to vote.
- 2. Election Duration
- 2.1. Online voting shall be open from midnight on the day of the meeting, and shall run until 16:00 on the third day after the meeting (exclusive), a period of 64 hours.
- 2.2. Method I Election results shall be announced online on the Cuth’s JCR Elections Facebook page, and on the DUVS site. At the discretion of the SRO, the results may also be announced in the Bailey Bar at 18:30 on the day the vote closes.
- 2.3. Method I Presidential Election results shall be announced from the balcony of Room 11, House 8 to the croquet lawn below.
- 3. Counting of Votes
- 3.1. The counting of votes shall be carried out between the closing of voting and the declaration of results.
- 3.2. The count must be witnessed by at least two members of Governance Committee, including the SRO.
- 3.3. Each candidate may nominate an independent observer of their choice who shall attend the count to ensure it is done fairly.
- 3.3.1. They shall not be a member of the candidate’s campaign team.
- 3.3.2. They shall not be permitted to share the result with any other person until the results have been announced by the SRO.
- 3.4. An election may be declared null and void under exceptional circumstances:
- 3.4.1. A two thirds majority by the members of Governance Committee shall be required to declare an election null and void.
- 3.4.2. Under such circumstances nominations shall then be re-opened.
- Misconduct in Method I and Method I Presidential Elections
- 1. Complaints Procedure
- 1.1. Any Member of the Society who wishes to make a complaint about a campaign or candidate should do so, in writing, to the SRO as soon as possible after the incident.
- 1.2. The SRO shall then convene a meeting of the Governance Committee to discuss the matter and sanction any campaign.
- 2. Methods of Sanction
- 2.1. All methods of sanction will be decided upon by Governance Committee through a minuted meeting.
- 2.2. The available methods of sanction to Governance Committee are:
- Budget: The budget of a candidate can be reduced. If the budget has already been spent, the money spent shall be confiscated,
- Docking of votes: Some of the candidate’s votes may be docked, up to a maximum of 20% of their total vote. If the docking of votes leads to a change in the elected candidate the election must be re-run omitting the sanctioned candidate(s) at the discretion of Governance Committee. Docked votes shall be non-transferrable.
- Disqualification: The candidate is removed from the election and all votes (if applicable) are reallocated according to STV,
- Limiting campaign methods: The permitted campaign methods of the candidate may be reduced (including but not limited to: social media ban, removal of posters, removal of campaign team members), and
- Publicity: Publicising a clear breach of election rules by St. Cuthbert’s Society social media outlets.
Article 2 Method II Election Rules
- Method II Election Rules
- 1. Eligibility to Run in a Method II Election
- 1.1. You are eligible to run for a Method II position if you meet the following criteria:
- You are a Full Member of St Cuthbert’s Society Junior Common Room (JCR), and will be for the duration of the term of office of the position you are running for.
- Winning the election would not result in you holding a Method I and a Method II position at the same time.
- Winning the election would not result in you holding more than two JCR positions (Method I, II, or III) at the same time.
- Winning the election would not lead to you holding more than one minority representative position at a time (i.e. PoC Rep, LGBT+ Rep, SwD Rep, Mature Students’ Rep, or Working Class Students’ Rep).
- 2. Applying for a Method II Position and Meeting Procedure
- 2.1. Application and Election Materials
- 2.1.1. Candidates must submit a fully signed election form (which will be provided in the meeting) including on it a named proposer and seconder.
- 2.1.2. Candidates in Method II Elections must have a proposer and seconder supporting their application. Proposers and seconders of Method II Election candidate must not:
- Be the proposer or seconder for an opposing candidate,
- Be a previous holder of the position (on the exception that the candidate is re-running for a position),
- Be a member of the Executive Committee or Governance Committee,
- Be a Student Trustee.
- 2.1.3. No other materials may be used in a Method II Election.
- 2.2. Hustings for Method II Positions
- 2.2.1. Hustings shall be held in a JCR Meeting.
- 2.2.2. All candidates for Method II positions may hust for a maximum of one minute.
- 2.2.3. During their hustings, candidates are forbidden from:
- Offering any bribes or exchange of value for votes,
- Personally attacking a current or previous JCR Member,
- Campaigning for Reopen Nominations,
- Associating or affiliating with any member of Governance Committee, the Executive Committee, or the incumbent, and
- Any action or phrase that the SRO deems as negative campaigning.
- 2.2.4. If a candidate is running in absentia, the candidate’s speech will be read by a member of Governance Committee.
- 2.2.5. There shall be an opportunity for candidates to be asked questions by meeting attendees on their hustings, manifestos, and any other relevant topic after all the candidates have husted.
- 2.2.5.1. Questions must not be aimed at a specific candidate, and must be answerable by all candidates.
- 2.2.5.2. Any questions deemed inappropriate shall be declined by the SRO.
- 2.2.5.3. If a candidate is running in absentia, no questions shall be asked to any candidate in that election.
- 2.2.5.4. Candidates shall give their answers in alphabetical order by surname. For each successive question, the order shall shift up by one (i.e. first respondent becomes last respondent, second respondent becomes first etc.)
- 2.3. Campaigning
- 2.3.1. Campaigning is only permitted via word of mouth (canvassing) from up to 24 hours before the husting takes place.
- 3. Voting Procedure
- 3.1. After hustings and questions have concluded all candidates will be taken out of the room by a member of Governance Committee.
- 3.2. Attendees of the JCR Meeting shall be asked to close their eyes and vote for their preferred candidate(s) by raising their hand.
- 3.3. Attendees shall be given the option to Reopen Nominations and to abstain.
- 3.4. Votes shall be counted by the SRO and the JCR Chair.
- 3.5. The result of the election shall be declared by the SRO immediately after the conclusion of voting.
- 2.1. Application and Election Materials
- 2. Applying for a Method II Position and Meeting Procedure
- 1. Eligibility to Run in a Method II Election
Article 3 Method III Election Rules
- Method III Election Rules
- 1. Eligibility to Run for a Method III Position
- 1.1. You are eligible to run for a Method III position if you meet the following criteria:
- You are a Full Member of St Cuthbert’s Society Junior Common Room (JCR)
- You will not hold a Method I position or two Method II positions during the term of office of the Method III position.
- 2. Applying for a Method III Position
- 2.1. The overseer will publicise details of how to apply for the position, giving at least one week for people to contact them.
- 2.2. Applications must be lodged in writing to the overseer.
- 2.3. Accepting a Method III position
- 2.3.1. You may only accept an application position after being notified of selection if this will not result in you holding more than two JCR positions (Method I, II, or III) at the same time.
- 3. Selection Procedure
- 3.1. At their discretion the overseer may use an application form, interviews, and any other suitable and appropriate discriminatory process to gain insight into the suitability of candidates.
- 3.2. Successful candidate(s) will then be chosen by the overseer following consultation with and approval from the JCR President and Vice-President.
- 2. Applying for a Method III Position
Proposer: AK
Seconder: JC
EC: we just need these.
Passed on a general aye
Budgets:
CRC Budget June 2019 Climbing SCSRFC-Budget-Application-2019-2020 BodCon Cricket Budget 2 Pool Budget 2019-20 CDS Budget 2019 – 2020 Football Budget 2019-20 Art Budget Darts Budget 20192020 big band budget Boat-Club-Budget-2019-20 Choir Budget Gardening Hockey Budget Karaoke Mixed LAX Budget 2019-20 netball budget 2019 2020 Ripped Off Swimming Ultimate frisbee budget Women’s Football Women’s Rugby Badminton
[all links broken]
ART
SM: eventually this year we want to do glass making, life drawing, Easter needs money for the exhibition. It’s all 50/50. We’ve always got money for the exhibition.
AB: this hasn’t been amended by fi comm
Passed on a general aye
BADMINTON
AC: this year we spent less than we were meant to because we didn’t book some courts and FQ closed this term. Subs reduced next year
AB: fi comm reduced them more as they have a big reserve
WN: how much are in the reserves?
AC: a grand
WN: ah
Passed on a general aye
BIG BAND
GH: this year £10 subs. We haven’t spent some of the money but we want to buy more sheet music next year to appeal to more people
AB: we removed the band photo because we didn’t know what the difference was between that and the sports and socs photos.
GH: it goes up in the music room
AB: I propose an amendment to put the photo back on but as £6
Amendment passed
DT: is it just big band that get a photo up in the music room?
AK: Karaoke is not getting a photo there
Passed on a general aye
BOAT CLUB
GM: there are some big numbers here. There is always a huge surge in the first term as freshers sign up. There is also fundraising. We go over our targets on our fundraising. The aim for next year is to buy a new boat which will cost between 18k and 20k. we need some good equipment because we are falling behind other colleges. We do train hard. It’s cuth’s biggest society. It’s a sport you don’t normally get access to.
AB: no amendments. If they get fewer subs, we will give them less mone.
WN: how many subs this year?
GM: just under what we expected but don’t know off the top of my head. Expected is 125 again. we also have different levels of subs depending on competitive or not, coxes, social members etc,
EE: do you know how much you spend of repairs?
GM: more than we budgeted for this year. Just bad steering this year
Passed on a general aye
BODCON
AM: we don’t have any money. Our expenditite next year is nothing so we can pay back money to the JCR because we owe so much. We don’t really need it.
AB: so nothing?
AM: nothing?
WN: how much do you owe?
AM: quite a lot. Like £500
AK: it’s because CF. They were told they could use the dining hall for Bodcon but then he said no
AM: we got £58 in subs this year. It might be slow paying the JCR back
Passed on a general aye
CHOIR
JaP: we want a radical over-hall of what we do this year. We’ve not been very exciting this year. We want to do more services. We have space in the church and do weekly serves. this made our old music library redundant. We now sing in the evening service not the morning service. The songs are different. We’ve spent £700 in music this year. We sing to more people every week than any other chapel choir in uni. We are the only ones who ask for subs as we are the only ones who are part of a JCR. Our new budget asks for 5 pieces of sheet music per term. Also, photo copying and printing. It also includes printing advertising. And church rent. It’s cheaper than other chapel choirs. Our assets are 5k of sheet music so we want to make sure we put our reserves into that next year. We want to reduce our subs in line with other chapel choirs. The budget doesn’t take into account that we get 1.1k from college every year.
AB: so the initial request got amended as it’s not in-line with the 1:1 but they do provide performances at formals and help in the local community. We’ve not given them everything they asked for. If they raise 300, we will give them 600 on the basis that they ask college for extra help and then make a new budget for the beginning of next year
JC: what is church rent?
JP: we are allowed to use the church whenever we want and pay a fixed term to use it.
WN: are choir not paid to sing?
JP: It’s voluntary
RH: other college choirs get paid
Passed on a general aye
CLIMBING
AC: climbing works a little different. You pay subs as you go. It cost 5 to climb on a Wednesday but the JCR pays half afterwards. Nothing new.
AB: yeah.
Passed on a general aye
CRICKET
HG: nothing too new.
AB: no amendments
Passed on a general aye
DARTS
KH: It’s pretty standard. The board gets damaged a lot. When we buy it, it belongs to the bar and not the club, so I think this is a bit over the 1:1 because of that. The 25 difference is because of that.
AB: we amended it. The rubber thingy should come from you guys. We removed the stash crest as if it’s going on stash we can’t really pay for it. Drop subs down. [he then explains more clearly but KH says yeah so I think it’s fine]
EE: not in darts. There is a board on the opposite side of the board. Is that used?
KH: we lock that so it’s only used for matches because of where it’s situated (over seats).
Passed on a general aye
CDS (DRAMA)
SPk: panto funds for the year. We made a name for ourselves. We have a name now so we can expand. We also want to do a play and things. We don’t get subs. All money comes for tickets so we are asking for a loan and then we will pay it back out of sales.
AB: so we can put through their reclaims
EC: does 24 hours come from your or Outreach?
SPk: it’s split
Passed on a general aye
MEN’S FOOTBALL
MPol: I just copy and pasted from last year. I raised subs for part members to pay for a first aid kit
AB: we have amended it so because league membership has gone up. We dropped training footballs to 7 as we thought there would be some around.
MPol: I’m keen to buy more footballs
AB: 110 seems excessive
MPol: I’ve never seen bibs, that’s just what I’ve been told we have. Also freshers generally wear their shirts. It would make sense to have bibs before we sort kit
AB: we reduced total number of training sessions on the crum because it’s quite an expensive hire. Unless you are getting high numbers it’s excessive. We have also taken off crumb higher in summer as seasons over. Due to increased costs the numbers went up to 28 and 38 to stay in line with 1:1.
MPol: I don’t know what’s been spent this year. I just copy and pasted and added the first aid kit
AB: we will withdraw this now and change it later
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
EC: you’re not a women
DT: I’m assistant manager. LB wrote this and I trust her. We don’t have a first aid kit. Can we add one?
AB: we amended it slightly and the MC prices didn’t quite add up. I couldn’t see a pattern about which were crumb and which were grass. So that got added on so the increase expenditure. you increased subs slightly to increase reserves. Net 145 for the year. I propose an amendment to add a first aid kit which is 25.
RH: how many injuries are you expecting next year?
AB: you need to have a first aid kit to play at MC
KH: you also need a first aid practitioner in the team
DT: I am first aid trained
Amendment passed on general aye
Passed on general aye
FRISBEE
TC: we are going to keep our subs at 2. We have lots of reserves so we want a new kit bag and new frisbee and some club kits we can led to people
AB: yeah.
Passed on a general aye
GARDENING
JR: we want a tiny bit of money for a strong foundation and we need seeds. We are helpful because we clean up wendy garden. People normally do that as a punishment
AB: we did amend this because we don’t buy snacks
AK: we can’t buy consumables. Except for JCR meetings.
Passed on a general aye
KARAOKE
DT: same as last year. We had some income this year.
AB: we amended this because it wasn’t in line with inflation.
Passed on a general aye
HOCKEY
HG: we’ve tried to decrease the subs. We had 3 teams last year, this year it worked well with 2 so we want to keep that as more people kept up. We cut costs by only hiring half a pitch for practices. We need to keep our reserves because if we lose goalie kit then we need to be able to replace it.
AB: we put subs up by 2 so they could get some reserves. Net of 130 for reserves
Passed on a general aye
MIXED LACROSSE
MP: standard. Current sticks, the bottoms have come off and they are bad.
AB: they have negative reserves so they are trying to work their way out of that which is why subs are slightly higher.
Passed on a general aye
NETBALL
MD: kit and balls.
AB: we dropped your subs by £3 to £5 because you have lots in your reserves.
Passed on general aye
POOL
KH: our income is straight from the table. We don’t ask for anything from the JCR. We have a reserve in case the table needs replacing or if there is major damage to it. We want to gradually increase our reserve because of this.
AB: whatever they pay to maintain the table comes from the table. The profit goes into reserves
Passed on a general aye
RIPPED OFF
SWC: this is completely new so this was done in the dark. £1 subs. The JCR won’t let me do less than that. We think most money will come from fundraising. The budget will be used for printing and campaign materials.
AB: we will match you up to £100 but cap it at that.
Passed on a general aye
SCSRFC
KH: mostly standard. We lost some balls. We need new shirts. We have been poorly managed for the last few years and the JCR has bought us new shirts every year. We now have good exec who are trying to change this. By coincidence we still need to get new kit because some are ripped and bloodied and you can’t play in those shirts. It’s within the 1:1.
AB: we brought this up in fi comm. RJ (who is FCO) is aware of this so from next year they will only buy replacements for ones that are damaged but this year they will get a full set. The crumb prices are more than 6 so I amended that because I think it’s 20.
MP: it’s changed to 40 per pitch per hour.
KH: amendment; 20 for half pitches. (so 10 x 20). Get rid of crumb hire for epiphany and we will have grass. And raise subs to 28 and that evens out.
AB: could you make it 29 because I think Rugby have a negative reserve so we are trying to make more?
KH: that gives a net of 38. I’m happy with that
AK: what are you going to do about people graduating and taking shirts.
DV: the issue is you can’t buy individual shirts so we are going to be strict on that
Amendment Passed on a general aye
Passed on a general aye
WOMEN’S RUGBY
MW: I haven’t spent as much this year. Trying to generate reserves to save up for new full team kit rather than individually owned shirts.
AB: all fine really.
All passed on a general aye
RUNNING
JK: so we just pay for a race per term. We pay half the entrance and the JCR pay the other
AB: running is the same as climbing
Passed on a general aye
SWIMMING
EB: every member pays for each swim and they get half refunded. This year we wanted an event at the end of each term and have a water polo event or something at the end of each term
AB: like climbing and running. We’ve added one more person to the great north swim for safety. We removed the second two terms of pool hire. If it didn’t go well that could leave a small number of people with a lot to pay. If it goes well you can amend your budget at the start of second term.
Passed on a general aye
BASKETBALL
JR: we have a big intake at the beginning of the year but find it hard to hold on to people because we have few basket balls, no cones and bad bibs. It’s hard to keep up numbers for matches. We are losing everyone but one woman from our women’s team so we really need to get number back up.
AB: All normal expenses for sports, no issues
Passed on a general aye
Elections:
Method 1
Senior Returning Officer
Two candidates: SP, request new candidate
SP: been SRO for the last year. Last year he ran in absentia. He was in Italy, he drank cappuccino, he had his hust read by a JRO, he’s happy to be here? Last year he promised to do videos and hasn’t managed that but this time he will do that. Wants to make process smoother. Part of Ripped off and Raman appreciation society. I think I was born for this. *bows*
JC: if you were elected and no accepted onto the frep team, how would you promote elections?
SP: drops ins. I did them this year but I would review them. I dodge bullets.
Student Trustee x 3
5 candidates for this position; JG, RS-D, DT, TP, request new candidate
OM read’s JG’s hust;
I am JG, a second-year engineer, and I would like to be your student trustee for this
coming year. During my time at Cuths, I have been involved in a wide variety of things, from being a
part of the exec to an integral part of the dining room community to a member of Cuths G team.
Through my wide array of involvement, I have come to learn about the importance of the board of
trustees where the student trustees would sit.
Firstly, some of you may be sat there wondering what the trustees actually do, the trustees are a
board of both student and professional members, similar to a board of governors at your schools.
Their job is to oversee the JCR, as a charity, and ensure that it is sustainable, compliant and working
well towards its aims. So, now you know slightly more about what the trustees do, why do I want to
become a student trustee.
Firstly, through sitting on the exec this year, I have seen first hand the work that the trustees put in
to ensure that our charity stays afloat for us all to enjoy. Having ensured the position of Finance and
Compliance Officer was put in place to aim to make the JCR charity commission compliant, I would
like to join them in ensuring this role has a smooth start and enables the JCR to remain a sustainable
charity.
Secondly, I would like to create a greater transparency of what the trustees do and are working on.
Until this year I had very little knowledge of who the trustees were and what they were working on,
and to this day I believe that large portions of the JCR community will be unaware of the work that
the trustees put in on a weekly basis. I would hereby like to ensure meeting minutes are published
like those of all other JCR meeting as well as continue to provide trustee updates in the first and last
JCR meetings of term as was started this year.
Finally, I would like to be part of the overseeing board who will ensure that we, as a charity, remain
GDPR compliant. This is a relatively new legal area and so is still needing work to ensure that we are
watertight against any legal action being taken against us. Overall, this is the most important area to
get right as it could be the most catastrophic if it went wrong, with the worst-case scenario being the
charity being dissolved.
To conclude, if I were to be elected as your student trustee I would: ensure that the position of FCO
has a smooth first year in operation; create a greater transparency as to what the trustees do on a
weekly basis; and ensure that we are both GDPR and charity commission compliant.
OM reads TP’s hust;
Hi, I’m TP and first of all I would like to say sorry for not being able to attend the meeting and hust myself, and I must say thank you to the poor soul that has to read this. Back to the task at hand, I am a second-year economist who is actively involved in the JCR and sports and societies;however,I want to get more involved, hence why I am running for Student Trustee. Why me? Well I believe I am dedicated and believe in bettering the JCR to improve the student experience. I actively want to get involved, and I hope being a trustee allows me to both further my knowledge of the JCR, whilst on a more selfish note, will allow me to develop skills that will help me in my future career. Although it is somewhat selfish, I believe it is also beneficial to the JCR,because as it is my future career, it shows that I am interested in the role. I believe that my economics degree and the modules I have completed lend to me being a great candidate especially with the financial aspects of the role, however, as both an avid and quick learner, I am also keen to learn the legal aspects of charity compliance and will work towards ensuring we as a JCR are compliant, but more on that later. Furthermore, I believe I am a good communicator which lends to me working well in a team which is exactly what needs to be done in this role. This year is a huge year for the JCR! With the newly created FCO going into office for the first year, there is likely to be some uncertainty, and hence I would love nothing more than to see the transition go smoothly and hence allow the aims of the role to be achieved. Hand in hand with this comes charity compliance. With the creation of the FCO, compliance has to be the number 1 priority, and I believe the trustees will play a vital role in this. To be more specific, the financial accounts need to be in on time, and the work on GDPR compliance needs to be continued to ensure we are fully up to date. Further to this, I’d like to increase the visibility of the trustees in the JCR. I believe that the Student Trustees play a vital role in the JCR, but I don’t feel many people know what they are, and feel they are often a neglected role, with the position being uncontested. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for everyone else, that is not the case this year, but I believe building on the solid work of this years’ trustees will lead to future years where it is a highly contested position, which should lead to better, more engaged candidates. To achieve this, I would like to continue the trustee report at JCR meetings, as this gives an insight to the wider community of the work that trustees do. Thank you once again for listening to my hust, and I would like to finish by saying I believe that this years’ trustees have done an excellent job especially under such challenging conditions with all the change, and hence can only dream of doing as good a job as them.But for that to happen, I need your votes! Many thanks, and if anyone has any questions, I’m on Facebook or you can email me! Thank you!
RS-D’s hust
3rd year modern languages. Been on year abroad. He came to durham and has been bleeding green. Wants to boost representation and demand student consultation. Great work at the moment but we don’t talk about it enough. We don’t have minutes online and we don’t always consult when we should. The JCR is very transparent so the trustees can do it too. This means minutes online. Things better publicised. An Instagram takeover. GDPR and FCO, he’s held a trustee position at another place and has tackled these sort of issues. Representation; it’s our job to represent people from marginalised backgrounds. Want a contact form to make it easier to talk to reps. Livers out rep for ripped off and something else for the SU. Talk to JCR members.
OM reads DT’s hust;
[insert] – no hust provided.
No questions.
AK: POI about DT’s hust; he didn’t put forward the proposal to expand the trustee board.
Fashion Show President
There are no candidates running in this election
Working Class Students’ rep
Three candidates; EO, JS, request new candidate
OM reading EO’s hust
Hello everyone! My name is EO and I am a first year Law Student. This past year I have fallen in love with all things Cuth’s and all things Welfare, and, given the opportunity, I think I could make a significant difference in the role of Cuth’s first ever Working-Class Rep. Since I am visibly not here to fight my own corner and face the damning questioning of JC, so sorry about this by the way, here is a little more about me so you can get a sense of my character. I am a very proud Mancunian from a single, low income household. I see absolutely no shame in this. I am so inspired by the accepting and embracing Cuth’s community, and I know that prejudice towards a student’s financial status is a rare occurrence. However, I feel it is still imperative that all students are made to feel welcomed and comfortable in a university where, typically, a great proportion of them are from privileged backgrounds, with the majority of others from a comfortable household. Cuth’s is statistically the 5thmost private school heavy college in Durham, with 34.77% of successful applicants coming from private education. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think students ought to be aware that not everyone is totally financially stable. So, as Working-Class Rep, I would like to make the students who identify as Working-Class feel as welcomed as possible by planning free social events and campaigns to relieve the stigma that these students may be experiencing. I think it is so important to make students aware of the University systems that are there to aid less financially able students, through mechanisms such as the Student Support Fund. Through my research and personal use, I have an understanding of these funds that will be able to help underprivileged individuals. I want to share this information through my role as working-class rep, and given that my contact hours are very limited, I will be available to talk to struggling students very easily. I have acute active listener skills and am planning to complete my nightline training in October which demonstrates my drive and dedication to this position. I am so proud to be a part of a community that clearly does care, and this is made all the more obvious through the JCR’s latest actions to make events and tickets all the more accessible to students on the Durham grant. This I want to push even further as it is still in its early stages. In this role, I will begin an open and non-judgemental dialogue in the JCR to voice the struggles of students who identify as Working-Class, embracing all financial brackets of students into our community. It would be such an honour to be elected as your Working-Class Rep and thank you all for your consideration
JS’s hust
Second year criminology. Welfare campaigns. Been a part of welfare since second week of first year. Led a committee of 20 members. Campaigns on shag week and for men’s mental health. Nightline trained. Intro of WC rep opens avenues of support for cuths. Context, from north Manchester. Limited financially. Knew that he couldn’t afford Oxbridge. Glad he could come here. If he took a gap year he wouldn’t have been able to come here due to rising prices. Social and cultural exclusions are there. Promises a consistent presence. Awareness campaigns. Imposter syndrome. Weekly drop in hours. Drives for things like sanitary items. Extend cuths wardrobe to men’s clothes too. Work with social comm to make sure WC students are considered.
Students with Disabilities rep
Two candidates; EuM, request new candidate
EuM: currently the SWD rep. first year physics. Got involved this year. Biggest thing he’s done this year was run. Worked with welfare this year. Worked with officers and knows what it is to be involved in Cuth’s. he got 9 emails from the disability department when he first got here. SWD needs to know how to sort things out when they join like getting extra time in exams. We need to tell people how to do this to make uni a fair playing feel. I’d like a minorities formal. We want to celebrate diversity of cuths. Trust him and elect him so he can continue the work he’s done this year.
JC: there is a lot of talk about diversifying assessment criteria. Is this within your role or not?
EuM: within my role so far I’ve met with the student union reps and we feed into assembly and they lobby the university. Also ex officio member of SU comm so would have a say there. It’s important to consider all impacts SWD face. It’s an integral part of getting support in place. I wouldn’t have a problem with thinking about that.
Welfare Campaign Team Manager x2
No candidates for this election
Method 2
Gym Manager
Two candidates; PA, request new candidate
PA’s hust;
1 year maths. Bailey gym has no space. There are inefficient equipment. Some of it is not worthy. Try and sell those and get other things. Parsons- treadmills should be turned around.
EuM: Mr R is well known for fixing gym equipment – the rowing machine in the parsons gym. Would you be able to?
PA: I would be able to liase with the facilities manager.
JR (Mr R): that’s not my job yet.
PA has been elected
Year Abroad and Placement Liaison Officer
Three candidates; CA, MP, request new candidate
CA’s hust:
2nd year liberal art. Going to Taiwan. Every student should not feel isolated from Cuth’s. Want’s to foster a sense of community. Social media project. Spreadsheet so people can say where they are and organise meet ups. College Principal is keen for a returners formal for reverse culture shock. Work with welfare.
MP hust:
Second year languages. Going to Siberia. This year he bleeds green. Welfare. Framda. Sports and socs. Frepped and open day repped. Most importantly a model. Seconded the motion for this position when it was written. Lets see what happens. Guaranteed ticket for balls would be good. Look into organising meet ups- Paris. Vote for me. Lets do this.
EB: when you go abroad people do different placements. How would you make sure every area was provided for?
MP: I won’t know everything. But keeping it inclusive and open ended. Keep people informed about what is going on at Cuth’s
CA: creating a newsletter where people can send in pics and things. It can be posted in freshers groups monthly to feel like they are being recognised. Also a social media campaign with people in stash all over the world. Also want to discuss it with people.
CA has been elected
Postgraduate and Mature students treasurer
FINAL FULL BUDGET LETS PASS IT ALREADY PLEASE
AB: basically it’s the same. The only differences are that we now have an FCO that costs money. We’ve reduced some subs for some events and there aren’t as many sports and socs costs this year. We have a 7k leeway of breaking even
SM: Can I know the art supply budget?
EC: no
AB: 600
JC: what is PG comm budget?
AB: 1k.
JR: is this online anywhere?
Maybe.
Passed on a general aye.
Home.
[1] Definition: Proposer and Seconder: Two Members who will support your application.
[2] Definition: Husting: A small speech in which candidates in an election have the opportunity to address potential voters.
[3] Definition: Single Transferrable Vote: whereby the voter’s second preference would become their first in the event that their first choice was removed.