Present: SM (PGM Chair), JC (Vice-President), RM (PG Academic Rep), NN (PGM Social Sec), AB (PG International Rep), OT (4th Year Rep), HH (PG Welfare Rep)
Apologies: JW (PGM Vice-President), SF (Mature Students’ Rep), BD (PGM Treasurer)
Absent:
Review
SM: I think it’s gone reasonably well, apart from the research slam that didn’t happen. 4 people turned up but the SCR was locked. But we’ve had good attendance apart from that. I’ve been talking to SC (Vice-Chancellor) about rising MA fees, he didn’t take it that well. When I asked about working class students he said he wouldn’t do anything to help them. He responded that tuition fees have risen by 5%. I’ve been thinking about inter-MCR events and how to engage livers-out and mature students. SC acknowledged that certain price changes were unacceptable and said they’d try to be more transparent.
To PG or not to PG
SM: We could do something on social media about what people wish they’d known when they were applying.
RM: Sounds good.
HH: We might need to get on it soon for PhDs.
SM: We might want to focus on Masters because people will be less sure. We could collab with other colleges. We should start now and do it gradually. We should emphasize that some of us applied in September.
RM: Maybe we should do something again around Easter.
OT: What do you want on social media?
SM: I’m envisioning pictures of people’s faces with their course and their advice. We might need to use other instragrams because non pgs won’t follow ours.
Action: SM to sort this promptly.
AB: I’d be keen to know BD’s advice.
Social Events
NN: Maybe something for Chinese New Year. Maybe pub quiz?
SM: Might be good to have something different for inter-MCR. I think karaoke would draw people.
RM: I think Ustinov’s open mic night is popular.
SM: Karaoke is easier at Brooks but people might not know where it is. We’ll probably schedule that around other inter-MCR events. Our inter-MCR formal will be end of March. I’ve asked for earlier but I’ll see. It will be murder mystery.
*NN, OT and AB are keen to write the murder mystery*
SM: Maybe also a dinner out somewhere because we didn’t do that this term.
NN: Also a feedback form to find out what people want to do.
SM: We haven’t done a bar crawl.
RM: I think a college bar crawl would be good.
Academic Events
RM: Research forum early next term. Maybe 3rd week. Might be some people with diss presentations. Maybe 1 research slam, perhaps 3 weeks after research forum. Then something for the panic masters. And a 2nd research forum later.
International Affairs
AB: I spoke to international comm, and they were happy about future collabs for film nights, which would be a good way to get people coming. It’s a low maintenance thing we could do regularly.
NN: What about something for Chinese New Year?
AB: I expect International comm will do something, but we could collab.
Welfare
HH: Next term we’re doing a campaign on overwork and stress. We could get postgrads to talk about their experiences. Could do a picture campaign on social media. Including burnout. Welfare campaigns are involved.
4th Year Reps
OT: I’m offended to be at the bottom of the agenda. I think there’s a problem with lack of awareness amongst 4th years as to their weird status. None of my 4th year friends are aware that they’re part of our community. I think it would be good to try make them more aware. Maybe if we do a big event, I could post in their facebook group.
SM: I think in future it would be better if you post our events in that group rather than me.
OT: Agreed. I don’t think we should have 4th year specific events.