JCR Committee Minutes 14th October
- President: reminds everyone to update JCR profile, says we have nearly all done it
- In June 2026, Bennet place basement will be sold to Lensfield GP, looking at refurbishing somewhere else to give a replacement study space. Possibly turning the TV room into a multiuse area. JCR should be refurbed by lent, which could turn into a study space if people want to use it as one .
- Hamish Symington, is the new head of academic skills. He is planning to host fresher supervisions to discuss how they are finding things, and note taking
- Hamish plans to integrate MCR and JCR at an academic level for society stuff
- Hopefully some mutual benefit for teaching between JCR and MCR
- Hamish also suggests streamlining/centralising the JCR and Downing website.
- We would need to email Comms (college department) to update the website about societies, but this could actually be easier
- Emily Stoner is a new careers liaison, drop in sessions on 12th November this will be put on the bulletin
- There were meetings today with the health and domus committee
- Please don’t throw yourself into hedges (they are thinking of reinforcing them)
- Firedrills in next 10 days
- Removing fire extinguisher signs (as to where they are) as they are not needed any more with regulations and are often inaccurate
- No more student fire wardens, it wasn’t a good system and wasn't working
- All water beds will be watered with recycled water
- College looking for better ramps for college, looking at a nice stone one soon by Masters Lodge. Possibly to be extended to other places
- We still can't get rid of the gravel still
- But ramps are still a good step in the right direction
- Cuba Libre is being demolished 🙁
- College was struggling as there was a small listed brick wall which will be taken apart and put back together for constructions
- Roof rooms in K to be completed by December
- From Mia who can’t be here today:
- College is updating how college sports align with university guidelines which come from national bodies. For football this means moving to a trans/nonconforming exclusionary women's team - something the JCR opposes. Mia (Freshers officer and DCAFCAWNBA captain) is looking to raise funds for a campaign against this
- Leftover Freshers budget could be designated to campaign
- Inigo (Green officer) Possibly centralise it with the SU as a campaign
- Sophia (Gender equalities) - all football captains at meeting were against the change
- Sophia and Chelsea (Gender Equalities) The new policy would mean trans men will be put into the women’s team, anyone on HRT for any reason could not play
- Need to be clear whether its protest, raise funds or awareness
- Student emailed president
- In light of a working group, could the JCR put out an open letter to divest from arms companies supporting Israel?
- President: we will still support the student running an open letter, but probably will not come directly from the JCR
- Vice President (Sam) - divestment may not achieve too much either
- Inigo - divestment is more of a statement than anything
- Laura (Disabilities) - divest from arms companies more broadly may be a good way to go about this
- Access officer- we will continue with academic discussions as these improved offer rates in the interviews. Tiktok to be started up soon hopefully for wider outreach
- International officers - working with BME for monthly events
- Welfare - term card out soon
- Treasurer - budget in final stage of approval
- BAME and LGBTQ+ funds exist at £400 but students don’t make much use of it
- Disability: can we get a disability one as well, it costs over £1000 a month extra being disabled according to a report by Scope
- We should sort out reimbursement for Out of Ballot medical notes. There might be a way to get reimbursement for these medical notes but they are hidden away, we look at making it easier to get these more accessible and obvious how to get.
- Will put together an info sheet of what funds go from where and look at introducing this
- Disabilities - still struggling with accommodation
- JCR have been told we are spreading misinformation on social media about room swapping for freshers (as far as we are aware we have not, it was likely something a student had mentioned on a freshers groupchat which went uncorrected)
- Was trying to get a safety net of swaps without swapping with another student for students needing accessible accommodation
- Out of ballot could be used as a good formula
- No freshers turned up to the disability drop in.
- Support for the study process needs to be clarified to make it sound less threatening. Guy Williams is attempting to make the message much softer
- Looking for neurodiversity training for tutors and getting them to listen
- Freshers did mandatory (contextual) ESicks training for inclusion and sexual assault awareness, a similar sort of course with tutors could work with neurodiversity training included on while they are there
- Freshers
- How to get more visible to Freshers as people don’t show up to LGBT, BME disability drop ins
- Comms to repost these roles on the JCR account
- Freshers form being sent out, Equality perceptions could be included in it
- Big budget events had low turnout during freshers week - this budget could be used better elsewhere in the wider JCR community
- Gender Equalities officers
- Pads not in all bathrooms still and maintenance are not replying to them, president will raise
- Look at reusable period products using welfare budget
- Welfare sign still in the works due to company/supplier delays
- Sports
- Like for like replacement for lat pulldown and leg press in DGym soon
- Green
- Discusses bins in accom - where are they they aren't all there
- President will raise this with General Purposes Committee
- Foundation year officer
- Feels a bit powerless, met FY students and done induction but struggling to communicate with them, and little there to provide support for them. Not on committee but how can she get in touch with college?
- The president could set up a meeting with the master to see what could be done.
- Setting up FY society might create a better chance for FY community to assign budget
- Stella: we could create this society
- But need to try and retain students, many students who did FY may not want to be on committee
- Also issue of getting it counted as an academic society
- Freshers officer: pushback from college for giving FY more support. Wellbeing team are good, worth working with them to run the events or using their budget?
- President to speak to Rob Beardwell about this too
- May (sports) also speak to Haymish as he could sort this sort of thing out!