Girton College JCR Constitution

Amended February 2009

Contents:
I. Mission Statement	2
2. The Committee	2
3. Committee Members' Responsibilities	5
4. Committee Meetings	7
5. Election of Committee Members	8
6. Election Procedure	11
7. Resignation of Committee Members	12
8. Votes of No-Confidence	13
9. Open Meetings	13
10. Emergency Open Meetings	14
11. Referenda	14
Schedule One - The Finance Committee	15
Schedule Two - Standing Orders	17
Schedule Three - Glossary	20
Appendix in Accordance with the Education Act 1994	20

MISSION STATEMENT

(a)

There shall be in Girton College a Junior Combination Room (hereinafter referred to as the JCR).

(b)

It shall provide a meeting place for junior members of the College.

(c)

It shall be an official body for the expression of opinion of junior members on matters concerning the College.

(d)

All undergraduates at Girton College who pay a JCR subscription shall be members of the JCR.

(e)

The general administration of the JCR shall be in the hands of a Committee.

2 THE COMMITTEE

The Committee shall consist of:

(a) Elected Members

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

Curator

Communications Officer

Entertainments (Ents) Officer

Access Officer

Wolfson Court Officer

Girton Bar Officer

Green Officer

Welfare & Academic Officer (Men)

Welfare & Academic Officer (Women)

(b) Co-opted Members

International Representative

LesBiGayTransgender Representative

Bike Representative

Webmaster and Computer Representative

Ethnic Minorities Representative

Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative

Any further members co-opted by the decision of the JCR Committee.

President-elect

Treasurer-elect

Wolfson Court Officer-elect

Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative-elect

Note on the Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative and Wolfson Court Officer.

In the past there often had been the problem that for the first half of Michaelmas, the Officers did not live at Wolfson Court anymore and therefore could not organise events and look after Wolfson Court as well as if they were still in residence. This was particularly unfortunate since especially at the beginning of an academic year people need help settling in. In order to avoid this problem, both Officers are co-opted onto the Committee in Lent or Easter term after room-choosing in order to be in place for the start of Michaelmas.

In order not to lose the democratic character of the Wolfson Court Officer but also to avoid the complications of running a separate election in late Lent or Easter term, the position will be up for election at the Michaelmas elections, ending the term of the co-opted member. The elected position shall run until the last day of the following Easter term, when a new co-opted member takes over.

Please note that the Wolfson Court Bar Representative, although co-opted will not sit on the JCR Committee and will sit only on the Wolfson Court Committee. They will be in charge of the operations in conjunction with the MCR bar officer of Wolfson Court Bar. This removes their ability to act on the JCR Committee and their ability to vote.

3 COMMITEE MEMBERS' RESPONSIBILITIES

(a)

The responsibilities of the members shall be as follows:

President: Shall have overall responsibility for the JCR. Shall chair meetings of the JCR Committee and Open Meetings Shall attend College Council, CUSU Council and Presidents' meetings. Shall live in A9, from Michealmas Term, which shall be classed as an 'A' grade in the room-choosing ballot. Shall determine the recipient of the Tom Mansfield Award, presented annually at the Leaver’s Chapel Service before the garden party to a student who has shown exceptional service to musical life at Girton through demonstrating initiative beyond the call of duty.

Vice-President/ External: Shall perform the duties of the president in his/her absence. Shall attend all open meetings, all JCR Committee meetings and all College Council meetings. Shall work with the President to ensure the smooth running of the student body. Shall plan and execute Freshers' Week with an elected committee. Shall keep a register of all JCR Societies and their officers, shall be their point of contact. Shall be responsible for all JCR sports facilities and for arranging the necessary booking systems for their use. Shall sit on all sports committees. Shall declare two members of the JCR (one male and one female) Sports-person of the year, in memory of Julia Birbeck, ensuring that the winner is chosen in a fair and democratic manner. Shall attend all CUSU Councils and CUSU open meetings, keep records and minutes of CUSU meetings, which shall be made available to students, and promote the activities of CUSU within College.

Treasurer: Shall be responsible for all financial dealings of the JCR. Shall produce a statement of accounts in January and a budget for the forthcoming year, submitting it to College Council for approval. Shall attend College Council. Shall be responsible for organising the Finance Committee. Shall present the JCR accounts of the previous period, termly and annually, to the Bursar. Shall produce annually for all members of the JCR a financial report, which shall also be presented to College Council. The report shall include any details of donations made by the JCR to external organisations in the period to which it relates

Secretary: Shall keep a register of all Committees. Shall be responsible for the calling of Committee Meetings, Open Meetings and elections. Shall post an agenda for all Committee Meetings and Open Meetings, record minutes for both. Open Meeting minutes shall be posted and Committee Meetings minutes shall be available on request. Shall be responsible for general JCR administration, including the updating and circulation of lists of the JCR Committee, and the organisation of a yearly JCR photograph. Shall retain the Constitution and give notice, at the beginning of each Michaelmas Term that copies are available to any members of the JCR.

Communications Officer: Shall be responsible for all JCR communications, making sure they are accessible to all members of the JCR. Shall produce newsletter approximately every three weeks.

Curator: Shall be responsible for matters concerning the general domestic running of College and the room-choosing scheme. Shall be responsible for the maintenance of all JCR property within the JCR and TV rooms. Shall be responsible for representing student opinion of food provided by the College and report to the Domestic Bursar whenever necessary.

Entertainments (Ents) Officer: Shall be responsible for arranging social events for members of the JCR.

Wolfson Court Officer: Shall represent the specific views and interests of members of the JCR living at Wolfson Court. Shall be responsible for all JCR facilities and posting of notices at this site. Shall liaise with the Warden of Wolfson Court whenever necessary. Shall live at Wolfson Court. Shall work with the MCR Bar Officer, MCR president and the JCR Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Officer. Shall sit on the Wolfson Court Committee with the aforementioned members.

Ethnic Minorities Officer: Shall promote the awareness of the issues facing ethnic minority students Shall represent such students at JCR Committee meetings. Shall liaise with the Group to Encourage Ethnic Minority Applications, and the relevant college authorities, to encourage the increase of ethnic minority applications. Shall be responsible for the organization and operation of the Girton Ethnic Minorities Shadowing scheme.

Girton Bar Officer: Shall be responsible for JCR matters relating to the College Bar, including all hired machines such as the jukebox and pool table. Shall present accounts of machine revenue termly to the JCR Treasurer. Shall liaise with the bar-person.

Webmaster and Computer Officer: Shall be responsible for the maintenance of the JCR website. Shall act as the first port of call for any JCR member with computer problems. Shall maintain the JCR computer to an acceptable standard. Shall attend meetings of the College Website Committee. Shall be in charge of the JCR LCD Screens.

Bike Representative: Shall assist students with urgent problems with their bikes. Shall give advice on traffic rules and promote cycling safety. Shall maintain the JCR bikes and keep them in a safe condition. Shall make tools and useful accessories available for students.

Green Officer: Shall be responsible for encouraging College to conduct its business in an environmentally sound manner. Shall be responsible for providing such facilities as the JCR Committee feels necessary to aid members of the JCR in conducting themselves in an environmentally sound manner. Shall bring issues of environmental and ethical concern before the JCR Committee.

Academic & Access Officer: Shall be responsible for the provision of information concerning academic facilities in College to all members of the JCR. Shall be responsible for all matters concerning the library. Shall provide study skills and academic support resources for students in College, particularly for exam term. Shall attend fortnightly CUSU Access Officer meetings and the annual College Library Committee. Shall be involved with the Admissions Office and its target school scheme. Is responsible for coordinating Girton's volunteers for CUSU Shadowing Scheme. Shall liaise with the Admissions Office to arrange volunteers for the interview period and shall assist with open days. Should also endeavour to develop access resources to encourage applicants who might be discouraged from applying.

Welfare (Men): Shall be a man. Shall carry out all responsibilities in conjunction with the Welfare Officer (Women). Shall assist during the interview period and with open days. Shall be responsible for running and promoting welfare campaigns and for publishing any student benefits throughout the year within the college. Both the Men's and Women's Welfare Officers are expected to supply condoms, pregnancy tests, and rape alarms to the student body. Shall attend meetings of the CUSU Welfare Committee, the College Health and Safety Committee. Shall be available for consultation by all members of the JCR if requested, and shall organise the College Parent Scheme. The officer shall hold office hours in both College and Wolfie.

Welfare (Women): Shall be a woman. Shall carry out all responsibilities, excluding those involving CUSU Women’s Union, in conjunction with the Welfare officer (Men). Shall assist during the interview period and with open days. Shall be responsible for running and promoting welfare campaigns and for publishing any student benefits throughout the year within the college. Both the Men's and Women's Welfare Officers are expected to supply condoms, pregnancy tests, and rape alarms to the student body.Shall attend meetings of the CUSU Welfare Committee and the College Health and Safety Committee. Shall be available for consultation by all members of the JCR if requested, and shall organise the College Parent Scheme. Shall liaise with CUSU Women’s Union, and attend CUSU Women's' Council. The officer shall hold office hours in both College and Wolfie.

LGBT Representative: The LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender) representative shall assume a responsibility for welfare. They shall also assume a social role, providing socials. The LBGT representative is expected to attend meetings organised by CUSU LBGT representatives’ co-ordinator and is encouraged to work with the whole executive in their collegiate role. The LBGT does not have to self-define as LBGT.

International Representative: shall represent the international students of Girton on JCR related issues and campaign on their behalf. Shall be responsible for vacation storage. Shall organise International Freshers Week.

Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative : Shall be responsible for the running of the bar activities and ents at Wolfson Court. Shall work with the MCR Bar Officer, MCR Events Manager and the JCR Wolfson Court Representative. Shall sit on the Wolfson Court Committee with the aforementioned members. Will not be a sitting member of the JCR Committee and thus relinquishing them of all voting rights.

(b)

All officers shall be members of the JCR throughout their entire Term of office.

(c)

In the event of any officer ceasing to be a member of the JCR, his/her post shall fall vacant immediately and a by-election shall be held in accordance with Section 6(p) of this Constitution.

(d)

If an officer becomes elected as a result of a by-election the post is only held until it is due for election as stated in Section 5( c).

(e)

There shall be a Senior Treasurer (a fellow of College). Both the Senior Treasurer and the Treasurer must sign all cheques drawn on the JCR account.

4 COMMITTEE MEETINGS

(a)

Committee Meetings shall be held a minimum of four times during Michaelmas and Lent Terms and a minimum of three times in Easter Term.

(b)

All elected Committee Members are expected to attend Committee Meetings excluding the JCR Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative. If a Committee Member misses three meetings in one term without sending apologies, the JCR Committee may vote on whether to take a proposition for a vote of no confidence in that member to an Open Meeting or Emergency Open Meeting to be decided upon then onwards in accordance with Section 8 of this Constitution.

(c)

The Secretary shall normally give at least twenty-four hours' notice of Committee Meetings.

(d)

Any member of the JCR may attend Committee Meetings as an observer, and may be invited to speak.

(e)

Each elected member of the Committee shall have one vote. The President shall have a casting vote.

(t)

The quorum of the Committee for voting shall be six elected members

(g)

There shall be a sub-committee called the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall report to the JCR Committee at least once per Term. It shall have as Chairman the Senior Treasurer of the JCR and as members the President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary to take minutes. The Treasurer shall send an invitation to the Senior Treasurer. The requirements, capacities and procedures of this committee are those defined in Schedule One of this Constitution.

(h)

Spending

( i)

any Committee Member wishing to spend more than £200 on anyone purchase item the JCR budget must have the endorsement of a majority at a Committee Meeting

(ii)

any Committee Member wishing to spend any amount from JCR reserves must have the endorsement of a majority at a Committee Meeting. If this amount is over £500, then a referendum must be held in accordance with Section 11

(iii) any Committee Member wishing to claim back money must present the appropriate receipts to the JCR Treasurer.

5 ELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Elected Committee Members

(a)

All candidates for election to the JCR Committee must be undergraduates during the entire time they hold office.

(b)

The following positions must be elected as stated in

(i)

Michaelmas Term:

Vice-President Treasurer-elect

Access Officer

Entertainment (Ents) Officer

Curator

Wolfson Court Officer

(ii)

Lent Term:

President-elect

Welfare & Academic Officer (Women)

Welfare & Academic Officer (Men)

Secretary

Green Officer

Communications Officer

Girton Bar Officer

(c)

Only JCR members resident at Wolfson Court shall elect the Wolfson Court Representative.

(d )

The President-elect becomes President on the last day of Lent Term.

(e )

The Treasurer-elect becomes Treasurer on the last day of Michaelmas Term.

Co-opted Committee Members

(a)

A member of the JCR is co-opted by a simple majority of the JCR Committee.

(b)

Any member co-opted by the Committee shall serve no more than three terms.

(c)

The following positions must be co-opted in

(i) Michaelmas Term:

Ethnic Minorities Officer

LesBiGayTransgender Representative

(ii)

Lent Term:

Bike Representative

Webmaster and Computer Representative

International Representative

(iii) Lent or Easter Term, after room-choosing:

Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative-elect

Wolfson Court Officer-elect

(d)

The Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative-elect becomes Wolfson Court Bar and Ents Representative on the last day of Easter Term.

(e)

The Wolfson Court Officer-elect becomes Wolfson Court Officer on the last day of Easter Term. His/her term runs till Michaelmas Elections of the same year when this position becomes an elected one.

7 ELECTION PROCEDURE

(a)

All elections shall be by secret ballot of the JCR.

(b)

There shall be no proxy votes.

(c)

The Returning Officer shall be chosen as stated in Section 6 of the Appendix. The Returning Officer and any interested JCR member may witness votes being counted.

(d)

Notice of election and nomination lists, together with instructions for election procedure, shall be posted seven days before the day of election.

(e)

Each candidate must be a member of the JCR and shall have a proposer and a seconder who must also be JCR members. The candidate's name and photograph must be clearly displayed on both nomination lists.

(t)

Candidates may not stand for more than one post at any one election.

(g) Each candidate may post a manifesto of not more than 250 words.

(h) Hustings shall occur at the Open Meeting before the election takes place during which each

candidate may choose to submit a verbal manifesto.

(i)

The nomination list shall be closed at midnight on the night before hustings.

(j)

The candidate who receives the most votes shall be deemed to be elected.

(k) All members of the JCR shall be eligible to vote once either at Girton or at Wolfson Court.

Those voting shall sign the College list at the ballot box.

(l)

Voting shall take place at both Girton and at Wolfson Court, for a minimum of two hours between 8am and 8pm at each location.

(m) Candidates may not be present at the ballot boxes except to vote.

(n)

Votes shall be counted and witnessed. Results shall be posted by the Returning Officer within twenty-four hours of the closing of the ballot box. Ballot papers shall be available for inspection from the Returning Officer upon request, within seven days.

(0)

In the event of a draw, a second election shall be held within three days. No new candidates may stand.

(p)

In all JCR elections, an additional candidate 'Re-Open Nominations' (RON) is to be included. RON is to be treated as a candidate when votes are being counted. If RON is elected the post shall be deemed unfilled, nominations re-opened, and another election held within two weeks.

(q)

By-election procedure: notice of the poll shall be posted within twenty-four hours of the resignation of a Committee Member. If the post becomes vacant within a week of the end of Full Term, the election shall be postponed until the beginning of the next Term. The position is only held until the correct Term of election of the post, as stated in Section 5(c). A Committee Member wishing to stand must first resign.

( r)

The JCR Committee reserves the right to disqualify any candidate contravening the Election Procedure.

RESIGNATION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Any Committee Member who wishes to resign must inform the President. If the President wishes to resign, she/he must inform the Secretary. A by-election must then be held for the post

VOTES OF NO CONFIDENCE

A decision to hold a vote of no confidence in any Committee Member may be passed at an Open Meeting or an Emergency Open Meeting. A ballot of all JCR members must then be held to confirm this decision within two days, in accordance with Election Procedure. If the vote is carried, the member is deemed to have resigned with immediate effect. A by-election to fill the post shall be called within three days. The exCommittee Member may stand for re-election.

OPEN MEETINGS

(a)

Open Meetings shall be the governing body of the JCR:

(i)

the quorum shall be thirty members of the JCR for all Open Meetings

(ii)

Open Meetings shall be held at least twice during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, and at least once in the Easter Term.

(b)

Open Meetings shall be authorised in one or more of the following ways:

(i) by the President, Senior Treasurer, or by an elected Committee Member when there is no President

(ii)

by petition of thirty signatures of JCR members, to be presented to the President or an elected Committee Member

(c)

A notice announcing the time and place of the meeting and giving the proposed agenda and a list for motions and other matters for discussion, shall be posted at least five days before the meeting by the Secretary. All motions must be displayed twenty-four hours in advance and from that time this shall be deemed the final agenda for the meeting.

(d)

Motions shall have a proposer and seconder, at least one of whom must be present at the meeting. If not, the motion is deemed to have been withdrawn.

(e)

All Open Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Standing Orders, contained in Schedule Two of this Constitution.

The Secretary shall post copies of the minutes as soon as possible after each meeting. The Open Meeting minutes book shall be available from the Secretary for any member of the JCR to inspect.

(g)

The JCR Committee reserves the right to veto motions that would lead to a JCR budget deficit.

10 EMERGENCY OPEN MEETINGS

(a)

An Emergency Open Meeting shall be authorised in the same way as an Open Meeting to discuss and vote on a specific motion that must be written on the petition if the meeting is so called.

(b)

The meeting shall be called within twenty-four hours of being authorised and held within three days.

(c)

Notice of the meeting and the motion to be discussed shall be posted at least twenty-four hours before the meeting.

(d)

No business may be transacted at the meeting other than that stated at the time of its authorisation.

(e)

Amendments to the motions on the agenda may be proposed at the meeting, but no new motions other than procedural motions may be added.

11 REFERENDA

(a)

A referendum of all JCR members shall be held if one or more of the following conditions is satisfied:

(i) when authorised by an Open Meeting

(ii) when an Elected Member receives a petition of thirty signatures

(iii) at the request of College Council, with approval of the JCR Committee

(iv) when authorised by consensus of the JCR Committee.

(b)Referenda shall be carried out in accordance with the Election Procedure

(c)Amendments to the Constitution shall only be carried out by referenda,

Any matter decided by referendum is passed when at least two-thirds of votes cast are in favour.

SCHEDULE ONE - FINANCE COMMITTEE

REQUIREMENTS

(a)

The Finance Committee shall have a minimum of one meeting per Term.

(b)

The Finance Committee shall receive an allocation of JCR money in the annual budget for the purpose of distributing sums to College Societies and JCR members in the manner outlined in the following clauses. The sum allocated shall be subject to the approval of an Open Meeting.

(c)

To be eligible for consideration by the Finance Committee, a Society must

(i)

be open exclusively to all members of College

(ii)

have a viable membership

(iii)

not exist exclusively for the supply of goods and services to its members at below cost price

(iv)

have at least half its members within the JCR

(v)

nominate as Senior Treasurer a fellow of the college who is signatory to all cheques

(vi)

keep accurate records of income and expenditure

(vii)

(viii) impose a subscription which reflects the needs of the Society

(ix)

make its accounts available at the request of the Finance Committee

CAPACITY

(a)

The Finance Committee has the powers to allocate the sums that it sees fit, taking into account the budget available and the applications received:

(i)

to College Societies

(ii)

to any member of the JCR who, in traveling to represent Girton College or a University Society, incurs traveling expenses over £ l0 in the course of any full Term.

(b)

Each Member of the Finance Committee shall have one vote.

PROCEDURE

(a)

The JCR Treasurer shall give at least two weeks notice for applications to the Finance Committee, making sure that application forms are available.

(b)

Anyone applying for travel expenses shall submit the relevant application form to the JCR Treasurer, accompanied by a complete breakdown of the expenses incurred with receipts, before the closing date of applications.

(c)

A society may, in addition, submit such supporting documents as it sees fit, including more recent accounts than those already submitted. Any society that feels it cannot adequately express its demands in writing may be allowed to send a member to appear before the Finance Committee at the discretion of the Senior Treasurer.

(d)

The decisions of the Finance Committee and the details of the allocations of funds shall be posted before the next Open Meeting.

(e)

If the decisions of the Finance Committee are in dispute, then a written complaint must be forwarded to the Senior Treasurer with at least thirty signatures of JCR members. The Senior Treasurer shall then inform the JCR President and an Emergency Open Meeting shall be called, in the manner outlined in Section 10 of this Constitution.

(f)

Any reference back to the Finance Committee shall be considered at a further meeting of the Finance Committee. This shall be held as soon as is reasonably practical. Decisions reached by the Finance Committee at this meeting shall be posted within three days.

(g)

If within seven days of posting the notice referred to in paragraph (f) the amended decision of the Finance Committee is still found to be unacceptable to another Emergency Open Meeting of the JCR then the JCR President shall announce that a referendum of the JCR is to be held to decide the issue. The result of the referendum shall be final.

SCHEDULE TWO - STANDING ORDERS

(a)

Standing Orders shall apply to all Open Meetings of the JCR.

(b)

Standing Orders shall be available at all Open Meetings and Emergency Open Meetings.

(c)

The business of an Open Meeting shall be conducted in the following order

(j)

minutes of the previous meeting

(ii)

matters arising

(iii)

reports and questions to the Committee

(iv)

(v)

Committee Members' reports

substantive motions

(vi)

any other business.

(d)

(e)

The JCR President shall chair the Open Meeting. In her/his absence. the chair shall be taken by the Vice-President. In her/his absence the chair shall be taken by an elected Committee Member or by a

Senior Member

It is not in order for the Chair to be the proposer or seconder of a substantive motion.

(f)Members wishing to speak shall address the Chair. The Chair shall decide the right of priority in speaking. Non-members may attend Open Meetings but may only speak at the invitation of the Chair.

(g)Voting at an Open Meeting shall be by a show of hands. Each member shall have one vote. The Chair's vote is a casting vote There shall be no proxy votes.

(h)A simple majority shall pass substantive motions.

(i)The proposer or seconder of each motion shall move the motion and it shall then be open for discussion unless the proposer withdraws it.

(j)If the proposer of a motion is not present, the seconder of a motion can become the proposer.

(k)The guillotine for discussion following motions in Open Meetings is ten minutes. After this time there shall be a vote on whether to continue the discussion or not every ten minutes.

(l)The proposer of a motion shall have the right to sum up on the debate immediately before the vote is taken.

(m)Amendments to a motion may be moved at any Open Meeting. They must have a proposer and a seconder who must both be present at the meeting. If the proposer or seconder of the original motion accepts the amendment, the amended motion becomes the substantive motion. If the mover of the original motion does not accept the amendment, the original motion shall be voted upon, and if it does not pass the amendment shall then be debated and voted on. If this is passed then the amended motion shall be voted on.

(n)

There shall be no emergency motions.

(o)

The following procedural motions may be put:

(i)

a vote of no confidence in the Chair

(ii)

that an individual be heard

(iii)

that the motion be not put

(iv)

that the motion be now voted on

(v)

that the matter be adjourned to the next Open Meeting

(vi)

that the matter be referred to the JCR Committee for re-examination

(vii)

that the motion be voted on in parts

(viii) that a certain motion be now discussed.

SCHEDULE THREE - GLOSSARY

Throughout the Constitution and the Schedule it is understood that:

(a) 'Girton' means the main buildings of Girton College on Huntingdon Road.

(b) 'College' means Girton and Wolfson Court.

(c) 'Posted' means posted on the JCR notice boards/in both Girton and Wolfson Court. (d) 'CUSU' means Cambridge University Student's Union

(e) 'Abstention' means a vote that is not counted as a 'No' vote and is not counted as a RON vote.

(f) 'JCR Officer' means a member of the JCR Committee who is elected to the post by process

of College-wide elections.

(g) 'JCR Representative' means a co-opted member of the JCR Committee. A JCR Representative has

the right to vote on any JCR Committee issue except for the Wolfson Court Bar and Ents

Representative who has no vote on the JCR Committee.

APPENDIX TO THE JCR CONSTITUTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH

REQUIREMENTS OF THE EDUCATION ACT OF 1994 (Ratified by referendum Oct

1995)

(a)

In this Constitution the expression 'Council' shall mean the Council of College, and the expression 'affiliation to an external organisation' shall include any for of membership of, or formal association with, an organisation whose purposes are not confined to purposes connected with the College.

(b)

(i)

No alteration shall be made to any part of this Constitution without the approval of the Council.

(ii)

No alteration shall be made to any part of this Constitution except in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1994

(iii)

In the event of any conflict between any provision of this Constitution and any provision of this part of this Constitution, the provision of this part shall prevail.

(c)

This Constitution shall be submitted to the Council for review in accordance with the provision of

the Education Act 1994, on …and at intervals of five years thereafter

(d)

The JCR shall operate in a fair and democratic manner in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1994

(e)

(i)

Not withstanding any provisions in this Constitution as to automatic membership of the JCR, any person who by virtue of those provisions be a member of the JCR may in any academic year by written notice declare that he or she does not wish to be a member, and in that case such a person shall not be a member of the JCR for that academic year Such written notice shall be served on the President of the JCR within one week of the commencement of Michaelmas term.

(ii)

An undergraduate member of the College who exercises the right not to be a member of the JCR shall not be unfairly disadvantaged with regard to the provision of services or otherwise.

(f)

Appointment to major union offices shall be by election in a secret ballot in which all members are entitled to vote, and at which the Senior Treasurer or a Fellow of the College appointed by the Senior Treasurer to act as his or her deputy, shall act as returning officer.

(g)

There shall be no sabbatical or paid elected office in the JCR contrary to the provisions of s.22(2)(t) of the Education Act 1994.

FINANCE

(h)

At the first open meeting of every Lent Term the JCR shall agree a budget for coming academic year and submit it to the Council for approval.

(i)

The Junior Treasurer shall present to the Bursar of the College before the first open meeting of every term the JCR accounts for the previous term, and shall present to the Bursar annually the accounts for the previous year for submission to the College Auditors.

(j)

The JCR shall publish annually to all undergraduate members of the College a financial report, which shall also be presented to the Council. the report shall include details of any donations made by the JCR to external organisations in the period to which it relates.

(k)

The JCR shall set down in writing, and make freely accessible to all undergraduate members of the College and to the Council, a statement of the procedure for allocating resources to groups and clubs, ensuring that the procedure is fair.

AFFILIATION TO ORGANISATIONS

(I)

if the JCR decides to become affiliated to any external organisation, it shall publish to all undergraduate members of the College, and to the Council, a notice of this decision stating the name of the organisation and the details of any subscription to be made, to the organisation.

(m)

The JCR shall publish annually to all undergraduate members of the College, and to the Council, a report stating the names of all the external organisations to which it is affiliated and the details of any subscriptions or similar fee paid, and of any donation made or proposed to be made, to the organisations within the year covered by the report.

(n)

Upon the request of at least three percent of its members the JCR shall submit for the approval of its members a list of the organisations to which the JCR is affiliated. If at least five percent of its members so require, the question of continued affiliation to any particular organisation shall be decided upon by a secret ballot at which all members are entitled to vote No such ballot shall be held less than four calendar months after the previous ballot.

GRIEVANCES

(o)

All undergraduate members of the College or groups of such members who are dissatisfied in their

dealings with the JCR, or who claim to be unfairly disadvantaged by reason of having exercised the right not to be a member of the JCR, may prefer a complaint to the President of the JCR. An appeal shall lie from the President of the JCR to a person appointed by the Council to serve for such period as the Council may determine, who may not delegate his or her responsibility for hearing the appeal. The Council shall have power to provide such effective remedy if any as it considers appropriate when a complaint is upheld.