2017 Committee Lunch

Date: Wednesday 1st week, Michaelmas 2017 (2017-10-11)

Attendance

Present: Hubert Au (President), Hannah Williams (Secretary), John Watson (Lindsay), Kathryn Husband (Sports Rep), Luke Chester (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Finn Conway (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Calum Holt (Access and Admissions Officer), Isobel Howden (Access and Admissions Officer), Juliet Flamank (Student Disabilities Officer), Marianne Cain (Student Disabilities Officer), Steven Rose (Entz Officer), Ellen Cropley (Entz Officer), Felix Heilmann (Environment & Ethics Officer), Simran Uppal (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Amrita Khandpur (International Students Officer), Julia Davis (Housing Officer), Cole Horton (LGBTQ Officer), Laura McMillen (Women's Officer), Monique Keane (Women's Officer)

Absent with apologies: Frederick Potts (Vice-President (Administrative)), Zachary Leather (Treasurer), Ele Saltmarsh (Dr. WHO), Alexander Fuller (Dr. WHO), Leah Mitchell (Foody), Alastair Nicklin (Sports Rep), Leon Kidd (Charities and RAG Officer), Richard Ware (Design & Maintenance Officer), Stephen Hawes (John de Balliol), John Maier (John de Balliol), Joshua Jones (Environment & Ethics Officer), Alexander Gruen (International Students Officer), Pallavi Ojha (LGBTQ Officer)

Absent without explanation: Alexander Toal (Foody), Rishem Khattar (Charities and RAG Officer), Suwanja Srikantha (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Antonia Siu (Website & Computing Officer)

Agenda



1. Matters arising 

Video editing software (Izzy)

2. AOB

Minutes



1. Matters arising 

Izzy

Video editing software 

Izzy explained that she is asking to be reimbursed for the cost of editing software bought to edit the videos from last Trinity. She explained that all the free softwares had watermarks and bought one that was easy to use so it didn’t have watermarks, upon consultation with Calum and Zach. The cost of this was £46.43.

It was agreed that this is cheaper that paying someone to edit it and the successor can use this in the future, as the account is linked to the email.

Motion passed. 

2. AOB

Laura and Monique 

Self defence workshops 

We are looking to run self-defence workshops for women within Balliol  during the 2nd half of the term. It will cost £20 per person and we want to subsidise this to encourage more people to come. The current plan is to advertise within Bal Gals Facebook page and fund £15 per person. The maximum number of people in the class is 20, and so we ar asking the JCR for £300. Today is just a discussion so we can bring it to a GM in the future.

Izzy asked that since it was free at other colleges how this is funded and Laura answered that this is college subsidised. 

It was then mentioned that Balliol has run this before and it has been free and so Laura and Monique said that they would speak to the previous Womens Officers. They said that they wouldn’t want to run this with another college since they want to encourage 20 people from Balliol. 

 

Ste 

Data Protection 

When organising freshers week tickets, Ste explained had access to who had bought which tickets and noticed the JCR website has history of what I’ve bought in the past. He didn’t have to sign anything to say that I wouldn’t give this away, so what should we do about it.

Monique said that the names should just all be deleted so there’s no longer access and it can be sorted out when the General Date people come. Ste asked if it would be easier to have people with access signing something to say they will not give the information away. 

Hubert said he will check with RQ and the domestic officer to sort out if the next committee needs to sign something before starting and accessing the site and Cameron added that he is going over the data protection regarding the bar as well. 

 

 

 

Broken TV

Izzy said that the TV in the TV is broken and asked whose responsibility this is. 

Ste said it came within the Entz fund and since it will be more than £50, requires a GM anyway. Hubert asked Izzy to speak to Denise and maintenance about establishing what it wrong with the TV and co-ordinating with Entz to bring a motion to pass money to fix it/ buy a new one. 

 

Cherwell article 

Hannah raised the issue of whether or not the minutes from Sunday’s GM should be released following the media interest in the CU issue as it was originally decided to hold off until the attention died down. 

Juliet points out that the minutes were really positive and good for JCR politics and discussion. But, she agreed that we don’t want to add content to the articles, especially as currently they only consist of recycled content. 

Ste said that if the minutes were released he isn’t convinced that they would get leaked to the press, and especially if we put at the top that they are strictly intended for internal use, although Marianne raised concerns that this might encourage leakage. Cameron added that since the minutes are behind the login wall, this also discourages leaking. However, there is no way of making them practically and legally confidential. 

It is agreed that the minutes will be released in a week, next Wednesday afternoon so that the situation could be revisited then to see if there are any developments. 

 

Juliet

Suscam 

Juliet explained that she has been in contact with Duncan Shepherd, an alumnus who has set up Suscam, a group that run social event to people who have suspended status. It is external from college and prioritises welfare and networking, putting students in contact with students in touch with other college students. Juliet asks if she could share their welcome back social event via freshers page as she acknowledges that sharing suspended sentence things can be detrimental. 

Simran made a suggestion to put a content note within the post and share the event in the comments and this was accepted by Juliet. Cameron supported that providing more welfare opportunities can only be a good thing. 

 

Amrita

Welfare sub

Amrita asked how the committee would suggest organising welfare meetings this term, considering recent doubts about transparency. It is asked whether getting someone to minute the meetings would be productive. 

Ste asked if the meetings are predominantly regarding welfare’s role or individual problems and Juliet responded that it varies and the next meeting will be regarding making the JCR a safe space.  Monique said that minuting might not work because in any meeting some member will likely bring up an issue. 

Ste suggested that there be two categories of meeting, one for the general role of sub committee, to be minuted, and the other for specific problems and sensitive issues, which would be unminuted.  Hubert added that in most committees, there are meetings for unreserved and reserved business. Isis agreed that the wider JCR should be able to be involved with welfare, through open meetings and anonymous forms of feedback. However, Felix said that often minutes are not read and coming to open meetings like Committee Lunches doesn't really happen, so rather than minutes a general idea of what goes on in meetings should be given to the JCR. 

Hubert concluded that Amrita is to organise a wider discussion about this and perhaps co-ordinate with Nicky and other non-welfare people to write a motion redefining welfare’s role. 

 

Hubert 

Matriculation 

Hubert asked anyone willing to help with waking up/ organising the freshers to help Juliet out on Saturday to message Juliet.

 

Cameron 

Stolen keg

Cameron said that there was a keg stolen from bar on Friday night, about £100 of loss. The people have been caught on college CCTV and this will take to police later and reported as a crime later tonight.