2015 Committee Lunch

By admin, 30 March, 2022
Date of Meeting

    2015 Committee Lunch

    Date: Wednesday 3rd week, Michaelmas 2015 (2015-10-28)

    Present: Duncan Shepherd (President), Aisha Simon (Vice-President (Administrative)), Daisy Cutts (Secretary), John Clark-Maxwell (Treasurer), Richard Ware (Lindsay), Thomas Posa (Dr. WHO), Amy Ford (Dr. WHO), Ryan Diamond (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Alice Farrell (Access and Admissions Officer), Cealach McKeating (Affiliations Officer), Florence Hardy (Design & Maintenance Officer), Jack Wheatley (Design & Maintenance Officer), Molly Rogers (Student Disabilities Officer), Laura Wills (Student Disabilities Officer), Matthew Lynch (Entz Officer), Daisy Pearson (Environment & Ethics Officer), Calum Jacobs (Environment & Ethics Officer), Anne Williamson (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Cameron Kigonya (Ethnic Minorities Officer), Indigo Wilde (LGBTQ Officer), Samuel Gibb (LGBTQ Officer), Alex McKenzie (Website & Computing Officer), Kathryn Pritchard (Women's Officer), Charlotte Suttle (Women's Officer)

    Absent without explanation: Gaetano Iannetta (Foody), Michael Wrathall (Foody), Jess Poole (Academic Affairs and Careers Officer), Xavier Greenwood (Access and Admissions Officer), James Kavanagh (Affiliations Officer), Emily Webb (Charities and RAG Officer), George Badger (Charities and RAG Officer), Benjamin Atueyi (Entz Officer), Oliver Johnson-Munday (John de Balliol), Colm Britchfield (John de Balliol)

    Agenda


    Agenda

    1. Housing [Amy]

    2. Entz co-options

    3. Upkeep of the website [Alex]

    4. Handover packs [Duncan]

    5. Student press [Duncan]

    6. CIO [Duncan]

    7. D&M [Flo]

    8. Junior Maintenance Grants [John]

    Minutes


    Minutes

    1. Amy outlined that here are a lot of issues with the Dr WHOs running housing – the system has flaws. She suggested that we give college responsibility for housing back. They are happy to accept this responsibility. Nearly every room in college has a unique price. She suggested that we put the college rooms into price bands. This would mean scrapping the current room pricing system. It would be next years’ committee which has to sort this out. Tom also invited Committee to help out with the living out presentation to first years. Tom wanted to discuss again whether fourth years should go to the top of the in-college housing ballot if they have lived out in 3rd year. Duncan said Nikki Trott, Keeley Mortimer and Jo Roadknight have suggested that in their first year, all students should have to pick whether they would like to live in college in their 3rd or their 4th year. Tom said that this would not necessarily result in guaranteeing everyone a room in college who wants one.  Tom and Amy will talk to Duncan and John about this ASAP. Richard asked if this will come to a GM. Tom suggested that giving power back to college would definitely go to GM. Tom suggested that the switch to a band pricing system wouldn’t come to GM. Richard argued that both matters should go to GM. Duncan said that we should have a working group on this issue led by Amy and Tom, so we mandated the Drs WHO to set this working group up.

    2. Charles Bertlin and Lottie Dodd both made short speeches outlining why they think they would be suited to the role of Entz officer. Charles said that he has helped Matt and Kelly with bops in the past, and that he has some ideas about making the beginning of bops better attended and boptail pricing, and non-bop events. Lottie said that she liked having fun and partying, and had some suggestions for future bop themes, and also talked about a mega bop.

    Charles Bertlin was duly elected.

    3. Alex asked everybody to have a look at the text describing their position on the JCR website and suggest any changes that they would like made before the upcoming elections.

    4. Duncan urged people to start writing good handover packs.

    5. Duncan reminded everyone to be aware of the student press, and advised Committee to keep in mind that they don’t have to talk to student press if they don’t want to. If they do decide to talk to the press, they should let Duncan know.

    6. Duncan asked if anyone wanted to do some research on charity law. Annie volunteered to do this. Aisha also offered her help.

    7. Flo asked for up to £50 to buy a hammer and some other maintenance stuff, and to get a JCR office key cut. Richard asked Flo to buy some glue. Committee asked D&M to sort out a Christmas tree. Alice asked for a cable to connect to the projector. Alex said that he is looking into getting a new projector.

    8. John said that college are happy to charge people high rents, and then allow them to reclaim money through the junior maintenance grant. The deadline for applying for junior maintenance grants is next Monday. John said we should encourage everyone in college to apply for a junior maintenance grant. Jack asked if everyone applying could mean that people who need the money the most could miss out. John said no, this is not a risk. Xav said predicting income and expenditure is difficult. Alice said that we should emphasise that the lack of college accommodation means that Balliol students have to go to private landlords when there is a housing crisis in Oxford. Richard said that the gap in living costs between living in and living out works out to be around £2000 for most people. Iggy and Cealach made the point that the junior maintenance grants are mostly independent of parents’ income. Xav asked when the grants are given, because it could be useful to discuss when the grants are awarded to try and smooth the income of students, who already struggle with the timing of student loans.

    AOB

    • Daisy P said can we get disposable cameras for bops again, and maybe LED finger lights. John said Entz has loads of money. John said when we do provide cameras, it is half of what we spend on a bop. Richard said that LED lights might get lost. Daisy said they cost £16 for 80.

    • Xav said can we do something about printing charges. Could they be subsidised. Duncan said he will bring this up in a meeting with college.

    • Daisy C said that the President of the Ball Subcommittee, Abi Williams, will start coming to Committee Lunch every few weeks.