2016 General Meeting
Date: Sunday 5th week, Michaelmas 2016 (2016-11-06)Agenda
a) Matters arising
1. Gender requirements of Drs WHO: Second reading [Amy Ford & Cealach McKeating]
b) Amendments to the Governing Documents
2. Changes to the Drama Society Constitution and JCR Standing Orders [Conor Jordan]
3. Ability to pass motions of no confidence in non-Committee members: First reading [Elliot Jones]
c) Motions relating to financial matters
d) Any other motions
4. Fourth year room balloting [Richard Ware]
5. Teaching Excellence Framework [Saad Hamid]
a) Matters arising
1. Gender requirements of Drs WHO: Second reading [Amy Ford & Cealach McKeating] Passes
This JCR notes:
1. Section 3.3 h) of the constitution:
“h) If the position of Dr. WHO (Wellbeing and Health Officer) is held by two individuals, they must both self-identify as different genders.”
2. This was implemented in Hilary 2014.
This JCR believes:
1. That the role of Dr WHO is to offer non-judgemental support and advice, signpost to welfare services, and chair meetings of welfare sub-committee.
2. The best person/people should be elected to this role.
3. If running as a pair, the best people for the job may not always identify as different genders.
4. That the enforcement of this rule could put pressure on an individual to make a public statement about their gender when they had not planned to, or discourage them to run for office.
5. That diversity on Welfare Sub-Committee is a good thing and the JCR can weigh this against other considerations or priorities when voting.
This JCR resolves:
1. To strike section 3.3 h) from the constitution.
b) Amendments to the Governing Documents
2. Changes to Drama Society Constitution and JCR Standing Orders [Conor Jordan] Passes
This JCR notes:
1. Since the Current Drama Constitution (Appendix A) was written there have been substantial changes to the duties of the Balliol Drama Society.
2. This is largely the result of major renovations to the Michael Pilch Studio MT15.
3. A new Pilch Contract (Appendix D) has been drawn up in agreement with College for visiting Productions in the Pilch.
4. There are now JCR Non-Committee positions whose duties are not outlined in the JCR Standing Orders.
5. The Dean has requested that the changes be enshrined in JCR Governing Documents before MT16 Elections.
This JCR believes:
1. That in the light of these renovations and the restructuring of the Drama Society, the Current Constitution is out of date.
2. That the Drama Society needs a Constitution which reflects its activities.
3. That the Drama Society members fulfil important and specific roles which need to be outlined in the JCR Standing Orders.
This JCR resolves:
1. To repeal the Current Drama Constitution in its entirety, and replace it with a new one (Appendix B).
2. To make changes to the JCR Standing Orders (Appendix C) to better reflect the duties of the Drama Society as outlined in the New Constitution.
3. Ability to pass motions of no confidence in non-Committee members: First reading [Elliot Jones] Passes
This JCR notes:
1. Non-Committee Officers are elected by the JCR, at the same time as the Committee Officers.
2. The number of Non-Committee Officers is expanding, with the Office of John De Balliol becoming a Non-Committee Officer as of the Michaelmas Term 2016 elections, and these being the first elections of PESC members.
3. That there is no provision in the constitution for the removal of Non-Committee Officers through a Vote of No-Confidence.
4. There is already a clear process for the removal of Committee Officers through a Vote of No-Confidence.
This JCR believes:
1. That as Non-Committee Officers are elected by the Ordinary Members of the JCR, they should be equally accountable to those Members.
2. That Non-Committee Officers should be subject to Votes of No-Confidence in the same way as Committee Officers.
This JCR resolves:
1. To add “(vi) are removed by a vote of no confidence in accordance with subsection 3.5;” to Part VI: 3.4: a) of the constitution.
2. To add “3.5 Motions of No Confidence
a) A motion of no confidence in a Non-Committee Officer may be submitted by Ordinary Members, and shall be considered valid if signed by at least 20 Ordinary Members.
b) A motion of no confidence shall specify the exact actions of the Non-Committee Officer that contravene this Constitution, whether that be dereliction of any duties set forth in this Constitution and the Standing Orders, or other illegal activity.
c) The opinion of the Committee on a pending motion of no confidence shall be decided by a recorded vote in Committee, which shall take place in camera.
d) If the Committee have supported the motion under clause 3.6 c), the Non-Committee Officer in question shall be temporarily suspended from office until such time as the motion of no confidence has been voted on at the General Meeting called under clause e) of this subsection.
e) The motion shall be debated at an Emergency General Meeting called in accordance with part VII section 2, and shall pass if:
(i)the Emergency General Meeting is convened and quorate in accordance with part VII section 7 of this Constitution; and
(ii)the Non-Committee Officer in question is given reasonable opportunity to defend their actions, orally or in writing, at the Emergency General Meeting; and either
(iii) the Committee have supported the motion under clause 3.6 c) and a simple majority of Ordinary Members present and eligible to vote at the Emergency General Meeting vote in favour of the motion; or
(iv) the Committee does not support the motion but a two-thirds majority of Ordinary Members present and eligible to vote at the Emergency General Meeting vote in favour of the motion.
f) Where two individuals share the responsibilities of a single position under clause 2.8, one may cease to hold the position under subsection 3.5 without affecting the position of the other, who shall continue to carry out the duties of that position alone, until such time that a new Non-Committee Officer to fill the role is selected under section 4.” to Part VI of the constitution.”
c) Motions relating to financial matters
d) Any other motions
4. Fourth year room balloting [Richard Ware] Passes
This JCR notes:
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That the mainsite ballot is this week.
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That college normally provides at most two years of mainsite accommodation per student.
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That at present no returning student is guaranteed a mainsite room, except for welfare reasons.
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That some students on four year courses decide not to ballot for a mainsite room in third year so that they can have a mainsite room in fourth year.
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That students on a year abroad have usually only lived in college for one year prior to their return.
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That last year, there were 86 spots on mainsite ballot and 114 applicants.
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That 13 of these students were applying for fourth year accommodation having previously only lived on mainsite for one year.
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That if you weren’t one of these fourth years, your probability of getting into mainsite on the first try was 75.4%.
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That had these fourth year years been guaranteed a room, your probability of getting into mainsite on the first try would have been 72.3%.
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That everyone on the waiting list who still wanted a mainsite room got one in the end.
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That these are fairly typical numbers.
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That not knowing whether you will get into mainsite for fourth year can be a serious source of stress.
This JCR believes:
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That not getting to live in mainsite for three years is worse than not getting to live in mainsite for two years.
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That it is worth most students being 3.1% less likely to get into mainsite at first in order to provide peace of mind for other students.
This JCR resolves:
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To guarantee a mainsite room for fourth year students who have previously only lived in mainsite for one year.
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Teaching Excellence Framework [Saad Hamid] Passes
This JCR notes:
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That the University of Oxford recently agreed to join the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which is proposed by the Higher Education Bill.
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That the TEF uses various metrics (graduate employment, student satisfaction, contact hours) to try to judge the quality of teaching at an institution.
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That the TEF does not consider teaching experience, or intensity of contact hours (i.e. it doesn’t differentiate between a lecture of 100 students, and a tutorial with 3).
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That the TEF will then be used to determine by how much English universities can increase tuition fees – up to a maximum of inflation.
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That the University of Oxford wants to raise fees for on-course students (only current first years), subject to parliamentary approval.
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That it’s been indicated that differential fee levels between subjects may be considered at a later stage.
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That existing evidence indicates that debt aversion affects students from the least socio-economically privileged backgrounds much more when applying to university.
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That applications from prospective students from the least socio-economically privileged backgrounds have stagnated, and they are 2.4 times less likely to apply.
This JCR believes:
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That differentiated fees across the higher education sector are bad for social opportunity, and particularly for access at better universities.
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That differentiated fees between subjects are bad for social opportunity.
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That the TEF is a poor measure of teaching quality.
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That it is unfair to raise tuition fees for on-course students.
This JCR resolves:
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To condemn The University of Oxford’s decision to join the Teaching Excellence Framework on the basis that it is a poor measure of teaching quality, and that differentiated tuition fees are detrimental to access.
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To condemn the decision to raise tuition fees for on-course students.
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To make believes 1-4 JCR Standing Policy.
Appendix a)
Drama Society Constitution
1 The role of the Balliol College Dramatics Society (hereafter referred to as “the Society”) is to encourage, finance, and facilitate dramatic productions involving the members of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College.
2 The Society is an autonomous component of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College as laid out under Standing Order 6.2.2 of the Junior Common Room. This Constitution is recognised as part of Standing Order 6.2.2.
3 All members of the Junior Common Room are members of the Society. There is no charge for this membership.
4 A committee composing a President, Treasurer, and Secretary as laid out in Standing Order 6.2.2 will run the Society. These three positions are Junior Common Room positions and, as such, are subject to the Junior Common Room Constitution and Standing Orders concerning their filling. This will be by annual election as specified by the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Junior Common Room.
5 The Society is financially autonomous from the Junior Common Room. The Treasurer shall present a report to each meeting of the Arts Subcommittee, and a record of annual accounts to the Junior Common Room the week prior to elections.
6 The Society may use its funds to: a) promote and support dramatic productions and events within the Junior Common Room, subject to the approval of the JCR Treasurer and the Arts Subcommittee; b) award loans to dramatic productions under their own authority, subject to Article 9.
7 The Society is primarily funded by profits made from loans given by the Society to Junior Common Room members as laid out in Article 7 of this Constitution.
8 All requests for funding for dramatic ventures from the Junior Common Room of Balliol College should be directed towards the Society. The Society will be the sole source of dramatic funding from the Junior Common Room of Balliol College, and is responsible for all issues pertaining to drama in the, or presented to, the Junior Common Room. It is the responsibility of the committee members of the Society that any matters pertaining to drama arising at any General Meeting of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College is recommended for referral to the Society.
9 The Society shall only award loans to dramatic productions that fulfil all the following conditions:
A That at least one member of the production crew or cast is a member of the Junior Common Room.
B That at the time of making the loan, the production has a confirmed director and producer, and either has booked or is applying to book a venue
C The contract for any loan should have the form given below.
D Decision of what action should be taken in the case of breach of contract is at the discretion of the committee of the Society.
E No grant of funds may be made by the Society without the agreement of the Drama Society President, the Drama Society Treasurer and the Drama Society Secretary (subject to the occupancy of those positions).
10 This Constitution may only be altered by a General Meeting of the Junior Common Room, as under the rules and procedures governing the changing of the Standing Orders as laid out in the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College.
Appendix b)
Balliol College Drama Society
1. The role of the Balliol College Drama Society (hereafter referred to as “the Society”) is to encourage, finance, and facilitate dramatic productions involving the members of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College, as well as to oversee the running of the Michael Pilch Studio.
2. The Society is an autonomous component of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College as laid out under Standing Order Part V, Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Junior Common Room. This Constitution is recognised as part of Standing Order Part V, Section 3, Subsection e (viii).
3. All members of the Junior Common Room are members of the Society. There is no charge for this membership.
4. A Committee comprising a President, Treasurer, Secretary, Pilch Studio Manager, Pilch Design Officer, and Marketing Officer as laid out in Standing Order Part V, Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, will run the Society. The positions are Junior Common Room positions and, as such, are subject to the Junior Common Room Constitution and Standing Orders concerning their filling. This will be by annual election as specified by the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Junior Common Room.
5. The whole of the Drama Society Committee shall meet in preparation of receiving bids for the following term. Quorum shall consist of the President, the Treasurer and the Studio Manager.
6. The Society is financially autonomous from the Junior Common Room. The Drama Society Treasurer shall present a report to each meeting of the Arts Subcommittee, and a record of annual accounts to the Junior Common Room the week prior to elections.
7. The Society may use its funds to:
A. promote and support dramatic productions and events within the Junior Common Room, subject to the approval of the JCR Treasurer;
B. award pro-rata loans to dramatic productions under their own authority, subject to Article 9.
8. The Society is funded by profits made from loans given by the Society to Junior Common Room members as laid out in Article 7 of this Constitution; by the Drama Society optional levy; by donations from production companies; and by donations from Balliol College.
9. All requests for funding for dramatic ventures from the Junior Common Room of Balliol College should be directed towards the Society. It is the responsibility of the committee members of the Society that any matters pertaining to drama arising at any General Meeting of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College is recommended for referral to the Society.
10. The Society shall only award loans to dramatic productions that fulfil all the following conditions:
A. That at the time of making the loan, the production has a confirmed director and producer, and either has booked or is applying to book a venue.
B. The contract for any loan should have the form given below.
C. Decision of what action should be taken in the case of breach of contract is at the discretion of the committee of the Society.
D. No loan may be made by the Society without the agreement of the Drama Society President and the Drama Society Treasurer (subject to the occupancy of those positions).
11. The Society shall only award non-refundable donations to dramatic productions involving Balliol JCR members, and only then in exceptional circumstances, including, but not limited to:
A. The production in question being the Balliol Charity Musical,
B. The production in question being a OUDS Drama Cuppers production,
C. The profits for the production go towards a good cause,
D. A donation without which the production would not happen,
E. A donation without which the production in question would make a loss.
12. Where there is competition for loans, preference should be given to productions involving members of Balliol JCR (where the other four criteria have already been fulfilled).
13. The Society shall, each Trinity Term, facilitate the showing of an all-Balliol student (JCR and MCR) cast and crew production (“Playlliol”).
14. The Society shall be responsible for the management of the Pilch Studio. This involves:
A. No later than Monday of 6th week of each term, the society will accept bids from productions to be scheduled at the Pilch the following term,
B. Interviewing each production company which has submitted a bid,
C. Scheduling (subject to the Dean’s agreement) successful bids in the available weeks,
D. Keep Sundays and Mondays at the Pilch available for use by any Balliol member by booking with the Porters Lodge,
E. Ensure that all production companies sign “The Pilch Contract”,
F. Ensuring a general production meeting be held no later than Saturday of 0th week of each term, consisting of at least the President and Studio Manager, as well as representatives from all shows scheduled commencing term,
G. The Society must ensure that all productions fulfil their contractual obligations, as outlined in “The Pilch Contract”.
15. The Society shall ensure that all its Pilch-related activities accord with the following Philosophy: “The Michael Pilch Studio is an exclusively student-run venue, which seeks to promote dynamic, innovative, and challenging theatre. Visiting companies should be granted all the assistance, space, and autonomy necessary to achieve the best possible work. Term Cards will aim to reflect a variety of theatrical styles and voices, from Productions which recognise and fulfil the Studio’s potential.”
16. This Constitution may only be altered by a General Meeting of the Junior Common Room, as under the rules and procedures governing the changing of the Standing Orders as laid out in the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Junior Common Room of Balliol College.
Appendix c)
(changes highlighted in red)
STANDING ORDER CHANGES
4. Arts Subcommittee
4.1.The Arts Subcommittee is a body which exists to co-ordinate Arts provision in Balliol, facilitate Arts Week and patronise students across the University.
4.2.The Arts Subcommittee shall consist of:
a) The Treasurer;
b) Maestro Music;
c) the Picture Fund Officer;
d) Comrade Shakespeare;
e) the Drama President;
f) the Drama Treasurer;
g) the Drama Secretary;
h) the Pilch Studio Manager;
i) the Pilch Design Officer;
j) the Pilch Marketing Officer.
4.3.Meetings of the Arts Subcommittee shall be chaired by the Treasurer and minuted by a member of the subcommittee.
4.4.The Treasurer shall present reports to the Committee as and when required, and to the final General Meeting of each academic term.
4.5.The Drama President shall submit a report on their activities to each meeting of the Arts Subcommittee.
7. Health and Safety Subcommittee
7.1.The Health and Safety Subcommittee is a body which exists to:
a) develop JCR Health and Safety policy, and;
b) liaise with college over matters of risk assessment and safety inspection within the JCR.
7.2.The Health and Safety Subcommittee shall consist of:
a) The Vice-President
b) The Entz Officer
c) The Lindsay
d) The Foody
e) The Design and Maintenance Officer
f) The JCR Steward
g) The The Pilch Studio Manager
7.3.The subcommittee shall be chaired by the Vice-President and minuted by the Design and Maintenance Officer.
7.4.The subcommittee shall meet at least once a term before College Health and Safety at Work Committee and assign a delegate(s) to attend it.
1. List of Non-Committee Offices
1.1.The following positions are Non-Committee Offices:
a)The Duckworth
b)The Drama President
c)The Drama Treasurer
d)The Drama Secretary
e)The Pilch Studio Manager
f)The Pilch Design Manager
g)The Pilch Marketing Officer
j)Maestro Music
k)Comrade Tortoise
l)The Picture Fund Rep
m)Comrade Shakespeare
n)Comrade Bike Rep
o)The Bar Social Secretary
p)The Ball President
q)The Ball Treasurer
r)The Ball Secretary
s)The Ball Publicity Officer
t)The Ball Representatives
u)The Garden Party President
v)The Garden Party Treasurer
w)The Garden Party Secretary
x)The Garden Party Publicity Officer
y)The Garden Party Representatives
z)PESC Members
1.2.The Offices of Drama President, Drama Treasurer, Maestro Music, Comrade Bike Rep, Ball President, Ball Treasurer, Ball Secretary and Ball Publicity Officer may only be held by a single individual; all other Offices may be held by a single individual or by dual nominations.
1.3.The duties of the Non-Committee Offices are given in the following sections; these duties are binding upon the Members holding the Non- Committee Offices.
3. Duties of the Drama President
3.1.In addition to other duties imposed by the Constitution and Standing Orders and by the resolutions of the Committee or of General Meetings, the Drama President shall:
a) promote and support dramatic productions and events involving Members;
b) award loans to dramatic productions, provided that:
(i)at least one member of the production crew or cast is an Ordinary Member; and
(ii)at the time of making the loan, the production has a confirmed director and producer, and either has booked or is applying to book a venue; and
(iii)the contract for any loan should have the form given in part VI of these Standing Orders; and
(iv)decision of what action should be taken in the case of breach of contract is at the discretion of the Committee; and
(v)the Drama Treasurer and Drama Secretary are in agreement on the matter (subject to the occupancy of those positions).
c) ensure that the Treasurer is fully informed of the nature, details and status of any loans; and
d) submit a report to each meeting of the Arts Subcommittee detailing their activities.
e) work with the Pilch Studio Manager to ensure that the Michael Pilch Studio is managed effectively, conducting activities including but not exclusive to:
(i) Agree with the Balliol College Dean the available show dates for the following term;
(ii) Accept and study bid applications from production companies throughout Oxford, not limited to Balliol College, no later than Saturday 6th Week;
(iii) Interview each production company which has submitted a bid;
(iv) Schedule (subject to the Dean’s agreement, in accordance with part i) successful bids in the available weeks;
(v) Keep the Dean, the Head Porter, the Jowett Wardens, and the Steward of the Pilch apprised of the confirmed termcard and any subsequent changes made to it;
(vi) Ensure that the Balliol College Bursary is provided with the necessary information to invoice visiting companies;
(vii) Keep Sundays and Mondays at the Pilch available for use by any Balliol member by booking with the Porters Lodge,
(viiii) Ensure that all production companies sign “The Pilch Contract”;
(ix) A general production meeting be shall held no later than Saturday of 0th week of each term, consisting of at least the President and Studio Manager, as well as representatives from all shows scheduled commencing term, at which all the necessary safety and security protocols as outlined in the Pilch Contract are clearly communicated to the production companies;
(x) Agree with the Drama President who will be on call for each show’s “get-in” and “get-out”, which involves briefly visit the “get-in” and “get-out” of each show to ensure that the crew is following correct health and safety procedures, and being immediately contactable during the duration of the “get-in” and “get-out”, in case the crew needs assistance. The representative on call should be either the Drama President or the Pilch Studio Manager; should neither of these individuals be available, another member of the Drama Committee should be allocated the role on a show-by-show basis;
(xi) The Society must ensure that all productions fulfil their contractual obligations, as outlined in “The Pilch Contract”;
(xii) Ensure that the Dean, the Domestic Bursar, and the Steward of the Pilch are kept abreast of any changes to the Pilch contract;
(xiii) Ensurethe society and the Pilch Studio are governed in accordance with the Society’s own Drama Constitution.
6. Duties of the Pilch Studio Manager
6.1.In addition to other duties imposed by the Constitution and Standing
Orders and by the resolutions of the Committee or of General Meetings, the Pilch Studio Manager shall:
a) Agree with the Drama President who will be on call for each show’s “get-in” and “get-out”, which involves briefly visit the “get-in” and “get-out” of each show to ensure that the crew is following correct health and safety procedures, and being immediately contactable during the duration of the “get-in” and “get-out”, in case the crew needs assistance. The representative on call should be either the Drama President or the Pilch Studio Manager; should neither of these individuals be available, another member of the Drama Committee should be allocated the role on a show-by-show basis;
b) Attend all bid interviews for prospective shows;
c) Attend the General Production Meeting each term, to ensure that relevant crew members receive appropriate health and safety training, and;
d) Agree with the Drama President and the Drama Treasurer what maintenance should be conducted at the end of each term, and ensure that this maintenance is carried out before the General Production Meeting at the start of the following term;
e) Keep an up-to-date inventory of all the equipment housed in the Pilch.
7. Duties of the Pilch Design Officer
7.1.In addition to other duties imposed by the Constitution and Standing
Orders and by the resolutions of the Committee or of General Meetings, the Pilch Design Officer shall:
a) Attend the termly bid interviews with a view to assessing the design elements of the bids (including but not limited to the lighting, set, costume and sound designs); whether they form a coherent vision; whether they are practically viable; and whether they are in line with the “Philosophy of the Pilch” as outlined in Section 15 of the Drama Society Constitution.
b) Advise visiting productions on the design potentials and limitations of the Pilch.
8. Duties of the Pilch Marketing Officer
8.1.In addition to other duties imposed by the Constitution and Standing
Orders and by the resolutions of the Committee or of General Meetings, the Pilch Marketing Officer shall:
a) Ensure that the Pilch Website (www.pilchstudio.com) is up-to-date;
b) Ensure that visiting Productions are supported by an active Pilch Social Media presence;
c) Ensure that the Pilch maintains a vital presence in Oxford University according to the “Philosophy of the Pilch” as outlined in Section 15 of the Drama Society Constitution.
Appendix d)
Contract for use of The Michael Pilch Studio
This agreement is made on the _______________, between the Balliol College Drama Society (‘The Society’) and _______________________________ (‘The Producers’), acting as authorised representatives of _______________________________ (‘The Company’).
The Society and The Producers (who agree jointly and severally) agree as follows:
1) The Producers agree to present the production of ____________________________ (‘The Production’), to be performed at The Michael Pilch Studio (‘The Studio), on the following dates: ____/_____/__________to____________/______/___________.
2) The Society and The Producers agree that The Rules concerning the use of The Studio shall be as set out in this this agreement.
3) The Society agrees:
i. To provide use of The Studio to The Company between 8am on ____/____/____ to 8am on ____/____/____, provided that the appropriate deposits and venue hires have been paid, and that all of The Rules outlined in this agreement are adhered to.
ii. To hold a Production Meeting (‘The PM’) at the start of the term in which The Production is being performed, to outline all of the relevant information for The Company.
4) The Producers agree:
i. To sign and return this contract by the time of The PM.
ii. To pay a venue hire of £250 to Balliol College no later than one week prior to the opening night of The Production.
iii. To ensure that the contents of The Studio remain in good condition before, during, and after performances.
a) The Company must pay to replace any damaged or broken equipment owned by the Studio, beyond acceptable wear and tear.
b) The Company must ensure that The Studio is left cleared, cleaned, and as found (including backstage greenrooms, Front of House, and placing the lanterns back on the correct racks) upon the returning of the keys, in order to be entitled to their deposit back.
iv. To provide an up-to-date risk assessment to The Society at The PM, and a final up-to-date risk assessment one week prior to the opening night of The Production.
a) To seek the permission of The Society to use any food, drink or any additional technical equipment (LX/FX/etc. including weapons or haze / smoke / fog machines) during The Production.
b) To seek the permission of The Society to use any naked flames (including cigarettes or candles) during The Production.
v. To ensure that the logo for The Studio appears on all marketing materials (including online and printed materials.
vi. To provide a £60 deposit cheque to the Porters Lodge at Balliol College’s main site on Broad Street (not the lodge at Jowett Walk) on the Tuesday of Show Week. The Producer then holds the keys for the week, and must return them to the main site lodge again by 8am on the Sunday following the final night of The Production.
a) Once The Producer has taken the keys on the Tuesday, they are responsible for them for the week.
b) Following the returning of the keys, the £60 cheque will be returned to The Producer.
c) If The Producer does not wish to claim responsibility for the keys, The Producer must name another member of the crew to claim responsibility by the time of The PM.
vii. To ensure that a Front of House table is placed outside the gates of Jowett Walk, to ensure that only those holding tickets to The Production enter the Jowett Walk complex.
a) This table must be manned from 45 minutes before the start of The Production and 20 minutes after it commences each night.
b) Failure to provide this Front of House facility will result in fines for The Company, due to the serious risk to security this would cause.
c) The Company must ensure that the total numbers of cast and audience must not exceed 100 people.
viii. To always show consideration for the student residents living above The Studio, and respect an 11pm curfew.
a) If noise complaints are registered by the residents or the porters of Jowett Walk, The Company will be liable to fines.
b) On the Saturday ‘get-out’ there will be no official curfew, but companies must keep all doors to the Studio completely shut when making any noise past 11pm.
The parties to this agreement hereby sign their acceptance of its terms:
The Society President: _______________________________ [name]
_________________________________________________ [sign]
The Society Treasurer: _______________________________ [name]
_________________________________________________ [sign]
The Society Secretary: _______________________________ [name]
_________________________________________________ [sign]
for Balliol College Dramatics Society, and
_________________________________________________ [name]
_________________________________________________ [sign]
_________________________________________________ [name]
_________________________________________________ [sign]
for The Producers.
Minutes
Cealach summarised the motion as removing the gender requirement.
Motion passes without opposition.
Elliot told the JCR that currently Ordinary Members of the JCR can pass motions of no-confidence in Committee Officers, but not non-Committee officers, which can wield executive power (such as Ball president).
Richard asked which officer he’d want to no-con. Comrade Tortoise.
Elliot reiterated – asked by James for non-committee officers – that the Ball committee wielded notable power. James noted the motion related to all non-committee officers. Elliot responded that he believed they should be accountable in the same way. Annie added other examples included Duckworths, bar social sec, comrade tortoise, JdeB, etc.
Freddy suggested the wording was vague relating to PESC. He doesn’t believe that Pantry subcommittee as he believes they are accountable to the Foodies. He noted that it would be unlikely that anyone would want to no-con Pantry subcommittee. Ste offered the point of information that Foodies can’t remove PESC members. Freddy offered that this should change.
Meg suggested that no-conning is unlikely in all circumstances, but it’s good to have as a safety mechanism.
Ste argued that elections imply accountability.
Richard confirmed that PESC members would be running for election.
Aidan noted that the chance of someone wanting to no-con anyone is unlikely, so as a provisional things it was good.
Freddy withdrew his objection.
Motion passes without opposition.
Conor told the JCR that his motion had been a long time coming and he apologised for this. He noted the Drama soc has a Constitution, however it is now quite out of date, due to the renovations to the Pilch and restructuring of the Society. A new contract was therefore written for show producers to sign should they wish to use the Pilch that stipulated various agreements and deterrents. He noted that there had been a number of additions to Drama soc committee which necessitated changes to the Standing Orders. He noted the importance of this change as currently only him and Pete currently know how the space is run.
Annie asked if the details of the wording had been worked through with RQ. Conor said that regular check ups had been occurring throughout the year.
Amy asked if this was how it was run in other colleges. Pete responded that Balliol is unique in having a fully independent theatre. Conor added that this meant the codification even more important. Pete noted that Constitution included clauses on the philosophy of the Pilch.
Meg noted that the Pilch is incredible and commended the work of the Drama soc. She asked if in a few years time, a drama soc is less interested, if this could present problems. Pete responded that is what the changes are for, to provide a mandate that covered these roles. Meg asked what would happen if there were no Balliol students, if another college student could. Conor responded not. He accepted that there could be conerns about people not willing to fulfil the mandate. He plugged cuppers. He argued that there was a cultural aspect to drama enthusiasm that is an independent situation.
Tom asked how much the Dean was involved in this. Conor responded “lots. Lots for obvious reasons.” He noted the Pilch as the only student run venue in Oxford, which entails a lot of trust in the students who run it, hence the Dean checks up on them regularly, and they keep her abreast of every development. He noted RQ was the arts treasurer at Oxford, and has been very keen about the Pilch, and has been encouraging of himself and Pete to get the documents changed before they move on, as the Pilch won’t function if its not run in this way. Tom asked if the relationship in the Dean was outlined in the Constitution. Pete responded that it is. Annie added that most activities of the JCR are run through the Dean. She plugged JCR US election fun.
Motion passes without opposition.
Richard noted the mainsite ballot was occurring this week. He noted that College can’t guarantee a second year of mainsite accommodation (though most people do). He noted there were 86 spots on mainsite witih 114 balloting, however by the time Hilary had ran through, everyone who wanted a room and had stayed on the list got a room. He thinks this is worse for people on four year courses; giving the example of classisists, some forego rooms in third year to live in College in fourth year when they have finals. He also noted language students. He noted sciences have four years however have finals every year. He noted that there was an extra year of worrying for these people, particularly people trying to sort out living arrangements when in a foreign country. He believes that its worse to live out for three years rather than two. He therefore recommends guaranteeing all four year students with only one year of living in College by fourth year a room in College. He noted that the probability of getting onto mainsite on the first try was 75.4%, which dropped to 72.3% if fourth years were guaranteed a room, so it is not a significant loss. He noted that welfare rooms were excluded from this.
Amrita asked if this was a guarantee for the last year; Richard responded the last year subject to only having a year in College before that.
Hugo expressed confusion at the reasoning, noting Jowett was not far away. Richard responded that there was additional stress due to isolation.
Zoe offered her support for the motion, citing her own experiences of living out in third year to live in in fourth year, which was a gamble, and was quite stressful.
Amy asked to clarify that this didn’t guarantee third years. Richard clarified that. Amy responded that she believes that mainsite ballots are problematic due to oversubscribed ballots due to third and fourth year classisits, who may be encouraged to live out in third year, to even out the numbers each year.
Motion passes without opposition.
Saad noted that TEF uses several metrics in an attempt to judge teaching quality. He noted OUSU and the NUS fought against the introduction of TEF when it was going through it’s green paper and white paper, arguing that it was a poor measure, due to excluded factors such as intensity of contact hours (so that lectures would be weighted the same as tutes). He added that the main point it was bad was access issues, as it allows unis that perform well to increase fees in line with inflation, resulting in differentiated fees. He noted that debt aversion influences students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds more; sources he pulled from NUS’ open letter, which were pulled from UCAS’ report. He therefore hoped the JCR would condemn the university for joining in with TEF, and to make his believes Standing Policy. He noted that at the last OUSU council, TEF may be used to differentiate fees between courses. He also noted that tuition fees are intended to be raised for current first years, which is unfair.
Richard remembered hearing something a few years ago about lecturers not liking TEF as it was mostly based on student satisfaction; he wondered if this was still the case. Saad responded that the NUS survey would be a part of it, as well as another measure for satisfaction.
Cealach asked how optional joining TEF was. Saad responded that the bill hadn’t been passed yet, but the Government had invited universities to state they would join it in its first year. He noted that Cambridge had decided not to.
Cealach told the JCR that she had spoken to some tutors and fellows about it, who hate it, and would like it if the JCR acted in this way.
Laura noted that first year contracts did note that fees could go up. Annie responded that initially fees would be going up on all students next year; now this would not be the case, but first years would have fees go up by £250.
Meg asked if other Colleges were bringing this motion. Not as far as Saad was aware. She suggested encouraging other JCR’s to pass this.
Amy asked if student finance has any provisions for tuition fee increases. Saad responded that loans would increase by the same amount.
Cealach responded that while the university would be in no legal issues due to contracts, it is still a bad thing to do, and hence this motion is important.
Hubert asked if international fees would go up. Saad doesn’t know. Hubert noted these vary from course to course. Annie noted that international fees don’t have a cap and are already ‘free market’ and hence wouldn’t have to raise them as a result of this (though may just raise them for the craic).
Motion passes without opposition.