Magdalen discuss OUSU disaffiliation
Magdalen JCR will become the latest college to hold a referendum on disaffiliation from OUSU. The referendum is the result of a petition from over 100 JCR members, including several members of the JCR committee. Students will vote at a manned ballot area under St Swithun’s tower on Tuesday of seventh week. A simple majority will determine the result of the referendum, which will remain JCR policy for at least one year.
The referendum will follow a debate, held on Thursday of sixth week, on the motion: ‘This house believes that OUSU is failing with respect to its provision of services to Magdalen and other Oxford JCRs’. Speakers at the debate will include OUSU President Emma Norris, and all members of the university can attend. JCR President Iain Anstess said, “The JCR doesn’t want to disaffiliate as such, people are just being given the choice.
He added he currently has no idea whether the college will disaffiliate. Oriel is currently the only college to be disaffiliated from OUSU. The college, which first rejected affiliation in 2001, confirmed this decision in a referendum in Trinity 2004, when the motion, ‘This JCR shall subscribe to OUSU with effect from the start of Michaelmas Term 2004’ was defeated by 131 votes to 49.
Emma Norris said she was not worried that a yes vote by Magdalen could mark a trend towards universitywide disaffiliation. “The decision to remain affiliated or not is one individual colleges make on a regular basis. Hence there is always the chance that more than one could disaffiliate.
“But the fact that only Oriel has disaffiliated (and during the referendum at the beginning of term 64% of Oriel voters voted to re-affiliate; they needed 66%), at this stage suggests that students feel that it is worth being affiliated to the student union.”
23rd Feb 2006