No fee no key
Many second and third years from Somerville were left waiting up to an hour for their room keys when they arrived this week. The college, well known for its students' non-payment campaigns, had adopted a particularly draconian "no key, no fee" policy, whereby nobody would be allowed into their room until they had payed their battels.
"We hadn't even been sent a bill," commented one second year, "I only knew how much the fees were because I read it in a newspaper." Those that couldn't pay were asked to leave their credit card details as security.
JCR President Ferdinand Lovett and Treasurer Nick Clark met with the college Treasurer on Wednesday to discuss the issue. She agreed there had not been enough publicity regarding the change of policy and apologised for the heavy-handed approach. "The college are now being quite reasonable," commented Clark, "but they should have discussed the issue with us in advance."
In future, battels will be sent out earlier to remind people they have to pay.
4th Oct 2001