Value for Money
The controversy surrounding affiliation to OUSU has provoked a variety of responses from JCRs.
Some, including Trinity, Pembroke and St Hilda's, have offered to pay subs over and above the proposed 80 pence increase. Ryan McGhee, JCR President of Pembroke, told the OxStu: "If it is justified, whatever OUSU proposes is what we will pay".
Sarojini McKenna, JCR President of Trinity, argued that "it is not how much we pay that is the problem; it is whether or not our money is being spent efficiently". McKenna says she intends to bring an emergency motion to OUSU Council on Friday, proposing that a committee be formed to investigate OUSU's finances.
Worcester JCR however passed a motion at their last meeting which will lead to them disaffiliating from OUSU if subs are increased by more than 80 pence per student.
Several colleges have expressed concern that OUSU is over-funded. Keble and Exeter JCRs have mandated their Presidents to write to the student union, to suggest that it look for alternative sources of revenue.
Rob Hopkins, JCR President of Exeter, told the OxStu: "Our JCR wants to express opposition to an increase in subs, and support Sean Sullivan in his opposition to a growth in the number of sabbaticals. These are the two big issues; we don't want to pay for things we don't really need."
Exeter's MCR has decided to cut ties completely with OUSU this week, whilst the JCR has passed a motion to disaffiliate with the NUS. The MCR voted on the motion last Thursday, and it passed by a very narrow margin of 20 votes to 17.
Heather Giannandrea, the MCR Welfare officer, cited "the fact that graduates have not been consistently represented in the organisation during the past three terms" and the fact that their membership fees, which total around £525 per annum, represent, for them, poor value.
The narrow margin at which the motion was passed is indicative that many in the MCR did not want to cut ties altogether. MCR President Robyn Evans commented: "I hope that this will give the common room some perspective on how OUSU is beneficial to us and give OUSU time to sort out its graduate representation."
The JCR decided to severe links with the NUS, as they too claimed it was not worth the annual subscription fee. Hopkins told the OxStu: "Students felt that [they] don't get anything from NUS membership other than discounts obtained by holding an NUS card. Aside from this they felt that there was little justification for the subscription fee that amounted to nearly £1000 per annum."
Plans for spending the money saved through this venture will be aired at this Sunday's JCR meeting. Suggestions raised so far have included a new punt, a huge end-of-term party extravaganza or paying for one JCR member to decorate his car like a dog!
12th Jun 2003