Freshers' Guide - The JCR

The highest JCR authority

Merton has three central College bodies – the Senior, Middle, and Junior Common Rooms. You will usually hear these referred to as the SCR, MCR, and JCR. The SCR is the body of Fellows of the College, the MCR is for postgraduate students, and the JCR is for us, the undergraduates. There is no central University building (although feel free to misinform any grass-trampling tourists), and the college authorities and services almost always take precedence in day-to-day life. We're members of Merton first, Oxford second.

The JCR is essentially self-governing, with an annual budget of around £20,000. JCR meetings are held every other Sunday, and all JCR members are invited to drink free beer and/or orange juice, eat free pizza, and occasionally vote on important issues. All sorts of matters are discussed at JCR meetings, and every member has the right to propose, scrutinise and vote on motions. These have ranged from more sensible ones with useful results, such as getting a Nintendo Wii for the JCR, to more unusual motions, such as exploring the idea of erecting a swing and slide set in Fellows' Quad. Debates can sometimes be quite lengthy and intense, but other times are very light-hearted and funny. Although it’s possibly not the most glamorous part of life at Merton (hard to believe, I know), many JCR members find taking an active part in the running of our community very rewarding, and a lot of people end up getting heavily involved in meetings. The process of debate is scrupulously cautious and democratic – necessarily so, given the sums of money often at stake – and can seem confusing and convoluted at first; at the first meeting of term, we will give you a short introduction to how the system works.

Fierce debate in the JCR, erm...

The JCR Exec and Committee

Every summer, the JCR as a whole elects a new JCR Executive, the team responsible for managing and implementing our policies, and taking care of administration. Over the next few pages we will introduce ourselves properly – when you’ve stopped laughing, remember we’re always here to help, and happy to listen if you have any problems or issues (and, this time next year, it could be you!). There is also a JCR Committee, comprising several specific representatives, such as the Sports Rep, Bar Steward, and the Admiral of the Fleet (who prevents our glorious armada of punts from sinking too regularly, and wears a truly impressive hat), who support the Exec by carrying out, between them, vital tasks for the successful running of the JCR. The committee is elected in a rolling programme, throughout the year, with every JCR meeting opening with hustings for a couple of positions (chaired by yours truly). Getting involved with the JCR Committee is well worth it, giving you the experience of taking on extra responsibility, the opportunity to meet new people in and around college, and, of course, the enjoyable sensation of wielding power.

Keeping Informed about the JCR

It is primarily the responsibility of the JCR Vice-President to keep members informed of what happens in JCR meetings – look out for her emails both beforehand, advertising the hustings and agenda, and afterwards, keeping you abreast of the official minutes. I will also be helping you keep up with developments by writing an informal blog on meetings. If you’re interested in a committee or exec position, you can do no worse than chatting to the current incumbents, all of whom are introduced on the JCR website. If you’re really extreme, you could even take a look through the JCR Constitution and Standing Orders (not recommended bedtime reading, despite their sleep-inducing properties), which contain the definitive rules for the JCR’s operation, clear descriptions of every post, and the full schedule of elections – again, available on the website.