The Constitution of Harris Manchester College Junior Common Room

Adopted Michaelmas 2021

Authors: Stacey Cranmore, Felix Glombitza, Scott Fitzgerald Buchanan

Note: Google Docs version of the constitution is linked here and remains the version you should consult in the event of any updates/changes to the constitution.

Article 1: Name and Objects

The name of the body hereby constituted shall be “Harris Manchester College Junior Common Room”.
1. Harris Manchester College Junior Common Room may be referred to by the abbreviation “HMC JCR”, or where there is no ambiguity, as “the JCR”
The Objects of the JCR are:
1. To be the recognised representative channel between its members and the College, and any other external bodies.
2. To promote its members’ interests by:
  1. providing support for the wellbeing of students;
  2. providing amenities and liaising with the College about the provision of services; and
  3. providing a programme of social and extracurricular activities.
The JCR shall foster:
1. Equality, respect, and the fair treatment of all its members; and
2. participation, via the involvement of as wide a range of its members as is possible and appropriate in its decision making.

Article 2: The Constitution

This document serves as the constitution of the JCR under the Education Act 1994.
The JCR shall not discriminate, either in conferring membership or in the provision of benefits and services, on the basis of:
1. age;
2. disability;
3. gender;
4. transgender status;
5. sexual orientation;
6. marriage and civil partnership;
7. parenthood and pregnancy;
8. race, ethnicity, and nationality;
9. religion or belief; or
10. socio-economic and class background.
The Constitution can be amended only by Special Resolution of two consecutive convenings of the General Meeting, provided that:
1. no amendment may be made which would cause the loss of charitable status.
Any dispute in relation to the interpretation of the Constitution shall be resolved by a ruling of the Secretary, in consultation with the President and any other Trustees or Officers as appropriate.
1. The Secretary shall keep a record of historic interpretations and shall resolve any disputes with reference to this record.
2. All Ordinary Members shall have the right to appeal the Secretary’s ruling through the complaints process described in Article 12.
Unless otherwise specified, words and phrases with initial capital letters have the meanings set out in Article 14.
Upon passage of the Constitution;
1. all previous constitutions of the JCR are expressly revoked;
2. any Standing Orders passed alongside the Constitution are immediately put into effect;
3. all previous Affiliations of the JCR are carried forward under the Constitution;
4. the Constitution shall be presented to the Harris Manchester College Governing Body for approval; and
5. all incumbent Officers and Executive Officers shall assume the equivalent Officer and Trustee roles laid out in the Constitution.
The Constitution will expire, and the previous constitution will be reinstated, if the Governing Body of Harris Manchester College;
1. explicitly rejects the legitimacy of the Constitution; or
2. fails to recognise the legitimacy of the Constitution within three of its ordinarily scheduled meetings.
At least once every five years, the Constitution must be re-approved by the Governing Body of Harris Manchester College.

Article 3: Membership

Part I: Definition of Members

The following categories of persons are Ordinary Members of the JCR, for the duration of the time in which they fulfil any of these criteria:
1. all individuals studying undergraduate qualifications at Harris Manchester College;
  1. for the avoidance of doubt, this provision includes students on a year abroad and suspended students where there is clear intention to resume studies at the college;
2. all individuals studying foundation year courses at Harris Manchester College;
3. all visiting undergraduate or graduate students at Harris Manchester College; and
4. all members of the Harris Manchester College Middle Common Room.
The following persons are Honorary Members of the JCR:
1. any person granted Honorary Membership by Standing Orders; and
2. any person belonging to a well-defined group of persons granted Honorary Membership by Standing Orders.
Any Ordinary Member may terminate their membership by notifying the Secretary in writing, including their signature and the date. Membership will cease from the date specified on the letter.
1. Any individual who exercises the right to opt out, but who would otherwise qualify as an Ordinary Member, retains the right to enjoy facilities and services provided by the JCR, without prejudice to membership status.
2. Any individual who exercises the right to opt out, but who would otherwise qualify as an Ordinary Member, may opt back into the appropriate form of membership by notifying the Secretary in writing, including their signature and the date. Membership will commence from the date specified on the letter.

Part II: Rights of Members

Ordinary Membership confers the following rights:
1. to attend and speak at all convenings of the General Meeting;
2. to vote in all Elections, Referendums, and convenings of the General Meeting, except:
  1. when acting as chair of a debate, a member may be deprived of their right to vote while they act in that role;
3. to propose and second Election nominations and motions to the General Meeting;
4. to be a candidate for Trustee and Officer positions, subject to any eligibility requirements;
5. to access JCR records and accounts both current and, within reason, historic; and
6. to enjoy facilities and services provided by the JCR, and to entertain guests, subject to any reasonable restrictions the JCR may determine by Standing Orders.
Honorary Membership confers the following rights:
1. to enjoy facilities and services provided by the JCR, and to entertain guests, subject to any reasonable restrictions the JCR may determine by Standing Orders.
The General Meeting may confer additional rights on Ordinary Members by Standing Orders.
Additional rights may not be conferred to Honorary Members.

Article 4: The General Meeting

The General Meeting is the democratic decision-making organ of the JCR.
The General Meeting has the sole power to approve the allocation of the JCR’s funds to particular purposes.
The General Meeting shall decide the interval and frequency of its meetings by Standing Orders, provided that:
1. the General Meeting must be convened at least once during each Full Term.
The General Meeting shall regulate its own proceedings by Standing Orders, insofar as is compatible with the Constitution.
The General Meeting may be convened as an Extraordinary General Meeting on a date and time specified following:
1. a decision by the Executive Committee that such a meeting be convened in order to consider a particular motion, and communication to all Ordinary Members to that effect; or
2. receipt by the Executive Committee of a motion for consideration and a petition calling for such a meeting on such a date, signed by fifteen Ordinary Members;
When convened as an Extraordinary General Meeting, the following requirements and exceptions apply:
1. the only business conducted shall be the consideration of and voting upon the motion which triggered the Extraordinary General Meeting, and any further business which the Chair believes is of relevance to the motion; and
2. Extraordinary General Meetings may not be included in consideration of scheduling requirements laid out in the Constitution or Standing Orders.
The first meeting of the General Meeting in the first Full Term of the Academic Year is designated as the Annual General Meeting. This meeting shall consider such matters as are required by the Constitution and Standing Orders.
1. The Treasurer must publish an annual financial report at the Annual General Meeting
All Ordinary Members must be notified of a forthcoming meeting of the General Meeting no fewer than forty-eight hours prior to the commencement of the meeting.
The General Meeting shall determine the location of its meetings by Standing Orders, provided that:
1. reasonable effort must be made to secure a physical location within the grounds of Harris Manchester College.
The President shall be the chair of all convenings of the General Meeting and shall be responsible for upholding any regulations in the Constitution or Standing Orders.
1. Where the President believes it necessary, they may recuse themselves from their position as chair and nominate a replacement chair at any point prior to or during the meeting.
2. Should the President be absent, and no nominee made to replace them, the Vice-president shall act as chair.
3. In the absence of the Vice-president and President, the meeting shall elect a chair from those Ordinary Members present.
The Secretary shall be responsible for minuting every convening of the General Meeting.
1. Where the Secretary is absent, or the position vacant, contingency arrangements must be made for another Ordinary Member to act in their place on a meeting-by-meeting basis.
2. The minutes of the meeting must be communicated to all Ordinary Members within forty-eight hours of the meeting closing and must include the results of votes.
Quorum for all convenings of the General Meetings must not be fewer than one twelfth of the total number of Ordinary Members, rounded to the nearest whole number.
1. A quorum count must be done at the scheduled starting time of the meeting. The meeting does not begin until the quorum count is complete, and the meeting found to be quorate.
2. Only Ordinary Members will be counted for quorum.
3. When it has been possible to secure a physical location for the meeting, only those physically present may be counted towards quorum.
4. A quorum count may be requested by any Ordinary Member at any point during a meeting.
5. If a quorum count finds the meeting to be inquorate, it shall be immediately suspended for fifteen minutes. If, at the conclusion of the 15 minute suspension, the meeting remains inquorate, it shall be dissolved.
  1. At any time during this suspension, a quorum count may be conducted.
6. A meeting being dissolved due to lack of quorum does not have any bearing on the legitimacy of actions taken in that meeting prior to its dissolution.
7. A meeting dissolved due to being inquorate may not be counted for any scheduling requirements laid out in the Constitution or in Standing Orders.
The General Meeting shall pass Resolutions by simple majority. No higher threshold may be imposed, except where the Constitution specifies the need for a Special Resolution.
1. For the avoidance of doubt, a simple majority means more votes cast in favour than against, not counting abstentions.
Where the Constitution specifies the need for a Special Resolution, such a Resolution shall be passed by a two-thirds majority.
1. For the avoidance of doubt, a two-thirds majority means at least twice as many votes cast in favour than against, not counting abstentions.
The General Meeting may not vote on any motion which has not been communicated to all Ordinary Members at least twenty-four hours prior.
1. For the avoidance of doubt, this should not necessarily be interpreted as meaning that motions cannot be voted on after being amended from the originally published phrasing.
2. The chair may determine that a motion has been amended to such a degree that a vote cannot proceed until the amended motion has been communicated again to all Ordinary Members.
Motions which propose that money be spent from JCR accounts must include an explicit limit to such spending.
The Executive Committee and the JCR Committee must at all times have due regard for Resolutions of the General Meeting, and are bound by them except in cases where the Trustees reasonably conclude that:
1. the actions required of the Executive Committee or JCR Committee by the Resolution have been completed satisfactorily;
2. a Resolution calls for money or resources to be allocated in ways which do not further the Objects;
3. a Resolution would cause the loss of charitable status;
4. a Resolution would provide direct material benefit to a Trustee or a Connected Person on terms more favourable than those available to Ordinary Members, except where such has been explicitly authorised under Article 6; or
5. a Resolution calls for the JCR to engage in illegal activity or activity which is in breach of University regulations or the Charter, Statutes, and Bylaws of Harris Manchester College
Should the Executive Committee reasonably conclude not to be bound by a Resolution of the General Meeting under Section 17, it shall communicate its decision to all Ordinary Members promptly.

Article 5: Trustees and Officers

The following Trustees will be elected by Ordinary Members:
1. a President;
2. a Treasurer;
3. a Secretary;
4. two Bar Managers; and
5. two Social Secretaries
The President shall appoint a Vice-President from among the other Trustees.
1. Where the Constitution or Standing Orders imposes a specific obligation on the President, and with the President’s consent, the Vice-President may fulfil the obligation on the President’s behalf.
There shall exist whatever Officers as the General Meeting may decide by way of Standing Orders.
All Trustees and Officers shall fulfil any obligations and carry out any duties assigned to them by the Constitution and Standing Orders.
The following eligibility requirements shall apply:
1. Trustee positions are not open to any Ordinary Member who is barred from being a charity Trustee by Section 178 of the Charities Act 2011;
2. no Member may hold more than one Trustee position;
3. the President must not simultaneously sit on the Harris Manchester College Middle Common Room Committee;
4. Ordinary Members shall be encouraged to stand for positions whose role is to represent the sectional interests of a group only if they identify as part of the relevant group; and
5. no Trustee or Officer position will be open to any individual who is not an Ordinary Member.
Any Officer position, but not Trustee positions, may be filled by up to two people, who have stood in joint candidature and been elected as such.
1. For the avoidance of doubt, joint candidature means that votes cannot be cast for the candidates separately, but only as a pair.
2. Where an Officer position has been filled by two Ordinary Members, a vacancy shall arise for the position only if both Ordinary Members no longer occupy the role.
Except where a vacancy arises or when elected in a By-election, each Trustee or Officer shall have a term in office of one year.
1. Election to each position must be in accordance with Article 8.
2. Terms in office shall commence one week following the final day of the Full Term in which the Election occurs.
3. Terms in office shall end when the subsequent Trustee or Officer’s term begins.
4. It is the responsibility of each Trustee and Officer to ensure a smooth transition to the subsequent Trustee or Officer in the same position. At the discretion of each Trustee or Officer, this may involve sharing of responsibilities for any period between election and the commencement of the term of the subsequent Trustee or Officer.
Any Trustee or Officer who ceases to be an Ordinary Member shall cease to be a Trustee or Officer and a vacancy shall arise as described in Article 8.
Any Trustee or Officer may resign at any time by notifying the President in writing, and the President may resign at any time by notifying the Vice-president in writing.
1. Resignation shall occur with immediate effect unless otherwise agreed.
2. Following any resignation, a vacancy shall arise as described in Article 8.
Any Trustee or Officer shall cease to be a Trustee or Officer, and a vacancy shall arise as described in Article 8, if the General Meeting passes by Special Resolution a motion of no confidence in the Trustee or Officer.
1. Such a motion may not resolve anything except that the General Meeting has no confidence in that Trustee or Officer.
2. The General Meeting may not pass such a motion unless the Trustee or Officer concerned has been given notice of the motion prior to the convening of the General Meeting and is given reasonable opportunity to speak at that meeting prior to any vote on such a motion.
For the avoidance of doubt:
1. the Trustees and only the Trustees as specified by this Article are Trustees of the JCR as defined by Section 177 of the Charities Act 2011;
2. the Trustees and only the Trustees as specified by this Article are Major Union Offices as defined by Section 22 of the Education Act 1994.

Article 6: Regulations Concerning Trustees

Part I: Indemnity

Without prejudice to any other indemnity to which a Trustee may otherwise be entitled, each Trustee shall be indemnified out of the JCR's assets:
1. against all losses, expenses, or liabilities that they incur in the execution of their office or in relation thereto, except those incurred by a breach of trust, breach of duty or by wilful or reckless default on their part; and
2. in relation to any breach of trust or breach of duty, against all losses, expenses, or liabilities that they incur in the execution of their office or in relation thereto, to the extent that relief is granted by a court or by the Office for Students.
Section 189 of the Charities Act 2011 shall apply to Trustees’ indemnity and shall take precedence over the Constitution in case of any conflict.

Part II: Entitlement to benefit

Unless such a transaction is expressly permitted by this Article, no Trustee or Connected Person may:
1. buy or receive goods or services from the JCR on terms preferential to those available to Ordinary Members;
2. sell goods, services, or any interest in land to the JCR;
3. be employed by, or receive any remuneration from, the JCR; or
4. receive any other financial benefit from the JCR.
A Trustee or Connected Person may receive a benefit from the JCR insofar as that benefit derives from status as an Ordinary Member.
A Trustee or Connected Person may enter into a contract for the supply of services or goods to the JCR where permitted under Section 185 of the Charities Act 2011.
1. Ordinary Members must be informed of any such arrangement by way of announcement to the next convening of the General Meeting.
Once during their term in office, and with the explicit consent of the General Meeting, the President may organise an award to the Trustees and Officers, as thanks for their time and effort. Such awarding is subject to the following requirements;
1. it may not be in the form of a direct financial award;
2. it must be offered to all Officers and Trustees simultaneously and equally;
3. all Trustees and Officers must have the opportunity to take advantage of the award;
4. the cost must not exceed ten British pounds sterling (GBP) per Trustee or Officer or two hundred British pounds sterling (GBP), whichever is less; and
5. it must be approved by the General Meeting
Once during their term in office, and with the explicit consent of the General Meeting, the President may organise an award to the Bar Managers, subject to the following requirements;
1. it may not be in the form of a direct financial award;
2. the cost must not exceed fifty British pounds sterling (GBP); and
3. it must be approved by the General Meeting.

Part III: Conflicts of interest

Whenever a Trustee is in a situation that gives rise to, or is reasonably likely to give rise to, a Conflict of Interest, the Trustee must:
1. declare to the Executive Committee the nature and extent of the interest before discussion begins on the matter;
2. have no vote on the matter; and
3. comply with any other requirement which the other Trustees resolve is necessary.
The Secretary must keep a register of Trustees’ interests. A Trustee must declare the nature and extent of any interest, direct or indirect, which the Trustee has (and which has not previously been declared) as soon as the interest arises.
If any question arises as to whether a Trustee has a Conflict of Interest, the question must be decided by a majority decision of the other Trustees.

Part IV: Termination of time in office

A Trustee shall cease to be a Trustee (and a vacancy shall arise) if:
1. the Trustee is disqualified from acting as a Charity Trustee under Section 178 of the Charities Act 2011;
2. the Trustee becomes bankrupt;
3. a medical professional declares the Trustee to be incapable, mentally or physically, of managing their own affairs;
4. the Trustee’s term in office ends under Section 7 of Article 5;
5. the Trustee ceases to be an Ordinary Member under Section 8 of Article 5;
6. the Trustee resigns under Section 9 of Article 5, provided at least two Trustees will remain in office once the resignation takes effect; or
7. the Trustee is removed from office under Section 10 of Article 5.

Article 7: Committees

Part I: The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for discharging the Objects of the JCR.
The Trustees shall be responsible for ensuring that in discharging its duties, the Executive Committee shall:
1. ensure that the JCR’s resources and activities are arranged to deliver the Objects and not for other purposes;
2. ensure that the JCR operates in a fair and democratic manner;
3. be accountable to the General Meeting for its activities;
4. take account of any relevant legislation, and ensure the JCR is compliant; and
5. act in a way that is financially responsible.
The Executive Committee consists of the Trustees.
The President of the Harris Manchester College Middle Room is not a member of the Executive Committee, but shall have the right to attend Executive Committee meetings in a non-voting capacity.
Any Ordinary Member may attend a meeting of the Executive Committee in a non-voting capacity upon invitation to do so by the President and with the consent of the Executive Committee as a whole.
The President shall act as chair of the Executive Committee and shall be responsible for upholding any regulations in the Constitution or created by Standing Orders.
1. Where the President is absent, or the position vacant, contingency arrangements must be made for another Trustee to act in their place on a meeting-by-meeting basis.
The Secretary shall be responsible for minuting meetings of the Executive Committee.
1. Where the Secretary is absent, or the position vacant, contingency arrangements must be made for another Trustee to act in their place on a meeting-by-meeting basis.
2. The minutes of Executive Committee meetings must be made available on request to any Ordinary Member.
The Executive Committee shall meet at regular intervals as determined by the chair.
1. There shall be at least two meetings of the Executive Committee in each Full Term.
All members of the Executive Committee shall make every reasonable effort to attend meetings of the Executive Committee.
Meetings of the Executive Committee are quorate if and only if at least four Trustees are present. Inquorate meetings shall be immediately dissolved.
The Executive Committee may regulate its own conduct, insofar as is compatible with the Constitution and any Standing Orders, provided that:
1. votes shall pass by simple majority of the Executive Committee; and
2. each Trustee shall have a single vote, except:
  1. in case of a tied vote, the chair may cast a second vote to resolve the issue.

Part II: the JCR Committee

The JCR Committee consists of all Trustees and Officers.
The Trustees shall be responsible for ensuring that in discharging its duties, the JCR Committee shall:
1. ensure that the JCR’s resources and activities are arranged to deliver the Objects and not for other purposes;
2. ensure that the JCR operates in a fair and democratic manner;
3. be accountable to the General Meeting for its activities;
4. take account of any relevant legislation, and ensure the JCR is compliant; and
5. act in a way that is financially responsible.
The President of the Harris Manchester College Middle Room is not a member of the JCR Committee, but shall have the right to attend JCR Committee meetings in a non-voting capacity.
Any Ordinary Member may attend a meeting of the JCR Committee in a non-voting capacity upon invitation to do so by the President and with the consent of the JCR Committee as a whole.
The President shall act as chair of the JCR Committee, and shall be responsible for upholding any regulations in the Constitution or created by Standing Orders.
Where the President is absent, or the position vacant, contingency arrangements must be made for another Trustee or Officer to act in their place on a meeting-by-meeting basis.
The Secretary will be responsible for minuting meetings of the JCR Committee.
1. Where the Secretary is absent, or the position vacant, contingency arrangements must be made for another Trustee or Officer to act in their place on a meeting-by-meeting basis.
2. The minutes of JCR Committee meetings shall be made available on request to any Ordinary Member.
The JCR Committee shall meet at regular intervals as determined by the chair.
1. There shall be at least two meetings of the JCR Committee in each Full Term.
All members of the JCR Committee must make every reasonable effort to attend meetings of the JCR Committee.
Meetings of the JCR Committee shall be quorate if and only if at least two Officers and two Trustees are present. Inquorate meetings shall be immediately dissolved.
The JCR Committee shall regulate its own conduct, insofar as is compatible with the Constitution and any Standing Orders, provided that:
1. Votes shall pass by simple majority;
2. Each Trustee or Officer shall have a single vote, except:
  1. in case of a tied vote, the chair may cast a second vote to resolve the issue.
3. For the avoidance of doubt:
  1. an Ordinary Member has a maximum of one vote in the JCR Committee regardless of the number of Officer or Trustee positions they hold; and
  2. where an Officer position is held by two Ordinary Members as per Article 5 Section 6, both Ordinary Members are entitled to a vote.

Article 8: Elections

The President shall be the Returning Officer for all Elections.
1. Should the President and Vice-President both be unwilling to act, ineligible for the role of Returning Officer, or should the position of President be vacant, the Executive Committee must appoint a Trustee or Officer to act as Returning Officer for each Election.
  1. Anyone standing for a position in the Election is ineligible to be Returning Officer.
  2. If the General Meeting has called for a re-Election, the previous Returning Officer will be ineligible.
Elections shall be held for regularly scheduled Elections to each position once per year at the times determined by Standing Orders.
By-elections shall be held within two weeks of any vacancy arising, and are subject to the same requirements as Elections as set out in this Article, with the following further requirements and exceptions:
1. when a vacancy arises within the final two weeks of a Full Term, and at the discretion of the Returning Officer, the requisite By-election may alternatively be held within two weeks of the commencement of the subsequent Full Term;
2. when a vacancy arises outside of a Full Term, the requisite by-Election must be held within two weeks of the commencement of the subsequent Full Term; and
3. when a vacancy arises fewer than two weeks before the next regularly scheduled elections are due to be announced, a By-election is not required;
4. The term of the Trustee or Officer elected in a By-election shall commence immediately upon verification of the results by the Returning Officer, and shall last until the term of the Trustee or Officer elected at the next regularly scheduled Election to the position commences.
The term of the Trustee or Officer elected shall commence one week after the end of the Full Term in which the election took place.
If there are no candidates at the close of nominations, Officer positions, but not Trustee positions, may be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee, provided that:
1. such appointments must be approved at the next convening of the General Meeting.
All Ordinary Members are eligible to vote and must be given reasonable opportunity to do so. No-one else is eligible to vote. No voter may vote more than once.
No quorum or other minimum requirement of participation may be put into effect for Elections.
All Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot using a preferential voting method. Voting must be open for a period no shorter than thirty-six hours and no longer than seventy-two hours.
In all Elections, voters shall have the option to indicate a desire to re-open nominations. Should such an option gain a majority of votes, then the Election must be re-run from the beginning.
The Returning Officer is responsible for ensuring that Elections are run in accordance with this Article and with Standing Orders.
All Ordinary Members are eligible for candidature, provided that the eligibility requirements set out in this Article 5 are met, and except as specified in this Article. No-one other than an Ordinary Member shall be eligible for candidature.
Ordinary Members will become candidates upon submission of a valid nomination to the Returning Officer; and
1. all Ordinary Members have the right to refuse nomination;
2. all nominations must be supported by two other Ordinary Members, excluding:
  1. current Trustees and Officers.
3. the Returning Officer must specify in advance a period in which nominations will be open, and shall communicate as such to all Ordinary Members; and
  1. this period may be reasonably extended should circumstances so necessitate, including if no Ordinary Members accept nomination; and
  2. should no Ordinary Members accept nomination within this period, and any extension, a vacancy shall arise, and a By-election held in accordance with this Article.
The campaigning behaviour of candidates, including their promotion by way of publicity materials, shall be regulated by Standing Orders.
For each Election, the Returning Officer shall arrange and supervise hustings. Such hustings shall be regulated by Standing Orders.
Following the close of voting, results shall be verified by the Returning Officer. Once verified, results shall be communicated by the Returning Officer to all Ordinary Members within forty-eight hours.
1. In the event of a tie, the election for that position must be immediately re-run.
2. In the event of a plurality of voters voting to re-open nominations, the election for that position must be immediately re-run.
The General Meeting is empowered to call for an Election to be re-run by passage of a Resolution to that effect, provided that:
1. the Resolution clearly states the reason for the re-Election, and which positions are to have their Elections re-run; and
2. the Resolution is passed between the call for nominations being made, and seventy-two hours after the polls close.

Article 9: Referendums

A Referendum on a motion shall be held following:
1. A decision by the General Meeting to refer any motion to a Referendum, except:
  1. motions to remove from office a Trustee or Officer may not be referred to a Referendum;
2. a Referendum on Affiliation being triggered by Section 4 of Article 11; or
3. a decision by the Executive Committee that a Referendum is necessary to resolve a serious dispute regarding the operation or policies of the JCR, provided that:
  1. the Executive Committee may not call for a Referendum which would resolve to contradict a binding Resolution.
All Ordinary Members shall be eligible to vote and must be given reasonable opportunity to do so. No-one else shall be eligible to vote. No voter may vote more than once.
The vote shall be by secret ballot. The question shall be whether the motion in question shall become a Resolution, with voters given a chance to vote in favour, against, or to abstain. Voting must be open for a period no shorter than thirty-six hours and no longer than seventy-two hours.
The President shall be the Returning Officer for all Referendums.
1. Should the President be unwilling to act or the position vacant, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Trustee or Officer to act as Returning Officer for each Referendum.
The Returning Officer shall be responsible for resolving any controversy as to the content of the motion in question, in consultation with the Executive Committee.
The Returning Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that all Ordinary Members are given reasonable opportunity to be fully informed as to the content of the motion and shall provide any explanatory notes as are necessary.
1. The Returning Officer may provide for publicity to be distributed in accordance with any Standing Orders, should such be deemed necessary.
2. The Returning Officer may provide for hustings to be organised in accordance with any Standing Orders.
3. The Returning Officer may designate, by way of a transparent and accessible process, Ordinary Members to represent each side of the question for the purposes of a campaign.
Following the close of voting, results shall be verified by the Returning Officer. Once verified, results shall be communicated to all Ordinary Members within forty-eight hours.
1. The results of all Referendums shall be decided by simple majority. No higher threshold may be imposed.
  1. For the avoidance of doubt, a simple majority means more votes cast in favour than against, not counting abstentions.
2. Should the result of any Referendum be a tie, the Referendum shall be re-run in an appropriate and timely fashion in accordance with this Article.

Article 10: Standing Orders

The General Meeting shall regulate by Standing Orders matters required by the Constitution to be so regulated, and may regulate other matters relating to the governance, administration and operation of the JCR.
1. The General Meeting may regulate itself by Standing Orders only insofar as is compatible with the Constitution, the regulations of the College, and the law.
The General Meeting shall create, amend, or repeal Standing Orders by passage of a Special Resolution to that effect.

Article 11: Affiliations

The JCR may affiliate to such External Organisations as further the Objects.
The Secretary shall keep a list of Affiliations and a description of the nature of those Affiliations, which shall be made available to any Ordinary Member on request.
Details of existing Affiliations and any associated fees shall be presented by the Secretary to the Annual General Meeting.
New Affiliations may be commenced, and existing Affiliations terminated, by passage of a motion to that effect in a Referendum, to be held in accordance with Article 9 following:
1. passage by the General Meeting of a motion calling for such a Referendum; or
2. receipt by the Executive Committee of a petition calling for such a Referendum, signed by fifteen Ordinary Members, or five percent of the total number of Ordinary Members, whichever is the fewer; provided that:
  1. the same Affiliation is not put to Referendum more than once per Full Term.

Article 12: Complaints

All Ordinary Members, and also any individuals who have exercised their right to opt out of Ordinary Membership but who would otherwise qualify as an Ordinary Member, have the right to complain about the administration of the JCR, the interpretation of the Constitution, the provision of services thereby, or the conduct of Trustees and Officers.
Complaints shall be communicated in writing to the Secretary, who shall be responsible for ensuring that the complaint is immediately investigated and a resolution reached.
1. Should the Secretary be a subject of a complaint, or should the complaint be regarding a ruling of the Secretary as described in Article 2 Section 4, the President shall supervise the investigation in their place.
Should there be any reasonable grounds to believe that the law has been breached, the complaint shall be immediately referred to the relevant law enforcement body. Any investigation by law enforcement bodies shall take precedence over this Article.
Should any party to a complaint wish to appeal the resolution, they have the right of recourse to the Dean of Harris Manchester College or other College staff.
1. Any actions taken by College staff will take precedence over any actions taken in the course of the investigation described in Section 2.

Article 13: Dissolution

If a situation arises where the JCR must or wishes to dissolve, it shall do so following Special Resolution of two consecutive convenings of the General Meetings.
Should the JCR dissolve, the Trustees shall remain in office to supervise winding up.
1. The Trustees shall collect in any assets and pay or make provision for any liabilities. If any assets or money remains, it shall be transferred to the College for application within the Objects.
2. The Trustees may not derive personal financial gain from the dissolution process.

Article 14: Definitions

Unless otherwise specified, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom shall be referred to by their short titles, and shall include reference to that Act as re-enacted or amended from time to time and to any subordinate legislation made under it.
Unless otherwise specified, terms shall have the same meaning in Standing Orders as in the Constitution.

Term

Meaning

Affiliation

A relationship of the JCR to an External Organisation as established by the JCR making a donation to the External Organisation in question.

Annual General Meeting

A convening of the General Meeting constituted in accordance with Section 7 of Article 4

Article

An article of the Constitution

Charity Commission

The Charity Commission for England and Wales

the College

The Principal and Fellows of the College of Harris Manchester in the University of Oxford

Conflict of Interest

any situation in which a Trustee’s personal interests or loyalties could, or could be seen to, prevent the Trustee from making a decision only in furtherance of the Objects

Connected Person

has the meaning given to it by Section 118 of the Charities Act 2011

the Constitution

This document

Election

An election conducted in accordance with Article 8

Executive Committee

The body defined in Part I of Article 7

External Organisation

Has the meaning given to it by Section 22 of the Education Act 1994

Extraordinary General Meeting

A convening of the General Meeting constituted in accordance with Section 5 of Article 4

Full Term

has the meaning given to it by the regulations made by University Council on 8 May 2002

General Meeting

The body defined in Article 4

Honorary Member

an individual holding honorary membership in accordance with Section 2 of Part I of Article 3

Major Union Office

has the meaning given to it by Section 22 of the Education Act 1994

Member

an Honorary Member or Ordinary Member

Objects

the charitable objects of the JCR, defined by Article 1

Officer

the holder of one of the positions defined by Section 3 of Article 5

Ordinary Member

an individual holding ordinary membership in accordance with Section 1 of Part I of Article 3

Protected Characteristics

any of the characteristics listed in and defined by Chapter (1) of the Equality Act 2010

Referendum

a referendum conducted in accordance with Article 9

Resolution

a motion which has been passed by the General Meeting in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution and Standing Orders

Returning Officer

a Member responsible for ensuring that all Elections and Referendums are conducted in a free and fair manner

Special Resolution

a Resolution passed with at least twice as many votes in favour as opposed, where such a threshold has been required by the Constitution

Standing Orders

any standing order or regulation made by the General Meeting in accordance with Article 10

the JCR

Harris Manchester College Junior Common Room, the body established by the Constitution

Trustee

the holder of one of the positions defined by Section 1 of Article 5

University

the Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford (“the University of Oxford”)

Standing Orders to the Constitution of Harris Manchester College Junior Common Room

Standing Order 1: General Meeting Regulations

Part I: Scheduling

There shall be at least two General Meetings per term.
General Meetings shall be scheduled to start when it is between 1pm and 8pm in Oxford.
Whenever possible, the first General Meeting of an academic term should be held on Sunday of 1st Week.
General Meetings shall be announced at least seventy-two hours before they are scheduled to begin.
Motions to be debated must be submitted to the Secretary no fewer than forty-eight hours before the relevant General Meeting concerned,
The agenda must be approved by the President and communicated to all Ordinary Members no fewer than twenty-four hours prior to the start of the General Meeting.

Part II: Conducting Business

Trustees or Officers who are required to, or wish to, make a report to the General Meeting should inform the chair in advance of the meeting.
The order of business at Annual General Meetings shall be as follows:
1. apologies for absence;
2. approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;
3. matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting;
4. for each Officer and Trustee:
  1. an introduction of themselves and their role;
  2. any reports required by the Constitution or Standing Orders; and
  3. any other matter they wish to report on;
5. ratification of any Officer position appointments;
6. the Treasurer’s annual report on accounts;
7. The Charity Officer’s annual report on fundraising;
8. the Bar Managers’ annual report on the Bar;
9. the Secretary’s annual report on current Affiliations;
10. for each motion in the agenda:
  1. debate; and
  2. voting;
11. any other business.
The order of business at General Meetings shall be as follows:
1. apologies for absence;
2. approval of the minutes of the previous meeting;
3. matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting;
4. for each Officer and Trustee:
  1. any reports required by the Constitution or Standing Orders; and
  2. any other matter they wish to report on;
5. ratification of any Officer position appointments;
6. for each motion in the agenda:
  1. debate; and
  2. voting;
7. any other business.
The order of business at Extraordinary General Meetings shall be as follows:
1. for each motion in the agenda:
  1. debate; and
  2. voting;
2. any other business.
Any Ordinary Member may address the meeting in order to give a speech, ask a question, raise a point of order, or propose a procedural motion, provided that:
1. any speech is relevant to the agenda item currently being discussed;
2. they have raised their hand to indicate their wish to speak; and
3. they have been recognised by the chair.
Points of order shall take precedence over all business. They must be accepted and shall be concerned solely with the interpretation of the Constitution and Standing Orders. All points of order shall be resolved by the chair.
Where proposed by an Ordinary Member, the following procedural motions must be accepted for immediate debate, and shall require a simple majority to pass:
1. that the meeting has no confidence in the chair, in which case the meeting shall elect a new chair from those Ordinary Members present;
2. that the chair be recused from debate on a specific motion, in which case
  1. the Vice-president shall temporarily assume the chair for debate on that motion; or
  2. if the Vice-president is not present, the meeting shall elect a new chair from those Ordinary Members present;
3. that the chair be overruled on a point of order;
4. that the Meeting be dissolved;
5. that the Meeting be suspended until a specific time;
6. that the motion under debate be withdrawn;
7. that the order of business be changed;
8. that a specific amendment be made to the motion currently under consideration, in line with Section 4 of Part III;
9. that the current debate be ended, and moved to concluding speeches; and
10. that resolution of a motion be deferred to the subsequent General Meeting;
11. that resolution of a motion be decided by a Referendum, provided that motions of no confidence in Trustees or Officers may not be decided by a Referendum;
12. that the debating procedure specified in Part III Section 1 be changed for the duration of the meeting;
13. that the voting procedure specified in Part III Section 5 be changed for the duration of the meeting, provided that any changes are compatible with the Constitution;
14. that an individual who is not an Ordinary Member be allowed to speak for the duration of the meeting;
15. Following the announcement of voting results for a Resolution, that a recount be held, provided that such a recount would not require that votes be recast;
16. that a statement be struck from the minutes; and
17. that the JCR secretary tell a joke or pun.

Part III: Debate and Voting

Unless a procedural motion resolves otherwise or the chair deems another procedure more appropriate, motions shall be debated as follows.
1. The chair shall ask the proposer to introduce the motion.
2. The proposer shall speak for up to five minutes or else waive this right to another Member.
  1. If the proposer is not present, the right will pass to the seconder.
3. The chair will ask if any Member would like to offer a formal opposing speech.
4. A speech of opposition lasting up to five minutes shall be heard if there is one.
5. The chair shall then direct a floor debate, ensuring that both sides of any argument are given reasonable opportunity to be heard.
6. The opposer and then proposer may make concluding speeches of up to three minutes and may not introduce new information at this time.
At any time during debate, the chair may permit short factual questions from Ordinary Members to the person speaking, so long as these serve only to provide clarity.
Other than the proposing and opposing opening and closing speeches, the maximum length of further speeches is at the discretion of the chair.
The entire motion, including any amendments, will be read aloud by the Secretary prior to voting.
1. This is not required where it would be unreasonable due to the length of the motion, as decided by the chair.
Unless a procedural motion resolves otherwise, voting shall take place:
1. on motions, by show of hands;
2. on amendments, by show of hands; and
3. on procedural motions, by show of hands.
It shall be possible for Ordinary Members to vote in absentia, provided that:
1. postal votes must be emailed to the JCR Secretary prior to the start of the General Meeting in which the vote takes place;
2. the postal vote must specify to which motion it pertains, and state whether the vote is in favour, against, or an abstention; and
3. if any amendments are made to the motion during debate, votes made in absentia for that motion will not be counted.
The results of all votes shall be verified by both the chair and the Secretary (or, should the Secretary be absent, a Trustee or Officer authorised by the Secretary) and, if possible, announced to the General Meeting prior to its dissolution, and subsequently included in the minutes of the meeting.
1. Should a recount be requested, and should the result be reversed in the recount, a further recount shall be held to determine the result of the vote;
2. Should a recount be requested, and should the result not be reversed in the recount, no further recount may be held.
The chair must remain neutral over the course of any debate, and may only engage a debate to provide points of information or to resolve points of order.
The chair shall not vote on any motions or amendments, except in the case of a tied vote, in which case a decision to abstain from breaking a tied vote should be interpreted as an encouragement to further debate at a subsequent General Meeting.

Standing Order 2: Duties of Trustees and the Establishment and Duties of Officers

Part I: Establishment of Officer Positions and Eligibility Requirements

There shall exist the following Officers, who shall be elected by Ordinary Members:
1. Women’s Officer;
2. LGBTQ+ Officer;
3. Racialised Students Officer;
4. two Welfare Officers;
5. Disabilities Officer;
6. Food & Beverage Officer;
7. Sports Officer;
8. Freshers Officer;
9. Charities Officer;
10. Oxford SU Representative;
11. Academic Affairs Officer;
12. Newsletter Officer;
13. IT Officer;
14. Environment Officer; and
15. Class Liberation Officer.

Part II: Duties of Trustees and Officers

All Trustees and Officers shall:
1. act so as to further the Objects;
2. act in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders;
3. have due regard for resolutions of the General Meeting;
4. administer and allocate any budget reasonably and so as to further the Objects;
5. in relations to the areas of responsibility, liaise and collaborate as is appropriate with other Trustees and Officers;
6. in relation to their areas of responsibility, liaise and collaborate as is appropriate with College staff, University staff, the MCR, Oxford SU, and any other External Organisations;
7. in relation to their areas of responsibility, attend and publicise any relevant Oxford SU activities and campaigns;
8. arrange an orderly handover to their successors following an election; and
9. undertake whatever additional initiatives as they believe appropriate to their role, in consultation with the President and the Executive Committee.
The President shall have overall responsibility for the smooth administration and operation of the JCR, in accordance with the Objects. To that end, they shall:
1. represent the JCR to external bodies;
2. call and chair General Meetings, Executive Meetings, and Committee meetings;
3. ensure that Officers and Trustees are fulfilling their stated responsibilities;
4. act as Returning Officer in all JCR elections and referendums, and ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities for all Trustees and Officers;
5. nominate a fellow Trustee to the position of Vice-president, to aid in the administration of the JCR and fulfil certain Constitutional requirements;
6. seek to ensure the provision of a college Summer Event or Ball, by appointing a Summer Ball / Event President or multiple co-Presidents before the end of Week 5 of Michaelmas;
7. receive the official resignations of any Trustees or Officers;
8. organise the annual Committee award;
9. seek to ensure the provision of a Halfway Hall event; and
10. present a summary of the activities of the Executive Committee to the General Meeting once per term.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial arrangements of the JCR. To that end, they shall:
1. ensure that the JCR meets its financial obligations to its members, by processing valid reimbursement requests from Ordinary Members;
  1. where the Treasurer deems it appropriate, they may transfer money from the JCR account to an Ordinary Member in advance of approved spending, rather than only as reimbursement for spending;
2. ensure that the JCR meets its financial obligations to external organisations, by paying subscriptions and other fees from the JCR account as directed by Resolution of the General Meeting;
3. oversee the administration of College societies, including resolving any disputes within or between them;
4. keep regular and complete records of the JCR account and monitor the expenditure from the JCR account;
5. provide the financial records of the JCR account to any Ordinary Member upon request;
6. prepare an annual report on the JCRs accounts for the Annual General Meeting;
7. Produce and present a termly budget to the General Meeting;
8. produce and present a termly spending report to the General Meeting;
9. assist the Charities Officer in the maintenance of the Charities Fund;
10. ensure the JCR acts in accordance with the relevant financial regulations set out by the Constitution, Standing Orders, the College, and the law; and
11. liaise with College staff on financial matters.
The Secretary shall be responsible for the record-keeping and communication of the JCR. To that end, they shall:
1. produce, keep, and publish minutes of all General Meetings, Executive Meetings, and Committee Meetings, which shall include:
  1. The number of votes for, votes against, and abstentions for motions; and
  2. The number of members recorded during a quorum count;
2. produce, keep, and publish minutes of Hustings;
3. produce, keep, maintain, and annually present a list of all affiliations of the JCR;
4. produce, keep, and maintain a list of all passed Resolutions;
5. produce, keep, and maintain a list of all past rulings on the interpretation of the Constitution;
6. produce, keep, and maintain a register of Trustees’ declared interests;
7. produce, keep, and maintain a list of the JCRs Registered Societies;
8. in consultation with the Trustees, rule on disputes in relation to the interpretation of the Constitution;
9. on request by an Ordinary Member, produce any held record of the JCR;
10. maintain an up-to-date copy of the Constitution and all Standing Orders, and bring such a copy to each JCR meeting;
11. be the official channel of communication between Members and the Trustees and Officers, by:
  1. accepting valid motions from Ordinary Members for consideration by the General Meeting;
  2. compiling and publishing the agenda for all General Meetings;
  3. informing Trustees or Officers of incoming motions of no confidence in them;
  4. accepting notices of termination or re-claiming of membership of Ordinary Members; and
  5. receiving postal votes from Ordinary Members for motions presented to the General Meeting.
12. communicate notices and events within the College and University to all members by way of a weekly email;
13. survey preferences for newspapers or magazines regularly, and communicate those preferences to the Treasurer for inclusion in the termly budget motion; and
14. upon passage of the relevant procedural motion during a General Meeting, tell a joke or pun.
The Bar Managers shall oversee the operation of the JCR Bar. To that end, they shall:
1. decide on a schedule for Bar opening, which must include formal and guest night evenings and bops, and advertise it to all Ordinary Members at the start of each term;
2. keep accurate accounts of the Bar’s financial activities, and provide those accounts to any Ordinary Member upon request;
3. ensure that the Bar is not operated in a way that would jeopardise its Licence;
4. recruit, train, and keep a record of Bar Staff volunteers;
5. operate the JCR Bar such that it offers the lowest prices possible while still covering its own ongoing expenses;
6. determine a level of compensation (in bar credits) for Bar Staff;
7. determine whether capital expenditure is required for the Bar, and propose motions for money to be allocated to that effect; and
8. produce and present a report on the previous term’s income and expenditure for the first General Meeting of each term.
The Social Secretaries shall be responsible for the organisation and promotion of regular social events for Members. In particular, they shall coordinate all arrangements necessary for the provision of ‘BOPs’. To that end, they shall:
1. agree a budget for social activities with the Treasurer in advance of each term, to be included in the Treasurer’s termly budget motion proposal;
2. produce and distribute to all Ordinary Members a ‘term card’ in advance of each term with planned dates and other important information for events;
3. liaise with the JCR and MCR Committees and the College to arrange suitable dates for entertainment events;
4. arrange for a JCR Guest Night event once in Michaelmas and Hilary terms,
5. obtain the relevant permissions for hosting their events;
6. seek to ensure that the diverse tastes of JCR Members are catered to;
7. ensure that the JCR Store Room is organised and well kept;
8. publicise all events to all Ordinary Members at least one week before the event takes place; and
9. ensure that college and JCR facilities used for events are tidied to an acceptable level following their events.
The Welfare Officers shall be responsible for ensuring that the College is an environment conducive to personal welfare, with a particular focus on mental health. To that end, they shall:
1. ensure the ready and free availability of contraception to college members;
2. negotiate with the relevant members of College staff on welfare matters; and
3. represent the JCR to welfare-relating Oxford SU committee meetings.
4. organise at least one welfare tea or similar event for students each term.
The Charities Officer shall be responsible for overseeing the JCRs charitable fundraising activities. To that end, they shall:
1. be responsible for the annual charity vote as outlined in Standing Orders 3;
2. be responsible for liaising with the JCR’s Nominated Charities;
3. arrange, host, and advertise at least one event each term, with the explicit purpose of raising money for the Nominated Charities;
4. collect charitable money that has been raised from Members;
5. at the end of each term, pay an equal amount of the charitable money raised that term to the Nominated Charities;
6. report on termly fundraising activities at General Meetings;
7. report the total amount of charitable donations from the previous Academic year by Ordinary Members at the Annual General Meeting; and
8. compose public statements of support for, sympathy with, or condemnation of those causes where the General Meeting has explicitly endorsed such action.
9. in accordance with the treasurer, maintain the charities fund.
The Environment Officer shall:
1. investigate and instigate energy saving initiatives within the College in conjunction with College staff; and
2. participate in the college’s Green Working Group, and encourage participation in its initiatives.
The IT Officer shall:
1. maintain and update the JCR Website;
2. maintain a list of all accounts and associated login details used by the JCR and its Societies, and ensure access is given to Ordinary Members when appropriate; and
3. provide for remote participation of Ordinary Members in General Meetings, where required by Standing Orders.
The Freshers Officer shall be responsible for the welcoming and orientation of Freshers, particularly during Freshers Week. To that end, they shall:
1. in consultation with the college Admissions Officer, create an Offer-Holders group in which those holding an offer to study at HMC can communicate with each other;
2. be available to offer-holders in the offer-holders group to answer any questions they might have;
3. in consultation with the College Admissions Officer and the Social Secretaries, organise a schedule of social and instructional events for Freshers Week, including:
  1. sexual Consent workshops, as organised by Oxford SU;
  2. race workshops, as organised by Oxford SU;
  3. LGBTQ workshops, as organised by Oxford SU;
  4. social events with alcohol, and
  5. social events without alcohol;
4. oversee the ‘College Parents’ system by which current students are assigned to incoming freshers, both undergraduate and graduate; and
5. seek to ensure that every new student at Harris Manchester College feels welcome and included.
6. at least once during their time in office, organise the sale of college-branded merchandise to JCR members.
The Oxford SU Representative shall represent the JCR at Oxford SU meetings. To that end, they shall:
1. ensure proper liaison between Ordinary Members and Oxford SU;
2. attend Oxford SU Council and General Meetings and vote at Oxford SU meetings, provided that:
  1. votes must be in line with any resolutions of the General Meeting, with Standing Orders, and with the Constitution;
3. assist and advise JCR members on matters concerning the Oxford SU; and
4. publicise Oxford SU meetings and report back to the JCR on Oxford SU decisions.
The Sports Officer shall encourage and coordinate sporting activities within College. To that end, they shall:
1. keep the JCR informed about sporting events within the University;
2. keep the JCR informed about the results and achievements of any JCR sports teams;
3. purchase and maintain JCR sports equipment and other JCR leisure equipment;
4. when necessary, provide for the upkeep or repair of the JCR pool table;
5. seek to ensure that the JCR pool table is not used in a manner which may lead to its requiring repairs;
6. liaise with College on the provision of subscriptions to external sports facilities, and publish information on these to all Ordinary Members; and
7. liaise with the head of the Wadham College Boat Club regarding the participation of HMC students in that club.
The Academic Affairs Officer shall ensure that Ordinary Members are fully enabled to succeed in their academic studies. To that end, they shall:
1. prepare and distribute an exam schedule in Trinity term, provided that:
  1. the schedule should facilitate the practice of celebrating finalists by bringing particular attention to their last exam; and
  2. students should be given ample opportunity to express their particular desires with relation to any such celebration;
2. organise and purchase appropriate carnations for all JCR students sitting examinations; and
3. publish careers information and relevant events to members of the JCR.
4. liaise with the development office to assess means means in which the JCR could assist in fostering a stronger relationship between alumni and the current student body and promote such means.
The Newsletter Officer shall publish a College Newsletter to all JCR members on a regular basis, with the primary object of fostering community spirit.
The Food and Beverage Officer shall be the main point of contact between Ordinary Members and the catering staff of the College. To that end, they shall:
1. communicate any culinary issues to the relevant staff following a resolution of the General meeting;
2. in consultation with the High Steward, select and buy JCR wine and non-alcoholic alternatives to be served for formal dinners;
3. ensure that the JCR is at all times stocked with coffee, tea, and sugar; and
4. regularly stock the JCR with biscuits.
The LGBTQ+ Officer shall provide support, information, and advice on LGBTQ+ affairs to all JCR members, and particularly to Members who identify as LGBTQ+. To that end, they shall:
1. liaise and negotiate with relevant members of College staff on LGBTQ+ matters;
2. publicise LGBTQ+ events hosted by the College and the University to all Members;
3. ensure strong links with LGBTQ+ societies in the University;
4. in consultation with the Freshers Officer, organise the LGBTQ+ Workshop during Freshers Week; and
5. seek to ensure that all other Officers and Trustees consider LGBTQ+ issues; and
6. show absolute deference to the privacy of LGBTQ+ members of the college in the exercise of their duties.
The Racialised Students Officer shall provide information, support, and advice to all JCR members, and particularly to students who are part of a marginalised racial or ethnic group. To that end, they shall:
1. inform and negotiate with relevant members of College staff on anti-racism matters;
2. publicise anti-racism events hosted by the College and University
3. ensure strong links with anti-racism societies in the University;
4. in consultation with the Freshers Officer, organise the Race Workshop during Freshers Week;
5. seek to ensure that all other Officers and Trustees consider issues relating to race and ethnicities and the legacies of colonialism; and
6. show absolute deference to the privacy of all Members who identify as being part of a marginalised racial or ethnic group.
The Women’s Officer shall provide information, support, and advice to all JCR members, particularly those who identify as women. To that end, they shall:
1. inform and negotiate with relevant members of College staff on matters concerning women;
2. publicise events that support women’s campaigns hosted by the College and University;
3. ensure strong links with societies of the University that promote women’s campaigns;
4. ensure that sanitary products are readily and freely available in College;
5. seek to ensure that all other Officers and Trustees consider matters concerning women; and
6. show absolute deference to the privacy of members of the college who identify as women in the exercise of their duties.
The Disabilities Officer shall provide information, support, and advice on accessibility to all Members, particularly to those Members who live with a disability. To that end, they shall:
1. inform and negotiate with relevant members of College staff on matters concerning students living with disabilities;
2. publicise events that support disability campaigns hosted by the College and University;
3. seek to ensure that all other Officers and Trustees consider accessibility in the exercise of their duties; and
4. show absolute deference to the privacy of members of the College who live with a disability in the exercise of their duties.
The Class Liberation Officer shall provide information, support, and advice to students who identify as (any of) working class, low income, state comprehensive school-educated, first generation students, care leavers and estranged students. To that, they shall:

inform and negotiate with relevant members of College staff on matters concerning class;
promote the welfare of these students and ensure that college and university resources and services that could be of use to them are well publicised and accessible to them;
liaise with Oxford SU’s Class Act campaign (e.g. by attending meetings set up between Class Act and college Class Officers) in order to keep up to date with, support and advertise the campaign’s work as well as receive support and advice for the Officer’s work in college; and
show absolute deference to the privacy of members of the college who identify as (any of) working class, low income, state comprehensive school-educated, first generation students, care leavers and estranged students in the exercise of their duties.

Standing Order 3: Finance

Part I: Accounts and Funds

There shall exist a JCR account, into which JCR income will be received and from which JCR expenditure will be paid.
The President and the Treasurer are the only Trustees or Officers who shall have direct access to the JCR account.
There shall exist a JCR Bar account, into which JCR Bar revenues are paid and from which the JCR Bar’s operational expenditure shall be paid.
The Treasurer and the Bar Managers are the only Trustees or Officers who shall have direct access to the JCR Bar account.
There shall exist a Charities Fund, which may be held in the JCR account, into which donations from Members will be deposited and from which payments to the Nominated Charities will be funded.

Part II: Reporting

The Treasurer shall produce and present a report on the JCR account for the Annual General Meeting, during which:
1. All monies in the account shall be accounted for, either earmarked for future expenditure or explicitly marked as savings.
2. The Treasurer shall provide commentary as necessary to facilitate general understanding of the JCR finances.
3. The Treasurer shall offer their opinion as to the long-term health of the JCR’s finances.
The Treasurer shall produce and present a report on the previous term’s spending for the first General Meeting of each term, which may include the Annual General Meeting.
At any time, any Ordinary Member may request sight of the most recent reports from the Treasurer, or any previous reports from the Secretary. The requested report shall be made available in an appropriate and timely fashion.

Part III: Spending

No money may be spent from the JCR account except by resolution of the General Meeting.
At the first General Meeting of each term, which may include the Annual General Meeting, the Treasurer shall submit a motion for a termly budget, which shall be seconded by the President. The budget shall include:
1. Predicted income for the coming term, including:
  1. Income from the College
  2. Income from the MCR
  3. Transfers from JCR Savings
2. A proposal for maximum allowed expenditure from the JCR account for purposes in the coming term, including:
  1. Spending by Officers and Trustees, in the fulfilment of their duties
  2. Funding of Societies
  3. Payments to external organisations
  4. Affiliation fees
  5. Subscription fees
3. The termly budget shall include a President’s Budget, to be used at the President’s discretion in case of unforeseen spending requirements.

Part IV: the Charities Fund

The Charities Officer shall be responsible for organising a ballot of Members before the end of 1st Week of Hilary Term, with the purpose of selecting three charities to support.
1. The call for charity nominations must be made seven full days prior to the start of voting.
2. Only registered charities will be valid nominations.
3. Voting should be by STV (Single Transferable Vote) or Ranked Choice
4. Re-open Nominations should be available as a choice.
5. The list of candidate charities shall be sent to all Ordinary Members two full days prior to the start of voting.
6. The three charities with the most votes shall be the JCRs Nominated Charities until the next ballot.
7. If Re-open Nominations is one of the top three, then the process must be begun again.
The Executive Committee shall ensure that none of the JCRs core funding is donated or spent in order to facilitate donation to external charitable organisations whose Objects do not align with those of the JCR.
The Treasurer and the Charities Officer shall be jointly responsible for maintaining a Charities Fund. Such a fund may be held within the JCR account but must be accounted for separately.
Any money allocated to the Charities Fund must be raised specifically for the Charities Fund, and must not be drawn directly from the main JCR budget.
At the end of each term, the Charities Officer will arrange for equal parts of the Charities Fund to be sent to the Nominated Charities.
The contents of the Charities Fund may only be sent to the Charities for which the money was raised.
1. Where a delay in sending funds results in a change to the Nominated Charities before the money is sent, the money should still be sent to those charities which were Nominated Charities when the money was raised.

Standing Order 4: Schedule and Mechanisms for Elections

Part I: Election Scheduling

For each election and by-election, the Returning Officer shall:

call for nominations at least seven full days before the polls are opened;
accept valid nominations for a period of no fewer than five full days which must end at 8pm GMT;
communicate all valid nominations to the JCR at least two full days before polling begins;
in accordance with Standing Order 6, organise and announce the details of a Hustings at least one full day before polls open;
open the polls for at least one full day and not more than two full days;
communicate the opening of polls and instructions for how to participate to all Ordinary Members;
request the results of the election from the Oxford SU no more than twelve hours after polls close; and
publish the election results by email to all JCR members no more than twenty-four hours after receiving the results.

For regularly scheduled elections for President:

polls must open no earlier than the first day of the fifth week of Michaelmas, and
polls must close no later than the first day of the seventh week of Michaelmas Term

For regularly scheduled elections for all other Officer and Trustee posts:

polls must close no later than the first day of the eighth week of Michaelmas Term

For the avoidance of doubt, the term ‘full day’ as used in this standing order should be interpreted to mean a period of twenty-four hours

Part II: Election Mechanisms

Voting in all elections shall be by an online ballot via the Oxford SU’s voting platform.

Standing Order 5: Publicity for Elections and Referendums

Manifestos shall be submitted to the Returning Officer according to a reasonable deadline which is no later than seventy-two hours prior to the start of voting.
1. The length of manifestos shall not exceed:
  1. for Trustee candidates, 500 words;
  2. for Officer candidates, 250 words; or
  3. for Referendum campaigns, 500 words.
2. Failure to submit a manifesto shall constitute withdrawal from the election, unless the Returning Officer rules that a candidate has good reason for such a failure. In such a case, the Returning Officer may at their discretion accept a manifesto submitted after the deadline.
The Returning Officer shall ensure that all manifestos are made available to all Ordinary Members at the same time, and in an appropriate and timely fashion prior to the start of voting.
No further publicity material relating to specific candidates of JCR elections may be produced by any JCR member.
1. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes posts or messages on any official JCR-operated social media as well as physical media around the college grounds.

Standing Order 6: Hustings

For all Elections and for those Referendums where deemed appropriate by the Returning Officer, hustings shall be held at least twenty-four hours prior to the start of voting; and
1. all candidates in Elections and an equal number of representatives of each campaign in Referendums shall be invited to hustings in an appropriate and timely fashion; and
2. failure to attend hustings shall constitute withdrawal from an Election, unless the Returning Officer rules that a candidate has good reason for such a failure.
The Returning Officer shall organise all hustings in accordance with this Standing Orders.
The Returning Officer shall chair all hustings, or with the consent of the Executive Committee may arrange for a Trustee or Officer to chair.
The Secretary, or their nominee, shall minute JCR Hustings and shall circulate full minutes to the JCR within twelve hours of the end of Hustings.
It is the duty of the chair to ensure that the atmosphere of hustings never becomes hostile or personally vindictive.
The format of hustings shall be as follows:
1. Each candidate shall in turn give a speech, of length not exceeding:
  1. for candidates for Trustee positions, five minutes;
  2. for candidates for all other positions, three minutes; or
  3. for Referendum campaigns, a total of five minutes (to be divided among representatives as deemed appropriate).
2. The chair shall accept a reasonable number of questions from the floor, provided that:
  1. all questions must be directed to all candidates or campaigns;
  2. it is the responsibility of the chair to identify and rule out any inappropriate questions in accordance with Section 7; and
  3. questions ruled inappropriate may not be answered (formally or informally) by any candidate.
Inappropriate questions shall include:
1. personal attacks;
2. references to the candidates’ private lives; and
3. any other questions ruled to be inappropriate by the chair, in consultation with relevant Officers, following an appeal by any candidate.

Standing Order 7: Societies

The Secretary shall keep a register of Societies.
Any Ordinary Member may form a society by informing the JCR Secretary.
Membership of Societies shall not be compulsory.
Registered Societies may:
1. Request to be included in the Treasurer’s’ budget motion by informing the Treasurer of their request;
2. Be reimbursed from JCR accounts for their spending, as allocated in the Treasurer’s budget motion and passed by the General Meeting; and
3. be publicised on the JCR website, information packs and social media.
By registering, a Society commits to the following responsibilities:
1. to make membership of the Society open to all Members;
2. to spend any money allocated by resolution of the General Meeting responsibly and in furtherance the Objects;
3. to advertise the society regularly to all Ordinary Members;
4. to foster an inclusive atmosphere for all; and
5. to not charge any fee for membership of the society, nor in any way create financial obstacles to membership;
  1. for the avoidance of doubt, the Society may still host ticketed events for which there is a cost to attend so long as such cannot be considered a financial obstacle to membership;
  2. it is for the Treasurer to determine whether a Society has imposed a financial obstacle to membership.
Anyone who registers a Society automatically becomes Coordinator of that Society.
The Coordinator of a Society may nominate their own successor from among the members of that Society.
Where the Coordinator of a Society is absent, with no appointed successor, the position should be advertised to all Ordinary Members.
1. Any Ordinary Member may volunteer to take over the Society.
2. Where nobody volunteers as Coordinator, the Society shall be removed from the list of Registered Societies.
Any dispute as to who will become the Coordinator of a society will be resolved by a ruling of the Treasurer.
The responsibilities of the Coordinator shall be:
1. to ensure the Society meets its responsibilities under Section 5;
2. to make requests for funding to the Treasurer;
3. to provide whatever financial documentation the Treasurer may require;
4. to report on their Society’s activities to the Executive Committee when requested; and
5. to ensure that the assets of the Society are recoverable by the JCR Committee and transferable to future Coordinators.
Anyone may complain about the conduct of a registered Society Coordinator to the Executive Committee by informing the Secretary.
The Executive Committee may remove a Coordinator from their position and appoint a replacement, where it reasonably believes the Coordinator has not fulfilled the responsibilities laid out in Section 10.
The Executive Committee may revoke the registration of any Society which it reasonably believes to not have fulfilled the responsibilities laid out in Section 5.

Standing Order 8: The Summer Event and Ball

In consultation with the College, the President shall seek to ensure the provision of an event in Trinity term.
The event shall be either a Summer Event or a Ball.
The President shall appoint a Summer Event or Ball President, or multiple co-Presidents, before the end of 5th week in Michaelmas term, and will delegate the responsibility for the event to them.
The Summer Ball / Event President shall endeavour to make the event reasonably accessible to Ordinary Members,and therefore the ticket price offered to Ordinary Members will not exceed £100.
The Summer Ball / Event President shall consult with the relevant college staff, seek the relevant permissions, and produce the necessary information to receive approval from the Governing Body.
The Summer Ball / Event President shall publicise the event to all Members.
The Summer Ball / Event President shall determine an appropriate guest policy in consultation with the relevant College staff.
The Summer Event or Ball President(s) must have due regard for this Standing Order and all Resolutions of the JCR.

Standing Order 9: The JCR Bar

Part I: Operation and Finances of the JCR Bar

Throughout this Standing Order, ‘the Bar’ shall be taken to mean the JCR Bar as a service, and not necessarily the physical bar itself nor the space it occupies.
The Bar Managers shall oversee the operation of the JCR Bar.
The JCR Bar’s revenues shall be paid into the JCR Bar account, which shall:
1. be the exclusive source of funding for the operational expenses of the JCR Bar; and
2. be accessible to the Bar Managers and the Treasurer, provided that the Treasurer only take advantage of their access in extraordinary circumstances.
The Bar Managers must keep accurate accounts of the Bar’s financial activities, and provide those accounts to any Ordinary Member on request.
At the first General Meeting of a given term, the Bar Managers, or their nominee, must report to the General Meeting on the Bar’s income and expenditure in the previous term
The Bar Managers shall set prices for the Bar such that it can cover its operational expenses without the need for external funding.
The Bar Managers shall seek to ensure that prices are as low as possible while still satisfying the criteria of Section 6.
The Bar Managers may request money from the JCR account for the purpose of capital expenditure for the Bar, which shall be granted upon the passage of an Resolution of the General Meeting to that effect.
The Bar Managers shall ensure that the JCR Bar does not hold cash on its premises in excess of £500.
The Bar Managers shall decide on a schedule for Bar opening and advertise it to all Ordinary Members at the start of each term.
1. Every effort must be taken for the Bar to be open after formals and guest nights, and during bops.
2. Every effort must be taken for the Bar to be opened at any other times that have been advertised.
3. The Bar may also open at additional times not originally advertised, at the Bar Managers’ discretion.
Only JCR Bar staff as described in Part II shall be permitted behind the physical Bar during its operation as the JCR Bar.
Near the end of their term in office, the Bar Managers shall be awarded a one-litre glass “Beer Boot”, funded by the President’s budget.
1. Upon receipt of the Beer Boot, the Bar Managers may fill the boot with their chosen draught libation without charge and may attempt to imbibe the full Beer Boot, if they so wish.

Part II: Staff

The Bar Managers shall, at their discretion, recruit JCR Bar Staff.
Neither the Bar Managers nor any JCR Bar Staff are to be considered employees or workers of the College.
It is the responsibility of the Bar Managers to ensure that Bar Staff do not act in a way that would jeopardise the Bar’s Licence.
The Bar Managers, in consultation with the Licensee, will decide on a necessary program for training and instruction for new Bar Staff.
1. The Licensee of the JCR Bar is Nick Jefferies, Steward
The Bar Managers, in consultation with the President and the College, shall set a code of conduct to be followed by bar staff.
The Bar Managers will maintain a record of JCR Bar Staff who have completed the necessary training and instruction.
JCR Bar Staff may be compensated with Bar credits.
It is the responsibility of the Bar Managers to maintain a record of Bar Staff credits.

Standing Order 10: Motions and Resolutions

With the exception of procedural motions, all motions for discussion and/or resolution must:
1. be proposed by an Ordinary Member;
2. be seconded by a different Ordinary Member;
3. be submitted to the Secretary no fewer than forty-eight hours before the relevant General Meeting concerned;
4. not include any wording or phrasing which might be reasonably interpreted as a personal attack or insult on a Member;
  1. the Executive Committee will decide on whether a particular phrase might be reasonably interpreted as such a personal attack;
5. include any stated positive or factual assertions in a section entitled ‘The JCR Notes That’;
6. include any stated normative or ethical assertions in a section entitled ‘The JCR Believes That’;
7. include at least one action which the JCR will take upon passage of the motion, in a section entitled ‘The JCR Therefore Resolves To’; and
8. where the motion proposes that money be spent from JCR accounts, it must include an explicit limit to such spending, expressed in British pounds sterling (GBP);
The proposer or seconder of a motion may unilaterally withdraw that motion if they inform the Secretary of their intent before the final agenda is communicated to all Ordinary Members.
Upon passage of a motion by the General Meeting it becomes a binding Resolution of the JCR.
1. Officers and Trustees of the JCR must have due regard for binding Resolutions of the JCR, except as stipulated in the Article 4 Section 18 of the Constitution.
Where a Resolution of the JCR calls for a specific, discrete action to be undertaken then the Resolution will cease to be binding after the action has been taken and the outcome has been communicated to all Ordinary Members.

Standing Order 11: Honorary Members

David Nicholson, BA History 2016-2019, who has been a source of genuine friendship, warmth, and support to all members of the Harris Manchester community, is an Honorary Member of the Harris Manchester College Junior Common Room.