CONSTITUTION

The Selwyn JCR Constitution (as of 1st February 2022, last updated Easter 2021) can be viewed here: 

The Standing Orders and passed Open Meeting motions of the JCR can be found on the 'policies' page.

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1. Name, status and terminology  

   1. There shall be a students’ union in the name of Selwyn College Junior Combination Room, hereinafter referred to as the JCR.

   2. The JCR is an unincorporated association.

   3. Throughout this document, the following definitions apply: 

      • The term ‘College’ shall refer to Selwyn College, Cambridge.

      • The term ‘University’ shall refer to the University of Cambridge.

      • The term ‘Committee’ shall refer to the whole of the elected officers of the JCR. 

      • The term ‘Committee Member’ shall refer to any student holding one of the Officer Roles on the Committee. 

2. Aims and Objectives 

   1. The aims and objectives of the JCR shall be:

      • To be an official body representing the undergraduate members of the College.

      • To advance and support the education, safety, welfare, and mutual respect of its members.

      • To promote fair and equal access and treatment of all members regardless of sex, race, national origin, citizenship, disability, sexuality, gender identity, religion, age, socioeconomic background, or creed.

      • To act to oppose discrimination and inequity on any basis, and shall promote greater access to underrepresented groups.

      • To act as a channel of communication between its members and College, the University, Cambridge Students’ Union (hereinafter referred to as CSU), the National Union of Students; and any other body the JCR deems appropriate.

      • To provide recreational events and facilities for its members.

      • The JCR shall abide at all times by its Code of Conduct, as outlined in Section 15.

      • The JCR shall work to fulfil these aims and objectives independent of any political party or religious organisation.

      • The JCR shall operate in a fair and democractic manner consistent with the provisions of The Education Act 1994.

   2. Any decision made by the Committee; an individual Committee Member; a motion at an Open Meeting; or an Amendment to this Constitution which acts contrary to any of the aims outlined in Section 2.1 shall be considered null and void.

3. Membership

   1. With the exception of students who opt out, as stipulated in Section 3.2, all undergraduate members of the College shall automatically be members of the JCR.

   2. All members have the right to opt out of the JCR.

      • A member shall inform both the Senior Tutor and the President of the JCR, in writing, of their intention to opt out of the JCR.

      • Any member choosing to opt out must do so before the division of Michaelmas Term in each academic year that they wish to opt out.

      • Any student who has given notice of their desire to opt out shall cease to be a member of the JCR for the remainder of the academic year.

   3. Every member of the JCR is entitled to:

      • Attend and speak at Open Meetings and hustings.

      • Propose or second policy proposals to Open Meetings.

      • Raise matters to be discussed at Committee meetings.

      • Petition against Committee decisions.

      • Vote in elections and Open Meetings.

      • Submit, propose, or second nominations in elections, except in the case described in Section 7.2.4.

      • Have access to a list of Officers, minutes of all Committee meetings, accounts, and the list of active JCR policies, provided the Communications Officer is given adequate notice.

   4. A member who has opted out of the JCR shall not:

      • Speak at Open Meetings or hustings.

      • Propose or second policy proposals to Open Meetings.

      • Petition against Committee decisions.

      • Vote in elections or Open Meetings.

      • Submit, propose, or second nominations in elections.

   5. All other JCR services shall remain equally available to all undergraduate students, regardless of JCR membership.

   6. Students who feel unfairly disadvantaged by their decision to opt out shall refer to the JCR’s Grievance Policy, as set forth in Section 13.

4. Clubs and Societies

   1. Requests for funding by affiliated clubs and societies shall be submitted to the JCR Treasurer or JCR Clubs and Societies Officer.

   2. All members of Selwyn may belong to any Clubs and Societies.

   3. Requests by any Selwyn member to create a new Club or Society must be submitted to the Clubs and Societies Officer and registered with the Dean.

   4. All clubs and societies shall have a Captain or President chosen at the discretion of its active member.

      • It is the responsibility of the Captain or President to update the Clubs and Societies Officer when taking up their positions.

   5. All clubs and societies affiliated with the JCR must abide by the JCR Code of Conduct, as outlined in Section 15.

5. The Committee

   1. The Executive Committee shall consist of, in order of seniority:

      • The President,

      • The Vice President,

      • The Treasurer,

      • and the Communications Officer.

   2. The JCR Committee shall consist of the Executive Committee, in addition to up to nineteen additional posts which shall be detailed in the Standing Orders.

   3. Unless otherwise stipulated in the Standing Orders, a post shall be held by a single individual.

   4. All Committee Members shall be elected annually, in accordance with Sections 7.7, 7.8, and 7.9.

   5. The duties and obligations of Committee Members shall be outlined in the Standing Orders.

   6. Should the President be absent, or the position vacant, the most senior member of the Executive Committee shall carry out their duties.

   7. Should any other Officer be absent, or their position vacant, their responsibilities shall be distributed amongst the remaining members of the Committee.

   8. Upon resignation or expiry of their term, Committee Members shall be obliged to provide handover documents for their successor.

   9. The President and Treasurer shall represent the JCR as ex officio members at meetings of the Governing Body and College Council.

   10. No Committee Member, or member of the JCR mandated to act in the interests of the JCR, shall accept remuneration for any actions undertaken in any capacity as a member of the Committee.

   11. An Ombudsman shall be appointed by the College Council on the nomination of the Committee.

       • The Ombudsman shall be a fellow of the College.

       • The Ombudsman shall have no role in the running of the JCR, except for where stipulated in this Constitution.

6. Election of Officers

   1. All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot and single transferable vote.

   2. Upon the opening of nominations, any member of the JCR may put themselves forward for election.

      • In a given election, with the exception of the role of President, candidates may only be nominated for a single post.

      • All candidates may only be elected for a single post.

      • Nominations shall be open for at least seven days.

      • Candidates shall present a manifesto of up to one side of A4. This shall be provided to the Returning Officer, who shall circulate the manifestos to all students as soon as possible upon close of nominations.

      • All Candidates must be proposed and seconded by any member of the JCR who is not a member of the Committee.

   3. Candidates must abide at all times by the rules for elections:

      • Any person actively promoting the election of a Candidate or offering material support to their candidacy shall be considered to be a Campaigner.

      • A Candidate shall be responsible for the behaviour of their Campaigners.

      • Members of the Committee may not campaign on behalf of other Candidates, but may campaign for themselves.

      • No campaigning for elections may occur until after nominations have opened.

      • JCR mailing lists shall not be used to support or oppose any Candidate’s campaign.

      • Candidates and Campaigners shall abide at all times by the JCR’s Code of Conduct.

      • Candidates and Campaigners shall not make reference to another Candidate’s personal attributes. They may make reference to political beliefs, manifesto commitments, record in office, or comments made during campaigning, provided that such references are not defamatory.

   4. The Returning Officer shall be specified in the Standing Orders.

      • The Returning Officer shall not stand for election to any post.

      • The Returning Officer shall not campaign on behalf of any candidate, or otherwise conduct themselves in a manner which may cast doubt on their impartiality.

      • Should the Returning Officer stipulated in the Standing Orders have a conflict of interest, another Committee Member may take their place upon agreement by the Committee. 

      • Any allegations of election malpractice shall be made in writing to the Returning Officer at any time between the opening of nominations and twenty-four hours after the announcement of results.

      • The Returning Officer shall be obliged to investigate any allegations of election malpractice.

      • Should the Returning Officer agree that there has been a breach of the rules laid out in this Constitution, they shall have the power to disqualify a candidate.

      • Should a candidate be disqualified after the opening of voting, votes shall be recounted with the disqualified candidate being treated as having withdrawn their candidacy.

      • Should a candidate wish to challenge their disqualification, they may appeal in writing to the Ombudsman within twenty-four hours of receiving notice of their disqualification. The Ombudsman’s decision shall be final.

   5. Hustings shall be held after the close of nominations and before the opening of voting. The format of hustings shall be the decision of the Returning Officer, provided that all candidates have equal opportunity to speak.

   6. Voting shall open after the conclusion of hustings.

      • Voting shall be open for at least twenty-four hours.

      • Before the opening of voting, the Returning Officer shall circulate the following information to all members of the JCR:

        1. The times at which voting opens and closes.

        2. A link to the online voting system.

      • All members of the JCR shall have one vote for all non-liberation officer roles. 

      • For the roles of LGBTQ+ Officer and BAME Officer, only members of the JCR self-identifying as LGBTQ+ and only members self-identifying as a person of colour may vote. 

      • If fewer than one eighth of the membership of the JCR cast a vote for a non-liberation officer role, and if fewer than one eighth of the possible self-identifying members of the JCR cast a vote for a liberation officer role, the results of an election shall be considered null and void. A by-election shall be held at a date deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.

      • As soon as possible after the close of voting, the Returning Officer shall circulate the results to all members of the JCR.

   7. Elections to the office of President shall take place annually in Michaelmas term, after the division of term.

   8. Elections to all other posts shall take place annually in Michaelmas term, with nominations opening after the election of the President.

   9. The term of office of all Committee Members shall begin on the first of January and end on the thirty-first of December.

   10. Should a vacancy occur at any point in the year, including in the case that there are no nominations for a position, a by-election in accordance with the procedure outlined above shall be held at a time deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee. 

7. Creation of New Offices

   1. New posts on the Committee may be created at any time, provided that this will not cause the Committee to exceed the maximum number of posts.

   2. Any JCR member shall propose the creation of a new office through the following process:

      • A proposal to expand the Committee shall be made to a member of the Executive Committee.

      • The Executive Committee shall consider the proposal and determine its viability.

      • Upon agreement by the Executive Committee, a motion to change the Standing Orders shall be put to an Open Meeting.

      • Upon simple majority passage at an Open Meeting, the new post shall be added to the standing orders.

      •  In order to fill the new role, a by-election shall be held at a date deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee, in accordance with the procedure outlined in Section 6. Until such a time as the vacancy is filled, the duties of the vacant role shall be distributed amongst the current Committee Members.
         

8. Resignation and Removal of Officers

   1. Any Committee Member may resign their position for any reason at any point in their term of office.

      • Committee Members, with the exception of the President, may give notice of their resignation in writing to the President. Unless otherwise specified, this resignation shall take effect 48 hours from the time of receipt.

      • The President shall give notice of their resignation in writing to all Committee Members. Unless otherwise specified, this resignation shall take effect 48 hours from the time of receipt.

      • Any Committee Member who has given notice of their resignation may, at any time up until this resignation takes effect, retract their resignation. This shall be conveyed in writing to the President, who shall be obliged to accept. 

      • Any Committee Member who has given notice of their resignation shall compose appropriate handover documents for their successor.

   2. Any Committee Member who ceases to be a member of the JCR shall be deemed to have resigned their office.

   3. Any Committee Member may face removal from office at any point in their term of office.

      • A Committee Member may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Committee.

      • The Committee may vote to remove a Committee Member for the following reasons:

        1. The Member has failed to attend three Committee meetings in a single academic term, unless in cases of illness, bereavement, or any other reason deemed acceptable by the Committee.

        2. The Member has engaged in behaviour which is deemed to violate the JCR’s code of conduct (Section 15), or which otherwise brings the JCR into disrepute.

        3. The Member has engaged in disruptive behaviour which hinders the Committee’s ability to fulfil its aims and objectives as outlined in Section 2.

      • A Committee Member may be removed upon passage of a motion of no confidence during an Open Meeting. This shall require a two-thirds majority to pass.

      • Any Member(s) of the JCR may propose a motion of no confidence against a Committee Member for any reason. Such a motion should be proposed to a member of the Executive Committee and then brought to a JCR meeting so as to ensure the members’ anonymity. 

      • The removal from office of a Committee Member shall be final.

   4. Upon resignation or removal of a Committee Member, a by-election shall be held at a date deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee, in accordance with the procedure outlined in Section 6. Until such a time as the vacancy is filled, the duties of the vacant role shall be distributed amongst the remaining Committee Members.
       

9. Committee Meetings and Minutes

   1. The purpose of Committee Meetings shall be:

      • To set and execute the policy of the JCR.

      • To ensure clear and regular communication and cooperation between Committee Members.

      • To allow Committee Members to represent the members of the JCR within their remit and convey their views to the wider Committee.

      • To allow Committee Members to report back on their progress in addressing pertinent issues.

      • To allow Committee Members to coordinate their activities in order to ensure a common and united approach when acting in consultation with the College.

   2. The Committee shall meet once a week during Michaelmas and Lent Full Term, and at least once during Easter Full Term.

   3. Emergency Committee Meetings may be called, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, in the case that an urgent matter must be voted on before the next scheduled Committee Meeting.

   4. The quorum of a Committee Meeting shall consist of one half of the membership of the Committee.

   5. All Committee Members shall have one vote.

   6. Committee meetings shall be chaired by the President. In the case that this may present a conflict of interest, the Vice-President or Treasurer of the Executive Committee shall chair the meeting.

   7. Except in cases of removal from office or to break a tied vote, the chair shall abstain from casting their vote.

   8. Except in cases of removal from office, Committee decisions shall require a simple majority vote of members present.

   9. No decision taken by the Committee shall be executed without the knowledge of the President.

   10. Should a Committee Member suspect a decision taken by the Committee to be outside its jurisdiction, they may present the motion to an Open Meeting for consideration by the whole JCR.

   11. Should a member of the JCR oppose a decision made by the Committee, they may petition for the matter to be taken to an Open Meeting for consideration by the whole JCR.

   12. All Committee Meetings shall be minuted, and these minutes shall be made available to be viewed by the whole JCR.

10. Open Meetings

    1. The President, with the help of the JCR Committee, will call a minimum of two Open Meetings in Michaelmas and Lent Terms and one in Easter Term.

    2. The Chair of the Open Meetings shall be the JCR President. If the President has proposed a motion or is unavailable, then the JCR Vice-President will chair the discussion of that motion or that meeting.

       • If the Vice-President is not present, the chair will be another member of the Executive Committee. 

    3. The Chair will give at least one week’s notice of the date and time of any Open Meeting to all members of the undergraduate body.

    4. Agenda items must be sent to the Chair four days before the Open Meeting, and relevant papers sent three days before.

    5. The Chair will give at least three days’ notice of the venue and will distribute the agenda and any relevant papers at least two days before the Open Meeting.

    6. Any member of the Selwyn Undergraduate body can request an Extraordinary Open Meeting at any time provided that they meet one of the two criteria outlined in point 3.1 of the Standing Orders.

    7. The Chair will give a minimum of 24-hours notice for the date, time, venue, and agenda of any Extraordinary Open Meeting to all Selwyn students.

    8. Every member of the Selwyn JCR is entitled to propose or second a motion to bring to an Open Meeting, emergency or otherwise. 

    9. Every member of the Selwyn JCR is entitled to speak on all motions, unless explicitly stated otherwise, at Open Meetings. 

    10. Every member of the Selwyn JCR, apart from the chair, is entitled to vote on all motions, unless explicitly stated otherwise, at Open Meetings. 

    11. Conduct at Open Meetings is to be in line with that of Selwyn’s ‘Dignity and Respect at Study’ policy and the JCR’s Code of Conduct (Section 15). 

    12. There must be at least 20 members for a vote at an Open Meeting to be deemed valid. A simple majority vote is required to pass all motions and amendments, apart from amendments to the JCR Constitution which shall require a two-thirds majority vote.

    13. All Open Meetings will be live minuted by a JCR Officer and the minutes will be distributed to all students within a week of the meeting taking place.

    14. Detailed procedure for Open Meetings shall be as laid out in the Standing Orders.

11. Affiliation with External Organisations

    1. Any proposal for the JCR to affiliate with an external organisation shall be passed through a motion to an Open Meeting. 

    2. Similarly, any proposal for the JCR to terminate an affiliation with an external organisation shall be passed through a motion to an Open Meeting.

    3. Should the JCR decide to affiliate or terminate an affiliation with an external organisation, the President shall inform all members of the JCR, as well as the College Council, of the following:

       • The name of the organisation.

       • Details of the terms of the affiliation.

       • Any subscription or fees paid or proposed to be paid.

       • Any donation made or proposed to be made.

    4. Every Michaelmas term, before the division of term, the Committee shall publish, to all members of the JCR and the College Council, a report detailing the following:

       • The names of all external organisations to which the JCR is affiliated.

       • Details of the terms of all such affiliations.

       • Any subscriptions or fees paid or proposed to be paid.

       • Any donations made or proposed to be made.

12. Complaints and Grievances

    1. Any member of the JCR, or group of members of the JCR, who are dissatisfied by their dealings with the JCR, or who claim to be unfairly disadvantaged by reason of having exercised their right not to be a member of the JCR, shall first refer their grievance to the President of the JCR.

    2. If the member is dissatisfied by the response from the President, or if a resolution is unable to be reached, the grievance shall be raised to the Ombudsman, whose decision shall be final.

13. Finances

    1. The Financial Year shall run from the first day of July in a year to the thirtieth day of June in the following year. At the end of the Financial Year, the JCR accounts shall be presented to College Council by the JCR Treasurer for audit.

    2. There shall be a bank account in the name of the JCR. There shall be four signatories to the account:

       • The JCR President.

       • The JCR Treasurer.

       • The previous JCR Committee’s President.

       • The previous JCR Committee’s Treasurer.

    3. The collection of all money due to the JCR shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer.

    4. Cheques shall be signed by either the President or the Treasurer.

    5. Subject to the constraints of the Budget, a resolution of the Committee shall not be required for the allocation of JCR funds worth up to £250.

    6. A resolution of the Committee is required to allocate any amount in excess of £250 that is not necessary for the day-to-day running and upkeep of the JCR and its facilities and which is not a recurrent regular expenditure.

    7. The Treasurer will not approve any direct grants, cheques, or payments of JCR funds to any individual without the provision of a receipt/ proof of purchase for the purpose of a reimbursement.

    8. The Treasurer will publish termly financial reports to the student body detailing the income and expenditure of the JCR for that term broken down by category. 

    9. At the end of the Treasurer’s term, an annual financial statement will be published summarising the income and expenditure of the JCR for the previous year. 

    10. The JCR Charities Fund:

        • The student body will be able to democratically decide which charities will receive donations from the JCR Charities Fund through termly Open Meetings. 

        • Any Selwyn undergraduate may send a brief proposal to the JCR President prior to the Open Meeting which will then be presented at the Open Meeting outlining: that the proposed charity is a UK registered charity under the Charities Act, a brief description of the charities’ cause, and how much money (up to £500) they intend to donate from the JCR Charities Fund. The individuals present will then vote by simple majority on whether to go ahead with the donation. 

        • Following the Open Meeting, the Treasurer will then contact the Bursar to implement the donation from the JCR Charities Fund and will then notify the JCR Committee and student body once this has been completed.

        • Contributions to the JCR Charities Fund are to be an opt-out charitable donation and as such, the Fund should not be spent on any other purposes.

    11. Contracts:

        • No financial agreement (e.g. a leasing contract) may be entered into which involves a financial commitment beyond the term of office of the current Treasurer that exceeds a total value of £250 unless authority is given by a resolution of the Committee. 

        • All contracts shall have two signatories. Contracts shall normally be signed by the President and the Treasurer. No contract should be signed without the approval of the Committee.

14. Amendments

    1. No amendment or alteration in whole or in part to this Constitution shall be enacted without the approval of an open meeting in accordance with provisions listed under Section 11.

    2. All amendments or alterations in whole or in part to this Constitution must be brought to an Open Meeting and require a two-thirds majority vote to be enacted.

    3. All such amendments shall be in accordance with the Education Act 1994.

    4. The JCR Committee, and especially the Executive Committee, must review the JCR Constitution at an interval no longer than every three years from the date of implementation of this current document. 

15. Code of Conduct

    1. The Code of Conduct shall be the paramount guideline of conduct and behaviour for members of the JCR Committee, affiliates or members of organisations affiliated with the JCR by name; by association, or by financial support; by advertising and candidates and campaigners as designated under Section 7. Members of the JCR Committee, affiliates or members of organisations affiliated to the JCR by name, by association, or by financial support, and candidates and campaigners shall hereinafter be referred to as "Parties to the Code".

    2. The Parties to the Code, as either elected representatives of the student body, affiliates to these elected representatives, or prospective elected representatives, shall hold themselves to a high degree of accountability and standard of conduct in the execution of their duties and capacities.

       • The JCR Liberation Officers have a duty to work with Parties to the Code to aid full compliance with the Code of Conduct and ensure that an inclusive and accessible environment is fostered.

    3. All Parties to the Code must be unwaveringly committed in their official capacities or duties to this Code of Conduct. Parties to the Code are expected to prohibit and effectively respond to harassment, discrimination, misconduct, abusive conduct, and retaliation, and must never partake in or be an accessory to such behaviour.

    4. Hence, the Parties to the Code align and commit themselves to the following principles:

       • Respect to all members of the JCR, its affiliates, and members of the extended community in words or actions.

       • Care and empathy to all and the self-equipment of a continued readiness to help and assist those in need to the best of one's ability.

       • Transparency in proceedings, actions, and the reasoning behind such proceedings and actions, keeping in mind the importance of effective and honest communication to all members of the JCR and its affiliates.

       • Accountability to the student community and a willingness to hold oneself accountable for one's actions and hold others accountable for their actions.

       • Fairness and consistency in one's actions under the Constitution and this Code of Conduct regardless of the people, groups, or institutions involved in such actions.

    5. Therefore, the Parties to the Code condemn and disavow the presence and prevalence of bullying, harassment, or abuse, be it physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological, regardless of circumstances involved and looks to foster a healthy, acceptance-driven, diverse, and dynamic student environment for the advancement of individual and collective academic, mental, and spiritual growth.

       • Parties to the Code shall refrain from using foul or offensive language or engaging in antisocial or disreputable behaviour in their official capacities.

    6. The Parties to the Code shall respect the privacy and confidentiality of others and shall not obtain information from others without their full consent throughout. The Parties to the Code shall adhere to mutually-agreed privacy agreements and shall ensure that all possession of data and information is done in line with the law and with University and College regulations, procedures, and guidelines.

    7. Pursuant to Section 15 Subsection 2, all Parties to the Code shall commit themselves to the promotion of equal treatment and opportunity of all members of the College community inside and outside of College, and the minimisation and extinction of all forms of hate, intolerance, and discrimination.

    8. Henceforth, all Parties to the Code shall commit themselves to active opposition, repudiation, and combat against all forms of hate, intolerance, and discrimination, or support or endorsement of such hate, intolerance, and discrimination, regardless of whether they are perpetuated by individuals, groups, or institutions, disregarding their locale or time-scope, including but not limited to:

       • Racism, referring to all forms of prejudice, discrimination, or antagonisation of any number of racial or ethnic groups.

       • Sexism, referring to all forms of prejudice, discrimination, or antagonisation of any number of genders or sexes.

       • Sexual orientation discrimination, referring to all forms of prejudice, discrimination, or antagonisation based on gender identity, sexual orientation or sexual behaviour, including but not limited to homophobia, transphobia, or biphobia.

       • Ableism, referring to all forms of prejudice, discrimination, or antagonisation based on disability or perception of disability, including but not limited to physical, mental, medical, structural, or cultural ableism.

       • Religious discrimination, referring to all forms of prejudice, discrimination, or antagonisation towards individual or group adherents of religions, denominations or non-religions, or infringements upon individuals' or groups' freedom to practice manifest adherence or belief (or lack thereof) in any religion, denomination or non-religion.

       • Classism or class discrimination, referring to all forms of prejudice, discrimination or antagonisation towards individuals or groups based on social class or other hierarchies based on wealth, income, education, occupation or social network.

    9. The JCR Officers, and in particular the JCR Liberation Officers, have a duty to actively promote inclusion and accessibility, and to do all that they can to prevent against any forms of hate, intolerance, and discrimination, or support or endorsement of such hate, intolerance, and discrimination, regardless of whether they are perpetuated by individuals, groups, or institutions, disregarding their locale or time-scope. 

    10. The Parties to the Code recognise that discrimination can be and often is intersectional and can involve or manifest itself in various different forms. In combatting discrimination, the Parties to the Code shall adopt intersectional approaches and shall actively protect the mental well-being of the student community in the spirit of defending the equal freedoms, equal rights and equal opportunities of all people.

    11. The Parties to the Code have a duty to ensure that all of their operations are accessible. 

        • Under this responsibility, at least one committee member from every club and society affiliated with the JCR must undergo accessibility training and the club or society must sign and abide by the Cambridge SU Disabled Students' Campaign accessibility pledge. 

          1. The JCR Clubs and Societies Officer has a responsibility to coordinate this training for Selwyn’s clubs and societies. 

        • As such, the entirety of the JCR Committee must be accessibility trained and must sign and abide by the Cambridge SU Disabled Students' Campaign accessibility pledge. 

          1. The President of the JCR is responsible for coordinating this training with the Committee. Such training should take place at the start of the Committee’s tenure. 

    12. Pursuant to Section 15 Subsection 2, all Parties to the Code shall commit themselves to the promotion of environmentally and ethically just and sensible practices to the fullest of their ability.

    13. Henceforth, the Parties to the Code shall endorse the minimisation and termination of climate change, its constituent causes, and its consequent impacts, noting in particular the following resolutions:

        • The Parties to the Code recognise that climate change is man-made and poses an existential threat to the survival of humanity, and that urgent action must be taken to prevent the exacerbation of climate change;

        • The Parties to the Code recognise that the contributions to climate change are not equal across the world and across social lines, that the effects of climate change are disproportionate depending on location, social position, nationality, ethnicity, and other social determinants, and that climate change must be coupled with climate justice and the recognition of such aforementioned disproportionalities and injustices;

        • The Parties to the Code recognise that an urgent shift in human practices and the termination of non-essential wasteful and environmentally-destructive practices is much-needed, feasible, and can be exercised.

        • The Parties to the Code recognise that they hold a collective duty to seek out ethically and environmentally friendly products and services wherever possible. 

          1. In particular, the JCR Green, Ethics and Faiths Officer has a duty to work closely with other Parties to the Code, and especially Clubs and Societies affiliated with the JCR, to help them to abide by the Code. 

    14. Therefore, the Parties to the Code shall actively oppose, repudiate, and combat non-essential wasteful and environmentally-destructive practices and the support, enabling or endorsement of such practices, regardless of whether they are perpetuated by individuals, groups, or institutions, disregarding their locale and time-scope. 

    15. The Committee shall mandate that all Parties to the Code continuously adhere to this Code of Conduct, its provisions, and all future additions or amendments herein for the entire duration of their status as Parties to the Code. 

        • The Committee, upon affiliating with such individuals, groups, clubs, societies, or institutions, should ensure their acknowledgement and agreement of this Code of Conduct and obtain their pledge to act in accordance to this Code of Conduct in their proceedings;

    16. Any Selwyn student can report any suspected violations of the Code of Conduct from individuals, groups, clubs, societies, or institutions affiliated with the JCR to any JCR Liberation Officer. Students can report such violations anonymously if they wish.

        • If the suspected violation is pertaining to a JCR Committee member, the report should be made to the President. 

          1. If the suspected violation pertains to the JCR President, the report should be made to the JCR Vice-President. 

        • The Liberation Officer must immediately inform the Party to the Code suspected to have violated the Code of Conduct that they are alleged to have violated the Code. The Liberation Officer must inform the complainant that they are doing this. 

        • The Liberation Officer must then decide what action they believe should be taken with regards to the suspected violation(s). Where possible and reasonable, the Officer should work with the Party to the Code to improve practice. 

        • The Liberation Officer should seek throughout to work with the complainant (provided they are not anonymous), to discuss with them and inform them of any decisions made and actions taken.

        • The Liberation Officer may advise the complainant to bring the suspected violation to the College or University depending on the nature of the violation. 

        • Where the Liberation Officer believes that it is no longer appropriate for the JCR to be affiliated with this Party to the Code, they should bring the suspected violation to the next available Committee meeting. The complainant can choose to attend this meeting if they wish, though there is no obligation to do so. 

          1. If the next Committee meeting will take place in over a week, they should request that the JCR President call an emergency Committee meeting. 

          2. Should the JCR Committee agree (by a simple majority anonymous vote) that Parties to the Code violate this Code of Conduct, revoke their agreement towards this Code of Conduct, or have violated or have acted in contrary to the spirit of this Code of Conduct, the affiliation of the JCR to these Parties to the Code shall immediately cease and be automatically deemed null and void. 

             1. In so doing, the Committee shall have the right to indefinitely cease cooperation, funding, and support of these Parties to the Code.

             2. The Clubs and Societies Officer and JCR President will inform the Parties to the Code affected immediately after the meeting. 

        • If the complainant is unhappy with the Liberation Officer’s handling of the complaint, they can either raise the suspected violation(s) again with another Liberation Officer or instruct the Liberation Officer to bring the report to the next JCR Committee Meeting. 

    17. This Code of Conduct shall be binding to every member of the Committee; violations of this Code of Conduct by any member of the Committee shall be appropriately dealt with according to the provisions outlined in Section 8 Subsection 3.

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