Selwyn College JCRS

Selwyn College Junior Combination Room Society (JCRS) is the students' union for undergraduates students at Selwyn College, Cambridge University, England.

It is the representative body of undergraduates and has two seats on the College Council and Governing Body of the College, but it also offers its members a range of services and entertainments. It also publishes "Kiwi" - the longest running college student publication in Cambridge University.

It is affiliated to the Cambridge University Students' Union (CUSU) and by extension to the National Union of Students. Four Presidents of Selwyn College JCRS have gone on to become CUSU President, one of whom, Wes Streeting, went on to become president of the National Union of Students. Simon Hughes went on to become a Member of Parliament and the Liberal Democrats (UK) candidate for Mayor of London.

JCRS and JCRc

The JCRS is the correct name for the Society, encompassing all Junior members of Selwyn College.

The JCRc is the Society's executive committee who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Society, society funds and the provision of services, as well as representing the Junior members in college committees, to the MCRS (Middle Combination Room Society) and to CUSU committees, notably CUSU Council meetings.

JCR Committee Portfolios

JCR Committee members portfolios can be divided into several categories:

* Representation and Administrative (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications)
* Student Services (Accommodation and Amenities, Computing, Education, Entertainments, First Year, Kiwi, Services)
* Campaigns (Access, Green, International, LBGT, Female Welfare, Male Welfare)

The President and Treasurer represent the JCRS to College Council, the main decision making body internal to Selwyn College. The Vice President represents Selwyn JCRS at CUSU council.

The existence of Female and Male Welfare posts results from a campaign by some male students in 2001 to "equalise" the status of men's health issues in CUSU campaigns. CUSU Women's Campaign strongly opposed the creation of so-called "Men's Officers" as degrading the goals of the Women's Campaign. The role of Welfare Officer was split into Female and Male, and approximately one third of college JCRcs now have these posts. The continuing existence of a Women's Officer has been questioned at times since the creation of the Female Welfare Officer, often combated by attempts to highlight the political role the Women's Officer plays, as opposed to the Welfare portfolio. Nevertheless, the post of Women's Officer has been empty since November 2006.

External links

* [http://www.selwynjcr.org Selwyn JCRS website]
* [http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk Cambridge University Students' Union]
* [http://www.sel.cam.ac.uk Selwyn College website]
* [http://www-mcr.sel.cam.ac.uk Selwyn MCRS website]
* [http://www.cam.ac.uk Cambridge University website]