it. I look forward to seeing the end result in November. Trinity also saw intensive rent negotiations. Again, this was an emotive issue that was debated extensively and saw an active demonstration on the college quad. I remain gravely concerned about the disparity in the increase in the student loan and the increase in accommodation prices but the foundation of a college/student committee to look at the long-term schedule of price rises is a step in the right direction. Four weeks into Michaelmas, further gains have been made. Under the eye of the JCR Vice-President Leah Wolfe, academic review sessions have been established which give students the opportunity to give verbal feedback on tutorage to JCR representatives. Coupled with this has been the extension of a seat on the Academic Strategy Committee to both the JCR and the MCR. For this I am extremely grateful. Finally, we have attained college membership of the PULSE Gym at the Iffley Road Sports Centre. This will be of benefit to all undergraduates, graduates and visiting students. I have enjoyed my time as JCR President – re-writing the constitution and attending three-hour OUSU Council meetings hasn’t been enthralling but I remain convinced that the JCR has made huge strides this year. I hope that similar steps can be made next year and that the undergraduate body at Mansfield will continue to play an active role in the decision-making process that affects the future of this great college. ●
MCR President Katie Moore In contrast to James, my time as MCR President has only just begun. We’ve had a great start to the term with the MCR growing in size yet again with 45 freshers this year. We continue to have a diverse group with students joining us from 20 different countries and studying everything from African Studies and Theology to Computer Science and Clinical Medicine. This makes the MCR a great place to meet people from different backgrounds and fields and this range and variety is what makes the MCR especially fun and interesting. Mansfield offers graduate students a lively social scene and through the many MCR events there is always a chance for members to get involved. This term alone we’ve had high tea at the Randolph Hotel, exchange dinners with Lincoln and Exeter Colleges, grad nights at Kukui and of course we’ve got many more events lined up including an international potluck dinner. This year’s MCR is also active in college activities and after a long hiatus graduates now have a large presence in rowing and football again.
of the Mansfield’s welcoming community, but also with a view to influencing many nations. In months to come you will definitely be hearing more from the MCR, as our members become an ever more integral part of Mansfield College life. ●
Bursar’s Report Steve Waterman We were pleased in October to be able to attend the Oxford City Council Area Planning Committee Meeting at St. Barnabas First School in order for the Principal to present our plans for the proposed Love Lane Student Accommodation building. The Councillors were very complimentary about the scheme and gave consent with an almost unanimous vote. The building with its additional 78 ensuite rooms, together with our existing accommodation, would be able to provide rooms for all students who wished to opt for College accommodation. There is also provision for a new JCR and MCR and other facilities on the ground floor, and in all represents a major step forward for the College. The Rick Mather design will allow for a generous amount of grassed area and tree cover to remain in that area of the College, and the proposed energy arrangements are based on heat exchange technology which has been used in many of his previous buildings. Meanwhile, the bread and butter of buildings-related work continues within the College, with more now being spent on the improvement of the estate than ever before. Much of this work is ‘hidden’ such as new boilers, roof repairs, and improvements to our IT networks, but we have also managed to achieve a lot of visible improvements to student accommodation both on the main site and in the annexes – and at the moment we are planning for significant increases to the maintenance and redecoration programme for the 2009 season. The books also continue to balance as far as our annual accounts are concerned, and the 2007-08 financial year ended with another (small) surplus. As with all colleges we watch with ‘interest’ the effect on our endowments of the recent financial turbulence, trying to second-guess what will happen next. In this respect it is almost comforting not to be so reliant on endowment for income as some of the older colleges – but it does mean that we need to ensure that other sources of income remain buoyant. It was therefore pleasing to see that our conference turnover grew again last year, and in particular the wedding trade was remarkably successful over the summer with 11 successful unions in all – an exhausting process for our accommodation and catering staff who nevertheless continue to receive excellent feedback from the happy couples. ●
The MCR’s location at the top of the tower is perhaps a fitting symbol of our contribution to the college – the centre
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M A NS FIEL D CO L L EGE M AG A Z I N E