MCR Elections

Elections to the MCR Executive Committee are held in Michaelmas term of each academic year, usually early in November.

The secretary to the MCR Committee will open nominations two weeks before elections. Notice of this will be given over the mailing-list. Submit your nomination form (i.e. any piece of paper bearing your name, two supporting signatures from MCR members and a sentence to say that you want to stand). The elections are then held over two days and the results usually announced at the MCR Black Tie dinner in November. All posts run until the following November, but those on one year courses may still be elected and a bye-election will be held when they leave.

The committee must have a President (who is elected separately, and is usually a member of the previous committee, although this is not a requirement), a Junior Treasurer and a Secretary. Customarily the other positions are Welfare, Computer (also elected separately) and Social Secretaries. All candidates except the President and Computer Officer are elected to the committee on a majority basis and the distribution of positions depends largely on the interests of the successful candidates.

President: gets to go to lots of "exciting" meetings in college, more importantly gets to go to loads of free dinners and drinks parties. Takes the rap when the social secs organise illegal parties/admit to having organised illegal parties during after dinner speeches. Generally coordinates everybody else and does their job if they are ill, away, skiving etc.. Buys the drinks....

Secretary: Gets to go to lots of exciting meetings as well! Does the minutes for the meetings and is returning officer for the elections. Takes over if the president is away.

Treasurer: Has lots of fun organising your MCR part of the college bill. A good person to get to know and buy drinks for. Regularly restrains the ideas of the social secs to hold wild parties.

Welfare & Accommodations Officer: The exact workload of this position depends on the housing/catering/grant papers being proposed by college. Some years it is relatively light, while in other years you could be trying to persuade college to reduce graduate rent rises or provide greater facilities for married graduates.

Social Secs x3: Organises all the dinners, exchanges, parties, black tie dinners etc. One social sec for external college events such as exchanges; the others for internal events.

Women's Officer: Provides information for and looks after the welfare of the female graduate students in Emmanuel. Participates in discussions and activities concerning women's issues at a University-wide level.

Green Officer: Tries to keep us all from wrecking the planet before we graduate. Works with College to promote new eco-friendly initiatives.

Computer Officer: Spends his/her life updating the Emma webpage (amongst the most advanced of its type in Cambridge) and mailing list. Familiarity with HTML and PHP/ MySQL (or willingness to acquire one) is essential.

Although each job obviously has its particular responsibilities the whole committee helps out at MCR dinners and other big events.

Being part of the MCR committee is a good laugh and you also get to put some effort back into College life.

• You enjoyed freshers week and MCR stuff since then.
• You like organising parties/piss ups etc.. and want to get more involved in the College, learn the names of the porters/chefs, get keys to the cellars, ride in the Master's porsche...
• You fancy meeting a whole new bunch of people and get dragged to lots of events kicking and screaming.
• You think you can do better than the outgoing MCR committee.
• You're politically motivated or want to be the next Jeremy Paxman.
• You like standing up and making a pratt of yourself in front of 120 people.

• You just want points on the CV.
• You haven't got the time to spare because you are a:
  • Blues rower
  • Manic workaholic
  • Manic socialite with 5,000 engagements each week.