A self-righteous model citizen since as long as I can remember, it is little surprise that I quickly became attached to the bureaucratic rituals of General Meetings (GMs), committees, and elections when I entered my college community. It is also equally unsurprising that few others seem to share my enthusiasm. I’ve found myself part of a small core of my JCR who still care about JCR politics – those who fulfill a minimum requirement of simply turning up to things. Needless to say, the bar is low. Of this committed few, the majority are existing or prospective members of the committee, with just a handful of non-committee members practising consistent engagement with the business of the JCR, let alone engaging with it at all.
The committed core comprises a group of politically engaged individuals who instinctually feel the gravity of civic duty and positive change through political institutions, even those institutions as seemingly low stakes as a college common room. We joke self-consciously about our own prominence in the political fixtures of the JCR, and uncomfortably reflect that the democracy we purport to be sustaining does not feel very democratic at all.
I witnessed this crisis of participation, in my JCR’s committee elections for the coming year. There were no candidates for key welfare roles such as international, LGBTQ+, and disabilities officers, leaving us with glaring vacancies in our committee. It is easy to take them for granted, but committee officers perform vital roles for their JCR, frequently tending to issues like housing, sports, access and admissions, reimbursement for health and hygiene products, and organising BOPs – issues and events affecting us all.
Poor attendance of GMs is a second manifestation of the participation crisis, caused by a much broader disengagement across JCRs. Last term, I was shocked when my JCR failed to attract enough attendants to meet quorum for a meeting needed to pass an important motion about housing which would impact the most of the student body. The convenience of online voting means that even GMs with an apparently high turnout have much lower genuine in-person attendance. When only a fraction of those voting are actually present, the purpose of the meetings seems to be eroded: discussions are short and sparse, and the resulting decisions often feel arbitrary.
I will concede that the ordinary business of JCRs is scarcely revolutionary and far from thrilling. GM agendas are usually filled with a predictable mix of funding requests for student plays and JCR amenities, with the odd constitutional tweak on the table, or occasionally a statement to be made online. Admittedly, JCRs have very little de facto power within their own domain, and even less political impact on the wider world. It is not difficult to see why so many students view college politics as a pointless activity, and perhaps it is for this reason that they do not consider it worth their time or energy to get involved.
Political disillusionment is also a phenomenon which is well-documented beyond college walls. The nation seems to be tending towards apathy in unison – arguably the strongest point of consensus in an increasingly divided society. That this sentiment should pervade student politics too is only natural; in a world where many of us feel a lack of agency, politics can begin to seem fruitless on any scale.
In spite of this, the cycle of apathy can be broken. To do so, it is important to recognise the great things which college politics do have the potential to achieve. Search past Cherwell headlines for the word “JCR”, and you will find a plethora of instances of JCRs coming together to challenge controversial University policies and critique the misconduct of college leadership. Whistleblowing powerful institutions is an essential undertaking, and students are in a uniquely advantageous position to hold their college or the University accountable. JCRs also have an exceptional capacity to make tangible improvements to student life as a result of their often close relationships with college administration, from negotiating housing prices down, to advocating for underrepresented individuals, and providing peer welfare support.
So whilst I can easily understand the view that college politics affords little reward for the time it demands, I do not think it is a pointless pursuit. Let’s not pretend that JCR politics is designed to reach far into the politics of the outside world, but instead acknowledge the meaningful impact it can have on a local scale, improving the everyday lives of their students. In summary, allow me to moralise: do not overlook the work our committee officers do for us, nor underestimate the power of a well-argued GM motion. Our active participation is the essential ingredient in breaking the cycle of political apathy, and we owe it to each other to keep looking to the future.
