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ELECTIONS

MICHAELMAS TERM ELECTIONS INFORMATION (2021-2022) 

Being on the committee is a fun and rewarding challenge! If you’re on the fence, there’s a list of reasons to run at the bottom of this page.

Even if you’re not interested in running, it is vital that everyone votes! So please read through the election emails and the attached documents to stay informed.

If you have any questions, make sure to attend the MCR Committee & Election Information Sessions or please contact the MCR President or Executive Graduate Tutor, who is the returning officer for the Michaelmas elections.

Position descriptions can be found here >> Committee positions descriptions (not all positions are open, please make sure to check the open positions on this site below)

The positions that are currently open for nominations are: 

  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Comms officer
  • Social Secretary (x4)
  • Welfare Officer
  • Green Officer
  • LGBT+ Officer*
  • BAME Officer**
  • General Members (if you are unsure which of the roles would work best for you!)

*The position of LGBT+ Officer must be filled by a member who self-identifies as LGBT+

**The position of BAME Officer must be filled by a member who self-identifies as BAME

Timeline: 

Michaelmas Election timeline:

  • October 11th (Mon) – Nominations open.
  • October 14th (Thu) – Information session at 7PM on Zoom (please refer to your email on how to join).
  • October 22nd (Fri) – Nominations will close at 9pm. Please send your nominations until this time!
  • October 25th (Mon) – Voting opens at 9am. Information on how to vote will be sent directly to you so please keep your eyes peeled!
  • October 26th (Tue) – Voting closes at 9pm.
  • October 27th (Wed) – Results to be announced by the end of the day.
  • October 28th (Thu) – Voting re-opens for positions which remain unelected.
  • November 4th (Thu)– First committee meeting at the MCR at 6pm. Please ensure you are available on this day!

Process:

How to run for a position:

All full members of the MCR, that is, all graduates registered at Murray Edwards College (as well as affiliated graduates and certain mature undergraduates) are eligible to stand at the MCR elections.

  • Make sure you know what the position involves (if you are not sure, have a look at the Committee positions open for election and/or ask one of the current office holders)
  • Find a proposer and a seconder (i.e. two other current Murray Edwards grads who support your nomination).
  • Write a short manifesto about yourself and about why you would like to run for this particular position (no longer than half a page please!)
  • E-mail the Executive Graduate Tutor (alex.piotrowski@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk) & cc MCR President (mcr-president@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk) and Vice-President
    (mcr-vicepresident@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk) with a single pdf document consisting of
    • your name
    • your CRSid
    • the position you would like to run for and 
    • your manifesto (no longer than half a page please)
    • name & CRSid of your proposer
    • name & CRSid of your seconder 

If you are interested in two positions, please send us the full nomination for BOTH, and indicate CLEARLY which one is your first choice.

Why run for a position?

There are lots of good reasons to run for a position… we’d encourage anyone to give it a go!

  • It’s fun! You have so much freedom and resources to organise great  activities. Plus, you get to work closely with your lovely committee.
  • Develop professional and life skills that will serve you no matter what you do in the future.
  • Contribute to your community by responding to students’ needs. The students’ well-being depends on a committee made up of enthusiastic, dedicated, and creative members.
  • It’s empowering! In such a small community, your voice and actions  on the committee can lead to direct, immediate, and concrete outcomes.
  • Learn how an administrative system works. The committee is a  microcosm of all the other administrative systems that surround you. Plus, you’ll see the inner workings of college, which can be unexpectedly interesting and eye-opening.
  • Test out leadership. No experience? No problem! Being on the   committee is a great opportunity to dip your toes in leadership in a   relatively low-pressure context, so you can see how you like it.
  • Let’s be real, it looks great on your CV. And with good reason: it   shows that you’ve developed useful skills and are capable of committing to responsibilities. You can also ask for a formal letter of reference from the MCR/college to document your hard work.
  • It’s a challenge and a big responsibility, and at the end of the  day, that’s what makes it so satisfying.

See more about getting involved and get the opinion of past committee members by checking out this page from the Graduate Handbook 2020-2021!

What happens next?

After nominations close, the Executive Graduate Tutor/MCR President will send all nominations and manifestos to the whole graduate community.

You will then have 24 hours to decide who you would like to vote for before the election starts. The actual election is conducted by online ballot (all graduates will receive an e-mail about this) and votes can be cast for another 24 hours. The Executive Graduate Tutor will inform the newly elected MCR members and the wider graduate community of the election results shortly afterwards. If you have any further questions about the position roles and/or election procedure, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the MCR president at mcr-president@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk.

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