Corpus Vote To Disaffiliate From CUSU

71% of Corpus undergrads and 86% of postgrads have voted to disaffiliate from CUSU.

Following last week’s news that Selwyn, Corpus and Queens’ students are considering disaffiliation from CUSU, Corpus finally went to the polls last night.

Two open meetings were held, in which 71% of Corpus undergrads and 86% of postgrads voted for disaffiliation.

The meetings took place after a vote that decided Corpus’ JCR should actively promote disaffiliation, in order to provide balance to the arguments put forward by CUSU for continued affiliation.

The current system involves a two-tier membership. Students are freely affiliated as individuals, and pay £6.70 to be affiliated through their college’s JCR.

Corpus JCR representatives stand with former CUSU president Tom Chigbo and current president Rahul Mansigani at a protest last year against increased rents and costs imposed by the college.

Even if a college’s JCR disaffiliate from CUSU, students retain individual membership.

Corpus’ JCR President, Rhys Grant, explained: “The JCR Committee were divided, as some could see benefits to remaining affiliated to CUSU, but these were pretty much all benefits relating to a student’s individual membership.

“When we tried to look for the benefits of a JCR’s membership to CUSU, we couldn’t find that many, and we haven’t received those that CUSU advertise (such as welfare support and help with petitions) in the last few years, when the JCR has needed CUSU’s support and approached them for it.”

He added: “It’s surprising CUSU hasn’t produced a thorough document as to why JCRs and MCRs should remain affiliated before now considering the number of colleges that have discussed disaffiliation over the last few years.”

A JCR email that Corpus’ students received last week stated: “The JCR pays £2,800 for affiliation to CUSU each year.

“This is more than 10% of our entire budget, but only amounts to approximately 0.6% of CUSU’s annual budget.

“If the JCR disaffiliate, this £2,800 can be used to find sports, societies, JCR events, the running of JCR events etc. as the JCR so wishes.”

Corpus student Bryony Clarke told The Tab: “In the end, I think it was a no-brainer for many!”