Comments on: JCRCs and Athletic Union facing funding cuts

By: Alexios Mantzarlis

Alexios Mantzarlis — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:42:23 +0000

The meanders of the SU budget make for a riveting read, but the Computer Suite remains a ridiculous idea, as JCRC’s can easily and unexpensively get hold of programs to make ClubD or PlanetV posters.

Or, if you want to go ahead and have a room with Photoshop, Quark XPress, etcetera - then let it be open to all students. Black cards aren’t enough?

By: Matt Burton

Matt Burton — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:21:32 +0000

The Academic and Welfare budget’s main drop is money which was put in for ‘development’ last year as a one-time cost, which included the organisational review. As that isn’t occuring again, it isn’t in the budget and hence why you’re seeing such a drop.

That, joined with the agreement with the GSA to fund graduate right to choose costs, has meant that money has been freed up in the Academic and Welfare budget.

Last year we saw a surplus on the budget and so different areas received additional funding, above what they would normally receive. As we haven’t seen a surplus this year, these areas have seen some reductions.

Lets not also forget that the media budget has increased substantially!

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:05:20 +0000

It’s also worth noting that a large portion of the YUSU “Right to Choose” fund has been used for post-grads this year. As of next year, these costs will be picked up by the GSA, so part of the budget cut is actually a natural consequence of this.

By: Sam Bayley

Sam Bayley — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:11:17 +0000

Just to clarify, the computing suite came out of the 2007-8 budget, and isn’t proposed for 2008-9.

It was funded by both the societies equipment budget and JCRCs, in order to purchase some high-end computers and design software which isn’t available elsewhere on campus. The JCRC Treasurers sit on Finance Committee where the decision was taken.

Hopefully this will stop JCRCs and societies relying on their members in any given year for design software, so that the playing field is levelled!

As far as the AcWelf budget goes - bear in mind that some of this funding has been reallocated to other areas of the budget such as Central Services.

Hope that clarifies…

By: Alexios Mantzarlis

Alexios Mantzarlis — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:53:14 +0000

I’m ready to undercut Adobe and provide the JCRC with a copy of Photoshop at only £400.

deal?

- Jokes aside, how about, like J says, we spend the money on Academic and Welfare budget rather than on such ludicrous projects as a ‘Computer Suite’?

By: Chris Northwood

Chris Northwood — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:06:51 +0000

The GIMP is free (libre and gratis) software. OpenOffice.org is free (libre and gratis) software. What exactly is this £1000 being spent on? If it’s hardware, then what exactly is wrong with using the CompServ computing rooms?

By: J

Wed, 28 May 2008 18:06:49 +0000

Well, I guess now we know one of the effects of losing the Academic and Welfare Sabbatical - a cut of almost 20% in a core service.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:15:57 +0000

I think the idea is for the computer suite to have things like Photoshop, which is extremely expensive and actually saves money if all the JCRCs don’t have to buy copies themselves…

By: Alexios Mantzarlis

Alexios Mantzarlis — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:20:22 +0000

I’d just like to point out that it’s OUTRAGEOUS that the SU waste £1,000 on making a ‘computer suite for all JCRC Members’.

The JCRC Members I know are perfectly capable of using regular computers…