My name is Jamie and I am running for the post of KCSU treasurer in the upcoming election.

I hope to convince you that I am an appropriate candidate for this position and that my policies will work to improve your welfare as a student. Many students are devoted to the societies with which they are affiliated, and many others float between societies. Students prosper when societies do. I am devoted to working with you to promote this common cause by reforming the way the treasurer operates. Below, I outline my manifesto.

Full Transparency over Financial Information Significant financial information will be posted frequently on the KCSU website. Currently, updates are only yearly and provide an incomplete accounting statement encompassing the approved KCSU budget and the approved SFC budget. At the end of both statements it is noted that the surplus is an illusion, due to insufficient information being published. KCSU owes its student members FULL transparency over financial issues and this can and will be amended. It is easy to be confused about financial information and although the website will be structured as to keep information in context, I realize that this is not always possible. To counter this, I propose a termly open meeting where students can share with me any worries over finances and I will sit down and discuss with them their concerns. I will be completely open to ANY questions over ALL financial information and will meet any student upon request. (E-mail: JS989) I will fight for more transparency from college over financial matters that are important to students. A huge example of a failure in this respect is the hike in formal ticket prices this year. Tutorial have not, and are not disclosing a detailed explanation for this, leaving students in the blue and less well off this year. Another example is the termly catering subsidy. I am committed to improving transparency. The relationship between KCSU and college is integral to achieving the goal of full transparency. KCSU Helping Societies As treasurer, I will promote finding innovative solutions to improve student welfare with, frankly, an austerity ridden KCSU and SFC budget. Forcing societies to make an independent effort to search for other funding is unproductive for all parties involved and undermines the KCSUs relationship with them. The KCSU has the facility to HELP societies, both large and small, achieve complimentary, external funding through university grants and sponsors. I say complimentary because I intend to increase overall funding for societies, and not reduce KCSUs fundamental obligation to fund societies in aggregate. KCSU has a mandate (as defined in the Revised Financial Agreement between KCSU and KCGS the grad society) to allocate at least 50% of its gross income to the Societies Funding Committee and I do not intend to change that. I do, however, wish to close the gap between Kings lack of society sponsors and those of other colleges. In 2011/2012, two societies: the boat club and KMKA used 48% of KCSUs allocated societies budget. Imagine the benefit to student life that would come about if external funding allowed a significant proportion of the budget to be freed up and reallocated as to maximize student welfare.

Streamlining the Bidding Process Improving student welfare with a limited budget is easier said than done. It requires a process. It is evident that a needs based funding system (as currently used) isnt achieving this goal. Neither is a completely representational based funding process. We must recognize that different societies will inevitably incur different levels of cost and that the latter (mentioned) system does not incorporate this idea. We must also recognize that a society taking up a large proportion of the SFC budget but representing a low proportion of students is inefficient. I will introduce a solution to this problem. I will set up an online poll aimed at gauging student interest in each and every society. This will be introduced at the beginning of Michaelmas and really helps to involve freshers in the process, something that the current system fails to achieve. All societies will be required to disclose, termly, the quantity of their members. These two surveys will help to evaluate a cost to representation ratio that can be used to encourage the least strained societies to try to increase their representation. Understanding that some societies are inevitably financially strained given KCSUs budget is integral to deciding how to allocate funds that may be freed up as a result of increased sponsor involvement. Consistent, Minimalist and Essential Policies I will endeavor to reimburse societies in the shortest time possible. Keeping policies simple and effective avoids miscommunication and potential error. By adopting a strategy that cuts out nonessential policies, it is much easier to maintain good relationships between the treasurer, societies and the rest of the Exec. Freshers Very few freshers currently have a say in the allocation of the budget. By introducing the above mentioned poll, their interests will be the basis for looking more accurately at which societies are most valued by the college and thus, how funding may be allocated to them. Furthermore, I will strive to increase awareness of the SFC and the funding process to freshers.