Governance
- Elections and how to join the DCSA
- General meetings
- Constitution
- Budget (and forms)
- Document archive
Elections and how to join the DCSA
Being on the DCSA Executive Committee is a great way to get more involved in College life. The DCSA Executive Committee consists of up to 20 volunteering PhD and MPhil students. Executive Committee members are primarily elected to their positions in the Easter and Michaelmas DCSA elections.
The Committee is responsible for various activities, including organising events, looking after the welfare of students, managing the DCSA budget (including budget allocations for sports clubs and societies), and is there to listen to and voice any concerns from any DCSA member. Executive committee members represent the concerns and interests of the student body at Darwin both internally to Fellows and staff of College, and externally to such bodies as the GU (Graduate Union), CUSU (Cambridge University Student Union), and NUS (National Union of Students).
There are roles to suit everyone and each post has a different workload commitment, so whether you want to be heavily involved or have less time to spare, there is sure to be a role suited for you. Being on is also a wonder way to meet a lot of new people – not only on the Committee, but through all the events. Election manifestos from previous year can be found here.
General Meetings
General Meetings happen three times a year and are an opportunity for all DCSA members to participate. Any current DCSA member can propose (with a seconder) a motion to be voted upon by the members present at the General Meeting, which is the supreme decision making body of the DCSA. The GMs are also when election hustings take place during Michealmas and Easter Terms. Motions and minutes from previous meetings can be found here
The minutes from the regular and general Executive Committee meetings detail the discussions that happen between the DCSA officers at every EC meeting, which are held roughly every fortnight, and where can be traced back the resolutions passed by the Executive Committee at said meetings. They are prepared by the Secretary and Vice-President of the DCSA and are published online.
Constitution
The Constitution is the main body of legislature that governs how the DCSA runs. The Constitution includes:
- Aims and Objectives of the DCSA
- Description and Regulation of DCSA officers
- Executive Committee and General Meetings
- Indemnity, Accounts, Budget and May Ball Oversight
- Regulations pertaining Clubs and Societies
- Power to draw up Rules and Amendments
You can find the Constitution of the DCSA at this link. You will also find the Drawn-up Rules. These were drawn by the EC committee 2018/19 and include additional rules about the budget, elections/referenda, initiation of societies, and the participation in and running of general meetings.
Budget
At the following link, you can find all the documents relating to the Budget. You can find documents about past and the current budget.
Budget Forms
Here you will find all the forms that you may need for DCSA financial matters including reimbursement and invoice claims.
Here is a short description of the most relevant forms:
- Reimbursement claim: Use this if you have spent money out of your own pocket and want a reimbursement cheque in your name.
- Invoice claim: Use this if you need the DCSA to pay an invoice to a professional entity, other college, or person other than yourself.
Document archive
Please find below a collection of links to all documents pertaining to the running of the DCSA.