Jesus College officials have caved in under mounting pressure to reduce their student accommodation rent fees, striking a deal with JCR President Ant Bagshaw to lower rents for what is believed to be the first time in the University’s history. The agreement was reached after Bagshaw contacted Varsity to publicise the details of “personal victimisation” and troublesome ongoing negotiations with senior staff.

Last term, Bagshaw, in his then capacity as Treasurer, and ex-JSCU President Mark Fletcher, were approached by the Domestic Bursar Martin Collins to discuss both undergraduate and graduate room rents. At this point it was agreed on both sides that an outdated system of rating rooms on a 6 to 25 point “amenity scale” would be replaced with a simpler five band system. Bagshaw and Fletcher believed that an agreement had also been reached to secure Jesus room rents at 90 per cent of the market rate for similar rooms on the mainstream rental market.

As JCR treasurer last term, and JCR president since the beginning of the Christmas vacation, Bagshaw has been involved in negotiations over a rent deal worth £6 million to students over a five year period. Extended periods of negotiation have seriously impinged on his academic studies, and he has been unable to work towards his degree since negotiations started in December. He was angered when it seemed that suddenly “the terms of play had changed”. “We’re talking about my degree here”, he said.

the process would not be helped by conducting [discussions] through the pages of Varsity

Members of Jesus’ senior management team attempted to change the terms of the deal last week, less than three weeks before the college room ballot. Bagshaw was granted a meeting with Senior Bursar, Stephen Barton, but his request to be accompanied to the meeting by Ashley Aarons, CUSU Services Officer, was denied. Mark Fletcher condemned the ruling against a CUSU presence as “ridiculous”, believing that it “heavily implied that the College has something to hide.” Mark Ferguson, CUSU President, told Varsity that “It is our belief that if a JCR President wishes to have a CUSU representative, or any other member external to the college, present with them to give help, then they should be allowed to do so”.

When contacted on Tuesday this week, Senior Bursar Barton said of the rent issue, “Discussions are still continuing (and have not yet reached a point where a proposal can go to the College Council,) and I think the process would not be helped by conducting them through the pages of Varsity.” However, by Wednesday afternoon a compromise had been reached, thought to be securing student rents in the region of 95 per cent of the market rate. This is a considerable decrease by Bagshaw to the 105 per cent rate that Jesus rents currently stand at. He said “It’s been very difficult to forget the previous provisional agreement” but conceded “this is a good enough compromise”. He added “Varsity did get him riled”.

While pleased with the agreement, Mark Fletcher said, “The negotiations have been handled really badly, with misinformation and petty games; the CUSU representation argument is just one part of that”.

Despite pressure not to publicise the matter outside of the college, Bagshaw released a statement after the agreement had been reached, saying “It’s very difficult when the college makes, annually, a substantial financial loss to convince the powers-that-be not to place that burden on the undergraduates… Rents should never be used to plug gaps left by insufficient government funding for our education.”

The proposal, if it is to be implemented at Jesus, must now be passed by the University Bursarial Committee on Monday February 5. If the motion is passed, the changes should come into effect in time for the room ballot at the college next week.

Nikki Burton