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| ===The Constitution=== | | ===The Constitution=== |
| James responded to the criticism about his handling of the URY in bars issue with a people email, which explained: | | James responded to the criticism about his handling of the URY in bars issue with another email to the "people" list, using the constitution to defend his actions. It was his opinion that the document did not include any guidance as to how the society should make decisions, or forbid him from doing so alone should he see fit. At the time (and probably the case through most of YSTV's history) the constitution existed as a set of guidelines and some protection against negligence on the part of the officership. To use it as a means-to-an-end or as justification for one's actions was not a common action, and the use of the constitution in this manner was not well received. When this was brought up he mentioned an example of a decision he made to relinquish the shared office in Vanbrugh college, which he took after consulation with senior officers but made the eventual decision himself. He said he saw decisions like this as part of his remit and that he would continue to make decisions like this in the society's interest. This was seen as not only confrontational but unncessarily defensive given that such "disputes" in recent history of YSTV would normally be sorted out over a pint in Goodricke bar, not by using the constitution as a defence. |
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| ''Some people have made it clear that they do not think it was my place to make such a decision. I had checked in the constitution, which makes no reference whatsoever to how we should make decisions. Neither does our policy document or the YUSU constitution.''
| | It was at this point real concerns began to emerge about the choice the society had made for [[Station Director]], given that the issues highlighted were unlikely to go away. [[Richard Ash]] and [[Rowan de Pomerai]] both voiced their concerns to James via email, with Rowan in particular concerned about how defensive he was becoming and the lack of consultation from him over major issues. In response James repeatedly stated it was his job to uphold the constitution - something that had rarely troubled previous [[Station Directors]] who had been more concerned with making telly and attracting new members. |
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| He argued that a decision needed to be made quickly and that it was his place to make it. Some agreed, some did not. However the use of the constitution to justify his actions was not perhaps the greatest move with regard to keeping other members and officers on side. At the time (as I suspect is the case through most of YSTV's history) the constitution was essentially there as a set of guidelines and some protection against negligence on the part of the officership. To use it as a weapon or as justification for one's actions was not a common action, and was seen by some as overly defensive. James clearly felt attacked, as is evidenced by the following paragraph:
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| ''When first in the job, I was asked if we wanted to keep our office in Vanbrugh. I didn't go through a station meeting. I asked senior officers what they thought, but took the decision myself - that we didn't need it. If other issues which are part of my remit come up, I will do the same. I have to do what's right for YSTV, which I have done and will always do. I haven't broken our policy, our constitution or YUSU's constitution. I haven't done anything wrong.''
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| Once again, certain wording irritated some members (referring to a YSTV officership as a 'job'), while getting on the defensive (''I haven't done anything wrong'') simply brought the question of whether he had or had not acted wrongly to a new audience of people who were not previously aware of the issue but who read people emails.
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| Richard replied to this email and said he felt James was seeming ''seeming arrogant and control freakish, not to mention completely unrepntant[sic]''. Rowan meanwhile contacted James, saying: | |
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| ''As your 'deputy' at YSTV, but far more importantly as your friend, I feel it's worth saying something to you about your email of this morning... I understand that you wanted to clarify and that you wanted to defend your position, but you came across to me as very defensive (almost aggressive-defensive) which seems odd considering no-one was really attacking you (to my knowledge at least), merely expressing concern at your actions... The more worrying bit of this paragraph was "On normal issues, it would be the station meeting that would make a decision. But this is not an everyday issue. A decision had to made." The fact is that this is a long term issue... As you yourself said, this is a matter affecting the whole society, so surely you would think it sensible to consult as many people in the society as possible?!''
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| In responses to Rowan, James repeatedly stated that he saw his job first and foremost as upholding the constitution, and appeared to put this as almost a single priority, irrespective of other duties such as working with and speaking to other members. His perspective on the seriousness of certain issues was certainly out of line with Rowan's own; ''But if a decision needs to be taken, and the constitution says I have to take it, then I will. I'm the one who would go to prison if things go wrong.'' Rowan did not see how URY's audio being in campus bars would cause anyone to go to prison. | |
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| ===Leadership Style=== | | ===Leadership Style=== |