COMMUNITY POLICIES:
The University of Cambridge Mature Student Society (MSS) is…
… dedicated to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members. To ensure a positive experience for everyone in our large and diverse community, please follow these guidelines, including on WhatsApp:
• The Open Forum and the Weekly Newsletter: The Open Forum is for social interaction, asking pertinent questions and sharing helpful resources; it is very active... some might say overwhelming! The MSS weekly newsletter offers a more manageable summary of upcoming events as does the Events page on this website.
• WhatsApp subgroups: There are many subgroups; you can join or leave at any time depending on your interests. Once you join, you’ll be able to view the group description to learn more about its aims, guidelines, and moderation rules.
• Posting: Keep in mind that our members come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, so please engage with kindness and mutual respect. The Open Forum welcomes one-time posting of University and non-commercial Cambridge events. Political events belong in the MSS Notifications group (for further explanation, see below). There are subgroups for music, films/theatre, and books that may be the most appropriate place for a given event.
• General WhatsApp Guidelines: Please use real, full names as much as possible. Nicknames are understandable, especially if that’s what everyone calls you! Hiding your identity, however, is discouraged, especially for those posting events. It is fine to message MSS Committee members with suggestions or concerns, and to respond to individuals when invited (e.g., “I’m selling my formal ticket for tonight. DM me if interested.”), or to carry on a conversation by mutual agreement. Otherwise, please do not send unsolicited private messages. What appears to the sender to be a harmless compliment to the receiver can seem threatening and intimidating.
• Political Content: MSS maintains political neutrality to ensure that our members are not placed in a position of implied political alignment. Therefore, political statements and calls for action (canvassing for votes, signing petitions, boycotts, joining rallies etc.) should be kept outside the MSS community, no matter how universal the cause. Political talks and discussions may be advertised in the MSS Notifications group, but posts with calls for action will be removed, and you will receive a private message explaining why. For further information on this, please see the LEGAL NOTICE (below or right).
• Other Content: We are a community of Cambridge students and their partners and families. Events by and for this group are very welcome, even more so if the poster is involved (for instance, a talk at a college or a Sunday walk to Grantchester). The sale of tickets (for instance, spare tickets for a concert in London) belongs in the MSS Marketplace. Blatantly commercial content will be removed from the Open Forum.
• Images: Please be considerate when posting memes, photos, etc. Images depicting violence or implied violence are prohibited, as is anything of a sexual nature. Remember that long videos eat up memory on the phones of everyone in the chat!
• Check the Newsletter: Before asking a question on the Open Forum, please check the Weekly Newsletter: it may already have the information you need. Also, consider searching the Forum for previous posts. If you do not get the newsletter, and would like to, please email your CRSid to the email address below.
• Direct concerns appropriately: If your question relates to a specific matter, consider reaching out to the relevant MSS Committee member before posting in the Open Forum.
LEGAL NOTICE:
The Mature Student Society is a neutral and non-aligned body. We do not host, endorse, or disseminate political advocacy, activism, or content that assigns fault, condemnation, or support to any nation, group, public figure, or cause.
Event notices are permitted only where they are purely informational and do not require MSS to adopt or appear to adopt a position. This applies uniformly. The fact that a speaker or topic is contentious does not, in itself, render a notice impermissible; the determining factor is whether the post carries political argument or mobilisation. Where it does, it will be removed.
These requirements are non-negotiable and exist to preserve the Society’s neutrality and ensure that no member is placed in a position of implied political alignment.
We also reserve the right to remove people from our community. This includes people using the Open Forum simply to push pre-prepared content that breaks our rules (see above). It also includes people making unsolicited DM approaches to members.
If you have a query regarding Community Policies ask a member of the MSS Committee. Queries made publicly with the intention of generating debate will be ignored and potentially removed.