Clare College is advertising for the role of external bar supervisor at Clare Cellars, raising concerns among students who work there.

Varsity has spoken to two student bar workers at the Cellars who claim that the proposed change threatens the student-run nature of the bar.

The bar committee was not consulted prior to the college’s decision to advertise for an external bar supervisor, and were told just last week by the college that the process was underway.

One student bar worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the decision came as a surprise to all bar workers.

“There have been problems before but we all thought that the running was going smoothly and therefore did not justify the employment of a supervisor.”

They added: “The whole point of having student workers and a committee is so that they can have a collaborative role with the college to make sure the bar runs smoothly. Not involving us in such decisions undermines this entirely.”

The role of the external bar supervisor is advertised online, with the duties described as managing the student bar workers, organising rotas, ordering stock and managing event bookings.

One student-bar worker said that such a role “would result in fewer committee roles and therefore inevitably less student control in the bar”.

Another added: “The thing is that we are students but also adults. Many of us have hospitality jobs at home and are trusted with certain responsibilities.”

“The fact of having an external person present in the bar feels to us quite patronising. We know how to do our jobs. This is not just a hobby, we are getting paid for it. It feels like we are not really being treated as adults.”

They added: “It’s important to emphasise how central the bar is to the social life and culture of Clare.

It’s not just a bar where people buy drinks. It has real importance to the college, and this decision feels like it is trying to stop that.”

One student acknowledged that an external bar supervisor may be needed in terms of organisation and safety saying: “they would provide continuity which is not provided as the bar committee changes every year” but the committee “has shown that they are very well organised”

According to one student, the bar committee has met with college leadership to express concerns over the proposed changes. In the meeting, it was concluded that the Bar Supervisor job is necessary for reasons of continuity, and for ensuring the licence agreement is adhered to. However, the college agreed that the committee will have a role in selecting the successful candidate, and will be able to communicate with the college regarding things that they want to stay the same in Cellars.

The student added: “It's good that the college is being responsive to our concerns, but still sad that this has had to happen.”