Despite our intense focus on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on students, Cambridge SU has managed to achieve some immense victories for undergraduates this year.
Despite our intense focus on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on students, Cambridge SU has managed to achieve some immense victories for undergraduates this year.
The campaign for the university to introduce a reading week really took off this year, with Ben (UG President) leading the charge. The SU proposal was drafted after extensive consultation with students and staff, and was greeted by an overwhelming vote in favour at the SU’s annual All Members’ Meeting, as well as with positivity by university-level committees. The university’s establishment of a reading week working group to produce a practical proposal for implementation is a milestone achievement that will pave the way towards restructuring the term at Cambridge.
Supporting and empowering students has been key to our work this year. We’ve supported the welfare of students on rent strike at various different colleges and fought to ensure grade release for double-time students, meaning that they will receive their marks every year. Our annual NSS boycott was also conducted with great success, with lots of students getting involved in campaigning, and we further gathered student opinion to help shape the future of assessment at the university.
Additionally, we’ve been working to strengthen systems of student representation. Our research into academic reps’ experiences of negotiating exam mitigations has resulted in the university giving us the green light to work on a set of standards for student engagement which will be consistently adopted across all faculties and departments. We have also negotiated for the university to establish a BPA Access and Participation Working Group, which will have dedicated spots for current students.
The SU also pulled off major projects while navigating the shift to virtual delivery. Freshers’ Week, the Shadowing Scheme and the Student-Led Teaching Awards all moved online this year, proving at least as rewarding as they were challenging. A virtual open day for disabled students has been organised for mid-July, which is to be the first event of its kind at the university.
Promoting the student voice has been at the heart of our work this year and we are excited to hand over to a new team of dedicated officers!