Cambridge SU began its formation in 2019, ready for a launch in July 2020 - we could never have guessed just how much student life, and the world, would have changed in that short time. Since the pandemic, we’ve been adjusting how we work to ensure that we’re meeting students where they are; some of these changes have been easier to implement than others.
After four years of adjustments, we’re ready to make some much needed changes. We’ve heard what you’ve said, read the press coverage, and seen the CamFess posts - and now we’re so excited to show you the new changes that embody student activism, engagement and participation as it is now.
Student Activism Flexibility
Student Activism will gain more flexibility with the transformation of SU Campaigns into student representative societies. The SU Campaigns, which include the BME Campaign, Class Act Campaign, Disabled Students’ Campaign, Ethical Affairs Campaign, International Students’ Campaign, LGBT+ Campaign and the Women’s Campaign, will be given greater flexibility and control of their own governing documents, this will allow them to run their own elections, design their own branding, manage their own money. Despite their new independence, they will remain supported through access to essential funding, ensuring that their important work can continue to thrive and make a lasting impact.
Engagement in student Campaigns built into the SU has been declining year on year, with feedback showing that being an arm of a registered charity is too restrictive for what the groups wanted to achieve.
Student Council
Student Council will see the introduction of some exciting new changes designed to enhance the overall experience and its effectiveness, particularly changes that are intended to provide more room for student-informed policies and vibrant debates. Additionally, the meetings will take place less frequently, with a more concise format to ensure they are shorter, more focused and respectful of everyone’s time. We hope these changes will result in the opportunity for more students to attend and be a part of meaningful discussions.
Officer Accountability
We will be changing the way that we approach Sabbatical Officer accountability, ensuring a more focused and comprehensive process. Accountability will no longer sit solely within Student Council, instead we are introducing a dedicated Scrutiny Panel. The Panel has been designed to provide a more detailed review of the work of Sabbatical Officers. This panel will comprise of a diverse group, including the chair of Student Council, an external Sabbatical Officer, 4 representatives who have been on their J/MCR and an additional student representative. This panel will report back to Student Council, creating an opportunity for a deeper, more meaningful assessment of the Sabbatical Officers work, which will ultimately enhance transparency and accountability across the board.
Sabbatical Officer structure
After comprehensive consultation with students, discussions with your JCR & MCR representatives and interviews with past Sabbatical Officers, we’re introducing our new Sabbatical Officer roles. We currently have the largest number of full-time paid sabbatical officers in the country and as part of this review have been reconsidering whether this is the most effective way to represent students. The proposed Sabbatical Officer structure will see a shift from 8 roles to 5. This will include the following positions:
- President (PG)
- President (UG)
- Vice President (Education & Widening Participation)
- Vice President (Student Community & Societies)
- Vice President (Liberation & Welfare)
This restructure represents the current demands within student life whilst also reflecting the size of the Union, and support needed to effectively take on the representative roles. Since its inception, Cambridge SU has always had at least one Sabbatical Officer leave their elected office before the end of their term in office; with fewer Officers, each individual will receive a greater level of support.
We are particularly excited to introduce a Vice President (Student Community & Societies). Societies are an integral part of the work we do and this new role will allow for a student-facing advocate for the value we know they add to student life. We feel these changes will allow the SU to elevate student voices in our activism through coordination and support.
We are really excited to implement these changes and encourage continuous feedback in order for us to make Cambridge SU truly work for you, the students.