Editing Cambridge Students' Union

{{Short description|Representative body for students at the University of Cambridge}}
{{Distinguish|Cambridge Union}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Students Union
| name               = Cambridge Students' Union
| image              = Cambridge su logo high res-39.png
| alt                = Logo of  Cambridge Students' Union
| motto              = 
| established        = 
* 1971 (as ''CSU'', later ''CUSU'')
* 2020 (as ''Cambridge SU'')
| institution        = [[University of Cambridge]]
| sabbs              = 
* President (UG): Sarah Anderson ([[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge|Fitzwilliam]])
* President (PG): Sumouli Bhattacharjee ([[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge|Fitzwilliam]])
* Access, Education & Participation (UG): Katie Clarke ([[Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge|Sidney Sussex]])
* Access, Education & Participation (PG): Neela Maadhuree ([[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens']])
* BME: Maroof Rafique ([[Darwin College, Cambridge|Darwin]])
* Disabled Students': Chalo Waya ([[St Catharine's College, Cambridge|St Catharine's]])
* Welfare & Community: Elleni Eshete ([[Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge|Lucy Cavendish]])
* Women's: Nowsha Farha ([[Hughes Hall, Cambridge|Hughes Hall]])
| location           = Students' Union, 3rd Floor University Centre, Granta Pl, Mill Lane,
Cambridge, CB2 1RU
| affiliated         = [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]], UKCISA
| free               = 
| homepage           = {{official URL}}
}}

'''Cambridge Students' Union''', known as '''Cambridge SU''', is the university-wide representative body for students at the [[University of Cambridge]], [[England]]. Its predecessor union was known as '''Cambridge University Students' Union''' or '''CUSU''' until its dissolution in July 2020.<ref name="welcome">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/news/article/jobs/Welcome-we-are-your-new-Students-Union/|title=Welcome, we are your new Students' Union!|website=Cambridge SU|language=en-US|access-date=2020-07-13}}</ref>

Cambridge SU should not be confused with the [[Cambridge Union Society]] (often referred to as simply 'the Union'); membership of both is open to all students at Cambridge, but the Cambridge Union Society is a private society, whereas all students at the University of Cambridge are automatically members of Cambridge SU (although they can opt-out), and Cambridge SU is partially funded by grants from the university.

Until 2020, graduate students at the University of Cambridge were eligible for membership of CUSU as well as the [[University of Cambridge Graduate Union]], specifically for graduate student affairs. In November 2019, students voted by referendum to dissolve both CUSU and the Graduate Union to form one student union, Cambridge SU.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cusu.co.uk/2019/11/22/cambridge-students-voted-yes-to-a-new-single-students-union/|title=Cambridge Students voted yes to a new single students’ union – CUSU|website=CUSU|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-22}}</ref> The new single Students' Union was established on 13 July 2020.<ref name="welcome" />

==History==
CUSU was founded as the Cambridge Students' Union (CSU) in 1971 to represent all higher education students studying in Cambridge, that is students attending the University of Cambridge plus undergraduates at CCAT (the then Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, which in 1993 became Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge, renamed to [[Anglia Ruskin University]] in 2005). CSU also represented students at Homerton College, then a separate teacher training college in the city.

CSU during its early years from 1971 to 1974 received support from CCAT Students' Union as CCATSU was from the 1960s the only large NUS-affiliated, and conventionally funded, students' union in Cambridge. CSU in turn supported CCATSU in its campaigns to get more student housing provided for CCAT degree students, a serious issue for the college by the early 1970s. CCATSU and CSU went their separate ways after 1974.

CSU was formally recognised by the University of Cambridge authorities on 25 May 1984 and renamed, following a student referendum in March 1985, as CUSU – Cambridge University Students Union. CSU's second president, in 1972, was [[Charles Clarke]], later a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Secretary of State for Education and Skills|Secretary of State for Education]] and [[Secretary of State for the Home Department|Home Secretary]].

There had been previous university-wide groups, such as CAMNUS (Cambridge [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|NUS]]), which was founded in 1964 by [[Gordon Heald]], [[Cyril Bibby|John Bibby]] and others. CAMNUS arranged certain university-wide student facilities, such as 'CAMNUS Coaches' (an end-of-term bus service to all parts of the country), and an inter-collegiate mail service.

Following a referendum of members of CUSU and the [[University of Cambridge Graduate Union]] in 2019, the two agreed to merge. The new union, Cambridge SU, was established in July 2020.<ref name="welcome" />

Between 2020 and 2024, Cambridge SU had seven ''SU Campaigns'', which were free to differ from the central SU on policy matters, with six of which representing a particular subset of students.  They were:
* LGBT+ ([[LGBT|Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender]])
* International Students' Campaign: international students
* Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Campaign: [[Black and minority ethnic]] students
* Women's Campaign, known as "WomCam" 
* Disabled Students' Campaign 
* Class Act, representing students from working-class and disadvantaged educational backgrounds
* Ethical Affairs Campaign, which leads Cambridge SU's work on ethical and environmental issues in the university and wider society

The Campaigns were dissolved in the 2024 Governance Review.<ref name="Review">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/news/article/cambridgesu/Change-at-yourSU/|title=What's Changing at Your SU|website=Cambridge SU|language=en-US|access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref>

==Officers==
Cambridge SU holds elections annually for 8 full-time officers, several part-time officers and a number of delegates to the [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]] (NUS) Annual Conference.

The full-time officers take a one-year sabbatical from their studies (or directly after they have graduated) and are:
*President (PG)
*President (UG)
*Access, Education and Participation Officer (PG)
*Access, Education and Participation Officer (UG)
*Disabled Students' Officer
*Welfare & Community Officer
*Women's Officer
*BME Officer

Cambridge SU is unusual in having 8 full time sabbatical roles, with this number placing it at the [[Sabbatical officer|highest end]] of all UK students' unions in terms of number of full-time, elected officers. This number is due to be reduced to five for 2025-26 onwards as part of the 2024 Governance Review.<ref name="Review">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/news/article/cambridgesu/Change-at-yourSU/|title=What's Changing at Your SU|website=Cambridge SU|language=en-US|access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref>

==Controversy==

In March 2006, the largest Cambridge college students' union, [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity College Students' Union]] voted to disaffiliate from CUSU for the academic year 2006/2007. Several other colleges were reported to be also considering the option.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/73 |title=Trinity reaffiliation greeted with “absolute apathy”; Varsity Online |publisher=Varsity.co.uk |access-date=2023-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523182524/https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/73 |archive-date=2023-05-23 }}</ref> Trinity College Students' Union reaffiliated in early 2007, following re-engagement work by the incumbent sabbatical officers. On 14 November 2010, both the JCR and MCR of [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi College]] disaffiliated, following a college-wide ballot in which 71% of undergraduates and 86% of postgraduates voted in favour of disaffiliation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/jcr/news/256|title=corpusJCR – News article<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=cam.ac.uk|access-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119074602/http://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/jcr/news/256#|archive-date=2014-01-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also, in November 2013 [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge|Gonville and Caius College]] disaffiliated following a referendum which saw a result of 213 votes for disaffiliation and 91 votes against.<ref>{{cite news|title=Caius votes to disaffiliate|url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/6577}}</ref>

In 2015 the university had to give CUSU a £100,000 bailout, but incumbent president Priscilla Mensah denied that this was due to financial mismanagement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/8926|title=CUSU in cash crisis|website=varsity.co.uk|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2015/10/02/cusu-cu-screwed-finances-goes-astray-57495|title=Another £100,000 please! CUSU is CU-Screwed after finance goes astray|date=2 October 2015|website=thetab.com|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

In 2019, CUSU presented a surplus budget, ending what the Union described as “a few difficult years in recent history” with regards to its financial situation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/17289|title=CUSU 2019–20 budget predicts surplus for first time in recent years|website=varsity.co.uk|access-date=1 April 2019}}</ref>

==Former officers==
Notable former officers and sabbaticals include:
* [[Charles Clarke]] ([[King's College, Cambridge|King's]]), former [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Norwich South (UK Parliament constituency)|Norwich South]] and [[Home Secretary]], President 1971–72
* [[Mike Gapes]] ([[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge|Fitzwilliam]]), former [[Labour and Co-operative]] and, subsequently, [[Change UK]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Ilford South (UK Parliament constituency)|Ilford South]], Secretary 1973
* [[Tom Hayhoe]] ([[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi]]), Chairman of [[West London NHS Trust]], President 1977–78
* [[David Lidington]] ([[Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge|Sidney Sussex]]), former [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Aylesbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Aylesbury]] and [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]], Deputy President 1977–78
* [[Natalie Ceeney]] ([[Newnham College, Cambridge|Newnham]]), senior civil servant and businessperson, President 1990–91
* [[Paul Lewis (journalist)|Paul Lewis]] ([[King's College, Cambridge|King's]]), journalist at [[The Guardian]], President 2002–03
* [[Wes Streeting]] ([[Selwyn College, Cambridge|Selwyn]]), [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Ilford North (UK Parliament constituency)|Ilford North]] and former President of the [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]] (NUS), President 2004–05
* [[Mark Fletcher (politician)|Mark Fletcher]] ([[Jesus College, Cambridge|Jesus]]), [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Bolsover (UK Parliament constituency)|Bolsover]], President 2007–09
* [[Lola Olufemi]] ([[Selwyn College, Cambridge|Selwyn]]), writer and activist, Women's Officer 2017–18

==Sabbatical Officers==
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the 8 Sabbatical Officer roles elected at Cambridge SU were: President (UG), President (PG), Access, Education and Participation Officer (UG), Access, Education and Participation Officer (PG), BME Officer, Disabled Students' Officer, Welfare and Community Officer, and Women's Officer.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Cambridge SU Sabbatical Officers 
|-
! Year !! President (UG)!! President (PG) !! Access, Education and Participation Officer (UG) !! Education and Participation Officer (PG) !! BME Officer !! Disabled Students' Officer !! Welfare and Community Officer !! Women's Officer 
|-
| 2020-21 <ref name="2020 Election">{{Cite web|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/18910|title=Few surprises in SU Sabbatical Officer elections, with only one role contested|access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref> || Ben Margolis || Aastha Dahal || Esme Cavendish || Siyang Wei || Howard Chae || Kerensa Gaunt || Alice Gilderdale || Chloe Newbold
|-
| 2021-22 <ref name="2021 Election">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/news/article/cambridgesu/Lent-Elections-Meet-Your-Winners/|title=Lent Elections: Meet Your Winners! |access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref> || Zak Coleman || Anjum Nahar || Zaynab Ahmed || Amelia Jabry || Tara Choudhury || Anna Ward || Ben Dalitz || Milo Eyre-Morgan
|-
| 2022-23 <ref name="2022 Election">{{Cite web|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/23303|title=Zaynab Ahmed elected SU President|access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref> || Zaynab Ahmed || Amelia Jabry || Neve Atkinson || Savannah Phillips || Kefeshe Bernard || Elia Chitwa || Daisy Thomas || Eseosa Akojie
|-
| 2023-24 <ref name="2023 Election">{{Cite web|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/25249|title=New SU president: ‘We’re in a pit and we’ve got to get out of it’|access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref> || Fergus Kirman || Vareesh Pratap || Caredig ap Tomos || Ani Perysinakis || Maroof Rafique || Ell Gardner-Thomas || Harvey Brown || Rosie Freeman
|-
| 2024-25 <ref name="2024 Election">{{Cite web|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/27233|title=Sarah Anderson wins SU presidency|access-date=2025-01-13}}</ref> || Sarah Anderson || Sumouli Bhattacharjee || Katie Clarke || Neela Maadhuree || Maroof Rafique || Chalo Waya|| Elleni Eshete || Nowsha Farha 
|}

In 2025, for the first time, 5 Sabbatical Officers were elected to serve (in 2025-26) in the new roles created in the 2024 Governance Review. These roles were: President (UG), President (PG), Vice-President (Education & Widening Participation), Vice-President (Liberation & Welfare), Vice-President (Student Community & Societies).

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Cambridge SU Sabbatical Officers 
|-
! Year !! President (UG)!! President (PG) !! Vice-President (Education & Widening Participation) !! Vice-President (Liberation & Welfare) !! Vice-President (Student Community & Societies) 
|-
| 2025-26 <ref name="2025 Election">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/news/article/cambridgesu/Leadership-Elections-Results-Announced/|title=Leadership Elections: Results Announced|access-date=2025-03-18}}</ref> || Matthew Copeman || Augustin Denis || Jessica Asiedu-Kwatchey || Melanie Benedict || Olivia Ledger
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{Aldwych Group}}
{{University of Cambridge}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Organisations associated with the University of Cambridge|Students' Union]]
[[Category:Student organizations established in 1971]]
[[Category:Students' unions in England]]