Cambridge Students' Union

Last updated

Cambridge Students' Union
Institution University of Cambridge
LocationStudents' Union, 3rd Floor University Centre, Granta Pl, Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RU
Established
  • 1971 (as CSU, later CUSU)
  • 2020 (as Cambridge SU)
Sabbatical officers
Affiliations National Union of Students, UKCISA
Website cambridgesu.co.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

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. [1]

Contents

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. [2] The new single Students' Union was established on 13 July 2020. [1]

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 MP, Secretary of State for Education and Home Secretary.

There had been previous university-wide groups, such as CAMNUS (Cambridge NUS), which was founded in 1964 by Gordon Heald, 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. [1]

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 (NUS) Annual Conference.

The full-time officers take a one-year sabbatical from their studies (or directly after they have graduated) and are:

There are also seven SU Campaigns, which are free to differ from the central SU on policy matters, with six of which representing a particular subset of students. They are:

The Chairs of the SU campaigns may only be elected by members of that campaign.

Controversy

In March 2006, the largest Cambridge college students' union, 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. [3] 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 disaffiliated, following a college-wide ballot in which 71% of undergraduates and 86% of postgraduates voted in favour of disaffiliation. [4] Also, in November 2013 Gonville and Caius College disaffiliated following a referendum which saw a result of 213 votes for disaffiliation and 91 votes against. [5]

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. [6] [7]

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. [8]

Former officers

Notable former officers and sabbaticals include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Union of Students (United Kingdom)</span> National students union in the United Kingdom

The National Union of Students (NUS) is a confederation of student unions in the United Kingdom. Around 600 student unions are affiliated, accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Although the National Union of Students is the central organisation for all affiliated unions in the UK, there are also the devolved national sub-bodies NUS Scotland in Scotland, NUS Wales in Wales and NUS-USI in Northern Ireland.

Durham Students' Union, operating as Durham SU, is the students' union of Durham University in Durham, England. It is an organisation, originally set up as the Durham Colleges Students’ Representative Council in 1899 and renamed in 1969, with the intention of representing and providing welfare and services for the students of the University of Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford University Student Union</span> Organisation

The Oxford University Students' Union is the official students' union of the University of Oxford. It is better known in Oxford under the branding Oxford SU or by its previous name of OUSU. It exists to represent Oxford University students in the university's decision-making, to act as the voice for students in the national higher education policy debate, and to provide direct services to the student body. The president for the 2024–25 academic year is Addi Haran Diman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Warwick Students' Union</span> Students union for the University of Warwick, in Coventry, England

Warwick Students' Union, also known as Warwick SU, is the students' union for the University of Warwick, in Coventry, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labour Students</span> Student wing of the UK Labour Party

Labour Students is a student organisation within the Labour Party of the United Kingdom. It is a network of affiliated college and university clubs, known as Labour Clubs, who campaign in their campuses and communities for Labour's values of equality and social justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberation Left</span>

Liberation Left is a factional grouping operating within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nottingham Students' Union</span>

The University of Nottingham Students' Union is the students' union at the University of Nottingham, England. It is a representative body that aims to represent students to both the university and the wider community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's College London Students' Union</span> Student activities organisation at Kings College London

King's College London Students' Union (KCLSU) is an independent charitable organisation that works to further the interests of its members. It governs the 300 student societies and activity groups at King's. KCLSU claims to be the oldest students' union in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hull University Union</span> Students union for the University of Hull in England

Hull University Students' Union (HUSU) is the students' union for the University of Hull in Kingston upon Hull, England. It is run as a completely separate entity to the university itself but enjoys a close working partnership with the University of Hull. There is a Union Executive Committee (UEC) chaired by one of the Presidents, which consists of four full-time Student Presidents, and the Chief Executive as an advisor to the Sabbatical Officers.

The Organised Independents are a grouping within the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom.

The Cambridge University Conservative Association, or CUCA, is a student political society founded 1921, as a Conservative Association for students at Cambridge University, although it has earlier roots in the late nineteenth century. CUCA is not affiliated with the nationwide youth branch of the Conservative Party, the Young Conservatives, but is a fully independent Association distinct from other Conservative youth organisations. The association puts on a range of events for its members each term, notably its ‘Port & Policy’ debates, as well as addresses from a number of high-profile speakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff University Students' Union</span> Students union in Wales, UK

Cardiff Students' Union is the Students' Union for Cardiff University and is located in Cardiff, Wales.

University College Dublin Students' Union is the students' union of University College Dublin. It is the largest students' union in Ireland.

No Platform, in the UK, is a form of student boycott where a person or organisation is denied a platform to speak. The British National Union of Students (NUS) established its No Platform policy in April 1974. Like other No Platform policies, it asserts that no proscribed person or organisation should be given a platform to speak, nor should a union officer share a platform with them. The policy traditionally applies to entities that the NUS considers racist or fascist, most notably the British National Party, although the NUS and its liberation campaigns have policies refusing platforms to other people or organisations. The policy does not extend to students' unions who are part of NUS, although similar policies have also been adopted by its constituent unions.

The University of Cambridge Graduate Union was the official graduate students' union at the University of Cambridge, England. Until 2020, it was responsible for supporting graduate students and advocating issues at the University of Cambridge via University committees and beyond. In November 2019, students voted by referendum to dissolve both the Graduate Union and Cambridge University Students' Union to form one student union, Cambridge SU. The Union dissolved in July 2020.

The Lancaster University Students' Union (LUSU) is a students' union at Lancaster University in Lancashire, England. It is a registered company and charity overseen by a board of trustees. Politically, it is led by four sabbatical officers - a President and five Vice-Presidents - who are elected annually by the student membership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For our Future's Sake</span>

For our Future's Sake (FFS) was a student-led pressure group supporting a referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement. It represented at least 60 Students’ Unions, and 980,000 students, across the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle University Students' Union</span>

Newcastle University Students' Union (NUSU) is the students' union of Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is an organisation with the intention of representing and providing services and welfare for the students of University of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was originally set up as the Union Society and changed to its present name in 2011. In 2022, it voted to rejoin the National Union of Students (NUS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Carling</span> British politician (born 2002)

Samuel Carling is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire since 2024. He is the first British parliamentarian to be born in the 21st century. By convention, as the youngest member of Parliament, he is accorded the honorary style of Baby of the House. Carling has represented the ward of West Chesterton on Cambridge City Council since 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Welcome, we are your new Students' Union!". Cambridge SU. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. "Cambridge Students voted yes to a new single students' union – CUSU". CUSU. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  3. "Trinity reaffiliation greeted with "absolute apathy"; Varsity Online". Varsity.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  4. "corpusJCR – News article". cam.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  5. "Caius votes to disaffiliate".
  6. "CUSU in cash crisis". varsity.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  7. "Another £100,000 please! CUSU is CU-Screwed after finance goes astray". thetab.com. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  8. "CUSU 2019–20 budget predicts surplus for first time in recent years". varsity.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2019.