Cambridge Students' Union, known as Cambridge SU, is the university-wide representative body for students at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Its predecessor union was known as Cambridge University Students' Union or CUSU until its dissolution in July 2020.
Cambridge SU should not be confused with the
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a historic Debate, debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. The society was founded in 1815 making it the ...
(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. The new single Students' Union was established on 13 July 2020.
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
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public research university in the region of East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins date back to the Cambridge School of Art (CSA), founded by William John Beamont, a Fellow of Trinity College at the Unive ...
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
The secretary of state for education, also referred to as the education secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the work of the Department for Education. ...
and
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
.
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.
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+ (
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.
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:
*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
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.
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. 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. 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.
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.
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.
Former officers
Notable former officers and sabbaticals include:
*
Charles Clarke (
King's), former
Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for
Norwich South and
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
, President 1971–72
*
Mike Gapes
Michael John Gapes (born 4 September 1952) is a British former politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Ilford South from 1992 to 2019.
Born in Wanstead Hospital, Gapes attended Buckhurst Hill County High School. He studied ...
(
Fitzwilliam), former
Labour and Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated to Labour Co-op; ) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections who stand on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party.
Candidates contest elections under an e ...
and, subsequently,
Change UK
Change UK, founded as The Independent Group (TIG) and later The Independent Group for Change, was a British centrist, pro–European Union political party, which lasted for ten months in 2019. Established in February and formally recognised ...
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Ilford South, Secretary 1973
*
Tom Hayhoe (
Corpus Christi), Chairman of
West London NHS Trust
West London NHS Trust is an NHS trust which provides mental and physical health services to the London boroughs of London Borough of Ealing, Ealing, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Hammersmith and Fulham and London Borough of Hounslow ...
, President 1977–78
*
David Lidington
Sir David Roy Lidington (born 30 June 1956) is a former British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aylesbury from 1992 until 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and ...
(
Sidney Sussex), former
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Aylesbury
Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Waterside Theatre. It is located in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milt ...
and
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. Excluding the prime minister, the chancellor is the highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the prime minister ...
, Deputy President 1977–78
*
Natalie Ceeney
Natalie Anna Ceeney (born 22 August 1971) is a British civil servant and businessperson who has filled several senior roles in both the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom. She was chief executive of The National Archives from 2005 ...
(
Newnham), senior civil servant and businessperson, President 1990–91
*
Paul Lewis (
King's), journalist at
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
, President 2002–03
*
Wes Streeting (
Selwyn),
Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for
Ilford North and former President of the
National Union of Students (NUS), President 2004–05
*
Mark Fletcher Mark Fletcher may refer to:
* Mark Fletcher (businessman), American internet entrepreneur
* Mark Fletcher (footballer) (born 1965), English former footballer
* Mark Fletcher (politician) (born 1985), British former Member of Parliament for Bolsover ...
(
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
),
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Bolsover, President 2007–09
*
Lola Olufemi (
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.
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).
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Students' Union
A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizat ...
Student organizations established in 1971
Students' unions in England