MEET THE CANDIDATES CUSU & GU ELECTIONS cusu.co.uk/lentelections
WELCOME! Welcome to the manifestos booklet for the 2019 annual CUSU and GU elections. Next academic year, the winners of these elections will be your primary student representatives, and run your Students’ Unions. Their manifestos are your way of deciding who you want speaking for you – so please do spend a little time reading through them and listening to what they have to say before casting your vote. Remember that in every election, if you are not happy with any of the candidates, you may also vote to re-open nominations (“RON”). If RON wins an election, nominations for that position will be reopened and a by-election held in due course. Voting is online via www.vote.cusu.cam.ac.uk. The ballot will open at 9 am on Tuesday, 5th March, and close at 5pm on Friday, 8th March. Provisional Results will be announced late-evening on Friday, 8th March, with the Official Results being confirmed the morning of Monday, 11th March. I hope that this year’s elections are enjoyable for you, and that you can engage with them as much as possible! Alex Russell, CUSU RETURNING OFFICER, ON BEHALF OF THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
ELECTIONS COMMITTEE Alex Russell, Magdalene College (CUSU RO, GU Deputy RO) Sofia Ropek Hewson, Pembroke College (GU RO, CUSU Deputy RO) Alice O’Driscoll, Jesus College Arinjay Butani, Selwyn College Connor MacDonald, Emmanuel College Emrys Travis, St John’s College William Edwards, Peterhouse Evie Aspinall, Pembroke College (non-voting member) Christy McMorrow, CUSU staff member (non-voting member) EMAIL: ELECTIONS@CUSU.CAM.AC.UK
FOLLOWING THE ELECTIONS
FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM: CUSUONLINE
the candidates standing for
ACCESS & FUNDING OFFICER
ACCESS GROWS WITH LILY-ROSE Access matters to me because it was an access initiative that emboldened me to apply to university. As an estranged, state-school student from a low income background, I want to empower others from underrepresented groups to have this option too. Access Officer at Robinson - As well as organising college level access events, I helped CUSU to organise the Shadowing Scheme and secured funding for an access initiative I designed. This initiative prepares students to deliver 'Demystifying University' talks to access priority schools. I have also promoted InsideUni and Project Access to students. CUSU Class Act’s Care Leaver and Estranged Students Officer - After creating a network of care leaver and estranged students across the university, I recognised the disparity in support across colleges. With this in mind, I conducted and presented a survey which encouraged the university to sign the Stand Alone Pledge protecting these students in university policy. I have also been employed by the Widening Participation Office to deliver access programmes for young people in care as a CAMbassador. Nominated for a Student Social Mobility Award organised by UpReach for my achievements as Robinson Access Officer and within Class Act. Lumina programme – last summer I was employed to help deliver an access to Oxbridge programme for state school pupils.
VOTE LILY-ROSE SHARRY FOR CUSU ACCESS ON 5TH-8TH MARCH ASPIRATION before admission • Travel refunds for Open Days for those from low-income backgrounds. • Revamp the Alternative Prospectus. Include: Open Day dates, all Cambridge Access Initiatives and Cambridge University academic competitions for school students. There is a need for more targeted initiatives such as the CamSpire initiative for Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Arab students. • An access initiative and celebration of Black History Month. For black young people, involving academic workshops and exciting talks. I hope to collaborate with the BME campaign, the African Caribbean Society and Target Oxbridge on this. • An access initiative for young people in care. This will be a long-term scheme involving online mentoring, webinars and two residentials. • Work in collaboration with the Disabled Students Campaign to develop access initiatives for students living with disabilities.
RETENTION after admission Access is not just about getting in, it is about getting on. • An optional university-wide Academic Skills Programme (currently only offered at limited colleges). Students from Widening Participation* backgrounds get priority for spaces, although it would be open to all. • Directly promote the CUSU Class Act buddy scheme pre-arrival to incoming freshers. • Ensure Funding Guides (outlining bursaries and scholarships) exist at every college.
PREPARATION for graduates Access needs to be considered at all levels, including Post-Graduate. • Create an internal and inter-university online Post-Graduate Mentoring Scheme.
and more • Start open Forums on Access for everyone to share their concerns regarding access. • Guidance and Ideas Handbook for college Access Officers. • Access Champion Awards – university members can nominate someone for their contribution to access work. • Promote existing access initiatives to social care services and charities supporting looked after children. *Widening Participation backgrounds include: low-income, low-participation in higher education neighbourhood, first generation to enter higher education, care experienced, estranged, living with a disability, attending a school with lower progression rates into higher education and belonging to a minority ethnic group.
Vote Ashley for CUSU Access and Funding Officer
Why me? I have the experience and dedication to be an effective Access Officer. As St Catharine’s JCR Access Officer, I worked to keep the issues surrounding access in conversation, and engaged a large number of students with projects such as the CUSU Shadowing Scheme and CAMbassador scheme. I was on the inaugural Class Act committee, and I am passionate about supporting students from backgrounds which don’t fit the Cambridge stereotype, striving to tackle their financial and social concerns related to our university. I am a core team member of the InsideUni project, through which I’ve dedicated my time to making Cambridge’s admission process more transparent, and to combating the deficit of information that affects students from schools who don’t typically send students to Cambridge. As a CAMbassador, I have worked at numerous outreach events, and gained insight into the concerns students have about this university. If elected, I will work to alleviate those concerns, pushing our university to accomodate the needs of disadvantaged students and applicants.
1. Collaboration Reintroduce access forums, encouraging JCR Access Officers to work together. Work alongside the Class Act committee to help them campaign for and support the students they represent. Work with the faculties who have a low proportion of state comprehensive intake on widening participation programmes, which will provide clear information about what their subject involves, and what they look for in an applicant. Forge closer links between CUSU’s access work and that of the Cambridge Admissions Office by working together on projects beyond the Shadowing Scheme.
3. Application Support Address the problem of teachers not knowing how to effectively support Cambridge applications, by running a conference to provide the skills and knowledge to do so. Collaborate with SLOs to distribute this information widely. Work on an outreach programme to support students from KS3 through to Year 12, with the aim being that these students will be wellequipped to make an application, and less intimidated to do so due to a familiarity with the University and other potential applicants.
2. Financial Concerns Work with Cut The Rent campaigns, lobbying colleges to make accommodation affordable to all, especially students from low-income backgrounds. For instance, I will work to ensure that colleges adjust the bursaries and financial provisions for these students in line with any increases they make to rent. Target common worries that Cambridge is unaffordable by working with colleges and the University to emphasise information about financial support in their open days, prospectuses, and outreach programmes. Work towards resolving the financial barriers to international access, ensuring colleges are doing as much as they can to alleviate the financial burdens placed on international students and applicants.
Vote from 5-8 March! Email Ashley (she/her) at aw727@cam.ac.uk
the candidates standing for
DISABLED STUDENTS’ OFFICER
VOTE BETH FOR DSO MANIFESTO IDENTITY, INTERSECTIONALITY, INCLUSIVITY
Why should you #VOTEBETH for DSO? My Priorities
My Experience
IDENTITY; addressing the disconnect (or
Through my previous role as Disabilities Officer, I
otherwise) people can feel from the term
have long term experience of working with a JCR
‘disability’.
and its systems.
INTERSECTIONALITY; reinforcing awareness
My experience as a disabled person with a hearing
of the interaction with other facets of identity
impairment, the ‘disabling’ effects of mental health
and its unique challenges, giving a platform
conditions and liaising with JCR, Faculty and DRC
for those who experience this.
to manage these.
INCLUSIVITY; promoting and widening the
I have also had personal experience with the many
awareness about accessibility across all
connections between intermission and disability
campaigns, the DSC and the colleges and
and hope to examine this further.
University as a whole.
How My Priorities are Actionable I will work on the ways identity can be a barrier to the Disabled Students’ Campaign, reinforcing that the resources and campaigns are available to anyone who needs them, regardless of the existence or otherwise of the disability before entering the university. I will do this by creating open dialogues around identity and disability, increasing awareness and making existing resources more widespread and accessible. I will create stronger links between the Liberation campaigns to reinforce intersectional attitudes towards the inclusion of all intersectional identities and the challenges combinations of identities can present to the individual. I will do this by regularly meeting with officers across campaigns to strengthen our interrelationships. I will investigate the links between those who self-define as disabled and those who undergo intermission, whether by choice or otherwise, and whether adequate support for their integration into the university for their intended degree duration as a disabled student has been provided. I will compile data, create reports and challenge the University on issues they reveal. I will push for the creation of DSO roles on all college JCRs and MCRs, and run events with society and liberation campaign officers to meet and share ideas. I will create resources for ‘Best Practise’ for these officers to help create a high standard of support including approaching their colleges with accessibility issues for all new policies and buildings. I will offer assistance to DSOs balancing their status as a disabled person with their duties as officers. I will ensure issues relating to disability do not disappear into university bureaucracy and get relegated to committees with little historical precedent of producing adequate change - continuing the work done by Emrys.
VOTE.CUSU.CAM.AC.UK
the candidates standing for
EDUCATION OFFICER
#VOTEALI
#VOTEALI
ALI HYDE FOR EDUCATION STUDENT SUPPORT
Formulate strategies and policy that will assist first-year students in the transition from school to university, including faculty-based study skills sessions to combat college inequality in such provision Work with faculties to create better training for supervisors and to provide ongoing, consistent support for supervisors, whether PhD students or academics Create more teaching opportunities for postgraduate students Work with the Welfare and Rights Officer to implement strategies for both preventative and long-term mental health care, particularly with how it intersects with academic pressures
EDUCATION WITHOUT BARRIERS Lobby faculties for free period products to be available in bathrooms Work with faculties to implement genderneutral bathrooms and administration Ensure that the exam adjustment process is as simple as possible and doesn't negatively impact student wellbeing Formulate policy on improving lecture accessibility across the university Work with colleges to oppose the racialised aspects of Prevent Promote the Student Led Teaching Awards as a positive standard for inclusive teaching Stand up for all students' views at a university level on issues such as the marketisation of higher education, the consequences of Brexit, and the cost of living
WHY ME?
PROMOTING ADVOCACY Support student groups working on diversifying the curriculum, for example, 'queering' or with decolonisation Be a presence in colleges in order to support JCRs on academic issues, by attending PresCon and producing resources to assist JCR officers Meet with College Academic Affairs Officers on a regular basis Shape CUSU Democracy Review's proposal for an Academic Forum into an engaging and results-driven space where best practice and ideas can be shared Continue to refine Faculty Rep system for maximum effectiveness and accountability Create an accessible anonymous feedback system for students to take their academic concerns to their Faculty Reps and via the Academic Officer to a university-level
Vice-President of Downing College JCR 2018/19 NUS Delegate 2018/19 President of CUSU LGBT+ 2018 Co-Chair of Cambridge Universities' Labour Club Easter/Michaelmas 2018
the candidates standing for
WELFARE & RIGHTS OFFICER
Meaningful Structural Change We often focus on treating the symptoms of the mental health crisis, but for real improvements we need to change the conversation, combining proactive campaigning with countering its structural causes.
stella4welfare.co.uk
The removal of maintenance loans and steep tuition fees have fostered an increasingly competitive environment. Pressure to make costly degrees ‘worthwhile’ is coupled with the stress of paying rising rents, while graduates face underpaid, casualised work. Education is undermined in favour of metrics, and alternative learning methods sidelined in aid of ‘productivity’.
, and work to rent efforts with CUSU and the GU lise tra cen and rt po sup I’ll ING ACCESS TO HOUS melessness in Cambridge combat housing inequality and ho ys its U to ensure the university fairly pa UC and GU the of t res the h wit the rights ANTI-CASUALISATION - I’ll work Wage Campaign to advocate for ing Liv the h wit and , nts de stu workers, including graduate of casualised workers as a place for nonget a university swimming pool to sh pu I’ll Y VIT ITI ET MP rk a week CO COUNTERING without scheduled academic wo n oo ern aft an for by lob and t, competitive sport and time ou collaborative anise skillshares, teach-outs, and org I’ll G NIN AR LE OF S OD TH g more accessible ALTERNATIVE ME ording and book and note sharin rec e tur lec ke ma and ts, en nm working enviro hello
hell
Popping the ‘Bubble’ FACILITATING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - I’ll colla borate with town groups and ARU, e.g. by working with Jimmy’s homeless shelter, the Period Pove rty Campaign, and Women’s Strike OPEN ACCESS - I’ll lobby for access to libraries regardles s of college, and access to university and college spaces for local residents hello
No Welfare Without Rights: Proactive Campaigning TRAINING STAFF - I’ll ensure all tutors are trained in line with anti-discrimination policies and Sexual Assault and Harassment training, and create an online resource/course for all staff ACTIVE ANTI-RACISM - I’ll continue the End Everyday Racism Project, work to ensure that meaningful decolonisation doesn’t end with curricula, and oppose the Hostile Environment and Prevent - I’ll work with the Women’s Officer to improve our in-house support SU SUPPORTING SURVIVORS services for survivors of sexual violence, provide training with Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, and restart CUSU’s survivors forum COMBATING STIGMA - I’ll support student sex workers and campaigns for decriminalisation, run welfare forums, events, and awareness campaigns, and provide free rst aid + mental health training for all hello
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the candidates standing for
WOMEN’S OFFICER
POLICIES
VOTE KATE
GENDER ATTAIN MENT GAP
Review the gender attainment gap 5 years on from the 2014/15 Mind the Gap research and report Conduct research into how Cambridge can be a learning environment which disadvantages women Lobby for changes which will improve the experience of women studying at Cambridge, such as better mental health provision and the inclusion of women's work in our curricula
FOR
ANTI-RA CIST WORK Resist Prevent, a racist policy which makes Muslim women the targets of surveillance at university (e.g. push for staff to receive unconscious bias training) Support campaigns to Decolonise the Curriculum, drawing on my experience as a member of the Decolonise History Working Group Strengthen the connection between WomCam and FLY
CUSU
ER
WOMEN'S OFFIC
SEXUAL VIOLENCE Increased specialised in-house uni support services for survivors Every college to have its own disciplinary procedure on sexual violence and harassment which is fit for purpose
TRANSG ENDER STUDEN TS
5-8 MARCH
Work with the LGBT+ Campaign to make WomCam a more welcoming space for trans and non-binary students As Medwards Women’s Officer I successfully campaigned for Medwards to allow transgender women to apply on the basis of self-identification. I will work to improve trans admissions policies at all women's colleges University admin systems must recognise non-binary genders and make it easier for students to change their name in uni records
RENT
COMMUNITY
Last year I initiated the Murray Edwards Cut the Rent Campaign.
Continue to campaign to cut rents and make Cambridge a more accessible and liveable space for working class women
CONNE CTING WITH COLLE GES
I want to hear what colleges want from the Women’s Campaign and work collaboratively with them to achieve goals like gender neutral toilets and free menstrual products Meet individually with college Women's Officers and JCRs to discuss what resources the Women's Campaign can offer them Hold a Women's Officers Council once a term Increase collaboration with FemSocs by cohosting events and setting up a weekly bulletin to circulate information from FemSoc term cards
SUPPOR TING CAMPA IGNS
The Women's Campaign must work with movements such as the Living Wage Campaign and groups fighting for divestment from fossil fuels and the arms industry, recognising that these issues particularly affect women
LEGAC Y I will continue the work I have begun as WomCam Secretary to record memories of feminist work and activism by establishing the CUSU Women's Archive
VOTING IS OPEN 5-8 MARCH @ VOTE.CUSU.CAM.AC.UK
the candidates standing for
CUSU PRESIDENT
SHADAB for CUSU PRESIDENT As the current CUSU Access and Funding Officer, I know how to navigate CUSU and the University structure. Our CEO has left, and with the short tenure of sabbatical officers, the experience and training from my time in office will be vital in ensuring a smooth transition period, and continuation of legacy work. I have worked with around 1000 students in varying levels of intensity and capacity. I hope to use these skills to help facilitate student campaigns of many forms; rent cuts, access initiative design, increased welfare support across colleges, living wage accreditation and decolonising curricula.
S upport
Support both sabbatical officers and students. Work with student support services and colleges to improve internal communications and thus welfare.
A ccess
Working with the Access Officer on targeted outreach work, and helping students to run their own events. Support the GU President to focus on Postgraduate Widening Participation.
F undraising
Create new ways to raise funds for CUSU, a charity, which also directly help students by providing some low time commitment jobs.
E mpower
Providing student groups with data and tactics, and encouraging collective action is key for getting our voice heard, and driving change.
vote.cusu.cam.ac.uk - Vote Shadab for a CUSU in #SAFEhands - 5th-8th March 2019
A CUSU President who will stand up for students Hi, I’m Edward – I’m a 3rd Year at Jesus and I’m standing to be your next CUSU President. Too often in Cambridge, students are ignored and our problems get overlooked. That needs to change. I want to be a CUSU President that stands up for students and takes real action to tackle the problems we all face. Having served as JCR President at Jesus, Co-Chair of the Labour Club and helped lead the Living Wage campaign, I know how to get things done and deliver genuine change for students. I want to use my experience to fight for students in Cambridge and make this university a better place for all of us to live and study.
SUPPORTING COLLEGES IMPROVING ACCESS
Work directly with JCRs and MCRs to tackle the big issues in your colleges Fight to reduce rent and the cost of living within colleges Ensure students are prioritised over conferencing Lobby for the UBus to serve Homerton and Girton directly Work to secure discounted bursary tickets for May Balls and other events Fight to improve bursary payment timings and end ‘thank you letter’ requests Lobby for a centralised system of post-graduate funding Tackle subject-specific financial problems
PRIORITISING WELFARE
Develop a Loneliness Strategy to tackle student isolation Tackle student workload with a workload barometer and better training for supervisors and Directors of Studies to ensure mental health comes first Campaign for Welfare Wednesdays – no afternoon lectures/labs to allow time for sport and relaxation Standardised approaches to intermission across all colleges Lob Lobby for free menstrual products in all university buildings
CAMPAIGNING FOR CHANGE
Push back against the implementation of the Prevent duty Lobby the university on divestment Campaign for all colleges to become Living Wage accredited Ensure students are properly protected post-Brexit
ENGAGING STUDENTS
Visit each college, every term Build on reforms to CUSU Council to increase student involvement Use the CUSU Lounge regularly for a variety of events Weekly vlogs to update students on CUSU’s work
the candidates standing for
GU PRESIDENT
DEVARCHAN BANERJEE (Dev)
for GU PRESIDENT, GRADUATE UNION ELECTIONS, LENT 2019
Vision What really excites me is the chance to work in a dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial setting with sharp young minds as passionate about the graduate concerns as I am. I am looking forward to working towards cultivating a flexible and transparent environment for the students, organizing campaigns and social events, and engaging in welfare activities. I am compassionate, approachable, willing to listen and delve deeper into addressing the students’ issues.
Goals and Objectives Improving Accessibility • • • •
Strengthen mental health campaigns and ensure better access to counselling systems Have a strong redressal system in place for student-supervisor issues Support to new graduate students on affordable housing and scholarships Improve GU accountability and transparency through updated blogs on work progress, with a portal for complaints and suggestions (supplemented with a tracking system)
Increasing Participation • Increase consultation of graduate students through web-based discussion forums as well as college-based general body meetings and open houses • Organize a diverse set of social events, as per feedback from the graduate students • Promote cross-departmental mentoring for strengthening avenues to interdisciplinary research and engagement • Work closely with college MCRs, CUSU and SUAS.
Graduate student from India Finishing MPhil in Development Studies Rajiv Gandhi Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar Member of Hughes Hall
Inclusion and Welfare • • • •
Organize more of international events, fostering celebration of multi-cultural forms of art, music and dance. Support the ongoing campaigns for BME, Decolonize Cambridge, LGBTQ+, Breaking the Silence Initiate peer mentoring groups within departments, and especially within communities Strengthen the working groups on mental health and Brexit and have more social events and open discussion forums
Experience 2013-14: Led a youth social organization as the President • Led a team of 160 in organizing welfare activities impacting over 500 children in underprivileged and red-light areas of India • Sensitized the community towards the refugee crisis and fundraised for refugees in Lebanon • Disseminated solar illumination kits (amounting to £10k+) in tribal hamlets of India 2014-15: Founded and led a farmer-producer company which worked to provide sustainable livelihoods to environmentally threatened tribal communities, thereby empowering marginal women farmers 2014-15: President, Debating and Quizzing Society (India) Organized first Parliamentary Debate Tournament in UG university, conducted Public Speaking workshops and pioneered discussion forums 2016-18: Legal counselling services at the Legal Services Clinic, National Law School of India University
Vote for Devarchan (Dev) as GU President (5th-8th March, 2019)
GRADUATE UNION ELECTIONS
ALESSANDRO CECCARELLI FOR GU
PRESIDENT
WHY VOTE FOR ME? H I, I
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STUDENT
ACTIVISM ,
ESPECIALLY ABOUT MINORITIES RIGHTS .
I
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LGBTQ+ OFFICER U NIVERSITY OF C AMBRIDGE G RADUATE U NION . I HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS MANY E UROPEAN AND A SIAN U NIVERSITIES , OFTEN AS OFFICER OF S TUDENT U NIONS ( E . G . PG S TUDENT R EPRESENTATIVE , U NIVERSITY OF L ONDON ). P REVIOUS TO C AMBRIDGE , I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN S OUTH A SIA FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH CHARITIES AND NGO S . FOR
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The university can sometimes take grads for granted. The Graduate Union must not. Only a vocal, active, representative GU can turn our concerns into winning campaigns in areas like degree funding, access and academic support. As your Disabilities Officer I have a solid track record of doing just that. Reduce Course Costs : Rising costs can make being a graduate a matter of means over merit. By running a full survey of the impact this has on intake, the GU can cha challenge future rises. Internationalize Access : Access values should be something we talk about for all grads, not just British ones. International students should get immediate help with rising NHS and visa fees and they need our GU to be making this case, loudly. No Omissions in Admissions : The university automatically refuses the applications of people with degrees from institutions it deems “lower-tier.” No grad should be prejudged in this way. We need a level playing field - rigorous, contextualised admissions. Fair Pay For Grad Staff : The GU should work with the staff union UCU to prepare a bill of rights for graduate teaching staff, and lobby the university to adopt it in order to secure a decent minimum standard of pay and conditions across departments. As GU Disabilities Officer, I’ve worked hard to secure commitments from a majority of departments to add advice about accessing mental health support into graduate induction. The President sits on close to 50 university committees - my familiarity with the governance structure, and experience as a Trustee, means I’d be able to make ma a real impact from the get go. Thanks for reading! For more please visit: http://www.jackforgradunion.com
the candidates standing for
UNIVERSITY COUNCILLOR
T A MZ I N B Y R N E for University Councillor Lent Elections
VOTE FOR TAMZIN: A STRONG VOICE FOR STUDENTS AT OLD SCHOOLS
£500k Student Support Initiative Must be needs-based funding, not a bribe for top students 5-year Education Strategy Resist the rapid rise in student numbers to maintain quality of teaching and learning College equality Affordable rent and equal access to funding for every student Ethical affairs & divestment Fight for ethical investment, socially responsible practices, living wages and diversity in senior leadership About Tamzin – an experienced social leader MSt Social Innovation @ Cambridge Judge Business School Researching public trust in charities MCR President and charity trustee @ Murray Edwards Outspoken advocate @ CUSU Council and Grad Union Worked with Universities and gov't in Australia, Kenya & UK Former board member of SYN Media, a large youth-led NGO
https://tamzinbyrne.wordpress.com
Vote Poppy for Uni Councillor! Representing Students, Not Management I want to stand for a diverse group of students as a progressive voice on University Council
My name is Poppy Cockburn and I am a first-year student at Robinson College. As a passionate campaigner for issues of social justice, I have witnessed the massive base of student support for positive changes, concerning everything from climate justice and fair rent to greater liberation for women and nonbinary people and the LGBT+, BAME and disabled communities.
Manifesto: 1. DIVESTMENT- In line with mandates from Regent House and the student body, I will ensure that full divestment from fossil fuels remains at the top of council's agenda. I will push for a new investment office that is democratically accountable and transparent. I will ensure that University Policy on divestment reflects the views of all, not just the privileged few.
2. HOUSING AND RENT- I will lobby on behalf of students for fairer rents across the board by moving towards a more centralized and consistent policy which all colleges should commit to. I will also oppose damaging gentrification projects such as the North-West Cambridge and the proposed Mill Lane development. 3. A SAFE UNIVERSITY FOR ALL - I strongly support the changes to University policy regarding the disciplinary procedure in cases of sexual assault. I will work with the CUSU Women’s Officer to continue progress on standardizing the procedure throughout all colleges. 4. SUPPORT BME STUDENTS -As University Councilor, I will work alongside student BME campaigners to ensure student welfare, as well as fighting against the ‘Prevent’ program, focusing particularly on standardizing the procedure in order to ensure student safety and pushing the University to lobby Government for an independent review of the program.
5. FIGHT MARKETISATION - As your representative I will ensure that student needs are ALWAYS prioritized over financial gain, as well as stand in solidarity with staff in all colleges fighting for a living wage.
the candidates standing for
ETHICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER
JAKE
FOR CUSU ETHICAL AFFAIRS
WHY ME? POLICIES STAND UP FOR WORKERS’ RIGHTS Help grow the living wage campaign to pressure colleges to pay the living wage to all staff. Bolster student solidarity with the UCU and GU’s efforts to oppose workforce casualisation.
CAMPAIGN FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE Push CUSU to more actively support the divestment campaign. Work with green officers & college divestment campaigns to push for structural action on climate change, including ambitious carbon neutrality targets.
HELP STUDENTS START THEIR OWN CAMPAIGNS Introduce 2 open-campaign officers to support students starting a campaign. Create a ‘How to Campaign for Change’ guide for students starting a campaign.
SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY Mobilise students in support of the Save Montreal Square Campaign. Promote local unions and groups such as CHOP, campaigning around issues of social housing and homelessness in Cambridge.
CAMPAIGN TO ‘DISARM’ THE UNIVERSITY Support groups working to cut the university-arms companies links Promote intersectional politics that understand divestment and disarming the university as class, gender and racial justice.
APPROACHES
WHAT IS RON?
RE-OPEN NOMINATIONS
If you are not happy with any of the current candidates standing for election, you can vote to Re-Open Nominations (RON). RON appears on the ballot and votes for RON are counted in the same way as those for candidates. If RON is declared the winner after all votes have been counted, the election will be held again. The original candidates are allowed to run again in the new ballot, but it gives the opportunity for new candidates to run. If nominations are re-opened for one of the sabbatical positions, or a University Council position, then a new cross-campus election for those positions will be held in Easter Term.
WHY VOTE RON? Voters may choose to vote RON for one of the following reasons: •They do not think any of the available candidates should be elected. •They would rather have more choice and be able to select from a greater number of candidates (not a guaranteed outcome). •They have already ranked some candidates, but feel that none of the remaining candidates should be elected.
NS
IO VOTING RON IN STV/AV ELECT
The CUSU-GU Cross Campus Elections are counted using the Single Transferable Vote system (STV) which becomes Alternative Vote (AV) for positions with only one place. Put simply, this means you will be able to rank candidates in order of preference, instead of only voting for one candidate. When counting votes, if there is no outright winner, the losing votes will be re-distributed according to voters’ second preferences (and then third, fourth and so on) until there is an outright winner. You can rank RON first and still rank other candidates afterwards, so your vote is not wasted if Re-Open Nominations is not successful. You do not need to vote for RON in an election, so if you think all of the candidates are better than no candidate, don’t put a number next to RON on your ballot! More information about STV can be found on the CUSU website.
VOTE vote.cusu.cam.ac.uk Voting opens at 9 am on Tuesday, 5th March and closes at 5 pm on Friday, 8th March.