Over recent weeks the new team of sabbatical officers at the University of Cambridge have been settling into their new roles and planning for the busy year ahead.

Heading the new team is CUSU President Paul Lewis. Other members of the team are:
Access Officer: Steph Hawryla
Services Officer: Craig Wilkie
Academic Affairs Officer: Katie Childs
Welfare Officer: Alice Pennington
Women's Officer: Chris Holly

This team's objectives include expanding on CUSU's current work encouraging applicants from backgrounds that don't have a history of Cambridge applicants; pushing for admissions reform; expanding on CUSU's provision of entertainment and continuing the promotion of CUSU's student support networks.

Craig Wilkie, CUSU Finances Officer, hopes to address access for disabled students

"As a central resource for 18,000 students from across the University, one of CUSU's primary aims this year must be to make advances in improving the accessibility of our building for disabled students. We are at a fairly advanced stage with plans for an extension to our current building, and it is hoped that definite progress can be made towards making these plans a reality in the next year."

The most important project for the year, however, will be fighting the rumoured higher education funding reforms. The team believe that, if true, these changes would lead to a two-tier higher education system and less students from non-traditional backgrounds applying to Cambridge.

Paul Lewis, CUSU President, said:

"In addition to all our personal objectives for the year, the biggest challenge ahead of us will be tackling potentially catastrophic changes to the higher education funding system.

"CUSU are dedicated to broadening participation to CUSU, and the CUSU Access Officer is committed to encouraging students who wouldn't usually think of Cambridge to consider applying through a number of access initiatives.

"Anyone attempting to resolve the HE Funding problem without regard for Access, such as through charging increased fees, will have a tough fight on their hands."

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