It’s that time of year again, when one Sabbatical Officer team leaves, and we say hello to a new team. Your 2025-2026 Sabbs have been hard at work this year and have accomplished lots of amazing things.
So let’s take a look at all their achievements;
Augustin PG Pres:
- Sat on the ‘University Working Group on Investments in and Research funded by Companies belonging to the Defence Industry ’, and participated in the submission of its report and brought its recommendations to screen research collaborations with and investments in the arms industry to the University Council.
- Helped organise and participated in the Palestinian Youth Movement’s Student Conference in October 2025, which hosted student activists from across the country.
- Worked with Cambridge UCU for the SU to host a stop of the Campus Voices for Palestine tour, with local speakers as well as speakers from the Right2Education Campaign at Birzeit University, the Emergency Committee for Universities in Gaza, Friends of Palestinian Universities and the Palestinian and Academic Boycott of Israel.
- Participated in drafting and publishing Cambridgeunistaffforpalestine’s “Impact Acceleration?” report and organised an event with Cambridge UCU to present its findings on the extent of the university’s research involvement in military supply chains linked to the genocide in Gaza.
- Called and led the referendum policy motion on arms divestment, demonstrating that the Cambridge student body believes the arms industry has no place in universities.
- Worked with Matthew, Cambridge for Palestine and like-minded members of the Regent to submit a 50-member grace which would force the University to divest from the arms industry while also enshrining fossil fuel divestment in its Statutes and Ordinances.
- Organised discussions between Cambridge Climate Justice, Cambridge for Palestine and the University Careers Service that have led to the drafting of a paper, approved by the University Careers Committee, creating a working group to discuss the exclusion of fossil fuel and arms employers from the University Careers Fair.
- Have participated in discussions, nominated by the Justice 4 College Supervisors campaign, with Intercollegiate Services Limited, to publish the college supervisor survey and to set the basis for contract negotiations
- Transformed the SU’s executive committee into a political committee, appointed by the sabbatical officers to involve experienced student campaigners in the political direction and strategy of the Union.
- Developed a new procurement policy with the SU CEO ensuring the SU doesn’t work with companies tied to the fossil fuels, mining or arms industries as well as companies involved in violating human rights and international law.
- Brought a motion to the Student Council to support the Cambridge Community Kitchen, which resolved to defend the Lockon, the squat from which CCK is run.
- Finalising a penpal scheme coordinated by the SU and run between Cambridge student societies and the Right2Education campaign at Birzeit University.
Matthew UG Pres:
- Launched an open letter with Olivia to the government for university offer holders in Gaza (including two Cambridge offer holders), which received 220 sabbatical officer signatures from 77 SUs nationwide.
- Wrote an open letter to the Vice-Chancellor in support of arms divestment, which received 395 signatures.
- Wrote and am in the process of amending a Grace to trigger binding divestment through the Regent House.
- Spoke for students in approximately 100 university committee meetings throughout the year, including at University Council.
- Acted as a student member on numerous disciplinary panels, weighing up difficult evidence to ensure that the outcomes were fair for all students.
- Supported the Save the Vet School campaign alongside students and staff at the Vet School, through coordinating campaigns, lobbying members of the University Council and General Board and making speeches and social media posts.
- Chairing the Board of Trustees and its Governance and Compliance committee means achievements with internal-facing impact, from approving and providing feedback on dozens of policies and procedures to ensuring the CEO is achieving their targets.
- Helped rewrite the SU’s governing documents and ensured they were passed at referendum, to keep us legally compliant and up to date.
- Promoted elections and chaired hustings, making sure everyone could have their say in our new Sabbatical Officer team.
Jessica VP (Education & Widening Participation):
- Created and launched the Undergraduate Financial Support Guide, which provides students with information on how to improve their financial literacy as well as access the various forms of monetary and non-monetary financial support available to them across the University.
- Produced a template for J/MCR Access & Class Act Officers to create their own college-specific version of the Finance Guides to improve the transparency of financial support in colleges.
- Worked on the revival of the SU’s Alternative Prospectus page, including the addition of a ‘Finances and Funding’ subsection; promotion of student creators sharing authentic insights into Cambridge and ensuring that new courses (e.g. the Foundation Year) have been mentioned.
- Supported the Save the Vet School Campaign by meeting with student representatives, attending and making speeches at rallies and, most importantly, using my position on General Board to share students’ views and successfully advocate for the course to remain open.
- Assisted with the organisation and delivery of the 2026 Shadowing Scheme as well as the planning of the SU’s new initiative, the Cambridge Access Programme, which will debut in the coming academic year.
- Strengthened relationships with J/MCR Access and Class Act Officers through regular communication as well as hosting an Access & Class Act Officer Forum & Social to promote inter-collegiate work and share priorities for access and widening participation at Cambridge.
- Planned and hosted a workshop session on applying for the SU’s Student-Led Outreach Grant to support societies with their ideas for access and outreach work for prospective students and the local community.
- Worked with the Cambridge University Menstrual Health Society to platform the discussion of menstrual health-related factors affecting Cambridge’s gender awarding gap, with stakeholders across the University resolving to look into this through the new Pathways to Inclusive Practice Programme.
- Represented the UG and PG student body across 40 University committees, including presenting papers at the Academic Standards and Enhancement Committee, the Access Sub-Committee and the Access and Participation Plan Scrutiny Group.
Melanie VP (Liberation & Welfare):
- Led weekly support groups for students campaigning on college divestment.
- Launched an open letter on lecture capture for academic reps to sign, with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education being present at the launch.
- Built an ongoing knowledge base for the lecture capture campaign, through conversations with departments that both do and don’t have lecture capture, as well as with the Head of the ADRC.
- Built support for the proposal that the first two UCS counselling sessions be combined, through conversations with the Student Advisory Forum and the Head of Counselling and Wellbeing.
- Established a Trans Inclusion Working Group for trans student representatives, to share their insights in University meetings.
- Supported the SU’s BME Advisor to create and publicise a survey about BME students’ experiences of support services and reporting procedures.
- Launched the ‘ Community Corner’ in the SU Lounge, adding a clothes swap/donation
- Established an agreement with Student Support staff to explore counselling provisions beyond a one-at-a-time model.
- Worked with OFS Condition E6 committee to improve the uptake of bystander training amongst students to support the prevention of harassment and sexual violence.
Oliva VP (Student Community & Societies):
- Launched an Open Letter with President (UG) Matthew for our students in Gaza, which received 220 sabbatical officer signatures from 77 SUs nationwide.
- Compiled a Room Booking Guide, spanning all colleges, University sites, SU lounge, the Sports Centre, and local hotels.
- Launched the Student Volunteering Fair with the University, with 16 local groups and 90 students attending.
- Launched the Winter Holidays Activities Project, creating a WhatsApp community for 400 students, releasing weekly city-wide schedules and running a variety of popular events.
- Launched Leadership training alongside the activities team on How to Lead a Society Committee.
- Led the YES campaign for NUS disaffiliation in the SU Referendum.
- Launched the Societies’ Forum, a productive space for students to come together and discuss their needs with the SU.
- Collaborated with the University of Cambridge, ARU, ARU SU and Long Road Sixth Form College on the inaugural Cambridge Student Summit.
- Collaborated on the Russell Group Student Unions campaign to Make Misogyny a Hate Crime.
- Met with student groups to discuss their aims and structures, and provided lengthy and tailored support, as well as targeted campaigning on behalf of individual groups for needed support and resources.
- Began a campaign for societal storage space during the Long Vacation, which I hope will be successful in the coming years!
- Represented the student body on University Committees, including the Joint-Wellbeing Committee and Discipline Committees.
What amazing accomplishments they’ve had! Keep an eye out on our website and social media where we will be introducing and welcoming your new Sabbatical Officer team. Until then, have a lovely summer break!