We did it! Energise Cambridge, CUSU, 5 other student environmental societies and 3 college JCRs put together a powerful statement about what we, as students, want to see in the new Environmental Sustainability Policy for Cambridge University. We developed a vision for a sustainable University in 2050 and outlined what we thought would be needed to achieve it.
Hopefully the Environmental Policy Review Committee listens to what the students ask for and incorporates our recommendations into the new policy. We want to ensure that our Energise Cambridge campaign influences the University's actions for many years, and this was the best chance we had to make a difference. For more information about the policy review and to read our submission, click here. Thanks to everyone who was involved in preparing the document and providing their ideas and support! We couldn't have done it without you! We are currently recruiting a new Energise Cambridge committee for the academic year 2014-15. This is a fantastic opportunity to become part of a dynamic society, where you’ll learn valuable skills, meet new people and make a real difference!
Send an email to energisecambridge@gmail.com with the following details: · Name · Year and subject of study · Position(s) you are interested in · Short expression of interest The deadline for applications is Sunday 9th March, 6pm. In the event of us receiving a number of applications for one position, we may ask you for a more detailed application or for you to attend a short interview. Feel free to ask us any questions if you wish to find out more information. If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend our Annual General Meeting on Thursday 13th March and will be given more information in preparation for you taking up the role in Easter term. President The President is responsible for the overall vision and running of the society. This role is a fantastic opportunity to gain leadership skills and have creative and managerial control over a society. Responsibilities include: · Communicate regularly with the rest of the Energise Cambridge team, and coordinate their activities · Chair committee meetings and arrange the Annual General Meeting · Represent the society to the wider student community · Network and collaborate with other societies and organisations · Time commitment: varies, but usually 5-10 hours/week Vice President The Vice President supports the President. This role can have a significant influence in the running of the society, and provide leadership and organisational opportunities. Responsibilities include: · Support the President in directing and coordinating the activities of the society · Chair committee meetings if the President is absent · Time commitment: varies, but usually 5-10 hours/week Secretary The Secretary is responsible for the day to day administration of the society and ensuring that the actions of the society are planned and recorded effectively. This role is of vital importance and helps develop organisational and communication skills. Responsibilities include: · Arrange and organise agendas for committee meetings and the Annual General Meeting · Write and share minutes at each committee meeting and Annual General Meeting · Time commitment: usually 3 hours/week Junior Treasurer The Junior Treasurer, with support from the Senior Treasurer, will have overall responsibility for all fiscal matters relating to the society. It is a great opportunity to develop basic accounting and organisational skills. Responsibilities include: · Keep an account of all income and expenditure · Apply for funding and/or sponsorship if and when necessary · Time commitment: usually 1-2 hours/week Web and Publicity Officer The Web Officer is a crucial member of the committee, and will gain valuable technical and communication skills when managing our online presence and publicising the society. Responsibilities include: · Manage and regularly update our website · Manage and regularly update our social media sites · Create and distribute online and offline publicity material for the society · Time commitment: usually 2-3 hours/week Student Engagement Officer A new role on the Energise Committee that will hopefully make our work more accessible and also get more people actively involved with our work. Responsibilities include: · Organising student events (with the help of the rest of the committee!) · Giving the Web and Publicity Officer content to publish to engage with the student body e.g. petitions · Look for new ways to engage with the student body · Explore partnering with other societies on events, activities and campaigns. Policy Officer The Policy Officer is a coordinating role. Their tasks include: · Attending, where required, university meetings on aspects of the environment · Coordinating and making publicly accessible the feedback of Energise members from their respective meetings · Investigate and contribute to working on Environmental Policy documents for the university and for the colleges. All positions will receive adequate training and a full explanation of their role to ensure a smooth and effective hand over. Most of all, we look forward to having you on our team! Of course, if you want to be involved in our campaign, but can’t commit to an official position, we still welcome your help and will accommodate your needs. We look forward to hearing from you soon! The University is revising their current Environmental Policy and are asking the students for their input. Energise Cambridge and CUSU Ethical Affairs are the student representatives on the Environmental Policy Revision Committee of the University.
See here for the current policy: http://www.environment.admin.cam.ac.uk/policy-overview. This is the best opportunity for students to tell the University that we expect them to excel iin environmental management and sustainability issues as they do in so many other aspects. At the moment, they have an embarassing score on the People and Planet Green League Table and they need to improve their act rapidly to get back in the game! The new policy will cover these areas: - Areas of activity where the University has direct control. For example: carbon emissions; energy consumption; water consumption; business travel; waste management; biodiversity and grounds management; construction and refurbishment; legal compliance; and minimising pollution. - Areas of activity where the University has limited control but some influence. For example: equality and diversity; commuting by staff and students; sustainable and ethical procurement; relationship with the Colleges; socially responsible investment; and the activities of tenants in property leased from the University. - Areas of activity where the work of the University has widespread impacts on the activities of others. For example, teaching; research; knowledge exchange; the influence of our intellectual property; and community engagement. The time has come to collate your opinions and thoughts about what the NEW Cambridge University Environmental Policy should look like. We invite all Cambridge student environmental societies to help us create a 'Cambridge Student's Environmental Policy'. This is our big chance to make a difference! Find out here for more details about how you can get involved. Plus, join the Facebook event to RSVP. Contact Chris or Suyin if you have any questions. |