Benjamin Knight, a first-year studying Human Social and Political Sciences (HSPS), has won the Academic Rep of the Year award at the Cambridge Students’ Awards. Finalist in Linguistics, Romany Whittall was shortlisted for their contribution to access and widening participation.
The Awards celebrate the achievements of Cambridge students who volunteer across the University and the wider Cambridge community.
Academic representatives (reps) support the work of the faculties, departments and schools and provide advocacy on behalf of students. Benjamin is the rep for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences which means that he speaks for 2930 students across 11 departments.
He serves on councils and committees and is a strong advocate for the process of lecture capture, working to ensure that students who require lectures in alternative formats such as recordings or transcripts are provided for.
He has also focussed on the provision of study skills at University level which, he says, will have a lasting impact for incoming students.
Benjamin, who typically spends 10-15 hours a week in this voluntary role, said:
“I was very pleased to win this award particularly because it draws attention to the important work of the hundreds of academic reps across the University. I also really appreciated the support that I received throughout the year from the SU and School staff without whom my work would be impossible.”
Students can identify their rep on the Student Union website.
Photo: Cambridge SU
In the past year, Benjamin and Romany have collaborated as members of a working group writing the student submission for the teaching excellence framework.
Romany was JCR Access Officer at Christ's from October 2020 to December 2022.
During that time they organised Christ's participation in the SU Shadowing Schemes - a student-run access residential in which students from underrepresented backgrounds ‘shadow’ a current Cambridge undergraduate - and supported Christ's students with College outreach work.
Along with other JCR officers they helped to establish the Class Act Officer position on the JCR Committee. This role supports students who have experienced educational, social, economic or cultural disadvantage.
Romany has also worked with several outreach programmes that mentor sixth formers through their applications to Cambridge.
They said:
“Several of my ex-mentees are now Cambridge students, and I've tried to support them in their transition to Cambridge and encouraged them to get involved in outreach work of their own.
Access and outreach work is really important to me, and at the ceremony I felt lucky to be in a room full of people who were so committed to the work they had done.”
