Cambridge University college appoints South Yorkshire-born officer to recruit more talent from the north

Joe Stanley, who was born and raised in Rotherham and is currently affiliated with Sheffield Hallam University, has been appointed by Selwyn College in Cambridge as a school liaison officer for the north of England – a newly created position.

The college said it wants to break down some of the myths about Cambridge, and it has already demonstrated the breadth of its recruitment with a record 81 per cent of prospective home students this autumn coming from state schools.

This new role, it said, represents a major boost to the college’s existing outreach work and the northern post will work in association with an existing role based in Cambridge.

Joe said: "I was born and brought up in Rotherham. I attended my local state comprehensive, and I was the first in my family to go to university, so I know first-hand the barriers students from similar backgrounds as myself face when considering higher education.

"I want to act as a role model to show talented young people that Cambridge is the right university for them."

The north is ‘under-presented’

The master of Selwyn, Roger Mosey, said: "Selwyn and Cambridge have transformed their student bodies in recent years, with a massive increase in diversity and a rise in the number of students coming from tougher economic backgrounds.

"An important part of our commitment is seeking to attract students from all across the UK, and – as someone from Yorkshire myself – we are very keen to boost our efforts to recruit more applicants from the north of England, where we feel there is an under-representation amongst our student body. "

Dr Mike Sewell, senior tutor at Selwyn, said: "It’s a major investment for us to have a new post specifically dedicated to Selwyn and Cambridge outreach in the north, which we believe is justified.

"Joe will continue to live and work in the region, and he is precisely the sort of person who will help demystify Cambridge and Selwyn, challenging the stereotype that Cambridge isn’t for me.

"Selwyn is determined to remain in the vanguard of colleges that are open to everyone with the right talent.”

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