Students at Gonville and Caius have made a breakthrough this week in their campaign to secure reform of the College’s deeply unpopular hall system.

After three days of a targeted email campaign to Fellows, the Master of Caius, Sir Christopher Hum, has agreed to set up a meeting between fellows and students specifically to discuss reform.

The meeting will be attended by senior College staff including the Senior Tutor and Senior Bursar, along with two members of Caius JCR.

Gaurav Vohra, Vice President of GCSU, will be one of those attending. He told Varsity that news of the meeting was "a huge step in the right direction. Until now, members of College staff have only agreed to see us on an individual and informal basis.

"Now we’ve shown that our message is clear: students want change."

90 emails were sent to tutors in the 36 hours between the campaign’s launch on Monday and a tutors’ meeting on Wednesday. The current system at Caius requires students to eat in hall for at least 43 nights per term at £6.40 each, buying tickets in advance at the start of each term.

Last term, Caius students voted overwhelmingly in favour of proposals to ensure a reduction in the number of compulsory dinner tickets to 30 and the introduction of a kitchen fixed charge.

Students opposing the current system have claimed they waste money if they choose to dine elsewhere or are unable to attend hall because of unforeseen circumstances.

A survey carried out by Caius JCR in Michaelmas Term 2009 found that only 31 per cent of students used all their tickets. Students on average waste £150 per year in missed meals.

GCSU is also concerned that the College oversells dinner tickets. In the form email sent to tutors and seen by Varsity, the JCR claims that the College sells 2850 tickets in total to students each year, which exceeds the capacity of Caius hall.

Caius Fellows were unavailable for comment last night.