National Union in Blackpool

NUS Annual Conference took place 1-3 April in Blackpool. We sent a delegation of 15 people to engage in the frequently heated debate for 3 days.

The 2 key debates at NUS conference were the NUS governance review proposals and the Education Funding policy.

Governance Review
Unfortunately the governance proposals failed narrowly to pass by the two thirds majority required. However, it did receive a simple majority and attempts to completely dismiss all parts of the review were heavily defeated. This means that the governance changes are now the policy of NUS requiring the executive to consult on them and to represent them at a later date. However, were it not for delegates from institutions such as ourselves, Edinburgh and Lancaster disregarding mandates issued to them by Students' Union Council, the result could have been very much different as the changes would probably have passed.

Whilst the governance review may have been rejected this time round, the cries for change to be made resonated throughout conference hall and so further proposals put to NUS conference in the future are highly likely.

Education funding
NUS adopted new education policy, similar to our own, which laid down a new set of guiding principles going into the 2009/10 review of HE funding. These include:
- the support for the expansion of HE to ensure social justice and economic prosperity
- a funding system to accordingly support this mass expansion
- increase in state funding to match OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) average
- businesses to pay more for the benefits from HE through structures contribution through the taxation system

A major campaign will now be planned for 2008-9:
- coalition built with students, lecturers, TUs, MPs and the media.
- Establish a war chest to fund the campaign
- Hold a national demonstration to coincide with parliamentary attempts to lift the cap
- Town hall rallies to apply pressure
- Strong HE and FE campaign, across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales

Welfare
- NUS to prioritise and increase its work on mature student and student parents and to work to encourage Union’s make it easier for these groups to engage in our Union structures

Strong and Active Unions
- NUS to get tougher and more active on the issue of climate change as it is perceived to have been too inactive over the last few years.
- NUS to push govt for a structured mechanism of accrediting and qualifying extra curricular skills


Election results
Congratulations to Mark Foster for getting elected to NUS Steering Committee! Mark won under the guise of being anal with detail and subsequently he would make excellent steering material. He also highlighted how he was the only qualified hockey umpire who was standing in the elections. Once again, essential skills for being on Steering Committee!

For any more details on NUS Conference check: http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/Conference2008FINAL.pdf