NUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2011

RE-ELECT AARON PORTER

FOR
NUS PRESIDENT

BUILDING ON A RECORD YEAR

 BUILDING ON A RECORD YEAR

AARON PORTER for

National President
 REVERSING THE MARKETISATION IN HE ·
 PRIORITISING FURTHER EDUCATION ·
 FIGHTING FOR NEW STUDENT RIGHTS ·
 A NEW DEAL FOR STUDENTS’ UNIONS ·
NUS has delivered its most high profile year in
decades. The student movement’s reaction to
the austerity measures of the Coalition Govern-
ment, higher education funding reforms, with-
drawal of the Education Maintenance Allow-
ance, axeing of AimHigher and scrapping of the
Future Jobs Fund will go down in history.
It will go down in history because NUS managed to en-
sure our issues dominated the debate, galvanised public
support and shot to the top of the agenda. Of course NUS
isn’t responsible for this alone, but it was our decisive ac-
tions at critical moments – a campaign built on a long
term strategy, a costed alternative which gained us credi-
I am re-standing for NUS
bility, allowing us to steer the debate and build public sup-
port. President, to ensure we
continue to provide lead-
The coming months and years move us into a new, and ership from the front, that
difficult territory. I will lead an NUS which retains its prin-
we deploy the right tactic
cipled opposition to the higher education reforms and
seeks to reverse the marketisation in our education sys- at the right time; direct
tem. But I will also lead a student movement that doesn’t action, lobbying, research
bury our head in the sand pretending those reforms are and evidence-based cam-
not coming around the corner, and ensure that we are paigning to fight for new
fighting for new and improved student rights and recogni- rights for all students and
tions, new protection and increased funding for students’
a new deal for students’
unions and improvements in access and participation in
education.

BUILDING ON A RECORD YEAR

 AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT
ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2010/11
NUS has delivered a record breaking year for students. Our campaigns and research
led helped to ensure that the rights of students have dominated the public debate in
an unprecedented fashion over the last few months. NUS’ decision to devise a long
term strategy on funding, with a fully costed alternative to tuition fees, a master-
stroke pledge which boxed in politicians, a 50000 strong national demonstration fol-
lowed by scores of student actions that has seen the resurgence of the student
movement as a force to be reckoned with. Of course NUS can’t take full credit, nor
should it, but our decisive actions have re-ignited a generation of students, and
taken our issues to the top of the agenda. Since becoming President I have deliv-

 Ground breaking Vote for Students and

subsequent campaign of enforcement dominated the
debate on tuition fees and was the foundation for the
most high profile student campaign in over 20 years.
Widely regarded as the most effective tactic of any
campaigning organisation in 2010.

 Over 50000 students and supporters on the

streets of London on 10th November jointly with UCU
against cuts to education

 5 Nationwide Days of Actions in campuses

across the country co-ordinated by NUS fighting EMA,
tuition fees and broader youth issues

 Scores of flash protests targeted at politicians in

tent on breaking their pledge on tuition fees

 A National Protest with the TUC and UCU and

rally with trade unions in Manchester on 29th January

 Change in policy from the Labour Party from

tuition fees to a graduate tax

 A change in policy in the Liberal Democrat party

in support of a graduate tax (sadly a number of their
MPs did not honour this, or their Vote for Students
pledge in the crucial vote)

AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT

 ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2010/11

 The biggest rebellion in the history of the Liberal Democrat party on the tui-
tion fee vote
 Loans for part-time students, first called for by NUS over 2 years ago
 Improvements in the Access Agreements for all institutions, meaning more
money on outreach and student support.
 2 lobbies of Parliament (on tuition fees and EMA)
 Historic partnership with UCU and other Trade Unions
 Student issues dominating the public debate in the most high profile way
for decades
 Direct support for local cuts campaigns on campus
 Support for the VP FE to fight against the scrapping of the Education
Maintenance Allowance
 Greater engagement with FE Unions as part of the wider funding campaign
 Greater communication with students and SUs by improving direct interac-
tion with students, and coverage in student media
 The greatest local and national media coverage in the history of NUS

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2010/11
 ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2010/11

 Freeze in affiliation fees to decrease NUS dependency on funding from Stu-

dents’ Unions
 More SUs in membership with Durham SU re-joining NUS
 Improvements to the NUS Benefits Statement, so we start to become
better at articulating affiliation benefits to SUs
 Ongoing support to SUs in Mission Groups
 Started student polling on topical issues to help ensure students are setting
the national agenda and not just responding
 Greater support for Unions in Crisis
 More focus on Widening Participation and Access than ever before
 Detailed engagement with the HE White Paper setting out new rights for
students including transparency on costs of study in HE, improved information,
advice and guidance for prospective students.
 Drastic improvement in the performance of the Student Loans Com-
pany compared to 2009/10.
 Employability statements from every institution to help improve the qual-
ity of support for graduates into the workforce
 Direct lobbying to the Home Office to fight against reforms to Tier 4 visa ap-
plications for international students
 Support for a new dedicated FE Unit within NUS
 Improvements in our national relationship with BUCS

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2010/11
 AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT
REVERSING THE MARKETISTATION OF EDUCATION
This year we saw the most radical reform of higher education funding, matched by
the most high profile and relentless campaign in opposition to the Coalition’s plans. A
campaign based on an alternative, led by NUS and supported by students and stu-
dents’ unions from the four corners of the UK – from a 50000 national demonstra-
tion, scores of campus protests, petitions, lobbying and in Vote for Students the
most innovative tactic of any campaigning organisation seen in years.

NUS faced with the introduction of an unprecedented market in higher education

must retain a firm and vocal oppostition to the market.

I will deliver…

 Direct opposition to the market in higher education.

 An ongoing campaign of both direct action and lobbying, ensuring NUS
leads the way for the re-introduction of public funding for the arts, humani-
ties and social sciences
 A UK wide campaign of protests focussed at MPs who broke their prom-
ise on tuition fees, utilising Right to Recall legislation where appropriate.
 Lobbying of the Labour Party and others in opposition to devise a costed al-
ternative for higher education so that this can be open to scrutiny
 Force institutions to publish transparent information about additional
costs of study, and push for the elimination of hidden course costs
 Regulation to prevent institutions charging higher fees if they fail to
meet access requirements
 Pushing for the introduction of modular funding to promote lifelong
learning
 Raising the issue of postgraduate funding ignored by both Lord Browne and the
Coalition to push for the provision of loans for postgraduate taught stu-
dents.
 Greater transparency of International student fees, to ensure institutions
are not simply treating them like ‘cash cows’.
 Continue to increase our engagement with Trade Unions in the broader anti
-cuts campaign

AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT

 BUILDING ON A RECORD YEAR

PRIORITISING FURTHER EDUCATION

Over the last 12 months with the Vice President Further Education, we have ensured
FE has had more prominence than ever before in NUS; ensuring FE funding has been
incorporated in the Priority Campaign for the first time, national action on the EMA,
opposition to the removal for second chance learners and continued support for FE
Unions – but there is so much more still to do.

I will deliver…

 Support the development of a dedicated Further Education Unit within

NUS to continue to raise the profile of FE across the organisation
 Support NUS’ first national work with apprentices
 Fight for the reinstatement of targeted financial support for the poorest
students in colleges
 Improved training for FE student governors and officers
 Support for FE Unions to ensure they have fit for purpose constitutions and a
strategy for block grant funding
 Develop an FE model for the Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative (SUEI).
 Ensure NEC members visit a minimum number of FE Colleges and Un-
ions as part of Union visits

BUILDING ON A RECORD YEAR

 AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT
FIGHTING FOR NEW STUDENT RIGHTS
The HE White Paper should be seen as an opportunity to secure new rights for stu-
dents enshrined in law, and ensures that institutions are forced to comply with. In
addition to rights for students, I will be seeking greater protection and funding for
Students’ Unions.

I will deliver…

 Swifter resolution of student complaints at a national level, pushing for a maxi-

mum of 6 months
 Campaign for the abolition of hidden course costs
 Support the roll out of detailed academic information for every course, at every
institution to support prospective students
 The right for students to change course or institution mid-study if their institu-
tion has failed to deliver on what it promised
 Campus ombudsmen linked to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator to en-
sure students can get immediate support in dealing with complaints
 Parity of treatment across part-time and full-time study on regulations and fi-
nance
 The right for students to hold their institution to account if they fail to deliver as
‘advertised’ in prospectus material.
 Increased student representation in institutional decision making, as a reflection
of changing financing of HE
 Push for a dedicated careers advisor in every school and college to help improve
Information, Advice and Guidance for every prospective student
 A national application system for postgraduate application (similar to UCAS)
 Support the use of contextual data in admissions to inform HE admissions
 Greater support on employability from institutions, including ongoing use of ca-
reers services and increased provision of work experience and placements.

AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT

 AARON PORTER FOR NUS PRESIDENT
DELIVERING A NEW DEAL FOR STUDENTS’ UNIONS
NUS needs to place more central support to ensure that Students’ Unions are get-
ting more personalised and expert support. The day of ‘one size fits all’ support are
no longer appropriate, and NUS needs to recognise the diversity of our student
body, but also our students’ unions. This means more nuanced support for similar
Unions, better central support from NUS HQ to ensure that expert support is given
on key issues like student engagement, increasing election turnout, diversifying in-
come for SUs etc.
I will deliver…
 NUS to cut affiliation fees by 10% in recognition of the difficult financial cli-
mate SUs are in
 NUS will provide greater support for Unions from similar missions
 Greater support for Small & Specialist Unions
 A hub of online support and cutting edge research to ensure NUS is sharing
best practice for SUs wanting better information on engaging non-traditional
students, improving election turnout, diversifying income etc
 Greater legal and financial protection for SUs in the HE White Paper
 Work with institutions and SUs to build a database of over 1million student
contacts. Important for student engagement and future campaign effective-
ness.
 Further improvements, transparency and distribution of the NUS Benefits
Statement to clearly demonstrate what NUS has achieved in the last 12
months including campaigns won, national representation, research, press
coverage, projects delivered and financial benefits.
 Second Year Sabb training to provide additional benefits in our training provi-
sion
 Accreditation for training undertaken with NUS
 Greater support for Unions from similar missions, to ensure NUS is providing
more specialist support
 Expert support for Unions re-working their constitution or governing docu-
ments

BUILDING ON A RECORD YEAR