Students Throw Out Sweeping NUS Change

Plans by the national NUS executive to radically reform the organisation of the Union have been narrowly rejected by delegates at the annual NUS national conference in Blackpool.

A two-thirds majority was needed to implement the motion, but the figure of 692 attendees voting in favour – despite constituting a simple majority – fell just 25 votes short of the required threshold.

The proposed changes involved replacing the 27-member national executive committee with a board to run the Union, advised by a new senate body comprising elected student representatives. ‘Zone committees’ of Sabbs would have developed interim policy and reported their proposals to the senate.

Those in favour of the reforms argued that they would modernise the NUS and make it more representative of minority groups such as part-time, international and mature students, while opponents claimed they would make the Union less democratic.

National NUS President Gemma Tumelty asked delegates: “Will you vote yes to an NUS of the future? Our structures and our culture are holding us back – you’ve got the opportunity to change that for good.”

Bath SU President Dave Austin, a strong supporter of the motion, told impact he was naturally disappointed with the result.

“I guess they’ve seriously got to think about how we go forward from here,” he commented, adding that the probable course of action will be for the policy to be tweaked and presented again for approval at next year’s conference.

“There clearly is a consensus out there among the student movement that the NUS needs to reform and that it’s failed over the last couple of decades.

“The current structure isn’t unfit for purpose, but another would be more effective.”

Austin admitted that, although he would be against such a move, it is not inconceivable that next year’s Sabb team could decide to disaffiliate Bath University Students’ Union from the NUS.

Union Council representative James Claverley told impact that he has planned a discussion to be held in the next meeting, whereby the councillors – elected by the Bath student body in October – will consider whether, in the light of the outcome of the conference vote, the case for disaffiliation has been strengthened or weakened.