Should the SU disaffiliate from NUS UK? - The No case
NUS UK campaigns with more than 400 member students’ unions across the country, including Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union, as part of their national student movement. Unity is the strength of the NUS and here are a few reasons why it’s important to vote to continue to be affiliated to NUS in this referendum.
Students created students’ unions to build collective power on our campuses, realising that we are stronger when we work together. The National Union of Students was then created by students’ unions to help students work together across the country and create a loud student voice.
NUS UK campaigns on the big issues impacting our time at university. The NUS current cost-of-living campaign is fighting to increase financial support for students; for cheaper student housing, free transport, and well-paid, secure jobs.
NUS have already won an extra £15 million hardship funding for students in England, with £57k of that coming to students at Falmouth University and £84k for students at Exeter*. The money that has been brought to Falmouth alone is three and a half times the NUS membership contribution – but staying in your national union is worth so much more.
Students and students’ unions are what make NUS campaigns: you feed in information about what students are really experiencing and the problems you’re facing, you participate in debates and discussions that tell the NUS what the solutions should be, you join campaign actions that gives students a louder national voice that is harder to ignore. If The SU leaves NUS, students at our universities will no longer be able to influence and take part in their national campaigns.
Being a member of NUS is about working together. The more of us there are, the more impact we can have. There’s strength in numbers.
Here's how NUS has won for students in the last three years:
- Secured £15 million from the government for cost-of-living support for students
- Put £800 million back into students’ pockets by pushing for rent refunds and student support over the pandemic. More than £424k of this came to students at Falmouth University and £416k at Exeter*
- New legal protections for student renters in England
- Won £3 million of funding to tackle student mental health in England
- Got 80 universities, including the University of Exeter, to end the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements to silence victims of sexual violence
You can read more about NUS UK’s achievements in the impact report here.
We are stronger together not only to win, but to take on the challenges too. NUS’ recent independent investigation into antisemitism is a disturbing account of antisemitism across the student movement. We offer our unreserved apology to Jewish students and are committed to ensuring they feel safe in every corner of the movement, on campuses and in NUS. This is why NUS has accepted all of the report’s recommendations, published an antisemitism action plan and will work with students’ unions to create real change as it should never be left to Jewish students to fight for it alone.
NUS is all about collective student power. They have owned their failings and confronted them head on. NUS delivers win after win that brings a material benefit to students’ lives. NUS champions the work of student leaders and fundamentally believes in the transformative potential of education and the capacity for change, across campuses and in their own movement. NUS belongs to everyone, so say No to disaffiliating and let’s continue fighting for a strong student voice and a better world together.
Don’t go Vote No!
If you want The SU to continue to be affiliated to NUS and want to get involved in the campaign, or just want to find our more, email lwc203@exeter.ac.uk.
*These figures are for students at all University of Exeter campuses as data specific to the Cornwall campus is not publicly available.