Student activism
Activism for different causes and learning new perspectives have long been part of university life. As students your right to freedom of expression is protected in UK law under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 – this applies to both home and international students.
What can I campaign about?
As a student-led charity, your SU is bound by charity law on political campaigning, meaning SU campaigns must focus on issues that affect students as students. Union Priorities have allocated budget to enable students and sabbatical officers to run dedicated campaigns. Your sabbs may also run campaigns for their individual priorities, and any student can run a campaign that matters to them.
Your SU, alongside 600+ other SUs, is a member of the National Union of Students (NUS). NUS runs national campaigns to lobby the government on student issues such as accommodation, student finance, and liberation initiatives for underrepresented students. Any student can get involved with NUS campaigns.
Your SU is here to empower you to make change, whether that’s submitting a Make A Change, campaigning, or standing in the SU elections. The best part is that no one needs special qualifications to get involved – all you need is passion.
Activism resources
Want to understand your rights as a student? Start your own campaign? Learn what a campaign is? You’re in the right place – the following pages provide you with all the information you need to get started, whether you’re a seasoned activist or engaging for the first time.
We will also share updates on current SU and officer campaigns that you can get involved with on this page, so keep an eye out for future opportunities!
Contact
If you have questions about your rights, campaigning rules, or how to get started with your own campaign, email info@thesu.org.uk or feel free to reach out to the Democracy and Engagement Coordinator!
News & updates
Events