London Metropolitan University - Write to your MP, sign our e-petition

[No translation for /blog/item/postedby, cy-GB] Liam Burns

Message sent on behalf of Liam Burns, NUS President and Daniel Stevens, NUS International Students’ Officer

Hello all,

The Home Office’s recent decision on London Met means that over 2000 international students studying there will have to either find a new institution within the next 60 days, or face having to leave the country.

This sets a dangerous precedent for other universities, and leaves international students, not only at London Met but all over the UK in a terrifying position.

We need to keep challenging this decision, which is entirely wrong-headed, and need to make it clear that this represents a continuation of the Government’s abysmal approach to international students.

We need your help!

1. Write to Your Local MP

We have a draft letter which explains the seriousness of this situation and the message it sends to international students in their own constituency.

It asks them to publicly oppose the decision, and to oppose the continued use of international students in this way as a political football.

Find your MP here and send the letter across to them today!

2. Petition

We’ve started an e-petition on GoPetition.com - sign it via the following this link:

Also be sure to circulate this letter across students on your campus, and as widely as you can elsewhere.

3. Support London Met
Students at London Met are shaken about the current situation. Show your solidarity by tweeting them (@LondonMetUni).

Please publish your support on your website and Facebook pages as well as ours (www.facebook.com/intcampaign).

And we will need to all continue making it clear that this is entirely misjudged, over the next days and weeks and we call for students to be allowed to continue studying at London Met.

4. Vice-Chancellors

Lobby your VC to publicly oppose this announcement – that must remain a focus. However, the sector should show solidarity if the worst happens and so as a contingency, if you are London or surrounding area, ask your VC to commit to absorbing the 2000+ international students who will be left without a place to study.

Whilst we are still opposing the decision itself, we need to also put pressure on others across the sector to take the implications of this decision seriously.

Our focus has and is trying to reverse this decision. However, we cannot be caught off guard if the worst happens and hence we won a place on a taskforce – together with UUK, UKBA, HEFCE, BIS and London Met - to address the practical issues we now face, including ensuring that all the effected students at London Met are able to continue their studies in the UK.

Liam Burns, NUS President

Daniel Stevens, NUS International Students’ Officer

30 Awst 2012

[No translation for /blog/item/tags, cy-GB]

[No translation for /blog/secondarylist/aboutme, cy-GB]

Liam, who grew up in Fife where he attended Glenrothes College, graduated in Physics at Heriot-Watt University, where he was both the Students' Association Vice-President (Education & Welfare) and subsequently President. He went on to be elected as Depute President and President of NUS Scotland, before subsequently being elected as NUS UK President for 2011/12.

Liam has been an Officer within the European Students' Union and has been involved in Quality Assurance processes both on a national and European level through QAA, ENQA and EQAR.

As President of NUS, Liam is responsible for leading on the organisations Priority campaign, calling for reinvestment of public funding in tertiary education and an end to the current tuition fees regime. NUS itself in a confederation of over 200 students' unions across the UK and represents over seven million students. It works to promote, defend and extend students rights as well as promoting strong and active students' unions.