NUS will now be able to concentrate its campaigning efforts on campaigning for a fairer funding system for higher education ahead of the government’s review this year, and prioritising the protection of students in the face of a serious economic downturn.
The old, unwieldy and inaccessible Annual Conference will be streamlined to give members a greater opportunity to debate the key issues that affect the lives of students.
'Policy zones'
Five policy 'Zones' will feed into this Congress, holding their own conferences to identify areas of consensus and reduce time wasting at the annual event.
A new National Executive Council will also be set up to direct political strategy, while an NUS Board will ensure that the organisation runs efficiently and on the right side of the law.
Turning point
"This is a turning point in the history of NUS and the result of the tremendous hard work of students’ unions to take hold of their national union in order to make it a genuinely representative movement for students in further and higher education," said NUS President Wes Streeting.
“The student population has changed dramatically in the past decade, but NUS has stood still. Today, that inertia comes to an end. It’s the most radical turn NUS has taken for a generation and one that will put students’ interests and students’ needs at the forefront of a dynamic, relevant and effective campaigning organisation.”
Read more about the new structures