We have aimed to strike a balance between information that reflects our organisational campaigning priorities, and information about students and the sectors that may be of use to you both ahead of the election, but also in parliament. If you have any questions, comments or are looking for further information on any of these areas, please contact us here.
Higher Education Funding
The main campaign for NUS and its member students’ unions is currently related to the Browne Review of Higher Education Funding. NUS have produced a series of resources on this issue that may be of interest to you.
The Great Higher Education Funding Debate
August 2007
A series of essays on the future of higher education funding, containing contributions from Bill Rammell MP, David Willetts MP, Sarah Teather MP, Prof. Nick Barr, Prof. Roger Brown, Prof. Patrick Ainley and Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe.
An Economic Analysis of Free Education
Sept 2007
A research report for the Institute of Education commissioned by NUS, it provides an economic analysis of the ‘free education’ policy and compared a range of models and options for student support that informed our approach to the Browne Review.
Broke and Broken: A Critique of the Higher Education Funding System
September 2008
A critique of the current higher education funding system for undergraduate provision in England, this paper presents a compelling case for a wide and comprehensive review of the system in 2009. Here we demonstrate our concern to ensure that there is no self-imposed narrowing of the scope for that review, which would run the risk of concentrating on relatively specific aspects of the current model, leaving many failings within the system- and its underlying market logic- untouched.
Five Foundations for An Alternative Higher Education Funding System for England March 2009
This paper provides an outline of the foundations of a possible new structure for funding higher education in England. It should be seen as a précis of an alternative funding policy, which NUS went on to publish in June 2009, following further consultation with our members and partners.
Funding Our Future: Blueprint for an Alternative Higher Education System
June 2009
In this report, we explain how a better funding system could be structured to resolve the problems with the current system for undergraduate level higher education funding, and to meet our policy aims.
Higher Education
Course Rep Hub
Resources- aimed primarily at students and students' unions’- about ‘course representatives’, with specialist information relating to the role’s functions within both HE and FE.
Education Information
Links to a weekly summary of a topical education issue.
NUS/HSBC Student Experience Research
Access to both the 2009/10 and 2008 NUS-HSBC Student Experience reports.
Higher Education Pages
The Higher Education section of Officer Online, including news, policy briefings and upcoming events.
National Student Survey
Information about the 2010 National Student Survey and advice about how this can be promoted. Also includes access to the 2009 National Student Survey results.
Quality - working to improve the quality of UK HE
Information about the “Future arrangements for quality assurance in England and Northern Ireland” paper, jointly published by HEFCE, DEL (NI), Universities UK and Guild HE, with close involvement from the QAA, the Association of Colleges and NUS.
Further Education
Shane Explains
Shane Explains is a weekly briefing designed to explain a key FE issue to students' unions and students. The briefings take a variety of forms; they can be based around a broad policy issue, or recent research findings which may be of interest, as well as providing advice on how to raise awareness of goings-on in the sector, and how to engage with the issues and to make positive changes for students.
Issue 1: The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learners Act
This edition includes:
- Details of how the new ASCL Act affects college funding, including the abolition of the LSC from April 2010, and the creation of two new funding systems, one for pre-19 and one for post-19 education
- Details of the new regulator of exams and qualifications (OfQUAL)
Issue 2: Education Maintenance Allowance: The Removal of Bonuses
This edition highlights the government's announcement in December that they plan to scrap EMA bonuses from January 2011.
Issue 3: Skills for Growth: The National Skills Strategy
This edition provides details of the positives and negatives of the Skills Strategy for learners, the positives being more apprenticeship places, more university places, improving the skills of those already in work, and improved information, advice and guidance for adults. The negatives include a move away from individual choice and towards employer-responsive provision.
Issue 4: The Single Equality Bill
This edition explains the new Equality Bill, which amongst many things aims to reduce the gender pay gap, as well as to address inequalities in job prospects for people from ethnic minorities.
Issue 5: Exams & Snow
This was an emergency issue telling students and students' unions about the guidance issued by OfQUAL in relation to the snow during exam time.
Issue 6: The Common Inspection Framework for Further Education & Skills 2009
Here, Shane explains the new inspection framework for FE providers, which allows for increased involvement of learners in the inspection process, as well as new 'limiting grades' for safeguarding, and equality and diversity.
Issue 7: The real cost of college
A breakdown of the research report into how much it really costs students to attend college, 'The true cost of college'. The findings suggest that financial hardship still presents a barrier to further education for many students, and that for others it prevents them from getting the most out of their studies.
The true cost of college
A joint NUS- Learning Skills Network report into the costs that students face in studying in further education.
Technology and learner voice
A joint NUS-BECTA blog about the power of the learner voice in improving the quality of education, and the role of technology in this process. Contains lots of innovative hints and tips on the use of technology as a tool for learner engagement.
Technology Toolkit for FE students' unions
As above, but in toolkit form. Contains a section on Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in colleges, which deals with the issue around colleges blocking certain websites such as Facebook, and how students' unions can influence college AUP.
FEstival website
An interactive tool enabling event delegates (in this case, FE students' union officers) to continue to network after the FEstival event, as well as to upload photos and videos, and to share ideas and best practice.
EMA Satisfaction Survey 2008
A report into the findings from the EMA Satisfaction Survey, which tell us that the Education Maintenance Allowance is critical to FE students, with 61% of participants telling us that they would not be able to continue to study without it.
Students’ Unions and the Student Movement
Wave of Change
The ‘A Wave of Change: The Future Landscape of the Student Movement’ paper, which looks forward to the challenges facing the student movement and how we might prepare for them.
Surfing the Wave
‘Surfing the Wave’ offers a strategic response to the findings from the ‘Wave of Change’ paper and a number of key recommendations as to how the student movement can move forward.
Model documents
Offering information covering topics including governance reviews, trustees and sector information, model documents, and a guide to financial reporting under SORP and specific guidance from the charity commission for SUs.
The other major model document is SUEI
There are now 70 unions taking part in this process which seeks to help unions improve connections and relevance with their members.
Greener living project
Information about the ‘greener living project, which is looking to benchmark and change the behaviour of 90,000 students across 20 universities.
Student Welfare
Social Policy Briefing
Released fortnightly, the Social Policy Briefing is written to update officers and staff in students' unions on issues relating to social policy, including student finance, welfare and liberation.
'Shorter Days, Safer Nights' toolkit.
Includes a briefing on the dangers facing students and background as to why students are prevalent victims of crime. A recent article on the issue can be found here.
Freshers ‘crime prevention’ survey
Research from the NUS freshers crime survey, which looks into freshers’ attitudes to crime prevention.
NUS Accommodation Survey
The NUS-Unipol Accommodation survey 2006-07. Research for the survey was undertaken between August and September 2006.
Student Parents
The first ever UK-wide report into the experiences of students with children in further and higher education, ‘Meet the Parents’ presents the findings from research carried out between November 2007 and December 2008, as well as offering a number of key policy recommendations from NUS.
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