Back at the start of March I attended the NUS conference as lead delegate with a number of student NUS delegates who were elected to represent UoB. The conference is where national issues and policies are discussed, delegates from both higher education (HE) and further education (FE) attend.
At the conference there were a series of sessions surrounding the national campaigns that already exist within NUS: Students deserve better and Decolonisation. These sessions were primarily to help influence how HE and FE can help implement some of these campaigns within their own institutions and some of the key ways to influence others and meet the two campaigns’ aims. During one of the sessions I attended to do with Students Deserve Better, we discussed the issues highlighted within FE and HE that have been improved due to the pandemic, and how these improvements can’t just end when the pandemic ends - they need to continue beyond that. Within this discussion the session lead got us to reflect on how we frame that message to the people in power that we need to influence.
Workshops were one half of the conference, the other half was on the 6 policies waiting to be approved or rejected by the delegates. In these sessions delegates got a chance to discuss the proposed policies and ask questions to those who wrote the policy.
I personally attended the sexual violence, NDAs & Relationship abuse discussion as well as the Mental Health discussion. Both of these sessions raised questions that I decided we would need to ask the relevant members of the University about, as each proposal raised some worrying statistics and stories. Every policy passed at conference with some amendments.
A great take away from the conference came from some of the things said in the closing ceremony. Be bold, be brave, fight for justice not just for students but the wider community and we move together. You could sense how passionate delegates felt about student issues and the joint fight we are all in to help improve their experiences.
If you want to know more feel free to get in touch with myself, Jules or Charlotte, or you can always talk to one of the delegates.
Below are some quotes provided by some of the NUS delegates on the conference:
'As an appointed delegate, representing the University of Birmingham at the NUS National Conference this year, I can say that it was indeed successful. Although virtual, it was definitely impactful, as there were multiple elements of constructive discussions as well as energizer sessions. I was involved in the campaigning on the cost-of-living workshop, fees and finance, and student housing. It was an incredible experience to discuss, amend and vote on the policies. I was able to view the passion and enthusiasm displayed by the leaders of the NUS team. I now, more than ever, recognize the deep concerns that University students from all UK Universities share and how we are all on the same boat towards working on a better future for higher education.' - Meenal Senthil
'NUS conference presented itself as a great opportunity to network with other sabbatical officers and students across the UK. The sessions were well facilitated and I look forward to implementing some of the work others are doing here at Birmingham.' - Jules Singh
'The NUS conference was a fantastic opportunity to feed into discussions at a national level and highlight experiences and problems that were specific to UoB. It brought to light topics that I have since discussed in senior University meetings and will continue to bear in mind as I finish my term in office. I especially enjoyed the decompression session from Stuart Sandeman – it simultaneously relaxed and energised me and was a refreshing break! The opening and closing speeches were especially inspiring and motivated me to continue working hard to fight for a better student experience for all!' - Charlotte Minter