Unis Disaffiliation with NUS

So Newcastle student union (NUSU) has just voted to disaffiliate with the NUS. (SOURCE). I was wondering if any of your unis were having a referendum, and if anyone has any opinions or thoughts?

Personally I voted to leave the NUS.

Reply 1

THE EPIC Panda

10

The nus doesn't represent students anymore. The only sensible option is to leave and let it crumble.

Reply 2

Klix88

17

Original post by rayquaza17

So Newcastle student union (NUSU) has just voted to disaffiliate with the NUS. (SOURCE). I was wondering if any of your unis were having a referendum, and if anyone has any opinions or thoughts?

Personally I voted to leave the NUS.

My Masters uni SU had been disaffiliated for years before I arrived and it worked perfectly well. Didn't notice any difference, other than not getting any of the NUS student discounts.

Reply 3

rayquaza17

OP

17

The results from Exeter's referendum came in this morning: Some 2,690 were in favour of staying a part of the NUS while 2,546 were against, with a record-breaking turnout of over 5,000.

Amazing 5000 people voted when we didn't get near that in Newcastle!

Original post by Klix88

My Masters uni SU had been disaffiliated for years before I arrived and it worked perfectly well. Didn't notice any difference, other than not getting any of the NUS student discounts.

Tbh though most places accept your uni-issued student card or you can just use unidays..

Reply 4

THE EPIC Panda

10

Original post by rayquaza17

The results from Exeter's referendum came in this morning: Some 2,690 were in favour of staying a part of the NUS while 2,546 were against, with a record-breaking turnout of over 5,000.
/QUOTE]

The only reason that the remain campaign won was because of the underhanded tactics that the NUS used. Disgusting.

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/exeter-university-s-nus-referendum-campaign-hit-with-claims-of-harassment-and-intimidation-a7026406.html

Reply 5

Plagioclase

21

Oxford is having a referendum. I'm guessing they're going to vote in favour of disaffiliation.

Reply 6

CherishFreedom

6

Original post by THE EPIC Panda

The nus doesn't represent students anymore. The only sensible option is to leave and let it crumble.

I agree completely. Hopefully a better alternative will arise if the NUS collapses.

Reply 7

Klix88

17

There are downsides to disaffiliating. At my undergrad uni, even as part of the NUS, a Conservative contingent mobilised amongst a largely politically apathetic student body and took over. As a result, my uni's SU voted *in favour* of tuition fee increases and the uni couldn't send an official group to the related protests. If you'd asked individual students to vote, there's no way they would've voted in favour.

Disaffiliation might amplify this effect. For disaffiliation or affiliation to work in favour of the majority and result in a truly representative SU, you need a politicised student body which is willing to participate, at least in SU elections.

I've seen disaffiliation work and affiliation fail, so there's no "one size fits all" answer.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 8

jelly1000

21

Sadly my alma mater doesn't appear to be holding a referendum which is a real shame- the NUS has stuck its nose in way too many things that go beyond the student remit and even on those student things it does act on, only represents the radical left. And don't get me started on the new cretin of a leader- she does not deserve any legitimacy at all.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 9

pizzanomics

16

One of my mates studies at Lincoln and I believe they have already left after an extremely poor voter turn out. Still a good result though. My old university should be having a referendum in the next few weeks. I will be talking to my old flatmates encouraging them to vote to leave. :colone:

Not sure if my new university is having a referendum - I've had a brief look but found nothing relevant.

The NUS really needs to go, but it should be replaced by something new. What that 'something' is however, I don't know. Regardless of what Malia Bouattia has said either recently or in the past, the majority of her comments have been on issues that have nothing to do with what she should be fighting for and campaigning against. If she wants to talk about the crumbling situation in the Middle East that's great, but I'd rather she put that on the backburner and helped students fight rising accommodation costs or whatever - and it's for that reason alone we should leave the NUS to die. Who even needs the discounts? Just use UniDays, and a majority of shops just look at your uni ID card and accept it at face value.

Reply 10

carehow

10

So far the turnouts for the referendums have been dire, I hope we get a decision (to leave or remain, I don't have any strong views on this subject) from a university that's actually representative at some point.

I don't see a referendum happening at my university (Leeds) any time soon, our union officials are pretty pro-NUS, it's hard to push a motion without their support, and it doesn't seem to be a big concern amongst the student body.

Reply 11

shread

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure on what disaffiliated SUs miss out on (except for the discount cards, which isn't too significant, as there's things like MyUniDays for that); can anyone shed some light on it?

Reply 12

InArduisFouette

21

Original post by shread

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure on what disaffiliated SUs miss out on (except for the discount cards, which isn't too significant, as there's things like MyUniDays for that); can anyone shed some light on it?

not a lot as the NUS has turned into a body where proto radical left politicians get their first taste of publicity and gravy from the gravy train ...

in terms of the supposed purchasing power advantages - i think that is vastly over played these days compared to when universities had a few hundred to a few thousand students - there is also nothing stopping a disaffiliated SU purchasing group being formed ...

Reply 13

shread

Original post by zippyRN

not a lot as the NUS has turned into a body where proto radical left politicians get their first taste of publicity and gravy from the gravy train ...

in terms of the supposed purchasing power advantages - i think that is vastly over played these days compared to when universities had a few hundred to a few thousand students - there is also nothing stopping a disaffiliated SU purchasing group being formed ...

So hardly anything, like I thought. Thanks though aha

Reply 14

username457532

17

Original post by JohnGreek

I hope that either it or Cambridge vote that way - having one of the "giants" vote to leave would be a significant blow to the NUS, mostly in terms of the legitimacy it can claim to have in representing the student body when one or two of the most venerable institutions in the country vote to leave it.