Why is NUS changing?

"If NUS UK isn't strong enough to fight off any move to lift the cap then, even though we're closer to free education than ever in Scotland, we'll be screwed. Voting through the governance review isn't just important where fee's are in place, but essential for students up and down the UK" Liam Burns, President Heriot Watt University Students’ Association

NUS has been helping students to make their voices heard and strengthening their students’ unions, since 1922. While we have grown, taking on new issues; activities and services, our structures and systems have not kept pace.

NUS’ structures are out-dated and ill-equipped to deal with the challenges faced by students and students’ unions today. NUS has to be genuinely fit for purpose in order to fight for a fair deal for our members. To do so we have to change, and fast. Our members recognise the urgency.

At Annual Conference 2007, delegates called for ‘far-reaching change’ within one year. This is what the governance review aims to deliver.

The review is based on hundreds of submissions from NUS’ members that were distilled into a ‘White Paper on Governance’. In October 2007, this paper was overwhelmingly supported by NUS’ National Executive Committee (NEC) and, last December, more than two-thirds of delegates at Extraordinary Conference also voted yes to change.