About the Welfare and Research Department

What we do?

We provide expert advice within education and welfare policy areas of concern to NUS by:

• Representing NUS policy to government and external organisations – written and oral submissions.
• Pointing out policy issues and opportunities for development.
• Liaison with other organisations to strengthen policy points.
• We maintain an extensive and professional policy network for NUS by.
• Regular contact with a wide range of people including civil servants, representatives in related organisations, vice chancellors, principles and trade unions.

How we do it?

• The staff within the Research Department of NUS offer a wealth of specialist skills and knowledge.
• The Researchers have accumulated a broad range of knowledge and contacts within their respective fields whilst representing NUS, and are respected for their expertise and professionalism.
• We represent NUS policy nationally, and negotiate policy wins with government and government departments by our membership of many committees, steering groups and advisory groups within Government and educational organisations and institutes. These include; Learning and Teaching Support Network Generic Centre Advisory Group, LSC – Learner Support Advisory Group, UUK – Student Debt Project, UUK/DfES Student Services Project and Student Income and Expenditure Survey Steering Group.
• Assisting and briefing National Executive Committee officers to directly represent the views of students to decision-makers and influential people in related organisations and government.
• We also assist NEC members to respond to government policy & legislative consultations, and to give evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees. Recent examples are: The Future of Higher Education – NUS response to the government White Paper, April 2003, Widening Participation in Higher Education – NUS response to DfES consultation, June 2003, Draft Housing Bill, NUS response, and oral evidence to Select Committee, June 2003.
• We deal with individual casework, in liaison with the Union Solicitor.
• We conduct both primary and secondary research, to inform and support policy development and to provide the sector with evidence based policy.
• We advise other departments on research and evaluation techniques.
• Examples of research include: NUS’ annual estimates of average study costs for full time undergraduates, 1991 - 2003 Funding the Future – the attitudes of year 10 pupils in England & Wales to Higher Education, interim Report, March 2003 Accommodation Costs Survey, 2002 Health and housing Survey, 2001

Working together: achieving the best results:

We provide technical and policy driven information to Students Unions, students, the public, the media, and other organisation. These include; Welfare Information Pack, Accommodation Costs Survey, Student Finance Press Pack and Rooms for sale: public/private partnerships and their impact on student accommodation.

We develop and deliver presentations to both internal audiences for example NUS’ Summer Training Programme and external audiences.

Officers that we help and support on a regular basis:

We offer advice to support student union officers and student union staff on welfare and education issues, and information to students themselves on issues that concern them.

To contact us, please call 0207 272 8900 or email welfare@nus.org.uk