January

• Meeting with trade unions from across the FE and schools sectors and a representative from the Learning and Skills Council (the first of its kind) to discuss the LSC’s priorities and issues with the funding of colleges and schools
• Visit to Chichester College
• ‘On Course’ Priority Campaign meeting
• FE campaign meeting
• Concorde Group meeting- the Concorde group was set up as a think tank and pressure group for issues in the FE sector and is working to drive forward reforms in the sector. NUS was so pleased to be asked to sit on this group- I think it demonstrates how far we have come in terms of our wider work in the sector
• Visits to Exeter College and East Devon College
• Course rep training at Epsom campus of UCCA
• South East Student Staff Liaison meeting- Chichester college
• Interview for NATFHE newspaper The Lecturer
• Update on FE campaign to Regional Officers meeting
• Learning and Skills Development New Year Lecture
• Holocaust Memorial Day event at Canterbury College
• Presentation on the importance of the student voice and representation structures to the governing body of Chedle and Marple VI Form College
• Nominations deadline- I handed in my form to re-run for VP FE
• NEC meeting
• Visit to Bexley College to give a talk to students about setting up a students’ union
• Scottish Board of Management training follow up day- Edinburgh
• North West Student Staff Liaison officers meeting- Manchester
• Meeting with Bill Rammell to discuss NUS’ recommendations to the government about setting up effective, supported and funded representative systems in FE colleges

February

February kicked off with a week in the bus of (occasionally no) fun. The week started in St Martins College Lancaster, then down to Keele (loving the West Midlands- more FE unions at the conference than HE!), from there to Cheltnam and lastly London. In between Wes’ hilarious impressions and getting lost in Newcastle-under- Lyme we fitted in presentations on the MORI report, the priority campaigns, NUS Extra, the FE lobby, co-op housing and a report and plan session. In case you missed it the presentations will be up online soon.

• I’ve also been on a visit to Wolverhampton college where Rob Marris MP for Wolverhampton South West who has tabled the EDM on learner voice for the FE lobby, came to speak to the students’ union officers and look round the college
• National Council in London which as usual seemed to turn into an extended NEC meeting where people started comparing the worth of one campaign over another and sniping about whether the NEC should vote or not (I don’t think they should so along with some other NEC members I abstained from all the votes, like the policy passed at the last National Council meeting asked us to). Hopefully with the new bylaws that were passed, National Council will run a bit smoother but I still think the effectiveness of National Council needs to be looked at, it was frustrating as a national councillor last year and didn’t feel like we were holding people to account, and now on the NEC I don’t come away from national council feeling very accountable.
• FE campaign ‘Loud and Clear’ Lobby of Parliament (see other BLOG)

Coming up for the rest of the month I’m doing an interview for The Independent on the FE lobby, attending the launch of Student Volunteering Week, West Midlands SSLO conference, meeting representatives from the Learning and Skills Development Agency, visit South Birmingham College, AoC student governors policy forum at Manchester Uni, Leicester College visit, Chichester College “topping out” ceremony, and the Learning and Skills Development Agency research conference.

The Blogs on this site represent the individual views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or practices of the National Union of Students.

All links in blogs will open in a new browser window.

The permanent URL for this specific blog entry is: http://www.officeronline.co.uk/blogs/ellierussell/272014.aspx