5th – 10th September

• Mtg with ULU President Stuart, re joint working, and international students.
• Mtg with Pam Tatlow, from the confederation of modern universities (CMU), to discuss part time student provision.
• Attended our first Concorde group meeting, a group set up by the TES, to look into the future of FE and the positive role we can have within it. The group is made up of groups such as NATFHE, ACM, NIACE, etc, and is a really positive thing for NUS to be involved with.
• Mtg with Bill Rammell, update on the 06-information campaign.
• Regional Officers interviews, glad to say we appointed.
• NUS Services Board, and overnight stay.
• Spent the weekend at the ‘Big Welsh One’, and I can honestly say I haven’t laughed so much for ages, Bethan Thomas is a legend.

12th – 18th September

• Spent the majority of the week at TUC Congress, including speaking at a fringe on young peoples participation in TU’s
• This was also move week from Holloway Road, so spent large part of Friday, chopping up furniture, and throwing it outside. Lots of thanks to all the staff who played such a role in getting us out of the building. Felt very strange to be moving out of the office, but not as strange as when Joe Rukin persuaded me to climb on the roof! Heights really aren’t my thing.
• Attended BYC Conference on the Saturday. To be honest I was less than impressed, I don’t believe NUS should be part of this organization, and am in favour of us disaffiliating.
• When to Hannah Essex of former VP Education fame birthday party, which was fancy dress, and very messy.

19th – 25th September

• Emergency NEC mtg, this meeting was called to consider the report into the resignations of 3 of NUS’s committee members at annual conference this year because of anti Semitism. As people who read my blog I’ve been through an awful amount since that time and was so glad that we would begin to have some closure. I don’t feel it’s appropriate to go into my thoughts on the NUS website, but I did write my guardian article for this month on this story, which you can find on their website, the article is called, ‘keeping my mouth shut’
• Headed straight from the NEC to Blackpool, for the Liberal Democrats Conference, where NUS has a joint fringe with the AUT, and NATFHE.
• Attended the Regional Officers Meeting for a day.
• Went to Aberystwyth for their exec training, I was late, because my brand new hire car, delivered that morning to Blackpool, only went at 38 MPH, due to some problem or another. I can tell you that 38mph on the M6 is officially not a good plan.
• Mtg with TUC Officials re our Course Reps bid, in relation to their work place learning schemes, and the rise of the far right in our organizations.
• Saturday was the demonstration in Exmouth against the potential closure of their site. Katie the president there has done an amazing job, in mobilizing not only the students of her site, but also the local community.
• Drove from Exmouth, to Haywards Heath, ready for Labour Party Conference.
• The start of Labour party Conference, and our joint reception day with the other Education Unions.

26th – 2nd October

• Spent most of the week at Labour Party Conference, attending fringes, speaking on the 50% target, meeting contacts etc.
• Also attended on Thursday evening the International Students House Reception.
• Meeting with Justice for Columbia
• Attended M’Sex where the President had been suspended by the university. Good news was that Keith has won his case, and is back in office, but shows the potential threats that universities are putting on us.

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