Welcome!
Hi, I'm Beth Walker, Vice President (Further Education). Welcomes to the further education zone of officeronline where, come rain or shine, you'll find campaign information, news and ideas to take up in your students' union. Your students, from August, will be able to campaign material and details of your union from our new website - www.nus.org.uk.
If you have any comments or ideas on how we can improve this section, then please email me at beth.walker@nus.org.uk. In the meantime, please check out my blog for photos and my thoughts on the varying campaigns we're running.
Latest convenor blogs
Workers and students working together in FE
My speech from the National Unison FE Seminar
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 02/05/2008
Votes for 16 comes to Wales
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 15/02/2008
Leading Learners Conference
16 January 2008. Victoria Park Plaza Hotel, London
Blogged by: Beth Walker on 14/02/2008
Launch of the Voting Age Reduction Bill
Added on 05/06/2008
To mark the second reading of the private members bill, we held a parliamentary event, on Wednesday 4 June, to restate the arguments ahead of Friday's debate (6 June).
Beth Walker, Vice President (Further Education) was there to support the event and speak to the crowd. During her speech she said:
"Of course young people value youth consultations from government, and many do care about the environment. But mostly young people care about the same things as everyone else –the economy, the job market, their pay and working conditions, the NHS and…the price of fuel. People who work, people who are raising families, people who are joining the armed forces, deserve to have more political clout than the odd youth-consultation or web-chat.
There is still time for you to influence debate and it is crucial that you do so now. Email your MP now
Who's my MP?
Not sure who to contact? Enter your postcode here to get your MP's contact details and to see how they've voted on a variety of issues.
Citizen 16 day of action
Added on 02/06/2008
Students from Exeter and Plymouth colleges got together this weekend to hold a day of action, across their two towns, in support of the Citizen 16 campaign. Beth Walker, Vice President (Further Education), helped in Plymouth and Women's Officer Kat Stark was in Exeter.
Read the full report of the day
See the day in pictures
Help make the costs of FE research a success
Added on 30/05/2008
NUS and LSN have joined forces to conduct the first piece of research, in ten years, into the cost of studying in further education. Succesful research will form the basis of future NUS campaigns and be a great resource for your unions in your campaigning.
But, to make it a success, we need your support. We need your help to get as many of your students completing our online survey as possible. NUS will give a special campaign fund of £250 to the students’ union which gets the highest number of responses.
Continues in News
Urgent Citizen 16 Action
Added on 29/05/2008
We need you, and your MP, to support Julie Morgan MP's private member's bill, going through parliament on 6 June . Here is how you can convince your MP support us.
The Way Forward for FE
Added on 28/05/2008
We’ve had some great successes over the past year but what does the future hold for FE? We’ve put together a document outlining the future aims of the Zone in the coming year. You can view it here.
Get FE news via RSS!
You can now subscribe to newsfeeds specific to the FE zone! Just choose between the two feeds offered below.
Confused about RSS? Here's the BBC's handy explanation.
Frequently read
Latest FE press
Read more press releases in the press releases section...
FE Resources
MP lobbying guide - how to get your MP to sign an early day motion
FE Students Councils and Students Parliament briefing.
'Putting the LGBT into FE'. Each college can order one hardcopy. To do so, please email lgbt@nus.org.uk. Alternatively, download copies here.
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General Guides
Guidance for colleges on student governors (Redirects to external site)
Financial Support for Further Education Students in England
Legal Briefing for Colleges with Students' Councils
Union officers’ manual
Everything you need to know about being a student officer and running a successful union.
Model constitution and resource pack for FE students’ unions
Development survey
NUS has conducted its most in-depth investigation into students’ unions in the FE sector.
The results – which confirm that students’ unions in the FE sector are, for the most part, under-funded, under-resourced and under-supported - will underpin the work of this year’s 'Loud and Clear' campaign.
You can read the interim report of the FE Students’ Unions’ Development Survey here or read now the full report.
Other briefings and resources
Education and Skills Bill briefing for MPs
Opportunity profiles
If your club or society is growing and you would like to get more students involved then an opportunity profile can help promote your activities.
Developing your students' union
Are you ready for a Sabbatical checklist.
Tips for running an election
A model of good practice and ideas for promoting involvement to maximise the number of students who stand and vote in elections.
Guide to Individual Representation
A handout about the role of students' union officers in representing students' concerns and dealing with the specific conditions which affect their learning.
The Modern Students' Union
It has long been recognised that the ability of students to organise their own system of representation, deliver services and facilitate activities that students have an interest in is a valuable part of the educational process.
Loud and Clear
NUS' definitive guide to developing learner voice in FE
NUS Response to the FE White Paper
Annex
Foster Review of Further Education
A briefing by NUS on the content of the Foster Report
Presentation on NUS' summary of the Foster Report
Powerpoint slides, for use by student officers or governors, on NUS' summary of the Foster Report
Housing Act 2004
FE College compliance with rules
SU Representation pack
A definitive guide to representation in the FE sector
SU clubs and societies pack
The definitive guide to clubs and societies in FE
Getting societies going in FE
A briefing on the importance of clubs and societies within FE
"Safe on Campus, Safe on the Street" FE college campus security policy
A campaign guide for SU officers and student governors on FE college campus security policy.
Consultations and Responses
NUS, as the recognised national voice for students, is consulted and invited to input on many issues affecting students.
You can read recent responses to government consultations here:
NUS' response to the QIA and CEL merger
NUS’ Response to the DfES Personalisation Proposals of January 2007
Further Education White Paper: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances, DfES March 2006
Response to the ODPM Consultation on GLA Powers over Learning and Skills in London
NUS' second response to the 'Review of the future role of FE Colleges' by Sir Andrew Foster, 2005
NUS response to DfES Governance Review, 2004
"Investing in Skills", Sept 2004
"Supporting young people to achieve: towards a new deal for skills", Sept 2004
"21st Century Skills: Realising our Potential", July 2003
Student governors
Colleges in the FE sector have to elect at least one student governor (they can have up to three).
NUS has produced the following resources to support students’ unions and student governors:
Elections
Students' unions elections pack
The definitive guide to running elections in students’ unions
Course reps
Students’ representative structures are different in every college, but representation is the most important thing a students’ union can do.
A good course reps system can help a students’ union to achieve their aim of effective representation.
Course reps' pack
A definitive guide to course reps’ systems in FE
Course reps' log
This log has been designed for course reps to use as a guide to their work, as well as a resource for getting further information.