NUS websites, data protection and commercial development

1. nusonline.co.uk
nusonline.co.uk is a key NUS communication tool to both member unions and students and is therefore the official website of NUS.

“nusonline is a one-stop-shop for the student life experience. nusonline has proven to be a successful and vital communication and campaigning tool.” James Lloyd, NUS National Secretary.

Nusonline.co.uk aims to enhance and make the most of the student experience, including:

• Latest information on NUS campaigns and how students can get involved
• Tips on student life (health, money, career and much more)
• Exclusive student offers and discounts
• Competitions and prize

2. officeronline.co.uk

OfficerOnline is a new site, developed by NUS specifically for student officers (but also accessible by GMs and SLOs of member unions) to:

• work in harmony with the nusonline infrastructure
• provide student officers with all the materials they require to do their jobs
• to highlight officer-specific news
• improve communications and develop networks between officers
• promote participation in our events and training programs and generally to improve awareness of the services NUS offers its membership

In revisiting the idea of a web-space for officers we have focused on:

• providing quality information
• attractively presented
• regularly updated
• easily located
• distinguished by innovation and creativity of approach
• complimented by interactivity and community applications
• two-way flow of content between NUS and CMs

3. Data protection and disability discrimination

In the development of our websites NUS’ will need to have regard to issues of law in Data Protection and Disabilities Discrimination.

The amendments to the Data Protection Act more specifically referred to as The Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communication (2002/58/EC) requires further investigation and NUS will seek legal opinion on this. In the meantime however Constituent Members who require access to their data should contact Ian King, Acting National Director.

In early 2004 it became clear that the Disabilities Discrimination ACT would require service provider web sites (such as our site, and also Student Union sites) be fully accessible by October 2004. It was determined that the existing www.nusonline.co.uk could not be made fully accessible and that, furthermore, the site was failing to adequately address the needs of Student Officers. The decision was then taken to rebuild the existing site on accessibility guidelines and also to make new provision for Officers by way of a specialist membership site for their use. These two strategic objectives have been met with both sites now live, albeit slightly later than had been planned. NUS apologise for this delay and any inconvenience that was caused in the meantime.

4. NUS card in relation to nusonline.co.uk

reasons for nusonline registration

Registration processes to NUS’ sites are essential for a variety of reasons. Firstly, to ensure only valid NUS Cardholders (i.e. valid students directly from NUS member student unions) access areas of the site such as special offer section. Secondly to enable NUS to monitor site user statistics in order to accommodate the site for all users and to ensure the site has information geared towards site users. Thirdly, to allow site users the opportunity to opt-in to receive key NUS information such as the monthly e-newsletter which promotes and updates students on national campaigns and other national student movement issues. In addition, to inform students on latest national special offers and discounts on many essential or wanted student items. Finally, to offer students the opportunity of choice - to receive or not to receive updated information from NUS and/or related student focused organisations.

nusonline and NUS and NUS Associate card relations

The above activities are separate key servicing projects within NUS, however, these three areas also go hand-in-hand aiding NUS to better service cardholders and site users.

The NUS Cards are based on a card number sequence, each card having a unique number printed on the front of the card as well as encoded on the mag strip located on the back of the card. This unique numbering system acts as a validation mechanism for official NUS Cards. The number sequence also uses various data anomalies stating it as a NUS card, nusonline card, NUS USI card, NUS USIonline card, NUS Associate Card, etc.

Using the cards’ unique number as a basis for registering to nusonline, ensures only valid card holders can have access to registering to the site, access to guarded areas of the site, and access to key NUS information only valid card members should have access to.

In addition, the site works as an information tool showing NUS card holders what companies are running national discount and special offers for cardholders.

invalid or ‘rejected’ NUS Cards

At the point of validation on-line the only reasons a card may be invalid or ‘rejected’ is if it is out of date, artificial/counterfeit or if there is a problem with the cards’ algorithm number. This happens in less than 1% of the 3 million cards. If a student experiences this and it is reported to a Constituent Member our advice is that the student is asked to contact NUS via our website section www.nusonline.co.uk/help

For clarity, once the NUS Cards are distributed to Constituent Member Unions, they are ready for distribution to students and immediately valid for use. Registering to nusonline is not necessary in order to use the benefits of the card. The card does however need to be activated/registered on/to nusonline in order for the cardholder to access some areas of nusonline and in order to receive key NUS information as mentioned previously.

commercial developments on nusonline

This falls under three areas - homepage advertising, special offers section, and email campaigns. Email campaign being an email sent to opted-in users (approximately one per month) informing the student of a particular special offer.

These commercial developments are to offer NUS card holders and site users information on discounts and special offers. NUS aims to offer a variety of product categories and various companies offering students a choice, getting the most out of their NUS card and being an nusonline user. Products and companies are vetted closely and taken on a case by case basis, following NUS’ exclusion policy and with regard to issues of data protection.

The principal aim of this activity is to create revenue to support the existence of nusonline and now officeronline and all the benefits that flow from those activities to elected officers and therefore Constituent Members and of course NUS card-holders themselves.

The commercial development of the NUS card and of nusonline does not seek to impinge on a Constituent Members ability to carry out marketing activities with local and national companies. Indeed NUS actively encourages national companies, who are seeking to segment and target their marketing activity, to approach local unions directly.

Through the development of the NUS Card and nusonline NUS will continue to build commercial relations to generate revenues to support the core costs of the organisation as well as providing sponsorship for NUS events, campaigns and publications - all a part of better servicing our Constituent Members. Moreover NUS’ commercial relationship building at a national level also promotes educating and informing national and multi-national companies on ethical policies, student movement issues and campaigns.

If you have any questions arising from this briefing please contact:

James Lloyd, National Secretary (james.lloyd@nus.org.uk) for any questions relating to NUS policy on the commercial development of the NUS websites and/or NUS Card

Tom Edge, New Media Manager (tom.edge@nus.org.uk) for any questions relating to the operational aspects of the websites