Democracy

In theory at least, NUS’s democratic structures are fairly straight forward and not dissimilar to those of UUEAS. Below is a brief overview of the various components and how they fit together…

Constituent Members (CMs) Constituent Members are all the Unions throughout the country that are affiliated to NUS. Each Union pays a different affiliation fee depending on the number of full-time and part-time students at their institution and the block grant they receive from their University or College. UUEAS pays about £34,000 a year to affiliate.

Annual Conference Conference is held once a year, usually just before Easter. Its main functions are to debate and pass policy, to keep the National Executive Committee (NEC) to account, to approve budgets and accounts, to elect the NEC and to elect other national committees such as Elections Committee and the Further Education National Committee (FENC). Each CM can send a certain number of delegates according to their size – UUEAS can send 10, who all need to be elected by cross-campus ballot. To read reports from previous conferences, go here . To find out more about national conference or to find out how you can become a delegate, contact the Communications Officer

National Executive Committee (NEC) As with UUEAS, the NUS NEC is elected to carry out the mandate set by annual conference. CMs can then keep them to account at regional conferences, by letter and at next year’s annual conference.

Regional Conference NUS is made up of eight separate regions. These all have two regional conferences a year, along with a number of network days. The role of Regional Conference is to give feedback to the NEC throughout the year, to network and to elect three representatives to sit on National Council, although it has no real decision making power. UUEAS is in the East Anglia region. We can send 10 delegates to each regional conference, and they are elected by Union Council. To read reports from recent regional conferences, go here . To find out more about regional conference or to find out how you can become a delegate, contact the Communications Officer

Liberation Campaign Conferences NUS has four separate Liberation Campaigns . Each Liberation Campaign has its own quasi-autonomous conference(s), attended by self-defining student representatives from CMs. Each campaign elects its own officers, debates and passes policy, and controls its own budgets. The Union sends a number of delegates to each conference. Click here to read reports from Liberation Conference delegates. To find out more about Liberation Campaigns at UEA, or to find out how you can be a delegate to a Liberations Campaign conference, contact the Liberations Officer or the Womens Officer

Special Areas Alongside NUS UK, there is also NUS Scotland, UCMC/NUS Wales and NUS-UCI (a joint iniative between NUS UK and USI to represent students in Northern Ireland and to promote student unity across the sectarian divide). These areas have their own conferences, pass their own policy and elect their own presidents/convenors and Executive Convenors. CMs within these areas can attend their area conference and the annual conference.

International Students Conference Annual Conference 2004 controversially ratified the creation of an International Students campaign, comprising of its own quasi-autonomous conference and a part-time International Students Officer on the NEC.

National Council National Council meets at least two times a year, and has the power to pass policy, censure NEC members, and to keep the NEC to account. Along with the NEC, National Council is made up of elected representatives from the regions, special areas and autonomous campaigns.

To find out more about the Union of UEA Students involvment in NUS democracy, contact the Communications Officer