University staff and members of the University and College Union (UCU) are taking strike action over changes to their pension called the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). The university staff who are striking are claiming the universities employers are ignoring pension experts and want staff members to pay more to assess the scheme. After the previous…
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Bursaries for new students cut by up to £500
Bursaries will be reduced by as much as £500 for next year’s cohort, despite the continuing rise in student living costs such as accommodation and food. Care leavers and students with household incomes of less than £16,000 will be hit the hardest, with £500 reductions of £3,000 to£2,500 and £1,800 to £1,300 respectively. Students with household…
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Sick of student unions?
Do you feel represented? I don’t. Zamzam Ibrahim is the president elect of the National Union of Students (NUS). Her job is to represent all UK students in higher and further education. But she’s come under fire for stating she wanted to ‘oppress white people’ and ‘have an Islamic takeover’, comments she made when she…
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Delegates protest at NUS national conference
The National Union of Students (NUS) held their annual National Conference at the end of last month. The event played host to fresh elections for a number of NUS officers and served as the national platform for motions to be voted on, yet was marred by controversy and protests surrounding the current committee and an…
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President of NUS accused of bullying
The National Union of Students (NUS) is conducting an investigation after allegations of bullying and intimidation were made against the NUS president, Shakira Martin, by her fellow officers. Martin has denied the allegations, accusing her critics of electioneering as campaigning begins in earnest ahead of NUS officer elections in March. She has also made counter…
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NUS pass controversial LGBT+ motion
The National Union of Students faces controversy after passing a motion at its 2016 LGBT+ campaign conference that aims to limit the number of gay men represented in committee positions. Motion 408, which states that “gay men do not face oppression as gay men within the LGBT+ community and do not need a reserved place…
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Government blunders over 71,000 expired student visas
The government has admitted Home Office staff have lost track of over 71,000 people who had their student visa expire in 2015. Currently most international students apply for a Tier 4 visa before studying in the UK and there is no limit on the number of student visas that can be issued. The figures were…
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The NUS prepares for annual conference
From 19th to 21st April, the NUS National Conference will take place down in Brighton on the south coast. It is this annual event, where elected delegates from UEA, as well as those from other universities affiliated with NUS, get to have their say and set policy to represent students for the coming year. As…
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Acts of student solidarity are inspiring, but are making little impact
The boycott of lectures and seminars on 17th November truly was a day of solidarity, mobilising a number of home and international students, but was anybody watching? The success of the NUS, and of our own union, to rally a mass protest through various walkouts and stunts is commendable; nonetheless, it is outweighed by the…
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