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NUS NEC Report | NUS-USI President

Author & Job title: Fergal McFerran, NUS-USI President

Date Produced: 12/02/2016

Meeting date: 24/02/2016

Meeting of: NUS National Executive Council

Action: For publication and circulation to students’ unions

Summary: This report summarises my work, and the work of the NUS-USI Executive

from November 18th 2015 until Friday 12th 2016.

Section 1 | Priorities for 2015-16

Projects Progress

1. Northern Ireland

Assembly Election

Campaign -

#OwningOurFuture

We are now in the third phase of our Assembly election campaign.

Having finalised, designed and launched our student manifesto we are

now negotiating with political parties regarding our specific asks,

carrying out focused voter registration activity as well as supporting

students’ unions to be equipped to campaign effectively ahead of the

Assembly elections.

2. Campaigning &

Influencing

Many aspects of our campaigning and influencing work are running

parallel to our #OwningOurFuture campaign and as such have been

incorporated in some way. Further details and updates on work carried

out are noted below & within the NUS-USI Plan of Work.

3. Supporting

Students’ Unions

Many aspects of our work in supporting students’ unions have been

completed, are being reviewed or have been incorporated into our

#OwningOurFuture campaign. Further details and updates on work

carried out are noted below & within the NUS-USI Plan of Work.

4. Governance We are now approaching the final meetings of NUS-USI’s specially

convened constitutional review group to finalise details of amendments

to be put to a meeting of the NUS-USI Regional Council prior to our

annual conference in April.

Below, all progress updates are in RED.

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Section 2 | Project work plan

1 Project Title Northern Ireland Assembly Election Campaign: Owning Our Future

Project Objective (s)

Campaign Issue: NUS-USI wants politics in Northern Ireland to reflect the

needs of our students and deliver on our objectives for education, work and

community. Civic society should engage in the democratic process to

ensure that our political structures are more representative.

Campaign Objectives:

1. Students and young people informing the NUS-USI student

manifesto – input from members and student body in Northern

Ireland.

2. Maximise number of 18 – 25 year old registered to vote.

3. One hundred student activists and future leaders trained to engage

others in the ‘Owning Our Future’ campaign.

Outputs/Activities Timeline

1. Phase One:

(i) Listening exercises with

membership

(ii) Recruitment of student activists

July – November 2015

Incorporating space for members to shape the

campaign and feed into development of student

manifesto at SUT, SUT+, Regional Council & FEstival.

Apprentice engagement week at beginning of October

used to help shape the manifesto asks alongside the

National Society of Apprentices in Northern Ireland.

NUS-USI Executive touring fresher’s fairs to carry out

listening exercises with students to input into student

manifesto and to engage potential activists to

become more involved in campaign activity.

This phase of the campaign is now complete

2. Phase Two:

(i) Formulation of student

manifesto

October 2015 – January 2016

Using information gathered from various events and

fresher’s fairs to shape the content of the student

manifesto, to be approved by NUS-USI Regional

Council in December.

This phase of the campaign is now complete

3. Phase Three:

(i) Publication of student manifesto

(ii) Focused voter registration activity

December 2015 – May 2016

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(iii) Activist training events

Launching the student manifesto alongside toolkits for

students and students’ union officers to use it to lobby

candidates and political parties effectively.

Campus tour of voter registration activity at beginning of

February (coinciding with National Voter Registration Day)

Hosting specific activist training events to ensure a wider

group of students are involved in shaping and executing

the campaign.

This phase of the campaign is underway; our manifesto has been launched, we’ve begun our voter

registration activity and we’re preparing for our activist training events.

4. Phase Four:

(i) The Assembly election

May 2016

Working with students’ unions and various other allies to

encourage greater turnout across the board, but specifically

amongst 18 – 25 year olds.

Outcomes / Impact

1. NUS-USI’s Students Manifesto shaped and informed by member unions and students.

2. Current students engaged in campaign activity, at least 100 having participated in activist training days.

3. Increase in 18 – 25 year olds register to vote.

4. Political parties actively engaged with our campaign asks and appearing in party manifestos.

5. Member unions having ownership of the campaign and shaping specific elements for their own activities.

6. Effective campaigning partnerships with groups and organizations of common aim & shared values.

2 Project Title Campaigning and influencing

Project Objective (s) NUS-USI is committed, in the year ahead to:

- challenge the danger associated with the proposed revision of departmental

structures of government in Northern Ireland

- preparing to challenge potential budgetary cuts following Assembly election

- Delivering positive changes to HE funding and student support

- communicating the need for equality and a shared future in Northern Ireland

- being a voice for environmental campaigning in Northern Ireland

Much of this work has been incorporated into our Owning Our Future campaign, however

we have also carried out significant lobbying and campaigning work in relation to DEL’s ‘Big

Conversation’ process, presented to the Employment & Learning committee at Stormont and

supported individual students’ unions to do the same and also joined other organisations to

make joint calls on issues were we share interest to have a more effective impact.

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3 Project Title Supporting Students’ Unions

Project Objective (s) - Legislation to protect students’ unions in Northern Ireland: incorporated into

Owning Our Future campaign – working to deliver consensus within main

political parties and progress seems positive.

- Preventing the abolition of student governors in FE colleges: following recent

consultation process with Department for Employment & Learning this has

been delivered.

- Governance support for students unions: ongoing

- Campaigning for choice: significant work undertaken my NUS-USI’s

women’s officer Jo Gowers.

- Women in Leadership: delivered at request of individual students’ unions.

- Training & networking for students’ union officer & staff (SUT, FEstival, etc.): key

training and networking events have now been delivered. Regional Council

meetings have also moved location this year.

- Membership communication: ongoing assessment and review in progress.

Further details are listed in the NUS-USI Plan of Work

4 Project Title Governance

Project Objective (s) NUS-USI Annual conference 2015 voted for the establishment of a working group to

review our constitution. The working group is to comprise representatives from the

Regional Executive Committee, Steering Committee as well as students’ union

officers from NUS-USI Regional Council.

Current consensus is that the NUS-USI constitution is not fit for purpose, and since

a decade has passed since it was last reviewed comprehensively now is an

appropriate time to examine how it could or should be amended.

Outputs/Activities Timeline

Phase One: Review Group Meeting 1 September 2015

Examining Representative Structures

This phase of the project is now complete

Phase Two: Review Group Meeting 2 October 2015 (was delayed until November)

Examining Democratic Structures

This phase of the project is now complete

Phase Three: Review Group Meeting 3 November 2015 (was delayed until December)

Examining procedures and behaviours

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This phase of the project is now complete

Phase Four: Review Group Meeting 4 February 2016 (two meetings have now been

scheduled to complete this work)

Finalising draft amendments to be presented to Regional

Council ahead of NUS-USI Conference in April

This phase of the project is now underway

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Section 3 (i) | Key events, meetings, Students’ Union and media engagement

Event, Meeting, SU or Media Date Outcomes / Impact

NUS-USI Festival 18/11/2015 –

19/11/2015

Our annual training event to bring together

student officers from across Northern Ireland’s

further education colleges.

We provided a two day programme of

leadership and campaign training and also used

some of the event to ensure delegates had an

opportunity to shape our Owning Our Future

campaign and contribute to the student

manifesto.

QUB School of Politics panel

discussion

19/11/2015 I was invited to take part in a panel discussion

at Queen’s University Belfast in relation to

young people and politics in Northern Ireland.

NUS DPC Meeting in London 22/11/2015 Attended a meeting of the NUS Democratic

Procedures committee as the appointed

representatives from the NUS National

Executive.

Meeting with the Employment &

Learning Minister

23/11/2015 I met the Employment & Learning Minister, Dr.

Stephen Farry at Stormont.

We had a fairly robust meeting, discussing;

- outcomes of the ‘Big Conversation’

process

- implications for Northern Ireland of the

Conservative government’s

comprehensive spending review and

Autumn budget statement

- implications of the Westminster HE

green paper

- follow up regarding student partnership

proposals that we had made to the

department

- the current political situation in Northern

Ireland following the ‘Fresh Start’ deal

- a range of other student finance and

funding issues

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NUS-USI Constitutional Review Group meeting #2 23/11/2015

Catch up with Colum Mackey 24/11/2015

Catch up with Seán Fearon 24/11/2015

Launch of NUS-USI & NIYF

Partnership Agreement

25/11/2015 We launched a new partnership with the

Northern Ireland Youth Forum based on

significant crossover of membership, shared

values and a commitment to joint campaign

activity.

You can read more information and download

the agreement document here: http://nus-

usi.org/2015/11/25/nus-usi-and-niyf-

partnership-agreement/

Meeting with Electoral Commission 25/11/2015 Discussed potential partnership work in relation

to voter registration campaigns.

Meeting with NaSMA (National

Association of Student Money

Advisors)

26/11/2015 Useful discussion with representatives from

across Northern Ireland who support or work

within areas of support for students in both

higher and further education. We outlined areas

where it may be beneficial to collaborate in the

future and possible areas of policy work that we

could explore going forward.

Visit to UUSU Magee 27/11/205 Travelled to Derry to visit UUSU VP Magee

Micky Quigg & to meet nursing students.

Reclaim the Night Belfast 28/11/2015 Attended to support NUS-USI Women’s Officer

Jo Gowers.

NUS Policy Development Convention 01/12/2015

NUS NEC Meeting #3 02/12/2015 I attended alongside Caoímhe MacNéill (NUS-

USI NEC 2nd Place) to report on NUS-USI’s work

to date this year. You can read the papers and

resolutions from the meeting here:

http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/shape-our-

work/national-executive-council/meeting-3-

wednesday-2-december-2015

Meeting with Colum Mackey

(UUSU) & Aidan Forker (St. Mary’s)

03/12/2015 Both officers are due to travel to Westminster

with me on Tuesday 8th December to meet a

number of Northern Ireland MPs as part of NUS

UK’s Westminster lobby around maintenance

grants and other issues. This meeting was to

brief them both on the logistics of the day.

BBC Newsline (TV) 03/12/2015 Contributed to a news item regarding tuition

fees & student debt. You can watch it here:

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-

ireland-

34990481?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=

bbc_news_ni&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=

northern_ireland

QUBSU Council Meeting 03/12/2015 Attended to speak to student councilors about

the work of NUS-USI so far this year, how they

can get involved in our Owning Our Future

campaign and to take questions.

USI National Council (Athlone) 04/12/2015

Open University Northern Ireland

Winter Reception at Stormont

07/12/2015 This was the first time NUS-USI was invited to

attend OU NI’s Winter Reception. It was a good

opportunity to meet some of their student

representatives and another opportunity to

speak with members of the Employment &

Learning Committee.

#CutTheCosts Westminster lobby

08/12/2015 As part of NUS UK’s #CutTheCosts campaign I

travelled to Westminster alongside;

- Colum Mackey

- Aidan Forker

- Jo Gowers

- Simon Lam

We met Gavin Robinson MP (DUP), Margaret

Ritchie MP (SDLP), Mark Durkan MP (SDLP),

Tom Elliott MP (UUP) & Danny Kinahan MP

(UUP).

The purpose of the meetings primarily was to

discuss student debt, tuition fees and other

aspects of financial hardship that students face.

We too were encouraging MPs to support NUS

UK is opposing Government plans to scrap

maintenance grants in England, a number of

the MPs we met have now signed an early day

motion seeking to block those plans.

We also briefly met the Shadow Secretary of

State for Northern Ireland, Vernon Coaker MP.

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Meeting with Stratagem 09/12/2015 Initial meeting following discussions around

communications and strategic public affairs

support during the Assembly election period.

Meeting with NUS UK Sustainability

team

10/12/2015 Skype meeting with NUS UK’s sustainability

team in relation to development of work in

Northern Ireland or on a cross-border basis as

well.

NUS-USI Trustee Board meeting 10/12/2015

NUS-USI Constitutional Review group meeting 14/12/2015

Department for Employment & Learning HE strategy

project 18 group meeting

15/12/2015

NUS-USI Regional Council Meeting 16/12/2015

Fossil Free occupation at Queen’s Statement available online here:

http://nus-usi.org/2015/12/16/student-leader-

says-occupyqub-was-about-much-more-than-

fossil-fuels/

Blog: Summary of my first 6 months Available online here:

http://nus-usi.org/2015/12/18/looking-back-to-

look-forward-half-way-through-my-year-with-

nus-usi/

SUT & SUT+ planning meeting 13/01/2016 Meeting of key officers and staff from NUS-USI,

NUS UK & USI to prepare for SUT & SUT+ in

summer 2016

Catch up with Adam Leahy (Stranmillis University

College Students’ Union President)

14/01/2016

BBC Radio Ulster (The Stephen

Nolan show)

18/01/2016 Responding to comments made by University

Vice-Chancellors regarding a potential rise in

tuition fees in Northern Ireland. Debated with

former Conservative Cabinet Minister Edwina

Currie:

https://audioboom.com/boos/4074545-

university-funding-gap-should-ni-students-fork-

out-more-bbcnolan

Westminster maintenance grants

debate

19/01/2016 Having worked hard prior to Christmas to lobby

Northern Ireland MP’s on the issue of

maintenance grants, I travelled to Westminster

to meet a number of our MPs prior to the

debate and to support NUS UK colleagues.

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I also worked alongside the Presidents of NUS

Wales & NUS Scotland to appeal to the Speaker

of the House of Commons regarding his

decision to apply EVEL (English votes for

English laws) to the vote – we are also in the

process writing to him collectively to request a

meeting.

NUS UK & Nations Presidents meeting 20/01/2016 – 21/01/2016

National Society of Apprentice Leadership Team

meeting

22/01/2016 – 23/01/2016

NUS-USI Executive meeting 27/01/2016

New SDLP spokespersons event 28/01/2016

Voter Registration activity at St. Mary’s University

College

28/01/2016

Belfast Festival of ideas & politics meeting 29/01/2016

Belfast Telegraph 01/02/2016 Student body uses campervan of dreams to

encourage voting:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northe

rn-ireland/student-body-uses-campervan-of-

dreams-to-encourage-voting-34411158.html

The Newsletter 01/02/2016

New tactic to encourage boost in student

voting:

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/northern-

ireland-news/new-tactic-to-encourage-boost-in-

student-voting-1-7190714

Farming Life NI 01/02/2016 Campervan of dreams encourages students to

vote:

http://www.farminglife.com/national/camperva

n-of-dreams-encourages-students-to-vote-1-

7190423

BBC Radio Ulster (The Vinny

Hurrell Show)

01/02/2016 Discussion about the value of tertiary

education:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/best-of-

vinny-

hurrell/id981817135?mt=2&i=361785890

Ulster Students’ Union Council 02/02/2016 Attended a meeting of Ulster University

Students’ Union council to talk about NUS-USI’s

work, our #OwningOurFuture campaign & to

take questions from students.

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NvTV (Belfast TV)

03/02/2016 Interview about our #OwningOurFuture

campaign & getting students registered to vote:

http://www.nvtv.co.uk/shows/focal-point-

friday-5-february-2016/

Launch of the student manifesto

05/02/2016 After months of consultations and various

campus visits to carry out listening exercises I

circulated a draft of our student manifesto to

NUS-USI’s Regional Council which was

approved at our December meeting.

The finalized manifesto document was launch at

Belfast Met’s titanic quarter campus. A range of

political parties were represented at the event,

we gained significant media coverage and are

now working to ensure students’ unions are

equipped and supported to use the manifesto a

campaigning and lobbying tool.

Our press release is available here.

You can access the manifesto here.

BBC Radio Ulster (Good Morning

Ulster)

05/02/2016 Coverage of launch of NUS-USI’s Student

Manifesto ahead of 2016 Assembly elections:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06zdmw3

Farming Life NI 05/02/2016 Launch of NUS-USI’s Student Manifesto ahead

of 2016 Assembly elections:

“Students must be central in political decisions

for Northern Ireland to thrive.”

http://www.farminglife.com/national/students-

must-be-central-in-political-decisions-for-

northern-ireland-to-thrive-1-7199193

Coleraine Times 05/02/2016 Launch of NUS-USI’s Student Manifesto ahead

of 2016 Assembly elections:

“Students must be central in political decisions

for Northern Ireland to thrive.”

http://www.colerainetimes.co.uk/news/national

/students-must-be-central-in-political-

decisions-for-northern-ireland-to-thrive-1-

7199193

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Belfast Telegraph (Video)

05/02/2016 Coverage of launch of the student manifesto

ahead of the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly

elections:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/video-

news/video-students-launch-their-manifesto-

with-a-call-to-be-more-central-in-political-

decisions-for-northern-ireland-34427078.html

Irish News 06/02/2016 Coverage of the launch of the student

manifesto ahead of the 2016 Northern Ireland

Assembly elections:

http://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/02/06/n

ews/students-must-be-central-in-political-

decisions-407924/

BBC Radio Ulster (The Stephen

Nolan Show)

08/02/2016 Coverage of the launch of the student

manifesto ahead of the 2016 Northern Ireland

Assembly elections with a special focus on

tuition fees:

https://audioboom.com/boos/4157162-scrap-

university-fees-call-fergalmcferran-and-

benlowry2-debate

QUBSU Council meeting 08/02/2016 Addressed QUBSU Council to provide an update

regarding our work, our #OwningOurFuture

campaign and to take questions from students.

Launch of QUB S.C.O.R.E.

09/02/2016 Attended the launch of an innovative new,

student-led collaborative research project – the

first of its kind in Northern Ireland – aiming to

measure the level of non-consensual sexual

activity amongst Queen’s University students.

More information available here:

https://qubconsentni.wordpress.com/

QUBSU Refreshers fair 10/02/2016 Attended alongside other NUS-USI officers to

register students to vote and promote our

activist training events as part of our

#OwningOurFuture campaign.

QUBSU Affiliation Referendum

11/02/2016 On Thursday 11th February Queen’s Students’

Union held a constitutional referendum on its

membership of NUS-USI, and due to the

trilateral agreement, its membership of both

NUS UK and USI too.

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QUB students reaffirmed their membership of

NUS-USI with a 93% YES vote – thanks to all of

the officers from both NUS and USI who joined

me to campaign on the day.

Full statement: http://nus-

usi.org/2016/02/12/nus-usi-referendum-win-

shows-movements-strength-ahead-of-

assembly-election/

Nations Summit 12/02/2016 Officers from NUS-USI, NUS Scotland & NUS

Wales met in Belfast to discuss a range of

issues, including but not restricted to our

respective devolved Assembly & Parliament

election campaigns and the potential impact of

increased devolution across the UK on our role

within NUS UK.

Section 3 (ii) | Consultations

NUS-USI undertakes a significant amount of policy work due to the level of consultation which many of the Northern Ireland Executive departments engage in. Below is a list of

the consultations (formal or informal) in which we have responded to since my last NEC report.

Consultation

1 OFMDFM Childcare strategy for Northern Ireland

2 NSS, Unistats and information provided by institutions

3 Sex discrimination order (Northern Ireland) order 1976

4 Review of Northern Ireland non-domestic rating system

5 Review of the role and regulation of the private rented sector

6 DEL: comments in response to pilot programme relating to project 18 of HE strategy

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Section 3 (iii) | Other areas of work

NUS-USI currently does not

have any live policy in relation to the UK’s membership of the

European Union. Ahead of the anticipated referendum this

year we’ve partnered with EU Debate NI, a project of the

Centre for Democracy & Peace Building to help inform our

members before they inevitably decide our position.

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Section 3 (iv) | Specific Owning Our Future campaign activities

#OwningOurFuture campaign: meetings with political parties regarding

the student manifesto

Date

Political Party Individuals

DUP Tom Buchanan MLA 26/01/2016

Sinn Féin Phil Flanagan MLA & relevant policy staff 01/02/2016

SDLP Gerard Diver MLA & relevant policy staff 03/02/2016

UUP Robin Swann MLA & relevant policy staff 09/02/2016

A meeting is due to take place with the current Employment & Learning Minister, Dr. Stephen Farry

(Alliance party) on Monday 15th February. Informal discussions have taken place with some of Northern

Ireland’s smaller parties and formal meetings are being arranged.

#OwningOurFuture campaign: voter registration tour

Date

South West College – Omagh Campus 01/02/2016

Southern Regional College – Armagh Campus 01/02/2016

Ulster University – Coleraine Campus 02/02/2016

Ulster University – Magee Campus 02/02/2016

South Eastern Regional College – Downpatrick Campus 03/02/2016

Queen’s University Belfast 04/02/2016

Belfast Metropolitan College – Titanic Quarter campus 05/02/2016

Section 4 | Declaration of gifts, hospitality and interests

Declaration

Further comment

None None