York could follow top unis and leave destitute NUS behind
FEARS HAVE come to light that York University may leave the NUS as a result of the organisation’s recent failings. Concerns having been raised over the new proposed NUS card which students will be asked to pay for.
James Alexander expressed his frustration with the NUS, specifically its inefficiency regarding decision making. “It creates serious problems trying to get things done in SU” he said and he also criticised the amount of delegates employed by the NUS, saying it has been a “problem for years.”
The new NUS card, called NUS Extra, could be introduced as soon as September 2005 and would require a one off payment of £10.
As a result of this payment the students would be allowed to enjoy the same discounts available with the regular NUS card.
The NUS card would still remain at no cost, yet would not provide student discounts and privileges, instead just providing basic affiliation. Alexander slammed the proposed system, exposing it as a method of “fleecing students… it takes away discounts they already have.”
He also suggested that the card is a method of hauling the NUS out of the massive debt it has fallen into, totalling half a million pounds. This is due to what he sees as money badly spent on occasions such as the NUS conference, where they provided full board for over 600 delegates.
The NUS has admitted that it is in an extremely poor position financially, but has stated that “if the NUS Extra project is passed by our members at conference, then the financial future of the national union …looks very positive.”
However it has denied that financial recovery is a driving force behind the scheme, promising that “this new revenue stream has to be used for new services and not merely to fund the status quo.” It also expects the scheme to be greeted favourably by students, projecting 80% take up rate.
James Alexander was more cynical, agreeing that high proportions of people would initially join the scheme, but that it’s popularity would fall away dramatically over the next few years by which time “the NUS would be out of its financial difficulties.
He called for more options to be put forward, criticising an over reliance on the new card as the sole money maker.
The criticism has come at a time of crisis for the NUS as more and more universities begin to desert and start questioning its role.
Prominent universities like Manchester, Southampton, Glasgow and Imperial College have all recently pulled out. The student unions at Bristol and Birmingham are also well on the way to successfully campaigning for a withdrawal, and similar voices of dissent are gradually being expressed across York.
James Alexander refused to lend his voice to the calls, saying that the NUS is “fine” as a representative body for the university.
Yet he made his annoyance clear. York has not quite reached the stage of Bristol, who in the last week resolved to stage a referendum on their involvement with NUS, but signs of discontent are starting to show.
