NUS - Communicating with you...
To often the NUS idea of communicating with its members seems to be to
send a few copies of Network to each Union's sabbatical officers along with
setting up a website which is unusable for a significant minority of NUS
members. While the quality of these communications have improved in recent
years, there is still a fundamental need to take a radical look at the way NUS
communicates. As National Secretary I would more fully use existing methods of
communicating, while working with the entire NEC in a total overhaul of
communications.
Paul writes:
NUS' communications don't seem to recognise who Student Unions
are. Student Unions are not just Presidents and sabbatical officers. Course
Reps, Sports Club Captains, student newspaper hacks, non-sabbatical officers,
students drinking down the Union bar or winding down at an end-of-year Ent are
every bit as much part of their Union as their President or Vice-President.
NUS communications need to reflect this and take communications straight to
the membership of NUS - making sure that all students can easily find out what
their National Union is doing on their
behalf. As National Secretary I will work hard to ensure that NUS doesn't just
communicate with Presidents and sabbatical officers, but provides for course
reps, societies and clubs and talks direct to its membership.
NUS Website
The NUS/ITM web portal launched in Autumn 2000 provides an excellent
opportunity for NUS to communicate direct with its membership. If the website
is able to build up a loyal base of users at Colleges and Universities
throughout the UK NUS will have an effective tool for direct communication.
However the website currently suffers from two major problems - accessibility
and content. Improving both of these is crucial to making the NUS website an
effective tool for communication
Paul writes:
As National Secretary I will work to ensure that the website is
fully accessible for students using braille, speech and older
web browsers, and seek to make better use of the site in helping student find
out what's going on in their Union, how to contact their elected
representatives or get involved themselves.
Student Media
Paul writes:
Student media are a tremendous resource which are too often
underused by the National Union. I will ensure that NUS provides media ready
information for student run newspapers and radio stations of major events and
campaigns.
Network
Network, NUS's magazine for student officers is due to end in its current
format due to funding problems. What was inteded to break even has in fact
made a loss for NUS and as a result the NEC are proposing that, unless
external funding is found, it is published only on the NUS website.
Network has for too long been used by NEC members to build
their profile ahead of NEC election campaigns. Is it any wonder it never
developed the profile needed to attract external funding? Network on the World
Wide Web leaves it inaccessible to many Unions without web access,
particularly in the Further Education sector. As National Secretary I will put
a final effort into overhauling Network to make it an effective campaigning
publication and opening up from the NEC to real students and their grassroots
representatives. That is the only way to attract external funding and making
sure that NEtwork gets to the student representatives on the ground for whom
it could be a useful tool in doing their job and sharing good practice.
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