Friday 07-12-2018 - 10:08

The National Union of Students holds a variety of conferences throughout the year to gather policy ideas and representations from different groups of the student population. One of these is ‘Sections Conference,’ which includes the Postgraduate Campaign, and I will be attending this at the end of January.

Having worked with a few other Postgraduate Officers at Students’ Unions around the country, I have drafted two policies which I believe will advance the interests of postgraduates both at Durham and nationally. The policies were reviewed by MCR Presidents’ Committee, our policy staff team and fellow Postgraduate Officers, and have now been submitted to Conference for consideration.

Despite the troubles the NUS is facing that you may have heard about, I believe it is important to engage with the NUS, as a unified student voice is the only way to influence policy more widely outside of our individual institutions. That is why I have submitted a policy aimed at protecting and expanding the frankly limited voice postgraduates have both at individual Universities and within the NUS. I will be lobbying the NUS to investigate the trend towards having dedicated Postgraduate Officer positions in Students’ Unions, and supporting those Unions that wish to introduce one, so that we can build a network of people dedicated to improving the lives of postgraduates and able to effect change nationally. This is in addition to influencing the direction the national campaign will take in this time turbulence for the NUS.

My second policy refers directly to one of my key campaigns this year on pay and conditions for postgraduates who teach. I will advocate replicating the good collaborative work we are doing in Durham with University and Colleges Union, and requesting a more in-depth examination of the disparity in conditions both across the country and within institutions. The NUS conducted a survey of postgraduates who teach back in 2012, but this only considered how postgraduates feel about their position, rather than a critical analysis of the different conditions, processes and pay rates postgraduates are subject to. If the policy passes and the NUS executes it properly, there is a real chance of them securing a win for postgraduates that they too often of late have let fall by the wayside.

You can read the policies I am proposing in full here:

• A fair deal for postgraduates who teach
• National postgraduate representation: a practical implementation