Wednesday 04-09-2019 - 15:01

I am pleased to announce that Durham SU has been awarded a ‘Very Good’ status by the National Union of Students (NUS) in their Quality Students’ Union scheme.

 

Earlier this year, Durham SU completed an application to be verified as a Quality Students’ Union. The application looked into all areas of the SU, from democracy to commercial services, all of which were rated ‘Very Good’ or above. The process was incredibly valuable as it allowed us to take stock of how far we have come since the introduction of our new strategy in 2018. It allows us to celebrate our successes and see where we can push to achieve even more for students.

 

It's great to know that our Representation and Campaigning was one of the areas we exceeded in, being assessed as ‘Excellent’. From our academic reps to the student consultation framework, we’re proud of the ways we make sure that students are listened to on the issues that matter to them. Over the years we’ve also seen several successful student-led campaigns, including the It’s Not Okay campaign against sexual violence and the Durham Divest fossil free campaign.

 

We’re also pleased to know that our Strategic Planning was assessed as ‘Excellent’. To know that this is one of our strengths makes us really excited for our future, because our strategy is the foundation of everything we do. It’s our vision for our future and outlines how we will work to ensure every student has the power and opportunity to transform their time at Durham.

 

The assessors described our strategy as an “inspirational vision that defines an aspirational principle,” and we hope to continue making that vision a reality.

 

George Walker collected the award with our Chief Executive, Gary Hughes and the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience) Jeremy Cook OBE, in his last week of being SU President.

 

Jeremy said, “I was delighted and honoured to join Durham Students’ Union at the House of Commons to celebrate their award of QSU accreditation. The award is the fantastic achievement for Durham Students’ Union and the result of a huge amount of hard work by the team – well done to you all.”

 

The QSU accreditation is a real measure of how far Durham SU has come in the last few years, and I look forward to seeing how the Union and the new Officer team continue to enact and even exceed this ‘Very Good’ status.