Funding referendum shock
Students voted for fewer university places as the answer to the university funding crisis, in the first online OUSU referendum.
The referendum, which took place at the end of last term, registered the votes of 1225 students, with 37.7 per cent (462 people) voting for reducing university places as the answer to funding problems, a policy championed by the Conservative party.
The traditionally favoured option of increasing tax on high earners surprisingly came in second, only attracting 26.3 per cent (322) of the vote.
The result will now mean a minor change in OUSU policy as it is obliged to adapt to student opinion.
OUSU President Helena Puig Larrauri told The OxStu that OUSU will maintain its main focus of "opposing the governments recent white paper on top-up fees".
The position OUSU represents for the student body has remained the same, as students "reject the government's plans to charge fees," and still believe that "education should be free at the point of access".
The position that OUSU will now have to adopt on the current funding crisis in British universities runs contrary to that of the National Union of Students.
The NUS argues in its white paper on the issue that the answer to university funding lies in increases in corporation tax and taxation on high earners, as previously did OUSU.
The referendum is the first online poll conducted by the student union, and Puig Larrauri was happy to say that it had been a "very good way to consult peoples opinions on this issue," although there are currently no more referenda in the pipeline.
22nd Apr 2004