OUSU debate central affiliation
A referendum for central affiliation to the National Union of Students has been proposed in an OUSU motion. The motion, proposed by current OUSU president Emma Norris, argues for central affiliation on the grounds of financial and other benefits for Colleges. Currently, JCRs wishing to be affiliated with the NUS have to subscribe individually at the cost of up to £2,000 per year. The NUS have offered central affiliation through OUSU for £11,000.
The motion states, “the NUS can provide important training workshops, legal advice, discount facilities and campaigning…. Common room representatives often miss out on training and legal advice due to understandable inability to organise such events and advice.” Norris said, “Under central affiliation, affiliated common rooms would pay a maximum of about £600, and would get a far better level of service from the NUS, as it would be co-ordinated by OUSU’s full-time officers.
For instance, OUSU could arrange cross-college rent negotiation training sessions, officer training sessions, collective legal advice and so on. This does not happen at the moment as each common room is expected to deal with the NUS on an individual level.” But the proposed referendum on central affiliation has received an ambivalent response from College JCRs.
Keble JCR disaffiliated from the NUS last term on the grounds that it was too expensive; at the time Keble JCR President Eve Bugler told The Oxford Student, “In light of the services NUS offered, the JCR thought they would get more value for money from a Sky subscription”. Today, Bugler remains unconvinced that lower affiliation fees is enough, “the onus is on the NUS however to show that their services are relevant to Oxford students; they have to fulfil a role that OUSU does not. This remains essential even if the affiliation fee is greatly reduced.”
In contrast to Keble, other Colleges remain dedicated to the NUS. Hilda’s JCR President Ailbhe Menton stressed that the JCR will continue to affiliate to the NUS even at the higher cost of an individual subscription. “St. Hilda’s has a strong history being involved in the NUS and its conferences, and plans to continue this.
If central affiliation does not occur, St Hilda’s will continue to affiliate as a college,” she told The Oxford Student. OUSU’s offer from the NUS of £11,000 compares with the £7,500 paid for central affiliation at Cambridge, and £13,900 at Durham. Central affiliation for Colleges through OUSU may present problems for the future.
While currently all colleges affiliated with the NUS are also associated with OUSU, the new development may prevent a college from withdrawing from OUSU while continuing subscription to the NUS.
The cost to your college
Current Cost
Up to £2000 per college
Centralised Cost
£600 per college (£11,000 total)
Cambridge pay £7,500 a year for central affiliation. Durham pay £13,900
27th Apr 2006