It seems like it was a year since my last column due to how busy the Union has been since we have all returned from the summer. There is no question that for the staff of HUU this has been the most demanding start to a year they have had and that is a sign of what a great student’s Union we are. You have got involved like never before with the amount of events you have held as clubs, societies, liberation campaigns, interest groups and as individuals. This has all happened while we have received the Browne report and the new government’s Comprehensive Spending Report for the next parliament. One cannot be read without the other in relation to the future of Higher Education, with the government accepting the “thrust of Lord Browne’s report” it is clear it will radically change the University sector on a scale that Lord Dearing’s 1997 report did.
There is ample opportunity to shape what these reforms will be, we must welcome that the report asks for ‘students [to] be at the heart of the system’, and that it states that part time students should be treated the same as full time students for the costs of learning – meaning that they will be able to access the same support that full time students are able to utilise. However, the referendum HUU held last year over university funding methods saw a majority of students in favour of keeping tuition fees at the current level with a cap, and an overwhelming majority of those who voted were against any kind of raise in tuition fees.
There is also strong feeling about the cuts the CSR proposed in government spending on universities, cuts that equate to the Higher Education element within the BIS budget to receive a 40% reduction (compared to an average of 16% for other areas). It is yet unclear how this will directly affect Hull but it will change our university. As students and future alumni of this university we must decide the kind of university we want to leave behind for future generations. We are running a Funding our Future campaign here in Hull all year so that you can help shape this university’s future. There will be a debate in Asylum on Monday 1st November and HUU in the City on Wednesday 3rd November, where we will be showing off the talent you possess and the positive impact you have on our local community through clubs, societies, campaigns, RAG and media. All coming down to the city center playing sport, raising money, showing off our excellent volunteer work and much more. We have arranged transport to take students to the national NUS/UCU demo in London on 10th November. Tickets for the coach are available from Box office or sabbatical officers and are priced at £2. More information on the campaign, how to get involved and how to get tickets are on the website www.hullstudent.com/fundingourfuture.
There will be more opportunities beyond the 10th for you to shape how we as a university and nation fund, provide equal access to and ensure the quality of our higher education sector. Let us make history and improve the future. I am Aidan Mersh and I will march on 10.11.10 for a better University of Hull.
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