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So the ministerial foreword for the gov's restructuring regime for HE contains the atrocious sentence: "The funding of student unions should be proportionate and focused on serving the needs of the wider student population rather than subsidising niche activism and campaigns" 1/8
I am disappointed and angry that this portrays "serving the needs of the wider student population" as mutually exclusive with "subsidising niche activism and campaigns". What the hell does the word 'wider' mean here? And what exactly constitutes niche activism and campaigns? 2/8
Are the campaigns that secure better online provision for disabled students considered 'niche activism'? Are the enriching and important campaigns around Black Lives Matter that make black students feel seen, heard and valued considered 'niche campaigns'? 3/8
Are This Girl Can campaigns that encourage women students to engage in sporting opportunities delivered by SUs that improves their wellbeing considered 'niche campaigns'? Is the decolonisation of the curriculum considered 'niche activism'? 4/8
Are Good Lad initiatives that tackle toxic masculinity and lad culture in sports teams to create more inclusive sports culture 'niche campaigns'? Is lobbying our Universities to commit to carbon neutrality and declare climate emergency 'niche activism'? 5/8
It strikes me that the Ministers' sentence is telling Universities "give SUs enough money to provide extra curricular stuff for students, but not enough that they start to make your lives difficult by lobbying for a better holistic student experience" 6/8
SUs play a vital role in the continuous improvement of Universities to 'serve the need of the wider student population', and this is achieved through activism and campaigns, all of which require money and resource. 7/8
This sentence is a dangerous signal that could allow Universities to merely fund SUs to deliver what they see as 'icing on the cake' of a student experience (sports & societies), rather than viewing an SUs role in its fulness as deserving of money to improve students' lives. 8/8
