As well as lobbying your MP it is very important to lobby your Vice-Chancellor or principal on the issues that affect students at your institution. Often they will have the power make changes to teaching and learning as well as having a great deal of influence within your local community.
Not all of them are in favour of government policies which have an impact on students, and for those that are, it’s important for them to understand where their students stand.
Get it on the agenda
Find out from your Vice-Chancellor or Principal their view on education policy and how they feel recent changes have affected accessibility and quality of learning and teaching.
Lobbying your VC or principal will take a very similar form to lobbying your MP. You might want to arrange a meeting to gain their support for this campaign. Some of the questions you might like to ask your VC or principal:
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How have cuts in government spending affected your institution?
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How have application numbers been affected by the increase in fees?
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How do they feel about the measures being taken against international students?
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What do they think is the best way for further and higher education to be funded?
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Are they in support of, or will they attend, the national demo in November?
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If they are in support of the demo, how can they help you publicise it to both staff and students?
Where does your institution fit into the jigsaw?
The effects of the government’s education policy will have been felt differently by different institutions and you will need to do a bit of research into how yours has been affected. Some institutions have seen a major reduction in student numbers and others have seen cuts to courses and teaching. Whether you are FE or HE you will have felt the cuts, and it was your Vice-Chancellor or principal and the senior management team that decided how that would affect you.
Your local UCU member will be crucial in helping you lobby your VC or principal to ensure they are on your side. You might also want to ask your VC or principal to help you lobby your local MP.
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