It is just over 100 days to #NUSNC12 so here at NUS Towers we have written these 10 tips to help unions get involved. Read them and circulate them widely!
1. Dates
The Key Democratic dates are on this document for you to use. Full dates are available on each of the Conference pages (below) or will be updated in the next few weeks.
2. Keep Informed and tell others
The first place information about conferences can be found is on NUS connect. The National Conference Hub can be found at www.nusconnect.org.uk/conference and is where all the policy, elections and news about our flagship event is published. We want all your students to know about our Conferences so feel free to pass on this document and advertise our Conference Hub to your students and student groups.
Follow @nusuk and #NUSNC12 on Twitter to be the first for updates.
3. Be part of all our Conferences
The Liberation, Nation and Section Conferences are important parts of NUS and we want your union and the students who are part of these groups to be involved with their processes. Check out all of the webpages below
Liberation
www.nusconnect.org.uk/blackstudentsconference
www.nusconnect.org.uk/disabledstudentsconference
www.nusconnect.org.uk/lgbtconference
www.nusconnect.org.uk/womensconference
Sections (International, Mature & Part-Time and Postgraduate)
www.nusconnect.org.uk/sectionsconference
Nations
www.nusconnect.org.uk/walesconference
www.nusconnect.org.uk/scotlandconference
www.nusconnect.org.uk/NUSUSIconference
4. Debate and submit policy
We want unions to submit text to all our conferences so make sure that your student councils, liberation and section groups are debating what you want NUS to be doing next year. The deadline for amendments and ordinary motions to National Conference is 5pm on 2nd March 2012 and more information is on the National Conference Hub.
5. Lead the National Union
National Elections are one of the most exciting things about NUS. Our guide to elected positions is here and the dates when Nominations are required are in the core dates document above.
Election rules for National Conference are available under CD11 along with pro-formas for running here www.nusconnect.org.uk/conference/info. We’ll be releasing Podcasts, Manifestos, web links and all kinds of excitement in February and March so keep checking back to see what’s new.
6. Tell us how we’ve done
Our conferences are a chance for you to hold our political officers to account. Our accountability guide for National Conference is here and the reports from officers and committees will be online before each of the conferences.
7. Tell us how to spend our money
National Conference will set the budget estimates for the year ahead and your union can tell us where your affiliation fee should be spent. They will be released on 5th March but unions have until 30th March to challenge them if you think we should be spending money elsewhere.
8. Make sure you are registered
5th March is the close of registration for National Conference for subsidized accommodation and access needs. Make sure you register your delegation by then! Delegates for National Conference should be selected by Cross Campus Ballot of all students.
9. Train your delegates
Last year we know that delegates found the training and advice NUS offered really useful but wanted more support from their local students’ unions. We’ll be releasing training materials on the National Conference hub that you can use in your local union but you should book in times for training your delegates now.
10. Get your student media involved
We want your students to be excited about Conference and your student media are an excellent way for this to happen. There’s a student media husting for President and Vice-President candidates on the 29th February (information from Lewis.Cooper@nus.org.uk) or email events@nus.org.uk for information about how they can come to National Conference itself.