So much is set to change in our universities and colleges, and as national president I have a responsibility to you, our members, to keep you up to date and ensure that you have the tools and arguments necessary to defend the rights of your members. As a result this is the first of ten policy briefings that I will be sending out to you.

This week we look at the implications of the White Paper on the future of part-time students. Part time students make up almost forty per cent of our student body, and this mode of study is increasingly crucial to both lifelong learning and widening participation. The proposals which have been put forward look positive on the one hand, in terms of access, but there is a cautionary tale to be told about support, retention and costs.