Thursday 25-11-2021 - 07:05

Today we are launching the updated SU Governance Code that NUS Charity and member SU's have been refreshing as a resource. We are excited to share these with members today.

In 2017 a Charity Governance Code was developed for the charity sector, created to help charities and their trustees develop high standards of governance. The original Code was developed by a steering group, with the help of over 200 charities, individuals and related organisations.  

 NUS then worked with unions to adapt this Code and underpin it with a relevant governance improvement offer for students’ unions. The Driving Excellence in SU Governance Task and Finish Group was created, and comprised of union staff, officers, lay trustees, sector colleagues and NUS staff. The group created an adapted version of the Charity Governance Code, then applied some tests around flexibility for a variety of SU contexts, how accessible the Code was and how it would fit alongside other supporting resources and frameworks. 

 The group then hosted regional events and launched a survey to understand union specific governance challenges to ensure the adapted Code was a relevant and useful tool. 

The key changes were: 

• Weaving democratic principles throughout the Code 
• Changing terminology so language was much more familiar to a union audience, e.g. “charity” to “union” and “beneficiaries” to “members” 
• Framing the Code so unions can demonstrate desirable practice and outcomes 

 In 2020, the Charity Governance Code was refreshed and guidance was updated in the Integrity principle and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principle.  

NUS Charity brought together a working group of staff members from different SUs across the UK together to look at these changes and to see if the Students’ Union Governance Code could also be refreshed in these specific ways: 

1. To discuss the Charity Code changes to the Integrity principle 
2. To discuss the Charity Code changes to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principle 
3. To ascertain whether the language of the Code needed to be more accessible 
4. To ensure the Code was fit for purpose for the nations 

To find the updated Code and an overview of the changes made see the links below:

Updated Code 

Process we went through 

Process we went through (Welsh/Cymraeg)