22/04/15 - The future of TheyWorkForStudents - A Message from Jack Matthews
Dear Friends,
As many of you congregate in Liverpool for this year’s NUS Conference, it seems like the right time to explain what is happening with TheyWorkForStudents. You may have seen that this conference season the website hasn’t been updated so much, and that the twitter account has been a little quiet – to those who relied on this, I apologise.
For the past 4 years I have put a great deal of time, and money, into hosting and managing the TheyWorkForStudents website, twitter and facebook. It’s been at times a very depressing endeavour, but on the whole thoroughly rewarding. But I’m afraid to say the time has come to end the project.
The website will not be shut down completely, but simply not updated. All information currently published will remain there and available to everyone.
TheyWorkForStudents was always about creating change in the NUS. In a perfect world it wouldn’t have had to exist – our movement would be open and transparent enough by itself. And while there have been wins along the way in opening up National Executive Council and the Trustee Board, I have never sensed the long term commitment from NUS to bring about lasting reform, to the benefit of ordinary students. The campaign has shone a light on this issue for over 4 years, and I feel achieved all it can. It is only disappointing that those in power chose not to engage – the status-quo was always preferred.
I want to say a big thank you to all those who supported the campaign over the years. From the time when I created the project and started receiving anonymous phone calls harassing me to take the website down, to aggressive phone calls from annoyed NUS National Officers – the supportive messages from students, as far afield as Australia and Canada, really kept me going. Thank you so much.
As I come to the end of my time in the student movement, and move to completing the task we are all primarily here for – our education, it is time for a new generation to take over the campaign for an open, accessible, student-led, National Union of Students. It doesn’t matter the background or politics of those in power, they will always need to be held to account, and reminded from where their mandate to represent derives. The student movement is yours; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
With all good wishes to you all,
Jack J. Matthews
22/04/15
Our Aims;
- To increase understanding in how the NUS works.
- To make important information regarding the NUS available to all students in the UK. This includes;
- NUS Governing Documents
- Information on who holds positions within the NUS and how to contact them
- Elections information and how to get involved in NUS
- Other important documents such as Accounts, Impact Reports and Minutes of Meetings
- To campaign for the NUS to make all the above information available on their website to all students.
- To assist students in holding their NUS officials accountable for their actions.
- To scrutinise the work of the NUS.
- To act in a political neutral way, and provide information in an unbiased manner.
We are constantly uploading more information, and trying to present what is already available in ways that are more understandable. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please don't hesitate to get in contact.
We are keen to get more people involved in the project. Please feel free to check out our 'Get Involved' page, email us at theyworkforstudents@gmail.com or follow us on twitter @tw4students.
Dear Friends,
As many of you congregate in Liverpool for this year’s NUS Conference, it seems like the right time to explain what is happening with TheyWorkForStudents. You may have seen that this conference season the website hasn’t been updated so much, and that the twitter account has been a little quiet – to those who relied on this, I apologise.
For the past 4 years I have put a great deal of time, and money, into hosting and managing the TheyWorkForStudents website, twitter and facebook. It’s been at times a very depressing endeavour, but on the whole thoroughly rewarding. But I’m afraid to say the time has come to end the project.
The website will not be shut down completely, but simply not updated. All information currently published will remain there and available to everyone.
TheyWorkForStudents was always about creating change in the NUS. In a perfect world it wouldn’t have had to exist – our movement would be open and transparent enough by itself. And while there have been wins along the way in opening up National Executive Council and the Trustee Board, I have never sensed the long term commitment from NUS to bring about lasting reform, to the benefit of ordinary students. The campaign has shone a light on this issue for over 4 years, and I feel achieved all it can. It is only disappointing that those in power chose not to engage – the status-quo was always preferred.
I want to say a big thank you to all those who supported the campaign over the years. From the time when I created the project and started receiving anonymous phone calls harassing me to take the website down, to aggressive phone calls from annoyed NUS National Officers – the supportive messages from students, as far afield as Australia and Canada, really kept me going. Thank you so much.
As I come to the end of my time in the student movement, and move to completing the task we are all primarily here for – our education, it is time for a new generation to take over the campaign for an open, accessible, student-led, National Union of Students. It doesn’t matter the background or politics of those in power, they will always need to be held to account, and reminded from where their mandate to represent derives. The student movement is yours; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
With all good wishes to you all,
Jack J. Matthews
22/04/15
Our Aims;
- To increase understanding in how the NUS works.
- To make important information regarding the NUS available to all students in the UK. This includes;
- NUS Governing Documents
- Information on who holds positions within the NUS and how to contact them
- Elections information and how to get involved in NUS
- Other important documents such as Accounts, Impact Reports and Minutes of Meetings
- To campaign for the NUS to make all the above information available on their website to all students.
- To assist students in holding their NUS officials accountable for their actions.
- To scrutinise the work of the NUS.
- To act in a political neutral way, and provide information in an unbiased manner.
We are constantly uploading more information, and trying to present what is already available in ways that are more understandable. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please don't hesitate to get in contact.
We are keen to get more people involved in the project. Please feel free to check out our 'Get Involved' page, email us at theyworkforstudents@gmail.com or follow us on twitter @tw4students.
Why do we exist?
The NUS says one of its core values is "Democracy - Our policies and priorities must be student-led and students’ union-focused through building open, transparent and accessible democratic structures that increase performance and strengthen accountability". We fail to see how the NUS is living up to this value at the moment. Students find it hard to get involved with NUS, understand how it works and participate in its democratic structures.
If the NUS is to be truly effective, information about what it does and how to get involved must be avaliable to all students. Students should have easy access to communication with their national representatives, be able to easily see how they can get involved with the NUS and be able to see all the necessary documentation to know that their NUS is open and transparent.
What have we achieved so far?
Here is a selection of some of our achievements;
- Got NUS to publish the minutes of the National Executive Council (NEC), so students can see what decisions are being made in their name
- Forced NUS to make public the statement regarding the removal of a member of the NEC from office
- Wide recognition as the source for information on what is going on within the NUS; even from NEC members
- Over 8,500 unique visitors to our website
- Representation on the NUS One Member One Vote workgroup
- Exposed attempts from within NUS to silence our work
The NUS says one of its core values is "Democracy - Our policies and priorities must be student-led and students’ union-focused through building open, transparent and accessible democratic structures that increase performance and strengthen accountability". We fail to see how the NUS is living up to this value at the moment. Students find it hard to get involved with NUS, understand how it works and participate in its democratic structures.
If the NUS is to be truly effective, information about what it does and how to get involved must be avaliable to all students. Students should have easy access to communication with their national representatives, be able to easily see how they can get involved with the NUS and be able to see all the necessary documentation to know that their NUS is open and transparent.
What have we achieved so far?
Here is a selection of some of our achievements;
- Got NUS to publish the minutes of the National Executive Council (NEC), so students can see what decisions are being made in their name
- Forced NUS to make public the statement regarding the removal of a member of the NEC from office
- Wide recognition as the source for information on what is going on within the NUS; even from NEC members
- Over 8,500 unique visitors to our website
- Representation on the NUS One Member One Vote workgroup
- Exposed attempts from within NUS to silence our work