National Union of Students (United Kingdom)

The National Union of Students (NUS) is a confederation of student unions across the United Kingdom. Approximately 600 student unions are affiliated, accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Although the National Union of Students is the central organization for all affiliated unions in the UK, there are also the devolved national sub-bodies: NUS Scotland in Scotland, NUS Wales (UCM Cymru) in Wales and NUS-USI in Northern Ireland (the latter being jointly administered by Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn).

NUS is a member of the European Students' Union.

Membership

There are four types of membership of NUS:

Constituent membership is granted to students' unions by National Conference or National Executive Council by a two-thirds majority vote

Individual membership is granted automatically to members of students' unions with constituent membership, sabbatical officers of constituent members, members of the National Executive Council and sabbatical conveners of NUS Areas

Associate membership is granted by a two-thirds majority vote of National Executive Council to:

Student Organisations in Association – any national student organisations

Partner Organisations in Association - non-student organisations which sympathise with the NUS

Individuals in Association – any individual who supports the objects of the NUS

NUS Areas - geographically defined associations of students' unions

Honorary membership is granted by National Conference to "any person or organisation as it sees fit"

Of these types of membership, only constituent members may vote on or submit policy proposals to the National Conference. Constituent members and associate members are required to pay a subscription fee as a condition of their membership.

History

Origins and early history

The NUS was formed on 10 February 1922 at a meeting held at the University of London. At this meeting, the Inter-Varsity Association and the International Students Bureau (which organised student travel and had been lobbying for a national body) agreed to merge.

Founding members included the unions of University of Birmingham, Birkbeck, University of London, London School of Economics, Imperial College (who first left in 1923 and have subsequently rejoined and left three times, the last time being in June 2008), King's College London (who supplied the first President, Sir Ivison Macadam) and the University of Bristol.

Politicisation and Broad Left, 1968–1982

In the aftermath of the First World War in its founding constitution, the National Union of Students had adopted from the outset a "non political" clause in its charter in an attempt to distance itself from the reasons that the War had broken out. It had thus concerned itself with student interaction and cheap travel, student grants and student interests.