Local students’ unions are still key to community-building

Precious few civil society organisations are now able to transcend a polarised political ecosystem and act as umbrellas for competing interests. From my experience, UK students’ unions are some of the most experienced at doing so.

I make that remark in response to the recent Times Higher Education article “Does student unionism have a future?”, which questions whether unions are still able to speak for all of their members in an era of single-issue campaigning, identity politics and culture wars.

The article mainly talks about national students’ organisations, which often have challenging relationships with governments and act on behalf of millions of students. Local students’ unions are different, though, and I’d like to set out why.

Ultimately, most students’ unions are primarily about community-building and creating a sense of belonging at a key transitional point in young people’s lives. Here at the University of Manchester, we support nearly 500 diverse student clubs and societies, with the full span of political, cultural and social interests. Membership of such groups is often crucial in helping students stay the course, form lasting friendships and develop a sense of balance against a backdrop of growing academic workloads.

The sector is increasingly talking about loneliness and the need to deepen belonging among students. Some of our responses in recent years have included the creation of buddy schemes, matching students up with those who have common (and different) interests and backgrounds. These activities generate leadership capacity through non-formal learning, going on to make a positive contribution to the world. Many of us know leaders in industry, sport, culture, music, charities and, yes, politics who built their confidence and passions through students’ unions.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, is absolutely right to highlight in the article the need for consumer/standards champions. Students find themselves at the sharp end of a marketised system that encompasses everything from contact hours to accommodation standards. Students’ unions’ advice and support services fulfil this role, with professional and student advisers advocating on topics ranging from getting accommodation deposits refunded to ensuring a fair hearing for those accused of academic misconduct. Last year, our advisors saved Manchester students alone nearly £250,000 in refunded fees, benefits and levies.

Many readers will remember an era of cheap mass entertainment delivered by students’ unions. High streets no longer shun the student pound, but we are proud to still offer some of the best prices and safest environments in our local areas and we are the effective living rooms of most campuses. From live music and club nights to cultural showcases to debate and discussion, we offer something to pique most students’ interests.

UK universities have been challenged by the government (rightly in my view) to better demonstrate their contribution to their local areas. In most students’ unions, many active volunteers are contributing thousands of hours to community outreach, social responsibility programmes and, of course, fundraising. When the Ukraine crisis unfolded in February, for instance, students’ unions were on the front line, collecting hundreds of lorryloads of clothes and food to take out to the border.

Devolution has also helped embed our role in local governance and democracy. Gaining commitment from local mayors on transport costs and drink spiking are two recent examples that show how positive engagement yields results.

Bu the most impactful part of our work, of course, is representing and amplifying the student voice. Here at Manchester, our elected officers sit as partners on over 90 university boards and committees. This involves constructive dialogue on everything from assessment methods to estates strategies. Our student leaders are often some of the only people able to join the dots between academic and professional services colleagues, regulatory compliance and aspirational change, handling complexity in their stride. Yes, they can be thorns in the sides of sector leaders, pushing them beyond levels of comfort. But I would argue that genuine partnership between students and institutions is what sets UK higher education apart from many other systems.

Since the advent of the Quality Assurance Agency in 1997, students’ unions have provided detailed submissions as part of the quality assurance process. We’re all gearing up to do the same for the forthcoming Teaching Excellence Framework review, bringing laser-like focus on areas of concern such as curriculum design, assessment load, employability outcomes and continuation rates. These hours of toiling away on glacial committee structures, the results of which only come over a long period, are often unseen by many students and staff. But they are no less important.

I’m certainly not saying everything within UK students’ unions is perfect. We’ve got more to do to ensure all students feel welcome and comfortable in engaging in everything I’ve talked about. We need to keep pushing to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. And we’ve got to be better in ensuring we remain the wide umbrellas we were set up to be. But I would argue that we are some of the most well-governed, well-led parts of the entire UK voluntary sector.

In the wake of the 2010 decision to treble tuition fees, the then universities minister, David Willetts, talked about needing to put students at the heart of the system. He was right. But we have been doing it for 200 years, and we are still doing it.

Ben Ward is CEO of the University of Manchester Students’ Union.