University of London Union Review The Future of the University of London Union Michael Chessum, President Daniel Lemberger Cooper, Vice – President Julie Adams, CEO

University of London Union Review We would like to answer two questions: 1. What does ULU offer London students? 2. What is the future of ULU?

1.Student Facilities: ­ ULU provides dedicated facilities for students, including sporting and societal, commercial facilities, including bars and catering outlets, a state of the art fitness centre with swimming pool and entertainment. ­ ULU provides complementary services to augment the larger Colleges on the understanding that some unions alone cannot provide enough Bars, Cafes etc to match their student numbers. ­ For smaller colleges, ULU provides additional services, such as venues, the swimming pool and the gym, which allow all London students a rounded student experience. What Does ULU Offer London Students?

2. Clubs & Societies: -New 2012/13 ULU Student Activities team. -ULU Clubs and societies. -Presence on college campuses. -Cross London events. -Development and Training. -Benefits to London students: participation within a wider student body and more. What Does ULU Offer London Students?

3. Sports Facilities and Organisation: -“Get Involved” Programme -ULU online Sports Shop -ULU Intercollegiate Sporting Cup competitions -ULU sports teams -Infrastructural and individual sports development -The Future of ULU Sports Leagues What Does ULU Offer London Students?

4. Representation & Campaigning - ULU joins together student unions in a common alliance to campaign and share ideas and initiatives. - London Networks: share best practice & ideas, learn from each other, training, sources of information, develop joint initiatives and provide mutual support. - London Lobbying and Advocacy: housing, rights at work. - ULU governance & democracy - Memorandum of Understanding What Does ULU Offer London Students?

Value for Money? - Based on the current year’s funding the average amount each College pays to ULU is just over £6 per student. This does fund the ring fenced areas, but also gives the students the option to use the building and its other commercial services – Bars, Catering and Shops without any additional cost to the College.

External Factors and General Climate Various Overhead costs are rising - Utility, Maintenance and Cleaning which have risen and are rising considerably year on year. In addition to the rent of £385875, Refuse, Security, Additional Maintenance(not covered under the BBW contract), Insurance, Electricity, Gas and water rates are all additional costs that ULU has to incur. The total cost for all these additions can be broken down as follows and are estimates for the year;

Cleaning 198,935. Refuse 14,000 Security 54,000. Maintenance 23,000 Insurance 34,000. Electricity 101,000 Gas 1,000. Central/water heat 140,000 Water rate 54,000. Total 619,935 The above forms part of our overhead costs. External Factors and General Climate

Representational climate ­ Demographic diversity (PG, international): Increasing demand for a representation- oriented union ­ NUS has made noises about the establishment of an NUS London, but this is extremely nebulous. ­ A growing will for expansion and London-wide representation, but not at the expense of University-level representation. External Factors and General Climate

Services and Democracy ­ ULU’s ability to facilitate student activities and provide relevant services is underpinned by our democratic governance and member-led ethos. ­ Any attempt to separate activities from representation at the present time would leave both in jeopardy

2. The Future of ULU -Scenario 1: Sustainable future. -Scenario 2: Where we think ULU should be going.

Scenario 1: Sustainable Future ­ Development of Commercial services/refurbishment. ­ Franchise development. ­ Overhead Costs (Utility, Maintenance and Cleaning).

Scenario 1: Sustainable Future ­ Full time Democracy and Engagement Coordinator. ­ Extra student Sabbatical officer: Community and Welfare

Rationales ­ ULU has among the least equipped representation departments in the UK, and yet has the largest membership of any student organisation in Europe. ­ Sabbatical officer for Community and Welfare: caters to the needs of international and postgraduate students and leads on housing and transport –issues of growing importance ­ A restructure of sabbatical posts will also allow for more specific academic representation

- Partnership in creating an NUS London Region, on UoL’s terms. - Major constitutional reform: Updating of Regulations and Constitution More open and direct democratic decision- making - Major election reform: boosting turnout by 10 or 20 fold by running parallel to colleges Scenario 2: Where We Believe ULU Could Be

- A new Sabbatical structure: Education and Representation (President) Activities and Services (Vice President) Welfare, International and Postgraduate Women’s Officer Housing and Community - 2 new democracy and campaigns support staff Scenario 2: Where We Believe ULU Could Be

Conclusion - Economic climate - Patchiness and uncertainty about ULU’s purpose - Enormous potential - To best serve London students, we need to develop and grow sustainably.

Thank you. Questions and Discussion.