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I know, I know – YUSU policy, interesting? Surely someone who isn’t in YUSU shouldn’t actually think that? Yet while the document is undeniably long, it’s also undeniably important for understanding our union.
The Strategic Plan is a laying out of the direction that the union feels it should take in the next three years. The last plan was written in 2006, and it’s reassuring that the union recognises things have changed since then, especially in regard to the student experience.
But what of the goals themselves, are they achievable? Are they good?
I have to admit, that I read the plan from cover to cover, and agreed with pretty much everything that is put forward. The entire document is logical, well-written and encouraging. It’s particularly interesting, not in the fact of what it’s saying, but in the fact that it’s saying that – I mean, it’s intriguing to look at this document and not see what YUSU think we want, but what YUSU thinks it needs to do. This plan emphasises the extensive self-evaluating nature of YUSU – and that’s always got to be a good thing in a representative body. If YUSU couldn’t see it’s own faults, what chance would us ‘normal’ students have in convincing it of them? As for the points, I fail to see how anyone could disagree in any large way. The majority of the goals are conventional, inoffensive - yet, dare I say it, obvious?
The goals themselves range from a ‘strategic commitment to impacting upon students’ lives’ to ‘increased participation for greater impact’ – these are things that I had assumed YUSU would be committed to doing anyway. Perhaps the goal with the most originality in it is ‘Trading and Entertainments’, in which YUSU outline their plans to further integrate the Heslington East campus with the main campus among other things – but then this is more of a new idea simply because having students on Hes East is a new occurrence.
Yet just because something obvious doesn’t make it bad: it would have been concerning if YUSU hadn’t picked up on these points. What frustrates me about this strategic plan is that I can’t see (although I am far from any sort of expert) how all these points can be achieved.
The plan talks about doing more research into policies, and this, in itself is fine. In fact, it’s a great idea that will maybe go more of a way into ensuring that YUSU policy is well thought out and relevant to students. But later in the document, they talk of reducing union bureaucracy and paperwork to make the system more efficient and easier to access. This is also a great point, but I can’t help but feel that the one may offset the other: more research will mean more paperwork.
Expansion is also a goal highlighted in the plan. YUSU maintains that it ‘will be very difficult to sustain or improve within the existing space’ and that finding new premises is a priority for the next three years. Yet they also want to continue improving upon existing services, and for this it is essential (as YUSU recognise) that funding levels be maintained. Yet with all major political parties promising in their manifestos to deliver thousands more University places, the union will have to represent more and more students, and maintain more spaces (if the plan is successful), on the same level of funding that they hold currently. Thus achieving what they want may be difficult.
To their credit, YUSU acknowledge this. The plan allows for obstacles. A ‘strategic risk register’ is proposed, so that YUSU can ‘regularly review its ambitions’. But while realistic, the idea is hardly inspiring, allowing as it does for partial or total abandonment of any ideas due to difficulty.
And, as much as I hate to admit it, while YUSU has a hard job, and has my respect, there are only so many times the same things can be tried. They want to engage more with students, but I maintain that there will still be a minority that take a real interest in YUSU, and a majority who are happy to live and study without even thinking of what the union is doing.
But you shouldn’t just listen to me: I think more students should read the strategic plan. Not only will you learn more about the union that is supposed to be representing you, but you’ll also be procrastinating. It’s a win: win situation.
Maybe that’s the key to making things appealing to students.
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