Menu
IMPACT Report

Campaign Reports

Main Campaign Topics

Cost of Living
 Along with staff members within Ulster University (UU), UUSU have come up with a list of Cost of Living mitigations for students and staff.

Over the last few weeks we have been engaging in UU Cost of Living Task and Finish Group were we outlined our main campaign asks. UUSU Student Executive have provided a statement below on our main demands. The rise in the cost of living is having a profoundly negative effect on students across Northern Ireland. The economic crisis is pushing students to the financial brink and forcing them to make tough decisions. Students are deciding whether to priorities having somewhere to live, staying warm or having a substantial meal. Emergency intervention is critical. Our position is clear, and in conversations with Ulster University, government we have indicated that our priorities are:

  • Cost of Living Payment
  • Free or subsidized Public Transport
  • Hidden Course Costs to be covered
  • Graduations to be made free of charge to students

Our campaign efforts informed and negotiations to the University were persistent and in turn UUSU collectively lobbied for the below interventions. The specific cost of living interventions 2022/23 cost £1,956,500. They include:

  • Belfast Trust: Mental Health Referral Service (£145,000)
  • Accommodation Bursary (£125,000)
  • Removal of hidden fees (i.e., re-examination / re-registration) (£350,000)

UUSU President lobbied VC office to make no charge to graduations. No charge for Graduations, including Gown Hire and Hospitality:

  • Winter (£235,000)
  • Spring (£235,000)
  • Summer (£570,000)

Working and lobbying campus life we secured, Cost of Living food offer

  • Free Lunches (£65,000) Free lunches every Wednesday
  • Free Breakfasts (£63,500) Every Tuesday on each of the three campuses
  • Stocking of Kitchenettes (at all campus locations) (£10,000)
  • Student Experience: Free/discounted Events and Activities (at all campus locations) (£158,000)

UUSU Officers have lobbied through interventions with the VC Office, and the UU Cost of Living working group for the following cost of living mitigations:

The other cost of living accessible support 2022/23, UUSU campaigned through the UU Cost of Living working group advocating for additional money to be added to the support funds at UU.

  • Funding for student hardship current being distributed (£2,600,000)

As well as through lobbying with provision of free gym accessing, our VP Sport and Wellbeing wrote a paper that secured:

  • Free Gym Membership (£200,000)
  • Access to Club Sport (final approach to be agreed) (£146,200-£192,400)

UUSU also secured Student Kitchenettes to that were installed in our Belfast Campus. UUSU attended NUS Conference 2023 where officers and students throughout the UK collaborate and develop policy and motions. This year it took place in Harrogate Leeds from the 15th to the 16th of March. UUSU where delighted that our Cost of Living motion was voted to the priority ballot. We had a workshop on the first day and a debate on the second day to make recommendations and amendments to the policy asks and objectives. The Cost of Living proposal from UUSU calls for cost of living support package from the UK government, as well as raising the student maintenance package and apprentice minimum wage in line with the Living Wage. Our proposal recommends rent controls, free transport, inflation-proofing maintenance loans and additional grants or subsidies for students who are facing challenges with living costs. We must recognize that students are affected across their educational experience and this motion aims to address issues such as food insecurity, transport costs, childcare costs, digital poverty and more that affect students’ mental health and wellbeing.

UUSU ran an open letter campaign to include UUSU students who rent in HMOs within the Governmental Energy Payment Scheme. Many students, when at university rent out rooms in HMOs (House of Multiple Occupancy) in the private rental sector. This would mean that most students pay their electricity and heating through prepay (keypad) meters topped up either by the tenants themselves or by the landlord. In some cases, students may be renting a property in which their rent is ‘all-inclusive’, with a stipulated allotment for energy and heating laid out in the tenancy agreement. Through UUSU’s communication with local letting agents, they (the letting agents) stated that it is the responsibility of the landlord to decide whether to pass this voucher on to the occupiers. This has created a situation where landlords stand to benefit from a cost of living measure designed to alleviate the financial pressure of heating homes, without any clear communication with their student renters on how/why this is the case.

U Belong

Building on the success of our campaign on mental health last year - U OK? We’re here for you, we found that isolation and loneliness is one of the biggest factors in negatively impacting student mental health. Our officers focused on creating space for students to connect, to find their people, and to get support and guidance when they need it.

Our Mental Health campaign this year, UBelong, was focused on creating a sense of belonging and tackling isolation within our students. We ran a Céilí on each of our campuses with music provided by our Magee trad group Brosna, students thoroughly enjoyed these, and international students also got to experience some Irish culture.

As part of the stress-less initiative of the campaign, UUSU is providing free tea, coffee, and hot chocolate during our ‘Brew Monday’ sessions, outside the library on each campus. Student officers tend these so students can ask questions or receive advice in a friendly informal setting.

At UUSU we have very aware of our diverse student network, which is why UBelong provided our positive mental health quote prints in Irish, English and Ulster Scots. We also provided journaling inserts which has helpful directions to student well-being services on the back, so students can practise self-care while also being made aware that well-being facilities are there to support them.

Through our events, students opened up and were triaged to Student Well-being services that can support them additional students forged lasting friendships and enjoyed tea and coffee during which allowed UUSU to share support services especially on the current barriers to education, this informed our next steps. Most importantly our goal was to foster a warm and welcoming community for all our members.

Mental Health Action Plan

At UUSU we recognise that Mental Health is equally as important as physical health and as such, this plan outlines UUSU’s dedication to improving students’ mental health and wellbeing. Going forward, I will use the remainder of my term to progress the plan by implementing the objectives.

As a follow-up to the 2020 ‘Student Mental Health Action Plan’ created by former student officers in conjunction with 3rd level institutions and NUS- USI, this plan focuses efforts on UUSU services and activities. The 2021- 22 Mental Health Campaign ‘UOK? We’re Here for You’ (a Department of Economy funded programme to assist students in returning to campus following the Covid-19 pandemic), UUSU has generated research from students to understand the issues impacting their academic and overall student experience. We believe that our services and activities can help. Over this evaluation period we have put together the new Mental Health Action Plan that will take us the next two academic years led by our VP Sport and Wellbeing.

The aim of this action plan is to make change and support some of the issues students have presented as part of the research process as well as embedding some positive changes to make their university experience the best it can be. This action plan ensures commitment from all areas of UUSU, from our student officers, full-time staff and even our student staff. It outlines the resources and outcomes as well as a timeline for all actions committed to supporting an inclusive and positive student experience. We are delighted to have launched this action plan in semester 2.

Health Science Transition Bursary

The School of Health Science’s (SOHS) move from the Jordanstown campus to the Magee campus was a momentous decision made by Ulster University (UU) that had a significant impact on all aspects of the student experience.

At the point of letter of offer over 600 students were not informed they were relocating 70 miles away to the Magee campus halfway through their studies. This caused students who work and study in a high-pressured health care environment to have an adverse effect on their mental health, being unable to plan for the move and disrupting their student experience.

Most significantly, travel costs to the Magee campus had a large financial challenge for students.

UUSU alongside School and Course Representatives campaigned for a Disruption Bursary and for students affected by the relocation to be financially supported with costs associated with the Jordanstown campus to Magee campus move. In addition, UUSU called for any supplementary costs, including childcare arrangements, accommodation, and extenuating circumstances to be covered.

UUSU actively lobbied the university, through student feedback, testimonial and research undertaken through monthly forums chaired by UUSU (averaging 50-90 attendees per session) this informed UUSU’s Bursey Prospal Paper which was presented to the SOHS Project Board.

Hundreds of students made their voices heard through the forums. UUSU representatives elevated their concerns and feedback to the highest level.

Through 1-2-1 negotiations with the Vice Chancellor’s Office, UUSU officers pushed for a statement to be released from the Vice Chancellor that advised that the university would support students who could not foresee the relocation of their course. As a result, negotiations of the proposed financial support scheme were to be supported through the SOHS Project Board Team responsible for the move. UUSU were successful in achieving a Travel Bursary and a Supplementary Payment to be available for the 2022/23 academic year on an application-based delivery.

Travel bursary was based on mileage and through discussions with the SOHS Project Team, UUSU advocating for students outside the Belfast Health and Social Trust would not be eligible for the bursary, this meant less than two thirds of 600+ students would receive funding. UUSU lobbied for recommendations to the Executive Dean which addressed this concern. This action UUSU secured an extra £110,000 raising the total funds available to £480,000 for the year for travel alone.

UUSU raised students voices the testimonials of Student with caring responsibilities and childcare needs secured a supplementary payment of £800 for the year to support these needs totally to £480,000 for extending circumstances of support available. UUSU released a statement on January 13th welcoming the news and acknowledging the months of lobbying efforts made by UUSU and its members for this change. UUSU Collectively won £960,000 for this unforeseen disruption.

SHAG Week

Here at UUSU, SHAG week has proved more important and impactful than ever, and we’re thrilled to see it back with a bang!

SHAG week had fallen off the UUSU radar for the past number of years but has proved essential considering the COVID-19 pandemic. Student Wellbeing at Ulster have indicated that students are starting first year with little to no sexual health education as these classes had been dropped in the North during online teaching. UUSU is striving to fill that gap in knowledge, while also using SHAG week to call for a mandatory, inclusive minimum level of Sex and Relationship Education in the North, in line with England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. We have explored sex and sexuality with genital shaped shortbread at our Sex Positivi-tea Party, we’ve had a SHAG fayre with local sexual health services, and we’re set to have the best turn out at any of our events all year at our upcoming Sex Toy Bingo! We’ve also been able to run a Queer Film Club, LGBT+ Speed Dating and a PhD researcher led event to ensure we’ve got something for everyone on all three campuses!