National Union of Students Wales (NUS Wales; cy, Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr Cymru, ) is the Welsh section of the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom. NUS Wales, alongside its constituent

students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to ...

s represents students in

Higher Education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

and

Further Education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

in Wales. With over a quarter of a million student members it is the largest democratic organisation in Wales.

Founding of NUS Wales

On the 3–4 November 1973 a meeting of the “National Welsh Colleges Conference” was held in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location i ...

. The conference was a mixture of briefings, workshops and policy discussion. Delegates agreed to draft a new constitution establishing a greater level of autonomy to be presented to NUS Conference in 1974. NUS Wales was established as a result of this in 1974.

Structure

NUS Wales is a constituent organisation of NUS UK, that sets its own independent policies. It is run by an executive committee elected at its conference meetings. NUS Wales does not have full financial independence from the rest of the NUS, as its budget is decided at the NUS annual conference. The organisation has three

sabbatical officer In the United Kingdom a sabbatical officer is a full-time officer elected by the members of a students' union (or similar body such as students' association, students' representative council or guild of students), commonly at a higher education es ...

s: a President, Vice President and Women's Officer.

Political activity

NUS Wales campaigned for devolution in Wales, supporting the Yes campaign during the 1997 Welsh referendum on the creation of a separate assembly for Wales. During the 2015 general election NUS Wales encouraged students in marginal constituencies to vote, through organising debates and hosting street parties near polling stations.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Union Of Students Wales National Union of Students (United Kingdom) Students' unions in Wales Student organizations established in 1974