Students' Unions: Practical Tips On Dealing With Contentious Topics

We summarise some useful advice on how to manage contentious issues within students' unions.

We recently hosted a webinar on contentious topics within students' unions, looking at how to prevent problems arising. This article is a short summary of some practical steps covered during the session.

SU officers and staff should:

• Understand the rules on ultra vires. A students' union must only take actions which are within its powers, i.e. which are permitted by its constitution, compatible with being a charity, compatible with the Education Act 1994 and, where the SU is a company, takes into account directors' duties under the Companies Act 2006.
• Understand what the SU's charitable purposes are. In virtually all cases, the overarching charitable purpose of an SU will be to advance education, but check how this is worded in your governing document.