Durham Students' Union - DSU's Future

DSU's Future

The announcement in early 2005 that DSU has been operating with a large annual loss has prompted serious debate on the future of the organisation and the building in which it is currently based. According to Durham's student newspaper, Palatinate, DSU's debt to the bank and its parent institution stood at £303,000 in June 2005. Restructuring of the organisation followed and resulted in a small surplus being posted for the year 2005/06. In 2007/08 a reorganisation took place, which resulted in the adoption of a new constitution. Governance of the Union was also updated with the introduction of a Board of Trustees consisting of the four sabbatical officers, four elected students and four co-opted trustees.

On a number of occasions, some have suggested have that DSU might disaffiliate from the NUS, however until last year none of those against affiliation have yet pushed the issue to a full student debate and vote. In 2009 however, a referendum took place proposing that the DSU should stay affiliated to the NUS. Students voted convincingly in favour of affiliation with 80% (2564) of students voting to stay affiliated and 20% (624) voting to disaffiliate.

Recent controversy regarding a planned debate, "Multiculturalism in Britain", which was to involve representatives of the BNP and which was subsequently cancelled over fears for student safety, has reopened the issue of NUS affiliation. A petition for a second referendum was put before the DSU and on 12 March 2010, the referendum concluded with a majority of voting students having voted to disaffiliate from the NUS. DSU will no longer be affiliated with the NUS after the end of the 2009-2010 academic year.

A third referendum on NUS affiliation was held in January 2011 with 60% of students voting to reaffiliate with NUS.