MAKE MUSO GREAT AGAIN

 By Jemedari Mwanawakiume

UNIONS AS OUR HEARTBEAT

We want the leaders who put our Student Unions back at the heart of our unity. This will see us going back to basics. Getting the simple things right that really matter to students and taking us to the core of what our movement was founded on; COMRADES POWER!!.

REPRESENTATION FOR THE MUSO SUBSCRIBERS, NOT ADMINISTRATION

We want to create a culture in Moi University Students Union (MUSO) that see them (student leaders) truly represent all our members. MUSO has become too inwards looking, and has at times focussed attention on issues that really don’t resonate with the majority of our membership. We're fed up of us fighting ourselves; excluding people we don’t think we agree with, and forgetting that the vast amount of members are simply not engaged. We want leaders for the students not administration, creating an open, inclusive MUSO that Students will be proud to belong too.

STUDENT-LED WELFARE

We need to start truly leading Student Welfare! When did we become the movement that reacts and stop being the movement of ideas? If we want to change Welfare we need to lead the change. Showing that Students and their Unions are best placed to help those most in need, we need a fresh approach with fresh ideas. We want to see students that have loans and grants that cover the cost of living. We want to see a fairer deal for all Further Education students, young and mature; why should someone’s ages be a barrier to their education? We also need to continue to support our International friends, making sure they are supported by Government and the institution. But one of the biggest Welfare issues we face, is housing. We need to stop skirting around the issues and deal with the concerns on the ground. A collaborative campaign to crackdown on dodgy planning department and make sure University is providing the quality and affordable halls they should be!

•  Lobby Government to work with Student Unions to provide and create a new emergency welfare scheme, allowing students to help students.
• Campaign to make Student Loans/Grant truly cover the cost of living.
•  Oppose Further increment of Fees.

STUDENTS AS THEIR LIFEBLOOD

Everyone in campus faces the same challenges day by day, and students talk about the small changes they’d like to make. We need the MUSO leaders who will talk about those issues we hear every day on our campuses. We’ve all heard about them haven’t we? Those students who want to see academic standards genuinely improve, because they aren’t being inspired by their studies. That student who needs help meeting new people because they struggled to settle in. The single Mother who is in desperate need of childcare so she can continue to study. The Sports club who simply want to raise money for a little bit of new kit. These are the issues we see every day and the sort we need to tackle for every student.

WHAT WOULD THEY DO?

1.  Real help for Student Activities development - this is the largest resource used by MUSO members. It deserves to be given real and effective representation. A stronger relationship with all stakeholders.
2. Support for Unions to build long term strategic plans that will help build sustainable long lasting organisations.
3. More training, tools and best practise to build strongerand more professional students.
4.  A strong robust drive to raise teaching and learning standards across the university.
5. Campaign to support independent Student Media Groups, and an MUSO nor administration that doesn’t interfere.

A CRITICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT

When Government is wrong we should oppose them. When Government is right we should work with them. Locally, Regionally and Nationally MUSO must have an inconsistent relationship with Government. When student unions do work with them they often don’t get the desired results. When the same unions oppose them they often don’t produce the required outcomes. We need opposition that delivers change, and partnerships that have lasting legacies. We can do this by creating the effective activists of tomorrow; change makers! And to be clear, we don’t care who is in power, right or left, red or blue, we will work with anyone who wants to make positive change for students.

•  Work with all Students Unions in Universities to build activists and activism that is effective and delivers real results.
•  Strongly hold Government to account with direction coming from our membership at large. Not just the politicos!
•  A national campaign to build strong relationships with all levels of Government, to achieve real success when we agree.
•  Regional wide campaigns for more local Government support for Student Unions.
• Encouraging member Unions to engage in Localism, building real change at a local level.