Updates from the Policy Team 

• Our Arts SU Cost of Travel Survey will be closing in just over a week on 11^th December. The response to the survey has so far been excellent, with a huge number of responses at the time of publication. This goes to show the extent to which this issue resonates with our members. We will have some really rich data that will be used as part of Union Affairs Officer Daniela’s cost of commuting campaign. Thank you to everyone who's already taken part! Have your say before 11^th December.

• This month saw the successful launch of the Private Renters Report. It was fantastic that Heather Francis, UAL’s Chief Operating Officer, attended the launch and committed to working with us on implementing the key recommendation of the research: a UAL rent guarantor scheme. If you haven’t had a chance already, have a read of the report here.

HE news 

• Cleaners employed by OCS at University of the Arts London will be took two days of strike action on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December. The dispute centres around staffing levels, with the service employing five fewer cleaners than when they took over the contract, as well as pay and terms and conditions, which are inferior to directly employed staff. You can read more here.

• The release of the NSS data shows deep-seated differences in the degree of disabled student satisfaction in a range of areas: Assessment and Feedback; Organisation and Management; Learning Resources; and Student Voice. Given that disabled students make up 20 per cent of the home student population on many campuses, this should set alarm bells ringing for student experience leads across the country – this is a strong indication that generic student experience interventions are not providing equality for the entire student body. You can read more here.

• The Conservative Party's support among graduates hits a 45-year low, posing a potential threat to future electoral success. With higher education expanding, losing these voters could be fatal by the 2030s. To win the next election, Labour must bridge the gap between graduates and school-leavers, as highlighted in a report by the Social Market Foundation. Led by Robert Ford from the University of Manchester, the study emphasises education's pivotal role in shaping political outcomes. You can read more here.  

• A new Oxford University study has found that one in four female students at the university had experienced some form of sexual assault in the previous year. While there are sector-wide standards in place, there needs to be more clarity and determination around implementing best practice in investigations. You can read more here.

Arts / Creative Industries news 

• Music, PE, and art and design, are among the top creative subjects that Brits regret not taking at school, research has found. A survey of 1,000 18-24-year-olds found that almost three-quarters (72%) wish they had taken more creative subjects in their school days, with 31% feeling they are more creative than academic. You can read more here.

• Just ahead of the opening of COP28 in Dubai, legislators and activists headed to Brussels to both mark the progress and push for stronger environmental regulation of the fashion industry within the European Union. A panel discussion titled “Fashionscapes of Transformation” hosted by MEP Alessandra Moretti brought together policymakers. You can read more here.

• Asos has changed its criteria for directors to achieve their bonuses, scrapping diversity targets. The retailer’s annual executive bonus will now mainly be based on hitting profit targets, along with improving its share prices and profit margins. In its last financial year, Asos’ annual bonus was based 15% on revenue, 25% on adjusted pre-tax profit, 35% on adjusted free cash flow and 25% on strategic and ESG measures. You can read more here.