It wasn’t just politicians who were taken by surprise by the
Prime Minister’s decision to hold a General Election on 8 June but also university Communication teams.
While the various political parties ran around writing
manifesto’s, usually years in the drafting in a matter of weeks, Communication
teams had to make quick decisions around priorities.
Manifesto’s were issued by our sector organisations
including Universities
UK and Million
Plus all with hugely important priorities including ensuring funding for
research, bringing back maintenance grants and getting a good post-Brexit
settlement for universities.
At Bedfordshire we’ve been playing our part by looking at
how to mobilise the student vote. The first step is getting students to
register to vote, then it’s getting them to use that vote.
For me going to university was a time of protest and
campaigning and it was when I was at my most political.
A student of the 80s I went on rent strike, boycotted banks
that refused to condemn the apartheid, and went to concerts that wanted to
‘Free Nelson Mandela’. Even my first date with by future husband was on an
anti-National Front march.
But times have changed and today many students are fed up
with politics and disillusioned with our voting system.
They feel marginalised and don’t see voting as a driver for
change, so they don’t vote. But as they don’t vote, they are ignored by
politicians which leads to their views being ignore; it’s a vicious circle.
Why is a problem for university communication teams? Well part
of our role as a university is to ensure we are preparing our students to take
their place in the world as informed and engaged citizens.
While our Students’ Union
have been sending out emails to encourage voter registration we have being
using social media and our digital screens to ensure our students know the
deadline (it’s the 22 May if you’re interested) and realise how easy it is to register to vote.
Also because the election falls right in the middle of exams
and students might not know where they’ll be; we’re giving them information on
applying for a postal vote.
We are also hosting a Hustings with Uprising a UK-wide youth leadership development
organisation at our Luton Campus. The local General Election candidates for
Luton South will be there and it will be an opportunity for our students
to cross-examine the candidates and share their hopes and aspirations for the
future.
Press wise it’s a crowded marketplace for getting the
University in the press around this subject; but fortunately we do have a Vice
Chancellor who’s passionate about politics and youth participation. We managed
to place an article
in our leading sector magazine Times Higher Education on the importance of
encouraging students to vote and have secured a blog in a student facing
publication around youth participation.
All in all it’s a busy time and it’s work we hadn’t planned
for. But the chances are there may not be another General Election for five
years and giving students a voice is something we all believe in.
#YourVoteYourVoice #GenerationVote #GeneralElection2017 #getthevoteout
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