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| File:Union society logo.gif | |
| Motto | Mens Agitat Molem - Mind moves matter |
|---|---|
| Institution | Newcastle University |
| Location | King's Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Established | c.1970 (merger of the JUS and the SRC) |
| President | William Richens |
| Members | c. 17,800 |
| Affiliations | National Union of Students, Aldwych Group, British Universities Sports Association |
| Website | [http://www.unionsociety.co.uk unionsociety.co.uk |
The Newcastle University Union Society is the students' union of Newcastle University, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It aims to represent students' interests at the university and provide services on a daily basis
History
The Union Society as it is today was created from the merger of several earlier student organisations.
The earliest of these were the Junior Union Society founded in 1880 which arranged debates and dances, and the Union Society. The Union Society as it was, dealt almost solely with student societies and entertainment. Governed by a Union Management Committee composed of President (in the Chair), the Lady President, two Vice Presidents (one male, one female) and the Secretary, members of staff from King’s College, including the Bursar, and the Society Steward, this structure remained in varying forms until well into the 1950s.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the then Armstrong College, was formed in 1900 to represent all students in matters of policy and to the Board of Professors, remained a separate entity until 1981-82 when it merged with the Union Society.
With the construction of the current Union building in 1925, the care of the building was vested in a separate Board of Trustees, appointed by the University Council. The Trustees are responsible for maintaining the fabric of the original building but also play a role as scrutinisers of constitutional changes and as channels of appeal in certain matters.
The Union Society, in its current form as provider of on-campus entertainments, student services, welfare & debates, has been established since 1970.
Building
Unlike the majority of other students' unions in the UK, the Union Society owns the building in which it is housed. The Union building was built in 1924 following a generous gift from an anonymous donor, but is now believed to have been Sir Cecil Cochrane, a major benefactor to the University. It is built in the neo-Jacobean style and was designed by the local architect Robert Burns Dick, whose firm designed the Laing Art Gallery, the towers of the Tyne Bridge and The Spanish City in Whitley Bay. It was opened on 22 October 1925 by the Rt. Hon. Lord Eustace Percy, who later served as Rector of King's College from 1937 to 1952. It is a Grade II listed building.
Refurbishment and extension work is due to take place between June 2007 and September 2010.
Structure
The Union Society is run by six sabbatical officers and fifteen part time unpaid officer positions (some positions such as Freshers' Week Organisers and RAG Week Officers are job shares).
The officers report to the Union Council which is the 'Parliament' of the Union Society and is made up of: The Officers, Society and Club Representatives, Sub Council Representatives and University School Representatives.
Current officers
The current sabatical officers are:
- President: William Richens
- Education: Charlotte Ellis
- Student support: Peter Mercer
- AU president: James Greene
- Activites: Imogen Davies
- Editor of The Courier: Samuel Parker
The current part-time officers are:
- Campaigns Officer: Andrew Whyte
- Convenor of Debates: Michael Dallaway
- Convenor of Disciplinary: Sarah Hoddinott
- Ethics and Environment: Jen Miller and Alex Henderson
- Exec without portfolio: Aaron Screaton
- Gender Equality: Eva Elks
- Disabilities Officer: Matthew Riggall
- RAG Officers: Emma Budge and Michelle Riches
- Chair of Union Council: Alex Elwick
- International Students: Marie Claire Wilmot and Eliza Gore Browne
- LGBT Officer: Christopher McCallion
- Racial Equality Officer: Sara Hasanain
- Freshers Week Organisers: Matt Ogg, Paul Grainger, Felicity Harris and Andriana Georgiou
Of all the current elected officers, Jen Miller and Christopher McCallion are the only two who where officers in the previous year.
The Union Society also employs around 300 people in various ancillary roles including Bar staff and Entertainment organisers. The General Manager works closely with the President to ensure that the Union Society's standards and procedures are maintained.
Events
'Unite' is the Union's flagship student night (as of September 2008), open to students from any university with a valid student card and their guests. This takes place on a Friday night in the building, starting at 8pm with a finish of 3am.
Newcastle University Freshers' Week, previously known as the First Year Conference (or FYC) is organised by four elected part-time officers of the Union Society. The event has gained a national reputation for being one of the largest and best Freshers' Week welcome events in the country. In 2002, The Guardian published an article on university life at Newcastle University and included the following quotation: "Newcastle University deserves every inch of its reputation for having a first class freshers' week, and other universities should follow suit."
Other regular Saturday nights at the Union include Brighton Beach, Federation and Freaky Dancing. Every term, the whole building is opened up until 5am the next morning for Arcane to raise money for the South African Scholarship fund.
A line-up of nationally acclaimed acts have performed at the Union Society on their way to the top, these include Maxïmo Park, Snow Patrol, Kosheen, The Fratellis, Goldie Lookin' Chain and Damien Rice.
Post Office
The Union Society has a Post Office, however on 1 July 2008 the Post Office announced the next set of Post Offices which may close the Newcastle University Union Society Post Office is under threat of closure.
Notes
- Bettenson, E: "The University of Newcastle upon Tyne : a historical introduction, 1834-1971". University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1971. ISBN 0900565322
- "Post Office consultation". BBC Tyne News. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
External links
| Newcastle University | ||
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| People |
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| Faculties | ||
| Student Life | ||
| Museums |
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| Facilities and research | ||
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Aldwych Group | |
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