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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 current Union Society exists due to the merger of several earlier student organisations. The oldest of these was the Junior Union Society (founded in 1880) which arranged debates and dances. The other organisation was known as the Union Society. The previous Union Society dealt almost solely with student societies and entertainment and was governed by a Union Management Committee. The committee comprised of the President (in the Chair), the Lady President, two Vice Presidents (one male, one female), the Secretary, and various members of staff from King’s College (including the Bursar and the Society Steward). This structure remained in varying forms until the 1950s.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of Armstrong College (a former college of Durham University) was formed in 1900 to represent all students in matters of policy to the Board of Professors. It 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 and 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, who 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.

In 2003 the Debating Chamber which was connected to the Union Building was demolished. 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, the legislative body of the Union Society which consists of:

• The Officers
• Society and Club Representatives
• Sub Council Representatives
• University School Representatives

Current officers

The current sabbatical officers are:

The current part-time officers are:

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.

Elections

The elections are typically held in November and the following March of each academic year. Since 2007, all union elections have been conducted using electronic voting. This method has increased voter turnout dramatically and reduced the work load on the elections committee during this time.

In the November elections the following positions are usually elected:

• PGMS Officer
• Freashers week organisers,

However this November, the following posts are also open to election:

• Campaigns Officer
• Officer without Portfolio
• Communities Officer

In the March elections, the following positions are elected:

• President
• Editor of The Courier
• Education Officer
• Student Support Officer
• Activities Officer
• AU Officer
• LGBT Officer
• Racial Equality Officer
• Rag Week Organisers
• International Students Officer
• Convenor of Debates
• Convenor of Disaplinary
• Ethics and Enviroment Officers
• Chair of Union Council

However, their is a possibility that the following positions will also be up for election:

• Campaigns Officer
• Officer Without Portfolio
• Communities Officer

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 the dance event Arcane.

A line-up of nationally acclaimed acts have performed at the Union Society including Maxïmo Park, Snow Patrol, Kosheen, The Fratellis, Goldie Lookin' Chain and Damien Rice.

Post Office

The Union Society has a Post Office located in the main student shop, however on 2 September 2008 the Post Office announced that a number or branches in the North East of England, including the branch within the Union Society, will close on 23 January 2009 as part of the Post Office's restructuring programme.

Notes

1. Bettenson, E: "The University of Newcastle upon Tyne : a historical introduction, 1834–1971". University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1971. ISBN 0900565322
2. "Union Debating Chamber". Newcastle University SINE Project. 2004. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
3. "Officers". Union Society. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
4. "Post Office consultation". BBC Tyne News. 2008-09-02. Retrieved 2008-10-06.

External links

• Official website

54°58′44″N 1°36′54″W / 54.978912°N 1.614984°W / 54.978912; -1.614984

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