Students' Union UCL

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Students' Union UCL
Institution University College London
LocationGordon Street, London
Established1893
Affiliations Aldwych Group, National Union of Students
Website studentsunionucl.org
The Union's building on Gordon Street University College London Union.jpg
The Union's building on Gordon Street

Students' Union UCL (formerly University College London Union) is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which formed a student representative council in 1892. [1] [2] It was formed with the following objectives: "the promotion of social intercourse and of the means of recreation, physical and mental, of the students of University College, and the financial successes of students' clubs". UCL Union was the first of its kind as it was formed for both athletics clubs and social activities alike.

Contents

Since its formation, the Union has taken on responsibility for many aspects of student life. Events for example were seen as a key element hence the establishment of an Ents Committee. A student magazine known as the Gazette was formed a few years later and the Somers Town sports venue was also acquired.

Students' Union UCL is affiliated to the National Union of Students.

Organisation

Students' Union UCL runs over 300 clubs and societies, as well as 4 bars, 4 cafés, 2 shops and a fitness centre. UCL students through the Union have access to put on shows at the Bloomsbury Theatre.

The Union's sports clubs have access to several different venues including Bloomsbury Fitness, the Somers Town Sports Centre and the 100-acre (0.40 km2) Shenley Sports grounds, which Watford Football Club rent for training purposes. Arsenal F.C. rented it as training grounds until 1999. In October 1999 they opened the purpose built Arsenal Training Centre on a neighbouring 143 acres. On the other side is the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre. [3]

Students' Union UCL provides support to students through Jobshop and the Advice Service, and has a highly active Volunteering Services unit, providing volunteering opportunities for over 1400 students a year.

As well as the magazine Pi , the Union's media output includes the radio station Rare FM, the "alternative" magazine The Cheese Grater and a number of smaller publications.

Students' Union UCL president's medallion UCLU P.jpg
Students' Union UCL president's medallion

Charity Status

Operation of the Union lies mainly with elected full-time officers called sabbatical officers and appointed staff. The UCL Union is a registered charity in UK law, a status which requires it to have a trustee board. The board is composed of four of the elected UCLU sabbatical officers (sabbatical trustees), four elected student trustees, and three appointed external trustees. Trustees are charged with responsibility for controlling the charity's work, management and administration on behalf of its members.

Officers

Students' Union UCL has 6 elected sabbatical officers, which work full-time in for the Students' Union, so are not classified as students for the year they hold the post. There are also various other officers which represent UCL students in different fields.

Sabbatical officers

  • President
  • Activities and Engagement Officer
  • Education Officer
  • Equity and Inclusion Officer
  • Postgraduate Officer
  • Welfare and Community Officer

Student officers

  • Arts Officer
  • Disabled Students' Officer
  • International Students' Officer
  • LGBQ+ Officer
  • Mature, Part-Time and Carers Students' Officer
  • People of Colour Officer
  • Research Students' Officer
  • Social Class and Mobility Officer
  • Societies Officer
  • Sports Officer
  • Sustainability Officer
  • Trans Officer
  • Volunteering Officer
  • Women's Officer

Clubs and societies

UCL has numerous clubs and societies which include, sports, film, drama, martial arts, politics and degree-subjects.

The Union's Debating Society, founded in 1829 as the Literary and Philosophical Society, is one of the oldest student debating societies in the UK. [4]

The UCL Film & TV Society, founded in 1948, is one of the oldest in the country, it still has a dedicated studio space on campus and continues to both make and screen films; Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas met and developed some of their earliest films at the society. [5]

Liberation Networks

  • Disabled Students' Network
  • International Students' Network
  • LGBTQ+ Network
  • Mature, Part-time and Carers Networks
  • POC Students' Network
  • Research Students' Network
  • Women's Network

Former societies and networks

  • Advertising, Marketing and PR Society
  • Alcohol-Free Society
  • American Society
  • Beer Pong Society
  • Bruneian Society
  • Catalan Society
  • Christian Ethics Society
  • Conservative Society
  • Cosmetology Society
  • Doggo Society
  • Furry Society
  • Holography Society
  • Libertarian Society
  • Marxist Society
  • Northern Society
  • Robotics Society
  • Shaolin Kung Fu Club
  • Socialist Society
  • Stefan Bloc Society
  • Student Parents and Carers Society
  • Trans+ Network
  • WASH Society
  • Women and Politics Society

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References

  1. "Landmarks". University College London. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  2. "History of the Guild". Liverpool Guild of Students. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014.
  3. "The UCL Sports Ground". Google Maps. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  4. "University College, London: Guild of Graduates Minute Book". UCL Archives. UCL Library Services. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  5. Tempest, Matthew (24 February 2011). "I was there at the Inception of Christopher Nolan's film career". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 March 2017.