Institution | University of Bradford |
---|---|
Location | Student Central, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, BD7 1DP |
Established | 1957 (as a Students' Union) 1966 (as a University Union) |
Chief Executive | Aleem Bashir (from 2024) |
Executive officers | Emmanuel Oladokun, Shoaib Khan, Adesola Aladekoba, Waleed Zaman, Raizana Razeen, Yunus Adelodun, Sakina Sani, Abdus-Samad Bin-Sarfraz, Teslim Thomas |
Sabbatical officers | Oluwaseun Onikan (Sports and Wellbeing Officer 2023/24) Iqra Tabassum (Education Officer 2023/24) Hamza Khan (Student Affairs Officer 2023/24) Rotimi Olorunfemi (Community and Activities Officer 2023/24) [1] |
Trustees | All 4 Sabbatical officers; 4 external trustees; 3 student trustees including Chair of Council; and CEO |
Members | 9,960 (2020/21) [2] |
Affiliations | National Union of Students, British Universities and Colleges Sport, Advice UK |
Website | www |
The University of Bradford Union (UBU) is the students' union for the University of Bradford in Bradford, England, and is a registered charity. [3]
UBU, referred to in full as The University of Bradford Union of Students, is led by an executive of four full-time sabbatical officers, elected annually towards the end of the academic season, and (as of 2022/23) twelve non-sabbatical Executive Officers elected either at that same time or at the start of the academic year.
The Executive is unusual in not having a president, in favour of a "flat structure". Regular reviews of the Officer roles are undertaken, with the number of sabbaticals falling from six to four in 2018 (in conjunction with a decline in student numbers), and an ongoing process of review to ensure the roles remain relevant.
The Executive reports to a student Council that meets at least six times each academic year. Council members are elected through a combination of open places in a cross campus ballot, and from the devolved areas of responsibility — the assemblies of academic (programme and faculty) representatives, sports clubs, and activities groups (societies).
The Union is located in the Student Central building, and also runs services for international students in Room 101 in the university's Richmond Building, plus for research postgraduate students in the Postgraduate (Research) Lounge. It also looks after a Prayer Room on campus. The Union also runs outreach with the students based at Dewsbury Hospital.
The function of the Union is to support and provide services for its students of the university such as academic or financial advice, [4] plus activities and entertainment, and quality and experience improvement through co-operation or lobbying at the university. [5]
Student engagement with UBU comes via things like its societies and sports clubs, its academic representation system in which students can be elected representatives, and its various volunteering and charitable opportunities.
Of the many societies, some are course-related, such as the optometry society BOOSA; there are also international societies, faith groups, charitable and campaigning societies, and some purely recreational societies.
Many of the sports teams feature Bradford's traditional colours of black with red and white accents for their playing kit.
UBU runs campaigns on varying issues, with a focus on education and welfare, together with sustainability and diversity. Campaigns are directed by the elected leadership team, or sometimes by motions brought by students through the Council.
Past notable campaigns have included: Free Education & Grants for all— The Union has a long-standing position for free education. In 1997 the Union supported people refusing to pay the first fees including fees strikes. That latest free education policy was passed in 2008 to support the call for a national demonstration for free education. [6] In September 2008 the General Meeting of students decided that the call for Free Education should be the campaign priority for the academic year and voted to allocate over one thousand pounds to the cause. [7]
Palestine and Gaza— After the Union made two demands for support of Gaza of the university [8] in 2009 over 80 students occupied the university boardroom with a number of further demands of support for Gaza. [9] they claim to have achieved some success as of the morning of 28 January 2009. [10] In 2007 a Bradford Student Khaled al-Mudallal became trapped in Palestine. The union ran a campaign to support Khaled [11] and to aid his return. It was supported by UCU, the Lectures Union and the NUS the National Students' Union. He was elected the Honorary Vice President [12] of the LSE Students' Union and released on 4 December. [13]
In December 2023 the Union passed fresh policy calling the UK Government to "support an Inquiry into the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."
Blood Donation— UBU has supported the right for gay men to give blood with its LGBT society campaigning throughout the year of 2006 and 2007 to lift the ban. [14] The union supported the society [15] in encouraging people who can to give blood and to call for the ban to be lifted in favour of a ban on promiscuity and people who partake in unsafe sex giving blood.
Fair Trade— UBU coordinates the University of Bradford Fair Trade Status, [16] in 2006 the Union gained Fair Trade status for the university and continues to campaign on this issue.
Historically, like many other students' unions, UBU ran the shops and bars on campus, and in the late 1970s the Union-run businesses had a combined annual turnover of more than £1 million. A joint board was set up during the 2010 refurbishment of the Student Central building and identified that due to significant losses the Student Union entity was no longer a viable option to manage a commercial development which resulted in the bars and shop areas falling under the University's commercial services.[ citation needed ]
The bars have been through many changes of name; one was originally the Junior Common Room. As of 2024 the bars area is being redeveloped.
The National Union of Students (NUS) is a confederation of student unions in the United Kingdom. Around 600 student unions are affiliated, accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Although the National Union of Students is the central organisation for all affiliated unions in the UK, there are also the devolved national sub-bodies NUS Scotland in Scotland, NUS Wales in Wales and NUS-USI in Northern Ireland.
Durham Students' Union, operating as Durham SU, is the students' union of Durham University in Durham, England. It is an organisation, originally set up as the Durham Colleges Students’ Representative Council in 1899 and renamed in 1969, with the intention of representing and providing welfare and services for the students of the University of Durham.
The University of Bristol Students' Union is the students' union of the University of Bristol, England. It is among the oldest of the UK students' unions and was a founding member of the National Union of Students. The Union is a multi-site organisation which can be found at Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TH and The Richmond Building, 105 Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1LN.
Cambridge Students' Union, known as Cambridge SU, is the university-wide representative body for students at the University of Cambridge, England. Its predecessor union was known as Cambridge University Students' Union or CUSU until its dissolution in July 2020.
The University of Nottingham Students' Union is the students' union at the University of Nottingham, England. It is a representative body that aims to represent students to both the university and the wider community.
Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) is the students' union at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Association's aim is the advancement of education of Edinburgh students by representing and supporting them, and by promoting their interests, health and welfare within the community. It is led by a team of five elected student sabbatical officers.
The London School of Economics Students' Union is the representative and campaigning body for students at the London School of Economics (LSE). Like other students' unions, it also funds and facilitates student activities of campus, including societies, sports clubs through the Athletics Union (AU), the Media Group, and Raising and Giving (RAG) charitable fundraising initiatives.
King's College London Students' Union (KCLSU) is an independent charitable organisation that works to further the interests of its members. It governs the 300 student societies and activity groups at King's. KCLSU claims to be the oldest students' union in England.
Hull University Students' Union (HUSU) is the students' union for the University of Hull in Kingston upon Hull, England. It is run as a completely separate entity to the university itself but enjoys a close working partnership with the University of Hull. There is a Union Executive Committee (UEC) chaired by one of the Presidents, which consists of four full-time Student Presidents, and the Chief Executive as an advisor to the Sabbatical Officers.
Sheffield Students' Union, officially known as the University of Sheffield Students' Union, is the representative body of students at the University of Sheffield. It is run by a team of thirteen elected officers.
NUS-USI, the student movement in Northern Ireland, was formed in 1972 by bilateral agreement between the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom (NUS) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), to address the particular problems of representing students in Northern Ireland. As of 2018, NUS-USI represented approximately 200,000 students in the region.
Cardiff Students' Union is the Students' Union for Cardiff University and is located in Cardiff, Wales.
The Union MMU is the students' union of Manchester Metropolitan University, an institution of higher education and research in North West England. Named MMUnion until August 2014; Manchester Metropolitan Students' Union (MMSU) until July 2005; and Manchester Polytechnic Students' Union (MPSU) before the institution gained its university status in 1992.
The University of East Anglia Students' Union is the students' union of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. All students of the university and some INTO UEA students automatically become members of the Union, but do have the right to opt out of membership. Membership grants the ability to take part in the Union's activities such as Clubs and Societies, and being involved in the democratic processes of the Union. The Union is a democratic organisation run by its members via an elected student officer committee and student council. It is affiliated to the National Union of Students. The Union follows its constitution and its policies. in order to fulfill its purpose 'to enrich the life of every UEA student.'
No Platform, in the UK, is a form of student boycott where a person or organisation is denied a platform to speak. The British National Union of Students (NUS) established its No Platform policy in April 1974. Like other No Platform policies, it asserts that no proscribed person or organisation should be given a platform to speak, nor should a union officer share a platform with them. The policy traditionally applies to entities that the NUS considers racist or fascist, most notably the British National Party, although the NUS and its liberation campaigns have policies refusing platforms to other people or organisations. The policy does not extend to students' unions who are part of NUS, although similar policies have also been adopted by its constituent unions.
In universities in the United Kingdom students' unions are constituted under Section 2 of the Education Act 1994. The ultimate purpose of students' unions is to democratically represent the interests of their members. Students who resign their membership may still use union social facilities provided since they are for the benefit of the students of the institution, not just union members. The vast majority of UK students' unions are affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS).
The University of Plymouth Students' Union (UPSU) is based on the University of Plymouth campus, in the Drake Circus area of Plymouth, Devon, England.
The governance of the National Union of Students, the organisation which is the main confederation of students' unions within the United Kingdom, has recently undergone radical reform. The article explains the background to the reform process and the current system of governance.
The National Union of Students Disabled Students' Campaign is a self-running part of the National Union of Students which exists to "remove the stigma from all disabilities, and to encourage all members of our society to take a positive attitude towards understanding the nature of disability and overcoming prejudices".
The National Union of Students Black Students' Campaign is a self-organised autonomous section of the National Union of Students (NUS). The NUS Black Students' Campaign represents students of African, Asian, Arab and Caribbean heritage.