The Students' Union at UWE
The Students' Union at UWE, formerly UWE Students' Union, is the students' union of the University of the West of England. Formerly known as Bristol Polytechnic Students' Union (BPSU), and founded in 1971, it changed name in 1992, in line with the parent institution becoming a university. The union affiliates with the NUS.
The union has a turnover of over £6.5 million per annum.[1] It operates representational and support services, including a jobs agency for students, a student advice centre and various bars and shops across Frenchay, Bower Ashton and Glenside campuses. The union also run an annual freshers' fair, the largest of its kind in the country.[2]
In Summer of 2015, the union moved to a new purpose built building, with a new bar and coffee shop, and new space to support student engagement and activities.[3]
Structure[edit]
The Students' Union at UWE is led by 5 full-time presidents: President, Vice President Education, Vice President Sport and Health, Vice President Community and Welfare, and Vice President Societies and Communication. There are also a number of part-time unpaid officers, who, alongside the presidents, form the Executive Committee, whilst also acting as another point of contact for students on issues relevant to their role. The Students' Union elections are run in March every year for all president and officer roles, with by elections also running in October.
Student Council[edit]
The Student Council Meeting is the highest decision-making body in the Students' Union after the board of trustees. Twenty students, elected from the three Students' Union conferences (5 from Representation, 5 from Sports and 10 from Societies, half of whom represent the national, faith and identity societies) sit on Student Council. Student Council meets at least three times an academic year to scrutinise Student Ideas submitted on the Students' Union website [4] in order to create policy for the Students' Union and discuss matters affecting the student experience. Student Council also holds the elected Executive to account by examining and asking questions of their activities, campaigning and policies. The Student Council is facilitated by the Democratic Procedures Committee, who also monitor the Student Ideas process and act as a point of contact for students regarding Students' Union government issues.
Student Representative Committee[edit]
Student Reps from across UWE to come together and discuss matters affecting students’ academic experience. The Vice President Education chairs these meetings which are often based around a theme. Each meeting focuses on a different topic, with discussions and opportunities to work together to problem solve and come up with ideas or campaigns. In addition the VP Education may invite key UWE staff to the meeting so that they can hear first-hand the discussions and answer Student Reps questions. Reps are encouraged to suggest topics they think should be discussed at SRC. The VP Education also provides updates to Reps about their work, campaigns and projects. Alongside this, Lead and Department Reps can report issues that need the committee’s consideration.
Sports Conference[edit]
Representatives from all sports clubs meet three times a year to discuss all manner of topics that affect students. The committee contributes to the development of the sports facilities and supports and oversees the Varsity series and Sports Awards Dinner. The Vice President Sports & Health chairs these conferences.
Societies Conference[edit]
Representatives from all societies meet three times a year to discuss all manner of topics that affect students. The committee seeks to provide opportunities for students of all abilities to participate and develop new skills; specifically in the areas of student led volunteering and fundraising, as well as ensure societies have effective communication links with the student body. The Vice President Societies & Communication chairs these conferences.
Board of Trustees[edit]
The Students' Union also has a Board of Trustees, which contains all full-time Officers, two student trustees and five external trustees. The Board acts on behalf of the union with the ultimate responsibility for the strategic direction and financial well-being of the organisation.[5]
Facilities and Activities[edit]
While largely based at the university's main Frenchay campus, there are site offices at the Bower Ashton, Glenside and Gloucester campuses. The Students' Union at UWE also operates facilities such as bars and shops at the Frenchay, Bower Ashton, and Glenside sites, with the intention of providing students with better value for money, and as a platform for developing social programmes.
While The Students' Union at UWE has a primary role in representing student interests, it also seeks to provide extracurricular opportunities for its members, which are aimed at enriching student experiences and responsibilities. For example, there is a strong commitment to encouraging volunteer work among the student community. The union also provides a wide range of activities for students to participate, including student-led Sports Clubs, Societies, and Charity Groups. Sports clubs and societies can also compete with teams from the University of Bristol in the annual Varsity Series competition between the two universities.
The Students' Union at UWE has a long history of organising events and entertainment for its members. The popular "Lock-In" event is held on Saturday nights, formerly taking place on a Tuesday. Special events such as live music and comedy run regularly.
Hub Media (Formerly WesternEye & Hub Radio)[edit]
WesternEye was an independent student newspaper supported by The Students' Union. The paper was established in 2003 and is run by an in-house team of students. The paper was financed by The Students' Union, with some additional revenue generated through advertising. Hub Radio is the student radio station for UWE, and launched in its current format in September 2004. The station is run by students. Hub Radio is currently broadcast in North Bristol on 1449AM, DAB and online on their website. In 2017/2018 WesternEye and Hub Radio were merged to form Hub Media, within which Hub Radio continues to operate. As part of the merger, WesternEye was rebranded Hub Voice, a magazine format with accompanying website.[6]
Controversies[edit]
The Students' Union at UWE's former President Zain Choudhry was suspended in 2018 due to breaching election rules and urging students to vote against a "Zionist type" candidate who he said he "cannot tolerate".[7][8][9]
Avon and Somerset Constabulary were called to an event ran by the Student Union's Politics Society which featured Conservative Party MP Jacob Rees-Mogg following a widely reported public order incident, which was described in the media as a 'brawl'[1][2][3]. UWE Bristol announced that the external speaker and security policies which apply to The Students Union would be revised following this event. The incident was condemned by Member of parliament from Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party including Jo Johnson, Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, Darren Jones and Jo Swinson and Prime Minister Theresa May called for politicians on all sides to take a stand for "decency tolerance and respect"[10][11]
The Union has also been criticised by the Henry Jackson Society for hosting speakers such as controversial activist Sahar al-Faifi, who has suggested that the Jewish community are responsible for terrorist attacks,[12] and allowing former President Zain Choudhry to be advertised as speaking alongside Cage director Moazzam Begg, who was detained at Guantanamo Bay due to allegations of links to extremist groups including Al-Qaeda.[13]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Students' Union", UWE. "Financial Reports". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ↑ "Students' Union", UWE. "UWE Freshers' Fair". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ↑ "Students' Union", UWE. "UWESU New Building". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ↑ Students' Union, UWE. "Student Ideas". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ↑ Students' Union, UWE. "Trustees". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ↑ Students' Union, UWE. "Hub Voice". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ↑ "https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/student-leader-suspended-after-urging-union-members-to-vote-against-zionist-candidate-1.451968". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2018-10-29. External link in
|title=(help) - ↑ "UWE SU President suspended over rule breach after making 'blatant anti-Semitic comments'". UWE. 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ↑ "UWE Bristol student president suspended". Bristol 24/7. 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ↑ "Jacob Rees-Mogg 'scuffle': Politicians condemn protester that storm university debate". ITV News. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ↑ Bennett, Geoffrey (2018-02-04). "MPs slam 'appalling' Bristol protesters who 'let down democracy' in UWE scuffle". bristolpost. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ↑ "https://www.thejc.com/news/news-features/mend-is-a-cause-for-alarm-here-s-why-1.447766". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2018-10-29. External link in
|title=(help) - ↑ "Student Rights - UWE Student Union President legitimises MEND extremists". www.studentrights.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
External links[edit]
This article "The Students' Union at UWE" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:The Students' Union at UWE. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
