Edinburgh University Students' Association

History

An Edinburgh Students' Representative Council (SRC) was founded in 1884 by student Robert Fitzroy Bell. Shortly afterwards, the SRC voted to establish a union (the Edinburgh University Union (EUU)), to be housed in the building now known as Teviot Row House. The Edinburgh University Women's Union was founded in 1906, becoming the Chambers Street Union in 1964. On 1 July 1973 the SRC, the EUU and the Chambers Street Union merged to form Edinburgh University Students' Association. Through the SRC, EUSA is the oldest students' union in the UK. In 1994 the University forced the merger of the King's Buildings Union and EUSA, despite the KB Union voting against the proposal.

In 1976 EUSA disaffiliated from the National Union of Students (NUS), a decision that was reversed in 2004. In 2005 EUSA formally twinned with Birzeit University Student Council, West Bank, with each union annually hosting delegations from the other.

Following a student consultation process and plebiscite a new constitution was established in 2012.

EUSA was criticised in 2013 after acting using the Court of Session to "censor" The Student as it "was due to publish details of the suspension of Max Crema, vice-president of services at the union". President James McAsh defended the action, claiming it was taken "to protect the rights of our employees".

In 2013, EUSA made the decision to ban the playing of Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke in its venues, attracting some attention in national media. The song was deemed to promote "an unhealthy attitude towards sex and consent", and for being in breach of EUSA's 'End Rape Culture and Lad Banter on Campus' policy, designed to tackle 'myths and stereotypes around sexual violence' and stop the sexual objectification of female students.

In 2014, EUSA was threatened with legal proceedings by the National Secretary of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), Charlie Kimber, following a motion put forward banning the SWP from the Edinburgh campus due to the 'Comrade Delta' rape scandal. EUSA eventually withdrew the motion. This also resulted in the editors of The Student newspaper, a EUSA society, manually ripping pages out of their own newspapers to avoid personal legal liability, as the story about the motion had already been printed before it was withdrawn.

In 2016 EUSA became the first students union in the UK to affiliate to Students for Cooperation as an affiliated supporter in order to promote and support student led cooperatives. EUSA also submitted policy to NUS Scotland to affiliate themselves with Students for Cooperation and the proposal was accepted.

Also in 2016, EUSA sabbatical officers and management submitted a referendum to the student membership over whether to change the Association's name to "University of Edinburgh Students' Union", alongside a number of internal administrative changes. The name change was rejected by 69.9% of students. However, EUSA continued with a major rebranding programme, changing the logo and encouraging the organisation to be referred to as "the Association", or "your Students' Association" instead of "EUSA".

Activities

EUSA's activities include representating and campaigning on behalf of students, the administration of societies, running a network of bars and other venues, organising volunteering opportunities and providing numerous welfare and advice services. EUSA also directly organises regular events such as Freshers' Week, club nights, pub quizzes, band nights, various comedyevents, and the Graduation Ball.

Campaigning

In recent years, EUSA has supported campaigns for same-sex marriage, against tuition fee rises and education cuts, and for better private tenancy rights; EUSA also lobbies the University on internal issues, such as on-campus child care. It has also had a significant role in the overhaul of the University's student support structure, and in making Edinburgh Scotland's first Fairtrade University in 2004. In 2007, following several years of pressure from EUSA, the University Senate revoked Robert Mugabe's honorary degree that had been awarded in 1984 "for services to education in Africa".

Societies

EUSA supports and oversees over 240 affiliated societies. There are societies for most academic disciplines, political parties, nationalities and minority groups.

Student theatre at Edinburgh is particularly active. The Edinburgh University Theatre Company (EUTC) was founded in 1896 as the Edinburgh University Drama Society, and since the early 1980s has run Bedlam Theatre, the oldest student-run theatre in Britain, and The Improverts, the city's longest running improvised comedy troupe. Edinburgh University Footlights and Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group (EUSOG) are musical theatre societies, the latter having an emphasis towards the Savoy operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Theatre Paradok are dedicated to experimental theatre.

Music is a large part of EUSA's output. The Edinburgh University Music Society founded in 1867 is the second oldest music society in the United Kingdom. With a Symphonic Chorus of up to 200 members, a full size Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia, EUMS performs up to seven concerts a year in the university. The university is also home to the Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers conducted by University Lecturer Noel O'Regan.

Media-themed societies include The Student (Edinburgh's own student newspaper), Fresh Air (a student radio station, online only since 2008), the Edinburgh Movie Production Society (EMPS) and the Edinburgh Film Society.

Charitable and campaigning societies are numerous, including Edinburgh Global Partnerships and the Edinburgh branches of the Nightline support hotline and People & Planet charitable network.

Buildings, venues and outlets

EUSA operates 13 bars, 7 catering outlets, 5 shops, a catering company (Honours Catering) and numerous other services located across various sites. Most of these buildings are operated as Edinburgh Fringe venues during August.

Structure

EUSA is a democratic membership organisation, a charitable body and a company limited by guarantee.

All Edinburgh University students automatically become members of EUSA upon matriculation, though they retain the ability to opt out, as per the Education Act 1994.

Democracy is provided through an open Student Council (the SRC) supported by three topical Standing Committees; the Academic Committee, External Affairs Committee, and Welfare Committee. There is also a Societies Council which makes decisions relating specifically to student societies. Alongside these are a series of open, autonomous liberation groups (Black Minority and Ethnic, Disability and Mental Wellbeing, LGBT, and Women) and student section groups (International, Mature and Postgraduate).

Elected representatives also sit on all major University bodies and subcommittees. Complementing these structures are autonomous school councils and a class representation system providing local, democratic spaces for organising. This organisational structure was designed to help foster a system of participatory democracy throughout the University.

The Association's day-to-day student leadership is provided by a team of four full-time elected students, the Sabbatical Officers, currently:

EUSA's financial, legal and employment matters are the responsibility of the Chief Executive and a senior management team, who report to and are held accountable by a Board of Trustees, which currently consists of:

EUSA has complete ownership and control over a subsidiary company, EUSACO, incorporating any activity which is outside EUSA's charitable remit, such as the Edinburgh Fringe and external catering activities. Responsibility for EUSA's commercial services is delegated by the Board of Trustees to the Trading Committee. As the direct descendent of Edinburgh University Union's Committee of Management, the committee dates back to 1889. The Trading Committee has direct input from the SRC and the four student stakeholder groups (Bars, Catering, Entertainment and Retail). The Trading Committee currently consists of:

Notable people

This is an incomplete list of notable former office bearers, staff and others with EUSA and its predecessor unions.