about the union

If you're passionate about something - anything - we're here to help you make it happen.
It's what we do.

There are three big things you need to know about the Students' Association:
1) We're run by students, for students.
2) We're a registered charity - every penny we earn goes right back into funding student activity.
3) Almost everything we do is made possible by people just like you.

We have an annual turnover of £3 million. We run a radio station. We raise thousands for charity. We're here to do something about the things that you think need to change, whether that means taking it to the University or taking it to Parliament (we've done both). We host the biggest parties in town. We run one of the most prestigious debating societies in the country. We run the biggest student arts festival in Scotland.

And so much more.

Broadly speaking, we're divided into three areas - Representation, Student Development & Activities, Commercial Services & Events.

The Students' Representative Council (SRC) takes care of all things representation-related. The Student Services Committee (SSC) takes care of everything related to student development & activities. Sabbaticals are members of both, whilst non-sabbaticals are elected to one or the other. This is why 'SRC' or 'SSC' precedes most of the job titles.

Within representation, there are four teams - Accommodation, Education, Equal Opportunities & Welfare and Environment & Ethics. All of the teams can campaigns reaching out to the student body on issues as diverse as sexual health, disability awareness, and green living. The Director of Representation and Association President coordinate the training of the SRC, and jointly provide them with support, advice, and strategic direction.

Within student development & activities, there are 165 societies and eight 'super-societies' - Design Team, Mermaids, STAR, Student Volunteering Service (SVS), Charities, Postgrads, and Debates. The Director of Student Development & Activities helps all of these societies with training and support, as well as thinking up innovative ways for them to collaborate (e.g. the On The Rocks festival).

Our commercial services include catering, the Travel Service, the biggest bar in town, the DRA bar, the Old Union Coffee Bar, a print shop, BESS (our shop), the shop at DRA, and a number of bars for external events. Our annual events budget exceeds £200,000 and includes the Bop, Graduation Ball, Freshers' Week and every event in between. Working with the Ents crew and the staff at the Students' Association, the Director of Events & Services co-ordinates all of the above.

 The Association President is the person ultimately responsible for the image and general direction of the Students' Association. Working with all of the sabbaticals, staff and student volunteers, he or she is in charge of planning for the future, dealing with the media and the the community (with help from the Community Relations Officer), and relations with the University. The President is also responsible for coordinating the Students' Association's activity on accommodation, equal opportunities & welfare, and environment & ethics.