Membership
Ordinary members
All current students at the University of St Andrews automatically become ordinary members of the Students' Association when they matriculate, though they may decide to opt out of membership.
This applies to all students: undergraduates, postgraduates, full-time, part-time, commuters, and remote students.
Only ordinary members can stand and vote in our elections.
Other members, listed below, cannot stand or vote in our our elections. However, they have all other rights of membership, including the right to use our facilities and sign in guests.
Associate members
All members of staff, at both the University and the Students' Association, are associate members.
Anyone with a strong connection to the Association, who is not already an ordinary, life, or associate member, may purchase associate membership by emailing union@st-andrews.ac.uk. For example, the partner of a member, or a long-standing member of an affiliated society.
Alumni access
All St Andrews alumni may access the Union without signing in, but will need ID; old matriculation cards are accepted.
Acceptable forms of ID
Anyone accessing the building at night will need to show a matriculation card upon entry, or be signed in by a member.
To purchase alcohol, you may be asked to show ID. We accept these forms of ID. Anyone who appears to be under the age of 25 should expect to have to show ID.
See drinkaware.co.uk for more information.
Signing in a guest
All members and alumni may sign in up to 4 guests. Guest entry costs £1 on weekdays, and £2 on weekends.
Guests can be signed in at reception upon entry, or in advance. If attending a busy event, please check that sign-ins are allowed by emailing union@, and ensure you arrive early.
Note that members may be held accountable if their guest breaks our discipline guidelines.
Under-18s
People aged 16 or 17:
- Non-reciprocal members can access the licensed areas of the building after 7pm
- Reciprocal members and non-students may be able to access licensed areas of the building after 7pm only for ticketed events, if access is arranged in advance
People aged 0-15:
- Will not be permitted access to licensed areas during semester
- May be permitted access to licensed areas during University vacations, at the discretion of the Personal Licence Holder on duty, if they are the child/dependant of a member
Lost property
Any lost property handed in or found by our staff is kept at reception for approximately 2 weeks. This also applies to unclaimed items in the cloakroom.
After this 2 week period, valuables are handed to the local police and clothing is donated to charity.
Please phone 01334 462700 or email union@ for more information.
Reciprocal membership
If you are currently a student at a reciprocal University, you do not need to sign in, but will need ID.
Opting out of membership
Under the 1994 Education Act, all students have the right to opt out of Students' Association membership:
Contact union@st-andrews.ac.uk with the words ‘Membership Opt-Out’ in the title of the email. You will need to tell us your University email address and matriculation number.
We will then contact you, and if you confirm to us your intention to opt out, we will remove your membership and notify the University that you are no longer a member of the Association.
The University and Students' Association are committed to ensuring that all students are treated in a fair manner, and that students who choose to opt out of membership are not unfairly disadvantaged. Notwithstanding this, for various reasons there will be some aspects of the Association that non-members can’t take part in. For members who opt out, this means:
- You will be able to make appointments to see our advice staff as normal, for help with problems such as appeals, complaints, and University discipline.
- You can use any of our commercial services, but for those such as bars which are only available to members, you will need to sign in as a guest.
- You won’t be able to sign guests into the building.
- You won't be able to stand for election, nominate a candidate, or vote in Association elections.
- You won't be able to vote in Association referendums or general meetings.
- You won’t be considered a member of Association subcommittees, such as Mermaids, STAR, Charities Campaign, or Saints LGBT+. This may restrict your ability to participate in some of their activities.
- You may be able to join affiliated societies depending on their own constitution, but it’s unlikely you would be able to hold posts such as President or Treasurer.
If you later decide to opt back in, whilst still a student, contact union@st-andrews.ac.uk with the words ‘Membership Opt-In’ in the title of your email, providing your University email address and matriculation number.