Dundee University Students' Association
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| Established | 1903 |
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| Institution | University of Dundee |
| President | Milan Bogunovic |
| Other Sabbatical Officers | David MacLeod, Adam Patrick, Monique Esingle & Jordan Smith |
| Location | Dundee, Scotland, UK |
| Members | c. 18,000 total |
| Affiliated to | Coalition of Higher Education Students in Scotland, National Postgraduate Committee, British University Sports Association |
| Homepage | www.dusa.co.uk |
Dundee University Students' Association (DUSA) is the students' association, legal representative and students' union for matriculated students of the University of Dundee.
Membership of the body is automatic for all students of the University, although it is possible under statutes to renounce this membership at any time. The Dundee University Students' Association, as with its neighbours in the other ancient-organised universities in Scotland, is co-existent with the University's Students' Representative Council.
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[edit] Facilities
The DUSA building is located in Airlie Place, in the centre of the University's Main Campus and caters as a private members' club offering bar, nightclub and refectory services for many students, particularly undergraduates. It is also responsible for the operation of a number of small shops throughout the university's campuses. In 2004, it underwent major refurbishment work. This included adding a new nightclub, and redesigning the interiors of the bars and recreational spaces. The building also contains the University's main swimming pool. DUSA also provides a number of other typical students' union services such as advocacy on behalf of its membership and assistance to individual students.
The main DUSA bar, The Liar, takes its name from a novel by the same name written by former Rector Stephen Fry.
The building also contains branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland and a shop selling groceries, alcoholic beverages, snack food, stationery and university merchandise.
[edit] History of the Association
The Students' Association was founded during the University of Dundee's period as a college of the University of St Andrews. The Dundee Students' Union, as it was known, was largely autonomous of the bodies set up at United College.
The Union gained its first accommodation by the renting of the Ellenbank building in 1905 with £4,000 raised from the University College Bazaar - a fairly regular event of official speakers, entertainments, live music, comedy and stalls - held in October 1903. The building itself was constructed as a villa in 1813 and had been acquired by the University College in more recent years.
Ellenbank was separated by levels, providing separate rooms for the male and female students - with the ladies entering up a flight of stairs to the rear and the gentlemen having sole use of the "handsome" entrance hall. Despite the segregation, this was probably the first Students' Union in the United Kingdom to admit both men and women to the same association and also to allow them use of the same building. Ellenbank later underwent extensive renovation in the 1920s, and was connected to the neighbouring (and similar) Union Mount building, which housed the College library. By 1969, it was decided that new and larger premises were necessary and a new building, named New Dines, was completed in 1974. New Dines was demolished in 1986 and the new Central Library and Students' Union building were constructed on the site thereafter. The Ellenbank building is now used by the university's School of Accountancy.
[edit] Publications
The present publication issued by the Association is known as The Magdalen and is rather irregular. It is circulated free within the Union building and associated shops on the campus.
There is a long history of student publications at Dundee - before 2006, the Magdalen was known as The Student Times and criticised for being bland and inoffensive [1]. This bucked the tradition of very political publications such as Annasach (Gaelic: Unusual, Unconventional) which was edited for a time by controversial ex-MI5 agent David Shayler, who was responsible for printing extracts from Peter Wright's Spycatcher - a book banned in the UK at the time.
Lord George Robertson was also a columist for the newspaper in its early days [2]. Another former Labour MP, Brian Wilson, was also involved as an early Editor of Annasach. It was his experience as Editor that helped him found the West Highland Free Press in 1972
Annasach survived from the University's independence in 1967 until 1994[3]. Prior to this, College was the publication in general circulation at Queen's College Dundee, which went on to become the university.
[edit] Officers
There are five sabbatical officers of the Students' Association, and two other elected officials who form the Students' Association Executive. At present, the 2007/08 officials, who took up their positions on the 1st of August 2007 are:
President: Milan Bogunovic
Vice President for Communications: David MacLeod
Vice President for Services: Adam Patrick
Vice President for Education & Careers: Monique Esingle
Vice President for Representation: Jordan Smith
Deputy President: Adam McVey (non-sabbatical)
Honorary Secretary: Rob Ryder-Richardson (non-sabbatical)
[edit] Former presidents
- 2006/07 - Steven Blane
- 2005/06 - Lianne Bibby
- 2004/05 - Fraser Millar
- 2003/04 - Chris Bustin
- 2002/03 - Maurice Golden
- 2001/02 - Matthew Marr
- 2000/01 - David Cunningham
- 1998/00 - Ed Beal
[edit] Incoming 2008/2009 Executive
The incoming Executive for the 2008/2009 academic term, beginning in August, will be:
President: David MacLeod
Vice President for Communications: Martin Gribbon
Vice President for Student Activities: Andrew Smith
Vice President for Campaigns: Anna Osei
Vice President for Student Welfare: Rimple Palana
Deputy President: Cameron Richie
Honorary Secretary: Rob Ryder-Richardson
This follows a review of Executive roles, resulting in a reorganisation of the Association's structure.
[edit] Affiliations
DUSA is affiliated to the Coalition of Higher Education Students in Scotland (CHESS) and the National Postgraduate Committee having withdrawn from the National Union of Students for economic and political reasons. The Union has a collective purchasing and co-ordination agreement with a number of other students bodies through the Northern Services group[1].
CHESS is largely dormant at the present time, with many blaming this inactivity on DUSA itself [4]. As further sign of the failure of the body, Edinburgh University Students Association disaffiliated in 2006.
The Sports Union is affiliated to the British University Sports Association (BUSA).
[edit] References
- ^ Virgin Alternative Universities Guide, 2005-06
- ^ University of Dundee - Graduation 2000
- ^ Reference in University Library catalogue.
- ^ The Sinner - Message Boards
[edit] External links
- www.dusa.co.uk - Official website of the Dundee University Students' Association.
