Aberystwyth Guild of Students
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| Motto | Enhancing the student experience. |
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| Institution | Aberystwyth University |
| Location | Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, Wales |
| Established | 1900 |
| President | Lauren Marks |
| Executive officers | Alice Ball (Deputy Welfare), James Sherwood (Societies), (Vacant) (Chairperson), Joshua Bolton (Sustainability & Ethics), Branwen Glyn (Welsh Language), Alexander Barnes (Sports), Edward Jones (LGBT+), (Vacant) (BME), (Vacant) (Women's), Eleanor Furness (Mature), Dante Lloyd (Disabled), (Vacant) (International), Debbie Kobani (Postgraduate) |
| Members | Approx. 9000 |
| Affiliations | National Union of Students, NUS Wales/UCM Cymru |
| Website | abersu.co.uk, umaber.co.uk |
Aberystwyth University Students' Union (Welsh: Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Aberystwyth) is the students' union of Aberystwyth University. It is affiliated to the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom and NUS Wales/UCM Cymru.
It is one of the oldest and most active student unions in the UK. It hosted the first NUS UK national conference. Today it still plays a crucial role in upholding the interests of students in Aberystwyth, in Wales and across the UK. The student advice centre offers support services to all students and is able to cover a wide range of subjects such as stress, sexual health and immigration.
In addition to campaigning and student support roles, it offers commercial services that includes a shop, various entertainment events across its two bars in the Union building, as well as a catering outlet serving Starbucks and Stone Willy's, and a bakery. It supports a wide range of sports clubs and societies.
The predecessor to the Union, the Aberystwyth Student Representative Council, was founded in 1900 by Herbert John Fleure, who later went to become a lecturer in botany, geology and zoology at the university. The SRC was based in the common room in the basement of the Old College, was democratically elected and produced The Dragon, and later The Courier, as student newspapers. In 1966, student representation on various college committees was introduced, increasing student involvement in college administration.
In 1923, the former Aberystwyth Assembly Rooms at 10 Laura Place were bought by the Old Students' Association with funds it had raised to mark the college jubilee. The rooms were to form part of a memorial to the students from Aberystwyth who died in the First World War, and hosted the new Students' Union. The building was officially opened on 30 October 1923 by the then-Prince of Wales, Edward (later to become the Duke of Windsor). The event was marked by the unveiling of the only public statue of Edward in the United Kingdom. During the 1950s, an adjacent house was purchased to be the "Students Union Annexe", as increasing numbers of students came to Aberystwyth. As part of the university's expansion onto the present site, the first wing of the new Students' Union building on the new Penglais campus was opened in 1970. The use of 10 Laura Place and the Annexe ceased in 1984, when the final stage of the new building on Penglais campus was finished. 10 Laura Place was refurnished for use as a music centre, and the Annexe sold for private housing. In 2011, 10 Laura Place was re-opened as a 24-hour computer room.
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