Oxford Union Society

The Oxford Union Society

The coat of arms of The Oxford Union Society
Formation	1823
Type	Student debating union
Headquarters	Oxford
Location	Frewin Court Oxford, OX1 3JB
President	Michael Li, Magdalen
Affiliations	World Universities Debating Council
Slogan	Dominus illuminatio mea The Lord is my light
Website	oxford-union.org

The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is Britain's third oldest University Union (after the University of St Andrews Union Debating Society and The Cambridge Union), and has provided an opportunity for many budding politicians from Britain and other countries to develop their debating skills and to acquire a reputation and contacts.

The Oxford Union is an unincorporated association, holding its property in trust in favour of its objectives and members, and governed by its rules (which form a multi-partite contract between the members).

Since its foundation, it has been independent of the University: historically, this was because the Victorian University restricted junior members from discussing certain issues (for example, theology). Despite such restrictions since being lifted, it has remained entirely separate from the University, and is constitutionally bound to remain so.

Only members of Oxford University are eligible to become life members of the Union, but students at certain other educational institutions are entitled to join for the duration of their time in Oxford. These institutions are:

Shorter membership is also extended to those participating in some visiting study programmes in Oxford.

Residential memberships are available to Oxford residents who are not from the university, but only if they are deemed worthy by a full meeting by officers of the Union.

The Union buildings are owned by a separate charitable trust, the Oxford Literary and Debating Union Trust.

The Oxford Union buildings are located in Frewin Court, off Cornmarket Street, and on St Michael's Street. The original Union buildings were designed by Benjamin Woodward and opened in 1857. The society soon outgrew these premises and commissioned Alfred Waterhouse to design a free-standing debating chamber in the gardens, opened in 1879. This was about a decade after the completion of the Cambridge Union's premises, also designed by Waterhouse, and the exterior of the two buildings is very similar.