Aberdeen University Students' Association
Butchart Centre
University Road
Aberdeen
AB24 3UT
Telephone: 01224 272965
email: ausa@abdn.ac.uk
Although the Union Management Committee, SRC and Athletic Association had existed for many years, it was clearly the case that the separation of responsibilities was not in the best interests of the students of the University. It was agreed that having three separate organisations serving the students’ interests was creating a lack of coherence in the student body, and meant that the three bodies were failing to achieve their full potential.
In the academic year of 1998-1999, the Presidents of the Students’ Representative Council, Union Management Committee and Athletic Association began to address the issue of co-operation and common interests between the three organisations.
They realised that there was a lot more to be gained by being together as one organisation, than apart. The three organisations were often duplicating roles and services that could be done more effectively and efficiently together, that the students’ message to the University was rarely united and often contradictory, and that their financial security could not be guaranteed in the long term. Moreover, the three bodies all essentially wanted the same thing – to make student life at Aberdeen University as prosperous, enjoyable and well-supported as possible.
The outcome of this realisation was a referendum presented to the students of the University in February 1999. They were asked if they wanted to merge the AA, SRC and UMC into a Students’ Association. The three bodies came together to fight an intense and high-profile joint campaign for a “Yes” vote. On a 24% turnout, higher than for any other student ballot in recent memory in Aberdeen, the referendum was overwhelmingly passed.
The Students’ Association’s new committee structure came into place in August 2000, with the first Sabbatical and Committee elections being held earlier that year.
The three Councils (UMC, SRC and Sports Council), although no longer a working, constitutional part of the Students’ Association still remain within the SA logo. The 3 arrows which are underneath the crown of the university represent the ‘coming together’ of the 3 councils back in 2000 and so provides a direct link to the SA’s history as well as giving the impression of the Scottish Saltire.
Since then there have been further changes to both the representational and organisational structure. The Students’ Union in Gallowgate (formerly the UMC’s HQ) was closed down in 2003 and a smaller union bar opened in Littlejohn Street (which itself closed down in 2008). The Northern College of Education joined the University in 2001 along with the colleges Students’ Association which became part of the SA, with its own constituted standing committee until the Faculty of Education (as it was called after the move) relocated from Hilton campus onto the Kings College campus in 2005.
Now there are 6 sabbaticals, 9 non-sabbaticals and 8 directly elected standing committees which form the representational governance of the Students’ Association.
Since then the Students’ Association’s focus has become more and more student activities, welfare & support and representational and further away from the commercial activities provided previously. However the recent move to the Butchart building has opened up many more new opportunities for engagement with the students in the future.
In 2010 AUSA successfully achieved the Bronze Award in the Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative (SUEI) which provides a quality benchmark for Students’ Associations/Unions throughout the UK. Winning this award shows just how far AUSA has come since its creation.
Today the Students’ Association is moving forward with many initiatives and works closely with the University to ensure its fully accountable and represents the needs of all 14500 of its members; the students at the University of Aberdeen.