Эдинбург университеті студенттік қауымдастығының тарихы

Students' union in Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) is the students' union at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Association's aim is the advancement of education of Edinburgh students by representing and supporting them, and by promoting their interests, health and welfare within the community. It is led by a team of five elected student sabbatical officers. Due to the evolution of student unionism at Edinburgh, student sports are not part of the main university union, and are overseen by a separate organisation, Edinburgh University Sports Union (EUSU), which has its own representative and organisational structure. EUSU works closely with the university's Centre for Sport and Exercise.

An Edinburgh students' representative council (SRC) was founded in 1884 by student Robert Fitzroy Bell, bringing together students from the university's clubs & societies. Shortly afterwards, the SRC voted to establish a union (the Edinburgh University Union (EUU)), to provide social space and recreational facilities for students. The SRC established a campaign of public fundraising, with prominent figures in the city and the general public donating £5,000, and a fancy fair held at the Waverly Market raised £10,000. The Town Council and Senatus Academicus donated £100 and £500 respectively to the cause. This £15,600 (£2,000,000 in 2019 money) was used to hire an architect, Sydney Mitchell, and begin construction of the Union building adjacent to the Medical School and the Reid Concert Hall. Teviot Row House was officially opened on 19 October 1889, and is the oldest purpose built student union in the world. EUU was constituted as an autonomous organisation, and did not admit women until 1971. The Edinburgh University Women's Union was founded in October 1905, later moving to premises at 16 Chambers Street and renaming itself to the Chambers Street Union in 1964. The King's Buildings Union was established in 1931 in huts formerly used by the Geology department, before moving into a custom building in 1939.

On 1 July 1973 the SRC, the EUU and the Chambers Street Union merged to form Edinburgh University Students' Association. Due to reference in the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889, the SRC could not be dissolved at the time of merger. Through the SRC, EUSA is the oldest students' union in the UK. In 1994 the university forced the merger of the King's Buildings Union and EUSA, although the members of KB Union voted against the proposed merger. Due to the university merging with other organisations, since 1994, EUSA has merged with the Moray House Institute of Education Union and the Edinburgh College of Art Union. In 1976 EUSA disaffiliated from the National Union of Students (NUS), a decision that was reversed in 2004. In 2005 EUSA formally twinned with Birzeit University Student Council, West Bank, with each union hosting delegations from the other.

Following a student consultation process and a referendum in February 2012 a new constitution was established in 2011 and amended in 2013. This took full effect in 2014, incorporating the Association as a charitable company limited by guarantee. This constitution also had the effect of changing some democratic processes, including establishing the board of trustees in its current form. In 2016 EUSA became the first students union in the UK to affiliate to Students for Cooperation as an affiliated supporter in order to promote and support student led cooperatives. EUSA submitted a proposal to NUS Scotland for affiliation with Students for Cooperation, which was accepted. Also in 2016, EUSA sabbatical officers and management submitted a referendum to the student membership over whether to change the Association's name to "University of Edinburgh Students' Union", alongside a number of internal administrative changes. The name change was rejected by 69.9% of students. EUSA then embarked on a major rebranding programme, changing the logo and encouraging the organisation to be referred to as "the Association", or "your Students' Association" instead of "EUSA".

EUSA was criticised in 2013 after acting using the Court of Session to "censor" The Student as it "was due to publish details of the suspension of Max Crema, vice president of services at the union". President James McAsh defended the action, claiming it was taken "to protect the rights of our employees". In 2013, EUSA made the decision to ban the playing of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke in its venues, attracting some attention in national media. The song was deemed to promote "an unhealthy attitude towards sex and consent", and for being in breach of EUSA's 'End Rape Culture and Lad Banter on Campus' policy, designed to tackle 'myths and stereotypes around sexual violence' and stop the sexual objectification of female students. In 2014, EUSA was threatened with legal proceedings by the National Secretary of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), Charlie Kimber, following a motion put forward banning the SWP from the Edinburgh campus due to the 'Comrade Delta' rape scandal. EUSA eventually withdrew the motion. This also resulted in the editors of The Student newspaper, an EUSA society, manually ripping pages out of their own newspapers to avoid personal legal liability, as the story about the motion had already been printed before it was withdrawn.

EUSA's activities include representing and campaigning on behalf of students, the administration of societies, running a network of bars and other venues, organising volunteering opportunities and providing numerous welfare and advice services. EUSA also directly organises regular events such as Freshers' Week, club nights, pub quizzes, band nights, various comedy events, and the Graduation Ball.

Since 2010, EUSA has supported campaigns for same sex marriage, against tuition fee rises and education cuts, and for better private tenancy rights; EUSA also lobbies the university on internal issues, such as on campus child care. It has also had a significant role in the overhaul of the university's student support structure, and in making Edinburgh Scotland's first Fairtrade University in 2004. In 2007, following several years of pressure from EUSA, the University Senate revoked Robert Mugabe's honorary degree that had been awarded in 1984 "for services to education in Africa".

EUSA supports and oversees over 280 affiliated societies. Media themed societies include The Student (Edinburgh's own student newspaper), Fresh Air (a student radio station, online only since 2008), the Edinburgh Movie Production Society (EMPS), the Edinburgh Film Society and most recently EUTV, Edinburgh University Television Station. Charitable and campaigning societies are numerous, including Edinburgh Global Partnerships and the Edinburgh branches of the Nightline support hotline and People & Planet charitable network. LGBT+ Pride is represented by five EUSA groups: LGBT+ Medics, LGBTQ+ Campaign, LGBTQ+ Law Society, LGBTQ+ Peer Mentoring, and PrideSoc.

EUSA operates 13 bars, 7 catering outlets, 5 shops, a catering company (Honours Catering) and numerous other services located across various sites. as the "Pleasance Courtyard". Potterrow, is also located on Bristo Square. With its distinctive dome, this building includes two shops, two cafes, a 1200 capacity nightclub, the Activities Office, a student support centre (The Advice Place) and EUSA's main administrative offices. Potterrow is also run by the Pleasance Theatre Trust during the Fringe, along with many other Fringe venues, and is branded as the "Pleasance Dome". King's Buildings is the home of most of the College of Science and Engineering, located in the south of the city. King's Buildings House includes a bar and food outlet, a small gym, a branch of the Advice Place and a small shop. The Magnet Cafe is located in the James Clerk Maxwell Building, and there is another shop on the ground floor of the KB Centre. Pollock Shop is a late opening shop in Pollock Halls. The Peffermill Clubhouse is a bar located at the university playing fields at Peffermill.