LSE Students' Union
Encyclopedia
The London School of Economics Students' Union (sometimes referred to as LSESU) is the representative and campaigning body for students at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Like other Students' Unions, it also supports and funds a range of student activities of campus, including societies, sports clubs through the Athletics Union (AU), the Media Group and Raising and Giving (RAG) charitable fundraising initiatives.
The Union is affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS), as well as being part of the federal Union for University of London
students, the University of London Union
(ULU). It is also a founder member of the Aldwych Group
, the national group of Students' Unions which mirror the members of the Russell Group
, the top twenty research-intensive universities in the country.
journal, which ran until 1973 and has since been revived in 2008.
After the First World War, the Students' Union expanded the range of societies and sports clubs its offered, aided by then Director of the LSE, William Beveridge
, who expanded the LSE estate, including securing the Berrylands sportsground at New Malden, Surrey. The political nature of the organisation continued in the 1930s, when the Communist Party were banned by the School from being active at LSE and a communist Students' Union President was expelled and deported. In 1937, the Students' Union gained its first premises, which became the Three Tuns Bar. The Athletics Union (AU) was created as a constituent body of the Union in the 1940s, and The Beaver
newspaper was established in 1947.
LSE Students' Union made international headlines in the late 1960s during the well documented LSE student riots in 1966-67 and 1968–69,. In 1967, David Adelstein, president of the Students' Union, and Marshall Bloom
, president of the Graduate Students' Association (that then existed as a parallel Union for postgraduates), were suspended from the School for taking part in a protest against the appointment of Walter Adams
as Director of the School, in which a porter died of a heart attack. Adams had previously been in Rhodesia
and was accused of complicity in the regime's white minority rule. The suspensions were reversed five days after students began a hunger strike in opposition to the move. An American citizen, Bloom committed suicide in 1969 when he was called up to fight in Vietnam.
The Union once again made the news during 1969 for its student activism when students closed the School for three weeks. The protests were again against the appointment of Walter Adams as Director of the School and his installation of security gates at LSE. These initial security gates were removed by students.
On the 24th October 1968, Adams, fearing an occupation and growing support by the students for the anti-Vietnam War
demonstration on 27 October, decided to close the LSE for the weekend. As this questioned the right of the administration to close LSE against the wishes of lecturers and students, the move led to 3,000 students occupying. During the occupation, the School was policed against intruders, and cleaned; teach-ins and discussions were organised; and medical services were set up and staffed. The occupation ended that Sunday night.
In 1969 a "Free LSE" was organised at ULU in response to the suspension of lecturers Robin Blackburn and Nick Bateson. The radical tradition of the Union continued in the 1970s. The banner of the Students' Union in the early 1980s stated "Arm the workers and students - Education is a right not a privilege". Occupations of LSE occurred throughout the 1980s, including the 1983 occupation to secure the LSE Nursery. The name of the lead officer of the Union was changed from 'President' to 'General Secretary' during this period to show solidarity with striking miners. Meanwhile, Raising and Giving (RAG) Week activities were set up by future New Zealand MP Tim Barnett
in the same period. In 1986, LSE students occupied the Old Building for 7 days, to protest against LSE investment in South African companies supporting the apartheid regime, following a decade of earlier such occupations and protests on US campuses. When the riot police attempted to storm the building, the students left immediately en masse without confrontation, marching to South Africa House to protest outside the Embassy, leaving the police at the Old Building in confusion.
In 1989, the Students' Union elected Winston Silcott
, one of the Tottenham Three who were originally convicted of the murder of PC Keith Blakelock
during the Broadwater Farm riot
, as Honorary President as a protest against miscarriages of justice. Silcott was released when the evidence used to convict him was found to be unsafe, but the Students' Unions decision led to national press attention and a large amount of hate mail, including death threats sent to officers that led then General Secretary Amanda Hart to go into hiding. Controversy has continued as, in 2005, the AU's 'Barrell' event led to students doing a "fun run" down to Kings College and causing £30,000 of damage to the college's buildings. There has always been a great rivalry between the LSE Students' Union and Kings College. Students from LSE stopped MP Enoch Powell
speaking at Kings by occupying the lecture theatre and blowing whistles, followed by a small section of Kings students retaliating by leading a violent attempt to steal election ballot boxes during the 1983 officer elections.
Recent campaigning activities include a Living Wage campaign on campus. In 2005, the Union campaigned successfully to secure a Living Wage for the cleaners on campus and within the LSE's residences. The campaign was led by students, cleaners, academics and The East London Citizens Organisation (TELCO) and has involved several protests, petitions, motions and lobbying of the School's administration in an effort to lift cleaners out of poverty pay. In 2006, the Union also voted to divest from fourteen listed arms companies and are currently lobbying the School to do the same. In 2008-9, the priority campaign of the Union was to save the on-campus nursery from closure, and in 2009-10 it campaigned to force LSE to allow students to have resits in their examinations. More recently, the 2010-11 priority campaign was to fight against tuition fee increases. Following a motion passed in March 2011, the priority campaign for 2011-12 will be for an ethical investment policy after the recent LSE Libya Links
scandal, as well as a one person, one vote system for electing a new Director after Howard Davies'
resignation.
More recently, the LSE Students' Union, and particularly its Palestine Society, has become famed for campaigns in solidarity with Palestine
and Palestinian students. In 2007-8, LSE students elected as Honorary Vice President Khaled Al-Mudallal, a Bradford University student of Palestinian origin who was detained in Gaza. In 2007, the Union voted to twin with An-Najah National University Students' Council in Nablus
, Palestine
, and to affiliate to the Right to Education Campaign in support of the Palestinian Right to Education. In January 2009, a 40-strong cccupation of LSE's Old Theatre by the Union's Palestine Society occurred in protest to the Israeli assault on Gaza, as part of a wave of occupations across British universities. Students and alumni of the London School of Economics have started a campaign to allow a student, Othman Sakallah, to be able to leave Gaza and continue his studies at the university, which is supported by the Students' Union. In late 2009, the LSE Students Union passed a resolution to twin with the Islamic University of Gaza and support the Right to Education for students in Gaza.
The LSE Students Union was central in the demonstrations against cuts and a trebling of fees in 2010. The campaign at the LSE was named the "strongest organising drive of any campus in two decades" by the leadership of the National Union of Students (NUS). Students went into occupation for 9 days and were profiled on Newsnight, CNN, Sky News and dozens of other news organisations. The LSE Students' Union led protests and occupations, one of the Director's office, in protest to LSE's ties to Libya's Gaddafi regime. The Union was chiefly responsible for LSE agreeing to converting all £300,000 it had received from Gaddafi into scholarships for Libyan students and forcing LSE Director Howard Davies to resign in March 2010.
campus. At the building's heart is 'The Quad', a multi-purpose venue with indoor seating, s stage, and social space, which is a Cafe during the day and doubles up in the evening as a club and live music venue. Two bars, the Three Tuns and the Underground, two shops, a print shop, a Gym, and squash courts also form part of the Union. The building also hosts Alpha Books, a second hand book shop.
The Executive Committee has offices, known as the Kingsley Rooms, inside The Quad. The rooms are named after David Kingsley OBE, the first Sabbatical Officer President of the Students' Union during the 1950s. Upstairs, the Media Group have offices and studios. On the mezzanine floor of The Quad, there is a room known as the Activities Resource Centre, which houses a number of the Students' Union staff and which offers societies, sports clubs and other activities meeting and computer space, as well as printing services.
Much of the centre of the Union, including the bars, was refurbished over summer 2009 at the cost of £200,000.
Off campus, LSE owns a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) sportground, known as Berrylands, in New Malden, Surrey, where the Athletics Union (AU) sports clubs play.
In 2009, LSE began a £35m project for to build a new building that will house the Students' Union. The project, known as the 'New Students' Centre', forms the second part of LSE's wider estate investment plan, following the opening of the New Academic Building (NAB) in 2008. The centre will be the first new building on the School campus for more than forty years, and has an aim to be the "best student building in the world".
(WUDC) in 2010 and 2011.
, Karan Bilimoria and Edward Wray
The society organises a weekly speaker series, business plan pitching events and its flagship entrepreneurship conference, Sparks@LSE - the largest student-run entrepreneurship conference in London.
of LSESU has changed little in its history, run by a 12-strong directly elected 'cabinet', known as the Executive
Committee ('Exec') who are also the Trustee
s of the union.
Five of these positions (General Secretary, Education, Welfare & Community, Activities & Development and Postgraduate) are full-time positions, known as Sabbatical Officer
s or 'Sabbs'. These are LSE students who have either completed their degree and elected to stay on another year, or students taking a year out from their studies to fulfil the role. Unusually, the Postgraduate sabbatical officers work part-time, but are paid for their work. A salary of £27,000 per academic session is paid for each of these roles. A recent UGM motion reduced their salaries after criticism that their pay was too high, however it remains the highest in the country compared to other students' unions. In theory Sabbs hold no more constitutional weight on the Exec than the part-time officers.
The remaining seven positions on the 'Exec' comprise part-time, unpaid positions.
Until 2010, the 'Exec' (except AU President and Returning Officer
), were all trustees of the LSESU, and legally represented the Union, entering into contracts and representing the organisation in court. These trustees were all individually legally responsible for the Union's activities: they ensure the Union is compliant with legislation, they oversee its financial management, and they prioritise its resources on behalf of all the members. As of June 2010, a new separate trustee board, elected from students, has taken over this role compliant with new charity law.
The Constitutional and Steering Committee (C&S) comprised seven members, who ensured the actions of the LSESU and Executive are in accordance with the Codes of Practice. They screen each motion of the weekly UGM. In February 2010, just weeks before their abolition following a referendum result, they were no-confidenced at the Union General Meeting and are no longer an existing body.
The Finance and Services Committee (FSC) has ten members and assists the Union Treasurer in the preparation of the annual budget and acts as a check on the financial actions of the LSESU. As of March 2009, their membership comprises the four sabbatical officers, Societies Officer, Environment & Ethics Officer and four lay-members:
The 2010 Lent Term elections took place on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4 March, with the results announced between the evening of the 4th. For the first time in history, all voting was conducted through an online system. There was a record turnout of 2,547 voters, up from 2,002 in 2009.
Individuals that have taken up this role include Doug Oliver, Helen Roberts, Adrian Beciri, Will Barber, James Bacon, Ossie Fikret and Shanti Kelemen. Notable achievements include the development of online voting by Adrian Beciri. In 2009, the rules were changed to allow candidates to use the internet to use online campaigning—such as emails and facebook.com—rather than traditional "street campaigning" on LSE's campus. In 2009/10, the voting system was run entirely through online for the first time.
Any two people can move a motion on any subject, which is then debated at the UGM. These motions can be serious, setting policy and making major financial decisions, or can be much more light-hearted. Recent activity, including the linking with a Palestinian university has been met with much debate amongst the student cohort, especially in the wording of a letter sent from the General Secretary to Freshers at the beginning of the 2007 academic session. Regular meetings are also held with the School’s Director, and the heads of both ULU and the NUS.
and also University College London
. The Union operates the Natwest Gym in the Old Building, as well as numerous squash courts, badminton courts, a gymnasium, an indoor basketball court and tennis courts at the School’s central London location, with ownership of twenty-five acres of playing fields at Berrylands
in south London, easily accessible by train and also by coaches which depart each day.
Students are permitted to use the facilities of other University of London colleges, and those of Energybase at ULU, comprising its own sports halls, courts, multigym and swimming pool. LSE’s cricketers use the indoor and outdoor facilities at Lord's Cricket Ground year-round. The LSE has a particularly strong association, along with the University of London, in rowing, and has a boat house situated on the River Thames at Chiswick. In distinction to the ‘blues’ awarded for sporting excellence at Oxford and Cambridge, London’s outstanding athletes are awarded ‘purples’.
was founded in 1946, and as such is one of the oldest student publications in Britain. It has gained great clout in recent years, investigating campus, national and international issues and stories, including the issue of costly postgraduate degrees, student loans and examination pass rates. It has a weekly readership of approximately 5,000 and is distributed free across campus every Tuesday, as well as in Whitehall offices, and many City firms and corporations who take keen interest. There is also several smaller papers such as 'LSE Sanctuary' and also society magazines. Students also get access the The London Student, the largest student publication in Europe, which is published by the University of London. The Clare Market Review
, established in 1905 and published termly, is an interdisciplinary academic journal run by students, and provides a critical forum for students and faculty.
Pulse!
is the School’s own radio station, which was relaunched in October 2007 and broadcasts twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on campus and online, as well as providing regular podcasts. The interview slot is popular with students, and recent interviewees have included Jacqui Smith
MP, Mark Steel
, Peter Hain
MP, Clare Short
and Neighbours
' actor Alan Fletcher
.
LooSE Television, which was incorporated in 2005, is the LSE’s own television station, responsible for filming and streaming public lectures, as well as publicity films, election results and other media.
Best Society:
Drama - WINNER,
Amnesty International - HIGHLY COMMENDED,
Debate - HIGHLY COMMENDED.
Best Society Event:
SPICE – India Week - WINNER,
Fashion – Fashion Show - HIGHLY COMMENDED
RAG Society Award:
Japan - Japan Earthquake Appeal - WINNER
Most Improved Society:
Visual Arts - WINNER
Best New Society:
Vegetarian - WINNER
Society Contribution:
Catherine Capone - Atheist & Humanist,
Ashwin Desai - Drama,
Leo Wang - Economics,
Rajiv Bera - STAR,
Farsan Ghassim – Global,
Joseph Foster - Music,
Noemie Adam - Amnesty and Anti-Slavery,
Tasnim Begum - Islamic,
Talha Ghannam - Islamic,
Ravandeep Kaur Khola - Sikh-Punjab,
John Ashbourne - Debate,
Anser Aftab - Debate.
Outstanding Contribution:
Birgitte Witt,
Elizabeth Fergusson,
Hero Austin,
Lois Clifton,
Maira Butt,
Melanie Takle,
Hendrick Scheer,
Oliver Sidorczuk,
Rob Rogers,
Fabian Schrey,
Polly McKinlay,
Mohammed Najmul Morley.
Dev Cropper Award:
Polly McKinlay
Honorary Studentship:
Griffin Carpenter,
Emily Collins,
Ben Grabiner,
Charlie Glyn,
Charlotte Gerada,
Judith Jacob,
Alex Kane,
Daniel Kroop,
Ashok Kumar,
Mira Hammad,
Phyllis Lui,
Wensi Lao,
Sarah Llanwarne,
Michael Lok,
Scott MacDonald,
Sachin Patel,
Reagan Persaud,
Ben Robinson,
Alex Rodin,
Hannah Polly Williams,
Olly Wiseman,
Sarwar Zaman.
The Union is affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS), as well as being part of the federal Union for University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
students, the University of London Union
University of London Union
The University of London Union is the university-wide students' union for the University of London...
(ULU). It is also a founder member of the Aldwych Group
Aldwych Group
The Aldwych Group is the group of students' unions of the members of the Russell Group of Universities in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994, as a watchdog in response to the creation of the Russell Group....
, the national group of Students' Unions which mirror the members of the Russell Group
Russell Group
The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994 to represent their interests to the government, parliament and other similar bodies...
, the top twenty research-intensive universities in the country.
History
Founded in 1897, LSE Students' Union is one of the oldest Students' Unions in the UK, and often regarded as one of the most politically active in the country - a reputation it has held since its origins, when it held fortnightly political debates known as the 'Clare Market Parliament'. In 1905, the Students' Union founded the Clare Market ReviewClare Market Review
The Clare Market Review was established in 1905 and is the oldest student-run journal in the UK. It is based at the London School of Economics and published by the university's Students' Union.- Notable contributors :...
journal, which ran until 1973 and has since been revived in 2008.
After the First World War, the Students' Union expanded the range of societies and sports clubs its offered, aided by then Director of the LSE, William Beveridge
William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge KCB was a British economist and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services which served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.Lord...
, who expanded the LSE estate, including securing the Berrylands sportsground at New Malden, Surrey. The political nature of the organisation continued in the 1930s, when the Communist Party were banned by the School from being active at LSE and a communist Students' Union President was expelled and deported. In 1937, the Students' Union gained its first premises, which became the Three Tuns Bar. The Athletics Union (AU) was created as a constituent body of the Union in the 1940s, and The Beaver
The Beaver
The Beaver is the weekly newspaper of the London School of Economics Students' Union at the LSE.Despite being published by the Students' Union, The Beaver is independent in its reporting....
newspaper was established in 1947.
LSE Students' Union made international headlines in the late 1960s during the well documented LSE student riots in 1966-67 and 1968–69,. In 1967, David Adelstein, president of the Students' Union, and Marshall Bloom
Marshall Bloom
Marshall Bloom is best known as the co-founder of the Liberation News Service with Ray Mungo in 1967.-Early life and university studies:...
, president of the Graduate Students' Association (that then existed as a parallel Union for postgraduates), were suspended from the School for taking part in a protest against the appointment of Walter Adams
Walter Adams
Walter Adams may refer to:People*Walter Adams , American university professor and president*Walter Adams , Canadian religious leader who served as the Anglican Archbishop of British Columbia...
as Director of the School, in which a porter died of a heart attack. Adams had previously been in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and was accused of complicity in the regime's white minority rule. The suspensions were reversed five days after students began a hunger strike in opposition to the move. An American citizen, Bloom committed suicide in 1969 when he was called up to fight in Vietnam.
The Union once again made the news during 1969 for its student activism when students closed the School for three weeks. The protests were again against the appointment of Walter Adams as Director of the School and his installation of security gates at LSE. These initial security gates were removed by students.
On the 24th October 1968, Adams, fearing an occupation and growing support by the students for the anti-Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
demonstration on 27 October, decided to close the LSE for the weekend. As this questioned the right of the administration to close LSE against the wishes of lecturers and students, the move led to 3,000 students occupying. During the occupation, the School was policed against intruders, and cleaned; teach-ins and discussions were organised; and medical services were set up and staffed. The occupation ended that Sunday night.
In 1969 a "Free LSE" was organised at ULU in response to the suspension of lecturers Robin Blackburn and Nick Bateson. The radical tradition of the Union continued in the 1970s. The banner of the Students' Union in the early 1980s stated "Arm the workers and students - Education is a right not a privilege". Occupations of LSE occurred throughout the 1980s, including the 1983 occupation to secure the LSE Nursery. The name of the lead officer of the Union was changed from 'President' to 'General Secretary' during this period to show solidarity with striking miners. Meanwhile, Raising and Giving (RAG) Week activities were set up by future New Zealand MP Tim Barnett
Tim Barnett
Timothy Andrew Barnett was the member of the New Zealand Parliament for Christchurch Central from 1996 to 2008, representing the Labour Party. He was a British immigrant to New Zealand and New Zealand's second openly gay politician.-Early life:...
in the same period. In 1986, LSE students occupied the Old Building for 7 days, to protest against LSE investment in South African companies supporting the apartheid regime, following a decade of earlier such occupations and protests on US campuses. When the riot police attempted to storm the building, the students left immediately en masse without confrontation, marching to South Africa House to protest outside the Embassy, leaving the police at the Old Building in confusion.
In 1989, the Students' Union elected Winston Silcott
Winston Silcott
Winston Silcott is a British man of Afro-Caribbean descent, who, as one of the "Tottenham Three", was convicted in March 1987 for the murder of PC Keith Blakelock on the night of 6 October 1985 during the Broadwater Farm riot in north London...
, one of the Tottenham Three who were originally convicted of the murder of PC Keith Blakelock
Keith Blakelock
The death of PC Keith Blakelock, an officer with the London Metropolitan Police, occurred on 6 October 1985 during rioting on the Broadwater Farm housing estate in Tottenham, north London...
during the Broadwater Farm riot
Broadwater Farm riot
The Broadwater Farm riot occurred around the Broadwater Farm area of Tottenham, North London, on 6 October 1985.The events of the day were dominated by two deaths. The first was that of Cynthia Jarrett, an African-Caribbean woman who died the previous day from a stroke during a police search of her...
, as Honorary President as a protest against miscarriages of justice. Silcott was released when the evidence used to convict him was found to be unsafe, but the Students' Unions decision led to national press attention and a large amount of hate mail, including death threats sent to officers that led then General Secretary Amanda Hart to go into hiding. Controversy has continued as, in 2005, the AU's 'Barrell' event led to students doing a "fun run" down to Kings College and causing £30,000 of damage to the college's buildings. There has always been a great rivalry between the LSE Students' Union and Kings College. Students from LSE stopped MP Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
speaking at Kings by occupying the lecture theatre and blowing whistles, followed by a small section of Kings students retaliating by leading a violent attempt to steal election ballot boxes during the 1983 officer elections.
Recent campaigning activities include a Living Wage campaign on campus. In 2005, the Union campaigned successfully to secure a Living Wage for the cleaners on campus and within the LSE's residences. The campaign was led by students, cleaners, academics and The East London Citizens Organisation (TELCO) and has involved several protests, petitions, motions and lobbying of the School's administration in an effort to lift cleaners out of poverty pay. In 2006, the Union also voted to divest from fourteen listed arms companies and are currently lobbying the School to do the same. In 2008-9, the priority campaign of the Union was to save the on-campus nursery from closure, and in 2009-10 it campaigned to force LSE to allow students to have resits in their examinations. More recently, the 2010-11 priority campaign was to fight against tuition fee increases. Following a motion passed in March 2011, the priority campaign for 2011-12 will be for an ethical investment policy after the recent LSE Libya Links
LSE Libya Links
The affair of the LSE Libya Links refers to the various connections that existed between the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Libyan government and its leader Muammar Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. The NGO Gaddafi Foundation pledged to donate £1.5 million over...
scandal, as well as a one person, one vote system for electing a new Director after Howard Davies'
Howard Davies
Howard Davies is the name of:* Howard Davies , Wales rugby union international* Sir Howard Davies , Former Director of the London School of Economics and former British financial regulator...
resignation.
More recently, the LSE Students' Union, and particularly its Palestine Society, has become famed for campaigns in solidarity with Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and Palestinian students. In 2007-8, LSE students elected as Honorary Vice President Khaled Al-Mudallal, a Bradford University student of Palestinian origin who was detained in Gaza. In 2007, the Union voted to twin with An-Najah National University Students' Council in Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and to affiliate to the Right to Education Campaign in support of the Palestinian Right to Education. In January 2009, a 40-strong cccupation of LSE's Old Theatre by the Union's Palestine Society occurred in protest to the Israeli assault on Gaza, as part of a wave of occupations across British universities. Students and alumni of the London School of Economics have started a campaign to allow a student, Othman Sakallah, to be able to leave Gaza and continue his studies at the university, which is supported by the Students' Union. In late 2009, the LSE Students Union passed a resolution to twin with the Islamic University of Gaza and support the Right to Education for students in Gaza.
The LSE Students Union was central in the demonstrations against cuts and a trebling of fees in 2010. The campaign at the LSE was named the "strongest organising drive of any campus in two decades" by the leadership of the National Union of Students (NUS). Students went into occupation for 9 days and were profiled on Newsnight, CNN, Sky News and dozens of other news organisations. The LSE Students' Union led protests and occupations, one of the Director's office, in protest to LSE's ties to Libya's Gaddafi regime. The Union was chiefly responsible for LSE agreeing to converting all £300,000 it had received from Gaddafi into scholarships for Libyan students and forcing LSE Director Howard Davies to resign in March 2010.
Location
The Students' Union occupies the East Building, on Houghton Street, which is located in the heart of the School's City of WestminsterCity of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
campus. At the building's heart is 'The Quad', a multi-purpose venue with indoor seating, s stage, and social space, which is a Cafe during the day and doubles up in the evening as a club and live music venue. Two bars, the Three Tuns and the Underground, two shops, a print shop, a Gym, and squash courts also form part of the Union. The building also hosts Alpha Books, a second hand book shop.
The Executive Committee has offices, known as the Kingsley Rooms, inside The Quad. The rooms are named after David Kingsley OBE, the first Sabbatical Officer President of the Students' Union during the 1950s. Upstairs, the Media Group have offices and studios. On the mezzanine floor of The Quad, there is a room known as the Activities Resource Centre, which houses a number of the Students' Union staff and which offers societies, sports clubs and other activities meeting and computer space, as well as printing services.
Much of the centre of the Union, including the bars, was refurbished over summer 2009 at the cost of £200,000.
Off campus, LSE owns a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) sportground, known as Berrylands, in New Malden, Surrey, where the Athletics Union (AU) sports clubs play.
In 2009, LSE began a £35m project for to build a new building that will house the Students' Union. The project, known as the 'New Students' Centre', forms the second part of LSE's wider estate investment plan, following the opening of the New Academic Building (NAB) in 2008. The centre will be the first new building on the School campus for more than forty years, and has an aim to be the "best student building in the world".
Societies
The Union is responsible for supporting and funding student societies ('socs') on campus, of which more than 200 are currently enlisted catering to a wide variety of interests. There are over fifty national societies, reflecting LSE’s position as arguably the most international higher education establishment in the world, with around 65% of students coming from outside the United Kingdom. Additionally, there are societies reflecting the School’s background and interests including business, investment banking, NGOs and government organisations, arts societies and countless political societies. The oldest and one of the largest societies is the Grimshaw IR Club, founded in 1921 which arranges study trips abroad.Raising and Giving (RAG)
Held every February, RAG Week is one of the biggest weeks in the LSESU calendar where every society, sports club and media outlet comes together in an effort to raise as much money as possible for charitable causes. Highlights often including the Pulse RAGathon - a week-long broadcast of the Union's radio station, with participants unable to leave campus, the Hacks vs. Jocks gunging event, inter-halls sports day and much more. In 2009, the week raised over £25,000 for charity.Global Week
In Week 5 of Lent Term (term two), the School's national societies unite for a week celebrating the international nature of the School through activities, sport, food, music and other events.LSESU Debate Society
The Debate Society is one of the LSE's oldest student-run organisations, contributing to the School's rich history of social enquiry and discourse since its founding in 1895. In recent years, LSESU Debate Society has enjoyed commendable successes on both the national and international debate circuits, breaking to the finals of the World Universities Debating ChampionshipWorld Universities Debating Championship
The World Universities Debating Championship is the world's largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world. It is a parliamentary debating event, held using the British Parliamentary Debate format. Each year, the event is hosted by a university...
(WUDC) in 2010 and 2011.
LSESU Entrepreneurs Society
The Entrepreneurs Society is one of the newer societies - founded in 2004. Recent guest speakers have included Loyd GrossmanLoyd Grossman
Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman, OBE, FSA is an American-British television presenter, chef and musician who has mainly worked in the UK.- Early life, education and honours :...
, Karan Bilimoria and Edward Wray
The society organises a weekly speaker series, business plan pitching events and its flagship entrepreneurship conference, Sparks@LSE - the largest student-run entrepreneurship conference in London.
LSE SU Investment Society
The Investment Society is the leading and most recognised career-oriented society for LSE students. It was founded in 2003 by a group of students keen to share their expertise and knowledge about investment and help fellow students pursue careers in the field. Supported by various world-leading financial firms, it holds a diverse range of events that allows LSE students to interact and network with professionals from the realms of investment and finance. Details of these events can be found on its website.Governance
The governanceGovernance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
of LSESU has changed little in its history, run by a 12-strong directly elected 'cabinet', known as the Executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
Committee ('Exec') who are also the Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s of the union.
Five of these positions (General Secretary, Education, Welfare & Community, Activities & Development and Postgraduate) are full-time positions, known as Sabbatical Officer
Sabbatical officer
A sabbatical officer is a full-time officer elected by the members of a students' union , commonly at a higher education establishment such as a university...
s or 'Sabbs'. These are LSE students who have either completed their degree and elected to stay on another year, or students taking a year out from their studies to fulfil the role. Unusually, the Postgraduate sabbatical officers work part-time, but are paid for their work. A salary of £27,000 per academic session is paid for each of these roles. A recent UGM motion reduced their salaries after criticism that their pay was too high, however it remains the highest in the country compared to other students' unions. In theory Sabbs hold no more constitutional weight on the Exec than the part-time officers.
The remaining seven positions on the 'Exec' comprise part-time, unpaid positions.
Until 2010, the 'Exec' (except AU President and Returning Officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
), were all trustees of the LSESU, and legally represented the Union, entering into contracts and representing the organisation in court. These trustees were all individually legally responsible for the Union's activities: they ensure the Union is compliant with legislation, they oversee its financial management, and they prioritise its resources on behalf of all the members. As of June 2010, a new separate trustee board, elected from students, has taken over this role compliant with new charity law.
Executive Committee
| Position | 2008 - 2009 | 2009 - 2010 | Position | 2010 - 2011 | 2011 - 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbatical Officers | |||||
| General Secretary General Secretary The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace... |
Aled Dilwyn Fisher | Aled Dilwyn Fisher | General Secretary | Charlotte Gerada | Alex Peters-Day |
| Treasurer Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:... |
Wil Barber | George Wetz | Education Officer | Ashok Kumar | Amena Amer |
| Education & Welfare Officer | Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang | Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang | Community & Welfare Officer | Hero Austin | Lukas Slothuus |
| Communications Officer | Dan Sheldon | Robin Low | Activities & Development Officer | Charlie Glyn | Stanley Ellerby-English |
| Part-Time Officers | Student Officers | ||||
| Anti-Racism Officer | Joseph Brown | Ben Jones | Anti-Racism Officer | Ben Grabiner | Sherelle Davids |
| Environment & Ethics Officer | Justus Rollin | Hero Austin | Environment & Ethics Officer | Hanna Polly Williams | Lois Clifton |
| International Students' Officer | Ayushman Sen | Suraj Girijashanker | International Students' Officer | Michael Lok | Hannah Geis |
| LGBT^ Students' Officer | Lizzie Merrow | Scott MacDonald | LGBT Students' Officer | Reagan Persaud | Benjamin Butterworth |
| Mature & Part-Time Students' Officer | Luke Spyropoulos | Vladimir Unkovski-Korica | Disability' Officer | Polly McKinlay | Polly McKinlay |
| Postgraduate Students' Officer' | Cole Ryan | Bobby Mills | Women's Officer | Maisie Jobe | Lucy McFadzean |
| Residences Officer | Helen Roberts | Andrew Wright | Athletics Union President | Ben Robinson | Brendan Mycock |
| Societies Officer | Zoe Cooke | Chris Westgarth | Postgraduate Officer | Daniel Kroop | Robin Burret |
| Students with Disabilities (SWD) Officer | Jessica Brayne | Luke Moore | Mature and Part time Officer | John Kenny | Mairead Moore |
| Women's Officer | Ruby Buckley | Jessie Robinson | - | ||
| Non-Voting Members | | |||||
| General Course Students' Representative | Keerat Pannu | Matt Hellauer | General Course President | Rohan Batra | |
| Athletics Union (AU) President | Sophie De La Hunt | Charlie Glyn | |||
| Returning Officer | Ossie Fikret | Shanti Kelemen | Returning Officer | Maira Butt | |
| Trustee Board | 2010 - 2011 | 2011-2012 |
|---|---|---|
| General Secretary | Charlotte Gerada | Alex Peters-day |
| Education Officer | Ashok Kumar | Amena Amer |
| Community & Welfare Officer | Hero Austin | Lukas Slothuus |
| Activities & Development Officer | Charlie Glyn | Stanley Ellerby-English |
| Elected Student Trustee | Sam Tempest Keeping | Anneessa Mahmood |
| Elected Student Trustee | Mohammed Najmul Morley | Mohammed Najmul Morley |
| Elected Student Trustee | Nik Adhia | James Maltz |
| Elected Student Trustee | Khaled Shahin | Khaled Shahin |
| Elected Student Trustee | Gaurav Srivastava | Gaurav Srivastava |
| Elected Student Trustee | Gabi Kobrin | Gabi Kobrin |
Sub-Committees
Until February 2010, there were two principal sub-committees to which students were elected to assist in the governance of the LSESU. As a result of the reforms referendum held in February 2010, these were scrapped and replaced with a new committee, the Democracy Committee, to oversee constitutional appliance.The Constitutional and Steering Committee (C&S) comprised seven members, who ensured the actions of the LSESU and Executive are in accordance with the Codes of Practice. They screen each motion of the weekly UGM. In February 2010, just weeks before their abolition following a referendum result, they were no-confidenced at the Union General Meeting and are no longer an existing body.
The Finance and Services Committee (FSC) has ten members and assists the Union Treasurer in the preparation of the annual budget and acts as a check on the financial actions of the LSESU. As of March 2009, their membership comprises the four sabbatical officers, Societies Officer, Environment & Ethics Officer and four lay-members:
| Finance Sub-Committee | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|
| General Secretary | Charlotte Gerada |
| Education Officer | Ashok Kumar |
| Welfare & Community Officer | Hero Austin |
| Activities & Development Officer | Charlie Glyn |
| Elected Student Trustee | Mohammed Najmul Morley |
| Elected Student Trustee | Sam Tempest Keeping |
Elections
The SU holds two sets of elections throughout the academic session, in October and March, to elect new officers and sabbatical officers. Use of the Single Transferable Vote and Alternative Vote PR systems has operated in recent years. These are the most well-attended in Britain, with LSE students taking their democratic view and opportunity extremely seriously, and there are strong campaigns by students each year prior to election days. The elections themselves are broadcast live throughout the night on both the School’s radio and television stations.The 2010 Lent Term elections took place on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4 March, with the results announced between the evening of the 4th. For the first time in history, all voting was conducted through an online system. There was a record turnout of 2,547 voters, up from 2,002 in 2009.
The Returning Officer
The Returning Officer at the LSESU is an institution, the protector of democracy. The officer's role involves organising the ballot of more than 9000 students which until recently was undertaken singlehandedly. Recent changes have seen a staff member given responsibility for the administrative task. In addition, the Returning Officer is no longer elected as a separate position. The officer will be one of the members of the Democracy Committee.Individuals that have taken up this role include Doug Oliver, Helen Roberts, Adrian Beciri, Will Barber, James Bacon, Ossie Fikret and Shanti Kelemen. Notable achievements include the development of online voting by Adrian Beciri. In 2009, the rules were changed to allow candidates to use the internet to use online campaigning—such as emails and facebook.com—rather than traditional "street campaigning" on LSE's campus. In 2009/10, the voting system was run entirely through online for the first time.
Union General Meeting (UGM)
The UGM is the sovereign body of the Union, and the LSE is the only university in the country which retains a weekly Union General Meeting open to all to attend where motions and ideas are discussed and debated. This is opposed to an annual gathering. Reasons for this largely stem back to the LSE’s radical past in the 1960s, but it has been upheld today, and meetings are well known to get heated, almost violent at some points. It is not uncommon for paper (and even other objects) to be thrown onto the stage of the Old Theatre whilst students debate and discuss motions, although the creation of a new role of "Keeper" is designed to prevent this. The UGM can remove any elected union official from office and sets union policy to which all elected officials must adhere, linked with the Constitutional & Steering Committee (C&S).Any two people can move a motion on any subject, which is then debated at the UGM. These motions can be serious, setting policy and making major financial decisions, or can be much more light-hearted. Recent activity, including the linking with a Palestinian university has been met with much debate amongst the student cohort, especially in the wording of a letter sent from the General Secretary to Freshers at the beginning of the 2007 academic session. Regular meetings are also held with the School’s Director, and the heads of both ULU and the NUS.
Notable Sabbatical Officers
- Martin Lewis - General Secretary 1994/5
- Gary DelaneyGary DelaneyGary Delaney is a writer and stand-up comic.BBC Online described Delaney as "the man Jimmy Carr tries to be".He writes for Birmingham-based FM radio station Kerrang! 105.2 and also appeared in the horror-comedy film Trash House. A lot of his material was allegedly plagiarised on the humour website...
- Entertainments Officer 1994/5
Athletics Union
The LSE Athletics Union (LSEAU) is the body responsible for all sporting activity within the university. It is a member of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). Sports teams are wide-ranging from football (where the School excels nationally) to fencing, squash, badminton, aqua-hoc, polo, ultimate Frisbee and raquets. Particular rivalry is found with King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and also University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. The Union operates the Natwest Gym in the Old Building, as well as numerous squash courts, badminton courts, a gymnasium, an indoor basketball court and tennis courts at the School’s central London location, with ownership of twenty-five acres of playing fields at Berrylands
Berrylands
Berrylands is a residential neighbourhood in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames only 24 minutes from Waterloo by train in south west London, that before 1965 formed part of the Municipal Borough of Surbiton. It is a suburban development situated south west of Charing...
in south London, easily accessible by train and also by coaches which depart each day.
Students are permitted to use the facilities of other University of London colleges, and those of Energybase at ULU, comprising its own sports halls, courts, multigym and swimming pool. LSE’s cricketers use the indoor and outdoor facilities at Lord's Cricket Ground year-round. The LSE has a particularly strong association, along with the University of London, in rowing, and has a boat house situated on the River Thames at Chiswick. In distinction to the ‘blues’ awarded for sporting excellence at Oxford and Cambridge, London’s outstanding athletes are awarded ‘purples’.
Media Group
A weekly student newspaper, The BeaverThe Beaver
The Beaver is the weekly newspaper of the London School of Economics Students' Union at the LSE.Despite being published by the Students' Union, The Beaver is independent in its reporting....
was founded in 1946, and as such is one of the oldest student publications in Britain. It has gained great clout in recent years, investigating campus, national and international issues and stories, including the issue of costly postgraduate degrees, student loans and examination pass rates. It has a weekly readership of approximately 5,000 and is distributed free across campus every Tuesday, as well as in Whitehall offices, and many City firms and corporations who take keen interest. There is also several smaller papers such as 'LSE Sanctuary' and also society magazines. Students also get access the The London Student, the largest student publication in Europe, which is published by the University of London. The Clare Market Review
Clare Market Review
The Clare Market Review was established in 1905 and is the oldest student-run journal in the UK. It is based at the London School of Economics and published by the university's Students' Union.- Notable contributors :...
, established in 1905 and published termly, is an interdisciplinary academic journal run by students, and provides a critical forum for students and faculty.
Pulse!
PuLSEfm
Pulse! Radio is the official radio station of the London School of Economics and Political Science Students' Union. Its studios are located within the East Building at the School's Houghton Street campus in Westminster, London and it broadcasts online through the Pulse Player, as well as across...
is the School’s own radio station, which was relaunched in October 2007 and broadcasts twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on campus and online, as well as providing regular podcasts. The interview slot is popular with students, and recent interviewees have included Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...
MP, Mark Steel
Mark Steel
Mark Steel is a British socialist columnist, author and comedian. He was a member of the Socialist Workers Party from his late teens until 2007.-Early life:...
, Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
MP, Clare Short
Clare Short
Clare Short is a British politician, and a member of the Labour Party. She was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood from 1983 to 2010; for most of this period she was a Labour Party MP, but she resigned the party whip in 2006 and served the remainder of her term as an Independent. She...
and Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
' actor Alan Fletcher
Alan Fletcher
Alan Fletcher is an Australian actor and musician, best known for his role as Karl Kennedy in long-running soap opera Neighbours. Fletcher was educated at Wesley College, Perth.-Career:...
.
LooSE Television, which was incorporated in 2005, is the LSE’s own television station, responsible for filming and streaming public lectures, as well as publicity films, election results and other media.
Awards
2010/2011 Winners:Best Society:
Drama - WINNER,
Amnesty International - HIGHLY COMMENDED,
Debate - HIGHLY COMMENDED.
Best Society Event:
SPICE – India Week - WINNER,
Fashion – Fashion Show - HIGHLY COMMENDED
RAG Society Award:
Japan - Japan Earthquake Appeal - WINNER
Most Improved Society:
Visual Arts - WINNER
Best New Society:
Vegetarian - WINNER
Society Contribution:
Catherine Capone - Atheist & Humanist,
Ashwin Desai - Drama,
Leo Wang - Economics,
Rajiv Bera - STAR,
Farsan Ghassim – Global,
Joseph Foster - Music,
Noemie Adam - Amnesty and Anti-Slavery,
Tasnim Begum - Islamic,
Talha Ghannam - Islamic,
Ravandeep Kaur Khola - Sikh-Punjab,
John Ashbourne - Debate,
Anser Aftab - Debate.
Outstanding Contribution:
Birgitte Witt,
Elizabeth Fergusson,
Hero Austin,
Lois Clifton,
Maira Butt,
Melanie Takle,
Hendrick Scheer,
Oliver Sidorczuk,
Rob Rogers,
Fabian Schrey,
Polly McKinlay,
Mohammed Najmul Morley.
Dev Cropper Award:
Polly McKinlay
Honorary Studentship:
Griffin Carpenter,
Emily Collins,
Ben Grabiner,
Charlie Glyn,
Charlotte Gerada,
Judith Jacob,
Alex Kane,
Daniel Kroop,
Ashok Kumar,
Mira Hammad,
Phyllis Lui,
Wensi Lao,
Sarah Llanwarne,
Michael Lok,
Scott MacDonald,
Sachin Patel,
Reagan Persaud,
Ben Robinson,
Alex Rodin,
Hannah Polly Williams,
Olly Wiseman,
Sarwar Zaman.