The Hong Kong University Students' Union

The Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU) (Traditional Chinese: 香港大學學生會) is one of the two officially recognized student organizations in the University of Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Its motto is "Sapientia et Virtus" in Latin, meaning "wisdom and virtue", and "" in Chinese...

, alongside with HKU Postgraduate Student Association.

History

The Union was established in 1912 in the name of Hong Kong University Union, about two years after the foundation of the University of Hong Kong. The Union was later renamed to its current name. The Union was registered as an independent organization in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

in 1949 .

General

HKUSU is currently the only official student organization serving the undergraduate student

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

s of the University of Hong Kong. Undergraduates shall become the Union's full member automatically. Other student of the University can become a full member upon the payment of membership fee.

According to the Constitution (PDF document), the aims of the Union are:

To promote the welfare of the student body
To act as a bridge between the student body and the University authority in furthering the interests of the students and the University as a whole
To identify the student body with social issues in the interests of the people of Hong Kong
To represent the student body both locally and internationally.

Structure

The highest authority of the Union is the General Meeting (GM) and General Polling (GP). The quorum

Quorum

A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...

for both the General Meeting or General Polling is currently 10% of the full members. The General Meeting is hardly ever called, mostly because it is difficult to find a venue to accommodate a large amount of members at the same time. However, General Pollings are held almost every year.

The second highest authority of the Union is the Union Council. Its functions are to represent the students of the University in such matters as affect their interests and to afford a recognized means of communication between the general body of the students and the University authorities.

An Executive Committee, elected in the way of General Polling, acts as the execution body for HKUSU.

There are currently 122 student societies affiliated to HKUSU. These students' societies and clubs can be categorized into six main groups: Campus media, Faculty and academic societies, Hall students' association, Sports clubs (forming the Sports Association, HKUSU), Cultural clubs (forming the Cultural Association, HKUSU) and Independent clubs (forming the Independent Clubs Association, HKUSU).

Union Executives

The Union Executives are the forefront members representing HKUSU. The Committee comprising 18 members formulate Union policies and carry out resolutions of the General Meeting and General Polling. As well as this, they carry out daily administrative work of the Union.

The composition are as follows:

President
Vice-President (Internal)
Vice-President (External)
General Secretary
Financial Secretary
University Affairs Secretary (two seats)
External Affairs Secretary (three seats)
Student Welfare Secretary
Publications Secretary
Social Secretary
Current Affairs Secretary
Administrative Secretary
President of the Sports Association (ex-officio)
President of the Cultural Association (ex-officio)
President of the Independent Clubs Association (ex-officio)

Welfare and Internal Affairs

HKUSU endeavours to offer the best welfare and campus experience to its members through student activities and service outlets, which include:

Outlet Name	Services offered	Location
The Union Office	Room, poster, banner sites booking services	UG1, Union Building, HKU
The Student Co-operative Store (Co-op Store)	Discounted stationery Stationery Stationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials: paper and office supplies, writing implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case etc.-History of stationery:... and souvenirs	UG1, Union Building, HKU
Computer Hardware Hardware Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores.... and Accessory Store	Computer Hardwares, Accessories, Software, banner Banner A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made... and poster Poster A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be... printing	G/F, Union Building, HKU
Self-serviced Photocopying Centre	Octopus Card Octopus card The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong... -operated Photocopying Machines, mobile phone Mobile phone A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator... charging	UG1, Union Building, HKU
HKUSU Photocopying Store	Discounted photocopying	Room 202, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre

University Affairs

The Union acts as a channel between students and the University. Some of the current projects include:

Project	Theme
3-3-4 University Curriculum Curriculum See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults... Reform	Curriculum, General Education, Study Load of Professional Subjects (e.g. Engineering Engineering Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of... , Accounting, Law Law Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus... , etc.), Grading / GPA / Honours Honors student An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and... Classification System
Centennial Campus	Relocation of Faculties and the Students' Union, Usage of the Main Building, etc.

External Affairs

HKUSU, as one of the students' unions of the 11 universities in Hong Kong, has been very active in current affairs and student movements.

In 1998, the General Polling of the Union adopted that the Pillar of Shame

Pillar of Shame

Pillar of Shame is a series of sculptures by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt. Each sculpture is an 8-metre tall bronze, copper or concrete statue — four have been erected, in Rome, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Brazil. A fifth one in Berlin was planned.-Symbolism:...

(國殤之柱) should stay in the University campus permanently. This marked the beginning of a permanent stance that the Chinese Communist Party should be held responsible for the June Fourth Massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. Later in 2009, another General Polling passed stated that the Central People's Government of China should rehabilitate the June Fourth Massacre, and be held responsible for the deaths and casualties during the incident.

New Union Building

As part of HKU's Centennial Campus, the former Hsu Long Sing Amenities Centre, where HKUSU resides, will be permanently demolished. A new Union Building will be erected in replacement. Since the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Sciences will be relocated in the Centennial Campus on the west side of the campus, the Union Building will become the heart of HKU, where the majority of student activities will take place.

The new Union Building will be ready in Sept-2011.

Campus Media

Faculty and Academic Societies

Hall Students' Association

External links

HKUSU Official Homepage

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