Leeds University Union (LUU) is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds, England. Aside from representing students, the union includes numerous shops and bars and an award-winning nightclub. Leeds University Union is one of the largest students' unions in the UK.
| Leeds University Union logo | |
| Institution | University of Leeds |
|---|---|
| Location | PO Box 157, Leeds, LS1 1UH |
| Established | c. 1900 |
| Members | c. 50, 000, |
| Affiliations | National Union of Students, British Universities Sports Association, Aldwych Group |
| Website | http://www.luuonline.com |
Union Venues
The Old Bar
The Old Bar is in the style of a traditional English pub and has a food servery (run by the University catering services). The Old Bar hosts a variety of evenings such as live bands, pub quizzes, and big screen football. The Monday-Friday daily "Aussie Hour" features Neighbours followed by Home and Away on the big screens between 17:30 - 18:30.
In 2004, controversially, a smoking ban was enacted in the Old Bar. Profits fell so much that the ban had to be lifted. The Old Bar is now divided into smoking and non-smoking sections.
The Terrace
The Terrace has been styled as a trendy 'chill-out' coffee bar, serving hot and cold drinks. This venue is non-smoking until 5pm. The bar has an outdoor seating area and pool tables.
Stylus
The BEDA award-winning nightclub Stylus is home to the "Fruity" club nights on Fridays, plus a whole host of other events, such as "The Wendy House" and "School Disco". Stylus has a capacity of 1000 when used on its own.
Pulse (formerly known as Bar Coda)
Pulse is a 350 capacity venue situated adjacent to Stylus. It is used for a variety of activities both in the daytime and evening. Daytime activities are generally society-led, such as breakdancing or meetings, whilst evening activities usually involve having the bar open and the venue being used either on its own, or in conjunction with Stylus and Mine.
Mine
Mine (opened October 2005) is a re-development of the old Harvey Milk Bar, which closed in 2001 due to the opening of the (then) new extension of LUU, housing Stylus and Bar Coda. It is primarily targeted at postgraduate students, with a wide selection of 'trendy' food being served throughout the day. At night, the bar is transformed into a 450-capacity nightclub with both live music and DJ-based nights running on a regular basis. Current events include Rock of Ages, a monthly live rock night, The Blow Out, a live jazz night running fortnightly on Mondays, The Tunnel Club which is a showcase for up-and-coming local bands, and various society events which take place throughout the week.
In September 2006, Mine was successful in winning a BEDA award for the best Student Union venue of 2006.
Riley Smith Hall
LUU has its own theatre, the Riley Smith Hall. This venue has a capacity of 400 seated (including 100 on the balcony) and in late 2005 underwent a major refurbishment, the first for many years. This has provided a much-needed renovation of the three dressing rooms as well as construction of an internal box office and other storage. The Riley Smith Hall is used constantly throughout the year by LUU's many societies, most notably the performing societies who produce a number of shows varying from musicals to theatrical plays and dance performances.
The Riley Smith Hall has a No Alcohol Policy, as requested by the major benefactor of the refurbishment of the hall.
The Riley Smith Hall is also the main venue for the Backstage society; the society is involved with the technical and stage management side for the majority of performance-related shows which take place in the hall.
The Refectory
The Refectory, whilst not strictly one of LUU's own venues, is the University's main canteen during the day but is converted into one of Leeds's largest venues for evening gigs, having a 2100 person capacity for live events.
Many famous bands have played at the University Refectory, including The Who (who recorded Live at Leeds there originally in 1970, and returned in June 2006 to recreate the original show), Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and more recently The Strokes, Bloc Party, Manic Street Preachers, K.T. Tunstall, Arctic Monkeys, The Coral and Paul Weller (comprehensive gig list available from the LUU site [1]).
The Review
In 2005, Leeds University Union carried out a major review of its facilities ('The Review'), through discussion groups with members, in order to ascertain the current needs of members and propose changes for the future. In November 2005, the outcome of the Review was put to a ballot for acceptance by members, and was successful in being accepted. There was some criticism of the Review as the ballot gave members the option to either accept all the proposed changes or reject all the changes, with no option in between.
Following the Review, LUU drew up a three-page plan to outline the plans based on this for the three years from 2006-2009. A number of changes have been carried out already over summer 2006 - mainly to the structure and layout of the building (the relocation of some retail units, and a refurbishment of Stylus and Pulse).
Media
LUU boasts one of the country's most active university newspapers, Leeds Student. Published weekly, on Fridays, during term time, the free newspaper regularly wins national student media awards.
Leeds Student was formed by the merger of the Leeds University Union newspaper (Union News) and the Leeds Metropolitan University Students Union newspaper, but in November 2005 the Leeds Met students voted to disaffiliate from Leeds Student citing under-representation as the reason. It is currently edited by Ben Schofield. Charlie Griifiths will be the paper's editor in 2007-2008, following her victory in the election for the position.
Various other paper-based publications are produced, including The Document and The Gist, which provide up-to-date information on events and news about LUU. LUU also funds the production Lippy magazine, which is the Union's Women's magazine. Lippy is staffed entirely by students and produces a small number of issues each year.
LUU has a student radio station, LSRfm.com (or visit LSRfm.com), which frequently wins national student radio awards. LSRfm.com is widely active in LUU, hosting a number of LSRfm.com-associated events including The Blow Out (a monthly jazz night in Mine). Despite LSRfm.com not being successful in winning an FM licence for 2007, it retains LSRfm.com as its website and streams audio regularly through this. It also has a 'drive' show, between 4-6pm on weekdays, believed to be a first for an internet based radio station. The LSRfm.com coordinator for 2007-2008 was not an elected position but was appointed through an interview process, with the successful candidate being Richard Andrews.
There is also an internal TV station, ls:tv, who broadcast on televisions located around the Union building including in the Terrace, the Old Bar and in Game On. LS:TV broadcast live every Wednesday from their studio next to the Old Bar. Their weekly show includes The Essential (news), LSfix (entertainment) as well as drama, comedy, factual and documentaries. LS:TV have been successful in winning awards through the student TV association NaSTA winning 8 awards in 2007 including best broadcaster. LS:TV also recently won the award for most involved society at the annual Riley Awards. You can watch LS:TV online at www.lstv.co.uk
Student Activities
LUU has a wide range of member-led activity groups available, ranging from gliding to real ale appreciation. As a result of the Student Activities Review the terms club, society and incorporated body as categories were abandoned, so student activities could be reorganised. The new groups are known as Performing, Media, Martial Arts and Dance, Faith and Culture, Political and Campaigning, General Interest, Sport, Departmental, Volunteering and Outdoor. Out of the five former incorporated bodies, RAG, Nightline and Action will now come under the volunteering banner and Leeds Student and LSRfm.com will fall under the media banner. Ordinary, life and honorary life members of LUU can join and participate in these activities.
A full list of student activities can be found on the LUU main website (see External links).
How the Union is run
Leeds University Union is run by a group of six elected student executive officers. Each officer covers one of the following areas :- Communications and internal affairs, Education, Activities, Welfare, Equality and diversity and Community.
The foundation ideology of the union is that the students of the University of Leeds have control of the union. This works by using an inverted pyramid of power - the members of the union (students) at the top, then the Union Council, the Student Executive Committee, then the Union Managers, then the staff at the bottom.
Leeds University Union also allows non-members to use its facilities, however on an evening members must show their union card.
The Student Executive
The Executive Committee is a team of elected students who work full-time to oversee the Union on a day-to-day basis. They help and represent LUU’s members.
Executive officers operate in two capacities:
- As a representative of University of Leeds students, campaigning for change on their behalf.
- A trustee of LUU, taking holistic accountability for the well being of the organisation, which is accompanied by significant legal responsibility.
Current Student Executive Team
2007/2008
- Activities Officer elect- Andrew Greer
- Communications and Internal Affairs elect - Neil Mackenzie
- Community Officer elect - Sara Gill
- Equality and Diversity Officer elect - Hind Hassan
- Education Officer elect - Susan "Nasher" Nash
- Welfare Officer elect - Lizzie Fellows
2006/07
- Bretton Hall - Emily-Jane O'Grady
- Democracy and Communications - Damola Timeyin
- Education - Beth Forrester
- Finance & Commercial Services - Chris Johnston
- Societies - Jessica Linacre
- Sports - Archie Sample
- Welfare - Omar Khan
- Women's - Sarah Wayman
Student Executive Restructure
As a result of March 2006 referendum the executive was mandated to consider its structure, with the aim of drafting a structure that better reflects the responsibility of an executive officer and the changing needs of the membership. The current executive team presented proposals to enhance student representation through reform the structure of the student executive team.
The proposals passed at November referendum sees the student executive team restructured ino the following:
Activity Officer
• Oversees LUU Activities agenda
• National representation of LUU sports at BUSA
• Supports Activities Executive
• Representation of LUU Activities within the University
Communications and Internal affairs Officer • Union spokesperson • Responsible for ensuring Union policy is enacted • Leads on organisational issues including finance and staffing. • Oversees Unions democratic processes • Chairs relevant committees • Liaises with senior staff member to ensure the effective running of the Union. • Sits on relevant University Committees
Community Officer • Oversees student issues related to external community factors, such as: • Safety • Housing • Crime • Community links - Perception of students in the community • Liaison with local Councillors/local community groups/City & Regional • Pick up campaigns arising from Student Advice Centre
Education Officer • Liaises with Union Academic Representative and Course reps • Leads local & national education campaigns • Sits on relevant University committees e.g. Learning and Teaching board, University Council.
Equality and Diversity Officer • Ensures LUU represents and addresses the needs of the diverse membership • Oversees Liberation Agenda • Supports Liberation Convenors • Oversees International Student issues • Chairs Interfaith forum • Supports the Student cultural and religious representative. • Sits on equality and diversity committee and works with equality and diversity team at the University.
Welfare Officer • Oversees general health, student mental health, drugs/alcohol, debt and sexual health issues. • Ensures there is adequate student support • Oversees University accommodation issues • Liaison with University re pastoral services • Oversees campaigns arising from Student Advice Centre
Jack Straw
Jack Straw, former Foreign Secretary, was famously President of Leeds University Union in 1967-68. While President, Straw played a role in sabotaging a student sit-in in June 1968 1. In 2000, a motion was passed at the LUU Annual General Meeting blasting Straw, then Home Secretary, for being responsible for the Asylum and Immigration Bill, the attempted removal of trial by jury and legal aid in many cases, the anti-terrorism bill, the curfew on teenagers, mandatory drug testing for criminal suspects, and his attitude towards cannabis and tuition fees. Simon Rothstein, who proposed the motion, noted that the organisations that have condemned Straw included the Bar Council. He also pointed out that Mrs Thatcher had said, "I trust Jack Straw. He is a very fair man." The motion revoked Jack Straw's life membership of the union, banned him from the union building and called on the university to withdraw Straw's honorary degree. 2
Affiliations
LUU Referendum
In 2005/6 academic year LUU decided to replace the traditional decision making process of Annual General Meetings (AGMs) with 2 ordinary Referenda per academic year. The change included the replacement of the AGM with a debate meeting that would not include voting but would be followed by a period of voting which would not require the voter to attend the debate meeting. For any motion to become a binding policy for the Student Union Council it needs to receive a minimum of 1500 votes (with or against it).
In November 2006 the first LUU referendum was implemented. Debate upon the motions was vigorous and complex, as the meeting's audio recordings and summary minutes suggest. All 5 motions that got through to the ballot boxes managed to win:
| Motions | Yes | No | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion 1 "The Executive Restructure" | 1421 | 368 | 1789 |
| Motion 2 "Palestinian Students’ Right to Education" | 1433 | 1020 | 2453 |
| Motion 3 "Leeds Student" | 1478 | 292 | 1770 |
| Motion 4 "Action" | 1625 | 394 | 2019 |
| Motion 5 "LUU Policy towards PSG and Other Politically Active Societies" | 1421 | 895 | 2316 |