Uppsala Student Union was founded on March 11th 1849 by the student nations in Uppsala in order to tackle questions that concerned all students, regardless of their background. Founding the Union meant the beginning of many years of work to improve the conditions for all students, both at Uppsala University and in society in general.
Over the years, the Student Union has worked with issues such as student housing, student financing, places for student representatives within the university, sport centres, student-friendly prices on course literature and the struggle for a separate Student Union house. In the 1920s, the newspaper Ergo was founded, which in the 1940s became the newspaper of Uppsala Student Union.
The core activities of Uppsala Student Union
Uppsala Student Union has a broad range of activities. Our main focus is on education monitoring and student influence, but we also serve as a support centre for students who need help or advice. In addition, Uppsala Student Union offers a variety of services that are of great help to our members. Over the years, the Student Union has changed, but our core activities have remained the same.
The Student Union's Board is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Union, whereas the more long-term planning is done by the Student Union Council (kårfullmäktige). The Council consists of 41 members from the various student union parties. The distribution of seats in the Council is determined by the result of the student union elections, and determines the constellation of the Student Union Board, depending on negotiations, coalitions, etc. within the Student Union Council. The Board consists of 13 members, including one chairperson and two vice chairpersons. The three latter make up the Executive Committee, and work full-time at the Student Union Building.
PhD students are also defined as students, and the Student Union organise their PhD students through the PhD Students' Board (doktorandnämnd), which in turn summon and coordinate PhD students from various PhD students' councils (doktorandråd). The PhD Students' Board, or Doctoral Board, has been delegated the power to handle all issues related to PhD students from the Student Union Council.
Uppsala Student Union has the biggest mandate in SFS, The Swedish National Union of Students, which embodies the largest collective student voice in the country. The fact that Uppsala Student Union has such a large influence in SFS, means that we have a great opportunity to influence national education policies.
The Student Union appoints representatives to all the drafting and decision-making bodies at Uppsala University that handle student-related matters. In practice, this means more than 900 different appointments, which together represent the base of what we call student influence. In addition, the Student Union has part-time appointments for Student Liaison Officers on all campuses. The Student Liaison Officers meet regularly with the vice chairperson and the student ombudsman in the Student Liaison Committee (studieutskottet) to inform the Student Union on what is going on at the various campuses and help the Union run effective and coordinated lobbying and awareness-building activities.
The Student Union Building houses students paid by the Student Union to offer services of various kinds to the Union's members. These services are related to equality, international students, student councelling, etc., and the Union's work is presided over by the Student Union Executive Committee, which consists of a chairperson and two vice chairpersons. The chairperson of the Student Union has the over-all responsibility for the Union and participates in the meetings of the University administration, including meetings with the vice-chancellor. One of the vice chairpersons is responsible for matters related to student life and the other is responsible for education matters.
Furthermore, the Student Union is represented in a broad range of university bodies, such as the equality committee, the university management, the Academic Senate, Uppsala learning lab, the internationalisation group and the student cooperation group (Studensamverkansgruppen), where the students' interests are defended. The Student Union also meets with other stakeholders such as the Municipal Executive Board' working committee (KSAU), members of the Swedish parliament, various student associations and other student unions, the United Nations of Uppsala, The Swedish National Union of Students and various trade unions.
Uppsala Student Union publishes the culturally important student union newspaper, Ergo, and also has a large website and various digital news flows and newsletters. Every year, the Union allocates substantial sums in financial contributions to various student associations, and Uppsala Student Union also has a number of scholarships and grants that students can apply for. In addition, the Union offers a reception, where students can come for help and advice every weekday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In the Student Union Building there are public computers, work spaces, the possibility of borrowing a telephone, a fax machine and a copy machine, we offer hand loans for students in urgent financial distress, a second-hand book shop and we manage the keys for Majklockan's student housing, together with a broad selection of information and reading material. The Student Union has a doctoral ombudsman for PhD students and a student ombudsman for other students, where all members can come for help and advice. International students can also turn to the international officer; and the Union's equity officer works full-time with equality and discrimination-related issues. The ESMeralda Diversity Office works to broaden recruitment to higher education, and the Kondoma Mera project works to build awareness on reproductive health among the students of Uppsala.
Uppsala Student Union manages the country recreation site Norreda Torp, a picturesque group of old houses by a lake in the forest south of Uppsala. Norreda Torp can be rented by students at very attractive prices. Furthermore, the Student Union is the majority stockholder of the Studentbokhandeln bookshop, whose competitive prices has effectively held student literature prices on a relatively low level here in Uppsala for years. Uppsala Student Union has also founded Folkuniversitetet (the people's university) and Drivhuset, and holds a seat in the Foundation for Rikssalen (the former Hall of State) at Uppsala Castle.
Uppsala Student Union in 2009 has the following posts:
Student Ombudsman 100 %
Equality Officer 100 %
Information Officer 100 %
International Officer 100 %
Webmaster 25 %
Kondoma mera! 100 %
Executive Committee 3 x 100 %
In addition, there are 15 Student Liaison Officers posted locally on the campuses, and the following full-time employees:
Case Administrator and Press Officer
Doctoral Ombudsman
Registry Officer
Receptionists
Office Manager
Economy Manager
Co-ordinator for ESMeralda
Caretaker of the Student Union and Norreda torp
ERGO's editors
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