Loughborough Students' Union


Loughborough Students' Union is the students' union serving members from Loughborough University, Loughborough College and the RNIB College Loughborough.
The Union was unique amongst British universities, in that its premises were owned by the students themselves. In 2022, the Union was purchased by the University. The union building sits in the North-Eastern corner of the campus, and consists of two floors. The Union is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Executive, with scrutiny from the Democracy and Representation Committee.

History

The union has somewhat unusual origins. Dr Hebert Schofield, Principal of Loughborough College from 1915 to 1950, was closely associated with the Students’ Association, even serving as its president despite being the College Principal. He was far-seeing and accumulated land to the East of Loughborough for the college. However, when he could not persuade Leicestershire County Council to pay for the land, he used student monies. Thus, land became vested in the name of the Union of Loughborough Colleges.
In the early 1970s, the Union of Loughborough Colleges was relatively asset rich, whereas it had low income. Conversely, Loughborough University of Technology Students’ Union had relatively high capitation fees and income, but few assets. Both unions wanted to develop student facilities on the campus, but there was a dispute as to how best to do this.
A scheme was devised whereby the university bought most of the land from Union of Loughborough Colleges and agreed on a land swap so the students would own an area of land adjacent to the Ashby Road on which a new student building was subsequently built. Both student groupings agreed to this and voted to adopt a new joint constitution.
Elections were held in March and Loughborough Students’ Union was founded on 1 August 1975. Its founder president was David S Dixon, who held the position in 1975–76.

The Union of Loughborough Colleges

Established as an umbrella body to represent the students of Loughborough College of Technology, Loughborough College of Education, Loughborough Training College and Loughborough College of Art and Design, the Union of Loughborough Colleges operated from Rutland Lodge. Over the first half of the 20th century, the ULC acquired land which has continued to place its successor unions in a unique position.

Loughborough University of Technology Students Union

With the splitting of Loughborough College in 1965, and the by-then College of Advanced Technology's subsequent application for University status, LUTSU was created to represent the students of the university. At the time the legislation which enabled the creation of the university was understood to require an autonomous Union. LUTSU was created with the approval of Loughborough University of Technology's royal charter by the Privy Council in 1966.
LUTSU operated from the Edward Herbert Building at the centre of the campus, and hosted concerts with artists such as the Rolling Stones. During the first 3 years of the new institutional arrangements there were various disputes over who owned the land acquired by ULC, which the continuing ULC wanted to sell to fund their own new building. Negotiations led by the university resolved the dispute in August 1975, when LUTSU and ULC merged to form Loughborough Students' Union.

Loughborough Students' Union

Following the merger the construction of a new students' union building began, although this project was placed in jeopardy by the liquidation of the building firm employed, almost leaving the building unfinished, however the building was completed and opened by Terry Jones and Michael Palin on 20 February 1979

Governance

LSU Executive

The LSU Executive are the leading representative body of the Students' Union. Since 2019, it has consisted of five Executive Officers. 'Exec Elections' occur each year in February and March, whereby a new Executive Team is voted in by the students. Candidates release manifestos, get interviewed in 'The Soapbox' and promote themselves across campus and on social media in hope of being elected.
The current Executive Officer Team is made up of the following positions:
  • President is responsible for leading the Executive, and upholding the reputation of the organisation, as well as playing a key role in the development of the strategic plan.
  • Democracy and Community 'Executive Officer is responsible for promoting the union and a democratic system within it. Working alongside the Student Voice Committee, they are to encourage accountability within the Union and develop the strategic plan.
  • Academic Experience Executive Officer is responsible for supporting and improving the academic experience for all students represented by LSU.
  • Sport Executive Officer leads the Athletic Union, and represents all students within all sport at Loughborough.
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Executive Officer' concentrates on educating Loughborough Students on Welfare and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion issues, and leads multiple campaigns to develop this awareness.

    Sections and student involvement

The students' union is a constant hive of activity. Along with Loughborough University's numerous sports clubs the union hosts and organises many other activities, clubs and societies catering for a wide range of interests. At the beginning of each academic year the Freshers Bazaar is held to allow students, especially new arrivals, to talk to existing members of these clubs and societies and to provide an early opportunity to sign up.

Loughborough Students' Athletic Union

See also Loughborough Students RUFC, Loughborough Students' Hockey Club.
Loughborough Students Athletic Union is steeped in history and has a tradition of sporting excellence, exhibiting a history of dominance across a number of specific sports such as rugby union. Loughborough has dominated University sport for 30 years, having won the British Universities and Colleges Sport championships for the last 44 consecutive years.
This success is celebrated through a number of channels, not least the weekly Wednesday Hey Ewe event and WOW Magazine which is a quarterly sports publication documents Loughborough's sporting success. The Athletic Union has full-time staff members and one sabbatical officer.

Loughborough Students' Action

Action is the main volunteering section of the Union and is a vital in improving the relationships with the local community. Approximately there are 2,000 active volunteers a year, undertaking a wide range of activities, such as going away to a Kids Camp for a week, assisting in special needs schools, running one day sports events for 200 children and helping conserve Outwoods, the local forest, by chopping down trees.

Loughborough Students' Rag

The Rag office is responsible for organising, encouraging and supporting charity fund-raising amongst the union's members, and is the largest of such organisations in Europe, raising over £1,000,000 each year for a variety of charities. In 2013–14, Rag raised £1,411,510. The chairperson of the organisation is elected via a campus-wide ballot as part of LSU's Spring Term exec elections. They are tasked with co-ordinating the busy Rag calendar, which includes Rag Raids, Annual Events and Challenge Events; activities every weekend.
"Choose a Charity Challenge" evening, in LSU building, offers students a chance to sign up to charitable events, including a Sky Dive, A trek to Morocco, London to Paris Cycle, Istanbul Marathon and Rag Raids - bucket shaking in different parts of the country. The current Rag Chair being.

Loughborough Students' Media

The students' union has its own purpose-built multi-media centre, opened in 1999, it is home to union's media activities which are coordinated by a committee annually chosen by the previous year's chair. Previously to this £1.4m development Media was spread in various locations across the campus, including LCR which was for almost 30 years based in a small set of studios in the Student Village. The Media section provides a number of services for the students on the campus and gives volunteers the chance to experience media work. Since the role's creation in 2007, the Media Section Chair's responsibilities are aiding the Station Managers of LSUTV and LCR, the Head of Lens, and the Editor in Chief of Label. There are four production outlets which operate semi-autonomously, with their own committees and leadership.

Label Magazine

Label is the magazine of Loughborough Students' Union. Evolving from a previous newspaper format inventively titled The Newspaper, Label was launched in 1997 and was distributed around campus and town with 2,500 copies printed each issue. Previously a weekly publication, from 2007 to 2017 it was fortnightly, when the role of editor changed from a paid sabbatical officer to a student volunteering position. The magazine launched its website in 2010, and from 2018 is now solely an online publication, with two special print editions a year published.

[Loughborough Campus Radio]

LCR broadcasts 24 hours a day during term time through its . One of the oldest student radio stations in the UK, LCR started as a pirate radio broadcast from a suitcase in Hazelrigg Hall of residence in 1970. Known as Radio Mule - a Small Station with a Kick, it had become so popular after 3 years that the students voted to turn it into a legitimate station, over a student magazine. University Radio Loughborough was born, and went live on-air in 1973, with the name was changing to LCR in 1983. Initially broadcast through induction loops on the roofs of each hall of residence, it was one of the first UK student stations to move to the new free radiating low-powered AM licence in October 1999, with webcasting starting later the same academic year. In 2007 the AM transmitter was severely damaged in a fire, and LCR have continued to be a solely online station since.
LCR has a regular term-time schedule, including weekday breakfast show Good Morning Loughborough, mid-afternoon entertainment show The Bubble, and non-stop DJ mixes throughout the night in The Nightshift. Aside from this, LCR hosts a regular BUCS live show on Wednesday afternoons as well as commentary live streams on major university games, and records weekly live music from the Coffee House Sessions. As well as its regular programming, LCR also plays host to specialist shows such as the UK's longest running student radio show - The Alternative Alternative Show - which has been broadcasting continually since the 1980s, with its monthly jazz chart is published in the Jazzwise magazine. The station also provides special live coverage of major events both in the university and across the UK, such as the LSU Executive Elections, major sporting events and general elections.