Who represents you?

Find out who speaks for you on campus.

If you’re a political person, then the University of Glasgow is the right place for you! Elected representation at multiple levels is an essential part of student life: especially through our cherished unions and SRC. Here, I’m going to take you through who represents you, as well as some political societies if you dare to take it further.  

The Rector  

The rector is an historic student elected leader: an authoritative voice representing student interests and feelings. Elected for a three-year term, it has become deeply symbolic and political. The current Rector is Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British- Palestinian plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He is also an active humanitarian and has spoken out continuously against the atrocities being committed in Gaza. His election last year undoubtedly demonstrates how strongly students feel about the Gaza crisis.  

The symbolic side of the Rector role has attracted many famous figures in public life, from Charles Kennedy of the Liberal Democrats to former Israeli nuclear scientist and whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu: Vanunu was actually imprisoned during the entirety of his tenure, and such absenteeism is not uncommon because of the political and special circumstances of many rectors’ election. 

The Unions  

Strangely for a UK university, the University of Glasgow has two students’ unions. The Glasgow University Union and the Queen Margaret Union (known as GUU and QMU): rather awkwardly the two exist because women were barred from the GUU and not allowed to be full members until 1980! Today, thankfully, both unions are safe and inclusive spaces for all Glasgow university students to become members of.  

 You may be a member of one or both: both have great bars and nice spots to hang out. They each have elected Boards of Management, focusing mainly on the day-to-today and social activities of the unions. If you’re a social person who enjoys events and community-centred spaces, the board of management could be for you. And, for the rest of us, these are the people you go to to complain about the price of a pint of fun. 

The SRC  

The SRC or Students Representative council is the official student representative body. It has elected officers in charge of addressing student concerns and wellbeing. It is linked to many areas of student life, including official student societies. Whilst influential, respected and official, the SRC does not have power over university management and decision making. 

 This was seen in the SRC’s referendum last year where students voted overwhelmingly to divest from arms related companies; yet the Court, of which the SRC is only a small part of, voted against the proposition. Nonetheless, the SRC is your first port of call to see real representation and student led decision making; particularly official events on campus, academics, and wellbeing.  

Clubs and societies  

The SRC supports over three-hundred clubs and societies, with GUSA (Glasgow University Sports association) overseeing a further fifty-two sports societies. GUSA has its own committee and President leading Sports related matters: of which you can read about more in the Sports Section. 

There is quite literally a student society for anything, but in terms of Politics you can find a club or society for nearly every Scottish Political party. From the Tories to the Communists, you can have your pick; they are a great way to get involved in front-line politics and meet likeminded politicos. As well as the parties there is a general Politics Society which does regular ‘pints and politics’ sessions; this is a causal meetup in the pub, often to discuss a certain political issue or subject. There are also brilliant advocacy groups including GU Amnesty International, Women in Politics, and GULGBTQ+.  

The University of Glasgow has a vibrant history of political action and debate, and representation is essential to this. This atmosphere is probably why we count several First Ministers and Prime Ministers in the ranks of our alumni – at Glasgow, representative politics is everywhere, so get stuck in and leave your mark!  

Image Credit: Steve Davis Kannampuzha