UEA Collection : Students' Union

This sub-collection consists of a ring-binder containing minutes of the meeting of the Students' Union from 13 October 1963 to 30 June 1964 and the Vice-Chancellor's address to the matriculation ceremony held on 7th October 1963.

The Students' Union at UEA was formed shortly after the first students arrived, in October 1963. At an inaugural meeting, held on 13 October 1963, a temporary committee of seven members was elected. This committee then made arrangements for the election of a governing body for a students' union in the form of a Students' Council, to hold office for the first academic year.

All matriculated students automatically became members of the Students' Union. The Union was a formal link between the student body and the University authorities, representing student interests and organizing those activities which were beyond the scope of the usual range of societies and clubs.

In its early years, and notably the 1970s, the activities of the Union were strongly influenced by wider political issues, but by the end of the 1980s the focus shifted to the social life of students and student welfare. This was recognised in a revised constitution in 1989, when the name was changed to Union of UEA Students.

The present Union of UEA Students provides an extensive range of professional and well-established advice and support units, it also runs many of the commercial enterprises on campus, such as the newsagent and post office, the food shop, bookshop, travel agent and the bars. The Union organises most of the entertainment on campus, from freshers' week to the end-of-term balls. It also funds a large number of sporting and non-sporting clubs and societies.

The collection is open for consultation in the Archives Department during its advertised opening hours.

The contents of the sub-collection were originally held by successive officers of the Students' Union but in 1999 were found among a quantity of material due to be despatched as refuse by Richard Snelling, the first President of the Students' Union. He retained possession until June 2004 when he deposited the ring-binder, containing early meeting minutes, with the Archives Department of the University Library.

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Reproductions can be supplied in hard copy or digital format subject to physical condition and the terms of deposit. A charge is made for this service. Copyright restrictions may apply and the advice of the Archives department should be sought for any use of reproductions other than personal research.