History
The predecessor to the Union, the Aberystwyth Student Representative Council, was founded in 1900 by Herbert John Fleure, who later went to become a lecturer in botany, geology and zoology at the university. The SRC was based in the common room in the basement of the Old College, was democratically elected and produced The Dragon, and later The Courier, as student newspapers. In 1966, student representation on various college committees was introduced, increasing student involvement in college administration.
In 1923, the former Aberystwyth Assembly Rooms at 10 Laura Place were bought by the Old Students' Association with funds it had raised to mark the college jubilee. They were to form part of a memorial to the students from Aberystwyth who died in the First World War, and hosted the new Students' Union. The building was officially opened on 30 October 1923 by the then-Prince of Wales, Edward (later to become the Duke of Windsor). The event was marked by the unveiling of the only public statue of Edward in the United Kingdom. During the 1950s, an adjacent house was purchased to be the "Students Union Annexe", as increasing numbers of students came to Aberystwyth. As part of theuniversity's expansion onto the present site, the first wing of the new Students Union building on the new Penglais campus was opened in 1970. The use of 10 Laura Place and the Annexe ceased in 1984, when the final stage of the new building on Penglais campus was finished. 10 Laura Place was refurnished for use as a music centre, and the Annexe sold for private housing. In 2011, 10 Laura Place was re-opened as a 24-hour computer room.
The Union was renamed Aberystwyth Guild of Students (Welsh: Urdd Myfyrwyr Aberystwyth) in 1972, after the university's Union merged with the Unions of the College of Further Education, College of Librarianship and the Welsh College of Agriculture. In 2012, the Guild reverted to the name Aberystwyth University Students' Union (Welsh: Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Aberystwyth).
Read more about this topic: Aberystwyth Guild Of Students
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