Glasgow University Union (GUU) is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885.
The GUU organises social affairs for its members, provides catering and entertainment. Students are eligible to become members for free at any point throughout their university career and alumni may become Life Members by applying to the Board of Management.
History
Foundation Students at the university instituted the idea of a union building in 1885 to help promote social interaction on campus. The union's formation was driven by members of Glasgow University Dialectic Society, the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society and the Glasgow University Athletic Club. The same group formed a Students’ Representative Council in 1886 to raise funds for the building and procured the sum of £5000 from John McIntyre of Odiham, Hampshire.
The Glasgow University Students' Representative Council obtained statutory recognition under the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889 and in 1890 they managed to raise sufficient funds to build the union.
The union was originally accommodated in the John McIntyre Building, named for a major benefactor, which opened in 1890 and was designed by John James Burnet. These premises soon proved to be inadequate however, and a new building at the foot of University Avenue was designed by the architect and former assistant to J.J. Burnet, Alan McNaughton of Arthur & McNaughton in the Scots Baronial style. The new Union building was financed from funds raised by donations to the Student Welfare Scheme, started in 1921 to re-invigorate student life and was erected between 1929 and 1931, with the women of the Queen Margaret Union (QMU) moving into the John McIntyre Building in 1932. The John MacIntyre has been the location of the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, since the new QMU building opened in 1969. An extension to the Glasgow University Union building was designed by Keppie, Henderson & Partners and opened in 1965, which housed four bars: Deep Six, the Gallery Bar, Altitude and Playing Fields - and the union's nightclub, The Hive. The extension was closed in late January 2013, with demolition of the building following in July of that year. Construction of a new , £13.4 million sports and social facility designed by Page/Park Architects and ECD Architects began in June 2014. This is a shared premises with Glasgow University Sports Association. The GUU element of the building includes a revitalised Hive nightclub and three bars: The Well, Base and G12. The new facility was completed in September 2015 and formally launched on 17 October 2015.
Two-union structure The GUU is one of two unions at the University of Glasgow, the other being the Queen Margaret Union, which was established in 1890, after the first matriculation of women at the university in the wake of its merger with Queen Margaret College.
The reason for this separation is that the GUU originally only permitted men to join, while the QMU only admitted women; in fact, the GUU was the last student union in the UK to have single-sex membership. In 1977, in the wake of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, there was a referendum to mix the two unions, but this was defeated by a large majority. A mixing campaign got seriously under way in 1979, at one point the strictly all-male "Beer Bar" being occupied by a large mixed group of students. An extraordinary general meeting of the QMU voted overwhelmingly to admit men into membership, a move which subverted the whole structure of separate unions. Eventually, in 1980, a GUU special general meeting voted overwhelmingly to admit women into membership, under threat from the University Court of losing the lease on the extension to its building, with just 139 votes against.
Services
Board of Management
Unlike most student unions, the GUU has no sabbatical officers. Instead, the Union's affairs are controlled on behalf of the membership by a 26-member board of management, featuring 17 elected student positions, seven alumni positions and two ex-officio seats for the President of the Glasgow University Sports Association and the Past President.
The three-person executive committee is made up of the President, Honorary Secretary and Assistant Honorary Secretary. The President chairs the board and is responsible for special projects, external communications and external relations. The Honorary Secretary is responsible for day-to-day operations, membership experience and security & licensing matters, as well as organising flagship events such as Freshers' Week and Daft Friday. This is supported by the Assistant Honorary Secretary, who is also responsible for managing the board and supporting them in operating the Union, whilst also handling the Union's relationships with affiliated clubs and societies.
The Executive liaise with the building management daily to organise operations, and are supported by two alumni Vice Presidents (each elected for two-year terms with one up for re-election each year) and the Honorary Treasurer, who provide strategic guidance. Four conveners operate below this, managing their own committees of Debates, Games, Libraries and Entertainments, made up of Union members, which organise regular events during term-time. Ten Present Student Members are elected, five per year on a two-year term, to represent the members and partake in operational committees ranging from PR to Student Welfare and Sustainability. Four Former Student Members provide a voice for the Union's alumni members as well as experience and support for the student members.
The 2026–2027 Board of Management is:
Executive President - Cameron MacKenzie Honorary Secretary - Anna Dunn Assistant Honorary Secretary - Grace Harrison Vice-President - Nicola Wilkinson Vice-President - Gavin Muir Honorary Treasurer - Chris Bush
Conveners Convener of Debates - Sally Dean Convener of Games - Magnus Stewart Convener of Libraries - Rosalind Herbert Convener of Entertainments - Rosa Macaulay Convener of Communications - Erin Murphy-Wallace
Members
Present Student Members
Alicia Dogherty Amelie Leprince Eva De Luca Maisha Lorgat Megan Barnes Nathan Greive Olivia Crilly Rory Dynan Sarah Mageed Vhairi Mcleod
Former Student Members
Jag Kooner Paul Baird Rob McMillan Simon Tierney
Activities
The GUU is a social hub for the university, providing the largest billiard hall in the West End, bars, live entertainment and a nightclub. It is one of the largest licensed premises in Scotland with nine bars (and a tenth which is portable for use during functions). In addition, members can eat in the Union Kitchen, relax in the Drawing Room Coffee Shop (formerly the Smoking Room) and take advantage of two libraries provided for study."The objects of the Union shall be to maintain Reading, Writing and Dining Rooms, to promote social interaction among the members, to form a centre to which the various University Societies may be affiliated, and generally to fulfill the function of a Club for the members. The Union shall at all times remain an autonomous body with ultimate sovereignty vested in the members in General Meeting." - GUU Constitution.
The two libraries and the Reading Room, available for study and social events, are maintained by the Libraries Convener. The Elliot Library is named after former inter-war Cabinet Minister Walter Elliot; the Bridie Library after Osborne Mavor, physician, dramatist and founder of the Citizens Theatre, who wrote under the pseudonym, "James Bridie". A mural by Fyffe Christie hangs in the room, illustrating the West End Perk, a poem by Bridie. The Reading Room is dedicated to Donald Dewar, former President of the Union, Secretary of State for Scotland and First Minister of Scotland, and a portrait hangs there in his memory.
Daft Friday After its impromptu initiation as a piano Sing-along and Smoking concert by the then Honorary Secretary Osborne Henry Mavor on the last day of the 1908 Martinmas Academic term, the highlight of the Union's social calendar is the annual 'Daft Friday' black tie ball which continues to be held at the end of the Martinmas term exam diet. Over the years the event has become increasingly elaborate with the entire union building decorated to a theme and devoted to the festivities.
Over 2000 students attend the event, which includes revolves around a secret theme and hosts entertainments such as a swing band, string quartet, DJs, ceilidhs and laserquest. Bands that have played Daft Friday in recent years, include: Arcade Fire in 2008, Jack Penate in 2009, Bombay Bicycle Club in 2010, Frightened Rabbit in 2011, Basshunter in 2012, Chvrches in 2013, Sub Focus in 2015, Gabrielle Aplin in 2016, Fickle Friends in 2017 and the Hoosiers in 2018.
The evening also includes the James Bridie Memorial dinner; a seven–course meal for around 150 guests. Speakers at the 2011 dinner included Charles Kennedy and David Ross, both of whom are former presidents of the union.
Debating The GUU is one of the most successful university debating institutions in the world, winning the World Universities Debating Championship five times, the European Universities Debating Championships once and the John Smith Memorial Mace a record 16 times.
The Convener of Debates on the GUU Board is elected from the Union membership and heads the Union Debates Committee. The Convener is responsible for the internal and intervarsity debating activities of the GUU. The Union's Debates Chamber spans the first and second floors of the building.
The Union historically held the biennial John Smith Memorial Debate in memory of the former Leader of the Labour Party and former member of the union and Convener of Debates. The last of these was held in 2011, when guest speakers included Shadow Scottish Secretary Ann McKechin and former Conservative Health Minister Gerry Malone, and which was chaired by then Rector of the University and former leader of the Liberal Democrats Charles Kennedy. A bust of John Smith by Eduardo Paolozzi stands at the entrance to the Debates Chamber gallery.
The Union holds a biennial Charles Kennedy Memorial Debate, the first having been held in 2015. In attendance at the inaugural memorial debate were: Alex Cole-Hamilton, subsequent Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh Western; Alistair Darling, former Chancellor of the Exchequer and Labour MP for Edinburgh South West; Fiona Hyslop, SNP MSP for Linlithgow and Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs; Ian Duncan, Conservative MEP; Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton; and Alastair Campbell, former Director of Communications and Strategy at Number 10. The debate was chaired by Former President of the Union and former leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for North East Fife Sir Menzies Campbell.
World Debating Anniversary To mark the 30th anniversary of the World Universities Debating Championships, which were founded by GUU, it held a Grand Show Debate on the subject of Scottish independence. This was held in the union on 19 November 2011.
The debate featured eight of the union's ten former world champions and was chaired by the union president, Chris Sibbald. Speakers in the debate included: former ITN presenter John Nicolson, Managing Director of McKinsey & Company UK and Ireland Kevin Sneader, Royal Bank of Scotland Global Head of Equities Frank McKirgan, Gillette Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Procter & Gamble Austin Lally, now President of Braun and a member of the P&G Global Leadership Council, advocate Manus Blessing, Managing Director of Bain Capital Robin Marshall, former MSP, Duncan Hamilton, and entrepreneur Gordon Peterson.