Goldsmiths Students' Union
Encyclopedia
Goldsmiths Students' Union (GSU) is the students' union
for Goldsmiths, University of London. It offers a variety of services to students including advice, sports clubs and activities as well as a full listing of entertainments and events and a fully licensed 1000 capacity live music venue. It is also an actively campaigning students' union, with representatives attending many marches throughout the academic year. In December 2008, a group of students from several student led societies occupied the Deptford
Town Hall Building for the cause of guaranteed scholarships for students of Palestinian
Al-Quds University
with which Goldsmiths Students' Union is twinned.
All GSU members may also have access University of London Union
facilities and Senate House Library.
, Goldsmiths has a diverse student body and attracts students from all over the world and this is embraced and celebrated by the students' union who arrange events throughout the year and its core representative values can be summed up in its mission statement:
Representation is at the centre of all we do and through representation we provide inclusive, accessibile activities for Goldsmiths' students.
We believe our representative function will become of vital importance to students and the College over the next five years.
The mission can be shown in practice graphically here
, glass
and plastic
. The union offices also have facilities in place for the recycling
of ink and toner cartridges as well as mobile phones and similar devices. The students' union has won awards from Lewisham Council as well as the National Union of Students (United Kingdom) for three years under its Sound Impact Awards scheme.
Best Bar None Award History
GSU has also, since 2005, campaigned for Goldsmiths, University of London to strive towards becoming a certified Fairtrade university.
Any student may set up a society or club as long as they have ten member subscriptions paid. The cost of a subscription ranges from £1 - £5.
Building of Goldsmiths, University of London. It sells snacks and non-alcoholic beverages as well as an extensive range of arts supplies and materials.
The SU Shop is passionate about sourcing products ethically and stocks over 25 Fairtrade product lines including Ubuntu Cola
and Cafe Direct as well as hoodies and t-shirts, all made with 100% Fairtrade cotton
.
, Metronomy
, Late of the Pier
, Shy Child
all player. Most famously however are the band Blur (band)
played to a packed house on Monday 22 June 2009. Two of the members, Graham Coxon
and Alex James (musician)
had previously studied at Goldsmiths before forming the band.
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
for Goldsmiths, University of London. It offers a variety of services to students including advice, sports clubs and activities as well as a full listing of entertainments and events and a fully licensed 1000 capacity live music venue. It is also an actively campaigning students' union, with representatives attending many marches throughout the academic year. In December 2008, a group of students from several student led societies occupied the Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
Town Hall Building for the cause of guaranteed scholarships for students of Palestinian
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
Al-Quds University
Al-Quds University
Al-Quds University is a Palestinian university with campuses in Jerusalem, Abu Dis, and al-Bireh. It was founded in 1984, but its official constitution was written in 1993 when Mohammed Nusseibeh, its first Chancellor and Chancellor of the College of Science and Technology, announced its...
with which Goldsmiths Students' Union is twinned.
All GSU members may also have access University of London Union
University of London Union
The University of London Union is the university-wide students' union for the University of London...
facilities and Senate House Library.
Mission Statement
Set in New CrossNew Cross
New Cross is a district and ward of the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is situated 4 miles south-east of Charing Cross. The ward covered by London post town and the SE 14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich...
, Goldsmiths has a diverse student body and attracts students from all over the world and this is embraced and celebrated by the students' union who arrange events throughout the year and its core representative values can be summed up in its mission statement:
Representation is at the centre of all we do and through representation we provide inclusive, accessibile activities for Goldsmiths' students.
We believe our representative function will become of vital importance to students and the College over the next five years.
The mission can be shown in practice graphically here
Recycling and the Environment
GSU takes environmental issues seriously and since 2005 has recycled all paper waste and since 2007 has recycled all paperPaper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
and plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
. The union offices also have facilities in place for the recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
of ink and toner cartridges as well as mobile phones and similar devices. The students' union has won awards from Lewisham Council as well as the National Union of Students (United Kingdom) for three years under its Sound Impact Awards scheme.
Sound Impact Awards History
- 2007 - Gold Award
- 2008 - Bronze Award
- 2009 - Silver Award
- 2010 - Silver Award
Best Bar None Award History
- 2007 Accredited
- 2008 - Accredited
- 2009 Accredited
- 2010 - Bronze Award
Fairtrade
Goldsmiths Students' Union is a supporter of Fairtrade and pledges to source Fairtrade products wherever possible. All teas, coffees, sugar and clothing it sells are certified Fairtrade as well as a selection of snacks and drinks which are available from the SU Shop (see below).GSU has also, since 2005, campaigned for Goldsmiths, University of London to strive towards becoming a certified Fairtrade university.
Elected Positions
Goldsmiths Students' Union is democratically run by elected officers. Each Spring, Goldsmiths students get the opportunity to elect candidates based on submitted manifestos for a variety of positions. These consist of four full-time positions which are remunerated and 14 part-time positions. The elections are independently verified by a returning officer from the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom or NUS as it is commonly known. The full list of positions can be found below.Annual Report
Each year the students' union publishes its Annual Impact Report which outlines to all stakeholders the work that the students' union has been doing throughout the year, its campaigns and its achievements. The document is designed in house and present to the college management board as well as being made available to students online and in a hard copy format.Student Involvement
Goldsmiths Students' Union helps support 50+ student run clubs and societies and over 20 competitive and non-competitive sports teams. Between September 2008 and April 2009 GSU has attracted media attention several times including major coverage on BBC Radio 2's Woman's Hour, BBC ONE's "The One Show" and The Times newspaper.Any student may set up a society or club as long as they have ten member subscriptions paid. The cost of a subscription ranges from £1 - £5.
Commercial Services
Goldsmiths Students' Union operates a number of commercial services in order to raise funding for the non-commercial aspects to its function. Without these sources of income the students' union would have to rely solely on the grant provided by Goldsmiths, University of London. Commercial services allow the union to maintain a level of independence from the parent institution. The commercial services department is headed by the Commercial Services Manager assisted by a Venue Manager, Retail Manager, Assistant Retail Manager, Entertainment Technical Director, Duty Venue Manager, Bar Supervisors and approximately 40 part-time staff who are all current students at Goldsmiths, University of London.SU Shop
The Students' Union Shop is located in the Richard HoggartRichard Hoggart
Herbert Richard Hoggart is a British academic and public figure, whose career has covered the fields of sociology, English literature and cultural studies, with a special concern for British popular culture.-Career:...
Building of Goldsmiths, University of London. It sells snacks and non-alcoholic beverages as well as an extensive range of arts supplies and materials.
The SU Shop is passionate about sourcing products ethically and stocks over 25 Fairtrade product lines including Ubuntu Cola
Ubuntu Cola
Ubuntu Cola is a soft drink certified by The Fairtrade Foundation. Made with Fairtrade sugar from Malawi and Zambia, Ubuntu Cola is the first UK cola to be Fairtrade certified...
and Cafe Direct as well as hoodies and t-shirts, all made with 100% Fairtrade cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
Opening Times
- 9am-7pm Monday to Friday (Term Time)
- 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (Out of Term-Time)
- Saturday's and Sunday's - Closed
The Stretch/Live Music/Bar & Club
The Stretch is the union's 1000 capacity live music and club venue hosting two licensed bars, a night club, common room and cafe area as well as conference room and multi-faith prayer room. The Students' Union primarily organises student-led events but also hosts big gigs and has seen the likes of the Mystery JetsMystery Jets
Mystery Jets are an English five-piece indie band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band was formed by Henry Harrison , Blaine Harrison and William Rees when the boys were still at school and would send each other songs on cassettes...
, Metronomy
Metronomy
Metronomy are an electronic music group formed by Joseph Mount in Totnes, Devon, England in 1999. The current band consists of Joseph Mount , Anna Prior , Oscar Cash and Gbenga Adelekan...
, Late of the Pier
Late of the Pier
Late of the Pier are a four-piece dance-punk band from Castle Donington, England, currently signed to Phantasy. Their debut album Fantasy Black Channel was released on 11 August 2008 by Parlophone produced by Erol Alkan.- History :...
, Shy Child
Shy Child
Shy Child are an electronic music duo from New York consisting of Pete Cafarella on vocals and synthesizers and Nate Smith on drums.-History:Shy Child formed in the summer of 2000, when former college friends Pete Cafarella and Nate Smith separately moved to New York...
all player. Most famously however are the band Blur (band)
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
played to a packed house on Monday 22 June 2009. Two of the members, Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
and Alex James (musician)
Alex James (musician)
Professionally known as Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur...
had previously studied at Goldsmiths before forming the band.
Opening Times
The venue is generally open between 12 Noon and 2am Monday to Friday or later for large events. The Stretch is not generally open at weekends and operates term-time only so is generally closed from mid-June to mid-SeptemberSummer Ball
Every year, Goldsmiths Students' Union holds a Summer Ball which since 2007 has been themed.- 2010 - A Midsummer Nights Dream
- 2009 - Alice in Wonderland
- 2008 - Arabian Nights
- 2007 - Masquerade Ball