Hong Kong University Students' Union


The Hong Kong University Students' Union is the officially recognised undergraduate students' association of the University of Hong Kong. It was founded in 1912, and is currently a registered society under the Societies Ordinance.

History

The Union was established in 1912 when it was first named as the Hong Kong University Union , some two years after the foundation of the University of Hong Kong. The Union was then reorganised and renamed as the Hong Kong University Students' Society after the Second World War in 1945. In 1949, the Union submitted a successful application for becoming a student organisation to the Hong Kong Police.

General

The Union serves both undergraduate and postgraduate students and is the only official student organisation serving the undergraduates of the University of Hong Kong. Undergraduates become a Union member automatically. Other students of the University can become a member upon the payment of membership fee.
According to the Constitution, the aims of the Union are:
The highest authority of the Union is the General Meeting and General Polling. The quorum for both the General Meeting or General Polling is currently 10% of the full members. The General Meeting is hardly ever called, mostly because it is difficult to find a venue to accommodate many members at the same time. However, General Pollings are held almost every year.
There are currently 122 student societies affiliated to HKUSU. These students' societies and clubs can be categorised into six main groups: Campus media, Faculty and academic societies, Hall students' association, Sports clubs, Cultural clubs and Independent clubs.

Union Council

The second highest authority and highest standing authority of the Union is the Union Council. Its functions are to represent the students of the University in such matters as affect their interests and to afford a recognized means of communication between the general body of the students and the University authorities.

Chairperson

Elected at the first meeting in every session, the Council Chairperson is the presiding member of the Union Council. The Chairperson has to be a Union Councillor of the past session to be elected Chairperson of the current session; if he is also a Union Councillor of the current session, he has to resign from the original representation and the seat will be substituted if necessary.
When any member is in the Chair, he cannot move, second or vote on motions.

Honorary Secretary

Also elected at the first meeting in every session, the Honorary Secretary heads the Union Council Secretariat. There is no specific requirement for seeking to be elected Honorary Secretary, but if he, same as the Chairperson, is a Union Councillor of the current session, he has to resign from the original representation and the seat will be substituted if necessary.
The Honorary Secretary has full right to speak, but he cannot move, second or vote on motions.

Union Executives

An Executive Committee, elected in the way of General Polling, acts as the executive body for HKUSU.
The Union Executives are the forefront members representing HKUSU. The Committee comprising 17 members formulate Union policies and carry out resolutions of the General Meeting and General Polling. As well as this, they carry out daily administrative work of the Union.
The composition is as follows:
HKUSU student activities and service outlets include:
Outlet NameServices offeredLocation
The Union OfficeRoom, poster, banner sites booking servicesUG1, Union Building, HKU
The Student Co-operative Store Discounted stationery and souvenirsUG1, Union Building, HKU
Computer Hardware and Accessory StoreComputer Hardware, Accessories, Software, banner and poster printingG/F, Union Building, HKU
Self-serviced Photocopying CentreOctopus Card-operated Photocopying Machines, mobile phone chargingUG1, Union Building, HKU
HKUSU Photocopying StoreDiscounted photocopyingUG1, Union Building, HKU

in front of the Students' Union Building before its revamp in 2011

University Affairs

The Union acts as a channel between students and the University. Some of the current projects include:
ProjectTheme
3-3-4 University Curriculum ReformCurriculum, General Education, Study Load of Professional Subjects, Grading / GPA / Honours Classification System
Centennial CampusRelocation of Faculties and the Students' Union, Usage of the Main Building, etc.

External Affairs

HKUSU, as one of the students' unions of the 11 universities in Hong Kong, has been very active in current affairs and student movements.
In 1998, the General Polling of the Union adopted that the Pillar of Shame should stay in the University campus permanently. This marked the beginning of a permanent stance that the Chinese Communist Party should be held responsible for the June Fourth massacre in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989. Later in 2009, another General Polling passed stated that the Central People's Government of China should rehabilitate the June Fourth Massacre, and be held responsible for the deaths and casualties during the incident.
In November 2016, students' unions across all major Hong Kong universities, including HKUSU, invited Christopher Patten, former Hong Kong governor, to be the guest of honour in a lecture that held at Loke Yew Hall in the University of Hong Kong.

New Union Building

As part of the construction of the Centennial Campus, the Hsü Long Sing Amenities Centre, where the HKUSU had resided for a number of years, was demolished in 2011. Development of a new Students' Union Building was completed in September 2011. Since the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Sciences has been relocated in the west of the HKU, the new Students' Union Building has become the heart of HKU, where majority of student activities will take place.

Choir

The Hong Kong University Students' Union Choir was founded in 1967 and has won a number of student awards since its foundation.