Queen Margaret Union

This page is about one of the students' unions at the University of Glasgow, and not the students' union for Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

Queen Margaret Union

Institution	University of Glasgow
Location	Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Established	c1890
President	Kirsty Hill
Members	c. 6,000 total
Affiliations	University of Glasgow
Website	www.qmu.org.uk

The Queen Margaret Union (QMU) is one of two students' unions at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1890, it caters for the social and cultural needs of its members by providing a range of services including, entertainments, catering, shop facilities, bars and games.

History

The Queen Margaret Union was founded in 1890 by students of the Queen Margaret College in the West End of Glasgow to provide an outlet for their social and cultural needs.

The QM Union originated in the basement rooms of the College until 1906, when the expansion of the College meant that the space was needed for teaching. A bazaar was held by the Board of Management (comprising elected students) to raise money to erect and furnish a Union Building to house the Union. The bazaar was held over four days and featured a number of stalls selling many different items from clothes to pieces of furniture. Although the funds were raised, a building was never created for the Union to occupy.

The QM's former home at 1 University Gardens

After a few years of trying to decide how best to spend the money, a house at 31 Buckingham Terrace was rented. In 1912, the College Club at the University of Glasgow went into liquidation and the QM Union took over the premises at 67 Ann Street (now Southpark Terrance) until 1922 when it moved across the road from the Glasgow University Union (GUU, which only admitted men) in the John McIntyre Building, to be based at 1 University Gardens (left, now part of the Department of History). During this period, the QM Union mostly provided space for its members to study, discuss, debate and eat.

In 1932, as the Men's Union grew in size and had a building built at the bottom of Gilmorehill, its previous home in the John McIntyre Building was given to the QM Union. At this time in its history the QM Union was beginning to explore, rather successfully, in the world of University Debating. Men and other delegates were allowed to attend but only as "distinguished strangers", who sat in a separate gallery. Other facilities included a library, dining room, study space, and cubicles so that members who lived at home outwith the city centre could stay over after public transport had ended.

The building quickly became inadequate to provide for the University of Glasgow’s growing female population. In 1968, a building at 22 University Gardens was built to accommodate the then so-called, "Q-Emma’s".

The women of the QMU were often strongly involved in the debating circuit and especially in Rectorial elections and campaigns at the University.

However for some years many students had questioned the division of the sexes at Glasgow, this became more marked with the passing of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The two unions had an agreement allowing reciprocal use of much of each other's facilities, but some saw the arrangement as unbalanced. The QM Union allowed men to use the bulk of its facilities with a few restrictions, but the GUU confined women to the extension, excluding them from the older half of the building. The 'Mixing Debate' gained momentum in the mid-1970s, but neither Union seemed willing to change its stance. As the decade came to a close, several males had requested to join the QMU; it held a general meeting in 1979 and changed its constitution to allow men to become members. The GUU followed one year later.

A serious fire in 1982 shut the building for several months and sparked nearly a decade of financial problems for the Union. However, between 1989 and 1992, effective management and prudent financial control saw the Union become financially solvent once again. Brought about by the Presidents, Board of Management and General Manager of that time.

Today

The early 1990s saw the QMU become an established live music venue. Notably Nirvana, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole and Garbage all played on the Union's main stage. This continues today with bands such as Biffy Clyro and Franz Ferdinand playing on the same stage.

The late 1990s until the early 2000s saw the QMU redevelop many of its social and commercial areas, including all of its bars. Other recent notable events at the QMU have included playing a large part in the "No to NUS" campaign in 2006 at the University of Glasgow and supporting Charles Kennedy in his successful campaign to become Rector.

Although there are two Unions at the University of Glasgow, most students choose to only join one of them. Some students think that joining both is not allowed, but many first years join both before deciding which union they prefer. In 2003-2004, both Unions attempted to change their Constitutions to allow for Automatic Joint Student Membership. The QMU successfully made the required changes, but due to an irregularity in procedures, the GUU did not put the matter to a vote and the process was abandoned.

As of 2008, the QM Union, with just over 5000 members, is based at number 22 University Gardens, near to the rear entrance of the Boyd Orr building. The current building opened in 1967. Membership is split fairly equally among the sexes, and the QMU has maintained high membership levels for many years.

In 2007 and 2009, qmunicate, the QM Union's member-run fortnightly publication, won the Best Magazine Award at The Herald Scottish Student Press Awards. It was shortlisted in 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 2010 Ruaraidh J MacIntyre, qmunicate's resident columnist won the 'Best Columnist' award at the Herald Student Press Awards.

Board of Management

The QMU is run by a student Board of Management bi-annually elected by the membership. The names of the Presidents of the Union are preserved on a board in the main stairwell of the Union and photographs of each entire Board of Management are taken at the start of their term of office and displayed on the walls of the Board Room. The Board is divided into three distinct parts. The Executive comprises the offices of President, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Assistant Secretary and are charged with the day-to-day running of the union and maintaining a high level of discipline, member and clubs and societies involvement and representing the union externally. The Covenors' are each responsible for an aspect of the unions activity. The convenors as of 2010 were Events Convenor - responsible for all activities happening in Qudos and organising large-scale special events such as 10 and 12-Hour Cheesy Pop, Publications Convenor - Responsible for the production of the fornightly magazine qmunicate and the upkeep of the website, Social Convenor - responsible for any events which run in the bars such as karaoke or the Big Wednesday Night Pub Quiz, Campaigns and Charities Convenor - responsible broadly for the welfare and services of members of the union including the free condom scheme and supporting charitable activity. The largest section of the board is that of the Ordinary Board Member. The "Ord Board" is composed of twelve elected students, two of whom are in their first year of study, who are largely free to involve themselves with whatever aspects of the union they see fit. In addition to this, the Board of Management contains two Former Student Members, the Past President, Honourary President and two Honourary Vice Presidents. The current President is Kirsty Hill.

Committees

The Board of Management is fed ideas through a committee structure. Active committees in 2010 are: Events, Social, Publications, and Support and Services. Committee meetings can be attended by any member of the Union.

Facilities

The QMU offers a number of facilities over four floors. Aside from general facilities such as cash machines, toilets, a laundry room, a TV room, and 24-hour study rooms, the Union's facilities include:

Ground Floor

• A general shop, stocking items similar to that of a standard Newsagent.

• Qudos, the Union's primary venue, is used to host club nights, most notably Quids (which replaced alt rock night, Revolution) and Cheesy Pop, and gigs and has a capacity of approximately 900. Amongst the most famous bands to have played there on their way to making it big are Queen (15 March 1974) and Nirvana (30 November 1991), as have other more recent bands such as Biffy Clyro. It has also been used for regular film nights and large pub quizzes.

• A coffee shop with a raised seating area.

• A photocopying service at highly competitive rates

First Floor

• Jim's Bar: named after a deceased member of bar staff, has sofas, comfortable booths, a jukebox, and a well stocked bar. Many small Union events are run in Jim's Bar, including the Wednesday Night Pub Quiz (described by NME as the best in Glasgow), the Friday Face-Off quiz, Unplugged Open-Mic night on a Thursday, New Theatre in Jims - a student theatre night,New Comedy in Jims - a student comedy night, DJs and game-shows.

• Champions' Bar: the QMU's sports bar with a large projector screen, several smaller televisions, 3 pool tables, foosball table and a bar.

Second Floor

• The Food Factory, offering a variety of cold and hot foods, most notably sandwiches and pizzas, and a rotating daily menu offering meat and vegetarian options.

• Cafe Lacuna with free wireless internet access.

Third Floor

• The Executive Office: home to the current President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Assistant Secretary.

• Committee rooms, used by clubs and societies as well as students for group study.

• Laundry facilities, housing two tumble dryers and washing machines.

• Study rooms, available 24 hours a day for union members.

• TV Room, a room with a TV and social space for all members.

• Administrative offices.

Archives

The archives of the QMU are maintained by the Archives of the University of Glasgow (GUAS).

External links

Official Sites

• qmu.org.uk
• The QMU's online forum.

References

• Union With Many Crowns from Cobain to Queen, Glasgow Herald, 4 January 2008
• Students Vote on Union Membership, BBC News, November 2006
• Presidential Summit at the QMU, University of Glasgow Newsletter, Issue 279 October 2006
• We thought it was for the posh kids The Herald, April 2006
• Uni Considers Early Smoking Ban BBC News, August 2005