Our Union is crumbling around us, and no-one seems to care.

Josh James.

The last year has been an incredibly turbulent one, for all of us students in Aberystwyth even if you don’t know it. Our hard-working officers are now desperately trying to grapple control of the Union's affairs, yet the majority of students remain somewhat callously unaware of this massive threat. So, why is the Union collapsing in on itself; with what is now remarkable speed, why does nobody care, and why is this all such a bad thing? Let me explain:

The Union has always made a decent amount of money off us, whether we are buying things in its shops, buying BOS cards, or drinking in its bars, and all this has been relatively successful. This is the arm of the Union that is most recognisable, and perhaps where a lot of the apathy comes from. Because this is the union that is so very visual, many believe that this is the only purpose the union serves, “to get people drunk”, and we students are the ones that pay for it. They do not realise that this profitable arm of the union is in fact only a very narrow slice of the union in its entirety.

The other half of the Union is not a business, but a charity. Protecting student’s interests, campaigning for better quality of academic and welfare services the university provides, as well as providing some itself. Housing initiatives, counselling, societies and sports clubs funding, and helping those who encounter the worst of problems the University can offer; accusations of unfair practice and the like. We pay to, eat and drink, and at the same time fund things that facilitate the serious matter, of “student experience” the University boasts so much about. The union is in fact the source of nearly all the things we as students submerge ourselves in while at university.

Only recently, despite it being beyond reason itself, the university seems to have launched almost a campaign on the organisation that so silently works on our behalf, on academic boards and in student cases; and now seems to want it to close. It seems, it no longer appreciates the input the union has into its own workings, or at least that is the opinion of the Vice Chancellor (head-honcho).

The money the union makes doesn’t cover all the work the charity arm does, and so the university has historically invested large sums (it being in its own interests after all that the student voice can be heard). However, recently it has cut this funding, drastically, most recently by £75,000, leaving the Union with limited room to manoeuvre, less so with the recent resignation of Chief Executive; Geraint Edwards. As a result, it has started to downscale, presumably to try and plug the leak. It has not worked it has only made it worse, quickly.

If the Vice Chancellor’s plan is to reduce the union and the student voice to the minimum law will allow, she is doing a good job.

The result will be not “bad” but catastrophic; for students at least. There will be no support when we need it, funding for societies will likely decrease, the union bars may close just as the bars in PJM and Cwrt Mawr have over the last 5 years. Worst of all, we will have no voice. The student experience will be no more; things will be run how the University big wigs want them, not how student’s want them, and considering students are now paying £9000 a year; does that really sound fair?

It may be too late to reverse the destruction of our union, we will just have to wait and see. However if the Union is going to survive the next few years, it needs as much student support as it can get. You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.

This piece represents Josh James' view on the situation, not that of AULS.  If you have a piece you'd like to contribute, or reply to this post, email tdk@aber.ac.uk.