The Lancaster University Students' Union (LUSU) is a students' union at Lancaster University in Lancashire, England. It is a registered company and charity overseen by a board of trustees. Politically, it is led by six sabbatical officers - a President and five Vice-Presidents - who are elected annually by the student membership.
History
Early history, 1964–74
The original student government at Lancaster University was the University Junior Common Room (JCR), which was a meeting of the entire student body, and college JCRs, though the colleges did not yet exist in physical form. The day-to-day running of the University JCR was deputed to a committee called the Student Council, which was responsible to the University JCR. The Council set up various sub-committees to deal with areas such as lodgings, charities week, and the university bookshop.
In June 1965, two students presented a report on the future of Student Council, in which they argued: "To coordinate the activities of the University societies some central organisation and representation is required. To this end we will have to have a Students' Union which will be similar to other University unions but with no union building." In response, Professor Tom Lawrenson, the principal of Lonsdale College, argued that there should instead be "a top body which arises organically from the colleges... I feel that the body you propose would be, in time, schismatic and in vacuo, devoid of real roots among its constitutents in a collegiate university..."
2019–20 controversies
Bailrigg FM broadcast license
In April 2019, LUSU announced that it would not be renewing funding for Bailrigg FM's full-time FM broadcast license and that it would have to switch to online-only broadcast after 20 years of broadcasting on 87.7FM. The story was picked up by local by regional radio and news outlets BBC Radio Lancashire and newspaper Lancs Live, with then Station Manager of Bailrigg FM, Pascal Maguet, giving interviews to both expressing disappointment at the decision. Alumni members of the radio station such as Louis Barfe, James Masterton and Paul Dale publicly condemned the decision as well as a number of student media institutions at other universities.
The decision was overturned by the Trustee Board in August 2019.
Proposed sale of The Sugarhouse
In September 2019, following a leak to the media, LUSU confirmed that negotiations were underway to potentially sell the Sugarhouse nightclub to build student flats, following a vote of the Trustee Board The "risk of noise complaints" was identified as a key reason to sell the Sugarhouse, but it was revealed that no noise complaints had been made about the nightclub. Many expressed opposition to the decision, including alumni James May and Cat Smith, along with Lancaster city councillors. Concerns were raised over the role Lancaster University management played in pushing for the sale, and the lack of transparency surrounding the process. Following the backlash against the proposed sale, LUSU's Chief Executive and two external trustees resigned.
After petitions opposing the plans on Change.org and on LUSU's website received over 4,000 and 1,100 signatures respectively, the LUSU Exec decided to hold a student referendum in November 2019 over the sale, in which 94% of students voted against the sale. Despite having refused to guarantee that the referendum result would be respected, LUSU's Trustee Board unanimously agreed to abandon their plans to sell the Sugarhouse in December 2019.
Sabbatical officer resignations
In November 2019 and March 2020, two sabbatical officers resigned, both citing a "toxic" culture within the students' union. In May 2020, after having been re-elected to serve a second term, the President was summarily dismissed following an independent investigation and hearing into unspecified, but multiple, complaints against him. Immediately following his dismissal, a third sabbatical officer, and two voluntary student officers also resigned. The following month, an independent appeals panel upheld the decision to dismiss the former President.