Dalhousie Student Union

The Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) is the official representative of students at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dalhousie Student Union
InstitutionDalhousie University
LocationHalifax, Nova Scotia
Established1863
PresidentMariam Knakriah
Vice presidentsTammy Maniou (Internal) Henry Amin (Finance and Operations)
Members20,000+ (Students of Dalhousie University) [1]
Websitewww.dsu.ca

History

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On November 10, 1869 students accepted ownership of the Dalhousie Gazette from the founding editors.

A referendum was held February 18–19, 1960, regarding the question of a Student Union Building being built on campus. 90.2% of voters backed the idea. 83.2% of students turned out to vote.

On November 8, 1968, the Student Union Building was opened. The cost of the building eventually was $3,700,000. The construction of the building was made possible in part by the province of Nova Scotia, which granted a loan of $2,766,600 to the Student Union. The SUB loan was retired in 1982.

The CRTC approved student-operated campus radio station CKDU's application for an FM broadcasting license in October 1984. The station's first broadcast was Friday, February 1, 1985, at 3:30 p.m.

The Dalhousie Student Union was a founding member of the Canadian Federation of Students in 1981 but withdrew its membership in 1994. In that same year, it became a founding member of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

 
Student Union Building

In 2003, the DSU helped found the Alliance of Nova Scotia Student Associations, later named Students Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia's provincial student advocacy group. On February 27, 2015, the DSU council voted on and subsequently passed a motion to remove its membership from Students Nova Scotia.

Structure

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The DSU is run by a Council consisting of members elected by either the student body directly in open elections, or appointed by certain student societies. The Council meets every two weeks during the school year, and monthly during the summer. The Council has the ability to approve budgets and expenditures on behalf of the student body.

Day-to-day operations of the DSU are managed by the Executive, which is led by the DSU President. The Executive has the ability to execute its functions and spend its budget as approved by Council, but any new programs or substantial changes must first be approved by Council.

The DSU also represents students on the Dalhousie Board of Governors and Senate, and to external organizations. The DSU is granted eleven seats on the Senate and three on the Board of Governors. Two of the eleven seats on Senate are occupied ex-officio by the DSU President and DSU VP Academic & External. The remaining seats are filled by appointment by other student societies or the DSU. The DSU President is also a member of the Board of Governors and the remaining student seats are filled by student representatives chosen during an election. Students sitting on the Board of Governors also hold seats on the DSU Council.

The DSU general election is held annually during the Winter term and concludes by the end of March. Any vacancies are subject to a by-election held annually in October. All elections are preceded by a campaigning period as per the DSU bylaws.

The union also employs full-time staff to manage the Student Union Building, the Grawood and T-Room campus bars, research, communications, and reservations for building facilities. All full-time staff are managed by the student union executive.

Past Presidents

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Term Name Notes
2023-2024 Mariam Knakriah
2022-2023 Aparna Mohan
2021-2022 Madeleine Stinson Two-term president
2020-2021 Madeleine Stinson
2019-2020 Aisha Abawajy
2018-2019 Aaron Prosper First indigenous president [2]
2017-2018 Amina Abawajy
2016-2017 Kathleen Reid
2015-2016 Dan Nicholson
2014-2015 Ramz Aziz
2013-2014 Sagar Jha Survived a recall vote triggered in March by the loss of his student status and subsequent ineligibility to remain a DSU executive and resigned weeks before conclusion of term [3]
2012-2013 Jamie Arron
2011-2012 Chris Saulnier Two-term president
2010-2011 Chris Saulnier
2009-2010 Shannon Zimmerman
2008-2009 Courtney Larkin
2007-2008 Mike Tipping First international student president
2006-2007 Ezra Edelstein Two-term president
2005-2006 Ezra Edelstein
2004-2005 Curtis McGrath
2003-2004 Johanne Galarneau Two-term president
2002-2003 Johanne Galarneau
2001-2002 Shawn Tracey
2000-2001 Steven Cote
1999-2000 Kelly Mackenzie
1998-1999 Ted Chiasson
1997-1998 Chris Adams
1996-1997 Brad Mackay
1995-1996 David Cox
1994-1995 Rod Macleod
1993-1994 Jefferson Rappell
1992-1993 Lale Kasebi
1991-1992 Peter Pottier
1990-1991 Ralph Cochrane
1989-1990 Dave Shannon
1988-1989 Juanita Montalvo
1987-1988 Caroline Zayid Two-term president; first woman two-term president
1986-1987 Caroline Zayid
1985-1986 Catherine Blewett First woman president
1984-1985 Alex Gigeroff
1983-1984 Jim Hill
1982-1983 John Logan Two-term president
1981-1982 John Logan
1980-1981 Gord Owen
1979-1980 Dick Matthews
1978-1979 Mike Power
1977-1978 Robert Sampson
1976-1977 Gord Neal First Black President
1975-1976 Bruce Russell
1974-1975 Dan O'Connor
1973-1974 Mike Gardner
1972-1973 Brian Smith Two-term president
1971-1972 Brian Smith
1970-1971 Andy Winstanley
1969-1970 Bruce Gillis
1968-1969 Randy Smith
1967-1968 Dennis Ashworth
1966-1967 John Young
1965-1966 Robbie Shaw
1964-1965 Peter Herndof
1963-1964 George Cooper
1962-1963 Alan Robertson
1961-1962 Dick Thompson
1960-1961 Douglas Cudmore
1959-1960 Byron Reid
1958-1959 Dave Matheson
1957-1958 Murray Fraser
1956-1957 Ken Mounce
1955-1956 Douglas Brown
1954-1955 Victor F. Burstall
1953-1954 Gordon McConnell
1952-1953 George Kerr
1951-1952 Eric Kinsman
1950-1951 Sherman Zwicker
1949-1950 Art Moreira
1948-1949 James Russell McKinney
1947-1948 Ross Hamilton
1946-1947 Clint Havey
1945-1946 Alex Hart
1944-1945 Arthur Titus
1943-1944 Ken MacKinnon
1942-1943 Henry Tonning
1941-1942 Webster Macdonald
1940-1941 George Corston
1939-1940 Fred Barton
1938-1939 Gordon Mackenzie
1937-1938 Fred Day
1936-1937 Gordon Lea
1935-1936 H.E. Taylor
1934-1935 Fred Henry Wigmore
1933-1934 W.G. Mackenzie
1932-1933 William Gerald Stewart
1931-1932 John Denoon
1930-1931 Gerald Stewart
1929-1930 Frederick C. Jennings
1928-1929 Murray McGregor Rankin
1927-1928 Joseph Gerald Godsoe
1926-1927 Fred W. McInnes
1925-1926 A.B. Morton
1924-1925 L.W. Fraser
1923-1924 Leonard Fraser
1922-1923 N.A. Mackenzie
1921-1922 N.A. Mackenzie
1920-1921 W. Marshall Rogers
1919-1920 Daniel W. Hoare
1918-1919
1917-1918 C.M. Bayne
1916-1917 D.G. MacGregor
1915-1916 J.S. Fraser
1914-1915 E.C. Phinney
1913-1914 J. McG. Stewart
1912-1913 J.D. Vair
1911-1912
1910-1911 C.L. Gass
1909-1910
1908-1909
1907-1908
1906-1907
1905-1906 J.H. Charman
1904-1905
1903-1904
1902-1903
1901-1902 J.R. Miller
1900-1901 L.J. Miller
1899-1900 David Jardine
1898-1899 Chas E. McMillan
1897-1898 D.A. MacRae
1896-1897 A.D. Gunn
1895-1896 H.V. Bigelow
1894-1895 D.K. Grant
1893-1894 D.G. MacKay
1892-1893
1891-1892
1890-1891 J.W. Brehant

References

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  1. ^ "2022/2023 Enrolment Statistics - Summary by Faculty" (PDF). Dalhousie University. 2012-12-01.
  2. ^ "Head of the class". Dalhousie News. 2018-10-01.
  3. ^ "DSU president Sagar Jha resigns; union leaves CASA again". Dalhousie Gazette. 2014-04-10.
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