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University of Manitoba Students' Union fonds: Home

University of Manitoba Students' Union fonds

Call Number: Ua 8, Pc 52, Mc 7 (A.79-17, A.83-31, A.84-22, A.96-49)

Title: University of Manitoba Students' Union fonds.

Dates: 1960-1995.

Extent: 17.8 m of textual records and other material.

Administrative history: In 1906, a students' union was organized as part of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In 1907, the Student Representative Council was organized by the University Council, but it was not until 1919 that the University of Manitoba Students' Union (U.M.S.U.) was officially sanctioned. The U.M.S.U. Constitution was written in 1940 and featured the following objectives: to supply students with extra-curricular activities, to facilitate personal contracts, to keep students informed on U.M.S.U. decisions, to bring the University into closer contact with the public, to attain continuity of student government, to act as an effective lobby to the Provincial government, to make academic proposals, and to work for the erection of a students' building.

U.M.S.U. is under the control of a Council made up of student representatives from various faculties, schools, colleges, and residences on campus. The President and Vice-President hold the highest administrative posts in U.M.S.U. and are flanked by the Directors of Student Services, Administration, Communication, and Programming. U.M.S.U. operates the annual "Celebration" festival which includes guest speakers, films, and social events and publishes the University student newspaper, The Manitoban. It also formally produced an annual telephone directory and finances all other faculty student councils.

Custodial history: The fonds was donated to University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by U.M.S.U. in 1979, 1983, 1984, and 1996.

Scope and content: The earlier accessions of the fonds contain U.M.S.U. Council and Executive minutes, correspondence, committee reports, financial statements, course evaluations, student associations, and records from U.M.S.U. publications and conferences. There are also records of elections, faculty and student associations, groups funded by U.M.S.U., and planning material for the University Centre building. Most of these records pertain to the 1960-1983 period.  Also included in the photograph collection (PC 52) are 3 film reels and 136 16 mm negative film strips pertaining to a film produced by U.M.S.U. titled "And No Birds Sing."

The 1996 accession of the fonds consists of U.M.S.. Council and Executive minutes, correspondence, reports, resource manuals, an financial statements.  Also included are records of U.M.S.U services and businesses, as well as records documenting U.M.S.U. involvement in various issues, both on-campus and off-campus that influenced student life.  Most of these records pertain to the 1975-1995 period.  The photograph collection consists of 3 photographs of recipients of the Robert C. Armitage Award and 23 photographs of Sustainable Campus Week activities.  The map collection consists of 6 blueprints of University Centre.

Restrictions: Due to extensive personal information in the records, access to the fonds is restricted without written permission from U.M.S.U.

Finding aid: Printed finding aids are available in the Archives reading room and an on-line finding aid for the 1996 accession is available at the link below: 

UA 8, PC 52, MC 7 (A.96-49).