Student support services management/Accommodation services management, University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

Student support services management

Accommodation services management

Regents

Senate

Court

University of Glasgow Students' Representative Council

Glasgow University Students' Settlement Society

Queen Margaret Hall Company

Lodgings Office

Accommodation Office

Accommodation Services

Hostels Committee

Students Residence Committee

Student Housing Policy Committee

Executive Board of Governors of Halls of Residence

Accommodation Committee

Accommodation Users Committee

Accommodation and Catering Committee

At its foundation in 1451, the University had no property of its own. Living accommodation for the students was rented, probably in a modest building later called the Auld Pedagogy on Rottenrow near the Cathedral. In 1460, however, James, Lord Hamilton, gave the University a house on the High Street. Students henceforth lived in the College. It appears that they were expected to rent rooms on a sliding scale according to their wealth, the cost of the rooms being arranged with the regents. Poorer students shared rooms and beds.

Most students continued to live in College until growing numbers from the 1690s resulted in the common life being abandoned. By 1695, no more than half the students could be lodged in College. Some students were able to rent upper rooms in the College and, later, in the professors' houses, but others lived at home or found lodgings in town. The College became essentially a teaching building. Throughout the eighteenth century, only a minority could be accommodated in College.

After the University moved to its new site in Gilmorehill in 1870, many students lived at home and travelled in to the University each day. Others obtained relatively cheap lodgings in family tenement flats near the University. In 1884, it was discovered that many students were living in appalling conditions. As a result, shortly after this, the Students' Representative Council, which was founded in 1885, began to compile lists of lodgings near the University, with details of facilities and names of referees. It also provided advice on accommodation. In 1904, the University resolved to compile a register of lodgings specifically for women students. A committee was formed to carry this out. Rooms were inspected by the Honorary Secretary of Queen Margaret College or women acting as her deputies and reported on to the Committee.

In 1889, the Glasgow University Students' Settlement Society was established. One of its aims was to provide accommodation for less well off students in Garscube Road.

In 1894, the Queen Margaret Hall Company was formed by the Queen Margaret College Students' Union Association to provide a conveniently placed hall of residence for women students. Queen Margaret Hall opened in the same year. In 1924, the company was dissolved and the hall transferred to the University.

In March 1920, the Students' Representative Council, through its Special Committee on Hostels, made representation to the University Court about the urgent need for the establishment of student hostels. In October of the same year, Sir Joseph Maclay gave 17 Park Terrace to the University for use as a student hostel for men. In May 1921, the Court appointed a Hostels Committee for considering arrangements for hostels. 17 Park Terrace was adapted from funds accumulated under the welfare scheme and opened in 1922 as Maclay Hall. Other hostels were subsequently added: MacBrayne Hall was opened in 1923, Robertson Hall in 1926, Strain Hall in 1936, Kelvin Lodge in 1946, Horselethill House in 1948, which was originally for overseas students, and Fergusson Hall in 1957. In the late 1950s, the Court commissioned two urgently needed halls of residence to meet the projected growth in student numbers in the 1960s. Queen Margaret Hall, which had originally been for women, was opened in Bellshaugh Road in 1964. Wolfson Hall at Garscube was opened in 1965. By the early 1980s, students began to be drawn from an area much wider than the West of Scotland, from where they had traditionally been drawn. To provide adequate accommodation, the University embarked on an extensive building programme. Its largest single project in the 1990s was the construction of the Murano Street Student Village at Ruchill. This provided a mix of accommodation for more than 1000 students. In 2002, a new self-catering residence accommodating 400 students was built on the site of the old Queen Margaret Hall. In 2004, around 3500 students lived in university residential accommodation including catered halls of residence, self-catering student apartments and flats.

From around 1946, the University appointed a Lodgings Officer, who maintained the list of registered lodgings and advised students on all matters relating to accommodation. The Students' Representative Council, however, continued to provide advice as well. In 1977, the Lodgings Officer was renamed Accommodation Officer. In 1991, when the University's administration was arranged in planning units, the service fell under the Staff and Student Support Division of the Central Administration Planning Unit (CAPU). At some point between 1999 and 2004, the Accommodation Office was renamed Accommodation Services. Its remit was to secure, develop and administer the provision and operation of residential accommodation in accordance with the needs and demands of student, staff and commercial users. It handled the processing of all applications for student housing although in 2004, approximately 2600 places were managed in partnership with the Sanctuary Housing Association. In 2004, following the reorganisation of the University's administration, accommodation services fell under the Staff and Student Resources Division of Administration, Information and Management Services (AIMS).

All matters relating to student accommodation had originally fallen within the remit of the Court's Hostels Committee. In 1963, this Committee was considered too restricted in scope and constitution and was replaced by the Students Residence Committee with the remit to advise Court on policy matters affecting students in residence. In 1975 a Student Housing Policy Committee was appointed to consider future policy with regard to student accommodation. This became a Standing Committee in 1977. Its responsibilites included policy in the Accommodation Office and liaison with outside bodies regarding the provision of additional student accommodation in refurbished and leased property. In 1981, the Students Residence Committee appointed a subcommittee to consider rationalisation of the halls of residence. This resulted in the establishment in the same year of an Executive Board of Governors of Halls of Residence. In 1982, it was decided that the Students Residence Committee should meet only once a year, mainly for the discussion of hall fees. In 1984, an Accommodation Committee and an Accommodation Users Committee were appointed which appear to have taken over between them the functions of both the Students Residence Committee and the Student Housing Policy Committee. In about 1992, these were replaced by the Accommodation and Catering Committee.

Faculty meeting minutes 1640-1669, 1701-1859 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26621, 26626, 26631-26632, 26634-26635, 26647-26650, 26690-26703
 

University meeting minutes 1730-1770 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26639-26644
 

Senate minutes 1730 to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/1
 

Senate scroll minutes 1771-1839 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 74018
 

Senate meeting papers c 18th century-1998 Ref: GB 0248 GUA Senate papers
 

Court minutes 1860-1997 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/1
 

Court papers 1861-1964 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/4
 

Indexes to Senate minutes 1873-1919 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/2
 

Clerk of Senate's letter books 1876-1911 ref: GB 0248 GUA 17069-17098
 

Records of University of Glasgow Students' Representative Council 1886 to date Ref: GB 0248 DC 157
 

Court letters (in and out) 1890-1973 ref: To be confirmed
 

Records of Queen Margaret Hall Company 1894-1923 ref: GB 0248 DC 233/2/13
 

Court agendas 1894-1925 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/3
 

Court camera minutes 1900-1944 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/2
 

Court camera papers 1906-1944 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/5
 

Senate out letter books 1913-1947 ref: GB 0248 GUA 58533-58571
 

Records of Maclay, Strain and Fergusson Halls of Residence 1923-1963 ref: GB 0248 UGC 24
 

Records of Glasgow University Settlement   ref: GB 0248 DC 022
 

Title of function/activity taken from Elizabeth Parker's Function Activity Model (report compiled for JISC). Function and activity description compiled according to GASHE's Standard for Creating Function and Activity Descriptions.