# Dalhousie Student Union

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

## History

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.
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

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

| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | |