Imperial College Union and St Mary's Student Union to merge at last
A merger is announced St Mary's Hospital Medical School Students Union (SMHMSSU) may finally become a constituent college union (CCU) of Imperial College Union (ICU), almost two years after the College and the Medical School officially merged. The provisional merger document, still under discussion, formalises the relationship which has formed between the Unions over the last year. Relations between the two Unions had been strained after Nigel Baker, I C U President for 88/89 and Phil Drew, his counterpart at St Mary's, clashed over the position of the St Mary's Union. Their successors Neil McCluskey and Rhydian Hapgood have had a better working relationship and have now agreed on a formal merger. The merger document has yet to be signed but it is believed that few changes will be made. M r McCluskey told F E L I X that the document was 'a wonderful opportunity'
to initiate discussions and he commended M r Hapgood and his fellow contributors for their hard work. M r Hapgood, who helped draft the proposal, told F E L L X that he thought it was 'very fair' and reflected how things were run this year. Although he expects a few 'teething troubles', he feels that medical students have a role to play within IC. As a C C U , the St Mary's Union will still remain largely independent of I C U and will have its own separate source of funding. Some of this money will be donated to I C U for administration and the use of its facilities. At present, the St Mary's Union has its own facilities at the Medical School, at Teddington Sports Ground and at the recreation centre at the rear of its student hall of residence, Wilson House. In future, St Mary's students will be given priority at these sites although they will not have exclusive access. Medical students will
also be given first choice for accommodation at Wilson House itself. Administratively, the two Unions will also remain largely separate with decisions affecting the St Mary's Paddington Campus taken at separate St Mary's Ordinary General Meetings (OGMs). Decisions affecting the whole of IC will still be taken at I C U Union General Meetings (UGMs) at which St Mary's students will be entitled to vote. The St Mary's Union President will join the I C U president, deputy president and honorary secretary and the presidents of the three existing C C U s on the I C U Executive. St Mary's Union will also be given a number of places on Council, ICUs main decision making body. The medical schools' existing representatives on the Wardens Sub Committee and the Board of Studies should remain in their posts.
Relishing the moment