21st century guild of students

The University of Birmingham's Guild of Students is not alone in celebrating the university's Edgbaston Campus centenary,100th anniversary extension for university, with it's own programme of renewal which will bring the guild into the 21st century.

The Guild of Students has a prestigious history and can trace its foundations in the Mason Science College around 1876. The University formally received it's Royal Charter in 1900 with the Guild of Students being provided for as a Student Representative Council (Cheesewright, 1975, p.35). The Guild and University officially celebrated their centenaries in the year 2000 although the Guild of Undergraduates was not formed until 1909 being based at the newly completed Edgbaston campus. The Guild of Students alongside Liverpool University's Guild of Students helped found the National Union of Students.

2009 makes a fitting year for part of it's own redevelopment works, titled Guild Build, to start bringing the guild's emphasis on positive change in the student community to it's heart. The 10,000 square metre building is one of the largest in the UK with the original block by Holland W Hobbiss dating back to 1928 and being subsequently added to with a south wing in the 1950s and a larger west wing in the 1960s.

Guild Build will make our membership services areas - the ARC and Job Zone, as accessible as possible for students, which is why they are being re-located to be alongside each other in a highly visible location. Student Development, who support volunteering and student societies, the Representation and Democracy team and student mentors will also be re-located to a more visible and accessible location on the ground floor.Major new changes include the provision of the SHAC (Student Housing and Accommodation) which is a new lettings agency that will offer private housing and run a landlord accreditation scheme. http://www.guildofstudents.com/guildbuild/content/130065/why_are_we_refurbishing/

Images of the proposed redeveloped Guild of Students reproduced from: http://www.guildofstudents.com/guildbuild/content/130065/why_are_we_refurbishing/





The front of the Guild of Students by the East Gate will also be redeveloped, including the security entrance, using sandstone to repave the area to improve the exterior. Work on this will take place from April 2010.