The Society of the Students' Union of the University of Kings College

• KSU
• King's Students' Union

The King's Student Union is the governing student organization of the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and acts as the students' representative in improving academic and campus life experiences. It functions as a body of students elected to represent the interests of fellow students.

The King's Students' Union ("KSU") includes all students attending the University of King's College. Its purpose is to provide services for its members and represent them politically. The KSU has members on the Board of Governors and on University committees, and works with the University administration to improve the quality of education and student life at College.

The services provided by the KSU include a health insurance plan, Orientation Week, the Student Handbook, the yearbook, and graduation week activities. The KSU also funds many different societies and committees and King's athletics. The KSU operates HMCS King's Wardroom, the campus lounge. The KSU is governed by its members at general meetings, open forums where each member has an equal vote and right to participate in direct democracy. Between the two general meetings each year, Student Council acts as the governing body of the KSU. Council meetings are open to all KSU members, but the only people who may vote are the 17 elected-representatives.

Students have operated on a collective basis from the early years of the University of King's College, which was founded in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1789. In 1806, students presented a memorial to the Board of Governors soliciting assistance in meeting their living expenses, obliged, as they then were, to provide their own servants. This was one of many petitions drawn up over the years. Other student organizations that were formed for the furtherance of particular objectives have a long history at King's, as well: the Quintilian, a debating society, was founded in 1845, and the Haliburton literary society was founded in 1884. Both continue today with financial support from the KSU.

Almost four decades after female students were admitted to King's College in 1893, the Co-Ed Council was formed in 1932 to represent the interests of female students. (The Co-Ed Council should not be confused with the Co-Ed Club, also called the Co-Ed Association, that was active from 1913-1967.) In 1965, the Co-Ed Council merged with the Men's Students' Council, the modem KSU was formed, and the students elected their first President.

The KSU' s mandate includes advocating for students' rights and providing services to members. These include administering the KSU Health Plan, which is negotiated through the Canadian Federation of Students; running a student pub, the Wardroom; and, most recently, encouraging the establishment of a bookstore on campus: the King's Bookstore Co-operative Limited was incorporated as a co-op association on August 8, 2006, with KSU President Dave Jerome on the board of directors.

The KSU is responsible for the annual production and printing of the College yearbook, The Record. The KSU also acts as an intermediary between students and the University administration or the Board of Governors. The administration views the KSU as being representative of the opinions of the King's student body as a whole, and frequently consults the Executive for advice on student matters.

The KSU has lobbied against tuition fee increases and for improved access to University buildings for students with disabilities. It supplies students with information about provincial and national elections and issues.

The KSU hosts an orientation early in September for new students: Frosh Week. KSU also host an awards banquet at the end of the school year. During the summer months, the KSU office is open, staffed by a hired summer office manager, usually one of the Executive members.

The Society of the Students' Union of the University of King's College ("KSU") was incorporated as a society on February 21, 1969, and.registered with the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies pursuant to the Societies Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c.435.

The objects of the Students' Union, as expressed in the 2006 Constitution, are "to promote the general welfare of the members; to organize and to promote activities for and on behalf of its members; to provide the official organ for representing the students of the Union in relationship
with (i) the faculty and administration of the University of King's College; (ii) other universities and student organizations; (iii) the general public and its official organizations."

The KSU also speaks for King's students on issues off campus. As Local 11 of the Canadian Federation of Students, it lobbies locally on national issues and participates in the CFS' annual Day of Action.

The first constitution, that of the Co-Ed Student Body, was adopted in 1953. Since then, there have been at least six revised constitutions, the latest in 2006. The seven articles in the first document seem modest in comparison with the 80 in the 2006 Constitution.