What have the union presidents ever done for us?

As this year’s sabbatical campaigns get under way, The Journal plots the current presidents' original election pledges against their achievements thus far.

After winning the election by a narrow margin, one of the promises EUSA President Thomas Graham made was to get a dentist on campus. Unfortunately this has not materialised. “I've had discussions with the university about this and unfortunately it couldn't happen until the medical practice moves into a new space.”

Mr Graham has also battled hard to secure more KB bus services and is in negotiations with the university: “I've secured the funding for this, but the university estates department won't prioritise this because they don't think it's important. It's something I'll be trying to get sorted before I finish.”

Regarding the 24 hour library pledge, Mr Thomas and his cohorts have delievered partial success: “We won a trial period of a 24-hour library last semester and was a great success. Watch this space for more information on how we'll be trying to win this change permanently!”

Student poverty was at the forefront of all the presidential campaigns: “Working with NUS Scotland I won additional cash to increase the amount of student loan that the poorest students can get. We didn't get to the £7,000 student poverty line this time, but it was a great step forward.”

The minibus for societies may not have been obtained “but I have secured a super-cheap deal so you can rent a people carrier whenever you need it," Mr Thomas tells The Journal.

Continuing his work as External Convener he “successfully defeated the latest proposals to extend the quota on HMO properties to houses with three, four, or five people in them and will continue to do so".

Napier's President Kasia Bylinska has followed EUSA’s example and set up the “NSA student-led learning and teaching awards: I love my Tutor and I love my PDT” and “has been one of the initiators of NSA constitution review."

The city's only female student president has also “conducted research on NSA space” the results of which “will be proposed to the university soon”. Ms Bylinska is planning to run for re-election.

Also preparing for a possible second term is Heriot-Watt's Simon Eltringham. With his association in financial difficulty, Mr Eltringham has had much to contend with: “My main focus over the next few months will be using the results of the investigation [a financial review of the union] and the student survey we are about to conduct, to start a process of creating a long term strategy for the future of the association."

On a more immediate note, this summer "a series of renovations will be taking place to improve study space throughout the university, including WiFi and internet access as well as an additional free cash machine on campus!”

Queen Margaret's Rio Floreza is reaching the end of his second term as president. Concentrating on staffing matters, “we have just recently started recruiting for three external trustees and three student trustees of the union following a governance review of our trustee model”.

In addition, Mr Floreza is continuing his work abroad by “taking another 15 students out to Malawi to work with an HIV/AIDs Resource centre run by a former QMU graduate in May”.

The ECA president Jake Rusby told The Journal he has focussed on informing the students of alternative forms of accommodation, as opposed to the expensive Unite buildings. Mr Rusby has “also played a large part in putting together ECA’s Climate Change Action Plan, which is due to be published later this month”.

Mr Rusby is still working on improving links with Edinburgh University after attracting “a record number of ECA students  to the Edinburgh Sports and Societies Fair.”