Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (SUBU): Membership and information-sharing
All students at BU are automatically members of the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (SUBU) unless they choose to opt-out of membership, i.e. decide not to be a SUBU member.
In this section we provide information about SUBU and what SUBU membership provides. We then give you an opportunity to decide whether you want to be a member of SUBU. (You will be able change your decision on membership at any time). We also explain when BU will share information about its students with SUBU.
Here is a welcome message from SUBU:
Welcome from SUBU!
We are independent from the University and are run by students for students. We support, represent and empower you- our students –to make your vision a reality. Best of all membership is free!
We provide opportunities for you to have ownership over your university experience by representing your views to the University and other stakeholders such as the local community and council. We also provide opportunities for you to create lifelong friends and develop new skills. We host a wide range of clubs and societies, run events, campaigns and provide value-for-money in our shop, cafes, bar and nightclub (subject to public health rules of course!).
To find out more about us visit www.subu.org.uk or find us in the Student Centre, Talbot Campus and Bournemouth Gateway Building, Lansdowne.
Information-sharing with SUBU: all BU students
Full details about information sharing with SUBU are in our Student Privacy Notice
BU students may need to log into the SUBU website even if they are not a SUBU member, e.g. to register for a SUBU event. Log-in to SUBU requires your BU email address. Through an automatic link between the BU and SUBU systems, BU will provide SUBU with your name, BU email address, student ID and Faculty if you access the SUBU website (even if are not a SUBU member). This confirms your student status, so that students who are not SUBU members can access events and services organised by SUBU. It also enables SUBU to confirm the eligibility of students to vote in elections.
If you keep your membership (i.e. you do not opt-out below), the University will share information with SUBU to enable them to administer your membership, carry out other core SUBU activities and send you relevant communications. The data shared includes your name, email address, date of birth, gender, student ID number and details of your course. We automatically update SUBU on any changes to these details. SUBU’s IT systems are provided by a third party company which will have access to your data purely for data processing/system management purposes. BU shares data with SUBU and its processor because it is necessary for SUBU’s legitimate interests.
What happens if I decide to become a SUBU member? What happens if I stay opted out of SUBU membership?
The law says that you cannot be unfairly disadvantaged by a decision to opt out of students’ union membership, and this means that many SUBU facilities and activities are open to non-members. However there are benefits and opportunities which are only available to SUBU members and not to other BU students. Click below for further information about SUBU membership and what happens if you opt-out.
What happens if I keep SUBU membership?
- You will be able to stand for election as a SUBU officer and other elected roles within SUBU
- You will be represented by SUBU. You will be able to:
- vote in SUBU elections for SUBU officers and other elected roles within SUBU
- take part in (attend, speak and vote at) SUBU member meetings
- vote to mandate SUBU to undertake different activities, campaigns and events. This includes mandating SUBU to join national campaigns or lobby on your behalf.
- You can be a member of any SUBU Club or Society and hold any committee position in a SUBU club or society including President, Treasurer or Secretary/Communication
- You will have early bird and priority entry to SUBU events, such as Summerball and events at the Old Fire Station
- You will have access to exclusive discounts
This is in addition to accessing all other SUBU facilities and activities alongside non-members.
- Data sharing: BU will share information about you with SUBU and automatically update it (see the BU Student Privacy Notice for more details).
You can change your mind and stop being a SUBU member at any time by emailing supresident@bournemouth.ac.uk
What happens if I opt out (decide not to be a SUBU member)?
The law says that you cannot be unfairly disadvantaged by a decision to opt out of students’ union membership. This means that:
- You will still be able to access most services, events and facilities provided or organised by SUBU.
- You can be a member of SUBU clubs and societies.
- SUBU must obtain BU’s agreement to any new restrictions on access for non-members to SUBU facilities, activities, clubs etc.
However you will not:
- be able to hold core committee positions in SUBU clubs/societies (President, Treasurer or Secretary/Communications)
- be able to stand for election as a SUBU officer
- be represented by SUBU. You will not be able to:
- vote in SUBU elections for SUBU officers and other elected roles within SUBU
- vote to mandate SUBU to undertake different activities, campaigns and events, e.g. mandating SUBU to join national campaigns or lobby on your behalf.
- take part in (attend, speak and vote at) SUBU member meetings
Data sharing: BU will not share any of your information with SUBU, except for basic details automatically shared if you log into the SUBU website.
Your decision on SUBU membership
If you wish to opt-into membership please select the box below.
If you change your mind about membership you can:
Please note this can take up to an hour to be registered on your account!
Please make sure you are logged in via the student portal, and not via the guest portal. If you are logged in with a guest account you will be unable to opt-in to the Union.
If you're struggling or have any questions, please email sumedia@bournemouth.ac.uk