History of UMSU

In 1906 a students' union was organized as part of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In 1907 the Student Representative Council was organized by the University Council, but it was not until 1919 that the University of Manitoba Students' Union (UMSU) was officially sanctioned. The UMSU Constitution, written in 1940, featured the following objectives: to supply students with extra-curricular activities; to facilitate personal contracts; to keep students informed on UMSU decisions; to bring the University into closer contact with the public; to attain continuity of student government; to act as an effective lobby to the Provincial government; to make academic proposals; and to work for the erection of a students' building. In 1975, UMSU was incorporated by a provincial statute. In November 2005 students at the University of Manitoba voted 86% to become members of the Canadian Federation of Students, a national students' organization which advocates for high quality and accessible post-secondary education.