Team

History

The Dienst Studentenactiviteiten can trace its origin to Gentsch Studentcorps 'HOU ende TROU'. This was an overarching student association at the under "Flamenpolitik" Dutchified Gentse Universiteit (1916-1918). The GSC was responsible for grouping the faculty associations and the thematic or philosophical clubs.

After the official dutchification of the University in 1930, more support was created for an overarching association for the Flemish students at the Gentse Rijksuniversiteit. The Gentsch Studenten Corps was established in 1933 by repurposing the Vlaamsche Studentenclub Gent, which was until that point a part of the Algemeen Vlaamsch Hoogstudentenverbond (AVHV). The name was purposefully chosen to reflect back to HOU ende TROU. Early in its lifetime, in 1933-34 the studenthouse MacLeod was established while 9 faculty societies had already joined. In 1940 this number rose to 14 while the GSC itself counted 700 to 800 members.

In 1942 a bigger and bolder resistance movement was created in the student societies of Ghent, leading to the creation of a local chapter of the Nationale Studentengroepe(e)ring - a part of the Onafhankelijkheidsfront. On January 17th 1945 the NSG was christened in the Aula Academica as the new overarching Ghentian student society. The statutes explicitly stated that de NSG was independent of all political, philosophical and theological beliefs. In 1954 the university bought "Huis Vincke" in the Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat and assigned it as the student house. Shortly after renovations, the NSG moved in.

Under pressure from the philosophical student associations, the nonpolitical NSG was abolished and the Gents Studentenkorps was founded as replacement overarching Ghent student association in 1958. In contrast to its predecessor this GSK also contained the political and philosophical student , functioning as umbrella organisation for the Faculteitenkonvent, the Seniorenkonvent and the Politiek en Filosofisch Konvent. In April 1962 the Kultureel Konvent joined, after it was reformed from the since 1961 established Kulturele Komissie.

After the student protests of March 1969 a law was passed that gave students a voice in different councils, commissions and governing bodies of the university. The GSK was disbanded and part of the responsibilities were shifted to the Centraal Studentensecretariaat, after which the current Dienst Studentenactiviteiten (Student Activities Office) was created in 1971-72. The DSA is the official UGent office that arises from the UGent central administration, which structurally supports student associations. The DSA originally consisted of a "Sekretariaat" and a "Beheerder van Studentenaktiviteiten". This office was also responsible for managing finances and subsidies of the associations.

In the decade after the disappearance of the GSK, the student life of Ghent was dominated by the Faculteitenkonvent. This hegemony ended in 1985 after the establishment of a new overarching association, at first re-using the "Gents Studenten Korps" name but quickly rechristened as the Gentse Studenten Raad (GSR). After a slow start and a re-establishment in 1997, the GSR was responsible for all existing konvents: the Faculteitenkonvent, the Politiek en Filosofisch Konvent, the Werkgroepenkonvent, the Seniorenkonvent, the Kultureel Konvent, the Homekonvent and the Activiteitenkonvent.

In the beginning of the new millennium student representation was split off from student participation. The Gentse Studentenraad became the body tasked with representation and a place where the representatives ("StuVers") could meet, while the konventen of all recognised student associations at Ghent University met under the umbrella of the DSA, in the "Meeting of Konvent Chairmen" (Vergadering der Konventsvoorzitters - VKV).