Darleen MasakhweBuilt 50 years ago, SUB is run by the Students’ Union and is open 24/7 for most of the year.
Besides being a longtime study space, SUB once housed eight bowling lanes and six curling sheets in the basement, though these were discontinued in the 1980s. Today, SUB is a place with couches to sleep on during finals, as well as a home to a number of businesses and services for students.
We’ve listed the hot spots here:
Services
The Peer Support Centre (2nd floor)
A free, confidential place to talk about any issue with trained volunteers who can also refer students to other resources. During fall and winter you can drop in, make an appointment, or call the confidential helpline.
The Campus Food Bank (2nd floor)
Students (as well as staff, alumni, and their children) can register with the food bank to receive food and toiletries. Last year, the food bank fed more than 2,500 people in the campus community.
Safewalk (Basement)
Anyone can call Safewalk to have a team of two volunteers accompany you after dark around campus and to any LRT station. You can also book a recurring Safewalk after your night class.
The Landing (Basement)
A space for the LGBTQ community that promotes inclusivity. It has regular drop-in hours for support and hanging out, programming and meetups for queer and trans people of colour, and free workshops on gender and sexual diversity.
Counselling and Clinical Services
A clinic for counselling, psychiatric services, or group therapy. To begin using the clinic’s services, students book a consultation and are then paired with a professional who best suits their needs. The clinic also offers drop-in workshops for depression, anxiety, and break-ups, which don’t require students to do a consultation to join.
The University Health Centre (2nd floor)
A clinic for full and part-time students, their immediate family, and university staff. The clinic provides access to general practitioners and offers immunizations, nutrition counselling, STI testing, and other health services. All you need to get in is your One Card and proof of provincial health care coverage.
Aboriginal Student Services Centre (2nd floor)
A space for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students to access resources such as advising, Aboriginal student housing, the Aboriginal Students’ Council, and community meals. It also runs the Transition Year Program and an orientation for Aboriginal students.
Sexual Assault Centre (2nd floor)
A support centre for survivors, as well as presentations and workshops on sexual assault. Survivors can drop in, email, or call the centre for support, and can book counselling and psychotherapy appointments with a psychologist. Friends and family who are trying to support a survivor can find help at the centre too.
Office of the Student Ombuds (2nd floor)
If you encounter a problem with a university policy, grade appeal, your academic standing, or a conflict with another student or professor, you can discuss your problem and potential solution confidentially with the student ombuds. Students can also find help in preparing for discipline meetings and formal hearings.
Businesses
The Gateway (3rd floor)
This is us! The Gateway is the official student journalism society at the U of A. We publish a monthly magazine during the school year and daily online content.
SUBprint (Basement)
A printing service for whether you need to print your English essay, a banner, a series of posters, or anything else you might want. Bring them a USB, submit a job online, or send them an email.
L’Express (Main floor)
A cafeteria-style food vendor open since 1979, L’Express is a non-profit business that serves a rotating menu of meals like pizza or lasagna. They also do a lot of catering, including Students’ Council meetings.
The Daily Grind (Main floor)
A coffee shop complete with “yummy chocolate loaf” and “morning glory muffins” that also has halal and vegan options. It’s newer counterpart, The Undergrind, is located in SUB basement and tends to have shorter lines.
Room at the Top (7th floor)
A bar on the top floor of SUB (that’s the seventh floor, not the eighth), RATT provides programming such as trivia and karaoke. They have beer, TVs, and chicken strips, but no rats.
Myer Horowitz Theatre (Main floor)
A 720-seat theatre which hosts election forums, dance recitals, faculty events, and movie screenings. The theatre is expecting renovations within the upcoming year.
CJSR (Basement)
The U of A’s campus-based community radio station. Anyone, not just U of A students, can volunteer as a DJ or produce news programming for the station. Their programming aims to challenge the status-quo and provide new and diverse perspectives.
