Algemene Studentenraad (ASR)
The Algemene Studentenraad was the overarching association for faculty circles in Leuven.
It was founded in 1969 as the successor of the Fakulteiten Konvent (FK)
During the academic year 1983-1984 internal struggles arose and caused 8 faculty circles to leave the ASR and form the Kring Unie Leuven (KrUL).
Since 1969 the ASR had been the coordinating organization for a number of councils and student organizations at the KU Leuven. They each had its own subject matter and history.
The integration of the different segments was certainly not easy. Some points of discussion were:
- the power of a possible coordinating meeting over the councils
- the influence of the 'exempted' students
- the extent to which Veto had to represent the opinion of the ASR/LOKO
In 1984 this resulted in a separation from the ASR. The cause of that separation was the anti-missile demonstrations in the mid-1980s. A number of circles - including Ekonomika, Romania (Leuven), the Koninklijk Vlaams Rechtsgenootschap (VRG) and the Vlaamse Technische Kring (VTK) - were adamant that the ASR should not participate in such political demonstrations and established the Kring Unie Leuven (KrUL). The students were thus represented by two competing organisations: the KrUL and the ASR. The KrUL also founded its own student magazine: Faze.
In 1986, both associations reunited and the Leuvense Overkoepelende Kringorganisatie (LOKO) was created, albeit without Ekonomika, which only joined LOKO two years later. At intervals, discussions continued about the authority of the coordinating assembly.
