It also runs events such as Freshers' Week, the Graduation ball, the annual Sports Blues Ball, Superteam], the largest university sports event in Scotland and the annual Torcher Parade, the largest student torch-lit parade in Europe.

This parade is just one part of the annual Aberdeen Students' Charities Campaign, now known as RAG (Raising & Giving).

This campaign itself grew out of the Student Show, an annual theatrical and musical enterprise that began in Aberdeen in 1921 with the aim of raising money for charitable causes.

Previously AUSA stood for Aberdeen University Students' Assembly, and within it there were four bodies with distinct identities and management: the SRC (based at Luthuli House, located next to King's College, and supporting activities including educational support, welfare, political campaigning, and societies); the Students' Union (in the form of a prize-winning social venue at Broad Street in the city centre, including two bars, two night clubs, games facilities, shops, and offices); the Athletics Association (based at the Butchart Recreation Centre, Old Aberdeen); and Debater (the debating society, based with the SRC in Luthuli House).

The AUSA is primarily based at the Students' Union Building located in the Old Aberdeen "campus" area near King's College on Elphinstone Road.

Due to financial pressures, AUSA's chief students' union building (located on Broad Street near Marischal College in the city centre) was forced to close in early 2004.

This bar was itself forced to close due to financial pressures in November 2008 leaving the university without any Union nightlife facility.

The Association is student-led and the Sabbatical Officers, elected in the spring term of each year, are the visible drivers of operation and direction.

Further to this were consequent blog posts on the AUSA website acknowledging the need for a new constitution and a new sabbatical officer structure to come into effect in 2016/17.

[10] Despite setbacks, a new constitution was created and installed along with a new sabbatical structure by the incumbent team – Genna Clarke, Veronica Hoffman, Laura Cristea, Megan Burgoyne, Liam Fuller & Holly Bruce.