User:Oscar Green

University of Cambridge - Graduate Union (GU)

What is the GU? Organised in 1954 by Mrs G M Burkill, the wife of the then Master of Peterhouse, the Graduate Union (GU) remains the only student union in the country established expressly for graduate students. Today it is an autonomous organisation, which is officially recognised and partially funded by the University and run by a Board of elected officers. Although the President is no longer required to cook meals for upwards of 150 graduates as Mrs Burkill did, the spirit of the GU still remains to serve not 150 graduates but up to 1,000 the entire graduate community. The GU provides a wide range of services, including publishing teh annual Handbook; running a shop; providing a full-service cafe in a lounge with free wireless internet; offering bookable meeting rooms with audio-visual equipment; hosting events in our bar; organizing intercollegiate social events; and providing trained peer support for your welfare and academic issues in a confidential setting. Another aim of the GU is representing the interests of graduates. The elected GU Board members represent the views and interests of their constituency through membership on most University committees, and actively pursue campaigns on issues which affect all graduate and mature students, such as phone services, rents data and University openness. The GU belongs to every University of Cambridge graduate, and welcomes all input and suggestions.