Cambridge University Students' Union

Cambridge University Students' Union (CUSU) is the university-wide representative body for students at the University of Cambridge, England. CUSU is a federal body made up of individual college student unions (known as JCRs and MCRs).

CUSU was founded as the Cambridge Students' Union (CSU) in 1971 and formally recognised by the university authorities on May 25, 1984 and renamed, following a student referendum in March 1985, as CUSU - Cambridge University Students Union. Its second president was Charles Clarke, later a Labour MP, Secretary of State for Education and Home Secretary.

There had been previous university-wide groups, such as CAMNUS (Cambridge NUS), which was founded in 1964 by Gordon Heald, John Bibby and others. CAMNUS arranged certain university-wide student facilities, such as 'CAMNUS Coaches' (an end-of-term bus service to all parts of the country), and an inter-collegiate mail service.

CUSU should not be confused with the Cambridge Union Society; membership to both is open to all students at Cambridge, but the Cambridge Union Society is a private society and membership is dependent on payment of a subscription.

Although graduate students at Cambridge University are members of CUSU, there is also a students' union specifically for graduate student affairs, the University of Cambridge Graduate Union.

Read more about Cambridge University Students' Union:  Officers, Controversy, Former CSU/CUSU Presidents and Sabbatical Officers

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