ABOUT US
Founded in 1935, the Columbia Political Union strives to uphold our university's rich history of political excellence. 3 presidents, 10 Supreme Court Justices, 36 Senators, 43 governors, 7 attorney generals, and over 130 members of the House of Representatives have been educated at Columbia. Throughout its existence, the Columbia Political Union has upheld this legacy and been the university's locus of political dialogue and civic engagement. We strive to continue Columbia University's status as one of the nation's best universities to study and take part in politics.
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The Columbia Political Union hosts six active initiatives: Citizenship Tutoring, Civic Scholars, Debating Union, Local Elections, ReachOut, and Speaker Series. Each of our initiatives provides Columbia students with the opportunity to engage deeply with political systems around them and to prepare for a lifetime of civic engagement. We also organize a wide array of speaking events, student and faculty panels, lively debates, fundraisers, campaigns, and social events for the campus community.
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While our specific goals have changed over the years, our broader goals have remained the same. We continue to strive for an engaged and informed campus discourse surrounding the issues that matter to us on campus, in our country, and throughout the world. We seek to enhance involvement in political systems, from local to international, and draw every member of the campus community into an ongoing discussion of political ideas.
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Join CPU
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Are you a Columbia student interested in getting involved in CPU? Please fill out the interest form on our website here, and visit our home page for a list of upcoming events.
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Contact Us
Please email the Columbia Political Union Executive Board at cpu@columbia.edu, or visit the Executive Board and Initiative Board pages for the contact information of our student leaders.