Student Union (SU) is Washington University's undergraduate student government. Student Union carries out three major activities: representing student interests, registering, funding, and supporting student groups, and planning campus-wide events.

In 1940 the “Student Senate of the Student Governing Body” was established at Washington University in St. Louis.  The organization was created to promote a positive relationship between students and faculty and to serve as the official representative body for students.  This early group of student and faculty representatives allocated money to student groups through the Office of Student Activities (later called Office of Student Affairs).

Gradually, students became unhappy with the restrictions on their funds and with the limited power they had to allocate money for activities. The Student Union organization was created in 1967 – 1968 when students were actively protesting the Vietnam War. In the spring of 1968, Kevin Funabashi, an undergraduate student, proposed a new form of government that would utilize a student activity fee to fund student groups. Funabashi was elected later that spring to the new governing body, Student Union.

With an original student activity fee of $25, Student Union began to allocate funds to student groups. In 1969, a new Constitution was ratified that covered pertinent topics of the day, such as setting up a bail fund for students who were jailed for protesting against the war. Concert performances by the Grateful Dead and Marvin Gaye helped to raise these funds.

During the 1970s, Student Union was a middle ground for coalitions and political parties on campus. Student Union committees were formed to address issues such as tuition increases. In 1979, Student Union established its permanent office in the garden level of the Women’s Building.  In 2008 the office of Student Union relocated to the newly opened Danforth University Center (DUC).

The organization’s governing body was formally known as the ‘Assembly of Student Union’ from 1967 – 1990, and as the ‘Student Union Senate’ from 1990 onward. (The term ‘Student Senate’ was also used to describe the 1940 – 1954 representative organization on campus).  It is divided into three branches: the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches.  Various committees exist within each of these branches.  Student Union also publishes Bearings, the unofficial student handbook.  In 2008 Bearings format changed and is published only on-line.  In conjunction with this, SPARK, an on-line calendar of student events started fall semester 2003.

Student Union represents the student body in the administration's decision-making process, ensuring that students have a voice in the academic and social decisions which directly affect them. As of 2006, over 200 student groups on campus are registered Student Union groups, utilizing a large portion of the overall $1.75 million budget.

For further information, please refer to the website of the Student Union of Washington University in St. Louis.