Student Activities

Peter Cooper thought that the students of his institution could serve New York City as "preeminent examples of all the virtues." To foster this mission, he recommended to the trustees of The Cooper Union that students be given the opportunity to devise "such rules and regulations as they, on mature reflection, shall believe to be necessary and proper." The Cooper Union Code of Conduct (reprinted in the Campus Safety and Security Report) and the Constitution of the Joint Student Council and its subcommittees all derive from the power Peter Cooper originally granted to students. Today, in addition to the work of the Student Councils in all three schools, students run eighty organizations, actively serve on more than thirty subcommittees, and administer the Code of Conduct.

Student Government

Cooper Union has a long tradition of student government, with students in all classes voting for representatives. Each school has its own student council (Art Student Council, Engineering Student Council, Architecture Student Council), whose elected members also serve on the Joint Student Council. The Joint Student Council has many subcommittees, of which the Joint Activities Committee is the most active. The Joint Activities Committee determines the funding for all student groups.

New Students

New Students are invited to attend Orientation. In 2007, Orientation will be held from August 28-30, at Cooper Union. Students must return a variety of forms, including medical forms and insurance forms, before they can attend programs or classes on campus.