University of Calgary Students' Union
The Students' Union is a not-for-profit, student-elected association representing over 25,000 undergraduates at the University of Calgary, delivering advocacy, services (food bank, health/dental plan, scholarships, tutoring), and four on-campus businesses funded by student fees and a recurring ~$2M annual UCalgary grant.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What University of Calgary Students' Union does
The Students' Union (SU) at the University of Calgary is a not-for-profit, democratically elected student association founded in 1942 that represents and advocates for over 25,000 undergraduate students — positioning it as one of Canada's largest undergraduate student associations. The organization operates through three intertwined functions: (1) advocacy and governance representation with elected seats on the UCalgary Board of Governors, Senate, and General Faculties Council, plus lobbying through CASA at the federal level and the Calgary Student Alliance at the municipal level; (2) direct student services including health and dental plan administration, a campus food bank, hardship fund, scholarships, tutoring, Q Centre (gender diversity), Safewalk, lockers, and refugee student sponsorship through WUSC; and (3) commercial operations including four wholly-owned businesses — Bound & Copied bookstore, The Den & Black Lounge restaurant-bar, Stör retail, and MacEwan Conference & Event Centre — plus lease revenue from food court tenants.
The SU is funded primarily through mandatory student fees (SU General Fee of $32.50 per semester for full-time undergraduates, with additional ancillary fees for legal aid, student media, and capital projects) and a recurring ~$2 million CAD annual Quality Money grant from the UCalgary Board of Governors that has been in place since 2004 and now totals nearly $25M cumulatively. Operational technology is commodity (third-party portals for health/dental and locker bookings, the Places4Students housing platform), and the organization is governed by an annually elected Students' Legislative Council of approximately 30 representatives alongside 50 full-time professional staff and 500+ part-time staff and volunteers. The 2025-2029 Strategic Plan articulates a vision of 'a vibrant community where all students thrive and are empowered to create their own unique post-secondary journey.'
University of Calgary Students' Union firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Calgary Students' Union
- Legal name
- The Students' Union, University of Calgary
- Website
- https://su.ucalgary.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Students' Union is a not-for-profit, student-elected association representing over 25,000 undergraduates at the University of Calgary, delivering advocacy, services (food bank, health/dental plan, scholarships, tutoring), and four on-campus businesses funded by student fees and a recurring ~$2M annual UCalgary grant.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of Calgary Students' Union industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Student Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Organizations & Club Administration (EDALAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs (EDALAHAF)
Keywords
Where University of Calgary Students' Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
University of Calgary Students' Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Student Fees: Primary revenue stream from mandatory student fees. Full-time undergraduate students pay $32.50 per semester for the SU General Fee. Additional ancillary fees are collected and flowed through to third parties.
- Lease Revenue: Revenue generated from lease arrangements with tenants in the MacEwan Student Centre food court and Mac Hall.
- SU-Owned Businesses: Revenue from SU-operated businesses including Bound and Copied (bookstore/printing), The Den and Black Lounge (restaurant/bar), Stör (retail store), and MacEwan Conference and Event Centre. Proceeds are reinvested into SU student programs, awards, and events.
- Quality Money Program: Approximately $2 million annually provided by the University of Calgary Board of Governors to invest in projects that enhance the overall quality of student experience. The SU determines where to allocate these funds based on student priorities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | SU General Fee - Full-time undergraduate students |
| Subscription | Annual | SU General Fee - Part-time undergraduate students |
| Subscription | Annual | Ancillary Fees - Various |
| Subscription | Annual | Mac Hall Redevelopment Fund |
| Subscription | Annual | Health and Dental Plan |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Peer Assistance Bursary Fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
University of Calgary Students' Union product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of Calgary Students' Union (SU) is a not-for-profit student association that represents and advocates for more than 25,000 undergraduate students at the University of Calgary. It delivers advocacy, governance representation, retail businesses (bookstore, restaurant/bar, convenience store), funding programs (Quality Money, scholarships, bursaries, SUPERWork wage subsidies), student support services (Campus Food Bank, Health and Dental Plan, lockers, Safewalk, Volunteer Tax Program, Q Centre, Wellness Centre), and event programming (MacHall Concerts, Stressless, Welcome Fair).
Product overview
The Students' Union (SU) at the University of Calgary operates as a not-for-profit student organization representing over 25,000 undergraduates. The SU offers a diverse portfolio of services organized into several categories: (1) Retail Businesses including Bound and Copied bookstore/printing service, Stör convenience store, and The Den & Black Lounge restaurant/bar; (2) Student Services including Campus Food Bank, Health and Dental Plan administration, Q Centre for gender diversity, lockers, and volunteer programs; (3) Funding Programs including Quality Money (~$2M annual investment), SUPERWork wage subsidies, scholarships/awards, and emergency hardship funds; (4) Events including MacHall Concerts and Stressless destress programming; (5) Advocacy services including student rights representation and government lobbying. The SU also manages MacEwan Student Centre, MacEwan Conference & Event Centre, and various student clubs. Revenue from SU businesses and student fees funds these programs and services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Quality Money: A partnership between the SU and University of Calgary providing approximately $2 million annually from the UCalgary Board of Governors to invest in projects that enhance the overall quality of student experience.
- Q Centre
- SUPERWork
- Volunteer Services
Products and services
- Bound and Copied
- The Den and Black Lounge
- Stör
- Health and Dental Plan
- MacEwan Conference and Event Centre
- Campus Food Bank
- Q Centre
- SUPERWork
- Refugee Student Program
- Hardship Fund
- Volunteer Tax Program
- Safewalk
- Student Locker Program
- Students' Union Clubs
- Teaching Excellence Awards
- Academic Awards and Scholarships
- MacHall Concerts
- Wellness Centre
- Mental Health Bursary
- Quality Money
- Sustainability Fund
Companies that use University of Calgary Students' Union
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
University of Calgary Students' Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
University of Calgary Students' Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Calgary Board of GovernorscoreQuality Money partnership established in 2003 when the SU first secured approximately $800,000 from the Board of Governors as part of the annual tuition consultation. Funding increased to approximately $2 million annually since 2005. The SU determines allocation of these funds to invest in projects that enhance the overall quality of student experience, with input from students through proposals and surveys.
- World University Service of Canada (WUSC)corePartnership established in March 1986 when University of Calgary students voted to establish a levy to annually sponsor a refugee student through WUSC. The fund has sponsored 45 students to date and continues to sponsor two students each year, providing over $60,000 in total funding per student throughout their four years of academic study.
- Places4StudentsminorPartnership with online platform that connects students with landlords offering safe, affordable housing. The SU refers students to this platform to help address student housing challenges.
- Calgary Student AlliancecoreCoalition of local students' associations including SU, Graduate Students' Association, and Students' Association of Bow Valley College. Collaborative advocacy on issues including affordable housing, municipal policy, and student wellbeing. The SU VP External serves as Chair for 2025-26 term.
- Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA)coreNational student advocacy coalition at the federal level. The SU President was elected CASA's Director of Advocacy for 2025-26 academic year, providing UCalgary undergraduates with direct representation in federal advocacy efforts including student loans and financial aid policy.
- Student Legal Assistance Society (Calgary)minorSU collects and flows through the Student Legal Assistance Fee ($1.75 per student) to fund free legal services for students.
- U of C Student Radio Society (CJSW)minorSU collects and flows through the CJSW Fee ($5.00 per student) to fund the student radio station.
- NUTV BoardminorSU collects and flows through the NUTV Fee ($4.50 full-time / $4.25 part-time) to fund the student television station.
- Gauntlet Publications SocietyminorSU collects and flows through the Gauntlet Fee ($4.50 full-time / $2.75 part-time) to produce the student newspaper.
- Developmental Disability Resource Centre (DDRC)minorPartnership for container recycling program with the help of a special needs labour force. All labour is paid from proceeds from collected containers.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
University of Calgary Students' Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
University of Calgary Students' Union social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Calgary Students' Union compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
University of Calgary Students' Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of Calgary Students' Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
University of Calgary Students' Union subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
University of Calgary Students' Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of Calgary Students' Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of Calgary Students' Union
What does University of Calgary Students' Union do?
The University of Calgary Students' Union (SU) is a not-for-profit student association that represents and advocates for more than 25,000 undergraduate students at the University of Calgary. It delivers advocacy, governance representation, retail businesses (bookstore, restaurant/bar, convenience store), funding programs (Quality Money, scholarships, bursaries, SUPERWork wage subsidies), student support services (Campus Food Bank, Health and Dental Plan, lockers, Safewalk, Volunteer Tax Program, Q Centre, Wellness Centre), and event programming (MacHall Concerts, Stressless, Welcome Fair).
Is University of Calgary Students' Union a public or private company?
University of Calgary Students' Union is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was University of Calgary Students' Union founded?
University of Calgary Students' Union was founded in 1986. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is University of Calgary Students' Union based?
University of Calgary Students' Union is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does University of Calgary Students' Union make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Student Fees are the primary driver. The others are lease Revenue, SU-Owned Businesses and quality Money Program.
Does University of Calgary Students' Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Calgary Students' Union.
What industry is University of Calgary Students' Union in?
University of Calgary Students' Union's product category is Higher Education Student Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAHAB, Student Organizations & Club Administration, with a secondary code of EDALAHAF, Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.