President of the Union

The President of the Union (commonly abbreviated as PU) is the chief executive officer of the Rensselaer Union, serving as chair of the Executive Board and head of the executive branch of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s student government.[^1] The position constitutes one of the most consequential student leadership roles in American higher education, as the President of the Union oversees operational management of student union affairs and exercises fiduciary authority over the multi-million-dollar student activity budget.[^1] The President of the Union serves as the executive counterpart to the Grand Marshal, with these two positions together forming the dual leadership structure of RPI’s student government.[^1]

Scope of Authority

The President of the Union maintains executive authority over the Rensselaer Union’s operations, encompassing significant responsibilities across multiple operational domains.[^2] The position involves chairing meetings of the Executive Board, developing the executive branch agenda, and overseeing the allocation of student activity funds to recognized student organizations.[^2] The President of the Union additionally manages Union-controlled facilities and resources, supervises student programming and events administered through the Union Programming and Activities Committee, and serves as principal liaison between student government and Institute administration regarding Union affairs.[^2] The President of the Union maintains cooperative working relationships with the Grand Marshal and other student leaders to address issues affecting the broader student body.[^1]

Historical Development

The office of President of the Union evolved alongside the development of the Rensselaer Union itself, reflecting the Institute’s foundational commitment to student self-governance through autonomous student control of student activities and funding. The position has been successively numbered throughout its institutional history, with this numbering system serving to document continuity and institutional memory within the student leadership hierarchy.[^3] The 136th President of the Union represents a succession extending back to the office’s establishment in 1890, distinguishing RPI’s student government structure from peer institutions where administrative oversight typically prevails.[^3]

Election and Selection

The President of the Union is elected annually through a democratic voting process conducted in conjunction with the Grand Marshal Week elections.[^4] The electoral process involves campaigns conducted across campus, candidate debates and forums, and endorsement activities from student organizations.[^4] The 2025 election cycle witnessed the reintroduction of primary elections for the first time in 15 years, adding a preliminary round of democratic selection prior to the general election.[^4] Elections are administered through the official RPI Elections system, designed to ensure transparency and accessibility for all eligible student voters.[^4]

Current Leadership

Isabele Lieber ‘25, ‘26G serves as the 136th President of the Union, having been elected in 2025 with 1,627 votes. Lieber advanced through the primary election process before securing victory against opponent Toby McDonald ‘26, who received 909 votes in the general election. Lieber’s candidate profile identifies priorities in student experience and Union operations.

Executive Structure and Delegation

The President of the Union exercises authority through delegation to Executive Board officers and committee chairs responsible for specific operational domains. The organizational structure typically includes vice presidents assigned to board operations, rules and special projects, and club operations, alongside chairs for the Union Programming and Activities Committee, business operations, and the Multicultural Leadership Council. This distributed executive structure permits the President of the Union to maintain direct oversight of Union operations while empowering subordinate officers to manage specific functional areas with delegated authority.

Governance and Institutional Context

The President of the Union operates within the framework established by the Rensselaer Union Constitution and governing policies, which delineate executive authority and responsibilities.[^1] The position’s significance has been particularly pronounced during recent controversies concerning Union autonomy and administrative oversight, including the Save the Union movement, which emerged in response to perceived constraints on traditional student control of Union governance.[^1] In such contexts, the President of the Union has assumed a central role in negotiations regarding the preservation of student autonomy and self-governance within the institutional structure.[^1]

References

[^1]: RPI Student Government Public Record; Student Government - Executive Board [^2]: Student Union Staff; Executive Board Committees [^3]: Grand Marshal and President of Union Historical List; RPI Student Government Overview [^4]: Primaries for GM and PU held for first time in 15 years; GM and PU Primary Debate [^5]: 2025 Election Results; Isabele Lieber Candidate Profile