Welcome to the Alumni Community - Frequently Asked Questions

Who and what is the Peterhouse Society and the Development Office?

When you matriculate, you automatically become a member of the Peterhouse Society. The Development Office is the alumni relations and fundraising arm of the College and the first point of contact for members of the Peterhouse Society for enquiries about alumni events, career mentoring opportunities and perks like booking College guest rooms. We are a small but dedicated team whose primary aim is to foster and grow the Petrean alumni community and raise money for a number of funds and projects which directly impact student wellbeing, experience and wider research. We run alumni events, we help with careers advice and mentoring and we facilitate alumni privileges such as dining and guest rooms.

Do you organise reunions? When will I get an invite?

Reunions are the headline events in our busy events programme. Our reunion schedule has two tracks: one is anniversary based and the other “cohort” based with year groups similar to your own – together ensuring that you will have regular opportunities to return to College to reminisce with peers over dinner in Hall. Your first reunion invite will usually be for your 10 year anniversary since matriculation, but we hope to see you at events like Petrean London drinks, garden parties, and your MA graduation before then.

Is it true you just want me to donate...?

We get this assumption a lot but it is absolutely NOT the case. Of course we DO raise money through a variety of means and we always hope to inspire alumni to donate to an active campaign or fund because it will benefit current and future students. Our primary aim however is always focused on encouraging and strengthening the sense of community across our broad network of Petreans, to offer mentoring and networking, and to ensure that alumni can easily stay connected to their old College long after graduation. Once a Petrean, always a Petrean!

Are you able to help me with my career?

There are over six thousand Petreans worldwide and you’d be surprised how many of them are willing to give up a little of their time to give some advice over coffee or Zoom, or suggest opportunities or internships they may be aware of. Get in touch with our office and we will be more than happy to help you make those first connections.

What other events will I be invited to?

Our wide-ranging event programme is about much more than reunions: we offer drinks receptions, garden parties, subject dinners, concerts, careers events, guest speakers, and tours/dinners at exclusive venues. And not all of our events are in College, we hold several in London, across the UK and overseas whenever possible. Look out for Petrean London Drinks on Thursday 14 November for informal networking at an impressive central London location, and keep an eye on the Petrean Events page of our website for more events coming soon.

Are there College-specific alumni perks?

As a lifelong member of the Petrean community, you have dining privileges which allow you to dine in Hall up to three times per academic year for free (though there is a charge for wine!) Known as domus meals, unless they are specifically listed as part of an alumni event they can be booked directly through catering@pet.cam.ac.uk.

Returning for an event or social in College or around Cambridge? We have several high quality guest rooms dotted around College which you can book through Development by submitting a guest room enquiry. Once you have your MA (or Masters degrees or higher), you also become eligible to book Fellows’ Guest Rooms for an even more luxurious stay.

Who are the Friends of Peterhouse?

You may be aware of the Friends of Peterhouse through its support to undergraduates and postgraduates including their financing of the Senior Tutor’s Fund, the Mental Health Advisor and Student Counsellor, and the Wellbeing Fund. The Friends are a separate charity who work closely with the College. If you are interested in becoming a member, please visit the Friends of Peterhouse pages on the website.

How do I keep in touch with Peterhouse?

Fill in our graduand survey! This is your opportunity to make sure we have the right contact details for you going forward so that you are the first to hear about reunions and College news. If you need to update your details at any point in the future you can fill in our Online Update Form.

Get in touch with the Development office by emailing develop@pet.cam.ac.uk and join the Petrean community online by following us on social media:

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