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Office of the Assemblies

Student Assembly Meeting

Thursday, February 20, 2025

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Term:
2024-2025
Assembly/Committee: Student Assembly
Date & Time:
Thu, Feb 20, 2025 - 4:45pm
to
6:30pm
Location:
Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room (WSH407)/Zoom
Agenda:
Meeting Packet:
Audio Recording:
Minutes: No minutes available

Resolution	Abstract	Status
SA R26 (2024-2025): Vending Self-Care Supplies	This resolution proposes that every dormitory and social housing unit on Cornell's campus be equipped with vending machines offering a variety of essential health-related supplies, including non-prescription medications, sexual health supplies, COVID-19 antigen tests, and Narcan. Sponsored by: David Duan ’28, Davian Gekman ’27, Bianca Thompson ’26, Jinzhou Wu ‘28 Type of Action: Recommendation Originally Presented: 01/30/2025 Current Status: Adopted by the Assembly, Unanimous Consent, 02/20/2025 Whereas, student health and well-being are critical priorities at Cornell University, and the availability of essential health supplies directly supports these objectives; Whereas, vending machines offering health-related supplies in dormitories and social housing units provide discreet, convenient, and 24/7 access to these items for students, reducing barriers to obtaining necessary products; Whereas, similar initiatives at peer institutions have demonstrated success in promoting public health and student safety; Whereas, Cornell Health is well-positioned to advise on product selection and collaborate with the Student Assembly to secure funding and implement this initiative; Whereas, the medical needs of our community members do not cease with the conclusion of the business day, yet the Cornell Health pharmacy operates under 50 hours a week, limiting access to common business hours; Whereas, many residents of the Cornell community live far from the Cornell Health pharmacy on Ho Plaza, with a walk from Collegetown Apartments/Upperclassmen living facilities taking approximately 20 minutes both ways and a walk from the Vet School on East Campus taking approximately 25 minutes both ways Whereas, this resolution serves as an update and extension of Resolution 20: Dependable and Inclusive Supply of Pharmaceutical and Essential Nonprescription Supplies in 2023, which initiated a pilot program by installing vending machines at Cornell Health and RPCC to assess demand and feasibility. This resolution builds upon the findings from that study, expanding the program to additional campus locations; Whereas, collecting data on vending machine usage will help assess demand, optimize inventory, and ensure products align with student health needs; Whereas, illness rates increase during the winter, and access to cold medication and symptom relief supplies in vending machines can reduce transmission and support student well-being. Whereas, the cost of installing each vending machine is approximately $5,000, and students will be able to purchase items using Big Red Bucks (BRBs), credit card, and cash to ensure accessibility; Whereas, the following resolution will be applied to all on-campus housing, defined as dormitories, townhouses, co-ops, fraternities, sororities, and social-housing units; Whereas, partnerships with off-campus entities, such as Student Agencies and Lux Apartments, could expand the availability of resources under a similar framework; Be it therefore resolved, that every on-campus housing at Cornell University be equipped or be in a 5 minute walking distance vicinity of vending machines offering: ● Non-prescription medications and supplies, including but not limited to: pain relievers/fever reducers, thermometers, expectorants, allergy medications, gastrointestinal medications, band-aids, and antibiotic cream (products may change periodically based on demand and feedback); ● Sexual health supplies, including condoms, pregnancy tests, and emergency contraception (Plan B); ● COVID-19 antigen tests, limited to two per person at no cost, with bulk requests handled as per existing university guidelines; ● Naloxone spray (Narcan®), made available at no cost as part of New York State’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. Be it further resolved, that Cornell Health, the Student Health Advisory Committee and the Office of the Dean of Students collaborate to determine optimal product selection, pricing (where applicable), and vending machine placement within each housing unit; Be it further resolved, that Cornell Health and the Student Health Advisory Committee implement a data collection system to track vending machine usage, ensuring inventory optimization and alignment with student health needs; Be it further resolved, that Cornell Health and the Student Health Advisory Committee provide periodic education campaigns, including informational sessions and flyers, to inform students about the availability of these supplies and their proper use; Be it further resolved, that a semester audit assisted by the Student Health Advisory Committee be performed to ensure vending machines are operational and stocked with the prescribed resources; Be it further resolved, that Cornell Health allocate the necessary funds for the initial implementation of this initiative, with additional funding responsibilities falling to the Student Assembly and Office of the Dean of Students if required; Be it further resolved, that the Student Health Advisory Committee investigate and pursue partnerships with off-campus entities, such as Student Agencies and Lux Apartments, to provide these resources under a similar framework as on-campus housing; Be it finally resolved, that the Student Health Advisory Committee oversee the long-term sustainability of this initiative and ensure compliance with the provisions outlined in this resolution. Respectfully Submitted, David Bingkun Duan ‘27 Member, Student Health Advisory Committee, Student Assembly Chair, Student Health Benefits Sub-Committee, Student Assembly Davian Gekman ‘27 School of Industrial & Labor Relations Representative, Student Assembly Chair, Student Health Advisory Committee, Student Assembly	Submitted to the President
SA R28 (2024-2025): Approving Special Projects Funding Request for Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow (DLT)	This resolution approves $2,634.72 of Special Projects Funding to Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow New York Diversity Conference. Sponsored by: Niles Hite ’26, Christian Flournoy ‘27 Type of Action: Internal Policy Originally Presented: February 6, 2025 Current Status: Adopted by the Assembly, 18-0-4, 02/20/2025 Whereas, the Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow (DLT), has an annual allocation of $1000 or $500 per semester, which is not a sufficient amount to cover the cost of their trip. Whereas, the cost of the event (housing, transportation and food) total to $2634.72. Whereas, the Student Assembly Standing Rules, § 110: Spending Guidelines, Part B: Special Projects Funding outlines the purpose of Special Projects Funding and the process of approving funding request. Whereas, Part B: Special Projects Funding, section 1, of the Student Assembly Standing Rules explains the purpose of Special Projects Funding as follows: Section 1: The Student Assembly may choose to fund any project, program or service through the Assembly Special Projects that it deems to improve the quality of undergraduate student life. Special Projects funding is a type of category spending. Whereas, Part B: Special Projects Funding, section 2, subsection a, of the Student Assembly Standing Rules describes the requirement to be considered for Special Projects Funding as follows: (a) Any Cornell registered student organization Whereas, Part B: Special Projects Funding, Section 5, of the Student Assembly standing Rules outlines the rules of Special Projects Funding based on amount as follows: Section 5: Requests $2,500 and over shall be decided upon by a majority vote of the Executive Board and confirmed by a majority vote of the Student. Assembly, at large. The Assembly, at large, is only required to confirm requests of $2,500 or greater. The request should be presented to the Student Assembly in the form of a resolution. Whereas, the Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow (DLT), will be traveling to New York City to engage in a networking conference rooted in values surrounding diversity with other Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow college chapters across the country. Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly approves the $2,634.72 disbursement from the Student Assembly Reserve Account into the Student Assembly Special Projects Funding Account. Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly approves the $2,634.72 Special Projects disbursement to Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow (DLT). Be it further resolved, that Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow (DLT) must ensure that they can register this event by the required deadline, as dictated by University Policy. Be it further resolved, that Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow (DLT) must ensure that they are within the Risk Management guidelines, as dictated by University Policy. Be it further resolved, should guidelines set in place by Cornell University to ensure student safety be broken or violated by Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow (DLT) before their trip, this Special Projects Funding will be transferred back to the Student Assembly Reserve Accounts Be it finally resolved, that the Student Assembly urges that this funding be issued to Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow (DLT) as soon as possible, in order to secure payments for their trip. Respectfully Submitted, Niles Hite ‘26 Vice President for Finance of the Student Assembly Christian Flournoy ‘27 Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion of the Student Assembly	Adopted by the Assembly
SA R29 (2024-2025): Checking Our Pulse	This resolution amends the governing documents to change the language of the Pulse Committee. Sponsored by: Zora deRham ‘27, Adam Vinson ‘25, Niles Hite ‘26, Davian Gekman ’27, Nicholas Maggard ‘25, Christian Flournoy '27 Reviewed by: Executive Board, 02/02/2025 Type of Action: Internal Policy Originally Presented: 02/06/2025 Current Status: Adopted by the Assembly, Unanimous Consent, 02/20/2025 Whereas, the Pulse Committee was created in the Spring of 2024 with the mission of combatting “all forms of bias including but not limited to sexism, racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, and transphobia.” It was given a secondary mission of improving the assembly's connections with the student body through the funding of programming and projects; Whereas, as it is currently structured, Pulse is unable to achieve these goals. The committee is too large, reliant upon liaisons, and includes a voting member from an organization that does not exist; Be it therefore resolved, Article VI, Section 5(C), of the Bylaws of the Student Assembly, or its successor section, be struck in its entirety and replaced with the following, conditional on the acceptance and implementation of Resolution 7: Campus Pulse Committee A. Charge: This committee shall serve as a programmatic body to increase the availability of resources to address the pressing needs of the Student Body. The charge of the committee shall be as follows: combating bias on campus and creating community conversations that will work towards increasing empathy and cross-cultural dialogue between individuals and groups on the Cornell Campus, implementing programming and infrastructure to address the pressing needs of the campus community, providing financial support to ongoing projects and programs focused on improving campus climate and school spirit, creating resolutions focused on improving campus climate and school spirit, engaging with various organizations and leaders of special projects to explore ways to support their initiatives to enhance campus climate and foster school spirit, including but not limited to financial support, and writing a monthly memo about their work, which will be distributed to the greater campus community via the Student Assembly newsletter. B. Membership: The committee shall consist of a Chair, the Vice President for DEI, the Women's Issues Representative, the LGBTQIA+ Representative, one Freshman / Transfer Representative, the President of ALANA or their designee, the Residential Student Council Liaison or their designee, the Student Athlete Liaison or their designee, one of the Minority Representatives, two additional voting members of the Assembly, and three additional community members, who shall not be affiliated with any organization otherwise already represented. C. Chair: The Chair of this committee shall be elected by the Assembly. The Vice Chair shall be the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Chair shall contact and coordinate the membership of the Committee in coordination with the Vice President for DEI within the first two weeks following the election of the Chair. The Chair shall communicate all Pulse Committee updates to the Student Assembly President at least once every two weeks following the first committee meeting. The Chair shall meet with the Vice President for Policy at least twice per semester to discuss directives of the Student Assembly legislation and advocacy. Updates from these meetings shall be reported to the full Executive Cabinet. The Chair shall meet with the Vice President for Finance in advance of all financial decision making. Updates from these meetings shall be reported to the Executive Board. The Chair shall meet with the Vice President for Communications in advance of all outreach and to aid in event planning. Be it further resolved, the Pulse Committee be deemed to have priority over other committees for funding requests against the $400,000 allocated pursuant to Resolution 75 of the 2023-2024 Term of the Student Assembly. Be it finally resolved, the $400,000 allocation authorized by Resolution 75 of the 2023-2024 Term of the Student Assembly be moved to the Student Assembly Reserve Account, and any such language moving such funds to an endowed account be considered rescinded. Respectfully Submitted, Zora deRham ‘27 President of the Student Assembly Adam Vinson ‘25 Executive Vice President of the Student Assembly Niles Hite ‘26 Vice President for Finance of the Student Assembly Davian Gekman ‘27 School of Industrial & Labor Relations Representative, Student Assembly Nicholas Maggard ‘25 Deputy President of the Student Assembly Christian Flournoy ‘27 Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion of the Student Assembly	Submitted to the President
SA R30 (2024-2025): Resolution on the Sustainable Future of Anabel's Grocery	This resolution creates an Ad Hoc committee and establishes a public comment period regarding the future of Anabel’s Grocery, ensuring its continued operation and role in addressing food insecurity at Cornell University. Sponsored by: Zora deRham ’27, Nicholas Maggard ’25, Trisha Bhujle ’26, Teagan Smith ’25, Ella Wilkinson ’25, Noa Dijstelbloem ’25, Elinor Behlman ’26, Reid Fleishman ’25, Jacob Blizard ’25, Matthew Stefanko ’16 Type of Action: Internal Policy Originally Presented: 02/13/2025 Current Status: Adopted by the Assembly, Unanimous Consent, 02/20/2025 Whereas, food insecurity is a pressing issue at Cornell University, affecting students' ability to focus on their academics and overall well-being. Whereas, to combat this issue on campus, the 2014-2015 Student Assembly passed Resolution 65: Developing and Funding a Student-Run Grocery Store, which led to the creation of Anabel’s Grocery using money from the Student Assembly’s Students Helping Students Grant. Whereas, Anabel’s Grocery is a student-run nonprofit grocery store that provides fresh, nutritious, and affordable food to Cornell students, while also offering educational programming and community engagement opportunities. Whereas, the recent severance of the Student and Campus Life Department’s affiliation with the Center for Transformative Action (CTA) and related redirection of annual endowment income previously allocated to CTA has placed Anabel’s Grocery in financial jeopardy, as CTA has historically provided essential administrative, financial, and legal support for the store. Whereas, Anabel’s Grocery requires new financial support, including funding for a part-time store manager, faculty support for the related course, maintenance of operations, and the subsidy fund for affordable food access. Whereas, the Student Assembly has a responsibility to ensure that critical student services remain accessible, especially those that promote food security, student well-being, and community engagement. Be it therefore resolved, an Ad Hoc Committee on Anabel’s Grocery be established, with members appointed by the President, to investigate solutions to the challenges faced by Anabel’s. Be it further resolved, this resolution be opened for public comment on the Office of the Assemblies website, at the earliest opportunity. Be it further resolved, the below questions be posed to respondents as part of the public comment period: (1) Have you, or a student you know, been impacted by the services provided by Anabel’s Grocery? (2) Should the Student Assembly explore avenues for alternative funding sources for Anabel’s Grocery? Be it finally resolved, the Assembly commits to advocating for student food security and ensuring that Anabel’s Grocery remains a viable and accessible resource for all Cornell students. Respectfully Submitted, Zora deRham ‘27 President of the Student Assembly Nicholas Maggard ‘25 Deputy President of the Student Assembly Trisha Bhujle ‘26 Former Coordinator, Anabel’s Grocery Teagan Smith ‘25 Former Coordinator, Anabel’s Grocery Ella Wilkinson ‘25 Former Coordinator, Anabel’s Grocery Noa Dijstelbloem ‘25 Former Coordinator, Anabel’s Grocery Elinor Behlman ‘26 Former Coordinator, Anabel’s Grocery Reid Fleishman ‘25 Operations Team Member, Anabel’s Grocery Jacob Blizard ‘25 Former Coordinator, Anabel’s Grocery Matthew Stefanko ‘16 Co-Founder, Anabel’s Grocery Former Vice President for Finance, Student Assembly	Submitted to the President
SA R33 (2024-2025): University Response to U.S. Department of Education’s Threats	A call for Cornell University to not comply with the most recent stipulations for funding put in place by the United States Department of Education.	Submitted to the President