Abstract: This resolution approves the recommendation for the 2026-2028 Student Activity Fee. The overall recommendation is a compilation of approved Finance Committee recommendations.
Authored by: Hayden Watkins ’28, Christian Tarala ‘27
Sponsored by: Zora deRham ’27, Kennedy Young ’28, Max Ehrlich ’26, Lawrence Han ’27, Katherine Krishtopa ’28, Alexander Walters ’28, Zachary Yabut ’28, Eric Yao ’27, Calvin Carpenter ’28, Sriram Chakravadhanula ’28, Marc Friedman ’29, Ryan Kozel ’28, Raymond Lin ’29, Sophia Riley Sim ’28, Ruth Tilahun ’28, Katelin Wong ’27
Reviewed by: Finance Committee
Type of Action: Recommendation
Originally Presented: 12/03/2025
Current Status: Adopted by the Assembly, 26-2-0, 12/04/2025
Whereas, Appendix A: Guidelines for the Allocation of the Student Activity Fee, Section 1: Preamble, reads:
“The Student Assembly, through the delegated authority of the President and the Board of Trustees, is charged with the allocation of the Student Activity Fee (SAF). This fee is mandatory for all undergraduate students of the University and shall be used to fund participation in, and viewing of, activities and programs that benefit the Cornell community. The SAF shall be determined during the fall semester of every odd-numbered year, an be subject to the approval of the President of the University.”
Whereas, Appendix A: Guidelines for the Allocation of the Student Activity Fee, Section 10: Default, reads:
“If the Assembly does not adopt a recommendation in the fall semester of a fee setting year, its recommendation shall be presumed to be that all individual by-lines revert to the same level as in the current funding cycle with the following exception:
- Should an applicant’s newly approved allocation be less than that of the current cycle, the applicant shall receive the lower allocation.”
Whereas, Appendix A: Guidelines for the Allocation of the Student Activity Fee, Section 13: Criteria for Setting and Allocating the Student Activity Fee from the March 1, 1999 Delegation of Authority, Subsection I, reads:
“The SA shall ensure that the Student Activity Fee is an even dollar amount without change. The SA shall be permitted to increase the Student Activities Funding Commission’s allocation above their request to reach an even dollar amount.”
Be it therefore resolved, the Student Assembly recommends the Student Activity Fee be set at $476 and distributed as follows:
| | 2025-2026 | 2026-2028 |
| Organization | Allocation | Request | Allocation | % Change |
| ALANA Intercultural Board | $14.00 | $16.00 | $15.82 | 13% |
| Alternative Breaks | $0.50 | $0.00 | $0.00 | -100% |
| Athletics & Physical Education | $7.70 | $8.00 | $8.00 | 3.90% |
| Club Sports Council | $29.00 | $38.00 | $35.52 | 22.48% |
| Collegiate Readership Program | $2.92 | $5.40 | $5.40 | 84.93% |
| Community Partnership Funding Board | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | 0% |
| Convocation Committee | $18.00 | $23.00 | $20.50 | 13.89% |
| Cornell Concert Commission | $22.00 | $24.00 | $23.50 | 6.82% |
| Cornell University Class Councils | $16.00 | $19.50 | $13.50 | -15.63% |
| Cornell University Program Board | $15.39 | $15.60 | $15.60 | 1.36% |
| CU Tonight Commission | $12.00 | $18.00 | $11.00 | -8.33% |
| Emergency Medical Service at Cornell University | $5.15 | $5.20 | $5.15 | 0% |
| Empathy Assistance and Referral Services | $0.50 | $0.50 | $0.00 | -100% |
| Gender Justice Advocacy Coalition | $3.45 | $3.50 | $3.45 | 0% |
| Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union | $5.40 | $5.40 | $5.40 | 0% |
| International Students Union | $8.50 | $10.00 | $9.50 | 11.76% |
| Interfaith Council at Cornell | $6.50 | $20.50 | $11.50 | 76.92% |
| Minds Matter at Cornell | $0.50 | $1.70 | $1.00 | 100% |
| Multicultural Community Fueled Activities Board | $14.75 | $20.00 | $17.00 | 15.25% |
| Multicultural Greek Fraternal Council | $2.00 | $3.00 | $1.60 | -20% |
| Outdoor Odyssey | $2.90 | $2.90 | $2.90 | 0% |
| Slope Day Programming Board | $50.00 | $62.50 | $62.50 | 25% |
| Student Activities Funding Commission | $148.53 | $148.60 | $166.60 | 12.17% |
| Student Assembly | $2.75 | $3.00 | $3.00 | 9.09% |
| Student Club Insurance | $5.50 | $5.80 | $5.80 | 5.45% |
| Student Programming Council | $3.00 | $6.00 | $4.30 | 43.33% |
| Students Helping Students Awards | $4.60 | $4.60 | $4.60 | 0% |
| Tatkon Center for New Students | $13.86 | $13.90 | $13.86 | 0% |
| Willard Straight Hall Student Union Board | $6.60 | $9.90 | $7.00 | 6.06% |
| Total Student Activity Fee | $424 | $496.50 | $476 | 12.26% |
Respectfully Submitted,
Hayden Watkins ’28
Vice President for Finance, Student Assembly
Christian Tarala ’27
Hotel School Representative, Student Assembly
Zora deRham ’27
President of the Student Assembly
Kennedy Young ’28
Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Student Assembly
Max Ehrlich ’26
School of Industrial and Labor Relations Representative, Student Assembly
Lawrence Han ’27
Representative At-Large, Student Assembly
Katherine Krishtopa ’28
College of Engineering Representative, Student Assembly
Alexander Walters ’28
LGBTQIA+ Representative, Student Assembly
Zachary Yabut ’28
Transfer Student Representative, Student Assembly
Eric Yao ’27
Representative At-Large, Student Assembly
Calvin Carpenter ’28
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Sriram Chakravadhanula ’28
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Marc Friedman ’29
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Ryan Kozel ’28
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Raymond Lin ’29
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Sophia Riley Sim ’28
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Ruth Tilahun ’28
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
Katelin Wong ’27
Finance Committee Member, Student Assembly
