Whereas, Cornell University has established itself as a hub for entrepreneurship education through programs like eLab, entrepreneurship certificates, and numerous courses across colleges, demonstrating its commitment to fostering innovation and business development among students.
Whereas, Cornell hosts a vibrant ecosystem of student-led entrepreneurship organizations including Life Changing Labs, Cornell Venture Capital, Student Agencies, and numerous others that provide peer support, networking opportunities, and educational programming for aspiring entrepreneurs, and students participating in these programs very often access resources and engage in commercial activity while geographically on campus.
Whereas, Cornell's current Academic Year Housing License explicitly prohibits students from conducting commercial business or activity in university housing and expressly forbids "using residence telephones, internet and wireless connections for profit-making purposes," creating a significant barrier for student entrepreneurs who reside on campus.
Whereas, Cornell's Terms and Conditions for Wired and Wi-Fi Network Service similarly restricts entrepreneurial activities by imposing limitations on how students may use university internet resources for commercial purposes, regardless of whether these activities create any actual burden on network resources or security concerns.
Whereas, many students residing in Cornell University housing are unaware of the restrictive policies within the Housing License and network usage agreements that prohibit commercial activities, including using university internet connections for any profit-making purpose, creating an environment where entrepreneurial efforts are stifled without their knowledge.
Whereas, the administration has stated that it “would shut down a student's Etsy account if they were aware of it,” illustrating the stringent enforcement potential of these policies and highlighting the disconnect between Cornell's portrayal of itself as an entrepreneurial hub and its operational restrictions.
Whereas, such restrictive policies would likely provoke significant backlash from students who view entrepreneurship as an integral part of their academic and personal growth, further demonstrating the need for policy reform to align with student expectations and Cornell’s broader mission.
Whereas, these policies create an inequitable environment where entrepreneurial opportunities are more accessible to economically advantaged students who can afford to live off-campus, contradicting Cornell's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity.
Whereas, peer institutions have implemented more nuanced approaches to student entrepreneurship in residential settings; for example Harvard University and Stanford University allowing students to perform commercial activity on campus with appropriate permission.
Whereas, the current policies present a contradiction between Cornell's academic promotion of entrepreneurship and its operational policies that have the potential to restrict the very activities these programs encourage, undermining the university's broader entrepreneurial mission.
Be it therefore resolved, that the Student Assembly supports student entrepreneurship and calls upon the administration to revise the aforementioned contracts to remove the blanket prohibition on commercial activities in favor of a policy that generally allows low-impact entrepreneurial ventures by default.
Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly recommends these revised policies specify only the types of commercial activities that are not permitted (such as those causing excessive noise) rather than requiring explicit permission for all entrepreneurial activities.
Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly recommends revisions to network usage policies to generally allow entrepreneurial use of network resources, with restrictions applied only when activities demonstrably burden network infrastructure or violate security protocols.
Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly recommends establishing designated entrepreneurial living spaces where additional business activities would be encouraged and supported, similar to existing themed living communities.
Be it finally resolved, that the administration will work to implement these policy revisions to create more equitable access to entrepreneurial opportunities and better align Cornell's operational policies with its institutional identity as a leader in entrepreneurial education.
Respectfully Submitted,
Christian Tarala ‘27
Nolan Representative, Student Assembly
Cion Kim ‘27
College of Engineering Representative, Student Assembly
