Whereas, Cornell undergraduates experience predictable barriers to timely access to basic health-related supplies, including late-night access constraints, transportation limitations, stigma, and cost uncertainty,
Whereas, strategically placed, clearly labeled health vending machines can provide low-friction, 24/7 access to commonly needed over-the-counter and personal care items,
Whereas, placing one machine in a Collegetown-area residence hall and one on West Campus will improve geographic access for students living in two of Cornell’s most populous residential clusters,
Whereas, the Student Health Advisory Committee is an established Student Assembly committee with an existing budget line capable of transparently managing and tracking this initiative through the Office of the Assemblies financial process under Student Assembly Account G943702, Sub-account 20022 (Student Health Advisory),
Be it therefore resolved, the Student Assembly authorizes a one-time transfer of $20,000 from the Student Assembly Reserve Accounts to the Student Health Advisory Committee operating line: Account G943702, Sub-account 20022 (Student Health Advisory),
Be it further resolved, SHAC shall use transferred funds solely for the purposes below (not to exceed the total transfer), with any internal reallocation across line items permitted as long as the project scope remains two installed machines with one stocking cycle per semester,
Capital purchase of two vending machines (including card/mobile payment capability and any necessary configuration)
- Budget cap: $14,000 total (target $7,000 per machine)
Delivery, installation, and site-readiness costs (e.g., placement coordination, minor electrical/network needs if required by vendor/site)
- Budget cap: $2,000 total
Initial inventory (health-related products) for both machines (launch stock)
- Budget cap: $3,000 total
Contingency/repairs at launch (first-year startup risk)
- Budget cap: $1,000 total
Be it further resolved, SHAC will coordinate with the Office of the Assemblies, Student & Campus Life, Cornell Housing & Residential Life, and any relevant facilities/operations units to select final installation sites:
- One residence hall located in the Collegetown residential area; and
- One residence hall or high-traffic residential common space on West Campus,
Be it further resolved, SHAC will develop and maintain:
- A product list limited to health-related and personal-care items (examples in Appendix A), with attention to affordability, demand, and student feedback;
- A stocking plan of one full restock per semester per machine, executed by SHAC members and/or designated volunteers, in coordination with any required building staff access procedures; and
- Clear usage signage (what the machine contains, how to report issues, and a link/QR for product requests), as well as signage that showcases the SGA Logo,
Be it further resolved, SHAC shall publish a brief end-of-semester update to the Student Assembly (as an Announcement/Report or committee report) including:
- Locations installed;
- Products stocked (high-level categories);
- Any recurring maintenance issues; and
- A recommendation on whether to continue, expand, relocate, or modify the program
Be it finally resolved, any unspent funds remaining after the two machines are installed and initially stocked shall remain in G943702-20022 (Student Health Advisory) for machine-related maintenance/repairs and subsequent semesterly stocking, unless the Assembly passes subsequent legislation to reprogram or return those funds.
