Student Assembly

Rationale of the Committee

The Committee appreciated meeting with Outdoor Odyssey and felt that trips were good opportunities for freshmen to bond before Orientation week. However, committee members had concerns with the organization’s eligibility to receive byline funding as well as other expenses they perceived as unnecessary.

First, committee members had concerns with the eligibility of Outdoor Odyssey to receive funding from the Student Activity Fee. Most members felt that the organization did not provide equal access to all students since it almost exclusively advertised at Cornell Days and most students did not have an opportunity to learn about the program before coming to Cornell. In addition, committee members felt that the high cost of the program (ranging from $250-$500, except 3 free trips) was also a preventative barrier for all students to participate. Finally, it seemed that a small amount of students, most of whom could actually afford the trip, were attending and it puzzled committee members why Outdoor Odyssey was the only pre-orientation trip to be funded by the SAF.

In addition, committee members felt that the summer salary stipends for trip coordinators and high quality t-shirts offered to trippers were unnecessary. Most didn’t feel that the SAF should go towards subsidizing these expenses and felt the trip cost could be reduced if these items were reduced or cut.

Ultimately, many on the Committee felt that Outdoor Odyssey should be gradually transitioned away from Student Activity Fee funding over the next two cycles due to the concerns they had over the organization’s eligibility for byline funding. Outdoor Odyssey’s funding is recommended to be reduced to $0.50 to begin the process of transitioning off of the SAF and towards increased tripper fees or other income sources. A funding level of $0.50 would allow the organization to continue to fund some tripper financial aid as well as guide development expenses until Outdoor Odyssey transitioned away from the Student Activity Fee.

Overall, the Committee believes these trips are worthwhile for freshmen students to take part in before Orientation week but felt that these students should be paying the cost to attend and not the entire student body.

Vote Totals

The Committee votes down, from the highest number proposed to the lowest, to give the group the advantage. The vote totals from the Committee were as follows:

Respectfully submitted,

Adam Nicoletti ‘12
Vice President for Finance, Student Assembly