Student Assembly

Organization: Outdoor Odyssey
Date: October 30th, 2012

The Appropriations Committee felt that Outdoor Odyssey is an exceptionally run program and commends them for their efficiency and productivity. However, the committee as a whole questions whether Outdoor Odyssey meets the Appendix A requirements for a byline funded organization.

Committee members felt that while technically any undergraduate can at some point get involved with the program, because of the both the low turnout (representing 1–2% of the undergraduate student body) and the inability to market to the entire incoming freshman class, the organization does not currently both “serve/benefit the entire undergraduate Cornell community” and “allow all students equal access to services and/or participation”.

After discussion committee members agreed that in its current state that Outdoor Odyssey it not truly available to all students. One of the main reasons, as mentioned, is the current population being reached by their marketing efforts. Aside from Facebook posts in the new freshman group, the majority of promotion for the program is done during Cornell Days. However, geographical convenience and the high cost of travel make its so that students are more likely to attend Cornell Days if they are from the Northeast or from higher income families. Thus students from other parts of the country, students from lower income families, and international students have far less opportunity to gain exposure to the program.

Committee members also felt that a number of cuts could be made from Outdoor Odyssey’s budget that could allow the organization to become self-sustaining. Suggestions that members of the committee supported examining were decreasing the summer wages for the program coordinators, removing the subsidies for the service trips (particularly in light of the availability of POST as a supplementary pre-orientation program), re-examining costs incurred to Cornell Outdoor Education to see if any of those could be cut down on, and charging more for trips that have higher operational costs (such as canoeing) or transportation costs.

Overall, the Appropriations Committee does not want to see Outdoor Odyssey continue to operate. Members feel that with some collaboration, the group could become a self-sustaining organization that does not require money from the student activity fee while still maintaining its current growth and operational success.

Respectfully submitted,

Roneal Desai ‘13
Vice President for Finance’
Student Assembly′