These funding guidelines articulate the extent, limitations, and processes by which student organizations may obtain and use commission funds. All student organizations which have business with the commission are expected to understand and follow these guidelines. Should a conflict arise between these guidelines and the bylaws of the commission [1], the bylaws shall supersede these guidelines.
Adopted by the Student Assembly on Thursday, 24 April 2008. Amended: Thursday, 23 April 2009; Thursday, 3 December 2009; Thursday, 11 February 2010; Thursday, 22 April 2010; Thursday, 29 April 2010; Friday, 3 December 2010.
1 Definitions
1.1 Name
The name of this committee is the Student Assembly Finance Commission of Cornell University, a chartered committee of the Cornell University Student Assembly.
1.2 Terms
- Allocation
- A conditional allotment of funds by the commission in response to a request for funding. In releasing an allocation, the commission does not guarantee payment of any particular or reimbursement expense; rather, it promises to set aside funds which may be used towards certain expenses, subject to all applicable university and statutory regulations.
- Applicant
- The organization or organizations who are parties to the application.
- Application
- An application consisting of several requests for funding submitted to the SAFC by one or more applicants.
- Business day
- A business day shall be any day the Office of the Assemblies is open for regular business and regular undergraduate classes are in session.
- Commissioner
- A member of the SAFC.
- OA
- The Office of the Assemblies [2] is an administrative unit of the university which supports the operations of the SA and the SAFC, and assures compliance with applicable rules and policies.
- Registered student organization
- An organization which has a current and complete registration on file with the SAO.
- SA
- The Student Assembly [3] (the assembly) is the undergraduate student government of the university under which the commission is chartered.
- SAFC
- Student Assembly Finance Commission (the commission)
- SAO
- The Student Activities Office [4] is an administrative unit of the university which grants registrations to student organizations, allowing them certain privileges on campus, including the right to apply for funds from the SAFC. The office also provides extensive information and advisory resources to officers of registered student organizations.
1.3 Version of Record
The version of the bylaws posted online [5] is the version of record, and it shall supersede any other existing versions. The Office of the Assemblies shall maintain and modify this version according to the procedures for amendment. Commissioners and other parties may not alter the effect or applicability of the bylaws or guidelines by misstatement or misinterpretation.
2 Applicants
This section establishes rules and procedures governing the interactions of applicant organizations and the commission.
2.1 Eligibility
2.1.1 Basic Requirements
To be eligible to request new funds or to spend allocated funds an applicant must:
- register with the Student Activities Office [6] (SAO);
- have undergraduate members who comprise at least sixty percent of its total membership, excluding alumni members; and,
- be in good standing with the commission.
Officers of the applicant must also meet the following requirements:
- president(s) and treasurer(s) must agree to abide by standards for ethical conduct; and,
- president(s), treasurer(s), and advisor must affirm their approval for each request either by digital or by written signature as the commission provides.
The organization must meet all eligibility requirements as well as submit both requests and supporting materials before the deadlines set by the commission in order for the commission to accept and review such requests and materials. The commission may not accept submissions from organizations that have not met the eligibility requirements.
2.1.2 Limitations for New Applicants
For the purposes of this section, an organization is considered to have applied for funding if it successfully submits its application online, regardless of the funding outcome. A new applicant is an organization that has not applied for funding in the previous academic year. All other applicants are considered returning applicants.
New applicants may be subject to special restrictions detailed elsewhere in these guidelines.
2.2 Ethical Conduct
Officers of applicants must agree to the Statement on Ethical Conduct prepared by the Office of the Assemblies by digital or written signature as the office provides.
2.3 Suspension and Revocation of Funds
2.3.1 Purpose
To prevent misuse of commission funds, the Executive Committee of the commission may act to temporarily suspend or permanently revoke allocated funds. The committee may revoke funds of an organization if it finds that the organization:
- does not meet one or more eligibility requirements; or,
- acted in violation of the Statement on Ethical Conduct.
2.3.2 Suspension of Funding
Either the Office of the Assemblies or the Chair(s) of the commission may temporarily suspend an organization’s funds at any time. Any action to temporarily suspend funding of an applicant organization shall last no more than ten business days. Such a decision takes effect only after the following are informed:
- the Office of the Assemblies;
- the Chair(s); and,
- the president, treasurer, and advisor of the affected organization.
2.3.3 Revocation of Funding
To revoke funding of an organization, the commission must follow this procedure:
- the Chair(s) of the commission must contact the officers and advisor of the organization, explaining the commission’s intent and reasoning for proposing revocation of funding; and,
- the Chair(s) of the commission, or a designee, must arrange for a meeting between the Executive Committee and the organization so the organization may:
- hear the commission’s intent and reasoning,
- examine any evidence associated with the proposed revocation of funding,
- present its case and additional evidence to the commission, and
- negotiate a mutually acceptable remedy; and,
- the Executive Committee, after deliberating in closed session, may vote to revoke funding.
The decision to revoke funding is subject to appeal. Any funds that are revoked remain unavailable to the organization until the appeal process is resolved.
2.3.4 Limitations
The Executive Committee may not revoke funding for more than one academic year and may reverse a decision to revoke funds at any time.
3 Request for Funds
3.1 General Principles
The commission will not accept late submissions.
3.2 Regular Application
3.2.1 Purpose
Organizations may obtain funds individually by submitting a regular application. The application is prerequisite to all other requests for funding the organization may submit.
3.2.2 Basis on Which to Make Requests
Organizations may submit one regular application for funding per semester. If an organization submits an application for funds before the first semester in which those funds are available to spend, it may not submit another regular request in that first semester when the requested funds are available to spend.
3.2.3 Permitted Expenses
Organizations may request funds for the following kinds of expense in a regular application:
3.2.4 When Application Becomes Available
Applications for each academic year become available by March 1 of the prior academic year.
3.2.5 When Application is Due
The commission sets deadlines for online and hard copy submission in its calendar.
3.2.6 When Funds Become Available
The commission sets a date in its calendar when funding decisions are released and funds become available. Once released, funds may be used towards expenses that occur between the first and last days of classes in either semester of the academic year in which the funds are released. Funds remain available until revoked or reverted.
3.2.7 Limitations for New Applicants
A new applicant may receive a maximum allocation of $1,500.
3.3 Special Project Request
3.3.1 Purpose
To allow organizations to request funds in certain new or special circumstances, the commission permits submission of special project requests.
3.3.2 Eligible Items
An applicant may request additional funding for any expenses in its budget or for entirely new expenses under the following conditions:
- applicant meets criteria for eligibility;
- special project funding application is submitted before a deadline in the calendar such that the commission will render a decision before any additional requested funding must be used;
- additional funds are needed because either:
- the applicant has new circumstances which:
- support a higher allocation than the original circumstances of the application, and
- could not have been reasonably anticipated or mitigated by the organization before it submitted its original request; or,
- the applicant:
- has received no funding in any categories other than Administrative Expenses in its original application, and
- has not submitted any other special project request in the current funding cycle.
Each special project request must be limited to one category of supported expenses.
3.3.3 Procedure for Submission
Organizations submit special project funding applications using a special project application form available online from the commission website. Forms must be signed by the registered president, treasurer, and advisor of the organization and must include:
- identification of the items for which additional funding is needed and how much more is needed for each; and
- if the request arises from new circumstances, documentation of new circumstances necessitating the increased allocation, including documentation that the applicant could not have foreseen such circumstances at the last regular deadline.
3.3.4 Procedure for Review and Allocation
The commission:
- reviews the application at the next date set in its calendar and renders a decision by the same process as for the single organization application, but without a hearing except by request of the Chair(s) of the commission;
- rejects the application or any parts of it that do not meet criteria for a special request funding application; and,
- considers the parts it accepts on the merits as if they were part of the original submission and allocates accordingly.
4 Allocation
The commission allocates funds according to these guidelines and its bylaws. Allocations do not guarantee that specific reimbursements or payments will be issued. For this reason, organizations are strongly advised to consult with the Office of the Assemblies before entering into any commitment with financial consequences.
4.1 Caps and Percentage Cuts
The commission may impose caps and percentage cuts to allocations on a per organization and, for jointly organized events, per event bases in order to assure total allocations do not exceed available funds. The total of funds awarded, including additional funds from special project requests and appeals, may not exceed such caps and are subject to such cuts as well as any other per organization or per event caps and cuts specified elsewhere in these guidelines.
4.2 Limitations for Club Sports
The Executive Committee of the commission may determine a special limit for the combined allocations of organizations it determines to be club sports, provided this limit is no less than 25 percent of the total funds allocated in the same period. The commission may apply lower caps or higher percentage cuts to such organizations to implement this limit.
5 Budget Hearings
An applicant may only request a hearing regarding a request which:
- is submitted in a regular application;
- is in excess of $500; and,
- received an allocation less than the total amount requested or the maximum allowed thereof after caps and cuts have been applied, whichever is less.
The commission:
- provides no more than four and no less than two commissioners for the hearing;
-
- does not allow amendment of the originally submitted request;
- accepts additional documentation and statements provided by the applicant which clarify or support the requests included in the original submission; and,
- keeps minutes which document the names of participants in the hearing, the questions asked of the applicant, and responses received.
The applicant:
- provides no less than one and no more than three representatives of whom all must be either undergraduate student members or registered advisors; and,
- limits responses to the questions posed by the commissioners.
The applicant may cancel a hearing until one business day before it is scheduled without penalty. If no representative arrives within ten minutes of the scheduled start of the hearing, the commission notes the absence or lateness and reduces the allocation to ninety percent of what it would otherwise be.
6 Appeals
6.1 Purpose
The external appeal process assures actions of the Commission are fair and reasonable. An organization may utilize this process to dispute any decision affecting its allocation of funds where it can demonstrate that the Commission:
- incorrectly interpreted or applied its guidelines or relevant policies; or,
- wrongly excluded or construed relevant information or supporting documentation in the organization’s application.
The burden shall rest on the appealing organization to demonstrate that the Commission erred. The Student Assembly (the Assembly) determines the outcome of the appeal.
6.2 Format of Review Request
Organizations must utilize the SAFC Appeal Form provided by the Office of the Assemblies (the Office), and the appeal must include the following:
- name of the organization;
- written rationale identifying the actions the organization wishes to dispute, citing the specific policies the organization alleges the Commission to have incorrectly applied, and what the organization believes to be the correct interpretation; and,
- signature of the president, treasurer, and advisor of the organization.
The organization may not include supporting documentation in the appeal except for those documents the organization alleges the Commission to have incorrectly excluded from consideration in its original decision. The organization must identify the specific policies it alleges the Commission to have violated in excluding such documents.
6.3 Receipt of Review Request and Initial Action
- The organization must submit completed appeals before the deadline provided by the Commission or, if the Commission does not specify an explicit deadline, within five business days after the Commission releases the decision the organization wishes to dispute.
- The Office of the Assemblies transmits decisions and supporting documents to the Assembly’s Vice President for Finance (the Vice President) and the Commission’s Executive Board, after verifying they are timely and formatted correctly.
- If the Executive Board agrees with the appeal request in its substance, the Chair of the Commission may notify the Vice President, who may grant the request without conducting a hearing.
- The Vice President, unless so notified regarding the appeal, contacts the members of the organization within five business days of receiving the review request to schedule a hearing with the Appropriations Committee.
- The hearing occurs within ten business days of receiving the appeal.
6.4 Appeal Hearing
In presentation and discussion, the Appropriations Committee reviews only the actions disputed in the appeal, and neither the affected organization nor the Commission may present new information or documentation that was unavailable when the Commission made its initial decision.
The affected organization and the Chair(s) of the Commission each:
- present their rationales; and,
- answer questions concerning its presentation.
6.5 Decision
The committee:
- deliberates in closed session and, for each disputed action, determines whether Commission erred in its original decision; and,
- for each determination that the Commission erred in its original decision, adopts a rationale explaining its determination.
In determining whether guidelines were correctly interpreted the Committee will consider whether the Commission’s application of guidelines was reasonable. In determining whether the Commission erred in its determination of facts, the Committee will decide based on a preponderance of evidence provided in the hearing.
For each appeal reviewed, the Vice President for Finance:
- compiles a preliminary report of all determinations and rationales approved by the Appropriations Committee;
- presents the preliminary report for the Assembly to adopt at the earliest practical date; and,
- transmits the adopted report to the Chair(s) of the Commission, the Office of the Assemblies, and the presidents, treasurers, and advisors of the affected organizations.
For each determination that the Commission erred, the Commission or its Executive Committee must within ten business days:
- reconsider the disputed action, adopting actions that are consistent with the rationale of the Assembly;
- report its revised decision to the Vice President, the Office of the Assemblies, and the affected organizations.
6.6 Further Appeals
Organizations may appeal a revised decision of the Commission in the same manner as the original decision, but only on the basis of new determinations that were made since the original appeal was filed. Organizations may additionally dispute outcomes of appeals through the university Ombudsman.
7 Spending Funds
This section establishes the procedures for applicants to spend allocated funds.
7.1 Reimbursement
7.1.1 Purpose
Both because of university policy and personal preference, some expenses are paid out of pocket by members or agents of the organizations. For these expenses, organizations may authorize reimbursement of the individual who has paid out of pocket.
7.1.2 Advantages
Reimbursement provides a mean to recover eligible expenses through the commission. It is the only way to obtain payment for expenses incurred without prior approval by the commission.
7.1.3 Limitations
The organization and its members risk the possibility of expenses not being approved because of insufficient remaining funds.
These risks are mitigated when direct payment is sought in advance of the expense, and the office therefore strongly encourages organizations to use direct payment methods whenever possible.
7.1.4 Procedure
Applicant must complete a Reimbursement Authorization Form provided online by the Office of the Assemblies, including the following:
- identification of expenses and specific funds to use for their payment;
- identification of individual to be reimbursed, including taxpayer identification information;
- signature authorization of the president or treasurer and the advisor; and,
- receipts for each expense which include:
- date of expense,
- itemized breakdown of purchase items, and
- itemized breakdown of any taxes included in expenses.
The office will not authorize payment for:
- expenses more than 30 days old at time of submission to office;
- engagement fee expenses to speakers and performers;
- publication printing expenses in excess of $500;
- any individual expense exceeding $10,000;
- expenses prohibited from being reimbursed by other applicable university policies or laws;
- tax expenses; or,
- expenses in excess of remaining funds available.
For payments less than $50, the office provides cash reimbursement. For larger expenses the office will issue a check. The office provides notice to the applicant of any discrepancies between the request received and payment issued.
7.2 Direct Payment
7.2.1 Purpose
Organizations may request that the university pay expenses directly, either because university policy or personal preference. The Office of the Assemblies recommends that organizations utilize direct payment procedures whenever possible, because such expenses avoid personal financial risk.
7.2.2 Advantages
Use of a direct payment method is recommended when expense items exceed $500. Direct payments are not subject to state sales tax if the organization has registered with a university status.
7.2.3 Risks
All direct payments must be approved before the expense is paid to a vendor. Therefore, the organization must plan ahead to allow adequate time for processing of forms before payment is due.
8 Reversion of Funds
If an organization has unspent funds remaining in its account at the first business day after the last day of classes in the academic year for which those funds were allocated, those funds will automatically revert to the commission.
9 Supported Expenses
This section describes the kinds of expenses which the commission may fund.
The commission funds only for expenses that relate to the purpose of the organization as specified in its registration with the Student Activities Office.
9.1 Administrative Expenses
9.1.1 General Purpose
Administrative expenses support the basic functioning cost for meetings and operations copying.
9.1.2 Maximum Funding
Administrative expenses may not exceed $400 per academic year.
9.1.3 Copying and Chalk
Applicant:
- specifies the number of copies required, and
- indicates the specific number of buckets of chalk required.
Commission:
- allocates for the number of copies specified according to rates negotiated between local vendors and the Office of the Assemblies for single-sided, black and white, US letter impressions (see Negotiated Rates for more information);
- allocates for the number of buckets specified according to rates negotiated between local vendors and the Office of the Assemblies (see Negotiated Rates for more information); and,
- allocates for a maximum of $55 for combined copying and chalk expenses.
9.1.4 Advertising
Applicant:
- uses advertising funds only for the purpose of membership recruitment1; and,
- utilizes the Cornell Daily Sun.
Commission:
- allocates for the number of advertisements specified according to rates negotiated between local vendors and the Office of the Assemblies (see Negotiated Rates for more information); and,
- allocates for a maximum of two eighth page advertisements per semester.
9.1.5 Repairs and maintenance of equipment
Applicant:
- uses funds only for:
- the repair of equipment purchased with commission funds, or
- the purchase of or restocking of first-aid medical kits; and,
- specifies the equipment to be repaired.
9.1.6 Mailbox fee
Applicant:
- requests funds only for a student organization mailbox in Willard Straight Hall; and,
- specifies whether mailbox is newly registered or previously registered and being renewed.
Commission:
- allocates for mailbox at rate determined by the Office of the Assemblies in coordination with staff that administer the mailbox, and allocates only for organizations those staff verify to be mailbox subscribers.
9.2 Local Event
9.2.1 Purpose
This category includes expenses which support the costs related to speaker, performer or coach engagement fees and costs associated with putting on an event, program or practice.
9.2.2 Eligibility for Funding
To be eligible for funding the event must:
- occur between the first and last day of classes:
- occur on a weekday when classes are in session or a weekend that is not part of a university holiday such as Fall Break or Spring Break; and,
- be one of the following:
- a practice session for athletic or performance organizations, or
- a public event open to the Cornell community to the extent permitted by spatial, temporal, or financial constraints; and,
- not have a primary or substantive purpose of:
- conversion/worship
- influencing legislation
- partisan political activity
- raising funds for profit
- raising funds for charity, unless the event has another equally substantive purpose related to the mission of the organization
- social activity.
The applicant:
- must include documentation of a reservation for a room or practice space in its request, even if it enjoys exclusive control over the room.
The commission:
- will not allocate for the event without documentation of a room reservation.
Expenses related to the event will not be paid unless the organization complies with the Use of University Property Policy [7].
9.2.3 Engagement fee
An engagement fee is a payment provided to a speaker, performer, or coach as compensation for participation in an event. The engagement fee is considered taxable income for the recipient and must be reported as such.
Applicant:
- for each engagement fee of $500 or less, includes in its application a Proof of Contact (see below for more information);
- for each engagement fee greater than $500, includes a completed Letter of Intent Form (see below for more information);
- may not request an engagement fee for any of the following:
- a speaker or performer with whom another organization has negotiated an engagement fee, documented by a proof of contact or Letter of Intent filed with the commission, for which it is seeking funding from the commission,
- a university student,
- a university employee,
- an alumnus who graduated within five years, or
- a parent, adopted parent, sibling, step-sibling, or child of a Cornell student.
The commission:
- allocates a maximum of $5,000 for engagement fees per organization per academic year.
A proof of contact is documentation that show’s the speaker has confirmed non-binding intent to participate in an event organized by the applicant organization. A valid Proof of Contact must:
- be a letter, fax, or e-mail from a speaker or performer; and,
- include the following details:
- speaker or performer’s name,
- date of engagement, and
- amount of proposed engagement fee or stipulation that there will not be an engagement fee
A Letter of Intent Form is a form available online from the Office of the Assemblies, which must be completed by the speaker or performer and the group organizing the event. It is not binding upon either party, but it documents the good-faith intent of the parties to organize the event.
The form is considered invalid unless completed and signed by both parties.
9.2.4 Speaker, performer, or coach travel expensesare not subject to SA/SAFC approva
The commission funds certain expenses related to speaker travel.
Transportation expenses
Funds allocated for transportation may be used for any means of transportation, including bus, car, plane and train.
Applicant:
- indicates the number of people traveling, if the performer consists of more than one person;
- includes in its application Proof of Distance (see Documentation for more information) for the speaker or performer’s round trip; and,
- includes in its application Documentation of airfare costs in addition to Proof of Travel Distance, if funding is requested for air travel.
Commission:
- funds transportation at the lesser of either the Internal Revenue Service rate, obtained from the Office of the Assemblies, or the documented airfare costs (see Negotiated Rates for more information; and,
- funds for the number of people traveling or for one person, if the number of people is not specified in the request.
Meals
Applicant:
- specifies the number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners requested; and,
- uses funds toward reimbursement of restaurant costs and not groceries.
Commission:
- allocates at the following rates for each meal:
- $5 per breakfast
- $10 per lunch
- $15 per dinner; and,
- allocates a maximum of $30 per person per day.
Lodging
Applicant:
- indicates the number of people requiring lodging, if performer is a group of multiple people; and,
- specifies the number of nights requested; and,
- may not request more nights of lodging than the number of days of the event plus one; and,
- may not use funds toward the following expenses:
- valet parking at the hotel
- phone calls from room
- video rentals.
Commission:
- allocates a maximum of:
- $75 per night for a single speaker or performer and
- an additional $10 for each additional person if performer is a group of people
9.2.5 Venue fees
The commission allocates funds for rental of venues and services related to use of that venue.
Applicant:
- includes a Price Quote (see Documentation for more information) for each fee or service associated with its use of the venue; and,
- includes in the application, for the venue use fee, documentation of the following:
- location,
- duration of event, including set-up and take-down time, and,
- fee rate
- includes in the application, for services provided by units of the university (such as Cornell Police, Environmental Health and Safety, electricians, custodians) and for services provided by off-campus vendors:
- a copy of the service agreement.
Commission:
- allocates according to provided Price Quotes.
9.2.6 Program materials
The commission funds non-perishable and re-usable items or materials that are essential to the success of a program.
Applicant:
- includes in the application Price Quotes for all materials; and,
- may request funds toward the rental, but not the purchase, of costumes, props, and clothing.
- may not request funding for food, food preparation or food service items.
9.2.7 Media rental or copyright fees
The commission funds rental and copyright expenses associated with movies and video games necessary for an event.
Applicant:
- specifies titles of each copyrighted item that will be used, regardless of associated fees; and,
- includes in its application a Price Quote (see Documentation for more information) for each movie rental or copyright fee; and,
- includes a letter or email from the Director of Cornell Cinema or a designee indicating tentative approval for the event (see Documentation for more information).
9.2.8 Publicity
The commission funds certain publicity expenses for the event. The applicant may not use more than $20 of its allocation toward copying and chalk. See Negotiated Rates for more information.
If an event is eligible for funding, the commission will provide up to two complementary, vertical eighth-page advertisements to publicize the event in the Cornell Daily Sun. Funding is not allocated for these ads in the organization’s budget, but the organization may pay for the ads using the Cornell Daily Sun Advertisement Authorization Form.
9.3 Travel Event
9.3.1 Purpose
The commission funds expenses related to student travel to conferences and tournaments.
9.3.2 Eligibility
To be eligible for funding the event must:
- be located outside the municipal limits of Tompkins County, New York;
- occur between the first day of classes and the last day of exams for the semester in which it occurs;
- be organized and hosted by another institution; and,
- not be a retreat in which group members partake in team building, training activities, and other such activities which do not further the purpose of the organization.
Applicant includes in its application:
- a Proof of Travel Event documentation;
- a written explanation of how participation in the event supports the mission of the organization;
- the dates of event; and,
- the location where the event will occur.
All travel expenses outside the contiguous United States will be limited to total funding of $1500.
The following are suitable as proof of a travel event:
- a printout directly from a website that includes the title, description, and dates of an event (e.g. a conference) and any other relevant event details, or
- a letter or fax from the event organizer is also suitable, provided it includes contact information for the organizer.
9.3.3 Transportation
The commission funds transportation for students to and from the event. Funds may be applied only towards the cost of travel between Ithaca and the event, and may not include costs associated with local travel in the vicinity of the event such as public transportation fares and parking fees.
Applicant:
- provides Proof of Travel Distance (see Documentation for more information); and,
- includes in its application documentation of airfare costs or bus fares in addition to Proof of Travel Distance, if funding is requested for air or bus travel.
Commission:
- funds for travel at the student travel rate2, listed in the Negotiated Rates and set as one-eighth the IRS mileage rate.
9.3.4 Lodging
The commission funds lodging for students at the event location.
Applicant:
- specifies the number of nights for which it needs lodging; and,
- for any nights of lodging requested that do not fall between the start and end of the event, explains the need for such nights of lodging.
Commission:
- allocates $15 per participant per night for each night occurring during the event; and,
- allocates at the same rate for other nights if the organization is required to stay extra days because of travel limitations such as:
- the start of the event is so early on one day that it is necessary to travel the day before, or
- the end of the event is so late that travel is not possible until the following day.
9.3.5 Membership Fee
The commission will fund membership fees required for participation in a travel event.
Applicant:
- provides documentation of membership fee which includes:
- amount and structure of the fee.
9.3.6 Event Registration Fee
The commission funds fees required for admission of the organization and its members to the event.
Applicant:
- provides documentation of the registration fee including:
- amount and structure of the fee, and
- description of services provided with the fee.
Commission:
- funds for registration of the number of members approved for travel,
- does not fund registration fees unless documentation shows that food is not included in the fee, or
- unless documentation is provided that shows how much of the fee goes toward food and how much goes toward other expenses.
9.3.7 Prohibited Expenses
The commission does not fund:
- food for travelers, or
- social activities for travelers.
9.4 Durable Good
9.4.1 Purpose
The commission funds consumer goods that are typically used repeatedly over a period of years and are able to exist without significant deterioration and are necessary for an organization’s purpose.
9.4.2 Eligibility to Request Durable Goods Funding
To be eligible to receive any funds for durable goods expenses, the applicant must submit a current inventory of all goods previously purchased with commission funds specifying the status of each item including identifying all that were discarded, lost, or destroyed. The commission may limit or deny funding for an organization to purchase durable goods if the organization cannot account for inventory previously purchased with commission funds.
9.4.3 Equipment
Applicant includes in its application:
- a list of items requested with the following for each:
- quantity of item,
- total request for item,
- unit price for item,
- the cost of shipping the item, if desired, by the cheapest means available (express shipment will not be funded),
- detailed description and explanation of purpose of equipment, and
- specify where item will be stored; and,
- Price Quote documentation for each item.
9.4.4 Books, Periodicals, Magazines, Videos, CDs, and DVDs
Applicant includes in its application:
- a list of the following for each item requested:
- title,
- location to store,
- cost,
- for each item that will be stored in the university library, printout of an e-mail from library staff indicating that the library will not purchase the item itself,
- for each item, printout of library catalog [8] search showing that the item is not available; and,
- for each item, Price Quote documentation to support the cost listed.
9.4.5 Repairs
The commission funds for the repair of durable goods purchased with its funds.
Applicant:
- specifies the equipment to be repaired;
- provides price estimation of repairs; and,
- provides photo documentation of damaged good with explanation of how damage occurred.
9.4.6 Prohibited Expenses
The commission does not fund any item which:
- is purchased for personalized use;
- cannot be stored in an on-campus facility managed by the organization or its advisor;
- duplicates functionality or service already available on campus;
- is used to produce publicity items;
- is an office good such as, but not limited to:
- pens,
- pencils,
- markers,
- paper,
- filing cabinets,
- hole punches,
- staplers,
- and paperweights; or,
- is among the following:
- media for physical copying or production of music or video,
- video game hardware, software, and games,
- refrigerator, or
- flash drives and hard-drives.
9.5 Publication
9.5.1 Purpose
The commission funds production of publications3 for distribution to the campus community.
9.5.2 Maximum Allocation
The commission allocates a maximum of $2,500 per semester for production of a publication.
9.5.3 Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, the publication must:
- be printed and distributed in the same semester for which funding is requested;
- be available to the entire Cornell community and distributed in areas frequented by this community, including campus dining facilities, student centers, libraries; and,
- produce at least 100 copies of each issue.
9.5.4 Publication Production
Applicant organization must include in its application:
- number of issues and pages per issue;
- a copy of a prior issue of the publication or, in the case of a new publication, a written outline detailing the format and intended content of the publication; and,
- Price Quote documentation for each cost associated with production.
Commission:
- allocates funds up to the documented production cost.
Before production expenses are approved, organization must provide a copy of the publication to the Office of the Assemblies to demonstrate that it includes the e-mail, phone, or mailing address for the president, treasurer, and advisor of the organization.
10 Negotiated Rates
The following rates are determined by the Office of the Assemblies by negotiation and consultation with other units and external vendors that serve applicant organizations. The rates are subject to change by the Office of the Assemblies without notice:
| Expense Type | Current Rate | Vendor or Unit Providing Service | Updated |
|---|
| Copying (black and white) | $0.03 per impression | Olin Library Copy Center | Wednesday, 1 August 2007 |
| Chalk | $8 per bucket | Campus Store | Wednesday, 1 August 2007 |
| Advertising | $6.15 per column inch ($61.50 per 1/8 page vertical advertisement) | Cornell Daily Sun | Monday, 18 August 2008 |
| Speaker/performer transportation | $0.50 per person per mile | US Internal Revenue Service | Wednesday, 20 January 2010 |
| Student travel rate | $0.063 per person per mile | SAFC and US Internal Revenue Service | Wednesday, 20 January 2010 |
11 Documentation
Applicant organizations must submit documentation to support certain kinds of requests and demonstrate that the funds are likely to be used as proposed.
11.1 Price Quotes
A price quote is a good faith estimate of the cost of goods or services for which the applicant is requesting funds. To be valid for the commission the price quote must:
- be dated within the last two calendar years;
- be in English or be accompanied by a written translation to English;
- be provided in hardcopy, including computer printout from an email or website, fax, or mailing from the vendor.
The price quote must include:
- unit costs or prices for each requested expense for which the quote issued as documentation;
- cost of shipping and handling, if additional funding is requested for those costs; and,
- the name and means of contacting vendor by mail, phone, or internet.
11.2 Proof of Travel Distance
Where mileage is provided to support a request for travel funding, the applicant organization must provide proof of round trip distance. The documentation provided to support a request for travel funding must include:
- proof of round trip distance, satisfied by a printout directly from a mileage and directions website such as, but not limited to Google Maps, and,
- the travel distance calculated to and from Ithaca, New York.
11.3 Documentation Requirements
Documentation from the Internet must include logo, header, URL, or other means to validate the source.
12 Calendar
By the last day of classes in any semester, the commission adopts a calendar of events and deadlines [9] consistent with these funding guidelines. The calendar is subject to change without notice and the online version supersedes any other version. Applicants are expected to review the calendar before making any fiduciary commitments.