SAFC Rejects COLA Funding at S.A. Meeting

The Student Assembly decided to reject Cornell Organization for Labor Action’s appeal for funding as a result of the group’s failure to meet the Student Assembly Finance Committee’s deadlines. Although a veteran organization on Cornell’s campus, focused on seeking economic justice in the labor movement within Ithaca, the United States and around the world, COLA failed to receive funding because they turned in key facets of their paperwork well after their allotted due date.
According to Marlene Ramos, president of Cornell Students against Sweatshops, the club was unaware of what was initially required of them, and they depended upon their funding of $5,275 to pay for their guest speakers.
The S.A. had to decide whether to “advise by strict adherence to the rules as outlined by the SAFC, or to by intent of the committee” S.A. member Vincent Andrews ’11, representative-at-large, said.
Another member, Asa Craig ’11, Arts and Sciences representative, argued that the intent of the S.A. is to provide funding for such struggling organizations.
“We as humans decide where to add a human element to these rigid guidelines,” Craig said.
In the end, however, the S.A. voted against granting funding for COLA by a narrow margin, in light of the fact that the club sent its proper proof of content to the SAFC more than a week after the club’s September 16th deadline.
“A well established group like COLA should know the rules,” Tony Miller ’10, College of Engineering representative, said. “The money doesn’t disappear. It goes to other groups who follow the rules.”