The Committee
The Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) of the Student Senate is responsible for financing student-run events and organizations throughout campus using funding from the Student Activity Fee. Activities that are funded by your Student Activity Fee include SCOPE concerts, Campus Activities Board (CAB) bingo & trivia nights, Organic Gardening Club (OGC) Community Dinners, and more.
The Student Activity Fee (SAF) is a mandatory fee collected from all undergraduate students who attend the University of New Hampshire. The student body reserves the exclusive use of the SAF, which is carried out by the Student Senate through the Student Activity Fee Committee. The amount of the SAF paid per student depends on credit hours enrolled; for the academic year 2022, the current fee is $94 for full-time, and $46.50 for part-time, students.
SAFC strives to fund organizations and events that reach a wide range of student groups and interests. For this academic year, the Committee meets on Tuesdays from 12:40 PM to 2:00 PM in the MUB and on Zoom by request.
For information on Student Activity Fee rules and regulations, funding proposal/post-programming forms, access to the weekly Student Activity Fee Committee general meeting agenda, and all other public documents, please visit our public OneDrive folder below.
Our Organizations
Although we provide funding support to all 200+ student organizations on campus, there are currently 11 organizations we provide direct support to each year. The organizations listed below have a set budget every year ranging from $10,000 to more than $100,000 based on the type of programming they provide. A business manager from each organization is a voting member of SAFC and manages their organization's finances throughout the year.
The Campus Activities Board (CAB) consists of passionate UNH students that are committed to providing engaging programming for the student body and greater campus community. These programs are designed to unify the entire student body by giving every person a chance to come together to enjoy the spirit and community of UNH. Membership in the Campus Activities Board is open to all undergraduate students that are committed to the organization and willing to help at our events. The culture of the organization is diverse and inclusive, so that each member knows they have an important position within the organization. CAB members gain valuable experience in team building, leadership, and event planning through the planning, organizing, and executing these events. The programs that CAB puts on throughout the school year provide students with a chance to take a break from their demanding academic routine by participating in stress-free events. It’s a great way for everyone to come together, be social and meet new people.
To accomplish this, CAB works collaboratively with SAF and non-SAF organizations to provide students—as well as the wider community—with the greatest possible programming. Whether CAB is collaborating with other organizations or acting on its own, CAB plans programming on different scales to meet the interests of the University and its students most effectively. The programs that CAB provides for the student body are constantly evolving to better cater to the interests of the students. Members of CAB are encouraged to voice out potential ideas, as well as expand on and—if interest wanes—discard old ones. CAB’s slogan is ‘Programming By Students, For Students’ and, in the spirit of this, the main priority of the organization is to provide the best possible programming for the student body and CAB intends to reflect that within their programming.
The Diversity Support Coalition (DSC) seeks to promote, educate, and support multiculturalism, diversity, and equality at the
University of New Hampshire (UNH) through programming and support of the DSC and its current member groups (Alliance, the Black Student Union, Hillel, the Middle Eastern Cultural Association, MOSAICO, the Native American Cultural Association, and the United Asian Coalition). The DSC strives to keep the acceptance of multiculturalism, diversity, and equality at the forefront of the university’s attention. These ideas and concepts are supported by the student-run DSC itself and its current member groups.
The DSC is open to all students who are interested in fostering inclusion and equity at UNH. The DSC addresses the needs of those who are statistically and historically underrepresented because of and/or affected by institutionalized oppression based on race, ethnicity, sexual and romantic orientation, sex, gender identity and expression, age, ability, native language, national origin, and/or religion at UNH. These needs include the following:
- Organizing, supporting, and implementing programs that promote and celebrate the acceptance of human diversity at UNH.
- Providing education to the UNH community to raise awareness of incidents of harassment, discrimination, bias, and/or assault motivated by race, ethnicity, sexual and romantic orientation, sex, gender identity and expression, age, ability, native language, national origin, and/or religion at UNH.
The DSC is an all-encompassing organization that encourages student groups with similar needs to be recognized under the DSC. Student organizations may obtain representation by proceeding as detailed by the guidelines of the DSC constitution.
Mask and Dagger Dramatic Society (Mask and Dagger) is the University of New Hampshire’s only student-run traditional theatre organization. Mask and Dagger produces, directs, casts, designs, and builds professional quality works. Throughout the academic year Mask and Dagger produces productions ranging from musicals to straight-plays along with side projects such as the 24-hour play festival and miscast cabarets in a COVID-19 safe manner. The organization promotes not only a love for theatre but an appreciation for the art and work that goes into a production. The goal of the organization is to provoke thought, test ideas, promote equality, and create a fun and creative place for all on the UNH campus.
UNH Wildcards is dedicated to promoting healthy and beneficial social interaction between UNH students, as well as members of the surrounding communities, through the playing of board, card, and role-playing games. Furthermore, we strive to cultivate a sense of community and belonging while doing so. Our organization is committed to being a safe and welcoming place to people of all kinds, but especially for those students who might be more introverted or those who are looking for a more relaxed alternative to other weekend activities. UNH Wildcards also serves as a gateway for students that are looking to become a part of the gaming community but may not know where to start, as we provide games for our members to play, as well as encouraging members to bring their own games if they so choose. From people who have never played a single board game to those with previous experience, UNH Wildcards is open to all students and community members of all experience levels and strives to give them a place to belong and a way to decompress after a long week. UNH Wildcards engages its members through three main types of programming:
1.Our free weekly drop-in board gaming sessions, held on Friday and Sunday nights, which allow students and community members alike to participate in interactive gaming and weekend socialization in a controlled and safe environment.
2.Our semi-annual fundraiser known as Syndicon, which consists of an all Saturday drop-in gaming session in the fall, and an all Saturday and Sunday drop in gaming session in the spring. Syndicon attracts a much wider audience than our Friday and Sunday meetings and is designed to get more people from the community involved with the club with the hope of giving students a chance to make connections in the wider gaming community.
3.UNH Wildcards oversees the coordination of specialty events such as Magic: The Gathering drafts and tournaments, and recurring Dungeons and Dragons sessions which occur outside of regular club time. This coordination includes connecting Friday and Sunday meeting members to specialty groups they may be looking to join and making sure that groups are provided with the necessary resources, including scheduled rooms, that they need to carry out their respective activities.
The New Hampshire Outing Club (NHOC) provides outdoor recreation and education for the UNH community, regardless of skill level or outdoor experience, in a substance-free environment. We take great pride in being an organization that offers highly affordable outdoor recreation. We host trips each month of the academic year, as well as spring, summer, and winter break trips, catering to all ability levels and a wide range of interests.
Our activities throughout the year may include but are not limited to backpacking, canoeing, rafting, biking, day hiking, snowshoeing, winter mountaineering, sledding, cross-country and alpine skiing, rock climbing, white water rafting, paintballing, corn mazes, beach trips, surf trips, leadership training, and wilderness first aid courses.
As a student-run organization, the NHOC offers unique leadership opportunities for UNH students and accepts and trains a minimum of 40 new leaders a year. The NHOC allows and encourages students to create, plan, and execute their own trips. This tradition is carried on through the leaders of the NHOC, who assist in helping develop confidence and leadership potential in all of our members.
The Organic Garden Club is a student-run organization that maintains a USDA-certified organic farm on campus through sustainable farming methods. Our mission is to promote social, economic, and environmental sustainability while cultivating a sense of community.
The Organic Garden Club has several goals and objectives, including:
- To maintain a certified organic farm in accordance with the United States Department of Agriculture, and to educate students on the specifics of maintaining this certification.
- To provide locally grown organic produce to the community via community involvement such as farmers markets, community dinners, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), farm stands, and donations to Waysmeet Food Pantry.
- To offer hands-on, educational opportunities for students to teach them how to maintain their own garden and incorporate principles of sustainability into their daily lives.
- To increase local awareness of sustainable living and growing.
- To allow the greater University community a chance to enjoy organic produce through a variety of fun, engaging social events.
The Student Committee on Popular Entertainment’s (S.C.O.P.E.) mission is to provide live, nationally recognized entertainment to the University of New Hampshire. The programming involved, which may include concerts, comedy shows, and other entertainment productions, will be offered to students at a rate less than that offered to the general public if charges apply. S.C.O.P.E. will select genres of performances that aim to appeal to the largest cross-section of the student body, subject to the availability of the artist and/or venues. S.C.O.P.E. will strive to include the opinion of the campus at large and the guidance of our agent in deciding on specific talent.
S.C.O.P.E. is an entirely student-run organization. S.C.O.P.E. not only provides entertainment but also a unique educational experience for those who participate. Students manage all facets of running a professional organization, as well as producing a professional performance. These areas include, but are not limited to: business, production, security, publicity, hospitality, analytics, and contract negotiations.
Applications for membership in S.C.O.P.E. are open to all undergraduate students. Only selected members can attend weekly meetings to uphold confidentiality with multiple parties. Open conversation with the student body will allow S.C.O.P.E. to put into practice the thoughts and opinions of the students, which is done through surveying the body. Volunteer positions will be available for specific shows, those volunteers will be required to attend the meeting before the show to be trained on their day-of-show tasks and/or positions.
The New Hampshire (TNH) serves as UNH’s student-run news organization. TNH continues to inform both the UNH and Durham communities on important events and issues through written, audio, video, and social media content. TNH is in its second year as an all-digital publication, allowing it to get a hard start in what is becoming a print-obsolete industry. TNH also provides an avenue for students to get real-world journalistic skills that are necessary to pursue a career in the field. With data being recorded through Google Analytics, we have also received increased traffic on our website (tnhdigital.com) over the past two years, as well as a significant increase in social media followers, showing that our efforts as an organization are being recognized.
Under the umbrella of The New Hampshire is Main Street Magazine (MSM), UNH’s online and print independently-run magazine. MSM strives to serve as a creative outlet for UNH students interested in long-form feature writing and artistic endeavors, often involving culture and music. It’s a blend of both traditional journalism, with a creative license to help students express themselves. Main Street Magazine intends to publish one issue per semester. All issues are free for UNH-affiliated individuals, as well as in surrounding communities. Along with writing, MSM offers opportunities for UNH students in photography, videography, podcasting, documentaries, comics, and other ventures that expand creativity. Main Street Magazine is a subsidiary of The New Hampshire and is funded by The New Hampshire's SAF budget.
Slow Food UNH seeks to revitalize food culture on campus and in the local community through events, field trips, demonstrations, and internal meetings. Slow Food is an international organization centered around three guiding principles of food: that it is good, clean and fair. Our on-campus chapter strives to promote these principles in the unique setting of a university campus. Slow Food assumes a distinct presence at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), collaborating with other organizations, offices, and departments (such as the Eco Gastronomy program) in order to add value to the student body. Throughout the year, Slow Food UNH works with students and student organizations to build a community around food that is “Good, Clean, and Fair”. Good, meaning a fresh, flavorful, and seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and embraces local culture; Clean, alluding to food production and consumption that respects animal welfare while having the smallest negative impact on the environment, our health, and those who produce it; and Fair, meaning accessible prices for consumers along with fair conditions and pay for producers. We provide food-related activities open to the entire UNH student body including opportunities for volunteering, community outreach, and educational experiences such as documentaries and guest speakers. We also offer students a glimpse into the food culture of surrounding communities through interactions with vendors from the local community at the MUB Markets, culinary demonstrations, field trips, and networking with other Slow Food chapters. Although club interactions have been limited this year due to COVID-19 concerns, Slow Food is still working to engage students in a conversation about sustainable food. We will be holing virtual meetings, socially-distanced discussions, and individualized cooking activities that make sure everyone has a chance to participate during these unprecedented times. Through these activities, Slow Food UNH inspires development in leadership, teamwork, creativity and community impact.
WUNH FM is a service organization, providing the University and surrounding communities with non-commercial, alternative radio. We strive
for diversity in our programming and thus emphasize hosting live performances, broadcasting recorded music, and holding station-run music events catered towards artists and genres of music underrepresented in the mainstream media. We maintain a high level of professionalism in our broadcasts, are certified by the FCC, and are committed to broadcasting the most up-to-date University news, information, and sports to the community. We provide the opportunity for interested members of the community to participate in all aspects of radio station operation through on-the-job training. WUNH pays for 60% of the tower used to broadcast, the other 40% coming from UNH Facilities. This year, WUNH is focusing on increasing student involvement and engagement within the station. As we are an FCC-regulated radio station, we are also a student organization that provides students an opportunity to meet students who have a similar passion for music and broadcasting and provides a really great social environment to have while attending the University. We are also focusing on getting more live bands into the station, as COVID has impacted our ability to do that in the past years but it is a core part of what WUNH is. WUNH broadcasts on 91.3FM, and online streaming is available with the UNH smartphone app or at wunh.org
*NOTE: Student Senate is not a SAFO. It is a student governance association, and SAFC is a subcommittee of the Student Senate. However, financially Student Senate, including SAFC, treats itself much like a SAFO – its Business Manager sits on the Committee with identical privileges as SAFO BMs, it submits a budget through SAFC, and it receives funding for its internal organization from the SAF. For more information, please see the ‘Committee Structure’ section of this Handbook.
Preamble, Student Senate Constitution
The Student Senate of the University of New Hampshire shall serve as an advocate for all undergraduate students, deriving its power from the consent of the governed and developed on the principle that all undergraduate students of the University of New Hampshire have the right to participate in University governance. Such participation encourages the development of student expertise in University affairs and places significant responsibility on students for their involvement with the policies, rules, and regulations which affect the quality of education and the experience of students at the University of New Hampshire.
