Editor's note: The following is a communication sent to RPI students by the 136th President of the Union Isabele Lieber on March 26, 2026.

The FY27 Union Annual Report (UAR) has officially been released and can be found here. The UAR documents how the Union Activity Fee is used and how it is determined. It also provides a comprehensive overview of the Union’s operations and financial allocations. As you read this year’s report, you may notice several changes to the FY27 budget as compared to previous years. I would like to provide additional context to help explain how these decisions were made.

This Spring 2026, RPI is graduating the largest class in its history, which will result in a decrease in the Union’s overall operating budget. With this in mind, the Executive Board has taken a thoughtful and deliberate approach to ensure that available resources are allocated in a way that best supports the student body and the long-term sustainability of the Union.

As part of this process, we conducted a three year review of historical spending and utilization across all clubs and organizations. This analysis showed that a large number of clubs consistently underspend their allocated budgets, with some returning funds to the Union at the end of the fiscal year due to underspending or over fundraising. While these allocations were made with the intention of supporting club growth, in practice, a portion of these funds went unused each year. Funds which are consistently being unspent or underspent were removed or reduced from club budgets and aggregated into the Club Contingency. Any club with a specific need may still request additional funds to support new or expanding programming, travel costs, or large purchases.

Additionally, during this review process, the Executive Board made recommendations for certain club needs to be fulfilled using money available in club gift funds. Receiving donations from alumni and community members remains a great way for clubs to independently and proactively grow their programs. To learn more about this process or consider making a gift, you can visit https://giving.rpi.edu/ru-impact/.

Following these guidelines, we have been able to significantly reduce our budgeted club expenditures without a significant detriment to typical club operations, and improved the accessibility of additional funds when specific needs may arise.

The Executive Board carefully considered all changes made, and we feel the FY27 budget has significantly improved the financial situation of the Rensselaer Union without significantly affecting clubs. We hope you will take the time to review all changes in more detail, as outlined in the Union Annual Report. If you have any further questions, please reach out to pu@rpi.edu.