Cornell's purchasing cooperative
Collective buying power for Cornell's houses and organizations.
Student Management Corporation is owned by the fraternities, sororities, small living units, and concessions at Cornell — making purchases over $2.5 million annually and passing the savings to every member.
Why chapters choose SMC
- Volume pricing no single chapter could negotiate alone
- One monthly bill and one check — not dozens of invoices
- A professional staff on call for questions, budgets and menus
What we do
A complete program for running a chapter house.
SMC provides purchasing for food, supplies and equipment, plus easy access to social and repair services — all through a single office.
Purchasing & Services
Groceries, paper and janitorial supplies, kitchen equipment, repairs, catering and more — ordered through the SMC office.
View all servicesFinancial Services
Computerized accounting for members and small living units at very competitive prices.
Learn moreScreened Vendors
Over 125 vendors vetted to give chapters everything they need at discounted or consistent prices.
Browse vendorsHow it works
Simple for the treasurer. Powerful for the house.
Place a deposit
At the start of each academic year, members place a deposit of two months' purchasing history. It lets SMC pay vendors promptly — and it's refunded in April and May.
Order through SMC
Orders go through the SMC office, giving your chapter one central record of purchases and service history. Every invoice is kept on file.
Pay one monthly bill
A detailed statement itemizes every purchase. One check covers it all, and excess profit is rebated back to members.
See SMC in action
Student owned. Student governed.
SMC is an example of college cooperative purchasing at its finest. Being a member means you're part of one of the largest college cooperatives in the nation — and in many cases, SMC is a vendor's largest customer.
As of January 1, 2025, SMC's operational/surcharge fee is 10%.
About SMCReady to save collectively?
Talk with our staff about bringing your chapter, small living unit, or organization into the cooperative.