Category:Section VI - Member Services & Education
VI.A. Member Services Guidelines
1.01. The Member Resources Guidelines will govern all of the programs within the Member Affairs department. [Unchanged since spring 2011]]
VI.B. Guidelines for Appropriations Immediate Access
2.01. The Member Resources Coordinator will allocate funds under $1000.
2.02. These funds can be used to purchase items or provide services that make central or house level meetings more accessible. Social functions are not necessarily covered. The BSC cannot fund interpreters to Central Level meetings on an ongoing basis. Funds will only be allocated for interpretation of specific issues or cases during these meetings. Co-op wide events like New Members’ Orientation must be interpreted if this is requested. Events like workshops can be interpreted if this is requested.
2.03. Items and services pertaining to hirings and employees will be considered under the guidelines in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Modifications to any of the units will be paid for with the Maintenance Disabled Access fund. [Unchanged since spring 2011]]
VI.C. Guidelines for Sending E-mails
1. Email content must be directly related to the BSC, including but not limited to:
- a. Important member dates such as move in, move out, payment and contract due dates, and apartment bid information.
- b. Events open to all co-opers such as General Membership Meetings, workshops, activities, and alumni events.
- c. Co-op jobs.
- d. Board decisions and elections.
- e. BSC-wide news.
2. Emails will be sent on average no more than once per week.
3. All email recipients’ addresses will be suppressed.
4. A specific day and time should be established and advertised so that all members/staff can submit announcements, (e.g. emails will be sent on Tuesday at 1pm; submissions must be submitted by Tuesday at 10am).
5. BSC-wide emails will be sent by the Communications Coordinator who will seek advice from the Executive Director, Operations Manager, or President if they are unsure if these guidelines are met.
[Board Approved 02/16/2012]
VI.D. Hal Norton Cooperative House Award
The Board of Directors, in its sole discretion taking into account the balance remaining in the Board's discretionary fund, may empower the Cabinet Members at Large to solicit nominations in the Spring semester for a house co-operative leadership award in order to recognize a house or apartment site for demonstrating extraordinary co-operative self-governance in the face of a crisis that tests co-operative values or in pursuit of a new opportunity to advance cooperative values.
The Board shall solicit nominations for the house cooperative leadership award not later than the first Board meeting after Spring break. Nominations shall be solicited from all co-op properties, including the apartments, and shall be due in time to be reviewed by Cabinet Members at Large at a regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting preceding the final Board meeting of the Spring Semester. Cabinet shall review the nominations as approved by the Members at Large, and Board shall select the recipient of the award. Board shall determine the amount of any financial award which shall be presented to the house, up to maximum award of $1,000, at the final Board meeting of the semester.
[Unchanged since fall 2011]]
VI.E. House Level Management Working Group
Description
The BSC currently suffers from lack of clarity over the roles and responsibilities of student managers, leading to confusion over sectors of authority and accountability between Central and House-level bodies. This policy creates a working group to investigate BSC manager training procedures, sources of ambiguity related to the expectations of and for student managers, as well as methods through which managers are supported and monitored by the Central Level.
Stakeholders
BSC Board, Central Office, House Manager Teams, General Membership
Goals
To gather input from applicable stakeholders (student managers from small, mid, and large-size houses, as well as Central Level staff and student leaders) to evaluate the effectiveness of current BSC practices with regards to management training, oversight, and support. To identify areas of weakness therein. To propose strategies of improvement.
- • In particular, to address questions such as the following, and to identify solutions to consistent concerns raised:
- • How are student managers currently trained? Do various stakeholders feel this is adequate?
- • Are student managers clear about the expectations which the Central Level has for them?
- • Are house memberships informed about the expectations which the Central Level has for managers?
- • Do student managers feel they are supported by the Central Level?
- • Do house memberships feel their managers are supported by the Central Level?
- • Do house memberships feel supported by the Central Level?
- • How can we ensure that all parties are clear on the roles and responsibilities at various levels of management, and do all parties understand the proper mechanisms through which to voice concerns and look for support?
- • Do student managers feel they are supported by or in good communication with managers at other,
- • similarly-sized houses?
- • How do the management structures (and levels of compensation) of similarly-sized houses compare?
- • To what extent is manager compensation drawn from central level vs. house accounts? Does compensation have an impact on perception of management positions?
- • How do house memberships and student managers feel about routes of communication between the houses and the Central Level? What are our strengths? Ideas of improvement?
- • What changes in Board committee structure would strengthen the formal influence that House Managers wield in informing Board policy and decision-making? Should house-manager bodies like MaintCom have a more defined role in influencing the Board? How do we strengthen the influence that House Managers and House Presidents have?
Composition:
The participants of this working group will be drawn from all levels of BSC organization. It will consist of one Cabinet member-at-large, one Board rep, one House Manager, one House President, and three members at large. The Cabinet member at large will be elected by Cabinet, the Board rep will be elected by Board, the House Manager rep will be elected by the House Manager Council, and the House President rep will be elected by the Presidents Council. The chair and three members at large will be selected by the committee. The group will work along with Central Level student leadership (Cabinet/Board) for policy and procedure-related advice and support. This group will work with the Executive Director and Operations Manager as needed to ensure consistent flow of information while maintaining a bottom-up movement for evaluation and change.
[Board Approved 10/9/2009]
VI.F. The Member Education Framework
Topic/Context | Pre-Application | App -to- Contract | Contract Signing | Contract -to- Move-in | First Two Weeks | New Members (first semester) | Returning Members (2nd semester+) | New Managers (first semester) | Returning Managers (2nd semester+) | Board Members | Student Staff | Special Events (BSC-wide events) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Context Themes (purely descriptive) | Publicity | Large Context | Rights & Structure | Living Safely & Well | House Values | Extended Orientation | Accountability Relationships | Responsibilities & Policies | Creating Culture, Making Change | Detailed Policy | Policy Implementation | Big Picture |
Member Responsibilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Individual and Community Safety | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
Safe Space | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
House By-Laws and Policies | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Community Agreements, House Rules, and Apartment Rules | X | X | X | |||||||||
Restorative Justice and Conflict Resolution Resources | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
Holding your Managers Accountable | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Group Decision Making Procedures (Robert's Rules, etc) | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
Member Rights | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
The Central Level - Unit Relationship | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
Central Level Resources (funding, programs, support) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Leadership Opportunities and Development | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
BSC Mission, and Diversity & Equity Vision | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Topic/Context | Pre-Application | App -to- Contract | Contract Signing | Contract -to- Move-in | First Two Weeks | New Members (first semester) | Returning Members (2nd semester+) | New Managers (first semester) | Returning Managers (2nd semester+) | Board Members | Student Staff | Special Events (BSC-wide events) |
Rochdale (Cooperative) Principles | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
BSC's Anti-Oppression Framework / Social Justice in the BSC | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Sustainability | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Important Central Level Policies | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Organizational Structure and Responsibilities | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
Board Structure and Responsibilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
How to Create and Change BSC Policy | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
Where Your Rates Go | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
University Resources (EOP, DSP, StudyAbroad, etc.) | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
How to Hold Your Board Rep Responsible | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
Theme Housing | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
BSC History | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
The History of the Cooperative Movement | X | X | X | |||||||||
About Other Co-ops, NASCO, and WESTCO | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Topic/Context | Pre-Application | App -to- Contract | Contract Signing | Contract -to- Move-in | First Two Weeks | New Members (first semester) | Returning Members (2nd semester+) | New Managers (first semester) | Returning Managers (2nd semester+) | Board Members | Student Staff | Special Events (BSC-wide events) |
- General Description
The Member Education Framework is meant to be a principal guiding document for education in the BSC. It is meant to provide a high-level perspective on education priorities in the BSC, both on what topics we cover and when we cover them. This framework is meant to be useful to the general membership, as well as the members of the Education and Training committee.
This framework does not represent any education program in itself, but is rather meant to serve as a way to help eliminate redundancy, increase effectiveness, and coordinate educational programs across the BSC. Rather than creating a single strategic plan that requires future generations to follow a specific road map, this framework serves a similar planning role while allowing greater flexibility to accommodate the variable interests of future members.
It is designed to allow individuals a great deal of freedom in designing educational programs. The framework does not prescribe any specific format or process, but rather provides a view of how various topics and contexts might be arranged to ensure the most comprehensive and engaging member education. Members may interpret this document in any way they wish, given their specific desires, interests, aptitudes, and circumstances, to guide their own independent work. - How to read the Framework
The framework is organized as a 2-dimensional grid, as follows:- the columns represent different “contexts” of membership (new applicant, first two weeks of membership, returning member, new manager, etc), reflecting different educational needs.
- the rows represent different education topics (member rights and responsibilities, BSC history, conflict resolution, manager accountability, etc). The topics are arranged in order of most important to least important.
- every X represents a recommendation for which contexts are most appropriate for addressing the various topics. For example, it might be specifically worthwhile to address the topic of “group decision-making process” during the first two weeks of living in a new co-op. Hence, the X.
- How to use the Framework
This framework is meant to help to coordinate and inform the development of programs by providing suggestions for what topics to cover at what time. To use it, begin with either a topic or a context you wish to address.- If you have a topic already in mind, look at what contexts that topic fits in, and decide which context is most appropriate for your purpose. From there, you can just think about the most effective medium for conveying that information in the context, and go from there.
- If you know you want to work within a specific context, take a look at what topics are recommended for that context. Then just think about ways to combine topics into fun and engaging programs that people would want to participate in. Be mindful that the topics are prioritized–please consider beginning with the higher-priority topics when developing a new program.
Once you figure out the contexts and topics, the rest is up to you! Enjoy the creative process.
- How to edit the Framework
This framework is designed to be easy to change as future generations of members take on the challenge of education on the community-wide level. As the organization evolves, the specific needs of education are always changing. You can edit the framework by either:- adding, removing, or editing contexts
- adding, removing, or editing topics
- changing the topic/context recommendations
- Ongoing
It is recommended that this framework be reviewed at least once per year by the Education and Training committee to ensure that it reflects the current needs and capacities of the BSC. It takes a simply majority of Board to revise this framework.
[last updated Fall 2015]]
VI.G. BSC Owner's Manual Program
A. Preamble
The BSC Owner’s Manual is a foundational document that is meant to give any and all members the basic knowledge and tools to exercise ownership over their organization. It is valuable for the document and the program to be defined in policy in order to increase transparency about the program, allow for easier development of the program over time, and ensure that the Board is fulfilling its educational obligation to the membership.
B. Content The BSC Owner’s Manual should contain enough content to equip members to effectively navigate their unit and the larger BSC. While this section is not meant to be prescriptive, the following topics should be considered by the Member Resources Department and ETCom when creating the manual:
- 1. Practical information that a new member would need in order to successfully interface with the Central Office, move in to their new house or apartment, stay safe, and carry out the day-‐to-‐day tasks of living in our organization.
- 2. Information on decision-‐making processes, conflict management, and community-‐building.
- 3. Organizational information, such as organizational and board structure, the relationship of the units to the central level, a guide to the various departments of the Central Office, and information about the Alumni Association.
- 4. Background information on cooperatives, to help the member understand the history of cooperatives, cooperative principles, and the existence of the larger cooperative movement.
- 5. A description of some of the most important policies that members may need to reference.
- 6. A compendium of all the BSC units and their relevant information.
- 7. Any extra “features” that might enhance the usefulness of the Owner’s Manual to members.
C. Creating the Owner’s Manual
- 1. The Owner’s Manual is produced by the Member Resources department and subject to review by the Education and Training Committee. The Member Resources department will be primarily responsible for its content and form while the Education and Training Committee is responsible for reviewing the Owner’s Manual to ensure it meets member needs.
- 2. In the Spring Semester,the Education and Training Committee will meet with the appropriate Member Resources staff member to review the previous year’s Owner’s Manual. The Education and Training Committee and the staff member will discuss potential content changes for the upcoming year and work together to establish goals. The Education and Training Committee will consider revisions to the Owner’s Manual using these guidelines:
- a. The Education and Training Committee should first consult the Member Education Framework and ensure that the priorities of the Owner’s Manual are in line with the priorities of the larger education framework.
- b. The Education and Training Committee should strive to collect feedback and ideas from as many sources as possible (members, managers, staff, external entities, etc.) when reviewing the content of the upcoming manual. The member resources assistant will incorporate changes discussed and represent the revised content to the Education and Training Committee by week 14 of the spring semester.
D. Distribution
- 1. It will be the responsibility of the House President or equivalent house-‐level new member educator to ensure that every new BSC member receives a copy of the Owner’s Manual and is given a brief introduction to the manual and its contents.
- 2. The Owner’s Manual should be easily accessible online.
- 3. If printed, copies of the Owner’s Manual should be available at the BSC Central Office.
[Approved by Board 04/26/12]
VI.H. Courtesy Room Policy
A. Confirmed Guest Rooms
- a. There are seven confirmed guest rooms across the BSC that would be used as temporary safe spaces.
- b. One of these guest spaces is ADA accessible.
B. Parameters of use
- a. Use of courtesy room is applicable pending unit transfer, conduct proceedings, or other appropriate recourse
- b. Members feeling unsafe/threatened for any of the following reasons*
- 1. Sexual assault or harassment
- 2. Severe housemate conflicts involving harassment, substance abuse, mental health, or any extreme behavior
- 3. Mental health emergency
- *Situations may not be limited to the above options and is up to the discretion of the Members Resource Supervisor
C. Process of using courtesy room
- a. If a situation is brought up to a member/manager, it is that member or manager’s responsibility to exhaust all other options of mediation or resolution. If use of a courtesy room is then deemed appropriate, that member or manager should approach the President/House Manager/or directly to Member Resource Supervisor with the situation.
- i. President/House Manager/member would get into contact with Member Resource Supervisor to confirm whether immediate transfer is available or use of a courtesy room is appropriate
- ii. Member Resource Supervisor will assess courtesy room availability and choose appropriate space
- 1. In the case that a courtesy room is unavailable, the member shall be placed at a priority position on the transfer list
- b. Member Resource Supervisor would correspond with House manager at house with courtesy room
D. Terms of stay
- a. The maximum stay in a courtesy room is 7 days
- 1. Any longer, is under the discretion of the Member Resource Supervisor
- b. Member must abide by House bylaws of house with courtesy room they are occupying
- c. Workshift requirements during stay will be decided among the two unit’s Workshift Managers, with the member contributing workshift either through Central Office workshift or workshift in the unit the member is temporarily staying in
- d. Member may not have overnight guests in courtesy room unless explicitly approved by House Manager
E. Use of unoccupied room
- a. If the room is being used as a guest room, it is with the understanding that the room must be vacated and cleaned (fresh sheets, free of trash, etc.) immediately upon notice that the space is needed for courtesy room use
- b. Guidelines for managers:
- i. Only House Manager and Maintenance Manager should have key for room
- ii. Key for guest room should not be given out. Room should not be left unlocked.
- iii. Habitability of room should be maintained at all times
- iv. Courtesy room policy/expectations must be communicated to all members of the unit at house level orientation if that unit has a courtesy room
[Board approved 4/16/15.]
VI.I. BSC Guidelines on Accommodating Service and Assistance Animals
VI.I.A. BSC Guidelines on Accommodating Service and Assistance Animals
The BSC is committed to reaching out and providing services to students with disabilities in an effort to create an equal opportunity for all students to enjoy and participate in BSC’s community life. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations are extended to eligible members on an individualized, case-by-case basis.
Members with disabilities, and those with questions regarding eligibility criteria and/or available services, are encouraged to contact the Housing department at (510) 848-1936 or housing@bsc.coop.
Service and Assistance Animals Policy
This policy applies to service and assistance animals that may be used by individuals with disabilities at the Berkeley Student Cooperative. A service animal is an animal that either works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. An assistance animal provides emotional or other type of support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability.
Service Animals
A "service animal" refers to a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the person's disability. The provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship does not constitute work or tasks for the purpose of this definition. Service dogs are permitted to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the BSC facilities. Although students with service dogs are not required to register with the BSC Housing department, the BSC encourages students to contact the Housing department to learn what other services may be available to them.
When the disability and/or disability-related need for the animal are not readily apparent, the member may be required to document the disability and/or disability-related need for the animal. The BSC is covered by both Title II of the ADA and the Federal Housing Act (FHAct). The U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) memo (April 25, 2013) describes a two-step approach for responding to an accommodation request from a member with a disability seeking an exception to a no-pet policy in student housing environments. If the animal meets the ADA definition of a service animal (i.e. dog trained to perform service tasks), then the student may be asked two questions: (1) Is this a service animal that is required because of a disability? and (2) What work or tasks has the animal been trained to perform?
Assistance Animals
An "assistance animal" is an animal that provides emotional or other support that ameliorates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability. Unlike service animals, assistance animals are not required to be trained to perform work or tasks, and include species other than dogs and miniature horses. Students who intend to bring an assistance animal to the BSC must receive an accommodation through the BSC Housing department to do so. Accommodation requests to bring an assistance animal to live in BSC housing must be submitted to the BSC Housing department at time of application or 30 days prior to move in, whichever is sooner.
When a member with a disability is seeking permission to keep an animal (other than a trained service dog) in BSC housing, the correct way for members with disabilities to request permission to keep a live-in animal as an accommodation in BSC units includes four components:
- 1. The Request placed with the BSC Housing Office
- 2. Agreement to the Guidelines for Maintaining a Service or Assistance Animal within the BSC Community
- 3. Roommate/Suitemate Agreement
- 4. Service and Assistance Animal Registration Form
Guide and Hearing Trainees
California law allows animals that are being trained to be dog guides for the blind, hearing assistance dogs, or assistance animals for persons with physical impairments to access the BSC facilities.
Responsibilities of People with Disabilities Using Service or Assistance Animals
The BSC is not responsible for the care or supervision of service or assistance animals. People with disabilities are responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of service or assistance animals, including:
- Compliance with any laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification;
- Keeping the animal under control and taking effective action if it becomes out of control;
- One of your responsibilities is to ensure that your animal is flea free. If your animal has fleas and and we have to treat your bedroom or any common space in your unit for fleas, we will charge you the cost of the flea treatment that the pest control company charges us. This cost varies by treatment but is generally $135 per room.
- Feeding, walking, and providing ordinary care of the animal and the surrounding area; and
- Appropriately disposing of the animal’s waste.
Animal waste disposal via BSC plumbing is prohibited. BSC Housing will provide guidance on where to appropriately dispose of animal waste. The BSC will not require any surcharges or fees for service or assistance animals. However, a person with a disability may be charged for damage caused by a service or assistance animal to the same extent that the BSC would normally charge a person for the damage they cause. Members with disabilities and their service or assistance animals must comply with the same BSC rules regarding noise, safety, disruption, cleanliness and habitability as members without disabilities.
Exceptions and Exclusions
The BSC may pose some restrictions on, and may even exclude a service or assistance animal in certain instances. Reasons an animal may be excluded from an area include but are not limited to:
- - An assistance animal may be excluded from commercial kitchen, dining, and other common areas due to health and safety standards and accessibility needs of members with allergies. This provision does not apply to service animals.
- - It is out of control and effective action is not taken to control it.
- - It is not housebroken (or in the case of an assistance animal that deposits waste in a designated cage or litter box, the owner fails to clean such cage or box such that the cleanliness of the room is not maintained);
- - It poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be mitigated by
reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures, or the provision of auxiliary aids or services.
In the event that restriction or removal of a service or assistance animal is determined to be necessary, the person with a disability will still be given the opportunity to participate in the service, program, or activity without having the service or assistance animal present.
Guidelines for Members of the BSC Community
To ensure equal access and nondiscrimination of people with disabilities, members of the BSC community must abide by the following practices:
- - Allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of BSC facilities available for members’ use.
- - Allow assistance animals to accompany members with disabilities in bedrooms and/or apartments where accommodations have been granted and any associated hallways/pathways needed for access.
- - Do not ask for details about a person's disabilities;
- - Do not pet a service or assistance animal, as it distracts the animal from its work;
- - Do not feed a service or assistance animal;
- - Do not deliberately startle, tease, or taunt a service or assistance animal; and
- - Do not separate or attempt to separate a person from their service or assistance animal.
If you have a disability that may be affected by the presence of animals, please contact the BSC Housing Department . The BSC is committed to ensuring that the needs of all people with disabilities are met and will determine how to resolve any conflicts or problems as expeditiously as possible.
VI.I.B Guidelines for Requesting Accommodations for Members with Disabilities
The BSC is committed to reaching out to and providing services to members with disabilities in an effort to create an equal opportunity for all students to enjoy and participate in BSC’s community life. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations are extended to eligible members on an individualized, case-by-case basis.
Members with disabilities, and those with questions regarding eligibility criteria and/or available services, are encouraged to contact the Housing Department at (510) 848-1936 or housing@bsc.coop.
1. SUBMITTING AN ACCOMMODATION REQUEST
Members with disabilities should provide information about their needs on their BSC membership profile, available at https://bsc.rms-inc.com. This information should be provided upon application to the BSC. If a member’s accessibility needs change during the course of membership, they should update the information in their member profile and notify the Housing Department so that appropriate accommodations can be made. These application requirements may be waived if, after reasonable assessment, the Housing Department Supervisor determines that certain accommodations are necessary.
In order to request an accommodation, members must complete and submit an Accommodations Request Form. The form has two components, including a short questionnaire to be completed by the member as part of the BSC’s on-line housing application. The second portion of the Form must be completed by the Disabled Students Program or other approved disability specialist. All information will be kept confidential and will only be used to determine reasonable housing and/or workshift accommodations.
2. PROVIDING DOCUMENTATION
In addition to completing the membership application, members must provide appropriate documentation from the Disabled Students Program or other approved disability specialist in a timely manner for their request to be considered complete.
Part Two of the Accommodation Request Form should be completed by a specialist in the Disabled Students’ Program office at the member’s college or university or an alternate, qualified disability specialist approved by the Housing Department. The specialist should indicate all recommended accommodations that apply, and must complete the written section which asks them to briefly describe the ways the member’s disability impacts their housing needs and/or ability to perform workshift.
The BSC Housing Supervisor, or their designee, will review all disability accommodation requests. Students may be contacted if clarification or additional documentation is needed.
3. RECEIVING A HOUSING AND/OR WORKSHIFT ASSIGNMENT
Once the form and documentation have been reviewed, the Housing Supervisor will determine a reasonable housing and/or workshift accommodation, and may offer an alternative accommodation that meets the student’s disability-related needs as described by the Disabled Students Program or other approved specialist. The Housing Supervisor is responsible for communicating housing and workshift accommodations to the member and to the member’s House/Apartment Manager (for Housing Accommodations). Members with workshift accommodations must share the email from Housing Department approving their workshift accommodation with their Workshift Manager so that appropriate workshift accommodations can be implemented at the unit-level.
Housing and/or workshift accommodations may ONLY be offered through the BSC Housing Department. Unit-level Managers must honor all verified accommodations as directed by the Housing Supervisor. Unit-level Managers may not independently offer housing and/or workshift accommodations.
a. HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS
- Housing priority is given as outlined in BSC policy V: Assignment of Spaces and VII: Points and Assignment of Rooms.
- Members who receive a housing offer will be notified via email, to the email they provided to the BSC on their membership application form. There will be a limited time provided for the member to log on to the BSC Member Portal to view their housing offer and either accept or decline it. By declining the offer, the member is indicating that they do not wish to live in the BSC for the current term and they will not be guaranteed an offer for a difference space.
- If the member believes that the space they are offered does not address the functional limitations of their disability, they may reach out to the Housing Supervisor with additional information. However, this does not guarantee that a different space will be available to offer.
- If, during room bids, the member chooses a room different than the one provided to them by the BSC per their accommodation request, they forfeit their accommodation and must request it again should they decide they need it for future semesters. By forfeiting the offer, the member is indicating that they do not need the accommodation for the current term and they will not be guaranteed an offer for a difference space.
b. WORKSHIFT ACCOMMODATIONS
- Workshift accommodations are given per policy II.A.8 Workshifters and Disabilities. Accommodations related to a member’s workshift requirement may be either priority assignment for specific types of shifts/tasks to fulfill their workshift requirement and/or a reduction in workshift hours owed if no other accommodation can reasonably be provided.
- Members who receive a workshift accommodation offer will be notified via email, to the email they provided to the BSC on their membership application form. Members must share this information with their Workshift Manager prior to workshift assignments each term. If the member believes that the accommodation they are offered does not address the functional limitations of their disability, they may reach out to the Housing Supervisor with additional information.
4. EXAMPLES OF ACCOMMODATIONS MEMBERS MAY BE OFFERED THROUGH THE BSC:
- 1. Automatic Door Opener
- 2. Accessible bathroom (including roll in shower)
- 3. Visual doorbell (typically for members with hearing impairments)
- 4. Strobe light fire alarm/smoke detector (typically for members with hearing impairments)
- 5. Rental of an additional space for a live-in attendant
- 6. Room with elevator access
- 7. Wheelchair accessible room
- 8. Service or Assistance Animals (see BSC Guidelines)
- 9. Priority selection of workshift tasks
- 10. Reduced number of workshift hours owed per week
Members who have concerns about the housing and/or workshift accommodations they have been offered may make an appeal to the Operations Manager, who shall review the accommodation request and make a final determination regarding the accommodations the BSC is able to offer the member.
This is not an exhaustive list and we encourage members to get in touch with the Housing Department regarding specific questions about the type of accommodations available.
VI.I.C Fragrances and Scents
a. Use of incense, scented candles, diffusers, air fresheners, perfume, cologne, and any strongly scented personal care products (collectively “Fragrances and Scented Products”) by members and guests may be limited to use in only designated portions of BSC units if a member residing in that unit needs accommodation for chemical sensitivity. b. Members are encouraged to communicate directly with one another regarding any member’s sensitivities to Fragrances and Scented Products and to resolve members’ accommodation needs informally through discussion. Members are asked to avoid use of Fragrances and Scented Products in BSC units if they are aware that a fellow member in close proximity has chemical sensitivities. c. However, any member may request the BSC Operations Team impose a formal restriction on the use of Fragrances and Scented Products in a particular unit or portions of a particular unit as needed. If a member is requested to stop using Fragrances and Scented Products because those fragrances encroach on another’s use of the unit, the member will be asked, in a written statement from the Operations Team, to limit use of Fragrances and Scented Products. A member who repeatedly disregards a request by the Operations Team to limit use of Fragrances and Scented Products may be moved to a room further away from the resident with sensitivities, and/or face disciplinary measures (uncooperative fine of $25, after 3 repeated infractions a Tier 2 conduct case will be initiated )—relocation must be identified within 2 business days in order to reduce the harm done to member health. In the case of a member with severe chemical sensitivities, that member may be relocated to a different room or apartment or be provided with other accommodations, at the discretion of the Operations Team. Members with chemical and fragrance sensitivities who require accommodations for them should apply for accommodations in the same place as other accommodation requests (though the housing team). The Operations Team may engage in an interactive process with a member requesting accommodation pursuant to this policy to verify the need for accommodation before taking action and to devise workable solutions that are not unduly burdensome on the BSC and other members. The BSC Operations Team has ultimate discretion in how to handle requests for accommodation pursuant to this policy, provided that BSC abides by all applicable laws.
[Approved at SumCom #8 (08.07.2024)]
[Last updated September 2021]
VI.J. BSC Programs Board
BSC Programs Board
The Programs Board is responsible for planning and executing BSC-wide programming in order to foster member education and engagement across the entire organization. Additionally, the Programs Board is responsible for encouraging BSC-wide community building by fostering co-oper pan identity within the membership. Specifically, the Programs Board should strive to coordinate a minimum of five events each academic year that are social and/or educational in nature. By doing this, the Programs Board should also strive to develop events that are both well-attended and well-received by the BSC membership.
- 1. Duties and Responsibilities of the Programs Board
- a. The Programs Board shall work work directly with the the Member Resources Coordinator (MRC) primary, and when necessary shall work with Cooperative Experience Manager (CExM), and other relevant parties within and outside the organization, in order to fulfill its duties as a programming body. They will consult with the Member Resources Coordinator on what sort of programming should be planned and executed in a given contract period. In addition, they will work with the Member Resources Department to both advertise and execute the events developed by the Programs Board.
- b. The Programs Board shall be supervised by the Member Resources Coordinator. The Programs Board will be chaired by the Social Manager Coordinator (SMC) who will be tasked with facilitating meetings, maintaining communication between parties, supervising the Programs Board, and ensuring that programming is being planned and executed.
- c. At the beginning of the Fall and Spring contract period, the Programs Board will develop a semester-long program calendar with the Member Resources Coordinator. The program calendar should outline the Programs Board’s events for the respective contract period and include itemized budgets for each event. Additional funding may be provided by ETCom or other available funds from other external sources.
- d. The Programs Board shall have a Programming Budget in order to coordinate and execute events developed by the Programs Board. The Programs Board and Member Resources Coordinator shall have total discretion on how the budget is spent, but it must be approved by the Member Resources Coordinator. Additional funds may be provided by other budgets, but must be brought forward to the Member Resources Coordinator. In addition, they should solicit funds from units in the case that multiple units are collaborating for a major inter-unit event.
- 2. Composition and Compensation of the Programs Board
- a. The Programs Board shall be composed by the following: the Member Resources Coordinator, the Social Manager Coordinator and (3-4) members, preferencing current and/or former Social Managers from the entire organization. The Cooperative Experience Manager will be an additional adviser to the Programs Board (when needed).
- b. Ideally, the Programs Board should be composed of current and/or former Social Managers from various units and size. The Cooperative Experience Manager, Member Resources Coordinator, and the Social Manager Coordinator have total discretion on the recruitment and selection of the Programs Board. However, the composition of the Programs Board must be finalized by week 3 of the contract period.
- c. Programs Board members will be compensated at the workshift rate for 12 hours each week to be allotted among the programs board members at the discretion of the Social Manager Coordinator and the Member Resources Coordinator during the fall and spring contract periods.
[Last changed Fall 2016]]
VI.K. Co-Oper of the Month Award
General Information: An award for “Co-oper of the Month” will be awarded to at least two but no more than four members throughout each Fall and Spring semester (months include: August, September, October, November, January, February, March, April). Any member can be nominated by anyone in their unit as well as by anyone in the BSC. Members can be nominated any time throughout the semester for demonstrating outstanding behavior. The Member Resources Assistant shall notify all managers by email about the Cooper of the Month award no later than the Monday after move-in day of each semester. They also must send reminder emails about the award each month at least a week before the nominee submission is due. This award should be announced by the Vice President of Experience and Training each Board Training that is held to make sure Board Directors are well informed about the award. The Cooperative Experience Manager and/or the Member Resources Coordinator should inform managers about the award at general manager training. Managers and Board Directors are expected to inform their units about this award and forward emails to their members about the award. If there is a month with no nominations submitted, the following month may have two co-opers selected.
Nomination and award process: Nominations shall be solicited from all co-op properties and shall be due the Friday before the last day of each month. Applicants will be reviewed and selected by a subgroup that includes an ETCom member and the Cooperative Experience Manager at a regularly scheduled ETCom meeting the following week. The VPET shall announce the winner each month at Cabinet and Board. Up to $500 (combined) from the Co-oper of the Month fund that can be used each semester to award the nominees selected.
Recognition: When a member is selected as “Co-oper of the Month” they shall be presented in the Member Resources Newsletter with a description of what they demonstrated to receive the award. This must be done no later than the second newsletter of the following month.
Nomination form:
- Nominee:
- Nominee’s Co-op:
- Nominee’s Email:
- Nominee’s Phone:
- Nominated by (co-op):
- Name of person submitting form:
- Email of person submitting form:
- Phone of person submitting form:
- Statement about the nominee: Please describe why you are nominating this person for the Cooper of the Month. Please use tangible examples of what this member did and why they deserve to receive the Cooper of the Month award (100-500 words).
[Board-approved 5/5/2016]
VI.L. NASCO Institute Scholarship Program
1.01 ETCom shall be the committee tasked with selecting the recipients of the NASCO Institute Scholarship Program.
1.02 The BSC will send as many members to the NASCO Institute as the budget permits.
1.03 The BSC will pay the full amount of the NASCO Institute registration fee for each respective scholarship recipient.
1.04 BSC attendance and funding guarantees will be regulated as follows:
- A. The BSC President and the Vice-President of External Affairs are automatically awarded a scholarship to attend the NASCO Institute, regardless of previous attendance. However, they may yield their scholarship to another Cabinet Member and/or Board Member in the case that they may not attend the NASCO Institute.
- B. The BSC will also fund the ED and/or the CExM to attend the NASCO Institute.
- C. A additional staff-member may be chosen by senior staff to attend the NASCO Staff and Manager Conference and NASCO Institute annually.
- D. Other members are not guaranteed funding for the NASCO institute, thus must apply for a scholarship through the normal application process.
1.05 All scholarship recipients are required to share their experiences at the NASCO Institute in some form as determined by ETCom.
1.06 ETCom has full discretion when choosing NASCO scholarship recipients.
[Board-approved 11/12/2015]
VI.M. Member Education Program
General Description:
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing organization with cooperative values and the mission of serving students who would not be able to attain an education without affordable housing, we strive to create and maintain affordable, accessible, and anti-oppressive living spaces where students from various backgrounds and identities can feel safer, grow personally and collectively, and thrive in academic and extracurricular engagements. The Member Education Program seeks to achieve this by offering outstanding education to the membership on both anti-oppression and consent education.
The Member Education Program will be a program within the Cooperative Experience Department that specializes on Decentralized Member Education in the BSC. The program will be comprised of by the Anti-Oppression Working Group (AWG) and Consent Working Group (CWG) who will both be responsible for educating and informing the membership on both anti-oppression and consent education in the BSC. The working groups will primarily work with unit-level officers and the Cooperative Experience Department to develop educational curricula appropriate for various members in the BSC. In addition, they will work with the Member Education Coordinator (MEC) on improving both anti-oppression and consent education in the BSC. In short, they will work both at the unit level and central level on member education and training.
1. Duties and Responsibilities of the AWG and the CWG
- a. The Anti-Oppression Working Group Chair (AWG Chair) and the Consent Working Group Chair (CWG Chair) will be supervised by the Member Education Coordinator (MEC). They shall work in conjunction with the Unit-level Presidents to ensure that unit-level workshops and educational events are coordinated and executed appropriately. They will also be tasked with facilitating meetings, maintaining communication between parties, and supervising their respective working group.
- b. The AWG primary task is to provide anti-oppression education to the BSC by conducting educational events in anti-oppression to the membership, and providing themselves as resources for members in various areas of anti-oppression education.
- c. The CWG’s primary task is to provide consent education to the BSC by conducting educational events in consent to the membership, and providing themselves as resources for members in various areas of consent education.
- d. Both working groups will be required to meet to discuss a semester plan on how they achieve their duties and responsibilities. These frequency of these meeting shall be up to the discretion of the chairs and the Member Education Coordinator (MEC).
- e. Both working groups will be responsible for developing alternative ways of educating members on both consent and anti-oppression education. In addition, they will work with ETCom to improve member education and manager training programs in the BSC, in particular consent education and anti-oppression education.
- f. Both working groups will develop curriculums for various educational event formats such as workshops, dialogues, talks, circles, and any other formats that are both effective and appropriate for various communities in the BSC. They will work with the Member Education Coordinator (MEC) to achieve this.
- g. Both working groups will be required to collaborate with each other on the completion of their duties and responsibilities.
2. Training of the AWG and CWG
- a. Working Group Member Training shall be held from week 9 until week 15. The incoming Working Group members will be hired earlier and learn under the guidance of current working group members by attending workshops and Working Group meetings. New and Returning Working Group Members must attend the training, but be notified in ample time to attend the training. New and Returning Working Group Members must attend one training session with the current Chair between week 9 and week 15 in which they are familiarized with the current educational model (including the current workshops) and any other information deemed vital by the current WG Chair.
- b. The BSC will provide training to Working Group Members in the following areas by the end of Week 0 of the following semester:
- i. General: Advanced facilitation, Conflict Resolution, BSC policies pertaining to member conduct issues and processes.
- ii. Consent Education: Consent for Trainers, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Assault Prevention, and other appropriate trainings.
- iii. Anti-Oppression Education: Anti-Oppression for Trainers, Intersectional Allyship and Advocacy, Collective Liberation, Identity-Conflict Mediation, and other appropriate trainers.
3. Composition and Compensation of the Member Education Program
- a. The Member Education Program will be comprised of two working groups, the Anti-Oppression Working Group (AWG), and the Consent Working Group (CWG).
- b. Each working group shall have (1) Working Group Chair and (7) Working Group Members with a total (8) members per working group.
- c. The finalized composition of both working groups must be finalized by week 9 of the preceding term. The CExM and an ETCom member shall have the utmost discretion on the selection of the members and chairs of both working groups.
- d. Each working group member will be compensated at the workshift rate up to 30 hours per contract period.
- e. The Working Group Chairs will be compensated at the workshift rate up to 45 hours per contract period.
- f. The specifications for Summer Session is as follows:
- i. The working group will consist of (1) Working Group Chair and (5) Working Group Members with a total of (6) Members per working group.
- ii. The Summer Consent Working Group’s main goal will be implementation of current consent education rather than development of new education.
Board Approved: 03/22/2018
VI.N. Community Improvement Program
VI.N.1. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PURPOSE
The purpose of the Community Improvement Program is to foster member engagement with the Board and standing committees and with the city, student, and cooperative community-at-large.
VI.N.2. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
- 1. Each member is required to attend one Community Improvement Event per academic year and submit proof to their unit President and/or Board Director(s). Examples of events include participating in BSC Recruitment events, alumni events, engaging in political and legal advocacy and organizing with EACom, co-operating with other cooperatives, neighborhood events, and attending a BSC Board Meeting or GMM.
- 2. At the beginning of the Fall and Spring Contract periods:
- a. Under the direction of the VPEA, EACom will update the Community Improvement Opportunities document by soliciting ideas from the following stakeholders: the Recruitment Team, the Development and Alumni Relations Committee (DARCom), Board Directors, and House Presidents.
- b. Board Directors and House Presidents will inform their unit of this responsibility, including: the reason for the policy, the Community Improvement Opportunities document, and the possibility of a fee.
- 3. The following activities qualify for as CI
- (a) Activities organized by the Recruitment Team which seek member participation
- (b) Activities organized by DARCom which seek member participation
- (c) Attendance at Board or Board committee meetings
- (d) Any activity from the Community Improvement Opportunities document or otherwise approved by EACom.
- 4. A $25 fine will be assessed for failing to attend a CI Event. The VPEA can grant exceptions.
VI.N.3. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PROJECTS
At the unit level, Board Directors will answer more specific questions regarding the Community Improvement Policy. Should members wish to propose a unit-level Community Improvement project, their Board Director should coordinate with the VP of External Affairs or Summer Vice President. The VPEA or SVP can assess whether a proposed project qualifies to meet the Community Improvement Policy guidelines.
VI.N.4. COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OVERSIGHT
Unit level Presidents and Board Directors will track members’ fulfillment of CI Commitment and report to the VPEA. EACom will submit fines to accounting.
[Updated as per approval at SumCom #4 (07.10.2024)]
// Original policy approved by Board 05/07/20 //
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
Pages in category "Section VI - Member Services & Education"
The following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total.
V
- VI.A. Member Services Guidelines
- VI.B. Guidelines for Appropriations Immediate Access
- VI.C. Guidelines for Sending E-mails
- VI.D. Hal Norton Cooperative House Award
- VI.E. House Level Management Working Group
- VI.F. The Member Education Framework
- VI.G. BSC Owner's Manual Program
- VI.H. Courtesy Room Policy
- VI.I. BSC Guidelines on Accommodating Service and Assistance Animals
- VI.J. BSC Programs Board
- VI.K. Co-Oper of the Month Award
- VI.L. NASCO Institute Scholarship Program
- VI.M. Member Education Program
- VI.N. Community Improvement Program