I: Governing Structures

I.A. Board of Directors Elected Positions & Board Positions

I.A.1. Board of Directors (BOD) Member Job Description

I.A.2. BSC Executive Job Description

I.A.3. BSC PRESIDENT

I.A.4. VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS (VPIA)

I.A.5. VICE PRESIDENT OF CAPITAL AND FINANCE (VPCF)

I.A.6. VICE PRESIDENT OF EXPERIENCE & TRAINING (VPET)

I.A.7. VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (VPEA)

I.A.8. NON-EXECUTIVE CABINET MEMBER

I.A.9. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR

I.A.10. CONDUCT COMMITTEE CHAIR

I.A.11. BSC SUMMER PRESIDENT

I.A.12. SUMMER VICE PRESIDENT

I.B.1. CABINET

General Description

Cabinet is the Executive Committee of the BSC Board of Directors responsible for maintaining a broad view of BSC governance and ensuring that key issues are framed, prioritized, coordinated, and addressed by the organization. Cabinet serves as a central location of communication for the BSC, with individual Vice Presidents acting as conduits of communication with each other, with the Board, and with management in all issues facing the BSC.

Cabinet is responsible for determining if issues will be decided by management, in Committee, or by the full Board, ensuring the rationale for making a decision is well represented, identifying the opinion or recommendation of the Cabinet when it chooses to make such recommendations, and suggesting amendments or edits to the work of other bodies where appropriate. In the case that emergency action is needed, the Cabinet can act in the place of the Board and report that action to the Board, upon whose authority such decisions are formalized. All meetings of the Cabinet are open to the BSC membership except for those items requiring executive session.

Composition

The BSC President is the chair of Cabinet. Cabinet is comprised of the Vice President of Internal Affairs, the Vice President of Capital and Finance, the Vice President of Experience and Training, the Vice President of External Affairs, and two non-executive Cabinet members. Only sitting Directors are eligible to serve as President and voting members of Cabinet. Additionally, the Executive Director must attend Cabinet as a non-voting member, as well as other staff and staff managers as required by the Executive Director in consultation with the President. Finally, up to two members selected to chair Board-created Task Forces must report at every regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting or at Cabinet's direction.

Additional Responsibilities

1. The Cabinet, under the direction of the President, will determine its agenda. It may discuss motions passed out of committee, motions delegated to it by the Board, ideas of its own origination, and the concerns of the membership and Staff Management.

2. Motions from committees may be sent to the Board of Directors for debate or referred back to committee for further discussion with specific recommendations.

3. Handle sensitive or confidential personnel matters referred by management.

4. Provide oversight for and, if necessary, remove unit-level managers.

5. Consider senior manager evaluations compiled by the Executive Director each Spring. See the Employee Handbook Section TBD for more information.

6. Establish special committees as necessary with approval of the Board.

I.B.2. INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (IACom)

General Description:

The Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Directors. The Internal Affairs Committee is responsible for evaluating and modifying the policies and procedures pertaining to all BSC professional, member, and workshift staff, as well as BSC program operations at the central and unit levels. At the discretion of the Cabinet and with the approval of the Board of Directors, the Internal Affairs Committee has final decision-making authority over issues including, but not limited to, personnel policies, the Injury and Illness Prevention Plan, unit-level IT service, habitability, etc. IACom is the body that hears proposed alterations to the member appeals processes, the member contract, workshift rules, housing assignment rules, and other issues pertaining to the member contract and Administrative Code before discussion at the Board of Directors. IACom shall fulfill all responsibilities attributed to HRCom and OpCom in all BSC policies and external agreements, and assure legal compliance with all laws applicable to the committee’s charge.

Composition:

The VPIA is the chair of IACom. IACom comprises, at a minimum, four non-executive student Directors.. The Employee Association may seat one voting member on the committee. IACom is staffed by the Operations Manager, and the Executive Director as needed. The voting members of IACom may elect to seat a member of the Alumni Board as a nonvoting member of IACom, as well as a voting Member-at-large as described in section I.B.13 of the Policy Directory.

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Occasionally review the competitiveness of BSC wages and report the findings of such reviews to the Board of Directors

2. As a standing committee of the Board, IACom is expected to undertake periodic reviews of core components of areas under its jurisdiction, and to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness of programs as necessary.

a. Review the results of the annual metrics and survey

b. Review central level food, maintenance, and supplies operations, including the goods and service review as needed

c. Review and amend policies as they pertain to the BSCIT policy as outlined in section IV.M. of the Policy Directory

3. Propose to the Cabinet areas for work as needed and respond to the requests of the Board of Directors

4. Review the Policy Directory for consistency and make non-substantive revisions in line with Board policy decisions

I.B.3. CAPITAL AND FINANCE COMMITTEE (CFCom)

General Description:

The Capital and Finance Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Directors. The Capital and Finance Committee is responsible for evaluating and modifying the policies and procedures pertaining to all BSC finances and is responsible for protecting, investing in and expanding the assets of the organization in order to contribute to the organization’s long-term sustainability. This includes preparing the annual budget, recommending contributions to the BSC’s strategic reserves, assuring compliance with law pertaining to financial regulations and property maintenance, and reporting regularly to the Board of Directors. At the discretion of the Cabinet and with the approval of the Board of Directors, the Capital and Finance Committee has final decision-making authority over issues and policies including, but not limited to, approval of the annual audit, approval of the completed BSC tax return, capital improvement and maintenance, the terms and conditions of property leased by the BSC to third parties, the terms and conditions of leased co-ops, and the organization’s property and liability insurance.

Composition:

The VPCF is the chair of CFCom. CFCom comprises, at a minimum, four non-executive student Directors. CFCom is staffed by the Finance Manager, and the Executive Director as needed. The voting members of CFCom may elect to seat a member of the Alumni Board as a nonvoting member of CFCom, as well as a voting Member-at-large as described in section I.B.13 of the Policy Directory.

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Conduct Insurance Review in the Fall semester, including property and liability insurance to ensure that prudent decisions are made to protect the organization from loss due to insurable risks

2. Conduct a review of the BSC’s bond compliance in the Fall semester, for the duration of the bonds

3. Monitor the implementation of laws affecting BSC financial policy

4. Produce recommendations for Board, of matters relevant to the financial health and stability of the BSC

5. Oversee the development and implementation of long-term capital improvement plans to properly maintain all properties, increase disabled access, improve seismic safety, and enhance energy efficiency

6. Propose to the Cabinet areas for work as needed and respond to the requests of the Board of Directors

I.B.4. EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING COMMITTEE (ETCom)

General description:

The Experience and Training Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Directors. ETCom is responsible for evaluating and modifying as necessary BSC education and training programs for both members and unit-level managers, and for programs that strengthen the cooperative values of the BSC’s membership. This includes evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness of programs adopted to train members and unit-level managers, ensuring the transfer of relevant information as the membership turns over, and supporting membership participation in BSC governance. At the discretion of the Cabinet and with the approval of the Board of Directors, the Experience and Training Committee has final decision-making authority over issues and policies including, but not limited to, the content of BSC manager and member trainings and other programs that support member learning and member’s cooperative experience. ETCom is the body that hears proposed alterations to disability rules, and emergency services, unit rules, member conduct policies and procedures, mediation / conflict resolution services, and unit-level safety before discussion at the Board of Directors.

Composition:

The VPET is the chair of ETCom. ETCom comprises, at minimum, four non-executive student Directors. ETCom is staffed by the [Cooperative Experience] Manager, and the Executive Director as needed. The voting members of ETCom may elect to seat a member of the Alumni Board as a nonvoting member of ETCom, as well as a voting Member-at-large as described in section I.B.13 of the Policy Directory.

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Process ET Grant applications as specified below

2. As a standing committee of the Board, ETCom is expected to undertake periodic reviews of core components of areas under their jurisdiction, and to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness of programs as necessary such as:

a. Manager trainings

b. New Member Orientation and unit-level orientations

3. Fulfill any implied responsibilities for evaluating and approving Community Action Workshop proposals

4. Review applications for the annual NASCO Institute

5. Solicit participation in and select finalists for the annual BSC Cooperative Development Grant

6. Propose to the Cabinet areas for work as needed and respond to the requests of the Board of Directors

Process for ETCom Grant Vetting:

1. The Experience and Training Committee is empowered to award grants to BSC members who submit proposals in line with the “mission” of the grants program, as defined below:

a. “The mission of ETCom grants is to provide resources to promote the sharing of knowledge that will enrich the BSC community.”

2. Applications should be submitted to either the VPET or the ETCom Administrative Assistant.

3. Funds will be drawn from the ETCom Grants budget.

4. ETCom has full discretion over its budget: including, but not limited to ETCom Grants and GMMs.

5. Funds may be used to reimburse members for supplies, labor, venue/speaker fees, and any other expenses related to the event.

6. To be reimbursed, members must submit all receipts along with a completed event evaluation form within ten (10) business days of conclusion of the event.

7. The Member Resources Supervisor will verify with the ETCom Administrative Assistant the final amount to be reimbursed.

I.B.5. EXTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (EACom)

General description:

The External Affairs Committee (EACom) is a standing committee of the Board of Directors. The External Affairs Committee is responsible for evaluating and modifying BSC policies, procedures, and programs pertaining to external stakeholders. This includes, but is not limited to, community, neighbor and government relations, political advocacy, marketing and brand strategy, recruitment of historically marginalized communities, alumni engagement, fundraising, and supporting the cooperative movement.

Composition:

The VPEA is the chair of EACom and facilitates all meetings. EACom is comprised of a minimum of four student Board Directors. EACom is staffed by the Development Director, and the Executive Director as needed. The voting members of EACom may elect to seat a member of the Alumni Board as a nonvoting member of EACom, as well as a voting Member-at-large as described in section I.B.13 of the Policy Directory.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Encourage and fund unit level neighbor events at the beginning of each semester
2. Competitively allocate charitable donations and event sponsorship funds
3. Generate community improvement projects as described in V.C.3 of the Policy Directory
4. Disburse the cooperative development grant
5. Follow press protocols as established by the VPEA
6. Facilitate board level support of BSC development efforts and actively participate in BSC alumni engagement and fundraising activities as needed
7. Follow university, local and state government activity as it pertains to the BSC. Attend meetings as necessary
8. Engage in direct political advocacy as necessary
9. Strengthen external relationships with cooperatives and businesses relevant to the mission of the BSC

I.B.6. SUMMER GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE (SumCom)

General Description:

SumCom is the Summer Governance Committee of the BSC Board of Directors responsible for fulfilling BSC governance and the responsibilities of Board during the Summer. SumCom must complete projects and tasks assigned from the previous Board of Directors. As needed, SumCom will handle sensitive or confidential personnel matters referred by management, and will substitute Cabinet in matters of emergency or in place of other committees as needed. The term of SumCom shall be from 12:00 a.m. on the day following the end of the spring contract period until 11:59 p.m. on the day prior to the start of the subsequent fall contract period. SumCom Executives will predetermine dates and locations of meetings for SumCom approximately every 2-3 weeks in consultation with SumCom members and Senior management, with the ability to alter that schedule when necessary. Additional SumCom meetings may be called or cancelled by a 2/3 supermajority of SumCom members. All meetings of the SumCom are open to the BSC membership except for those items requiring executive session. The quorum for SumCom meetings shall be the majority of its elected members.

Composition:

The BSC Summer President is the chair of SumCom. SumCom is comprised of the Vice President of Summer Governance, and five additional Directors elected by the Board of the previous Spring. Only sitting Directors are eligible to serve as a Summer executive or a voting member of SumCom. Additionally, the Executive Director must attend SumCom as a non-voting member, as well as other staff and staff managers as required by the Executive Director in consultation with the Summer President.

Director Responsibilities (both SumCom members and Non SumCom members):

1. All of Board is to be included in distribution of SumCom agendas, minutes, and other communications as appropriate.

2. Directors on SumCom are to take responsibility for disseminating this information to all units, including regular house visits, as other Directors will not have the same depth of knowledge to share with their own units.

3. Non SumCom Directors: At all times during the summer contract period, all Directors elected in the previous spring will remain the Board of Directors of the BSC, with meetings called by Cabinet or four Board Members as set out in the bylaws, and with ultimate authority to make and overturn decisions.

a. As such, it is crucial that Directors not on SumCom will still be responsible for checking their email at least once every 3-4 days, and respond promptly.

b. In the case that a Director fails to respond promptly, removal from position or workshift fining may be utilized, at the discretion of the Summer President.

Compensation:

1. Directors who are elected to SumCom will receive 4 hours at the workshift rate per week of the Summer term.

2. SumCom executives compensation will be outlined in their Job Descriptions in the Policy Directory.

3. Non SumCom Directors who have a Summer contract may receive 1 hour workshift a week for communicating with their members.

4. Non SumCom Directors who do not have a Summer contract and will not be in contact with their houses will not receive workshift credit during the Summer term.

In the Case of resignation:

If any Director who is a member of SumCom resigns from their position as Director or from SumCom, the Summer President shall hold an electronic vote with the full Board of Directors to elect a new Director to SumCom.

I.B.7. TASK FORCES

General Description:

Each year in the Spring, Cabinet must consider and the Board of Directors may identify one or two projects for work the following academic year. This/these projects will be assigned a task force to be overseen by the cabinet at the direction of the Board of Directors. Once a task force’s need is identified, the Board will adopt a specific charter for the task force including:

1) who will participate in the task force,

2) the start date of the task force,

3) a midway review point (if applicable to the scale of the project),

4) a termination date of the task force’s charter, and

5) the body to which the task force will report its work.

The Board may delegate this responsibility as desired. The task force chair, or member charged with overseeing the task force’s work as established by the task force charter, is responsible for providing frequent updates to both the Board and the Cabinet on their progress and for providing detailed recommendations as to the project's next step upon the completion of the charter or the end of their term as its chair.

The Board may create no more than two Board-level task forces at any given time. The Board or its delegates can designate reasonable compensation considering the expected workload for the task force chair.

Composition:

At the first board meeting of the semester the President will present to the Board the candidates appointed to serve on task force[s] adopted by the Board the previous spring. The Board may approve the list as a whole, amend the list, or reject it. Additionally, representatives of the Board of Directors not currently assigned to a Board standing committee will be appointed to the task force[s]. Each person seated on a task force is considered a voting member.

I.B.8. ASSIGNING MEMBERS TO AND VOTING ON COMMITTEES

General Committee Guidelines:

1. Every effort will be made to assure representation of the apartment units Rochdale, Fenwick and Northside Coop in all Board activities, committees and task forces. Similarly, every effort will be made to assure representation of units of different sizes (small, medium and large).

2. The voting body of a committee shall consist solely of the Directors assigned to that committee and the appointed Committee Member(s)-At-Large, unless otherwise stipulated in the specific committee description.

3. Every effort will be made to ensure that no standing committee or task force has more than one director from a unit. At the discretion of the President, two Directors from the same unit may be seated in the same standing committee or task force.

I.B.9. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE ON STANDING COMMITTEES

1. All four of the standing committees of Board (Internal Affairs, Capital & Finance, Experience & Training, and External Affairs) may have one voting member-at-large on the committee.

2. Each committee will select their member-at-large by majority vote. Selections must take place no later than the second committee meeting of the contract period. The committee may also vote not to have a member-at-large by majority vote.

3. Applications will be solicited from the Membership with descriptions and applications written by the respective committee and sent out to the general membership. The members-at-large will be compensated at the workshift rate per hour of committee meeting and per hour of committee related work completed outside of committee meetings. Compensation will be capped at 60 hours per contract period. They are each required to maintain and update a timesheet. This timesheet will be shared with their unit's President at the beginning of the semester and will be made available for the purview of the unit's membership anytime throughout the semester. This timesheet is to be reviewed, amended, and approved by the Vice President of the standing Committee the member-at-large is on every month of each semester.

4. The term of a member-at-large will be one contract period.

[Board approved 4-29-21]

I.B.10. AUDIT COMMITTEE (AuditCom)

The Audit Committee will monitor the progress and completion of the BSC’s annual audits as well as investigate and strengthen BSC operations and internal controls. The Audit Committee will be comprised of at least three people such that members of the Finance Committee constitute less than one-half of the membership of the Audit Committee:

1. A Director who is on CFCom,

2. A Director who is not on CFCom,

3. In the beginning of the fall semester, the VPCF will recruit members of the BSC Alumni Association or other experts with accounting or finance backgrounds to serve on the Audit Committee. These members must be approved by the Board of Directors and from these members the Board shall select a Chairperson.

4. The Chair of the Audit Committee cannot be on CFCom

5. Members of CFCom must make up less than 50% of the Audit Committee

6. No members of the Audit Committee can receive compensation in excess of what Directors receive for service

7. No members of the Audit Committee can have a material financial interest in an entity doing business with the BSC.

8. At least every three years, the Audit Committee will select an independent auditor through a competitive bidding process. If the Audit Committee would like to continue with the same firm, the Board has the ability to extend the firm’s services for up to two more years.

I.B.11. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE (AdCom)

See AdCode Section XVIII

I.B.12. CONDUCT COMMITTEE (ConCom)

See AdCode Section XXVI

I.B.13. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (IMCom)

See Policy Directory IV.K

I.B.14. MEMBER HIRING COMMITTEE (HiCom)

General description:

The Member Hiring Committee (HiCom) shall be a committee of BSC members. HiCom shall act as the hiring body for BSC member positions. HiCom is responsible for assisting with advertising/recruitment, evaluating, interviewing, and hiring qualified applicants for BSC member positions. Committee composition:

The Member Hiring Committee shall consist of the HiCom Chair, the Direct Supervisor of the position being hired, and members that have attended a BSC Hiring Committee training session. Central Level Member, Regular, Part-Time or Temporary Employees and nonmember employees may serve on the Member Hiring Committee.

1. The Member Hiring Committee (HiCom) shall consist of five to seven members each term. HiCom members shall be selected by the HiCom Chair and Executive Director.

2. HiCom members will be invited by the HiCom Chair to each hiring session. Quorum for all hiring sessions shall be three voting members, including the Chair and the Direct Supervisor.

3. Committee decisions shall be made by majority vote.

4. Members of the Hiring Committee shall be compensated at the workshift rate up to 30 hours per semester.

Committee responsibilities:

1. Hire a new HiCom Chair when the position is vacated.

2. Assist the HiCom Chair with advertising and recruitment activities to help recruit the most qualified and diverse applicant pool.

3. Evaluate, interview and hire qualified applicants for all BSC member positions of 10 hour/week or more.

4. Convene at least half an hour before interviews to familiarize themselves with:

(a) the job description,

(b) questions to be asked of interviewees,

(c) interviewees’ applications, and

(d) evaluation criteria

Hiring Committee Chair (Hicom Chair) responsibilities:

1. Chair all meetings of the Member Hiring Committee.
2. Help organize HiCom members in regards to advertising, recruitment activities to help recruit the most qualified and diverse applicant pool, interviews, councils, etc.
3. Evaluate, interview and hire qualified applicants for all BSC member positions of 10 hour/week or more.
4. The HiCom Chair coordinates and facilitates all hirings and conducts training every semester for HiCom members.
5. Oversee organizational recruitment and hiring digital communications.

Committee member responsibilities:

1. Members must help create and post advertisements, visit councils/dinners, host info sessions, and perform other recruitment activities for member employees.

2. Members must disclose all conflicts of interest to the chair before interviews begin.

3. Members must not discuss interviews and/or deliberations outside that specific hiring.

4. Members must make all attempts to be consistent and impartial throughout the hiring process.

5. Members must be professional during interviews and deliberations.

[Updated 1/27/22]

I.B.15. PERSONNEL APPEALS COMMITTEE

General Description:

The Personnel Appeals Committee shall be a committee of the Board of Directors. The Personnel Appeals Committee shall be the hearing body for the following types of grievances and appeals:

1. all grievances from any employee (excluding student executives) concerning rates of pay, classification of positions, hours of work, and other conditions of employment (Section VII of the Personnel Code; Section 22 of the Employee Association contract);

2. appeals of discipline and dismissal decisions for member employees (Section VII of the Personnel Code); and

3. appeals of unit-level VOC results (Section III.A.4 of the Policy Manual).

In the case of appeals (b. and c. above), the employee shall have 10 working days following receipt of the decision to submit an appeal to the President.

Upon notification by the President, the Personnel Appeals Committee Chair shall have 10 working days to convene the Committee. A majority of the Committee shall be required to make any decision. The vote of the Committee shall be confidential. Decisions of the Committee cannot be further appealed.

Composition:

The VPIA is the chair of Personnel Appeals Committee. If the VPIA is unable to fulfill this role, the President shall act in their stead. Voting members of the committee will include the Chair, one member appointed by the Employee Association (EA), as well as 3 current Directors selected no later than the second board meeting of the semester, with up to 2 alternates to be chosen at the same time. Committee responsibilities:

1. Convene as needed to address employee grievances and appeals as required by the President and Vice President of Internal Affairs.

a. Personnel Appeals Committee shall meet in closed session. Testimony shall be confidential, but the following people shall have the right to be present during the giving of testimony and respond to the testimony given: the employee bringing forward the grievance or appeal, the Direct Supervisor and the Executive Director.

2. Ensure that the BSC has correctly applied personnel policies as described in the Personnel Code, the Employee Handbook, the EA contract, and all applicable state and federal law.

3. Provide remedies to grievances as they arise related to conditions of employment as noted above.

Committee member responsibilities:

1. Ensure confidentiality in all matters discussed throughout committee proceeding.

2. Be available as needed for deliberations.

3. If unable to meet the specific requirements outlined above, contact the next available alternate from the board approved list and inform them of their need to serve on Personnel Appeals.

I.B.16. FOOD REIMBURSEMENT AT OFFICIAL BSC MEETINGS

1. The BSC President must approve the purchase of food for any official BSC meeting.

2. Food can only be bought for participants of meetings that may go three hours or longer.

3. An official BSC meeting is defined as Board, committees of board, special committees, and regular central level manager meetings such as Council of House Presidents. (Policy does not apply to trainings, orientations or events.)

I.B.17. INTRABOARD CONFLICT SUPPORT COMMITTEE

General Description:

The Intraboard Conflict Support Committee shall be a committee of the Board of Directors. The Intraboard Conflict Support Committee will be the body that addresses conflict and prevents harm exacerbation, acting as an (optional) internal confidential resource to Board Directors. Board Directors are notified of the Committee in their training. Board Directors can send requests to assemble the committee to the Chair or alternate Chair.

Composition:

The body will consist of one Executive Board Director and a pool of non-Executive Board Directors (at least four during the Academic Year and at least two during the Summer). The Executive will chair the Committee by default. The Intraboard Conflict Support Committee shall name an alternate Chair upon their first meeting. The Intraboard Conflict Support Committee shall be confirmed by the Board by the first Board meeting of the Semester. The President will serve as the Chair and Executive Members of Cabinet will serve as the members of the Intraboard Conflict Support Committee until the first Board meeting of the Academic Year. The President will ensure adequate onboarding of Committee members.

Specific Responsibilities of Committee Members:

1. Utilize a toolkit of internal and external conflict resolution resources to strategically address disagreement, conflict, and/or harm healthily.
2. Share the nature of existing relationships to leverage and mindmeld around best ways to broach conflict between two Board Directors or groups of Board of Directors.
3. Do intentional relationship building with other Board Directors.
4. Recuse themselves completely from the conflict support process if they are directly involved and/or named as a harm doer in a request to assemble the Committee.
5. Conduct self and/or group study regularly on topics relating to transformative justice, restorative justice, conflict support, healing justice, etc.
6. Popularize conflict support mechanisms and values of transformative justice to the Board of Directors.

Specific Responsibilities of the Chair:

1. Notify Board Directors of scope and purpose of Committee upon assuming role as Chair.
2. Create an accessible form for Board Directors to make requests to assemble the Committee.
3. Ensure Committee members have baseline education around conflict support resources.
4. Facilitate meetings that encourage collaborative and solution-oriented thinking.
5. Document action items from meetings and conduct individual check-ins on follow through of said action items.
6. Maintain tight-knit communication and relationships with members of the Committee.

I.B.18. COOPERATIVE EXPERIENCE RESTRUCTURING COMMITTEE (CExRC)

The Cooperative Experience Restructuring Committee (CExRC) is hereby commissioned with the following charge:

Composition: The composition shall be: President; VPs of Experience & Training, Internal Affairs, and External Affairs; 1-2 members-at-large members currently or previously in unit-level manager or central-level member staff positions connected to the staffing structure of CEx; Executive Director.

Responsibilities:

1. The committee’s goal is to assess and propose restructuring of the Cooperative Experience department in order to meet the needs and desires of members and properly supporting managers and staff in meeting these organizational goals.
2. The committee shall consider ideas put forth by the authors of the Cooperative Experience Re-Envisioning Proposal, its directives to the Summer Committee, and other resources listed below.
3. The committee shall present and potentially propose changes to the Board by the end of Spring 2022 with respect to the department structure, division of duties, and vision for collaboration. The committee shall send a report at the middle of each semester to the Board. It should also be renewed for continued work for as long as is necessary.
4. Some of the areas and/or projects include but are not limited to the following:

• The BSC’s mechanisms, structures, and strategies for preventing and addressing conflict (e.g., restorative justice, healing resources, anti-oppression education, Conduct, and more)
• The need to delineate responsibilities for different staff members (professional and member), with respect to big organizational-wide events and projects like Manager Training and New Member Orientation. The Member Resources team (Member Resources Supervisor and Assistant, Social Manager Coordinator, and Health Education and Worker Coordinators) should all be consulted.

[Board approved 5-6-21]

I.C.1. MEETINGS

1.01 Meetings of the Board of Directors are to begin at 7:00 p.m. unless Cabinet notifies the Board of Directors otherwise.

1.02 Board meetings shall be chaired according to “BSC Parliamentary Procedure” (as outlined in the Board manual) or Robert’s Rules.

1.03 Any motion in the same semester that comes up for reconsideration shall be treated as a formal reconsideration requiring a 2/3 vote to be discussed again.

1.04 Board of Directors meetings shall be held at wheelchair accessible locations.

I.C.2. VOTING

2.01 The term of office of the Alumni Association member shall be at the pleasure of the President of the BSC Alumni Association.

2.02 Board Directors shall not be bound by unit instructions to vote in a certain manner on any point.

2.02 Record of Director votes will be kept for every vote in the minutes of that meeting. The way in which the records of each Director’s vote shall be decided by the BSC President and the Board AA.

2.03 No record of the individual votes need be taken for procedural votes.

I.C.3. ATTENDANCE

3.01 During the Fall and Spring Semesters, each house shall owe five hours per week per Board Director to the Central Level Workshift pool in addition to the hours they currently owe. Board Directors attending Board and Committee meetings shall earn credit for these hours. Attendance at Board or committees shall be worth five hours. Board Directors will not get credit for attending meetings of committees other than the one to which they are assigned. Board Directors will be credited with the full number of hours during weeks when no Board meetings are scheduled. The President may also set fines for non-attendance.

3.02 During the summer, the number of hours Board Directors receive will be determined by the previous Board.

3.03 Directors who are more than twenty minutes late to a Board or assigned committee meeting shall receive half credit for the meeting. Directors who do not attend at least half of any mandatory meeting shall not receive any workshift credit for that meeting.

3.05 Whenever possible, Directors are expected to personally attend all meetings. However, in the event that the Director is unable to physically attend a meeting, the Director may participate and vote in a meeting remotely through the use of electronic communication technologies. Electronic participation must ensure that the Director remains actively informed and engaged throughout the duration of the meeting. Electronic participation in a meeting should occur only in the presence of extenuating circumstances for a Director. The President may request up to 48 hours notice and pre-approval of extenuating circumstances for the use of electronic participation.

I.C.4. ELECTIONS

1. Board Elections are held for the following positions: President, VP of Internal Affairs (VPIA), VP of Capital & Finance (VPCF), VP of Experience & Training (VPET), VP of External Affairs (VPEA), and two non-executive Cabinet members (NECMs). Unless specified elsewhere, all other committee-at-large members shall be selected by the chair of the committee.

2. Nominations for Cabinet positions shall be opened at least one board meeting before the elections. All candidates running for Cabinet positions must first be elected by their units to serve concurrently on the BSC Board of Directors.

3. It shall be the responsibility of the BSC President and the BSC Directors to advertise these positions and election information at least one month in advance of the election date via a variety of methods such as email, flyers, the Member Resource Newsletter (MRN), and announcements at house council. Any elections conducted during the summer must be advertised by the BSC President at least two weeks in advance of the election.

4. Execs must make themselves available for a “Meet the Executives Night” before the elections in the Spring.

5. Members running for a position are encouraged to educate themselves on the responsibilities of the positions they are running for by doing both of the following:

a. Attend a Board, cabinet and/or committee meeting, whatever is most relevant

b. Meet with current officer/position before election

6. Candidates for executive positions are “strongly encouraged” to submit a 1 page written statement describing their reasons for running and why they might be a suitable candidate. The deadline for publication in the election day board pack is to be determined by the President.

7. Written statements and a list of nominees shall be published and copies shall be distributed via e-mail at least four days before the elections.

8. There will be one-on-one trainings by old executives (or a suitable substitute) with new executives. The outgoing executives are responsible for setting up the meeting.

9. In the event of a vacancy in Cabinet occurring in the middle of a term, a permanent replacement shall be elected by the Board of Directors as soon as possible, after a minimum period of seven days in which the election shall be advertised. Cabinet may vote to authorize an electronic vote over a minimum period of seven days instead of convening a board meeting.

I.C.5. ELECTIONS PROCESS

1. Board elections shall be conducted according to the following process: there shall be six segments: a general introduction to the job description, nominations, a period of introductory statements by each candidate, a questions period, a time for statements and debate with the candidates out of the room, and a voting segment.

2. There shall be a time limit set for each segment. This time limit shall be based upon the number of candidates who are running for the position in question. A simple 2/3 majority may only extend the time limit for any segment.

3. The general job description shall be briefly described by someone who is not running for office: this could be an incumbent, someone who has performed the job in the past, or the Chairperson.

4. Time Limits: Opening Statements are limited to 1 minute per candidate. The Questions period should be limited to 2 minutes per candidate. The Discussion and Debate Period should be limited to 2 minutes per candidate.

5. The voting segment shall be conducted as follows:

Single Positions

a) Shall be defined as an elected job title which one individual can hold (for instance President, VPIA, VPEA, etc).

b) If one candidate is running for the position, then Board may elect that candidate by acclamation.

c) If two or more candidates are running, then the candidates shall leave the room and a roll call vote shall be conducted. Instant runoff voting shall be used to determine the winner.

Multiple Positions

a) Shall be defined as an elected job title with multiple electees (for instance, Non-Executive Cabinet Members).

b) If there are an equal number of candidates as position openings, then Board may elect the candidates by acclamation, but on an individual basis.

c) If there are more candidates than the number of position openings, then the candidates shall leave the room and a vote shall be conducted. Fractional single transferable voting shall be used to determine the winner.

6. Casting Votes

a. A ballot is defined as a ranked list of candidates. A ballot has a value of one vote.

b. Each voting member of board will list candidates in order of preference.

c. After every election, a record of all the ballots cast will be recorded and kept with the minutes from the meeting.

7. Counting votes

a) Single winner elections - Instant runoff voting

i. The ballots will initially be counted according to their first preferences only. If any candidate has a majority of the ballots, they are declared the winner. If no candidate has a majority, continue with the following steps:

ii. The candidate with the lowest number of ballots counted toward them is eliminated from the race. Each ballot that was counted toward this candidate will be transferred to the highest ranked candidate on that ballot that has not already been eliminated from the race.

iii. If after transferring ballots, a candidate now has a majority of the ballots counted toward them, they are declared the winner. If not, repeat step ii. until there is a winner.

b. Multiple winner elections - Fractional single transferable voting

i. The winning quota is defined as the Droop quota: ((number of ballots cast/(number of seats being elected + 1)) + 1, where the result of this equation is rounded down to the nearest integer.

ii. The ballots will initially be counted according to their first preferences only. Any candidates having more than the winning quota of ballots counted toward them are declared winners. If there are enough winners to fill the seats available, the election is over, otherwise proceed with the following steps.

iii. If any of the candidates has more than the winning quota of ballots counted toward them, a fraction of each ballot counted toward that candidate is transferred to that ballot’s next choice. The fraction of each ballot that is transferred is equal to the number of surplus number of ballots the candidate has divided by the total number of ballots counted toward the candidate. This fractional transfer should leave the candidate with a number of ballots exactly equal to the winning quota. If the transferred fractional votes cause any other candidate to pass the winning quota, the are immediately counted as winners. If there are enough winners to fill the seats available, the election is over, otherwise repeat this step (iii.) until there are no more candidates with surplus votes.

iv. If there are no more candidates with excess votes and there are still not enough winners to fill the available seats, the candidate with the fewest number of ballots counted toward them is eliminated from the race. Each ballot that was counted toward this candidate will be transferred to the highest ranked candidate on that ballot that has not already been either declared a winner or eliminated from the race.

v. If there are enough winners to fill the seats available, the election is over, otherwise repeat steps iii. through v. until all seats are filled.

I.C.6. BOARD DIRECTOR ELIGIBILITY

Pursuant to V.A.7 of the Bylaws.

I.C.7. BOARD DIRECTOR TRAINING

It is recommended that board training include the following:

Foundational Knowledge:

• Rochdale Principles
• Cooperative Leadership Principles
• Distinctions between governance and management and Board’s role in governance.
• Fiduciary and Legal Responsibilities of a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
• Overview of the Current Employee Association Contract
• Internal Organizational Structure, History, and Governance

Procedural Knowledge:

• Parliamentary Procedures (including Robert’s Rules, Consensus, and Community Agreements)
• Relevant Bylaws, Policies, and Protocol Implementation
• Transitional Planning and Responding to Organizational Change
• Member Rights and Responsibilities
• Internal Leadership Opportunities
• Crisis Management (e.g. unit-level crime/ workplace violence)

Community and Conflict Resolution Skills:

• Advanced Space Facilitation (balancing community needs and communication)
• Accountability Mechanisms and Feedback Structures
• Conflict Mediation and Resolution Systems, including Consent and Confidentiality Protocols

[Updated per Board #6 (04.10.2025)]

I.C.8. EXECUTIVE SESSION

8.01 See the definition in section V.D.1 of the BSC By-Laws.

8.02 Motions to enter executive session require a (2/3) vote and must state the reason for entering into executive session. Legitimate reasons include but are not limited to: discussing executive or employee evaluations; discussing Board or BSC negotiations strategy; discussing pending or threatened litigation; discussing confidential or privileged information (including legal advice); discussing conduct cases or appeals of conduct decisions.

8.03 Minutes are not taken during executive session. All motions made and votes taken during executive session will be made public.

8.04 A breach of executive session may include but is not limited to: revealing information that violates employee confidentiality, undermines BSC negotiations strategy (and our ability to interact with outside entities), reveals details of pending or threatened litigation, compromises member confidentiality, non-disclosure agreements, privacy laws, etc. The committee chair or President will report potential breaches of executive session to the conduct committee or the appropriate manager. The penalty for breaking the confidentiality of executive session includes, but is not limited to: issuance of a formal warning, termination of employment, termination of membership, and/or legal action.

8.05 When a Board meeting or Board committee enters executive session, staff members (including the executive director or administrative assistant) are not permitted to remain unless explicitly included in the motion to enter (see section V.D.1 of the BSC By-Laws). This takes precedence over any general requirements for staff member attendance (e.g. Policy Directory section I.B).

I.C.9. CONSENT AGENDA

9.01 Cabinet shall determine the appropriate time limit for the consent agenda, based on the nature of the items.

9.02 Directors will have the opportunity to discuss consent agenda items, either collectively or in small groups, up to the allocated time.

9.03 At any given time during the discussion, any Director may call a motion to end the discussion and move on to deliberate whether items will remain or be removed from the consent calendar.

9.04 Items may be removed from the consent agenda by 4 Directors from at least 2 different units.

9.05 All items removed from the consent agenda will be placed at the beginning or end of the Board agenda.

I.C.10. TAKING UP ISSUES RELATED TO CONDUCT OR ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS

10.1 The Experience and Training Committee may agree by a 2/3rds majority to direct conduct appeals to be heard by the board under unusual and extenuating circumstances.

10.2 The Internal Affairs Committee may agree by a 2/3rds majority to direct administrative appeals to be heard by the board under unusual and extenuating circumstances.

10.3 The board must vote by a 2/3rds majority to hear any appeal directed to it.

10.4 Appeals heard under this policy must have already passed through the normal appeals process and must conform to the standard criteria described in XVIII.D to be heard.

10.5 This policy does not exist to add another step to the appeals process, but to clarify thresholds for the board to take up an appeals-related issue should it become necessary as a part of its duty of care. Members, staff, and board directors should assume, for the vast majority of cases, that the appeals committee has made a final and unappealable decision, and should not seek out a board vote as the conclusion to any case filed.

10.6 Decisions made in this manner are final and may not be appealed further.

[Updated per Board #6 (04.10.2025)]

I.C.11. BY-LAWS CHANGES

11.01 Any proposed By-laws change included in the minutes shall be considered to have been given the required twenty-five days notice.

11.02 A corporation fee shall be interpreted as an increase in fee that affects the workshift rate.

11.03 A membership assessment shall be interpreted as a fee that is assessed across the board and has no effect upon the workshift rate.

I.C.12. EXECUTIVE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

12.01 The Presidential Review Committee (PRC)

a. The PRC shall consist of the Vice President of Internal Affairs, who will serve as chair, and at least two directors elected by the Board by the second Board meeting. The President may not serve on the PRC and will not be involved in selecting its members.

b. The PRC shall conduct a survey of the Board of Directors and shall interview the members of Cabinet, the Board Administrative Assistant, and the Executive Director regarding the performance of the President.

c. Interviews and surveys of other key stakeholders may take place to provide knowledgeable and constructive feedback to the President, should the PRC deem it necessary.

d. The PRC shall compile a report from the interviews and surveys to be presented to the Board of Directors at the final Board meeting of the semester.

12.02 In the beginning of Fall and Spring, the President and a relevant Senior Manager(s) shall sit with each Vice President to come up with a list of objectives and expectations for the semester. Each Vice President’s performance shall be evaluated on the basis of their semester objectives and expectations. The President and relevant Senior Manager(s) shall meet twice in the semester; once in the first half of the semester and before Executive Bonus Elections to determine the performance of each Vice President. They shall write a report that includes the list of the objectives and expectations of the semester with a summary of the findings.

12.03 During the Fall and Spring, the President shall gather feedback on the Vice Presidents from their respective committees and the Cabinet. The President must gather feedback this way sometime in the first half of the semester and again before Executive Bonus Elections. Information gathered from committees and other members of the Cabinet will be included on the report written by the President and the relevant Senior Manager(s).

12.04 For the first evaluation, the President and relevant Senior Manager(s) shall sit with the VP to share the mid-semester report, and come up with solutions to address any performance issues (if necessary). In addition, they may review and revise the previous list of objectives and expectations.

12.05 For the second evaluation, the President shall report a summarized end-of-the-semester report to the Board. Before presenting to the Board, the President and relevant Senior Manager(s) must meet with the Vice President to discuss the findings of the report.

1.C.13. EXECUTIVE BONUS ELECTIONS

13.01 Bonus elections for BSC executives shall be held at the last Board meeting.

13.02 The compensation election shall cover the period from day one of the contract period until the last day of the semester.

13.03 Each Director shall have one vote in bonus elections, and compensation shall be decided by majority vote. After the summary of the second evaluation is presented, then every Director will vote on a bonus from a range between 0% to 5%. The bonus that will be awarded to the executive will be an average of all of the votes cast.

1.C.14. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REVIEW COMMITTEE (EDRC)

Executive Director Review:

The Executive Director Review Committee shall convene and under the guidelines established in this policy, conduct a performance review for the Executive Director. The goal of the review should be to give constructive feedback with a growth mindset.

The process for the Fall should primarily entail the Executive Director coming up with a set of year-long goals and reviewing the progress of the goals set last year (if applicable). This should entail a self-report along with active discussion with the EDRC.

The process for the Spring will be a more comprehensive review of the Executive Director’s performance.

Composition of the EDRC:

The Executive Director Review Committee will be composed of:

- A student executive (the President or a VP)

- A non-executive student board rep

- A representative of the Employee Association

- A representative of the Alumni Association

- A member-at-large

The student executive and the non-executive student board rep should be chosen by the Board of Directors by the first Board meeting of the Fall semester.

The representative of the EA shall be chosen by the EA at the EA’s discretion. It may be the EA board rep or any other member of the EA.

The representative of the AA shall be chosen by the AA at the AA’s discretion. It may be the AA board rep or any other member of the AA.

The member-at-large shall be selected by the student executive, non-executive student board rep, the EA representative, and the AA representative. An application should be sent out to all members.

The members of the EDRC shall remain on the committee for both Spring and Fall. Replacement members can be selected if necessary if there is a vacancy. The replacement should correspond with the seat left vacant (i.e. a new member-at-large should replace a vacancy of the member-at-large seat). All members of the EDRC (particularly any non-Board Reps) should receive instruction on handling sensitive information.

The chair of the committee should be selected internally by the five members of the EDRC. The student executive should be the temporary chair (i.e. handle the logistics of setting up the first few meetings) until a permanent chair is selected.

Process:

Beyond what is stated here, the specific process of the EDRC will be left up to the discretion of the members of the EDRC of that year. A suggested review process is provided in the appendix of this document.

The raw documents such as interview transcripts, survey results, etc… will be kept in a location that can only be accessed by Board Reps (ex. Google Drive). The contents of these specific documents should be considered strictly confidential and should not be shared except with other Board Reps.

The Fall deliverables are:

• A statement of yearly goals for the Executive Director, reviewed by the EDRC and approved by the Board
• A self report of the progress on last year’s goals from the Executive Director (if applicable)

These deliverables should be completed by the second Board meeting of the semester.

The Spring deliverables are:

• A public report that can be requested by any member, approved by the Board
• A self report of the progress of this year’s goals from the Executive Director
• A full report and a presentation in executive session both given to Board with specific recommendations concerning:

- Whether or not pay should be increased and if so, the amount

- Whether or not a bonus shall be awarded and if so, the amount

- Whether or not a performance improvement plan is needed and if so, the plan (the EDRC may choose to delegate the creation of the plan itself).

These deliverables should be completed by the second to last Board meeting of the semester.

This policy should be reviewed in Fall 2022 by IACom, but earlier if necessary.

Appendix #1:

Suggested Spring Executive Director Review Process:

1. Surveys. In order to get feedback from a broad range of organizational stakeholders, the EDRC shall design a survey to be broadly shared within the Co-op. To assure that the survey adequately assesses the Executive Director’s performance over the year, the survey shall have questions based on 1) the job description of the Executive Director and 2) the specific annual performance goals established by the previous year’s EDRC. These questions shall be closed questions with numerically ranked responses. In order to assure that respondents do not unfairly judge the Executive Director’s performance due to a lack of knowledge, each question shall have an option for “Not Enough Information to Respond.” This survey shall be sent to each of the following groups: 1) Unit-Level Managers, 2) Board Directors, 3) Cabinet, 4) Student Staff, and 5) Professional Staff.

2. Interviews. The EDRC shall conduct interviews with the Executive Director’s direct reports, Vice Presidents of the Board, and other members of Cabinet and Board as deemed appropriate. These interviews shall be conducted on the record so that the EDRC can investigate the claims made by interviewees, however, the EDRC shall retain the discretion to remove the names of interviewees from the final report.

3. Discussion with the Executive Director. The EDRC shall present a summary of their findings to the Executive Director at least five days before the Presentation to Cabinet to allow the Executive Director to prepare a response before that meeting. The Executive Director’s responses shall be included in the Cabinet Report.

4. Report to Cabinet. The interviews and surveys shall be combined by the EDRC into a report for Cabinet to be delivered no later than the Cabinet meeting preceding the final regular Board Meeting of the Spring semester. The report should highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of the ED, as well as suggest areas for improvement.

In a closed session, In a closed session, Cabinet will hear the report and question the report’s contents in order to evaluate the Executive Director. Based on the report, Cabinet shall recommend either 1) A pay increase or bonus for the Executive Director, 2) No change to the Executive Director’s pay, or 3) whether or not a performance improvement plan is needed.

5. Board Presentation. By the penultimate regular meeting of the Board of Directors, the President shall present the report of the EDRC .The Board shall discuss the report and recommendations and vote to approve both, one, or neither. Anything that is not approved will be sent back to the EDRC with specific directives.

I.C.15. MINUTES AND RECORDS

15.01 That Committee and Board minutes follow the format specified by the Chair.

15.02 All motions passed on the Consent Calendar shall be explicitly listed in the minutes of the meeting of the Board.

15.03 Cabinet actions that pass, fail, or refer motions must be published before the next board meeting so the Board may be aware of all decisions and have the opportunity to discuss them, if it so desires.

I.C.16. DIRECTOR RECALL

16.01 In the case that a unit may be unsatisfied with the actions of their Director, they may initiate a recall vote by collecting 25% of their unit’s member’s signatures.

16.02 Upon meeting the threshold of 25%, this petition may be presented to either the unit level president or the BSC president, who shall initiate a recall vote either electronically, or physically.

16.03 A Director will be recalled and a new Director election will be held if 60% of a unit’s members vote affirmatively to recall their Director.

I.C.17. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

THE CHAIR/FACILITATOR

The facilitator has the right to determine process on a case-by-case basis if matters arise which are not covered in our bylaws or this document.

QUORUM

Two-thirds of the total number of Directors and at least half of the units represented. If quorum is lost during the meeting, the meeting may continue as long as one half of Directors are present. However, passing any motion requires a vote of more than one third of the total number of directors.

MOTIONS

A motion is a statement symbolizing collective action. Board "does" things by passing motions.

▪ The chair may rule any motion "out of order" if they feel that the motion is inappropriate or outside the scope of current discussion.

▪ A "second" is another person who supports the motion.

▪ Non-debatable motions are voted on immediately. Debatable motions can be discussed.

▪ Main Motion: Action items begin with one main motion, which should be the focus of discussion. Main motions usually require a simple majority to pass.

▪ Amendments: Amendments alter part of the main motion. If an amendment is relatively minor so as not to change the intent of the motion, it may be determined “friendly” by the mover of the main motion. If it is not friendly, it is run separately as an amendment to the main motion. The Chair should focus the discussion on dealing with non-friendly amendments as they arise to keep the conversation moving.

▪ Competing Motion: A counter motion that contradicts the main motion may be made. If changes are so big as to change the motion significantly, the amendment will be run as a competing main motion against the main motion. These are rare, and should be handled with precision to make sure the discussion stays focused.

Motion to...	Description	Second Required?	Debatable?	To pass?
Extend time	Extends the current agenda item by a specific length. Motions cannot be made after time has run out.	No	No	Simple super majority
Cap the speaker's list	After this motion passes, the President adds anyone who would like to speak to the speaker's list, then closes it. No motions may be made after the speaker's list is capped. Voting takes place once the speaker's list is finished.	No	No	Simple super majority
Postpone to a later time	Put the main motion and any attached motions on a temporary hold, to later in the same meeting or to another meeting	Yes	Yes	Simply majority
Enter Executive Session	Executive session is a closed meeting. Only motions and votes are recorded in the minutes. Only members of Board may be present, but Board may designate other persons to stay with a super majority vote. This motion requires a second and is debatable.	Yes	Yes	Simple super majority
Refer to Committee	Send an item to a committee with instructions for further development.	Yes	Yes	Simple majority
Reconsider	Bring up an old issue that has already been voted on.	Yes	Yes	Simple super majority
Overrule the Chair	Overrule a decision which is a procedural error. Do this when the chair is wrong or has misused their authority, not when a decision is simply inconvenient for you.	Yes	Yes, but debate should be limited	Simple super majority
Other motions	"Incidental" or "Subsidiary" motions for running the meeting, such as adjourning. The Chair may often prompt the group for one.	Yes	No	Simple majority

SPEAKERS’ LIST

The speaker’s list is a tool for the Chair to organize the discussion efficiently, effectively and inclusively. The Chair should periodically collect names of those who wish to speak, indicated by making one of the gestures below:

▪ Motions are signaled by a thumbs-up. Motions generally take priority above questions and comments. “Action Items” always revolve around a prepared motion, usually to approve some policy, program, or action.

▪ Comments and rhetorical questions are signaled by making a “C” with your hand. Comments are for stating your opinion on the issue to persuade others to your line of thinking. If the discussion is monopolized by a few members of the board, the Chair may attempt to draw others into the conversation by hearing the comments of members who have not yet spoken. If there are many on the list, a 45-second time limit is recommended.

▪ Questions are signaled by a crooked index finger. They will usually receive priority above comments, but if the list is long the Chair may alternate between the questions list and the statements list in an equitable fashion.

▪ Points of Information are signaled by a raised index finger. These are for making brief statements of fact when you believe that the group is unaware of some critical piece of information.

▪ Procedural errors and questions about the facilitation process (e.g. “this needs to be a ⅔ majority” or “first the VPIA speaks, then questions”) are signaled by making a triangle with both thumbs and index fingers.

**note: Direct Responses and Points (of personal privilege, order) are not used at Board, as they are frequently abused.**

KEEPING TIME

All agenda items are allocated a set amount of time. Typically the Chair or a Vice President will keep time for each item, and they will be responsible for announcing when time is up. When time runs out, the Board will immediately vote on extending time by either 5 or 10 minutes, at the discretion of the Chair. If the vote fails any live motions will immediately be voted on.

ENDING DISCUSSION

There are two ways to end discussion and call a vote with time remaining:

▪ Call the Question: When one believes enough debate has occurred, one may call for a vote on the motion by saying “call the question” at any time. If anyone objects or still wishes to speak discussion continues down the speaker’s list. If there are no objections discussion ends and a vote takes place. This is the “Hare” way of moving to a vote: fast but easily stopped.

▪ Move the Question: One must be on the comments list to move the question, and may not make any other comment. This cuts off debate and causes an immediate vote on whether or not to end discussion and vote on the motions as they stand (a “vote to vote”). Ending discussion requires a simple super majority. This is the “Tortoise” way of moving to a vote: slower but more stable.

VOTING

Either a voice vote or a hand vote may be used.

▪ Voice Vote: “All in favor say ‘aye’; all opposed say ‘nay’. All abstaining.” Used when the Chair believes there are few objections to the motion. Often used for approving minutes, the agenda, and the consent agenda.

▪ Hand Vote: Used when things seem more contentious. Any member can request a hand vote as opposed to a voice vote.

VOTING REQUIREMENTS

▪ Simple Majority: More than 50% of the votes cast; does not include abstentions in the count. A simple super majority requires more than 2/3 of the votes cast. Almost all votes Board takes are “simple” unless said otherwise.

▪ Absolute Majority: More than 50% of all eligible votes. This includes abstentions (i.e. abstentions, for all intents and purposes, are counted as “no”). An absolute super majority requires more than 2/3 of all eligible votes.

MINUTES

The Board Administrative Assistant is responsible for taking and summarizing minutes. They are reviewed by the BSC President and then approved at Board, where final edits to the minutes can be made.

RATIONALE

Common procedures come from Robert’s Rules of Order. In 1990, Board began to use these “Pool Rules” of order, a simpler version of Robert’s Rules. The intention behind this simple parliamentary procedure is that anyone can understand our process by looking at a few pages, compared to Robert’s Rules: 700 pages; and Robert’s Rules in Brief: 176 pages. Complicated procedures have the capability to disenfranchise those unfamiliar with the process and to give undue power to those who are familiar with the process, which the board needs to be aware of given our vast membership and democratic values.

I.D. Referenda & Petitions

(As prescribed in the Bylaws)

I.D.1. INITIATING REFERENDA

1.01 The Board may, by a simple majority, initiate a referendum.

1.02 A petition by the Membership containing the signatures of at least ten percent of the total membership with not more than one third of the signers from any one unit shall initiate a member referendum.

1.02.1 Valid petitions must be submitted to the BSC President 83 days in advance (of the end of the contract period). Competing referenda must be submitted within seven days and all referenda must be on the same ballot.

1.03 Any change to the Bylaws that affect the rights of members will automatically initiate a member referendum in the earliest possible contract period such that the referendum can be completed in accordance with referenda Deadlines.

1.04 Member referenda shall not be conducted during the Summer contract period.

I.D.2. REFERENDA DEADLINES

2.01 All member referenda must close at least one day before the Budget Board Meeting in the Spring Semester.

2.02 Member referenda that do not alter the contract offered to members must close at least one week before the final scheduled Board meeting of the semester in which they are held.

2.03 Referenda must be initiated at least 28 days before voting closes (as determined above)

2.04 Competing referenda are accepted until 21 days before voting closes

2.05 The President, VPET and one Member Volunteer will compile and distribute non-biased voter information (see Policy I.D.3) through email and in the house run at least 14 days before voting closes. Voting shall be open at the time such information is distributed, and shall remain open for a minimum of 14 days.

I.D.3. REFERENDUM INFORMATION

3.01 The initiator of a referendum must write a statement in favor of the proposed measure

3.02 Volunteers will be allowed to submit a statement in opposition to the proposed measure

3.03 It is the duty of the President to compile this information. Each side must be given equal space, and the President will supply a statement for one or both sides if it is not submitted by the deadline.

3.04 Election material will be reviewed by the Communications Coordinator before it is submitted to the membership to ensure that it is balanced

3.05 Election material will be published on the BSC website, with a forum for member comments

I.D.4. QUORUM

4.01 In order for an election to be valid, at least 30% of the membership must vote, provided that at least 50% of the units have at least 10% of their members voting

I.D.5. VOTING

5.01 The President and Communications Coordinator shall devise a secure, anonymous method for voting. Electronic voting is permitted, provided that it meets the minimum security guidelines of a personalized email to each member containing their application number and a random password, which will allow them to log in to the BSC website and cast a vote.

I.D.6. ELECTION RESULTS

6.01 Intermediate results checked while voting is open shall only be to verify quorum requirements

6.02 The President, an Executive, the Communications Coordinator, and two Member Volunteers shall be present at the time voting is closed in Central Office. The voting results shall be visibly analyzed by the President to ensure quorum, and then to determine the outcome of the election.

6.03 A simple majority of votes in favor of a proposal must pass in order for that proposal to be approved by the membership.

6.04 Election results shall be made public on the BSC website and through the Member Resources Newsletter, and will be reported to the Board of Directors at their next meeting.

6.05 An item approved by the Membership must be affirmed by a vote of the Board before it may take effect and be considered binding. A simple majority of Directors voting is required to affirm an item that has been approved by Member referendum.

6.06 Members may verify their vote was counted correctly using their application ID at Central Office for 14 days after the close of an election.

I.D.7. PETITION POLICY

These are the minimal requirements for a valid petition:

7.01 The top of the petition must clearly provide: A summary of the proposal; Authors of the petition & their relevant affiliations.

7.02 The exact wording of a proposed position must be included on the petition. The content must be clear.

7.03 A completed petition must legibly include the following signatory information in addition to the signature—a) each signer’s name in print b) The signer’s unit and c) The signer’s phone number or email address. Only members as defined by BSC policy may sign a BSC petition.

7.04 The Agent of verification for petitions is the Administrative Committee (AdCom). If challenged by any member, AdCom verifies the following:

a. Whether a petition is in accordance with 1-3 of the Petition Policy. (Recommended BEFORE signature collection)

b. The validity of signatures/signers. (Examples: Random checks of 10% or more of the signatures via member contact by phone/email is recommended; or checks of all signatures against BSC database; or comparison of random sample of signatures to see if they match w/ those we have at CO.)

7.05 A petition can only be disputed within a month of signatures being gathered and it is submitted for enactment. A special petition only AdCom meeting can be convened.

7.06 These requirements apply to any petition mechanism dictated by BSC policy or by-laws.

I.D.8. ONLINE GOVERNANCE MEMBER PORTAL

8.01 All members shall have access to the online governance website in order to submit policy concerns to the membership and call Board’s attention to those concerns.

8.02 Any proposal submitted to the online governance website which reaches 150 affirmative votes must be discussed at the following Cabinet; Cabinet will then discuss such proposals and delegate to committees as appropriate.