DELETEME Section IV - Finances: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 21:21, 14 September 2021

IV.A. Central Level Procurement Policy

1. Guiding Principles

a. In order to provide quality, low-cost, cooperative housing, the Central Level will purchase goods and contract for services by
i. finding and selecting the “lowest responsible price” for those goods or services that are appropriately procured by the Central Level;
ii. segregating duties in the procurement process to reduce the risk of error and fraud;
iii. requiring different levels of invoice approval depending on the size of the transaction: and `
iv. requiring auditable documentation of every stage of the procurement process, which should be accessible for auditors, CO Staff and BSC members.
b. In addition to complying with the specific requirements set forth in the Procurement Policy, all those engaged in procurement for the BSC must follow the general BSC Business Conduct policies set forth in Section IV.G of the Policy Directory.
c. Except for specific authority granted in the Procurement Policy to make an exception to policy, only the Board of Directors has the authority to approve or ratify a purchase of goods or services that violates this policy.

2. Scope of Central-Level Procurement Authority

a. Central-Level purchasing of goods is authorized when budgeted and:
i. with respect to goods requisitioned by the Units, the aggregated orders for the good received from the Units is such that centralized ordering generates economies of scale, creating a better price for the good (for example, toilet paper); or
ii. the goods purchased are necessary to operate the Central-Level Departments (for example, copy paper); or
iii. the goods purchased are necessary to meet the Central-Level safety, habitability, maintenance, and/or contractual obligations the BSC owes to each member (for example, a pipe needed to repair an existing toilet).
b. Central-Level contracting for services is authorized when budgeted and:
i. the service is needed at multiple Units to meet safety, habitability and preventive maintenance obligations (for example, pest control); or
ii. the service is needed to meet specific Central-Level responsibilities (for example, auditing); or
iii. the service requires the specialized expertise and experience of the Central-Level staff for oversight of its desired result (for example, structural engineering or seismic renovation).
c. Goods and services not within the scope of authority of the Central Level departments to procure shall be procured directly by the responsible Unit-level managers with funds that are within the budget authority of the Unit-level management, subject to the procurement policies and practices of the individual Unit.
d. Whenever we obtain & implement new procurement software or systems, an effort to receive feedback from kitchen managers should be made. Some feedback may include:
i. A web site providing the Units with current information about vendors and product offers for goods and services regularly requested by the Units to assist them in making well-informed requisitions of goods and services procured through the Central-Level and well-informed procurement decisions at the Unit-level with respect to goods and services not procured by the Central-Level.
e. IACom will get an annual presentation from Contracting and Purchasing Agent (or Operations Manager if Contracting and Purchasing Agent is unavailable), covering the following topics:
a. Compliance with the ethical procurement policy
b. Food Allergies Accommodation success
c. Most commonly purchased Items
d. Concerns from feedback given during food policy discussions


3. Vendor or Service Contractor Selection Based on Lowest Responsible Price

a. The BSC will select vendors or contractors to provide those goods or services authorized to be procured by the Central Level when it is determined that the vendor or service contractor is offering the BSC the “lowest responsible price” available.
b. The BSC will make a thorough effort to secure the “lowest” price for any given product or service by engaging in a competitive bidding or a regular online price review process. This will be done by the Contracting & Purchasing Agent. In order to reduce the number of contracts and vendor relationships under management, the BSC may determine that when a large variety of products are most feasibly secured from a single vendor (for example, office products or fresh produce), the overall pattern of price competitiveness for the products most frequently purchased shall be determinative rather than the price of a single product (for example, “post-its” or apples).
c. Criteria for determining the “responsibility” of a price offered by a vendor include whether:
1. The vendor has the skill, judgment, experience, and resources necessary to capably fulfill orders or provide services in a timely and effective manner, taking into account feedback on prior performance provided by members, Unit-level managers, and Central-Level staff.
2. The vendor’s contract and billing practices are consistent with the BSC’s invoicing and financial accounting requirements with respect to documentation and timing.
3. The vendor’s delivery services are adequate for the BSC’s needs with respect to scheduling, reliability and delivery costs.
4. The vendor demonstrates the ability to comply with BSC insurance and anti-discrimination requirements, as well as legal requirements specific to those goods and services.
5. Any other criteria for evaluating the “lowest responsible price” recommended by CFCom and adopted by the Board of Directors in a regular annual review of BSC procurement practices conducted during the Fall Semester. In no event shall the criteria for “responsibility” preclude a competitive bidding process by making a single vendor the de facto sole supplier for a given good or service.
6. The vendor meets the criteria for ethical procurement to the extent possible as determined by a reasonable, documented investigation:
i. Pro-Environment (both in the sourcing of materials for individual products and in our holistic approach to which goods we purchase/repair/recycle)
ii. Pro-Worker (by patronizing other co-ops and businesses which are worker owned/unionized)
iii. Anti-Carceral (by avoiding businesses which contract with police forces, prisons, and other agencies of governmental oppression)
c. The justification for “the lowest responsible price” for each approved vendor will be on the list of approved vendors. Only the Board of Directors has the authority to approve a vendor who does not meet Board-approved criteria for providing the “lowest responsible price” or to blacklist a vendor who does meet them.
d. The frequency of vendor or service contractor price review shall be based on the volatility of the price, the ease of changing vendors, and the aggregate volume of the transactions, but shall not be less than annually.
e. The Contracting & Purchasing Agent will regularly review and update the list of approved vendors for authorized goods and services based on the “lowest responsible price” for review and approval by the Operations Manager, except that:
1. The Capital & Finance Committee will review vendor recommendations submitted by the Contracting Agent with input and advice from the Central Maintenance Supervisor for annual maintenance contracts that exceed $5,000 (such as pest control and fire alarm monitoring), professional services contracts necessary for building repair and renovation (for example, architectural and engineering), and specific construction contracts as specified under Section IV.I.1.
2. The Internal Affairs Committee will review vendor recommendations submitted by the Contracting & Purchasing Agent with input and advice from the Executive Director for Network Support Services or web site services that exceed $10,000 annually and IT equipment purchases.

4. Segregation of Duties

a. The BSC will maintain a system of checks and balances for purchase of goods and service contracts by segregating the following duties to the extent feasible within the constraints of the BSC’s organizational capacity:
1. Selecting and contracting with vendors.
2. Aggregating requisitions and placing orders.
3. Receiving, monitoring and inspecting goods and services and approving invoices.
4. Paying invoices.
b. The responsibility to select and propose contracts with vendors based on the “lowest responsible price” will reside in a Contracting & Purchasing Agent supervised by the Operations Manager. Upon selecting a vendor, the Contracting & Purchasing Agent will solicit contract documentation from the vendor, which will be reviewed and approved by the department supervisor responsible for overseeing the goods and services and then executed by the Operations Manager or Executive Director before it is returned to the vendor for signature.
c. The responsibility for reviewing requisitions to determine whether they are for goods and services that are authorized for Central-Level procurement and then aggregating orders for submission to the contracted vendor will reside in a Contracting & Purchasing Agent supervised by the Operations Manager.
d. Except for those invoices that require the further review and approval of the Operations Manager, the responsibility for approving or disapproving an invoice will reside in the Department Supervisors responsible for receiving, distributing, overseeing, directing, and monitoring the quality of those goods and services because they have the information necessary to evaluate whether the payment in the amount requested is justified by the original contract and by the amount and quality of the goods and services actually received.
1. “Program Departments” include Central Maintenance, Central Office, and Central Warehouse.
2. The Central Warehouse Supervisor will have this responsibility for the Central Warehouse Department.
3. The Central Maintenance Supervisor will have this responsibility for the Central Maintenance Department.
4. The Central Office Bookkeeping/Office Supervisor will have this responsibility for Central Office goods and services, except that
a. the Operations Manager is responsible for IT services, HR Manager responsible for HR services, auditing services, legal services, benefits contracts, insurance contracts, and other specialized professional services contracts authorized by the Board of Directors from time to time;
b. the Member Resources Supervisor is responsible for goods and services within their approved line item budget.
c. The Development Director is responsible for goods and services within their approved line item budget.
d. The Housing Supervisor is responsible for goods and services within their approved line item budget for recruitment.
e. Upon approval of invoices as set forth above, the following invoices will also require the further review and approval of the Operations Manager when:
1. A single invoice greater than $5,000 with vendors who the BSC does not engage in regular business with. Regular business is defined as reoccurring sales with the BSC every few months.
2. Any invoice that the Accounts Payable Bookkeeper or the responsible Supervisor questions for compliance with the BSC Procurement Policy.
3. The monthly statement of purchases completed using BSC credit cards.
f. The Accounts Payable Bookkeeper will maintain vendor payment files in alphabetical order, receive invoices directly from the vendors, and send the invoices to the appropriate supervisor for approval. They will pay vendors and contractors only for invoices which are within the scope of the vendor’s contract, which have been approved by the responsible supervisor (and also by the Operations Manager when required), and which include all supporting documentation. The responsibility to reconcile promptly any discrepancies between invoices, contracts, and receiving reports will reside in Accounts Payable with cooperation from the responsible supervisors.


5. Documentation and Review

a. Documentation of each step of a procurement will be maintained by the appropriate staff such that an audit trail is established so that the BSC’s independent auditor, the Executive Director or Operations Manager, or any BSC member can request and review the documentation necessary to evaluate the procurement of a specific good or service for compliance with BSC policies and procedures. Specifically, the Contracting & Purchasing Agent will maintain vendor contract files including vendor bids evaluated, justification for each vendor offering the “lowest responsible price", approval of the vendor, and signed contracts. The Accounts Payable Bookkeeper will maintain vendor contracts payment files including purchase orders, receiving manifests or receipts, invoices, and copies of checks (or other proof of payment).
b. Documentation demonstrating vendor selection through a competitive bidding process to find the lowest responsible bid must include bids evaluated (with date, price, delivery charges, and the quantity at which that price was evaluated), which bids were rejected why, and the final selection of the vendor for the given product or service.
c. Documentation demonstrating a purchase must include requisitions by a BSC unit or central-level department, an aggregated order or purchase order, a receiving report initialed by the party receiving the good or service, an invoice signed by the program department supervisor responsible for the budget covering the purchase, and a copy of the check used to compensate the vendor.
d. Digital archiving is preferred to paper filing when feasible. To this end, paper documents should be scanned and kept amongst the Contracting & Purchasing Agent’s vendor contract files, and the Account Payable Bookkeeper’s vendor contracts payment files.
e. At least annually, the Operations Manager or a person under the supervision of the Operations Manager will randomly select 5% of BSC payments to audit for compliance with all aspects of the BSC Procurement Policy and shall report their findings to the Audit Committee at least annually.

[Updated 4/15/22]

IV.B. Budgets

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.01 The previous year’s inflation figure is to be used to develop the preliminary budget.
1.02 Budgeted expenses made in the areas supervised by the President need not be approved individually by the Board, but are subject to the President’s approval. The Board may be asked to approve an expense if the President does not.

2. FURNITURE BUDGETS

2.01 The following is a list of eligible furniture items, which should be prioritized in the following order (the 1st category should be fulfilled before a request for the 2nd category will be fulfilled and so on). This policy is applicable to both the houses and apartments:
1st — Members’ bedroom furniture that the BSC is contractually obligated to provide, including bed frames, mattresses, chairs, desks, dressers and wardrobes must be fulfilled first.
2nd — Commercial kitchen appliances including microwaves, ranges, freezers, refrigerators and excluding small appliances such as non-commercial hand mixers.
3rd — Essential common area furniture including, couches, tables, chairs, lamps, outdoor furniture, bike racks, etc.
2.02 Luxury common area furniture including hammocks, gaming tables (pool, foosball, etc.), stereos and stereo equipment, televisions and television equipment, projectors, etc. are not eligible for reimbursement from the furniture budget.
2.03 Houses may purchase items in the 1st category in 2.01 from the BSC Central Warehouse without pre-approval.
2.04 Houses may buy furniture in categories 2 and 3, as previously defined in section 2.01, from sources other than Central Warehouse, with written pre-approval from the Operations Manager. Houses may purchase commercial kitchen items with written pre-approval from the Assistant CFS Supervisor.
2.05 Furniture expenses that exceed $150, that the BSC is not contractually obligated to provide, will require the submission of council minutes along with the reimbursement request in order for the reimbursement to be processed.

3. BUYING HOUSES

3.01 The Board allows the Executive Director and staff to do a reasonable amount of research on prospective houses. If the houses meet a minimum criterion as a possible Co-op house, it would be referred first to Capital Affairs Committee, and if after going through the previous filters, it is found to be a good idea, it would go to the Board.
3.02 All reports to the Board of Directors concerning the prospective purchase of a house shall include approximate cost, size, condition, and location with respect to campus.

4. EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FUNDING

4.01 The External Affairs Committee may award funding for external affairs consistent with the annual Board-approved budget line item designated for External Affairs.
4.02 Solicitations may be sponsored by a member, a house/apartment, or an external organization
4.03 All requests for external affairs funding shall be directed to Cabinet. The External Affairs Committee and shall be evaluated and awarded by the External Affairs Committee based on the approved annual budget line item for External Affairs, provided that:
(a) requests for funds to support the Cooperative Movement Party shall be governed by Section I.B.18 of the Policy Directory; and
(b) requests for funds to support cooperative development projects shall be governed by Section 4.04.
4.04 In addition to administering an annual budget for External Affairs as set forth above in Sections 4.01, 4.02 and 4.03, the External Affairs Committee shall also administer an annual program of making up to $10,000 in grant funding available from the BSC’s Growth Fund to support specific cooperative development projects sponsored by other organizations, subject to the final approval of the Board of Directors, on the following terms and conditions:
(a) Before the end of the Fall semester, the External Affairs Committee will conduct online outreach to the greater cooperative community to publicize the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 for cooperative development by a due date early in the following Spring semester. Publicity about the funding opportunity shall describe the eligible applicants for the funding, eligible uses of the funding, priorities for receiving the funding, an application, and a calendar for the review process, including the deadline for applying and the date by which an award will be finally approved by the Board of Directors.
(b) Eligible applicants include direct beneficiaries organizing to start a cooperative, as well as intermediary organizations applying on behalf of a specific cooperative development project.
(c)Eligible uses of the funding include any expense reasonably necessary for the successful start-up of the new cooperative, including initial operating deficits.
(d) Funding shall be awarded on a priority basis to cooperative development projects which benefit either students or underserved and disadvantaged members of low-income communities.
(e) The application shall request the information necessary to assess the social impact and business feasibility of the proposed cooperative development, including but not limited to a business plan which describes, for example, the desired outcomes, the community benefits, market feasibility, management capacity, and a financial pro forma, including a description of how BSC funding would be used and other funding sources that are pending or committed.
(f) In the Spring semester, the External Affairs Committee will review and screen the applications, requesting in-person interviews and seeking additional information in their sole discretion.
(g) Based on their review of applications, the External Affairs Committee will submit their written recommendation(s) for funding from the Growth Fund for cooperative development (up to the maximum total amount in any fiscal year of $10,000) to the Board of Directors for consideration not later than at the next to last Board meeting of the Spring semester. The External Affairs Committee’s funding recommendation to the Board of Directors will include conditions for release of the funding which the applicant must meet, as well as a plan for the applicant to document and report on their progress to the BSC.
(h) The Board of Directors in their sole discretion may approve, reject or modify the recommendation of the External Affairs Committee, and the VPEA will notify the applicant of the Board’s decision before the end of the Spring semester.


[Board Approved 12/1/11]

5. MAINTENANCE BUDGETS

5.01 Maintenance budgets will be separated from other decentralized budgets and may only be spent on maintenance items.
5.02 Emergency capital improvements funds shall be 10% of the available capital improvements funds.
5.03 New houses shall be charged the BSC average per capita maintenance costs for the first two quarters. The maintenance costs shall be decentralized thereafter.
5.04 Houses may use 50% of their previous year’s maintenance budget surplus (as long as it doesn’t exceed 25% of the previous year’s allocation) for Discretionary Capital Improvements. Requests for D.C.I. expenditures from the Maintenance Budget surplus must be submitted for the Executive Director’s approval.
5.05 Any house may use its Capital Repair budget (at the discretion of the Executive Director and Central Maintenance Coordinator) to purchase carpets, contractual furniture and commons area furniture—with the exception of any other item which would otherwise only be described as a discretionary capital improvement item (DCI)—so long as its house furniture budget is completely depleted.

6. VENDING MACHINES

6.01 No BSC Member may earn a profit by operating a vending machine or game machine in a BSC unit.

7. PERSONAL INSURANCE

7.01 Personal property insurance information shall be offered to houses.

8. EARTHQUAKE CACHE FUNDING (12/07 BOD approved, 3/20/08 revised)

The BSC has agreed to participate in the Alameda county Emergency Earthquake Cache Program.

8.01 $1 per member per semester charged to be part of local earthquake cache program

[Last revised 8/2014]

IV.C. Apartments

1. Rochdale residents and Fenwick residents shall share the costs of maintaining one Fenwick apartment vacant for use as a Fenwick commons space and share the costs of paying the apartment Facilities manager

2. In computing savings/losses on non-Rochdale operations, any budgeted Contribution to Equity is to be considered as a non- discretionary expense and cannot be used to offset any budget overrun.

IV.D. Houses

1. If a house finishes spring semester over budget, that house will be billed, through check-out slips, by the central office, to cover that debt. Members shall be billed no more than 10 percent of their rent.

2. Whenever a house’s debt becomes $10 or dangerously close to $10 per person, the accountant shall write members a letter explaining the situation and describing what they can do about it.

3. Any house deficits shall be pro-rated by C.O. and charged to every member.

4. Payroll compensation [for room only house summer managers] shall be budgeted at 1/30 manager per person.

5. The savings a unit accrues from its budget will be credited to that unit’s account.

6. To institute a semesterly house audit system whereby central-level managers review all non-centralized house accounts for the sole purpose of presenting regular, complete and accurate financial reports to members. Any and all financial information discovered by the audits must be presented to the appropriate house council. Casa Zimbabwe, Hillegass- Parker House, Cloyne, Fenwick, and Rochdale will be reviewed twice per semester.

HOUSE-LEVEL FEES

7. All houses shall have two signatures on bank accounts and the accounting manager must be one of those signers.

8. All house fees must be discussed and approved by house council.

9. All additional fees levied by the house shall be processed as a house bill on members’ BSC rental accounts through Central Office.

10. House/Finance managers must submit a list with all current house members and the approved house fee to the Bookkeeping Department no later than two weeks prior to the final payment day for each term so that the fees can be included on members’ statements.

11. The Bookkeeping Department will post the fees to members’ accounts, generate statements, and transfer the funds the to the house account.

12. Any collection of house fees not conforming to the process above is strictly prohibited.

13. Violation of section 12 of this policy will result in the following sanctions:

a. Loss of compensation and/or removal from position of responsible house-level manager(s).
b. If there have been no violations of the House Level Fees policy in the last twelve (12) months, then the enforcement committee may, in response to a new violation, fine the unit up to $10.00 per member, charged to the house account.
c. If there have been one or more violations of the House Level Fees policy in the past twelve months, then the enforcement committee may, in response to a new violation, fine the unit up to $25.00 per member, charged to the house account.

[Board approved 12/11/14.]

IV.E. Government Returns

Overview

To legitimately conduct business, the Berkeley Student Cooperative must be aware of its tax and information return filing obligations and comply with all such requirements of Federal, state and local jurisdictions. Filing requirements of Berkeley Student Cooperative include, but are not limited to, filing annual information returns with IRS, annual report to the Attorney General, annual report to the Secretary of State, property tax returns, state income tax returns, sales tax returns, information returns for retirement plans, annual reporting of compensation paid, and payroll tax withholding returns.

1. FILING OF RETURNS

The Accountant shall be responsible for identifying all filing requirements and assuring that Berkeley Student Cooperative is in compliance with all such requirements. The organization will file complete and accurate returns with all authorities and make all efforts to avoid filing misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete returns.

Filings made by Berkeley Student Cooperative include, but are not limited to, the following returns:

1. Form 990 - Annual information return of tax-exempt organizations, filed with IRS. Form 990 for Berkeley Student Cooperative is due on the fifteenth day of the fifth month following year-end. An automatic 3-month extension of time to file Form 990 may be obtained filing Form 8868. Upon expiration of the first 3-month extension, a second 3- month extension may be requested using Form 8868.
2. Form 990-T - Annual tax return to report Berkeley Student Cooperative's unrelated trade or business activities (if any), filed with IRS. Form 990-T is due on the fifteenth day of the fifth month following year-end. An automatic 6-month extension of time to file Form 990-T may be obtained by filing Form 8868.
3. Form 5500 - Annual return for Berkeley Student Cooperative’s employee benefit plans. Form 5500 is due July 31, but a request for extension of time to file may be filed.
4. W-2's and 1099's - Annual report of employee and non-employee compensation, based on calendar-year compensation, on the cash basis. These information returns are due to employees and independent contractors by January 31 and to Federal Government by February 28. Generally, Form 1099 is required only if the organization has provided more than $600 in compensation to an independent contractor during the calendar year.
5. Form 940 - Annual Federal unemployment tax return filed with IRS, for all employers [other than charitable organizations exempt from FUTA (but not necessarily state unemployment tax) under IRC section 501(c)(3)], due January 31. (Unless the organization is exempt.)
6. Form 941 - Quarterly payroll tax return filed with IRS to report wages paid to employees and Federal payroll taxes. Form 941 is due by the end of the month following the end of each quarter, or 10 days later if all payroll tax deposits have been made in a timely manner during the quarter. Berkeley Student Cooperative's fiscal and tax year-end is the Saturday following the last day of the Spring academic semester as published by the University of California at Berkeley. All annual tax and information returns of Berkeley Student Cooperative are filed on the accrual basis of reporting. Federal and all applicable state payroll tax returns are prepared by the Organization's external Payroll Administrator. Berkeley Student Cooperative complies with all state payroll tax requirements by withholding and remitting payroll taxes to the state of residency of each Berkeley Student Cooperative employee.

2. REVIEW OF FORM 990 BY FiCom

A draft of Berkeley Student Cooperative’s annual Form 990 information return shall be reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee prior to being filed with the Internal Revenue Service. This review and approval shall be documented with the signature of the Vice President of Financial Affairs and Executive Director.

3. PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION RETURNS

A. Under regulations that became effective in 1999, Berkeley Student Cooperative is subject to Federal requirements to make the following forms "widely available" to all members of the general public:

1. The three most recent annual information returns (Form 990), [excluding the list of significant donors (Schedule B) that is attached to the Form 990, but including the accompanying Schedule A], and
2. Example NPO's original application for recognition of its tax-exempt status (Form 1023), filed with IRS, and all accompanying schedules and attachments.

B. Berkeley Student Cooperative adheres to the following guidelines in order to comply with the preceding public disclosure requirements:

1. Anyone appearing in person at the offices of Berkeley Student Cooperative during normal working hours making a request to inspect the forms will be granted access to a file copy of the forms. The Accountant shall be responsible for maintaining this copy of each form and for making it available to all requesters.
2. The BSC shall comply with the Federal requirements to make its forms widely available by posting all required forms on the BSC’s web site and referring all requesters to this web site within 7 days of receipt of any request for copies. In addition to making its returns widely available on its web site, BSC will also permit visual inspections of its returns to anyone personally appearing at the BSC’s offices during normal working hours and making such a request.

[Last revised 9/2011]

IV.F. Energy Discounts and Rebates

1. CALIFORNIA ALTERNATE RATES FOR ENERGY (CARE)

The BSC qualifies for 20% discount on utilities bills annually through PG&E administered CARE program. The BSC began receiving discount in fall 2009.

A. Renewal of CARE
It is the responsibility of the Sustainability Coordinator to reapply for the CARE program on an annual basis.

2. REBATES

A. PG&E Rebate Catalog
PG&E offers rebates for energy-efficient products and appliances. It is the responsibility of the Sustainability Coordinator, Central Maintenance, and Maintenance Managers to apply for these rebates when appropriate.

[Last revised spring 2014]

IV.G. Business Conduct Policies

1. PRACTICE OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

The ethical guidelines in this section apply to employees, house-level management, the board of directors, and executive officers at the BSC. Due to the unique position of house-level management residing and conducting business in the same place, this policy only applies during BSC business activity.

Unethical actions, or the appearance of unethical actions, are not acceptable under any conditions. The policies and reputation of the BSC depend to a very large extent on the following considerations:

A. Each individual guided by this policy must apply their own sense of personal ethics, which should include compliance with applicable laws and regulations in business situations. Applying personal ethics helps to govern behavior where no existing regulation provides a guideline.
B. Each individual guided by this policy is responsible for applying common sense and cooperative values in business decisions where specific rules do not provide all the answers.
C. In determining compliance with this standard in specific situations, individuals guided by this policy should ask themselves the following questions:
1. Does my action comply with BSC policy and guidelines?
2. Is my action legal?
3. Is my action ethical?
4. Is my action consistent with the The Cooperative (Rochdale) Principles?
5. Am I sure my action does not appear inappropriate?
6. Would I feel comfortable defending my actions publicly or in front of a review board for ethics, or am I sure that I would not feel embarrassed or compromised if my action became known within the BSC or publicly?
7. Am I sure that my action meets my personal code of ethics and behavior?
D. Each individual guided by this policy should be able to answer "yes" to all of these questions before taking action.
E. Each individual guided by this policy is responsible for the ethical business behavior of their subordinates as long there is evidence that the individual is aware of their subordinates behavior. Directors, executive officers, managers and supervisors must carefully weigh all courses of action suggested in ethical, as well as economic terms, and base their final decisions on the guidelines provided by this ethics of business conduct policy, the BSC organizational policies, as well as their personal sense of right and wrong.

2. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND ORGANIZATION POLICIES

BSC Prohibits:

A. The willful violation of any Federal, state, local law by the individual guided by this policy during the course of the individual's involvement with the BSC;
B. The disregard or circumvention of BSC policy or engagement in unscrupulous dealings.

Individuals guided by this policy should not attempt to accomplish by indirect means, through agents or intermediaries, that which is a direct violation of the law, the ethics of business conduct policy, or the organization’s policies.

3. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The ethical guidelines in this section apply to employees, the board of directors, and executive officers at the BSC. Volunteers such as house-level managers and officers are encouraged to use these guidelines to determine conflicts of interest matters in their business or governance activities.

A. Introduction: In the course of conducting the day-to-day operations of the BSC situations may arise in which a BSC decision-maker has a conflict of interest, or in which the process of making a decision may create an appearance of a conflict of interest.
B. BSC employees, directors, and executive officers have an obligation to:
1. Avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of conflicts, between their personal interests and those of the BSC in dealing with outside entities or individuals,
2. Disclose real and apparent conflicts of interest to the individual or group making decision (see Disclosure Requirements), and
3. Refrain from participation in any decisions on matters that involve a real conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict.
C. What Constitutes a Conflict of Interest?
BSC employees, the board of directors, and executive officers owe a duty of loyalty to the organization and its mission. This duty necessitates that in serving the BSC they act solely in the interests of the organization and its mission and not in their personal interests or in the interests of others.
D. In the policy and guidelines for conflict of interest, BSC shall hereinafter define “interested persons” as members of the board of directors, executive officers, and employees, as well as persons with the following relationships to directors, officers, or employees:
1. Spouses, legal domestic partners, co-habiting partners
2. Siblings, children of, grandchildren of, great- grandchildren of
3. Spouses, legal domestic partners, co-habiting partners of individuals listed in 2
4. Corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and other forms of businesses in which an employee, director, or executive officer either individually or in combination with individuals listed in 1, 2, or 3, collectively possess any ownership or beneficial interest
E. Conflicts of interest arise when the interests of an interested party may be seen as competing with those of the organization and its mission. Conflicts of interest may be financial (where an interested party benefits financially directly or indirectly) or nonfinancial (e.g. seeking preferential treatment, using confidential information).
F. Examples of conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, situations in which an executive officer, director or employee:
1. Negotiates or approves a contract, purchase, or lease on behalf of the organization and has a direct or indirect interest in, or receives personal benefit from, the entity or individual providing the goods or services;
2. Negotiates or approves a contract, sale, or lease on behalf of the organization and has a direct or indirect interest in, or receives personal benefit from, the entity or individual receiving the goods or services;
3. Employs or approves the employment of, or supervises a person who is an immediate family member of the director or employee;
4. Sells products or services in competition with the organization;
5. Uses the organization’s facilities, other assets, employees, or other resources for personal gain;
6. Receives a substantial gift from a vendor (greater than $50), if the director or employee is responsible for initiating or approving purchases from that vendor.
G. Disclosure Requirements:
A director, executive officer, or employee who believes that they may be perceived as having a conflict of interest in a discussion or decision must disclose that conflict to the group making the decision. Most concerns about conflicts of interest may be resolved and appropriately addressed through prompt and complete disclosure to the group or body of individuals making the decision.
H. Therefore, BSC requires the following:
1. On an annual basis, all members of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director, the President, the Vice Presidents, members of senior management, and employees with purchasing, contracting and/or hiring responsibilities or authority shall inform, in writing, the Executive Director and the President, of all reportable conflicts or confirm that there are no conflicts to report
2. Prior to the preparation of the disclosure statements, the accounting department shall distribute a list of all vendors with whom the organization has transacted business at any time during the preceding year, along with a copy of the disclosure statement;
3. The Executive Director shall review all forms completed by employees, and the Cabinet shall review all forms completed by directors, the President, the Vice Presidents, and the Executive Director, and determine appropriate resolution in accordance with the next section of this policy;
4. If a conflict arises during the year, the employee, officer or board member will immediately notify the Executive Director or the Cabinet who will determine appropriate resolution.
I. Resolution of Conflicts of Interest:
All real or apparent conflicts of interest shall be disclosed to the Cabinet and the Executive Director of the organization. Conflicts shall be resolved as follows:
1. The Audit Committee shall be responsible for making all decisions concerning resolutions of conflicts
involving directors, President, the Vice Presidents, the Executive Director, and other members of senior management.
2. The President shall be responsible for making decisions concerning resolutions of the conflict involving the chair of the Audit Committee.
3. The Executive Director shall be responsible for making all decisions concerning resolutions of conflicts involving employees, subject to the approval of the Cabinet.
An employee, executive officer or director may appeal the decision that a conflict (or appearance of conflict) exists as follows:
1. An appeal must be directed to the President, or in the case of an appeal by the President, the appeal must be directed to the Vice President of Internal Affairs.
2. Appeals must be made within 30 days of the initial determination.
3. Resolution of the appeal shall be made by vote of the full Board of Directors.
4. Board members who are the subject of the appeal, or who have a conflict of interest with respect to the subject of the appeal, shall abstain from participating in, discussing, or voting on the resolution, unless their discussion is requested by the remaining members of the board.

4. DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY AND BUSINESS CONDUCT GUIDELINES

Failure to comply with the standards contained the above policy and guidelines will result in disciplinary action that may include termination, referral for criminal prosecution, and reimbursement to the organization or to the government for any loss or damage resulting from the violation. As with all matters involving disciplinary action, principles of fairness will apply. Any employees, executive officers and directors of the BSC (and in some cases, house-level management) charged with a violation of this policy will be afforded an opportunity to explain their actions and be heard by a appropriate review committee, before disciplinary action is taken.


Disciplinary action will be taken:

A. Against any applicable individual who authorizes or participates directly in actions that are a violation of this policy.
B. Against any applicable individual who has deliberately failed to report a violation or deliberately withheld relevant and material information concerning a violation of this policy.
C. Against any director, executive officer, manager or supervisor who attempts to retaliate, directly or indirectly, or

encourages others to do so, against any employee who reports a violation of this policy. A board member who violates this policy will be subject to removal by a vote of the board of directors.

5. POLICY ON SUSPECTED MISCONDUCT

Introduction: This policy communicates the actions to be taken for suspected misconduct committed, encountered, or observed by employees, directors, executive officers, and members.

A. Like all organizations, BSC faces many risks associated with fraud, abuse, and other forms of misconduct. The impact of these acts, collectively referred to as misconduct throughout this policy, may include, but not be limited to:
1. Deterioration or compromising of The Cooperative (Rochdale) Principles and/or ethics
2. Financial losses and liabilities
3. Loss of current and future revenue and customers
4. Negative publicity and damage to the BSC’s good public image
5. Loss of employees and difficulty in attracting new personnel
6. Deterioration of employee morale
7. Harm to relationships with clients, vendors, bankers, and subcontractors
8. Litigation and related costs of investigations, etc.

The BSC is committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment of the highest ethical standards. Achievement of this goal requires the cooperation and assistance of every employee and member at all levels of the BSC.

B. Definitions: For purposes of this policy, misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
1. Actions that violate the BSC’s Business Conduct policy (and any underlying policies), Conflict of Interest policy or any of the accounting and financial policies adopted by the BSC.
2. Fraud (see below)
3. Forgery or alteration of checks, bank drafts, documents or other records (including electronic records)
4. Destruction, alteration, mutilation, or concealment of any document or record with the intent to obstruct or influence an investigation, or potential investigation, carried out by a department or agency of the Federal government or by the Organization in connection with this policy
a) Applicable to board decisions, or potential board decisions, as well as investigations.
5. Disclosure to any external party of proprietary information or confidential personal information obtained in connection with employment with or service to the BSC
6. Unauthorized personal or other inappropriate (non-business) use of equipment, assets, services, personnel or other resources
8. Acts that violate Federal, state, or local laws or regulations
9. Accepting or seeking anything of material value from contractors, vendors, or persons providing goods or services to BSC. Exception: gifts less than a nominal value of $50.
10. Impropriety of the handling or reporting of money in financial transactions.
11. Failure to report known instances of misconduct in accordance with the reporting responsibilities described herein (including tolerance by supervisory employees of misconduct of subordinates).
C. Fraud is further defined to include, but not be limited to:
1. Theft, embezzlement, or other misappropriation of assets (including assets of or intended for the Organization, as well as those of the members, subcontractors, vendors, contractors, suppliers, and others with whom the Organization has a business relationship)
2. Intentional misstatements in the Organization’s records, including intentional misstatements of accounting records or financial statements
3. Authorizing or receiving payment for goods not received or services not performed
4. Authorizing or receiving payments for hours not worked
5. Forgery or alteration of documents, including but not limited to checks, timesheets, contracts, purchase orders, receiving reports, and policy.

BSC prohibits each of the preceding acts of misconduct on the part of employees, officers, executives, volunteers and others responsible for carrying out the Organization’s activities.

D. Reporting Responsibilities:
Every employee, director, executive officer, and volunteer is responsible for immediately reporting suspected misconduct to their supervisor, the President, the Vice President of Financial Affairs, or the Vice President of Internal Affairs. When supervisors have received a report of suspected misconduct, they must immediately report such acts to their manager, the President, the Vice President of Financial Affairs, or the Vice President of Internal Affairs.

At the house level, suspected misconduct may be reported to house councils, in which case the house president must report on how the house is addressing it to the President, the Vice President of Financial Affairs, or the Vice President of Internal Affairs.

6. WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION

We ask you to execute your role in the operations and policy-making of the BSC with attention to every detail–especially the ethical implications of your own and your work group’s actions. If you think something is unethical, please report it. We commit to you that the BSC will support the courage of people who point out existing or potential ethical problems, and that we will not tolerate retaliation against people who raise legitimate ethical concerns

The BSC will consider any reprisal against a reporting individual an act of misconduct subject to disciplinary procedures. A “reporting individual” is one who, in good faith, reported a suspected act of misconduct in accordance with this policy, or provided to a law enforcement officer any truthful information relating to the commission or possible commission of a Federal offense or any other possible violation of the BSC’s policies.

A. Investigative Responsibilities:
1. Due to the sensitive nature of suspected misconduct, supervisors and managers should not take it upon themselves to perform any investigative procedures.
2. The Executive Director is given the responsibility for investigating suspected misconduct involving employees below the Executive Director. The Executive Director shall provide summaries of all investigative work to Cabinet.
3. The Cabinet has the primary responsibility for investigating suspected misconduct involving the Executive Director, as well as board members and executive officers.
4. Investigation into suspected misconduct will be performed without regard to the suspected individual’s position, length of service, or relationship with the BSC.
5. In fulfilling its investigative responsibilities, Cabinet shall have the authority to seek the advice and/or contract for the services of outside firms, including but not limited to law firms, CPA firms, forensic accountants and investigators, etc.
6. Members of the investigative team, as authorized by the Cabinet and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, shall have free and unrestricted access to all BSC records and premises, whether owned or rented, at all times. They shall also have the authority to examine, copy and remove all or any portion of the contents (in paper or electronic form) of filing cabinets, storage facilities, desks, credenzas and computers without prior knowledge or consent of any individual who might use or have custody of any such items or facilities when it is within the scope of an investigation into suspected misconduct or related follow-up procedures.
7. The existence, the status or results of investigations into suspected misconduct shall not be disclosed or discussed with any individual other than those with a legitimate need to know in order to perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

7. PROTECTION OF RECORDS - FEDERAL MATTERS

BSC prohibits the knowing destruction, alteration, mutilation, or concealment of any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to obstruct or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States government, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case.

Violations of this policy will be subject to the investigative, reporting, and disclosure procedures described earlier in this Policy on Suspected Misconduct.

A. Disciplinary Action:
Based on the results of investigations into allegations of misconduct, disciplinary action may be taken against violators. Disciplinary action shall be coordinated with input from the relevant staff. The seriousness of misconduct will be considered in determining appropriate disciplinary action, which may include:
1. Reprimand
2. Probation
3. Suspension
4. Demotion
5. Termination
6. Reimbursement of losses or damages
7. Referral for criminal prosecution or civil action

This listing of possible disciplinary actions is for information purposes only and does not bind the BSC to follow any particular policy or procedure, except that employees who are members of the Employee Association are entitled to the procedural protections set forth in the BSC’s contract with the Employee Association.

B. Confidentiality:
1. The Cabinet and the Executive Director shall treat all information received confidentially. Any employee, director, executive officer, or volunteer who suspects dishonest or fraudulent activity will notify the Executive Director or the President immediately, and should not attempt to personally conduct investigations or interviews/interrogations related to any suspected fraudulent act (see Reporting Procedures section above).
2. Great care must be taken in the investigation of suspected improprieties or irregularities so as to avoid mistaken accusations or alerting suspected individuals that an investigation is under way. Investigation results will not be disclosed or discussed with anyone other than those who have a legitimate need to know. This is important in order to avoid damaging the reputations of persons suspected but subsequently found innocent of wrongful conduct and to protect BSC from potential civil liability.
3. A reporting individual who discovers or suspects fraudulent activity may remain anonymous. All inquiries concerning the activity under investigation from the suspected individual(s), their attorney or representative(s), or any other inquirer should be directed to the Cabinet or legal counsel. No information concerning the status of an investigation will be given out. The proper response to any inquiry is “I am not at liberty to discuss this matter.” Under no circumstances should any reference be made to “the allegation,” “the crime,” “the fraud,” “the forgery,” “the misappropriation,” or any other specific reference.
4. The reporting individual should be informed of the following:
a. Do not contact the suspected individual in an effort to determine facts or demand restitution.
b. Do not discuss the case, facts, suspicions, or allegations with anyone unless specifically asked to do so by the BSC’s legal counsel or Cabinet.
5. Disclosure to Outside Parties
6. Allegations of and information related to allegations of suspected misconduct shall not be disclosed to third parties except under the provisions described in this policy (such as disclosure to outside investigators hired by the BSC to aid in an investigation).
7. However, all known frauds involving the Executive Director, senior management, or members of the Board of Directors, as well as all material frauds involving employees below the senior management level, shall be disclosed by the Cabinet to the BSC’s external auditors.

[Last revised November 2010]

IV.H. Minimum Meeting Minutes Policy

1. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSE COUNCIL MINUTES

At a very minimum, all units will keep meeting minutes for any house council motions that involve spending money from any BSC budget with the exception of the unit’s checking account. The minutes will include the following information:

  • What is being purchased.
  • The budget it is being purchased from.
  • The amount of the purchase.
  • Verification of a successful vote.
This verification shall include the exact vote count, if it is available, e.g.: passed 12-3-2. If the exact vote count is not available, a broader description can be provided so long as it is sufficient enough to establish that a successful vote has occurred, e.g. “passed unanimously” or “passed with two No’s and one abstain.”
  • Verification that quorum has been reached. Providing the exact vote count can be used to establish quorum. If the exact vote count is not available, a broader description can be provided instead, e.g. “over 30 present, quorum is 15.”

2. ELECTRONIC RECORD REQUIREMENTS

B. Starting in Spring of 2011, all units will maintain electronic versions of all meeting minutes that document the spending of BSC budget (with the exception of the unit’s checking account). These electronic versions should be kept for at least three years in a location accessible to all unit members. It is up to the discretion of each unit to decide on the most appropriate electronic storage system (e.g. google docs, wiki, web site).



[Board approved Nov 4th 2010] [Last updated August 2014]

IV.I. Construction Approval Process

1. Authority to approve a construction contract

Authority to approve and execute a construction contract is delegated to specific persons depending on the projected amount of the construction contract, as follows:

a. Construction contracts up to $100,000: The contract requires the approval of the Central Maintenance Supervisor.:
b. Construction contracts between $100,001 and $250,000: The contract requires the approval of both the Central Maintenance Supervisor and the Executive Director.
c. Construction contracts between $250,001 and $1,000,000: The contract requires the approval of the Central Maintenance Supervisor, the Executive Director, and the Capital Affairs Committee.
d. Construction contracts greater than $1,000,000: The contract requires the approval of the Central Maintenance Supervisor, the Executive Director, the Capital Affairs Committee, and the Board of Directors.

2. Competitive Bid Requirement

All construction contracts require at least three competitive bids, except that the Central Maintenance Supervisor may, in the reasonable exercise of their discretion, waive this requirement for contracts that do not exceed $50,000, taking into account, for example, the following factors:

a. A similar project was competitively bid in the past three years.
b. The price of the project is not more than ten percent of a similar project from the prior year.
c. The market for that type of project has not changed significantly since the last time it was competitively bid.

3. Change Orders

a. The Central Maintenance Supervisor is authorized to approve change orders on construction contracts, except that when change orders on a single construction project cumulatively will exceed $100,000, any further change orders must be approved by the Executive Director.
b. The Executive Director shall regularly report on the progress of significant construction projects and inform the Capital Affairs Committee and the Board of Directors of significant change orders.

[Revised 5/5/2016]

IV.J. Investment Management

Mission Statement

The BSC Investment Management Committee (IMC) will assist the BSC Board of Directors, including its Financial Affairs Committee, in fulfilling its oversight responsibility for the investment of BSC assets. The IMC is responsible for monitoring the BSC’s investments for compliance with BSC investment policies.

Organization

1. The Investment Management Committee shall consist of:
a. The Executive Director
b. The Vice President of Financial Affairs
c. A Board Representative who sits on the Financial Affairs Committee
d. A Board Representative or Cabinet Member approved by the Board
e. The Accountant or other professional staff member as determined by the Executive Director
f. Up to five Advisors recommended by the Executive Director and approved by the Financial Affairs Committee who are neither employed by the BSC nor a current member of the BSC. Advisors serve at the pleasure of the IMC and Board of Directors.
2. The Chair of the IMC shall be the Executive Director. The IMC may elect an alternative chair by majority vote.
3. The IMC shall meet once in the Fall semester and once in the Spring semester.
4. Either the Executive Director or any four members of the IMC may call a special meeting of the IMC.
5. A majority of the IMC shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting thereof, and the act of a majority of the members of the IMC present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the IMC.
6. Representatives of the custodian of BSC funds may attend meetings at the pleasure of the IMC, but shall not have voting rights.


Roles and Responsibilities

1. Disclose any affiliations with a proposed investment, fund, or manager by a IMC member.
2. Provide high level of input on investment strategy to Chair.
3. Oversee investment of the funds of the BSC, monitor the risk and potential reward of specific investments and consider new investments.
4. Recommend whether the BSC should retain a professional investment advisor, subject to approval by the Board of Directors and Finance Committee. If a professional investment advisor is retained, the IMC shall evaluate performance.
5. Evaluate investment performance based on a comparison of actual returns with the BSC’s return objective and other appropriate benchmarks.
6. Prepare instructions for the custodian of BSC accounts.
7. Periodically review and assess the adequacy of this charter and recommend any changes to the Board of Directors.
8. Attend to such other matters as the Board of Directors, Financial Affairs Committee or Chair may from time to time determine.
9. Maintain minutes of IMC meetings and report regularly to the Financial Affairs Committee.


Investment Policy

The purpose of this Investment Policy is to support the mission of the BSC by providing guidelines for the BSC, its Board of Directors, and IMC to effectively invest the BSC’s non-real property assets.

1. The objective of the BSC’s investment strategy is to maximize returns within prudent levels of risk.
2. The BSC shall take into account the cost of the investment transaction (including any professional fees) in evaluating investment returns.
3. In general, investments shall be made so as to minimize the risk of large losses from a single cause, unless under the circumstances it is not prudent to do so.
4. The investments for each investment fund account shall be selected with the care, skill, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in like capacity and familiar with such matters would use with respect to an investment fund with similar aims and constraints.


Alumni_Engagement_and_Fundraising_Guiding_Principles

Investment_Policy_Statement

[Moved this page as per board approval at Board #3 (12.1.2022)] [Last revised 5/7/2013]

IV.K. General Expense Reimbursement Policy

General Policy Statement

The Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) has, since its inception, been dependent upon the contribution of time and talent from its members, alumni and staff. It is incumbent upon the BSC to provide for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in conducting the formal affairs of the BSC. It is the intent of the BSC Board of Directors to fairly compensate members, employees and the volunteers of the BSC for their out-of-pocket expenses while exercising fiscal constraint with its funds.

General Provisions

Scope: This policy is designed to cover all employees, members and alumni volunteers while engaged in authorized BSC work.

Ineligible Expenses: No reimbursement of expenses incurred by spouses, domestic partners, or guests will be allowed. The BSC will not reimburse expenses that are reimbursed to the member, volunteer or employee from another source, or that were not approved in advance.

Budget Limitations: The financial liability of the BSC to reimburse for expenses is limited to the funds budgeted for the activity in the current approved budget of the BSC. If any alumni volunteer, member, employee, board, or committee incurs a liability that is greater than the funds so budgeted, or incurs a liability in excess of the amounts allowed by this policy, such liability will be the personal obligation of the individual responsible for incurring or authorizing the liability.


Out of Town Travel

Reimbursement will be made for all reasonably necessary travel provided the travel is approved in advance by the employee’s, member’s or alumni volunteer’s BSC supervisor. Participation in meetings by telephone or carpooling with others is encouraged in lieu of incurring travel expenses.

Private Auto - Mileage: The BSC mileage reimbursement rate shall be set effective January 1st of each year for that entire calendar year, at the standard business mileage rate then in effect by the Internal Revenue Service. The Finance Committee is authorized to make adjustments to the mileage reimbursement rate or the mileage reimbursement policy as needed. Reimbursement will also be made for tolls and parking. Any substantial deviation from a distance shown in a standard mileage guide must be fully explained.

In the event that a private auto is used in lieu of commercial air transportation, the lesser of coach/economy class air-fare or auto mileage will be reimbursed. No reimbursement will be made for lodging en route. Damage to personal autos while being used on BSC business is not covered because a portion of the mileage reimbursement is intended to defray the insurance cost to the individual. Fines for traffic violations are also not reimbursable.

Bridge tolls are reimbursable.

Auto - Parking: Street parking fees will be reimbursed when needed during the performance of duties. A written receipt must be turned in to the supervisor.

Airport parking reimbursements must be reasonable. Since parking at an airport garage is generally more expensive than parking in shuttle lots, persons are encouraged to park in a lesser expensive shuttle lot if possible. For long time periods, airport parking will be reimbursed at the lower of the actual parking costs or an airport shuttle to/from the person's home.

Receipts for parking shall be provided if available. However, the BSC will pay items $25 or less without a receipt as long as the date, place, and business purpose is adequately documented.

Parking tickets incurred in the course of the performance of work-related duty will be paid only if in case of emergencies in which the employee did not have time to comply with parking restrictions.

Airfare: Reimbursement will be made at coach/economy class airfare. Detailed receipts are required for all airfare reimbursements. Alumni volunteers, members and staff should seek the lowest possible fares through use of advance booking. The BSC may or may not reimburse for last-minute fares when the date of a meeting or event was known in enough time to obtain a lower standard fare. The BSC will pay a cancelled airfare if a meeting is cancelled. Airfare change fees will be paid for changes in a meeting schedule.

Rental Cars: Rental cars may be used only when necessary and economically practical compared to other modes of local transportation or if local transportation is nonexistent. Rental charges should be net of any discounts and will be limited to the rental cost of compact or standard-size cars. Detailed receipts must be provided for all reimbursements of rental car costs. It is helpful to rent the car in the name of the BSC. However, the BSC's insurance policy contains an endorsement which extends coverage for damage to rental cars even if they are rented in an individual's name as long as they had permission from the BSC and they are on BSC-related business (the endorsement is intended to fill in the gaps where someone doesn't or can't rent the car in the BSC's name).

Other: Reimbursement for any other method of travel will be reimbursed only in an amount that would have been payable had the most economical method of travel been used. Transportation on BART, AC Transit or other forms of public transportation is encouraged. Reimbursement is not provided for daily commuting.

Lodging/Hotel Accommodations: Hotel/motel accommodations may be reimbursed where an overnight stay is reasonable and prudent.

Effective October 1, 2010, the BSC limits on reimbursements for lodging are the Federal rates per Publication 1542, Table 4*** http://www.irs.gov/publications/p1542/ar01.html

If no lodging below that limit is available or convenient in the area of the stay, the President or the Executive Director may approve reimbursements above the federal limit (e.g., attendance at a conference where the hotel rates for the conference are above the BSC limit). If the maximum limit is being reimbursed, the taxes on only that amount will be paid.

A detailed receipt must be provided for all lodging reimbursements, without exception.

Lodging and parking charges are reimbursable by following prescribed procedures and obtaining the appropriate approvals in advance. Incidentals such as entertainment, dry cleaning, personal phone calls, etc. are not reimbursable.

Meal Expenses: Reasonable meal expenses for out of town staff travel will be reimbursed, including gratuity, at the rate of a maximum of 50% of the IRS standard meal allowance. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#en_US_publink100033793

No alcohol purchases will be reimbursed; such purchases should be segregated from meal expense on the receipt (if the individual is paying) or on a separate receipt and paid for by the individual ordering them (if a BSC credit card is used).

Expenses Other Than Travel, Local Transportation, Lodging, and Meals: Whenever possible, purchases of coffee, flowers, gifts, awards, and food for meetings, trainings and events should be made using normal organizational ordering and billing arrangements for office purchases.

Despite utilization of services available through the BSC office, employees, members and alumni volunteers may occasionally use the resources of their own to conduct BSC business. Where practical, volunteers are expected to absorb, without reimbursement, minor expenditures. However, to the extent that cost records are available to document specific out-of-pocket expenses, such as telephone calls and postage, reimbursement may be made. Expenses for photocopying and facsimile use will be reimbursed at rates deemed reasonable by the Executive Director. No reimbursement will be made for office services not detailed by this policy (for example, voice mail charges, telephone connections, etc.). No reimbursement will be made for personnel costs or professional services without specific advance authorization.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reimbursement Procedure for Employees, Members & Alumni Volunteers

General Guidelines: All requests for reimbursement shall be made in writing and shall be signed and dated by the person seeking reimbursement.

Expense reports must be submitted not later than the 10th day of the following month. Reports for expenses submitted later than that date are not eligible for reimbursement unless an exception is granted based on a showing of good cause for the delay in submission.

It is critical to receive all expense reports from a fiscal year within 10 days of the close of the fiscal year. Any requests for reimbursements by employees, members or alumni volunteers received after the close of the fiscal year-end books will not be paid.

The Executive Director is authorized to reject or modify payment to comply with these policies and guidelines. The Executive Director is authorized to make an exception to these policies and guidelines when warranted, but requests for exception should be made when feasible in advance of the expense being incurred. Appeal of the Executive Director's decision shall be made to the Personnel Appeals Committee in the case of an employee expense and to the Cabinet in the case of a member or volunteer expense.

Reimbursement Procedures: Each employee, member or alumni volunteer requesting reimbursement of expenses shall complete and sign a Reimbursement Request and give the request and all associated itemized, original receipts to their BSC supervisor. The request and receipts will be reviewed and either approved, rejected, or returned to the employee, member or alumni volunteer with a request for further information.

Payment for reimbursement will be made by check unless the receipt was for cash and is less than $20.00. Reimbursement from petty cash must have the approval of the BSC supervisor of the employee, member or alumni volunteer.


For example, lodging rates as of 9/30/10 was $166/night for the San Francisco Bay Area and $92/night for Ann Arbor, Michigan.


[Board 11/4/10]

IV.L. Capitalization Policy

General Policy Statement

The Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) has, since its inception, been dependent upon the contribution of time and talent from its members, alumni and staff. It is incumbent upon the BSC to provide for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in conducting the formal affairs of the BSC. It is the intent of the BSC Board of Directors to fairly compensate members, employees and the volunteers of the BSC for their out-of-pocket expenses while exercising fiscal constraint with its funds.

General Provisions

Scope: This policy is designed to cover all employees, members and alumni volunteers while engaged in authorized BSC work.

Ineligible Expenses: No reimbursement of expenses incurred by spouses, domestic partners, or guests will be allowed. The BSC will not reimburse expenses that are reimbursed to the member, volunteer or employee from another source, or that were not approved in advance.

Budget Limitations: The financial liability of the BSC to reimburse for expenses is limited to the funds budgeted for the activity in the current approved budget of the BSC. If any alumni volunteer, member, employee, board, or committee incurs a liability that is greater than the funds so budgeted, or incurs a liability in excess of the amounts allowed by this policy, such liability will be the personal obligation of the individual responsible for incurring or authorizing the liability.


Out of Town Travel

Reimbursement will be made for all reasonably necessary travel provided the travel is approved in advance by the employee’s, member’s or alumni volunteer’s BSC supervisor. Participation in meetings by telephone or carpooling with others is encouraged in lieu of incurring travel expenses.

Private Auto - Mileage: The BSC mileage reimbursement rate shall be set effective January 1st of each year for that entire calendar year, at the standard business mileage rate then in effect by the Internal Revenue Service. The Finance Committee is authorized to make adjustments to the mileage reimbursement rate or the mileage reimbursement policy as needed. Reimbursement will also be made for tolls and parking. Any substantial deviation from a distance shown in a standard mileage guide must be fully explained.

In the event that a private auto is used in lieu of commercial air transportation, the lesser of coach/economy class air-fare or auto mileage will be reimbursed. No reimbursement will be made for lodging en route. Damage to personal autos while being used on BSC business is not covered because a portion of the mileage reimbursement is intended to defray the insurance cost to the individual. Fines for traffic violations are also not reimbursable.

Bridge tolls are reimbursable.

Auto - Parking: Street parking fees will be reimbursed when needed during the performance of duties. A written receipt must be turned in to the supervisor.

Airport parking reimbursements must be reasonable. Since parking at an airport garage is generally more expensive than parking in shuttle lots, persons are encouraged to park in a lesser expensive shuttle lot if possible. For long time periods, airport parking will be reimbursed at the lower of the actual parking costs or an airport shuttle to/from the person's home.

Receipts for parking shall be provided if available. However, the BSC will pay items $25 or less without a receipt as long as the date, place, and business purpose is adequately documented.

Parking tickets incurred in the course of the performance of work-related duty will be paid only if in case of emergencies in which the employee did not have time to comply with parking restrictions.

Airfare: Reimbursement will be made at coach/economy class airfare. Detailed receipts are required for all airfare reimbursements. Alumni volunteers, members and staff should seek the lowest possible fares through use of advance booking. The BSC may or may not reimburse for last-minute fares when the date of a meeting or event was known in enough time to obtain a lower standard fare. The BSC will pay a cancelled airfare if a meeting is cancelled. Airfare change fees will be paid for changes in a meeting schedule.

Rental Cars: Rental cars may be used only when necessary and economically practical compared to other modes of local transportation or if local transportation is nonexistent. Rental charges should be net of any discounts and will be limited to the rental cost of compact or standard-size cars. Detailed receipts must be provided for all reimbursements of rental car costs. It is helpful to rent the car in the name of the BSC. However, the BSC's insurance policy contains an endorsement which extends coverage for damage to rental cars even if they are rented in an individual's name as long as they had permission from the BSC and they are on BSC-related business (the endorsement is intended to fill in the gaps where someone doesn't or can't rent the car in the BSC's name).

Other: Reimbursement for any other method of travel will be reimbursed only in an amount that would have been payable had the most economical method of travel been used. Transportation on BART, AC Transit or other forms of public transportation is encouraged. Reimbursement is not provided for daily commuting.

Lodging/Hotel Accommodations: Hotel/motel accommodations may be reimbursed where an overnight stay is reasonable and prudent.

Effective October 1, 2010, the BSC limits on reimbursements for lodging are the Federal rates per Publication 1542, Table 4*** http://www.irs.gov/publications/p1542/ar01.html

If no lodging below that limit is available or convenient in the area of the stay, the President or the Executive Director may approve reimbursements above the federal limit (e.g., attendance at a conference where the hotel rates for the conference are above the BSC limit). If the maximum limit is being reimbursed, the taxes on only that amount will be paid.

A detailed receipt must be provided for all lodging reimbursements, without exception.

Lodging and parking charges are reimbursable by following prescribed procedures and obtaining the appropriate approvals in advance. Incidentals such as entertainment, dry cleaning, personal phone calls, etc. are not reimbursable.

Meal Expenses: Reasonable meal expenses for out of town staff travel will be reimbursed, including gratuity, at the rate of a maximum of 50% of the IRS standard meal allowance. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#en_US_publink100033793

No alcohol purchases will be reimbursed; such purchases should be segregated from meal expense on the receipt (if the individual is paying) or on a separate receipt and paid for by the individual ordering them (if a BSC credit card is used).

Expenses Other Than Travel, Local Transportation, Lodging, and Meals: Whenever possible, purchases of coffee, flowers, gifts, awards, and food for meetings, trainings and events should be made using normal organizational ordering and billing arrangements for office purchases.

Despite utilization of services available through the BSC office, employees, members and alumni volunteers may occasionally use the resources of their own to conduct BSC business. Where practical, volunteers are expected to absorb, without reimbursement, minor expenditures. However, to the extent that cost records are available to document specific out-of-pocket expenses, such as telephone calls and postage, reimbursement may be made. Expenses for photocopying and facsimile use will be reimbursed at rates deemed reasonable by the Executive Director. No reimbursement will be made for office services not detailed by this policy (for example, voice mail charges, telephone connections, etc.). No reimbursement will be made for personnel costs or professional services without specific advance authorization.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reimbursement Procedure for Employees, Members & Alumni Volunteers

General Guidelines: All requests for reimbursement shall be made in writing and shall be signed and dated by the person seeking reimbursement.

Expense reports must be submitted not later than the 10th day of the following month. Reports for expenses submitted later than that date are not eligible for reimbursement unless an exception is granted based on a showing of good cause for the delay in submission.

It is critical to receive all expense reports from a fiscal year within 10 days of the close of the fiscal year. Any requests for reimbursements by employees, members or alumni volunteers received after the close of the fiscal year-end books will not be paid.

The Executive Director is authorized to reject or modify payment to comply with these policies and guidelines. The Executive Director is authorized to make an exception to these policies and guidelines when warranted, but requests for exception should be made when feasible in advance of the expense being incurred. Appeal of the Executive Director's decision shall be made to the Personnel Appeals Committee in the case of an employee expense and to the Cabinet in the case of a member or volunteer expense.

Reimbursement Procedures: Each employee, member or alumni volunteer requesting reimbursement of expenses shall complete and sign a Reimbursement Request and give the request and all associated itemized, original receipts to their BSC supervisor. The request and receipts will be reviewed and either approved, rejected, or returned to the employee, member or alumni volunteer with a request for further information.

Payment for reimbursement will be made by check unless the receipt was for cash and is less than $20.00. Reimbursement from petty cash must have the approval of the BSC supervisor of the employee, member or alumni volunteer.


For example, lodging rates as of 9/30/10 was $166/night for the San Francisco Bay Area and $92/night for Ann Arbor, Michigan.


[Board 11/4/10]

IV.M. BSC Unit-Level Internet Technology Fund--BSCIT

General Policy Statement

The Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) has, since its inception, been dependent upon the contribution of time and talent from its members, alumni and staff. It is incumbent upon the BSC to provide for the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in conducting the formal affairs of the BSC. It is the intent of the BSC Board of Directors to fairly compensate members, employees and the volunteers of the BSC for their out-of-pocket expenses while exercising fiscal constraint with its funds.

General Provisions

Scope: This policy is designed to cover all employees, members and alumni volunteers while engaged in authorized BSC work.

Ineligible Expenses: No reimbursement of expenses incurred by spouses, domestic partners, or guests will be allowed. The BSC will not reimburse expenses that are reimbursed to the member, volunteer or employee from another source, or that were not approved in advance.

Budget Limitations: The financial liability of the BSC to reimburse for expenses is limited to the funds budgeted for the activity in the current approved budget of the BSC. If any alumni volunteer, member, employee, board, or committee incurs a liability that is greater than the funds so budgeted, or incurs a liability in excess of the amounts allowed by this policy, such liability will be the personal obligation of the individual responsible for incurring or authorizing the liability.


Out of Town Travel

Reimbursement will be made for all reasonably necessary travel provided the travel is approved in advance by the employee’s, member’s or alumni volunteer’s BSC supervisor. Participation in meetings by telephone or carpooling with others is encouraged in lieu of incurring travel expenses.

Private Auto - Mileage: The BSC mileage reimbursement rate shall be set effective January 1st of each year for that entire calendar year, at the standard business mileage rate then in effect by the Internal Revenue Service. The Finance Committee is authorized to make adjustments to the mileage reimbursement rate or the mileage reimbursement policy as needed. Reimbursement will also be made for tolls and parking. Any substantial deviation from a distance shown in a standard mileage guide must be fully explained.

In the event that a private auto is used in lieu of commercial air transportation, the lesser of coach/economy class air-fare or auto mileage will be reimbursed. No reimbursement will be made for lodging en route. Damage to personal autos while being used on BSC business is not covered because a portion of the mileage reimbursement is intended to defray the insurance cost to the individual. Fines for traffic violations are also not reimbursable.

Bridge tolls are reimbursable.

Auto - Parking: Street parking fees will be reimbursed when needed during the performance of duties. A written receipt must be turned in to the supervisor.

Airport parking reimbursements must be reasonable. Since parking at an airport garage is generally more expensive than parking in shuttle lots, persons are encouraged to park in a lesser expensive shuttle lot if possible. For long time periods, airport parking will be reimbursed at the lower of the actual parking costs or an airport shuttle to/from the person's home.

Receipts for parking shall be provided if available. However, the BSC will pay items $25 or less without a receipt as long as the date, place, and business purpose is adequately documented.

Parking tickets incurred in the course of the performance of work-related duty will be paid only if in case of emergencies in which the employee did not have time to comply with parking restrictions.

Airfare: Reimbursement will be made at coach/economy class airfare. Detailed receipts are required for all airfare reimbursements. Alumni volunteers, members and staff should seek the lowest possible fares through use of advance booking. The BSC may or may not reimburse for last-minute fares when the date of a meeting or event was known in enough time to obtain a lower standard fare. The BSC will pay a cancelled airfare if a meeting is cancelled. Airfare change fees will be paid for changes in a meeting schedule.

Rental Cars: Rental cars may be used only when necessary and economically practical compared to other modes of local transportation or if local transportation is nonexistent. Rental charges should be net of any discounts and will be limited to the rental cost of compact or standard-size cars. Detailed receipts must be provided for all reimbursements of rental car costs. It is helpful to rent the car in the name of the BSC. However, the BSC's insurance policy contains an endorsement which extends coverage for damage to rental cars even if they are rented in an individual's name as long as they had permission from the BSC and they are on BSC-related business (the endorsement is intended to fill in the gaps where someone doesn't or can't rent the car in the BSC's name).

Other: Reimbursement for any other method of travel will be reimbursed only in an amount that would have been payable had the most economical method of travel been used. Transportation on BART, AC Transit or other forms of public transportation is encouraged. Reimbursement is not provided for daily commuting.

Lodging/Hotel Accommodations: Hotel/motel accommodations may be reimbursed where an overnight stay is reasonable and prudent.

Effective October 1, 2010, the BSC limits on reimbursements for lodging are the Federal rates per Publication 1542, Table 4*** http://www.irs.gov/publications/p1542/ar01.html

If no lodging below that limit is available or convenient in the area of the stay, the President or the Executive Director may approve reimbursements above the federal limit (e.g., attendance at a conference where the hotel rates for the conference are above the BSC limit). If the maximum limit is being reimbursed, the taxes on only that amount will be paid.

A detailed receipt must be provided for all lodging reimbursements, without exception.

Lodging and parking charges are reimbursable by following prescribed procedures and obtaining the appropriate approvals in advance. Incidentals such as entertainment, dry cleaning, personal phone calls, etc. are not reimbursable.

Meal Expenses: Reasonable meal expenses for out of town staff travel will be reimbursed, including gratuity, at the rate of a maximum of 50% of the IRS standard meal allowance. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html#en_US_publink100033793

No alcohol purchases will be reimbursed; such purchases should be segregated from meal expense on the receipt (if the individual is paying) or on a separate receipt and paid for by the individual ordering them (if a BSC credit card is used).

Expenses Other Than Travel, Local Transportation, Lodging, and Meals: Whenever possible, purchases of coffee, flowers, gifts, awards, and food for meetings, trainings and events should be made using normal organizational ordering and billing arrangements for office purchases.

Despite utilization of services available through the BSC office, employees, members and alumni volunteers may occasionally use the resources of their own to conduct BSC business. Where practical, volunteers are expected to absorb, without reimbursement, minor expenditures. However, to the extent that cost records are available to document specific out-of-pocket expenses, such as telephone calls and postage, reimbursement may be made. Expenses for photocopying and facsimile use will be reimbursed at rates deemed reasonable by the Executive Director. No reimbursement will be made for office services not detailed by this policy (for example, voice mail charges, telephone connections, etc.). No reimbursement will be made for personnel costs or professional services without specific advance authorization.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reimbursement Procedure for Employees, Members & Alumni Volunteers

General Guidelines: All requests for reimbursement shall be made in writing and shall be signed and dated by the person seeking reimbursement.

Expense reports must be submitted not later than the 10th day of the following month. Reports for expenses submitted later than that date are not eligible for reimbursement unless an exception is granted based on a showing of good cause for the delay in submission.

It is critical to receive all expense reports from a fiscal year within 10 days of the close of the fiscal year. Any requests for reimbursements by employees, members or alumni volunteers received after the close of the fiscal year-end books will not be paid.

The Executive Director is authorized to reject or modify payment to comply with these policies and guidelines. The Executive Director is authorized to make an exception to these policies and guidelines when warranted, but requests for exception should be made when feasible in advance of the expense being incurred. Appeal of the Executive Director's decision shall be made to the Personnel Appeals Committee in the case of an employee expense and to the Cabinet in the case of a member or volunteer expense.

Reimbursement Procedures: Each employee, member or alumni volunteer requesting reimbursement of expenses shall complete and sign a Reimbursement Request and give the request and all associated itemized, original receipts to their BSC supervisor. The request and receipts will be reviewed and either approved, rejected, or returned to the employee, member or alumni volunteer with a request for further information.

Payment for reimbursement will be made by check unless the receipt was for cash and is less than $20.00. Reimbursement from petty cash must have the approval of the BSC supervisor of the employee, member or alumni volunteer.


For example, lodging rates as of 9/30/10 was $166/night for the San Francisco Bay Area and $92/night for Ann Arbor, Michigan.


[Board 11/4/10]

IV.N. Staff Credit Card Policy

1. A BSC staff member with a Wells Fargo Credit Card must turn in all receipts to Accounts Payable two weeks before the payment due date.
2. Failure to adhere to section 1 will result in disciplinary action at the discretion of the Executive Director.

[Last revised 5/7/2013]

IV.O. Habitability Accounts

1. Each unit shall have a Habitability Account funded by unit-level workshift fines.
a. All workshift fines at houses shall go into the habitability account
b. 1/3 of the workshift fines at Rochdale and Fenwick shall go into the habitability account
c. No workshift fines at NSC shall go into the habitability account.
2. Habitability Accounts shall be protected accounts, with any excess funds rolling over to the following semester and any deficits being deducted from the House Account at the end of each term.
3. Habitability Account funds may only be used to correct habitability issues and/or improve the general condition of the unit. Examples of eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: paid workshift, deep cleanings, materials and supplies for approved H.I. projects, small-scale capital improvement projects, landscaping/gardening projects, etc.
4. Approval and disbursal of Habitability Account funds shall occur as follows:
a. Paid Workshift
i. Each unit shall have access to a pre-determined amount of funds for immediate paid workshift, (25 hours for small units, 50 hours for medium units and 75 hours for large units, per semester).
ii. All paid workshift must be processed through the central-level Bookkeeping Department.
iii. Workshift Managers shall be responsible for keeping track of paid workshift records, (e.g. member names, tasks and hours completed, dates, etc.), and must submit these records to the Operations Supervisor each week.
b. Unit-Level Requests
i. Unit councils may develop proposals for use of the Habitability Account at any time. Such proposals shall be reviewed by and subject to the approval of the Operations Manager or their designee, taking into account the overall needs of the unit.
c. Habitability Corrections and Projects
i. The Operations Supervisor and Operations Manager may authorize the use of Habitability Account funds in order to address deficiencies identified during habitability inspections and/or during non-contract periods, as outlined in the Habitability Policy.

[Board approved 5/8/14.]

IV.P. BSC Scholarship Program

1. The Scholarship Program and Scholarship Fund

a. The Scholarship Program is dedicated to the specific purpose of providing support to low-income members by paying a portion of their BSC housing cost.
b. The Scholarship Fund is made up of endowed (permanently restricted donations) and funds designated by the Board to be used to support the Scholarship Program.
c. The BSC solicits temporarily restricted donations to the Scholarship Program. The BSC also allows donors to make permanently restricted, named donations of $25,000 or more to the Scholarship Fund
d. All donations received for scholarships will be placed into the Scholarship Fund to be invested and to achieve a reasonable rate of return to support long-term scholarship objectives.
e. As part of the annual Budgeting Process, CFCom may reallocate current annual, temporarily restricted donations and transfer them from the Scholarship Fund to be immediately distributed to members in need (in addition to the annual Scholarship Fund distribution formula).

2. Scholarship Program Budgeting

a. The amount of funds available for the scholarship program each fiscal year will be determined on an annual basis during the budgeting cycle, using the following formula: (1) Four percent of the three-year average of the overall value of the Scholarship Fund (calculated at the end of the fiscal year) and (2) any funds budgeted into member rates for the upcoming year and (3) temporarily restricted Scholarship Program donations from the Scholarship Fund.
b. CFCom and the BSC Board should consider estimated figures for scholarship programming during each budgeting cycle to determine the amount of funds that should be allocated during the BSC budgeting process, based on the members’ goals for scholarship availability.
c. Ten percent of the amount budgeted by the BSC for scholarship distribution during the annual budgeting process shall be allocated toward the BSC Emergency Grant Program, which shall be distributed as outlined in the Emergency Grant Program Policy, IV.Q.

4. Scholarship Applications

a. Current and prospective members may apply for scholarships.
b. Scholarship applications shall be available on the BSC website during the Spring semester and advertised frequently to ensure access to the program.

5. Awarding of Scholarships

a. All scholarship applications shall be reviewed once per year after Fall/Spring contract offers are sent, but prior to the Fall cancellation deadline. Such review will be coordinated under the direction of the Development Director and Executive Director.
b. All scholarships shall be awarded based on documented need, taking into consideration other criteria set forth by donors.
c. The amount of each standard scholarship shall be 1/3 of the member’s BSC rent and/or room and board charges for one semester (e.g. 1/3 of the Fall rent). The amount of each scholarship for formerly incarcerated, foster youth, formerly homeless or undocumented students will be ⅔ of the member’s BSC rent and/or room and board charges for one semester (e.g. ⅔ of the Fall rent).
d. Recipients will be notified that they have been awarded a scholarship, given the specific dollar amount, and provided a deadline for claiming the scholarship prior to the Fall cancellation deadline.
e. Any unclaimed scholarship funds shall be awarded during the Fall to alternate applicants. Such alternate scholarships shall be awarded based on documented need and other criteria set forth by donors. The BSC assignment priority system (i.e. points, priority for DSP/EOP, etc.) shall be used in the event multiple applicants have equal financial need.
f. Alternate scholarships shall be ½ of the member’s third Fall payment plus ½ of the member’s first Spring payment.


[Updated as per board approval at Board #3 (5/18/2023)]

6. Scholarship Distribution

a. Half of the scholarship award will be credited to member’s accounts in Fall, and the other half in Spring.
b. Members living in the BSC only for one semester during the relevant academic year will receive the scholarship for that semester only.

7. Support and Leadership Opportunities

a. ETCom will research and offer optional support and leadership development opportunities to scholarship recipients to aid them in becoming more involved and assuming leadership positions in the BSC community.

[Updated 8/7/19]

IV.Q. BSC Emergency Grant Program

1. The Grant Fund

a. Emergency grants shall be funded through the Scholarship Fund. See §IV.P.1 of the Policy Directory.
b. At the end of the fiscal year, any unused funds that had been allotted for grants shall be rolled into the Scholarship Fund.

2. Grant Funding

a. The emergency grant program shall be funded out of the annual distribution of funds from the scholarship program.
b. The exact amount budgeted for emergency grants shall be decided by the Capital and Finance Committee.

3. Grant Applications

a. Current members may apply for emergency grants at any time, unless they could reasonably apply for a traditional BSC Scholarship. Staff shall advertise the grant on the website and make a good-faith effort to inform all students with delinquent rent of the emergency grants and the application process.
b. Applications shall be made through the traditional administrative request process.
c. The Administrative Team may identify good candidates for emergency grants even if they have not specifically applied for a grant.

4. Awarding Grants

a. Grant applications shall be awarded by consensus of the Operations Manager and the AdCom Assistant.
b. Grants shall only be awarded upon the determination of dire unexpected financial need such that, given cost of living expenses and without a grant, the applicant would be unable to remain a member of the BSC.
c. Only in exceptional circumstances should grants be awarded to members not in good standing, e.g. members paying off excessive house bills, in danger of conduct/student status/workshift termination, etc.
d. There is no mandate to disburse the entirety of the grant fund each year.
e. No single grant may exceed $1,000.00, though the amount need not be limited to the charges currently on the applicant’s account.
f. No member may receive a grant more than once per academic year.
g. (Once the BSCAA Grant Money is depleted) temporarily amend the Emergency Grant Policy to make members eligible for the Emergency Grant once per contract period with an annual cap of $5,000 dispersal and one-time cap of $2500 per request.

5. Grant Distribution

a. Emergency Grants shall be distributed only as rent credit to the applicant’s account and shall only offset rent, room, and/or board charges.
b. Emergency Grants shall not be distributed in any form other than credits to the member’s account.


[Board approved 11/2016. Last updated 5/2020. Last updated per IACom 03.20.2023]