I: BSC Membership

Section I: BSC Membership

I.A. Membership Eligibility Categories¹

1. Student Status: The status of any registered, full time or half time students working toward an academic degree or teaching certification at a post-secondary school. The BSC recognizes four such subcategories:

a. University of California, Berkeley Students: Any registered student at UCB as of 5:00pm on the last day UCB normally allows a student to withdraw from the semester in which the student initially joins the BSC. This subcategory includes students in the UCB Freshmen Extension Program³.

b. Graduate students on filing fee status.

c. Community College and other Students: Any full time or half time registered student that meets the BSC student status requirement according to the definitions (such as “full or half time” or "trade school accreditation" or “degree program”) used by the specific school attended by the student. Community College students are welcome in the BSC.

d. Visiting Student Researchers (who are currently enrolled in a degree program and are working to obtain a degree) meet BSC student eligibility requirements. Postdocs and Visiting Research Scholars (who have already obtained a PhD), however, do not meet BSC student eligibility requirements. Updated by Board 5/07/20

e. Students who take a reduced course load (in the case of DSP status, for example) who can qualify for an exemption from the half/full time status requirements via the Administrative Committee.

2. Grace Status: The status of any person who does not meet the student status requirements of section I.A.1 but is deemed by the BSC to be part of the student community in accordance with the guidelines below. Members are allowed a maximum of three grace semesters. No person may live in the BSC in consecutive grace semesters, except for preparatory grace. No member shall be eligible for a grace semester their first academic semester in the BSC. The BSC recognizes five such subcategories:

a. Spring Grace: Any person who resided in the BSC during the preceding fall semester, under the provisions of IA1, Student Status or I.A.2.(e), Preparatory Grace Status may reside in the BSC in the Spring.

b. Fall Grace: Any person who both resided in the BSC during the preceding spring semester under the provisions of IA1, Student Status or I.A.2.(e), Preparatory Grace Status and will be eligible under the provisions of I.A.1, Student Status or I.A.2.(e), Preparatory Grace Status the following Spring semester. To receive a contract for the following Spring semester, the member must demonstrate to staff before the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday that they will qualify for membership under the provisions of I.A.1, Student Status or I.A.2.(e), Preparatory Grace Status. Members who fail to do so shall lose their reservation rights and be terminated immediately.

c. Incomplete Units Grace: Any person working to complete at least six units of incomplete class work at a postsecondary school in that semester. This category includes non-registered students. (This particular status may be granted once without a hearing from the Administrative Committee. Subsequent requests can be granted by AdCom/AdHoc.)

d. Fall Degree Completion Grace: Any person graduating at the end of the fall semester who needs to take only the courses they are enrolled to complete a degree. This category includes non-registered students. (This particular status may only be granted once.)

e. Preparatory Grace: Any person who has graduated from a post-secondary school and is working in preparation to begin another degree program or is otherwise seeking academic preparation in accordance with the guidelines below. Such grace semesters count towards the maximum number of three grace semesters overall. No member shall be eligible for a preparatory grace semester their first academic semester in the BSC. Only members who would commence prep grace status in a consecutive academic term would be eligible for preparatory grace⁵. Studying for a qualifying exam and work that merely improves one’s chances of admittance shall not be considered required work.

i. Academic: The member must be enrolled as a full-time student or in an equivalent number of units to a fulltime student. (No more than 49% of one’s units may be through online/distance learning.)

ii. Non-academic: A member building a portfolio, doing research or other non-academic work qualifies for a preparatory grace semester if this work is unpaid, required for admission to the degree program, and involves a minimum of twenty-two (22) hours of work per week.

iii. Mixed:⁶ A member enrolled in fewer than five semester units which are required coursework for the degree program, but is doing non-academic coursework required for the degree program which involves a minimum of two and a half (2.5) hours of unpaid work per week for each deficient unit of required coursework.

I.B. Unit Eligibility

Only UC students may live in units leased from the University. This includes the summer term for Cloyne. In the summer, non-UCB students may reside in Rochdale, Fenwick and Convent.

I.C. Summer Eligibility

Students meeting any of the following requirements may reside as a member in the summer: Any student enrolled for the summer; Any student who met the status requirements of IA1 Student Status or IA2 Grace in the prior Spring; Any student who can document that they will meet the status requirements of IA1 Student Status or IA2 Grace in the following Fall. To be eligible to live in Cloyne, residents must be enrolled in at least 5 units of UCB summer session or must be able to verify that they were UCB students the preceding Spring or will be UCB students the following Fall.

I.D. Rules and Obligations

1. Any member not a full time UC Berkeley Student shall be required to fill out, and turn in to the BSC office a form reporting student status for each semester of residency. Any member whose qualification is deemed debatable by Central Level staff, and members who fail to submit the student status form before the university withdrawal deadline for the semester in which such status is desired, must also obtain the approval of the Administrative Committee before or within the semester in question to continue residency in the BSC or be terminated in bad standing.

2. Each member is obligated:

a. To pay all bills within the time specified by the proper authorities.

b. To perform faithfully and as efficiently as possible all work assumed under the workshift system.

c. To abide by the rules and regulations governing conduct in the house and to maintain and promote fairness and cooperation essential to congenial, comfortable and studious living conditions.

d. To respect all rights of neighbors and to protect the organization from public censure arising out of individual or group conduct which may be construed as representative of the organization.

e. To keep their room in a condition satisfactory to the house manager.

3. Any applicant who does not meet or give evidence of intending to meet the above qualifications will have their membership terminated that same semester. Any complaints are to be handled by the Administrative Committee.

4. The Operations Manager or their appointed agent shall be responsible for checking the registration status of all members and distributing proper forms to non-registered student members.

I.E. EAP Exception

EAP students who study abroad but are denied attendance at UCB for a whole year may live in the BSC during the semester that they are not abroad

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1. All requirements under I.A. are for regular academic terms (Fall & Spring); see I.D. for Summer requirements.

2. For example, one who has a BA/BS must be enrolled full time in a graduate degree program. A student with an AA must be enrolled full time in a BA/BS degree program.

3. This does not include all UCB Extension students. They only meet requirements on a case-by-case basis.

4. Those wanting a grace semester in a non-consecutive academic term must be approved by AdHoc.

5. Fulfillment of the Non-Academic or Mixed Preparatory Grace requirements must be verified by literature from the degree program stating admission requirements and when possible, by an academic adviser, and a supervisor.