The Co-op

• Workers are encouraged to vote on the issues presented them and are always welcome to ask questions or make suggestions

Benefits

• One free drink when working a shift.
• $0.25 member discount on all food and drinks.
• Any tips received while working can be split by workers on the shift.
• Website access to post events and updates.
  

Training

Coordinators will organize a worker training at the beginning of each semester.  The goal of this training is for workers to become familiar with the mission of The Co-op, how to run the coffee shop, and to meet other members and coordinators.  This training will be treated as the first member meeting and will cover/include:

• Safety
• “How To” (make coffee, tea, grilled cheese, clean, etc.)
• A mini field-trip to the dumpsters behind Forest so workers know where to dump trash.
• The mission of The Co-op and how to use the coffee shop/space.
• Where to find information or how to contact coordinators and other members.
• An (optional) session in Dubach to attain food handlers permits.

Commitment

The Community Connections and Membership coordinators will make an effort to contact any worker missing shifts or required meetings.  First contact will be informal, either by talking with the member casually or sending an e-mail. Continued absences or neglect of responsibilities will be followed up with a meeting.  If  the member continues to miss their shift or neglect responsibilities, coordinators will reassess that member’s involvement with The Co-op, and drop their shift if necessary.

2B.  SUB-COMMITTEE MEMBERS
A sub-committee member is any student who is on a semester-long sub-committee under the guidance of a coordinator.  Sub-committees are organized at the beginning of the semester when a coordinator agrees to head a committee, outlines the responsibilities and roles of the committee, and performs a campus-wide call for sub-committee members.

Responsibilities

• Sub-committee members must:
  • Work with a coordinator to follow specific objectives (these objectives vary depending on the committee and coordinator involved).
  • Attend sub-committee meetings.
  • Complete an evaluation of the sub-committee and coordinator at the end of the semester. (optional)
    
• Students on sub-committees are encouraged to attend member meetings and invited to attend coordinator meetings.
• Students on sub-committees are encouraged to vote on the issues presented them and are always welcome to ask questions or make suggestions.

Benefits

• $0.25 off food and drink.  (This is a benefit all members share. Workers that also sit on sub-committees don’t get $.50 off)
  

Commitment

The coordinator heading a sub-committee will make an effort to contact any member neglecting their responsibilities.  First contact will be informal, such as sending an e-mail or talking with the member casually and continued absences or neglect of responsibilities will be followed up with a meeting.  If there is no change in behavior, the coordinator and sub-committee will reassess that member’s involvement with The Co-op, and drop them from the committee if necessary.

2C.  COORDINATORS

A coordinator is a student elected by the existing group of coordinators to a specific leadership position in The Co-op.  The coordinators have specific areas of leadership but all have equal responsibility and power in the leadership of The Co-op.

Coordinator Positions

The coordinators will maintain coordinator position documents describing each coordinator position and that position’s area of leadership, responsibilities, duties, goals, and tasks.

Coordinator Selection
Any LC student may be a coordinator of The Co-op. Interested persons must fill out an application the semester before the one for which they are applying.

• All existing coordinators are required to be present for interviews with potential coordinators.
• Members are invited to attend interviews and ask questions, though they do not participate in voting/selection.
• Applicants cannot vote on the position they are applying for.
• All applicants should be encouraged to become workers whether or not they are selected for a coordinator position.
• Non-member applicants will be encouraged to work in the coffee shop or as a sub-committee member before applying to a coordinator position.
• In the event of a mid-semester vacancy, coordinator elections will be held.  The position should be filled as soon as possible.  If there are no applicants (or qualified applicants) another coordinator who expresses interest may be voted in to fill the position until the end of the semester or another coordinator is selected.

Responsibilities

Commitment

The Organization and Development coordinator will make an effort to contact any coordinator extensively neglecting their responsibilities.  First contact will be informal, such as sending an e-mail or talking with the coordinator casually, and continued absences or neglect of responsibilities will be followed up with a meeting.  If the coordinator continues to neglect their responsibilities, the coordinators will reassess that coordinator’s involvement with The Co-op through a vote of no-confidence (see below).

• It should be noted that while the Organization and Development coordinator is responsible for facilitating this process, any coordinator can question the performance of another.  In the case that the coordinator being questioned is the Organization and Development coordinator, any coordinator can step up and fulfill the contact/reassessment process.

Vote of No-Confidence

• Criteria for when this procedure is appropriate:

• • Crime against The Co-op (i.e. stealing from The Co-op, defacing, etc)
  • All steps to address coordinator accountability have been exhausted.

• Criteria to hold a vote of no-confidence:
  • The vote will be held at a regular coordinator meeting by secret ballot.
  • To pass, a super majority of 2/3 of the coordinators present at meeting is required.
  • If the vote of no-confidence passes, the coordinator will be dismissed.
  • If the vote of no-confidence fails, an Organizational and Development coordinator will facilitate constructive communication to address the issues at hand.

Coordinator Benefits

• $0.25 off food and drink (not cumulative with worker/committee benefit).
• One free drink during coordinator meetings.
  
• Access to financial information.
• 24 hour access to The Co-op.

Committees
Coordinators are encouraged to head committees to provide greater opportunities for involvement in The Co-op to members, as well as to spread out the workload and prevent burnout.

3.  BUILDING COMMUNITY

It is important that students feel like members of a community through their involvement with The Co-op.

• At least once a semester a coordinator-organized event will promote student community through an exposition of student talents.
• At least once a semester an event will be organized specifically for members to facilitate community within Co-op members.

4.  ORGANIZATION INFORMATION

• Information regarding The Co-op and its coordinators will be made visible in The Co-op space. This information can include:
  • A list of all coordinators and their contact information.
  • Updates on coordinators’ projects.
  • Suggestion box/ coordinator feedback box.
• Co-op information will be posted on the website (ex. Meeting minutes, mission statement, etc)

5.  POLITICS

The Co-op is a non-partisan organization within Lewis & Clark College. We do not endorse any political candidate. We aim to provide a safe and constructive space for political expression, participation, education, and activism by all LC students.

6.  DECISION-MAKING GUIDELINES

• Non-coordinator members vote on:
  
  • Major, long-term Co-op decisions.  Decisions will be made by a majority vote.  Coordinators are responsible for organizing the vote.
• Coordinators vote on:
  • Most daily decisions; important decisions relating to coordinator positions.  Conflicting interests and issues are handled through a voting process among the coordinators.
  • Undecided decisions from a tied member vote.
• Members will be encouraged to provide suggestions and feedback to coordinators about the decisions the coordinators make.
  • At the beginning of each semester – There should be a poll of members.
  • Year round feedback boxes should be available online and in The Co-op.
• Petition procedure:
  • Anyone may petition for a member vote on an issue by collecting 10 or more signatures of LC students in support of the proposed vote.

6A.  MEETINGS

• Coordinators will hold weekly meetings with mandatory attendance.
• Member meetings:
  • Held at least once a month.
  • They will serve as a forum for updating members about coordinators’ work, presenting new policies, discussing issues to be voted on, answering members’ questions, hearing members’ suggestions and ideas for community building.

6B.  CHANGING THE BYLAWS

• Any member or any coordinator may petition for an amendment. The coordinators will organize a member vote to accept or reject the petitioned change(s) in the bylaws.  All petitions will be considered.
• A petition’s proposed edits to the bylaws will pass with a minimum 40% vote.  If there is less than a 40% turn-out for the vote, coordinators will vote.

6C.  RATIFYING THE BYLAWS

Coordinators are required to read the bylaws at the beginning every semester and assess whether they want to ratify the bylaws at the beginning of the semester. If, by a simple majority, the coordinators decide to re-ratify the bylaws, they will organize a member vote to accept or reject the new bylaws.