Sojourner Truth House Constitution

Transcription

1 Sojourner Truth House Constitution Revised February 6 th, 2009

2 Sojourner Truth Cooperative Constitution ARTICLE ONE: NAME The name of this cooperative shall be Sojourner Truth Cooperative. ARTICLE TWO: PURPOSES OF THE COOPERATIVE The purposes of this cooperative are: A. To provide economical and cooperative living facilities. B. To promote the Principles of Cooperation as adopted by the Inter-Cooperative Council: Open Membership. Membership in a co-op shall be voluntary and nondiscriminatory. All who can use its services and agree to share in the responsibilities required to run the co-ops shall be eligible to join, regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or political beliefs. Democratic Participation. Each member has exactly one vote regardless of his/her investment: all members together control the organization. Neutrality. Cooperatives remain neutral in questions of political or religious affiliations. Limited Interest on Invested Capital. Share capital invested by members shall receive a strictly limited rate of interest. Distribution of Economic Results. The year-end savings of member co-ops may be distributed as patronage refund to all members. Education. Cooperatives shall constantly educate their members, employees, and the public in the principles and practices of cooperation, both economic and democratic. Mutual Cooperation. All cooperative organizations shall actively cooperate on practical matters with other cooperatives at local, national, and international levels, to further serve their members and their communities. Continuous Expansion. Sojourner Truth Cooperative shall support the continuous expansion of the ICC and the cooperative movement, in order to best serve the community. ARTICLE THREE: MEMBERSHIP--RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

3 Members are persons under contract to the ICC assigned to Sojourner Truth Co-op, for room and board or board only, with a desired size of 53 members during the fall winter and various, subject to change by the ICC. This definition changes during the spring/summer semester when there is no boarding and fewer people. 1. All members have the right to: A. Present grievances or recommendations to the properly constituted authorities and receive adequate satisfactions consistent with the general welfare of the membership as specified in the Constitution. B. Use House facilities as consistent with general welfare of the membership. C. Elect or recall officers as outlined elsewhere in this constitution. 2. All members have the obligation to: A. Pay all bills on time, as specified by the House Treasurer and/or Finance Coordinator. B. Perform faithfully and as efficiently as possible all work assigned by the Work Manager in accordance with this Constitution. C. Abide by the House rules and regulations governing conduct in the House and maintain and promote fairness and cooperation essential to congenial, comfortable, and studious living conditions. D. Attend all mandatory house meetings. E. Attend House orientation at the beginning of each semester. ARTICLE FOUR: ORGANIZATION OF THE COOPERATIVE House members shall collectively have ultimate authority over the operation of the House. A House vote is considered an expression of the will of its members. 1. House meetings. A. Regular House meetings shall occur at least once a month and are nonmandatory. The time and place must be posted at least 2 weeks in advance, and tentative agenda must be posted at least 48 hours in advance by the In-House President. House members may suggest additional items, with proposals written in full, until 24 hours prior to the meeting. At that time, the agenda will be locked, and additional items can only be added with unanimous approval of all attending house members at the meeting.

4 B. Special House meetings shall occur if requested by 20% of the members. Notice of a special meeting shall be posted 24 hours in advance. The agenda for a special House meeting shall be posted 24 hours in advance. No additional agenda items may be added less than 24 hours in advance of the meeting. C. All issues brought to a vote require agreement from a majority of attending members in order to pass. D. Absentee votes should be submitted by the person voting, on paper or via , to the in house president or secretary. Absentee ballots cannot be accepted after voting has commenced. E. Motions shall pass if approved by a majority of those present at a meeting. Any member my call for a written, secret ballot on any motion. F. All house officers and house council members are required to attend all house meetings and house council meetings. In the event that the officer or council member has a valid excuse (eg, work or class) as determined by the Secretary or Out-house president, they can submit a report in writing. The penalty for nonattendance will be the assessment of one makeup work hour. 2. House Council A. Composition. The House Council shall consist of 6 members elected two weeks after the beginning of each term. In cases of high vacancy, the number of House Council members shall be determined by the Out of House President. There can be no less than 4 members on House Council. Each member of the House may vote for up to 9 Council members. The 2 returning members with the most votes shall become members of the council. The remaining members of the Council shall be chosen from all remaining members; the 4 with the most votes shall become members of the council. These 6 members shall receive 1/4 work credit from the work manager. The 3 runner-ups shall serve as alternates for House Council. The alternates shall fill vacancies on House Council which may occur over the course of the term. They will be compensated by the member whose place they fill for that meeting according to the discretion of the work manager. In the case of less than 4 hours of work credit being done per week; it is at the work manager s discretion as to whether council members will receive a work credit for these duties. B. Meetings. The Out-House President shall call and facilitate House Council meetings at least once per month. Meetings shall be open, except in extraordinary circumstances, such as matters dealing with a House members' privacy. Time shall be designated for each meeting during which House members may voice concerns to House Council. When voting is required, each House Council member shall receive one vote, and the Out-house President shall vote in the case of a tie. Number One shall attend meetings and post a copy of minutes within 48 hours of a meeting. Every officer will submit a written officer report to the outof-house president at least 48 hours prior to the meeting (the officers will be given

5 at least a week s warning that this meeting will occur). The out-of-house president will give each of the house council members a copy of this report and it will be in the minutes. C. Powers and Responsibilities. The powers and responsibilities of the Council are: 1) To hear and rule on all complaints pertaining to violation of House rules. Any member may bring a complaint to the Council. 2) To hear and review all cases dealing with expulsions and contract-breaking and must then present them to the House with a recommendation. 3) To review and report on all elected officers' performance monthly. Council shall present these reports to the membership. In the event that these reports are unsatisfactory, the Council may recommend a recall or fine the officer in question. ** See Officer Fines section below** 4) To act as a group to recruit new members to fill vacancies in the House. 5) To consider and recommend budget adjustments (See Article Six). 6) To carry out other responsibilities as delegated by the House at a House meeting. 7) To make a report to the house on a monthly basis on their activities and their evaluations of the officers. Officer Fines (expanded from #3) In the case that an officer receives a 50% or greater negative review, that officer will be given an official warning by the council in person, immediately following the meeting. This warning will include: a. What the officer did wrong b. Concrete suggestions on how to handle the situation c. Notice that if the stated suggestions are not implemented within 2 weeks, fining will take place If the suggestions have not been implemented after two weeks, the council may fine the officer at their discretion. Rules for this are as follows: a. Fines must be agreed upon by the majority of the house council in order to be assessed. b. Fines that are equal or less than the amount of the work manager s current fine policy may be directly assessed by the council, without the approval of those not on house council. The fined officer may appeal these fines at a house meeting if he/she feels the fine is unjust. c. Fines that are greater than those of the current fine policy must be approved at a house meeting before they are assessed. Once approved, these fines may not be appealed.

6 3. Presidents The In-House President (Full work credit) and the Out-House President (Chief Executive Officer) (Full work credit) shall be elected in the Winter term for a period of one year, to begin with the break period following Winter term. In the event that either officer shall be out of town during the Spring/Summer term, a Summer In-House and/or Out-house President shall be elected, or other management arrangements as acceptable to both House members and the ICC. The In-House President shall: A. Plan and post meeting agendas at least 48 hours in advance. B. Facilitate House meetings, referral appeals, and expulsion hearings. C. Coordinate House orientations. D. Call all elections at least 48 hours in advance. E. Act as liaison between House members and officers when necessary. F. Appoint the chair of any House committee deemed necessary with the approval of House Council. H. Attend all ICC President's trainings. I. Substitute for Out-House President when necessary. J. Cooperate with the Out-House President. L. Work with House members to coordinate House activities (coffee houses, etc.). The Out-House President (Chief Executive Officer) shall: A. Attend all ICC BOD meetings as the official House representative. B. Attend ICC committee meetings. C. Communicate House needs to ICC officers, or the appropriate committee. D. Announce and post ICC ideas, policies, problems, and BOD minutes to the House. E. Attend all ICC BOD trainings. F. Take minutes to the ICC office for filing. G. Arrange a House Council Meeting at least once per month, notifying all Council members at least 24 hours in advance. H. Attend all ICC President s trainings. I. Plan and post House Council meeting agendas. J. Substitute for In-House President when necessary. K. Cooperate with In-House President. 4. Number One (Vice-President/Administrative Director) Number One (Full work credit) is responsible for all written communication from and for the House.

7 Number One shall: A. Assume the duties, powers, and privileges of the Presidents in their absence. B. Keep minutes and all other records of membership and House Council meetings, posting a copy of minutes from open meetings within 48 hours of a meeting, and giving a copy to the Out-House President. C. Keep forwarding addresses for all former members and forward mail as necessary. D. Notify signed future members of organizational meetings and orientation. E. Sort incoming mail daily. F. Request an ICC audit in January (See Article Six). G. Carry out other responsibilities as delegated by the house or house council. H. Take care of the recycling of the house. 5. Work Manager (Operations Director) The Work Manager (full work credit) shall be responsible to the members and House Council for the efficient operation of the House. The Work Manager shall have authority over all operations of the House, and shall be responsible for the fair and efficient operation of the work system, and for the timely evaluation of the quality of the shifts done by the individual members. The Work Manager shall be empowered to appoint an assistant Work Manager when necessary (with approval of the House), who may receive a maximum of half work credit. The Work Manager shall: A. Determine work shifts and credit assigned to each shift. B. Present a new work schedule each term or as necessary. C. Organize work holidays, and establish and post policy for missed work holiday. D. Establish temporary sign-ups for finals week, first week of classes, and breaks. E. Establish, explain, and post performance standards for each shift duty at the beginning of each semester. F. Post fines for missed work (See Standing rules). G. Supervise and be knowledgeable of performance of other managers and report problems to House Council and the house. H. Verify that work shifts are completed daily. I. Assign additional work to and/or fine members who fail to perform work properly. J. Procure clean-up supplies. K. Coordinate the Work Manager Training or the next House Orientation. L. Determine number of work credits per member, depending on how many people in the house.

8 6. Kitchen Manager(s) (Purchasing Director) The Kitchen Manager(s) (Full work credit) shall be responsible for all operations pertaining to the preparation and service of food and cleanup, and for the sanitary and healthful condition of the kitchen. This position is not applicable during Spring/Summer if there is no boarding provided by the house. If limited boarding is provided during these terms, the ordering duties fall to the a member to be appointed by the house at the first meeting of each term The Kitchen Manager(s) shall: A. Order food and kitchen supplies, and have control over food supplies. B. Receive menus from cooks and plan menus for cooks who do not turn them in. C. Act as Sanitarian for the House, collaborating with the work manager to make sure that the kitchen is kept clean, sanitary, and up to required health standards. The Kitchen Managers shall attend trainings held by the University and shall work with the University inspector and the ICC Maintenance Coordinator to maintain the equipment and level of cleanliness of the kitchen. D. Take inventory of food and supplies at the end of each term, reordering as necessary, and reporting to the Treasurer at the end of the Fall and Winter terms. E. Coordinate the Kitchen Manager Training of the next House Orientation. F. Take inventory weekly. G. Survey members regularly, once to twice a semester. H. Propose Christmas and Spring Break food policies to the House. I. Coordinate an OSHO presentation for the house. J. Meet with our distributor (currently SBA) on a monthly basis to ensure that we know what is occurring with the companies we deal with. 7. Maintenance Manager(s) (Maintenance Director) The Maintenance Manager(s) (Full Work Credit) shall be responsible for the physical care of House properties. The Maintenance Manager(s) shall be empowered to appoint an assistant Maintenance Manager when necessary (with approval of the House), who may receive a maximum of half work credit. The Maintenance Manager(s) shall: A. Be responsible for every aspect of the physical upkeep and functioning of the building, either by personally performing necessary repairs/improvements or hiring contractor(s) to perform the task(s) (via the ICC), or coordinating the efforts of other house members. B. Be responsible for the training and supervision of all members of the maintenance and outdoor crews, which he/she shall appoint with approval of the

9 House. C. Make keys for new members and inform Treasurer of charges for lost keys. D. Serve on the ICC Maintenance Projects Committee. E. Maintain maintenance board. F. Coordinate the Maintenance Manager Training of the next House Orientation. G. Coordinate with the work manager on issues of work holiday and work fines (many of the additional work hours created by fining can be used by maintenance). 8. Treasurer (Finance Director) The Treasurer (full work credit) shall report to the House monthly on the House finances, including a complete list of Accounts Receivable for all members past and present and a report on action taken to ensure collection. She/he shall also report on expenses to date compared with budget. The Treasurer shall: A. Draw up a budget. B. Collect and pay out money. C. Oversee all financial affairs and make out required financial reports. D. Keep the House books as directed by the ICC Finance Coordinator. E. Attend all appropriate meetings and training sessions held by the ICC. F. Coordinate the Finance Training of the next House Orientation. G. Report to the House monthly on the House finances, including a complete list of Accounts Receivable for all members past and present and a report on action taken to ensure collection. H. Report on expenses to date compared with budget at every house meeting. 9. Other Officers The previous House shall recommend officer and assistant-officer positions it has found to be necessary or useful. These positions are described in the Standing Rules, located at the end of this Constitution. ARTICLE FIVE: ELECTION AND RECALL OF OFFICERS 1. General Description. All officers, except the Presidents, shall be elected at the beginning of each semester. The Presidents are elected for a one-year term during the Winter term prior to the year in which they shall serve. Within one week after the beginning of the first week of classes, the In-House President shall call a House meeting during which the election of House officers shall take place. 2. Election Procedure

10 A. Nominations will be solicited in advance and posted when identified. The In- House President shall also take nominations from the floor. A member may nominate him/herself for any position. B. At the appointed starting time of the election meeting the In-House President shall again call for nominations. All candidates, announced or otherwise, must have their names placed in nomination and seconded. C. Each candidate shall be permitted to make a brief statement. D. After the statements of all candidates for a given office, members shall be allowed to ask questions of the candidates. After the questions and answers period, members may discuss the candidates in the absence of those up for election. The membership shall cast its vote. E. The In-House President, or in the case of conflict of interest, an impartial party shall count the votes and announce the winner. If no person receives a majority of the votes, the person receiving the fewest votes will be dropped from the list of candidates, and the steps above shall be repeated until a candidate does receive a majority. F. During the elections of positions other than President, Number One shall be elected first and the Work Manager, Maintenance Manager(s), Kitchen Manager(s), and Treasurer, in that order, subsequently. G. Vacancies due to resignation or impeachment shall be filled within one week. Before any officer may resign, he/she must schedule a meeting with House Council. This meeting is a final opportunity to solve any problems without resignation of the officer. 3. Voting Procedures A. Ballots may either be written or show of hands, with the exception of referral and expulsion hearings, which must be written ballots. B. All written ballots must be handed into the In-House President by the end of the meeting. No ballots will be accepted after the meeting has finished. Absentee ballots may be turned into the In-house President in advance. C. Written ballots shall be counted by the In-House President and Number One immediately following the meeting and results shall be posted immediately after that. D. Written ballots shall be kept by the In-House President for a period of one

11 4. Recall week. During this time any House member may request a supervised recount. After a period of one week the ballots shall be destroyed and the election considered official. A recall election may be originated by the House Council or by any member upon presentation to the In-House President of petitions signed by 20% (11 of 53, if full during a Fall/Winter term) of the total House membership, and such measures shall be voted upon between 7 and 10 days after presentation. The House Council shall pass upon the validity of all signatures on such petitions. Any House officer may be recalled by a majority of the total House membership at a House meeting. ARTICLE SIX: FINANCE 1. Budget 2. Reports A. Non-rebate-able amounts shall be budgeted (for the fiscal year starting May) in January of each year. B. Rebate-able budget items shall be budgeted at the beginning of the Spring/Summer term and the Fall/Winter term by the members. The budget shall be drafted by the Treasurer, working with the Presidents, and posted at least 48 hours before its approval meeting. C. Approval of the budget is by a majority of those voting at a House meeting. Feedback from the ICC Finance Coordinator shall be sought by the Treasurer before the budget is finalized for a vote. The Treasurer shall report to the House monthly on the House finances, including a complete list of Accounts Receivable for all members past and present and a report on action taken to ensure collection. She/he shall also report on expenses to date compared with budget. 3. Budget Revision The House Council shall consider any necessary adjustments necessary for a balanced budget at the beginning of the third month of each term and shall recommend revisions to the membership. 4. ICC Audit

12 In January of each year, Number One shall request that the ICC Finance Coordinator examine the House books and report to House Council any deficiencies in the work. 5. Room and Board Collection Policy Because non-payment of charges and late payment causes increased costs for all members, the following policy has been adopted. Members who are unable to fulfill their cooperative responsibility of sharing the work and paying rent are encouraged to seek other living accommodations, after fulfilling current contractual obligations. This shall be publicly posted. A. Bounced checks: 1) Any member who bounces a check shall be assessed a 10 dollar fee payable to the House in addition to any bank and late fees. 2) Any bounced check must be replaced by a cashier's check or money order. 3) Following a bounced check and its replacement, the next 2 payments must be by cashiers check or money order. B. Late payments: 1) Room and board are due on the payment date specified in the contract. Late fees of $2.00 per day, up to a maximum of $30.00 in late fees for one month's rent, may be assessed one day after payment is due. 2) If you cannot pay within the allowable period, you may apply for a credit from the House if: (a) you are not behind in payments for previous periods (b) you are not work deficient (determined by the house and the work manager) (c) you have been a member for at least one full semester (d) you have not defaulted on credit in the past, and (e) you have a source of income or can show that financial aid will cover the amount due. 3) If you do not qualify for credit, you may have an extension on the time allowed for payment if other cosigners are willing to pledge their ICC shares as collateral against the debt. All cosigners must qualify under the accredit policy. 4) If you do not qualify for credit and cannot find cosigners, a parent may cosign on a promissory note, or physical assets may be held in the ICC office as collateral on a promissory note, provided that House Council agrees on the terms. 5) Credit terms shall be for no more than 30 days after the original due date

13 and interest will be calculated at a rate of.05% per day (18% per year). 6) If the amount due is not paid and none of the above are done as alternatives, expulsion proceedings shall begin. C. Copies of all documents shall be filed with ICC Finance Coordinator by the 10th of the month. 6. Key Policy A) Outside door and room keys will be issued to all members only after a deposit of $20.00 (check or money order made payable to Sojourner Truth House) is collected by the House Officer in charge of checking members into the house. The Interim Manager, In-House President, Out-House President or Maintenance Managers are the only officers who can check people in. B) Deposits will be given to the Treasurer to deposit in the Sojourner Truth house key account. In the event that the Treasurer is not in the house, the house officer in charge of check-in is responsible for these deposits until the Treasurer returns to the house, or is elected for a given term. C) The house officer in charge of check-in will record the date of check-in, receipt of deposit, the room number for which the room key was issued, and information regarding any other key(s) issued to that member (i.e. outside, master, storage, or any key needed to move in and complete in house jobs). This information will be kept in a card file and held by the officer checking people into the house. D) Keys issued to newly elected officers, for the performance of their office will be added to their card files when the keys are issued. Officers who are returning keys at the beginning of a new term, or at the end of a term in office will have these keys removed from their card file. The standard deposit for room and outdoor keys function as the deposit for any additional officer keys. E) A $10.00 fine will be assessed for each lost key. Each occurrence of lost keys is treated as a separate incident, with a maximum fine of $20.00 per incident. Lost officer keys are subject to the same fines as lost room and outdoor keys. Therefore, if a Maintenance Manager loses six keys at once the fine is $ If a member loses their room and outdoor key the fine is $ When keys are lost or not returned this information will be recorded in the card file. F) It is the responsibility of the Maintenance Managers to hold the extra keys and enforce the key policy during a given term. When the Maintenance Managers are not available, the Interim Manager is responsible for enforcing the key policy. G) The Treasurer, at the earliest convenience, will mail the refunded key deposit to a member after all keys on the member s card are collected and the member has been properly checked out. The officer in charge of check-out will go over the rooms punch list with each member, advising the member of any charges that may follow due to room damage. Once this has been done, the member will return the keys on their card and leave a forwarding address. This completes the member s responsibility. The officer will record that the keys have been received and inform the Treasurer where the returned deposit is to be sent.

14 H) When ten outside door keys are not returned, it is the Maintenance Managers responsibility to get new outside door locks or get the doors re-keyed. Maintenance Managers may re-key these locks at their discretion, with available funding and majority house approval. In addition, it is their responsibility to obtain new keys for each member once either of these options has been completed. Money for these actions will be taken from forfeited deposits. I) Members will forfeit their key deposits if any issued key on the file card is not returned at check-out. Forfeited deposits will be used to make new keys and/or replace locks when needed. If a room key is not returned, it is the Maintenance Managers responsibility to change that room lock for safety reasons. J) There are to be no more than four master keys in the house. These keys are to be held by the In House President, the Out House President, and the Maintenance Managers. During the interim, if the Interim Manager does not already have a Master key, a master key will be secured from one of the officers listed above. Master keys are also recorded in the card file. K) The Storage Room must be accusable by locks, keys to which will be given to each house officer. There shall be no more than ten keys which access these locks at any given time. ARTICLE SEVEN: MISSED WORK AND FINES A. The Work Manager shall have the power to increase work for members who do not do satisfactory work, as determined by the Work Manger. B. If substandard or missed work persists, the Work Manager may assess fines as established in the standing rules. C. If a member is still delinquent in work duties, the Work Manager may request from House Council a referral notice or expulsion hearing. D. House Council shall review the Work Manager's performance monthly, and report work to the House. ARTICLE EIGHT: ROOM PICKS 1. Definitions Term: A contract as defined by the ICC. The Fall/Winter period counts as 2 terms; Spring and Summer contract periods count as one-half term each. Continuing Member: A member who has resided within Truth and has had no Truth room contract for longer than a nine month period. NASCO Member Co-op: A student housing cooperative which is a member of the North American Students of Cooperation.

15 2. Process The room selection process shall be overseen by the Interim Manager or In-House President. Members will be corresponded with either face to face or via in order to establish room and roommate preferences. This process will begin on April 30 th and include the house members who have already signed a contract for the fall contract period. Those signing a contract after April 30 th will be assigned rooms on a first come, first served basis, according to which rooms are still available. The order in which members signing before April 30 th may choose rooms is determined by seniority, ranked according to the following: 1. Number of terms in the House for continuing members only. 2. Number of terms in the ICC. 3. Number of terms in another NASCO member cooperative. In case of ties, as determined by the above ranking, these ties shall be broken first by the date of contract-signing for the effective term of the room-pick, and second by the receipt number used to record the member's deposit. No continuing member may have a single for more than 2 fall/winter contract periods in a row. 3. Other Room Pick Considerations A. Squatter's Rights: Once a room is chosen by a member or members during the fall term room picks, that room may not be picked away from them during the following winter term room picks. B. Boarders receive half the seniority of members with room and board contracts. C. During every term, there must be the optimal number of rooms left empty in order to ensure the ability for new members to sign; this may only be waived in extraordinary circumstances or squatter s rights. This means that during the spring/summer, everyone who signs for a double must live in a double if at all possible. ARTICLE NINE: HOUSE ORIENTATION A House Orientation shall occur within the first week of each term. All members must attend the General Orientation. Those unable to attend orientation session must make special arrangements with the In-House President or be subject to the House missed work policy. The date(s) and time(s) for all House Orientations except for Fall term shall be determined no later than 2 weeks before the end of the previous term. The date(s) and

16 time(s) of the Fall term House Orientation shall be set within one week after the election of the Presidents for the following Fall/Winter term. Number One shall notify members of these date(s) and time(s) at least 24 hours in advance. The General Orientation shall include: A. Overviews of 1) The House Constitution. 2) Meeting processes. 3) ICC structure. 4) Finance Policy 5) The Work System. 6) Standards of expected conduct. 7) Expulsion and Referral Policies. B. House policies dealing with issues such as: quiet hours, message taking, meat/veggie meal ratio, guests, telephones, House security, guff, common areas. C. Standards for each work shift as presented and recommended by the last term's Work Manager. D. Members of House Council shall provide orientation for new members moving into the House in mid-term. ARTICLE TEN: REFERRAL AND EXPULSION Members may be put on referral or expelled from membership for one or more of the following reasons: non-work, non-payment, or uncooperative behavior. When a House vote is required, the voting procedures in Article 5, Section 3 shall be followed. An expulsion hearing for any of the above reasons may be called for a member by one or more of the following: - Petition of 25% of House membership. - The House Council - A majority of those voting in a regular House meeting. 1. Non-work A. The Work Manager and one other officer. B. Petition of 25% of the House membership C. The House Council D. A majority of those voting in a regular House meeting. 2. Non-payment A. A member can be put on referral for non-payment by one or more of the following: 1) The Treasurer and one other officer. 2) Petition of 25% of the House membership. 3) The House Council.

17 4) A majority of those voting in a regular House meeting. B. An automatic expulsion hearing will take place 2 weeks after the payment deadline if a member is in arrears and has not set up a payment plan with the Treasurer. C. Any member on an extended payment plan will be automatically be on referral. An extended payment plan is a plan in which a member is behind in House charges by at least one month and specifically does not refer to members on weekly, biweekly, or other similarly structured payment schedules. 3. Uncooperative Behavior Guidelines for determining uncooperative behavior can be found in the section "Standards of Expected Conduct" below (Article 11). Additional guidelines can be found in the ICC's Standing Rules and By-Laws. ARTICLE ELEVEN: STANDARDS OF EXPECTED CONDUCT The following standards are designed to reflect those qualities which are assumed in reasonable socially-skilled people and are not intended to be used to create an environment of elitism or constrained philosophy. A. Share equally in the work required to maintain and build the cooperative. 1) Sign-up for and complete the required amount of work each week. 2) Attend mandatory house meetings and participate actively. 3) Behave in ways that do not create more work for others. B. Learn and teach skills related to maintaining and building the cooperative. 1) Learn what each job entails during your first month. 2) Learn/do at least one new job position every semester. C. Interact with other members of the group in a friendly, supportive, constructive, and egalitarian manner. 1) Accept feedback gracefully, without defensiveness or aggressiveness. 2) Resist nagging and complaining; instead, look for ways you can change your behavior or the House programs to correct problems. 3) Listen to and evaluate all members' ideas on the basis of merit; resist making judgments based on irrelevant criteria (sex, race, age, etc.). D. Share and protect community property for use by all members. 1) Return tools, dishes, books & equipment as soon as you finish using them. 2) Care for tools and equipment in a manner which will maximize their useful life and the effectiveness with which they work. 3) Use community property for only community use. 4) Do not purchase personal items with house funds.

18 E. Protect the privacy and property of other members. 1) Enter another member's room only when explicitly invited. 2) Use another member s food and possessions only when explicitly invited. 3) Ensure that your guests follow House rules while visiting. 4) Resist making noise that you know disturbs another member. 5) Avoid talking about other members in a destructive, cruel or gossipy manner. F. Promote an environment free from racism or sexism and free from bigotry based on religious or political belief, sexual orientation, national origin, economic status, age, or physical or mental disability. 1) Promote diversity in membership recruitment and officer positions. 2) Do not engage in or encourage racist/sexist/etc. graffiti, "jokes", name calling, or other activity which judges individuals by group. ARTICLE TWELVE: NON-STUDENTS Definitions: Non-Student: Any person who is not currently enrolled in college or university as at least a half time student, as defined by the school being attended, is here defined as, and will be considered in house business, a non-student. This applies for the entirety of the semester, not merely the beginning. A person loses their student status the instant that they cease to qualify for it by the above terms. Regular Term: A regular term is here defined as either a fall term or a winter term. Regular Term House: The regular term house is made up of all those who are either living or boarding in Sojourner Truth during a regular term with a current ICC contract. Continuing Member: Any member who has lived in Sojourner Truth, with an ICC contract, for at least one full term is a continuing member. A person losses his/her status as a continuing member as soon as nine months pass without him/her living with an ICC contract in Sojourner Truth. Persons who lose this status will regain their status the same way it was originally obtained, i.e., living in Sojourner Truth for one full regular term, with an ICC contract. Rules: 1. No non-student can sign a contract with the ICC for a regular term until the regular term house has voted to allow him or her to do so. A. If the non-student is not a continuing member, he/she will be voted on at the first house meeting held by the regular house during the term that the person wishes to live in Sojourner Truth.

19 B. At the second to last house meeting of the Winter term, the regular house will vote for the following Fall term. All non-student continuing members must be voted on at this time, whether or not they express interest in signing another contract. ARTICLE THIRTEEN: SMOKING Sojourner Truth is a non-smoking House. Smoking by members or their guests is prohibited in all areas of the building. Amendments to this article may not take effect until after the end of the current contract period. ARTICLE FOURTEEN: PAINT POLICY Members may paint their rooms subject to the following conditions: A) The color chosen must be white or off-white. B) Any damage to windows, carpet, paint tools or other part(s) of the rooms may be assessed to the member as a fine up to the cost to have the damage repaired. (House labor shall be assessed at $12 per hour.) C) Oil-based paints may never be used. D) House funding may not be used to paint a room more than once a year--the house Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping a log of when rooms have been painted. E) Members will be reimbursed for all paint jobs, providing these guidelines are followed and the house has sufficient funds in the budget. F) Any variance from these rules must be approved by the house prior to painting. Otherwise a house member needs to repaint her or his room before moving out of the room using their own funds. Any color used that is not approved by the house will be considered damage. ARTICLE FIFTEEN: CONSTITUTION AND STANDING RULES An up-to-date Constitution and Standing Rules shall be posted and made available to the members. This Constitution may only be amended by a two-thirds vote of quorum. (We no longer have quorum, so this rule is obsolete) (See Article 12 for special case.).

20 Sojourner Truth House Standing Rules 1. Quiet hours shall be Sunday-Thursday, from 10PM-10AM, Friday-Saturday 2AM- 10AM. Loud music, loud voices (in halls, bathrooms, etc.), buzzing, and other disruptive behavior is prohibited and, if repeated, is a finable offense. 2. The following officer positions have been found useful or necessary by the previous House: a. Assistant Maintenance Manager (half work credit). b. Debt Collection Officer (half work credit). c. Assistant Work Manager (half work credit). 3. Fines for missed work shall be determined according to the discretion of the work manager. The Work Manager shall post this. 4. Members with non-guaranteed singles shall receive roommates based on seniority. The member with the lower seniority shall be first to receive a roommate. 5. Members or members whose guest(s) block the paths of delivery trucks and the garbage truck on posted delivery/pickup dates will be fined $10.00 and will be required to move their vehicle. If the member cannot be located, the vehicle will be towed at the owner's expense. Any officer or house council member has the authority to enforce this parking policy. 6. All officers are required to turn in a written explanation of their duties and some practical advice to the house council on or before the date of house council's last meeting for the term. Any officer not turning in a written explanation to house council on or before the date of house council's last meeting for the term shall be sanctioned in accordance with current work policy. 7. Parking a) The parking layout is to be reviewed as needed and changed at the beginning of each semester. It is also suggested that each person with a car fill out a questionnaire to establish basic information such as amount of use, car size or ability to drive a manual transmission. b) The number of cars allowed in the lot will vary according to such factors as car size and demand. However, the recommended number of cars is 22, with no more than 24. c) One parking space is allotted per person. d) The In-House President will determine parking assignments, keeping in mind the following factors. This list is to assist the future Presidents in obtaining an

21 optimal layout; the items are in no particular order. i) Frequency of use: Is the car required by the owner for work/school? ii) Size of car: Large cars need to be placed into certain spots for efficiency reasons. iii) Functionality: The President may deem that a car must be removed if he/she believes the car to be inoperable and the spot is needed by other members. iv) Double Parking Preferences: If the President deems it necessary, a person may be required to double park with another member if they wish to retain a parking spot at Truth House, although a reasonable effort should be made to accommodate double parking preferences. v) Seniority: Members with higher seniority may be entitled to have some preference as to which spots they prefer; this is at the Presidents discretion. e) If there are more members requesting spots than can be accommodated in our parking lot, the first step will be to see if any members will voluntarily park elsewhere. If no acceptable arrangements can be reached, spots will be assigned by seniority, i.e. those with the lowest seniority will be denied a spot. f) If a member contests a decision made by the In-House-President and no acceptable compromise can be reached, the issue may be brought before the house proper for resolution. 8. The Maintenance Manager(s) are required to complete the items on a monthly maintenance checklist and present it to the House Council during officer evaluations. Failure to complete items on the checklist may result in the maintenance managers being fined according to the items not completed (as deemed by the House Council and the work manager). Changes to the checklist may be proposed by any member, but must be approved by the maintenance manager and House Council. 9. House members who leave their rooms in sub-standard condition upon move-out will be charged $35 per hour plus discretionary charges by Maintenance Manager(s). 10. All applicable equipment purchased with ICC funds, such as the house lawnmower, must always be locked in the maintenance shed when not in use 11. Outside Events: Any member who wishes to hold an outside event will be subjected to the following rules. An outside event will be defined as any event held on Truth house property where: a. The majority of participates will be non Truth-house members b. More than 10 non-members are present

22 c. House common areas or facilities (TV room, TVs, living room, pool table, fireplace (indoor and outdoor), video game system, dining room, kitchen, basement, etc.) are being used for a period of longer than 2 hours The host member must provide all event details, including but not limited to the date(s) and rough time(s) when the event will be held, and what rooms and facilities will be used and to what purpose. The host member must be in good standing with Truth House (must not be on referral for any reason) and must agree to take responsibility for any damages and messes made by the members of the event and will be fined if they fail to repair or clean facilities after their use. Notification would ideally be made at a house meeting to allow discussion, however if this is not possible an and written notification may be used at least one week in advance. The sheet must be posted in the dining room or hallway, and an and announcement (at dinner or on the white board) must be made to inform all members of all event details and of the vote. If 5 members object to this, they may inform the inhouse president or secretary and a vote will happen at a house meeting or by wall vote. The wall vote will be accepted no earlier than 72 hours after it was posted and only if a minimum of 50% of current members have voted. The wall vote will then be presented to the in-house president and secretary, who may verify signatures. In the event that a member whose signature appears agrees that their signature was forged, or that they were misinformed of the event details, they may change their vote. Failure to seek approval 1 week prior to the event may result in a fine of up to $50 not including damages or messes left as a result of the event. ICC Pet Policy The ICC pet policy can be found by following this link: It is listed under Guidelines and Manuals Membership Pet Policy Sojourner Truth Co-op House Cat Ownership Policy 1. The cat must have had all its shots, including rabies, distemper, and feline leukemia. Proof of this in the form of a receipt must be shown. 2. The cat must not have any fleas. Proof of this is that the cats room will have no fleas. 3. The cat must be boxed trained, and the box must be kept in the owner's room. The box must be cleaned on a regular basis, meaning that the contents must be thrown in the dumpster, not flushed down the toilet. 4. The cat must be fed indoors, in the owner's room. This is to prevent strays wandering

23 over, spreading illness, and causing fights. 5. The cat must be out of its room while in transit and must be carried. 6. The cat must be spayed or neutered when the appropriate time comes. 7. Each cat must have a designated owner, who is responsible for it. 8. The room that the cat occupied must be thoroughly cleaned to remove all traces of cat or cat hair before the occupant moves out. 9. The number of cats is limited to one cat per room, and 6 cats in the house total at any given time. 10. All cat owners must present an undated $50 check to the treasurer as a form of security against potential damage done by the cat. The check will only be cashed in the event that damage does occur. The house will not take responsibility for damage done to personal property by the cat. The writer of the check will be informed as to when the check will be returned (possibly by the interim manager) or will be given 2 weeks notice as to when the check will be cashed. 11. The cat is never to be in the kitchen, dining room, or food storage room. 12. Cat seniority will be as follows: they will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Once a cat has a spot in the house, they will always have a spot, provided the cat does not leave for more that spring/summer term. If an incoming member has a cat and wishes to bring the cat to the house, they will be allowed to, provided that there is a spot available. For incoming members, cat spots will be assigned based on the date of signing of contract.