Committees and Cabinet

General Description

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

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

Composition

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

Additional Responsibilities

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

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

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

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

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

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

General Description:

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

Composition:

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

Additional Responsibilities:

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

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

a. Review the results of the annual metrics and survey

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

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

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

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

General Description:

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

Composition:

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

Additional Responsibilities:

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

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

3. Monitor the implementation of laws affecting BSC financial policy

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

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

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

General description:

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

Composition:

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

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Process ET Grant applications as specified below

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

a. Manager trainings

b. New Member Orientation and unit-level orientations

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

4. Review applications for the annual NASCO Institute

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

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

Process for ETCom Grant Vetting:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

General description:

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

Composition:

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

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Encourage and fund unit level neighbor events at the beginning of each semester

2. Competitively allocate charitable donations and event sponsorship funds

3. Generate community improvement projects as described in V.C.3 of the Policy Directory

4. Disburse the cooperative development grant

5. Follow press protocols as established by the VPEA

6. Facilitate board level support of BSC development efforts and actively participate in BSC alumni engagement and fundraising activities as needed

7. Follow university, local and state government activity as it pertains to the BSC. Attend meetings as necessary

8. Engage in direct political advocacy as necessary

9. Strengthen external relationships with cooperatives and businesses relevant to the mission of the BSC