SHC Policy Wiki

1. 1. A “member” is anyone who has a valid contract with Hedrick House, Inc. A member is in good standing with the house if they are less than 30 days behind in their rent.

1. 2. No one may live in Hedrick House without signing a valid contract first, except temporary guests of members who abide by the Guest Policy as outlined in this document.

1. 3. Prospective members must be approved by current members by a unanimous house vote. This is to allow for any prospective denials to be approved in case of bad history, threats, stalking, etc between current house members and the prospective member.

Each member shall have one vote at Hedrick House meeting. There shall be no voting by proxy unless the house has given permission to a member for a certain situation.

1. 1. Members are expected to:
   1. a. Understand and promote the aims and purposes of the cooperative.
   2. b. Take an active part in the affairs of the house.
   3. c. Exercise the power to vote.
   4. d. Perform all jobs and duties as required by the house.
   5. e. Be aware of the contents of the House by-laws.

1. 2. Members are required to attend all house meetings. Every unexcused absence from a house meeting shall incur a $10 fine charged to the member's account. Grounds for excuse will be determined by the Finance Officer.

1. 3. The membership has the right and responsibility to:
   1. a. Elect house officers.
   2. b. Determine the use of the net surplus and savings.
   3. c. Remove officers when they neglect to perform their duties properly.
   4. d. Make changes in the affairs of the house.

1. 1. New members’ obligations consist of a $200 house loan, $60 house dues, and appropriate SHC dues, payable upon signing a contract with the house at the SHC.

1. 2. Members who leave Hedrick House shall be refunded the entire house loan, minus any outstanding debts owed to the co-op by the member.

1. 3. A member desiring to leave Hedrick House at any time during the terms of the member’s contract shall give prior notice of their intent to leave to the membership officer and must sign a release of contract. The leaving member is responsible for filling the vacancy that has been created. All debts incurred by the house in finding a replacement for the leaving member shall be charged to the member's account. The leaving member will be held liable for the room charged from the time the vacancy is created until a replacement is found, or until the end of the leaving member’s contract, whichever comes first.

1. 4. If two or more residents leave the house during or at the end of the same term and suitable replacements are not found by leaving residents individually, then all debts incurred by the house in replacements, including room charges, shall be divided between the two or more leaving members.

All members must sign a contract with the SHC before establishing residency within the house.

Forty-five days prior to the end of the current term shall be the deadline for current members to sign a contract for the following fall term. If by this date a contract has not been signed, a place in the house cannot be guaranteed and the member loses all seniority within the house.

Forty-five days prior to the end of the current term shall be the deadline for current members to sign a contract for the following summer term. If by this date a contract has not been signed, a place in the House cannot be guaranteed and the member loses all seniority within the house. If a summer term contract is broken by a current member they shall forfeit $15 from their loan in addition to being liable for all charges till the end of the contract.

Seniority in the house is determined by the number of terms a member has lived there, in that the higher the number of terms a member has there, the higher that member's seniority. In the case of new members, and in the case that two or more people have lived in the house the same amount of terms, seniority is then determined by the date a member signed a contract.

The seniority of a member who has left the house for two or more consecutive terms and then decides to return is established by placing the member at the bottom of that group which, at the time they move back, had been living in the house the same number of terms which the returning member had when they left.

Assignment of rooms for the fall and spring term shall be made on the basis of seniority at the end of every term prior to the time period in question. A member correctly assigned to a room shall have right of occupancy to that room until the end of the contract year.

Room sign-up for the summer term, which is subject to seniority, shall be arranged by the membership officer.

Any two members of Hedrick House may trade their room assignments, with notice given to the membership officer.

Elections shall be held at the first house meeting of each term. Only members in good standing may be elected to an officer position. Officers are elected by a majority vote and may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote by members. All Officers except Finance are elected for one term. The term of Finance Officer lasts from the beginning of the fall term to the end of the spring term with the summer term being a single elected term.

1. 1. Submit a proposed budget for the term one week after the first house meeting. The budget is subject to amendment and approval by a majority vote of the members of the house.

1. 2. Maintain the house financial records in an accurate and timely manner. The financial records are to contain revenue and expense journals, revenue receipt book, deposit records, expense receipts for all purchases made by the house, and member accounts.

1. 3. Submit a budget variance for the previous term at the first meeting of each term.

1. 4. Pay bills for the house on time.

1. 5. Collect monies owed to the house.

1. 6. Keep the members informed of the status of their accounts and post charges lists in a public place in a timely manner.

1. 7. Record fines on member accounts as directed.

1. 8. Bring any member's large balance to the attention of the house.

1. 9. Share with the Purchasers the responsibility of house funds upon which the Finance Officer has final say, and use Article Twelve: Abnormal Purchases as guidance for that responsibility.

1. 10. Shall be responsible for weekly checking house jobs on a day specified at the first house meeting.

1. 11. Represent Hedrick at SHC Finance meetings.

1. 1. Initiate and implement a predictive and preventative maintenance program within the house.

1. 2. Submit a list of maintenance projects that are to be completed during the term at the second house meeting of the term and every meeting thereafter give a report as to the status of this list.

1. 3. Is responsible for preparing the house for any inspections.

1. 4. See that fire alarms and extinguishers are functional and fully recharged. A smoke detector inspection shall be done once a term.

1. 5. Represent Hedrick House at SHC Physical Development committee meetings.

1. 1. Maintain the house at full capacity. This may require extensive correspondence with prospective members. The membership officer will arrange house tours and dinners for prospective members. It is suggested that the membership officer use the resources of SHC to aid the membership process.

1. 2. Coordinate room assignments.

1. 3. Be responsible for systematically distributing and labeling house keys and room keys to new members and gathering them from departing members.

1. 4. Orient new members as to the rules of the house within one week of their arrival.

1. 5. Maintain membership records on all current and last year’s members. The membership officer is responsible for ensuring that a permanent record of all last year’s members is kept at the SHC office.

1. 6. Maintain a file of forwarding addresses of members that have moved away.

1. 7. Coordinate Hedrick involvement in SHC ‘AMPOs.

1. 8. Represent Hedrick at SHC Membership Committee Meetings.

1. 1. Represent Hedrick at SHC Membership Committee Meetings.Submit or collect submissions for the SHC newsletter Pine Press.

1. 2. Educate house and community about the SHC and Hedrick House.

1. 3. Maintain a revised copy of the house constitution.

1. 4. Call and chair Hedrick House meetings. Meetings will be called biweekly. Five day notice is required for a normal house meeting and 24 hours for an emergency meeting. The call of a meeting must include the: day, time, and location. Accessibility options such as telecommunication features (ex. zoom) will be directed by the Education Officer as well.

1. 5. Recording the minutes of the house meetings in a neat and orderly manner and posting them soon after the meeting. Following approval of the minutes, they should be stored in the house files under the house google drive.

1. 6. Assist Education Committee in coordinating MSU-SHC events.

1. 7. Represent Hedrick House at SHC Education Committee meetings.

1. 1. Represent Hedrick House at SHC Board of Directors meetings.

1. 2. Keep the house informed of decisions made by the Board.

Each member is expected to input the same amount of work into the house as every other member. The job credit system should be based on this principle. All house jobs are expected to be completed on the scheduled day or when designated at the first meeting of each term. The following is a list of jobs other than officer positions.

1. 1. Dishes shall be started after noon and finished before 5 pm.
2. 2. Dishes are to be washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed with hot water, and then sanitized in hot bleach water for at least seven seconds. Finally, dishes should be set to dry in the open air.
3. 3. A person with day dish duty is also responsible for cleaning the counters.

1. 1. Dishes shall be completed between 7pm and midnight.
2. 2. Dishes are to be washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed with hot water, and then sanitized in hot bleach water for at least seven seconds. Finally, dishes should be set to dry in the open air.
3. 3. A person with night dish duty is also responsible for cleaning the counters.
4. 4. The kitchen must be swept and mopped nightly.
5. 5. Night dishes must take the trash out.

1. 1. Dishes shall be completed between 7pm and midnight.
2. 2. Dishes are to be washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed with hot water, and then sanitized in hot bleach water for at least seven seconds. Finally, dishes should be set to dry in the open air.
3. 3. A person with weekend dish duty is also responsible for cleaning the counters.
4. 4. The kitchen must be swept and mopped.
5. 5. Weekend dish duty must take the trash out.

1. 1. Attend office labor orientation as scheduled by the office.
2. 2. Spend 4 hours/month in the SHC office during regular business hours (M-F 10-5) to perform tasks as assigned.

1. 1. Purchase food and supplies as needed by the house using the house card.
2. 2. Put away said food and supplies.
3. 3. Appendix A should be followed to keep the house stocked.
4. 4. Additional proper items* can be added to the Purchaser’s list if added to the white board downstairs near the kitchen supply area

*Proper items that may be added to the Purchaser’s list should be cheap kitchen or cleaning items that are long lasting and generally applicable like spices, parchment paper, cleaning brushes or scour pads. Items such as flavored drinks to the preference of a few or obscure cooking supplies therefore do not count as proper items.

1. 1. Cleaning walks of snow and salting steps.
2. 2. Mowing the lawn.
3. 3. Trimming trees and shrubs.
4. 4. Weeding.
5. 5. Picking up trash on the lawn, parking lot, and patio area.

1. 1. Dusting and vacuuming once per week.
2. 2. Picking up trash and dirty dishes if they have accumulated.
3. 3. Watering plants as needed.
4. 4. Cleaning tables and tidying shelves.
5. 5. Emptying trash receptacles properly.

1. 1. Four individuals are responsible for weekly cleaning the bathroom, with two on the second floor and two on the first floor. Responsibilities are as follows:
2. 1. Cleaning the sinks, mirrors, toilets and shower.
3. 2. Washing the shower curtain.
4. 3. Sweeping and mopping the floor.
5. 4. Taking trash to the dumpster.
6. 5. This job is worth 3 points each

1. 1. Dusting and vacuuming once per week.
2. 2. Picking up trash and dirty dishes if they have accumulated.
3. 3. Cleaning the coffee table and tidying the entertainment center.
4. 4. Emptying trash receptacles properly, including in the laundry room.

1. 1. Clean the following appliances once per week:
   1. a. Stove top
   2. b. Oven
   3. c. Toaster
   4. d. Toaster oven
   5. e. Water heater
   6. f. Coffee pot
   7. g. Microwave

1. 1. Keeping recyclables and returnables in order.
2. 2. Maintain labels and information about what to recycle.
3. 3. Set out recyclables in time for curbside pickup.
4. 4. Take corrugated cardboard to the recycling center as needed.

1. 1. Return cans as needed and deliver cash to the Finance Officer.

1. 1. Organizing dry food storage areas.
2. 2. Cleaning refrigerators and defrosting and cleaning the freezer
3. 3. Throwing away rotting food.
4. 4. Sweeping and mopping pantry and fridge room

1. 1. Collect all house towels and wash them once per week.
2. 2. Sweep laundry room and empty lint trap on dryer once per week.

1. 1. Sorting and distributing daily mail.
2. 2. Forwarding old member's mail.
3. 3. Tidying mail area. This includes sorting excess paper for recycling.

1. 1. Sweeping and mopping front, middle, and back stairwells weekly.

1. 1. Sweep and mop the upstairs and downstairs hallways weekly.

1. 1. Each member shall be assessed a proportional amount of house expenses each semester.

1. 2. The Finance Officer is to propose a revenue and expense budget for each term at the first house meeting of the term. Once a budget has been passed by membership, that budget shall be the guidelines for the spending policy. An existing budget may be amended by a majority vote at a house meeting. If there is a surplus at the end of the term, then each member's account is to be credited a proportional amount of that surplus. If there is a budget deficit at the end of the term, then each member's account will be charged a proportional amount of deficit.

1. 3. The house Finance Officer shall post a list of member account balances. The schedule of house charges shall coincide with SHC's assessment billing. The Finance Officer shall set the due date for charges three days prior to the due date for the assessment bill. The charges list will be posted by the Finance Officer seven days prior to the due date for rent.

1. 4. If a member owes the house more than 30 days rent, a promissory note shall be made with the member. The house Finance Officer is to follow the guidelines as stipulated in Title 6 of the MSU- SHC Code of Operations. If a member breaks any provision within the promissory note, he/she shall be assessed a $10 fine.

1. 5. If a member owes more than 45 days of rent, then the member's account is to be discussed at the next house meeting and a vote of confidence concerning the member is to be made.

1. 6. Personal appliances can be charged for their additional electricity usage. These are monthly charges with standards currently defined as such: $40 AC units, $25 room heaters, $10 miniature refrigerator. The price for an individual person can change based on a meter reading and a more precise calculation. The finance officer will facilitate these charges and can adjust the standards unilaterally on the basis of a change in electricity costs. Finance Officer must alert the house to these changes during the house meeting before they come into effect.

A member may have a fine charged to their account for the following reasons:

1. 1. Failure of a member to do or complete any one of their jobs.
2. 2. Unexcused absence from SHC Committee meeting, if required within a member's house job description.
3. 3. Non-compliance with the house or SHC finance policy.
4. 4. Unexcused absence from house meetings.
5. 5. Failure to return house keys.

It is suggested that the amount a member is charged for a fine is $10 ($20 for lost keys), which is amendable by the house. A written copy of the fine is to be given to the member and the Finance Officer. If a member is fined for failure to do or complete a house job, then the fine may be credited to any member who completes the job. Every member has the right to challenge any fine at the first house meeting following the issue of a fine.

If any member seeks to purchase items using house funds that are not under the purview of the House Purchasers or needed for regular maintenance and repair by the Maintenance Officer then they shall bring it to vote by the house. To achieve proper house consent for such purposes the following protocols must be followed:

1. 1. A presentation must be made by the member seeking the usage of house funds to purchase an item for the house. The presentation should include: an explanation of what the proposed purchase is, what the usage would be, where it would be bought, the exact cost, and where the funds for that cost would come from. If the proposed expenditure is under $25 then the presentation may be made online with an option to vote it down, otherwise it must be made during a house meeting.
2. 2. If house funds are to be used then the House Finance Officer must inform the house on the status and availability of funds.
3. 3. A vote must be taken to approve or deny the proposed purchase with a two thirds majority at a house meeting that meets quorum. If the vote is held remotely then quorum rules still apply.

The House Finance Officer and Purchasers are the only members implicitly allowed to handle house funds with the Finance Officer having final say. House funds (ex. House card) may be used by others but only when lent out to other members and returned to the Purchasers or the Finance Officer after purchases are made. House funds may be lent out only when following the above protocol. If a purchase is made outside of the proposed cost then the purchaser must pay or reimburse the House on the money spent over the agreed upon budget. If a purchase that is made is either unapproved or a reckless amount over the approved budget then the purchaser must pay it themselves or reimburse the house as well as having their purchasing privileges revoked upon a majority house vote.

1. 1. A member may be expelled from the house for any of the following reasons:
   1. A. Continual non-performance or poor performance of member's jobs.
   2. B. Nonpayment of money owed to Hedrick House.
   3. C. Malicious destruction of another member's property Or Hedrick house Property.
   4. D. Violation of housemate's rights.
   5. E. Use of force or threats of force, including sexual harassment, against house members or guests.
   6. F. Discrimination against any person because of race, gender, handicap, sexual preference, or national origin.

1. 2. If the house wishes to expel a member, then the accused member shall be personally notified in writing of the charges and shall be given a chance to respond at a house meeting before an expulsion vote is cast.

1. 3. A majority vote of all house members holding contracts is necessary to expel a member. This vote must be signed and petitioned listing all charges against a member.

1. 4. Upon passage of the motion to expel a member, the expelled member shall be given 24 hours to indicate when he/she will be leaving. If the person refuses to leave, the membership officer shall ask the SHC staff to initiate formal eviction proceedings in court. During the eviction proceedings, the rights of the expelled member shall be protected by house members. Expelled members may not be held responsible for the vacancy caused by expulsion.

1. 5. Non-renewal of contracts- A new member may be refused renewal of their house contract for any non-discriminatory reason, if a simple majority of the house membership agrees to such action.

House Meetings are biweekly and scheduled by a majority vote. The first house meeting of the term should be held as soon as possible after all members have established residency. A quorum of the members of the house shall consist of two-thirds of the membership. A simple majority of members present at a meeting is required to pass motions. Attendance at house meetings is mandatory for all members. Members will be fined $10 for each unexcused absence after the first.

1. 1. Guests are welcome at Hedrick, unless a majority of the members in the house feels uncomfortable by the presence of the guest. In this case a petition must be signed by the majority of the members in the house. If this happens, a house meeting must be called and, upon a majority vote, a member's guest privileges may be restricted.

1. 2. A guest may stay for a maximum of 5 days, after which a vote by the house is required to extend the guest's stay.

1. 3. A guest may be asked to contribute money and/or work hours.

1. 1. Non-members may apply to be boarders at any Hedrick House meeting. The house will then approve all boarder fees by a majority vote.

1. 2. A fee shall be proposed by the Finance Officer to cover the costs of the boarder for the term at the first house meeting of the term. This fee is to be paid in three installments, due at the 15'~of each month in the term.

1. 3. If a person is approved as a boarder during the term, the Finance Officer shall propose a proportionate amount to be charged to that boarder.

1. 4. Boarders are responsible for 1 credit of dinner duties per week to be performed in conjunction with Hedrick House members. Dinner duties include doing dishes. And are as outlined previously.

1. 1. All plans for pets must be brought up at a house meeting before it is brought in the house.

1. 2. Any member bringing a pet into the house must submit themselves to a two week (Subject to extension) trial period in which other members of the house deem whether or not the pet will be a fair, clean, and unobtrusive addition to Hedrick house.

1. 3. There must be an alternate plan/place to stay for any pet brought into the house just in case it does not get approved after the trial period.

1. 4. Any and all pet allergies must be taken into account when bringing new pets into the house.

1. 5. Any pets brought into the house must be respected and cared for by their owners as well as housemates. Any case of animal mistreatment is a police matter and shall be treated as such.

1. 6. A three fourths majority vote of the house may allow the pet's entrance.

1. 7. Pet owners are responsible for any and all impact their animal has on the house’s day to day operations and environment. Including but not limited to sights, smells, animal droppings, use of house resources, and space needed to house the pet. Ex. Plant destruction

1. 8. No dogs as according the SCH policy.

1. 9. In order to vote a pet out of the house, the members of the house must have a majority vote pro kicking the pet out in order to remove the animal.

The house by-laws may be amended by a two-third majority of all members of Hedrick House in good standing. Notice of changes must be submitted to the SHC office with the signatures of the approving house members for computer revision.

Each departing member shall leave all house keys and forwarding address with the house membership officer. Each departing member shall be responsible for leaving their room clean and free of unnecessary debris for the next member.

If any prospective member is friends with a current housemate who will be renewing their contract for the same year as the prospective member, the house holds the right to deny this potential member on the basis of the friendship clause. Additionally, if two or more prospective members are friends the house holds the right to approve membership to the touree who contacted the membership officer first, and then deny the other potential members. Friendship is to be determined by the house and these situations will be voted on a case by case basis. This is to preserve the community style culture cultivated in Hedrick, and to prevent cliques or “house take-overs”.

Consent: The voluntary, willful, and unambiguous agreement to engage in a specific activity during a specific encounter. Consent cannot be given by someone who is under the influence, being coerced mentally incapable or incapacitated for any reason.

1. 1. Persons must have permission before entering another housemates room or using their belongings
2. 2. Don’t touch persons bodies without consent.
3. 3. Be respectful of other people's belongings including breaking property etc.
4. 4. Ask for consent before venting or unloading on another person in conversation. Emotional baggage or triggers must be consented upon before bringing up in conversation.