SHC Policy Wiki

This constitution supersedes all previous constitutions and all policies at variance with it other than those of the SHC. Except where limited by this constitution and the SHC, members are empowered to make decisions and enact policies independently and with concern for their fellow residents and the well-being of the house and property known as the New Community Cooperative.

1. 1.1 Prospective members shall only become members upon:
   1. i. Applying to the SHC.
   2. ii. Touring the house.
   3. iii. Attending a House event.
   4. iv. Attending a regular House Meeting for a minimum of 1 hour.
   5. v. Being approved by a unanimous vote at a house meeting with a quorum present, or online by a unanimous vote of a majority of current house members.
   6. vi. Making a full payment of their SHC member dues and shares.
   7. vii. Signing a membership agreement.
   8. viii. Establishing residence within the House.

1. in the order listed above. Prospective members must show a willingness to follow the letter of this constitution and agree with all established house norms.

1. 1.2 Any person who agrees to fulfill the conditions of the House membership agreement shall be eligible for membership. No person shall be denied membership on the grounds of race, creed, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, family status, disability, or political preference.

1. 1.3 Members are required to sign membership agreements that coincide with the Spartan Housing Cooperative membership agreement dates, unless otherwise approved by the House and the SHC Board of Directors. All members who join after the beginning of the membership agreement date must pay the complete membership fee and share, but other charges will be made proportional to the amount of time left in the contract year. Members leaving before their membership agreement expires are financially obligated to pay the monthly member assessment and, if needed, the advertising costs to fill their position. This obligation does not expire until a replacement signs a membership agreement.

1. 1.4 Only residents under membership agreement will be considered ‘current members’ and allowed to vote on all matters.

1. 1.5 Unless a prior agreement has been made with the house, once a member fully moves out of New Community any property left behind by them is considered abandoned and becomes the property of the house. One week grace period must be provided. Former residents shall have no expectation of retrieving their abandoned belongings following their departure.

1. 2.1 All New Community members are required to:
   1. 2.1.A Take an active part in the continued operation of New Community House, as defined by house norms.
      1. i. Ensure appropriate and hygienic use of House facilities
      2. ii. Clean up all personal messes left in common areas and wash any dishes used to ensure a habitable and enjoyable living environment.
      3. iii. Actively participate in the physical upkeep of the house and property
   2. 2.1.B Promptly pay monthly charges
   3. 2.1.C Attend all house meetings, unless excused for valid and verified reasons
   4. 2.1.D Obey all rules and policies that New Community House sets
   5. 2.1.E Abide by a Roommate Bill of Rights as follows:
      1. i. Each roommate has the right to privacy and equal use of their room
      2. ii. Each roommate must try to meaningfully accommodate and respect the other’s desires and requests regarding lights, noise, and general use.
      3. iii. A roommate must obtain explicit permission from their roommate to have an overnight guest in the room each time they host a guest.
   6. 2.1.F Abide by the norms voted on at the beginning of each semester
      1. i. Repeated violations of the house norms are grounds for a house-assessed fine or further disciplinary actions should the need arise.
   7. 2.1.G Obey all policies and by-laws of the Spartan Housing Cooperative

1. 2.2 Attendance at meetings is mandatory. Members may be excused from house meetings by submitting written or verbal notice to the House Moderator up to 24 hours prior to any House meeting. Excuses from a House Meeting should be given in as much detail as possible without compromising a member’s right to privacy. Authority is given to the House Moderator to approve and dismiss excuses as they see fit.
   1. 2.2.A If a member wishes to contest an “unexcused” status of their absence, it must be put on the agenda for the next house meeting and be approved by ⅔ of the membership. Each unapproved excuse shall be considered an unexcused absence.
   2. 2.2.B Any unexcused absence from a regular house meeting will result in a fine, with consecutive unexcused absences resulting in compounding fines; the first of these absences is waved, second absence is worth $10, third absence is worth $20. Fines will continue to accrue at a value of $10 for each additional unexcused absence over the course of a member’s current contract, unless otherwise voted on by the membership.
   3. 2.2.C If a member is unexcused and uncommunicative for three or more consecutive meetings, the membership is compelled to file a grievance. Five uncommunicated, unexcused absences over the course of a member’s current contract, consecutive or not, will also result in the membership may vote to evict the member. Eviction of a member shall only pass with a 3/4 majority vote from the membership, and the Member in question must be explicitly informed of such a motion and the results of any vote to evict them.

1. 2.3 Members are required to perform a minimum of 2 weekly chore points of work duty. House chores/jobs must be picked or assigned based on house seniority at either the first or second house meeting of the Fall term. Members are also required to perform a minimum of 15 minutes of dish and kitchen cleaning each week.

1. 2.4 If a house member wishes to prematurely break their membership agreement, it is the member’s responsibility to find a replacement. This responsibility ends on the date the replacing member contractually begins their contract. Any potential new member must meet all New Community House membership conditions. In the case of a double room vacancy the potential new member must be approved by the remaining roommate. Any objections must be written out and submitted to the Membership Officer.
   1. 2.4.A Any member may also “buy out” of their membership agreement by paying 3 months’ worth of dues in advance. The member is then no longer obligated to find a replacement for their membership agreement, and the responsibility falls to the Membership Officer, and then to the house.

1. 3.1 Attendance at all meetings is mandatory for all current members. (See Article 2.2 for exceptions). Meetings must be held bi-weekly and on a regular schedule set at the start of each fall, winter/spring, and summer term, as dictated by the interim schedule for the Spartan Housing Cooperative and the regular move in date for members. This term schedule may be in tandem with the academic calendar for Michigan State University.

1. 3.2 The House is governed under this constitution, and the membership of New Community is empowered to make day-to-day decisions and policies as long as they do not conflict with this constitution, the Spartan Housing Cooperative Code of Operations, By-laws, or decisions of the SHC Board of Directors.
   1. 3.2.A Votes may not pass by less than a majority vote at house meetings, agreed upon house social media, or via other democratic means as defined in this Article. A quorum of current members must be present for voting to take place.
   2. 3.2.B Quorum is defined as 50% of current membership residing in the house plus one. Quorum may be adjusted during the summer period if necessary. Motions passed at regular house meetings with quorum shall be binding on all members, guests, and visitors of the New Community House and property it resides on.

1. 3.3 At the first House Meeting of each term (See Article 3.1), the House shall offer input on a schedule of the term’s house meetings. A schedule must be posted by the House Moderator within a week of this meeting for the remainder of the term.
   1. 3.3.A The House Moderator must try in good faith to post a meeting reminder 48 hours before each meeting and the meeting agenda at least 24 hours before each meeting.
   2. 3.3.B If an agenda has not been posted, a regular House Meeting may not begin.

1. 3.4 Emergency meetings are defined as regular house meetings that are not on the beginning term schedule, and hold the same expectations as outlined in Article 3 but are exempt from Article 2.2.C, unless a 2/3 vote passes to nullify this exemption.
   1. 3.4.A Any member may call an Emergency Meeting.
   2. 3.4.B The membership must take an active part in the operation of New Community House; In the event that the inability to raise quorum has impaired the House’s ability to address issues, the House Moderator, House Board Representative, Finance Officer, Membership Officer, or Chore Checker, may call a Unified House Meeting by posting the time that is believed to be most amenable to the most members possible.
      1. i. If a quorum is still not reached through these efforts, then a 2/3 majority vote of those voting members present is sufficient to pass motions.
      2. ii. Motions passed at an Emergency Meeting or Unified Meeting may be overturned by a simple majority at subsequent regular house meetings where quorum is reached.

1. 3.5 The first regular House meeting of a contract period must be held within ten days of the majority move-in date. This date is to be set at the last meeting of the previous contract period.

1. 3.6 If the previous House Moderator is no longer residing in the house at the first meeting of the new contract year, then any member with meeting facilitation experience may facilitate the first meeting of the semester.

1. 3.7 The following items must be on every House agenda:
   1. 1. Attendance
   2. 2. Fine Appeals
   3. 3. Officer Reports
      1. Finance Officer
      2. Education Officer
      3. Facilities Officer
      4. Membership Officer
      5. Board of Directors Representative
      6. Chore Checker
   4. 4. Announcements
   5. 5. Old Business
   6. 6. New Business/Discussion
   7. 7. Open Forum

1. 3.8 House meetings must not last longer than 2½ hours, unless the meeting is extended by a 2/3 vote of members present.

1. 3.9 The House Moderator (or their stand-in) should encourage relevant discussion, facilitate organized problem solving, and ensure that disputes be settled with civility. In the event that a discussion becomes so enflamed that the House Moderator is struggling to maintain order of a portion of the Membership, they may immediately call for a break, after which time, the membership must vote to continue the same discussion before proceeding.
   1. 3.9.A If the argument becomes unruly again, the discussion will be halted and put on the agenda for the next meeting, if necessary, unless the issue absolutely must be resolved at the current meeting to ensure the continued operation the house, or wellbeing or cohesion of the membership.

1. 3.10 A tie will result in a vote getting tabled until the next meeting. Any outside moderator brought into a meeting shall not count towards quorum and shall not vote.

1. 3.11 Any discussion contained within this agenda item may be tabled by a simple majority vote.

1. 3.12 - House Norms
   1. The house must hold a meeting each term in which they establish or redefine house norms, which shall be defined as a regular house meeting. House norms are to be defined in the most recent “New Community House Norms” document in the House Shared Drive. Membership may impose a penalty based on the severity and importance deemed by the Membership. Violation of the most current established house norms may result in a fine, and/or eviction.

1. 4.1 New Community House must always maintain current house members in the following House Officer positions as outlined by the SHC Code of Operations:
   1. 1. Board of Directors Representative
   2. 2. Finance Officer
   3. 3. Education Officer
   4. 4. Facilities Officer
   5. 5. Membership Officer

1. 4.2 Officers must be elected for each term at the first or second house meeting of the term. Officer descriptions are available within this Article, and this constitution as a whole must be made available to all members from the day of move-in. New Community House Officers must be elected by a majority vote. Officers must serve until they are replaced or recalled (Article 4.3).
   1. 4.2.A Officers are expected to find a temporary replacement if they are unable to reside in the house for a period of over a month, to ensure harmonious operation of the House. This extends responsibilities to cover all periods between house meetings and over breaks.

1. 4.3 An officer may be recalled by a simple majority vote. Recalls must be placed on a meeting agenda. At the meeting, members must express their grievance regarding the performance of the officer in question. The officer may not facilitate the meeting. All recall votes shall remain anonymous.

1. 4.4 All House Officers must prepare a report for each house meeting. The report must include updates and announcements from any meetings they have attended and the current status of house projects or activities they oversee (i.e. Membership Officer should report on vacancies, Facilities Officer should report on projects, Finance should provide reconciliations etc.).
   1. 4.4.A Each must report progress on any committee level work they’ve been tasked with, necessary information for the continued operation and stability of the house and its membership, and any updates on house level projects/ideas.

1. 4.5 The Board of Directors Representative must:
   1. 4.5.A Vote on behalf of New Community house at all meetings of the SHC Board of Directors.
   2. 4.5.B Sit on one of the SHC Board of Directors standing subcommittees.
   3. 4.5.C Be familiar with the governing documents of the SHC and act as a reference point for member questions or concerns with SHC policy and practice.
   4. 4.5.D Provide clarity on SHC and house policy at house meetings.
   5. 4.5.E Provide board and policy updates at house meetings.
   6. 4.5.F Facilitate discussions to amend the House Constitution.
   7. 4.5.G Provide updates to the New Community Constitution on the policy wiki whenever amendments are made.
   8. 4.5.H Help the Education and Membership Officer resolve any disputes among the membership as needed.
   9. 4.5.I Understand the definition of harassment and work to fulfill conflict resolution obligations.
   10. 4.5.J Help maintain the house Shared Drive.
   11. 4.5.K Be available to speak with authorities during an emergency. If the Board Representative is under the age of 21 or is be unavailable during an emergency, they must assign a replacement ahead of time to speak with the authorities during a house event or party (See Article 11).
   12. 4.5.L Hold seniority in the House, if possible.
   13. 4.5.M Receive 2 chore credit points per week.

1. 4.6 The Finance Officer must:
   1. 4.6.A Serve on the SHC Finance Committee and attend each meeting or send a substitute.
   2. 4.6.B Reports to the house. Reports must include any updates resulting from Finance Committee discussions.
   3. 4.6.C Formulate the term budget immediately after the first house meeting of each term, using input from the Corporate Treasurer. This formal budget must be on the agenda of the second house meeting of the term. The budget must pass by a 2/3 majority of the current house membership and all members must sign the budget in agreement.
   4. 4.6.D Pay all House bills by the due date, or else the house may vote to charge the Finance Officer the equivalent of any late fines or reinstallations fees incurred due to late payment (must pass with a majority vote at a house meeting).
   5. 4.6.E Keep the house checkbook(s) for the appropriate year. They must ensure that the checkbook for the inactive year is held at the SHC. They may also distribute a checkbook or debit card to the House Shopper, if they are a signer on the New Community bank account.
   6. 4.6.F Be given all receipts by the House Shopper to complete the House Reconciliation by the first of each month (for the previous month).
   7. 4.6.G Make the House records available to any member who wishes to see them. This includes posting a copy of the semester budget on house communication channels and the New Community Shared Drive.
   8. 4.6.H The Finance Officer must also make the records available to the SHC Finance Manager and Corporate Treasurer if necessary.
   9. 4.6.I The Finance Officer shall be responsible for any fines imposed upon the House due to negligence in attending committee meetings.
   10. 4.6.J Keep track of all recycling money and keep it in a secure location.
   11. 4.6.K Be given all records of fines and credits from the Chore Checker at the end of each month and be notified of members who have missed meetings from the House Moderator and House Board Representative for appropriate fining or crediting on the Charge Sheet.
   12. 4.6.L Post the Charge Sheet on house social media before the end of each month, so that members know how much rent to pay. The officer must also submit the Charge Sheet to the Members Services Coordinator before the end of the month. This also serves as a way to alert the house of any member who hasn’t paid rent or has incurred house fines.
   13. 4.6.M Receive 2 chore credit points each week.

1. 4.7 The Education Officer must:
   1. 4.7.A Attend all Education committee meetings or send a replacement.
   2. 4.7.B Educate members about cooperative living, principles, and values, as well as the history of New Community House.
   3. 4.7.C Provide education reports to the house, including what the committee has been working on as a group and the education officer role on these projects.
   4. 4.7.D Contribute to or coordinate the contributions of New Community House to the Pine Press.
   5. 4.7.E Work as a Conflict Manager and help the House Board Representative and Membership Officer to resolve any disputes among the membership.
   6. 4.7.F Update the house on the Pine Press, important points from committee discussions, as well as upcoming committee events (volunteer days, educational events and professional development opportunities).
   7. 4.7.G Assist the Board Representative in reviewing the House Constitution at the beginning of each term and suggest any changes that they feel fit to the Membership for approval at the norms meeting. If no changes are to be made to the constitution, then the current constitution should be approved at that meeting, or input should be taken from the membership if they do not approve. The Education Officer must continue to present changes at the meetings until the membership approves them by a 2/3 majority.
   8. 4.7.I Be able to open the floor for house discussion/education on topics that the Education Committee works on (e.g. consent, bystander intervention, sustainability, mental health) and receive input from housemates. Along with the Membership Officer, they should be able to lead discussions on house culture/health when necessary.
   9. 4.7.J Encourage and lead members in adding to the House’s culture, norms and history
   10. 4.7.L Take minutes at every regular House meeting and post them to house social media after the meeting.
   11. 4.7.M Receive 2 chore credit points per week.
   12. 4.7.N Provide updates to the New Community Constitution on the policy wiki whenever amendments are made.

1. 4.8 The Facilities Officer must:
   1. 4.8.A Be responsible for the maintenance and physical upkeep of the House.
   2. 4.8.B Attend all SHC Facilities Committee meetings or send a replacement. Any fine due to non-attendance must be charged to their account.
   3. 4.8.C Report on recent discussions of the Facilities Committee and should be able to navigate and share access to documentation within Facilities Shared Drive.
   4. 4.8.D Keep a complete set of duplicate keys in a place that is secure, but accessible to all housemates.
   5. 4.8.E Ensure that all House duties that involve maintenance are done in a proper fashion. The Chore Checker will be notified of any negligence, and they may issue a warning. Further negligence will result in a fine.
   6. 4.8.F Determine the need for all maintenance supplies. The Facilities Officer is authorized to spend House maintenance funds, with prior consent given by a quorum vote of the house for any purchases over $50. The budget should be brought to a meeting to discuss funding by the Finance Officer.
   7. 4.8.G Notify the SHC office of any maintenance problems that are outside the scope of the ‘s ability to solve.
   8. 4.8.H Be able to answer code-related questions regarding appliances, maintenance, and physical development.
   9. 4.8.I Consult with the House Finance Officer to determine the budget.
   10. 4.8.J Be a point of reference for minor preventative maintenance.
   11. 4.8.K Prepare for the Fire and City inspections. This entails attending the inspection dates with city officials and taking the initiative to bring the house into compliance.
   12. 4.8.L Ensure that all of the smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in the House are in proper working condition, and that the House has the proper distribution of them.
   13. 4.8.M Inform the membership of and post an emergency fire escape plan in a common area.
   14. 4.8.N Be aware of and able to inform their house on major SHC capital improvement projects/budgets.
   15. 4.8.O Inspect rooms each time someone moves out and keep a record of their condition, with the help of the Interim Coordinator, and inform SHC maintenance.
   16. 4.8.P Serve as a backup to the Interim Coordinator in making certain all members have room and House keys.
   17. 4.8.Q Receive 2 chore credit points per week.

1. 4.9 The Membership Officer must:
   1. 4.9.A Support the ongoing effort to keep the House at full capacity. The importance of this task cannot be overemphasized.
   2. 4.9.B Ensure that prospective members meet the qualifications for open membership and understand costs and responsibilities.
   3. 4.9.C Schedule & conduct tours, membership events, and invite tourees (prospective members) to meetings. (However, any member can give a tour to a prospective member). Whenever possible, the Membership Officer must notify House membership when a prospective member will be at the House 12 hours prior to their arrival.
   4. 4.9.D Attend all SHC Membership Committee meetings to learn and share knowledge of how to find new members. They may send a substitute to meetings but will be charged for any fines resulting from non-attendance.
   5. 4.9.E Report on events being planned (especially mandatory events), dates for the next New Member Orientation and All Member Party, and status of house vacancies/spots filled.
   6. 4.9.F Put new members’ names on the appropriate mail slot.
   7. 4.9.G Understand the policies enforced upon the house, as it is in their job description to assist the SHC Vice President of Membership in implementing them.
   8. 4.9.H Understand the definition of harassment and must work, with the officers and positions outlined in Article 8, in fulfilling the obligations of the Harassment Policy if the need arises.
   9. 4.9.I Work as a Conflict Manager and help the House Board Representative and Education Officer to resolve any disputes among the membership.
   10. 4.9.J Lead discussions on House culture/health, when necessary.
   11. 4.9.K Schedule room picks and keep track of house seniority, as laid out in Article 7.
   12. 4.9.L Maintain a record of House pet agreements and records (Article 10.8).
   13. 4.9.O Receive 2 chore credit points.

1. 4.10: During their tenure, all officers must also,
   1. 4.10.A Assist in finding a replacement for their role if they are recalled, step down, or otherwise leave their position as an officer for New Community.
   2. 4.10.B Leave behind am accurate, well-maintained and archive of meeting information.
   3. 4.10.C Educate any member replacing them in their officer position and provide them with access to relevant training opportunities and resources.
      1. i. Important contacts at the SHC and other houses within the SHC
      2. ii. Turn over any necessary or relevant documents or information that would assist the new officer in succeeding in their role
      3. iii. Bring new officers up to speed on any current projects, events, or current happenings relevant to their role, the house, their committee or subcommittee, or the Spartan Housing Cooperative operations at large.

1. 5.1 General Guidelines: As stated in Article 2.4, members are required to perform 2 weekly chore credit points assigned by the Chore Checker on a weekly basis. Each chore is worth 1 chore point unless otherwise specified. House chores are assigned at the first meeting of each semester. Chores should be assigned as needed and may vary from term to term. The house may vote to establish any other chores or change chore descriptions as it deems necessary. The general purpose of chores is to provide a habitable, clean, and pleasant living space.

1. 5.2 Fines and Chore Stealing: Chores are to be completed on a weekly basis (Monday – Sunday). Failure by any member to complete chores in a timely manner is subject to fines. Members may request a 24-hr extension from the chore checker. Failure to communicate with the chore checker will result in the chore being available to ‘steal’ on the Monday of the following week. The member ‘stealing’ the chore will receive a chore credit equivalent to the base chore fine (currently $5).
   1. 5.2.A All members are automatically fined for negligence or tardiness of work duties. This fine system shall be $5 for the first offense and compound an additional $5 for each consecutive offense ($10, $15, $20, etc.), unless otherwise altered by a simple majority vote at a house meeting.
   2. 5.2.B If a member fails to complete their assigned chores for more than 3 consecutive weeks, the membership of New Community is compelled to file a formal grievance or increase fines.
   3. 5.2.C All fines are assessed by the Chore Checker and reported to the Finance Officer at the end of the month.
   4. 5.2.D If a member will not be regularly residing in the house for a period greater than one week, they shall complete their chores immediately preceding their departure and following their return. Notification of absences for chores shall be given at the house meeting prior to the member’s departure to allow for the chore to be completed during the absence.
   5. 5.2.E Suspected abuse of chore extensions may be brought forward by the Chore Checker at a house meeting, and the house may vote to revoke chore extension privileges to the member in question and levy fines.
   6. 5.2.F Any member may switch chores with another member, but failure to complete a chore will result in a fine to the member originally assigned to the chore, unless the Chore Checker was made aware of the switch before chores were due.

1. 5.3 Chore Positions, Points, and Responsibilities, each to be worth one (1) chore point, as established in Article 5.1, are defined by the following, where
   1. 5.3.A the Chore Checker (1) must,
      1. ·Conduct chore appointment ritual by seniority every semester.
      2. ·Ensure new members know how to do their chores, when to do them, and what the repercussions will be if they fail to do them.
      3. ·Prepares and posts labor schedules. Checks schedules weekly to ensure labor completion.
      4. ·Assesses fines and reports them to the finance officer near the end of every month.
      5. ·And organize work weeks once a term.

1. 5.3.B the House Shopper (1) must,
   1. ·Purchase only house supplies determined by the membership.
   2. ·Consult with the Finance Officer to determine an appropriate food budget, at the start of each term. The House Shopper’s shall only spend house funds within the constraints of the voted upon budget.
   3. ·Be a signer on the New Community Bank Accounts. If they choose to use a house checkbook/card instead of paying on their own and being reimbursed.
   4. ·Establish, post, and stick to a consistent schedule for shopping.
   5. ·Be responsible for keeping necessary food and cleaning supplies in stock.
   6. ·Work with Facilities Officers to purchase relevant supplies.
   7. ·Work with SHC and other house stewards and buyers when necessary.
   8. ·Use fund collected from the deposit of bottles and cans to offset budget costs.
   9. ·Attempt to accommodate the requests of the membership by buying requested items, whenever budgetarily possible and beneficial to members.
   10. ·And organize and submit all receipts to the Finance Officer no later than 2 days after house purchases, which must be itemized to the best of the house shoppers ability, regardless of the medium of purchase.
2. 5.3.C the House Moderator (1) must,
   1. ·Provide a template for house meeting notes and post it on the House Social Media prior to every meeting, allowing for members to add items to the agenda
   2. ·Act as the facilitator for house meetings
   3. ·Ensure, alongside the Chore Checker, the performance of duties and etiquette of officers and membership within meetings,
   4. ·And remind members of the house meetings at least 48 hours before the meeting.
3. 5.3.D the Trash Managers (2) must,
   1. ·Maintain a sanitary kitchen waste and disposal environment
   2. ·Empty the kitchen trash bin as needed
   3. ·Empty the kitchen compost bin at least once a week and as needed
   4. ·Assist in maintaining the outdoor compost pile
   5. ·And be responsible for keeping track of the trash bag supply and notifying the house shopper when supply runs low.
4. 5.3.E the Recycling Manager (1) must,
   1. ·Organize and maintains the recycling station in the kitchen
   2. ·Keep posted recycling guidelines for members.
   3. ·Empty indoor recycling bins into the outdoor bins weekly and as needed.
   4. ·Move recycling curbside bins out for pickup every other week (based on the city collection schedule: Tuesday Night)
   5. ·And take returnable items (i.e. bottles and cans) to the store and gives resulting vouchers to the Finance Officer
5. 5.3.F the Groundskeepers (2) must
   1. ·Mow, rake, weed, shovel, and otherwise maintain the exterior of the house and surrounding property. Failure to maintain the property in accordance with the East Lansing Municipal Code will result in fines to the groundskeeper equal to any fines levied by the City of East Lansing against New Community.
   2. ·Water plants the garden as needed.
   3. ·Maintain the integrity and wellbeing of the shared shed.
   4. ·Keep the exterior of the house and property clean and healthy in accordance with the wishes of the membership, including de-icing/salting all walkways.
   5. ·And coordinate and request assistance from other members in completing groundskeeping duties in the event that groundskeepers are unable to complete duties or the wishes of the membership without additional assistance.
6. 5.3.J the General Cleaners must continually keep various sections of the house clean and free of clutter and debris. Cleaners should vacuum, sweep, empty trash, disinfect surfaces, organize or discard clutter, and mop as appropriate.
   1. i. Hallways (1)
      1. ·The Hallway General Cleaner is responsible for all walkways and stairways not otherwise designated by another chore or General Cleaner role.
   2. ii. Kitchen (2-3)
      1. ·The Kitchen General Cleaners are responsible for ensuring the kitchen, pantry, cabinets, countertops, ovens/stoves, and dining area are clean and not in disarray and are compelled to ensure that any individual messes are cleaned by the individuals responsible.
      2. ·The Kitchen General Cleaner may not use any of their dish day duties to mark their General Cleaning role complete.
   3. iii. Airlock (1)
      1. ·The Airlock General Cleaner is also responsible for maintaining the proper order of any house plants in the indoor plant bed and is responsible for keeping the bike garage accessible and walkable.
   4. iv. Living Room (1)
   5. v. Bar/Mail Room (1)
      1. •The Bar/Mail Room General Cleaner is additionally responsible for bringing in and sorting mail and packages for members of the house and discarding any junk mail.
   6. vi. Basement (1)
      1. ·The Basement General Cleaner is additionally responsible for maintaining the organization of the storage room and ensuring that necessary items are stocked to complete general maintenance and requested maintenance projects by the membership, especially the Finance Officer.
   7. vii. Laundry (1)
      1. •The Laundry is additionally responsible for collecting and washing house laundry twice a month. This includes bathroom hand towels, kitchen towels, cleaning rags, etc.
7. 5.3.K the SHC Office Laborer(s) (2) must
   1. ·fulfill any SHC-imposed labor requirements.
   2. ·And remain responsible solely for any fines levied by the SHC for negligence of office labor requirements, unless the membership of New Community votes to wave Office Labor duties for the term, which must be voted upon at the beginning of each term.

1. 5.4 Dish Days
   1. 5.4.A All members are responsible for completing one dish day each week, with days to be assigned, after chores have been assigned, at the beginning of each term. Dish day assignments are chosen by seniority, but most not be scheduled in such a way that it conflicts with other required duties.
   2. 5.4.B On their dish day, members are responsible for putting away dishes on the drying rack, cleaning the dish area and racks, cleaning the sinks and sink nets, cleaning “shame clipped” dishes, and organizing dishes for a minimum of 20 minutes.
   3. 5.4.C After completion of their dish day, members must sign the dishes dry erase board on their assigned day. If they do their dishes early or late, they must still sign in their assigned day slot with the date completed.
   4. 5.4.D Dish days are subject to the same fine rules as regular chores.

1. 5.5 Bathrooms
   1. 5.5.A Members that regularly use each bathroom should determine a cleaning schedule amongst themselves at the beginning of each term.
   2. 5.5.B Bathroom cleaners should clean and sanitize the toilet, sink, shower and mirror, clean the fan as needed, empty the trash and restock toilet paper, paper towels, and soap. Floor mats and guff towels must be brought to the washing room and must be washed at least bi-weekly.

1. 6.1 House jobs are assigned at the first meeting of each semester. House labor should be assigned as needed and may vary from semester to semester. The house may establish any other jobs or change the job description as it deems necessary. The general purpose of jobs is to maintain an adequate level of sanitation in shared spaces, create a pleasant living atmosphere for residents, and inspire cooperation amongst members of New Community.
   1. 6.1.1 Jobs Manager (1)
      1. a. Conducts job appointment ritual by seniority every semester.
      2. b. Prepares and posts labor schedules. Checks schedules weekly to ensure labor completion.
      3. c. Assesses fines and reports them at house meetings.
   2. 6.1.2 House Shopper (1)
      1. a. Purchases all house supplies as determined by the house, keeping to the weekly budget amounts as closely as possible.
      2. b. Establishes, posts, and maintains a generally consistent schedule for shopping.
      3. c. Responsible for keeping necessary food and cleaning supplies in stock.
      4. d. Works with Maintenance Officers to purchase relevant supplies.
      5. e. Uses bottles and can deposits to offset costs from the budget.
   3. 6.1.3 Moderator (1)
      1. a. Creates a template for house meeting notes and posts it to house social media prior to every meeting, so members may add agenda items.
      2. b. Takes detailed notes during house meetings and posts them after the meeting in the Facebook group.
      3. c. Reminds members multiple times through social media of the house meetings (minimum once per week), giving at least three days notice.
      4. d. Files constitution amendments to this constitution conditional to §12.1
   4. 6.1.4 Trash Manager (2)
      1. a. Empties the kitchen trash and compost bins when full or as needed.
   5. 6.1.5 Recycling Manager (1)
      1. a. Organizes and maintains the kitchen recycling station.
      2. b. Posts recycling guidelines for members.
      3. c. Runs recycling to the MSU Recycling Center on a weekly basis or uses East Lansing Recycling curbside service.
      4. d. Takes returnables (bottles and cans) to the store and gives resulting vouchers to the House Shopper.
   6. 6.1.6 Groundskeepers (2)
      1. a. Mows, rakes, waters and weeds the garden; shovels snow, when applicable.
      2. b. Keeps the yard clean in general.
   7. 6.1.7 General Cleaners
      1. 6.1.7.1 General cleaners are assigned to clean various sections of the house at different times of the week. Cleaners should vacuum, sweep, empty trash, disinfect surfaces, organize clutter, and mop where appropriate.
         1. a. Hallways
         2. b. Kitchen
         3. c. Airlock
         4. d. Living Room
         5. e. Bar/Mail Room
         6. f. Basement/Laundry
            1. i. Washes house blankets, bath rugs, towels, etc. as needed
   8. 6.1.8. SHC House Labor
      1. 1. It is an obligation of the house to fulfill any SHC-imposed labor requirements. (e.g. Office Labor).
2. 6.2 House jobs are assigned at the first meeting of each semester. House labor should be assigned as needed and may vary from semester to semester. The house may establish any other jobs or change job description as it deems necessary. The general purpose of jobs is to provide a clean, pleasant house.
   1. 6.2.1 Dish Days
      1. a. All members will hold one dish day per week.
      2. b. On their dish day, members are responsible for washing, drying, and putting away house dishes for a minimum of 15 minutes.
      3. c. If needed, dish day duties may be completed one day in advance or one day late.
      4. d. After completion of their dish day, members must sign the dishes dry erase board on their assigned day. If they do their dishes early or late, they must still sign in their assigned day, along with the date completed.
   2. 6.2.2 Bathrooms
      1. a. Each bathroom’s cleaning schedule will be determined amongst the members who use that bathroom most regularly.
      2. b. Bathroom cleaners should clean the toilet, sink, shower and mirror, empty the trash and restock toilet paper, paper towels, and soap. Floor mats and guff towels must be washed weekly.

1. 7.1 Parking spots are determined by seniority at the first house meeting of the semester.
   1. 7.1.1 If there are remaining unclaimed spots, they shall be considered guest spots.
2. 7.2 Members must notify the house if a guest is using parking if parked longer than 8 hours.

1. 8.1 A current member may not sign a second housing contract until they come before the current membership and explain their need or want for the second contract. This must then be voted on whether or not to allow the signing of a second contract.
2. 8.2 The decision of room picks will be based on seniority. This will proceed as follows, in order of importance:
   1. a. Any member may claim the room that member currently resides in for the following contract period at the time room picks occurs. This occurs regardless of seniority, and that room shall not be available to any other member during the room picks proceedings.
   2. b. After members may choose to claim the room they currently reside in, seniority (see Article IV) determines the order of room picks.
   3. c. Any member who chooses a double may choose their roommate regardless of where that roommate may fall in the order of room picks.

1. 9.1 A party shall be defined as an official house gathering that is voted on by the house members and as defined in the SHC Party Policy in the SHC Code of Operations. This status requires that house members recognize and follow the specific traits and responsibilities described in this section of the house constitution as well as those of the SHC Party Policy in the SHC Code of Operations.
2. 9.2 All house parties must be proposed at a house meeting and voted on and approved by at least a simple majority.
3. 9.3 Party Participation:
   1. a. A house member voting yes may enjoy the full privileges enjoyed as a host of the party as well as shared responsibility of any damages, fines, legal action, or any other negative ramifications resulting from the party, and must comply with §9.3.d.
   2. b. A house member voting no or abstaining from the vote will be expected not to attend and will be exempt from any shared responsibility; if the member later chooses to attend, they assume the privileges and shared responsibilities of a house member voting yes (see §9.3.a).
   3. c. In the event of a dispute concerning a members' attendance, their participation and assumption of responsibility will be decided by simple majority vote at a house meeting.
   4. d. The house members who vote yes or choose to participate in the party must also participate in the set-up and clean-up of the party. Failure to participate is considered an additional fineable offense (see §3.2) and will be fined as such.
4. 9.4 A party is subject to being stopped or canceled at any moment due to medical, legal, or any other situations where the welfare or safety of the house or its members is at risk. A party is not subject to being stopped or canceled due to personal reasons that lie outside of the reasons listed above.
5. 9.5 A party may only be approved once a “sober representative” is appointed by a simple majority. The member must be in attendance for the entirety of the party and is not beholden to §9.3.a. In the event emergency services arrive (i.e. police, fire), a fire alarm goes off, or a member’s health at risk, the sober rep. is designated to talk with all emergency personal. The sober rep. is granted power to stop or cancel the party as they see fit in accordance with §9.4.

1. 10.1 Each member is responsible for the actions of their accompanying guest(s) and making sure that their guest(s) has been made aware of house norms.
2. 10.2 A guest may not be left alone in the house without house approval.
3. 10.3 A guest may stay in a resident’s room for up to two weeks. After two weeks, the guest must be voted on and pass with quorum (half of membership +1) or is required to leave.
4. 10.4 A guest may stay in the common room for up to three nights, the membership is to be informed of the guest through house social media. A guest staying longer than three nights will need approval of a majority of members.
5. 10.5 Voting on guests staying longer than the approved limits established in numbers in §10.3 and §10.4 may happen at a house meeting or through social media poll.
6. 10.6 A guest may stay and attend house meetings in their entirety until open floor discussion. Any guest, including potential housemates, are expected to leave the room for this part of house meetings.

1. 11.1 All uncaged pets residing in the house must be discussed and voted in by simple majority at a house meeting before it is brought into and allowed to reside in the house.
2. 11.2 Any and all pet allergies must be considered when bringing new pets into the house.
3. 11.3 Pet owners are responsible for any and all impact their animal has on the house’s day to day operations and environment. This includes, but is not limited to, sights, smells, animal droppings, use of house resources, space needed to house the pet, and any damages incurred.
4. 11.4 A limit of two uncaged animals residing in the house will not be exceeded as per SHC policy (not more than 1 per 7 members).

1. 12.1 This constitution may be amended at a regularly scheduled house meeting by a majority of members present; amendments shall be filed with the SHC by the appointed house moderator (see §6.1.3) and a new copy of the constitution should be compiled for the house to record past changes.