Redbud Cooperative is governed by a house consitution which is periodically reviewed and updated. House members are responsible for a number of tasks, including but not limited to cook groups, house improvement projects (HIP), and weekly chores. Detailed house rules and regulations can be found within the constitution, additionally presented here.
[Proposed and Passed March 2006] [Amended 11 September 2022]
The House Rules are a record of policies and practices evolved since Redbud was founded in 1956. They represent the accumulated wisdom of generations of house members1 in their efforts to run a successful house. Matters of procedure mimic those found in the Bylaws of Von Cramm, Inc. In an instance where House Rules are found to conflict with the Bylaws, the instance shall proceed in favor of the Bylaws and a note shall be made. The conflict will then be resolved through amendment of either the Rules or Bylaws.
Membership to reside in Von Cramm Hall is open to all full-time Cornell students, undergraduate and graduate.
Admission to reside in Von Cramm Hall for the following academic year is done via a random lottery system. In this system, potential house members14 are pulled out of a hat or randomly chosen with a computer program where each candidate has an equal probability of being chosen over other candidates.1 In order to enter the selection system for a room in Von Cramm Hall, all prospective house members14 must submit a questionnaire or have an oral interview with the current President and go through "Mosey." Mosey consists of at least:2
Any potential house member14 may be taken out of the selection pool if a current house member privately or publicly raises a serious concern about living with said potential house member14 to an officer or the house.4 The President has the authority to waive Mosey requirements if the situation is appropriate; for example, if those applying do not currently reside in Ithaca, or if the selection is less than a few days away. Normally, two people help the President with Mosey as their house projects.
The selection process should generate a selection list. It is recommended that the mosey selection take place in a public location, so that the lottery can be monitored by other house members.13 After the selection, which current house members14 are invited to participate in, people are contacted and given two days to confirm they will move in. If they don't, the spot will be offered to others, based on the selection list. In the spirit of fairness, no current house member may try to push up a waitlisted member- the waitlist operates strictly on the ordered list.7 If the list is exhausted, admission becomes first-come first-served, and the Mosey requirements may be dropped.8
For the spring semester, the President fills any potential vacancies using the above guidelines, but generally a full mosey process is not conducted. It is suggested that in the fall, when filling spots for the spring, the President remembers to reserve spots for various student populations (international, graduate, and transfer students) in the tradition of keeping Redbud a diverse and international community and that the President keep members informed of the mosey process.9
In summer, past, present, and house members14 with future contracts are given preference for residing in the house. Remaining spaces may be filled on a first-come, first-served basis by non-house members14 who are affiliated with Cornell (e.g. taking summer courses, participating in a Cornell internship, involved in a Cornell-sponsored summer program, etc.) See Appendix A for summer housing contract and additional information regarding summer housing.10
This rule was established because of people with no true connection to the house causing damage or stealing. Exceptions to the rule should be undertaken only after discussion, by vote, and with some alternate plan to prevent problems.
Every time a spot in a room opens, the spot is given to the house member8 with the most points who desires it. No one can occupy more than one room – if more than one person ties in points and they want the same spot or spots, a random lottery takes place to rank them, and they choose their spots in order. Generally, if spots open later, the same order is used to offer it to them until the list gets lost (a new list is made the following semester when there is a new round of room selections).
As long as a house member8 does their HIP for the semester (assuming they're not exempt because of officer status), they are given squatter's rights.1
There are currently 19 singles and 6 doubles, and 1 triple in the house. The apartment counts as a triple, with its adjoining room, a double.
The need may arise to change the room location of members based on needs of the house (usually to rearrange to give space to prospective members needed to fill the house, after the room selection and even moving in has been done). The potential room changes will first be based on house points and subsequently decided by drawing out of a hat.
See Meal Plan section of the house rules.
The house supplies a desk, a mattress, a bed-frame, a desk lamp, a chair, a trash can, a recycling bin, blinds, a dresser, and a closet. Painting the nice wooden doors is not allowed, and is against fire codes.
Parking lot spaces in front of the house are owned by Cornell. Redbud9 will pay for up to two parking spaces to house members8 who will lend their car for officer duties. Officers, particularly one steward and one HM, have priority for claiming the parking passes. If officers do not claim the parking passes, another house member may claim the parking pass.7
Use of the washing machine and dryer is included in housing charges and detergent is PC. People not living in the house must pay $15 dollars a semester for use of the laundry facilities.
Procedure for who has the say about which program to watch is that the first person there can dictate what show to watch, at least for the duration of the program. People may reserve any time they wish to watch a program or use the projector in the future. The projector must remain in public rooms.3
The house has a PC computer. House members8 may reserve up to seven hours per week of computer time. If someone wants to use the computer but does not have reserve time, and someone is on but it's not reserved, a one-hour waiting list may be initiated. The house provides toner and printer paper.4
Von Cramm Hall has space for storage in the attic as well as some closets. Belongings must be labeled with names and dates. House members8 that move out have two summers to clear out their stuff. Two letters will be sent to the people reminding them during the second summer (provided we have their contact info), and then the stuff will be PC-ed, taken to Salvation Army, or trashed. A person who has already moved out, but who wishes to come back and store items, should ask permission from the present membership. Only past, future, summer, and current house members8 can store their belongings in the house.5
A visitor planning to sleep in the living room overnight should seek house permission at a meeting or at dinner. Old house members8 coming to visit should be informed6 of this policy, but not kicked out.
Meals are provided starting after house cleanup and ending somewhere toward the end of study week, skipping school holidays, as decided by stewards. Dinners are served Sunday at 6:00pm and Monday through Friday at 7:00 pm. People who cannot make it to the meal can request that a "save plate" be labeled and set aside for them.1 In addition, house ,members and meal planners10 can munch on "PC food". Leftovers are PC. Save plates become PC after 1 pm the next day. It has always been the policy that every meal contains a complete meal for vegetarians, so that if a meat dish is provided, an alternative vegetarian meal should be provided as well. It will be the policy that stewards will make their best attempt to accommodate all dietary restrictions.2 It is customary to serve meat two days a week.
The meal plan is a significant part of membership at the house, so all house members are required to be on the meal plan, except in the case of extenuating circumstances (e.g. disability, severe illness or allergy). House members who wish to be taken off the meal plan in that case must contact the stewards and the President, and they will be reimbursed for the cost of the meal plan, and will not be able to access any part of the meal plan. This includes PC food from cook groups and any staples.9
House members (and persons on the meal plan) must cook once a week (starting 2.5 hours before each meal) and clean after the meal. Also, that cooking group is responsible for doing late night.3 Late night is to be completed before 5am of the next day. At the beginning of each semester, the house may decide by vote between what hours exactly late night should be done.4 Some house officers are exempt from cooking groups (see house officers’ responsibilities). If all cooking slots are filled, there will be floaters who bake and cook recipes provided by the stewards outside of normal cook groups.
The cost of the meal plan for out-of-house persons is the same if they choose to cook and is additional money if they choose not to cook. Stewards at the beginning of the semester can choose the higher cost, and it should be approximately equal to minimum wage 3.5 hours/week the number of weeks of the semester’s meal plan + the normal cost of the meal plan. This additional cost is to ensure that the labor of house members is valued.5 It has been suggested that the meal plan be limited to a maximum of 50 people.
Weekly cook groups, floater positions, or cleaning crew positions are a major responsibility of the meal plan. Failure to complete this responsibility earns the member an infraction. In the case of external meal planners, the same consequences apply but only in relationship to their involvement with the meal plan. For example, accruing three infractions means that the external meal planner will not be permitted to join the meal plan the following semester. Additionally, if an external meal planner receives 3 infractions, they are not awarded Redbud house points. Infractions are given immediately following the missed shift. If a substantial amount of the shift is missed but not the entire time (ex. Missing two hours or not attending late night), a half infraction may be given. Stewards assign these infractions, and cook group members can alert stewards or another officer when a member misses a shift. Infractions must be awarded within a week of the missed shift.
Members of the meal plan may choose to make up their first meal plan infraction8 and get it removed from their record. To do so, they may either make an arrangement with the people on their cook group (a potential option is to do late night by themselves). Or they may sub for two shifts that are looking for a substitute; in this case, the shift of the person making up for their infraction cannot be taken by the person looking for a sub (this is not a 1:1 switch). The person whose shift is taken up by someone making up an infraction will not be switching with the person who is making up an infraction. It is still required, however, that the person whose shift is taken up by the person making up an infraction will join a cook group within two weeks of the substitution (or at the discretion of the stewards). It is the duty of the meal planner with the infraction to communicate with the stewards when and how they are making up for the infraction, otherwise the infraction cannot be removed. Infractions can be made up only during the semester they are given up until the last meal, and they become permanent after this point.
There are exceptions to this infraction rule based on illness and prelims. In the case of illness—either physical or mental—an infraction may not be given so long as a reasonable effort to find a substitute is made. In respect to mental illness, a reasonable effort might be to inform the stewards 10 minutes before the start of cook group that you are unable to make your shift. In respect to physical illness, a minimum reasonable effort is to send an email to the house with 24 hours notice or at the start of your illness. In the case of a prelim, a house member may receive an infraction, but so long as they sent the listserv an email with at least a week’s notice, they may erase the infraction by doing only one additional cook group. Any further extenuating circumstances are at the discretion of the stewards.6
All meat that is used for dinners should be locally sourced. Stewards will be responsible for finding and purchasing meat from farms within 100 miles of Von Cramm Hall. Stewards may decide on the criteria for what farms to choose—but it is recommended that they choose small farms that espouse sustainable land management (grass-fed, organic, etc.) and fair working conditions. Exceptions can be made when the type of meat desired is not locally available. This does not apply to staples available for lunch and other meals.
The treasurer should keep track of meat purchases and compare prices to those of non-local meat available at Wegmans. The additional cost of buying local and sustainable food can be subsidized by income from summer rent. No more than 1/6 of summer income can be spent on this per semester—if costs rise above this cap residents must decide whether to abandon the local meat option for the semester or to temporarily increase 6 costs.7
See Meal Plan section of the house rules.
House members are expected to do a house job and do it well. The jobs are expected to take up to 1.5 hours a week. The house manager posts signup sheets with people's names ordered randomly.1 Halfway through the semester, another signup sheet goes up, with the names reversed. Permission has been granted to the house manager to produce a "shame list" of those members who have not done their house job for at least two weeks.
It is required that each resident complete an eight-hour House Improvement Project per semester by 7 days after the last day of exams.27 If a HIP is not done for a semester (excluding exempt officers), 2.5 infractions will be issued. The house member28 can make up the HIP within a semester to remove the infractions from their record.24
Anyone on meal plan who does not live in Von Cramm Hall will be given the door code. Every house member28, upon leaving, is expected to return any room keys. Otherwise, $20 per key will be taken out of the returned incidental fee. If the house manager decides that the lock must be changed, that cost will be deducted from the incidental fee as well.3 Every house member28, upon moving into their room is required to fill out a Room Inventory & Condition (RIC) form.24 Every house member28, upon moving out of a room, is expected to return room keys to an officer and to arrange to have an officer conduct a brief inspection of the room to ensure the room is left in good order. Failure to fulfill responsibility to have this inspection conducted will result in a $200 fine.45 Leaving a room trashed or with extensive damage as determined by the officer team (excluding any damage asserted by the resident in their RIC form) will result in a $40 fine. The fine for leaving a room trashed or with extensive damage and the fine for failing to conduct an inspection will be billed through Bursar.24
House Cleanup occurs either the weekend before or the weekend after classes begin, from 8 am to whenever, usually no later than 6 pm, though it may go later, and members are expected to continue to participate.24 It is followed by a dinner. All house members must participate. Those who will be away must notify the house managers at least 48 hours in advance. Members who miss house cleanup must make arrangements to make up the work by the Saturday after house cleanup and complete the make-up work within 30 days.266
Failure to notify the house managers at least 48 hours in advance must make up the work for the number of hours that house cleanup takes plus 2 hours. Failure to make up the work entirely will result in 3 infractions.2624
Every cooking group is expected to do late night for that day. Late night involves, but is not limited to, the following:
Housing charges cover everything room, utilities except phone, and meal plan.8 For non-residents, the meal plan costs the same if they cook, and it costs extra—as determined by the stewards—if the non-resident chooses not to cook. Billing is done once a semester through the Cornell Bursar.9 Summer residents must pay the upcoming months' rents before they live here and will be billed each month, in addition to having a $200 incidental fee with the house.10 This incidental fee will be returned in full at the end of a member's residence at Von Cramm Hall minus any charges incurred during their residence as outlined in the Constitution.24 Summer rent is determined by the following formula: (the current cost of living in a single for a semester) / (50-60) per week.11 This is rate is for past, current, and future house members28; summer rent for non-house members28 is this rate plus $20. Every house member is also required to pay a semesterly activity fee of $35.12
At Redbud, it is customary to have two big banquets, one at the end of each semester. Alumni should be invited to both events.
It is expressly prohibited to hold private gatherings at Von Cramm Hall without the consent of 2/3 of house members. Private gatherings are defined as gatherings that are explicitly exclusive of house members. Private gatherings may be held at the house. These must be hosted by one or more house members who are required to take responsibility for all guests at all times during the event. If the house member(s) responsible for hosting the event cannot take on the responsibility or delegate it to another house member, the event may be terminated by any house officer.
House members must attend every house meeting. If two house meetings in a row are missed, the Secretary will inform the officers, and an intense interrogation will follow.14 If a house member must miss a house meeting, he/she must inform the house Secretary of this at least 48 hours before the meeting.
Points are awarded on the following basis:
If there is no record of how many points a returning house member28 had, it is assumed that the person had 30 points per semester that the person lived here. HIPs must be done before the room selection for the points to count toward the next semester (or special arrangements must be made with the house manager). HIPs must be proposed to and approved by House Managers. Satisfactory completion is determined by House Managers. Points will be awarded accordingly.17
It has generally been the policy that guests have been tolerated (or encouraged) for a week, after which they are expected to pay weekly at the same rate as anyone else, and cook and clean side by side with us. If the stay is long enough, permission should be sought. No squatter's rights have been granted to guests, although they can earn points. However, if the guest stays with someone who has a single, the person with the single doesn't earn points for living in a double.
Anyone who is a guest at Redbud for more than two weeks and does not have a local residence is charged 50% of the living cost (excluding meal plan cost) plus the full cost of meal plan if they are on meal plan. Any damage done by a guest will be repaired with money from the host's incidental fee. Special arrangements may be made in extenuating circumstances.18
An infraction is committed in the event that a house member does not complete one of the following:
In the case that a house member commits three (3) infractions, a ⅔ majority of the house vote is taken at the house meeting following the issuing of the third infraction on whether the house member will be permitted to live at Von Cramm Hall the following semester. Summer and fall terms are viewed as different semesters under this rule. If a house member commits five (5) infractions in one semester, a ⅔ majority of the house vote is taken at the house meeting following the issuing of the fifth infraction on whether or not their lease should be terminated immediately. If a house member accumulates 7 or more infractions on their record during their entire time at Von Cramm Hall (non-consecutive), a ⅔ majority of the house vote is taken at the house meeting following the issuing of the third infraction on whether the house member will be permitted to live at Von Cramm Hall the following semester. In each situation, any refund is determined by Campus Life (see contract). When the house votes to remove someone in the case that they pose a threat to the mental or physical health of others, two-thirds of the house must agree that the individual poses a threat to the mental or physical health of others in the house, for reasons including but not limited to acts of hate speech, verbal harassment or aggression, and threats to emotional, physical, and social well-being. 26
If the house votes for the immediate termination of a house member’s lease, the house member must be given at least two weeks to move out of Von Cramm Hall and Redbud must work to ensure Housing has been secured by the University for said individual. If said member poses a direct threat to safety, or exhibits dangerous behavior then the member shall be removed at the earliest possible date.26
If the house votes not to remove the house member according to the above guidelines, a vote to remove the house member may be taken for each additional full infraction that house member incurs in that semester. The consequences of additional votes may be raised in accordance with the above guidelines (i.e., if the house member first commits 3 infractions and a vote is taken as to whether to allow them to live at Von Cramm Hall next semester, but then accrues 2 additional infractions for a total of five infractions, a new vote may be taken on whether or not to terminate the house member’s lease immediately).
If house officers feel that the situation is severe enough such that it is pertinent to hold a vote on the removal of the house member prior to the next house meeting, they may host an electronic ⅔ house majority vote. In this case, the officers should publish a written document outlining the reasoning for each infraction issued alongside the electronic vote. The defendant may also publish together a written document outlining why they believe they should be able to continue living in the cooperative.
A non-resident meal planner may be blocked from joining the meal plan in the future if they commit 3 infractions and two-thirds of the house vote in favor of the blocking. They may be removed from the meal plan immediately and permanently if they commit 5 infractions and two-thirds of the house vote in favor of the removal.26
In general, some form of warning is given before an infraction is written up against an individual as outlined below. Infractions are cumulative, regardless of what type. Officers should discuss whether an infraction has been committed for a given offense before officially filing the infraction against the individual in question.21
The conditions for committing a house chore infraction are as follows (days can change but time between events should remain the same):
The conditions for committing a cook group infraction are outlined in the section titled Meal Plan. They are summarized as followed, but the other section is the full policy:
The conditions for committing a house meeting infraction are as follows:
Those who do not plan on living in Von Cramm Hall the following semester but for whom the infraction system applies (including but not restricted to graduating house members, external meal plan members) will be responsible for a fee for each infraction, in addition to making up the cleaning/cooking, etc. for which the infraction was given. House members agree in signing this constitution, and external meal plan members agree in their meal plan contract. The charges are as follows: {1st infraction $25, 2nd infraction $50, 3rd infraction $100}. Those who prefer may pay the charge through service hours at the rate of the current NYS working wage ($15.11 per hour 2018). The fee is due within four weeks of the date of the infraction for deposit into the checking account. The status of current house members is established by the occupancy sheet for the following semester, which is typically circulated at the first or second house meeting of the semester.23
Infractions last for 6 months or one academic semester from when a person first signs a contract to live in the house, and are reset to zero after this period has passed (summer months are considered a ‘semester’)
Exceptions for an infraction will be made only in case of sickness, injury or serious emergency or crisis. If a majority of the house contests the eviction or ‘un-invitation’ of a house member, the decision will go to a vote. In the event of a vote, a 2/3 majority of the house is required to overturn the decision.
Any exception to the above duties on the part of a member must be approved by 2/3 of the members present at a house meeting.
House Meetings take place every two weeks after dinner on Sundays. They last from 6 pm to about 8 pm, though they may go over, and members are expected to remain.
In order for a house meeting to take place, a simple majority of all current residents must be present at the start of the meeting. A simple majority is 51% or more.
For any vote to be considered valid the total number of yeas, nays and abstentions must total the quorum.
If 7 people inform the President at least a day in advance that they cannot make it to the house meeting due to a reasonable conflict, the meeting must be rescheduled.
People should raise their hands and wait to be called on by the President before speaking.
Meetings are open to all house members and meal planners2, both in-house and out-of-house, although only in-house house members2 may vote. There should be ample publicity (e.g. posting a sign and an agenda a week in advance, making an announcement at dinners) so that all interested can attend.
In the case where some action relevant to a particular person is considered, such as an election, discussion should be conducted while the person is out of the room.
An environment should be maintained such that all present feel equally able to express their views. Discrimination based on sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, political affiliation, marital status, or amount of time in residence at Von Cramm Hall is specifically outlawed. People are expected to attend the house meetings free of mind- altering substances. Someone who is drinking or drunk during a meeting may be told to leave.
Most decisions operate on a majority rule where two options are presented. That is, if option A gets more votes than another option B, option B will not be adopted (but people can still search for option C which might get more votes than option A). Straw polls, which are informal "get a feel for what people think" votes may be conducted.
In the particular case of more than two candidates running for the same office, the process of range voting is used. A description of how range voting is conducted can be found online, in Appendix B, or at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_voting 1
Typical votes, the required ratios needed to pass, and some rationales are listed below. Unless stated otherwise, ratios should be assumed to be of the voting population at the house meeting at which the vote was put forth. Supermajority refers to a ⅔ affirmative vote, and a simple majority refers to a ½ affirmative vote. A two-option vote is a vote where only “yes” and “no” are the allowed options, and a three-option vote is likewise except “abstain” is also allowed, unless stated otherwise (e.g. constitutional amendments).
Any questions of procedure that are not addressed here and cannot be solved by discussion should be solved using Roberts’ Rules of Order.
[1] Passed 05/02/2010 [2] Passed 11/01/2021
The following section contains an explicit enumeration of Redbud officer obligations, with the intent to present a succinct description of responsibilities to aid new officers and, more importantly, to clear up any misunderstandings that may arise among officers as to who does what. This listing is not meant to be a substitute for a good officer handbook. If no returning house member runs for a position that requires one, the officer team can open the election to new house members. If a new house member is elected, they must discuss with the officer team to agree on expectations, which can differ from the original set of constitutional rules (e.g., different compensation).42
Any current member can call a vote of confidence at any house meeting to review performance of a House Officer. If the vote passes under the ‘special’ vote procedure, each responsibility listed in the house rules are voted on in a line item format for non-satisfactory completion and must be passed by ‘special’ vote. House Officer monetary compensation shall be reduced proportionately to unsatisfactory completed tasks.
In vote of confidence, all house members must consider the following:
All correspondence with the University in either direction should be placed on permanent public file. All correspondence to the University should be viewed by all House Officers and placed on public file before being sent. This does not include such things as work orders.
The fun team is a group of 2 house members, elected by the house at the beginning of each semester.
They are expected to organize at least one large social event every two weeks and/ or two small events each week depending on the time committed to each event; refer to the Fun Team Manual for information previous events.3
In return they are exempt from HIP and chores for the semester. In the case of low house occupancy, they may be required to fulfill half or a full chore.33 In the event that Fun Team does not fulfill their responsibilities, they will be expected to complete a HIP, or experience the consequences of a normal house member who does not complete a HIP. Fun Team is also required to deliver a brief (5-10 minutes including discussion) status report at the weekly officer meeting.4
The President is the leader of the house, and determines the direction that Redbud heads during his/her term. This includes, but is not limited to:
See the Bylaws of Von Cramm, Inc for a more complete description of these duties.
Note: The President is the individual ultimately responsible for the activities of the house as a whole. At times, the police demand that a person step forward to take responsibility for any loud gatherings (and risk arrest if the problem isn’t solved).9 This is the President's responsibility.
The compensation for the office of President: no house job, no cooking, fall HIP, 1/4 off rent of a single room10. The President is elected for a semester.
The role of House Managers (HMs) is to ensure that Von Cramm Hall is maintained as a clean, well-running facility. This includes, but is not limited to, responsibility for:
See the Bylaws of Von Cramm, Inc and the House Manager's’ Handbook by Matt Patrick for a more complete description of these duties.
Note: HMs are not responsible for keeping track of contracts in any way. They are not responsible for the small appliances related to meal plan, including but not limited to, the coffee maker, toaster, and blender (this is a Steward responsibility). The compensation for the two House Managers is no house job, no cooking, no HIP, and 1/2 off rent of a single room13. House Managers are elected for a year.14
The Stewards are responsible for filling house members' and meal planners'31 stomachs. This includes, but is not limited to:
See the Bylaws of Von Cramm, Inc for a more complete description of these duties. The compensation for the two stewards includes no house job, no cooking, no HIP, and 3/4 off rent for a single room15. Stewards are elected for a year.16
Neither Redbud Cooperative, Inc. nor Von Cramm Hall can operate without sufficient funds. Making sure those funds are available and are used wisely is chiefly the responsibility of the Treasurer of Redbud. It is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. The duties of Treasurer of Redbud are primarily:
The compensation for the office of Treasurer includes no HIP, no cook group, and 1/5 off rent for a single room.34 The treasurer must do a house chore.29 The treasurer is elected for a year. If conditions surrounding the meal plan (such as low enrollment of outside meal plan members) makes it necessary, the Treasurer must cook. During semesters in which the treasurer cooks, their compensation should be increased to 1/4 off of rent for a single room.19,20,29
The role of Secretary includes, but is not limited to, responsibility for:
See the Bylaws of Von Cramm, Inc for a more complete description of these duties.
Note: The Secretary should search out ways to record, consolidate and organize the written works of Redbud. This may include working with other officers to consolidate handbook materials, conglomerating stuff in the databases, or presenting information (newsletter or important meeting minutes) on our website. One area of overlap: The Secretary should work with the HM to ensure that a scrapbook is made (perhaps as a HIP) at least once a year.
The compensation for the position of Secretary includes no cook group, no HIP, 1/5 off rent for a single room.35 The Secretary must do a chore.23,24,29
The Secretary is elected for a year.25,26
The role of the SHOC is to ensure Redbud works towards environmental sustainability and human equity by minimizing our own impact on the environment and using our resources to work with the greater Cornell, Ithaca, and human community to support and invest in efforts towards systemic change.
The word humanitarian in this context is used to emphasize that our environmental efforts must go hand in hand with improving people’s lives, and that it is imperative to act with both sustaining Earth and the human community in mind.
This position has a dynamic role in how it interacts with the co-op, Cornell and Ithaca communities and looks both inwards and outwards. Both the description and goals are intentionally not deliverable-based in order to give the SHOC the ability to shape and improve the duties of the position using their own critical-thinking skills and experience, and the position was conceived as an effort to investigate and expand how Redbud can best minimize its impact and leverage its resources and money for environmental and humanitarian goals.
The SHOC is a house member elected by the house at the beginning (first house meeting) of each semester to serve a term of one semester. They must be a returning house member. They are responsible for weekly communication with all officers at officer meetings, and biweekly communication of their ideas and actions at house meetings. This transparent and consistent communication is key to the position. Regularly consulting the house with ideas and research before, during, and after acting on them is a critical part of this communication; actively and consistently incorporating house member feedback is an expectation.
Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
The compensation for the SHOC includes no HIP, no cook group, and 1/5 off rent for a single room, but must continue to do chores. If conditions surrounding the meal plan (such as low enrollment of outside meal plan members) makes it necessary, the SHOC is the first to be asked to cook. During semesters in which the SHOC cooks, their compensation should be increased to 1/4 off of rent for a single room.29
The Summer House Manager performs at least some functions of all officers present during the regular academic semester. These may include collecting summer rent and the activity fee, overseeing chores, and signing in new house members31. The Summer HM(s) pays no rent for summer. The Summer HM(s) also do not do a chore nor late night if the house is at 60% capacity or more. At least 50% of the summer officer team must be available for the duration of the entirety of the Summer Housing period. It is expected that the entire summer officer team meets at the beginning of the semester to coordinate schedules and responsibilities and hold regular officer meetings. 36,38
The Summer House Steward is responsible for overseeing Late Night and buying staple food items for the house each week. The Summer Steward pays no rent for summer. If there are two, each pays half rent, and splits a chore32,37. At least 50% of the summer officer team must be available for the duration of the entirety of the Summer Housing period. It is expected that the entire summer officer team meet at the beginning of the semester to coordinate schedules and responsibilities and hold regular officer meetings.39
Surplus money in the house checking account shall be kept to a minimum to avoid the danger of embezzlement. Surplus here is defined as any money obtained through means other than the activity fee, security deposit, or meal plan, and whose total, if taken out of the checking account, would not affect the solvency of the house (our ability to pay for Fun Team, security deposits, and food). The house shall decide, when use of funds is deemed necessary, by special vote (2/3 majority of the quorum, see Section VI. “Voting Rules”) what should be done with this surplus.
The following guidelines should be taken under consideration and every expenditure above the following should be considered carefully:
Up to $500 from the Gift Account may be spent each semester on a house gift. House gift is defined as any luxury item which would not be qualified for purchase by the HMs, stewards, or Fun Team. House members may propose a house gift vote at any time during the semester. The proposed house gift must be approved by a simple majority vote. Any house gift expenditure in excess of $500 may be supplemented by surplus from the checking account if approved by special vote (see Section VII. “Checking Account”). The Treasurer is responsible for house gift purchases in consultation with the member who proposed the house gift vote.2
Each semester, up to $200 should be set aside for use for a RB Cares event. Money can be used to reimburse associated expenses for house-members who choose to head the RB Cares project for the semester. Like a house gift, the RB Cares budget is first come, first served.
Any house member can propose at any time in a semester to run a RB Cares event, but the Treasurer is still responsible for reminding and encouraging people to plan a RB Cares event (which can be done as HIP). To hold a RB Cares event, a house-member must bring up the idea at house meeting. The house-member should propose what the RB Cares event should be, and what organization, movement, or group it should be for. The house will then vote by majority with abstentions if they support the RB Cares event and proposed beneficiary organization.
If the house-member has multiple options for organizations, a range vote should be held. In the event that the proposed combination of RB Cares event and beneficiary organization is denied, another house-member may propose the same RB Cares event for a different beneficiary organization.
If in a semester there is no RB Cares event and/or no necessary RB Cares reimbursements, the $200 cannot be added up cumulatively to support future RB Cares events (no rollover). Funds should come from the Operating Account (using direct purchase form) but if the operating account cannot be used, the checking account can be used to cover the rest. If the house-member holding the RB Cares event wants more than $200, another majority vote with abstentions must be held to approve the additional money.
The pool table is fragile and is easily thrown out of level. It may be very carefully moved for banquet and gatherings but for no other reason.1
Smoking is not permitted in the house due to New York State laws.
$200 has been set as the limit for a photo album each year.
[1] Passed on 09/2014
Amendments to House Rules must be passed by a 2/3 affirmative vote of members currently residing at the House during fall or spring terms when Cornell University is in session. Amendments made during the academic year shall appear in meeting minutes and shall be noted in attachments to the current version of the House Rules. The attachments will be incorporated into an update of the House Rules by the next academic year. Outdated versions of the House Rules will be archived.
[created April 15, 2010] [Proposed and Passed May 2010]
These House Rules outline policies and guidelines for behavior for summer house members in hopes of protecting their well-being, preventing conflict, and aiding in conflict resolution. Most of these rules are abridged and adapted from Redbud’s constitution to better apply to the summer living situation for members who may or may not be house members4. Extra policies have been added that reflect foreseen or past issues particular to the summer.
Official opening is two days after senior commencement. Summer housing officially ends the Thursday prior to the weekend before the PREPARE orientation program for international students and is only guaranteed until this date. Fall semester house members4 will only be charged until this date.
Summer residents may stay longer in certain cases depending on when fall residents plan on returning, and with the stipulation that they may have to switch rooms; these cases must be coordinated with a summer house manager. The absolute last day to move out is Thursday prior to the weekend before the start of fall classes.
Housing charges cover room, utilities, laundry, staple meal plan and use of common spaces. To officially reserve a room, members who have not already paid Redbud’s security deposit must pay the $100 fee and all members must sign a contract. Every house member must pay an activity fee of $2 * (weeks living at Von Cramm Hall for the summer).2 Payment for your security deposit and activity fee is due in full before moving into a room (unless other arrangements have been agreed upon with the summer HM). Housing charges may be paid fully in advance or on a weekly basis in advance of each coming week.2
House members are expected to complete a weekly chore that takes up to 1.5 hours due by a specified time during the week. HMs will assign chores in coordination with house members.
House members are expected to complete a weekly late night. Late night is a nightly cleaning of kitchen. Details will be organized by an HM.
House Meetings take place every two weeks on Sundays. They last from 6 pm to about 7 pm, though they may go over, and members are expected to remain. See section VI for house meeting conduct.
House members must attend every house meeting. If a house member must miss a house meeting, they must inform the Summer HM(s) of this at least 48 hours before the meeting.
Every house member upon moving out of their room is expected to arrange to return their keys and have a summer HM conduct a brief inspection of the room to ensure that it is left in good order. Failure to fulfill this inspection will result in an automatic $50 fine taken out of the security deposit. Abandoned property may be given away or thrown out. This is not required of house members4 staying in their rooms for the fall. There is a $40 deposit charge for leaving a room messy. If keys are not returned there will be a $20 per key deposit charge. If the house manager decides that the lock must be changed, that cost will be deducted from the security deposit as well.
House members should return their keys and complete their check-out inspection with a house officer before they leave if no house officer is available at the time of the member's departure. In that case, the refund of the deposit will be Vemoed or mailed as a check after the departure.3
House managers and emergency personnel reserve the right to enter your room without any notice in the case of an emergency and/or when there are concerns about anybody’s safety. House managers and maintenance personnel reserve the right to enter any room with reasonable prior notice (normally at least 24 hours) for repairs, inspections, and inventory purposes.
Members that have a guest over for more than 2 days (more than a weekend) should email the house to let them know. Guests staying for 7 or more consecutive days must pay rent and fulfill house responsibilities including late night and chores. Members should also email the house if they plan on having more than 3-4 guests over at any time out of courtesy. Any damage done by a guest will be repaired with money from the host’s security deposit.
Any event held at Von Cramm Hall with a proposed attendance of greater than 10 people must be approved by the house via a house meeting vote. Events held at Von Cramm Hall must be open to all house residents. House members can request to use house activity fee funds for their event. House members must propose their event and, if requesting house activity fee funds, a budget to the Summer HM(s) at least 24 hours prior to the house meeting before their proposed event date. An event which requests house activity fee funds is subject to a special vote (see Section VI). Any other events are subject to a majority vote (see Section VI).2
Smoking is not permitted in the house.
The pool table is fragile and easily thrown off level. Please do not move it for any reason.
The same furniture you moved in with should be there when you leave the room or until the end of summer, whichever is shorter.
During the summer, members cannot make permanent room modifications such as painting the walls, sanding, or painting furniture, and installing permanent fixtures or decorations. The exception to this rule is if you will be living in this same room in the fall, or if the modification has been approved by a summer HM. Failure to adhere to this rule could result in a fine taken out of the security deposit proportional to the severity of the modification.
Exterior doors to the house should not be propped open at any time unless a member is explicitly watching them. It is against Campus Life policy to ever prop them for security reasons.
Members should feel safe in the house, but ultimately individual members are responsible for maintaining the security of their room and possessions. Redbud cannot be held liable for theft or damages.
An infraction of responsibilities happens when a member does not complete their chore or Late Night to satisfaction, and does not make up for it in some way agreed upon way with a summer HM or steward within 24 hours of notification (extenuating circumstances not counted). An infraction of responsibilities also occurs when a house member does not attend house meeting without notifying the Summer HM(s) at least 48 hours in advance.2 When 3 infractions occur, the member will likely not be invited back to Redbud in the future (the following fall semester excluded). When 5 infractions occur, that member is asked to leave. Infractions are set to zero at the beginning of every semester, counting the summer and fall as one semester.
If any house member severely and repeatedly disobeys any of the house rules listed here, after being warned, they could be asked to leave.