OSCA Bylaws, Article 2 (Cooperative Principles as Followed by OSCA)
Section 1 - Voluntary and open membership — Voluntary membership without artificial restriction. This includes restrictions against any race, sexual orientation, religious or political belief, gender, or social position.
Accessibility Information (4/09)
All OSCA entrance applications have a link to OSCA's accessibility policies and the contact information for the current Accessibility Coordinators
All OSCA entrance applications have a box to check that reads: "I would like to be contacted by the Accessibility Coordinators for information about OSCA's policies regarding accommodations for the following: members with disabilities, members seeking alternative eating arrangements, need based singles, and persons with financial need."
Persons With Disabilities Membership, (4/84, amended 4/97, 4/09)
This policy makes OSCA more accessible to persons with disabilities through membership accessibility, accessibility once in a co-op, education abot disabilities.
Membership: students with disabilities will receive a random lottery number and follow regular wait list procedures until they become a member of OSCA. Once in OSCA, a member with a self-identified disability may request an accommodation and be able to jump the wait list into another co-op depending on their individual needs. In order to jump the waitlist into another co-op, the member requesting an accommodation must meet with members of the Accessibility Committee to determine the best accommodation for their individual needs.
Implemented action in the co-op: students with disabilities will have workchart flexibility. Since co-op members' disabilities vary in degree and type, it is important that there be flexibility in job choice. For example, committee work could be substituted for cooking or crew (it is suggested that although OSCA status quo is that all members do a crew, perhaps some disabled persons may be exempt from crew and do other work instead. If a disability constrains an individual to do less than the status quo number of co-op hours, then this will be will be taken into account.
COPAO reps of each co-op will be an advocate for self-identified disabled persons within the co-op, working with the Work Chart/Miss-Job Coordinator to make sure things run smoothly.
Accessibility Coordinators will strive to provide campus-wide education and outreach regarding accessibility issues in OSCA.
Alternative Eating Arrangements (9/92, revised 4/97, 9/08, 4/09)
Students dining in a co-op who have medical or religious needs that are not met by the co-op will be able to jump the wait-list into another co-op or eat in Campus Dining Service after meeting the Accessibility Coordinator (and Nutrition Coordinator in the case of medical needs) and providing a note from a doctor or college official that explains the reason why a co-op switch is necessary. The Accessibility Coordinator will then confirm a demonstrated need and contact the Membership Secretary.
Students living in a co-op and requesting an alternative eating arrangement for medical or religious reasons may remain a resident of that living co-op.
All-Gender Rooming (5/93, revised 2/09)
OSCA provides all-gender rooming options upon request.
Housing Applications (02/09)
That all housing applications include two checkboxes that read as follows:
"I am comfortable with any roommate, regardless of assigned sex or gender identity."
"I would like to live with someone who is comfortable with any roommate, regardless of assigned sex or gender identity."
Checking the box does not constitute consent to an assignment with a person of a different gender identity. OSCA still obtains agreement from all parties involved before assigning roommates of different gender identities.
Transgender Inclusiveness (4/02)
Housing and dining co-ops have at least one gender-neutral bathroom
OSCA gives singles priority to trans people who feel uncomfortable living with a roommate
OSCA removes all references to biological sex from its paperwork, instead allowing people to self-identify their gender, which will be reflected in OSCA's paperwork.
Time Aid (09/93)
Encourages all co-ops discuss time aid to make co-ops more accessible to working students.
Jump the waitlist based on financial need (4/01)
Permits as many people as demonstrate financial need to be in OSCA to jump the OSCA board waitlist. Determination of financial need will be made in a fair, equitable and non-discriminating manner.
OSCA Scholarships (4/97, last amended 4/09)
The scholarship fund offers low-income students financial assistance in paying for their OSCA board bills. Scholarships cover 1/3 of the semester's OSCA board bill.
In order to determine need, students applying for scholarships must submit their Oberlin financial aid award letter, a Student Aid Report (SAR), or an International student financial aid application (instead of SAR if the student is an international student.)
Representatives of the committee include the OSCA Treasurer, the OP Treasurer, the Financial Intern, the Treasurer of each dining co-op, the Accessibility Coordinators, the OP Treasurer, ad-hoc Board reps, and any other interested OSCA members.
Due to the sensitive nature of the information the committee deals with, only members of the committee who have gone through all the training regarding how to determine need and ethical issues will be allowed to examine the Scholarship applications.
Conference Subsidies (last amended 9/09)
OSCA allocates funds from its annual budget towards the subsidy of members attending conferences. No individual shall receive more than $100, except in the case of NASCO where the maximum subsidy shall be equal to the conference fee less $35 (to be paid by each member.)
Need-Based Single (11/00)
OSCA gives priority for single rooms to qualified students with disabilities.
Suggested Food Buying Practices (12/03)
The OSCA Board of Directors recommends that a list of products that use exploitative, derogatory or offensive depictions (in words or pictures) of people of color in their marketing be kept in the OSCA office and that the food buyers take this into account when ordering food.
Third World Co-op Programming Funds (4/02)
OSCA annually allocates $5,000 for programming funds to support programming initiatives of TWC.
Fasting Refund (3/95, revised 5/09)
OSCA refunds members for meals that they cannot possibly eat while fasting for the month of Ramadan. Members must meet with the Financial Manager to determine the exact amount of the refund.
Creation of an OSCA Accessibility Committee (5/91, last revised 4/09)
The OSCA Accessibility is a standing and chartered committee of the Board.
Both Accessibility Coordinators chair the committee, and the following positions sit on the committee: the OSCA Treasurer, Membership Director, President, Nutrition Coordinator and Education Coordinator.
The following positions sit on the committee as needed: OSCA/College Liason, Housing Coordinator, OSCA Properties (OP) Treasurer, and SOPAS
Subcommittee: Committee on Privilege and Oppression (COPAO) (5/02, amended 4/09)
The Committee on Privilege and Oppression is a subcommittee of the Accessibility, and is coordinated by the two Accessibility Coordinators.
Co-ops decide at the beginning of the semester whether to have COPAO/Accessibility Reps who represent their individual co-ops on COPAO. Reps can receive full credit for sitting on COPAO.
Privilege and Oppression Workshops (5/02, revised 4/03)
Every member of OSCA is required to attend one event each semester addressing the way issues such as racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, classism, religious oppression, gender oppression, and other forms of oppression manifest themselves in the OSCA community.
This event could be a workshop offered by COPAO (the Committee on Privilege and Oppression) or a speaker/workshop hosted by another campus organization.
Each co-op decides every semester how to enforce this requirement.
