Board of Directors

I (Carrie) have never been a Board Representative, so I am not the best person to be writing this article. For that reason, I've opted to defer to expert knowledge. The following excerpts will be pulled from the ICC's websites and training documents, and you'll find links to them along the way. Keep in mind that some of the information you find there might be outdated. Soon I hope to petition current and former Escher Board Reps to write their own blurbs on this page (or even completely revamp what I've done). Until then, enjoy the (hopefully useful) copy-pasta.

From the Committees page of the ICC website:

The ICC Board of Directors, Standing Committees and Teams exist to manage and oversee all of the various aspects of running a cooperative non-profit. Each group is specialized for a specific area of administration. Some committees have the power to take action and make policy changes on their own, while others research and discuss issues and make recommendations to the Board or the membership.

The BoD meets on Sundays at the ICC Education Center (or, more recently, on Zoom) typically at 5:00pm. During the Fall/Winter meetings usually occur every other week with exceptions for School Breaks and National Holidays. During the Spring/Summer meetings are usually once a month with exceptions for School Breaks and National Holidays.

From the ICC's Standing Rules:

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

3.1.1. RESPONSIBILITIES: The Board shall exercise all the responsibilities of the Bylaws. All general policies enacted by the Board shall be considered Standing Rules. Board responsibilities shall specifically include:

A. Planning the development of the ICC B. Considering any other concerns or operational difficulties that may arise C. Submission of a report of its activities, plans, and general concerns in the annual report. D. Holding title to all real and chattel property of the Corporation and member houses. The proceeds from the sale of any property because it was deemed that rehabilitation was not feasible shall go into the Development Fund. (54-08) E. Payment of all mortgages, land contracts taxes and insurance on the properties of the corporation.

3.1.2. POWERS AND LIMITATIONS 3.1.2.1. The powers of the board are as delegated to it by the members through the Bylaws.

They include: A. Conducting research, including surveying the membership regarding issues before the Board and/or surveying membership satisfaction; B. Reviewing Bylaws and Standing Rules to bring procedure in line with practice; C. Restructuring proposals to make the organization more effective; and D. Studying student co-ops on other campuses to incorporate new organizational procedures and services within the ICC. E. To approve a yearly budget for the next fiscal year and supervise the administration of the budget, ensuring that no more than 10% of any budget line item less than $5,000 and no more than 5% over any budget line items greater or equal to $5,000 is spent without board’s approval. Individual committee budgets shall be treated as one line item. (32/92) 3.1.2.2. The Board is limited in the exercise of its powers as follows: (10/92)

A. It shall enact no policy which wrongfully disadvantages any group based on race, gender, religion, political belief, sexual orientation, national origin, economic status, age, veteran status or physical or mental disability; and B. It shall enact no policy contrary to the Bylaws, articles of incorporation or relevant legal statutes.

Board Training: Roles & Responsibilities PowerPoint

Board Training: Board Meeting Process PowerPoint