Democratic Structures and Policies
Structures
As a secondary co-operative, Students for Co-operation Limited is owned and democratically controlled by its member student co-operatives.
We have two classes of membership, ordinary members and associate members. Ordinary members consist of student co-operative who are actively trading. Associate members include groups setting up co-ops, non-student co-ops, and supportive organisations. Both classes of membership can take an active part of our decision making structures, but ordinary members have the final say in key matters such as budgets, end of year accounts, elections, and admitting members.
Key decisions are made by Students for Cooperation’s sovereign body – Delegates’ Meetings – which are general meetings of delegates representing ordinary member co-operatives. Aside from sensitive matters these meetings are also open to associate members. We tend to have a large delegates’ meeting during national gatherings that lay out the strategy and votes on policies, and online delegates meetings for making smaller decisions. Some powers are delegated to ad hoc working groups and individuals.
Rules and Policies
Attached below are our current formal rules and policies, as approved by Delegates’ Meetings:
- SfC Values, Aims and Principles – What we stand for and why we exist.
- SfC Ltd Society Rules – Effectively our constitution, these are the rules registered with the Financial Conduct Authority that govern Students for Co-operation Limited as a registered society.
- SfC Democracy Regulations – These rules detail our democratic structures in addition to the Society Rules, and are easier to amend than the Society Rules.
- Safer Spaces Policies – Putting processes in place to help challenge oppression, and support the oppressed within SfC.
- Events Accommodation Policy – To ensure accommodation for events is well organised and accessible.
- Accessibility Working Group Policy – To establish a formal group working towards making SfC more accessible.
- Israeli Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Policy – Expressing SfC’s formal support of the boycott, and to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
- Network Coordinators’ Pay Policy – Outlining the role of waged NCs.
- SfC and Political Parties – Outlining SfC’s stance not to support any particular political party, and to deal with parties on an issue by issue basis.