Constitution

The Washington University Housing Cooperative is a student-run, not-for-profit organization that seeks to foster community, healthy living, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. Governed by egalitarian democratic procedures, the cooperative is run autonomously in accord with its social contract i.e. the upholding of aforementioned ideals, as further explained in the Cooperative Handbook. All laws are voted on by Cooperative members, whose votes count equally. These laws remain amenable to change by revote, in keeping with the will of members.

We are particularly concerned with the philosophies and praxis of social responsibility, as individuals and as part of larger communities.

Cooperative members value the opportunity to live in accord with their values, e.g. recycling goods in and out of house, obtaining foodstuffs from environmentally sound local providers, and producing a portion of what we consume. Similarly, we are dedicated to social change, through mutual education, an awareness of current events, buying goods exclusively from socially responsible producers, and taking an active role in the community and community service. Community is an essential aspect of the Cooperative's vision&emdash;without it, our organization could not function. In addition to being its own community, the Cooperative values its role within the Washington University and larger St. Louis community.

College students perennially complain that they are rife with ideals and beliefs that they are unable to actualize due to their surroundings, obligations, and situations. They bemoan the fact that they must wait until after graduation, or after graduate school, or after they get a job in order to implement their learnings. We believe that the best time to do this is now, and that there is nothing more appropriate or valuable to our education than extending it into our home life. Through the Cooperative we will foster the realization of our ideas, ultimately bequeathing both the structure and the spirit to future generations of students, who in turn may actualize their own principles.