Charter

Name of group: Experimental College (ExCo).

Purpose of the group: The Experimental College was established to provide members of the Oberlin community with the opportunity to share in educational alternatives not available in the area. All members of the community are eligible to teach or take ExCo courses. Students of Oberlin College who decide to participate in ExCo may receive a limited number of Oberlin College credits after successfully completing an ExCo course.

The Experimental College adheres to and acknowledges the values and principles of Oberlin College as expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution of the Association of Students of Oberlin College, the Oberlin College Student Regulations, Policies and Procedures Handbook, and the Oberlin Statement of Goals and Principles in the Preface to the Oberlin College Bulletin.

The Experimental College acknowledges the Preamble of the Student Financial Charter: to establish and outline the financial system of the Association of Students of Oberlin College. The system shall regulate and administer collection and allocation of the Student Activity Fee; this fee being designed for the creation of social, cultural, religious, and educational activities for students, for the improvement of student life, and to augment the general student welfare.

Membership: All members of the Oberlin community may participate in the programs of the Experimental College. Throughout the history of the Experimental College, the majority of people taking or teaching ExCo courses have been Oberlin College students.

Officers: The Experimental College is administered by a committee. Membership on the committee is open to all students. There is no limit to the number of persons who may be on the committee at any particular time. There are three Executive positions on the ExCo Committee.

The offices within the committee are the following:

Co-Chairpersons (2) - the duties of the co-chairpersons shall include the coordination of the activities of the Experimental College Committee, organizing the activities of the College (such as registration), ensuring that all publications are written and distributed. One co-chair will act as a liaison with Assistant Dean of the College, the faculty, and the Registrar and will be well informed about the present activities of ExCo so that they will be able to answer all questions and settle problems as they come up. The other chair will be the immediate supervisor of the ExCo office worker, which entails weekly meetings, and prescribing work assignments. Major policy decisions shall not be made by the co-chairpersons without the expressed consent of the ExCo Committee.

Treasurer - the treasurer of the ExCo Committee shall be responsible for keeping track of the expenditures of the Experimental College, for reimbursing them for expenses incurred by their courses and aiding the co-chairpersons in all matters directly relating to the finances of the Experimental College (such as preparing the annual budget proposal).

College Faculty Committee Seat - the holder of this seat will attend the monthly meetings and report back to the committee

Officers of the ExCo Committee retain their positions with the support of the committee until graduation or resignation. In the case of the latter, the officer must present a written record of their resignation to the committee. If an officer of the Committee takes a leave of absence of Oberlin a replacement must be named; if the original officer returns to Oberlin it will be the decision of the officers of the Committee who shall hold the position in question.

Officers of the ExCo Committee are selected by the current co-chairpersons from the existing ExCo Committee, subject to committee consent.

Finances: The Experimental College may receive funds from any Oberlin College source. Funds have traditionally come from the Student Finance Committee and the Dean's Fund.

The office assistant's wages will be paid for by the office of the Dean of the College. The Experimental College shall be involved in only limited commercial interactions that will be related to the programs of ExCo. Non-reusable materials and transportation for classes will not be funded.

Surpluses and losses will be dealt with as directed in the Student Financial charter. In the event that the Experimental College dissolves, any disposable properties will be distributed to appropriate divisions of Oberlin College through the Dean of Students or his/her designee. Funds remaining will revert to the Student Finance Committee.

By-Laws: The Experimental College is an independent department of the college. ExCo is responsible to the Student Finance Committee only for financial matters and will maintain its advisory relationship with the Dean of the College.

Operational Procedures: The Experimental College shall be administered and directed by the ExCo Committee. Any decisions by the ExCo Committee shall be recorded in the Experimental College Bible. The Committee shall not be bound by precedent but any actions not in accord with existing policy shall necessitate amendments to said policy.

Amendment Procedures: This charter may be amended by the ExCo Committee at any time. Such amendments can only be made if at least two-thirds of the members of the present Committee approve of the changes.

General Procedures: Meetings, unless otherwise noted, will be held in the ExCo office. The Committee will meet once a week, unless it is felt that this is not necessary at certain times. Any special activities of the Experimental College- such as registration for courses and forums- shall be publicized through the appropriate media.