Our History
Founded by students in 1964, WCRI began as the Waterloo division of Campus Co-operative Residence Inc. (CCRI), which sought to provide co-operative student housing options in the region. After finding success within its first few years of operation, WCRI gained its independence and quickly expanded from two small student houses to a range of affordable off-campus accommodations.
Now 60+ years later, WCRI has grown into a thriving non-profit housing provider, with 11 buildings and over 1,300 members.
Community Happens Here
WCRI’s mission as a student-run and owned housing co-operative is to provide exceptional accommodation and related services, as well as to develop a socially, environmentally, and financially responsible community that embodies and is governed by co-operative values.
As WCRI is committed to the tenets of the co-op movement, members are encouraged to engage with and advocate for their community.
What is a Co-op?
As defined by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), a co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. For WCRI, this means that the students living with us are also co-owners of the co-op, and all payments made by these members go directly back into WCRI.
Co-operative Identity
In 1995, the ICA adopted the revised Co-operative Identity Statement, which contains the definition, values, and principles of the co-op movement.
CCRI’s Perspective
“A student housing co-operative frees its member-owners from the exploitative landlord-tenant arrangement. Unlike a capitalist business, a co-operative is owned and democratically controlled by the people who live there, and exists solely to meet their needs” – CCRI
Co-operative Values
Taking a “people-centered” approach, co-operatives are built on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity.
Co-op Member Values
“In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others within their community” – ICA
Co-operative Principles
According to the Co-operative Identity Statement, the 7 Co-operative Principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.
7 Co-op Principles
- Voluntary & Open Membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Economic Participation
- Autonomy & Independence
- Education, Training & Information
- Cooperation among Cooperatives
- Concern for Community
Member Volunteers
WCRI functions as a representative democracy, and members are encouraged to get involved by running for key volunteer positions within the Board of Directors, Inter-Co-operative Council (ICC), and Judicial Council. Once elected, Member Volunteers are then trained and supported by WCRI staff throughout their term.
Elections for new Community Leaders and Judicial Representatives will take place at your designated DGM (Division General Meeting) at the start of each term, so make sure not to miss your mandatory meetings!
Board of Directors
The Board is responsible for setting the vision and direction of the co-op, as well as hiring and supervising the WCRI Management Team
↠ Elected at AGM ↞
Ownership Linkage
Board Members seek to connect with and understand their fellow members in order to prioritize the needs and interests of the broader WCRI community.
Setting Policies
The Board may set policies concerning executive limitations, delegation, internal procedures, or the overall pursuit of WCRI’s co-operative mission.
Supervising Staff
WCRI Staff supervision typically involves the Board’s direct observation of staff performance, monitoring internal reports, and recurring external audits.
Inter-Co-operative Council
ICC is responsible for engaging the WCRI community through events, interdivisional advocacy, and other community-focused services
↠ Elected at DGMs ↞
ICC Structure
Each division must elect 2-4 Community Leaders, totaling 14 members. This team will then hold internal elections to fill key executive positions within ICC.
Executive ICC Positions
- ICC Chair
- Vice Chair
- Operations Chair
- Marketing Chair
- DEI Chair
ICC Meetings
Using the budget provided each term, ICC hosts open weekly meetings to plan events, vote on proposed initiatives, pitch new ideas, and much more.
ICC Requirements
Throughout their term, ICC members are expected to commit a minimum of 10-15 hours to their role each month.
While ICC members are expected to attend weekly meetings regularly, these additional hours can also be completed by contributing to events, assisting with committee-related tasks, or even by cooking one of your weekly meeting dinners!
Chairs must also meet the expectations associated with their executive positions, which may involve budgeting, recording meeting minutes, inventory tracking, maintaining ongoing committee projects, or creating marketing materials and social media content to promote ICC events and initiatives (via WCRI’s Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok)
Volunteer Appreciation
CLs who successfully complete their ICC requirements and remain in good standing with WCRI will receive a rent rebate following their final evaluation.
Rebate Rates
- ICC Chair: 30%
- Vice Chair: 25%
- Committee Chairs: 20%
- Community Leaders: 15%
Rebates have min and max values to promote equitable compensation between committee members. This is calculated based on room rate x rebate percent x months in a term.
Judicial Council
The Judicial Council is responsible for providing a peer-based forum through which members can appeal fines issued by WCRI
↠ Elected at DGMs ↞
Judicial Structure
Each division must elect 1 Judicial Representative, totaling 4 members. This team will then hold internal elections for the Judicial Coordinator position.
Judicial Coordinator
The Judicial Coordinator (JC) acts as the Chair of the Judicial Council.
The JC is responsible for removing any Judicial Representative (JR) who displays or discloses a conflict of interest that is likely to affect their judgment on a particular case.
Should the JC be in a position of potential bias for a specific case, the JC must work with the Judicial Staff Liaison (CEC) to ensure that another JR acts in the position of JC for the case.
Judicial Meetings
Throughout the term, the Council meets on a recurring basis to review and respond to outstanding appeals (meeting dinners provided by WCRI).
Judicial Hearings
If an appealing member disagrees with the final decision made by the Council, it is the member’s responsibility to request an in-person Judicial Hearing.
When a Hearing is scheduled with the Council, the appealing member must provide any additional proof and/or documentation of their absence to support their case.
After hearing all evidence regarding the case, the Council will convene in a closed session for further discussion. The resulting decision made after each Hearing will be considered final.
Appeal Process
When a fine is placed on a member’s account that they disagree with, the member may submit an appeal for review by the Judicial Council.
Appeal Details
It is the responsibility of an appealing member to provide clear and compelling evidence to support their case (i.e. signed eyewitness statements, timetable/work schedule for mandatory meeting absences, etc.)
If an appealing member fails to provide sufficient evidence/documentation, the appeal may be dismissed without review.
Ex. Work schedule showing wrong date/time, no attachments, etc.
If you receive a Missed Mandatory Meeting fine due to illness, please let us know in your appeal, but do NOT submit medical documentation (WCRI does not accept health cards or other sensitive medical information)
