Proposal+1-30

Dear Dining Services, AS, and concerned parties: Thank you for meeting with our Student Co-op representatives on Friday the 16th. We have taken into account your concerns for health safety, financial stability and your proposal to work with us at the Underground Coffee House. We appreciate your interest in creating a more sustainable food service on campus and look forward to working with you to achieve our common goals. We want to build upon our common goals to establish a shared vision. As a group, we have created the following outlined proposal of how we believe our respective visions can align. We want to work with the University, the AS, and Dining Services to create a memorandum of understanding. We propose weekly meetings until a memorandum of understanding has been finalized. Once both parties have reached an official agreement, we will then shift our efforts to ensuring the successful implementation of the project. Please share your thoughts, set-up a meeting if this is a route all parties want to take, and let us know if you believe our visions can be shared.

Sincerely, Alyson Simeone, Cate Cook, Brendan Lind, Claire Stetina, Coco Breen, Dillon Thomson, Jeff Entman, Grace Yoakum, Leo Nagle, Harrison H-K, Jeff Krajewski, Mirabai Troll, Patricia Robinson, and Nick Spring representing

The Student Co-op

Proposal: 1. We will work with Dining Services/Sodexo to offer a sustainable eatery in the Underground Coffee House (hereby known as UGCH). Our collaborate effort will open in Fall 2009. 2. The UGCH will be overseen by a board of directors (hereby known as BOD). The BOD will initially be made up of Student Co-op members, but new members will be elected during the 2009-2010 school year in accordance with the election standards in the Student Co-op business plan. a. Dining Services/Sodexo may have advisors to the BOD 3. Dining Services/Sodexo will provide their expertise to ensure a successful transition from the current food service to this proposal. a. Dining Services/Sodexo will work equally with the BOD and UGCH staff to ensure food safety. b. Dining Services/Sodexo will work equally with the BOD and UGCH staff to ensure financial stability. i. Any profits made after financial stability is ensured will remain within the UGCH and will spent at the discretion of the BOD. 4. The BOD reserves the right to change the name of the UGCH to a new, more appropriate name. 5. The UGCH will adhere to insuring food by $5 million dollars by way of a. going through Growing Washington; b. purchasing from larger farmers/suppliers; c. purchasing its own $5 million insurance coverage. 6. The sole exception to the $5 million insurance rule will be that the Co-op wants to be able to purchase food from the Outback Farm. Ideally a collaborative effort between Outback, the AS, Dining Services, and the Student Co-op could find a way to meet our insurance requirements while having the potential to Outback Food in the UGCH. 7. All financial and food related information associated with the UGCH will be made public and displayed within the UGCH at staff/BOD discretion. 8. As long as food meets safety standards, the BOD will have control over the kind of food served and where it is bought. 9. The BOD will work equally with Dining Services/Sodexo for pricing of food and any other products. 10. The BOD will have complete control to expand and change the UGCH food service, products, and services as they see fit. 11. The BOD will have full control over the use of existing appliances and eating utensils, as well as any future purchases. 12. Sodexo will ensure the health code and University health policies are followed. 13. The BOD/managers, working in cooperation with the Underground Coffee House Music Coordinator, will have complete control over atmosphere, appearance of the location, hours, and events. 14. The BOD must approve all hiring and firing decisions. a. All managers associated with the UGCH, including any Viking Union interlocation managers, must be interviewed by the BOD before being hired. b. The BOD will work equally with Dining Services/Sodexo on hiring practices and develop agreed upon qualities sought in employees. 15. All employees and managers associated with the UGCH will be students, unless approved by the BOD. 16. The BOD will create educational/internship/volunteer opportunities as they see fit. a. Work study will be made available for students who want to impact the business or sustainable aspects of the UGCH. b. Classes will have the opportunity to work on increasing the sustainability of the UGCH and developing the transition to a student-run Co-op. 17. The UGCH employees and managers will have the opportunity to use a certified kitchen on campus frequently, for a reasonable, yet limited period of time and/or food will be prepared specially for the UGCH by other Sodexo employees. 18. The BOD will annually nominate a representative to serve on Western's Executive Dining Board. 19. The UGCH model may be gradually transitioned into an independent, student business; separate from Sodexo/Food Service Provider/WWU. The transition will result in an RFP being sent out for a Student-Run Food Co-op in addition to an RFP for the campus dining contract in 2011/2012 if: a. The BOD at the time desires to go independent. b. The BOD/managers/staff develop a profitable business in the UGCH in collaboration with Sodexo/DS within an agreed upon time frame. c. The student group develops a fiscally sound and educational proposal. d. The student group develops a proposal to ensure safety and operating continuity. e. The student group meets mutually agreed upon bench marks.