Starting up a CO-OP

Our University is becoming worse each passing day in the way it treats the
pottery studio. I am thinking of trying to convince the President to let us
form a Co-Op that offers classes to students and staff, is located on the
campus but that is to some degree independent. Does anyone have any idea
what kind of investment would be involved in this endeavor? Has anyone ever
solicited funding for such a thing from local businesses? Does anyone here
belong to such a thing that they might pass on advice? Any thoughts
appreciated.

Where are you located, dkat?

NY - Stony Brook
"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Where are you located, dkat?

"dkat" wrote in message
t...
NY - Stony Brook
"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Where are you located, dkat?

Dkat:
Starting a "private" co-op at a public institution is tricky at best.

Here, at our local community college, a "club" has been established
(Mud-Pi). The club allows for fund-raising events, like empty bowls dinners
which raise cash for equipment etc. Far easier to establish a "club" which
can then operate on campus under the bylaws of the institution, than to
establish a co-op, even if non-profit.

The "club" has use of the studio areas during times not scheduled for
classes, with the permission of the instructor, (who we sent to Japan a few
years ago by raising the needed funds). Works out well for everyone.

You might want to consider this angle instead. Talk to the head of the
department, but first speak to the instructor(s) involved. Once there's a
consensus, the department head will willingly go to the president of the
college (since it means funding for his department that she would not
normally have), and the instructor will agree, (since it can mean new
equipment the department may not have funds for). Win-win.


Best regards,
Wayne Seidl

--
Wayne Seidl
Key West, Florida, USA
North America, Terra
Latitude 81.45W, Longitude 24.33N
Elevation 3.1 feet (1m)

i would suspect, assuming you get an OK from the school to use a room,
that starting up a co-op is pretty cheap. possibly you'll need to do
a 60-40% split or something to share your class money. it's their
equipment, etc. a 60-40 split might be all you have to pay the
school.

i think a co-op by itself could be started with just a handfull of
potters using their collective needs to get larger volume buys from
the pottery suppliers.

i taught adult ed pottery for the city of lakewood, calif for around 8
years. the initial split was 70-30, with 30% going to the city. they
eventually changed to the 60-40 split. i had access to a decent room,
their 6 wheels, and a back room to store my tools. also, they had the
large gas kiln. i had freedom for the style of class i ran, and they
solicited the students with a catalog of classes put out 4 times a
year. i had limited access to the room on weekends & odd hours so i
was able to generally do my thing at their facility most of the times
i wanted to.

if your college doesn't provide what you want, try your city.
Lakewood considered the entire adult ed program to not be a "money
maker" but simply a comunity service & a great way for the local
community to get together in ways outside the typical
mall-movies-night club methods.

good luck!

steve


"dkat" wrote in message . net...
Our University is becoming worse each passing day in the way it treats the
pottery studio. I am thinking of trying to convince the President to let us
form a Co-Op that offers classes to students and staff, is located on the
campus but that is to some degree independent. Does anyone have any idea
what kind of investment would be involved in this endeavor? Has anyone ever
solicited funding for such a thing from local businesses? Does anyone here
belong to such a thing that they might pass on advice? Any thoughts
appreciated.

There are a variety of instructors that have little or no control over how
the studio is run (I have never seen anything run this way before - no one
has a vested interest in seeing that things are done right or cared for
properly). Basically an 'administrator' runs the studio. She has little or
no interest in being an advocate for the potters or students and does not
play an active part as a potter at all - I think because it means more
emotional and physical involvement than she can afford. She is basically
being treated as cheap labor by the Student Activities department who doles
out the funds. I like the club idea but the administrator is the type of
person whose first answer no matter what you ask is "NO" we can't do that.
I will chew on this one though... it might be the type of thing where we can
at least use the funds from our pottery sales in a way the benefits the
studio rather than the entire Center.


"wayneinkeywest" wrote in message
...

"dkat" wrote in message
t...
NY - Stony Brook
"GaSeku" wrote in message
...
Where are you located, dkat?

Dkat:
Starting a "private" co-op at a public institution is tricky at best.

Here, at our local community college, a "club" has been established
(Mud-Pi). The club allows for fund-raising events, like empty bowls
dinners
which raise cash for equipment etc. Far easier to establish a "club"
which
can then operate on campus under the bylaws of the institution, than to
establish a co-op, even if non-profit.

The "club" has use of the studio areas during times not scheduled for
classes, with the permission of the instructor, (who we sent to Japan a
few
years ago by raising the needed funds). Works out well for everyone.

You might want to consider this angle instead. Talk to the head of the
department, but first speak to the instructor(s) involved. Once there's a
consensus, the department head will willingly go to the president of the
college (since it means funding for his department that she would not
normally have), and the instructor will agree, (since it can mean new
equipment the department may not have funds for). Win-win.


Best regards,
Wayne Seidl

--
Wayne Seidl
Key West, Florida, USA
North America, Terra
Latitude 81.45W, Longitude 24.33N
Elevation 3.1 feet (1m)

These are good numbers to know. Thank you.
"steve graber" wrote in message
om...
i would suspect, assuming you get an OK from the school to use a room,
that starting up a co-op is pretty cheap. possibly you'll need to do
a 60-40% split or something to share your class money. it's their
equipment, etc. a 60-40 split might be all you have to pay the
school.

i think a co-op by itself could be started with just a handfull of
potters using their collective needs to get larger volume buys from
the pottery suppliers.

i taught adult ed pottery for the city of lakewood, calif for around 8
years. the initial split was 70-30, with 30% going to the city. they
eventually changed to the 60-40 split. i had access to a decent room,
their 6 wheels, and a back room to store my tools. also, they had the
large gas kiln. i had freedom for the style of class i ran, and they
solicited the students with a catalog of classes put out 4 times a
year. i had limited access to the room on weekends & odd hours so i
was able to generally do my thing at their facility most of the times
i wanted to.

if your college doesn't provide what you want, try your city.
Lakewood considered the entire adult ed program to not be a "money
maker" but simply a comunity service & a great way for the local
community to get together in ways outside the typical
mall-movies-night club methods.

good luck!

steve


"dkat" wrote in message
. net...
Our University is becoming worse each passing day in the way it treats
the
pottery studio. I am thinking of trying to convince the President to
let us
form a Co-Op that offers classes to students and staff, is located on
the
campus but that is to some degree independent. Does anyone have any
idea
what kind of investment would be involved in this endeavor? Has anyone
ever
solicited funding for such a thing from local businesses? Does anyone
here
belong to such a thing that they might pass on advice? Any thoughts
appreciated.