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.

Reply to
dkat
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Where are you located, dkat?

Reply to
GaSeku

Reply to
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

Reply to
wayneinkeywest

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

Reply to
steve graber

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.

Reply to
dkat

Reply to
dkat

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