Graduate Students Co-Operating

Graduate students cooperating: a cross case analysis of five student-run co-operatives serving graduate students by Stacy Elizabeth Chappel BA, Concordia University, 1993 A Masters Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTERS OF ARTS in Community Development, Faculty of Human Social Development Stacy Elizabeth Chappel, 2014 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. i Supervisory Committee Graduate students cooperating: a cross case analysis of five student-run co-operatives serving graduate students by Stacy Elizabeth Chappel BA, Concordia University, 1993 Supervisory Committee Dr. Lynne Siemens, (Department of Community Development) Supervisor Dr. Richard Marcy, (Department of Community Develpment) Departmental Member Mr. Brian Pollick, (University of Victoria Graduate Students’ Society) Additional Member ii Executive Summary Across Canada and the US, students use co-operatives to provide themselves with housing, food, books and school supplies. These co-operatives are student owned and operated, and aim to provide benefits ranging from cost saving on goods and services to involvement in environmental or social justice projects. Student co-operatives may include both graduate and undergraduate members, and in some cases, primarily in housing, offer specific services for graduate students. As a student-led non-profit, the University of Victoria Graduate Students’ Society (UVIC GSS) has much in common with student-led co-operatives. The UVIC GSS provides services to its members through a democratic, member-controlled system. Despite similarities, neither the UVIC GSS nor independently organized graduate students at the University of Victoria have a history of forming student-run co-operatives to provide services. This may be a missed opportunity. This study explores the experience of student-run co-operatives providing services to graduate students. It describes five cases of student-led co-operatives in Canada and the US where graduate students are members. Data collected is considered in the context of literature on graduate student needs and services, the co-operative model, and student co-operatives. In doing so, this report aims to consider the experience of graduate student co-operators within the broader contexts of both the co-operative movement and graduate student service providers. Summary of literature review The literature review begins with a brief background on the co-operative model. This section covers the internationally accepted definition of co-operatives, and the principles of co-operation. It also looks at co-operative sectors, comparing how Canadians use co-operatives to use of the co-operative model globally. The literature review then pulls together three distinct fields in order to provide the basis for understanding co-operatives that involve graduate students. The first two fields are areas of academic inquiry: co-operative studies literature, and student affairs literature concerning graduate students. The writing on co-operatives and graduate students also includes “grey literature” (Malina & Nut, 2000), or literature from sources that are not peer reviewed, such as co-operative websites, and internal reports from universities. The third topic is student co-operatives. This literature is a primarily grey literature from student organizations, and articles written by students about their experience in student co- operatives. Each of these areas provides insight into how to interpret the information collected on the cases. The literature on co-operatives explores several of the key themes from co-operative studies: the ownership models used in co-operatives; the unique and interdependent roles co-operative members play as customer, owner and investor; the idea that there is a co-operative difference that sets co-operatives apart from non-profits and traditional businesses; and the resilience of the co-operative model. The section on student co-operatives considers first the services students provide in their co-operatives. It then considers common concerns that arise for student co-operatives, notably: accessing capital and managing finances; iii ownership and autonomy of student co-operatives; training and associative practices; and building community through co-operatives. Finally, the section on graduate students explores common topics in literature from the field of student services. This literature covers both the common causes of stress for graduate students, as well best practices in designing services for graduate students. Summary of research methods As there is limited academic literature linking the themes of graduate student services and co- operatives, this research is exploratory in nature. The study surveys the field of student co-operatives with graduate student members in Canada and the US, and uses a case study method to explore in detail the experiences of five student-led co-operatives that have graduate student members. Data comes from interviews and review of public documents from each of the cases. Coding of the interview transcriptions provides the themes discussed in the paper, and these are tested for validity by triangulation with documents from the cases and the literature review. Summary of research findings The study finds student co-operatives can successfully provide services to graduate student members. However, these co-operatives do not function without risk. Like other co-operatives, student-run co- operatives face challenges in ensuring they are effectively run, while members retain democratic control. Student-run co-operatives also face particular challenges due to their student membership, such as increased difficulty raising capital, inexperienced board members, and high turnover in membership. Student-led co-operatives offer a more narrow range of services than the Canadian co-operative movement generally, and focus on campus services such as bookstores, cafés and housing. Student-led co-operatives emphasize associative practices—such as member involvement, democratic management, member education and information sharing—rather than the balance between business and associative goals found in literature on co-operatives. This creates a risk of privileging social ideals over sound financial management. They are learning organizations, where members have an opportunity to develop skills through their participation in governance and work for the co-operative. Unlike many student organizations, student-led co-operatives do not run separately as undergraduate and graduate organizations, although they may offer services specifically for graduate students where warranted. Nonetheless, the co-operative cases have leveraged their graduate student membership to their advantage. They appreciate their maturity in governance, and they have drawn on their reputation as quiet and studious, when trying to repair relationships with neighbours who objected to co-operative houses that had rowdy tenants. Summary of discussion The discussion section explores how the cases relate to literature on graduate students and co- operatives. It begins by exploring how graduate students are using co-operatives. Then, drawing on literature on the needs of graduate students, the paper considers whether co-operatives are an effective means to address these needs, and how well the co-operative model matches the models proposed in the literature for providing graduate student services. Finally, the discussion section proposes a student co-operative difference as a model to explore student uses of the co-operative model. This section goes on to explore how the principles of co-operation apply to the context of student-led co-operatives. iv Summary of recommendations Co-operatives are an effective model for provision of services to graduate students, but the co-operative model does not function effectively as a subsidiary organization to a non-profit. As such, this report recommends the following course of action to the UVIC Graduate Students’ Society: 1. Act as a catalyst for the development of student-run co-operatives The UVIC GSS can provide support to graduate students wishing to develop co-operatives by hosting education events about co-operatives, using its networks to link students interested in starting co- operatives with each other, and connecting interested students with co-operative organizations. 2. Providing training and support to student-run co-operatives As a well-established graduate student-run organization, the UVIC GSS is able to share expertise with students initiating new projects. Organizational management and governance, financial management, and the needs of graduate students are all areas where the UVIC GSS could provide the benefit of experience. 3. Address graduate student needs with GSS services The literature review provided valuable insight into current academic work on graduate student services and the needs of graduate students. Financial concerns, isolation, and juggling responsibilities between academic and other areas of responsibility are all causes of stress for graduate students. This information, and future research on graduate student experiences, can provide a solid basis from which to evaluate current programming and plan future services at the UVIC GSS. 4. Provide referrals to professional services This study found that student-run organizations benefit from sound legal and

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