Woollcott Co-Op

About The Co-Op 

The Co-Op is located in Woollcott House because of the beautiful commercial-style kitchen installed there. The Co-Op is a collective of students who are seeking a food-focused and family-style housing experience among peers. Students living in the Co-Op want to get to know the other people living there and become a community of friends. Students eat meals together as a group, and work together to keep the house running smoothly. 

All students in Woollcott will participate in the Co-Op and all will be assigned the Co-Op meal plan. This meal plan cost for each student is the same as the unlimited meal plan but allows for only 7 meals a week in the dining halls. All other meals, typically breakfast and dinner, are had in the residence hall using a budget provided through and overseen by Community Living. All meals in the residence hall are planned and prepared by the students living there including shopping for all ingredients. Co-Op budget money is used to cover the costs of ingredients and supplies needed for food prep, cooking and proper food storage. 

All students in the Co-Op will attend a mandatory training meeting at the start of each semester where they will learn how to properly store and label food, tips for shopping and cooking for a  crowd, and how to maintain Oneida County Health Department standards. They will also participate in mandatory weekly meetings, the day and time of which will be determined by house members at the beginning of each semester and communicated by the House Coordinator and will attend a mandatory weekly “Power Hour” cleaning session, in which the entire house spends an hour doing maintenance cleaning of the kitchen, dining room, refrigerators and freezers. 

Students are expected to fully clean after every meal including dishes, wiping counters and making sure all food is properly stored or disposed of. Students living in the Co-Op should be interested in and excited to learn more about locally sourced food, exploring food values as a community, learning how to handle food properly and working together to create delicious meals. The Co-Op currently purchases locally sourced food from Local Foods Mohawk Valley.   

Students should expect to spend approximately 5-10 hours of time per week working in the Co-Op completing a variety of tasks. Tasks include shopping for groceries, meal prepping, cooking, cleaning, checking temperatures of refrigerators and freezers, laundry, and other tasks. 

The Co-Op will have a designated Student Coordinator who will meet with Community Living staff once a week. Their duties will include organizing and taking attendance at the once a week building meetings and Power Hours, ensuring that the house stays organized and is following protocol, and ensuring that each task is being done each week. 

The Co-Op will also have a designated Student Treasurer who will be issued the Co-Op credit card and will track the budget and manage receipts. They will meet with Community Living once a week to go over all of the receipts from that week's purchases. They will also be the liaison between the Co-Op and Local Foods Mohawk Valley. 

Students who live in Woollcott will participate in the building closing procedures for the kitchen that include cleaning, completing inventory, packing, and storing of items at the end of each semester.

How to Live in the Co-Op 

In order to be eligible to live in the Co-Op, students must attend a mandatory Informational Session at Woollcott House. In these sessions you will learn more about the Co-Op, be able to see the building and the kitchen, and meet and ask questions of current members!  Once you have attended a session, you will complete the application that is available in your Housing Account before the deadline. 

Students who are eligible for the Co-Op will participate in a Co-Op Housing Selection process on February 28th. (Eligible students will be sent more information about this process after your application has been processed)  

Important Note

If you decide to choose a room in the Co-Op, you must agree to abide by the rules, regulations, and expectations that govern that living community as outlined in your housing contract and the Community Living Policies and Procedures section of your Student Handbook. If you violate any part of this contract, you may be asked to leave the Co-Op.