The Access Network is led by a team of Core Organizers (COs). The COs are responsible for maintaining all of the activities of the Network, in collaboration with the Assembly Fellows, Network Fellows, and the members of various Task Forces.
There are a number of responsibilities associated with being a CO:
- Every CO is responsible for participating in semi-regular communication with other network members.
- Every CO is responsible for engaging in self-education on anti-oppression in a way that they can describe to others.
- Every CO is responsible for engaging in conversations about mission, vision, & philosophy about the network.
- Core Organizers are responsible for mentoring within the CO team.
- Core Organizers are responsible for communication with the advisory board (a group of people formed to give advice and support to the Access leadership).
- Every CO will co-oversee some aspect of central network functioning. Within each year, every CO should be involved in some student-facing mentoring work.
There are also three types of CO: Liaison CO, Starting CO, and Full CO. Each type of CO is responsible for a different subset of responsibilities CO.1–CO.6:
| Responsibility | Liaison CO | Starting CO | Full CO |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO.1: Communication | X | X | X |
| CO.2: Self-education | X | X | X |
| CO.3: Mission & Vision | X | X | |
| CO.4: Mentoring | X | X | |
| CO.5: Advisory board | X | ||
| CO.6: Central functions | X |
| Type | Description | Time Commitment | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liaison | Liaison COs are primarily responsible for bridging the connection between the CO team and the Liaison CO’s local sites, if there are otherwise no other COs from that site. Liaison COs perform functions CO.1 and CO.2. CO.1 is met by attending CO Zoom calls every other week and being included on the CO email list. They have deciding powers equal to other COs during Zoom calls and email exchanges. Attendance at retreats and assemblies (which aim to achieve CO.3) is not required. | The expected time commitment is 3 hours/month for attending CO meetings. There is no limit to how long someone can be a Liaison CO. | Varied. Typically this compensation is tied to an advisory board role on a grant, site-level employment, or senior personnel time budgeted in a grant. |
| Starting | Starting COs are learning the ropes of how to be a CO and are mentored by more experienced COs. This CO type is required for new COs without a prior history of engagement with local Access sites or the Access Network, but is available to new COs with such history to opt-into if they want. Starting COs perform functions CO.1-CO.4, which is everything except overseeing a central aspect of network functioning and communicating with the advisory board. Within CO.4, the starting CO participates as the mentee. They have deciding powers equal to other COs during Zoom calls, email exchanges, and retreats. | The expected time commitment is 4 hours/month (3 hours for attending CO meetings and 1 hour for mentoring and self-education). After their first 6 months, starting COs are expected to transition to full COs. | $480 for each 6-month commitment, and reevaluated if Starting CO participates in the Assembly & CO Retreat. |
| Full | Full COs performs all CO functions (CO.1-CO.6). Within CO.4, the full CO participates as the mentor/co-mentor around an area of mutual collaborative learning. They have deciding powers equal to other COs during Zoom calls, email exchanges, and retreats. | The default compensation corresponds to about 8 hours/month of work. Actual time commitment varies greatly based on what aspect of the network the Full CO is overseeing. There is no limit to how long someone can be a Full CO. | In one’s initial year as CO, $1000 for each 6-month commitment. Following one’s initial year as CO, paid based on budget, responsibilities as a CO, and individual situation, as is the case for current COs. |