Minor violations will be dealt with by the Board President or a designated Board member by communicating with the member either verbally or by a written note. Documentation will be kept in a confidential file held by the Board President as background for any further violations by said member.
Counseling of a member by a Clay Studio designated Board member creates an opportunity to make a member aware of conduct that conflicts with a policy, procedure, or practice of the Clay Studio. The Board member should discuss with the member the nature of the problem and identify any policies or procedures that have been violated. The Board member should describe expectations and steps the member must take to resolve the problem. The member will be encouraged to share concerns and offer possible solutions.
The Board member will, with the member, prepare written documentation of the verbal counseling. The member will be given a copy of the documentation and asked to sign the document to demonstrate his or her understanding of the issues and the corrective action required. Documentation of this meeting will be submitted to the Board President for retention in a confidential file.
Board members will be assigned to investigate incidents or complaints submitted by members on the Incident/Complaint Report Form. Board members will meet with the filing member(s) to review any information about the alleged violations. Witnesses will be asked for written statements regarding the incident, with verbal follow up if needed. The designated Board members will then meet with the member who the complaint has been filed against to obtain their statements regarding the incident/violation. The member who the complaint has been filed against will have 5 days to dispute the findings of the investigation before the findings are presented to the Board.
An Executive Session with the Board of Directors will be held to review the findings and determine what action should be taken. The Board President or designee will prepare the written notice and deliver it to the member. The member will be asked to sign the document to demonstrate his or her understanding of the issues and the corrective action required.
Some conduct or safety incidents are so problematic and harmful that the most effective action may be the temporary removal of the member from the Studio. When immediate action is necessary to ensure the safety of members or guests, the Board President or his/her designee will immediately suspend the member from the Clay Studio pending the results of an investigation. The Board President will immediately notify the GVR liaison of the action taken.
During the investigation of the violation by the Board Member representatives, the suspended member will be given the opportunity to submit his/her input in writing. Following the completion of the investigation and a presentation of the findings to the Board in an Executive Session, the Board members present must vote to take whatever action is recommended. The member will be notified in writing within 5 days of the decision by the Board.
The last and most serious step in the conflict resolution process is a recommendation by the investigating Board members to terminate a membership indefinitely or for a specified period.
Such recommendations must be made to the Board during an Executive Session.
The Board members present must vote to take such action.
The member will be notified of the decision in writing within 5 days of the vote by the Board.
Generally, the Board of Directors will try to exercise the progressive nature of the policy by counseling, written notifications, and suspension before proceeding to a recommendation to terminate an individual’s membership.
However, the Board of Directors reserves the right to combine and skip steps depending on the circumstances of each situation and the nature of the offense.
All documentation regarding investigations, including input by the member accused of a violation of conduct, policies, or procedures and any other documents reviewed by the Board of Directors during Executive Sessions pertaining to a member’s violation will be held by the Board President in a confidential and secure file.