That's right, we are not called the Meeting School for nothing!  The Quaker process for collective decision-making holds us to a high standard of listening.  Wisdom can come to the group through any individual, so all must be heard.  Sometimes this takes a long time, and a lot of trust! 

We meet as a whole community once a week for Community Meeting, a time to discuss important issues that arise in community life, and sometimes to make decisions together.  Anyone wishing to bring an agenda item must speak to the Clerk, a student nominated by the community as a whole.  The Clerk's job is to guide the community through discussions, call on those wanting to speak, and to listen carefully for the community's readiness to unite behind a decision. 

Quakers do not make decisions by "majority rule," which disempowers those in the minority, or hammer out "consensus," which involves all parties bringing their interests to the table and compromising.  We seek a collective truth, which might arise from unexpected places, and requires all involved to be open to new ideas.

Each week there is also a Student Meeting and a Faculty Meeting, also clerked in the manner of Quakers.  These meetings all work to be guided by wisdom on a deep level, to make difficult decisions when necessary and look beyond individual goals or biases.  The Board of Trustees meets four times a year, with student representatives present.  The meetings send each other "epistles" about important issues that arise, and the dialogue goes on.

Often pieces of work in process are referred to a variety of working committees that include both faculty and students.  Some of our committees are the Food Committee, Forum Committee, Celebrations Committee, Community Life Committee, Nominating Committee and Farm Committee.  These committees report back to Community Meeting.