Staff Assembly

Staff Assembly Bylaws

Article I

Mission

Section 1.
The mission of the Butler University Staff Assembly is to enhance the work environment, and represent the interests and concerns of staff in the overall governance structure of the university.

Article II

Definition

Section 1.
Butler University staff includes all Butler personnel, excluding members of the Faculty. Staff personnel may be employed full-time, part-time, on a nine- or ten-month schedule, or on an occasional basis. Student employees are not considered staff.

Article III

Purpose

Section 1.
In accordance with the Assembly's mission statement, the purpose of the Butler University Staff Assembly shall be to represent the staff in the communication processes and to serve in an advisory role in the decision making process of the university. The Assembly will work to:

  1. Increase the sense of identity, recognition, and value of each staff member in his/her relationship to the university.
  2. Identify concerns relating to staff and work to seek solutions.
  3. Provide a line of communication among staff, faculty and students.
  4. Promote the development of policies aiding in the retention of current staff members and the inclusion of new staff members.
  5. Integrate staff more fully into university affairs.
  6. Support the university's mission as a learning community by establishing and promoting activities, publications, workshops, and seminars for the university staff.
  7. Foster a culture among staff of mutual support, respect, and professionalism.

Article IV

Executive Committee

Section 1.
The Executive Committee shall be composed of twelve elected members: three officers, including the Chair, the Vice Chair, and the Secretary, and nine at-large representatives. Vacancies to the Executive Committee shall be filled as described in Article V and Article VI.

Section 2.

This committee shall:

  1. Appoint all standing committee members.
  2. Appoint a convener for each standing committee.
  3. Establish and appoint subcommittees as the need arises.
  4. Appoint staff members to Policy and Operational Teams of the University.
  5. Determine Staff Assembly meeting dates and agenda.
  6. Act as a committee on committees for the Assembly.
  7. Interpret the bylaws.

Article V

Staff Assembly Officers

Section 1.
The Assembly Officers shall include the Chair, the Vice Chair, and the Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2.
The Chair of the Staff Assembly shall be expected to fulfill the following responsibilities and duties:

  1. Shall serve as presiding officer for all meetings of the Staff Assembly and the Staff Assembly Executive Committee.
  2. Shall represent Staff Assembly at all Board of Trustee meetings.
  3. Shall refer all matters submitted for the Assembly's attention to the appropriate committee(s) or person(s).
  4. Shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
  5. Shall appoint Executive Committee representatives to Standing Committee and Ad-Hoc Task Forces.
  6. Shall oversee the creation and distribution of the agenda and minutes of the proceedings and actions of the Assembly and Executive Committee.
  7. Shall be responsible for the disposition of all recommendations of the Assembly.
  8. Shall appoint Ad Hoc committees as needed.

Section 3.
The Vice Chair of the Staff Assembly shall be expected to fulfill the following responsibilities and duties:

  1. Shall preside over all Assembly and Executive Committee meetings when the Chair is not present.
  2. Shall act on behalf of the Chair upon his/her request or in his/her absence.
  3. If the Chair position becomes vacant, it will be the responsibility of the Vice Chair to assume the duties of the Chair unless extenuating circumstances prohibit. These circumstances will be reviewed by Executive Committee and be agreed upon by a majority vote.
  4. If it is agreed that the Vice Chair is unable to assume the Chair position, the Secretary-Treasurer will assume the Chair position through next-in-line succession unless extenuating circumstances prohibit. These circumstances will be reviewed by Executive Committee and agreed upon by a majority vote.
  5. Shall be responsible for overseeing all standing committees.

Section 4.
The Secretary-Treasurer of the Staff Assembly shall be expected to fulfill the following responsibilities and duties:

  1. Shall be responsible for the discharge of all Assembly correspondence.
  2. Shall be responsible for the maintenance of accurate records for Staff Assembly and Executive Committee meetings.
  3. Shall oversee the permanent records of the Assembly.
  4. Shall maintain and update a calendar of events relevant to the Staff Assembly and Executive Committee.
  5. Shall be responsible for maintaining books of account, being in charge of disbursement and overseeing the receipt of Butler University Staff Assembly funds.
  6. Shall be responsible for generating bi-annual reports to the Executive Committee of the Staff Assembly regarding all accounts related to the Staff Assembly.
  7. If it is agreed that the Vice Chair is unable to assume the Chair position, the Secretary-Treasurer will assume the Chair position through next-in-line succession unless extenuating circumstances prohibit. These circumstances will be reviewed by Executive Committee and agreed upon by a majority vote.

Section 5.
The Officers shall be elected at the March Executive Committee meeting by the Executive Committee from among current members of the Executive Committee. All Officer positions are two-year terms, and all officer positions are limited to two (2) consecutive terms. Terms of office will commence on June 1st and end on May 31st. The Convener of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall conduct the election of the officers. Election of Officers shall be by secret ballot. A minimum of 5 yes votes shall be required to elect an officer. If a single candidate fails to receive a majority of the vote, there will be a run-off election of the two candidates with the highest number of votes.

Section 6.
To fill vacancies for the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary-Treasurer, the Executive Committee will replace the positions with members already serving on the Executive Committee. If no one on the Executive Committee is able to serve an unexpired term for an Officer, a special election will be called at Staff Assembly to elect a replacement Officer. Replacement officers shall serve the duration of the original term. To fill the created Representative vacancies, the Executive Committee will then follow the procedures outlined in Article VI, Section 4. The Executive Committee may seek counsel from former Chairs of the Staff Assembly. Former Chairs will become members of the Advisory Board. Members of the Advisory Board may be invited to meetings as non-voting attendees.

Article VI

Executive Committee At-Large Representatives

Section 1.
There shall be nine elected at-large representatives to the Executive Committee.

Section 2.
Representatives to the Executive Committee shall be elected to staggered three-year terms and shall be eligible to serve no more than two consecutive full terms as a Representative on the Executive Committee. All terms shall begin on June 1st and shall end on May 31st. Any member of the Executive Committee shall lose his/her position immediately upon separation of employment with Butler University.

Section 3.
Nominations and elections for the Executive Committee representative positions shall be held each year during the month April. The following protocol shall be followed for all elections:

  1. Nomination of candidates for election to the Executive Committee Representative positions shall result from secret ballot during the month of April. Each staff member may nominate up to one name for each open position. A person must be employed by Butler a minimum of one year before accepting a nomination to a position on the Executive Committee. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall collect all nominations.
  2. Nominees will be notified of their nomination, and be given five working days to accept their nomination.
  3. Election ballots shall be prepared by the Nomination and Elections Committee and Human Resources Management and Development, and shall be distributed on a designated day in April, with a ballot being provided for each staff member eligible to vote.
  4. The votes shall be returned to Human Resources Management and Development within a designated amount of time. The Nominations and Elections Committee and Human Resources Management and Development will count the votes.
  5. A plurality of the votes shall elect the three at-large Assembly Representatives and any open positions due to officer elections.
  6. The Staff Assembly Chair will notify the newly elected Representatives.

Section 4.
Vacancies to the Executive Committee representative positions will be filled one of two ways, depending on the length of term remaining.

  1. For vacant Executive Committee Representative positions open during the first two years of a given term, normal nomination and election procedures will be followed at the next regular meeting of the Staff Assembly as outlined in Article VI, Section 3. The elected representative will serve the remainder of the term, and the partial term shall not count against the term limits.
  2. For positions becoming vacant in the third year of a term, the Executive Committee will name a person to fill the vacant position. The selected representative shall serve the remainder of the term, and the partial term shall not count against the term limits.

Article VII

Staff Assembly Meetings

Section 1.
Regular Meetings: The Assembly shall have regularly scheduled meetings as set by the Executive Committee. These shall be held during daytime working hours at least once every six weeks.

Section 2.
Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee, or upon petition to the Executive Committee from 25 percent of the Assembly membership. Notice of all meetings must have 24 hours lead-time.

Section 3.
Agenda: Any staff member may submit an item to be considered for the agenda of regularly scheduled meetings. These items shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for consideration at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled meeting.

Section 4.
Quorum: A quorum at any regular or special meeting shall require a minimum number of 40 members.

Section 5.
Voting: Voting of all matters, other than elections, shall be by voice vote, unless secret ballot is requested.

Section 6.
Procedural Rules: The Staff Assembly shall follow Robert's Rules of Order unless otherwise specified in the Staff Assembly Bylaws.

Section 7.
Motions: Motions may be proposed at any time and shall require a 2/3rds vote of the membership present to pass. Each Assembly member has the right to request that a motion be considered as a resolution.

Section 8.
Resolutions: Resolutions shall be introduced at least one Assembly meeting prior to presentation for vote. Immediate action may be taken on items by suspending this requirement with the unanimous consent of those members present. A 2/3rds vote of the Assembly membership present is required for adoption of a resolution.

Article VIII

Standing Committees

Section 1.
With the exception of the Staff Assembly Officers, a member of the Executive Committee will serve as the convener of each standing committee with the exception of the Nominations and Elections Committee. The Standing Committee Conveners will be appointed by the Staff Assembly Officers from among the current At-large Representatives with the exception of the convener for the Nominations and Election Committee. The convener for this Committee shall not be a member of the current Executive Committee and must have served for at least one year on any Staff Assembly committee. Standing Committee Conveners will serve at least a one year term. Their role and reappointment as a Standing Committee Convener will be reviewed by the Staff Assembly Officers on an annual basis following the annual election. Upon approval, the Standing Committee Convener shall put together a list of committee members for Executive Committee approval. Each standing committee shall have a minimum of five members and a maximum of nine members.

Section 2.
Titles and Descriptions: The titles and descriptions of the Standing Committees are as follows:

  1. Communications: This committee shall have the responsibility of disseminating information regarding activities of the Assembly, and working to develop and promote new channels of communication.
  2. Nominations And Elections: This committee shall present to the Assembly a slate of candidates for representative positions open to elections, and conduct the Executive Committee elections in accordance to the provisions described in Article IV and Article V of the Bylaws.
  3. Faculty Relations: This committee shall work to communicate the goings-on with the faculty of Butler University, and work to enhance the relationship between the staff and the faculty.
  4. Personal And Professional Development: This committee shall work with the appropriate groups on campus to enhance development opportunities for staff members, and look to find ways to increase staff interest and participation pertaining to staff development.
  5. Employment Affairs: This committee shall explore ideas to enhance the employment environment including, but not limited to, diversity, benefits and compensation, and other issues as they arise.
  6. Activities And Socials: This committee shall coordinate social, volunteer, and other activities to provide opportunities for staff to interact outside of their roles and responsibilities for the university.

Section 3.
General Guidelines for Standing Committees: The following guidelines will be adhered to by each of the Standing Committees. Volunteers will be solicited on a continual basis, and recorded by the Secretary in order to fill committee vacancies as they arise. All Standing Committees are expected to meet monthly, and a verbal report is expected at the next Staff Assembly Meeting. The Executive Committee will set the initial agenda of each committee.

Section 4.
Standing Committee Conveners: The Convener of each Standing Committee shall be responsible for scheduling committee meetings, setting agendas consistent with the basic goals and objectives set for the committee by the Executive Committee, and addressing other relevant matters that may come before the committee. When there are not enough volunteers to fill committee vacancies, the Standing Committee Convener is expected to solicit volunteers for the vacancies.

Article IX

Ad-Hoc Task Forces

Section 1.
As special issues arise, ad-hoc task forces may be established by the Executive Committee or at the recommendation of the Staff Assembly to research and recommend action. The Executive Committee will set the initial agenda of each ad-hoc task force formed based upon suggestion from the Staff Assembly.

Article X

Amendment Of Bylaws

Section 1.
These Bylaws may be amended by the Staff Assembly at any meeting thereof, provided that written notice of the purpose of any change shall have been available to all members of Staff Assembly at least thirty (30) days in advance of the time when the change is to be voted on, and also provided that no such amendment shall be made but by concurring vote of two-thirds (2/3rds) of the members of the Staff Assembly present. Sections 2 and 3 outline the process for amending the bylaws.

Section 2.
All proposals for amendment to the bylaws must initially be brought to one of the Standing Committees or directly to the Executive Committee by any member or constituency of the Staff Assembly. The proposed amendments will be considered first within the committee that they were proposed, and then be presented to the Executive Committee (if that was not the original source). The Executive Committee will deliberate, working with the Standing Committee as appropriate, to prepare specific wording on an amendment to be presented to the entire Assembly.

Section 3.
If the Executive Committee opts not to bring a proposed amendment to the full Staff Assembly, a referendum mechanism for direct access to the entire Staff Assembly will be utilized. The referendum shall contain the exact wording of the proposed amendment, plus any explanation (not to be included in the actual amendment) of the reasoning behind the proposed amendment. The referendum must be signed by fifty (50) Staff Assembly members. The referendum with original signatures will be submitted to Human Resources Management and Development for independent counting and authentication. A copy will be submitted to the Executive Committee so that it may be included on the agenda for the next general meeting following authentication.

Article XI

Bylaws / Effect

Section 1.
The Bylaws shall go into effect when ratified by the Staff Assembly by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting, and upon approval of the Board of Trustees of Butler University or its designate.

Ratified on this 17th day of April, 2009
Dr. Bobby Fong
President of Butler University