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CHAPTER ONE: 1800

HISTORY, MISSION, GENERAL ORGANIZATION, AND GOVERNANCE

July 2008

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1800

 

BYLAWS OF THE STAFF AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

 

PREAMBLE: The Staff Affairs Committee was created on the recommendation of the Faculty Council and the director of personnel services and with the approval of President Ernest Hartung in the summer of 1971. The current version of the Staff Affairs Committee’s bylaws were amended in September 2002 and again in January 2007. In 2008, Staff Affairs Committee removed the SAC acronym, changes were made to reflect current employment classification and off-campus staff were given permanent representation on Staff Affairs. [rev. 1-07, 7-08]

 

CONTENTS

 

Article I.      Name

Article II.     Purpose

Article III.    Members

Article IV.    Elections

Article V.     Officers

Article VI.    Annual Reports

Article VII.   Staff Affairs Committee Meetings

Article VIII.  Meetings of the University Staff

Article IX.    Subcommittees

Article X.     Parliamentary Authority

Article XI.    Amendments

 

ARTICLE I—NAME. The organization shall be named the University of Idaho Staff Affairs Committee (Staff Affairs).

 

ARTICLE II—PURPOSE.

Section 1. General. Staff Affairs represents the staff of the University of Idaho. The staff is defined as board-appointed employees at the University of Idaho who do not have faculty status.

 

Staff Affairs members shall be released from normal work duties for the purpose of attending Staff Affairs meetings, and performing related Staff Affairs responsibilities. This release time shall not be charged against their accrued leave.

 

Section 2. Specific. Specific purposes of Staff Affairs are:

a. To study issues, problems, welfare, and working conditions of staff;

b. To call to the attention of the president matters concerning staff affairs in any division or department that Staff Affairs believes should receive special attention;

c. To work with the university administration in the development and/or revision of university policies, employment benefits, and other matters where staff are directly affected;

d. To cooperate with the Faculty Affairs Committee and Faculty Council and participate in the formulation of joint recommendations concerning issues common to the staff and the faculty;

e. To advise on salary and promotion matters pertaining to staff;

f. To form subcommittees, as required, to study special or continuing issues;

g. To serve as a communication link between university administration and staff;

h. To work with the president’s designee, who will serve as a liaison with university administration.

 

ARTICLE III—MEMBERS.

Section 1. Constituencies. For the purpose of selecting Staff Affairs members, the UI staff is divided into the following groups:

a. Exempt; [rev. 7-08]

b. Secretarial/Clerical;

c. Technical/Paraprofessional;

d. Skilled Crafts;

e. Service/Maintenance.

Section 2. Representation.

 

a. On-campus. Each group listed in Article III, Section 1 is represented on Staff Affairs by one member for every 50 employees or any fraction thereof in the group, provided that each group has at least one representative member on Staff Affairs. [add. 7-08]

 

b. Off-campus.  Permanent positions will represent the campus sites and surrounding extension sites.  The five permanent positions would be for (1) Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls/Sandpoint; (2) Boise; (3) Idaho Falls/Tetonia/Dubois/Aberdeen; (4) twin Falls/Kimberly/Hagerman; and (5) at large (Parma, Caldwell, Caine Center, McCall/Taylor Ranch, Salmon, etc.).  These positions would be permanent members of the On-Off Campus Committee, which currently exists as an ad-hoc standing subcommittee.  Their roles would be: [add. 7-08]

 

• Information Distribution. The Staff Affairs representative for each Center would collect information, report, and attend Staff Affairs meetings via teleconference. [add. 7-08]

• Staff Appreciation Fair.  Each Center (in collaboration with Staff Affairs) would hold a Staff Appreciation Fair at their location during Staff Appreciation month. [add. 7-08]

• Information Liaison.  For any information items that are needed, the representative would be the contact for his/her location.  Examples of responsibilities could include: information gathering and dissemination, Human Resources visit coordination (for benefits-related purposes, training, etc.), communication about Staff Affairs activities (Staff Appreciation Fair, War on Hunger, policy issues, etc.), and communication/efforts in other areas. [add. 7-08]

 

The Assistant Vice President of Human Resources serves on Staff Affairs in an advisory capacity, without vote.

 

Section 3. Term. Staff Affairs members are elected to serve a term of three years. No member may be elected to more than two consecutive terms.

 

Section 4. Eligibility. All staff, as defined in Article II, Section 1, are eligible for membership on Staff Affairs.

 

Section 5. Vacancies.

a. The Chair of Staff Affairs must declare a position vacant if a member is absent from four (4) consecutive meetings unless the member has informed the Chair and the absence is considered excused. Excused absences include approval of accrued leave and professional obligations. Staff Affairs will fill the vacancy in the method described in Article III, Section 5, Paragraph b.

 

b. Vacancies are filled as quickly as possible by appointment of the candidate who, at the most recent election for the position vacated, had the next highest number of votes. If the vacancy cannot be filled in this way, the Staff Affairs media coordinator gives notice of the vacancy as soon as possible in official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today@Idaho, Staff Affairs website), as well as via Staff Affairs email listservs, giving staff an opportunity to volunteer for Staff Affairs service. The chair will appoint a person from the same group to complete the unexpired term from those responding to the vacancy notice; the appointment is subject to Staff Affairs approval. A person appointed is eligible for election to the succeeding term.

Section 6. Change of Constituency. A Staff Affairs member who changes job classifications, which then results in a change of constituency, may finish the remaining portion of that year of the term of office. Any remaining portion of the term will be filled by election at the next election of Staff Affairs members; a Staff Affairs member so elected is eligible for election to the succeeding term.

 

The member, whose new job classification puts them in a different category, should run for election on the next regular election ballot if a vacancy exists for the new classification. If a vacancy exists after a regular election, this person may be appointed to the new classification term.

ARTICLE IV—ELECTIONS.

Section 1. Continuity. To provide continuity of membership on Staff Affairs, approximately one-third of the member positions are filled by election each year. As far as possible, terms of members representing the same group are staggered.

 

Section 2. Election Date. Elections of Staff Affairs members are held such that the election results are presented at the April regular Staff Affairs meeting. The election date is announced in official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today@Idaho, Staff Affairs website), as soon as possible.

 

Section 3. Nominations. Appropriate procedures for nominations and elections are developed by the Elections Subcommittee and approved by Staff Affairs (see Article IX).

 

Section 4. Seating of Members. Those elected are seated as Staff Affairs members at the first regular Staff Affairs meeting in June.

ARTICLE V—OFFICERS.

Section 1. Election and Appointment of Officers. At the May regular meeting, Staff Affairs elects a chair and a vice chair to serve for the year beginning with the first meeting in June. The new chair appoints a secretary, treasurer, off-campus representative, and media coordinator to serve the same term; these appointments are subject to the approval of Staff Affairs.

 

Only seated Staff Affairs members are eligible to vote in the election. Only those persons who have been seated on Staff Affairs are eligible for the office of chair. [rev. 1-07]

 

Staff Affairs members who know they are going to be absent from officer and new member elections may cast an absentee vote in writing or email.  The member's absentee vote must be received by the Staff Affairs chair prior to the election. [add. 1-07]

 

Section 2. Chair. The chair:

a. Presides at all meetings of Staff Affairs;

b. In consultation with Staff Affairs, appoints required subcommittee chairs;

c. Maintains lines of communication between Staff Affairs and the president, the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Faculty Council, and staff;

d. Performs all other duties pertaining to the office of chair.

Section 3. Vice Chair. The vice chair:

a. Assumes the duties and responsibilities of the chair in the absence or disability of the chair;

b. Works closely with, and attends Staff Affairs-related meetings with the Chair; prepares reports of recommendations on policy actions for presentation to the president

c. Is Chair of committees, convening meetings of standing and ad hoc committees, assuring procedures are followed and that specific charges of each committee are carried out;

d. Performs such other duties as may be assigned by the chair or by Staff Affairs.

Section 4. Past Chair. The past chair is:

a. a valuable resource and is thus considered an ex officio member of Staff Affairs (with vote).

b. thereby also a member of the Officers Committee, whether or not his/her term has expired.

Section 5. Secretary. The secretary:

a. Maintains an accurate record of all meetings of Staff Affairs;

b. Submits a summary of the minutes to the media coordinator for publication in official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today@Idaho, Staff Affairs website) as soon as possible after each meeting;

c. Maintains a notebook for the official record for the year. This notebook shall be turned in to the notebook library located in the Staff Affairs office each year. The notebook shall include, but is not limited to:

1) Approved minutes of all meetings;

2) All handouts from all meetings;

3) Letters of resignation or requests to serve on the committee;

4) All committee election results;

5) Annual Reports;

d. Performs such other duties as may be assigned by the chair or by Staff Affairs.

e. Shall send all annual reports and minutes of meetings to the UI library for official archiving

f. Maintains responsibility for the Staff Affairs website.

Section 6. Treasurer. The treasurer:

a. Maintains an accurate record of all the budgets and monetary tranStaff Affairstions of Staff Affairs;

b. Reports to Staff Affairs at all regular meetings;

c. Performs such other duties as may be assigned by the chair or by Staff Affairs.

Section 7. Communications On/Off Campus. The Communications representative:

a. Helps promote better, consistent, and increased communication with the University of Idaho’s on/off-campus staff;

b. Finds a contact person for each off campus site;

c. Mails all Staff Affairs materials meeting handouts to off-campus locations;

d. Creates an e-mail distribution list for all off-campus contact people and sends "staff" e-mail to them for distribution;

e. Addresses issues and concerns that on/off-campus staff may have, including bringing the information to Staff Affairs Committee meetings;

f. Performs such other communications duties as may be assigned by the chair or by Staff Affairs.

Section 8. Media Coordinator. The media coordinator:

a. Serves as a consistent contact person for information to be published or released to various media sources;

b. Gathers information from the chair, vice chair, secretary, and subcommittee chairs to be distributed for publication;

c. Ensures all articles or releases are approved by the chair;

d. Distributes information to the appropriate media organizations, such as The Register, KUID TV, local newspapers and radio stations, in a timely manner;

e. Reports to Staff Affairs at all regular meetings;

f. Maintains a record of all releases;

g. Performs such other duties as may be assigned by the chair or by Staff Affairs.

Section 9. Filling Officer Vacancies.

a. In the case of the position of Staff Affairs Committee chair being vacant, the vice chair shall become the acting chair until the next regular meeting of Staff Affairs, at which time any unexpired portion of the term shall be filled by a special election. If the vice chair becomes the chair at the special election, a new vice chair will also be elected at this meeting.

b. In the case of the position of Staff Affairs Committee vice chair being vacant, at the next regular meeting of Staff Affairs a special election will be held to fill any unexpired portion of the term of vice chair.

c. In the case of the positions of secretary, treasurer, off-campus representative, or media coordinator being vacant, at the next regular meeting of Staff Affairs the chair will appoint a secretary, treasurer, off-campus representative, or media coordinator to fill any unexpired portion of the term of that office. The appointment will be subject to the approval of Staff Affairs.

ARTICLE VI—ANNUAL REPORTS.

Section 1. Annual Reports. Staff Affairs will compile an annual report. A preliminary report is to be presented at the June meeting of every year. The final copy of the Annual Report shall be submitted to the membership at the September meeting. Copies of the report will be sent to the President’s Office, Provost’s Office, Faculty Secretary’s Office, and UI library archives.

 

Section 2. Contributors. The report will be composed of year-end summaries from each of the following members:

a. the chair;

b. the vice chair;

c. the secretary;

d. the treasurer;

e. the on/off-campus communications representative;

f. the media coordinator;

g. the chairs of all standing subcommittees;

h. the chairs of all ad hoc subcommittees;

Section 3. The Official Record. The annual report will constitute the official record for the year for Staff Affairs. The final copy will be kept in the yearly Official Record Notebook maintained by the secretary.

ARTICLE VII—STAFF AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

Section 1. Regular Meetings. Staff Affairs will hold at least six regular meetings each calendar year. Staff Affairs designates the time and place for regular meetings.

a. Quorum. A quorum of Staff Affairs consists of half of the voting members of Staff Affairs.

b. Agenda. The chair is responsible for the preparation of the agenda and distributes it to the members of Staff Affairs (and all staff, if electronic mail permits) at least one week before each regular meeting.

c. Record of Attendance. The minutes of each meeting will show the names of the members present and of those absent.

Section 2. Executive Committee Meetings. The function of the Executive Committee meetings is to act for Staff Affairs on emergency matters when Staff Affairs will not have a regular meeting for a period of two weeks or more, and an issue pertinent to Staff Affairs requires an immediate response. The Executive Committee reports to Staff Affairs, and Staff Affairs retains the authority to review actions of the Executive Committee.

a. Structure and Quorum. The Executive Committee is made of such members of Staff Affairs as are present at a meeting called upon 24 hours written, electronic, or oral notice. Five voting members of Staff Affairs constitute a quorum for the meetings of the Executive Committee.

b. Officers. The officers of Staff Affairs also serve as the officers of the Executive Committee. In the absence or incapacity of both the chair and the vice chair, the members of the Executive Committee attending the Executive Committee meeting will designate a chair pro tempore. Minutes of Executive Committee meetings will be kept and presented in written form at the next regular meeting of Staff Affairs.

c. Call of Meetings. Executive Committee meetings may be called on 24 hours’ notice by the chair or vice chair or by the president of the university or the president’s designee.

ARTICLE VIII—MEETINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY STAFF.

 

Section 1. Meetings. A meeting of the UI staff will be called when requested by four or more members of Staff Affairs or upon the written petition of at least 20 staff members. Notice of such a meeting must be given to the staff at large two weeks before the proposed meeting via official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today@Idaho, Staff Affairs website). Notice will also be given via the Staff Affairs email list serves. The president or the president's designee may call a meeting at any time. The chair of Staff Affairs presides at meetings of the staff.

 

Section 2. Quorum. Those staff members present at a meeting properly called in accordance with this article constitute a quorum.

 

Section 3. Agenda. An agenda listing all substantive items to be acted upon must be published in official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today@Idaho, Staff Affairs website), and sent via Staff Affairs email listservs, at least one week before the meeting.

 

ARTICLE IX—SUBCOMMITTEES.

Section 1. Standing Subcommittees. The standing subcommittees will be appointed at the first regular meeting of Staff Affairs in June. Each subcommittee is responsible for maintaining a list of standing rules, policies and procedures which must be approved by Staff Affairs. The Staff Affairs chair will appoint a chair of each standing subcommittee. The chair shall be an ex officio (with vote) member of all standing subcommittees, except the Officer Nomination Subcommittee. The standing subcommittees of Staff Affairs are:

a. Election Subcommittee. The Election Subcommittee manages two tasks:

1. The Election Subcommittee manages the nomination and election process for new members of Staff Affairs by:

(a) Submitting a statement to the Media Coordinator stating which member positions are to be filled by election, for publication in official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today@Idaho, Staff Affairs website), during the month of February. Notice will also be sent via Staff Affairs email listservs. Nominations must be in writing and signed by the nominator.

(b) Confirming the eligibility and availability of each nominee;

(c) Preparing and distributing ballots, ensuring that each eligible staff employee has an opportunity to vote;

(d) Collecting and counting the ballots;

(e) Reporting the election results to Staff Affairs at the April regular meeting. The election results are validated and the winning candidates named. The Staff Affairs secretary records the order in which all candidates finished in the election.

In the event the number of candidates and vacancies are equal in any category – the election shall be considered non-contested. These positions shall be elected by voice vote at the April Staff Affairs meeting.

 

2. The Election Subcommittee monitors the vacancies and filling of staff positions on all UI standing committees.

b. Officer Nomination Subcommittee. The Officer Nomination Subcommittee manages the process for electing new officers for Staff Affairs in May. Nominations for new officers may be made from the floor or submitted to the chair of the subcommittee.

 

c. Staff Educational Awards Subcommittee. The Staff Educational Awards Subcommittee solicits contributions to the Staff Educational Endowment Fund, invites nominations for awards, ensures that information is provided to all staff and faculty regarding donations to the scholarship fund, and conducts the selection process. The nomination process is governed by these bylaws and states that a name shall be entered into nomination only once each year. The selection process is governed by the Endowment Fund criteria. The chair of the subcommittee must present the final number of awards and award amounts for the year to Staff Affairs for approval. The results are presented at the annual Staff Awards Reception.

 

d. Staff Awards Reception Subcommittee. The Staff Awards Reception Subcommittee coordinates the annual Outstanding Employee Award nominations, selection, and award process and plans the annual Staff Awards Reception. The Awards Subcommittee works closely with the President’s office and other administrators to coordinate the awarding of the awards.

 

e. Staff Appreciation Fair Subcommittee. The Staff Appreciation Fair Subcommittee plans and produces the annual Staff Appreciation Fair.

 

f. Staff Forum Subcommittee. The Staff Forum Subcommittee plans the annual Staff Forum.

 

g. Benefits and Compensation Subcommittee. The Benefits and Compensation Subcommittee addresses issues directly related to benefits and compensation for staff.

 

h. Bylaws Review and Revision Subcommittee. The Bylaws Subcommittee oversees the bylaws to make sure they are up to date and accurate for the times. The Bylaws Subcommittee shall review and initiate revisions to the bylaws and facilitate presentation of amendments to Staff Affairs and UI Staff for recommendation of approval by vote as required. The chair of the Bylaws Subcommittee will also serve as parliamentarian during Staff Affairs meetings. [rev. 1-07]

i.  Communications Subcommittee. The Communication Subcommittee is responsible for maintaining and updating the Staff Affairs website, assisting with the creation of print material for other subcommittees, distribution of a “Welcome to Staff Affairs letter” to new members, distributing information to UI staff members via the Staff Affairs listserv, and serving as a communication bridge between staff and administration; researching issues/ideas and presenting this information to the committee to include those items that are submitted via the website, at committee meetings or by email inquiries. [add. 1-07]

j.  Officers’ Subcommittee. The Officer’s Subcommittee is responsible for setting agenda items for the monthly Staff Affairs meetings. Members of this committee are the chair, past chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, on-off campus communications representative, media coordinator, chairs of all standing subcommittees, and chairs of all ad hoc subcommittees. [add. 1-07]

Section 2. Ad Hoc Subcommittees. Ad Hoc Committees will be appointed as needed. The Staff Affairs chair will appoint a chair of each ad hoc subcommittee. Staff Affairs must approve a motion to form an Ad Hoc committee.

 

ARTICLE X—PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern Staff Affairs in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order Staff Affairs may adopt.

 

ARTICLE XI—AMENDMENTS. These bylaws may be amended either by a majority vote of the members of the staff voting at a duly called University Staff Meeting or by a majority vote of the members of the staff voting on a mail or electronic ballot. The notice of proposed bylaw amendments must be published at least two weeks prior to the vote in official UI communications and/or publications (i.e., The Register, Today @ Idaho, Staff Affairs website). These bylaws and amendments thereto are subject to review and approval by the president of the university or the president’s designee.

 

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