Title: #III-5.
Constitution and By-Laws of WVUP Staff Assembly
Date:
CONSTITUTION
We the classified staff of
West Virginia University at Parkersburg, in order to enhance communication, facilitate
input into decisions, encourage cooperation and coordination among campus
organizations, foster improvement of working conditions, clarify a role in
campus governance, and convey concerns through the State Advisory Council of
Classified Employees to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission,
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the West Virginia University at
Parkersburg Staff Assembly.
Article I
All classified staff,
full-time and part-time, of
Article II
All decision-making powers
of Staff Assembly shall be vested in a Staff Council established in accordance
with WV Code §18B-6-6, which shall consist of the following:
a Chair and two representatives from each of the five sectors defined in
WV Code §18B-6-6, an Advisory Council of
Classified Employees representative (ex-officio, voting) elected in accordance
with WV Code §18B-6-5, a Board of Advisors representative
(ex-officio, non-voting) elected in accordance with WV Code §18B-6-1, a
Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer elected in accordance with the By-Laws of
Staff Assembly, and the immediate past chair (ex-officio, non-voting).
Article III
Staff Assembly shall meet
every year in the spring to generate discussion on staff concerns. At this meeting in every odd-numbered year,
Staff Assembly shall take nominations for Staff Council Chair and Advisory Council
of Classified Employees representative.
At the spring meeting of every even-numbered year, Staff Assembly shall
take nominations for Board of Advisors representative. Staff Assembly shall
also meet every year in the fall to receive the previous year’s annual report
of activities, receive a mid-year update of Staff Council activities and to
generate discussion on staff concerns.
BY-LAWS
Article I - Staff Council
Section 1. Staff Council is designated as the
formal decision-making body of the Staff Assembly. Staff Council shall (1) serve to discuss
issues and concerns of classified staff and provide input into the college
decision-making process via communication with the campus president,
representation on committees and task forces, and through formal resolution;
(2) strive to communicate appropriate staff concerns through the State Advisory
Council of Classified Employees to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy
Commission; (3) facilitate the communication process internally; (4) coordinate
and promote fund-raising activities for the Employee Scholarship Fund and the
Children of Classified Staff Scholarship Fund; (5) provide a liaison to the
Staff Development Coordinator; and (6) coordinate various campus social and/or
community events.
Section 2. Staff Council shall consist of
the following: Elected by the Staff
Assembly, a
Chair and two representatives from each of the five sectors defined in WV Code §18B-6-6 (administrative/managerial,
professional/nonteaching, paraprofessional,
secretarial/clerical, and physical plant/maintenance); elected in accordance
with WV Code §18B-6-5, an Advisory Council of Classified Employees
representative (ex-officio, voting); elected in accordance with WV
Code §18B-6-1, a Board of Advisors representative (ex-officio, non-voting);
elected in accordance with Section II of the By-Laws of WVUP Staff Assembly, a
Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer; and the immediate past chair (ex-officio,
non-voting).
Section 3. The ten Staff Council
representatives elected from the five sectors
will be appointed by the Chair to be directly responsible to one of the
constituent group of classified staff listed below and will be expected to
communicate their respective constituents' concerns to Staff Council and to
carry information from Staff Council back to that same constituency.
Academic
Offices
Academic Affairs, Division Offices, Science Labs
Academic
Services
Academic
Advising, Co-Op and Placement, Media Services, Library
Administrative
Offices
Computer Services, Human Resources, President's
Office
Business
Services
Business Office, Purchasing
College
Services
Maintenance, Security
Evening
Facilities
Afternoon Custodial, Night Custodial
All JCC Staff
Public
Services
Business, Industry & Development Services;
Communications/Public Relations
Student
Services
Dean of Students Office, Financial Aid,
Student
Records & Child Care
Admissions Office, Records Office, Children’s Room
Section 4. The ten elected representatives
and the Advisory Council of Classified Employees representative constitute the
voting members of Staff Council.
Section 5. Alternate Staff Council area
representatives shall be the runners-up in the annual election. Staff Council
members may ask the appropriate alternate to attend, as a voting member, any
meeting of the Council which the elected representative is unable to attend.
Section 6. Staff Council officers and
representatives will serve for a term of two years beginning on July 1
of odd numbered years, and may be re-elected to succeed themselves.
Section 7. Any representative who fails to
attend three consecutive meetings without notifying the Chair of Staff Council
shall be removed from the Council and replaced by an alternate.
Section 8. Should an area representative
accept a position in another sector, then the position on Staff Council becomes
vacant.
Section 9. Should vacancies occur, the
offices should be filled in the following manner:
Vacancy Replacement
Chair Elected by Staff Assembly
Vice-Chair Elected
by Staff Council from
Council membership
Secretary-Treasurer Elected by Staff Council from
Council membership
ACCE
Representative Elected
by Staff Assembly
Board of Advisors Rep. Elected
by Staff Assembly
Area
Representative Alternate
If
a vacancy occurs in both the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency, then a
President shall be chosen by Staff Assembly. If a vacancy occurs
area representatives, and if the alternate is unable or unwilling to assume
office, then his/her name shall be stricken from the list of alternates and the
replacement shall be elected by the Staff Assembly.
Section 10. Board of Advisors Representative
will be a liaison to Student Government Association.
Article II - Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Staff
Council shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair, and a
Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 2. The term of office for each
officer shall be two years beginning on July 1 of
each odd-numbered year.
Section 3. The Chair shall:
A.
be elected by
Staff Assembly;
B.
be the chief
officer of the Staff Council, directing activities of the Council within campus
policies and procedures;
C.
preside at all
Staff Assembly and Staff Council meetings;
D.
convene all
meetings of Staff Assembly and Staff Council;
E.
authorize all
Staff Assembly and Staff Council purchases;
F.
appoint, upon
the request of the campus president, and with Staff Council confirmation, staff
representatives to campus-wide committees and other groups;
G.
represent
college staff and attend meetings as requested by the campus president;
H.
have no vote in
Staff Council except when it affects the results as permitted in Robert's Rules
of Order;
I.
serve as liaison
to WVU Staff Council;
J.
distribute
copies of the Staff Council Constitution, By Laws, and Policies &
Procedures to members of Staff Council, and place copies on file in the
library;
K.
become an ex-officio non-voting member of Staff Council for
two years following his/her term of office.
L.
be an
ex-officio, non-voting member of all Staff Council committees;
Section 4. The Vice-Chair shall:
A.
be elected by
Staff Council from the Council’s elected membership;
B.
represent the
Chair in his/her absence;
C.
assure that
committees meet assigned obligations;
D.
serve as staff
liaison to Faculty Senate;
E.
serve as
parliamentarian at all meetings;
F.
assume other
duties at the request of the Chair or the Council;
G.
perform the duties of a Staff Council representative.
Section 5. The
Secretary-Treasurer shall:
A.
be elected by
Staff Council from the Council’s elected membership;
B.
keep the minutes
of the proceedings of the Staff Council and Assembly;
C.
distribute
copies of minutes to all Staff Council representatives and officers, to the
elected heads of other campus governance groups, and to the campus president
and his staff (this can be done via electronic mail);
D.
notify all
Council representatives and officers of meetings and distribute agendas;
E.
post all Staff
Council minutes, meeting notices, and other pertinent information on the Staff
Assembly bulletin board;
F.
at the direction
of the Staff Council
Chair,
keep Staff Council informed of upcoming deadlines and important dates
regarding campus policies and/or Council obligations;
G.
at the end of
the Council year, place on file in the campus library a bound copy of the
minutes of that year's Council proceedings;
H.
coordinate, along
with the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation treasurer, the deposits and expenditures
of all moneys for fundraisers and scholarships, and make a monthly report of
transactions to Staff Council;
I.
perform the duties of a Staff Council representative.
Article III - Meetings
Section 1. Staff Assembly shall meet each
year on the third Monday of the month of April.
The purpose of this meeting will be to receive a mid-year update of
Staff Council activities, generate discussion on staff concerns; and, in odd numbered
years, to take nominations for Staff Council Chair and Advisory Council of
Classified Employees representation; and, in even-numbered years, to take
nominations for Board of Advisors representative.
Section 2. Staff Assembly shall meet each
year during the month of October. The
purpose of this meeting will be to receive an annual report of Staff Council
and to generate discussion on staff concerns.
Section 3. Staff Council shall meet monthly and at other times as called by the Chair.
Section 4. All meetings of Staff Assembly
and Staff Council are open to all members of Staff Assembly.
Section 5. In meetings of Staff Assembly,
the members present shall constitute a quorum.
In meetings of Staff Council, a majority of the members of the council
shall constitute a quorum.
Article IV - Elections
Section 1. Election of officers and
representatives shall take place during college business hours on Monday,
Tuesday and until
Section 2. All Staff Assembly members are
eligible to vote in the election and make nominations for Chair, Advisory Council of Classified Staff
Representative, and Board of Advisors Representative, and to vote for all ten
sector representatives.
Section 3. Nominations shall be accepted by
the election committee during the five working days prior to the April meeting
of Staff Assembly. Signed written
nominations may be submitted to the election committee either in person or via
the Staff Council box beside the switchboard.
Nominations may also be submitted to the election committee via
electronic mail. Written and e-mail nominations close one hour prior to the
scheduled start of the Staff Assembly meeting.
Section 4. Nominations may also be made
from the floor during the April meeting of Staff Assembly. Nominations from the floor will close as
moved.
Section 5.
Absentee balloting,
off-campus balloting and after hours balloting will be provided as outlined in
Staff Council Election Procedures.
Section 6. The vote required for election
of the office of Chair shall be a majority of the members voting. If no nominee receives a majority, then a
run-off election shall be held involving the two nominees with the highest number
of votes. The vote required for election
of the other officers and representatives shall be a plurality of the members
voting.
Article V - Annual Report
Staff Council will be
responsible for the publication of a brief annual report. This report will be presented to Staff
Assembly at the October Staff Assembly meeting.
Copies of this report will be sent to the campus president, the
chairpersons of other campus governance groups, and others as determined by Staff
Council. The report will be bound along
with minutes of that year's Staff Assembly and Staff Council meetings and
placed on file in the campus library.
Article VI - Amendments
Section 1. Amendments to the Constitution
or By-Laws may be proposed at any meeting of Staff Assembly. Amendments may be proposed by Staff Council
(with signatures of a majority of the council) or by any Staff Assembly member
(with signatures of at least fifteen Staff Assembly members).
Section 2. Proposed amendments will be
placed on a ballot, and voting will take place during the week following the
week of the Staff Assembly meeting.
Section 3. Proposed amendments will become
part of the Constitution or By-Laws after having been approved by a two-thirds
majority of those voting on the amendment.
Article VII - Committees
Section 1. Existing committees and chairs
will be appointed by Staff Council Chair with Staff Council confirmation. Additional committees shall be appointed at
the request of Staff Council by Staff Council Chair with Staff Council confirmation.
Section 2. The election committee will
consist of three classified staff members.
The election committee will be formed by the solicitation of nominations
by area representatives. At the
September meeting the nominations will be presented to the Staff Council for
vote with the top three being named to the election committee for the year.
While serving on the election committee an employee will be ineligible to run
for elected Staff Council office or area representative.
Article VIII - Parliamentary
Authority
In all matters not covered
by the Constitution or By-Laws, the