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Professional Staff Council

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Constitution and Bylaws

Constitution
Bylaws

PROFESSIONAL STAFF CONSTITUTION

Article I The Professional Staff

Section 1: The Professional Staff Membership
The Professional Staff will consist of those employees coded as professionals in the Indiana University budget.

Section 2: Certification of Members
Certification of persons qualifying under the definition of Section 1 will be made by Human Resources.

Article II The Indiana University South Bend Professional Staff Council

Section 1: Representation
The IU South Bend Professional Staff will be represented by board members, comprising the Indiana University South Bend Professional Staff Council, hereinafter referred to as the Professional Staff Council. The Professional Staff Council shall consist of three (3) elected officers and representatives elected from each of the zones on campus as defined in Article II, Section 7.

Section 2: Purpose of the Professional Staff Council
The Professional Staff Council will provide Professional Staff members representative participation in University affairs by making recommendations and offering advice regarding policy formulation and problem solving on issues that affect the general welfare of, the working conditions of, and the services rendered by the Professional Staff of the University. The Professional Staff Council will submit formal proposals to the Chancellor regarding these issues. The Professional Staff Council will serve as a liaison to exchange information regarding concerns of the Professional Staff and the Administration. The Professional Staff Council will encourage opportunities for continued professional development and growth.

Section 3: Meetings
The Professional Staff Council will meet once a month or as needed. Professional Staff Council meetings will be open to professional staff members as provided in the bylaws.

Section 4: Policy Functions
All matters appropriate to the purpose of the Professional Staff Council may be considered by the Professional Staff Council. The Professional Staff Council may act or may refer such matters to the Professional Staff.

Section 5: Administrative Functions
The Professional Staff Council will have administrative powers to carry out its functions.

Section 6: Responsibility to Professional Staff

  1. The Professional Staff Council will report its proceedings in writing, by e-mail, or on a shared drive accessible to all Professional Staff shortly after each meeting.
  2. At the request of a majority of the Professional Staff Council members present, any matter may be submitted to the Professional Staff for consideration, either by mail (or e-mail) ballot or at a special meeting.

Section 7: Organization

  1. The Professional Staff Council will consist of zone leaders and at least three (3) officers. Responsibilities of the Professional Staff Council members are defined in the Bylaws, Section 6.
  2. Zone Leaders. The Professional Staff will be divided into zones so that approximately 15 members are represented by each zone leader. Each zone will elect its own zone leader to serve on the Professional Staff Council.
  3. Officers. The Professional Staff will elect a President or Co-Presidents, a Secretary, and a Treasurer in addition to the zone leaders.
  4. Term of Office. Elected members of the Professional Staff Council will hold office for a two-year term as provided in the bylaws. An elected member will be eligible to serve two consecutive terms but will then be ineligible for the next election.
  5. Manner of Nomination and Election. Membership of the Professional Staff Council will be elected each year in the manner specified in Section 5 of the Bylaws.

Article III Matters for Professional Staff Council Attention

  1. Individual Professional Staff members or groups of Professional Staff members must submit matters for Professional Staff Council attention in writing (or by e-mail) to their zone leaders.
  2. Zone leaders and University Administrators must submit matters for Professional Staff Council attention in writing (or by e-mail) to the Secretary of the Professional Staff Council. The Secretary will notify the Professional Staff Council and the members of the Professional Staff of the agenda in advance of the next meeting.

Article IV Amending the Constitution

Section 1: Motion to Amend
A motion to amend this constitution may be presented to and discussed by the Professional Staff Council. The Professional Staff Council must approve constitutional amendments by a two-thirds majority vote.

Section 2: Ratification by the Professional Staff
Amendments approved by the Professional Staff Council will be circulated by a mail (or e-mail) ballot to the Professional Staff. The ballot will be accompanied by a summary of arguments presented during any meeting at which the amendment was considered. A two-thirds majority of the Professional Staff voting, which must be at least 50 percent of those eligible, will be necessary for the adoption of the amendment. The President will count the ballots and report the results to the entire Professional Staff.

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PROFESSIONAL STAFF COUNCIL BYLAWS

I. Robert's Rules

The current version of Robert's Rules of Order will govern the meetings of the Professional Staff Council (as defined in Article II, Section 1, of the Professional Staff Constitution) as well as general meetings of the Professional Staff, except insofar as the bylaws make express provision to the contrary.

II. Quorum

The presence of a majority of the members will constitute a quorum.

III. Conduct of Meetings, Committees, and Amendments

  1. Professional Staff Council meetings: Meeting times will be set by the members of the Professional Staff Council. Meetings will be for no more than two hours unless a later adjournment is agreed to unanimously.
    1. A majority vote of the members present is required to pass a seconded motion.
    2. A secret ballot on routine votes may be requested by any member.
    3. Any Professional Staff member may attend a meeting of the Professional Staff Council. The Professional Staff Council reserves the right to ask higher level Professional Staff members to excuse themselves from a meeting or portion of a meeting to ensure the free exchange of information among the members and to avoid a conflict of interest concerning issues being discussed. The Professional Staff Council may vote, by a two-thirds majority, to enter into executive session.
    4. Excessive absence from Professional Staff Council meetings by any member will be considered grounds for removal from the Professional Staff Council at the discretion of the Professional Staff Council members. Members may designate an alternate member of the Professional Staff to represent them at regularly scheduled meetings.
  2. General Meetings: The Professional Staff Council may, by a two-thirds vote, call a general meeting of the Professional Staff. Notification will be by e-mail and will be posted on the Professional Staff Web site at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.

IV. Standing and Ad Hoc Committees

Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees will operate under identical guidelines and policies.

  1. Standing Committees: The Standing Committees of the Professional Staff Council will be Elections, Social Events and the Professional Advisors (PAC).
    1. Members of the standing committees will be solicited from the membership of the Professional Staff each year following the election of the Professional Staff Council. In the event that more volunteers are required or that more than enough volunteers are found for any committee, the Professional Staff Council will make the final determination of committee assignments.
    2. Each committee should have at least three (3) members, with carry-over members from one year to the next, if possible, to assure continuity of the committee's work and objectives.
    3. The chairman of each committee will be elected by that committee.
    4. Each committee will name its secretary, or agree by consensus to assume secretarial duties on a rotating basis.
    5. Minutes and any other materials gathered by committees will be turned over to the President for distribution to the newly elected chair.
    6. Each committee will report its activities at the regularly scheduled meetings of the Professional Staff Council.
    7. A member of the Professional Staff Council will be a member of one of each standing committees as a liaison to the Professional Staff Council.
    8. The responsibilities of the standing committees are as follows:
      1. The Election Committee will supervise the process of nomination and election to the Professional Staff Council, and declare the results of the election.
      2. The Social Events Committee will organize gatherings of the Professional Staff for holiday parties and special events.
      3. The Professional Advisors Committee (PAC) will facilitate the exchange of information and id eas to promote academic commitment through student success.
  2. Ad Hoc Committees
    1. Ad hoc committees may be established by the Professional Staff Council as needed.
    2. Membership on ad hoc committees will be determined by the Professional Staff Council.

V. Elections

  1. Elections to the Professional Staff Council will be held each year in November. The Officers will be elected to two-year terms in odd-numbered years. The Zone Leaders will be elected to two-year terms in even-numbered years. Eligible participants for purposes of this bylaw will be persons qualifying under Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution.
  2. When a vacancy on the Professional Staff Council occurs, the position may be filled at the discretion of the Professional Staff Council, depending on the length of the term remaining. Nominees will be solicited by the Co-Presidents and voted upon by a quorum of the members of the Professional Staff Council. In the event that a vacancy is created in an odd-numbered year by the election of a current Zone Leader to an officer position, the Zone Leader may serve out the remainder of the term with the consent of the zone members.
  3. Elections of Zone Leaders will be conducted in the following manner:
    1. Employees who have been members of the Professional Staff for at least one year prior to November 1 of the current year will be eligible for nomination as a Zone Leader to the Professional Staff Council.
    2. Each Zone will elect its Zone Leader from within its Zone. The candidates must meet eligibility requirements as outlined in Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution.
    3. In the event that a current Zone Leader is elected as an officer in an odd-numbered year, the Zone Leader may serve out the remainder of the term with the consent of the zone members.
  4. Elections of Officers will be conducted in the following manner:
    1. Employees who have been members of the Professional Staff for at least one year prior to November 1 of the current year will be eligible for nomination as an Officer to the Professional Staff Council.
    2. Members of the Professional Staff who meet eligibility criteria and who are interested in serving as an Officer on the Professional Staff Council will submit their name and the office they are seeking to the Election Committee. There is no maximum number of nominees.
  5. The role of the Election Committee in the election process is as follows:
    1. The Election Committee will prepare a slate of nominees listed in random order.
    2. The Election Committee chair will communicate the slate of nominees to the entire Professional staff and the list will be finalized by November 8th.
    3. The final ballot will be available on the Professional Staff website and voting will take place electronically during the second week of November.
    4. Each voter will vote for one candidate per office. If Co-presidents are on the ballot, two candidates should be selected.
    5. Voting must be completed within 5 working days from the time the election is opened. Under unforseen circumstances, this voting period may be extended by the Professional Staff Council.
    6. When voting is completed, the Election Committee will validate the election as follows:
      1. For Zone Leader elections, a majority of eligible Professional Staff members from each zone must cast ballots in order for the election to be declared valid. In case of an invalid election, a new election must be held, with the same candidates, and sufficient publicity to insure validity.
      2. For Officer elections, a majority of eligible Professional Staff members form the entire campus must cast ballots in order for the election to be declared valid. In case of an invalid election, a new election must be held, with the same candidates, and sufficient publicity to insure validity.
    7. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be the winner. In the case of ties, the Election Committee will determine the winner by lot.
    8. The Election Committee will report the number of votes cast and the results of the election to the Professional Staff Council President(s). The President will communicate the results to the entire Professional Staff. The electronic voting records will then be destroyed.

VI. Duties and Responsibilities of the Officers and Representatives

Elected Professional Staff Council representatives will be allowed adequate time to attend scheduled meetings, while continuing to fulfill the responsibilities of their University position.

  1. President
    1. Chairs the meetings and abides by Robert's Rules of Order.
    2. Refers all matters submitted for the Professional Staff Council's attention to the appropriate person(s) or committee(s).
    3. Serves by appointment on University committees; represents the Professional Staff Council at Academic Senate meetings.
    4. Develops and maintains a calendar of events relevant to the Professional Staff Council for the coming year.
    5. Accepts names of persons interested in serving on Committees; makes appointments based upon members' preferences. In the absence of volunteers, makes such appointments. Encourages productivity and action by committees.
    6. Posts a regularly updated list of Professional Staff Council committees and their members on the Professional Staff Web site and/or a shared drive.
    7. As outgoing President, responsible for writing an annual report of the past year's activities, including committee reports, for distribution to all Professional Staff Council members at the first meeting held after the election.
    8. Assures that a current list of the Professional Staff is regularly updated on the Web page, according to information provided by Human Resources. Assigns new staff members to zones and acts as coordinator for zone leaders.
  2. Secretary
    1. Records and distributes minutes of each Professional Staff Council and special meeting.
    2. Collects and maintains the minutes and annual reports of Professional Staff Council appointed committees in a central location.
    3. Represents President (when necessary) to the Professional Staff, Chancellor, Bi-weekly Staff Council, and Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.
    4. Distributes the agenda for the upcoming Professional Staff Council meeting to the Professional Staff.
  3. Treasurer
    1. Acts as account manager for all Professional Staff Council funds and makes monthly status reports.
    2. Advises any fundraising committees.
  4. Zone Leader
    1. Acts as mentor or assigns mentor to new Professional Staff members. Distributes Constitution, Bylaws, and calendar of events as necessary.
    2. Acts as liaison between those members of the Professional Staff in his/her zone and the Professional Staff Council.
    3. Is responsible for informing Professional Staff in his/her Zone of Professional Staff Council Activities.
    4. Advises members of Professional Staff in his/her Zone regarding problem resolution.

VII. Amendment of the Bylaws

  1. The bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of Professional Staff Council.
  2. Proposed amendments should be presented by any member of the Professional Staff at a Professional Staff Council meeting at least one meeting prior to the vote.

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