About

The Staff Senate represents the interests of all staff at Indian River State College hereinafter referred to as the “College.” The Staff Senate serves in an advisory capacity to the President of the College and their designee(s). The Staff Senate accepts and shares responsibility with administration, faculty, and students for attaining the stated goals of the college and to foster a spirit of community.

The Staff Senate serves in an advisory capacity to the College President and seeks to do the following:

• Support the mission of the college: support the College and staff members and uphold the College Mission Statement to transform lives by offering high-quality, affordable and accessible education through traditional and remote delivery.
• Provide a voice for staff: foster an open forum to facilitate communication among staff, administration, faculty, and students to stimulate and strengthen the bonds of professional/personal relationships.
• Empower Staff: support all staff by advocating for continuing education, job development, and training while ensuring that staff understand both individual and institutional goals and by dispersing information about existing programs and materials.
• Cultivate an ideal environment to thrive together: promote a positive campus climate and strengthen the sense of unity among staff through building communication, trust, and integrity within the college community.
• Advisory Committee to staff: promotes an avenue for staff to freely share opinions and perspectives to help develop recommendations for growth and improvement of the college community.

The Staff Senate is not intended as a vehicle to address individual issues, grievances, or complaints, nor to circumvent regular administrative channels. It is intended to be a group gathered for the meaningful purpose of providing a voice to the many individuals that compose the staff of the College.

The Staff Senate of the College, having been created by the direction of the College staff to act by and for that body, is endowed with all the powers and authority of the College staff except for those powers specifically reserved by that body to itself, provided that the College staff may amend or repeal any general policy decisions adopted by the Staff Senate.

The Staff Senate is composed of members elected using the following criteria:

Section 1: Representation

1. The Staff Senate is comprised of sufficient voting members (refer to Article 3, Section 1D) elected from various College areas to ensure proportionate representation across campuses and will be referred to as “Senators.” Eligible individuals include full or part-time staff who have been employed a minimum of one (1) calendar year before their election date. At the time of the election, the employee must be a member of the specified organizational unit. If a Senator ceases to be full or part time staff, they will be automatically removed as a Senator.
2. Time limited and temporary employees are eligible to become Senators so long as their contract extends through the end of their sought term.
3. A Senator must be in good standing with the College upon election and remain in such good standing during their term. Good standing means not being subject to any form of sanction, suspension or disciplinary censure. (IRSC Board Policy 6.12).
4. The Staff Senate will be composed of employees from each organizational unit that will be proportional to the number of total staff as determined by data provided annually from Human Resources.
   1. Organizational Units with 1-10 Staff: 1 Senator
   2. Organizational Units with 11-50 Staff: 2 Senators
   3. Organizational Units with 51-150 Staff: 3 Senators
   4. Organizational Units with 151+ Staff: 4 Senators
   5. Chastain Campus: 1 Senator
   6. Mueller Campus: 1 Senator
   7. Northwest Center: 1 Senator
   8. Okeechobee Campus: 1 Senator
   9. Pruitt Campus: 1 Senator
      
      
5. Senators who remain at the College but transfer from their designated organizational unit to another organizational unit will be allowed to complete their term.
6. In January of each year, the Executive Committee of the Staff Senate will request the number of existing staff members from Human Resources and use this information to define organizational units. Organizational units may change on an annual basis based on this review, but no currently serving Senators will be removed during their terms due to changes in organizational units. If an organizational unit’s employee numbers increase and that organizational unit is entitled to an additional senator(s), an open Senate seat will be created, and that election will occur at the next regularly scheduled election. This staff number should be based on actual employees, not authorized positions.
7. The Executive Committee of the Staff Senate will be the President, Vice President, Immediate Past-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and Sergeant at Arms.
8. A representative from Human Resources and the Equity Officer/Title IX Coordinator will be ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Staff Senate, invited to attend all meetings and serve as resources to the Senate.

Section 2: Terms/Elections

1. Senators will be elected for two (2) year terms that will begin July 1 and end on June 30. If selected, Senators may not exceed two (2) consecutive terms. After serving two (2) consecutive terms, a break of at least one (1) year is required for re-election eligibility. A senator may run and be elected as an officer during their 1-year break. After term limits are reached, the Executive Committee may make an exception if there is no other representation, but the individual must run again.
2. Officers will be elected for one (1) year terms that will begin on July 1 and end on June 30. Officers may serve for two (2) consecutive terms of (1) year each. After serving two (2) consecutive terms, they are not eligible for re-election as an officer until they have a break of at least (1) year. After term limits are reached, the Executive Committee may make an exception if there is no other representation, but the individual must run again. Special care should be taken by the Staff Senate to ensure that term limits of the President and Vice President shall not end at the same time.
3. Elections will be held annually. (Reference Article 5 Elections Procedures).
4. All staff in each organizational unit have voting rights for elections of Senators. Staff working within multiple organizational units may only vote in their primary organizational unit as defined by Human Resources. (Reference Article 5 Elections Procedures).
5. If a Senator resigns or is removed for cause during their term, a special election will take place if the vacancy occurs within the first six (6) months after the annual election. If the vacancy occurs at any point past the six (6) month mark, the position will remain vacant until the next election. If no senators run during a special election, the Executive Committee can appoint an individual from that organizational unit. Any appointed Senators will serve until the next election. An appointed term does not affect eligibility of re-election.
6. In consultation with Human Resources, the Executive Committee may recommend the removal of a Senator. Any removal requires a supermajority vote (2/3 or more) of the Senators present during a regularly scheduled meeting. Any such removal may be appealed to the Executive Committee.

Section 3: Attendance and Leave

1. An excused absence shall be defined as an occurrence of official College work or official College leave. Each excused absence will be separately counted, even if covered by the same circumstance, including leave.
2. An excuse must be given in writing to the secretary before the meeting unless an emergency arises. In such cases, the Secretary must then be contacted within seven (7) calendar days of the meeting date. If needed, the Secretary may request further information from the Senator to determine if the absence qualifies as excused.
3. During a year (July – June), if a Senator accumulates a combined total of seven (7) unexcused absences from regularly scheduled Staff Senate meetings and/or regularly scheduled committee meetings, the Senator will be required to resign. Refer to Article 3, Section 2e for replacement procedures.
4. A voting member of the Executive Committee who does not attend (3) consecutive regularly scheduled Staff Senate meetings (regardless of whether in the same year) and/or Executive Committee meetings shall be automatically removed from the Executive Committee but shall remain a Senator. The removal applies to excused and non-excused absences. Continuation as a Staff Senator would be addressed through 3-C.
5. Any Senator removed by the Staff Senate for attendance reasons will not be eligible for re-election in the next annual election.
6. A Staff Senator ceases to be a Senator immediately upon leaving College employment.

Section 4: Meetings and Quorum

The College will ensure Senators are released from normal work duties to attend the monthly Staff Senate meetings, committee meetings, and be granted a reasonable amount of work time to perform official Staff Senate business. Each Senator is asked to establish dedicated time each month for Staff Senate responsibilities: typically, four (4) to six (6) hours each month for Senators and eight (8) to twelve (12) hours a month for committee chairs and members of the Executive Committee. Any hours worked that would cause a nonexempt employee to incur overtime or compensatory time must receive preapproval by the employee’s supervisor and should only occur on an infrequent basis.

If the work of the Staff Senate precludes an employee from successfully completing the expectations of his/her primary job outside of the release time outlined above, they will be asked to resign from their role with the Staff Senate.

A. Senate Meetings

1. 1. Meeting Schedule: The Staff Senate shall typically meet in-person on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30pm. The Executive Committee may adjust the meeting day due to holidays or significant College-related scheduling issues. The location will be established in advance by the Executive Committee.
   2. Meetings of the Staff Senate will be open to all staff, but only Senators and invited guests are permitted to speak. However, the President of the Executive Committee may permit others to speak, time permitting. Visitors may not attend any executive sessions of the Staff Senate unless otherwise authorized. The Staff Senate shall do their best to accommodate a virtual option, when possible, for staff wishing to attend remotely.
   3. Notices of regular meetings will be published on the Staff Senate’s website and sent via email.
   4. Items for consideration on the meeting agenda should be submitted in advance to the President of the Executive Committee. These items should be received no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the Tuesday Senate meeting for review by the Executive Committee.
   5. By favorable vote of the Executive Committee, special meetings of the Staff Senate may be held. The Executive Committee determines the place and time of the special meetings. All Senators will be notified in advance of special meetings via telephone, electronic mail, or campus mail.

B. Executive Committee Meetings

1. 1. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held monthly every fourth Thursday. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the President or upon the written request of three (3) voting members of the Executive Committee.
   2. The Executive Committee will establish the agenda of the Staff Senate meetings. The agenda of the upcoming Staff Senate meeting and the draft minutes from the previous Staff Senate meeting will be disseminated to all Senators prior to the meeting.
   3. The Executive Committee will review all guest speakers prior to the monthly meeting to create the agenda and confirm the speakers.
   4. The minutes of any Staff Senate meeting will be made available to any College staff member upon request.

C. Executive Session: The Staff Senate reserves the right, upon majority vote, to go into executive session, but no final action can be taken in executive session. Any actions must be approved by the Staff Senate during an open session. While in Executive Session, only members of the Senate, other voting members of the College, and special invitees may be present. The President may also call a Staff Senate executive session when items to be discussed are considered confidential in nature.

D. Quorum

1. 1. A simple majority of the membership of the Staff Senate will constitute a quorum. The Staff Senate may conduct a meeting without a quorum, but any such meeting will only involve information sharing, not actionable items. Each Senator will have one vote and may transfer their vote to another Senator by revocable written proxy submitted to the Secretary of the Executive Committee. However, the transfer of a vote cannot be used as a mechanism to establish a quorum.
   2. Resolutions announced on the agenda or introduced during a meeting of the Staff Senate shall be voted on no sooner than the next meeting. However, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote and comprising a quorum, the Senate may elect to vote on a resolution during the meeting at which it was introduced. A simple majority vote of the Senators present will be necessary to take action on all other matters except removal of a Senator or changes to the bylaws.

Section 5: Ex-Officio Members

The ex-officio members of the Staff Senate will be the Immediate Past President of the Executive Committee, a representative from Human Resources and the Equity Officer/Title IX Coordinator. Ex-officio members do not have voting rights and are not counted in a quorum.

 

The staff senate shall elect Officers to serve for one (1) year. Officers will maintain full voting rights in the Staff Senate. Officers do not count as any unit’s number of Senators. The Executive Committee of the Senate will be the President, Vice President, Immediate Past-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and Sergeant at Arms.

These officers constitute the Executive Committee. No more than two (2) officers may be employed by the same unit. All Officers, except the Immediate Past-President, have voting rights on the Executive Committee. A quorum consists of a minimum of four (4) voting members. The Executive Committee may conduct a meeting without a quorum, but any such meeting will only involve information sharing, not actionable items.

The retiring Officers shall serve through June 30; however, for transition purposes, newly elected officers may attend meetings of the Executive Committee in a non-voting capacity prior to the beginning of their terms on July 1.

Section 1: Officer Duties

President: Presides at all Staff Senate and Executive Committee meetings, acts as the Accountable Officer for the Staff Senate, acts as spokesperson for the Staff Senate, and solicits nominations of staff employees for college-wide committees and councils. The President shall be responsible for conducting all Staff Senate meetings. The President will recommend a current Senator to chair each respective Staff Senate standing committee or ad hoc committee. The President’s recommendations shall be presented to the Executive Committee for confirmation. If the committee chair is unable to fulfill his/her responsibilities, the President may select a temporary replacement until the next Executive Committee meeting. The President will serve as ex-officio, non-voting member of each committee. The President may appoint a Senator to replace any inactive committee member, may assist with any standing committee or may request reports from committees at Staff Senate meetings. The President shall serve as an advisor along with the Vice President to the standing and ad hoc committees.

Vice President: Assumes the duties of the President in his/her absence, monitors activities of each Senate committee, and reports to the Executive Committee; The Vice President ensures each Senator is a member of a committee and will oversee the preparation of the agenda for monthly Staff Senate meetings and Executive Committee meetings. The Vice President shall assume the role of President should a vacancy occur until the end of the unexpired term. If there is a conflict and the Vice President cannot fill the seat, an interim President will be elected by the Staff Senate.

Immediate Past President: Assists with transition of new officers and materials, assists with other duties as assigned, and attends Executive Committee and Staff Senate meetings as an ex-officio member. Regarding elections, the Immediate Past-President will serve as the advisor to the Membership Committee.

Parliamentarian: Advises the President and other officers, committees, and Senators on matters of parliamentary procedure to ensure that meetings are conducted according to most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order and shall ensure adherence to these bylaws.

Secretary: Performs the duties of the President in the absence of both the President and the Vice-President. The secretary is responsible for preparing minutes of each meeting and provides minutes to the Communications Committee for distribution to Senators. Maintains a record of attendance for each meeting. Bears the responsibility for maintaining and distributing accurate records, including Executive Committee meeting agendas and minutes, Staff Senate meeting agendas and minutes, attendance records for Staff Senate and Executive Committee meetings, and all official business conducted by the Staff Senate. In the absence of the Parliamentarian at an Executive Committee meeting, the Secretary will act in this role in addition to the Secretary role; however, he/she will only have one (1) vote.

Treasurer: Manages financial policies and procedure related to Staff Senate funds. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial report and budget. The Treasurer shall make monthly financial reports to the Executive Committee and quarterly financial reports to the Staff Senate. The Treasurer shall approve all non-personnel related expenditures of funds from Staff Senate accounts. The Executive Committee will ensure periodic audits are conducted of all Staff Senate funds and the Executive Committee will review the results of these audits.

Sergeant at Arms: The Sergeant at Arms will help maintain an orderly, dignified, and effective Executive Committee/Staff Senate meeting and will ensure that all participants record their presence on the sign in sheet. The Sergeant at Arms shall keep track of the Staff Senate’s physical property and other meeting materials and will arrive early to prepare the meeting place for members and stay late to stow all the materials used. The Sergeant at Arms will be responsible for the meeting place itself, obtaining a new space when necessary, and maintaining contact with the individual that allows the Staff Senate to use the space.

Section 2: Senator Duties

It is the duty of Senators to uphold the purpose and by-laws of the Staff Senate. Senators will vote on matters brought before the Staff Senate. Senators will serve on at least one (1) Staff Senate committee each term year. Senators will represent employees from their respective areas and will seek opinions on pertinent College issues from the constituents they serve. Senators will be accountable to the Staff Senate, constituents, and others with whom the Staff Senate works. Senators will establish lines of communication with staff in their respective areas in the most efficient method they deem fit.

Senators are expected to attend Staff Senate meetings as scheduled, standing committee meetings, and ad hoc committee meetings, when assigned. It is the responsibility of the Senator to immediately notify the Secretary regarding absences from Staff Senate meetings and provide the name of a voting proxy as soon as possible. Senators who resign from the Staff Senate may not be nominated or hold a seat for the remainder of their original term. Senators who desire a Staff Senate seat after a resignation must wait until their original term has expired. Senators will bring forth general concerns voiced by constituents to the Staff Senate. Each Senator should advocate for the interests, mission, and needs of IRSC.

Elections for vacant Staff Senate Seats shall be held each March annually across the College. Elections will be managed by the Membership Committee, which will be advised by the Immediate Past-President.

Section 1: Nomination Process

1. The Membership Committee will be responsible for preparing, maintaining, and operating a nomination process.
2. The Membership Committee will provide information with the call for nomination to the organizational units for distribution to everyone eligible to vote in the organizational unit. The list of eligible staff to vote in each organizational unit will be provided by Human Resources.
   1. The document should, at minimum, describe eligibility requirements for serving as a Staff Senator.
   2. The document should outline the responsibilities of serving as a Senator.
   3. The document should explain how nominations should be submitted and by what date.
3. The Membership Committee shall actively recruit staff across organizational units with vacancies through the help of the Staff Senate and organizational unit leadership.
4. The Membership Committee will call meetings and monitor the Staff Senate nomination process.
5. If there are no nominations for a Senator in an Organizational Unit, the Membership Committee will send out correspondence to the unit for additional nominations. If there are no nominations, the seat will remain vacant until the next election unless an appointment is made (Article 3, Section 2E).
6. The Membership Committee will verify that all nominees meet the eligibility requirements. The Membership Committee will also contact the supervisors of nominees to communicate their nomination and verify that they are in good standing within the department.
7. Once the call for nominations closes, the Membership Committee will contact nominees to confirm nominations and request a brief biographical statement from them.

Section 2: Voting

The Membership Committee will create ballots (electronic) for each organizational unit, manage ballot collection, tabulate ballots, and report election results.

1. Ballots
   1. The Membership Committee will collect names and biographical statements of nominees from each organizational unit holding elections. Approved electronic systems/forms by Human Resources will be utilized for electronic ballots and will be distributed to all employees of an organizational unit via college-issued email accounts.
   2. The Membership Committee shall oversee the vote to ensure that each eligible staff member votes only once, the vote count is accurate, and analyze and present results.
2. The individuals receiving the highest number of votes are elected Senators.
3. For uncontested Staff Senate seats, where there are as many candidates in the organizational unit as vacancies, the candidates will be automatically declared elected.
4. In case of a tie, a runoff election will be held.
5. Election results will be shared with all Staff.
   1. An email shall be sent to newly effected Senate members to welcome them to the Senate and shall provide them a copy of the Staff Senate bylaws.
   2. An email shall be sent to all organizational leadership with updates regarding their Staff Senate representation.

Section 3: Election Timeline

1. January: Elections are announced at the Staff Senate meeting.
   1. During the Staff Senate meeting, the Membership Committee will give an overview of the election process and will announce which organizational units will need to hold elections.
      1. Each organizational unit and active Senators will begin engaging with colleagues in regard to serving on the Senate.
2. February/March: The Membership Committee, Staff Senate as a whole, and organizational units will recruit and send out a call for nominations.
   1. The Membership Committee will confirm nominations, collect names and biographical statements.
   2. The Membership Committee will create ballots (electronic).
3. April: The Membership Committee distributes ballots and voting occurs.
   1. The Membership Committee distributes ballots to each organizational unit with a minimum voting period of ten (10) business days.
   2. The voting period for Staff Senator elections will conclude by April 30.
   3. All elections for Senators must be finalized and reported to the Staff Senate’s Executive Committee within ten (10) business days of the closing of the voting period.
4. May: Election results are reported, and newly elected Senators are on-boarded.
   1. An email shall be sent to newly elected Senate members to welcome them to the Senate and shall provide them a copy of the bylaws.
   2. An email shall be sent to all organizational units with updates regarding their Staff Senate representation.
   3. The College’s department of Market, Media, and Branding, or a designee will be notified of newly elected Senators for updating of the Staff Senate’s website.
   4. New Senator orientation will be held typically in May, but no later than June. The Membership Committee, with the support of the Executive committee, will coordinate this orientation.

Section 4: Election of Officers

Officers of the Staff Senate will be elected during the May meeting each year and be seated as of July 1.

1. Nominees for an officer position must be a current Staff Senator prior to nomination and be in good standing with the college. Nominees must be an active participating member of the Staff Senate within the one (1) year period prior to nomination by attending meetings regularly and providing service in conjunction with the Staff Senate’s activities. Nominees should have the support of their organizational unit to have the time required for Officer duties.
2. An orientation of Senators interested in Officer positions may be held, typically in January. This orientation would include discussions with the past Officers about the job descriptions.
3. The Immediate-Past President of the Staff Senate shall preside over the Senate officer elections with support from the Membership Committee. In his/her absence, the Staff Senate may establish a replacement by majority vote. The Immediate-Past President or replacement, if needed, shall count votes casted in these elections and will designate two (2) senators not seeking Officer positions to assist in counting the votes. The election shall be conducted by electronic ballot.
4. All nominees for each officer position must accept the nomination and introduce themselves to the senators.

The Executive Committee shall consist of six (6) voting members elected by the Staff Senate to include a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Sergeant at Arms. The immediate Past-President will serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee.

Section 1: Committee Responsibilities

1. The Executive Committee will serve as a liaison between the Staff Senate and the College’s President and other College administrators and external entities to the College.
2. The Executive Committee will propose the agenda for the monthly Staff Senate meetings. The regularly scheduled Executive Committee meeting will be held no later than five (5) business days prior to the next scheduled senate meeting.
3. The Executive Committee will have general supervision of the affairs of the Staff Senate both during and between meetings, make recommendations to the Staff Senate and perform other duties as specified in these bylaws.
4. The Executive Committee will appoint chairs to all standing and ad hoc committees. The Executive Committee will consider and possibly refer items, including items submitted by staff, to the appropriate committees for their review and subsequent recommendations to the Staff Senate.

Standing committee meetings shall be recommended to meet monthly. Standing committee chairs are required to submit written reports to the Executive Committee detailing the activities of their committee, including the date and time of the meeting, attendance and a summary of the presentation and actions taken.

1. Committee Leadership
   1. The Executive Committee will appoint a Senator to serve as chair of each of the standing and ad hoc committees. A Senator may only chair one (1) standing or ad hoc committee.
   2. Terms of committee chairs will be for one (1) year and chairs may be reappointed for successive years.
   3. Committee chairs will be responsible for planning and scheduling meetings, recording attendance, and sending meeting notifications to all committee members.
   4. Committee chairs will prepare agendas with objectives and distribute them to each committee member prior to each meeting.
2. Committee Membership
   1. All Senators must serve on a committee. Senators may serve on multiple committees.
   2. Senators may designate a committee preference; however, the Executive Committee will make the final committee assignments.
   3. Terms for committee members will be for one (1) year and members may be reappointed for successive years.
   4. All officers may serve on committees as they see fit.

Membership Committee

The purpose of the Membership Committee is to assess representation in each of the organizational units, conduct all Senator and Officer elections, and implement new Senator orientations. The Membership Committee shall also maintain a list of outgoing Senators and other vacancies in the Staff Senate. The Membership Committee will work with the Secretary to maintain a list of committee leaders and members.

Communications Committee

The purpose of the Communications Committee is to relay the activities and contributions of the Staff Senate to all staff as well as work to improve communication efforts across campus. The Communications Committee will be responsible for providing Staff Senate updates to the college’s Office of Marketing, Media and Brand or their designee for website updates and staff communication. The communications committee will maintain the Staff Senate email to provide staff with an effective method of communication to distribute all minutes at least two (2) weeks after the Executive Committee and Staff Senate meetings, assists in developing awareness of Staff Senate events and functions. Provides interactive communication tools between the Staff Senate, Staff and campuses. The Communications Committee will work with all committees to raise awareness about the Staff Senate Elections and all correspondence between the Senate and IRSC Staff.

Staff Policy and Well-Being Committee

The purpose of the Staff Policy and Well-Being Committee is to consider the compensation, benefits, work/life balance, and well-being of staff employees. This Committee shall research, report on, and recommend to the Staff Senate any action to be taken on issues concerning the general well-being of the staff at the College. This committee shall study and make recommendations regarding areas of non-economic welfare of staff; interpretation and/or enforcement of IRSC policies, procedures, practices, and external regulations related to labor/staff relations; identification and resolution of concerns related to the management of IRSC staff; programs and opportunities designed to benefit personal growth and organizational success; and the healthy campus initiative in the development and maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit.  The committee works closely with the Human Resources and Health and Wellness Departments on matters of mutual concern and performs other duties deemed appropriate.     

Professional Development/Staff Recognition Advocacy Committee

The Professional Development/Staff Recognition Advocacy Committee will develop recommendations about programs for employee training and professional development. The committee will serve as an advocacy group for departments/workgroups on campus surrounding professional development and recognition. This Committee also administers the specific Staff Senate awards.

Community Service/Engagement/Fundraising Committee

The Community Service/Engagement/Fundraising Committee will be focused on enhancing staff experiences through campus and community outreach. The committee will create opportunities for staff to get involved and have a positive impact on our service district. The committee will work to foster a college-wide culture of service and engagement, promoting high-impact, high-quality community partnerships that are mutually beneficial, innovative, collaborative and accessible to the diverse communities that the Staff Senate serves.  The Committee shall be responsible for overseeing fund-raising activities in support of the various programs across the College and operations of the Staff Senate as well as needs for Staff. 

Bylaws Committee

The Bylaws Committee shall review and maintain the Staff Senate’s Bylaws to ensure the accuracy and validity of the articles under which the Staff Senate operates. The committee may also seek the advice of the College’s Staff Attorney. The committee will provide recommendations to the Staff Senate for any changes to the Staff Senate Bylaws.

Ad Hoc Committees

The Senate may establish or dissolve standing and ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate (per its Bylaws). The Senate’s Executive Committee President or designee shall appoint the members of all standing committees based on Staff interests and input from the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee President shall recommend the chair of all ad hoc committees to be confirmed by the Executive Committee.

Any proposed amendment to these bylaws must first be reviewed and approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee must submit any proposed bylaw changes to Senators at least ten (10) business days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting. These bylaws may be amended with a two-thirds (2/3) or more favorable vote of the Senators. Approved changes to these bylaws become effective immediately unless designated otherwise by the Staff Senate. Bylaws should be reviewed at least once annually.

Senators can self-nominate or be nominated for Executive Committee officer positions. Each year, Staff Senate will hold elections to fill senate seats. 

Yes, part-time employees are eligible to hold senate seats with approval from their supervisor.

The time commitment of senators will consist of a minimum of _ annual meetings as well as ad-hoc committee meetings. As the senate is established the time commitment will become clearer. We estimate the hours spent may be 2-5 hours per month and will depend on the person’s role and level of involvement.

To run for senate, nominees must have prior approval from their direct manager/supervisor.

Please contact (insert Human Resources contact)

Your position will become vacant and be open for the next election cycle.

Senators will be elected for two (2) year terms that will begin July 1 and end on June 30. If selected, Senators may not exceed two (2) consecutive terms. After serving two (2) consecutive terms, a break of at least one (1) year is required for re-election eligibility. A senator may run and be elected as an officer during their 1-year break. After term limits are reached, the Executive Committee may make an exception if there is no other representation, but the individual must run again. 

The number of Staff Senate seats are determined by the number of staff employees in each VP Unit. Senators represent employees from these defined areas. Staff elect their senators based on nominations received from these designated areas. To ensure employees are represented be sure to nominate yourself and colleagues.

Yes, except when items are considered in executive session.

Yes, chair positions are open to all senators.