SAC By Laws

Augusta State University Staff Advisory Council By Laws

  ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the Council shall be the Augusta State University Staff Advisory Council. (Hereafter in this document, the term Council shall refer to the Augusta State University Staff Advisory Council and the term Chair shall refer to the Chair of the Council)

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE & AUTHORITY

The objectives of the Council are to facilitate communication among staff members; to keep open lines of communication with the president, the faculty, and the students of Augusta State University; to act as a liaison between the Augusta State University staff, the staff of other University System of Georgia institutions, and the University System of Georgia Staff Council; to advance professional growth; to promote social responsibility and demonstrate concern for all members of the Augusta State University community, the community at large, and higher education in general; and to act as an advocate for the Augusta State University staff by bringing their concerns to the attention of the appropriate body and following through to resolution. The Council will remain open to all staff comments and recommendations. The Council will not serve as a substitute for the formal grievance procedures of the university.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

The Council shall consist of sixteen (16) voting members elected by the Augusta State University staff to serve as representatives. Staff is defined as benefits eligible classified employees.

Section I. Representatives

A. Qualifications

1. Representatives must be full-time benefit eligible employees.

2. Representatives must have one (1) year of continuous service at Augusta State University by May 1 of the election year.

B. Duties

1. Representatives shall attend all regular meetings as well as special or called meetings.

2. Representatives shall serve on committees of the Council and may be elected as officers of such committees.

3. Representatives shall make themselves known to their constituents and shall inform their constituents of how they can be contacted.

4. Representatives shall encourage comments and suggestions from their constituents concerning staff related matters and forward them to the Council.

5. Representatives shall be allowed time to attend Council meetings as well as a reasonable amount of time to devote to Council work.

C. Terms of Office for Representatives

The term of office for representatives shall begin with the July meeting of the Council. Terms shall be for two (2) years and a representative can be elected for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms. However, if a representative fulfills an unexpired term vacated by another representative, the individual may serve up to one year in that capacity and be elected to two (2) additional consecutive terms (a combined maximum of five (5) successive years).

D. Vacancies

If a vacancy in a Council seat occurs through resignation or expulsion from the Council or termination of employment, the staff member who was runner-up in the General Election in the departing member's area shall assume the duties of the vacating member. In the event of a tie for runner-up, a runoff election shall be held within thirty (30) days of the vacancy.

E. Removal from Office

A representative can be removed from office by his or her constituents. A signed petition from at least half the representative's constituents shall be presented to the Council. Following validation of the petition, a special vote by the constituents shall be held. A two-thirds majority shall be sufficient to remove the representative. Possible causes of expulsion shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Non-attendance (more than two (2) unexcused absences).

2. Failure to report Council activities to constituents the representative is elected to represent.

If a member must miss a meeting, they shall alert the chair and/or secretary at their earliest convenience. If excessive absences occur the employee will be contacted by the chair to re-evaluate the member's commitment to the council. Excessive absences can result in removal from the council pending a vote by the council and the chance for the member to explain his or her absences.

F. Divisions

The campus will be divided into five divisions (See addendum). Divisions will be based on physical location of a department and the department type. The Bylaws Committee will be responsible for updating the divisions and regulating Staff Council members based on the number of staff per division.

G. Numbers

There shall be a Council representative for every twenty-five to thirty (25-30) staff members. There shall also be one (1) additional representative for each division to ensure representation.

  Section II. Nominations, Elections, and Voting

A. General

The nominations, elections, and voting processes shall be handled by the Elections Committee and Chair. The nomination process will begin no earlier than May 1 and end no later than June 15. Representatives will be elected by simple majority and take office in July. In the event of a tie, a runoff election shall be held.

B. Voting Procedures

1. The committee will request staff printouts from Human Resources.

2. Ballot Forms with voting instructions will be mailed to each staff member; ballots will be returned by mail to the committee.

3. Ballots will be kept confidential.

4. After the voting deadline has passed, the ballots will be counted. Ballots not received by the deadline will be void.

5. Staff nominated will be notified by e-mail or telephone and asked to confirm willingness to serve on the council.

6. Steps 2 – 4 will be repeated with ballots featuring only nominees who accepted the nomination.

7. Notification of results will be mailed to staff members within seven (7) days of the voting deadline.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS & ELECTIONS

Section I. Titles of Officers

The officers of the Augusta State University Staff Advisory Council shall be Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Immediate Past Chair.

Section II. Duties

A. Chair

1. Preside at all meetings of the Council.

2. Maintain and update a calendar of events relevant to the Council.

3. Prepare a written annual report and make it available to all Council members prior to the July meeting.

4. Serve as an ex-officio member on all Council committees.

5. Serve as liaison to the University President.

B. Vice-Chair

1. Assume the duties of the Chair in his or her absence.

2. Assist the Chair in performing leadership responsibilities.

3. Assist committees as needed.

4. Call a meeting of any Committee that is not fulfilling its responsibilities and establishing organization by dictum.

C. Secretary

1. Record minutes of all Council meetings.

2. Distribute minutes of the past meeting and agenda for the upcoming meeting to all representatives at least five (5) working days before the next scheduled meeting.

3. Notify Council members of dates and times of regular monthly and special called Council meetings.

D. Treasurer

1. Purchase any items voted on by the Council.

2. Record all Council transactions with descriptions in a ledger.

3. File expenses with the ASU Foundation for reimbursement.

4. Notify Council of balance of funds at all Council meetings.

5. Provide all Council members with a copy of the current/ending FY ledger at the June meeting and any new members with the same ledger at the July meeting.

E. Immediate Past Chair

1. Act as advisor to the Council.

2. Serve as ex-officio member of the Council, if not an active member of the Council.

Section III. Nominations and Election of Officers

A. Nominations

The Council shall nominate and elect its Chair in the June meeting. The Council shall nominate and elect its other officers (Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer) at the July meeting. Officers shall be elected by secret ballot. A Council member may not hold more than one of the aforementioned offices at a time. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. To be eligible, the nominees for chair must have served at least one year on the council as some time.

B. Unexpired Term

In the event the Chair is unable to complete his or her term of office, the Vice-Chair will assume the office of Chair for the remainder of the term. In the event the office of Vice-Chair or Secretary becomes vacant, the Chair will call a special election within thirty (30) days to fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE V: COMMITTEES

Section I. Standing Committees

The standing committees will be the Bylaws Committee, Elections Committee, Public Relations Committee, and Staff Development Committee. Each committee shall have a minimum of three (3) members. Each committee shall elect a Chair and a Secretary.

A. Bylaws Committee

The Bylaws Committee shall operate as outlined in Article III Section 1F and Article VII of the Augusta State University Staff Advisory Council Bylaws.

B. Elections Committee

The Elections Committee shall operate as outlined in Article III Section II of the Augusta State University Staff Advisory Council Bylaws.

C. The Public Relations Committee

The Public Relations Committee shall be responsible for planning and coordinating activities approved by the Council, and updating the Council's website.

D. Staff Development Committee

The Staff Development Committee shall consider options for career and professional development, orientation/mentoring, diversity in the workplace, and basic skills development. This committee shall work closely with the Personnel Department in enhancing and developing Staff Development programs.

Section II. Ad Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc Committees will be established as needed and disbanded when they have fulfilled the purpose for forming the Committee.

Section III. Meetings

Meetings shall be governed by Article VI of the Augusta State University Staff Advisory Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

Section I. Meeting Schedules

1. Regular meetings will be held each month. Notification of the date, time, and place of meetings along with a copy of the agenda for the pending meeting will be distributed to each Council member at least four (4) days prior to the scheduled Council meeting.

2. Special meetings may be called by the Chair as the need arises. Notification of the date, time and place of a called meeting must be distributed to Council members at least one (1) day before the scheduled special meeting. Only business specified in the call of the meeting shall be discussed at special called meetings.

3. Members of the council should conduct themselves respectfully and with an open mind. In the event that a member of the council is unable to be heard due to another member's outburst, the Chair will have the authority to yield the floor to another member.

4. A Staff Forum shall be held annually to share common concerns and interests, pose questions, and provide the opportunity to share information with the staff.

Section II. Quorum

A quorum is necessary to conduct an official meeting.

The following shall constitute a quorum:

1. Chair or Vice Chair

2. Secretary or volunteer to take minutes

3. Fifty percent (50%) of the council present or connected via telephone

Committees can meet with fifty percent 50% of the committee present.

Section III. Order of Business

The order of business shall be:

•  Call to order.

•  Approval of minutes from the previous meeting.

•  Treasurer report

•  Committee reports.

•  Unfinished business from previous meetings.

•  New business.

•  Miscellaneous (comments, announcements, tributes).

•  Adjournment.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Staff members may propose amendments to these bylaws at any time by submitting a petition stating the changes to the Council at a regular Council meeting. The petition must be signed by at least twenty (20) percent of all Staff members. The Chair will refer the proposal to the Bylaws Committee. The Bylaws Committee shall report its findings to the Council no later than the next regular Council meeting. Proposed amendments in conflict with Augusta State University policies, the University System of Georgia policies, or state or federal laws shall be so documented and returned to the petitioners. All externally proposed amendments shall be put before the Staff for a vote within ten (10) working days of the Bylaws Committee report. A two thirds majority vote shall be sufficient to adopt the amendment. Amendments to these bylaws by the Bylaws committee will be voted on by the Staff Council at the meeting they are presented or a special meeting called for the following week. A two-thirds majority vote of an official Staff Advisory Council meeting shall be sufficient to adopt an amendment proposed by the Bylaws Committee.

Addendum: Campus Divisions