Southern Polytechnic State University

Staff Council By-Laws

Revised (October 2005)

NAME:

 The name of this organization shall be the Southern Polytechnic State University Staff Council.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the Staff Council will be as follows:

To act as a liaison between all Southern Polytechnic State University Staff (permanent and temporary) and the President of the University in all relevant matters

To keep open lines of communication with the President

To facilitate communication among staff members

To present staff issues and concerns to the President

MEMBERSHIP:

The Staff Council will be elected from the following six (6) groups on campus as determined by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) categories which are developed by Human Resources. Staff Council does not represent Group II (Faculty/Librarians).

Group I. Executive/ Administrative (excluding school deans and academic department chairs, members of the President's Expanded Cabinet and the Director Administrative-Library).

Group IV. Other Professional

Group V. Technical/Paraprofessional

Group VI. Clerical

Group VII. Skilled Crafts

Group VIII. Service/Maintenance

ELECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS

The Staff Council will consist of full-time permanent employees elected by full-time permanent employees. Members shall be nominated and elected by and from each IPEDS group in May and June when the annual general election is held. Groups with 1-20 staff members shall have 1 representative, 21-40 staff members shall have 2 representatives, 41-60 staff members shall have 3 representatives; 61-80 staff members shall have 4 representatives, 81-100 staff members shall have 5 representatives, etc. There will be two non-voting advisory positions appointed by the President in consultation with and upon approval of Staff Council. Staff members must be a permanent full-time employee of Southern Polytechnic State University by the first working day of the fiscal year in which the election is held to be eligible for nomination to Staff Council. Staff Council maintains and publishes a detailed list of procedures that outlines election procedures. These procedures are posted on the Staff Council website. An election sub-committee is formed each year in order to execute the Staff Council election procedures. Staff Council members who intend to run for re-election will not be allowed to serve on the nomination and election sub-committee.

TERMS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS

Council members will be elected for a two-year term beginning on July 01. The Staff Council shall be so structured that members serve staggered terms. When a vacancy occurs, a replacement may be chosen by the Staff Council from the area in which that vacancy occurred to serve until the next general election. A majority vote of the members present at Staff Council will be necessary to appoint a replacement member to the Staff Council. Members may be elected for two consecutive terms after which they must be off Staff Council for one year before serving another term.

A Staff Council member who is elected from any of the IPEDS categories and has a change in IPEDS categorization by Human Resources during either the first or second term, may remain on Staff Council for the remainder of the respective year and represent the category that elected them. To continue serving on the Council, the member must then become a candidate in their new IPEDS category following the proper nomination and election procedures. They will be eligible to become a candidate for a two year term in their new category provided that they do not exceed a total of four (4) consecutive years of service on Staff Council.

TERMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS

Membership on the Staff Council may be revoked by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Staff Council members present. This can occur when a member has been absent for two (2) consecutive regular Council meetings or a total of three (3) regular Council meetings in one Fiscal Year. The member must be notified in writing by the Secretary that they have missed the appropriate number of meetings before a vote to remove the member from Staff Council can be taken. The member must be advised that they can appear before Staff Council to explain their absence at the next scheduled meeting. The Secretary will notify the Chair and the Vice Chair of the Staff Council prior to the next meeting that an individual has been notified that they may be removed from Staff Council. The Secretary will request the Chair to place this item on the agenda for the next Staff Council meeting.

A Staff Council member, who is no longer employed by the University and is not on a University sanctioned leave, will automatically relinquish their seat on the Staff Council. Should the former Staff Council member be rehired by the University as a full-time permanent employee, they will be eligible to run for election in their current IPEDS category.

A Staff Council member who takes an extended leave of absence from the University will retain their seat on Staff Council for the first three months of their leave. After the Staff Council member returns to permanent full-time employment with the University, the Staff Council member may reclaim their seat on Staff Council at the next scheduled meeting.

A Staff Council member may resign their seat on the Staff Council at any time. A Staff Council member who resigns during either the first or second year of a two year elected term is considered eligible to run for a second two year term in the succeeding year. A Staff Council member who resigns in the first or the second year of a second term must sit off of Staff Council for the remainder of the year in which they resigned plus one full year before becoming eligible to be a candidate for a seat on the Staff Council.

OFFICERS OF THE STAFF COUNCIL

There shall be a Chair, Vice-Chair, and a Secretary. To be Chair of the Staff Council, a member must have served on the Staff Council for at least one year. The year of required service does not have to be previous to the year the Staff Council member is elected Chair. The Staff Council service of one year can be in an earlier term. The Staff Council members will elect a Chair, Vice-Chair and a Secretary at the first meeting after July 1. The Staff Council may appoint committees as needed. The officers, or their designee, will serve as Southern Polytechnic State University's official representative to the University System of Georgia Staff Council (USGSC). The immediate past Chair shall serve in an ex-officio capacity, following his or her term as Chair, for a period of one year.  

MEETINGS

The Staff Council shall meet a minimum of once each semester. Council members shall be notified of the Council meetings at least ten (10) days in advance. The notification of the members is the responsibility of the Chair. The meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. In the absence of both the Chair and the Vice-Chair Staff Council Meetings will be rescheduled.

A quorum (at least one half of the members of the Staff Council) must be present to vote on an issue.

AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of the Staff Council. Any proposed amendments will be distributed to the staff, from the Secretary at least fifteen (15) days prior to Staff Council vote. Any objections/recommendations for change must be submitted in writing to the Staff Council Chair within fifteen (15) days of distribution to staff. The Chair shall distribute the objections/recommendations to all Staff Council members prior to the Staff Council vote.