OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY-OKMULGEE FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION
CHARTER
This charter of organization is adopted to promote the effectiveness of Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee in the discharge of its responsibilities to the people it serves and to provide a means by which the faculty and staff may be utilized more fully in the execution of the educational mission of this institution.
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY-OKMULGEE
FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION
PREAMBLE
Effective communication between faculty, staff, and administrators is essential for providing an atmosphere of mutual respect and confidence. We recognize that faculty, staff, and administrators have distinct functions and interests, and that each group also has certain rights and responsibilities. There is a mutuality of purpose to maintain a viable educational experience for the students and a positive working environment for all employees.
The objective of this organization is to ensure that this institution maximizes its human resources, and in the interest of efficiency and harmony, this Association is established for the purpose of providing a forum for dialogue and exchange of rationale between faculty, staff, and those with administrative responsibilities. It is intended such a forum will allow recommendations concerning policies and procedures and effective communication with the administration on ideas that might provide a more positive environment for students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
ARTICLE 1. NAME AND OFFICE
A. The name of this Association shall be the Faculty/Staff Association of OSU-Okmulgee, hereinafter referred to as the Association.
1. Selected from within the Association shall be a group designated as the Faculty/Staff Council; hereafter referred to as the Council.
2. The Council shall represent the Association as prescribed in the Constitution.
B. The office of the Association shall be on the campus of OSU-Okmulgee, in the city of Okmulgee.
ARTICLE 2. MEMBERS AND OFFICERS
A. The Association shall maintain a list of personnel qualified for membership, and admit to membership upon application, all qualified personnel. Application for new membership shall be restricted to thirty (30) days following the first day of each semester. Qualified personnel are herein described as faculty and staff members who comply with the following:
1. Faculty
a. Instructors, Academic Department Heads, Assistant Academic Department Heads, and Coordinators.
b. Librarians who are academically trained for this responsibility and whose prime obligations are to OSU-Okmulgee, in the care and management of the college library and/or prorated academic instructional responsibilities.
2. Staff
a. Counselors who are academically trained for this responsibility and whose prime obligations are to OSU-Okmulgee, in a counseling capacity.
b. All other permanent staff working 75 percent full-time, including the Presidents and Vice-Presidents.
B. Members of the Council shall be elected by the members of the Association, in accordance with Article 4, Section A. Eligibility for Council member shall be restricted to those members who have completed their probation period for employment.
C. The President of OSU-Okmulgee
1. Shall serve as President of the Faculty/Staff Association.
2. Shall serve as a nonvoting ex-officio member of the Faculty/Staff Council.
D. Officers
1. The officers of the Association shall be a Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect, and a Secretary. The Secretary shall be elected by the Council for a term of one year, beginning with the fall semester following the spring election. The Secretary may be re-elected by the Council, but not to exceed two (2) full terms in succession.
E. One (1) faculty member shall be elected as, “Faculty Representative, Oklahoma State University Faculty Council.”
1. The Faculty representative shall be elected by the faculty members of the Association and shall serve concurrently on the Faculty/Staff Council and Oklahoma State University Faculty Council.
2. The Faculty representative shall have the same voting privileges as other members of the Faculty/Staff Council.
3. Length of term on the Faculty/Staff Council shall be determined by the term set for the membership on the Oklahoma State University Faculty Council and shall end when membership on the Oklahoma State University Faculty Council ends.
4. The Faculty representative shall be elected according to the terms of the Charter and Bylaws of the Faculty Council of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
5. The Faculty representative shall not serve as an officer or chair a committee of the Faculty/Staff Council.
6. The Faculty representative shall report to the Faculty/Staff Council at its scheduled monthly meeting and shall serve as a liaison to all Faculty/Staff Council Committees with the exception of the Staff Advisory Committee.
F. One (1) Staff member shall be elected as “Staff Representative, Oklahoma State University Staff Advisory Council.”
1. The Staff representative shall be elected by the Staff members of the Association and shall serve concurrently on the Faculty/Staff Council and the Oklahoma State University Staff Advisory Council.
2. The Staff representative shall have the same voting privileges as other members of the Faculty/Staff Council.
3. Length of term on the Faculty/staff Council shall be determined by the term set for membership on the Oklahoma State University Staff Advisory Council and shall end when membership on the Oklahoma State University Staff Advisory Council ends.
4. The Staff representative shall be elected according to the terms of the Charter and Bylaws of the Staff Advisory Council of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
5. The Staff representative shall meet the requirements for membership on the Oklahoma State University Staff Advisory Council according to the Charter and Bylaws of the Staff Advisory Council of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
6. The Staff representative shall not serve as an officer or chair committees of the Faculty/Staff Council but shall report to the Faculty/Staff Council at its scheduled monthly meeting and shall serve as a liaison to all Faculty/Staff Council committees with the exception of the Faculty Advisory Committee.
ARTICLE 3. PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL
A. The Council shall acknowledge its special responsibilities to the Association. The purpose of the Council shall be to advance the welfare and effectiveness of OSU-Okmulgee. The Council shall also act, subject to Association approval, on matters delegated to the Association by the President of Oklahoma State University, and the Board of Regents on any matter of general concern to the Association or the institution. Such advice shall be given when these officials request it, or advice may also be offered on the initiative of the Council or of the Association. Finally, the Council shall seek to assure that representatives of the Association shall have a voice in the formulation, revision, and implementation of school policy.
B. As the official representative of the Association, the Council must be responsive to the will of the Association and attentive to the views of each segment, whether those views be expressed by the elected representative or through the process of petition.
ARTICLE 4. MEMBERS AND OFFICERS OF THE FACULTY/STAFF COUNCIL
A. The Council shall consist of representatives of the Association with the following exceptions: The Coordinators, Vice-Presidents and Division Chairs, Academic Department Heads, Assistant Department Heads who teach less than four (4) student contact hours per day, and Administrative Council members not mentioned above. The Provost of OSU-Okmulgee shall serve as a nonvoting ex-officio member.
B. The officers of the Council shall be a Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect and a Secretary. The Chairperson and Chairperson-Elect shall be elected alternately from the faculty and staff members of the Council by the elected Council membership. The Secretary of the Council shall also serve as the Secretary of the Association. The Chairperson, Chairperson-Elect, and/or Secretary may be re-elected by the Council, but not to exceed two (2) full terms (years) in succession.
C. The Council shall have a membership of 26.
1. Thirteen (13) members of the Council shall be elected from the faculty, and thirteen (13) members shall be elected from the staff. No department shall have more than two (2) members on the Council unless there is a department in which no faculty or staff members will accept nomination; then nominations can be accepted from the other departments to fill the ballot.
D. Council members shall take office beginning with the fall semester of the year in which they are elected and shall serve for three (3) years. Approximately one-third of the Council members shall be elected each year.
E. A vacancy shall occur upon death, resignation, or nonattendance. Nonattendance shall be defined as an unexcused absence from six consecutive Council meetings.
ARTICLE 5. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITION
A. An amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to the Association for approval when it is recommended by a simple majority of the Council at a regular Council meeting or when it is presented to the Secretary in a petition signed by at least 20 percent of the Association and received by the Council at a regular meeting.
B. The President of the Association shall set the date of the election which shall be held within forty-five (45) days after the date of distribution of the proposed amendment to the Association by the Secretary. The proposed amendment to the Constitution must be distributed to the Association members within seven (7) days after approved by the Council. The Chairperson shall also appoint members to supervise the election and counting of the ballots. Elections shall be held on any date when school is in session set by the Association Chairperson or his/her representative, except on days of Association meetings.
C. An amendment shall be ratified by two-thirds majority of those voting.
D. A quorum shall be present to hold the election.
E. A quorum shall consist of 30 percent of the Association
ARTICLE 6. RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION
This Constitution goes into effect when ratified by two-thirds of those voting.
Ratified on December 1, 1992
Amended July, 1999
Amended May 17, 2006
