Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee Faculty/Staff Association Bylaws
A. All elections for Council members shall be by secret ballot. Absentee ballots may be obtained four (4) days prior to the election from the Chairperson of the Election Committee. The absentee ballots must be cast at least one (1) day prior to the day of the election. Absentee ballots will be tallied on the day of the election.
B. Each year, the Chairperson shall appoint a committee elected of three Council members to supervise the nomination and election of the Council members. (At the original election, these duties shall be assumed by the committee elected to draft this Constitution). The election of Council members shall take place during the week between the spring and summer semesters.
C. The Election Committee shall announce the dates of the election at least one month in advance and shall in its announcement solicit nominations form the faculty and the staff. Nominations shall be petition for Council members; the petition shall be signed by at least three (3) Association members and shall be in the hands of the Election Committee by 4:30 p.m., seven (7) days before an election.
D. If seven (7) days before an election the committee shall not have received two valid nominations for each vacancy, the committee shall propose names of Association members to make up the deficiency.
E. At a meeting of the Association, Council members shall be elected by secret ballot, and each Association member shall be permitted to vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies to be filled. Candidates receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected. The remaining positions shall be elected by a runoff election among the top candidates. The number of candidates in the runoff election shall be one greater than the number of positions to be filled.
F. Filling Vacancies-If the Office of Chairperson becomes vacant, the Chairperson-Elect shall assume the post of Chairperson and shall serve for the remainder of the term of office. When the office of the Chairperson-Elect, Secretary, or any other Council seat is vacant, the Chairperson shall appoint, upon approval of the Council, a Faculty or Staff member to fill the vacant Council seat. The appointee shall complete the term of the person whom he/she is replacing.
A. Meetings of the Faculty/Staff Council
1. Meeting of the Association shall be called by the President of the Association. There shall be at least one meeting of the Association each semester, and special meetings shall be called by a majority of the Council, or ten (10%) percent of the Association.
2. A quorum shall consist of thirty (30%) percent of the members of the Association.
3. In the absence of the President of the Association, he/she will appoint a designated representative to preside.
4. All Association meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
B. Meetings of the Faculty/Staff Council
1. The Council shall hold regularly scheduled meetings at 11:30 a.m. on the third (3rd) Tuesday of each month at the discretion of the Chairperson.
2. Special meetings may be called at the written request of the President, Chairperson of the Council, or three (3) Council members, or of ten (10%) percent of the Council can be notified in advance of the subjects to be discussed at the meeting.
3. A quorum shall consist of a single majority of members of the Council.
4. The Chairperson of the Council shall preside at meetings of the Council. If he/she is absent, the Chairperson-Elect shall preside. If both the Chairperson and the Chairperson-Elect are absent, the Council member whose name comes first in alphabetical order shall preside while the Council elects a Chairperson pro tem.
C. The Agenda
1. Before each regular meeting, the Chairperson shall prepare an agenda clearly setting forth each subject to be discussed by the Council and shall provide each member of the Council with a copy of the agenda at least seven (7) days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.
2. Items shall be placed on the agenda at the request of any member of the Council or of ten (10%) percent of the Association. When an Association member feels that the Council should discuss a subject, he/she shall ask one of the Council members to place it on the agenda. In the event that no Council member is willing to bring up the matter, the Association member may require the Council to discuss the subject by presenting it to the Secretary as a petition signed by at least ten (10%) percent of the Association at least seven (7) days before a regularly scheduled meeting of the Council under the provisions of Section B-2 of this article.
3. The requirement that the agenda be provided shall in no way prohibit the Council from discussing any matter which shall arise, but the body shall not vote on any matter not announced in the agenda, unless it is routine business, without the unanimous approval of the Council members present.
D. The Meeting Reports
Within five (5) working days following each regular session or special session, the Secretary shall provide each member of the Council with a written report of the meeting. An Association member may request perusal of the minutes of any meeting of the Council.
3. REFERENDUM
If there is sufficient dissatisfaction with any decision of the Council, the Association shall have the power to reverse the decision. The dissatisfied Association members may require a special meeting of the Association by presenting to the Secretary a petition protesting a particular action of the Council. To be valid, the petition must contain the signatures of at least then (10%) percent of the Association and must be in the hands of the Secretary within one month of the time the disputed decisions have been made. When such a valid petition has been received by the Secretary, the President of the Association shall call a meeting of the Association within a reasonable time and notify all members at least one week beforehand. Within a week after the Association has discussed the matter, the Secretary shall poll the Association by secret ballot. The chairperson shall appoint three tellers: one Council member, one petitioner, and one disinterested member of the Association. If a majority of the Association members vote to reverse the decisions, the disputed action of the Council shall be void.
4. COMMITTEES
A. General
1. The Council will exercise its function with the assistance of two categories of committees: Standing Committees of the Association and Special Committees created by the Association.
2. The Standing Committees of the Association are its operating agents. They shall recommend actions and policies for approval by the Council. In addition, all but the Rules and Procedures Committee shall be available to consult with and advise administrators and other members of the Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee community on matters concerning participation of faculty and staff in the government of the school at all levels. Nonmembers with special qualifications may be asked to join in deliberations of a committee, but in no case shall specialists be entitled to vote.
3. Special committees may be created by the Council to consider particular problems. Such committees shall direct their reports to the Council for its approval.
4. Committees shall adopt their own rules of procedures and point such subcommittees as needed. A committee member may appeal to the Council against committee rules when he/she considers a
violation of the spirit of the procedures of the Council.
B. Standing Committees
1. Standing Committees of the Association will be appointed by the Election Committee and approved by the Council. A Standing Committee may be abolished by a vote of not less than two-thirds of the Association.
2. The term of membership on a Standing Committee shall begin at the fall meeting of the Association and shall continue for one year. Successive terms on the same committee shall be permitted.
3. Committee members shall be approved by the Council in accordance with the following procedures:
a. The Election Committee shall be composed of the members of the Rules and Procedures Committee and the elected officers of the Council. The Chairperson of the Council shall be Chairperson of this committee.
b. A committee nominating schedule designating members and chairpersons of the Standing Committees will be submitted by the Election Committee in the agenda for the Fall Association meeting. The Election Committee shall be guided by the following principles:
(1) Each committee shall be composed of members who represent different subject matter groups and insofar as possible whose terms expire in different years.
(2) The Chairperson of the Council shall not serve on any of the Standing Committees of the Association, except the Election Committee.
(3) The Election Committee should give consideration to requests of Association members regarding committee assignments.
(4) The committee chairperson shall serve an additional year as a member of the committee.
4. Association members may participate in the deliberations of those committees and subcommittees of which they are not members. Upon proper written request, they are entitled to receive all information furnished committee members, particularly notification of calls for meetings. They are not entitled to vote at such meetings.
5. The Standing Committees of the Association shall be as follows:
a. Rules and Procedures Committee:
Two or more members from the Council. This committee shall be responsible for rules and procedures relating to faculty and staff participation in OSU-Okmulgee, government at all levels. Its function shall include the following:
(1) Consideration of organizational problems of faculty and staff and preparation of amendments to the Charter, Constitution and Bylaws of the Association;
(2) Preparation of regulations for Association elections, and conducting and supervising such elections;
(3) Recommendation of the creation or abolition of Association Committees;
(4) Recommendation of procedures for establishing new OSU-Okmulgee institutional committees, boards, and councils;
(5) Recommendation of procedures for faculty and staff participation in the government of the school;
(6) Recommendation of procedures for faculty and staff participation in administrative organization and reorganization at all levels, including creation and reorganization of departments;
(7) Recommendation of procedures for faculty and staff participation in selecting administrative personnel;
(8) Recommendation of procedures of faculty and staff liaison with the President of Oklahoma State University, The Board of Regents, and the Oklahoma State University Faculty and Staff Advisory Councils.
The committee shall also serve as part of the Election committee of the Faculty/Staff Council.
b. Faculty Advisory Committee:
Two or more Faculty members from the Council and three or more Faculty members from the Association.
(1) Recommending policies, governing faculty status; including appointments, reappointments, dismissals, promotions, leaves, performance standards employment, working conditions, work loads, research activities and similar concerns of the Faculty.
(2) Shall be available to consult with and advise the President on matters which require application or interpretation of policies concerning the Faculty not otherwise provided for within the Bylaws.
(3) Shall work in conjunction with the Assistant Provost, Academic Services, recommending policies concerning professional development of faculty in areas of continuing education, seminars, workshops, conferences etc.
c. Staff Advisory Committee:
Two or more non-faculty members from the Council and three or more non-faculty members from the Association. The functions of this committee shall include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Recommending policies governing staff status including appointments, reappointments, dismissals, promotions, leaves, performance standards, employment working conditions, work load and similar concerns of the staff.
(2) Shall be available to consult with and advise the President on matters which require application or interpretation of policies concerning the staff not otherwise provided for within the Bylaws.
(3) Shall work with the Vice-President, Academic Affairs, in recommending policies concerning professional development of the staff in the areas of continuing education, seminar, workshops, conferences, etc.
d. Policies and Benefit Committee:
One faculty member and one non-faculty member from the Council and three or more members from the Association. The functions of this committee shall include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) Reviewing current fringe benefit and personnel policies (also proposed new policies), making recommendations for proposed changes as they affect faculty and staff including recommending policies and long-range plans concerning retirement and fringe benefits, such as group insurance, tax-sheltered annuities, health services, recreation facilities, and tuition fees for faculty, staff and their dependents.
e. Awards and Recognition Committees:
These committees shall be special sub-committees of the Faculty/Staff Council. All members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Council and will hold a term no longer than one year.
(1) The Faculty Awards and Recognition Sub-Committee shall consist of two Faculty members of the Council and three or more faculty members from the Association.
(a) The committee shall be responsible for the policies and procedures related to the presentation of an annual award and recognition of an Outstanding Faculty member of the Association.
(b) The committee shall administer the nomination and selection process and conduct the awards presentation.
(c) The committee is responsible for other awards and recognition to the staff as such arise.
(2) The Staff Awards and Recognition Sub-Committee shall consist of two Staff members of the Council and three or more Staff members from the Association.
(a) The committee shall be responsible for the policies and procedures related to the presentation of an annual award and recognition of an Outstanding Staff member of the Association.
(b) The committee shall administer the nomination and selection process and conduct the awards presentation.
(c) The committee is responsible for other awards and recognition to the staff as such arise.
Two or more members from the Council and three or more members from the Association. The functions of this committee shall include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) Recommending policies and long-range plans, in conjunction with the Counseling Staff, concerning recruitment and retention of students.
(2) Shall work in conjunction with the Public Information Office and will be responsible for keeping the University community informed of all activities of the Council through whatever channels of communication are necessary.
6. General Operating Procedures:
a. The chairperson of each committee shall report at each regular Council meeting all recommendations of the committee. Only recommendations approved by the Council shall be regarded as officially representing the opinion of the Association and be presented to the Administration as such.
b. A committee should initiate studies of school policies and procedures which are within its jurisdiction. It shall also consider these policies and procedures when directed to do so by the Council or when required to do so by an appropriate administrator.
c. Special Committees:
(1) Special committees may be appointed by the Chairperson of the Council whenever necessary.
(2) The term of a Special Committee shall expire when its final report is accepted by the Council.
(3) Special Grievance Committee:
Faculty or Staff who feel that they sustained a grievance which can be resolved only by a hearing before a grievance committee may apply to the Council for formation of such a committee. Such committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Chairperson of the Council and three members appointed by the Administration.
5. THE PRESIDENT OF OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY-OKMULGEE
A. Shall receive recommendations of the Council and acknowledge receipt thereof by reporting at each regular Council meeting on action taken. He/she shall make regular progress reports to the Council if he/she assigns its recommendations to another group for study.
B. Is urged to provide information necessary or helpful to the Council and Association for the proper
discharge of its functions, including information about any major policy changes which are to be recommended to the President of Oklahoma State University, the Board of Regents, or which any group advisory to the President may have under study.
Ratified on December 1, 1992
Amended May 17, 2006
