OM 2.11.0 Support Staff Policies and Procedures
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Effective Date: October 1994 |
Policy Contact: Office of the President |
Preamble
The Support Staff of Clarkson University is comprised of all those employees who are hourly regular, part or full-time non-maintenance wage earners paid by Clarkson University. Temporary employees have nonvoting status. We base our work under the guiding principles of the University.
Mission Statement
The Support Staff Council serves as liaison between the Support Staff and Clarkson Administration. It is the Council’s goal to bring the Support Staff together to encourage collaboration throughout the campus and local communities, develop and implement professional development programs provide scholarships, and distribute financial assistance for those in need.
Article I (1) - Council Members
A. On behalf of the Support Staff. Support Staff Council members shall act as spokespersons throughout the campus and local communities.
B. The Support Staff shall be represented by five Support Staff Council members elected by a majority of the Support Staff. (For definition of majority, see Article IV- Voting on Issues of Concern.)
C. The term of office shall be two years and shall run from July 1 to June 30. In the event of an unexpected vacancy on the Council, a vote will be conducted and the newly elected Council Member shall finish the current term of the previous member. The Administrative Liaison has an open appointment.
D. These five Support Staff Council members shall choose a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian. They are responsible to select a volunteer Administrative Liaison who works with the Support Staff Council.
E. Council Member Duties:
- Chair
- Guide the purpose and direction of the Council;
- Preside over all official meetings, but may request another Council member to prepare or oversee the preparation of the agenda for general and Council meetings;
- Oversee the activities of the Council;
- Submit to the membership an annual report to include dates and details of all Council activities.
- Vice Chair
- Act on directives requested by the Chair to ensure consistency with the Support Staff Bylaws in this document;
- Preside over ad-hoc committees or sub-committees except for those related to fundraising;
- Request monthly reports of Committee Chairs.
- Secretary
- Maintain and make available an accurate, primary record of all meetings;
- Record attendance at each Council and membership meeting;
- Work closely with the Council to improve communications.
- Treasurer
- Manage the expenditures and cash flow of the Support Staff accounts;
- Identify programs that generate revenue;
- Maintain an established process for fund requests from the membership;
- Provide a treasurer's report at Support Staff Council meetings;
- Provide a treasurer's report at Membership meetings.
- Parliamentarian
- Guide the flow and maintain order at all meetings;
- Conduct the nomination and election process for Council elections;
- If up for election or re-election, the Parliamentarian shall designate a non-competing Support Staff member to conduct the nomination and election process;
- If the position is vacant, the Council will select a designee for the election process;
- Verify that nominees have agreed to accept the nomination;
- Accept all ballots for votes in meetings or elections unless up for election or re-election.
- Administrative Liaison
- Serve as a liaison between the Support Staff and administration.
- Attend Support Staff Council meetings as necessary by request of the Council members;
- Transmit any requests or recommendations to be submitted to higher administration, with the approval of the Council members;
- Attendance at Support Staff general meetings will not be necessary but appreciated.
F. One and one-half hours a month shall be allocated to each Support Staff Council member for the purpose of attending Support Staff Council meetings.
Article II (2) - Nomination and Election of Council Members
A. Nominations: Nominations shall be solicited by the Support Staff Council members and returned to the Support Staff Council for processing by June 1.
B. Ballot: The official voting ballot, including absentee ballots, will be created and made available electronically by the Support Staff Council members for processing by the June meeting.
C. Voting will occur at the June meeting called by the Support Staff Council.
D. Each winning candidate will be determined by the largest number of votes cast.
E. Results will be announced by the Support Staff Council as soon as they become available.
Article III (3) - Vacancies
A. Within two weeks of an unexpected vacancy on the Council, a vote will be conducted; the newly elected Council Member shall finish the current term of the previous member.
Article IV (4) - Voting on Issues of Concern
A. Voting on Issues of Concern. Only regular full-and part-time employees may vote on issues; temporary employees are excluded from voting, but are encouraged to participate in all discussions at meetings. Council Members will vote on behalf of the group on the distribution of funds. For all other issues, the Council will vote as a part of the entire Support Staff membership. The Administrative Liaison does not vote.
B. The vote of the majority shall decide all matters brought before this group. The term majority is defined as a simple majority, which is fifty percent plus one of those voting.
Article V (5) - Meetings
A. Support Staff Council meetings shall be held at least four times between July 1 and June 30 of each academic year. Provisions for the time and place of these meetings will be made by the Support Staff Council.
B. Support Staff general meetings members are invited and encouraged to attend all general meetings. shall be held at least four times between July 1 and June 30 of each academic year. Provisions for the time and place of these meetings will be made by the Support Staff Council (using input from the Support Staff). These meetings These meetings shall establish policies, priorities, and all matters of interest to the Support Staff. This, includes reports on meetings between the Support Staff Council and administrators and announcements of any new University policies.
C. The Support Staff Council will have periodic meetings with the Administrative Liaison and other administration members as deemed appropriate.
D. The secretary of the Council shall distribute to the Support Staff members an announcement of a meeting along with its agenda and any relevant documents in sufficient time for interested Support Staff members to attend and discuss matters at that meeting.
E. Minutes of each meeting shall be distributed to Support Staff members in a timely manner.
F. Requests for special meetings may be made by any Support Staff member by submitting a request to the Support Staff Council. Notification of all special meetings shall be announced by campus e-mail.
Article VI (6) - Business
A. All matters of concern that a Support Staff member feels should be considered by the Support Staff body for submission to the Administration - questions, complaints, suggestions - must be submitted in writing to a current Support Staff Council member for discussion at the next general Support Staff meeting.
B. Identities of the originator(s) of all matters sent to the Support Staff Council shall be kept confidential, unless written permission is given by the originator(s) to release the name(s).
Article VII (7) - Procedures for Amending this Policies and Procedures Statement
A. An amendment to this Policies and Procedures statement will be discussed at a Support Staff meeting. Subsequent to this meeting, a copy of the amendment and instructions for voting will be e-mailed to each support staff member. A simple majority of those voting will determine its passing.