Preamble
The Staff Assembly and the Staff Council will stimulate and maintain a spirit of unity and open communication between the university staff and the administration of the University of Michigan-Flint. This Charter establishes the guidelines for procedures under which the Staff Assembly and Staff Council will function.
Define:
- The Staff Assembly Name
- (1.0) The Staff Assembly
- (2.0) The Staff Assembly Council
- (3.0) Apportionments
- (3.3) Nominations and Elections
- (3.4) Vacancies
- (3.5) Impeachment
- (3.52) Officers and Special Committees
- (3.6-4.0) Business and Amendment Procedures
- (5.0-6.0) Revisions
The Staff Assembly Name (1.0)
1.1 The general body will be known as the Staff Assembly.
1.10 Support of the Staff Assembly will be received from the Chancellor as well as the Director of Human Resources who serves in an Ex Officio capacity.
1.2 A Staff Council, elected as a representative group, will serve as an agent of the Staff Assembly.
1.20 The Chair of the Staff Council will be elected by and from the members of the Staff Council. Members must have been on Staff Council for at least one (1) year to run for Chair.
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The Staff Assembly (2.0)
Staff Assembly was formed following a task force study in 1990. The Vice Chancellor for Administration* charged the task force to create by-laws, or a charter, for the organization of the Staff Assembly.
2.1 Membership of the Staff Assembly will be from the following groups: Union and Non-Union as designated by the Office of University Human Resources.
2.10 Voting-members will be those permanent employees with a 50% or greater appointment, who have satisfactorily completed their probationary period of employment.
2.2 The Staff Assembly shall meet twice per year, with at least one meeting formally recognizing the Staff Council Recognition Awardee(s). Special Staff Assembly Meetings may be called by the Chancellor.
2.3 Members of Staff Council will act as the officers for the Staff Assembly meeting.
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The Staff Assembly Council (3.0)
Staff Council (the elected representational group) will serve as an agent of the Staff Assembly. The Staff Council members will represent union and non and non-Union staff members. The officers of the Staff Council are selected at the first Staff Council meeting following their election.
3.1 The Staff Council shall act on behalf of the Staff Assembly in presentations to the Administration of UM-Flint concerning any policies affecting the UM-Flint staff or upon requests from the UM-Flint staff after appropriate research has been completed. Staff Council will assist Administration in the coordination of staff development, new staff orientation, technology training, work-life balance, and career advancement. Staff Council will assist in the facilitation of communication between the Staff Assembly and UM-Flint Administration.
3.2 Within each employment category, union and non-union, membership will be determined by the application of the following formula: One elected member, union and non-union, from each 30 staff members with a 50% or more appointment. The number of eligible members in each category will be determined by an official count, to be provided by the Office of Human Resources, prior to the opening of nominations. Staff Council will also be representative of academic units, student affairs, and business and finance. The Director of Human Resources will sit on the Council as ex-officio to facilitate communication between staff and the Office of Human Resources. In the event that a Union staff employee is not elected through the apportionment process, the Chair will have the discretion of appointing up to one union staff member per 30 union staff members to Staff Council.
The Staff Council shall be selected from the voting members. Each Staff Council member shall serve for a term of two (2) years with half of the members being elected alternate years to create a rotation. Each member shall serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms. Any member may serve again after a one-year rotation off the Staff Council.
3.3 At the latter part of the winter term, an election will be held to appoint a new Chair from the Staff Council to serve for one (1) year, which would begin July.
3.4 The Staff Council shall meet on a regular basis with members physically present at a time established at the Council’s organizational meeting. Two-thirds (2/3) of the Staff Council members shall constitute a quorum.
3.5 Special meetings may be called at any time by the Chancellor of the University, the Staff Council Chair, or by written request of three (3) Staff Council members or three (3) Staff Assembly members.
3.6 An agenda will be made available to Staff Council and Staff Assembly members during the week prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.
3.7 A Staff Assembly member may at any time request to address the Staff Council; this request will be in writing, stating the nature and purpose of the address. The Staff Council Chair should have the request in hand prior to the scheduled meeting and it may become part of the new business of that meeting at the discretion of the Staff Council Chair.
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Nominations and Elections (4.0)
4.1 Eligible office-seeking members must file, in writing, an intent notice for nomination to the Staff Council Election Committee no more than forty-five (45), nor less than thirty (30) days, prior to the annual Staff Assembly meeting. The Staff Council will circulate a list of candidates to the Staff Assembly. The Election Committee will be composed of three non-office seeking members selected from the Staff Council.
4.2 All elections will be conducted by electronic ballot. Each employee who has attained permanent status by March 30 preceding the date of election will receive email notification and have access to the voting instrument. The Election Committee will have access to the voting instrument and will tally the votes.
4.3 A link to the voting instrument will be sent via email to the Staff Assembly list. The voting instrument will be constructed so as to not allow staff members to vote more than once.
4.4 In case of a tie, a run-off election will be held prior to the annual Staff Assembly meeting.
4.5 All candidates will be notified of the ballot results by the Election Committee prior to the close of business on the Friday preceding the annual Staff Assembly meeting.
4.6 The Election Committee shall report to the Staff council the final voting results within 72 hours of the tally, as a matter of record.
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Vacancies (5)
5.1A Staff Council seat shall be declared vacant when a member is no longer eligible for membership in the Staff Assembly or has resigned or has been impeached from the Staff Council.
5.2 If a vacancy arises from members who are serving in their first year of a two-year term, the Staff Council Chair, with a majority vote of approval from the Staff Council, may appoint a new member to fill the vacant seat. The new Staff Council member(s) shall be selected from the candidates who were not elected in the most recent election, in descending order of the number of votes received. Vacancies from members serving in their last year of their two-year term may be filled by Staff Council Chair appointment, with a majority vote of the Staff Council. The exception to this policy is: elected Staff Council members who are on approved leave for more than six months of a given year within their 2 year elected term, are, upon their return eligible to be appointed by the Staff Council Chair to serve a third year, provided there is a vacated seat available.
Additionally, a temporary member may be appointed to substitute for a member who is on an approved leave, but wishes to return. Temporary members will also be approved with a majority vote. The Staff Assembly will be notified of all new appointments, including temporary appointments, to Staff Council.
(5.3) The Staff council officers may request a resignation of one of the staff council members for just cause. A resignation creates a vacancy of that seat on the Staff Council.
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Officers (6.0)
6.1 Officers of the Staff Council shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Past Chair, Communications Coordinator and Recognition Coordinator.
6.2 The Staff Council shall elect a Chair. The elected Chair shall appoint the remaining officer positions and sub-committee appointees, excluding Past Chair, after soliciting nominations and working in consultation with the Director of Human Resources and Past Chair.
6.3 Officers of the Staff Council shall serve one-year appointments in these roles. If they serve as an officer during their first year on Staff Council they are eligible to serve in an officer capacity during their second year and will follow the appointment process.
6.4 The Past Chair role will be assumed, not appointed, by the outgoing Chair each year and serves for one (1) year.
The officers shall take office at the beginning of the meeting following their election/appointment.
6.5 Officer Duties. (Including but not limited to)
CHAIR
The Staff Council Chair shall lead the Staff Council, conduct its meetings, represent it on assigned University committees and account for monies as necessary.
- Create agendas and make available to Staff Council and Staff Assembly prior to meetings Preside over meetings
- Track council budget and expenses
- Attend commencement, all Staff Council events, and other university events as they arise and/or invitations are received from the Chancellor’s Office.
- Serve or delegate a representative to serve on committees as requested.
VICE-CHAIR
- Preside over meetings in the absence of the chair
- Attend all Staff Council events and serve in place of Chair when needed
- Assist the Chair as needed
SECRETARY
- Take minutes at all meetings Bring copies of the current agenda, and minutes from the last meeting for approval
- Schedule rooms/locations for all meetings and events
- Prepare sign-in sheets and evaluations for Staff Council sponsored events
- Assist the Chair as needed
- Document work of council (e.g. Charter revisions, change in protocol or processes, etc.)
PAST CHAIR
- Provide transition and guidance to Chair
- Assist in the Appointment of Officer process
- Assist the Chair as needed
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
- Maintain Staff Council website and social media accounts
- Update the staff council brochure or other items such as the Assembly Breakfast program
- Create marketing materials as needed
- Assist the Chair as needed
RECOGNITION COORDINATOR
- Process nominations for the Sterling Staff Award as they arrive (notify staff member and supervisor via email)
- Prepare certificate
- Coordinate the Staff Recognition Award process and Chair Selection Committee
- Assist the Chair as needed
Special Committees (7.0)
7.1 Staff Council shall be represented on university committees as requested; requests will be processed through the Chair and brought to the Council for consideration.
7.2 The Chair and Staff Council shall appoint special sub-committees as needed. Members of the Staff Assembly at-large may be invited to participate on sub-committees.
7.3 Staff Recognition Award – The Staff Council will provide annual awards per the guidelines provided in the Staff Recognition Award guidelines and procedures.
Please note, the Staff Council has been tasked with distributing the Marlene Borland Bookfund Endowment as outlined in the specific endowment instructions from University Advancement. Other Staff Council programs and initiatives will be assigned at the discretion of the appropriate senior leadership.
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Business and Amendment Procedures (8.0)
8.1 Recommended items of business may be submitted in writing by any member of the Staff Assembly to the Staff Council.
8.2 The Staff Council will discuss and determine appropriate action and forward recommendations directly to the Chancellor and/or Executive Officers for further action when necessary.
Amendment Procedures (9.0)
9.1 Amendments to this Charter may be considered by the Staff Council upon written request.
9.2 The text of a proposed amendment must receive an affirmative two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the Staff Council.
9.3 The Chancellor and Executive Officers shall be notified of any amendment upon its adoption. ________________________________________