Bylaws

Approved 4/19/22

Article I.

Name

This organization shall be known as the Staff Advisory Council (Staff AC).

The Staff AC was formed in 1998 and is a permanent council comprised of staff representing all major areas of the university. The main focus is to foster open communication between the staff and administration. This council meets monthly to discuss matters of importance to staff and develop strategies for improvement.

Article II.

Mission

The Staff AC is a group of staff representatives and advocates who promote the University’s Mission by fostering a sense of campus community, creating strategies to enhance staff morale, advising campus leadership on matters relating to and affecting the staff of Furman, and providing a voice in campus issues. Whenever possible, the decisions of the Council shall be reached by consensus and supported by parliamentary vote. The Staff AC uses Furman’s Vision Statement as a guiding principle.

Article III.

Membership

Section 1. The Staff AC shall be comprised of no less than 21 and no more than 25 members of the staff who do not serve as University President or members of the Senior Administration. All such staff shall be eligible to serve on the Staff AC. Additional seats above the minimum may be proposed by the Chair and approved by vote of Staff AC. These seats may only be added at the beginning of the term.

Section 2. The membership of the Staff AC shall consist of 12 elected members and 9 appointed members with a possible additional ex-officio seat held by the current Staff Member of the Year (SMOTY). The appointed members shall represent Finance & Administration, University Communications, Development, Athletics, Student Life, Enrollment Management, Facility Services, Information & Technology Services, and Academic Affairs.

Section 3. Members shall serve three-year terms.

Section 4. Members may serve two consecutive full terms. One year after the expiration of the second full term they shall be eligible for reelection. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, consideration will be given to members who have not served two full terms regarding eligibility to run for a third term.

Section 5. Members shall be required to serve on a committee or project team each year.

Section 6. Elections shall be by paper ballot or online by all the eligible staff. Elections shall be held in a manner that maximizes staff participation and shall be confidential. Candidates may nominate themselves (via the online form) or be nominated by other employees. All nominations are contingent on supervisor approval.

Section 7. Elections will take place annually in April.

Section 8. Management of elections shall be the responsibility of an Ad Hoc Membership Committee formed each year and chaired by the Parliamentarian.

Section 9. Members shall assume their positions at the first regular meeting in July following their election; however, they are encouraged to attend meetings in advance of their assuming office. Members are expected to attend all meetings, including the committee meetings and/or project teams on which they serve, and notify the Secretary of anticipated absences. Irregular attendance may be reviewed by the Executive Committee and members who cannot meet the attendance expectation may be asked to withdraw. If a member is absent (unexcused) from three consecutive regularly scheduled Staff AC or committee meetings within a fiscal year, they will automatically be moved to observer status and may be replaced upon review by the Executive Committee. Excused absences are for work-related conflicts, illness, injury, leave or vacation and must be reported to the Secretary prior to the scheduled meeting. Attendance at regular Staff AC meetings shall be recorded in the minutes. Attendance or participation in committee work shall be noted and reported to the secretary by the committee chair. See Operations Manual for procedures.

Section 10. In the event any member feels that they cannot fulfill their Staff AC responsibilities, it is their obligation to notify the Chair immediately.

Section 11. Midterm vacancies for elected members may be filled by appointment of the Chair for the remainder of the election term. First consideration shall be given to nominees who did not win a seat during the most recent council member election process. The chair’s appointment will be confirmed by current Staff AC members. For midterm vacancies for appointed members, the Chair will communicate with the appropriate VP for their consideration on appointing a replacement.

Section 12. The current SMOTY shall be offered the opportunity to sit a no more than one-year term on Staff AC, beginning the month after winning. This position is ex-officio, without voting status, but with all other rights and obligations. Accepting this seat is not a requirement for the winner. This opportunity shall be included in the list with the SMOTY award prizes, and confirmation of acceptance shall be handled privately, so as to not exert undue pressure on the recipient. Section 13. Ex-officio members:  Ex-officio members may provide input, insight, and clarification; may respond to questions; and may otherwise participate in deliberations, but shall have no voting rights. There is the possibility of additional Ex-Officio members serving at any time.

A member of the Human Resources (HR) department, appointed by the Associate Vice President for Human Resources, shall also serve as an ex-officio member for no more than two years, and shall not serve consecutive terms. The Chair, whose term as Chair has expired, shall serve as an ex-officio member for one year following serving in the aforementioned position. Except for the most recent former chair and SMOTY winner, the Associate Vice President of HR serves as an ex-officio member in perpetuity, and at the discretion of the Staff AC Executive Council.

In the case that the Chair’s ex-officio year coincides with the third year of their elected or appointed term, the Chair shall then serve their last year as member at large with voting rights and responsibilities as well as Ex-officio Chair.

Article IV.

Officers

Section 1. The officers shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Secretary, a Communications Manager, a Treasurer, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, and a Parliamentarian. These officers make up the Executive Committee. The Past Chair shall serve on the Executive Committee in an advisory capacity.

Section 2. The officers shall be elected by the members. These elections shall take place at the June meeting. Eligible members for the Executive Committee shall include any member who is currently active on the council during the fiscal year in which elections are held and whose term is not expiring at the end of the year unless they have been reelected for a second 3-year term on the Staff AC. Incoming elected members for the next fiscal year shall not be eligible for the June ballot.

Section 3. The officers will take office at the July meeting, and serve a one-year term. Any executive committee officer, with the exception of the Chair and Chair-Elect, may be re-elected during their remaining term. The Chair-Elect and DEI Officer must have at least 2 years remaining on their term and have served at least 6 months on the Staff AC. A person shall not serve two consecutive terms as chair.

Section 4. Duties of the officers:

  1. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Staff AC and the Executive Committee (see Article V.), serve as the Staff AC’s liaison to the President’s Office, and shall, in general, perform all the duties of the office of Chair. The Chair shall vote only in instances to break a tie vote.
  2. The Chair-Elect shall, in the absence of the Chair, possess all the powers of and perform all the duties of the Chair. The Chair-Elect shall serve a term of one year, following which the Chair-Elect shall assume the office of Chair. The Chair-Elect shall serve as the Human Resource Committee Co-chair.
  3. The Secretary shall keep the minutes and is responsible for the accuracy of the minutes for all meetings, attendance, and records of the Staff AC and Executive Committee meetings. The Secretary shall keep an accurate registry of members. The Secretary shall serve as the Employee Recognition Committee co-chair at the discretion of the executive committee.
  4. The Communications Manager shall be responsible for coordinating social media, updating the website, community outreach, facilitating the newsletter, online voting, forms, updating the FAQ documents and other communications.
  5. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial matters, including deposits and disbursements of funds in accordance with university practices, development and oversight of budget, and the Staff AC scholarship fund. When needed will partner with the Controller for guidance. The Treasurer shall serve as the co-chair of the Outreach and Engagement Committee at the discretion of the executive Committee.
  6. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer shall take the lead on DEI initiatives and opportunities within StaffAC. They shall raise DEI concerns from the Furman community to be addressed by the council, research solutions, events, outreach, and training opportunities for Furman Staff. This officer shall be appointed to the University DEI Council, specifically the Staff Recruitment, Advancement and Training Charge sub-committee (SRAT), for a term of two years.
  7. The Parliamentarian shall provide parliamentary and procedural guidance for all meetings, the bylaws, and elections. The Parliamentarian shall chair an annual review of the bylaws with an ad-hoc bylaw review committee as well as form and Co-chair an annual Ad Hoc Membership Committee.
  8. A member of the Executive Committee shall serve as Co-Chair of each of the standing committees.
  9. The Executive Committee may, in an emergency, vote to take action on Staff AC business. Decisions of the Executive Committee must be brought before the Staff AC for ratification at the next regularly scheduled meeting at which there is a quorum of members in attendance. Officers shall have other powers and duties as prescribed by the members.

Section 5. In the event that a position is left vacant after a regular election the Chair can appoint a member to serve in the position or delegate the position’s responsibilities regardless of tenure on Staff AC.

Section 6. Midterm vacancies of the office of Chair shall be filled by the current Chair-Elect. Midterm vacancies for Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Manager, DEI Officer and Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the Chair and confirmed by majority vote of the Staff AC.

Section 7. The Executive Committee shall perform the following functions:

  1. Define the working agenda and operational procedure for the Staff AC.
  2. Communicate concerns and initiatives from individuals, committees and the council at large to the Chair.
  3. Create special ad hoc committees as needed. Such committees shall be authorized by the Staff AC as to membership, purpose, and duration.
  4. Receive resolutions, reports, and proposed actions made by the Standing Committees or by individuals, and refer them, by majority vote of the Executive Committee, to the Staff AC.

Article V.

Meetings

Section 1. Regular monthly meetings shall be called by the Chair. Meetings should not last longer than 90 minutes.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the Chair as needed or upon the petition of a majority of the members.

Section 3. A voting meeting requires a quorum, represented by at least half plus one member.

Section 4. Meetings are normally open for observation to all members of the staff. The members may convene in an executive session by entering a motion and passing it by a majority vote per Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 5. The agenda for any regular meeting shall include the call to order, roll call, approval of minutes, unfinished business, committee reports, new business, announcements, and adjournment. Only items appearing on the agenda should be considered at a meeting of the Staff AC.

Section 6. The council will hold a forum or all-staff event each year. All University staff members, Senior Administrators, and guests will be invited to this event. This event will last for no more than 2 hours.

Section 7. Meeting locations and starting time are up to the discretion of the Chair and communicated in a timely manner.

Section 8. The members shall approve or disapprove actions and resolutions brought to the floor by the Executive Committee or in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 9. The Staff AC shall report to the entire staff regularly in ways that maximize engagement with all staff across divisions.

Article VI.

Participation

Section 1. Supervisors and managers are asked to support participation by permitting reasonable release time for Staff AC activities, including general meetings, committee activities, and special events. Staff AC members and alternates engaged in scheduled Staff AC activities during regular work schedule will report such activity as work time.

Section 2. All Staff AC members and University staff are encouraged to participate in activities, although these activities should be coordinated with their immediate supervisors and/or department heads so that the critical operations of the University are not disrupted.

Article VII.

Committees

Section 1. The Staff AC shall have three (3) standing administrative committees: Employee Recognition, Human Resources, and Outreach and Engagement. Motions for administrative committee chairs not designated in the bylaws will be determined by each standing committee and reported to the Chair no later than the August Staff AC meeting. Other Ad Hoc committees may be established as needed at regular Staff AC meetings throughout the year.

Section 2. Committee membership must include at least two members of the Staff AC, one of whom shall serve as Chair, and may include other members of the university community. The committee size is subject to the chair of that committee. A member may serve on more than one committee. A committee that is chaired by a member of the Executive Committee shall also have a co-chair, approved by the Council Chair, from among the council members who are not already on the Executive Committee.

  • Employee Recognition Committee. The Employee Recognition Committee is responsible for programs designed to boost the morale of Staff, including the Purple Envelope Program, Staff Member of the Year Award, an employee recognition event and other events. This committee will be co-chaired by the Staff AC Secretary or other appointed Executive Committee Member.
  • Human Resources Committee. This committee is responsible for becoming acquainted with human resources policies and procedures as well as other staff issues of importance. The committee shall act as liaison with the Human Resources Office (HR) and also serve as an advisory group working closely with HR in enhancing the development of staff programs and training opportunities. The HR Committee is responsible for planning of the Fall Forum should the council at large choose to host it and the administration of the staff scholarship. This committee shall be co-chaired by the Chair-Elect.
  • Outreach and Engagement Committee. This committee shall work to provide communication and programs that will foster a sense of community among all staff members and community partners including organizing lunches with the President. This committee shall be co-chaired by the Treasurer or other appointed Executive Committee Member.
  • Ad Hoc Committees. Membership, DEI Committee, bylaw review and any others at the discretion of the council.

Article VIII.

Parliamentary Authority

The parliamentary authority for the Staff AC shall be the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, unless superseded by these bylaws.

Article IX.

Amendments to the Bylaws

Section 1. Any portion of these bylaws may be amended by a written proposal adopted when the following steps have been completed:

  1. Staff may submit a written amendment proposal to the Parliamentarian.
  2. The Executive Committee reviews the amendment revision proposal for submission to the members.
  3. The proposed amendments shall be presented to the Staff AC no later than 2 business days prior to any vote.
  4. Two-thirds of the Staff AC members must be present to vote on an amendment to the bylaws. A simple majority vote is required to approve any amendment to the bylaws.
  5. A record of bylaw amendments and dates of amendments shall be kept as part of the minutes