Staff Council By-Laws

1. Purpose
   1. Introduction
      1. Staff Council at Michigan Technological University was formed in 1991 and restructured in 2005. The purpose of Staff Council is to act as a service organization within the University.
   2.  Charge
      1. The charge to Staff Council is:
         1. to assist the University in recognizing outstanding performance and ongoing dedicated service by staff members
         2. to maximize the use of talents and resources of the staff to support educational programs and to develop and strengthen skills and professionalism among the staff
         3. to provide events and opportunities that enhance the working environment of Michigan Tech
2. Membership
   1. Membership
      1. Staff Council exists to support Michigan Tech staff: full-time, part-time, nine-month, or ten-month; non-student, non-faculty.
      2. Membership on Staff Council is voluntary, open and available to any eligible staff member. No elections will be held for general membership.
      3. A diverse group will better serve the University; Staff Council should attempt to involve members from every employment classification.
      4. Members of Staff Council are asked to make every effort to attend all regularly scheduled Staff Council meetings. Members are required to actively serve on at least one committee.
         1. Service to, and participation in, Staff Council, including Committee functions are recognized as a valuable contribution to the University. Time to participate in Staff Council functions will be arranged with the immediate supervisor or with Human Resources if there should be a disagreement.
      5. Members that have not attended a meeting in one year will be dropped from the membership list.
   2. Staff Council Recruitment
      1. An annual organization meeting will be held in September, near the start of each academic year.
         1. This organizational meeting will be advertised to all staff members through campus communication channels (Tech Today or equivalent).
         2. At this meeting, Staff Council members should attempt to determine if any employment classifications are not represented. If this is the case, Staff Council will make reasonable attempts to invite members from that group before the next Staff Council meeting.
3. Officers and Duties
   1. Staff Council Officers consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Financial Custodian. The nomination of officers will occur in the month of May with the election of officers during the month of June. Officer term will run from August through July.  It is desirable, but not required that officers have at least one year’s experience on Staff Council. Vacancies will be filled during the year, as they occur, by election of the members at large, with the exception of the Chair who will be replaced by the Vice-Chair.
      1. Chair
         1. Presides at all Staff Council and Executive Committee meetings
         2. Prepares an agenda for each regular and any special Staff Council meetings
         3. With the advice of the Staff Council membership, appoints necessary Committee Chairs
         4. Serves as spokesperson for the Staff Council
         5. Will seek nominations for officers and shall preside at the election
         6. The outgoing Chair (either remaining on Staff Council or completing his/her term on Staff Council) should remain accessible to the new Chair as a resource.
      2. Vice-Chair
         1. Assumes the responsibilities of the Chair during that officer’s absence and assumes that position should the Chair resign from Staff Council
         2. Assists the Chair as required
         3. Organizes a guest speaker for each general meeting
         4. Coordinates advertising of Staff Council meetings through campus communication channels (Tech Today or equivalent)
         5. The outgoing Vice-Chair (either remaining on Staff Council or completing his/her term on Staff Council) should remain accessible to the new Vice-Chair as a resource.
      3. Secretary
         1. Takes minutes during Staff Council meetings
         2. Distributes minutes of the meetings to Staff Council members along with any other communications as appropriate
         3. Makes minutes available to the campus community via the Staff Council website
         4. Maintains a current listing of Staff Council members
         5. Oversees the Staff Council website and ensures current information is available to the campus community
         6. The outgoing Secretary (either remaining on Staff Council or completing his/her term on Staff Council) should remain accessible to the new Secretary as a resource.
      4. Financial Custodian
         1. Monitors Staff Council accounts
         2. Processes transfers, pays bills, conducts financial transactions as directed by Staff Council
         3. Provides financial reports at each regular meeting and special meetings (as requested)
         4. Works with Committee chairs to coordinate spending for Staff Council events
         5. The outgoing Financial Custodian (either remaining on Staff Council or completing his/her term on Staff Council) should remain accessible to the new Financial Custodian as a resource.
4. Committees
   1. Staff Council accomplishes its purposes through the use of committees, which will be appointed as necessary. All Staff Council members should actively participate in committee activities. All committees (standing and special) will be open to participation of non-Staff Council members.
      1. Standing Committees
         1. Formed and terminated upon the determination of the Staff Council
         2. A Staff Council member should serve as chair and act as a liaison to Staff Council.
      2. Special Interest Committee
         1. Formed and terminated upon the determination of Staff Council to consider only those matters of a current and/or temporary nature
      3. Executive Committee
         1. Made up of Staff Council officers
         2. Acts as a liaison between Staff Council and University administration
5. Meetings
   1. Regular Meetings
      1. Staff Council shall meet regularly, once per month during the academic year is desirable. Summer meetings may be less regular, depending on the current Staff Council activities.
      2. A regular meeting schedule shall be followed except when unforeseen circumstances require a meeting to be suspended or rescheduled.
   2. Special meetings
      1. May be called:
         1. at the discretion of the Chair
         2. by a majority of Staff Council members
         3. Special meetings, when called, should be scheduled by Staff Council Chair within a reasonable amount of time.
   3. Voting Procedures
      1. In voting on motions and issues brought before Staff Council, any member may request a roll call vote be taken and the results recorded.
      2. Upon the request of any Staff Council member, any vote shall be by secret ballot.
   4. Quorum
      1. Six members shall constitute a quorum.
      2. No official business shall take place without a quorum.
6. By-Laws Amendments
   1. Presentation
      1. A proposed amendment shall be presented in writing by a member to Staff Council at a regular meeting of Staff Council.
      2. The proposed amendment shall be read and considered at the regular meeting, but shall not be acted upon until the next meeting of Staff Council.
   2. Approval
      1. An amendment requires a simple majority vote of Staff Council for adoption.
      2. Following Staff Council approval, it will be forwarded to the administration of Michigan Tech for consideration. If approved, the amendment shall become part of the official By-Laws.

These By-Laws first adopted and approved: November 22, 1993

• Revised on October 9, 1995
• Revised on August 18, 2002
• Revised on January 19, 2006
• Revised on June 20, 2013
• Revised on October 18, 2018