The University of Montana Staff Senate

Staff Senate
The University of Montana
Tammy Yedinak, President
(406) 243-6195

Bylaws

Article I - Name

This organization shall be named the Staff Senate of The University of Montana-Missoula, hereinafter referred to as Staff Senate.

Article II - Staff Definition

Staff is defined as all staff members whose FTE is .5 or greater and who are not contract administrators, contract professionals, individuals on Letters of Appointment, or faculty, hereinafter referred to as Staff.

Article III - Staff Senate Membership

The membership of the Staff Senate is derived from Staff representatives who have completed one year of continuous employment at The University of Montana – Missoula on or before June 1 of the year in which his/her term shall begin.

Article IV - Purpose

Staff Senate shall:

Work to enhance the visibility of Staff on campus and within the community;
Provide a forum whereby opinions of Staff can be collected and expressed on issues facing the University and higher education in the State of Montana;
Act as liaison to express the views and concerns of Staff to the administration, including the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Board of Regents;
Provide a mechanism for supplying voting representatives to all University and applicable State committees;
Cooperate with University administration, faculty and students in the development and/or revision of University policies and other matters; and,
Participate in other goals and activities as the Senate determines to be consistent with the overall purpose of Staff Senate.

Article V- Meetings

Staff Senate shall:

Sec. I - Staff Senate Meetings
The Staff Senate shall meet at least once each month, a majority of Senators constituting a quorum. Senators shall be released from normal work duties for the purpose of attending Staff Senate meetings and for additional time to serve on Staff Senate or University committees and other duties as noted in Article X. This release time shall not be charged against their annual leave and shall be considered regular work time. Supervisors shall be notified of appointments to the Staff Senate and committees.
Sec. II - Staff Meetings
Upon written request signed by ten (10) percent of the Staff submitted to the President of Staff Senate, a special meeting shall be called for the purpose of reviewing any actions of the Senate.

Article VI - Staff Senate Powers and Duties

Sec. I - The Staff Senate, as the representative body of the staff, shall have the power to act and speak for the Staff on all matters concerning Staff.
Sec. II - The Staff Senate may examine all matters related to the professional welfare of the University and is charged with protecting the professional welfare of the Staff.
Sec. III - The Staff Senate shall be available to meet with the administration, faculty, students, Commissioner of Higher Education and/or Board of Regents for advice and consultation, and shall disseminate information to the Staff.
Sec. IV - The Staff Senate shall have the power to adopt such standing rules as are deemed necessary.

Article VIII - Nominations to Staff Senate

At least thirty (30) days prior to the election, every candidate shall file a completed nominating petition with the Staff Senate Nominations and Elections Committee.

Article IX - Elections to Senate

Regular elections shall be held at least thirty (30) days before the Staff Senate meeting in May. Only contested seats will have an election, the remaining seats will be elected by acclamation.

Article X - Senator Responsibilities

All Senators have the following responsibilities:

Attend monthly meeting;
Represent constituent's points of view on issues that present themselves through the duration of the Senator's service;
Communicate the issues discussed in the meetings and any correspondence you receive with constituents;
Provide feedback from constituents to the Senate to ensure fair representation of all Staff;
Serve on at least one Staff Senate or University committee each year.

Article XI - Term of Senators

Sec. I - Term
Senators shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, with the newly elected Senators assuming official duties immediately prior to the election of officers at the June meeting.
Sec. II - Limitation
A Senator shall not serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. Exceptions may be granted by a majority vote of the Senate.

Article XII - Staff Senate Vacancies

Sec. 1 - Declaration of Vacancy
A Senator's seat shall be declared vacant following three (3) unexcused absences at regular monthly Staff Senate meetings. Excused absences include: sick leave, annual leave, and professional obligations.
Sec. II - Filling Vacancies
With the consent of the Staff Senate at a regular meeting, the Senate President shall fill vacancies. The appointee shall serve until the expiration of the vacated term.
Sec. III - Appointment Qualifications
The appointee shall be from the same EEO category as the Senator whose seat has been vacated. Exceptions may be granted with a majority vote of the Staff Senate.

Article XIII - Staff Senate Officers

Sec. I - Officers
The Staff Senate shall elect from its membership an Executive Committee comprised of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Finance Officer and Communications Officer at its regular meeting in June of each year.
Sec. II - Nominations
Nominations for Staff Senate officers shall be called for at the May meeting and new Senators not yet seated on Staff Senate will be notified at that time.
Sec. III - Election of Officers
Elections shall be by paper ballot with a majority of Senators present at the June meeting. Incoming, current, and outgoing Senators who attend the June meeting may vote for officers.
Sec. IV - Term
The officers shall serve for one (1) year, to assume official duties immediately prior to the adjournment of the June meeting.
Sec. V - Vacancies
A vacancy in the Office of the President will be filled by the Vice-President. Other vacancies will be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee.
Sec. VI - Limitation
No person shall serve simultaneously as an officer of the Staff Senate and as an officer of a labor union.
Sec. VII - Duties of Officers.
President shall:

Act as the chief Staff representative in matters of University governance and campus activities;
Act as Staff advocate in all University matters;
Convene regular meetings of the Staff Senate, set the agenda, invite special guests, and conduct meetings;
Serve as one of two staff representatives on the University Strategic, Planning and Budget Committee;
Represent Staff at UM-Missoula commencement;
Serve as the Staff representative on the State Labor Management Committee;
Act as Staff representative in matters before the Commissioner of Higher Education and Board of Regents; and,
Participate with other Staff Senate elected officers in ongoing strategic planning for Staff Senate activities.

Vice-President shall:

Act in the President's absence when necessary;
Maintain records of Staff Senate and University Committee appointments;
Recommend appointments to campus committees when applicable; and,
Participate with other Staff Senate elected officers in ongoing strategic planning for Staff Senate activities.

Finance Officer shall:

Establish budget in collaboration with Executive Committee;
Be responsible for maintaining Banner accounts and keeping accurate records of all Staff Senate funds for reporting and auditing;
Serve as one of two Staff representatives on the University Strategic Planning and Budget Committee;
Balance accounts and submit fiscal reports at Executive Committee and Staff Senate meetings;
Receive monies for projects, make deposits as required and pay invoices after manual approval by appropriate authority; and,
Participate with other Staff Senate elected officers in ongoing strategic planning for Staff Senate activities.

Secretary shall:

Schedule rooms for monthly meetings;
Send meeting schedules out to Staff Senators in a timely manner;
Keep Senator list (names, department, contact information) up to date;
Maintain attendance roster and take roll at monthly meetings;
Take minutes at monthly meetings and circulate to all Senators; and,
Participate with other Staff Senate elected officers in ongoing strategic planning for Staff Senate activities.

Communications Officer shall:

Serve as Public Relations Liaison for all Staff Senate activities;
Send meeting schedules to News ForUM and appropriate news agencies in a timely manner;
Coordinate issuance of name tags and name plates for all Senators;
Maintain and replenish all Staff Senate printed materials; and
Participate with other Staff Senate elected officers in ongoing strategic planning for Staff Senate activities.

Article XIII - Committees

Sec. I - University and State Committees
The Staff Senate shall provide each year, or as vacancies occur, representation on all committees with Staff membership. All Staff are eligible to serve on any committee. Appointments shall be made by the University President upon the recommendation of the Staff Senate for the standard terms of the respective committees.
- State Labor Management Committee. The full Staff Senate will select the Staff representative from a self-nominated pool of candidates. The term will be three years. The Staff representative will report to the Staff Senate at the next meeting of the Senate immediately following the State Labor Management Committee meeting.
  - The self-nominating forms will be made available via the Staff Senate web page. Notice of vacancies will be posted to the web page with deadlines as they occur.
- University Strategic Budget and Planning Committee. The full Staff Senate will select one of the two Staff representatives from a self-nominated pool of candidates. The term will be three years. The second Staff representative will be the current Staff Senate President.
  - The self-nominating forms will be made available via the Staff Senate web page. Notice of vacancies will be posted to the web page with deadlines as they occur.

Sec. II - Staff Senate Committees
Appointments to Staff Senate committees shall be for one (1) year or as necessary, with reappointment at the discretion of the Executive Committee. All Staff are eligible to serve on Staff Senate committees. The chairperson of the committee shall provide regular communications to the Staff Senate. Staff Senate Committees are:
- Executive Committee
  The committee shall be composed of the elected officers and the immediate past president as a nonvoting ex-officio member. The committee shall carry on the interim business of the Staff Senate between regular meetings, call special meetings and represent the Staff Senate at meetings with the University administration, ASUM, Faculty Senate, the Commissioner of Higher Education and/or Board of Regents. The committee also serves as the Budget Committee of the Staff Senate.
- Bylaws Committee
  The committee shall guide actions taken by Staff Senate to ensure compliance with these bylaws; review and revise the bylaws to ensure timeliness and consistency with University and State policies.
- Communications and Visibility Committee
  Shall promote staff to the on-campus and off-campus community - to make staff and their contributions more visible through;
  - spotlighting staff in campus publications and activities,
  - participate in Staff Appreciation Day activities,
  - promote the "Heart of the Grizzly" initiative,
  - and other activities as the committee develops ideas;
- Legislative Committee
  The committee shall investigate, analyze, and inform Staff Senate on all legislative actions relevant to the University and of specific interest to the Staff. The committee shall be a liaison between Staff Senate and other committees working on legislative issues.
- Nominations and Elections Committee
  Prior to the election of Senators, the committee shall determine the number of Senators to be elected from each EEO category. The committee shall seek nominations, screen nominees for eligibility and conduct the elections of new Staff Senators. The committee also conducts the election of the Executive Committee Officers.
- Outstanding Staff Award
  The committee shall select the Outstanding Staff Award Recipients. Two Senators and the four most recent recipients shall make up the committee membership.
- Scholarship Committee
  The committee shall raise funds for the awarding of an annual scholarship to be given to a relative of a University of Montana Staff member. The committee shall establish criteria and select the scholarship recipient from qualified applications.
- Other
  Any other committee as designated by the Senate.

Article XV - Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Staff Senate meetings in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.

Article XVI - Amendments to Bylaws

Sec. I - Proposals
Amendments may be proposed by a majority of the Staff Senate or upon a petition signed by at least ten (10) percent of the Staff and presented to the Staff Senate President.
Sec. II - Adoption
Within forty-five (45) days after an amendment has been proposed, it shall be posted on the Staff Senate web site for a minimum of two weeks to give time for review and comment from staff. The Staff Senate shall vote on the amendment at the Staff Senate meeting immediately following the two-week posting period. Upon approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast by the Staff Senate, the proposed amendment shall become effective as of the date set forth in the proposal.

Revised Oct. 2005