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Bylaws of the Professional Staff Senate

ARTICLE I. NAME.

1.1 The body hereafter shall be known as the Professional Staff Senate of Marywood University.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE.

2.1 The purpose of the Professional Staff Senate is to support and further the mission of Marywood University.

2.2 The Professional Staff Senate identifies the interests and represents the views of the Professional Staff on matters of concern, and makes recommendations and takes actions on its behalf.

2.3 The Professional Staff Senate may also respond to specific requests from the administration and other senates to consider University issues.

ARTICLE III. FUNCTIONS.

3.1 The Professional Staff Senate functions as the official representative body of the Marywood University Professional Staff.

3.2 Through consideration of issues brought before it, the Senate identifies the interests of the Professional Staff on matters of concern.

3.3 After deliberation on matters of concern, the Senate represents the views of the Professional Staff.

3.4 As the representative of Professional Staff views, the Senate makes recommendations to appropriate constituencies of the University.

3.5 As the representative of Professional Staff views, the Senate may take action independent of the Faculty and Support Staff Senates on relevant matters.

ARTICLE IV. STRUCTURE AND MEMBERSHIP.

4.1 The Professional Staff Senate consists of an Assembly, Steering Committee, Professional Development Committee and ad hoc committee.

4.2 All full-time and regular part-time Professional Staff are members of the Assembly. Professional Staff includes Administrative Directors, Managerial Personnel and Professional Personnel.


ARTICLE V. STEERING COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEES.

5.1 Elections to standing committees will be conducted as outlined in Article VI.

5.2 The Steering Committee of the Professional Staff Senate shall consist of seven members of the Assembly. Two at-large members will be elected by majority ballot and one representative will be elected within each division of the institution.

5.3 The members of the Steering Committee will elect from their group a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson/Secretary.

5.4 The Chairperson of the Steering Committee shall schedule and preside over all meetings, and will accept agenda items from the Assembly.

5.5 The term of office for a member of the Steering Committee is two years. Four members of the Steering Committee shall be elected in odd-numbered calendar years, three members in even-numbered years.

5.6 A member of the Steering Committee shall be eligible for election to that Committee for no more than two full consecutive terms.

5.7 Assignment of all Steering Committee responsibilities shall be made by mutual consent of the sitting members of the Steering Committee.

5.8 Assignments shall be made at the end of each academic year, or as events warrant.

5.9 In the event the position of Chairperson of the Steering Committee is vacated, the Vice Chairperson shall assume those duties for the remainder of that term of office. The Committee will then elect someone to serve as Vice Chairperson/Secretary.

5.10 A Standing Committee for Professional Development shall be elected by the Assembly to deal with this concern. This committee will consist of one representative from each area of the institution, one at-large representative of administrative directors, and one at-large representative from managerial and professional personnel.

5.11 Each Professional Development committee member has a three-year term and may serve for two consecutive terms but not for a third consecutive term. Initial committee memberships should have staggered terms.

5.12 Chairpersons of standing committees may be elected by the members of the Committee, or, at the option of the Committee, may be appointed by the Steering Committee.

5.13 No member of the Steering Committee may serve as chairperson of a standing committee, but may attend and participate in the actions of that committee.

5.14 Standing committees are authorized by the Assembly and may be added to or removed by amending the Bylaws of the Senate.

5.15 Ad hoc committees shall be formed for a specific period of time by the Steering Committee with the concurrence of the Assembly to deal with situations not covered by standing committees.

5.16 Chairpersons of ad hoc committees may be elected by the members of the Committee, or, at the option of the Committee, may be appointed by the Steering Committee.

5.17 Normally, members of the Assembly should serve on no more than one ad hoc committee at a time. Members of the Steering Committee may serve on an ad hoc committee, but may not serve as chairperson. An ad hoc committee shall present its findings on an issue to the Steering Committee and/or Assembly for a recommendation and/or vote.

5.18 An ad hoc committee may be dissolved by the Steering Committee with the concurrence of the Assembly.

ARTICLE VI. ELECTIONS.

6.1 A member of the Assembly should only serve on one major, university-wide committee at a time. These committees are: University Committee on Policy, and Professional Staff Development Committee.

6.2 The sequence in which elections to these committees are conducted is standardized in the same order as the listing of committees above.

6.3 The election of Administrative/Professional Personnel representatives to the University Committee on Policy shall be conducted in April by the Committee on Elections.

6.4 The election of representatives to the Professional Staff Development Committee shall be conducted in May by the Committee on Elections.

6.5 The election of representatives to the Steering Committee shall be conducted in April by the Steering Committee.

6.6 Members will be elected by secret ballot. The first ballot will be a nomination from an alphabetical list of eligible persons.

6.7 Twice the number of those to be elected will constitute the second ballot. These names will be listed according to the number of votes received. However, prior to the second ballot a representative of the Steering Committee will contact nominees to determine if they are willing to serve if elected. The required number of members will be elected on the second ballot by a plurality vote. If there is a tie in the number of votes needed for election, a run-off ballot will be taken.

6.8 Representatives from the various divisions of the University will be elected before at-large representatives.

6.9 In each election the three persons in each category having the next highest number of votes after the elected members shall be named alternates.

6.10 If a vacancy occurs among the elected members of any of these committees the first alternate from the most recent appropriate election shall complete the term. If necessary, the second alternate from the most recent election shall complete the term, etc.

6.11 A vacancy can occur upon resignation from the committee, change in status (for at-large representatives from a specific position level), termination or interruption of employment, or by non-participation. Non-participation is defined as absence from two consecutive committee meetings without good reason.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS.

7.1 The Assembly of the Professional Staff Senate shall meet at least twice a semester. Meeting dates shall be set by the Steering Committee. Other meetings shall be called or scheduled by the Steering Committee as needed.

7.2 Notice of meetings, with an agenda, shall be communicated in writing and/or e-mail to all members of the Senate, at least one week in advance of the meeting date.

7.3 Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the Steering Committee, or by written notice of ten members of the Assembly. Should ten members wish to call a meeting, they much notify the Chair of the Senate in writing of their request and allow for at least one week for written notification of the members of the Senate.

7.4 A quorum for the Assembly meetings is defined as 30 voting members of the Senate.

ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS AND AMENDMENTS.

8.1 The Professional Staff Senate reserves the right to establish all rules and regulations governing the function and operation of the Senate. Where specific bylaws have not been established by the Senate, Robert's Rules of Order will prevail.

8.2 The Bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Assembly of the Professional Staff Senate by a two-thirds majority of the members present, providing that a quorum is established.

8.3 Notice of any proposed amendment must be given at a preceding meeting, or in writing, to the members of the Professional Staff Senate Assembly at least two weeks in advance of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be acted upon. A copy of the proposed amendment and the current section of the Bylaws to be amended must be included, in writing, with the notification to the members.

8.4 Amendments adopted by the Professional Staff Senate shall become effective upon passage by the Assembly and recommendation by the University Committee on Policy.

Dolores M. Filicko, IHM
Secretary of the University