Catawba College Staff Council By-Laws
ARTICLE I - Authorization
The Catawba College Staff Council is authorized and operated under the authority of the President and Administration of Catawba College.
ARTICLE II - Purpose
The purpose of the Catawba College Staff Council is to represent the full-time staff at Catawba College, by examining issues and policies regarding personnel, and by making recommendations regarding:
- The recruitment and orientation of new staff
- Staff benefits and welfare
- Staff development programs
- Coordinating and promoting interdepartmental working relationships across the campus
- Coordinating and fostering better working relationship within the College community, including students, faculty, staff, and administration. The Staff Council has the authority to hear concerns from staff members, and to present staff concerns and recommendations to the proper channels.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Qualifications:
- To be eligible to serve as a Staff Council representative, a staff member must have a minimum of one year of full-time employment with the College.
- Nominations for Staff Council representatives will be made to the current Staff Council who will then deliberate and make selections based on the pre-determined selection criteria.
- Members will not be allowed to serve consecutive terms but are eligible to serve additional non-consecutive terms.
- Members will serve a three-year term.
- Staff Council representatives with three or more consecutive unexcused absences may be asked to step down as representative and a new representative will be elected in their place.
- If a member ceases to be employed by the college before their term is complete, their spot will be vacant for the remainder of the academic year and a new representative will be appointed for a full three-year term in the following academic year.
- Due to occasional organizational re-structuring by the Administration, Staff Groups may be re-organized periodically by a process of review by the current Staff Council, including re-assignment of departments within Staff Revisions to the structure of Staff Groups are subject to review by the full Staff Council and must be approved by two-thirds majority vote.
ARTICLE IV - Meetings
Staff Council will hold regular meetings a minimum of six (6) times per year, typically meeting seven to ten times per year, with one meeting scheduled per any given month, except for when a Full Staff meeting is held. In addition to the regular monthly meetings, special meetings may be scheduled at the discretion or request of the Staff Council Officers.
Full Staff meetings, for all full-time staff employees of the College, may be convened by Staff Council up to twice per academic year, typically one meeting in fall semester and one meeting in spring semester.
ARTICLE V – Officers Powers & Duties
Chair- The term of committee Chair will be a four-year commitment: one year as Chair- Elect, two years as Chair, and one year as Past-Chair. A Chair-elect will be selected by the committee at the beginning of the second year of the Chair’s term to ensure continuity of leadership. Upon election, a Chairman-elect will become the Chair upon the conclusion of the two-year term of the current C. During the first year of the current Chair’s term, should the Chair leave the College or vacate the office, the Past Chair will fill the Chair’s position, until a Chair- Elect’s term becomes active.
Presides at Staff Council meetings. Schedules meeting dates in accordance with frequency as set out in by-laws. Provides update on Staff Council activities at Fall Conference of Faculty-Staff, and at on-campus Board of Trustee meetings traditionally held in October and February. Meets periodically with the President of the College to discuss staff concerns and obtain information requested by the Staff Council.
Chair-Elect – The Chair-Elect will be selected by the members of the Staff Council from the currently-serving Staff Council representatives. A Chair-elect cannot be in his or her first year of service in his or her current term on the Staff Council when elected.
Secretary - the term of the office of Secretary shall be for one year. If the Staff Council representative serving in the office of Secretary has not completed his or her term on the Council, he or she shall be eligible for re-election.
Immediate Past Chair - The Immediate Past Chair is fulfilling their final year in the four- year term of Chair and will continue regular attendance at Staff Council meetings. In the event that the Chair is unable to preside at a Staff Council or Full Staff meeting, or to represent the Staff Council to the Board of Trustees or at other meetings, the Past Chair will fulfill the Chair’s duties.
ARTICLE VI - Standing Committees
Service & Social Committee – This committee shall be composed of at least 3 different representative and serves the Staff Council by planning and executing service opportunities for our community to engage in. This committee is also responsible for the planning and execution of opportunities for staff members to socialize and fellowship with one another.
Professional Development & Vocation – This committee shall be composed of at least 3 different representatives. This committee focuses on planning and executing professional development opportunities that engage and enrich staff members.
Policies & Procedures Committee – This committee shall be composed of at least 5 members of Staff Council. This committee is tasked with reviewing and providing input and recommendations regarding changes to the policies that are set for by the HR Director. This committee will also oversee the awards process for the Louise Tucker Award and the President Award for Staff Excellence as well as the nomination of new Staff Council members.
Executive Committee -The Executive Committee will be composed of the Staff Council Chair, Secretary, Past Chair, and Chair-Elect.
*Recommendations for action by the Standing Committees will be referred to the full Staff Council for review and action. Subcommittees may report to either the standing committee under which they were formed (if applicable), or to the full Staff Council. Staff Council retains the authority to create and disband additional committees and subcommittees as needed in order to efficiently perform its tasks and functions.
ARTICLE VII - Finances
Staff Council reserves the right to seek funds for specific programs and projects which will benefit the majority of staff employees of the College, within the appropriate practices and channels of fundraising of the Development Office and with the prior knowledge and approval of the President of the College and the Vice President of Development. In the event that Staff Council should have possession of regular budgeted funds, the Staff Council may choose to establish the Office of Treasurer and elect a person to fill that office from among current Staff Council representatives. All such funds will be held by the College in a restricted account established for and by Staff Council.
ARTICLE VIII - Quorums
A simple majority quorum must be in attendance for action to be taken during any Staff Council meeting. As ex-officio members, the Liaison and Past Chair are not voting members of Staff Council. A majority of any other committee shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE IX - Action without Formal Meeting
Staff Council representatives may be asked by the Staff Council Chair to vote on issues via written ballot or e-mail. The Chair will record the e-mail or written ballot votes of all responding representatives and the issues will be decided by a two-thirds majority vote of Staff Council. Votes taken on action items without a formal meeting will not be anonymous. The Chair will share the results, listing each representative by name and how they voted, with the full Staff Council within 2 days of the end of the voting period.
ARTICLE X - Amendments
Staff Council retains the authority to amend the Staff Council By-Laws. Amendments to the By-Laws must be presented in writing and require a two-thirds majority vote in favor of the amendment in each of two consecutive regular meetings by the Staff Council in order to be approved.
- Changed required time of employment from 2 years to 1 (effective March 2006)
- New nominating process - discussed and utilized in newest cycle (June 2021)
- Changed committee structure (April 2023)
- Removed the option to have a member stay on an additional year if a replacement cannot be found. This was a short-term solution, following Covid. (April 2023)
