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Bylaws

I. Name
II. Mission Statement
III. Membership
IV. Meetings
V. Officers
VI. Nomination and Elections of Staff Council Representatives
VII. Committees and Subcommittees
VIII. Amendments

I. NAME

A. The name of this organization shall be the Pima County Community College District Staff Council.

II. MISSION STATEMENT

A. The Staff Council will:

  • Support and promote the College Mission Statement, the College Plan, equal access, equal opportunity, and quality learning experiences.
  • Represent and provide leadership to staff at Pima County Community College District.
  • Maintain communication among staff, administration, faculty and the Board of Governors through appropriate communication channels.
  • Provide a forum where common concerns and issues among the staff relative to policy and regulation review (other than those policies subject to meet-and-confer negotiations) can be discussed and where information, opinions, and innovations can be shared.
  • Provide a vehicle for collective action in making and supporting recommendations to the administration of Pima County Community College District.
  • Promote and facilitate appropriate events and activities.
  • Receive and take action on recommendations from various staff, faculty, and administrative groups.
  • Participate through representation on College-wide committees.

III. MEMBERSHIP

A. In a leadership role, the Staff Council Representatives reaffirm their commitment to affirmative action and equal opportunity for all staff employees.
The Staff Council shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, or status as a disabled Veteran.

B. Membership is open to all full time regular staff. Representatives are elected by their peers. To ensure access for all persons, the Staff Council membership shall consist of representatives from all Pima County Community College District locations. The number of representatives at each location will be determined as one (1) Representative for each twenty-five (25) staff persons at that specific location. There will be a minimum number of two (2) Representatives for each location to assure adequate access for all Pima County Community College District staff. The correct number of Campus personnel shall be confirmed through District Human Resources. A responsibility of staff council representatives shall be participation on College-wide committees, as needed or assigned.

C. Voting Members:
Staff Council Representatives.

D. Non-voting Participation:

  • The Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, will serve as the administrative liaison to the Staff Council.
  • Faculty Senate Representative.
  • Student Government Representatives.
  • AFSCME Representative.
  • ACES Representative.
  • All other College employees.
  • Guests.

IV. MEETINGS

A. Time and Site.

  • Regular meetings will generally be held every month.
  • Special meetings shall be called to transact business or to study and discuss matters brought to the Staff Council for immediate attention.
  • Meetings will be held at a time and place to be announced.

B. Agenda.

  • The agenda for meetings will be developed by the Staff Council Chairperson and will consist of items proposed by Staff Council Representatives and College employees.
  • Agenda items must be submitted to the Chairperson two weeks in advance of the regularly scheduled meeting.
  • The Chairperson will authorize modifications to the agenda and authorize modifying the agenda.

C. Voting

  • The Staff Council makes decisions by consensus. Any approved decision will be put to a vote and must be passed by a majority of the members in attendance.
  • Representatives shall have the right to submit nominations and/or votes "in absentia". The vote will be submitted to the Secretary of Staff Council in writing prior to the council meeting. Voting "in absentia” is permissible as long as the absent Staff Council Representative is aware of the business at hand prior to his/her absence.
  • In the case of an excused absence, a Staff Council Representative may send a substitute to the Council meeting.

D. Attendance

  • Staff Council Representatives who incur three or more absences within the calendar year may be removed from the Council after being notified in writing of the intent to do so.
  • If unable to attend, it is the responsibility of Staff Council Representatives to notify, in writing (memo, e-mail), the Roll Keeper or Council Secretary.
  • Three (3) or more absences during the calendar year shall be brought to the Council's attention for appropriate action.
  • Excused absences include, but are not limited to, work emergencies, sickness/injury, and vacations.
  • The Staff Council Officers will evaluate continuous non-attendance resulting in lack of representation.
  • If the Officers determine this non-participation is detrimental to performance of the responsibilities of a Staff Council Representative, the Chairperson shall request the resignation of such Representative.
  • Any Staff Council Officer can be removed from office for non-attendance of three (3) meetings with or without an excuse as deemed necessary by the remaining officers.
  • A recommendation will be presented to the council during a regular meeting and the Officer in question will have an opportunity to present his/her case.
  • An Officer will be removed from office by a majority vote of the Staff Council Membership.

V. OFFICERS

The Officers shall be elected from among the voting Representatives and will serve as the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Past Chairperson, Secretary, Historian, Roll Keeper, and two (2) Board of Governors Representatives. They shall perform the following duties:

Chairperson
Conducts all Staff Council meetings.
Sets and distributes agenda for all meetings.
Designates committees and appoints members.
Notifies, in writing, a Representative of the intent to remove from office if the Staff Council Officers decide that it would be in the best interest of the Council.
Appoints an interim in the absence of the Secretary.
Attends the Board Agenda Review Committee Meetings
Presents information to the Administration as required

Vice-Chairperson
Serves as Chairperson in the Chairperson's absence.
Appoints an interim Secretary in the absence of the Chairperson and Secretary.
Schedules rooms for meetings and provides the meeting schedule to providers, notifies council members of changes in meeting location.
Assists the Chairperson in scheduling speakers for meetings.
Attends the Faculty Senate meetings or reviews and reports on the meetings.
Used as a tie breaker if not a voting member for a period of one year.

Past Chairperson
Acts as a mentor to the Chairperson.
Assists Chairperson in setting the agenda.
Presides over the meetings in the absence of the Chair and the Vice Chair.
Maintains full voting rights during term.

Secretary
Records and distributes the draft minutes within 2 weeks after the regularly scheduled meeting.
Provides Council Representatives with current lists and the following documentation: voting members, locations, telephone numbers, committees and membership, and annual calendar of regularly scheduled meetings.
Composes and/or distributes memoranda, letters, and e-mail as assigned.
Provides assistance to Staff Council Officers as needed.
Fulfills the duties of the Roll Keeper in the Roll Keeper's absence.

Historian
Researches past records of Staff Council.
Maintains all materials relevant to all Council business.
Updates and maintains the Staff Council Web Site.
Provides assistance to Staff Council Officers as needed.

Roll Keeper
Records and reviews attendance at Staff Council meetings.
Advises the Chairperson of any Representative who has missed three (3) or more meetings during the calendar year.
Sends reminder notices to members who have missed two (2) consecutive meetings.
Records minutes in the absence of the Secretary and assists when necessary.

Board of Governors Representatives
Attend the Board Agenda Review Committee meetings.
Attend Board of Governors’ meetings as Representatives for Staff Council.
Report to Staff Council on action and discussion taken at the Board of Governors’ meetings.
Serve staggered 2-year terms.

VI. NOMINATION AND ELECTIONS OF STAFF COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

The Chairperson shall establish an Election Committee from the staff council membership. The Election Committee will be responsible for the nomination and election process to begin in September of each year. The Election Committee will refer to best practices from past elections as a resource for establishing timelines and processes each year.
The Election Committee is charged with facilitating an election process and providing the opportunity for fair, equitable, and balanced representation from district central offices, campuses, and other Pima County Community College District locations where Staff are employed.
The Election Committee will ideally consist of members who are in the first year of their term, or who are not planning to run for re-election. Preferably the Election Committee will have a representative from each Pima County Community College District location. Members of the Election Committee who are nominated for re-election must resign from this committee.
The Election Committee will:

  • Develop a timeline based on the established process.
  • Determine the number of vacancies consistent with the growth of the
  • College and based upon the formula stated in the bylaws.
  • Prepare and distribute nomination ballots based upon the timeline established above.
  • All ballots will be received by the chair of the Election Committee.
  • Tabulate nomination ballots.
  • Notify nominees to see if they are willing to serve.
  • Prepare and distribute election ballots.
  • Tabulate election ballots.
  • Notify the Chairperson of the results.
  • Send out Election letter to newly elected members.
  • Send consolation letters to those not elected.
  • Present election results to Staff Council in December.
  • Update the best practices resource as needed, for use in future elections.
  • In the event of discrepancies in the balloting process, the established election committee will conduct an emergency election at the affected location(s).
  • In the event of a resignation, the person with the most votes will resume the resigning members term. If no other person is next in line, a replacement may be chosen to assume the term by conducting a special election.

VII. COMMITTEES AND SUBCOMMITTEES

Standing and ad-hoc committees may be established for the discharge of particular duties and shall serve in an advisory capacity. The preferred way to establish committees will be from Staff Council Representatives who express an interest to participate on such committees. In the event of no voluntary or ample participation, it is the Chair's responsibility to appoint members as required to form a functional committee. The Staff Council shall determine a functional committee at the time of the committee creation. Non-member participation may also be deemed appropriate for technical advice.

VIII. AMENDMENTS

Bylaws may be altered, repealed, amended, or added to by a majority vote of representatives attending or casting absentee votes at any regular meeting or special meeting called for that purpose with the following stipulation: Notice of intention to move for such an amendment or change shall have been filed with the Chairperson of the Council and read at the previous regular meeting, provided each representative of the Staff Council shall have been furnished with a copy of the proposed amendment or change to be acted upon at that regular meeting.