Staff Council Bylaws
The purpose of the Staff Council at Indiana University Kokomo is to represent staff more fully in communication processes and the decision-making processes of the University. In addition, the Staff Council seeks to increase the sense of identity, recognition, and worth of each staff member in his/her relationship to the university by integrating staff into existing IU affairs. This can be achieved by focusing on the following:
- Identifying staff concerns and seeking solutions.
- Providing a channel of communication for staff with administration and faculty.
- Establishing, promoting, and financially supporting scholarships and university-wide activities through a majority vote of staff council members.
- To create a stronger bond between Indiana University Kokomo and the counties it serves through our campus-wide strategic plan.
For the purpose of the Indiana University Kokomo Staff Council organization, the term “non-academic staff” means clerical, technical, and service maintenance employees who are not elsewhere represented. They are appointed full-time and/or part-time employees whose functional classifications are PAC, HP, or HRR.
The Staff Council is drawn from the eligible functional classifications.
Eligibility for Membership: All non-academic staff on the IU Kokomo campus who are affiliated with the IU system on appointment status, either full-time or part-time, are eligible for membership in Staff Council. Non-members are welcome to attend Staff Council meetings at any time. Retirees are eligible to be Staff Council members.
The Staff Council bi-annually elects from its members to fill offices that serve for two (2) years or until their respective successors have been elected and seated. The offices are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Elections for President and Secretary will be held in odd-numbered years, and elections for Vice President and Treasurer will be held in even-numbered years.
A. Eligibility for Office: who may vote:
All members of Staff Council are eligible for election to the offices stated above, and Staff Council members may nominate or cast ballots in the election of any officer of Staff Council. Staff Council members must be present at the designated meeting to be eligible to vote for officers. If deemed necessary, the Nominating Committee may choose instead to hold the election via electronic survey, in which case members do not need to be present.
B. Election of Officers; when held:
A slate of officers is presented at the May Staff Council meeting. Nominations are accepted via e-mail prior to this meeting. Elections are conducted at the June meeting of Staff Council by casting ballots. The Nominating Committee tallies the ballots, and the results are announced via e-mail no later than July 1
C. Transition of Power:
After the results of the election are announced, the previous officers must transfer all bank account information and online accounts to the new officer by July 15th.
D. Duties of the President:
1. Presides over all meetings of Staff Council.
2. Prepares meeting agendas and designate meeting locations for Staff Council.
3. Appoints ad hoc committees of Staff Council.
4. Serve on the Administrative Council and represent Indiana University Kokomo campus at the campus-wide Staff Council meetings.
E. Duties of the Vice President:
1. Presides over meetings in the absence of the President.
2. Acts as recording secretary in the absence of the Secretary.
3. Gives the treasurer report in the absence of the Treasurer.
4. Casts the deciding vote should a vote for committee chairperson result in a tie.
F. Duties of the Secretary:
1. Keeps minutes of all regular, special, and executive meetings of Staff Council, places a copy on reserve in the Library/Archives, and distributes a copy to each Staff Council member.
2. Keeps a record of each member’s attendance at Staff Council meetings.
3. Gives a copy of the minutes to the President at least two (2) business days prior to being sent to Staff Council members.
G. Duties of the Treasurer:
1. Reports each fund status verbally at each meeting.
2. Compiles a written Treasurer’s Report to be submitted to the Secretary and to the chairperson of the Budget Committee (or designated committee member) two (2) business days before each meeting.
H. Term of Office:
The term of office is two (2) fiscal years. If at the end of the two (2) years there are no other nominations at the time of elections, then the current member in that office may serve an additional term if he/she chooses.
I. Vacancies:
A vacancy is created when the officer is no longer a member of Staff Council, or requests to be relieved of duties. All vacancies are to be filled by election at the next Staff Council meeting.
Staff Council and its committees are formed on a volunteer basis. Each committee should have a minimum of 3 members. Committee chairs are selected from among each committee, to be decided on by its members. In case of a tie, the Vice President casts the deciding vote.
B. Committee Membership:
Following the annual announcement of the Officers’ Election in July, the Nominating Committee will contact each other committee member asking if he or she would like to remain. The Nominating Committee will then compile an updated roster, to be sent to the Website and Social Media Committee for publishing.
C. The term of Office:
The term of office is one (1) fiscal year concurrent with the term of the officers.
D. Vacancies:
If a vacancy is formed on a committee, the committee chair will contact the Vice President and the Nominating committee to help find a replacement.
E. Staff Council Committees:
1. Bylaws Committee: The Bylaws Committee consists of no less than three (3) staff members. This committee has the responsibility of reviewing the bylaws to make recommendations to Staff Council as to needed changes and/or additions.
2. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee consists of no less than three (3) staff members. This committee is responsible for selecting a slate of officers of recommended nominees at the May meeting for election at the June meeting of Staff Council. In addition, the Nominating Committee assists in filling vacancies on the other committees.
3. Fundraising Committee: The Fundraising Committee brings the Staff Council recommendations for fundraising events and organizes events with the assistance of Staff Council membership.
4. Budget Committee: The Budget Committee consists of no less than three (3) staff members who will oversee all financial transactions made by members of the Staff Council, with the cap to be determined by July 1st of that fiscal year. (i.e., $5,000 total for the fiscal year—$2,500 for the fall, $2,500 for the spring/summer terms)
- The committee will oversee long term endowment opportunities before brought before the entire Staff Council (i.e., fitness center, event center, library construction projects)
- The Fundraising Committee--including chairs of the Autumn Craft Show, the Summer Stroll, Staff Dash, and any other Miscellaneous Fundraisers--to report activities which may require some source of funding. All committees should also estimate any income.
- All expenditures must be completed on the Qualtrics Financial Assistance form for approval. There will be two deadlines—December 1 for spring and summer requests and April 1 for fall requests. The only exception to this rule will be scholarship applications due June 1 to the Scholarship Committee.
- The treasurer’s report will be reviewed quarterly by members of the committee.
5. Scholarship Committee: The scholarship committee consists of no less than three members who review the applications of those eligible staff council members who apply for the non-foundation scholarships.
· The committee will put out an announcement to staff council members at least 10 days prior to the deadlines of December 1st and June 1st.
· The committee will review each applicant to insure they fulfill the current requirements.
- A member of the committee will fill out the Staff Council Financial Assistant Application, found on the website
- The Budget Committee will decide if funds are available.
-The Budget Committee will notify the Treasurer and the Scholarship Committee what funds are available.
· The committee chairperson or designated person will notify the applicant as to the decision of the committee by the end of the deadline month.
· A review of scholarship requirements and application will be done yearly.
· Changes to the requirements and/or application will be brought to the next Staff Council meeting to be voted on by the general membership.
6. Web and Social Media:
· This committee maintains the Staff Council page on the IU Kokomo website.
· Social media will be planned and implemented by this committee.
7. Executive Committee: The Executive Committee consists of current officers and committee chairpersons. This committee meets in the event of the Deactivation/Reactivation of Staff Council.
8. Establishment of new committees:
· Any member of Staff Council can recommend to the current officers of Staff Council the need for a new permanent committee.
· If necessary, the President can establish a committee to review the recommendation.
· New committees will be voted on and approved by the general membership.
F. University Committees:
The Staff Council President and Vice President will request representation by at least one (1) staff member on all University Committees.
Staff Council has regularly scheduled meetings. In accordance with Trustee Policy Revision of Form D-24, members may be granted time off from their University Job duties without loss of pay up to five (5) hours in any one (1) month to include quarterly meetings and not to exclude committee meetings. The meetings are held monthly throughout the academic year according to the agenda.
B. Committee Meetings:
Committees meet monthly or as needed and present material for the regularly scheduled Staff Council meetings.
C. Agenda:
Any employee may present an item to be considered for the agenda of a regularly scheduled meeting. These items should be submitted to the President or Vice President no less than one (1) week prior to the next Staff Council meeting; agenda should be distributed no less than one (1) week before the next meeting.
D. Voting:
Voting on all matters, other than the election of officers, of Staff Council is by voice vote unless a ballot is requested.
E. Special Meetings:
The President or Vice President has the authority to call special meetings when deemed necessary.
F. Motions:
Motions may be proposed at any time and require a majority vote of Staff Council members present. Each member has the right to request that a motion be considered for resolution.
Staff Council has a commitment to maintain two endowed scholarship funds through IU Foundation.
B. Additional Scholarships:
Additional scholarships can be established on an as-needed basis by a majority vote of Staff Council members present.
C. University Projects:
Staff Council funds can be approved for projects for the benefit of staff development with a majority vote of Staff Council members present.
Staff Council Bylaws may be amended at any regularly scheduled meeting of the Staff Council. A majority vote of members present is needed to change the Staff Council Bylaws. The amendments must be submitted in writing at a previous meeting before being voted upon.
If circumstances warrant, deactivation of Indiana University Kokomo's Staff Council as an official body is a feasible option. Current Staff Council officers and committee chairpersons hold a special meeting. This group is hereafter referred to as the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee discusses and votes on deactivation. A majority vote of the Executive Committee must deem the Staff Council inactive. In this event, the funds in Staff Council’s treasury are given to the Indiana University Kokomo Staff Council Scholarship Fund. The Executive Committee meets quarterly to vote on Staff Council reactivation. If the Executive Committee feels there has been sufficient interest demonstrated to reactivate the Staff Council, they call for a vote. A majority vote of the Executive Committee is required to reactivate Staff Council as a recognized body (see Indiana University Board of Trustees Authoritative Action on Establishing Staff Council, paragraphs II and III.).