By-Laws

The organization of the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) was endorsed by President Nathan Hatch in March, 2006, to strengthen communication among staff and administration, at all levels. The SAC exists as an advisory body with the following responsibilities:

• To listen to, pursue and respond to the ideas, concerns and suggestions of staff employees;
• To convey these ideas, concerns and suggestions to the University administration;
• To advise the President of the University or his/her representative(s) on all subjects that affect staff employees;
• To inform staff employees of issues and policies affecting them.

2.1 Eligibility

SAC members may be elected from respective divisions of Reynolda Campus staff employees who are full-time, have completed one year of service before the start of the next fiscal year (July), and are in good standing.

2.2 Term of Office

Once elected, a staff member shall serve a three-year SAC term. A member may seek re-election for one term. After two consecutive terms, the SAC member must step down for a one year interval before seeking re-election.

2.3 Attendance

A SAC member should notify the SAC Communications Chair in advance of any absence from scheduled meetings. Missing more than one-third of scheduled meetings in an academic year may result in dismissal from the SAC pending a review by the Executive Committee.

SAC members should support activities and events sponsored by the SAC and serve on various committees as necessary.

2.4 University Support

Supervisors must agree to release SAC members from regular duties to perform SAC duties for a maximum of three hours per month. Because SAC members may serve on various committees as part of their SAC responsibilities, the University administration may approve additional release time.

SAC members must receive no adverse consequences regarding salary, promotion or job security because of membership.

2.5 Communication

The Communications Chair of the SAC shall coordinate distribution of the minutes and other communications from the SAC via broadcast staff e-mail and the SAC web site. SAC members are encouraged to post minutes and communications on various departmental bulletin boards throughout campus and/or use other forms of communication as appropriate.

2.6 Appointed Members

Appointed members shall consist of a Human Resources representative appointed by the Chief Human Resources Officer and a University Faculty Senate representative appointed by the University Faculty Senate. The University President may also appoint members to the SAC. All appointed members, who shall have the same rights and responsibilities as elected members, shall serve a one-year term and are eligible for reappointment.

3.1 Frequency and Length of Meetings

There shall be no fewer than six regular meetings annually. The SAC shall try to keep meetings to 90 minutes.

3.2 Quorum

A majority of members shall constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present to hold a regular meeting.

Except for changes to the by-laws, when a vote is required, a simple majority of members present shall decide the vote.

3.3 Amendment of By-laws

Proposed amendments to the by-laws shall be distributed in writing to all members at least one week before the first official reading. The proposed amendment shall be read at a regularly scheduled meeting preceding a vote to amend the by-laws. To pass the amendment into the by-laws, at least two-thirds of the SAC’s voting membership shall approve the amendment.

3.4 Rules for Procedure and Agenda

The agenda for any regular meeting shall include the committee reports, new business, discussion and recommendations, and adjournment. The agenda need not be in any prescribed order.

3.5 Transfer of Records

All documentation pertaining to current SAC business shall be transferred from outgoing officers to incoming officers. Past records of the SAC shall be transferred annually to a designated University repository.

3.6 Standing Committees

The standing committees of the SAC will be the Communications, Events, Membership, Fringe Benefits, and Pro Humanitate committees. Committee chairs will be elected during the annual officer election process.

3.7 Ad Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc committees of the SAC can be formed for short-term or long-term needs. Committee chairs shall be selected by the Executive Committee of the SAC. Chairs shall provide periodic reports and recommendations to the SAC. The SAC shall vote to make recommendations to the University President or designee.

3.8 Outside Committee Involvement

The Executive Committee will appoint a SAC representative to the Faculty Senate and other university advisory groups as requested.

4.1 Officers and Elections

The officers of the SAC shall be President, Vice-President, Communications Chair, and the Membership Chair. Officers are elected by current and newly elected SAC members by a simple majority vote. Nominations shall be taken during or after the May SAC meeting by the Membership and Executive Committees. Officers shall be elected using an online ballot to be completed by June 30th. The president shall serve a term of two years. If an elected president’s SAC term expires prior to the completion of the two year presidential term, his or her SAC term will be automatically extended to serve the two year presidential term. Other officers and standing committee chairs shall serve terms of two years or until their SAC term expires, whichever is less. Terms for elected positions begin on July 1 and end on June 30 with the exception of the Fringe Benefits Committee Chair which would begin by May 31 and end October 31 due to the benefits schedule. There are no term limits for elected positions.

4.2 Duties of the President

The President shall:

• preside at all meetings of the SAC
• act as an official spokesperson for the SAC
• organize the agenda for all SAC meetings
• vote on all matters brought before the SAC as a regular member
• work with the Communications Chair to notify all SAC members of meeting dates, times, and places
• appoint committees as needed
• promote communication within the SAC and WFU community
• perform other duties as the SAC shall require

4.3 Duties of the Vice-President

The Vice-President shall:

• assist the President in performing his or her leadership responsibilities as appropriate
• preside over meetings in the President’s absence
• oversee functions or activities sponsored by the SAC
• review and maintain SAC by-laws
• conduct and record all non-election votes and surveys conducted by the SAC
• vote on all matters brought before the SAC as a regular member
• perform other duties as the SAC shall require

4.4 Duties of the Communications Chair

The Communications Chair shall:

• act as Chair of the Communications Committee
• in conjunction with the Communications Committee:
  • communicate meeting dates, times, and places
  • ensure that minutes of each SAC meeting are recorded and submit to Executive Committee for review and correction/approval
  • maintain and distribute official minutes and committee reports to SAC representatives
  • ensure all official communication channels (e.g., web site, listserv, etc.) are update to date
• vote on all matters brought before the SAC as a regular member
• perform other duties as required by the SAC

4.5 Duties of the Membership Chair

The Membership Chair shall:

• act as Chair of the Membership Committee
• conduct annual SAC nomination and election process in accordance with by-laws
• conduct annual SAC officer and committee chair election in accordance with by-laws
• recommend replacement SAC members to the Executive Committee should vacancies occur
• record meeting attendance and ensure member adherence to attendance policy
• maintain SAC committee member assignments
• vote on all matters brought before the SAC as a regular member
• perform other duties as required by the SAC

4.6 Duties of Standing Committee Chairs

The Chairs of each standing committee shall:

• act as Chair of standing committee
• schedule and conduct monthly meetings
• provide activity reports during SAC meetings and to Communication Chair for inclusion in SAC minutes
• provide relative content to Communications Chair as needed for various communications
• vote on all matters brought before the SAC as a regular member
• perform other duties as required by the SAC

4.7 Unexpired Term of Elected Officers

If any elected office becomes vacant, a special election shall be held in order to fill the office. The newly elected officer or committee chair will begin a new term that will end on June 30 of the next academic year or until their SAC term expires, whichever is less. The only exception to this is the Fringe Benefits Chair whose term would end on October 31 or until their SAC term expires, whichever is less. If an elected president’s SAC term expires prior to the completion of the two year presidential term, his or her SAC term will be automatically extended to serve until June 30 of the next academic year.

4.8 Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of all elected officers and chairs of standing committees.  The Executive Committee shall consider all matters presented to it and make appropriate recommendations for action. The Executive Committee shall review the agenda for each SAC meeting, and shall annually review the purpose and membership of each committee to assure that it is functioning as intended by the SAC. The Executive Committee shall meet prior to the SAC meeting and may be called for special meetings as needed.

5.1 Election Responsibility

The Membership Committee shall manage the nomination and election process each year.

5.2 Divisions

1. A division is defined as the combination of the staff members within departments that report to an individual Reynolda Cabinet member. If the total number of staff members within departments that report A division is defined as the combination of the staff members within qualitatively similar departments that report to an individual Reynolda Cabinet member. If the total number of staff members in a division is greater than 500, the SAC Executive Committee may segment the division to maximize representation across departments.
2. Within each division, one SAC member shall be elected to represent approximately 50 staff members.
3. If the ratio of elected exempt to non-exempt SAC members is not representative of the staff population at large, the University President may appoint additional members.

5.3 Nomination and Election Guidelines

1. The power to nominate members of the Staff Advisory Council rests with the University staff. Cross-divisional nominations and self-nominations are permissible.
2. The power to elect members of the Staff Advisory Council rests with the University staff.  Staff members may only vote for candidates in their own staff division.
3. Terms of office shall be staggered, with approximately one-third of the members elected each year, so the SAC retains a mix of old and new members.
4. The Committee shall verify the eligibility of the nominees, and nominees must agree to serve on the SAC before his/her name shall be placed on the ballot. The nomination process shall be completed by the last work day in March.
5. Elections shall be by secret ballot and kept confidential. Election ballots shall be sent by staff members to the Membership Committee. Elections shall be completed by the last work day in April.
6. The Committee shall notify the newly elected representatives and make the results of the election known to the University community.

5.4 Divisional Representation Changes

If a division loses a representative, the Membership Committee, in conjunction with the Executive Committee, may appoint another staff member within the division to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. If a SAC member moves from one division to another, he/she may serve the remainder of his/her term.