Bylaws

As amended May 7, 2003

ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Voting Membership

The SAA VOTING MEMBERSHIP shall consist of eleven (11) representatives elected by the eligible voters.

Eligible voters shall consist of all employees whose sole or primary contract of employment is with a cost center of Statewide Administration. These include regular and temporary employees, full-time and part-time and all employee classifications. This does not include student employees who are governed by a separate group.

Representatives shall be elected from geographic regions where Statewide employees are located.

Only elected SAA representatives shall be voting members of the SAA. An elected representative may provide, by written proxy, voting privileges to another eligible voter for a specified meeting. Alternates may vote in an elected representative's absence.

Section 2. Elections

The number of representatives shall be apportioned to each region on the basis of the proportion of total Statewide Administration employees contained within each region, except that each region with at least five percent of all statewide employees shall be eligible for at least one representative.

The term of office for representatives shall be two years. The SAA calendar year will coincide with the UA fiscal calendar year. Terms of office shall be staggered so that five are elected in odd-numbered years and six are elected in even numbered years. Elections shall be concluded at least one month prior to the annual on-site meeting in June to allow for attendance and orientation of newly elected SAA members.

Any eligible voter who is a regular Classified or APT employee may be a candidate for a seat on the SAA. “Regular employee” is defined in University Regulation 04.05.020.

Section 3. Alternates

In the event an SAA seat is vacated, the alternate from that region with the most votes in the most recent election shall fill the seat. In the event no alternate is available, a special election may be held for that geographic region, or the SAA President may appoint someone to complete the current year. If the vacancy was in the first year of the positions term, the position will be added to the number of vacancies at the next election, and filled for only one year.

Alternates shall consist of the two non-elected candidates with the most votes in the most recent election. In the event an alternate fills a voting seat on SAA, the nominee with the next highest number of votes in the most recent election will fill the Alternate seat. Should this pool of alternates be exhausted, a representative is free to select any eligible voter, per Article 1 Section 2 of these Bylaws.

Section 4. Attendance, Absences, and Recall

Roll will be taken at each SAA meeting. In the event an SAA member must miss a meeting for medical or business reasons, the absence will be excused if he/she notifies the SAA President or System Governance prior to the meeting. The SAA member may designate a proxy as outlined in Article 1 Section 1. If an elected representative has two unexcused absences within a fiscal year, and does not send an alternate, the representative's seat may be declared vacant by a majority of the SAA. In the event that position is declared vacant, that position will be filled per Article 1 Section 3 of these Bylaws.

Any representative may be subject to a recall if 25 percent of the SAA voting membership signs a petition to have that representative recalled, and forwards it to the SAA President. A referendum vote of the representative’s geographic region will be conducted. A recall decision will be determined by the majority of the votes cast.

ARTICLE II. OFFICERS

The SAA officers shall be the President, Vice President and Secretary.

The SAA President, Vice President, and Secretary for the next fiscal year shall be elected for a one-year term from and by the SAA at its annual on-site meeting.

The terms of the newly elected President, Vice President and Secretary shall be for one fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

The President's responsibilities include:

· presiding at all meetings of the SAA,

· appointing special committees,

· filling vacancies on committees where such vacancies fall before meetings of the committees and prior to SAA meetings (such appointments are to be confirmed at the next meeting of the SAA),

· serving on the Staff Alliance and the System Governance Council, and

· serving as a representative for the SAA at the request of the Vice President for University Relations.

The President shall be an ex-officio member of all elected and appointed committees of the SAA, except as otherwise noted. The President may appoint the Vice President as the designated representative on such committees.

The Vice President’s responsibilities include:

· presiding at the SAA meetings in the absence of the President,

· serving on the Staff Alliance, and

· serving as an alternate to the System Governance Council in the absence of the President.

The Secretary’s responsibilities include:

· presiding at SAA meetings in the absence of the President and Vice President,

· serving as an alternate on the Staff Alliance and on the System Governance Council in the absence of the President or Vice President.

· publishing the SAA Highlights in the week prior to the next SAA meeting.

The succession of officers shall be President, Vice President, and Secretary. Should an office become vacant, it will be filled by the next successive officer. The office of Secretary will be filled by majority vote of SAA members at the next meeting.

ARTICLE III. MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular and Special Meetings

The Assembly shall meet at least once per month during the fiscal year. The schedule for the meetings shall be set at the annual on-site meeting.

Special meetings of the SAA may be called by the Vice President for University Relations, the President of the University, the SAA President, a simple majority of the SAA, or upon written request of one-fourth of the SAA membership.

Section 2. Agendas and Minutes

Agendas and draft minutes of each regular meeting of the SAA shall be distributed to the SAA membership by the governance office at least three calendar days prior to the next meeting.

Each body of the SAA shall keep a record of its proceedings. The minutes of all meetings shall be available to members of the SAA and are available to the public.

Section 3. Participation in Meetings

All meetings of the SAA are open to all members of the University and the general public; however, only members of the SAA may participate in the meeting unless the rules for participation in a meeting are suspended by a two-thirds vote of the members present. Public comments may be allowed at the discretion of the SAA President.

The SAA may meet in closed executive session at any meeting when the subject to be discussed tends to prejudice the reputation or character of any person, and when the subject under discussion includes matters which are required by law or University policy or regulations to be held confidential.

No speaker shall speak for more than five minutes on any one topic unless more time has been granted in advance. The SAA President may set time limits on each item of the agenda. If a time limit has been reached, the item automatically carries to the end of the agenda. The time limit may be extended by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

Any regular or special meeting of the SAA Assembly or any of its bodies will be available via audio or videoconference when feasible.

Section 4. Motions and Resolutions

Motions are acts of legislation. Resolutions are advisory in nature and are intended to reflect the general will of the SAA.

Section 5. Communications

The SAA shall communicate to Statewide employees via electronic mail. SAA agendas, minutes, directory and other information shall be posted on the SAA website for public access.

ARTICLE IV. COMMITTEES

Section 1. Employee Awards Committee

An Employee Awards committee shall be formed to solicit nominations for employee awards and select award candidates. This committee shall consist of no more than nine members. This committee can include SAA members, but is encouraged to include at least five non-SAA members whose primary contract of employment is with a cost center of Statewide Administration. Employees nominated for an award are not eligible to participate on this committee. The committee chair is responsible for distributing a copy of these by laws to the committee. The chair is also charged with communicating the Employee Awards Committee’s decision flexibility.

The committee is free to decide the number of awards given, the type of awards given, and the process for selection from the nominations collected. Yearly employee conditions/circumstances may merit a different style of presentation and selection. It is hoped that the special dynamics and skills brought to the selection committee will be reflected in how the awards are selected and presented.

The committee can consider only people and/or departments. After narrowing the list of nominees down to the final candidates, their names and the descriptions of their contributions will be forwarded to the UA President for approval.

The Employee Awards Committee will cease to exist upon completion of these tasks for each year employee awards are given.

Section 2. Nominations Committee

A Nominations Committee shall be appointed by the President of the SAA to prepare for, and handle elections.

The duties of a Nominations Committee may include:

· soliciting nominees,

· ascertaining candidate eligibility,

· preparing and disseminating candidate biographies,

· preparing, distributing, collecting, and counting of ballots, and

· announcing the results of elections.

The Nominations Committee will cease to exist upon completion of these tasks for each election.

Section 3. Formation of Ad Hoc Committees

Committees are formed on an as-needed basis. Committee chairs are selected from the SAA membership. Committee membership will be filled by whatever method deemed appropriate by the SAA President and committee chair.

Committees shall report to the SAA at each regular meeting for the duration of the committee.

Any employee eligible to vote in the SAA elections is eligible to serve on committees as defined by these Bylaws. The SAA president is an ex-officio member of all SAA committees.

If a committee member misses three meetings of that committee, that member’s position may be declared vacant by a majority of the committee present votes. The chair of a committee shall notify the SAA of any vacancies on their committee.

ARTICLE V. QUORUM

A quorum shall consist of a majority of the SAA voting membership. SAA alternates may be counted as a present member for the purposes of obtaining a quorum.

There is no quorum requirement for committee meetings. Quorums shall be established individually by each committee.

ARTICLE VI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The parliamentary authority shall be Roberts' Rules of Order, Newly Revised, when not in conflict with any of the provisions of this Constitution or its Bylaws.

ARTICLE VII. COMMUNICATIONS

Section 1. Formal Actions of SAA

The SAA President or their designee, with the assistance of the governance office, shall make all necessary efforts to communicate formal actions of SAA, such as motions or resolutions, to an administration official and/or other appropriate decision makers and stakeholders in a timely manner. Likewise the SAA President shall communicate any decisions, responses, and/or feedback received.

SAA members and alternates should make reasonable efforts to communicate to their constituents information regarding formal actions of SAA which are under consideration or have been adopted. The SAA Secretary shall publicize formal actions and other activities of SAA as appropriate.

Section 2. Staff Alliance

Those SAA members who represent SAA on the Staff Alliance shall make all necessary efforts to communicate to SAA the proceedings, actions, and activities of interest. They shall take forward to the Staff Alliance any motions, resolutions, issues, or concerns of SAA for consideration.

Section 3. System Governance Office

The governance office shall maintain an electronic archive and backup of relevant information regarding SAA formal actions, activities, projects, events, and meetings. The governance office shall facilitate communications of SAA as appropriate.

Section 4. Executive Guidance

The Vice President for University Relations has the right to veto any SAA actions. SAA actions shall be binding unless vetoed within 45 days of passage. The Vice President for University Relations may modify any action provided that the modification does not adversely affect or nullify the purpose or principle involved in the main action. The Vice President for University Relations shall convey in writing to the SAA President the reason for any disapproval or modification.

Any action approved by the SAA and vetoed by the Vice President for University Relations may be appealed to the President of the University by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the SAA at the next SAA meeting following notice of the Vice President for University Relations' veto. If the President overrides the Vice President for University Relations' veto, the SAA action shall stand.

ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Amendments to the Bylaws must be presented in writing by voting members of the SAA. The SAA members and alternates shall receive copies of the proposed amendments at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which they will be considered. The amendments may then be put to a vote at the same meeting or postponed for further consideration. Approval of Bylaw amendments shall be by a simple majority of the voting membership of the SAA.

Approved Bylaw amendments shall be sent to the Vice President for University Relations and to the President of the University for informational purposes.