By-Laws and Handbook
By-Laws
Arts & Science Network Board Charge
The Arts & Science Staff Network Board will serve as a channel of communication among members of the non-academic staff in the College of Arts & Science, as an advisory group to the Dean of the College and the Dean's staff, and as a liaison to other similar groups outside the college. The Board has four goals: to develop non-academic staff as a human resource; to enhance cooperation and the exchange of information among administrators, faculty, staff and students; to foster continued education and professional development; and to serve as a representative body making known the interests of the staff. To achieve its goals, Board members will focus on general policies that affect staff, recognition of staff achievements, training and development opportunities for staff, and other issues identified by the staff, by Board members, or by the Dean.
Membership
Network Board members must be employed at least 75% FTE by the College of Arts & Science. The Board will be composed of 12 members of the Arts & Science staff drawn from the three peer groups: Technical/Paraprofessional; Secretarial/Clerical; and Administrative/ Professional. If members are not available from a sector or sectors, staff from the remaining peer group(s) will be selected to serve, even if the substitutions alter the peer-group ratio. A member of the Dean's administrative staff appointed by the Dean will attend meetings in an advisory capacity. Board members will serve a two-year term beginning on July 1 in the year they are elected and may serve two consecutive two-year terms. If elected for two consecutive two-year terms a member cannot serve again for two years. In the event the Board has too many members with expired terms at the same time, the following procedure will be followed. There will be a random drawing of newly elected members to determine who will serve a two-year term and who will serve a one-year term. The number of one-year term members added to the number of those members already on the Board should equal six, or one-half of the total membership. The random drawing should take place no later than the August meeting.
Election of Members
The Elections Committee will manage the election of new Network Board members. Nominations from Arts & Science staff will be solicited approximately two months prior to each election. After nominations have been made and at least two weeks prior to voting, Arts & Science staff will be notified of the upcoming election. The announcement will invite members to vote by ballot at the annual Spring Luncheon/Retreat. At the luncheon/retreat, the Elections Committee will distribute, collect and count the ballots. Absentee ballots will be available prior to the luncheon/retreat for those who are unable to attend the luncheon/retreat. Votes sent in by staff unable to attend the luncheon/retreat would be added to the totals. Candidates who receive a simple majority will be the new Board members. Results will be announced at the end of the luncheon/retreat and included in the next Network newsletter. Newly elected Board members will receive written notification from the Elections Committee, with copies to the Dean, their chair and supervisor. The Network Board Chair will encourage new members to attend at least one Board meeting (without voting rights) before their terms begin on July 1.
Officers
Network Board members will elect four officers; Chair; Vice-Chair; Secretary; and Treasurer. In nominating Board members for office, preference should be given to Board members serving the second year of their two-year term. Officers will assume the following duties: The Chair will preside over Arts & Science Staff Network Board meetings. The-Vice Chair will assume Chair's duties if necessary and perform additional duties as assigned by the Chair. The Secretary will prepare and distribute minutes and maintain past Network Board minutes. The Treasurer will maintain yearly budget records and disburse all funds. Board subcommittees will be formed in response to the interests of Board members and Arts & Science staff. Subcommittees will report their recent activities at monthly Board meetings. As staff interests change, subcommittees may be augmented or dissolved. The following subcommittees are currently active:
Staff Relations
Luncheon/Retreat
Events
Awards
Connections
Communications/Elections
Member Resigns or Is Transferred
If a Board member is transferred with six months or less remaining in the term, he/she may complete the remainder of the term. If a Board member declines to serve shortly after election, resigns, or transfers to another college with more than six months remaining in the term, the runner-up from the appropriate peer group will be asked to fill the vacated position. If the runner-up declines, Board members will choose a replacement. A two-thirds majority is required to approve any replacement Board member.
Meeting Participation
Because the contributions of individual members to the Network are vital to the vigor and growth of the Network, Board members who miss four meetings for unexcused reasons in an academic year will be asked to resign. If more than six months remains in the dismissed members term, a replacement will be made at the discretion of the remaining members. If six months or less remains in the term, the replacement may simply choose to complete the following two-year rotation without running for election.
Ammendments to These By-laws
Any Board member of the Network or of the Arts & Science staff may propose an amendment to the By-Laws of the Arts & Science Staff Network. Board members will vote to determine whether or not the Arts & Science staff should be asked to consider any proposed amendment. If a two-thirds majority of Board members vote to bring a proposed amendment before the entire Arts & Science staff, a special election will be held. A two-thirds majority of the Arts & Science staff is required to pass any amendment.
Committees
Staff Relations
Under revision. Please check back.
Luncheon/Retreat
The Luncheon/Retreat Committee is in charge of putting together the annual spring luncheon/retreat. The luncheon is usually held at Memorial Union in May and staff members are invited to attend. Awards are given out along with door prizes during the luncheon. Entertainment is provided or speakers are invited to share information on a variety of topics. The retreat is held off campus with seminars offered by various on-campus divisions (i.e., accounting, human resources). All are a lot of fun and a chance for us to get together and network while we pick up some helpful hints for increasing our professionalism.
Events
The Events Committee is in charge of putting together different charity drives such as: food drives for the local Central Missouri Food Bank, school drives for Columbia schools and surrounding smaller schools outside the Boone County area and first aid drives. Over the years the committee has held various kinds of lunches. There have been potluck lunches where the object was to get everyone together to visit, we have had craft lunches where we learned how to make something, and we have had Brown Bag lunches in which speakers come to inform us of new ideas that could help us in the work place. The committee also tries to have a holiday luncheon in December. The committee is also in charge of any ASSN-sponsored events for the A&S Week in February, which usually includes a popular bowling tournament for faculty, staff and students of our various departments.
Awards
In 2008 the Board established an endowed fund, the Arts & Science Staff Recognition Endowment Fund. which will augment, not replace, the resources already generously provided by the A&S Dean. It is the desire of the Board to enlarge the endowment to ultimately allow recognition of staff in each job category and to continue to increase the amount of each award. Money from the Fund will be used solely for A&S staff awards.
The Awards Committee is in charge of awarding the following at the Arts & Science Staff Network Annual Spring Luncheon/Retreat.
The Arts & Science Staff Appreciation Award was created in 1995 by the Arts & Science Staff Network Board, in cooperation with the Dean's Office, to recognize outstanding staff for fine performances and attitudes. The award comes with an inscribed plaque, $400 check and season passes to MU's Summer Repertory Theatre. In addition, the employee's picture appears in Mizzou Weekly. Nomination forms are sent from the Dean's Office in early February with a mid-March deadline. A faculty committee comprised of emeritus professors reviews the entries once the committee receives them. Two weeks prior to the luncheon/retreat a congratulatory letter is sent to the recipient
The Arts & Science Staff Enrichment Award was created in the early 1990s by the ASSN to help fund development activities for nonacademic staff. The award is intended to support participation in short courses, workshops, conferences and similar short-term experiences. Up to four awards (maximum of $150 each) may be given in a fiscal year. The committee reviews proposals and selects the recipients who are notified in writing with instructions to submit their expenses and a report within 30 days of completion of the activity. The Arts & Science Fiscal Office submits the expenses for reimbursement according to university regulations. At present, no deadlines have been established.
Connections
This committee is charged with welcoming new staff to the College of Arts & Science with a welcome packet and letter. Over the years different things have been done to welcome new staff from e-mail greeting cards to packets of wonderful little gifts. The committee also takes care of recognizing promotions, transfers and service awards.
Communications/Elections
This committee takes care of the Arts & Science Staff Network web site, the email list-serv, the Network's newsletter publication and they handle the elections of new Network Board members at the annual Spring Luncheon/Retreat.
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