Preamble

Article I: Name and Authority

Article II: Statement of Purpose

Article III: Council Representatives

Article IV: Officers

Article V: Human Resource Representative

Article VI: Executive Board

Article VII: Committees

Article VIII: Meetings

Article IX: Amendments, Review, and Revision

Article X: Nondiscrimination

Preamble

A guiding principle of sound governance among people of reason and goodwill is a mutual regard for one another. Such regard is manifested in the sharing of information and advice among representatives of the entire campus community on all matters of mutual concern.

In this spirit the Staff Advisory Council, through its elected representatives, shall advise, consult with and make recommendations to the administrative officers of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

I. Name and Authority

The name of this organization shall be the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Staff Advisory Council, hereafter referred to in this document as the Council. The Council shall function under this Constitution as approved by the President of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The Council is empowered to organize itself, and establish its own bylaws, except as restricted by this Constitution.

The Council will be advisory to campus administration and will report directly to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, who is responsible for the Human Resources Department, and/or the President of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

II. Statement of Purpose

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is committed to fostering a sense of community among its faculty, staff and students. With this commitment in mind, the Staff Advisory Council is hereby established to allow for representation and participation of all benefits-eligible employees not included in other bodies of representative governance (i.e., President's Cabinet, Faculty Senate, or Student Government), hereafter called the membership. The Council will fulfill the following purposes:

1. It will serve as a voice for the collective body it represents on matters that affect the welfare of the institution and/or the membership.

2. It will foster and enhance communication between the membership it represents and the University's administration.

3. It will serve as a resource through which representatives from the membership may be nominated to serve on University committees.

4. It will be a forum for discussion of issues involving University rules and procedures, permitting its membership to investigate their role in the total University.

5. It will serve as an advisory body to the University administration in matters relating to those represented by the Council, as defined in Section III, including the implementation of new policies, procedures and programs and a review of existing policies.

6. It will promote recognition of membership contributions to the mission of the University as well as excellence in service.

7. It will promote short-range and long-range plans to improve the ability of the membership to cope with changes in the University environment, and to increase the group's problem-solving capabilities.

8. It will serve as a developmental tool, building loyalty and commitment through orientation of new employees, creating motivational projects to instill a sense of community on the TAMU-CC campus, and team building with others in the University.

III. Council Representatives

The Council will serve to represent all benefits-eligible employees of the University not currently represented by other bodies of representative governance (i.e., President's Cabinet, Faculty Senate or Student Government).

1. Eligibility. To be eligible to serve on the Council, prospective representatives must have completed one year of employment at TAMU-CC prior to the election of Council representatives.

2. Terms. Council representatives will be elected to two-year terms serving fiscal years: September 1 to August 31. Council representatives can serve a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms. Following a year off the Council, individuals from the membership are eligible to run for office.

3. Council make-up. The Council Representatives will be comprised of no fewer than 17 and no more than 25 members. There will be no less than two (2) representatives elected at-large, and 15 representatives elected from six (6) modified Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) categories with a minimum of two (2) representatives from each EEOC category.

4. There will be a single Council Representative elected by the employees of all entities under the auspices of South Texas Institute of the Arts.

5. Membership categories (EEOC categories)
EEOC 1. Executive, Administrative, and Managerial:

Assignments that require the performance of work directly related to management policies or general business operations of the institution, department, division, etc. Requires incumbent to exercise discretion and independent judgment and to direct the work of others. People in this category include university officials holding titles such as president, vice president, dean, director, or the equivalent, as well as officers subordinate to any of these administrators with titles such as associate dean, assistant dean, and managers and supervisors.

EEOC 3. Other Professionals (support/service):

Persons employed for the primary purpose of performing academic support, student services, and institutional support activities, whose assignments would require either college graduation or experience of such kind in and amount as to provide a comparable background. Examples are librarians, accountants, systems analysts, and coaches.

EEOC 4. Clerical and Secretarial:

Persons whose assignments typically are associated with clerical activities or are specifically of a secretarial nature. Included are persons who are responsible for internal and external communications, recording and retrieval of data (other than computer programmers) and/or information and other administrative work required in an office, such as bookkeepers, stenographers, clerk-typists, payroll clerks, and library clerks who are not recognized as librarians.

EEOC 5. Technical and Paraprofessionals:

Persons whose assignments require specialized knowledge or skills which may be acquired through experience or academic work. Examples include computer programmers and operators, drafters, engineering aides, photographers, scientific assistants, and technicians (medical, dental, electronic, physical sciences).

EEOC 6. Skilled Crafts

Persons whose assignments typically require special manual skills and a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the process involved in the work, acquired through on-the-job training and experience or through apprenticeship or other formal training programs. Included are mechanics and repairers, electricians, skilled machinists, carpenters, etc.

EEOC 7. Service/Maintenance

Persons whose assignments require limited degrees of previously acquired skills and knowledge and in which workers perform duties which result in or contribute to the comfort, convenience, protection and hygiene of personnel and the student body, or which contribute to the upkeep and care of buildings, facilities or grounds of the institutional property. Included are facilities maintenance workers and police and security officers.

IV. Officers

Officers of the Council will consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. All officers will retain full voting privileges.

Officers will be elected by the Council from representatives of the Council and serve one (1) year terms. No officer may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in any one office.

V. Human Resource Representative

A designated representative of the Department of Human Resources will serve as a resource to the Council. The Human Resource representative will attend regular meetings of the Council and Executive Board as deemed necessary by the Council/Executive Board.

VI. Executive Board

The Executive Board will consist of Council Officers and the Chairs of each of the Standing Committees. The Executive Board is responsible for setting meeting agendas, with input from the Council representatives and the membership, and making decisions on behalf of the Council between general Council meetings, and reporting such actions to the Council at the next scheduled meeting.

VII. Committees

There will be a minimum of four (4) standing committees of the Council. Standing committees will include: the Nominations and Election Committee, the Bylaws and Constitution Committee, the Benefits and Employee Development Committee, and the University Relations Committee.

The Chair of each committee will be appointed by the President of the Council subject to approval by the Council. All Council representatives will serve on a minimum of one (1) committee. Council committee membership is not restricted to Council representatives. Committee members can be recruited from the membership at large. Council Committee Chairs will be responsible for the preparation and presentation of committee reports to the Council.

VIII. Meetings

The elected representatives will meet once each month on a schedule determined by the Council. A special meeting may be called with 48-hour notice by the Executive Board or by petition of one-third (1/3) of the Council. There will be a minimum of one (1) membership meeting annually.

All full-membership meetings will be announced to the membership a minimum of 15 days prior to the event. The agenda of such meetings will be posted no fewer than 10 days prior to the event.

IX. Amendments, Review and Revision

All changes to the Council Constitution shall be passed and approved in accordance with provisions stated in this section.

1. Amendments of this constitution may be proposed by: (a) the Council by its own initiative upon a majority vote of Council, (b) petition of 25 members of the membership to the Council subject to a favorable majority vote of the Council.

2. Proposed amendments and revisions must be presented in writing to the Council Secretary for distribution to the Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

3. The Council shall not vote on the proposed amendments or revisions until at least (1) regular meeting after the meeting at which the amendments or revisions are submitted.

4. Amendments will then be initially accepted on approval by two-thirds (2/3) of the entire Council and will then be presented to the Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration and/or President of the University for approval.

5. Amendments approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Council and the Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration and/or President of the University shall be submitted to a campus-wide membership referendum conducted by the appropriate Council committee.

6. Passage of amendments and revisions on a campus-wide referendum of the membership shall require a majority of the votes cast.

7. A campus-wide referendum of the membership for the purpose of amending or revising the Constitution will be limited to one (1) per academic year.

X. Nondiscrimination

The Council, in all its activities, is committed to providing a climate that is conducive to the personal and professional development of each individual. The Council subscribes to the concept of equal opportunity and affirmative action, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, disabilities, national origin, veteran status, or sexual orientation.