Staff Senate Bylaws

Constitution

 As a professional staff, we recognize that the operations and quality of education at State Technical College of Missouri can be more effectively administered through the collective experience and expertise of the faculty, staff, and administration in a working partnership with the Board of Regents.

We recognize the legal power and authority that resides in the Board of Regents delegated through the College President’s Office and the various administrative offices and departments of the College. Further, we endorse the ideals of collegiality, shared authority and responsibility, and hereby propose to establish the Staff Senate as a working partner with the administration in the governance of the College.

Name

 The name of the organization shall be the State Technical College of Missouri Staff Senate.

Purpose

 The purpose of the organization shall be:

• To build professionalism among the staff for the solution of problems of institutional
• To provide a collective voice for the staff in forming policy that governs the
• To provide opportunities for staff leadership and stimulate professional enthusiasm and high ethical

Membership

Membership shall be limited to full-time staff.

Representation

The Staff Senate shall consist of seven senators. One senator will be elected from each of the following areas by the staff of that area:

• Craft Worker and Service Maintenance Staff
• Technical/Paraprofessional and Office/Clerical Staff
• Professional Non-Faculty Staff

Four senators will be elected at-large from the staff. Each of the aforementioned areas has the right to submit nominations. If any areas fails to elect a senator, that position will be elected at-large.

Officers, Their Duties, and Terms of Office

Officer elections (President, Vice President, and Secretary) will be held annually in June. The President of the Staff Senate shall:

• Preside over all Staff Senate meetings
• Prepare an agenda for each meeting and distribute it to each senator at least one day prior to each regularly scheduled meeting.
• Establish committees as required by the Staff Senate in carrying out its
• Represent the Staff Senate to the College President, the Cabinet, and the Board of
• Vote only in case of

The Vice President of Staff Senate shall:

• Preside over meeting in the absence of the President
• Report to the Cabinet meetings in the absence of the President

The Secretary of the Staff Senate shall:

• Keep a careful record of the proceedings of each
• Be responsible for the official correspondence of the Staff
• Preside over the meeting in the absence of the
• Report to the Cabinet meetings in the absence of the

Terms

The terms of office of elected members shall be three years.

Each member elected to the staff senate shall hold a three-year term although he/she can be re- elected by his or her respective areas for one additional three-year te1m. After sitting out two years, an employee may be elected again.

A current Staff Senator will be allowed to fill an additional three year term if no nominations are filed in their prospective area, waiving the two year waiting period.

Each area will have the right of recall of their respective senators. Fifty percent of the area staff members can petition the Staff Senate for an election of a new senator. The new senator will complete the term of the former senator.

The staff shall have the right of recall of the members elected at-large. Fifty percent of the staff can petition the Staff Senate for the election of a new senator. The new senator must be elected by a two-thirds majority of those voting. The newly elected senator will complete the term of the former senator.

Vacancies in the elected membership of the Staff Senate shall be filled upon those vacancies, by n01mal election procedures initiated by the Staff Senate. The person elected shall serve for the balance of the term.

Senators are encouraged to attend all Staff Senate meetings. If unable to attend, a senator may designate another eligible staff member to attend on his or her behalf with full voting privileges. Senators who do not attend or send a representative for three consecutive meetings will have their position termed “vacant” and a new senator elected in their place.

The employee must nominate himself or herself to assure the nominee wants to serve on the Staff Senate.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Staff Senate shall be to ensure a meaningful staff voice in the governance of the College. The Staff Senate shall accomplish the following to cany out these responsibilities:

• Serve as a channel of communication between the College President and the staff, or the Board of Regents and the staff.
• Create, charge, and dissolve Staff Senate committees as it deems
• Keep a record of its proceedings and make minutes of all Staff Senate meetings available to the staff, faculty, College President, and the Board of Regents.

Jurisdiction

The Staff Senate may act as advisors to the Board of Regents and the College President, and actively participate in the governance of the College. This service may include, but is not necessarily limited to the following:

• To initiate and participate in formulating general educational/procedural policies and implementation plans of the College.
• To exercise advisory responsibility in the areas of procedural development and improvement of customer service.

• To participate in the formulation and revision of capital and operating
• To establish standards concerning professional competence, ethics, and academic freedom, when
• To participate in the development of the academic and professional calendars of the
• To participate in the formulation of plans for campus buildings and physical
• To recommend policies and regulations that impact the general welfare of staff and
• To have input in the selection process of the College President and other administrative staff of the

Meetings

The Staff Senate will meet as regularly as it deems necessary. Any person may attend Staff Senate meetings, and by invitation of the Staff Senate President, may speak to an issue.

Quorum

A quorum for all meetings of the Staff Senate shall consist of four of the members. A quorum for committee meetings shall consist of a majority of the committee members.

Amendments

This document may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any meeting of the staff, provided notice in writing of the proposed amendment has been filed with the Secretary of the Staff Senate with the signatures of ten percent of the staff, published, and distributed to the staff two weeks preceding the meeting of the staff. After passage, the amendment will be submitted to the Board of Regents asking them to add the amendment to the Constitution already established.

 

Current Staff Senate

Amanda Barch – President

Makayla Broeker – Vice President

Hanna Hensing – Secretary

Mikeli Lueckenotte – Member