I. AUTHORITY

From the Chancellor and by vote of the staff of the University of California, Davis in accordance with University policy 270-05. (Am. 3/14/84) (Am. 10/25/06)

II. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the UC Davis Staff Assembly. (Am. 5/15/79) (Am. 10/25/06)

III. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

• A. To promote and advocate the welfare, interests and diversity of the staff, the campus, and the University of California following the Principles of Community. (En. 10/25/06)

• B. To stand as a University-sanctioned organization of staff employees which will have a voice in matters pertaining to the University within the limitations imposed by law. (Am. 11/3/83)
• C. To provide opportunities for increased staff participation in the governance of the Davis campus. (Am. 11/1/94)
• D. To promote and advocate improved communication and interaction with all University of California, Davis staff employees. (En. 5/21/86) (Am. 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)
• E. To promote and advocate the involvement and interaction of staff among other University of California, Davis organizations and units. (Am. 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)

IV. STRUCTURE

• A.  Membership shall be automatic to all non-academic career staff employees of the University of California, Davis. (Am. 10/22/91)
• B. Participation
1. Members who are not in exclusively represented units may participate in all discussions and activities of the Assembly.
2. Executive Committee Members who are in exclusively represented units may participate in all discussions and activities of the Assembly except those concerning scope of representation as defined by HEERA (wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment). (En. 10/25/06)
3. Members who are in exclusively represented units may not hold positions or offices on the Board, Staff Insurance and Retirement, or any other committee that deals with issues within the scope of representation. (En. 3/14/84; Am. 4/26/89; 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)

V. QUORUM

Two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Board present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.(Am. 10/31/88) (Am. 10/25/06)

VI. MEETINGS

• A. Frequency

1.  General meetings of the Assembly membership shall be held twice annually, during the Fall and Spring quarters.

2.  Emergency or special meetings shall be called by the chair at any time as necessary.

·        B. Order of Business (Am. 5/11/83) (Am. 10/25/06)

1.  Regular Meeting
a.      Call to order
b.      Reading, correction, approval, or disposition of minutes of previous meetings
c.      Board Reports
d.      Reports of Executive Committees
e.       Action Items
f.       New Business
g.      Announcements
h.      Next Meeting   

i.       Adjournment      

2.   Special Meeting

a. Call to order
b. Consideration of items of business stated in the notice of the meeting.
c. Adjournment

• C. Rules of Order (Am. 5/11/83) (Am. 10/25/06)
  
  The rules contained in Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the Assembly in all cases to which they are applicable.

VII. BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Board)

The Board of the Staff Assembly shall be the chair, vice chair, secretary, communications, and membership with two alternates assigned as board members at large. (En. 10/22/91; Am. 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)

• A. Selection
  
  The Executive Committee shall annually elect the following Board of the Assembly from within its own membership: a chair, a vice chair, a secretary, a communications chair, a membership chair, Board Members at Large 1, and Board Members at Large 2 alternates. (Am. 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)
• B. Duties

      The Board will vote on any action items on behalf of the Staff Assembly.

1. Chair
   
   a. Shall preside at all general meetings of the Assembly and at all meetings of the Executive Committee.
   
   b. Shall call emergency or special meetings of the general membership as circumstances may warrant.
   
   c. Shall act as official representative of the Assembly and of the Executive Committee for purposes of communication with campus administrative officers, other campus organizations and their officers, and news media; and as a campus representative to the Council of UC Staff Assemblies. (Am. 10/22/91)
   
   d. Shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member for one year after the term expires. (En. 10/22/91)
   
   e. Shall delegate any of the above duties as appropriate. (En. 11/1/94)

2.    Vice Chair

a. Shall perform the duties of the chair, as circumstances may require, during the absence of the chair.
b. Shall schedule, plan, and coordinate the Fall and Spring meetings. (En. 10/22/91)

c. Shall perform other duties as requested by the chair. (En. 10/22/91)

d.  Shall appoint the Chairs of the Executive Committees (Am. 10/25/06)

3.   Secretary

a. Shall distribute and receive petitions for the nomination of officers and ballots for the voting of the general membership upon any matter, including the election of officers, that shall be submitted to it in accordance with the Bylaws of the UCD Staff Assembly; and shall otherwise assist in the conduct of elections as the Elections Code provides. (Should the secretary be unable to perform these duties in connection with any election by reason of illness, participation in the election as candidate or signer of a nominating petition, or any other cause, the Executive Committee shall select another of their number to perform them.)

b. Shall serve as ex officio member of the ad hoc committee appointed to run an election. (Am. 10/22/91)

c. Shall review and maintain bylaws annually and ensure Staff Assembly adheres to   the bylaws. (En. 10/25/06)
d. Shall perform other duties as requested by the chair. (En. 10/22/91)

4.  Communications Chair (En. 10/25/06)

a. Shall publicize and report Staff Assembly programs, accomplishments, regular or special meetings of the Assembly’s general memberships, and issues relevant to staff through the Staff Voice publication.  The chair shall assume the initiative in obtaining information suitable for publication from such sources as the Board and/or the Executive Committee.  When appropriate, the chair shall issue announcements and/or information to the appropriate media, such as the California Aggie and Dateline.  The chair shall consult with the Executive Committee regarding Staff Voice publication costs.

b.  Shall review and/or initiate proposals, make recommendations, and/or finish advice or information requested by the Board or any other Executive Committee officers  on the subject of communications, or on issue relevant to all staff, except those concerning scope of representation as defined by Higher Education External Relations Association (HEERA).

c. Shall perform other duties as requested by the chair.

5.  Membership (Am. 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)

a. Shall recruit members to Staff Assembly Executive Committees in an active manner, by such means as are deemed appropriate--e.g., working in conjunction with the Vice Chair and Communications Board member to issue a general call for volunteers annually in Staff Voice; obtaining recommendations from such sources as the Board, present or former members of Executive Committees and members of the Chancellor's Nominating and Review Committee; establishing and maintaining personal contact through letters, telephone, or in-person interviews.

b. Shall evaluate the qualifications of potential committee nominees and recommend appointments to the Vice Chair.

c. Shall secure confirmation from potential nominees of their willingness to serve.

d. Shall develop a membership plan.

e. Shall perform other duties as requested by the Chair and/or Vice Chair.

6.  Board Members at Large - Two (2) positions (En. 10/25/06)

     a. Individual(s) will be assigned special projects and tasks as designated by the Chair.

·        C.  Term of office

1.  The regular term of office for each member of the Board shall be a two (2) year appointment, commencing the July 1 immediately following election. (Am. 5/5/82) (Am. 10/25/06)

  2.  Should a Board member be unable to complete the term of office, the chair shall appoint an interim member to fill the vacancy. The term of office for that interim member on the Board shall be for the end of the term of that vacancy. All vacancies shall be filled by election, in the next spring election following the vacancy. An interim member may seek election to such a position. The interim member will not be penalized for filling out someone else's term and will, therefore, be eligible to run for two consecutive 2-year terms at that time. (Am. 10/22/91; 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)

  3.  No person shall be elected to more than two (2) consecutive terms of office on the Board, including one-year interim terms. (En. 10/25/06)

a. Appointive terms consisting of less than 1 year shall not be considered in determining an individual's eligibility for subsequent election. (Am. 11/1/94)

b. A one-year break in service on the Board must occur after an individual's second consecutive elective term of office before being elected or appointed to serve on that committee once more. (En. 10/25/06)

         4.  All Board members are required to volunteer for a minimum of two (2) events      per year hosted by Staff Assembly, and attend the annual retreat. (En. 10/25/06)

·        D.  Staff Assembly Coordinator (En. 10/25/06)

a. Chair Support

§         Under general direction and guidance on Staff Assembly Chair provide administrative support for Staff Assembly.

§         Provide the continuity and historical perspective necessary to accommodate changes and maintain consistency; assist chairs, committee members, and campus community on policies and procedures in the full range of committee responsibilities and duties.

§         Work with the Chair and Executive Committee members to update bylaws and policies

§         Assist the Chair and Membership with volunteer recruitment, annual orientation of new committee members; maintain record of all actions and decisions in accordance with Staff Assembly and University requirements.

§         Research and write proposals and reports as assigned by the Chair.

§         Work with various organizations and entities to negotiate and develop relationships and benefits.

      b. Administrative Support

§         Provide administrative support functions including general office support, meeting agendas and minutes, calendaring, copying, data entry and database maintenance, and typing of correspondence.

§         Provide back-up DaFIS financial system support including transaction processing and organization.

§       Responsible for managing event coordination including budget development and maintenance, logistical and other arrangements as needed for Staff Assembly’s Thank Goodness For Staff Week and Benefits/Wellness Fair events.

VIII. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• A. Composition
1. This committee shall consist of seventeen (17) voting members and one (1) non-voting ex officio member (past chair) a quorum shall be five (5) Board members. Representation will be achieved between the Board and the Executive Committee voting members by a ratio of seven (7) Board members and ten (10) Executive Committee members. In accordance with these Bylaws and the Elections Code, campus members shall be elected at large by and from the general membership of the UC Davis Staff Assembly with the exception of the Board, and Chairs of the Staff Insurance & Retirement -- they shall be members of the Executive Committee by election of the Board (Am. 10/22/91; 4/26/93) (Am. 10/25/06)

2. Executive Committee members will vote to elect the five (5) Board members.  Executive Committee also votes to create or disband Special Committees.

• B. Committee Attendance

Three (3) unexcused absences from scheduled meetings for which notice has been given will be reason for dismissal from the committee. The chair, or coordinator shall be notified of inability to attend. (En. 5/9/84; Am. 10/22/91)

• C. Term of Office

1.  The regular term of office for each member of the Executive Committee shall be for one (1) year appointment, appointed by the Vice Chair, commencing the July 1 immediately following election. (Am. 5/5/82) (Am. 10/25/06)

2.   Should an Executive Committee member be unable to complete the term of office, the vice chair shall appoint an interim member to fill the vacancy. The term of office for that interim member on the executive shall be for the end of the term of that vacancy. All vacancies shall be filled by election, in the spring next following occurrence of the vacancy. An interim member may seek election to such a position. The interim member will not be penalized for filling out someone else's term and will, therefore, be eligible to run for two consecutive 2-year terms at that time. (Am. 10/22/91; 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)

3.  Executive Committee members are highly recommended to volunteer for a minimum of two (2) events per year hosted by Staff Assembly, and attend the annual retreat. (En. 10/25/06)

• D. Function
1. To elect a chair, a vice chair, a secretary, communications chair, membership chair, and Board Members at Large 1, and 2 from within it’s own membership. (Am. 11/1/94) (Am. 10/25/06)
2. To elect three of its own members to serve on the Communications Committee, Diversity Awareness and TGFS standing committees as ex officio members. (En. 5/21/86; Am. 10/22/91; 11/1/94)
3. At the request of the Chancellor or the Chancellor's representative, to nominate staff employees for service on administrative committees. Such nominations shall be reported to the general membership at the next regular meeting of the Assembly. (Am. 11/1/94)
4. To receive suggestions from staff employees respecting subjects for the Assembly's consideration and recommendation, and then to refer such suggestions to the appropriate standing committee for review, evaluation, and formal recommendation as to Assembly action (if any).
5. To hold no fewer than one (1) meeting per quarter on the Davis campus. (En. 5/21/86; Am. 11/1/94))
6. To act, with respect to all matters affecting the general membership, in their best interest.
7. To make appointments as necessary for the following purposes:

a. To fill any vacancy occurring on the Executive Committee (including any resulting from there being fewer candidates than offices to be filled in any election) or on any standing committee of the Assembly. Such appointments shall take effect at once or on the effective date of the vacancy, whichever is later, and shall end the next following June 30. Such appointments shall be reported at the next regular meeting of the Assembly.

b. At the request of any standing committee, to augment its membership on a temporary basis so that an ad hoc task force may be formed to fulfill a specific, short-term assignment under the direction of the main committee.

c. To create ad hoc committees, independent of standing committees, to perform specific functions as circumstances may require.

8. To determine dates of elections.  Elections to be held at the first Executive Committee meeting in April. (En. 10/25/06)
9. When gross violations of the Elections Code or of relevant Bylaws of the Staff Assembly are found to have occurred in the conduct of an election, to invalidate results of the first election and order another to be conducted.
10. To act in cooperation with the UCDMC Staff Assembly. (En. 5/21/86)

IX. CHAIR DUTIES (En. 10/25/06)

A. Committees: Duties and Requirements

1.  Attend all required meetings.

      a. Staff Assembly Executive Committee, individual committee, campus committee, and any other meetings necessary or requested by the chair and/or vice chair.

2.  Recruit members for committees.

3.  Ensure meeting notes for Staff Assembly and/or campus committee meetings are taken and distributed to vice chair.

4.  Serve as an advocate for Staff Assembly and campus committee.

5.  Provide and submit committee updates quarterly for publications in Staff Voice to vice chair.

6.  Provide key point summary reports at Executive Committee meetings at least once a month.

7.  Relay information from Executive Committee to committee.

8.  Gather information, analyze, and provide recommendations on issues as requested by Executive Committee

9.  Manage the committee

10.  Perform other duties upon vice chair request.

11.  All chairs to be appointed at annual retreat.

X. STANDING COMMITTEES, SPECIAL COMMITTEES, AND AD-HOC TASK FORCES

A. General Organization and Operation

1.      Creation of Standing and Special Committee

      Various standing and special committees can be established to support the Staff Assembly under the following procedures:

a.       The Executive Committee shall establish standing and special committees as needed to support the Staff Assembly in its purpose and objectives

          i.      Each standing committee shall have a charter that stipulates its charge, its composition including membership and any standing sub-committees, and its general guidelines for operation

          ii.      Special committees purpose and the conditions by which it is dissolved (termination period, completion of objectives) shall be within the Executive Committee minutes when it is approved

b.      Standing committees can be established or dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee

c.       The committee chair will create, maintain, or update the committee charter and submit changes for approval by the Executive Committee

2.      Appointment and Membership
Regular (i.e., voting) members of standing committees shall be selected from the membership of the Assembly on the basis of their prior experience, interest, knowledge, and abilities, as evaluated with specific reference to the duties of the committees on which they are to serve, according to the following procedure:

a.       The committee chair shall be appointed by the Vice Chair of Staff Assembly

             i.      A staff represented by a bargaining unit can not serve as the chair of any committee dealing with issues that address compensation, benefits, and other items that could yield a conflict of interest

             ii.      The chair must serve a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of two (2), two-year terms or a maximum of four successive years

             iii.      Term limits can be suspended by the Executive Committee in areas where a replacement chair could not be immediately found

             iv.      The committee chair serves on the Executive Committee and has limited voting rights as indicated in the By-Laws

              v.      Committee chair begins their term on July 1

b.      The committee members are appointed by the committee chair

             i.      The committee chair shall recruit and appoint members to their committee as appropriate

             ii.      Represented staff can not serve on any committee dealing with compensation, benefits, and other items that could yield a conflict of interest

             iii.      Upon the request of any standing committee, the committee chair shall appoint, on an ad hoc basis, as many persons as may be required to form one or more task forces for the purpose of accomplishing specific objectives formulated by the standing committee concerned. (Am. 10/22/91; 11/1/94)

c.       The Executive Committee members can participate in a standing committee where they do not serve as chair.

              i.      No incumbent member of the Executive Committee may serve as an ex officio or regular member of more than three (3) standing committee simultaneously, except when deemed appropriate by a two-thirds majority vote of Executive Committee, and when the goal, purpose and action are clearly stated. (En. 5/21/86)

              ii.      No ex officio member of a standing committee may serve as its chair.

              iii.      The secretary of the Executive Committee shall be the ex officio member of any ad hoc Elections, Rules and Jurisdiction Committee, when and if that committee is appointed. (En. 10/22/91; Am. 11/1/94)

d.      Committee Chairs must maintain a list of members

              i.      The list will be provided to the Executive Committee and published on the Staff Assembly web page

              ii.      The Executive Committee reviews membership on a semi-annual basis

e.       The appointment of the chair and the committee members must be made in time to support the purpose and objectives of the committee

3.      Committee Attendance

a.       Three (3) unexcused absences from scheduled meetings for which notice has been given will be reason for dismissal from the committee. The standing committee chair or designee such as a standing committee vice chair or secretary shall be notified of inability to attend.

4.      Term of Office

a. Regular members of standing committees shall serve two-year terms, approximately one-half the voting members of each committee being appointed in alternate years. Such term shall begin July 1 for members of all committees.

b.   Executive Committee ex officio members of standing committees shall serve one-year terms beginning July 1.

c.    Ad hoc appointments shall terminate automatically upon accomplishment of the objective assigned or at the discretion of the Executive Committee. (Am. 11/1/94)

d. No person shall serve more than two (2) consecutive 2-year terms on the same standing committee.

·        Service for one (1) year or more by a person appointed to fill a committee vacancy shall be considered a full term. A replacement term of less than one (1) year shall not be considered as full term.

·        Service on ad hoc task forces or special committees, regardless of its total duration, shall not be considered service on the standing committees under whose direction such task forces serve.

e. No person shall serve more than two consecutive two-year term as chair of the same standing committee. (Am. 10/31/88)

f.    The Executive Committee can vote to extend appointments beyond the term limits if no immediate, qualified successor is available.

·    The extended term shall end once a successor begins their term.

5.      Function

a.       The specific duties of standing committees shall be as described in their respective charter. The following general function shall be common to all:

            i.      On their own initiative or at the request of the Executive Committee, to consider and develop recommendations upon matters within the scope of their respective charges.

            ii.      To transmit their recommendations respecting Assembly actions to the Executive Committee.

            iii.      To perform specific operational tasks as assigned by these Bylaws or, on an ad hoc basis, by the Executive Committee.

            iv.      To submit to the general membership, at the annual Spring Meeting, a report of their activities since the preceding July 1; committees shall present negative reports if no activities have been undertaken. (These reports shall be retained by the Assembly office for a minimum of two (2) years.)

            v.      To work with or have members participate in other campus committees such as Chancellor’s Advisory committees to represent Staff Assembly

6.      Procedural Requirements

a.       Each standing committee shall hold an organizational meeting no later than the end of September each year. At such a meeting, each committee shall accomplish the following: (Am. 10/31/88; 11/1/94)

              i.      Select a vice chair or co-chair to act in the chair's absence.

             ii.      Select a recorder to take minutes of the proceedings at committee meetings and distribute them as required.

             iii.      Provisionally identify its objectives for the coming year and determine their relative priorities.

            iv.      Establish a regular schedule for its meetings.

b.      Chairs of standing committees shall furnish copies of the minutes of each committee's meetings (including the organizational meeting) to the chair of the Executive Committee and the Staff Assembly office within a week after each meeting. (Am. 10/22/91)

c.       Progress reports on committee activities shall be presented to the Executive Committee, with a written copy to the Staff Assembly office at least 10 days before the Fall and Spring meetings. (Am. 10/22/91; 11/1/94)

d.      Standing Committee Chairs shall be appointed on an ad hoc committee basis to review all proposed amendments or revisions to the Bylaws and/or Elections Code in order to verify and ensure conformity of such proposed legislation with the format and content of both documents.

XI.  Past Chair

A. Shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member for one year after the term expires. (En. 10/22/91)

B. Shall perform other duties as requested by the chair. (En. 11/1/94)

XII.  LEGISLATION AND AMENDMENTS

A. The Bylaws and other official publications of the UCD Staff Assembly (e.g., Elections Code) may be added to, amended, or repealed only by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a general, emergency, or special meeting of the Assembly. (Am. 5/9/84)

B. No proposal relating to introduction, amendment, or repeal of Assembly legislation may be presented for vote of the general membership unless such proposal shall have previously been reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee (Am. 11/1/94).

C.   The UCD Staff Assembly shall not take final action on the introduction, amendment, or repeal of legislation during the meeting at which such proposal are first made, unless the membership has been notified at least ten (10) working days prior to the general meeting. (Am. 5/5/82; Am. 5/9/84)

     1. Copies of proposed legislation shall be available to the general membership for reference in the Assembly office at least ten (10) working days prior to any meeting at which such legislation is to be voted upon. (Am. 5/9/84)

     2. Copies of proposed legislation shall be provided to the general membership at the meeting at which such matters are to be voted upon.

D. Assembly legislation shall be effective immediately upon adoption unless contrary provisions are included therein.