Staff Support Senate

Constitution

ARTICLE I

Purpose and Definition of the Staff Senate

Section 1. The           Staff Senate is an advisory body to           the President of the University. The President           may refer matters to the Senate and expect a response           from that body. The Staff Senate is established           as the official means by which support staff may be           actively involved in and contribute to the governance           of the institution. It shall investigate,           consider, and act upon any matter its members think           appropriate or relevant to concerns and interests of           support staff. It shall report fully to the           staff, and to other elements of the University when           appropriate, on all deliberations and actions of the           Staff Senate.
Section 2. For purposes of this document, the           University support staff shall consist of all regular           full-time and all regular part-time employees who do           not have representation on another University           governance body; e.g., President's Cabinet, Dean's           Senate, Faculty Senate.
Section 3. The           Staff Senate shall be empowered to           organize itself, establish its own bylaws, and           discipline its own members, except as restricted by           this Constitution.

ARTICLE II

Composition of the Staff Senate

Section 1. Elected Members
  • Eligibility.               Any member of the support staff as               defined in Article I, Section 2 shall be eligible for               election to membership in the Staff Senate.
  • Term of Office. The term of office for an               elected member shall be two (2) years, except               that a member shall be able to succeed himself/herself               no more than one term until he/she has been out of the               office for one (1) year.
  • Nominations. Nominations shall be made in               accordance with the Bylaws (Article IV, Section 2).
  • Election. Regular elections shall be held               in June of each year with the term commencing August 1               and ending July 31.
  • Voting Privilege. Representatives have equal               voting rights. The Chair of the Staff               Senate does not ordinarily exercise voting privileges               except to break a voting tie.
Section 2. Representation
Representation in the Staff Senate shall be based on a             ratio of one representative and one alternate per 20             employees, or major fraction thereof, as identified in             each of the areas below:
  • Academic Affairs (Academic Affairs Office, all academic               departments in the College of Arts & Letters, School of Education, College of Business,               College of Graduate Studies, College of Science &               Mathematics, and the College of Professional Programs &               Social Sciences);
  • Admissions/Registrar's               Office/Student Financial Aid;
  • Finance               & Administration (Finance & Administration               Office, Auxiliaries,  Post               Office, Budgets, Business Services, Accounting               Services, Information Technology, Purchasing, Public               Safety, Telecommunications);
  • Library/Enrichment               Programs (Library, Media Services, Enrichment               Programs,  Center for Field               Biology, Center for Creative Arts, African American               Cultural Center);
  • Physical               Plant
  • Student               Affairs (Student Affairs Office, Student Life,               Housing/Residence Life, Intramurals, Student               Development/Learning Center, Career Services, Student Health Services,               Child Learning Center, Disability Services, Counseling);
  • Technology/Solution               Center/Outreach Programs (School of Technology &               Public Management, Engineering Technology, Extended               Education and Distance               Learning, Educational Opportunity Center, High School               Upward Bound, Veteran's Upward Bound, Student Support               Services, Tri-County Upward Bound, Grants &               Sponsored Programs, Institutional Planning);
  • University               Advancement/Athletics/ Human Resources (University               Advancement, Public Relations/Publications, Athletics,               Human Resources, President's Office, Affirmative               Action, Internal Audit).

Reapportionment shall take place in June of each year,               except that no representative shall be required to               abandon his/her seat before the term has expired.
Section 3. Officers of the Staff Senate
The Officers of the Staff Senate shall be elected from             the members of the Senate by a quorum of votes cast             by the members at the first regular meeting in August.             Any officer may be removed from office by a vote of             “no confidence” by unanimous secret ballot cast by             the members whereupon a new officer must immediately             be chosen to complete that term of office.

The Officers of the Staff Senate shall be
  • Chair of the Staff Senate. The Chair of the               Staff Senate shall be the presiding officer of the Staff               Senate. The Chair shall have served as the               Vice Chair during the preceding year. If the               Chair resigns or leaves Austin Peay State University,               the Vice Chair will assume the duties of the Chair for               the remainder of the year and serve as Chair the               succeeding year. The Chair shall meet and confer               regularly with the President of the University               concerning matters of interest to the support staff.
  • Vice Chair of the Staff Senate. In the absence               of the Chair of the Staff Senate, the Vice Chair shall               be the presiding officer. The Vice Chair shall               be elected from the  representatives of the               Senate serving the first year of the two-year term               and shall assume the office of Chair for the succeeding               year. In the case of the resignation of the Vice Chair or               the Vice Chair assuming full-time responsibilities of the               Chair, a new Vice Chair shall be elected.
  • Secretary of the Staff Senate. The Secretary of               the Staff Senate shall be elected from the total               membership of the Staff Senate. The Secretary               shall be responsible for recording and distributing               the minutes of regular Senate meetings to               representatives and other appropriate University               individuals. Other duties as agreed upon by the               Executive Committee may be assigned to the Secretary.
  • Executive Committee of the Staff Senate. The               Executive Committee of the Staff Senate shall be               composed of the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Secretary,               and four members of the Staff Senate elected by the               members. The responsibilities of the Executive               Committee shall be as follows:
    • To propose agenda items for Staff Senate meetings;
    • To conduct the elections of the Staff Senate;
    • To advise the Chair of the Staff Senate;
    • To act on behalf of the Staff Senate when needed                   between regular meetings and to report such actions to                   the Staff Senate at the next scheduled meeting;
    • Other such duties as are needed to conduct the                   business of the Staff Senate.

ARTICLE III

Meetings of the Staff Senate

Meetings     of the Staff Senate shall be scheduled in accordance     with with the Bylaws.

ARTICLE IV

Amendments

Amendments     to the Staff Senate Constitution shall be made under     the following provisions, executed in sequence:

  • Initiation of amendments shall be made by the support         staff upon petition of twenty (20) percent of the         support staff; or by the Executive Committee; or by         the Staff Senate.
  • Amendments shall be submitted to the Staff Senate at a         regular meeting.
  • Action on proposed amendments shall be delayed until         at least the regular meeting of the Staff Senate,         whereupon a quorum of the voting members must approve         the amendment.

ARTICLE V

Ratification of the Constitution

The     Staff Senate Constitution shall become effective upon     a vote of approval by a plurality of the members of     the Staff Senate.

Proposed:     February 1988
Adopted: April 1988
Amended: June 1991
Amended: October 1998
Amended: October 1999
Amended: June 2000
Amended: June 2001
Amended: September 2002
Amended: February 2004