L&S University Staff Issues Committee (USIC) Bylaws
*You can also view these bylaws in PDF format.
Mission:
The charge of the College of Letters & Science University Staff Issues Committee is to represent the college’s university staff in advising the Dean on the development and review of all college policies and procedures affecting university staff. In addition, the committee will provide advice to the dean on developing opportunities for participation of university staff members in department and unit governance and develop opportunities for recognition of university staff member contributions to the college’s mission and to the excellence of its programs.
Membership Guidelines:
The College of Letters & Science University Staff Issues Committee will consist of seven members. Six of these will be elected by the college’s university staff. One will be appointed by the dean. The committee membership will be consistent with the make-up of the entire college university staff. Members shall include one exempt employee, two non-exempt administrative support employees, one blue collar and technical employee, one early-career employee, one labor representative, and one dean’s appointee. The dean’s appointed member will be chosen with an eye to enhancing balance among various groups. All elected and appointed members shall be university staff holding appointments within the college. The dean and a member selected by the committee will co-chair the committee. The college’s human resource manager will be member ex- officio.
To ensure representation of all university staff in the college and to provide a variety of perspectives, each elected/appointed member will represent the entire university staff of the college, not a particular constituency. Therefore, all elections will be at-large: all university staff members with an active appointment at the time of election will be eligible to vote in the election.
A broad communication will be sent out by the Office of the Dean to solicit candidate nominations for vacated committee seats from the College of Letters & Science university staff. Additionally, the election process will be managed by the Office of the Dean.
University staff members who accept the nomination to USIC will submit a brief statement to the Office of the Dean. The statements will be included on the ballots at the time of the election, which will normally be held in the spring every two years or when necessary. The candidate(s) receiving the majority of votes cast will be the newly appointed committee member(s). The established candidate roster will also be used to fill midterm vacancies when necessary.
Committee members will be elected/appointed for three-year terms (except when appointed to fill a mid-term vacancy). Terms shall be staggered so that two to three new members are elected/appointed each year. Each newly elected/appointed committee member will begin their three-year term in the fall semester after their election or appointment to USIC.
The procedures for the election/nomination of university staff members to the committee, and any changes thereto, shall be determined by the current USIC members.
*You can also view these bylaws in PDF format.
Procedures:
The USIC shall hold monthly meetings during the academic year in conjunction with the Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI). Notice about dates and times of the meetings and any changes thereto will be sent to all college university staff.
The college’s university staff are welcome to attend meetings of interest. Non-USIC staff may provide input to the meeting by being recognized by the dean. Tabling of an agenda item can be requested by a committee member at any time subject to a majority vote.
A draft agenda developed in consultation with the co-chairs of USIC and CASI will be sent to committee members within a reasonable period of time in advance of the meeting to allow additions and changes to the agenda.
The duty of presiding over meetings will alternate between USIC and CASI co-chairs on an academic year basis. The presiding co-chair will be responsible for running the meetings and communicating necessary information to both committees in preparation for meetings. Minutes from meetings will be constructed, distributed for review, and edited by the non-presiding co-chair. Once approved, the minutes will be posted to the College of Letters & Science Administrative Gateway.
USIC will recognize university staff through a formal awards process, soliciting nominations from the university community and evaluating those nominations. The committee may evaluate nominations as a body or designate a subcommittee for that purpose. Criteria for awards will be included in the call for nominations.
Subcommittees will be assembled as needed.
Proposed bylaw revisions or amendments shall be circulated to all USIC members a minimum of 14 days in advance of a USIC meeting and must be made available on the announced agenda that is distributed to all staff. An affirmative vote of the majority of the USIC voting members is required for passage of any bylaw revisions or amendments. The bylaws and any subsequent changes will be posted to the College of Letters & Science Administrative Gateway.
Approved on 05/14/2024