Charge to ad hoc committee on chapter constitution/bylaws
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Because some of the chapter documents (constitution and bylaws) date from the old Board of Regents, including when there was statewide bargaining, I’ve asked an ad hoc committee to look at a few specific substantive issues that might need changing. The following is the charge in an e-mail sent to the members of the ad hoc committee appointed in May 2009:
Thank you all for being willing to serve on the ad hoc committee, and for being patient while I drafted this hopefully short and well-defined scope for the committee:
1. Your committee is to look at the following issues in the constitution and bylaws and recommend changes as appropriate to the chapter membership:
a) Updating terminology as necessary (e.g., from Board of Regents to BOG/BOT).
b) Adding material to reflect the chapter’s obligation to bargain locally. There needs to be a section, probably in the bylaws (where committees are described), on appointment of a bargaining team and chief negotiator — this is *not* the same as the bargaining committee, which was written to funnel information up to the no-longer-existing state bargaining team.
c) Considering whether the chapter should revise the bylaws-mandated committee structure. The bylaws describe a bargaining committee from a statewide-bargaining context as well as a stewards and membership committee, and none of those are currently operating as described in the by-laws. Would it make sense to create a single “department/college reps” committee for those functions, or try to fill out the currently-listed committees?
d) Drafting written elections procedures, which are all conducted by past practice, none written in the bylaws. An issue to consider explicitly, among others: whether offices can be filled by acclamation when the number of nominations equals the number of seats. I felt silly in the last two years sitting on my hands instead of counting ballots when I was unopposed for chapter president. But that may be my guilt speaking instead of common sense.2. To have anything in place for the next round of chapter elections, it would be necessary to ratify changes by the mid- to late fall, so if proposed language is available to consider by the beginning of the fall, that would be perfect. While you should feel free to draft specific language, you can call on at least me for any scutwork of that sort.
3. If there are other issues that pop up in discussion, feel free to perform triage on it, addressing those you think can be addressed in the summer or recommending that others be considered during the academic year.
If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please let me know.
The first meeting of the ad hoc committee is this Friday, June 5, in CIS 2020, after the regular chapter meeting at CDBs.
