Employee Councils: The University of Virginia

Employee Councils at The University of Virginia

By-Laws | Meeting Schedule | Minutes | Representatives & Contact Info

BY-LAWS

I. The PURPOSE of the Council is to:

A. Facilitate two-way communication between classified employees and the Vice President for Student Affairs, Human Resources, Executive Employee Communication Council, and the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

B. Serve as a medium for the Vice- President for Student Affairs to inform employees under his or her direction of missions, goals, existing and proposed policies and programs, and other timely topics.

C. Function as a channel for receiving and discussing employee ideas for improving relations and generally making the University a better place at which to work. The resolution of specific personal concerns is not the responsibility of the Council.

D. Recommend to the Vice President for Student Affairs and participate in the planning and organization of activities for the Division of Student Affairs staff.

II. SCOPE OF AUTHORITY

A. The Council has no administrative authority. Its responsibility is to act in an advisory capacity to the Vice President.

B. The Council may make recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs for action and/or referral of any activity affecting the employees of the Division of Student Affairs. Such recommendations may be, but are not limited to, implementation of new policies or programs, modification of existing policies or programs, and solutions to problems perceived by the members of the Council.

C. Council members are responsible for soliciting ideas and general concerns from those employees they represent and for reporting Council meeting information back to those employees on a timely basis.

III. MEMBERSHIP

A. Qualifications and Representation:
	1. Membership will consist of classified employees of the Student Affairs Division with the Vice President determining the specific criteria regarding voter eligibility.
		a. Each department or department grouping listed herein shall automatically be allocated one representative: (1) African American Affairs; (2) Dean of Students-Peabody Hall; (3) Newcomb Hall; (4) VPSA/WTJU/C.A.S.E/Orientation/OFSL; (5) Residence Life; (6) Student Health/LNEC. Those departments combined in (4) may send separate representatives if there is interest in doing so. A department that, because of small size or lack of interest is unable to send a representative each year may combine with another department to nominate a joint representative.
		b. Student Health will send representatives from at least two of the following: 1) the clinical classified staff, 2) support staff, and 3) LNEC for a total of up to three (and no less than two) representatives.
	2. Council may review established voting procedures and recommend modifications to the Vice President.
	3. Each department will have one alternate to replace each Council representative absent from meetings and to become a representative in the event of a vacancy.
	4. The Vice President annually will appoint or re-appoint representatives who will be ex-officio Council members.
	5. The Director of Employee Relations will be invited to attend all meetings as a resource of Personnel policy interpretation and provide information in an ex- officio capacity.
	6. Representation on the Council will be for a two-year period. About one-half of the representatives will be replaced each year. Representatives may serve for two consecutive terms and may be reappointed after one year's absence from Council.
	7. If a representative resigns or otherwise loses his/her position, the alternate will become the representative. The department will then choose a new alternate, or when applicable. The Council Chair, in consultation with other representatives from the department, may appoint a representative and/or a new alternate. The representative and alternate will serve for the duration of the term.

B. Conduct and Responsibilities of Representatives:
	1. A representative may resign by informing the Chair or Secretary in writing.
	2. The office of a representative may be declared vacant whenever that person has unauthorized absences from two consecutive meetings or from three meetings within a year. Absences are authorized if announced in advance to the Secretary or if the designated alternate replaces the absentee.
	3. Representatives will be released from normal work duties to attend scheduled Council meetings. When additional time is required during the workday for performance of duties in support of Council projects, representatives should coordinate with their immediate supervisor for release time from normal work duties.
	4. If a representative's status changes within the Student Affairs Division during his or her term of office, he or she will notify the Council, which will decide whether replacement is required.
	5. Representatives will keep their constituents informed of Council activities and will actively solicit the views of their constituents to present to Council.

IV. DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATION
A. Representation on the Council will be the responsibility of each department.
B. Each department will submit to the Vice President a list of the representative(s), the alternate(s) and the second alternate(s).
C. Selection of representatives will occur in April.
D. New representatives will attend the May meeting in order to participate in officer elections.
E. Representatives will assume office at the September (or first) meeting of the year.
F. The working year is defined as the period September through June.

V. OFFICERS

The officers of the Council consist of a Chair, Vice-chair, and a Secretary.

A. The Chair will:
	1. Preside at all meetings.
	2. Attend all Executive Employee Communication Council functions.
	3. Call special meetings of the Council when Chair deems necessary (after receiving approval from the Vice President or his/her representative).
	4. Respond as necessary to unauthorized absences of representatives.

B. The Vice-chair will:
	1. Assume the duties of the Chair when necessary and will be the principal assistant to the Chair.
	2. Attend all Executive Employee Communication Council functions.
	3. Distribute a copy of the by-laws to each new representative at the June luncheon.

C. The Secretary will:
	1. Keep minutes of all meetings and distribute them to all representatives prior to the next Council meeting. Ex-officio members will receive minutes after they are approved by Council.
	2. Ensure that correspondence relating to Council matters is accomplished.
	3. Ensure that representatives are notified of meetings.
	4. Maintain attendance lists and inform the Chair if a representative has had unauthorized absences from two consecutive meetings or from three meetings within a year.

D. Officer Election Procedure
	1. Officers (Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary) will be elected at the May meeting by the membership of the council for a term of one year. Officers may serve two consecutive terms in any particular office.
	2. In case of a vacancy of office, the representatives will elect a replacement from their number. The replacement will serve until the annual election of officers is held.

VI. CONDUCTING BUSINESS

A simple majority of Council representatives will constitute a quorum for handling business.
A majority vote of representatives present will carry a motion except on a motion to amend the by-laws. In this case, two-thirds of the representatives must be present and two-thirds of these must vote in favor of any amendment. Amendments must be ratified by the Vice President.
Votes may be by acclamation or show of hands, unless a representative requests a secret ballot vote.
The Council meets monthly throughout the year, from September through June, with the time and place to be designated by the Chair. Regular council meetings will not be scheduled during July and August unless special circumstances arise. Such summer meetings will be called by the Chair. The December and June meetings will be informal luncheon meetings.
Roberts Rules of Order will be consulted in the event that an orderly and courteous procedure is not maintained.
Council will invite the Vice President to give a general message on the state of the University and divisional efforts in support of the mission.
Committees or sub-committees may be appointed by the Chair as necessary to carry out the work of the Council.
Council meetings are open to observers or visitors who have received prior invitation or permission from the Chair.
Council members are encouraged to submit agenda items to the Chair at least one week in advance of a scheduled or called meeting.
Closed meetings may be called by the Chair but only with the prior approval of the Vice President

Approved: Patricia M. Lampkin, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer, October 20, 2003

Meeting Schedule

Date and Time	Speaker/Topic	Location
September 5, 2006, 9:30 – 11:30	Proposals for speakers and topics in 2006-07, open discussion	Newcomb Hall Board Room
October 3, 2006, 9:30 – 11:30	Anne Brocoli - Benefits update	Newcomb Hall Room 481
November 7, 2006, 9:30 – 11:30	Ida Lee Wooton - Community relations	Newcomb Hall Room 481
December 5, 2006, 9:30 – 11:30	TBA	Newcomb Hall Room 481
February 6. 2007, 9:30 – 11:30	TBA	Newcomb Hall Room 481
March 6, 2007, 9:30 – 11:30	Nominations for officers	Newcomb Hall Room 481
April 3, 2007, 9:30 – 11:30	Elections	Newcomb Hall Room 481
May 1, 2007, 9:30 – 11:30	Presentation of new officers	TBA

Minutes

FY 2006 - 2007
Jul 06	Oct 06	Jan 07	Apr 07
Aug 06	Nov 06	Feb 07	May 07
Sep 06	Dec 06	Mar 07	Jun 07

FY 2005 - 2006
Jul 05	Oct 05	Jan 06	Apr 06
Aug 05	Nov 05	Feb 06	May 06
Sep 05	Dec 05	Mar 06	Jun 06

Representatives & Contact Info

Department	Representative	Alternate	2nd Alternate
African American Affairs Luther P. Jackson House	Angela Comfort alc9r 4-7923
Dean of Students Peabody Hall 2nd Floor	Charlotte Powell cp8d 4-7181	Daisy Hutcherson fbh2n 4-7133
Newcomb Hall Directors Office 4th Floor	Dorothy Lippincott daw2g 4-3203
VPSA/WTJU/CASE/Orientation/ Fraternity & Sorority Life	Rob Nowicki (WTJU) rbn7s 3-8831
Residence Life Dabney House	Michelle (Shelly) Gibson mhl8s 4-3736	Frances Moore fmm2c 4-8952
Student Health/GYN/CAPS/LNEC 400 Brandon Avenue	Gil Pearman (SH) jgp8e 4-1553 Sandi Murray (SH) sjm7x 4-1538	Terry Johnson taj 3-5156 CAPS	Meena Sirivastava mks2q 3-2702
University Career Services Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium Level 2	Tim Eckert tre8g 4-8900

Ex-Officio Members
Patricia M. Lampkin, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer (pml)
Virginia Carter, VPSA Director of External Relations (vcc5d)
Alan Cohn, Director, Employee Relations (ac3k)

Officers
Co-Chairs: Gil Pearman and Sandra Murray
Vice Chair: Tim Eckert
Secretary: Vacant