Mission and Bylaws

The name of the organization is the University Staff Council, also known as USC.

The organization was created to comply with Regent Policy Document 20-20 authorizing the University Staff on each University of Wisconsin System institution to structure themselves in a matter they determine and to select representatives to participate in institutional governance. The USC will fulfill the following responsibilities:

1. Will actively participate in the immediate governance of and policy development for UW-Whitewater.
2. Will fulfill the primary responsibility for the formulation and review, and representation in the development, of all policies and procedures concerning University Staff members, including personnel matters, except where State law preempts UW System and UW-Whitewater policy.
3. Will structure themselves in a manner the University Staff members determine, and will select representatives to participate in institutional governance.
4. Serve to facilitate communication across the campus, particularly regarding University Staff employees.
5. Provide feedback from University Staff employees to UW-Whitewater administration, including questions and concerns on all campus matters affecting University Staff employees, such as policy or training issues.
6. Advise UW-Whitewater administration regarding matters concerning University Staff employees.
7. Identify representatives from UW-Whitewater University Staff employees for campus committees and other campus groups.

USC will consist of ten members. The breakdown based on an approximate percentage of University Staff employees per division is as follows: Administrative Affairs - 2; Student Affairs - 2; Academic Affairs - 2; Rock County - 1; and At-large - 3. At-large members may come from any division or department on campus. Representatives must be permanent employees due to the term commitment required. However, USC will represent all University Staff (full-time, part-time, temporary, and project appointment).

University Staff in departments which report directly to the Chancellor but are not part of a division will be grouped in Administrative Affairs, except for staff reporting to Intercollegiate Athletics, which will be grouped with Student Affairs for divisional seat purposes. Staff whose primary work location is located in Rock County will be grouped together for the Rock County seat and not a separate divisional seat.

Divisional seats will be populated by the highest vote getter in each election a respective seat is open. At-large seats will be filled by the next highest receiver of votes, regardless of division/non-division affiliation.

Council members are expected to attend the regular monthly USC meetings with a minimum attendance requirement of 75% (9 of the 12 annual meetings) to retain the council seat. An excused absence counts as attended. An absence is excused through an email notification to the Chairperson or designee in advance of the meeting. See Article VIII: Meetings for more information on the types and frequencies of meetings.

A council member can request a leave of absence for up to three (3) months. If a longer leave is requested, the council member will be encouraged to resign.

If a council seat becomes vacant due to reasons such as resignation, leave of absence, or change in employment classification, the first step is to seek volunteers from the division represented by the departing member. This ensures a balanced distribution of membership within the divisions. If no volunteers come forward, representatives from other divisions may be considered. The full council will then appoint a replacement through a majority vote from the available candidates. If there is no interest or suitable candidate, the position will remain vacant until the next election.

Members who transfer out of the division they represent into a University Staff position in a different division will be allowed to complete their term of office.

Representatives will be elected based on nominations unless there is an appointment due to vacancy . Interested individuals may be nominated by another campus employee or self-nominated. A call for nominations will be held yearly in the beginning of April. If there are not enough nominations to cover all available seats, deans, directors, and the Chancellor may be asked for additional nominations.

Representatives will be elected for each available seat in the beginning of May. A maximum of two representatives from any division will be allowed; however, if there are no accepted nominations from other divisions, then the maximum may be exceeded. Election results will be announced at the next general membership meeting following the election or through email notification if the general meeting date falls before election results are finalized.

Newly elected council members will attend the June USC meeting and begin their official term of office July 1. Elections for executive board officers will take place at the June meeting for immediate commencement of duties on July 1.

All elected members will serve a two-year term with no term limits. Appointed members will serve until the end of the vacated term. Terms of service for USC members will be staggered so a minimum of five seats will be open each year. Year of service is based on UW-Whitewater’s fiscal year and begins July 1 through June 30.

The executive board of the University Staff Council will consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary. Officers will serve a one-year term starting July 1. Voting for executive board members will take place at the June USC meeting for the next fiscal year. Verbal nominations will be made by council members and elections will be determined by secret ballot. When the chairperson's term expires, that individual may serve one year in an ex-officio capacity. There are no term limits for executive board positions.

Responsibilities of the Executive Board:

1. Set meeting times and approve agenda items.
2. Discuss pertinent matters and establish direction for committee activities.
3. Review committee reports.
4. Take necessary action between general meetings.
5. Review member nominations and attendance.
6. Fill membership vacancies as appropriate.
7. Perform such other business as appropriate.

In the event of a board vacancy, the remaining council members will select a new representative from within.

Chairperson:

• Preside over monthly USC meetings.
• Call additional USC meetings if and as needed.
• Coordinate USC activities and initiatives.
• Make all University Staff appointments to campus committees and assist with other appointments as requested by UW-W administration.
• Attend meetings with UW-W administration (to include Chancellor one-on-one meetings, Cabinet meetings, and other meetings as requested).
• Attend governance meetings (to include UW System joint governance meetings, UW-W governance leader meetings, and other meetings as requested).
• Send communication/updates to constituents on a periodic basis as needed.
• Chair of USC Bylaws Committee.
• Monitor USC email account.

In consideration for serving as chairperson, the individual will be compensated through a flat stipend determined by the Office of the Chancellor.

Vice Chairperson:

• Serve as acting chairperson when the chairperson is absent or unable to perform duties.
• Work closely with the chairperson to coordinate USC activities and initiatives.
• Attend various meetings when the chairperson is unavailable.
• Chair of USC Employee Recognition Committee.
• Chair of USC Outreach/Program Committee.
• Monitor USC email account.

Treasurer:

• Manage, reconcile, and report on budget – understand and/or willingness to learn Fund 102 guidelines and Foundation guidelines.
• Oversee payments of USC bills.
• Chair of USC Grant/Fundraising Committee.
• Member of campus Strategic Planning & Budget Committee (SPBC).
• Be available at chairperson’s discretion for executive member responsibilities.

Secretary:

• Schedule and reserve space for all meetings to include monthly USC meetings as well as bi-annual general member meetings – coordinate with chairperson on location and/or WebEx option.
• Prepare and distribute agenda for USC meetings – coordinate with chairperson for agenda topics.
• Take minutes of USC meetings, send a draft of minutes for review within one week after meeting, and send approved minutes to USC members.
• Save an electronic copy of all approved minutes to USC T:\drive and post on USC website.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with open meeting notice requirements.
• Website maintenance.
• Be available at chairperson’s discretion for executive member responsibilities.

Regular Meetings - Regular USC meetings will be held monthly on the first Thursday of each month from 9:00 – 11:00 am at a designated meeting location with a remote access option. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the executive board, day and time to be determined. A quorum for any meeting of the USC shall be six (6) members.

All meetings related to the USC may be held during paid work hours. Any employee serving as an elected member of the USC and working second or third shift will use flex work hours to attend meetings. The chairperson will work with Human Resources & Diversity (HR&D) to resolve any issues or problems that may arise relating to these scheduling and workload considerations.

General Membership Meetings - General membership meetings will be scheduled no less than two times a year (one in fall semester and one in spring semester) for the entire University Staff population, day and time to be determined. University Staff employees must notify their immediate supervisor of their plan to attend. University Staff employees may refer to the University Staff Shared Governance Participation and Leave Policy for more details regarding meeting attendance and governance participation.

Conducting Business Over Email - If a matter cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting of USC, business may be conducted over email. Rules for conducting an e-mail vote:

1. The chairperson, or designee, shall send out an email notice with the subject line “USC: Motion #” and include any supporting documentation. This notice must include a specific timeframe (day, month, date, year, and time) to respond to the email with any discussion. The timeframe shall not be less than one business day. A second is not necessary for the motion to be considered.
2. USC members shall use “reply all” to the email motion to discuss the motion. After the noted timeframe for the motion has elapsed, the chairperson, or designee, shall “reply all” and change the “Motion” in the subject line to “USC: Vote on Motion #”. This notice must include a specific timeframe to “respond all” to the email with a vote of “I vote yes” or “I vote no” or “I abstain” as the only response options.
3. After the noted timeframe for the motion has elapsed, the chairperson, or designee, shall tally the results. In the event of a tie, the chairperson shall “reply all” with their vote to break the tie.
4. The chairperson, or designee, shall “reply all” with the results of the vote, including whether a quorum was reached.
5. The secretary shall compile and maintain the complete thread of the motion and its disposition and draft the minutes.
6. The minutes shall be included on the agenda and approved at the next scheduled USC meeting.

Committees of the USC include Bylaws Committee, Elections Committee, Employee Recognition Committee, Grant/Fundraising Committee, Personnel Review Committee, and Programming/Outreach Committee.

Committee meetings will be scheduled by the committee chairperson as needed.

Committee memberships are open to all University Staff employees. In some instances, the committee chair role is assigned to an executive board member; in other instances, the committee will select their own chair. At least one council member must be on each committee. The chairperson or their designated representative will attend monthly USC meetings to report on the activities of each committee. All committees shall be governed by the executive board of USC. Proposals to form new committees must be taken to USC and approved by a majority vote. Committees will be reviewed annually to determine future status by the executive board.

Bylaws Committee

This committee will maintain and annually review the mission statement, bylaws, resolutions, and USC related policies, amending as needed. It will also create resolutions to the bylaws as needed. Committee membership is open to all permanent and project University Staff employees on campus.

Elections Committee

This committee will oversee the yearly USC election process. The committee should be be comprised of any University Staff employee(s) not up for election.

Employee Recognition Committee

The purpose of this committee is to create and develop opportunities to provide recognition of University Staff employees and retirees of UW-Whitewater. This committee facilitates the University Staff Excellence Award and the Board of Regents University Staff Excellence Award.

Grant/Fundraising Committee

The mission of the grant/fundraising committee is to raise funds. The committee provides professional development funding, applies for grants, and raises funds for various USC functions and other events for University Staff. Funds are maintained in campus accounts. Various fundraising functions are promoted throughout the fiscal year.

Personnel Review Committee

The purpose of this committee is to fulfill functions necessary to the duties of the Impartial Hearing Officer and/or University Staff Grievance Subcommittee as set forth in the University Staff Personnel Rules Employee Grievance Policy. The Personnel Review Committee will consist of all council members (except the chairperson). Term length is one year, with no term limits. Members of the committee who participate in the discussion of the merits and decision-making shall be familiar with all testimony, all deliberations, and all evidence presented and keep all matters confidential. The chairperson of USC shall not serve as a member of this committee, but may provide procedural assistance if needed.

Programming/Outreach Committee

The purpose of this committee is to provide and promote programming and orientation for all University Staff employees. It will serve to help new employees transition smoothly into campus employment; enhance professional development, learning opportunities, and dissemination of information; and support the general activity of the University Staff Council through promotion of meetings, events, and other activities.

The general University Staff population may propose to the USC changes to the bylaws. Changes in the bylaws may be made by the members of the USC. All changes in the bylaws require the approval of the majority 60% (6/10) of the elected and appointed representatives, with final approval by the Chancellor.

USC has authority to propose resolutions to the Chancellor for campus-wide policy implementation for concerns relating directly to University Staff as a whole. New resolutions will be reviewed by the USC and require the approval of the majorityof the elected and appointed representatives.

In instances not covered by these bylaws, USC may refer to the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.