Bylaws

Name: The name of this Committee is the Staff Advisory Committee (SAC).

Mission: The purpose of the Staff Advisory Committee is to serve as an advisory and focus group for Longwood staff members. Staff members of Longwood represented by the Staff Advisory Committee include classified employees, administrative and professional faculty, and wage employees. The Committee members will support the mission and integrity of the University while facilitating communication among members of the Longwood community.

Membership: Membership on the Committee shall be restricted to staff members only. Students and instructional faculty are not eligible.

Committee Composition: The Committee shall be comprised of 15 staff members to include:

• 9-10 Classified employees
• 5-6 Administrative/Professional employees
• 1 Ex-Officio Member: Chief Human Resources Officer or appointee
• The number of employees in each category should be such that the total never exceeds 15.

Executive Council: The Executive Council shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Webmaster. The Executive Council will solicit agenda items from the Committee members; set and distribute the agenda one week prior to the Committee meeting; distribute minutes and other communications to the Committee members; and maintain official records of the Committee. The approved minutes will be maintained electronically on the SAC website and will be made available to all campus staff.

Ex-Officio Member: The Chief Human Resources Officer will serve as the ex-officio member of the Committee. This person will be the liaison between the Committee and the administration and will serve in the capacity of an advisor to the Committee. The ex-officio person is a non-voting member of the Committee.
Ad-Hoc Member: When the Committee deems it appropriate an ad-hoc position may be elected to serve a one year term. The person filling the ad-hoc position will not be a voting member of the Committee.

Member Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities of the Staff Advisory Committee members shall be to:

• Make informed statements and recommendations to the Committee
• Vote on matters brought before the Committee
• Serve on committees as needed throughout the year
• Communicate to his/her respective area regarding issues handled through the Committee as appropriate, keeping confidentiality as required on each issue
• Promote a positive and solution-oriented approach to University issues

Term of Office: The Term of Office for all members will be from July 1 to June 30. Members (except for the ad-hoc position) will serve a two-year term. In May of each year, members will submit to the Committee a list of nominees to replace the out-going members who have served their two-year terms. A Selection Committee will be appointed and it will contact each nominee and ask if he/she is willing to serve. The Committee will confirm that the nominees and the continuing Committee members will combine to represent as many of the departments/divisions of the campus as possible. A complete list of confirmed nominees will be given to the Committee for consideration and a vote will be taken to select the number of new members needed for the forthcoming year-new members will be chosen by majority vote. The Selection Committee will notify the new members that they have been elected to serve on the Committee beginning July 1.

Reclassification: If a Committee member's job classification changes, which change creates an imbalance in the Committee composition as noted above, the member shall have the choice to serve the remainder of their term or step down from the Committee. If the member steps down, the Committee may then decide whether a new member should be elected to serve out the remainder of the term. Nominees will be selected and chosen by majority vote of the Committee.

Resignations/Vacancies: If a vacancy occurs, the Selection Committee will submit a list of nominees to the Executive Council. The selection will be approved by the Committee by majority vote. The newly appointed member(s) will serve the remainder of the predecessor's term.

Officers and Their Duties: The officers of the Staff Advisory Committee shall be the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Webmaster.

Election of Officers: The Selection Committee will provide a list of nominees and a majority vote will be made in the June meeting.

Term of Office: Each officer will serve a one-year term. The term of service will run from July 1 to June 30. An officer may be elected for a second term.

Chair: The duties of the Chair shall be to:

• Preside over meetings of the Committee
• Call special meetings of the Committee as needed
• Solicit agenda items for each meeting
• Provide reports and communication to the Chief Human Resources Officer

Vice Chair: The duties of the Vice Chair shall be to:

• Preside over meetings of the Committee in the absence of the Chair
• Serve as chair of the Selection Committee and Sub-Committees
• Review proposed minutes prior to sending to Committee for approval
• Coordinate special events planning

Secretary: The duties of the Secretary shall be to:

• Preside over meetings in the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair
• Conduct roll call, record attendance, and inform the Chair of a quorum
• Record minutes of meetings and maintain official records
• Coordinate communication of minutes and other materials to all members
• Send Committee approved minutes to webmaster to post on SAC website
• Maintain lists of members and officers with dates of their terms
• Distribute agenda and send notification of meeting dates and times prior to monthly meetings

Web Master: The webmaster will assume the primary responsibility of updating the Staff Advisory Committee website. The duties of the webmaster shall be to:

• Make sure all information on the website is accurate
• Post approved minutes
• Select and post pictures from SAC events

Meetings and Quorums: Regular meetings will be held the 3rd Thursday of each month. Special meetings will be called on an as-needed basis. A quorum will consist of two-thirds of all members. A quorum must be present to vote on issues before the Committee.

Sub-Committees: Sub-Committees will be formed by the Executive Council for various social events and other needs as they arise.

Procedures for Handling Staff Concerns: Staff members are encouraged to submit their concerns to SAC members. Under no circumstances will the name of the staff member submitting the question be used when the Committee transmits the concern, unless given written permission by the staff member. The Chair will prioritize the items and will attempt to refer them to the appropriate office, Committee or administrator. The Chief Human Resources Officer will assist the Committee in determining the proper channel for appropriate review of the issue.

The integrity of the Committee both with the staff and administration are paramount to the effectiveness of the Committee. An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Committee within the context of Federal and State Laws, Commonwealth of Virginia and University Policies and Procedures, and the confidential nature of the information that may be presented to the Committee must be respected. Individual members will not discuss matters under consideration by the Committee. All discussions are strictly confidential and must stay within the Committee structure. Each member will be required to sign a Participation Agreement and will pledge to work to maintain the integrity of the Committee.

Approved: February 12, 2004. Revised: November 2, 2005.
Revised: April 18, 2007. Revised: January 16, 2008.
Revised 8 January 2009
Final revisions 16 January 2009 Updated revisions to HR July 29, 2009