The full name of this organization is the University of South Carolina - Columbia Staff Senate, hereinafter referred to as the “Staff Senate”.

Mission

The Staff Senate represents all classified and unclassified, temporary, temporary grant and time-limited staff employees at the University of South Carolina-Columbia hereinafter referred to as the “University”. The Staff Senate serves in an advisory capacity to the President of the University and their designee(s). The Staff Senate accepts and shares responsibility with the administration, faculty, and students for attaining the stated goals of the university and to foster a spirit of community.

Purpose

The Staff Senate serves as an advisory board to the University President and seek to do the following:

• Create an open forum to facilitate communication among staff and the administration.
• Engage staff and bring their interests and concerns before the administration.
• Explore solutions for more efficient and effective University operations.
• Promote a positive campus climate and strengthen the sense of community among staff.
• Participate in service work that supports the University and surrounding community.
• Propose and support programs to enhance and encourage professional development.

The Staff Senate is not intended as a vehicle to address individual issues, grievances, or complaints, nor to circumvent regular administrative channels. It is intended to be a group gathered in the meaningful purpose of providing a voice to the many individuals that compose the staff of the University.

The Staff Senate of the University, having been created by the direction of the University staff to act by and for that body, is endowed with all the powers and authority of the University staff except for those powers specifically reserved by that body to itself, provided that the University staff may amend or repeal any general policy decisions adopted by the Staff Senate.

Section 1: Representation

The Staff Senate is composed of members elected using the following criteria.

1. Staff Senators hereinafter referred to as “Senators” will consist of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) (full-time or, part-time), and Research Grant Position (RGP) employees of the University who have been employed at the University for a minimum of one (1) consecutive year before their election dates. At the time of the election, the employee must be a member of the specified organizational unit. If a Senator ceases to be a University FTE or RGP employee, they are automatically removed as a Senator. A Senator who remains a University employee, but transfers from the designated organizational unit
   to another organizational unit, will be allowed to complete their term as an At-Large member of the UofSC Staff Senate and maintain full voting rights. Replacement of the vacated seat reference Article III, Section 2, F. 
2. Time Limited (TL) and Temporary employees) are not eligible to become Senators but are represented by their Senators.
3. A Senator must be in good standing with the University upon election and remain in such standing during their terms.
4. The Staff Senate will be composed of employees from each organizational unit that will be proportional to the number of total staff as determined by data provided annually by the Division of Human Resources.
   
   1. Organizational Units with 1 - 149 staff members will have two (2) Senators.
   2. Organizational Units with 150 - 299 staff members will have three (3) Senators.
   3. Organizational Units with 300 – 549 staff members will have four (4) Senators.
   4. Organizational Units with 550 or 699 staff members will have five (5) Senators.
   5. Organizational Units with 700 or more staff members will have (6) Senators.
   6. Academic Affairs will have 1 staff member per organizational unit
5. Senator who remains a University employee, but transfers from their designated organizational unit to another organizational unit, will be allowed to complete their term.
6. In January of each year, the Executive Committee will request the number of existing staff from the Division of Human Resources and use this information to define organizational units. Organizational units may change on an annual basis based on this review, but no currently serving Senators will be removed during their terms due to changes in organizational units. If an organizational unit’s employee numbers increase and that organizational unit is entitled to an additional senator(s), an open Senate seat will be created and that election will occur at the next regularly scheduled election. This staff number should be based on actual employees, not authorized positions.
7. The University’s Vice President of the Division of Human Resources and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, Chief of Staff of the President’s Office or their designees will be ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Staff Senate, invited to attend all meetings and serve as resources to the Senate.

Section 2: Terms/Elections

1. Officers will be elected for one (1) year terms that will begin on July 1 and end on June 30. Officers may serve for two (2) consecutive terms of one (1) year each. After serving two (2) consecutive terms, they are not eligible for re-election until they have a break of at least one (1) year.
2. Senators will be elected for two (2) year terms that will begin on July 1 and end on June 30. Senators may serve for two (2) consecutive terms of two (2) years each. After serving two (2) consecutive terms, they are not eligible for re-election until they have a break of at least one (1) year.
3. Elections will be held annually. (reference Article V. Elections Procedures)
4. All staff employees, except external dual employees, in each organizational unit have voting rights for elections of Senators. A staff employee working with multiple organizational units may only vote in their primary organizational unit as defined by the Division of Human Resources. (reference Article V. Election Procedures)
5. Prior to the first election of Officers and Senators, the co-chairs of the Staff Senate Planning Committee will serve as the advisors to Staff Senate for two (2) years. The advisors will oversee the process of officer appointments and serve as the liaisons to University administration. Once officers are appointed, the advisors and officers will serve in lieu of the membership committee until the full Staff Senate is elected.
6. If a Senator resigns or is removed during their term, a replacement will not be selected until the next annual election unless one is appointed by the Executive Committee when there is no representation from an organizational unit. Any appointed Senators by the Executive Committee will serve until the next election. An appointed term does not affect eligibility of re-election.
7. In consultation with the Division of Human Resources, the Executive Committee may recommend the removal of a Senator. Any removal requires a supermajority (2/3 or more vote) of the Senators present during a regularly scheduled meeting. Any such removal may be appealed to the University President or their designee.

Section 3: Attendance and Leave

1. During a year (July - June), if a Senator accumulates a combined total of seven (7) absences (excused or non-excused) from regularly scheduled monthly meetings and/or regularly scheduled committee meetings, the Senator may be dismissed from the Senate. This review will be undertaken by the Executive Committee, who, at their discretion, may recommend removal to the Staff Senate. Any removal requires a supermajority (2/3 or more vote) of the Senators present during a regularly scheduled meeting.
2. Any Senator removed by the Staff Senate for attendance reasons will not be eligible for re-election in the next annual election.
3. An excused absence shall be defined as an occurrence of official University work or official University leave. Each excused absence will be separately counted, even if covered by the same circumstance, including leave.
4. An excuse must be given in writing to the Secretary before the meeting unless an emergency arises. In such cases, the Secretary must then be contacted within seven (7) calendar days of the meeting date. If needed, the Secretary may request further information from the Senator to determine if the absence qualifies as excused.
5. A Staff Senator on official University leave shall retain their Senatorial seat until the end of their term. A Staff Senator ceases to be a Senator immediately upon leaving University employment.
6. A voting member of the Executive Committee who does not attend three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled Staff Senate meetings (regardless of whether in the same year) shall be automatically removed from the Executive Committee but shall remain a Senator. This removal applies to excused and non-excused absences. Continuation as a Staff Senator would be addressed through 3-A.

Section 4: Meetings and Quorum

The University will ensure Senators are released from normal work duties to attend the monthly Staff Senate meetings, committee meetings and be granted a reasonable amount of work time to perform official Staff Senate business. Each Senator is asked to establish dedicated time each month for Staff Senate responsibilities: typically four (4) to six (6) hours a month for Senators and eight (8) to twelve (12) hours a month for committee chairs and members of the Executive Committee. Any hours worked that would cause a nonexempt employee to incur overtime or compensatory time must receive preapproval by the employee's supervisor and should only occur on an infrequent basis.

1. Senate Meetings
   1. Meeting Schedule: The Staff Senate shall typically meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 3:00 p.m. The Executive Committee may adjust the meeting day due to holidays or significant University related scheduling issues. The location will be established in advance by the Executive Committee.
   2. Meetings of the Staff Senate will be open to the public, but only Senators and invited guests are permitted to speak. However, the President of the Executive Committee may permit others to speak, time permitting. Visitors may not attend any executive sessions of the Staff Senate.
   3. Notices of regular meetings will be published on the Staff Senate’s website and available University media and social media.
   4. Items for consideration on the meeting agenda should be submitted in advance to the President of the Executive Committee.  These items should be received no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the Tuesday Senate meeting for review by the Executive Committee.
   5. By favorable vote of the Executive Committee, special meetings of the Staff Senate may be held. The Executive Committee determines the location and time of in-person or virtual special meetings.. All Senators will be notified in advance of special meetings via telephone, electronic mail or Campus Mail.
2. Executive Committee Meetings
   1. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held monthly every first Tuesday. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the President or upon the written request of three (3) voting members of the Executive Committee.
   2. The Executive Committee will establish the agenda of Staff Senate meetings. The agenda of the upcoming Staff Senate meeting and the draft minutes from the previous Staff Senate meeting will be disseminated to all Senators prior to the meeting.
   3. The Executive Committee will review all guest speakers prior to the monthly Tuesday meeting to create the agenda and confirm the speakers.
   4. The minutes of any Staff Senate meeting will be made available to any University staff member upon request.
3. Executive Session: The Staff Senate reserves the right, upon majority vote, to go into executive session, but no final action can be taken in executive session. Any actions must be approved by the Staff Senate during an open session. While in Executive Session only members of the Senate, other voting members of the University Faculty, and special invitees may be present. The President may also call a Staff Senate executive session when items to be discussed are considered to be confidential in nature.
4. Quorum
   1. A simple majority of the membership of the Staff Senate will constitute a quorum. The Staff Senate may conduct a meeting without a quorum, but any such meeting will only involve information sharing, not actionable items. Each Senator will have one vote and may transfer their vote to another Senator by revocable written proxy submitted to the Secretary of the Executive Committee. However, the transfer of a vote cannot be used as a mechanism to establish a quorum (Article III, Section 3).
   2. Resolutions announced on the agenda or introduced during a meeting of the Staff Senate shall be voted on no sooner than the next meeting. However, by a two-thirds (2/3) or vote of those present and comprising a quorum, the Senate may elect to vote on a resolution during the meeting at which it was introduced. A simple majority vote of the Senators present will be necessary to take action on all other matters except removal of a Senator or changes to the bylaws.

Section 5: Ex-Officio Members

The ex-officio members of the Staff Senate will be the Immediate Past President of the Executive Committee, Vice President of Human Resources, and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Chief of Staff of the President’s Office. Ex-officio members do not have voting rights and are not counted in regard to a quorum.

The Staff Senate shall elect Officers to serve for one (1) year. Officers will maintain full voting rights in the Staff Senate. Officers do not count as any unit’s number of Senators.

These Officers constitute the Executive Committee. No more than two (2) officers may be employed by the same unit. All Officers, except the Immediate Past-President, have voting rights on the Executive Committee. A quorum consists of a minimum of three (3) voting members. The Executive Committee may conduct a meeting without a quorum, but any such meeting will only involve information sharing, not actionable items. (reference Article V. Section-4)

The retiring Officers shall serve through June 30; however, for transition purposes, newly elected Officers may attend meetings of the Executive Committee in a non-voting capacity prior to the beginning of their terms on July 1.

Section 1: Duties

1. President - Serves as the liaison to the University’s Board of Trustees, to the University President, to Faculty Senate, and to other University officials as needed. The President shall be responsible for scheduling and conducting all Staff Senate meetings. The President will recommend a current Senator to chair each respective Staff Senate standing or ad hoc committee. The President’s recommendations shall be presented to the Executive Committee for confirmations. If the committee chair is unable to fulfill their responsibilities, the President may select a temporary replacement until the next Executive Committee meeting. The President will serve as ex-officio, non-voting member of each committee. The President may appoint a Senator to replace any inactive committee member, may assist with any standing committee or may request reports from committees at Staff Senate meetings. The President shall serve as an advisor along with the Vice President to the standing and ad hoc committees.
2. Vice President – Assists the President and performs the duties of the President in their absence. Oversees the preparation of the agenda for monthly Staff Senate meetings and Executive Committee meetings. The Vice President shall serve as an advisor along with the President to the standing and ad hoc committees. The Vice President shall assume the President role should a vacancy occur until another President is elected by the Staff Senate.
3. Immediate Past President - Assists with transition of new officers and materials, assists with other duties as assigned, and attends Executive Committee and Staff Senate meetings as an ex officio member. Regarding elections, the Immediate Past-President will serve as the advisor to the Membership Committee.
4. Parliamentarian – Advises the President and other Officers, committees, and Senators on matters of parliamentary procedure to ensure that meetings are conducted according to most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order and shall ensure adherence to these bylaws.
5. Secretary – Performs the duties of the President in the absence of both the President and the Vice-President. Bears the responsibility for maintaining and distributing accurate records, including Executive Committee meeting agendas and minutes, Staff Senate meeting agendas and minutes, attendance records for Staff Senate and Executive Committee meetings, and all official business conducted by the Staff Senate. In the absence of the Parliamentarian at an Executive Committee meeting, the Secretary will act in this role in addition to their Secretary role; however, they will only have one (1) vote.
6. Treasurer - Manages financial policies, and procedures related to Staff Senate funds. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial report and budget. The Treasurer shall make monthly financial reports to the Executive Committee and quarterly financial reports to the Staff Senate. The Treasurer shall approve all non-personnel related expenditures of funds from Staff Senate accounts. The Executive Committee will ensure periodic audits are conducted of all Staff Senate funds and the Executive Committee will review the results of these audits.

Elections will be managed by the Membership Committee which will be advised by the Immediate Past-President. (reference: Article VII. Section 1B)

Section 1: Nomination Process

1. The Membership Committee will be responsible for preparing, maintaining, and operating a nomination process.
2. The Membership Committee will provide information with the call for nomination to the organizational units for distribution to everyone eligible to vote in the organizational unit. The list of eligible staff to vote will be provided by the Division of Human Resources.
   
   1. The document should, at minimum, describe eligibility requirements for serving as a Staff Senator (reference Article III)
   2. Outline the responsibilities of serving as a Senator.
   3. Explain how nominations should be submitted and by what date.
3. The Membership Committee shall actively recruit staff across organizational units with vacancies through the help of the Staff Senate and organizational unit leadership.
4. The Membership Committee will call meetings and monitor the Staff Senate nomination process.
5. If there are no nominations for a Senator in an organizational unit, the Membership Committee will contact appropriate organizational leadership (VP, AVP, Dean, Director, etc.) for support in providing nominations.
6. The Membership Committee will verify that all nominees meet the eligibility requirements as specified in Article III, Section 1.
7. Once the call for nominations closes, the Membership Committee will contact nominees to confirm nominations and request a brief biographical statement from them.

Section 2: Voting

The Membership Committee will create the ballots (electronic or paper) for each organizational unit, manage ballot collection, tabulate ballots, and report election results.

1. Ballots
   1. The Membership Committee will collect names and biographical statements of nominees from each organizational unit holding elections. Approved electronic systems/forms by Division of Human Resources will be utilized for electronic ballots and will be distributed to all employees of an organizational unit via their University issued email accounts.
   2. Paper ballots may also be utilized in a manner approved by the Membership Committee. As needed, the Membership Committee will also coordinate voting stations in designated locations to allow employees to vote by paper ballot.
      
      1. In order to receive paper ballot, the staff member must sign by their name to indicate they have received a paper ballot, must complete the ballot at the time, and return the folded ballot to the Membership Committee member manning the location in order for their vote to be counted.
      2. Paper ballots are considered invalid if marked with more than the specified number of nominations.
   3. Oversee the vote to ensure that each eligible staff member votes only once and the vote count is accurate. Tabulate the votes.
   4. Staff will not be allowed to vote both electronically and by paper. Electronic and paper ballots will be tabulated by the Membership Committee.
2. The individuals receiving the highest number of votes are elected Senators.
3. For uncontested Staff Senate seats, where there are as many candidates in the organizational unit as vacancies, the candidates will be automatically declared elected.
4. In the event of a tie in the election of any Senator, a runoff will be held between the tied candidates. This run-off will be held within 2 weeks of the stated deadline of the original voting. If the tie is not broken after the runoff, the candidate with the longer time of service to the University will be designated as the winner.
5. Election results will be shared with candidates, Senators, and all other staff members.
   
   1. An email shall be sent to newly elected Senate members to welcome them to the Senate and giving them a copy of the Staff Senate Bylaws.
   2. An email shall be sent to all organizational unit leadership with updates regarding their Staff Senate representation.

Section 3: Election Timeline

1. January: Elections are announced at the Staff Senate Meeting
   1. During this Staff Senate meeting, the Membership Committee will give an overview of the election process and will announce which organizational units will need to hold elections.
      
      1. Each organizational unit and active Senators will begin engaging with colleagues in regard to serving on the Senate.
2. February/March: The Membership Committee, Staff Senate as a whole, and organizational units will recruit and send out a call for nominations.
   
   1. During Senate meeting, Membership Committee will give an overview of the election process and will announce which organizational unit will need to hold elections.
   2. The Membership Committee will confirm nominations, collect names and biographical statements.
   3. The Membership Committee will create ballots (electronic or paper).
3. April: The Membership Committee distributes ballots and voting occurs.
   1. The Membership Committee distributes ballots to each organizational unit with a minimum voting period of ten (10) business days.
   2. The voting period for Staff Senator elections will conclude by April 30.
   3. All elections for Senators must be finalized and reported to the Staff Senate’s Executive Committee within ten (10) business days of the closing of the voting period.
4. May: Election results are reported, and newly elected Senators are on-boarded.
   1. An email shall be sent to newly elected Senate members to welcome them to the Senate and giving them a copy of these bylaws.
   2. An email shall be sent to all organizational unit’s leadership with updates regarding their Staff Senate representation.
   3. The University’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs or their designee will be notified of newly elected Senators for updating of the Staff Senate’s website.
   4. New Senator orientation will be held typically in May, but no later than June. The Membership Committee with the support of the Executive Committee will coordinate this orientation.

Section 4: Election of Officers

Officers of the Staff Senate (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian) will be elected at the March Staff Senate Meeting and be seated as of July 1.

1. Nominees must be a current Staff Senator prior to nomination and be in good standing with the University. Nominees must be an active participating member of the Staff Senate within the one (1) year period prior to nomination by attending meetings regularly and providing service in conjunction with the Staff Senate’s activities. Nominees should have the support of their organizational unit to have the time required for Officer duties.
2. An information session for Senators interested in Officer positions may be held, typically in January annually. This information session would include discussion with past Officers on the job descriptions.
3. The Immediate-Past President of the Staff Senate shall preside over the Senate officer elections with support from the Membership Committee. In their absence, the Staff Senate may establish a replacement by majority vote. The Immediate-Past President or replacement, if needed, shall count votes casted in these elections and will designate two (2) other Senators not seeking Officer positions to assist in counting the votes. The election shall be conducted by secret ballot.
4. All nominees for each Officer position must accept the nomination and introduce themselves to the Senators before the election for that office. If a Senator wants to be nominated to an Officer position and cannot be present at the Senate meeting at which nominations would be accepted, the Senator must submit a letter of intent for the position to the Immediate-Past President. The letter must be received by the Immediate-Past President prior to the February Staff Senate meeting. The nominee shall be allowed to stand for election for the position once the Senator’s eligibility is confirmed by the Immediate-Past President.
5. In the event of a tie in the election of any Officer, a runoff will be held between the tied candidates. This run-off will be held within 2 weeks of the stated deadline of the original voting. If the tie is not broken after the runoff, the candidate with the longer time of service to the University will be designated as the winner.
6. In the event any Officer should resign their position, a special election to fill that vacancy will be held by the Staff Senate at the next scheduled meeting.

The Executive Committee shall consist of five voting members elected by the Staff Senate to include a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer and Parliamentarian. The immediate Past-President will serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee.

Section 1: Committee Responsibilities

1. The Executive Committee will serve as liaison between the Staff Senate and the University’s President, other University administrators and external entities to the University.
2. The Executive Committee will propose the agenda for the monthly Staff Senate meetings. The regularly scheduled Executive Committee meeting will be held no later than five (5) business days prior to the next scheduled Senate meeting.
3. The Executive Committee will have general supervision of the affairs of the Staff Senate both during and between meetings, make recommendations to the Staff Senate and perform other duties as specified in these bylaws.
4. The Executive Committee will appoint chairs and members of all standing and ad hoc committees. The Executive Committee will consider and possibly refer items, including items submitted by staff, to the appropriate committees for their review and subsequent recommendations to the Staff Senate.

Section 1: Committees

Standing committee meetings shall be held regularly, on a monthly basis. Standing committee chairs are required to submit written reports to the Executive Committee detailing the activities of their committee, including the date and time of the meeting, attendance and a summary of the presentation and actions taken.

1. Committee Leadership
   1. The Executive Committee will appoint a Senator to serve as chair of each of the standing and ad hoc committees. A Senator may only chair one (1) standing or ad hoc committee.
   2. Terms of committee chairs will be for one (1) year and chairs may be reappointed for successive years.
   3. Committee chairs will be responsible for planning and scheduling meetings, recording attendance, and sending meeting notifications to all committee members.
   4. Committee chairs will prepare agendas with objectives prior to each meeting and distribute to each committee member in advance.
2. Committee Membership
   1. Senators will be assigned to one standing committee by the Executive Committee. A standing committee must have a minimum of four (4) assigned Senators. If a standing committee falls below the four (4) Senator minimum, Senators may be reassigned by the Executive Committee. Senators may serve on additional committees on a voluntary basis as long as it does not impact their duties associated with their assigned committee.
   2. Senators may designate a committee preference; however, the Executive Committee will make the final committee assignments.
   3. Terms for committee members will be for one (1) year and members may be reappointed for successive years.

Membership Committee
The purpose of the Membership Committee is to assess representation in each of the organizational units, conduct all Senator and Officer elections, and implement new Senator orientations. Maintain a list of outgoing Senator and other vacancies in Staff Senate.

Communications Committee
The purpose of the Communications Committee is to relay the activities and contributions of the Staff Senate to all University staff as well as work to improve communication efforts across campus. The Communications Committee will be responsible for providing Staff Senate updates to University’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs or their designee for website updates and staff communication.

Staff Policy and Wellbeing Committee
The purpose of the Staff Policy and Wellbeing Committee is to consider the compensation, benefits, work/life balance, and well-being  of staff employees. This Committee shall research, report on, and recommend to the Staff Senate any action to be taken on issues concerning the general wellbeing of the staff at the University.

Professional Development Committee
The Professional Development Committee will develop recommendations about programs for employee training and professional development. The Committee serves as an advisory committee to the Office of Organizational and Professional Development.

Community Project Committee
The Community Project Committee will be focused on enhancing staff experiences through campus and community outreach. The committee will create opportunities for staff to get involved and have a positive impact on the great Carolina and Columbia community.

Bylaws Committee
The Bylaws Committee shall review and maintain the Staff Senate’s Bylaws to ensure the accuracy and validity of the articles under which the Staff Senate operates. The committee may also seek the advice of University’s General Counsel to ensure to accuracy and validity of the articles under which the Staff Senate operates. The committee will provide recommendations to the Staff Senate for any changes to the Staff Senate Bylaws.

Awards and Recognition Committee
The purpose of the Awards Recognition Committee is to plan and implement the annual Staff Senate Award program, as well as consider and implement additional USC staff recognition opportunities. The Committee will create opportunities to recognize and appreciate Staff on the USC campus.

Scholarship and Fundraising Committee
The Scholarship and Fundraising committee is responsible for soliciting philanthropic funds to support various staff senate initiatives. Funds raised by this committee will be housed in the staff Senate Educational Foundation account.

Ad Hoc Committees
Ad hoc committees shall be created and disbanded as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee for the accomplishment of certain projects or for special purposes. Ad hoc committees will cease to exist upon the completion of the assigned project or special purpose.

Any proposed amendment to these bylaws must first be reviewed and approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee must submit any proposed bylaw changes to Senators at least ten (10) business days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting. These bylaws may be amended with a two-thirds (2/3) or more favorable vote of the Senators. Approved changes to these bylaws become effective immediately unless designated otherwise by the Staff Senate.