BYLAWS

 

OF THE

 

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

 

BUFFALO CENTER CHAPTER

 

UNITED UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARCH, 1999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER BYLAWS

 

State University of New York

 

Buffalo Center Chapter of the

 

United University Professions

 

March, 1999

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE TITLE                                                                                   PAGE

 

               Table of Contents                                                                        2

 

          I    Name                                                                                    5

 

        II    Purpose                                                                                 5

 

       III   Membership                                                                           5

 

              III.1   Definition                                                                            5

             

              III.2   Categories                                                                           5

 

       IV   Officers and Delegates                                                            5

 

              IV.1   Officers                                                                               5

 

                        IV.1a   Titles                                                                      5

 

                        IV.1b   Elected                                                                   5

 

                        IV.1c   Appointed                                                               5

 

              IV.2   Duties of Officers                                                                6

 

              IV.3   President                                                                            6

 

              IV.4   Vice Presidents                                                                   6

 

              IV.5   Secretary                                                                            6

 

              IV.6   Treasurer                                                                           6

 

              IV.7   Grievance Officers                                                              7

 

              IV.8   Negotiations Officers                                                          7

 

ARTICLE TITLE                                                                                   PAGE

 

            IV.9    Affirmative Action Officer                                                     7

 

            IV.10  Communications Officer                                                      7

 

            IV.11  Membership Officer                                                             7

 

            IV.12  Part-Time Concerns Officer                                                 7

 

            IV.13  Delegates                                                                            7

 

V.        Terms of Office                                                                       8

 

            V.1     Term Length                                                                       8

 

            V.2     Effective Dates                                                                    8

 

            V.3     Vacancies                                                                           8

 

                      V.3a     President                                                                8

 

                      V.3b     Other                                                                     8

 

            V.4    Special Elections                                                                 8

 

            V.5    Acting Appointments                                                           9

 

VI.       Chapter Board and Executive Committee                               9

 

            VI.1   Chapter Board Composition                                                9

 

            VI.2   Quorum                                                                              9

 

            VI.3   Executive Committee Composition                                      9

 

VII.      Responsibilities of the Chapter Board and Executive

                  Committee                                                                      9

 

            VII.1  Chapter Board                                                                   9

 

            VII.2  Referendum Procedures                                                    10

 

            VII.3  Executive Committee                                                        10

 

VIII.     Meetings of the Chapter                                                      10

 

            VIII.1  Annual Meeting                                                              10

 

            VIII.2  Annual Meeting Agenda                                                  10

ARTICLE TITLE                                                                             PAGE

 

            VIII.3  Chapter Board Meetings                                              10

 

IX.       Conduct of the Meeting and Parliamentarian                    11

 

            IX.1    Rules of Order                                                             11

 

             IX.2    Parliamentarian                                                          11

 

  X.       Committees                                                                     11

 

             X.1     Standing Committees                                                  11

 

                       X.1a   Membership                                                      11

 

                       X.1b   Grievance                                                          11

 

                       X.1c   Elections                                                           11

 

                       X.1d   Departmental Representatives                           11

 

             X.2     Ad Hoc Committees                                                     12

 

             X.3     Appointments                                                              12

 

             X.4     Committee Reports                                                      12

 

             X.5     Term of Appointment                                                   12

 

             X.6     Retired Members Committee                                        12

 

XI.        Elections                                                                          12

 

             XI.1    Conformity with UUP Constitution                               13

 

             XI.2    Frequency                                                                    13

 

             XI.3    Officers                                                                        13

 

                        XI.3a     Majority Vote Elections                                   13

 

                        XI.3b     Plurality Vote Elections                                  13

 

XII.       Amendments                                                                    13

 

             XII       Step 1:  Initiation                                                        13

 

             XII       Step 2:  Ratification                                                    13

 

ARTICLE I

NAME

 

 

     The name of this organization shall be United University Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo Center Chapter, also referred to in these Bylaws as “Chapter”.

 

 

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

 

     The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the purposes of the United University Professions (“UUP”) as found in Article II of the UUP Constitution, as those provisions apply to the University at Buffalo.

 

 

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1.  Definition

 

     Membership in this Chapter shall consist of those members in good standing of UUP who are employed at or retired from the State University of New York at Buffalo Center.

 

Section 2.  Categories

 

     Members of the Chapter shall be designated as either “academic” or “professional” as defined by the UUP Constitution.

 

 

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS, AND DELEGATES

 

Section 1.  Officers

 

  1. Titles.  The officers of this organization shall be President, Vice President

for Academics, Vice President for Professionals, Secretary, Treasurer, Grievance Officer for Academics, Grievance Officer for Professionals, Negotiations Officer for Academics, Negotiations Officer for Professionals, Affirmative Action Officer, Communications Officer, Membership Officer and Part-time Concerns Officer.

 

     b.  Elected.  All officers except the Grievance Officer for Academics, Grievance Officer for Professionals, Membership Officer and Part-time Concerns Officer shall be elected.

 

     c.  Appointed.  The Grievance Officer for Academics, Grievance Officer for Professionals, Membership Officer and Part-time Concerns Officer shall be appointed by the President, must be approved by the Chapter Board, and shall serve for a 2-year term unless physically incapacitated or otherwise unable to perform the duties of office, in which case the President with concurrence of the Chapter Board shall request that person’s resignation. Appointed officers shall be non-voting members of the Chapter Board unless are already voting members of the Chapter Board as defined in Article IV, Section 13, and Article VI, Section 1.

 

Section 2.  Duties of Officers

 

   The officers shall carry out the policy of the organization; shall coordinate the activities of the organization’s committees; and shall report to the Chapter Board and the membership on the transactions, activities and accomplishments of the Chapter.  Specific duties, to be called “Chapter Policies and Procedures,” will be determined by mutual agreement of the officers and approved by the Chapter Board as soon as possible after the term of office begins.  These duties will be published to the membership.

 

Section 3.  President

 

     The President shall preside over the Executive Committee, all meetings of the membership, and the Chapter Board; shall appoint, with the approval of the Chapter Board, the members of committees, the committee Chairs (except Chairs of the Elections, Grievance Committees and Departmental Representative), and the Part-time Concerns Officer and Membership Officer; shall be a non-voting member of all standing committees except the Elections Committee; shall perform all other functions usually attributed to this office; and shall represent the organization before the public and appropriate bodies.

 

Section 4.  Vice Presidents

 

     The Vice Presidents shall function under the direction of the President.  They shall have as their primary duties the analysis of problems and concerns of the members of the categories they represent; shall present such analyses to the Chapter Board for appropriate action; shall ensure timely communication of such matters to the membership through Chapter publications; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President.

 

Section 5.  Secretary

 

     The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Chapter Board, the Labor/Management Committee and the membership; shall maintain official files in a central location; and shall assist the President with correspondence and communication.

 

Section 6.  Treasurer

 

     The Treasurer, who shall be bonded, shall hold the funds of the Chapter and shall maintain a roll of members.  Accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements shall be kept, a report made at each meeting of the membership, and an annual financial statement prepared for publication and distribution to members as directed by the Chapter Board.  The Treasurer shall keep the President and the Chapter Board informed of the financial condition of the organization.

 

Section 7.  Grievance Officers

 

     The Grievance Officers shall supervise the handling of grievances for individuals in their respective categories in accordance with UUP policies and procedures.

 

Section 8.  Negotiations Officers

 

     The Negotiations Officers shall be responsible for ascertaining membership input for the negotiations package and shall serve as Chapter representatives on the UUP Ad Hoc Advisory Committee to the Negotiations Committee (ref. Article X, Section 1a of the UUP Constitution).

 

Section 9.  Affirmative Action Officer

 

     The Affirmative Action Officer shall be responsible for reviewing Chapter policies and activities with respect to equal opportunities and shall recommend to the Chapter Board and other appropriate bodies actions designed to implement affirmative action goals within the Chapter.

 

Section 10.  Communications Officer

 

     The Communications Officer shall be responsible for Chapter publications in accordance with policies and guidelines established for such publications and shall ensure adequate and accurate exchanges of information between the membership and the Chapter Board in cooperation with the Vice Presidents for Academics and Professionals.

 

Section 11.  Membership Officer

 

     The Membership Officer shall be responsible for supervising programs to expand the Chapter membership.

 

Section 12.  Part-time Concerns Officer

 

     The Part-time Concerns Officer shall be responsible for monitoring the concerns of part-time members, shall report to the Chapter membership, the Chapter Board and the Chapter President as appropriate, and shall make recommendations to the Chapter Board.

 

Section 13.  Delegates

 

      Those Delegates who received five (5) or more votes in their election shall be members of the Chapter Board.  Delegates shall represent the Chapter at regular and special meetings of the UUP Delegate Assembly.  Each category in this Chapter shall be entitled to Delegate representation as provided by the UUP Constitution and Chapter “Bylaws”.

 

Delegates to the Delegate Assembly shall serve according to the following:

 

     (a)    1st Delegate                                    President of the Chapter

 

     (b)    2nd Delegate                                   Vice President in alternate

                                                                  category to President

 

     (c)    3rd Delegate                                    Vice President in same

                                                                   category as President

 

(d)       Succeeding Delegates                     According to procedures

                                                      set forth in the UUP Constitution

 

 

ARTICLE V

TERMS OF OFFICE

 

Section 1.  Term Length

 

     All Officers as well as Delegates shall serve two-year terms. Elected Officers may stand for consecutive re-election only once.

 

Section 2.  Effective Dates

 

     Terms of office begin on June 1 or at the filling of a vacancy, and end on May 31.

 

Section 3.  Vacancies

 

     a.  President.  In the event the office of President become vacant, the Vice President from the category alternate to the President shall serve as Acting President and shall convene a meeting of the Chapter Board, to be held within thirty days following the occurrence of the vacancy.  The Chapter Board will appoint a President to serve until the next regular or special election.  Under these circumstances, the Chapter Board may, at its discretion, hold a special election for President.

 

     b.  Other.  Should any office other than President become vacant the vacant office shall be filled for the unexpired term of the office by the Chapter Board as early as practicable or by special election held at the discretion of the Chapter Board.

 

Section 4.  Special Elections

 

     Anyone elected in a special election shall assume office for the unexpired term of the office immediately upon completion of the election process.

 

 

Section 5.  Acting Appointments

 

     The Chapter Board may determine upon receipt of documentary evidence, and by a two-thirds majority of those voting, that an elected officer is unable or unwilling to fulfill the functions of the office.  Having so determined, the Chapter Board may, by a majority of those voting, appoint an eligible Chapter member to perform the duties of the office in an acting capacity.  The member so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Chapter Board, but in no case shall the appointment extend beyond the original term of the elected officer.  Upon the request of the elected officer, or at its own initiative, the Chapter Board may at any time review the status of the elected officer and may, by a majority of those voting, restore the duties of the office to the elected officer.

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI

CHAPTER BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1.  Chapter Board Composition

 

     The Chapter Board, also referred to in these Bylaws as the “Board”, shall consist of the following voting members: elected officers, including any officer appointed to an elective position in accordance with Article V, Section 3; Delegates who received five or more votes; and elected members of the Retired Members committee, as defined in Article X, Section 6, who received five or more votes; and the following non-voting members: appointed officers and such other non-voting members as the Board may add by majority vote.

 

Section 2.  Quorum

 

     A quorum for Chapter Board meetings shall consist of at least ten (10) Board members, but in no case less than five (5) Officers.

 

Section 3.  Executive Committee Composition

 

     The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President for Academics, Vice President for Professionals, Secretary and Treasurer.

 

 

ARTICLE VII

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1.  Chapter Board

 

     The Chapter Board shall be responsible for the administration of the Chapter and for the determination of its policies, subject to actions by the membership in an annual or special meeting.

 

 

Section 2.  Referendum Procedure

 

     Upon petition for a membership referendum presented by at least twenty-five (25) members or upon decision of the Board a question shall be presented to a special or annual meeting of the membership for discussion and possible modification of the form of the question but consistent with its intent as stated by its originators.  Approval shall be determined by a majority of the membership voting in a mail ballot distributed in accordance with the procedure set forth in Article XII, Step 2, below.

 

Section 3.  Executive Committee

 

     The Executive Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the purposes and policies of the Chapter and the Board on a continuing basis and shall meet on the call of the President.

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

MEETINGS OF THE CHAPTER

 

Section 1.  Annual Meeting

 

     The Chapter Board shall schedule an Annual Meeting of the Chapter membership, may call special meetings of the Chapter membership upon its own action and shall call special meetings upon petition of twenty-five (25) or more members.  The Chapter membership shall receive three weeks written notice prior to the Annual Meeting and two weeks written notice prior to a special meeting.  The quorum for any membership meeting shall be five percent of the membership or fifty (50) persons, whichever is less.

 

Section 2.  Annual Meeting Agenda

 

     The Annual Meeting agenda shall be established by the Chapter Board and sent with the notice of the meeting, except that three members can have item(s) included on the agenda of the annual meeting if the item(s) are received by the President or the Secretary at least ten calendar days before the meeting.  Members’ item(s) shall be included in a supplementary agenda sent out at least seven calendar days before the annual meeting.  The special meeting agenda shall be established by the Chapter Board if it calls the meeting, or by the members' petition if called upon petition.

 

Section 3.  Chapter Board Meetings

 

     The Chapter Board shall meet at least six times a year at times designated by the President.  It shall also meet at the request of five (5) members of the Chapter Board.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX

CONDUCT OF THE MEETING AND PARLIAMENTARIAN

 

 

Section 1.  Rules of Order

 

     Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, latest edition, shall govern the conduct of meetings and the transaction of business of this organization in all matters not specifically provided for in these Bylaws.

 

 

Section 2.  Parliamentarian

 

     The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian to assist in the conduct of meetings.  No officer of the Chapter shall be appointed Parliamentarian.

 

 

ARTICLE X

COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.  Standing Committees

 

     The Standing Committees of the Chapter shall be as follows:

 

  1. Membership.  The Membership Committee shall develop and carry out

programs for expanding the Chapter membership.  The Chair of the Membership Committee shall be the Membership Officer.

 

     b.  Grievance.  The Grievance Committee shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the elected Grievance Officers, and subject to approval by the Chapter Board.  The Grievance Officers shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Grievance Committee.  The members of the Committee shall aid Grievance Officers, except that the appropriate Grievance Officer must be present at any UUP Grievance hearing held on campus.  The members of the Grievance Committee, including Grievance Officers, shall be trained to handle grievances and to attend and handle disciplinary interrogations, and shall maintain confidentiality.

 

     c.  Elections.  The Elections Committee shall oversee Chapter elections and referenda and make recommendations on electoral procedure changes.  The Committee shall be composed of at least three (3) members.  The Chair of the Elections Committee shall be designated “Chapter Election Official”.  Committee members shall elect the Chair.

 

     d.  Departmental Representatives.  The Departmental Representatives Committee shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the elected Vice Presidents, and subject to approval by the Chapter Board.  The Vice Presidents shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Departmental Representative Committee.  The Committee shall oversee the recruitment and the replacement of departmental representatives, shall maintain an up-to-date roster of departmental representatives, and shall work with the President on facilitating communications with and calling meetings of the departmental representatives.  The departmental representatives shall be responsible for providing a two-way communication channel between the membership and the Chapter Board and officers.

 

Section 2.  Ad Hoc Committees

 

     The President may create ad hoc committees to carry out duties as specifically charged, subject to the approval of the Chapter Board.

 

Section 3.  Appointments

 

     The President shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Chapter Board, the members of each Standing Committee and the Chair and members of each Ad Hoc Committee.

 

Section 4.  Committee Reports

 

     The standing and ad hoc committees report to the Chapter Board or in the case of an emergency to the Executive Committee.

 

Section 5.  Term of Appointment

 

     The term of appointment of committee chairs and members begin on June 1, upon the filling of a vacancy, or upon the creation of the committee, and ends on May 31.

 

Section 6.  Retired Members Committee

 

     The Retired Members Committee is an elected committee.  It shall consist of three (3) members.  Members shall be nominated and elected for two-year terms from the retired members list according to the Chapter and Statewide UUP election rules and guidelines.  The member receiving the highest number of votes shall be Chair if she or he so chooses; otherwise, another committee member shall serve as Chair as decided by the Committee.  The Committee shall report to the Chapter Board on matters of particular concern to the retired members.

 

 

ARTICLE XI

ELECTIONS

 

Section 1.  Conformity with UUP Constitution

 

     Chapter elections shall be conducted in conformity with the UUP Constitution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 2.  Frequency

 

     All regular elections shall be held in odd-numbered years.

 

Section 3.  Officers

 

     a.  Majority Vote Elections.  Elections to the offices of President, Vice President for Academics, Vice President for Professionals, Secretary and Treasurer shall require a majority of those voting.

 

    b.  Plurality Vote Elections.  Elections to the offices of  Negotiations Officer for Academics, Negotiations Officer for Professionals, Communications Officer and Affirmative Action Officer shall require a plurality vote.

 

 

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENTS

 

These Bylaws may be amended by the following steps:

 

Step I.    Initiation.  On a motion presented to the Chapter Board at two     consecutive regular Board meetings and approved at the second such meeting by two-thirds of the Board members present and voting, or on a petition signed by at least ten (10) percent of the Chapter members and presented for discussion at two consecutive Chapter Board meetings, and

 

Step II.  Ratification.  Approval by ballot of the membership.  A favorable vote of two-thirds of the valid ballots shall be necessary to approve the amendment.  Ballots shall be mailed to each member at her or his home address within thirty (30) days after the second consecutive Chapter Board meeting at which the amendment is presented except that a ballot that would be postmarked between April 16 and August 31 shall be mailed between September 1 and September 15.  The Chapter Election Official shall determine the time permitted for returning the ballots but in no case shall the members have less than twenty (20) days nor more than thirty (30) days from the date of mailing.  The Elections Committee shall supervise the distribution and counting of ballots and certify the results to the Chapter Board.