Classified Staff Organization Bylaws
Approved December 12 2012

Article I.  Mission

To represent the interests of classified employees at Lewis-Clark State College by working with other constituents of the campus for the improvement of personnel and program management, morale, working conditions, and productivity.

1. To provide leadership opportunities for classified employees in the promotion and development of programs, policies, and procedures that complement the LCSC Mission.
    
2. To provide formal representation on behalf of the classified employees in policy matters pertaining to personal and professional welfare.  
    
3. To promote an active role for classified employees in the institution’s governance structure.  
    
4. To make recommendations regarding the establishment, interpretation and publicity of operating policies and procedures.
    
5. To cooperate with the Faculty and Professional Staff Organizations in the formulation of joint recommendations relative to problem solving common to faculty, professional and classified employees.  
    
6. To promote and encourage ethical practices among classified employees.
    
7. To form committees, as necessary, to study special and/or continuing topics of interest to classified employees.
    
8. To provide representation and/or recommendations to general campus committees and other study groups.
    
9. To call to the attention of the President all matters concerning classified staff affairs in all divisions and departments.

Article II.  Membership

Section 1:
Membership in the LCSC Classified Staff organization is open to all classified staff and is automatic the first day of employment.  Membership does not include:   

1. Employees in a Professional position
2. Employees holding faculty rank 
3. Irregular help 
4. Student Workers

Section 2:
A person ceases to be a member of the CSO upon termination or change of position to non-classified rank.

Article III.  Membership Meetings

Section 1:  Meetings
The CSO will meet at least four times per academic year (i.e. September, December, February and April).  Special meetings may be called by the CSO Chair or upon the written request of three CSO members.

Section 2:  Quorum

1. A quorum shall consist of members present at meetings.
2. General business of the Classified Staff Organization shall be ratified by a majority of votes cast.

Article IV.  Elections

The Chair, Chair-elect, Recording Secretary and Web Secretary shall be elected from the collective CSO body. These positions shall henceforth be referred to as the "Officers Council".

Section 1:  Terms of Office
The Nomination/Election Committee will solicit nominations from the CSO membership.  An email from the Web Secretary will be sent to CSO members who have been nominated.  A response from each CSO member will be sent back to the Web Secretary accepting or declining the nomination.  The voting of CSO officers will be done on-line or at an official meeting and the new officers will be announced at the last scheduled CSO meeting.   If for any reason the individual receiving the most votes declines his/her elective office, the next individual receiving the most votes will be contacted to serve.  If the person who received the next highest votes declines the office, the Nomination/Election Committee will solicit nominations from the membership and a special election will be held.

Section 2:  Vacancies
In the event a vacancy occurs during an officer’s term due to resignation, termination, reclassification or the member’s inability to perform his/her duties, the member will submit a formal resignation letter to the current CSO Chair stating the reason for the vacancy.  If the Chair is resigning the letter would go to the Chair-Elect.  The Chair/Chair-Elect will notify the Nomination/Election Committee who will contact the person receiving the next highest votes to assume the duties of the vacated office.  If for any reason the runner up declines the position, the Nomination/Election Committee will begin a special election process.

In the event an officer is unable to fulfill their responsibilities for a period of more than 60 days the CSO Chair/Chair-Elect will assume the officer has resigned from their duties and will notify the Nomination/Election Committee to begin the replacement process, whether or not notification is received. 

When the vacancy is filled, the new officer will serve the remainder of the term.

Article V.  Officers

Section I:  Officers Duties
Chair shall:   

1. Preside at all meetings of the Classified Staff Organization.
    
2. With the approval of the Officer’s Council, appoint required subcommittees.
    
3. Maintain lines of communication between the Classified Staff Organization, Officer’s Council, College President, Faculty Senate, Professional Staff Organization and Associated Students.
    
4. With the approval of the Officer’s Council, nominate representatives to College committees, as requested by the College President or other campus entities.
    
5. Perform other duties pertaining to the office of Chair.
    
6. Serve as Past Chair for one year following last term served as Chair.
    
7. Serve a second year on the Compensation Review Committee as the Classified Staff Organization representative with the Chair-Elect. (Revised April 2008)
    
8. Represent the Classified Staff Organization at President’s Council. (Revised April 2008)

Chair-Elect shall:  

1. Assume duties and responsibilities of the Chair in the event of absence or disability.
    
2. Share committee responsibilities equally with the Chair.
    
3. Maintain the most current copy of the approved bylaws as well as proposals for bylaws revision.
    
4. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Chair or Officer’s Council.
    
5. Notify Chair by giving a list of individuals who are eligible to serve on the “Employee of the Year Committee."  (Revised September 2007)
    
6. Serve on the Compensation Review Committee as the Classified Staff Organization representative with the Chair.  (Revised April 2008)

Past Chair shall:

1. Attend Classified Staff Organization and, by invitation, Officer’s Council meetings.
    
2. Provide advisement and/or services in current Officer’s Council and Classified Staff Organization.

Recording Secretary shall: 

1. Act as recorder at all Classified Staff Organization and Officer’s Council meetings, and keep minutes thereof.
    
2. Submit minutes of all meetings to the Officer’s Council within ten (10) working days after Organization and Committee meetings.
    
3. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Chair or Officer’s Council.

Web Secretary shall:  

1. Attend all Classified Staff Organization and Officer’s Council meetings.
    
2. Maintain and update the Classified Staff Organization web site.

Treasurer Shall:   (added March 2010)

1. Maintain and be responsible for the funds raised by the CSO body.
    
2. Submit a report at all meetings to the CSO body.
3. Be a member of the Employee Recognition Committee and provide a report at all committee meetings.
4. Maintain lines of communication with CSO Chair and Employee Recognition Committee Chair; and, with the CSO Chair, will sign all monetary transactions.  The CSO Chair and Employee Recognition Committee members will review all monetary transactions and final approval will be via e-mail or in a committee meeting.  The CSO Chair and Treasurer are able to approve expenditures up to $25.00 without the approval of the Employee Recognition Committee Chair.  Prior notification of impending monetary transactions is requested.
    

5. Serve a two year term.
    
6. The Past Treasurer will work closely with the Treasurer-Elect to provide a smooth transition of duties.
7. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Chair or Officer’s Council.

Article VI.  Committees 

Section I:  Standing Committees

Bylaws Committee:

1. Responsible for annual reviews of the bylaws that represent the CSO mission statement and provide policies and procedures for how CSO conducts business.
    
2. Periodic recommendations for amendments to the bylaws. (see Article VIII "Amendments" for voting procedures).

Employee Recognition Committee:

The Recognition Committee is responsible for the fundraising activities; promoting and coordinating the annual social. The chair and members that make up the committee are volunteers from the CSO body. The Chair will maintain communication with the Treasurer and CSO Chair and meet as needed to discuss impending expenditures. (Revised March 2010)

Nominating/Election Committee:

At the February meeting, the Chair shall appoint a Nominating/Election Committee consisting of the Chair-Elect (who shall serve as the Nominating/Election Committee Chair) and three (3) members from the organization to identify a slate of persons willing to serve as officer in the organization.  Nominations will be actively solicited from the membership.  The slate shall be presented to the membership at the April meeting.   Additional nominations from the floor will be accepted. New officer orientation by immediate past officers shall occur between the April meeting and July 1. New officers shall take office at the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1.

Employee of the Year Committee: (revised 2/2009)

The Employee of the Year Committee is responsible for soliciting nominations and selection of the CSO Employee of the Year.  The past Employee of the Year will chair the committee consisting of (5) five committee members. In the event the past Employee of the Year is unable to chair the committee, the Chair of the CSO can designate a CSO member who is not eligible to receive the award.  The members will consist of individuals who cannot be nominated because they have already received the award or new employees who are not eligible for nomination.  Members who are not eligible to be nominated are those who have worked for Lewis-Clark State College for under two years (as of April 30) or who have received this award within the last five years.

1. The Chair will solicit (5) five committee members starting the 1^st week in January through the last week of January.
    
2. No committee member may serve more than once in a five year period with the exception (see C) of request from the Chair.
    
3. If a committee member cannot complete his/her duties due to illness, the Chair may call on a past member from the year before to fill this position.
    
4. No committee member is allowed to make nominations.
    
5. The selection committee will meet the 1st week in February.  The committee will review the selection process and finalize a time table for nominations and selection.
    
6. The Chair will call for nominations from the whole body of the campus (faculty, staff and students) via the Intranet and CSO web site starting Monday the week before Spring break and ending Friday the week following Spring Break.
    
7. The Chair will receive the nominations.

The Chair will remove the name of the nominee from the nomination form and replace it with a number; the Chair will also remove any identifying information of the nominee so that no committee member will know the identity of the nominee. The nominations will be sent to the committee members 1 week prior to the selection meeting.   The committee members will rate the applications following a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the strongest.  The committee as a whole will meet, discuss the nominations, and vote.

The Chair will inform the CSO Chair and the Provost’s Office of the committee’s selection by the second Friday in April.  The recipient name will be kept confidential until the Awards Ceremony in May.  At the Awards Ceremony, the past Employee of the Year will present the award to the new recipient.  If the past Employee of the Year is unable to make the presentation, the CSO Chair will present the award (or appoint someone to present the award).

Follow-up Process:

When the selection has been completed and award given, all letters of nomination will be delivered to the recipient of the award and to each nominee.  A copy of the nomination letter will also be sent to each nominee’s supervisor.  A list of nominees and finalists by year will be kept in the Employee of the Year Committee records.  After the award has been announced, the award recipient (who is to become the next year’s chair) will meet with the present Employee of the Year Committee to discuss the process and make suggestions for the next year’s committee.

Section 2:  Committee Formation 
Special or Ad-Hoc Committees may be created and disbanded by majority vote of the Officer’s Council. The Classified Staff Organization Chair shall be an ex-officio (with vote) member of all subcommittees except the Nominating/Election Committee. General membership will be informed of committee formation.

1. All committees must have a chairperson who is an elected or appointed CSO member.
    
2. The CSO Chair will appoint committee chairs.
    
3. Committee chairs will maintain a committee notebook containing current assignments and letters, record of activities, minutes of committee meetings, and a committee members’ list.
    
4. Outgoing committee chair will hold a transition meeting with incoming committee chair prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1.
    
5. There is not limitation on the number of years a member can serve on any committee.

Article VII.  Communications

1. Formal communication to the Classified Staff Organization membership will be the responsibility of the Officer’s Council. The communication(s) may occur in the following forms: meetings, e-mail, listserv, web page updates, and/or written communication.
    
2. Two weeks prior to the first meeting in September, the Corresponding Secretary shall send correspondence by e-mail to announce the first meeting.
    
3. Two weeks prior to each meeting, e-mail notices shall be sent to all members announcing the meeting.
    
4. The CSO web site shall include, but not be limited to, the following: meeting minutes, bylaws, voting procedures, and events.

Article VIII.  Amendments

1. Amendments to the bylaws will require a majority of the votes cast for ratification.
    

2. Proposed amendments will be sent via e-mail to all members at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting at which vote will be held.