Classified Staff Organization Bylaws
Approved February 2005

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.

Specific Functions

1. To provide leadership to classified employees in the promotion and development of programs, policies, and procedures that compliment 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 the 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 Organization's) in the formulation of joint recommendations relative to problem solving common to Faculty, Professional, and Classified employees.  
    
6. To promote and encourage ethical practices within the 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 

Section 2:
A person ceases to be a member of the Classified Staff Organization upon termination or change of position to professional or faculty rank.

Article III.  Membership Meetings

Section 1:  Meetings
The Classified Staff Organization will meet four times per year.  Meetings shall be held in the following months: 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

• A quorum shall consist of members present at meetings.
• 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 officers shall be elected during the regularly scheduled meeting in April for a period of one year. The person receiving the most votes in the elective process is considered duly elected to represent the CSO constituency.

Section 2:  Vacancies
Vacancies occur due to resignation or termination of employment from LCSC. 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.  

1. If the person who received the next highest votes declines the office, the Nominating/Election Committee will solicit nominations from the CSO membership.  A special election will be held at the next regularly scheduled CSO meeting.
    
2. When a vacancy is filled, the new officer will serve for the balance of the term.
    
3. A formal letter stating the reason for the vacancy shall be submitted to the current CSO Chair upon declining the position.

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. 

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. Notify Chair by giving a list of individuals who are eligible to serve on the “Employee of the Year Committee."  (Revised September 2007)
    
5. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Chair or Officer’s Council.

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.

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 is responsible for the funds raised and acts as the treasurer for the Classified Staff Organization.

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:

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.  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. 

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.
    
7. The Chair will receive the nominations.

The Chair will remove the name of the nominee from the application and replace it with a number so that no committee member will  know the name 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.  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.

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.   (Revised September 2007)

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

• 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.
   
• Two weeks prior to the first meeting in September, the Corresponding Secretary shall send correspondence
  by e-mail to announce the first meeting.
   
• Two weeks prior to each meeting, e-mail notices shall be sent to all members announcing the meeting.
   
• The CSO web site shall include, but not be limited to, the following: meeting minutes, bylaws, voting procedures, and events.

Article VIII.  Amendments

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

• 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.