By-Laws

Amended: June 2nd, 2009

Revised: November 1st, 2012

Article I: Name

The name of the body shall be “Staff Council of Bluegrass Community and Technical College” hereinafter referred to as “Staff Council."

Article II: Purpose

Staff Council shall be the official representative body of the staff of Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Section 1. Staff Council shall serve in an advisory capacity to the President and Administration of the College.
Section 2. Staff Council is committed to promoting communication across the college.
Section 3. Staff Council shall serve as an audience for matters relevant to the body of the staff including climate assessment and recommendations.
Section 4. Staff Council shall refer concerns of individual staff members that are not concerns of the body of the staff to the appropriate responsible authority.
Section 5. Staff Council accepts and shares responsibility with faculty and students in all efforts to attain the stated mission and goals of Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Article III: Organization

Section 1. Membership
1.1. Membership of Staff Council shall include all staff of the college.
1.2. Voting membership of Staff Council shall include all regular full-time employees of Bluegrass Community and Technical College who are not included in the voting membership of the Faculty of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
Section 2. Leadership
2.1. The name of governing body of Staff Council shall be “Executive Committee of Staff Council” hereinafter referred to as “Executive Committee”.

Article IV: Duties

Section 1. Members of Staff Council
1.1. Members of Staff Council will have a standing invitation to all meetings of Staff Council and all meetings of Executive Committee.
1.2. Members of Staff Council will be accountable to themselves and Staff Council for attending and participating in meetings.
Section 2. Executive Committee
2.1. Executive Committee will be accountable to Staff Council and Executive Committee for attending and participating in meetings of the Staff Council and meetings of the Executive Committee.
2.2. Executive Committee shall facilitate all purposes of the Staff Council.
2.3. Voting members of the Executive Committee shall consist of Chair, Vice-Chair, Campus Representatives, and Staffing Organization Representatives.
2.4. Voting by the Chair shall only occur in the event of a tie.
2.5. Non-voting members of the Executive Committee may consist of Recorder, Committee Liaison, Staff Representative to the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Chair
3.1. Chair shall assemble and distribute an agenda for all meetings.
3.2. Chair shall facilitate Staff Council and Executive Committee meetings.
3.3. Chair shall attend all meetings of the Faculty Council of the College.
3.4. Chair in concurrence with Committee Liaison shall establish temporary committees and posts that report to the Executive Committee as needed.
Section 4. Vice Chair
4.1. Vice Chair shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees that report to the Executive Committee.
4.2. Vice Chair shall coordinate presentation of information about each committee that report to Executive Committee at Staff Council and Executive Committee meetings.
4.3. Vice Chair shall serve as the Chair in absentia.
Section 5. Committee Liaison
5.1. Committee Liaison shall collaborate with the Office of the President of the College to ensure equitable staff representation across committees of the College.
5.2. Committee Liaison shall coordinate the communication of information about each college committee.
5.3. Committee Liaison in concurrence with Chair shall establish temporary committees and posts that report to the Executive Committee as needed.
Section 6. Recorder
6.1. Recorder shall be responsible for recording and preparing minutes for all meetings of Staff Council and Executive Committee.
6.2. Recorder shall be responsible for maintaining a public record of current documents relevant to Staff Council, Executive Committee, subcommittees or posts.
Section 7. Campus Representatives
7.1. Campus Representatives shall be responsible to voice concerns to Executive Committee about matters relevant to their primary campus.
7.2. Campus Representatives shall facilitate attendance of meetings for all members of their campus through telecommunications or by arranging college transportation.
Section 8. Staffing Organization Representatives
8.1. Staffing Organization Representatives shall be responsible to voice concerns to Executive Committee about matters relative to their staffing organization.
Section 9. Staff Representative to the Board of Directors
9.1. Staff Representative to the Board of Directors shall represent concerns of the entire body of staff of the college to the Board of Directors of the College.
9.2. Staff Representative to the Board of Directors shall present information about each board meeting at Staff Council and Executive Committee meetings.

Article V: Terms of Office

Section 1. Chair
1.1. The term of Chair shall begin upon expiration of the term of the present Chair.
1.2. Chair shall serve for a period of two years.
1.3. The Chair represents the concerns of the entire body of staff at the college.
Section 2. Vice-Chair
2.1. The term of Vice-Chair shall begin at the beginning of the second fiscal year of the term of the Chair.
2.2. Vice-Chair shall serve for a period of two years.
2.3. Vice-Chair shall become Chair for the remainder of the existing term if the Chair is unable to complete the term.
2.4. The Vice-Chair represents the concerns of the entire body of staff at the college.
Section 3. Recorder
3.1. The Chair may appoint Recorder.
3.2. Appointment of Recorder shall be approved by simple majority vote Executive Committee.
Section 4. Committee Liaison
4.1. The Chair may appoint a Committee Liaison.
4.2. Appointment of Committee Liaison shall be approved by simple majority vote Executive Committee.
4.3. The Committee Liaison represents the concerns of the entire body of staff at the college.
Section 5. Staff Representative to the Board of Directors
5.1. The Staff Representative to the Board of Directors shall serve under the terms defined for “Staff Member” in the “Board of Directors ByLaws”.
5.2. The Staff Representative to the Board of Directors represents the concerns of the entire body of staff at the college.
Section 6. Campus Representatives
6.1. Each campus of the college being defined as a geographically separate locality of the college employing 3 or more voting members of Staff Council as defined in these by-laws by the 1st day of April immediately preceding the elections shall elect and put forth a Campus Representative to the Executive Committee.
6.2. The term of Campus Representative to the Executive Committee shall begin at the beginning of each fiscal year.
6.3. Each Campus shall send a representative separate of any Executive Committee offices otherwise held by staff of same Campus to represent the concerns of the Campus.
Section 7. Staffing Organization Representatives
7.1. Each Staffing Organization of the College as defined in the Organizational Chart and employing 6 or more voting members of Staff Council as defined in these by-laws by the 1st day of April immediately preceding the elections shall elect and put forth a representative to Executive Committee.
7.2. The term of the Staffing Organization Representative shall begin at the beginning of each fiscal year.
7.3. Each Staffing Organization shall send a representative separate of any Executive Committee offices otherwise held by staff of same Staffing Organization to represent the concerns of the Staffing Organization.

Article VI: Election to Office

Section 1. Regular elections
1.1. Chair shall solicit the Staff Council Members for nominations for all offices that expire in the coming fiscal year.
1.2. Chair shall collect nominations prior to the May regularly scheduled meeting of Executive Committee.
1.3. Chair shall complete the regular election before the conclusion of the June regularly scheduled meeting of Executive Committee.
Section 2. Election procedures
2.1. Voting membership of Staff Council shall be able to vote for Chair, Vice-Chair, and Staff Representative to the Board of Directors.
2.2. Voting membership of Staff Council shall be able to vote for Campus Representatives who represent their respective primary campus.
2.3. Voting membership of Staff Council shall be able to vote for Staffing Organization Representatives who represent their respective Staffing Organization.
2.4. Election outcomes shall be determined by a simple majority of votes cast.
2.5. Election outcomes resulting in a tie between two nominees shall be determined by the toss of a coin during the July regularly scheduled meeting of Staff Council.
2.6. Election outcomes resulting in a tie between more than two nominees shall be determined by a simple draw of one short straw in a number of straws equaling the number of nominees in the tie during the July regularly scheduled meeting of Executive Committee.
2.7. Voting membership of Staff Council shall be able to nominate any voting member of Staff Council to any office that expires in the coming fiscal year.
2.8. Any nominee may decline nomination without need for explanation.
2.9. Nominees who choose to accept nomination will only be able to accept nomination to one office and must have the approval of their supervisor.
2.10. Executive Committee members who are nominated to an office that begins before their current office expires will need to resign their current office before accepting nomination to the new office.
Section 3. Vacant Offices
3.1. Chair shall solicit nominations for vacant offices once officially notified that the office becomes vacant. 3.2 Chair shall appoint, with counsel from area/campus represented and without objection from the Executive Committee, a representative for the remainder of the term, excluding the office of Vice Chair.
3.3. Chair shall complete the special election to fill a vacancy of the office of Vice Chair within sixty days of the date of the vacancy.

Article VII: Meetings

Section 1. Scheduled meetings
1.1. The Chair shall conduct meetings of the Executive Committee at two o’clock in the afternoon on the second Tuesday of each month, open to all Staff Council members.
1.2. The Chair shall conduct meetings of all Staff Council members at least twice per fiscal year.
1.3. Executive Committee shall create the schedule for these meetings prior to conclusion of the second regular Executive Committee meeting each fiscal year.
1.4. Executive Committee shall consider the schedule of major college meetings such as Area Wide College meetings or meetings of the Faculty of the College.
1.5. On the rare occasion that either the Executive Committee or full Staff Council meetings cannot be conducted as outlined because of closings, conflicts with major college meetings, or other extreme unforeseen circumstances, Chair shall notify the entire Staff Council of the rescheduling.
Section 2. Agenda
2.1. Staff Council meeting agenda items may include a briefing by the Office of the President of the College, Committee Liaison, Staff Representative to the Board of Directors, Vice-Chair and other agenda items submitted more than five business days prior to the meeting.
2.2. Executive Committee meeting agenda items may include a briefing by Committee Liaison, Staff Representative to the Board of Directors, Vice-Chair and other agenda items submitted more than two business days prior to the meeting.
2.3. The closing item on each meeting agenda shall be an open floor for individual staff members to raise concerns.
2.4. The agenda for all meetings shall be published two business days prior to meetings.
Section 3. Special meetings
3.1. Special meetings of the Staff Council or Executive Committee may be called upon the request of the President of the College.
3.2. Special meetings of the Staff Council may be called by petition of ten percent of the voting members of Staff Council.
3.3. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by petition of four officers or ten percent of the voting members of Staff Council.
3.4. Agenda items for special meetings shall include items designated by the party calling for the special meeting.
3.5. The closing item on each meeting agenda shall be an open floor for individual staff members to raise concerns.
Section 4. Procedures
4.1. The current edition of "Webster's New World, Robert's Rules of Order, Simplified and Applied, Second Edition" by Robert McConnell shall be followed in the conduct of all meetings.
4.2. A simple majority of voting members of Staff Council in attendance (in person or through remote means) shall constitute a quorum when voting on matters relevant to the purpose of Staff Council.
4.3. One third of the voting members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum when voting on matters facilitating the conductance of Staff Council or the Executive Committee.
4.4. The Staff Council, Executive Committee, standing committees, and special committees are authorized to meet by remote means, including telephone conference or online so long as all may see or hear the proceedings and participate during the meeting. The methods for such 'synchronous' remote meetings may include but are not limited to the following: Telephone conferencing, Video conferencing, Instant Messaging, and Web Conferencing. KCTCS housed and served technology resources should be used whenever possible. These meetings will utilize the rules already in Robert's with minor adaptations at the discretion of the Chair required to make recognition and voting efficient and accurate. Roll call votes may be taken with or without recording in the minutes other than the number of votes on any side of an issue. Minutes may be approved at the next meeting whether in-person or remote.

Article VIII: Subcommittees and posts

Section 1. Committees that report to the Executive Committee
1.1. Executive Committee shall create standing committees at the beginning of each fiscal year in a timely fashion.
1.2. Executive Committee shall create a committee to organize the employee appreciation events throughout the year, specifically the events of Spring Break.
Section 2. Posts that report to the Executive Committee
2.1. Executive Committee shall create standing posts at the beginning of each fiscal year in a timely fashion.
2.2. Executive Committee may create a post to advise the Committee and Council on parliamentary procedure and the implementation of rules of order.
2.3. Executive Committee may create a post to be involved in the college climate assessment process and report related information at Staff Council meetings.

Article IX: By-Laws

Section 1. These by-laws can be revised or amended by a simple majority vote of the population of Voting Members of Staff Council and approval of the President of Bluegrass Community and Technical College.