CLASSIFIED SENATE BYLAWS

Bylaw I. Senate Membership
1.1 Voting members of the Classified Senate are members of the classified bargaining unit, classified confidentials, and classified supervisors.
1.2 The representative body of the voting members shall be called the Classified Senate and shall consist of four officers (President, Vice President, Secretary,  and Treasurer), the Immediate Past President, and one at-large member. The officers shall be elected. The Immediate Past President shall be an ex officio member and shall be a non-voting member. The at-large member should be appointed by the outgoing Classified Senate members.
1.3 All elected members, with the exception of the Immediate Past President, shall serve two-year terms, which shall begin on July 1 of even  numbered years. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms in any one office. The term for the Immediate Past President shall be one year.
1.4 Recalls and Vacancies

A. Recalls

1. Any elected member of the Classified Senate may be removed from office by a simple majority of votes cast within the area she/he represents. The President shall notify the member of the removal in writing within five working days of the decision. The notification shall include the reason for removal.
2. Any elected member of the Classified Senate may be removed from office by a ¾ majority vote of no confidence by the members of the Classified Senate. The President shall notify the member of the removal in writing within five working days of the decision. The notification shall include the reason for removal.

B. Vacancies

1. The President may declare a vacancy when a Classified Senate member has been absent for more than three consecutive meetings and the Classified Senate concurs with the action. In the event of removal due to absence, the President shall notify the member of this action within five working days after the decision. The President may also declare a vacancy if a member of the Classified Senate presents a letter of resignation to the President. In the event of a resignation, the President shall notify the member of acceptance of the request within five working days of receipt of the notification.
2. In the event of a vacancy, the Classified Senate shall exercise one of the following options:
  • Choose to elect a replacement according to the regular election procedure.
  • Authorize the Classified Senate President to appoint a classified staff member to fill the vacant position.
  • Assign a temporary replacement in the case of medical or emergency leave.
  • Decide to leave the seat vacant until the next regular election
3. Reassignment
1.5 Immediate Past President

A. Duties and responsibilities of the Immediate Past President shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Serve as a resource to the President and Executive Committee on processes and the business of the Classified Senate conducted during his/her term of office.
2. Perform duties as delegated by the Classified Senate President.
1.6 At-large Member

A. Duties and responsibilities of the at-large member shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Attend monthly Classified Senate meetings.
2. Bring appropriate and relevant verbal and written information to the Classified Senate for discussion or recommendation as requested by classified staff.
3. Advise the appropriate area representative of issues or requests originating from the specific area.
4. Serve on Classified Senate subcommittees or ad hoc committees as needed.
5. Report on the proceedings of a campus wide or district committee if he/she serves as a member on such a committee.
6. Perform duties as delegated by the Classified Senate President
Bylaw II. Executive Committee
2.1 The President, Vice President, Secretary, Recorder, and Treasurer shall comprise the Executive Committee of the Classified Senate.
2.2 Election of Officers

A. Nominations Officer

1. The Vice President shall solicit a Nominations Officer from among the classified staff and submit her/his name to the Senate for approval.

B. Process

1. The Nominations Officer, on or before May 1 of the election year, shall prepare and submit nomination forms to all members of the classified staff. Nominations will be solicited for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Recorder and Treasurer. Nominations for an at-large member and area representatives shall be included on the same nomination form. The deadline for returning a nomination form shall be within seven working days of the date of distribution of the forms to all classified staff.
2. The Nominations Officer shall arrange for a locked box to be placed in the hallway of the Administration Building. Nomination forms shall be placed in a sealed envelope and placed in the locked box.
3. Following the return of the nominations forms, the Nominations Officer shall contact each nominee to advise him/her of the nomination and ask if the nominee is agreeable to his/her name appearing on the ballot. If the nominee refuses to accept the nomination, the Nominations Officer shall advise the Executive Committee, send the nominee written confirmation of the refusal, and the name shall be withdrawn.
4. If there is only one nomination for an office and the nominee refuses the nomination, nomination forms for only the office or area affected shall be resubmitted immediately. The deadline for resubmission shall be within seven working days of the date of resubmission.
5. On or before June 1, the Nominations Officer shall submit an official secret ballot to each member of the classified staff. The ballots shall be returned in a sealed envelope and placed in the locked ballot box located in the Administration Building. The deadline for returning ballots shall be within seven working days of the date of distribution of the ballots to all classified staff.
6. On or before June 14, the Nominations Officer shall tally the election results in the presence of a quorum of the outgoing Classified Senate. A simple majority of those Classified Senate members voting shall be sufficient for election purposes. All classified staff shall be notified either by e-mail or campus mailboxes of the results of the election. The Nominations Officer shall also post the results on the Classified Senate bulletin board located in the Administration Building hallway.
7. If no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot, a run-off election shall be held between the top two candidates. A run-off election shall be held on or before June 21.
2.3 Term of Office
  No member of the Executive Committee shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
2.4 Duties and Responsibilities

A. The duties of the Executive Committee shall include but not be limited to:

1. Develop agendas for Classified Senate meetings.
2. Review committee reports and place reports on the agenda for Senate action when appropriate.
3. Review reports/requests from all other sources to determine if they should be placed on the agenda.
4. Receive and prepare responses to questions, positions on issues or other requests and upon approval of the Classified Senate submit the response to the requesting individual, group or other entity.
5. Call special meetings of the Senate if necessary.
6.  Authorize and approve expenditures.
7. Develop and implement ideas and methods for campus awareness of classified staff, fundraising, scholarship activities, and other events as determined necessary and appropriate.
8. Develop agendas for Classified Senate meetings.
9. Review committee reports and place reports on the agenda for Senate action when appropriate.
10. Review reports/requests from all other sources to determine if they should be placed on the agenda.
11. Receive and prepare responses to questions, positions on issues or other requests and upon approval of the Classified Senate submit the response to the requesting individual, group or other entity

B. The duties of the President shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Serve as official representative of the Classified Senate at meetings and events where Classified Senate representation is required or an invitation has been extended. This includes but is not limited to President's Cabinet, the Council for Institutional Development (CID), Academic Senate meetings, graduation, fall mandatory flex days and Governing Board meetings. If the President is not available, she/he may appoint an official designee from among the Executive Committee or membership of the Classified Senate.
2. In conjunction with the Vice President, be responsible for providing the College administration or other authorized college personnel or outside organizations or agencies with any requested information, reports and recommendations from the Classified Senate.
3. Solicit classified staff members for those campus committee appointments not specified in the Agreement between the VCCCD and SEIU, Local 99, Article IV, 4.11, a. If requested by the campus SEIU representative, assist the representative in soliciting classified staff members for committee appointments to any campus wide committee.
4. Chair and facilitate all regular Classified Senate meetings.
5. Administer and maintain the affairs of the Classified Senate between meetings.
6. Serve as an ex officio member to all Classified Senate subcommittees or ad hoc committees.
7. Serve as Chair of the Executive Committee.
8. Schedule regular meetings between the College President and the Executive Committee to engage in discussion of relevant issues and update the College President on the activities of the Classified Senate.
9. In conjunction with the Vice President, develop and produce meeting agendas.

C.The duties of the Vice President shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Assume the duties of the President during the President's absence, at the request of the President, or for the unexpired term in the event the President cannot serve. The Classified Senate shall confirm the appointment of the Vice President to fill the unexpired term of the President.
2. Solicit newsworthy information or items about the Classified Senate and submit the information to the Classified Senate Secretary.
3. In conjunction with the President, develop and produce meeting agendas.
4. Facilitate fundraising and other activities as determined by the Classified Senate.
5. In conjunction with the area representative and the College Professional Development Committee, ensure that new classified hires are assigned a mentor, provided an orientation, and welcomed at the fall mandatory flex day.
6. Solicit a Nominations Officer during election periods.
7. Perform duties as delegated by the Classified Senate President

D. The duties of the Secretary shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President and Vice President in facilitating meetings.
2. Disseminate minutes of Classified Senate meetings to all classified staff by e-mail, post minutes to the Classified Senate bulletin board located in the Administration Building hallway, and submit the minutes to appropriate college personnel for posting to the College's website.
3. Prepare and disseminate necessary correspondence and information to members of the Classified Senate and/or classified staff as requested by the President and/or the Vice President.
4. Prepare and disseminate necessary correspondence and information to members of the Classified Senate and/or classified staff as requested by the President and/or the Vice President.
5. Be responsible for all attendance rolls and all records of the Classified Senate.
6. Monitor the College's website for outdated information and changes, and upon the approval of the President and Vice President report needed changes to the appropriate personnel for posting to the College's website.
7. Monitor Governing Board agendas and minutes for new classified hires or other relevant classified changes, and report the changes to the President, Vice President and the area representative where a hire or change has occurred.
8. Conduct an annual review of the membership of the College's List of Standing Committees to determine if there are any vacancies that should be filled by classified staff, and advise the Senate President, who will fill any vacancies in a manner consistent with Bylaw 2, 2.4, A 3.
9. Receive newsworthy information or items from the President or Vice President and work with the College's Public Information Officer to publicize the information in the President's Report and/or other appropriate publication.
10. Perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Classified Senate.

E. The duties of the Recorder shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President, Vice President and Secretary in facilitating meetings.
2. Assume responsibility for recording all minutes of the Classified Senate and the Executive Committee and provide the Secretary with the minutes.
3. Perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Classified Senate.

F. The duties of the Treasurer shall include but not be limited to the following:

1. Assume the duties of President in the absence of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Recorder in facilitating meetings.
2. Receive and deposit funds to the Classified Senate account.
3. Make disbursements from the Classified Senate account as requested by the Senate President after review and approval of the Executive Committee.
4. Provide financial reports as necessary or required by the Senate Executive Committee.
5. Provide a written report of Classified Senate income/expenditures at regular intervals to be determined by the Senate Executive Committee.
6. Process all required paperwork and interact with appropriate Foundation personnel regarding the financial aspects of classified staff sponsored student scholarships.
7. Perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Classified Senate.
2.5 Executive Committee Meetings

A. The Executive Committee shall meet in the intervals between Classified Senate meetings and shall determine the frequency of the meetings.

B. All meetings of the Executive Committee shall be public forums.

However, attendees who are not members of the Executive Committee shall not engage in discussion or otherwise participate in the proceedings of the meeting unless authorized by the Chair to do so.

Bylaw III. Elections
3.1 Elections

A. Elections to the Classified Senate shall take place no later than May - June  of even numbered years and shall be consistent with Bylaw I, 1.2, and Bylaw II, 2.2, A.1, B.1.2.3.4.5.6.

B. Prior to the annual election, the Classified Senate shall review the nominations and elections processes and shall make any appropriate and necessary changes.

Bylaw IV. Meetings
4.1 Meetings shall be open to the public and Robert's Rules of Order shall be applied.
4.2 Meetings shall be conducted once a month from August to May of the school year. Exceptions to the regularly scheduled meetings may be made at the discretion of the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. In the spring of each year, the Classified Senate shall call a General Session requesting all classified staff attend. All Classified Senate meetings shall be set on a yearly calendar in conjunction with the Board of Trustee meetings to optimize the flow of information from the Board agenda.
4.3 At the first meeting of the school year, the Classified Senate shall determine meeting norms (standards). All Classified Senate members shall be expected to adhere to the norms at all meetings.
4.4 A quorum shall be established as a minimum of 50 percent plus one of the Classified Senate members. A lack of quorum shall constitute discussion without action.
4.5 The President and Vice President shall develop and produce the agenda for each meeting per Bylaw II, 2.4, A.9, B.3
Bylaw V. Committees
5.1 Committees

A. Ad Hoc Committees

1. Ad Hoc Committees shall be established by the Classified Senate President for special purposes and will be of short duration.
2. The Classified Senate President shall be an ex officio member of all ad hoc committees.

C. Campus Wide Committees

1. The President and/or her/his designee shall participate in campus wide committees where the Classified Senate is issued a seat or an invitation to participate is received.
2.  SEIU retains the right to make appointments to committees as specified in the Agreement between the VCCCD and SEIU, Local 99 Article IV, 4.11.a. All other appointments shall be at the direction of the Classified Senate President. At her/his discretion the President may work with the campus SEIU representative when making appointments.

D. Board of Trustee Meetings

1. The President or the President's designee shall attend Governing Board meetings as their schedules permit or upon the determination of the Executive Committee that Classified Senate representation is required. She/he shall make an oral report to the Board if she/he determines that Senate activities or business warrants it.
Bylaw VI. Amendments
6.1 Amendments

A. Recommendations for an amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by a majority vote of the Classified Senate or by a written petition of a minimum of 10 percent of the voting membership. Recommendations must be submitted a minimum of seven working days prior to the Executive Committee meeting. The Executive Committee shall place all Constitution amendment recommendations on the next Classified Senate meeting agenda for discussion. To be adopted, a proposed Constitution amendment shall be presented to all classified employees and must receive a simple majority of votes cast in a general session of all classified employees, or in an election process.

B. Additions to and/or changes to the Bylaws may be effected by the Executive Committee upon approval of a majority of the Classified Senate.

C. The Executive Committee shall appoint a Constitution and Bylaws Committee to review these documents as needed, but no less than every five years.