Staff Council Bylaws

Preamble

Recognition and respect of all members of the Kapiʻolani Community College [hereafter referred to as “College”] community are necessary and appropriate for the College to live up to its mission, vision, and core values. The staff represents a highly diverse group of professionals whose contributions are critical to the quality, integrity, credibility and continued growth of the College. An informed, active, and engaged community, with the ability to participate and share its opinions and interests concerning the conduct of institutional affairs and life in the workplace, is critical to the mission of the College. As a result, we hereby establish the Kapiʻolani Community College Staff Council.

Bylaws

Name

The name of this organization shall be “Kapiʻolani Community College Staff Council” hereafter referred to as the “Staff Council.”

Authority

The Staff Council is duly elected by the college-wide community of staff professionals.

Established in 2000, the Staff Council derives its authority from the Chancellor of Kapiʻolani Community College.  The Staff Council shall be a self-directed, consultative, and deliberative body that consults with College leadership on matters affecting life in the workplace and has the authority to make recommendations on matters that have a significant bearing on the College.

As an Authorized Governance Organization, the Staff Council, equally along with the Faculty Senate, Kalāualani Council and Student Congress operates as a recognized part of the College governance system to provide a forum for open communication and ongoing dialogue among staff and between Staff and Administration, Faculty, Students, and the College community. The opportunity to participate on the Staff Council is a right of all staff professionals. The right to participate and serve on the Staff Council is not subject to supervisor approval.

Purpose

The purpose of the Staff Council is to provide a formal, College-recognized, duly-elected body for staff professionals to consider issues and advocate on their behalf to College decision-makers and Administration, including the Chancellor. The Staff Council’s responsibilities shall include, but are not limited to:

• Facilitating communication among the membership;
• Liaising with other recognized College bodies, including the Administration, Faculty Senate, Kalāualani Council and Student Congress;
• Meeting regularly with Administration and other AGOs
• Being available and willing to review and consider proposals, policies, procedures and other recommendations from individuals, members, groups and departments throughout the College community;
• Being a visible and proactive voice on issues having staff impact;
• Ensuring adequate staff representation on college committees, in college planning, and in college decision-making that affects the institution as a whole;
• Ensuring recognition of the value of staff contributions both individually and collectively; and
  Advancing professional growth opportunities.

The Staff Council seeks to promote an environment in which all persons are treated fairly, with respect and dignity. The Staff Council is in no way a decision-making body with regard to grievances, labor disputes, benefits, wages, rates of pay, or hours of employment, although they may provide forums where certain aspects of these items may be discussed for the purpose of making appropriate recommendations.

Executive Committee and Officers

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Chair-elect, Immediate Past Chair and Vice Chairs of all Staff Council Standing Committees. The Executive Committee will be responsible for consideration of any proposals to the Staff Council and may make recommendations to the Staff Council for review or to be voted and/or acted upon.

Duties of the Chair

• Schedule all meetings of the Staff Council.
• Preside over all meetings.
• Serve as the point of contact for all matters brought in front of the Executive Committee for review, including but not limited to policy changes
• Ensure the fiduciary responsibility of Staff Council
• Meet/communicate frequently with other Staff Council Executive Committee members.
• Represent the Staff Council on Chancellor’s Advisory Council.
• Create the agenda for the Executive Committee and Staff Council meetings.
• The Chair has the ability to establish any ad hoc committees it deems necessary.
• Ensure Staff Council is represented in New Employee Orientation
• Ensure that the duties of the other officers are performed and support them as necessary

Duties of the Chair-Elect

• Serve on the Membership, Finance, and Governance Committee.
• Oversee the election process.
• Create a budget for the Staff Council.
• Execute a year-end audit of the finances.
• Fulfill any unexpired term if vacated by the Chair.
• Represent the Staff Council at Chancellor’s Advisory Council if the Chair cannot attend.
• Lead meetings in the absence of the chair.
• Oversee assessment of Staff Council
• Ensure that Action Requests are appropriately handled

Duties of the Immediate Past Chair (Ex Officio)

• Support the new chair; answer questions; lend support as needed.
• Verify election results and serve as a consultant in the election procedure.
• Ensure smooth officer transitions.
• Mentor and advise chair.
• Verify year-end audit of the finances. If no Immediate Past Chair exists, the chair shall appoint another member to fulfill this role.

Duties of the Vice Chair of Communications

• Manage all communication activities.
• Develop, integrate and implement a broad range of public relations activities, including but not limited to website, social media, print media, email, and a regular staff newsletter.
• Assist with the technological aspects of election and staff meeting process.
• Take or collect all meeting minutes and post, once approved, to Staff Council website in a timely manner.
• Collect Year End Reports for each officer/committee.
• Responsible for archiving minutes and other Staff Council-related material.
• Maintain the roster of Staff Council Members, with contact information and photos.
• Build and maintain the files regarding the Committee.
• Submit Year-End Committee Report.

Duties of the Vice Chair of Recognition and Community Building

• Promote and recognize staff contributions in supporting and fulfilling the College values and successes in collaboration with Human Resources.
• Serve as a resource to the College community in the recognition of staff.
• Build and maintain the files regarding the Committee.
• Develop and implement community-building and networking programs and initiatives.
• Coordinate Staff Council events including the General Membership Meetings.
• Submit Year-End Committee Report.

Duties of the Vice Chair of Professional Development

• Build and maintain the files regarding the Committee.
• Receive and disseminate requests for professional development funds
• Seek out and share professional development opportunities for staff
• Support system professional development events
• Coordinate Staff Council fundraisers and Charity events
• Submit Year-End Committee Report.

Duties of the Vice Chair of Membership, Governance, and Finance

• Ensure the Staff Council conducts business using agreed-upon rules of order.
• Oversee the orientation of new Staff Council members.
• Oversee and execute the election process.
• Provide Staff Council with updates regarding incoming and outgoing staff members, based upon information provided by Human Resources
• Oversee Staff Council budget.
• Conduct an annual review of the Staff Council Bylaws.
• Build and maintain the files regarding the Committee.
• Submit Year-End Committee Report.
• Serve as the point of contact for bylaw changes

Duties of the Vice Chair of Mission and Advocacy

• Promote service opportunities for staff.
• Liaise with Human Resources regarding matters pertaining to the staff.
• Seek solutions for areas of inequity that exist for staff.
• Build and maintain the files regarding the Committee.
• Summarize and make recommendations on proposed policies and procedures
• Solicit constituent feedback on campus policies and procedures
• Draft memos and other position papers for Staff Council
• Serve as the point of contact for staff who wish to bring concerns to the Staff Council
• Submit Year-End Committee Report.

Membership

1. Membership of the Staff Council will be comprised of representation from staff designated as APTs and Civil Service according to the Human Resources classifications. Members of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council (CAC) will not be eligible to serve as Staff Council Chair or Staff Council Chair-Elect as the Staff Council will be making recommendations to this group and will have a representative on the CAC. Those serving in executive positions within the other campus AGOs will not be eligible for election to Staff Council.
2. Staff Council members must be employed by Kapiʻolani Community College an average of 30 hours or more per week. Elected Executive Committee members must be full-time employees who have completed at least two (2) continuous years of employment at Kapiʻolani Community College as of April 15th of the election year.
3. Elected representatives will serve a one-year term.
4. The Staff Council shall consist of the Chair, Chair-Elect, Past-Chair and the vice-chairs, and additional members for a maximum of 23 members.
5. If for any reason a Council member is unable to complete their term, the Council seat will be filled by a vote of Staff Council. The replacement will fulfil the term of the vacated Council seat.
6. The Staff Council is a voluntary commitment for staff members. Elected Council members and alternates’ attendance and involvement are integral to the success of the Council. Council members are expected to serve on at least one standing committee for the duration of their term. Council members and alternates are expected to attend all Staff Council meetings.
   1. If a Council member cannot attend a meeting, they are expected to contact an alternate to serve as their designee and notify the Staff Council Chair.
   2. If a Council member misses more than two (2) Staff Council meetings over the course of their term, they shall be removed from Staff Council.
   3. Committee members who miss more than two committee meetings shall be removed from that committee
   4. Vice Chairs who miss more than one Executive Council or Staff Council meeting shall be removed as a Vice Chair
7. Upon expiration of a term of a staff member’s office as the Chair of the Staff Council, in the event they are not re-elected to the Staff Council, the former Chair shall remain a member of the Staff Council for one year as an ex-officio member, without voting rights, except in the event of a tie.
8. Staff Council representatives will be appointed by the Executive Committee to College standing committees. As a general rule, if the Faculty Council has representation on a College Committee, the Staff Council will have/request representation on that committee as well. If a new College committee is created, Staff Council representation will be requested.
9. Because meetings are held during normal office hours, supervisors are expected to allow members of the Staff Council to attend all Staff Council meetings and special events whenever feasible. The Executive Committee will provide any supervisor with information about Staff Council.
10. Staff Council will elect a new Vice Chair if one vacates their position.
11. Staff Council shall accept action requests through its website. If applicable, requests should be introduced by the Chair-Elect at the next Staff Council meeting. Staff Council will review the request and determine what action is required (if any). Any decisions made should be promptly communicated to the requester by the Chair-Elect.
12. Staff Council shall represent the interests of all staff on our campus, excluding only those designated “Executive/Managerial”

Meetings

1. General staff, Staff Council, Staff Council Committee Meeting Guidelines
   1. All meetings shall be open to all full-time and part-time staff of the College. Administration, Faculty and Students may attend by request or invitation.
2. Meetings of the Staff: Meetings of all staff shall take place at least twice per year, with additional meetings scheduled as needed by the Chair.
   1. Meetings shall be announced at least two weeks in advance via direct email to the whole staff and on the Staff Council website.
   2. The proposed agenda shall be provided at least one week in advance via direct email to the whole staff.
   3. In the event that a vote of the Staff is appropriate, the following process will be followed
      1. Each staff member will have one vote.
      2. Online voting will be utilized.
      3. All matters requiring a staff vote will be distributed via e-mail to all eligible staff by the Vice Chair of Communication and Assessment by 4:30 p.m. (HST) on the first business day following the Staff meeting.
      4. Online voting must be completed by 4:30 p.m. (HST) ten business days following the posting.
      5. When a vote is put in front of the Staff, a quorum shall consist of the staff who participate in the vote.
      6. Votes of staff shall be determined by a simple majority.
   4. If feasible, technology will be used to allow those who do not have the ability to attend a general staff meeting to participate.
3. Meetings of the Staff Council
   1. Meetings of the Staff Council will be attended by elected Staff Council members.
   2. Meetings will occur every month. Staff Council meetings will occur at least one week before the general staff meetings where the agenda for the general staff meetings will be finalized.
   3. Quorum for the Staff Council is 50% +1 of the total number of the elected Staff Council members including the Executive Committee.
   4. Each member shall be entitled to one (1) vote. Voting shall be by majority voice vote except when any member of the Staff Council requests votes by hand, by roll-call or by private ballot.
   5. The Staff Council Chair will preside over the meetings.
   6. Two members-at-large will be assigned to record and prepare minutes for Staff Council meetings and will determine between them who will record each meeting.
   7. Meeting dates and times of the Staff Council will be posted on the website at the beginning of each semester.
   8. In cases in which a decision is required prior to next scheduled meeting, the chair may elect to conduct a vote on the issue electronically. Votes should be open at least 72 hours and require a quorum of 51%. This mechanism should be used only in exceptional cases when Staff Council or the college would be negatively impacted by a delay.
   9. A portion of each meeting will be set aside for any member of the College staff to present and discuss issues.
      1. This portion will be the first order of business at each meeting and will usually be limited to fifteen minutes. Lengthening this time is at the discretion of the Council Chair or Vice Chair responsible for the flow of all Committee business.
      2. It is not necessary for a member of the College staff to have their idea registered or approved prior to a Staff Council Committee meeting.
      3. Each person will be limited to five minutes. If more time is necessary, the Committee can put the issue on the next meeting’s agenda. Chair may extend time if deemed necessary.
   10. All meeting minutes will be distributed to the Staff Council within one week of any Meeting. Meeting minutes should be approved by electronic poll. Approved meeting minutes should be posted to the website within two weeks of any Meeting
4. Meetings of the Staff Council Executive Committee
   1. The Staff Council Chair, Past Chair and Chair-Elect, along with the Vice Chair or appointed designee of a committee of each of the five standing Committees, will attend meetings of the Staff Council Executive Committee.
   2. Meetings will occur every month.
   3. Quorum for the Staff Council Executive Committee is four (4) of the seven (7) elected officers, not including the immediate past chair.
   4. Each member shall be entitled to one (1) vote. Voting shall be by majority voice vote except when any member of the Staff Council Executive Committee requests vote by hand, by roll-call or by private ballot.
   5. The Staff Council Chair will preside over the meetings.
   6. The Executive Committee approves previous Executive Committee meeting minutes.
   7. The chair may call a special Staff Council meeting if deemed necessary. The chair shall schedule the meeting with as much notice as possible (no less than 3 business day prior to the meeting). Special meetings cannot be used to amend bylaws, remove members or to address matters that have already been resolved at a prior meeting.
   8. Two members-at-large will be assigned to record and prepare minutes for Executive Committee meetings and will determine between them who will record each meeting.
5. Meetings of the Staff Council Committees
   1. The Staff Council Committee meetings will be attended by the Vice Chair and appointed committee members. The Vice Chair of each committee will preside over the respective committee meetings.
   2. Contact information will be provided on the website for committee Vice Chairs.
   3. Each committee will meet as often as deemed necessary by the Vice Chair for the work of the committee, at a minimum of twice per semester.
   4. Each Vice Chair will be responsible for recording (or assigning a committee member to record) and preparing minutes for committee meetings and sending to the Vice Chair for Communication within one week.
   5. Committees that fail to meet as required above will be dissolved. If the committee is still determined to be needed, Staff Council shall elect a new committee chair to reconstitute the committee.

Standing Committees of the Staff Council

The Staff Council has the authority to create standing committees of the Staff Council that are deemed necessary to facilitate the exercise of the Staff’s participation in college governance and decision-making processes. Because standing committees may be changed by the Staff Council, they are listed in an appendix rather than in the bylaws itself.

Removal of Staff Council Members

The Staff Council may remove any member by a 2/3 vote.

Review of the Bylaws

The Staff Council Bylaws will be reviewed annually in the last meeting of the Fall semester by the Vice-Chair of the Membership, Governance and Finance, and Committee

The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Staff Council.

Appendix A: Election of Staff Council Members

1. The Membership, Governance and Finance Committee will conduct the election of Staff Council Members in a fair and equitable manner through secure online elections.
2. All full-time and part-time non-faculty staff professionals (excluding those who have faculty voting rights) according to the Human Resources classifications shall be eligible to vote in the elections for their representatives to the Staff Council.
3. Any eligible member may nominate themselves to be placed on the ballot.
4. Regular elections will be held during the spring semester following the timeline below:
   1. First week of June – Request for nominations
   2. Second week of June – Nomination deadline
   3. June 15 (on or about) – Online Election
   4. June 30 (on or about) – Results announced
5. The term length for a Staff Council Member will be one year. With the exception of the term for the Chair, Chair-Elect and Immediate Past Chair. These three positions rotate from Chair-Elect to Chair to Immediate Past Chair with each position lasting 1 year, making up one three year term.
6. Vice Chair terms are limited to two consecutive one-year terms in the same position. If there are no eligible members willing to serve in a position, the chair may appoint a Vice Chair to additional terms
7. Voting will take place using approval voting. If there are more seats available than candidates, all eligible candidates will be considered elected with no voting required.
8. General election ties will be broken by selecting the candidate who has the longer/longest continuous time of service at the college.
9. Newly elected Staff Council Members shall be invited to the regularly scheduled July Staff Council meeting. Terms for newly elected Staff Council Members will begin at the first July meeting.
10. The Executive Committee will identify and appoint elected council members at large to each of the standing committees.

Appendix B: The Standing Committees

1. The Staff Council will have five permanent, or standing committees, not including the Executive Committee
   1. Communication and Assessment – will identify and use appropriate forms of communication to ensure the equitable distribution of information for all staff members. The committee will set up and maintain the Staff Council’s webpage and produce a quarterly electronic newsletter, the “Staff Quarterly”. The committee will coordinate focus groups and electronic assessment instruments as needed for the Staff Council or other Staff Council committees. The committee will author and send all direct emails to all staff as needed by the Council or other committees.
   2. Membership, Governance & Finance – will coordinate and supervise the election of staff representatives, and recommend staff representatives to College committees. The committee will report monthly on the financial status of the Staff Council and will draft an itemized budget for review and approval.
   3. Community Building, Networking and Recognition – will plan and implement activities for the staff that will foster social interaction and develop opportunities for staff to build community. Will work to develop and coordinate an equitable recognition and award system, including milestone anniversaries and Staff Awards. The committee will serve as a resource to the College community in the recognition of staff. The committee will help coordinate events including but not limited to New Employee Orientation, and other social events.
   4. Mission and Advocacy – will coordinate with Human Resources such programs and initiatives which aid new and existing employees in connecting with each other and college Life. The committee will coordinate Staff Council advocacy regarding matters affecting life in the workplace.
   5. Professional Development – will support staff professional development needs.