IU Bloomington Professional Council BYLAWS
Section 1. Robert's Rules
The current revision of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the meetings of the Council except insofar as the Bylaws make express provision to the contrary.
Section 2. Meeting Times
Meeting times shall be set by the members of the Council. Meetings shall not be for more than two hours unless a later adjournment is agreed to unanimously.
Section 3. Quorum
The presence of a majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4. Elections
An election of regular members shall be held each year in March using solely either paper ballots or electronic ballots. Eligible participants for purposes of this Bylaw shall be persons qualifying under Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution. Elections to the Council shall be conducted on a constituency basis.
A. The electoral units shall be the following:
Unit 1: Alumni Relations, Board of Trustees, Bureau of Facilities Programs & Utilization, Environmental Health & Safety, Instructional Support Services, International Programs, Office of Academic Support & Diversity, Other University Administrative, President’s Office, Radio-Television Services, Real Estate, Risk Management, University Architects, University Counsel, University Planning Accountability, VP & Chief Administrative Officer, VP & Chief Financial Officer, VP/Provost & VP Academic Affairs, VPAD Technology Services, VP-Engagements, VP-Government Relations, VP-Institutional Development & Student Affairs, VP-Public Affairs and Government Relations, VP-Research Administration.
Unit 2: Athletics, Athletics Academic Support Program, Campus Child Care Support, Internal Audit, Licensing & Trademarks, Purchasing, Student Enrollment Services, Student Fiscal Services, University Budget Office, University Human Resource Services, University Printing Services, VP-Information Technology (UA).
Unit 3: Academic Support-ASDV, Career Development Center, Division of Student Affairs, FMS Administration, Informatics, IU Health Center, Office of Student Financial Assistance, Orientation, Population Institute for Research & Training, Student Academic Center, Student Activities, Student Ethics, Student Legal Services, Travel Management Services, Treasurer’s Office, University Division.
Unit 4: Administrative Services & Programs, Auditorium, Document Service Centers, Indiana Memorial Union, Marketing Services, Physical Plant, Residential Programs & Services.
Unit 5: Admission Research Scholars, Admissions Org., Affirmative Action, Afro-American Studies, American Indian Studies Research Institute, Anth. Center for Training on Global/Env. Change, Art Museum, Bursar Office, Campus Bus, Center for Survey Research, Dean of the Faculties, East Asian Studies Center, Enrollment Management, Extended Programs, General Studies, Hudson & Holland Scholars Programs, Indiana University Press, Institute for Advanced Studies, IU Police Department, Kinsey Institute, Laboratory Animal Resource, Library, Mail Services, Mathers Museum, Military Science, Motor Pool, Multicultural Affairs, Parking Services, Registrar, RUGS Administration, Space Management, Summer Sessions, VP-Information Technology (BL), Women’s Affairs.
Unit 6: African Studies, American Historical Review, American Studies, Anthropology, Apparel Merchandising & Interior Design, Archives of Traditional Music, Arts & Sciences-Dean, Astronomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Center for Study of History & Memory, Center for Study of Inst. Pop. & Environ. Change, Central Eurasian Studies, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Cognitive Sciences, Collins Living Learning Center, Communication & Culture, Comparative Literature, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Department of Folklore/Ethnomusicology, East Asian Languages & Cultures, Economics, English, Fine Arts Studio, French & Italian, Gender Studies, Geography, Geological Sciences, Geological Survey, Germanic Studies, Glenn Black Lab of Archaeology, Global Village Living Learning Center, Graduate School, History, History & Philosophy of Science, Honors, Indiana Molecular Biology Institute, Individualized Major Program, Inner Asian & Uralic National Research Center, Interdisciplinary Consortium for Statistical App., International Studies Major, IU Cyclotron Facility, Jewish Studies, Journal of American History, Language & Computer Lab, Liberal Arts & Management, Linguistics, Mathematics, Near Eastern Languages & Cultures, Neural Science, Nuclear Theory Center, Organization of American Historians, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Poynter Center, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Religious Studies, Russian & East European Institute, Second Language Studies, Slavic Languages & Literatures, Sociology, Spanish & Portuguese, Speech & Hearing Sciences, Telecommunications, Tesol & Applied Linguistics, Theatre & Drama, West European Studies, Workshop-Political Theory/Political Analysis.
Unit 7: Applied Health Science, Bradford Woods, Kelley School of Business, Center for Innovation in Assessment, Education, Health, Physical Education & Recreation, Indiana Daily Student, Journalism, Kinesiology, Law, Law Library, Music, Nursing, Optometry, Public & Environmental Affairs, Recreational Sports, Recreation-Park & Tourism Studies, School of Continuing Studies, Indiana Institute on Disability & Community, Program Services & Facilities, Center for the Study of Congress, Library & Information Science, Health Sciences.
B. Each Electoral unit in section 4A shall be entitled to three Council representatives. One representative from each unit will be elected each year.
C. Method of Nominating Candidates.
The following procedures shall be followed in nominating candidates for election to the Council:
1. Eligibility criteria for elected membership on the Council shall be as follows:
a. Must be Staff for one (1) year or more immediately prior to the date designated as the opening date for nominations.
b. Any elected member shall lose his/her membership on the Council upon separation from I.U. employment or movement into an ineligible rank.
2. Nomination of candidates for election to the Council shall result from:
a. Nomination by secret ballot. The number of nominees, excluding self-nominees, in each unit shall not exceed three times the number of vacancies in the unit.
b. Self-nomination by write-in ballot or by specifying self-nomination on an electronic ballot. All individuals who seek self-nomination by this process shall have their names on the ballot for their unit.
3. When paper ballots are in use, nomination ballots shall be prepared by University Human Resources for each of the seven (7) units and shall be distributed on a designated day, with a ballot being provided for each Staff member who is eligible to vote. When electronic ballots are in use, University Human Resources shall provide computer readable files consisting of the information needed by the computer-based voting system to verify eligibility when balloting and to provide notification that electronic nominating is activated. The nomination ballots shall include a section or means for self-nomination. This section or means will include space for the individual to write and submit a statement that will be included on the election ballot.
4. All Staff employed from the opening date for nomination of candidates shall be eligible to nominate Staff.
5. Eligible Staff may nominate as many persons as three times the number of vacancies in his/her respective unit.
6. When paper ballots are in use, the ballot shall be returned to the Nominations and Elections Committee, sealed in the envelope provided, within seven working days after it is sent out by University Human Resources. When electronic ballots are in use, balloting will be activated for seven (7) working days.
7. When paper ballots are in use, the envelope must be signed by the nominator for eligibility identification. When electronic ballots are in use, eligibility will be determined by use of Indiana University network id and password. Use of Indiana University network id in this manner shall in no way compromise the confidentiality of the nominations being made.
8. For paper ballots, after signatures on the envelopes have been verified, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall open, remove, and count the ballots. For electronic balloting, a listing of the ballot count for each nominee shall be provided to the Nominations and Elections Committee as well as a listing of self-nominees. In the event of ties, the committee shall draw lots to determine nominees.
9. The Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall provide a list of nominees, in the order of the highest frequency of nomination, to the Council Secretary.
10. The Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall notify the nominees in writing that their names will be placed on the election ballot unless withdrawn by a specified date.
11. In case of withdrawal by a nominee, the Chair of the Nominations and Election Committee shall notify the person with the next highest number of nominations in the unit in which the withdrawal took place that they are a nominee.
12. Should there be fewer than two nominees for each vacancy in a unit, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall select an additional nominene, after consultation with Council members of that unit.
D. Method of Electing Representatives
1. The Council shall consist of twenty-one (21) elected members.
2. When paper ballots are in use, nomination election ballots shall be prepared by University Human Resources for each of the seven (7) units and shall be distributed on a designated day, with a ballot being provided for each Staff member who is eligible to vote. When electronic ballots are in use, the information needed by the computer-based voting system to verify eligibility when balloting is activated on a designated day shall be the information loaded for nominations balloting. Either type of ballot in use shall contain biographical information on the nominees.
3. All Staff employed on the opening date for nomination of candidates shall be eligible to vote.
4. Names of nominees shall be printed or displayed on the ballots in alphabetical order depending on the election method being used.
5. Within four weeks following the closing date for making nominations, and on a previously publicized date, depending on the election method being used, each Staff member shall either be sent a paper ballot or be notified that electronic balloting is activated. The ballot shall include the names of the candidates nominated from the employee's unit, and the number to be elected in each unit shall be indicated on the ballot.
6. When paper ballots are in use, the ballot, sealed in the envelope provided, shall be returned to the Nominations and Elections Committee within seven (7) working days after it is sent out by University Human Resources. When electronic ballots are in use, balloting will be activated for seven (7) working days.
7. When paper ballots are in use, the envelope must be signed by the voter for eligibility identification. When electronic ballots are in use, eligibility will be determined by use of Indiana University network id and password. Use of Indiana University network id in this manner shall in no way compromise the confidentiality of the votes cast.
8. For paper ballots, after signatures on the envelopes have been verified, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall open, remove and count the ballots. For electronic balloting, a listing of the ballot count for each candidate shall be provided to the Nominations and Elections Committee.
9. Representatives of each unit shall be declared elected on the basis of the highest number of votes.
10. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall provide the President and Secretary of the Council a listing of the ballot count for each candidate. The Council shall then notify in writing the newly elected representatives of the results.
11. The Council shall maintain a record of votes cast in each election. Paper ballots and records shall be stored in the Council Office for a period of one year, at which time they shall be destroyed. Electronic ballot records shall be stored in the computer-based voting system until the next round of nominations begins, at which time they shall be purged.
12. In the event of a vacancy in the elected membership of the Council, the nominee in that unit who received the next highest number of votes in the last election shall be certified by the Secretary to fill the unexpired term. If no nominee in that unit is available to serve, the Council shall appoint a representative from that unit to fill the unexpired term.
E. Term of Office of Representatives
1. Members of the Council shall be elected for staggered three year terms and shall be ineligible to serve more than two consecutive elected terms.
The term of office for representatives on the Council shall begin with the first scheduled Council meeting in July.
Section 5. Officers of the Council.
A. The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian of the Council shall be elected at the first meeting of the Council in July from among the elected members of the Council.
B. The election of officers shall be conducted by a Staff member designated by the Executive Committee. This Staff member, who is not running for office, shall be identified from the prior year's Executive Committee or the Nominations and Elections Committee.
C. Election of officers shall be by secret ballot. Unless the position is uncontested, each successful candidate must have a majority of the vote. If a candidate fails to receive a majority of the vote, there will be a run-off election of the two candidates with the highest number of votes.
D. The term of office for all officers shall be one year.
E. No former officer may be re-elected to the same post for more than two consecutive terms.
F. Vacancies in offices shall be filled by an election at the next meeting using the procedure in 5C.
G. Only Council members who have served at least one year on the Council are eligible to be candidates for the office of President.
Section 6. Conduct of Meetings.
A. A simple majority of the total membership of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
B. A majority approval vote of the members present shall be required to pass a motion that has been seconded.
C. Voting on all matters other than election of officers or the amendment of the Constitution or Bylaws shall be done by raising of hands, unless a secret ballot is requested by a member.
D. Any Staff may attend the meetings of the Council. Such persons attending Council meetings may not speak unless they have been recognized by the President or Chairperson of the meeting.
E. The Council, by a two-thirds vote, may be allowed to enter executive session, during which time only regular members may be in attendance.
F. Council members unable to attend a meeting may designate another Staff member from their electoral unit or from a Council committee on which they both serve, to act as their proxy. Members who send a proxy to represent them during an absence shall be considered present. Members and proxies must sign an attendance log, provided by the Secretary, to verify attendance at each meeting.
G. A member who has four absences from regularly scheduled meetings in any twelve-month period shall be removed from the Council. At the time of notification of removal by the Secretary, the member shall be provided with the opportunity to appeal this removal in writing to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have the power of reinstatement.
Section 7. Duties and Responsibilities of the Officers, Appointed Representatives and Ex-Officio Members.
Elected Council members and appointed Representatives to committees shall be allowed adequate time to attend scheduled meetings, but shall be expected to continue to fulfill the responsibilities of their University positions.
A. President
1. Shall chair the Council meetings and abide by Robert's Rules of Order.
2. Refers all matters submitted for the Council's attention to the appropriate committee(s) or person(s).
3. Serves by appointment on University committees.
4. Prepares a written annual report of the past year's activities and makes it available to all Council members prior to the August meeting.
5. In concert with the Vice President, represents the Council at Bloomington Faculty Council meetings.
6. Selects the chairs of Standing Committees and Ad-Hoc Task Forces.
7. Calls a meeting of any committee that is not fulfilling its responsibilities and establishes organization by dictum.
8. Distributes a brief summary of each committee and its annual report to Council members at the first meeting after the election.
9. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
10. Makes appointments to University and Campus committees after consultation with the Executive Committee.
B. Vice President
1. Presides in the absence of the President.
2. Serves as the Council's initial contact with any other employee organization (except Faculty Council) on any IU campus.
3. Chairs a committee for preparation of presentations to Board of Trustees and its committees.
4. Serves as the Council's initial contact with any campus group, as requested.
5. As requested by the President, shares representation to the Faculty Council.
6. Makes arrangements for annual Council retreat in the early fall of each year.
C. Secretary
1. Supervises and prioritizes assignments for IUBPC office staff.
2. Coordinates, with IUBPC office staff, the recording of minutes for each Council meeting and any special meetings of the Staff.
3. Oversees, with IUBPC office staff, the distribution of the minutes of the previous Council meeting to members prior to the next Council meeting.
4. Ensures, with IUBPC office staff, the collection receipt and maintenance at the IUBPC office of the minutes of University and Council appointed committees and their annual reports.
5. Oversees, with IUBPC office staff, the maintenance of the Council's current files and records, as well as the gathering and distribution of information requested by Council committees.
6. Maintains and updates a calendar of events relevant to the Council for the coming year.
7. Accepts names of persons interested in serving on Council committees and makes appaointments on the basis of said persons' preferences and year of current term on Council (by seniority in current term) or in the absence of volunteers will make such appointments.
8. Hires, fires and initiates salary increases for IUBPC office staff, after consultation with the Executive Committee.
9. In connection with the election of Council representatives (see Section 4, D, items 10, 11 and 12), the Secretary shall notify newly elected representatives of the results; in the event of a vacancy in the elected membership of the Council, shall certify the nominee in that unit who received the next highest number of votes in the last election to fill the unexpired term; and shall maintain a master list of votes cast in each election.
10. In connection with the conduct of meetings (see Section 6, F and G), the Secretary shall provide an attendance log for each Council meeting, shall maintain a master attendance list, and shall notify any Council member who has four absences from regularly scheduled meetings in any twelve-month period of his/her removal from the Council.
D. Treasurer
1. Acts as account manager for all Council funds and makes monthly status reports.
2. Provides the Executive Committee with relevant information needed for responsible financial management.
3. Serves as liaison with campus chancellor's budget officer, including representing the Council on the Budgetary Affairs Committee of the Bloomington Faculty Council.
E. Parliamentarian
1. Ensures that Council meetings are conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
2. Annually reviews the Constitution and Bylaws and submits recommendations for changes to the Executive Committee.
3. Serves as archivist for the Council and oversees the collection, organization and maintenance in the IUBPC office of the IUBPC archives.
F. Appointed Representatives to Committees
The Executive Committee shall nominate Staff representatives to University and Campus committees, with preference to current Council members where allowed. Those representatives will report on the progress of committee activities to the Council for the duration of their appointment.
G. Ex-Officio Members
As identified in the constitution, the Council shall invite individuals from other employee groups to serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Council. These positions shall be reviewed annually, and re-appointed by a majority vote of the Council.
1. Bloomington Faculty Council, as nominated by the president of the BFC.
2. Indiana University Student Association, as nominated by the president of the IUSA.
3. AFSCME, as nominated by the president of AFSCME.
4. CWA, as nominated by the president of CWA.
5. University Human Resources, as nominated by the Director of UHRS.
Section 8. Standing Committees and Ad-Hoc Committees
A. General Guidelines for Standing Committees
1. Each Council member will serve on one of the standing committees each year.
a.Attendance at committee meetings is required. The same rules (and penalties) apply to committee attendance as to attendance at regular Council meetings, e.g., missing four meetings without designating a proxy will result in dismissal from the Council (see Section 6.G.). Committee Chairpersons shall report absences without a proxy present, to the Secretary.
b.Volunteers will be solicited by open invitation in the newsletter and/or through other means, as the Council deems appropriate. The Professional Interests Committee chair will be responsible for initiating this effort. When committee vacancies cannot be filled by response to public invitation, Council members may be asked to solicit volunteers personally for the committees on which they serve.
2. Committee assignments will be made at or immediately following the July Council meeting of each year. The selection process will be organized and managed by the previous year's Secretary. Each Council member, except those who are officers of the Council, shall identify two committee choices. Committee assignments should follow member preference if possible. Special preference should be given to those who are willing to serve as a committee chairperson.
3. Committees will be chaired by a Council member appointed by the President.
4. Committees will schedule monthly meetings. A verbal and written report will be made by the committee Chairperson. The verbal report will be made at the next general Council meeting following the committee meeting, with the written report given to the Council Secretary at the same time.
5. The Executive Committee will set the initial agenda of each committee based upon suggestions from the Council and its constituency.
6. There will be four committees advocating for professional staff as critical members of the IU academic, research, and outreach missions and addressing issues affecting professional staff employment and development.
7. Each committee will have a chair and three to five members. An Executive Committee member will serve as liaison to each committee and report back to the Executive Committee on activities and progress.
8. The chairs of committees will maintain close contact with each other to share information and identify common initiatives.
9. At the beginning of the BPC year (July/August) the group will make assignments, discuss goals, and initiate planning. Initiatives will be finalized at the annual retreat in September.
B. Responsibility of the Standing Committee Chairperson
1. Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be responsible for scheduling committee meetings, setting an agenda consistent with the basic goals and objectives as set for the committee by the Executive Committee, and addressing other relevant matters that may come before committee. The chairperson may delegate responsibility for action on items pending before the committee, prepare written reports for communication to the Staff at large, manage the recruitment of non-Council members to serve on the committee, and adhere to all other requirements imposed by the Council's Constitution and Bylaws.
C. Standing Committee Descriptions
1. Executive Committee
Recruits guests for monthly meetings
Communicates with IU/community decision-makers
Formulates position papers on issues
Organizes retreat
Runs elections (Parliamentarian)
Appoints members to serve on campus searches/reviews/committees
Communicates with membership/new members
Serves as liaison to committees
Maintains contact with staff organizations in other IU campuses
2. Communications and Marketing Committee
Publishes newsletter
Notifies press contacts
Maintains and enhances website
3. Outreach and Advocacy Committee
Organizes forums on topics of interest
Organizes "Get to know your campus" events
Conducts outreach activities with an eye toward diversity
Participates in Hoosiers for Higher Education
Ensures recognition of outstanding professional staff
4. Professional Interests Committee
Awards professional development grants
Organizes annual silent auction
Submits nominations for membership
Recruits new members
Conducts other fundraising efforts
Monitors salary and benefits issues
Oversees Perks page
Conducts research and surveys
D. Ad Hoc Task Forces
1. As special issues arise, the Council may direct the Executive Committee to establish ad-hoc task forces to research and recommend action to the Council.
2. Any Council member may be asked to serve on such task forces.
3. Ad-hoc task forces will be chaired by a Council member appointed by the President.
4. Ad-hoc task forces will meet as needed. A verbal and written report will be made by the ad-hoc task force Chairperson. The verbal report will be made at the next general Council meeting following the ad-hoc task force meeting, with the written report given to the Council Secretary at the same time.
5. The Executive Committee will set the initial agenda of each ad-hoc task force based upon suggestions from the Council and its constituency.
Section 9. Special Meetings
A. The Vice President for Administration may request the Council to call a special meeting of the Staff. Special meetings may also be called by a two-thirds vote of the Council. Staff shall be notified at least one week in advance of the date a special meeting.
B. The Secretary of the Council, in concert with the IUBPC Office Assistant, shall keep comprehensive minutes of the proceedings and actions of all special meetings and this information available to the Staff.
Section 10. Amendment of the Bylaws
With the exception of section 4 A, the Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Council Members present at a regular monthly meeting. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws must be presented one meeting prior to voting on the amendments. If there is an additional amendment or change to a proposed amendment, a motion must be made, seconded and passed, that waives the "one meeting prior to voting on the amendment" bylaw, and then the proposed amendment can be considered by the Council Members present.
Upon notification from University Human Resource Services, Section 4A may be amended by the Executive Committee to reflect the addition or deletion of a department or a departmental name change without a vote and one prior month notification. All BPC representatives must be notified promptly of any such changes.
