Objectives and Bylaws
SAS Objectives
- To serve as a support body for the staff of the College of Arts and Letters;
- To provide a voice for a fully confidential channel of communication between staff members and the administration of the College;
- To act in an advisory capacity to the College administration;
- To provide input into the decision-making process on issues affecting staff and the College;
- To foster a spirit of unity, cooperation, and professionalism;
- To organize social gatherings for staff members;
- To accept and share responsibility with employees of the College of Arts and Letters in all efforts to attain the stated mission and goals of the College of Arts and Letters and The University of Notre Dame.
Bylaws for the Staff Advisory Support Committee
Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Staff Advisory Support Committee referred to hereafter as SAS.
Article II: Objectives/Purposes
The objectives/purposes of SAS are:
- To serve as a support body for the staff of the College of Arts and Letters;
- To provide a voice for a fully confidential channel of communication between staff members and the administration of the College;
- To act in an advisory capacity to the College administration;
- To provide input into the decision-making process on issues affecting staff and the College;
- To foster a spirit of unity, cooperation, and professionalism;
- To organize social gatherings for staff members;
- To accept and share responsibility with employees of the College of Arts and Letters in all efforts to attain the stated mission and goals of the College of Arts and Letters and The University of Notre Dame.
Article III: Staff Advisory Support Committee
The SAS Committee serves as a formal vehicle of communication between the staff and the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
Section 1. Number
The committee is comprised of up to ten (10) members, including the officers of SAS (president, vice president, secretary, and media officer) and up to six (6) other members, consisting of staff from the College of Arts and Letters. The representatives may serve up to two 2-year terms, January through December.
Section 2. Qualifications
All staff employed by the College of Arts and Letters who do not hold academic appointment or have faculty voting membership shall be eligible for election to SAS. Supervisor's approval of membership is required.
Section 3. Duties and Authority
Each representative of SAS shall solicit and receive written communications requesting study, advice or action from staff of the College. Such requests shall be addressed at the next scheduled committee meeting. The committee’s decisions and actions will be reported within ten (10) business days after the meeting.
The duties of the committee shall be to:
- Act appropriately on all matters presented to the committee;
- Initiate studies as it sees fit and take whatever action it deems necessary to conduct these studies;
- Submit to the appropriate College authority all written recommendations which have been approved by SAS;
- Report its decisions and actions to staff in a timely manner.
Section 4. Chairing of Meetings
President of SAS shall preside over all committee meetings. In the absence of the president, meetings will be presided over by the vice president.
Section 5. Meetings
Regular meetings of the SAS Committee shall be held monthly, or more frequently if necessary. Special meetings may be called by the president or by a written petition signed by any three (3) voting members of the committee. Special meetings requested by petition must be held no later than two (2) calendar weeks after such petition is received by the president.
Section 6. Notice of Meetings
Notice of the time and place of all meetings and the agenda shall be prepared by the president and delivered to each committee member at least 2 days before such meetings. All notices of special meetings shall state the purpose of the meeting. Meeting date, time, and places shall be posted on the SAS website, so members and the public are aware. Changes to the schedule will be amended on the SAS website within one day of a scheduled change. The President will notify all staff via the SAS listserv of the change prior to the meeting.
Section 7. Voting
All voting members of the committee shall be entitled to vote on any issue brought before any regular or special meeting of the committee. The personal vote of a simple majority of those present shall decide any issue, except where a greater majority is required by these bylaws. The president does not vote except in the case to break a tie.
Section 8. Quorum
A simple majority of the voting members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The committee may not transact any business until a quorum has been secured, but may take any actions required to adjourn the meeting without further notice.
Section 9. Non-voting Participation
Non-voting participation in meetings of the committee shall be extended, for the purpose of reports and other discussion, upon recognition by the president.
Section 10. Resignation
Any member of the committee may resign at any time. Resignation shall be effective upon the president’s receipt of the member’s written notice.
Article IV: Membership
All staff employed by the College of Arts and Letters who do not hold academic appointment or have faculty voting membership, and have been in the college for one semester, shall be eligible for election to SAS. Once a staff member has served 2 consecutive two-year terms, or has stepped down from SAS within that time frame, that staff member is ineligible to serve on the SAS Committee for two years.
Section 1. Attendance
Members are expected to attend on a regular basis. If a member does not attend for 3 consecutive meetings without good cause, they will be automatically removed.
Section 2. Confidentiality
All matters will be kept confidential.
Article V: Officers
Section 1. Number
The officers of SAS shall consist of four (4) persons: president, vice president, secretary, and media officer.
Section 2. Qualifications
Any officer must qualify as a voting member of SAS (Article IV).
Section 3. Duties
The president shall:
- Schedule meetings;
- Establish meeting agendas;
- Distribute meeting agendas to the committee at least two (2) days prior to the meeting;
- Preside at all meetings;
- Enforce the bylaws;
- Establish committees as appropriate;
- Appoint members and designate chairs of committees.
The vice president shall:
- Perform the duties of the president in the absence of the president;
- Serve as the principal assistant to the president;
- Fulfill any term vacated by the president.
- Coordinate SAS welcomes for new staff of the College.
The secretary shall:
- Prepare minutes of all meetings and maintain them as permanent records;
- Distribute minutes of meetings to each member of SAS within five (5) days of the meetings for approval or corrections;
- Distribute final minutes to the staff within ten (10) days of the meetings;
- Determine quorum at meetings;
- Distribute ballots to members of SAS for election of officers;
- Distribute ballots for election of SAS committee members to staff of the College.
The media officer shall:
- Maintain the SAS website
- Check SAS email regularly
- Respond to SAS email and file appropriately
- Create, send, and report responses for any electronic questionnaires to the membership
Section 4. Terms of Office
All terms of office shall be one year. Each term shall commence with election results at the January meeting. Officers shall be eligible for re-election, but may not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. In the event an officer, excluding the president, shall take office and for any reason be unable or unwilling to complete his/her term of office, a special meeting shall be called and a special election held to fill the vacated office for the remainder of the vacating officer’s term.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1. Chairing of Meetings
The president shall preside over SAS meetings. In the absence of the president, meetings will be presided over by the vice president.
Section 2. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of SAS shall be held once a month during the academic year.
Section 3. Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called by the president or in response to a petition signed by three (3) of the members of SAS. A special meeting requested by petition must be held no later than two (2) calendar weeks after the president receives such a petition.
Section 4. Notice of Meetings
Notice of the time and place of all SAS meetings shall be prepared by the president of SAS and delivered to the members of SAS not less than two (2) days before such meeting. In order for action to be taken on a new rule or policy or on modification of an existing rule, notification of such pending action must be provided in the official notice of the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Notice of special meetings shall state the purpose for which the meeting is called.
Section 5. Agenda
The president prepares the agenda for all regular meetings of SAS. Items for the agenda shall be submitted by any staff member to any member of the SAS Committee. The agenda may be amended at the beginning of any meeting to permit the introduction of unanticipated voting items. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the majority of those present is necessary to amend the agenda.
Section 6. Voting
All voting members of the SAS shall be entitled to vote on any issue brought before any regular or special meeting of the SAS. A quorum shall decide any issue, except where a greater majority is required by these bylaws. The president does not vote except in the case to break a tie.
Section 7. Quorum
A simple majority of the voting members of SAS shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.
Article VII: Elections of Representatives
Section 1. Time
Election of representatives shall be held mid-January.
Section 2. Procedures
The committee will ask for self-nominations in the first week of December. Self-nominations shall be due by December 15. In the event that the committee receives fewer self-nominations than open positions on the SAS committee, all nominees will be placed on the committee and no election will take place. New members will be announced to the staff via email by February 1 (or the next business day). If the committee receives more self-nominations than available open positions on the SAS Committee, a run-off election will take place. Election of representatives to the SAS Committee shall be by secret ballot. Ballots for the election shall be emailed by December 15. Ballots shall be due by mid-January. Results of this election shall be announced to the staff via email within five (5) business days.
Section 3. Votes Required to Elect
A plurality of votes cast by staff shall elect.
Section 4. Vacated Positions
In the event that a representative resigns or is removed from committee, the SAS committee may ask for volunteers from eligible staff of the College of Arts and Letters to fill the vacated position(s) or wait until December for the new elections. In the event that more staff volunteer than are available positions, a run-off election shall be held.
Article VIII: Elections of Officers
Section 1. Time
Election of SAS officers shall be held during the first SAS meeting after the committee election.
Section 2. Procedures
Self-nominations shall be due by the first meeting after the committee election. Election of officers to the SAS Committee shall be by secret ballot. Ballots for the election shall be distributed at the first meeting. Vote count shall take place at the meeting, and members designated by the president shall tally the votes. Results of these elections shall be announced during this meeting and announced to the staff within five (5) business days.
Section 3. Votes Required to Elect
A majority of votes cast by eligible members of the committee shall elect.
Article IX: Committees
The president shall solicit volunteers of any standing, special, and/or ad hoc committee as deemed necessary by the SAS Committee.
Article X: Removals from Committee
Any representative of the SAS Committee may be removed upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of no confidence by voting members of the committee.
Article XI: Removals from Office
Any person holding a position of office elected by SAS may be removed upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of no confidence by the voting members of SAS.
Article XII: Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of SAS during any SAS meeting provided the president has notified the SAS membership, in writing, of any proposed amendment at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the vote to amend.
Article XIII: Confidentiality
Section 1: Meetings
All representatives must uphold the SAS objective to provide a fully confidential channel of communication between staff members and the College administration. Members of the committee may not discuss any public forum topics, private statements, or information explicitly stated as "confidential" by the College administration without consent to do so. Failure to uphold this value will result in the member being removed from the committee. Confidentiality may only be broken for mandatory reporting issues as defined by the Office of Human Resources.
Section 2: Written consent
All active representatives must sign a Statement of Confidentiality consenting to uphold the objectives of confidentiality.