Staff Senate By-Laws
In 2019, the Staff Senate proposed a significant update to its by-laws and the UM-Dearborn staff voted to adopt the new by-laws. The by-laws were approved by the Staff Senate on October 22, 2019 & the Staff Congress on December 6, 2019.
- Amendment 1, approved October 28, 2020
- Amendment 2, approved November 18, 2020
- Amendment 3, approved April 28, 2021
- Amendment 4, approved July 27, 2022
- Amendment 5, proposed April 26, 2023
- Amendment 6, proposed May 24, 2023
- Amendment 7, proposed June 23, 2023
You can view or download a PDF version of the latest Staff Senate By-Laws.
Updated 05/15/2024
Table of Contents
- The Staff Senate was established to foster a spirit of unity, pride, and cooperation among staff members by recognizing the leadership role staff play in accomplishing the mission of the University.
- The Senate serves to facilitate communication among all employees and University administrators concerning general University employment interests and elevating staff concerns and suggestions to the University’s senior officers, and by serving in an advisory capacity to the Chancellor and Human Resources Director.
- The key objectives of the Senate are to:
- Increase cross-campus collaboration to better enhance work and processes that are being done well but could be improved.
- Enhance the staff experience and the campus culture.
- Identify concerns from across campus and develop possible solutions.
- Full-time staff - A staff member that is normally scheduled to work 40 (forty) hours per week.
- Part-time staff - A regular or temporary staff member normally scheduled to work less than 40 (forty) hours per week.
- Regular staff - A staff member whose employment is either full or part-time and is reasonably expected to continue employment.
- Close ended or term limited staff member - benefit eligible, regular employee, full or part-time, with an appointment end date.
- Temporary staff member - Any non-student employee whose employment, either full or part-time, in a specific position which is irregular, sporadic, or casual, or is fixed at the time of employment to not exceed 12 (twelve) consecutive months and is established for:
- A specific project; relief for regular employee absence; augmenting regular staff occasioned by resignations, dismissals, increased work loads, or other conditions that may create a short term need.
- Student Employee - Any individual enrolled in the University of Michigan and employed by the University whose primary purpose for being at the University is to obtain an education. Student employee status for this purpose is not affected if a student employee is not enrolled during the period between consecutive terms or during the Spring-Summer term.
- Bargained for - Any employee who may fit in any of the above categories but is a part of a collective bargaining agreement.
- Unit - a body within the University, as defined by Human Resources, that is headed by a Senior Officer.
- The bodies represented by the Staff Senate shall be defined by the Human Resources office to ensure continuity of representation. The represented bodies will be made up of the academic colleges, and administrative/organizational units.
- The Human Resources Director shall submit a breakdown of bodies 3 (three) months prior to the start of the election process.
- Upon receipt of this breakdown, the Senate will discuss and vote upon its approval and/or modification for identifying proper representation of Senators in the election cycle.
- Ex-officio, non voting members
- Those holding the below campus positions shall be considered ex-officio non-voting members
- Chancellor
- Provost
- Staff Senate Chair
- Immediate past chair
- Human Resources Director
- Those holding the below campus positions shall be considered ex-officio non-voting members
- Staff Senators/Voting Members
- There shall be 18 (eighteen) voting members of the Staff Senate
- Each body as set by following Section III shall be represented by 1 (one) elected Senator.
- There additionally shall be 1 (one) elected Senator specifically representing bargained for staff and 1 (one) elected Senator representing employees in close ended/term limited staff positions.
- All remaining seats beyond the above outlined shall be considered at-large and will be open to any staff member from any unit or college.
- There shall be 18 (eighteen) voting members of the Staff Senate
- Attendance
- General notes attendance for each meeting will be recorded by the Senate Secretary
- If a meeting absence is expected, senators must notify the Chair and Vice Chair via email within a reasonable time frame based upon the individual circumstances. If not done, the absence will be considered unexcused at the discretion of the Chair and Vice Chair.
- Excused Absences
- Excused absences shall be classified as a single instance or long term excused.
- Single instance can include but is not limited to: Illness, injury, family care, funeral, jury duty, military duty, campus closure
- Single instance absences are deemed excused at the discretion of the Chair and/or Vice-Chair
- Long term excused absences may span up to 1 (one) semester in length and may include but are not limited to: academic coursework, other work requirements, extended medical
- In cases extending beyond 1 (one) semester, see section IV. D on Alternates
- Long term excused are deemed excused at the discretion of the Senate Council
- Removal of senatorial duties
- If a senator has either 3 (three) consecutive unexcused absences or a total of 5 (five) unexcused absences during the academic calendar year, this will be grounds for the Senate to consider removal of Senator
- Senatorial duties
- The procedure for removal is as follows:
- The Secretary will notify the Chair and Vice Chair of the unexcused absence count to ensure absences were accounted for properly
- Written notification of a removal action will be forwarded by the Vice Chair to the Senator being considered for removal at least 1 (one) week prior to the next scheduled general meeting
- A copy of the removal notification will be included with the agenda, and the matter will be placed in the general business section of the agenda
- Formal removal will require a ⅔ (two thirds) vote of the current Senate membership.
- The person being considered for removal should be present, and will be permitted to present relevant facts for review, but may not vote in this action and shall not be in the room during the vote of the Senate
- If the member does not attend the Senate meeting when the removal action is to be voted upon and has not requested the discussion to be rescheduled to a more amenable time, the seat is considered abandoned
- The procedure for removal is as follows:
- Single instance can include but is not limited to: Illness, injury, family care, funeral, jury duty, military duty, campus closure
- Excused absences shall be classified as a single instance or long term excused.
- General notes attendance for each meeting will be recorded by the Senate Secretary
- Alternates
- An alternate may be appointed in the event of a long term excused absence when the Senator plans to return. The alternate has full voting rights in the Senator’s absence. This alternate role will:
- First be offered to the election runner up
- If the runner up is uninterested or unavailable, the following will take place:
- The Council as defined in section VI will identify an alternate for the allotted duration of absence, ensuring continued unit representation
- The excused Senator may offer a suggestion for a replacement for the Council to consider
- The Council as defined in section VI will identify an alternate for the allotted duration of absence, ensuring continued unit representation
- In the event a Senator is terminated from their university position, has an employment status change from full time, or resigns, Council will identify an alternate and ensure continued unit representation.
- An alternate may be appointed in the event of a long term excused absence when the Senator plans to return. The alternate has full voting rights in the Senator’s absence. This alternate role will:
- Elections shall be held during each summer term, with new Senators taking their seat on July 1st
- Elections shall be overseen by the Parliamentary Committee.
- Senator term of service
- New Senators will begin the role of Senator on July 1st after the election, and all terms will end on June 30th of the respective year.
- The Senator representing close ended/term limited staff shall serve a 1 (one) year term.
- All other elected Senators will fulfill a 2 (two) year term with the Senate as a representative of their unit or as a Senator at-large.
- Half of each unit’s seats, and half of the at-large seats, will be voted upon in alternating years to ensure continuity of representation.
- Seat declination
- If a newly elected Senator chooses to decline their seat post-election, the Senate will offer the seat to the second runner-up from that election.
- If the second runner up declines, see section IV. D. on alternates
- If a newly elected Senator chooses to decline their seat post-election, the Senate will offer the seat to the second runner-up from that election.
- Recall/Removal from Senate
- A Senator may be removed by an action initiated by the Senator’s Unit or by the Senate
- In the event that the staff of a unit feels that their elected Senator is not adequately representing their interests the unit staff may initiate the recall process by way of a petition
- Upon receiving the signatures of 1/3 (one third) of a unit’s staff stating the desire to remove their Senator, the petitioner shall provide the petition to the Senate Chair, who will bring the matter forward to the Senate to discuss and vote on the Senator’s standing.
- If a Senator believes that another member of the Senate is not adequately representing a Unit, they shall submit to the Senate Chair their concern.
- The Chair shall bring the matter before the Senate Council for initial deliberation and to explore the complaint and consult the Senator in question.
- The Council may then choose to elevate the complaint to the full Senate for discussion and a vote, or the Council may choose to end the inquiry and dismiss the complaint.
- Upon a matter being elevated to the full Senate:
- The matter shall be added to Senate meeting agenda only during a meeting where the Senator in question will be in attendance
- The case against the Senator shall be explained and the Senator in question shall have an opportunity to provide a rebuttal and explanation, followed by a discussion with the Senator present
- The Senator in question shall then leave the room for discussion in executive session
- The Senate shall vote in continued executive session, and 2/3 (two thirds) majority vote shall be needed to remove the Senator from their seat
- The Senator in question shall not formally vote; however, their vote shall be counted as 1 (one) vote in their favor and be counted in quorum for the vote
- If a Senator is removed through this process, the process for electing an alternate (see section IV 4) shall be followed.
- In the event that the staff of a unit feels that their elected Senator is not adequately representing their interests the unit staff may initiate the recall process by way of a petition
- A Senator may be removed by an action initiated by the Senator’s Unit or by the Senate
- Authority
- There shall be a Senate elected Council of the Staff Senate, to be headed by a Chair and Vice Chair.
- The Council shall act as an agent of the Senate and serve as a liaison between the Senate and the Chancellor, Human Resources Director and other senior officers.
- The Council, although an agent of the Senate, may not act for the Senate and may only advise the Chancellor, Human Resources Director, and other senior officers on an interim basis until a matter requiring Senate action can be placed before the full Senate.
- The duties of the Council shall include executing the decisions of the Senate; scheduling appropriate meetings; planning Senate meetings and agendas; implementing the decisions of the Senate; and exchanging information and views regularly with the Chancellor, Human Resources Director and other senior officers when appropriate to the performance of the above mentioned functions.
- Officers
- The Senate at its annual retreat shall elect from its members, the following Council positions (outbound Senators shall not vote):
- Chair
- The chair shall preside over Council and Senate meetings, shall be the primary liaison between the Chancellor, Human Resources Director, and senior officers, and shall ensure that all Senate functions are adequately being fulfilled.
- The Chair shall receive a $2,000 stipend per fiscal year of their service.
- The Chair shall only vote in the event of a tie vote in order to break the tie. The immediate past chair will be responsible for attending quarterly meetings or as needed.
- Vice Chair
- The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in their duties, and additionally shall serve as the primary overseer of the Senate budget.
- The Vice Chair shall receive a $1,000 stipend per fiscal year of their service.
- The chosen Vice Chair will ascend to the role of Chair after they complete their 1 (one) year Vice Chair term.
- Secretary
- The Secretary shall create and send out Senate and Council agendas prior to each meeting, keep meeting minutes and share out the minutes after each meeting. The Secretary shall also serve as the primary record keeper for the Senate and maintain upkeep of the Senate Shared Drive, called UMD|Staff Senate.
- The Secretary shall receive a $500 stipend per fiscal year of their service.
- Parliamentarian
- The Parliamentarian shall preside over the parliamentary committee which shall administer the elections and provide upkeep and maintenance of the Senate bylaws. The Parliamentarian shall also ensure Robert's Rules of Order are adequately followed in Senate meetings.
- The Parliamentarian shall receive a $500 stipend per fiscal year of their service.
- Communications Coordinator
- The Communications Coordinator shall ensure the Senate’s website is updated regularly with the meeting agendas and the subsequent approved meeting minutes in addition to other content. The Communications Coordinator shall also chair the communication committee.
- The Communications Coordinator shall receive a $500 stipend per fiscal year of their service.
- Member at large
- The Member at large shall serve in a general capacity on council, providing advice and counsel in any function needed and serve as part of the leadership for the Senate.
- Selection of Council Membership
- All respective council positions shall be effective for 1 (one) year, and all but Chair shall be selected at the annual Senate retreat.
- Chair
- The Senate at its annual retreat shall elect from its members, the following Council positions (outbound Senators shall not vote):
- Council member accountability
- As an accountability measure to ensure council members are performing their duties in good faith, an evaluation shall be administered to all Senators at the end of the Fall and Winter terms.
- Removal/Impeachment from Council:
- If a Senator believes that a Council member is not adequately fulfilling their role on Council, they shall submit their concern to any other Council member.
- The matter shall be added to a Senate meeting agenda only during a meeting where the Council member in question will be in attendance
- The case against the Council member shall be explained and the Council member in question shall have an opportunity to provide a rebuttal and explanation, followed by a discussion with the Council member present
- The Council Member in question shall then leave the room for discussion in executive session
- The Senate shall vote in continued executive session, and 2/3 (two thirds) majority vote shall be needed to remove the Council Member from their position
- If a Council member is voted out of their position they shall presume their role as an elected Senator and the Senate
- If a Senator believes that a Council member is not adequately fulfilling their role on Council, they shall submit their concern to any other Council member.
- Council Seat Vacancy
- In the event of an open council seat for any reason, there will be a call for nominations and a vote by the Senate to fill the vacant role
- There shall be a Campus Forum comprised of the Faculty Senate Council and the Staff Senate Council members held once each term (Fall and Winter) to explore opportunities for collaboration and rapport building.
- Efforts shall also be made to convene with the Student Government Leadership once per term
- Efforts shall also be made to convene with Flint Senate Council once per year
- Staff Congress
- Staff Congress is a convening of the full staff body (which includes full-time, part-time, regular, close ended, and bargained for staff members), at least once per academic year. The nature of the Staff Congress gathering will be to share updates for the year, build cross campus connections, and elevate successes and challenges to the full Staff body. This gathering shall resemble a town hall rather than a voting meeting.
- Senate Meetings
- Who may call meetings
- A meeting of the Senate may be called by the Chair, by the Senate Council, by any five voting members of the Senate, by the
- Chancellor or Human Resources Director, or by a vote of the Senate in a prior meeting.
- Notice of meetings
- The Recording Secretary, via email to each member, shall announce each meeting in a timely fashion. The notice shall state the hour and the place. The agenda of the meeting shall be made available in a timely fashion. Notice of an emergency meeting must state the business of the meeting.
- Electronic meetings
- Meetings of the Staff Senate may be conducted through use of Internet meeting services (i.e. Zoom, BlueJeans) that support anonymous voting when required, support visible displays identifying those participating, and identifying those seeking recognition to speak.
- These electronic meetings of the Senate shall be subject to all rules as stated in the bylaws. An anonymous vote conducted through the designated internet meeting service shall be deemed a ballot vote, fulfilling any requirement in the bylaws or rules that a vote be conducted by ballot.
- Meeting Quorum
- A quorum will be met to hold official voting at Senate meetings by a simple majority (50% (fifty percent) of Senators + 1 (one) present).
- Who may attend
- The Senate meetings shall be open to the public except when the Senate deems an executive session necessary.
- Standing agenda updates
- Approval of previous meeting’s minutes
- At the beginning of each monthly meeting the first agenda item shall be seeking any amendments to the previous month’s minutes and voting upon their approval.
- The individuals in the following roles (or a delegate as necessary), as non-voting Ex Officio members shall hold a standing agenda item at the beginning of the meeting to provide updates and discussion:
- Chancellor
- Provost
- Human Resources Director
- The following individuals shall hold a standing invitation to attend Staff Senate meetings:
- Student Government Representative
- Faculty Senate Chair
- Approval of previous meeting’s minutes
- Robert's Rules of Order
- Meetings and voting shall follow the guidelines of Robert's Rules of Order.
- Voting
- When a vote is called, it shall follow Roberts Rules of Order and shall be considered passed if it receives a simple majority of those Senators present.
- Who may call meetings
- Amendments to these bylaws shall go to the Senate for a vote. If a simple majority is received after a motion to vote is called, the amendment shall become a part of the bylaws.
- A Senator, at their discretion, may move to bring the vote to the full Staff Congress via an online platform. If so motioned, a vote of a simple majority of Senators present shall pass the motion. If a simple majority is not received the Senate shall continue its discussion and internal voting process.
- The Senate shall have the following standing committees:
- Staff Recognition - This committee shall serve to ensure staff across campus are recognized for their efforts.
- Communications - This committee, chaired by the Communications Coordinator, shall oversee the Senate newsletter creation and distribution.
- Hospitality and Staff Engagement - This committee shall manage the logistics and partnerships for the Chancellor’s picnic and other campus wide events that the Senate co-sponsors. This committee shall also host socials for staff to build connections, and shall develop and implement other on campus methods of engaging staff.
- Professional Development - This committee shall assess the professional development needs of staff and provide supplementary offerings to support those led by Human Resources.
- Parliamentary - This committee shall be chaired by the Parliamentarian and shall be responsible for upkeep of the bylaws, and shall oversee Senate elections.
- PROPOSED: Process Improvement
- Ad Hoc Committees
- Ad Hoc Committees will be on a close-ended basis for a specific need or purpose. The creation of an Ad Hoc committee shall be proposed to and then voted upon by the Senate.
- In the event that an Ad Hoc committee is requested to be extended, the Senate shall discuss and vote upon whether it should be converted to a standing committee or to extend the end date as an ad hoc committee.
- Senate appointed roles
- From time to time, the Senate is sought out to participate in various campus and system wide committees. As these opportunities arise the Senate shall fill these committee seats by nominating and voting upon which Senator shall fill the role.
- This document is not meant to supersede any Regental Bylaws/governing documents nor the Standard Practice Guide (SPG) of the University of Michigan. In the event that any portion of this document is in contrast with either body of documents, Regental documents and the SPG shall always take precedence.