Staff Senate Bylaws

The Staff Senate was organized Sept. 24, 1976, by Article V of University of Arkansas Board Policy 810.1. Some procedures and duties are outlined in the board policy. Others are outlined here.

Bylaws

University of Arkansas Staff Senate

Last Revision: Dec. 13, 2023

PDF version (Dec. 13, 2023, update)

These bylaws shall govern the Staff Senate. These bylaws shall be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Staff Senate serving at the time of the vote. A recommendation to amend the Staff Senate bylaws will not be voted upon at the same Staff Senate meeting at which the proposed amendment is presented. In all matters not covered by its constitution, bylaws, and standing rules, this organization shall be governed by the current edition of the American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.

Article I. VOTING MEMBERSHIP

Section I.1 The voting membership shall consist of representatives elected from the University of Arkansas staff, as defined in the Staff Senate Constitution. These representatives shall be elected from administrative divisions as provided herein as well as at-large representatives. The number of at-large representatives will reflect the number of administrative divisions as determined in January of the election year.

Section I.2 The voting membership shall be as follows:

Senators shall be apportioned using the divisions indicated in the organizational chart in use in January of the election year. The determination of staff divisions shall be completed by the Officers and election chair in January of each year.
Staff Senate will make their best effort to ensure all EEO-6 job classifications are represented on Senate. Efforts could include diverse recruitment and nomination of senators, actively communicating nomination timeline and procedures across all EEO-6 job classifications, and taking into consideration representation in case of an appointment needing to be made by the Chair.

Section I.3 The staff members in each administrative division shall be elected for staggered three-year terms. There shall be one Staff Senate representative for each 100 staff members in that administrative division. The number of staff members of each administrative division shall be rounded to the nearest hundred.

Divisions with less than 50 staff may be combined with others in order to contain a minimum of 50 staff members and therefore have one senator representing the combined divisions.

Section I.4 At its regular February meeting each year, the Staff Senate shall decide how many Staff Senate representatives shall be apportioned to each administrative division for the following Senate year. This decision shall be made on the basis of the total number of staff members in each administrative division as of January of that election year. The Elections Committee shall assist the Staff Senate in this decision by providing a report on such numbers from Human Resources, and for staff who hold more than one position, their “primary job” will determine of which division they are part.

Article II. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTION

Section II.1 Nominations

(a) The Elections Committee shall coordinate the process for nominations and elections to the Staff Senate;

(b) Within an administrative division, a staff member may nominate any member of the staff within that division, including him or herself;

(d) Nominees must have at least one continuous year of 100% appointed employment with the Fayetteville campus as of the preceding January 31.

Section II.2 Elections

(a) The election process shall be timed so the entire election process including runoffs must be finished by the Monday before the May Staff Senate meeting. This day will be referred to as the Election Process Completion Date (EPCD);

(b) The results of each election shall be reported first to all members of the Elections Committee, then to the Staff Senate Chair, then to all candidates. Results will be reported to the Staff Senate at the next regular meeting.

Article III. TERMS OF VOTING MEMBERS

Section III.1 Each member of the Staff Senate who is elected to serve a full term shall serve a three-year term beginning July 1. Each member who is elected to complete a partial term shall serve from the date of the appointment until the expiration of such term.

Section III.2 Although the Staff Senate year begins on July 1, each newly elected member shall be invited to attend the regular June meeting as a guest, and encouraged to attend to assist the transitional process.

Article IV. RESPONSIBILITIES OF VOTING MEMBERS

Section IV.1 Each member of the Staff Senate is expected to attend all regular Staff Senate meetings and become involved in committee and project work. Staff Senate members are expected to do their best to serve those who elected them and to contribute ideas from employees to improve the quality of work life at the University. Staff Senate will make its best effort to offer a virtual option for monthly meetings, but cannot guarantee due to potential space technology restrictions. Virtual options will no longer be provided if virtual participation proves to result in a lack of active engagement in the meeting, as determined by the Executive Committee.

Section IV.2 After a staff senator has missed two regular Staff Senate meetings, the Staff Senate Chair will notify the senator that one more absence within current term year will result in a membership review by the Executive Committee.

Section IV.3 If a member misses a third regular Staff Senate meeting in a Staff Senate year, the Staff Senate Chair shall notify the member that his or her membership will be reviewed at the next regular meeting of the Staff Senate Executive Committee.

Section IV.4 After a member misses three regular Staff Senate meetings and has been given the notice specified in “3” above, the Staff Senate Executive Committee shall review his or her membership, based on the following criteria:

(a) Overall participation in the Staff Senate;

(b) Participation on behalf of the Staff Senate;

Section IV.5 After such review, the Staff Senate Executive Committee will make a determination regarding the senator's membership status. The senator may appeal this decision to the entire staff senate membership, if desired.

Article V. VACANCIES AND CHANGES IN REPRESENTATION

Section V.1 In the event that a Staff Senator changes employment during his or her term from the administrative division in which he or she was elected to a new administrative division, and maintains staff status as defined in Article I, Section 1.01, that Senator, if willing, may continue to serve in their elected position until the end of their term. If the Staff Senator chooses to continue to serve, they shall assume a provisional at large seat. If a senate seat in their new division becomes open, they could be appointed to that seat by the Chair.

Section V.2 When a vacancy occurs in the voting membership of the Staff Senate, the Staff Senate Chair shall fill that vacancy according to the procedures outlined in Addendum I.

Article VI. OFFICERS AND DUTIES

Section VI.1 The officers of the Staff Senate shall be the Staff Senate Chair, the Staff Senate Vice-Chair, the Staff Senate Secretary, and the Staff Senate Treasurer.

Section VI.2 The Staff Senate shall elect its officers from its voting members.

Section VI.3 Each officer shall be elected at the regular meeting in June for a term that begins July 1 and ends on June 30th of the following year.

Section VI.4 In addition to the duties specified in the Articles of Local Campus Government (Article V, Section C.), the Staff Senate Chair shall:

(b) Appoint staff members to fill vacancies in the membership of the Staff Senate;

(d) Present the Senate approved budget to the Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration for the forthcoming fiscal year;

(e) Ensure timely distribution of information regarding Staff Senate activities to University officials, and information regarding the University to the Staff Senate;

(f) Perform other duties as requested by the Staff Senate.

Section VI.5 In addition to the duties specified in the Articles of Local Campus Government (Article V, Section C.), the Staff Senate Vice-Chair shall:

(a) Appoint chairpersons to standing committees;

(b) Coordinate the work of appointed committees and projects;

(d) Notify members of the Executive Committee of the time and place of the meetings;

(e) Secure the location and catering of the Staff Senate retreat;

(f) Perform other duties as requested by the Staff Senate Chair.

Section VI.6 The Staff Senate Secretary shall:

(a) Supervise the recording, preparation, and distribution of both draft and approved minutes of each regular and special meeting of the Staff Senate as prepared by a recording secretary provided by Human Resources to all persons specified in the Articles of Local Campus Government (Article V, Section D. 4);

(b) Maintain a permanent file of minutes of all meetings of the Staff Senate and of other Staff Senate records, and make such files available to any interested person;

(d) Serve as parliamentarian for the Staff Senate, assisting the presiding officer in keeping orderly conduct of meetings and advising the presiding officer on points of order. It is the duties of the Chair of Staff Senate, or the presiding officer to make appointments of who should speak unless there is a point of order issue that needs to be addressed. The secretary should have a clear understanding of parliamentary procedures and be able to look up the process if needed.

(e) Take and record attendance at each meeting.

(f) Notify the Chair of any senators with 2 or more absences, along with the months they missed no later than one week after the last missed meeting.

(g) Be the official recorder and take minutes at all Staff Senate Executive meetings.

Section VI.7 The Staff Senate Treasurer shall:

(a) Submit the prepared budget in December, for review by the Executive Committee and approval by the Staff Senate body at the regular Staff Senate meeting.

(b) Administer the annual budget approved by the Staff Senate;

(d) Submit a monthly financial report at the regular Staff Senate meeting;

(e) Maintain all necessary Staff Senate supporting financial documents.

Section VI.8 The sixteen Campus Council representatives shall be elected as a whole for a one-year term.

(a) The election shall be held at the July meeting.

Article VII. STANDING COMMITTEES

Section VII.1 Committee general membership totals are at the discretion of the Staff Senate, with the exception of those committees specifically outlined below.

(a) The Awards Committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least four other members from the Staff Senate. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Administering the Staff Graduate Recognition, the Outstanding Staff Team Award, the Staff Senate Part-Time Employee Award, and any other award approved by the Staff Senate;

2) Evaluating the allocation of funds to approved awards;

3) Following the procedures as set forth in Addendum IV and maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(b) The Communication Committee shall consist of a chairperson and other members of the Staff Senate. The chairperson of the Communication Committee shall serve as the final editor of any Staff Senate publication, coordinating with other committee chairs, and moderate the StaffSenateNews Listserv. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Publishing any Staff Senate publication;

2) Maintaining the Staff Senate web page including timely posting of approved meeting minutes;

3) Recommending and coordinating further communication opportunities, including social media outlets.

(c) The Elections Committee shall consist of a chairperson and other members of the Staff Senate. The Chairperson of the Elections Committee shall be a member of the Staff Senate who has previously been a member of the Elections Committee. No member of the committee will be a candidate during that year’s elections. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Submitting to the Staff Senate, a report of Staff Senate vacancies to be filled by election that year at its February meeting;

2) Closing nominations and submitting to the Staff Senate meeting a list of candidates for the officer positions at its May meeting;

3) Conducting nominations and elections according to the guidelines set forth in Addendum I, and maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(d) The Employee of the Quarter/Year Committee shall consist of a chairperson, an additional staff senator (if requested by the Committee Chair), and the five Employees of the Year from the previous fiscal year. The Employee of the Quarter/Year Committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Evaluating nominations and declaring the Employees of the Quarter;

2) Evaluating the Employees of the Quarter for the past fiscal year and declaring the Employees of the Year;

3) Following the procedures set forth for the committee in Addendum II and maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(e) The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Staff Senate, as defined by the bylaws, and the chairpersons of the standing committees of the Staff Senate. The Chairperson of the Executive Committee shall be the Staff Senate Vice-Chair. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Coordinating Staff Senate operations;

2) Propose agendas for meetings of the Staff Senate;

3) Affirm staff members to be appointed to University committees;

4) Monitoring the performance of staff members on University committees;

5) Deciding, at least annually, the monetary amount, if any, the Staff Senate will move into the Staff Senate Scholarship endowment fund.

6) Maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(f) The Internal Affairs Committee shall consist of a chairperson and other members of the Staff Senate. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Periodically reviewing current and proposed policies and procedures of the University of Arkansas affecting staff.

2) Informing Staff Senate of relevant issues and potential policies and procedures that could affect staff.

3) Presenting to the Staff Senate recommended courses of action and/or procedures.

4) Conducting review of Staff Senate bylaws at a minimum of every three years or as needed and present recommended changes to the Staff Senate.

5) Maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(g) The Legislative Committee shall consist of a chairperson and other members of the Staff Senate. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Periodically reviewing current and proposed legislation affecting staff.

2) Informing Staff Senate of relevant issues and potential legislation that could affect staff.

3) Presenting to the Staff Senate recommended courses of action and/or procedures.

4) Hosting members of the legislature at events that allows for constructive discussion on issues facing staff.

5) Maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(h) The Scholarship Committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least six members of the Staff Senate. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Administering the Staff Senate Scholarships, including the Rick A. Haley Memorial Scholarship, the Susan Imes Yell Scholarship, and the Barbara G. Taylor Scholarship;

2) Spearheading fundraising efforts for the scholarships;

3) Evaluating the allocation of funds to approved scholarships;

4) Making recommendations and proposals to Staff Senate for the best use of available funds;

5) Following the procedures as set forth in Addendum III and maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(i) The Special Events Committee shall consist of a chairperson and other members of the Staff Senate. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Organizing the annual Staff Celebration Picnic;

2) Organizing the annual RazorGifts program;

3) Organizing the annual Staff Appreciation Week;

4) Assisting other committees with any events they may hold;

5) Maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

(j) The Transit, Parking, and Safety Committee shall consist of a chairperson and other members of the Staff Senate. The chairperson will serve on the University of Arkansas Transit, Parking and Traffic Committee. This committee shall be responsible for, but not limited to:

1) Periodically reviewing current and proposed policies and procedures addressing overall transit, parking, and safety concerns and issues of the campus.

2) Informing Staff Senate of relevant issues and potential policies of transit, parking and safety that affect staff.

3) Presenting to the Staff Senate recommended courses of action and/or procedures.

4) Presenting recommendations to the University of Arkansas Transit, Parking, and Traffic Committee for informational and advisory purposes only.

5) Maintaining any necessary supporting documents.

Article VIII. MEETINGS

Section VIII.1 For FY23, the regular monthly meeting shall be held at 9:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month. For FY24, the regular monthly meeting shall be held at 3:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. This day and time will be re-confirmed annually.

If a Senator wants to propose a different meeting time for the following fiscal year, that needs to be submitted to the Executive Committee prior to the February meeting for consideration. The Executive Committee would decide whether to bring the proposed day and time to full senate for consideration.

Meeting days, times, locations, and virtual option will be posted on Staff Senate website so any staff at the university could participate.

Section VIII.2 A special meeting of the Staff Senate may be called by the Staff Senate Chair or by a simple majority of the members of the Staff Senate by notifying all Staff Senate members of the time and meeting place.

Article IX. MINUTES AND OTHER RECORDS

Section IX.1 Minutes of each regular and special meeting of the Staff Senate and other Staff Senate records shall be available for inspection by any interested person. These records will be made available by the Staff Senate Secretary on the Staff Senate website by the first of the month following each meeting or by request.

Addendum I. Elections Committee Procedural Guidelines

ELECTION OF STAFF SENATORS

1. Nomination Process. The Elections Committee will be responsible for preparing, maintaining, and operating a nomination system as designated by the Staff Senate using a list of eligible employees provided by Human Resources. The Staff Senate nomination system shall operate with respect to administrative divisions and the six at-large representatives. The nomination system shall be opened to staff in a timely manner to allow a reasonable amount of time to submit nominations and to conduct elections. The Elections Committee Chair will call meetings, as well as monitor the Staff Senate nomination system and process. The committee will verify that all nominees meet the eligibility requirements as specified in Article II, Section 2.01 of the Staff Senate Bylaws.
2. Election Process. The Elections Committee will tally nominations and determine candidates for Staff Senate elections. All verified candidates must be contacted to confirm their interest in running. This process must be completed in a timely manner to allow for elections results to be tallied in time for a run-off election (if needed) to begin a minimum of seven (7) calendar days prior to the Election Process Completion Date (EPCD). The Staff Senate voting system should be prepared, maintained, and operated in the same manner as specified in section A.1 above. Ballot placement will be determined by the number of nominations received for each candidate in descending order, with a minimum of two nominations received to be considered. In the case of a tie, the Elections Committee will determine ballot placement by a random method. Any run-off elections must be completed by the close of business on the EPCD and results tallied immediately thereafter. A candidate may not run for more than one position in the same election. The Elections Committee Chair shall accept short biographical sketch or statement of position and interest written by the candidate, to be included on the ballot, as space allows.
3. Election Results. All election results will be reported first to the Elections Committee, then to the Staff Senate Chair and then to all the candidates. Results will be reported to the Staff Senate at the next regular meeting. It is acceptable to electronically announce results to Senators prior to their next regular meeting. If no one is elected to a position, the Staff Senate Chair may either appoint a Senator from that administrative division or leave the position vacant, at their discretion.
4. Staff Senate Vacancy. Should a Staff Senate seat become vacant, the Staff Senate Chair will contact the Elections Committee Chair and obtain the official results of the last election. The Staff Senate Chair will appoint the next qualifying person. The next qualifying person is defined as the person who was a candidate for that position in the last Staff Senate election and who had the next highest number of votes. In the event a next qualifying person is not available, the Staff Senate Chair will appoint a senator from that administrative division or authorize the Elections Committee to fill the partial term in the next election.
5. Ballot Archives. The Elections Committee will maintain all nomination and election data and other relevant materials, electronic or otherwise, in a manner and location designated by the Staff Senate for three (3) years. The Elections Committee, or any Staff Senate Officer (as defined in the bylaws), shall assume the responsibility for deleting or disposing of any nomination or election materials beyond that time frame.

ELECTION OF STAFF SENATE OFFICERS

1. Nomination Process. Nominations shall be opened no later than the April Staff Senate regular meeting. The Elections Committee must receive nominations for each open officer position prior to the closing of nominations during the May Staff Senate regular meeting. Nominations may only be made during a Staff Senate regular meeting or on the Staff Senate Discussion Listserv. Self-nominations will be accepted. A nominee may not run for more than one Staff Senate officer position in the same election. In the event two or more candidates are nominated for the same position, ballot placement shall be determined by a random method after the close of officer nominations at the May Staff Senate regular meeting.
  1. In the event the Elections Committee Chair accepts a nomination for an officer position, the Elections Committee Chair shall designate a member of the Elections Committee to preside over the officer election process and notify the Staff Senate of said designation.
2. Absentee Ballots. Absentee ballots may not be submitted nor accepted prior to the closing of nominations. Absentee ballots may be submitted to the Elections Committee Chair or designee no later than the close of business the day before the June Staff Senate regular meeting. The absentee ballots must be submitted in a signed and sealed envelope or via email. Absentee ballots submitted via email shall upon receipt be printed and placed in a sealed envelope, and the envelope will be marked with the name of the voter. The Elections Committee Chair or designee must respond to the voter in writing confirming the receipt of the ballot. All absentee ballots shall be brought to the Staff Senate meeting in which officer elections are to be held. In the event a senator who voted absentee is present at the time of officer elections, the Election Committee chair or designee will return the senator’s absentee ballot and the recording secretary will note the return in the minutes. The senator will then be allowed to vote in person.
3. Election Process. Elections will be presided over by the Elections Committee Chair or designee and two Elections Committee members not on the ballot. The Elections Committee Chair or designee will announce to the Staff Senate the names of those senators voting by absentee ballot for inclusion in the minutes and ballot tally. Positions with only one candidate will be immediately elected by acclamation. Positions with two or more nominees shall be elected by ballot and announced at the time of the election. Officer candidates, or designee in the event of absence, in the order of ballot placement, will present oral or written platform statements. Candidates should be allowed a maximum of five minutes to state their platform. Once all candidates have stated their platform, voting will be conducted in closed session, and results announced immediately after tally. In the event of a tie, all votes will be discarded, each candidate will be allowed to make a statement, not to exceed five minutes, and answer questions posed by members of the Staff Senate. A second vote will then be taken. Any senator arriving after the first vote was closed would then have the opportunity to vote in the runoff election. In the event of a second tie, the election will be decided by drawing lots. The names of the candidates will be placed in a container and the Elections Committee Chair or designee will draw.
4. Election Results. New officers-elect will coordinate the transfer of duties and offices with the current officers, no later than June 15. New officers will assume their duties and offices on July 1.

Addendum II. Employee of the Quarter/Year Committee Procedural Guidelines

NOMINATIONS:

1. Any employee may nominate a 100% appointed employee, however self-nominations are not accepted. Nominations will only be accepted when submitted on the official nomination form or on University departmental letterhead to the committee chair. If nominations are received otherwise, they will be returned to the nominator requesting them to use the appropriate process.
2. Each nomination received should be no more than two pages in length. The extra page may be a continuation of the nomination by the nominator, signatures of support, or an additional letter of support. Employees, students and/or visitors may submit signatures of support.
3. To be eligible for nomination, the 100% appointed employee must have been employed for a minimum of one year.
4. Once nominations are received, the Committee Chair will contact the nominee’s supervisor to advise him or her that the employee has been nominated for Employee of the Quarter. If the supervisor acknowledges their support of this nomination, the nominee is included for consideration by the committee. If the supervisor declines support, that nomination is not included in the file for consideration by the committee.
5. After all supervisors have been contacted, the Committee Chair uses their own Workday access, if available, or contacts the appropriate human resources representative to determine the job family for each nominee.

1. At the end of the fiscal year, all nominations will be discarded and new nominations will be solicited.
2. Employees of the Year are selected from the pool of recipients for Employees of the Quarter.

REVIEW/SELECTION PROCESS

1. The committee will meet, in a manner deemed appropriate by the committee, after each quarter of the fiscal year (Jul-Sep; Oct-Dec; Jan-Mar; and Apr-Jun) to review the nominations and select the recipients from five categories.
  1. 1. Category Ia: Professional/Non-faculty-Administrative
    2. Category Ib: Professional/Non-faculty-Academic
    3. Category II: Secretarial/Clerical
    4. Category III: Technical/Paraprofessional
    5. Category IV: Skilled Crafts/Service/Maintenance

Placement of nominees into each category will be determined by the Committee Chair using job family, state and working titles, and job duties for each nominee prior to review by the committee.

1. In the event a member of the committee is unable or unwilling to perform their duties, the committee chair will appoint the runner up in the appropriate category to fill the vacancy. Should the pool of EOY winners become exhausted, the Staff Senate Chair will appoint a staff senator to fill the vacancy.
2. One recipient will be selected from each of the five categories for each quarter. Employees of the Quarter who have been selected previously will not be eligible for a period of three fiscal years, excluding fiscal year of selection.
3. The Employee of the Year selection shall be made at the end of the final meeting of the Employee of the Quarter committee, following the fourth quarter selection with review of EOQs from all quarters.

POST SELECTION FOLLOW-UP

1. After the committee has met and selected the recipients for the quarter, the Committee Chair will notify the supervisor of the employee’s selection. The supervisor is given the option to notify their employee of the award prior to notification by the Committee Chair.
2. Once the award winners have been notified, the Committee Chair will contact the Communications Committee regarding publicity.
3. The Committee Chair prepares a congratulatory notification to each award winner. Certificates are prepared and signatures are obtained from the Staff Senate Chair. Certificates are presented to the recipients at a Staff Senate event as determined by the Staff Senate Executive Committee.
4. The Staff Senate Executive Committee is advised of the recipients of Employee of the Quarter/Year. The Staff Senate Chair notifies the Chancellor. The committee will then compile a list of Employees of the Quarter and Employees of the Year and provide this list to Human Resources for recognition information.
5. The Committee Chair contacts the appropriate human resource representative to process the monetary award for either EOQ or EOY.

Addendum III. Staff Senate Scholarship Procedural Guidelines

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

1. A Foundation account, known as the “Staff Senate Endowed Scholarship Fund”, will be maintained for the receipt of all funds to be used in the awarding of scholarships.

1. The Staff Senate Endowed Scholarship Fund account, will contain two types of funds:

1. Endowed Portion
  1. Funds placed here are protected and cannot be accessed for spending.
2. Spending Portion
  1. Funds placed here will be used to award all scholarships.

1. All funds received will be placed in the spending portion of the account, unless the donor specifically requests for the amount to be placed in the endowment portion.

1. The Executive Committee will make a decision, annually, to move a specified amount of money from the spending portion to the endowment portion. This determination will be made based upon total amounts received from gifts and expected amounts to be awarded in scholarships, as recommended by the Scholarship Committee.

1. In the event the Scholarship Committee would like to award in excess of the allotted amount, Executive Committee approval is required.

ELIGIBILITY

1. To be eligible for these scholarships, the applicants must:

1. 1. Be a staff member eligible to receive the University of Arkansas tuition discount benefit at the time the scholarship award would be applied;
  2. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in prior college or high school coursework to receive the award;
  3. Be admitted as a degree-seeking student and enroll in at least 3 credit hours of coursework per semester at the University of Arkansas/Fayetteville as determined by the student information system;
  4. Maintain a 2.5 GPA in the fall semester in order to continue the scholarship for the spring semester.

1. Recipients may only receive one Staff Senate Scholarship per academic year and must maintain eligibility or the scholarship will be rescinded.
2. Current members of the Staff Senate Scholarship Committee and their immediate family members are not eligible to receive a Staff Senate Scholarship.

APPLICATION/SELECTION PROCESS

1. There will be two application windows for the Staff Senate Endowed Scholarship; one prior to the Fall semester and one prior to the Spring semester. The Fall semester awards will be for the entire academic year, consisting of two semesters. The Spring semester awards will only be for the Spring semester. All scholarships will be the Staff Senate Scholarship unless otherwise identified. The three named scholarships, listed in section 5 below, will be awarded for the Fall semester cycle. The number of awards and amount awarded is subject to funds availability and determined by the Staff Senate Executive Committee.
2. The Scholarship Committee will begin accepting applications no later than May 1 for the Fall application window. Completed application forms must be submitted to the Scholarship Committee Chair by 5:00 p.m. on the first Friday in June. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
3. The Scholarship Committee will begin accepting applications no later than November 15 for the Spring application window. Completed application forms must be submitted to the Scholarship Committee Chair by 5:00 p.m. on the last Friday of November. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
4. The following criteria will be utilized to determine the recipients and award amounts:

1. 1. Demonstrate a need for financial assistance in the pursuit of further education;
  2. Express a desire to contribute to the University through further educational endeavors;
  3. Provide at least two letters of recommendation;
  4. Be available for an interview, at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee.

1. At least four scholarships will be awarded annually, based on allotted funds. The committee will determine individual scholarship amounts at the time of award. Scholarships will be disbursed in two equal increments at the beginning of the spring and fall semesters only. Additional scholarships may be awarded based on qualified applicants and available funding..

1. 1. One scholarship disseminated annually will be named the “Rick A. Haley Memorial Scholarship” and given in his memory.
  2. One scholarship disseminated annually will be named the “Susan Imes Yell Scholarship.”
  3. One scholarship disseminated annually will be named the “Barbara G. Taylor Scholarship.”
  4. One scholarship disseminated annually will be named the “Valerie Pryor Memorial Scholarship.”
  5. Any additional scholarships disseminated will be named the “Staff Senate Scholarship.”

1. The voting process will be presided over by the Scholarship Committee Chair who will manage and distribute applications to the committee members. The Scholarship Committee Chair will vote only in the event of a tie. All names and identifying information for each applicant will be redacted from applications prior to distribution to voting committee members. The process used for recipient selection will be at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee.

POST SELECTION FOLLOW-UP

1. Once the committee has selected the scholarship recipients, the Scholarship Chair or designee, shall:

1. 1. Notify the Staff Senate Chair;
  2. Notify the recipient and his or her supervisor;
  3. Notify Staff Senate;
  4. Notify the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, dean, director and/or department head;
  5. Provide a list of scholarship recipients to the Academic Scholarship Office so they may complete the online notice of scholarship process;
  6. Announce the scholarship recipients to the University community;
  7. Recognize the recipients at the appropriate University function(s).

Addendum IV. Staff Senate Awards Procedural Guidelines

STAFF GRADUATE RECOGNITION

1. Process. The Awards Committee Chair will request from the registrar’s office a list of the staff employees who graduated in the previous academic season. August and December graduates will be recognized together in the spring, and the May graduates will be recognized in the summer.
2. Recognition. The Awards Committee will be responsible for providing recognition of each graduate. The graduates will also be recognized at the appropriate University function(s).

STAFF SENATE PART-TIME EMPLOYEE AWARD

1. Eligibility. All part time and hourly staff, student workers, non-student workers, and graduate assistants are eligible for nomination based on the following criteria:

1. 1. Must be a staff employee who is either less than 100% appointed or an extra-help/hourly employee working no more than 1500 hours in one fiscal year.
  2. Must be currently employed for at least six cumulative months (consecutive months not required) prior to nomination.
  3. Students who are receiving federal work-study assistance are not eligible.
2. Nominations. Nomination forms may be found on the Staff Senate website and submitted to the Awards Committee Chair. Nominators may be any employee and must submit a memo, maximum of two pages, in support of their nominee. Self-nominations are not accepted. Nomination deadlines are located on the Staff Senate website and on the nomination form.
3. Justification. Justifications may include examples of customer service, evidence of significant achievement, implementation of a new or improved process, or any other accomplishment that has resulted in a positive impact on the University of Arkansas.
4. Awarding. Winners will receive a monetary award that will be determined by yearly funding. The employee will also be recognized at a Staff Senate Meeting and any other appropriate University function(s).

STAFF SENATE OUTSTANDING TEAM AWARD

1. Eligibility. Eligible teams will be comprised of staff employees. If a team member is a staff employee who is less than 100% appointed, it will be at the discretion of the Awards Committee whether that person is to be included in the monetary award. Team members may be classified, non-classified, or a combination of both who have worked together to promote the mission of the University of Arkansas. The outstanding team effort being recognized may be the result of a specific project or it may be the performance of the normal duties of an organizational unit.
2. Justification. The team award will recognize performance for the previous calendar year. There must be justification that the team performed at an unusually high level consistently during the previous calendar year. Justification may include examples of customer service, evidence of significant achievement, implementation of a new or improved process, or any other accomplishment that has resulted in a positive impact on the University of Arkansas.
3. Nominations. Any employee may nominate any team for this award. All nominations must identify the team goals, and the accomplishments of the team and also contain the supervisor’s endorsement. The deadline for the submission of nominations shall be determined by the Awards committee with the approval of the Staff Senate Executive Committee and announced with the opening of nominations.
  1. In the event any member of this committee has been nominated, that member shall not participate in the selection process.

1. Awarding. Each member of the team selected for this award will receive a monetary award with a team maximum that will be determined by yearly funding. The team will be recognized at the Staff Senate Meeting deemed appropriate by the Awards Committee and approved by the Staff Senate Executive Committee and any other appropriate University function(s).

Addendum V. Resolution Submittal Procedural Guidelines

SUBMITTAL OF RESOLUTIONS

1. Any Senator(s) and/or committee(s) may submit or recommend a resolution for review by the Staff Senate.
2. Resolutions may either be submitted in a verbal or written request.
  1. Verbal Requests
    1. Senator(s) may verbally request a resolution be created by either advising the appropriate committee chair or being recognized by the Chair at a Staff Senate meeting.
    2. If a Senator(s) requests a resolution at a Staff Senate meeting, the body will vote on the appropriate course of action to be taken.
  2. Written Requests
    1. Senator(s) and/or committee(s) may submit written resolutions to the Staff Senate Executive Committee for review at the first available meeting.
    2. The Staff Senate Executive Committee will review and vote on the appropriate course of action to be taken. In the event of approval, the Resolution will be added to the agenda for the next scheduled meeting of the Staff Senate body.
    3. The Resolution will be read at the next Staff Senate regular meeting and the body will vote on the appropriate course of action to be taken.

Log of Changes to Bylaws

September 21, 2022 – A number of changes, including edits to:

Intro paragraph to include standard code required.
Article I to take into account the official org chart and allow flexibility in organizational change when determining staff population during the senator election process; defined minimum numbers of staff in a division.
Section IV.1 to make allowances for virtual participation.
Section V.1 to allow a senator who changes divisions to finish out their term as a provisional at-large member.
Section VI.5 to task the vice-chair with the duties of securing annual retreat details.
Section VIII.1 to allow for flexibility in establishing consistent meeting days and times on an annual basis and removing the specific date and time previously indicated.
Addendum II in order to clarify and simplify minor details about the EOQ/EOY process.

June 11, 2020 – The Division of Agriculture was removed as a voting division from article 1, section 1.2. Page numbers were added and the log of bylaws was also added.

February 14, 2019 – The Secretary position was modified to remove chair responsibilities for the communications committee and modify other responsibilities. The communication committee had a dedicated chairperson added and responsibilities modified.

November 8, 2018 – A spring staff scholarship was added, and the eligibility requirements were modified for the spring and fall scholarship.

June 8, 2017 – Article 5 was modified to account for employment changes that affect eligibility for a senator to serve for a division. Bylaws responsibility was included in Internal Affairs. Committee membership was modified for the elections and scholarship committees. Additional responsibilities for the Razorgifts and Staff Appreciation programs were added to the Special Events committee. Addendum III, section C.3 was modified to remove scholarship selection responsibilities for named scholarships. The Division of Student Affairs was added as a separate representation division in Article I, section 1.02. Rounding for representation was inserted in Article 1, section 1.03.

December 11, 2014 – The finance committee was dissolved, and the responsibilities for budget and finance were given to a new officer position of Treasurer.

Staff Senate

Staff Senate Bylaws

Bylaws

University of Arkansas Staff Senate

Last Revision: Dec. 13, 2023

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