Bylaws of the Boston University Staff Advisory Council (BU-SAC)
Article 1: NAME
The name of the group is the BU Staff Advisory Council (BU-SAC).
Article 2: MISSION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- The mission of the BU-SAC (the “Council”) is to foster direct and regular communication between University staff and University leadership in order to identify and address areas of opportunity impacting the University’s workplace culture. The Council will report directly to and serve as an advisory body for the President with the goal of providing feedback to improve the University’s workplace culture and work environment for University employees. The Council will also provide a forum to share staff feedback on concerns and priorities that are important to University staff and may also be asked to solicit feedback from University staff as requested by senior administrators on specific initiatives impacting staff. The Council shall be comprised of a diverse, representative group of staff from various University administrative and academic departments.
- The Council will meet several times during the calendar year to represent staff perspectives as part of the University’s decision-making processes. In addition to the areas of focus set forth above, its responsibilities will include (a) recommending staff members to serve on institutional committees; (b) providing feedback on University policies and procedures that impact staff or workplace culture; (c) establishing committees or working groups to sponsor events and activities with the goal of continuously improving communications, workplace culture, and staff morale; (d) collaborating with departments to create networking opportunities for staff across the University’s community; (e) providing a supportive network to collaborate with the University in communicating and achieving its goals; and (f) advising administrative leadership on advancing goals for diversity, equity and inclusion for staff.
Article 3: COUNCIL OFFICERS, MEMBERS AND EX OFFICIO ADVISORS
- Council Officers consist of the Chair of the Council, who shall be the President of Boston University, serving ex officio without a vote, as well as two Vice-Chairs and one Secretary, each having a vote.
- Council Members consist of no more than thirty Staff Members (in addition to the officers) appointed by the Chair. Council members shall be generally representative of staff demographics at the University.
- Staff Members are eligible to apply for membership on the Council if they (i) have a minimum of twelve months of regular University service completed prior to the start of their term as a Council member; (ii) are actively employed in a full-time position or part-time position that is at least 50% of a full-time position; and (iii) have not already served for two terms on the Council.
- Member Terms of Service
- Staff Members will be recommended to the Chair for appointment by the Membership Selection Committee for a three-year term beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 three years later, with the exception of Vice Chairs whose term is governed by Article 8.
- In order to establish staggered terms, individuals who are Council Members on July 2024 shall be divided as equally as possible into three groups. One group will serve an initial term of one year; another group will serve an initial term of two years; and the remaining group will serve an initial term of three years. Thereafter, each spring, the Chair will appoint Members to fill expiring terms, each Member to hold office for a term of three years, except that in the event of a vacancy caused by a Member’s departure during their term, a replacement Member may be appointed to a shorter term as may be appropriate to maintain the balance of staggered terms.
- Staff Members who continue to meet eligibility criteria may apply for a second, three-year term after one year off the Council pursuant to regular processes described in Article 7.
- At the discretion of the Chair, a former Council Member may participate as a guest in new or ongoing business of the Council as a Committee Advisor. A Committee Advisor shall not have voting rights nor serve as an officer.
- Ex‐officio Advisors of the Council are non-voting members of the Council that are appointed by the Chair and remain in such role until such time that they are notified of their end of service by the Chair. The Vice President of Human Resources and the Senior Diversity Officer will be standing ex-officio advisors to the Council unless removed by the Chair. Additional Ex Officio Advisors may be appointed in the Chair’s discretion.
Article 4: RESIGNATIONS AND REMOVALS
- A Member wishing to resign from the Council before the end of their term shall submit their resignation in writing to the Chair of the Council and the Council’s Vice-Chairs
- A Member of the Council may be removed from membership by the Chair when, in the Chair’s judgment, the best interests of the University would be served by a member’s removal. In these circumstances, the Chair will notify the member of their decision in writing.
Article 5: FILLING VACANT POSITIONS
- Positions that become vacant outside of the Council nomination period, either because an individual leaves Boston University or because they can no longer participate as a Council Member, may be filled by the Council, though if the vacancy occurs near the end of a member’s term, the position may be left vacant.
- Nominations for the vacant position may be sought by the Membership Selection Committee from the department in which the departing Council Member works or through an open call for nominations to the University community.
Article 6: APPLICATION PROCESS AND SELECTION OF MEMBERS
- The call for nominations for Council Members will generally be issued in March.
- An application will consist of: (i) a written statement of interest not to exceed 250 words; and (ii) a letter of recommendation from a colleague or supervisor. Applications should be submitted electronically by the date set forth in the call for nominations.
- The Membership Selection Committee will review all applications and submit to the full Council one nominee for each Council vacancy and up to (5) alternates in order of preference.
- The Council will aspire to be comprised of members from across the university, with a wide variety of roles and responsibilities.
- Prior to submitting a nominee to the Council, the Membership Selection Committee Chair will inform the applicant’s supervisor of the application and seek the supervisor’s approval.
- All nominees and alternates must be approved by the full Council by a majority vote of the members present and voting. The Membership Selection Committee will submit written recommendations on behalf of the Council to the Chair for final decision and appointment.
- The Chair will issue formal invitations to those appointed in May.
Article 7: VICE CHAIRS
- The Council shall have two Vice-Chairs, whose responsibilities include presiding at all meetings of the Council, chairing one or more Council committees and serving as spokesperson for the Council in matters representing the opinions of staff members. The Vice-Chairs will have a budget for events and programs provided by the Office of the President and will maintain financial accounts and oversee financial transactions, assist with the annual budget preparation, and report on finances to the Council. In recognition of the significant time commitment and responsibilities of the Vice-Chairs, a stipend may be issued at the discretion of the Chair.
- Vice Chairs will be elected from among the Members of the Council for staggered two-year terms beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30. In order to establish staggered terms, one Vice Chair serving as of July 1, 2024, will serve a term of one (1) year starting on that date and the other Vice Chair will serve a term of two years from that date forward.
- Nominations for Vice-Chair will open in March and remain open for one month. Members can self-nominate or nominate another Member, provided that (a) nominations are limited to Members in their first or second year of service; and (b) if a Member nominates a peer, the peer must be informed of and may accept or decline the nomination. Self-nominations and peer nominations must be submitted electronically, and should include a statement of why the individual is interested in serving as Vice-Chair or believes that a peer is suited to be a Vice Chair.
- The Vice-Chair election shall take place electronically before the last meeting in which the current Vice-Chair is serving. Voting for a new Vice Chair will be overseen by the current Vice Chairs and will take place by an electronic ballot issued to each Member generally during the month of April, concluding with an announcement of election results and a formal invitation letter issued to the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes.
- If only one individual is nominated, no elections will be held, and a formal letter of invitation will be issued by the Chair. If there are no nominations for Vice-Chair from among the Members, the Chair may appoint a Council member to serve as Vice-Chair.
- If a position of Vice Chair become vacant during a Vice-Chair’s term of office due to resignation or otherwise, nominations will be solicited and an election held as soon as practicable as described in this Article. The office will remain vacant until the election procedures are completed or until the Chair appoints a Vice-Chair.
Article 8: SECRETARY
- The Council shall have a Secretary, whose responsibilities include recording the minutes of all regular and special full Council meetings; circulating meeting minutes to all Council Members by email and submitting them for approval in advance of the next full Council meeting; coordinating distribution of agendas, minutes, or other general information in conjunction with the Vice-Chairs; chairing one or more Council committees; and other duties or tasks assigned by Chair or Vice-Chairs, such as assisting with planning events, booking rooms, and website maintenance.
- The Secretary shall be elected from among the Members of the Council for a two-year term beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30.
- Nominations for Secretary will open in March and remain open for one month. Members can self-nominate or nominate another Member, provided that if a Member nominates a peer, the peer must be informed of and may accept or decline the nomination. Self-nominations and peer nominations must be submitted electronically, and should include a statement of why the individual is interested in serving as Secretary or believes that a peer is suited to be Secretary.
- The Secretary election shall take place electronically before the last meeting in which the current Secretary is serving. Voting for a new Secretary will be overseen by the current Vice Chairs and will take place by an electronic ballot issued to each Member generally during the month of April, concluding with an announcement of election results and a formal invitation letter issued to the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes.
- If only one individual is nominated as Secretary, no elections will be held, and a formal letter of invitation will be issued by the Chair, and if there are no nominations for Secretary from among the Members, the Chair may appoint a Council member to serve as Secretary.
- If a position of Secretary become vacant during a Secretary’s term of office due to resignation or otherwise, nominations will be solicited and an election held as soon as practicable as described in sections 2 and 3 above. The office will remain vacant until the election procedures are completed or until the Chair appoints a Secretary.
Article 9: REGULAR AND SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL
- The full Council will meet up to five times per calendar year. Meeting dates shall be confirmed by the Council at its first meeting and published on the University’s website and other visible places.
- Meetings will consist of Council business, committee reports, and updates from SAC visitors or guests. There shall be no voting by proxy, but voting can be done either in person at a meeting or electronically.
- Special meetings must be authorized by the Chair. All requests for special meetings should initially be brought to the Vice-Chairs who may receive approval from the Chair to hold a special meeting without the Chair present.
- The purpose of a Special meeting will be made known to Council Members in advance and best efforts will be made to provide at least five calendar days’ notice of the meeting date.
Article 10: COMMITTEES
- The Council will have the following standing committees, each of which will be chaired by either a Vice Chair or the Secretary, will have ten members (inclusive of the Chair) and will meet as necessary outside of Council meetings:
- A Membership Selection Committee that is responsible for soliciting and reviewing nominations for Council Members and is expected to work actively throughout the year to create a diverse pool of nominations.
- A Committee on Enhancing Workplace Culture that is responsible for identifying areas of opportunity to expand employee recognition programs across campuses, for creating and distributing annual guidelines for employee recognition/awards in conjunction with Human Resources and the Office of the Senior Diversity Officer, and for working with BU Today and other BU media outlets to highlight excellent staff.
- An Events Committee that is responsible for hosting events with staff groups and University leadership and that will make efforts to host at least one event per semester and also identify opportunities to host appreciation events for employee groups or within specific units, ensuring that events are hosted on both the Charles River Campus and Medical Campus.
- Additional committees may be formed pursuant to a motion brought forward at a meeting by a majority vote of the Council and with the approval of the Chair. The Vice Chairs may also delegate a topic to be handled by a specific committee in addition to their standing responsibilities.
Article 11: AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS
- These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Council by a majority vote (more than 50% of all votes cast by the members present). Suggested amendments must be distributed to the full Council no later than five calendar days prior to the first meeting of the next month. All amendments must be reviewed and approved by the Chair prior to a vote by the Council.
Approved by the Staff Advisory Council on April 24, 2024.