University of Nevada, Reno Staff Employees' Council bylaws

The name of this council shall be Staff Employees' Council (SEC) of the University of Nevada, Reno, hereafter referred to as the Council. The Council is a delegation of classified employees who represent each Council Division (Article IV) of the University of Nevada, Reno, hereafter referred to as the University.

1. Purpose: The Council's purpose is to serve in an advisory capacity to the President of the University, hereafter referred to as the President, with respect to all matters pertaining to classified personnel and employee relations. The Council shall provide a means of communication for disseminating information to classified employees of the University; and, the Council shall afford an opportunity for classified employees to have a role in the governance of the University with respect to matters pertaining to classified personnel and employee relations.
2. Policies:
   1. The Council's policies shall be consistent with the Nevada Revised Statutes, Nevada Administrative Code, Board of Regents Handbook and Procedures and Guidelines Manual and University Policies. In the event that any provision of these Bylaws conflicts with the Nevada Revised Statutes, Nevada Administrative Code, Board of Regents Handbook and Procedures and Guidelines Manual or University Policies, those laws, regulations or policies shall control and the conflicting provision(s) of the SEC Bylaws will be brought into conformance.
   2. The Council does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, or veteran status.

1. Standards: The Council shall associate itself with or endorse projects, programs or activities which meet the purpose and policies as previously set forth in Article II and which have the interest of the classified employees of the University as a priority. The Council will communicate pertinent information to their constituents on a regular basis. The Council's Executive Board shall present to the Council all proposed major programs/activities for ratification.
2. Practices:
   1. Record minutes of Council meetings.
   2. Maintain membership rosters, including expiration dates.
   3. Maintain committee members' rosters.
   4. Maintain Council budget accounts in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable UNR / Board of Regents policies. The Council's Executive Board shall review Council account activity.

1. The Council shall reapportion itself, if necessary, at three-year intervals.
2. The total Council membership shall at no time exceed 35 members.
   1. Apportionment shall be based on the number of classified employees (.50 FTE or more) employed in each Council Division of the University as provided in this Article. The number of representatives serving each Council Division shall be determined by using BCN Human Resources statistics for each Division divided by 50, with no less than 1 representative for each Division. The number of representatives serving each Division is subject to review and approval by the Council prior to appointments or as deemed necessary.
3. The standard for determining representatives to the Council is as follows - Number of Classified Employees: Number of Representatives in a Council Division
   • 001-050: 1
   • 051-100: 2
   • 101-150: 3
   • 151-200: 4
   • Over 200: 5
   When a Council Division reaches 201 or more employees, the Council reserves the right to split the department with the largest representation into multiple divisions to ensure adequate representation on the Council. Nevada Cooperative Extension will be represented by one representative from the South and one representative from the North without respect for the number of employees represented.
4. Council Divisions
   1. Administration and Finance, Vice President including: BCN Human Resources; UNR Human Resources; Planning, Budget,  & Analysis; Real Estate and Rentals; University Police Services; VPAF Office
   2. Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, including: Nevada Agriculture Experiment Station, Nevada Cooperative Extension
   3. Business and Finance including: Associate VP's Office, BCN Payroll, BCN Purchasing, Campus Card Program, Central Receiving, Controller's Office, Mail Services, Nevada Ink
   4. Education, College of including: Child & Family Research Center
   5. Engineering, College of
   6. Facilities including: Facilities Maintenance Services, Facilities Planning & Construction, Facilities Services, Parking and Transportation Services
   7. Health Sciences, Vice President including: Center for Program Evaluation
   8. Liberal Arts, College of
   9. Library/IT including: Computing and Telecommunications,  Information Technology, Libraries, Teaching Learning Technologies, VP's Office, Library & IT Administration
   10. Medicine, School of: including Savitt Medical Library, Sanford Center for Aging
   11. President's Division and Development and Alumni Relations, Vice President of, including: Athletic Academics and Compliance, Faculty Senate, Intercollegiate Athletics, Lawlor Events Center, President's Office
   12. Provost's Office including: Advising Center; Business Administration, College of; Core Curriculum; Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action; Extended Studies; Graduate School; Honor's Program; Intensive English Language Center; Journalism, School of; Nevada Humanities Committee; Northern Nevada International Center; KUNR; Nursing, Orvis School of; Provost Office, Executive Vice President; Community Health Sciences, School of; Scheduling Services; Social Work, School of; University Assessment
   13. Research and Innovation, Vice President for including: Animal Resources; Core Laboratories; Enterprise and Commercializations; Enterprise and Innovation, AVP; Environmental Health and Safety; Innevation Center, Powered by Switch; Nevada Center for Applied Research; Nevada Industry Excellence; Research Administration, AVP; Research and Innovation VP; Research AVP; Research Integrity; Sponsored Projects; Undergraduate Research; (All centers and programs that report to VP Research/Dean)
   14. Science, College of
   15. Student Services including: Academic and Opportunity Support Services; Admissions and Records; ASUN Management; Campus Wellness & Recreaction; Counseling Services; Disability Resource Center; Enrollment Services; Joe Crowley Student Union; International Students & Scholars Office of; Nevada Wolf Shop; New Student Initiatives; Prospective Students, Office for; Residential Life, Housing and Food Services; Student Conduct, Office of; Student Financial Aid & Scholarships; Student Life Services; The Center. Every Student. Every Story.; Tutoring Services; Upward Bound
5. If a unit moves within the University, it will also move accordingly in the Council Division.

1. Council representatives shall be elected by a mail-in or electronic ballot from members of their Council Division in June of each year. The list for elections will be pulled on the first Friday of April each year.  The votes shall be tallied by the Election Committee. The classified employees who receive the largest number of votes in each Division with a vacancy from their constituency shall be appointed at the representatives for their respective Divisions.  In the event that an elected representative declines an appointment to the Council, the classified employee with the next largest number of votes shall be appointed in their place. If a vacancy cannot be filled after exhausting this method, the Council's Executive Committee reserves the right to appoint the appropriate amount of representatives from the designed Council Divisions.  The new representatives shall begin their term with the September meeting.
2. A "term year" is defined as September through August. Council members shall serve a three-year term and may not stand for re-election for one year after the expiration of that term. A member appointed to fill a vacated position may stand for election at the end of the term in which they were appointed according to this Article.
3. When a vacancy occurs on the Council for a reason other than the expiration of a term, the Chair, with the advice and consent of the Council, recommends to the President through the office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance a temporary replacement member from within the Division having the vacancy to complete the vacant term. The appointed representative may stand for election.
4. When a Council member transfers from one division to another division within the University, that Council member may remain on the Council in their present capacity on committees and boards representing the department originally elected to, until the position in the transferring Council member's original division is filled. If the Council member desires to leave the Council upon their transfer, the Chair, with the advice and consent of the Council, shall recommend to the President through the office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance a temporary replacement member from within the Division having the vacancy to complete the vacant term. The appointed representative may stand for election.

1. The following officers shall be elected each term year: Chair, Vice Chair, Public Relations Coordinator, Secretary, and Treasurer. Except for Chair and Vice Chair, all officers are elected at the September Council meeting. Chair and Vice Chair positions require at least one term year or portion thereof of prior Council service before being elected to these positions in August. Those receiving the greatest number of votes for each post are declared the officers. The outgoing Chair continues to preside until the new Chair has been seated in September.
2. Should any officer's position, other than Chair, become vacant during the term year, a new election shall be held pursuant to Article VI Section 1. If the Chair's position becomes vacant, the Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair for the remainder of the term year.
3. Duties.
   1. The Immediate Past Chair (ex officio member), Chair, Vice Chair, Public Relations Coordinator, Secretary and Treasurer shall hereafter be referred to as the Executive Board of the Council. The Executive Board shall meet as needed to develop agendas for the monthly meetings, to respond to requests for information or advice, and to develop goals and policies, which the Council seeks to implement.
   2. The Chair shall preside over Council meetings; shall serve as liaison to the University administration; and shall nominate members for University committees with the advice and consent of the Council. The Chair shall serve as an ex-officio member of all Council committees. The Chair shall attend the New Employee Orientation presentations if conducted to provide information about the Council.
   3. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in the Chair's absence; shall be responsible for other duties as assigned by the Chair; shall serve as liaison to the President via the Vice President for Administration and Finance when it becomes necessary to replace vacated positions on the Council within 60 days; shall chair the Bylaws Committee; shall maintain the Council's constituency lists; and, act as Parliamentarian at Council meetings. If the Chair's position becomes vacant, the Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair for the remainder of the term year. The Vice Chair shall be designated as chair elect. At the yearly election of officers, the Council reserves the right to endorse the chair elect as the new chair or to elect another eligible representative of the Council.
   4. The Public Relations Coordinator shall sit on the Website Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating the broadcasting of information relating to the Council. Such information may include the preparation and distribution of a newsletter, updates to the Council's brochure, posting of meeting dates, times and locations, and any other events sponsored by the Council. When requested, the Public Relations Coordinator shall assume liaison duties for the Chair. Should the Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer be unavailable for the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, the Public Relations Coordinator shall assume the duties as Chair.
   5. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording, preparing, and distributing a rough draft of the meeting minutes to all Council members at least seven days prior to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting. The Secretary shall prepare any correspondence or documents required by the Council; and, shall maintain an accurate, up-to-date roster of Council members and committees and committee members. The Secretary shall contact and schedule guest speakers for monthly Council meetings as suggested by the Chair or Council members.
   6. The Treasurer shall be charged with the responsibility of maintaining the purchasing card issued by the Controller's Office, shall be responsible for conducting the fiscal affairs of the Council, and shall maintain a record of all fiscal matters relating to the Council. The Treasurer shall be responsible for obtaining the allocation of funding from the Office of the Vice President of Administration and Finance for the SEC Luncheon and Open House events and shall convene a meeting with the Council Chair and the Chairs of the SEC Luncheon and SEC Open House Committees in order to develop budgets for each event. Should the Chair and Vice Chair be unavailable for the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, the Treasurer shall assume the duties as Chair.
   7. The Chair shall serve as the Council's representative to the NSHE Classified Council by representing SEC at their meetings or may appoint another member of the Executive Board as their designee.
4. Record keeping. Council officers shall maintain binders that record all activities and duties performed by them throughout the term year. The binders shall be given to the Chair at the August Council meeting. The outgoing Chair shall turn the binders over to the new incoming Chair at the September Council meeting. The incoming Chair shall turn the binders over to the new Council Officers as soon as they are identified.

1. The Council shall meet at least monthly, or upon petition by the Executive Board, or a two-thirds majority of the Council members.
2. All meetings of the Council are open meetings.
3. Council members shall be allowed a reasonable period of time (six to eight hours per month) away from their regular duties to attend Council meetings and functions and to conduct Council business.
4. A simple majority (1/2 + 1) of the Council members (including proxy representatives) constitutes a quorum.
5. Any member unable to attend a regularly scheduled Council meeting shall send a representative to serve as their proxy. The regular member will provide the Chair of the Council an email statement designating proxy representation at least two working days prior to the meeting. The proxy may be designated as any classified staff member within the same Council Division, including other Council members of the same Division. Representatives may serve as a proxy for only one absent member per meeting.
6. In the event of a foreseen absence, the Council Member shall make every attempt to provide a proxy to cover representation. A Council member is allowed up to three absences without a proxy within a Council year (September through August). The Executive Board will review excessive absences on a case-by-case basis.
7. With the exception of emergencies, any member who is unable to attend a regularly scheduled Council meeting and will not use a proxy shall attempt to notify a member of the Executive Board at least one day prior to the scheduled meeting.

1. The Fiscal year of the Council shall be from September to August.
2. Refer to Article VI Section 3f for Treasurer's duties.

1. Excluding alternate membership, each Council member shall serve on no less than two (2)
   committees, with at least one of those committees being a SEC committee. Each SEC committee is to select a committee chair no later than the regularly scheduled November Council meeting and report selection to the council Secretary. The updated committee roster will be distributed prior to the November SEC meeting by the Secretary.
2. SEC Committees
   1. Whenever possible, each SEC Committee should have at least one (1) member in their first, second and third term year.
   2. SEC Bylaws. A committee of three (3), including the Vice Chair, shall review the Bylaws and make recommendations for change to the Council. Upon approval by the Council, the committee chair shall deliver said Bylaws to the President, through the office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance, for signing. Upon procurement of the President's signature, the committee chair shall make arrangements for copies of the Bylaws to be printed and then distributed to Council members at the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
   3. Classified Employee Recognition Program. A committee of at least five (5) shall review monthly nominations and select no more than two classified employees each month who have demonstrated outstanding service, exceptional attitude, and excellence in work performance. The committee shall also review yearly nominations and select an employee who has put forth continuous outstanding service to receive the Annual Distinguished Classified Employee Award. A committee member may not be a recipient of either award while serving on this committee. The previous year's recipient of the Distinguished Classified Employee Award may serve as a member of the committee.
   4. SEC Annual Classified Employee Recognition Reception. The Council sponsors, with the President of the University, the Silver and Blue Salute, an annual awards reception. A committee of at least five (5), including at least one (1) non-voting advisory member from BCN Human Resources, shall be responsible for planning and processing all matters pertaining to the annual awards reception. Recognition of retirement and years of service awards shall be given to classified employees based upon their cumulative service years at the University with a cutoff date of December 31 of the previous year. Classified Staff Honoree recipients (as of the April 30 cutoff date of the current year) shall also be recognized with a certificate. A joint sub-committee consisting of at least one (1) member of the SEC Annual Classified Recognition Reception and one (1) from the SEC Open House should work together to solicit donations for the two events. When a vendor donates two or more prizes, one shall be given to the Open House committee as agreed upon by the joint sub-committee. 
   5. SEC Open House. A committee of at least five (5) shall be responsible for inviting vendors and planning the annual SEC Open House for the purpose of providing employees with information on SEC and University Committees, campus programs, and community information relating to university activities. A joint sub-committee consisting of at least one (1) member of the SEC Employee Recognition Reception and one (1) from the SEC Open House should work together to solicit donations for the two events. When a vendor donates two or more prizes, one shall be given to the Employee Recognition Reception committee as agree upon by the joint sub-committee.
   6. Elections. A committee of at least three (3)shall be responsible for the annual election process as outlined in Article V of these Bylaws.
   7. Classified Staff Development Fund/Educational Leave. A committee of at least three (3) shall review and approve or disapprove applications submitted by classified employees who are applying for partial or full funding to attend workshops, seminars, and/or classes in order to enhance their professional development at the University. This committee shall also administer the Educational Leave program in accordance with NAC 284.514 - 284.522 and NRS 284.343.
   8. Joan Metcalf Cope Award.  The Executive Board will review and award monies based on application criteria and availability of funds.
   9. SEC Web Site. A committee of at least three (3), including the Public Relations Coordinator shall review and update the SEC web site on an ongoing basis. The committee shall also make recommendations for major web site revisions or improvements to the Council for review.
   10. Benefits & Compensation . A committee of at least three (3) and a non-voting advisory member from Human Resources shall search for and recommend to the Council any improvement that staff feel is needed to classified employee compensation, benefits, and any other special interests.
3. University Committees
   1. One (1) Council member and one (1) alternate shall serve on standing University Committees. The member or alternate shall be responsible for reporting pertinent information or developments from the committees to the Council, and for expressing the opinions and concerns of the Council to the respective committees. These committees are: University Administrative Manual {UAM) Review Board; Arboretum Board; ASUN Senate; Balloon Race Scholarship Committee, Committee on the Status of Women, Cultural Diversity Committee (President's Office); Facilities Resource Committee; Faculty Senate* (attend the meeting as a guest); Dining Advisory Committee; Parking and Traffic Board; Police Advisory Board; University Disabilities Resource Coalition; University Leadership Alliance; University Athletics Committee;; Student Union Advisory Board; Committee on Video Surveillance; Organizational Resilience Committee; Sustainability Committee; Nevada Safety Committee; Faculty Diversity Committee, and Work, Life and Family Council; other NSHE designated Committee(s) as appropriate. *The Council member and alternate are not voting members of Faculty Senate.
4. Ad Hoc Committees
   1. The Chair may designate, with the advice and consent of the Council, Ad Hoc Committees to serve a specific function of a short-term nature and duration.
5. General Committee Information
   1. Committee members may be appointed to SEC committees from within the Council as well as from the classified staff at large. Committee members appointed from the classified staff at large shall have voting rights only within their assigned committee. Only a SEC member shall chair a SEC committee.
   2. A written committee report or copy of committee minutes shall be submitted to the Council secretary each month.
   3. SEC committee chairs shall maintain electronic records of all activities and duties performed throughout the term year.  Access to these electronic records shall be given to the outgoing Chair at the August Council meeting and shall be presented to the incoming Chair at the September Council meeting.

1. The designated Bylaws Committee shall convene and conduct a biannual review of the Bylaws. Any proposed change(s) received from the membership or suggested by a committee member shall be submitted in writing biannually on odd numbered years and distributed to the membership for consideration.
2. The proposed change(s) shall be voted upon by the Council. To become an amendment, the change(s) must receive a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the entire voting membership of the Council. Upon approval, the amendment(s) shall then be submitted to the President, through the office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance, for signing.
3. Once approved, signed and dated by the President, the newly amended Bylaws shall be considered adopted and in full force until such time as they are once again properly amended. The Bylaws Committee Chair shall make arrangements for the Bylaws to be distributed electronically to Council members at prior to the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The SEC web site shall be updated to reflect the newly adopted Bylaws.

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised addressing the main motion, subsidiary motions, privileged motions, incidental motions, motions that bring a question again before the assembly, renewal of motions, assignment of debate and voting shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Council may adopt.