Preamble

We, the staff of the Penn State Mont Alto (PSMA) campus, believe that we are an integral and essential part of the overall function and operation of the PSMA campus.  We provide support to the students, faculty, and administration that is vital to the daily campus operation.  Therefore, these by-laws are a testament to our resolve to participate in and contribute to the well-being and decision-making of the campus community.  Under the auspices of the current administration, with the guidance of these by-laws, we are establishing the PSMA Staff Senate as an avenue of communication and information gathering and as a forum for discussion, planning, and proposing.

Membership

The Staff Senate shall consist of all staff members employed by the PSMA campus who are not serving as regularly appointed members of Administrative Council.  Staff members shall be classified into two groups:  (1) full-time and part-time Penn State employees, who will constitute the voting membership of the Staff Senate; and (2) full-time and part-time non-Penn State employees and all unionized technical service employees who will constitute the non-voting membership of the Staff Senate.  All staff employees, as defined above, will have discussion and proposal privileges.  The Chancellor and Director of Academic Affairs (DAA) will serve as ex-officio members of the Staff Senate.

Officers

The Staff Senate shall elect from among its voting members the following officers:  Chair, Vice-chair, and three Executive Committee members, one of whom shall be the Secretary and one of whom shall represent the Staff Senate on the Policy and Planning Committee.  The Chair shall call meetings, prepare and provide members with an agenda, preside at meetings, and attend Administrative Council meetings.  The Vice-chair shall assist and substitute for the Chair when necessary.  An Executive Committee member, the Secretary, shall prepare minutes of meetings, prepare and distribute ballots, and provide other administrative support.  One of the other two Executive Committee members shall be the staff representative on the Policy and Planning Committee, with the other serving as an alternate as needed.  Officers shall be nominated in April and elected in May.  Terms of office shall begin July 1 and end June 30.  During the month of June, the newly-elected and the outgoing officers shall make the transition so that the new officers take charge on July 1.  In the event of a vacancy in an elected position, nominations will be solicited and a special election will be held within thirty (30) days of the announced vacancy.  Terms of office shall be as follows:

  • The term for the Chair shall be one year.
  • The term for the Vice-chair shall be one year. The Vice-chair shall become the Chair for the following year.
  • The term for the Secretary, an Executive Committee member, shall be one year.
  • The terms for the other two Executive Committee members shall be one year.

Meetings

Regular meetings of the Staff Senate shall be called once a month, at a time agreed upon by the officers.  The day and time of the month shall be determined in July of the year when new officers take their terms.

Quorum

A quorum consists of not fewer than ten (10) voting members. A quorum is required to conduct Staff Senate Votes. A quorum is not required to conduct a meeting.

Voting

In order for the Staff Senate to take action on an issue, a majority of respondents shall approve the action.

Agenda Items

Each meeting shall follow an agenda that shall be set by the Chair.  The agenda shall include time for:  (1) personal and/or professional announcements; (2) discussions concerning human resources and/or physical environmental issues; (3) motions for action, followed by a vote; (4) committee reports; and (5) professional development or any other relevant business.

Committees

Executive Board

The Executive Board is a recognized committee of the Penn State Mont Alto Staff Senate.

Standing Committees

Standing Committees Defined 

The Executive Board establishes one standing committee: Professional Development Committee. 

Membership 

  1. Members of the standing committees are selected by the Executive Board from a list of staff volunteers. The selection process takes place during the first week of the fall semester. 
  2. Committee chairs are appointed by the Executive Board from the membership of the committee. 
  3. One standing member of the committee will be a liaison from the campus Office of Business Services.

Term Limitations 

Staff are limited to three (3) years of continuous service on any single committee and are again eligible to serve on the same committee after an interim period of one (1) year. The exception to this limitation is the participation of the liaison from Business Services. That member has a standing role in the committee.

Duties 

Professional Development Committee (PDC)
  1. The Professional Development Committee researches diverse development opportunities and makes recommendations for in-person and remote programming, in accordance with University and Campus strategic plans.
  2. PDC coordinates trainings with the campus MADE (Mont Alto Day of Enrichment) committee, as well as with Business Services.
  3. PDC ascertains development needs of all campus staff regardless of department. 
  4. If funding is needed to provide specific development opportunities, PDC researches resources available to subsidize those programs and works with campus Business Services to obtain approval.
  5. PDC tracks attendance of programs, and maintains records for business continuity purposes.
  6. PDC researches collaborative opportunities to provide programming with other Penn State campuses, as well as with other local institutions of higher education and businesses.
Committee Chairs
  1. The chairs of the standing committees report on the activities of their committee at each regular meeting of the Penn State Mont Alto Staff Senate. 
  2. The chairs of the standing committees work with the campus administration in a consultative capacity on campus budgetary issues, as well as on issues specified in the committee’s charge. 
Subcommittees 

Each committee is free to establish appropriate subcommittees with membership and duties determined by the overseeing committee. 

Special Committees 

Committees shall be formed, when and if needed, to study issues and report findings to the Staff Senate.  Committees shall consist of no less than three members.  Staff Senate members appointed to serve on campus-wide committees shall be responsible for apprising the Staff Senate of the activities of that committee in a timely manner.

Amendments

These By-laws may be amended by the following process:

  • Recommendations for changes will be reviewed by the Executive Committee; and
  • accepted recommendations will be voted upon by the membership.

These by-laws shall become effective immediately upon their adoption.  These by-laws are adopted by a unanimous vote of all members present on this the 14th day of December 2011.  These by-laws were amended by a unanimous vote of all members present on this, the 16th day of December 2014.  These by-laws were amended by a unanimous vote of all members present on this, the 9th day of December 2015.