PROPOSED BYLAWS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

NON-TENURE TRACK FACULTY ASSOCIATION

 

Proposed for Ratification at the September 23, 2003 NTTFA Meeting

 

Article I - Name and Objective

 

Section 1 - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Illinois State University Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, an affiliate of the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).

 

Section 2 - Objective

The object of the Association shall be to advance public education in Illinois and to promote the welfare of non-tenure track faculty at Illinois State University

 

Article II - Membership, Affiliation and Non-Discrimination

 

Section 1 - Membership

            Membership shall be open to all full and part-time non-tenure track faculty employed by Illinois State University.

 

            Section 2 - Affiliation

This organization shall be affiliated with, and comply with the Bylaws of the Illinois Education Association and Constitution and Bylaws of the National Education Association.  If there are any conflicts or inconsistencies between these bylaws and the bylaws or constitution of the state or national organization, the state or national documents shall govern.

 

Section 3 - Non-Discrimination

This organization shall not deny membership based upon race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status or economic status.

 

Article III – Governance

 

            Section 1 - Executive Officers

The Executive Officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

Section 2 - Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the Executive Officers.

 

Section 3 – Representative Council

The Representative Council shall consist of the Executive Board and elected Association Representatives (ARs) from each Representation Zone within Illinois State University.

 

            Section 4 - Recall

 

A. Executive Board.  Any Executive Board member may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members voting at a membership meeting when a majority of the membership is present.  Such recall election shall be conducted by the Election Committee upon receipt of a petition stating the specific grounds of the recall and containing the signatures of forty (40) percent of the membership.

            

            B. Association Representatives.  Any Association Representative may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members voting at a membership meeting when a majority of the membership is present.  Such recall election shall be conducted by the election committee upon receipt of a petition stating the specific grounds of the recall and containing the signatures of forty (40) percent of the membership.

 

Article IV - Executive Officers

 

            Section 1 - Duties

A.  President.  The President shall be the Chief Officer, with the power and the duty to enforce and interpret the Bylaws, carry out Association policies between Executive Board meetings, sign contracts and agreements, represent the Association before the public either personally or through designees, appoint and remove members of all committees with the consent of the Executive Board, appoint and remove auxiliary officers with the consent of the Executive Board to assist the Secretary and Treasurer as needed in the performance of their duties, serve as ex-officio member on all committees, cause a budget to be constructed and an annual audit to occur, and prepare agenda for and preside over meetings of the Executive Board, the Representative Assembly, and the membership.  Further, the President shall have the power and duty to perform all acts generally associated with the nature of the office and such other duties applicable to the office as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted herein which are not inconsistent with the Bylaws. 

 

B.  Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall have the powers and duties of the President in the President's absence or inability to serve, shall succeed to the Presidency pursuant to the Bylaws, and shall otherwise have such powers and duties as may be assigned by the President.

 

C.  Secretary.  The Secretary shall maintain the official files and shall assist the President with Association correspondence.  The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of each meeting of the Executive Board and each meeting of the membership, and shall be responsible for notifying members of regular and special meetings.

 

D.  Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall maintain the records of membership, keep accurate records of expenses and income, report such records at the Executive Committee meeting and meetings of the membership.  The Treasurer shall be responsible for the payment of bills, for updating and returning of membership rosters to IEA, and for transmitting dues to the IEA as per IEA policies.

           

            Section 2 – Terms

 

            A.  Term.  The term of office for Executive Officers shall be two (2) years. Terms of office commence on July 15.  Officers may succeed themselves.  After ratification of these Bylaws, an interim President and an interim Vice-President shall be elected for terms that do not exceed one year, and an interim Secretary and an interim Treasurer shall be elected for terms that shall not exceed two years.

 

            B. Transfer of Records.  Each officer shall transfer records to the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association within ten (10) days of leaving office.

 

            Section 3 – Vacancies

           

            Vacancies occurring by reason of death, resignation, incapacity or other disqualification shall be filled as follows:

 

            A.  President.  A vacancy in the office of the President, shall be filled by the Vice-President for the remainder of the unexpired term.

 

            B.  Other Officers.  If a vacancy occurs in any other office, the President shall appoint a successor for the remainder of the unexpired term, with the consent by majority vote of the Representative Assembly.

 

            C.  President and Vice-President. If a vacancy occurs in both the office of President and of Vice-President, the Secretary or Treasurer (the one who has served the greatest time as a voting member of the Executive Board) shall assume the President's duties until an election is conducted by the Election Committee within sixty (60) days to complete the unexpired terms. If both the Secretary and Treasurer have served an equal amount of time as voting members of the Executive Board, the Secretary shall assume the President's duties until the election is held.

 

Article V - Regional Council Representative(s) and Alternate(s)      

 

            Section 1 - Duties

 

            IEA Regional Council Representative(s) shall attend the Regional Council meeting, represent the ISU Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, and report Council activities to the Executive Board, Representative Council and membership as necessary. 

 

            An alternate shall perform the duties of the Regional Council Representative in his/her absence.

           

            Section 2 - Election and Terms

 

            The election of a Regional Council Representative and alternate shall be as prescribed by the IEA bylaws.

 

            Section 3 - Vacancies

 

            Vacancies for Regional Council Representative(s) and alternate(s) must be filled in the manner of the original election.

 

Article VI - Association Representatives (ARs)

 

            Section 1 - Association Representatives

 

            The Association Representatives shall be members of the Illinois State University Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association elected from each of the seven (7) Representations Zones with Illinois State University.  One Association Representative shall be elected from each Zone.  Association Representatives are to provide two-way communication between the Association and the members, distribute materials to members personally, and conduct informative meetings.  The ARs shall recruit volunteers for Association jobs and activities and generate support for Association positions and programs.   The Association shall provide training for ARs, keep the ARs informed of Association activities and positions, and provide incentives for attracting and retaining ARs.

 

            Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association Representation Zones

 

            1.  Redbird Area

            Kinesiology & Recreation          

            Technology      

            Agriculture       

            Family & Consumer Sciences    

            2.  Education

            Curriculum & Instruction

            Special Education         

            Education Administration & Foundations 

            Psychology      

            3.  Sciences

            Biology

            Physics

            Chemistry        

            Health Sciences

            Geography/Geology      

            4.  Fine Arts

            School of Art    

            Theatre            

            Music  

            Communications           

            5.  Humanities/Stevenson

                        English

                        Philosophy       

                        Math    

                        Foreign Languages       

                        Economics       

                        Accounting

            6.  Business

                        Marketing         

                        Management & Quantitative Methods (MQM)       

                        Finance, Insurance, & Law        

                        Applied Computer Science        

 

            7.  Social Sciences/Schroeder

                        History

                        Politics & Government   

                        Criminal Justice Sciences         

                        Sociology/Anthropology

                        Social Work     

                        University College         

                        Women’s Studies         

 

 

Section 2 - Terms

The term of office for Association Representatives shall be two (2) years.  Terms of office commence on July 15.  Association Representatives may succeed themselves in office. After ramification of these Bylaws, interim Association Representatives shall be elected.  Four (4) of the interim Association Representatives shall be elected for terms that do not exceed one year.  The remaining interim Association Representatives shall be elected for terms that shall not exceed two years.

 

Section 3 - Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs in an Association Representative office, the President shall appoint a replacement for unexpired terms of less than six months with the consent of the majority of the Representative Assembly.  If the unexpired term is for greater than six months, an election shall be held to fill the unexpired term.

 

Article VII - Executive Board

 

Section 1 – Duties 

            The Executive Board shall conduct and supervise the business of the organization as directed by the Representative Assembly, annually recommend a budget for adoption by the membership, annually recommend local dues for adoption by the membership, undertake such expenditures as are necessary and reasonable for the operation of the organization, consent to the appointment of committees, plan and recommend programs to the membership, develop Bylaws, and approve expenditures.

 

Section 2 - Terms

Terms shall be in accord with ARTICLE VI, Section 2 of these Bylaws.

 

Section 3 – Vacancies

Vacancies shall be filled in accordance with ARTICLE VI, Section 3 of these Bylaws.

 

Section 4 - Meetings

 

A.  Quorum.  A majority of the members of the Executive Board must be present to conduct business, and a majority vote of those present shall rule.

 

B.  Regular Meetings.  The Executive Board shall meet monthly during each semester. One of these regular meetings shall be held prior to the regular meeting of the Representative Council.  The Executive Board may meet as many additional times as necessary or reasonable to transact its business. 

 

C.  Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President, or shall be called upon the written request of two (2) members of the Executive Board.  Except in cases of emergency, at least five (5) working days notice shall be given to all Executive Board members, and business shall be limited to that contained in the notice.

 

Article VIII - Representative Council

 

            Section 1 – Duties                               

            The Representative Council consisting of the Executive Board and elected Association Representatives may adopt programs on behalf of, or for recommendation to, the membership.

 

Section 2 - Terms

Terms for Representative Council members shall be in accord with ARTICLE IV, Section 2A of these Bylaws.

 

            Section 3 - Vacancies

                        Vacancies will be filled in accordance with ARTICLE 4, Section 3 of these Bylaws.

 

Section 4 - Meetings

A.  Quorum.  A majority of the members of the Representative Council must be present to conduct business, and a majority vote of those present shall rule.

 

B.  Regular Meeting.  The Representative Council shall meet one (1) time per semester during the academic year, the first Wednesday in September and the first Wednesday in April. The Representative Council may meet as many additional times as necessary or reasonable to transact its business.

 

C.  Special Meetings.  Special meetings may be called by the President, or shall be called upon the written request of forty percent (40%) of the members of the Representative Council.  Except in cases of emergency, at least five (5) days notice exclusive of weekend and vacation days shall be given to all Representative Council members and business shall be limited to that contained in the notice.

 

Article IX - Elections

 

Section 1 - Elections Committee

            A.  Composition.  The President shall appoint an Elections Committee and name one person to server as chairperson with the approval of the Representative Council.

 

B. Duties.  Establish procedures subject to the approval of the Representative Council for nomination of candidates, dissemination of notices concerning the election and conduct of the election and tabulation of the ballots which shall be consistent with procedures established by the IEA Elections Committee.

 

Hear initial election challenges.

 

C.  Vacancies.  Should a temporary or permanent vacancy occur on the Committee, whether because a member becomes a candidate for office or for any other reason, the vacancy shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

 

Section 2 - Election Procedures

 

A.  Calendar.  The Elections Committee shall establish a local election calendar with nominations and election time lines.

 

B.  Conduct.  All elections shall be conducted by open nomination and secret ballot.

 

C.  Nominations.  Reasonable notice shall be given for nomination to all offices to be filled.  Notice shall include time, place, and method for submitting nominations.

 

D.  Write-In Provisions.  A write-in provision is required if the number of declared candidates is less than the number of positions available.  

 

In cases of elections where the local officer will also serve as a delegate to the IEA and/or NEA Representative Council, a write-in provision is required.

 

E.  Eligibility.  All active dues paying members must be afforded the opportunity to run for and/or vote in any election representing active members.  This does not include fair share or reserved members.

 

F.  Notice.  A fifteen (15) day notice of local elections may be given by posting or by other means.

 

G. Consistency.  All election procedures shall be consistent with Regional, State and Federal requirements.

 

H.  Use of Dues.  No dues may be used in support of a candidate for any Local, Regional, State or National office.

 

I.  Offices Governed by this Article.  All Local Officers, Association Representatives, Regional Council Representatives, Delegates to IEA Representative Assembly, Delegates to NEA Representative Assembly.

 

J. Runoff Elections.  In the event that there is no candidate who has received a majority of the votes cast for a particular office, the Elections Committee shall immediately conduct a runoff election between the two candidates who had received the highest number of votes for that office.  Runoff elections shall be run in the same manner as the original election.

 

K.  Results of the Election.  The results of the election must be published in a timely manner that allows members to obtain the information without unusual effort.

 

Section 3 - Election Challenges

Any member(s) desiring to challenge the conduct of any election shall file a written challenge according to the procedures as follows:

 

A.  Local Level - Initial challenges to all local elections governed by this Article shall be with the Local Elections Committee.  Such challenges must be made no later than five (5) days exclusive of weekend or vacation days of issuance of the election results.

 

B.  Region, State and National Level - challenges are to be made in accord with the challenge procedures and time lines specified in the region, state, and national governing documents of the IEA/NEA, especially for offices which serve as delegates to the IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies.

 

Article X - Arbitration and Grievance Appeal

 

The Representative Council shall decide whether or not a grievance shall be processed to final and binding arbitration.  Recommendations should be provided to the Representative Council by the Grievance Committee.

 

Article XI - Committees

 

Section 1 - Appointment

Committees may be established on a standing and/or ad hoc basis by the President with the approval of the Representative Council.  The President shall appoint members to any committees and name the chairperson with the consent of the Representative Council.

 

Section 2 - Standing Committees

There shall be the following standing committees: Bargaining, Grievance, Membership, Communications, and Legislative.

 

Section 3 - Bargaining Committee

The Bargaining Committee shall explore and prepare programs as necessary in all areas of employee welfare, contractual and otherwise.  The committee shall solicit input from the membership as a whole.  The Bargaining Team shall be appointed by the President with consent of the Representative Council.

 

Section 4 - Grievance Committee

The Grievance Committee shall be responsible for monitoring and enforcing the contract.  It shall assist members in the application of the grievance procedure.  It will make recommendations whether or not to arbitrate grievances to the Representative Council.

 

Section 5 - Communications Committee

The Communications Committee shall be responsible for planning and implementing the public relations activities of the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association..

 

Section 6 - Membership Committee

The Membership committee shall organize and conduct the annual membership drive.  It shall inform the potential membership of the policies, programs, and accomplishments of the local, state, and national Associations.

 

Section 7 -  Legislative Committee

The Legislative Committee shall work with IEA Government Relations to help promote activities that lead to the passage of desirable state and federal legislation.

 

Article Xll - Meetings of the Membership

 

A.  Regular meetings of the membership shall be held once per semester during the academic year, the third Wednesday in September and the Third Wednesday in April.  A budget shall be adopted annually by the membership at the September meeting.

 

B.  Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President, a majority of the Executive Board, or by a petition of thirty (30) percent of the membership.  Except in case of emergency, at least five (5) days notice exclusive of weekends or vacation days shall be given.  The Secretary shall notify the membership as soon as possible.

 

Article XIll - Voting

 

Unless otherwise provided herein, the adoption of all business by the Executive Board, the Representative Council, and the membership shall be by a majority of those voting.

 

Article XlV - Parliamentary Authority

           

            All meetings of this Association shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

 

Article XV - Dues

 

Local dues shall be established by the membership at its September meeting.  The IEA-NEA dues shall be announced at the September membership meeting and transmitted to the IEA-NEA as per  IEA-NEA policies.  The books and records of the organization shall be open to inspection by any member upon reasonable request.

 

Article XVl - Savings Clause

 

In the event a portion or portions of these Bylaws are found to be inconsistent with state or federal law, such portions to the extent that they violate the law shall be deemed deleted and of no force and effect.

 

Article XVIl - Amending Procedures

 

Proposed revisions of these Bylaws shall be submitted by the Representative Council to the full membership at a regular or special meeting and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present shall rule, provided that all members of the Association have been sent notice of the date and place of the meeting and the proposed revision(s) at least twelve (12) days exclusive of Sundays or vacation days prior to the meeting.

 

 

Adopted ________________, 20 ____