Staff Council

• To facilitate a healthy, civil College culture.
• To identify and address common issues directly affecting staff, both exempt and non-exempt.
• To communicate matters of academic and administrative policy to College staff and respond to their concerns.
• To actively solicit information and opinions from College staff on pending College matters and communication such information to the Dean.
• To receive and consider recommendations from the Dean and College community on matters of College concern by providing a staff perspective.
• To participate in the promotion of excellence in instruction, research, and creative activities; and advise the Dean on long-range plans for professional and physical development of the College.
• To promote collegial referenda and set guidelines for selection of Council members.
• To facilitate College communication through various means of information dispersal.
• To propose changes in the College's plan of organization.
• To elect one exempt and one non-exempt member of the Staff Council to serve on the Collegiate Council.
• To recommend staff representation on search committees charged with the responsibility to select a new dean of the College.
• To sponsor, facilitate and promote professional and personal development of staff.
• To facilitate networking opportunities for staff of the College.

• Activities of the Staff Council must be consistent with Article 20 of the Memorandums of Understanding for Exempt and Non-exempt staff (MOU documents are available at http://uhr.umd.edu/staff-relations/).
• Recommendations from the Staff Council will be submitted to the Dean for consideration. If the Dean does not agree with a recommendation of the Staff Council, the Dean shall state the reasons in writing.
• Any recommendation made by the Staff Council as it pertains to bargaining unit employees on any subject which constitutes a mandatory subject of bargaining may not be approved, finalized or implemented by the University until the University notifies and bargains with AFSCME.

The Office of the Dean shall furnish assistance to the Staff Council as a whole, and to its committees, in the discharging of official business. This shall include assistance with the selection of representatives and any other business involving the staff of the College

• The Staff Council shall consist of twelve (12) members elected from among the exempt and non-exempt regular staff of the constituent units of the College. All members serve At-Large.
• Academic, research, or programming unit of the College shall be invited to nominate at least one candidate for election to the Staff Council. Self-nominations will also be solicited.
• All regular exempt and non-exempt staff in the College shall be eligible to vote for the At-Large representatives. Elections should be held prior to Spring Commencement.
• Elected members shall serve for a term of two years from July 1 after selection and may not serve for more than two successive terms.
• The Assistant Dean for Academic Technology & Administrative Operations shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Staff Council.
• The Staff Council may establish special subcommittees, task forces, and ad hoc committees when deemed necessary and shall appoint )or delegate the appointment ) of their members. These special committees shall function until discharged by the Council.

• Officers of the Staff Council are the Chair and Vice Chair
• Officers shall be elected from and by the elected members of the Staff Council. The Chair shall preside over all meetings or, in the absence of the Chair, The Vice Chair shall preside.

• The Staff Council shall meet at least five times during the fiscal year. A quorum shall be a majority of the selected members. Meetings shall be open to all staff of the College and to others that the Council may admit.
• Votes shall be taken by a show of hands. Secret ballots shall be used upon the request of two members present. Absentee and proxy balloting is permitted.
• A measure shall pass with a simple majority of votes.