UNION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BYLAWS
Revised February 2004

Article 1

Conduct of Business

Section 1              Article 5, Section 1 of the Constitution states the following:

The bylaws of the Union Board give the details of the conduct of business for the Union Board.

Section 2              Officers

a.     The officers shall perform the duties prescribed by the Union Board Constitution, by these Bylaws, and by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.  The Director of the Union shall designate a member of the Union staff to serve as secretary.  The Chair shall appoint a parliamentarian.

b.      Officers shall be elected at the first meeting of the fall semester.  The election shall be conducted by an officer from the preceding year: Chair, Vice-Chair, and Standing Committee Chairs of Facilities, Constitution and Finance, Program.  If none of the officers are continuing, the President of the Student Association shall conduct the election.

c.      The term of office shall be one year or until a successor is elected.

d.     If a vacancy occurs in an office, the position will be temporarily filled in the order listed in Section 2 b. above.  An election will be held at the next regular meeting to fill the remainder of the term of office.

Section 3              Meetings

a.     The Union Board of Directors shall hold regular meetings from September through July.

b.      The Union Board shall set the time and date for regular meetings at the first meeting of the fall semester.  The time and date will be reviewed at the start of the spring semester.

c.      Advance notice of at least five class days shall be given for any special meetings.

Section 4              Voting

a.     The method of response at meetings shall be voice vote, show of hands or by written ballots as determined by the Chair.

b.      Emergency polls may be taken by telephone but must be approved by formal action at the next meeting of the Union Board or by a written ballot distributed by the Chair.

c.      The Constitution and Finance Committee shall certify the vote when written ballots are used and report the results at the next meeting of the Union Board.

Section 5              Parliamentary Authority

Conduct of business shall be according to rules in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order in all cases not covered by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Union Board of Directors.

Article 2

Standing Committees

Section 1              Article 5, Section 6 of the Constitution states the following:

The primary business of the Union Board is initiated through standing committees.  The organization and duties of the committees is more fully described in the bylaws.

Section 2              The Standing Committees are as follows:

a.     Facilities Committee

b.      Constitution and Finance Committee

c.      Program Committee

d.     Executive Committee

Section 3              Organization of the Standing Committees except the Executive Committee

a.     The Chair shall appoint Union Board members, voting and non-voting, to the Standing Committees.

b.      All members, except the Union Director, shall serve on at least one committee.

c.      Members of the Union Staff shall be ex-officio non-voting members of appropriate standing committee.

d.     All Union Board members of standing committees shall vote.

e.     The committees shall select their own Chairs.

f.       The committees shall determine the time, place and frequency of meeting.

Section 4              Organization of the Executive Committee

a.                 The Executive Committee shall consist of the Union Board Chair, Vice Chair, the Chair of each Standing Committee and the Union Director.

b.                  The Union Board Chair shall serve as Chair of the Executive Committee.

c.                  The committee shall determine the time, place and frequency of meetings.

Section 5              General responsibilities of the Standing Committees

a.       It shall be the responsibility of each committee:

·         to make recommendations to the Union Board and/or Union staff as deemed appropriate for all items that come within their scope of responsibility.

·         to report to the Union Board all items deemed to be of interest or concern to the entire Union Board.

·         to participate with and review all reports of consultants employed to evaluate the operations of the University Union for their areas of their responsibilities.

b.       All recommendations of standing committees shall be in writing and given to each member of the Union Board.

Section 6              Facilities Committee

It shall be the responsibility of the Facilities Committee:

a.                 to study suggestions and recommendations concerning the Union House Guidelines, evaluate consistency of application.

b.                  to review Union House Guidelines annually.

c.                  to review and respond to requests from customers that relate to changes in the decor or space designation of the facility.

d.                 to participate in planning for expansion or renovation of the facilities.

Section 7    Deleted in its entirety

Section 8              Constitution and Finance Committee

It shall be the responsibility of the Constitution and Finance Committee:

a.       to periodically review the constitution, bylaws, and mission and goals statement.

b.       for the following FINANCIAL items:

·         to review the proposed annual budget and make recommendations to the Union Board concerning approval, disapproval or amendment.  Receive recommendations from other standing committees concerning budgets for operations under their responsibilities.

·         to receive and review all reports of audits of the University Union by the University Internal Audit Staff.  Undertake discussions as deemed necessary with the Internal Audit Staff concerning audits of the University Union.

·         to review monthly and annual financial statements, periodic statements of reserves, and any additional information required to be adequately informed about the financial affairs of the Union.

·         to review accounting and reporting policies and procedures periodically.

c.       for the following OTHER items:

·         to receive and review all reports of consultants employed to evaluate the operations of the Union for areas not under the responsibility of another standing committee.

·         to review the operations of the Union in sufficient detail to discharge other responsibilities indicated above.

Section 9              Programs Committee

It shall be the responsibility of the Programs Committee:

a.       to be informed in the following areas:

·         goals and objectives relating to Union Programs and events, including the University Program Council Constitution.

·         programs and events that are proposed and planned by Union Programs Department, Art Gallery, and Syndicate.

·         programs that have potential for being controversial or libelous.

·         issues that effect the operation and events of Union Programs.

b.       to review the University Program Council Constitutional changes and revisions.

c.       to review proposed changes in the University Program Council organization/Union Program Department structure or budget well in advance of budget consideration [i.e. creation and funding of a new committee; request to pay officer; plans to implement a major concert or event; request to increase admission prices for established programs such as movies].

d.       to review the annual program budget.

e.       to receive program reports of Union Programs as determined by the Programs Committee.

f.        to participate in the interview and selection process for replacement of full-time program staff members as openings arise.

Section 10            Executive Committee

It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to address issues which do not clearly fall within the scope of responsibility of another standing committee or in the event that a standing committee cannot meet, for lack of availability of its members, or any other reason, the executive committee may act in its stead.

Article 3

Membership

Section 1              Article 4, Section 5 of the Constitution states the following:

If a member of the Union Board misses three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, he/she can be dismissed by the Union Board.  Procedures are more fully described in the by-laws.

Section 2              Procedures for dismissal of a Board member are as follows:

a.       It is not the desire of the Union Board that any member be dismissed for nonattendance.  Restoration to active participation is preferable.

b.       For purposes of this section, attendance during any part of the official meeting is considered attending the meeting.

c.       The Secretary of the Union Board shall notify the Chair of the Union Board of any member who has missed three (3) consecutive regular meetings.

d.       INVESTIGATION

·         The Chair shall investigate to determine if there were extenuating circumstances that caused the member to miss the three (3) meetings.  The investigation must include a discussion with the member and with a representative of the selection group.

·         The Chair shall consult the Vice-Chair and the Chairs of each standing committee concerning the member and the circumstances.

e.       Dismissal

·         If after consultation, it is the opinion of the Chair that the member does not have good cause for missing the meetings; the Chair should take the actions below to dismiss the member from the Union Board.

·         Notify the member of the dismissal action.  The member can voluntarily resign at this point.  If the member voluntarily resigns, this resignation will be so noted.

·         The resignation and resulting vacancy will be reported to the selection group for replacement of the former member.

·         If the member does not resign, dismissal, reasons and resulting vacancy will be reported to the selection group for replacement of the former member.

f.        No Action Taken

If after consultation, it is the opinion of the Chair that the member does have good cause for missing the meetings; the Chair should specify the conditions for continuing that member as a Union Board member.

Article 4

Other

Section 1    The Mission and Goals of the University Union shall guide the Union Board of Directors.

Section 2    The Union Board shall approve all expenditures in excess of $10,000 not included in the budget or any expenditure to be charged directly to the Union Reserve account.  This approval must be in advance, unless it is an emergency expenditure.

Section 3    When there is a vacancy in the Union Director position, the Union Board shall actively participate in the search for a new Union Director.  Approval by the Union Board is included as part of the selection process.  The Union Board shall participate in the selection process for any associate or assistant director of the Union staff.

Section 4    The Union Board shall participate in and approve any significant reorganization of the Union or any of its major areas of operation.

Section 5    Copies of the Bylaws shall be filed in the office of the Union Director, the Chair of the Union Board, the Vice President through which the Union reports, and elsewhere as directed by the President of the University.

Article 5

Amendment of Bylaws

Section 1    The Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Union Board provided notice is given at a preceding meeting and is included on the agenda for the meeting.  Proposed amendments must be circulated to the members of the Union Board at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which debate and voting will occur. 

Section 2    The procedures for approval and review of the Bylaws, amendments and revisions thereto, of the Union Board shall be as follows:

a.       The Union Board after approval of two-thirds 2/3 of those present and voting, shall present its Bylaws, amendments, or revisions thereto to the Vice President, through which the Union reports, for review.

b.       The Vice President shall in turn present the Bylaws to the University President for review.

c.       The Board of Regents may amend the Bylaws, amendments, or revisions at any time for any reason.

Article 6

Enactment Clause

Section 1                        The Bylaws of the Union Board shall go into effect immediately upon approval and review of this document.