Academic Staff Committee
Article I: Purpose and Responsibilities
The Academic Staff Committee (herein ASC) serves as the Executive Committee of the Senate of the Academic Staff. As such, it represents the Senate between regular meetings and responds to those matters requiring immediate action on the part of the academic staff. The ASC advises chairs of committees of the academic staff on questions of policy and procedure. Further responsibilities of the ASC are to serve as liaison between the Senate and the administration, faculty, university staff, and other identifiable groups of UWM and the Universities of Wisconsin (UWs); to advise the Senate on the development of policies and procedures relative to the academic staff under UWS Chapters 9-14, Wis. Adm. Code; to hold meetings of the academic staff of UWM; to nominate or appoint individual academic staff members to serve on UWM and UWs committees; and to act as an ethics advisory body as established in s. UWS 8.035, Wis. Adm. Code and UWM Personnel Policies and Procedures Chapter 113.06. Actions taken by the ASC are subject to the review of the Senate of the Academic Staff.
(AS Doc 146, 1/24)
Article II: Membership
Section l: Structure
The ASC consists of nine academic staff members elected by the academic staff. No more than two members may be from any one college or division at the time of their election to the committee. There must be at least three members from each functional area (instructional and non-instructional). No more than three members may be fixed-term appointees. All members must have at least a 50% appointment at UWM.
(AS Doc 67, 9/11)
(AS Doc 146, 1/24)
Section 2 Nomination/Election Procedures
Members are nominated and elected in accordance with the Standard Academic Staff Operating Rules.
Section 3: Term of Office
The term of office begins on the first day of the fall semester contractual period as it appears in the academic year calendar published on the Secretary of the University’s website and ends the day before the next fall contractual period begins. All members serve three-year terms. No member may serve consecutive three-year terms.
(AS Doc 146, 1/24)
Section 4: Absences
Attendance at ASC meetings is part of each member’s duties. Members who miss seven regular meetings of the ASC within a given appointment year (see Section 3 Term of Office) forfeit their ASC membership. Those members also forfeit their Senate seats. There are no excused absences other than those for governance related work that is directed by the committee to a committee member.
(AS Doc 47,10/10)
Section 5: Vacancies
- If a vacancy occurs, the position is filled by the eligible candidate who received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election. That candidate will serve the remainder of the term associated with the vacancy.
- If no eligible candidate is available, the vacancy is filled by a special election following the election procedures in the Standard Academic Staff Operating Rules. This new member serves the remainder of the unexpired term.
(AS Doc 40, 5/09, revised 7/09)
Article III: Organization
Section 1: Officers
The officers are the Chair and other officers appointed by the ASC as necessary.
- Responsibilities
The Chair prepares and arranges for distribution of the agenda for all meetings and presides at the meetings. The Chair may call special meetings whenever necessary. In addition, the Chair presides at meetings of the Senate of the Academic Staff and is the liaison with the University Committee and with chairs of the committees of the academic staff. At the end of each committee year, the Chair arranges for preparation of a written report of ASC activities. The Chair may appoint, or the ASC may select or elect, a member of the ASC to conduct business in the absence of the Chair.
A Secretary provided by the Office of the Secretary of the University takes minutes and distributes them to Committee members, the Chair of the Academic Staff Committee, and the Office of the Secretary of the University, and maintains the attendance records of Committee members.
Responsibilities of other officers are determined when each position is created. - Eligibility
In order to maintain continuity of leadership, the Chair must have served on the ASC during the year prior to their term of office. The conditions for eligibility for other ASC officers shall be determined at the time of their creation. - Election, Term of Office, and Vacancies
The Chair is elected by the Senate of the Academic Staff at its May meeting from continuing ASC members for a one-year term. If the Chair cannot complete the term, a special election is held at the next Senate meeting after the resignation is announced. Only ASC members in the second or third year of their term are eligible to run in this special election.
Any other officers are elected by the ASC for a one-year term during on the of the May ASC meetings. Officers may not serve more than two consecutive terms. When a position is vacated, a special election is held at the first regular meeting after the vacancy occurs.
(AS Doc 146, 1/24)
Section 2: Meetings
- Regular and Special Meetings
Regular meetings of the ASC are held on the first and third Monday of each month unless altered for a given year by unanimous consent of continuing and newly-elected members. The starting time of the regular meetings is established at the first meeting of each semester. Special meetings of the ASC are called by the Chair as needed or at the request of two or more ASC members.
(AS Doc 65, 7/11) - Quorum
A quorum consists of five members. - Standing Rules
All ASC meetings are conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, unless otherwise specified in these bylaws. - Agenda
The agenda is distributed prior to each meeting. Any ASC member or academic staff member may place an item of business on the agenda of a regular meeting by contacting the Chair prior to the distribution of the agenda. Additional items of business may not be added to the agenda of special meetings once the agenda has been distributed.
Section 3: Subcommittees
The ASC may empower the Chair to appoint subcommittees subject to appointment conditions approved by the ASC. The ASC may delegate its responsibilities to these subcommittees, providing this delegation does not abridge the responsibility or authority of the parent committee. Subcommittees must be chaired by members of the ASC and may be composed of a majority of academic staff members who are not members of the parent committee. University staff and faculty members also may serve on these subcommittees as non-voting members.
Article IV: Amendments to the Bylaws
A motion to amend these bylaws may be made only by an ASC member. The proposed change(s) must be discussed in at least one ASC meeting prior to the meeting at which the vote on the proposed amendment(s) is taken. Amendments must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the ASC and a majority vote of the Senate of the Academic Staff. All proposed amendments must be reviewed by the Codification Committee for logic, clarity, and consistency prior to final approval by the Senate. Lastly, approved bylaw amendment(s) must be reported at the next General Meeting of the academic staff.
(AS Doc 119, 4/19)
ASC Bylaws
12/89
5/98
9/03
6/05
7/09
10/10
4/19
1/24