Employee Assembly Draft Documents

CHARTER OF THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY
EMPLOYEE ASSEMBLY
(with Amendments and Bylaws as of May 2003)

Tuesday, 10 March 2009 Draft

Preamble

In response to a vote of the Cornell community and as requested by the President, this document sets down rules and regulations requisite for establishing an Employee Assembly, to be peopled by employees and to be concerned with those matters directly affecting employees of Cornell University. Furthermore, this body will interact with and discuss issues of common interest with the Student Assembly and the Faculty Senate.

The purpose of the Employee Assembly is to ensure a direct focus for the continued involvement of exempt and non-exempt staff members in the governance of non-academic affairs and in the life of the University. The Employee Assembly will bring about a higher visibility for employees as community members, more equal participation with faculty and students in the policy-making process, and an increased sense of community among all constituencies through shared responsibilities.

The Employee Assembly will actively seek to involve all segments of Cornell’s diverse employee population in the Assembly’s decision-making activities. Particular effort will be made to ensure that women and minority persons have equal access to Employee Assembly positions.

ARTICLE 1 Establishment

Pursuant to the authority delegated by the Board of Trustees, the President hereby establishes the Employee Assembly. Articles 1 through 97 of this document constitute the Charter of the Employee Assembly.

1.1 Employee Defined

Moved from 5.7. Add “regular” to clarify temp employees not included. For the purposes of this Charter, employees are any regular full-time and part-time staff members in non-exempt, exempt, or academic non-professorial staff categories who are employed at the Ithaca or Geneva campuses of the university.

1.2 Session Defined

A session of the assembly shall be from June 1 until May 31 of the following calendar year.

ARTICLE 2 Authority and Responsibility

The Employee Assembly (, hereinafter referred to as the EA)assembly, shall explores opportunities to enhance the role, function and contribution of employees to the well being of the University. The EA shall have the authority toassembly:

!!!! 2.1 Personnel policies

Merged into 2.2 examine the University’s personnel policies and make recommendations to the appropriate bodies and University administrators concerning these matters.

2.2 Other University policies2.1 University policies affecting employees

Clean language, clarify to whom assembly reports, add explicit reference to family services. examine other University policies affecting the employment environment at Cornell and make recommendations to the appropriate bodies and University administrators concerning such matters. These include education/training opportunities, dining, health, transportation services, recreation, other specific needs as identified, and communication among employees. examines University policies affecting employees of the University and recommends changes to the President;

2.32.2 Information exchange

provide a mechanism for the informal exchange of information and views between the EA and University administrators. facilitates communication between employees and the President of the University;

2.42.3 Establishing committees

establishes such standing and ad hoc committees as are appropriate to the performance of its functions. as needed;

2.52.4 Committee membership selection

selects employee members for standing orand ad hoc committees of the University Assembly (UA) as recommended to the EA by the UA Committee on Committees.other representative bodies and units when directed to do so by those groups;

2.62.5 Conduct public hearing

conducts public hearings and forums concerning topics of current employee interest and determineidentifies in other appropriate ways employee needs and opinions.;

2.72.6 Internal maintenance

exercise controls over the internalits own operations and maintenance of the EA, including provision for the creation of bylaws, procedures and amendments.;

2.82.7 Interface with the University Assembly

Diagram not needed, UA Charter already provides adequate guidance about how members should conduct themselves and how it relates to the EA. Interfaceinteracts with the UAUniversity Assembly in the following ways:accordance with the rules of that assembly;

The following diagram illustrates the relationships between the UA and the four sub-groups outlined in 2.8 and 2.9.

2.92.8 Interface with the Student Assembly, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, and Faculty Senate

interfaceinteracts with the constituent assemblies, including:

• Student Assembly (SA),
• Graduate &and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA), and
• Faculty Senate.

Change to bylaws to promote flexibility. by sending one member to each group as a non-voting delegate; distribute agenda and pending resolutions to the leadership of the other Assemblies at least 24 hours prior to the EA meeting at which they are to be presented.

2.102.9 Representation exclusions

Nothing contained in Article 2 shall be construed as authorizing the EA tomay not represent any interested party (, including either Cornellthe University or its employees), in matters concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of workterms and conditions of employment, nor may the EAand may not investigate the merits of individual grievances.

!!!! 2.11 Objections to actions

A compromise process adds complexity to the assembly system and contradicts the way it is set up: Assemblies may pass contradictory resolutions and it is the university President’s role to resolve those discrepancies.Upon receipt of the EA report, another constituency body(ies) may object, by a two-thirds vote at its next regularly scheduled meeting, to an action taken by the EA. The objecting body(ies) will report back to the EA within five working days of its vote to object. At its next business meeting, the EA will review the objection and either modify the original position to account for the objection of the other constituency or will reaffirm the original action. The EA shall report to the objecting body(ies) within five working days of reviewing the objection.

!!!! 2.12 UA Assemblies Review Committee

Continued disagreement on the issue will be referred to the UA Assemblies Review Committee. (UA Charter, Article 8.6)

!!!! 2.13 Reconciliation of differences

If the EA determines by a two-thirds vote that the action of another constituency body impacts its constituency, comparable procedures for the reconciliation of differences will be pursued.

ARTICLE 3 Membership

3.1 Eligibility

Except in the case of an incidental vacancy, members of the assembly must also be members of the constituency associated with their respective seats. Changes of status with the university do not alter the status of a member as long as that member remains an employee of the University.

A voting member of the assembly may not serve concurrently as a trustee of the University.

3.0.13.2 Seat allocation

Correctly refer to Geneva campus, clarify Geneva seat explicitly allocated to Geneva. The EA shallassembly consists of thirteen (13) employees, of whom six (6) shall be fromrepresent endowed units, six (6) fromrepresent statutory units, and one fromrepresents the Geneva Experiment Station or at largeNew York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, hereafter referred to as the Geneva campus.

Committee felt “underrepresented” provision was unnecessary and inappropriate. Consider representation issues in a separate proposal. Within the endowed and statutory units, two (2) delegates shall bemembers represent exempt employees, three (3)members represent non-exempt employees, and one (1) at-large member represents all job classifications. The EA may allocate two at-large seats to a constituent group or groups of employees that it deems to be underrepresented. Should the EA determine to allocate a seat or seats to specified groups of employees, such allocation shall be in accordance with procedures promulgated by the EA and contained in its procedures and/or bylaws.

3.13.3 Ex-officio members

The following shall beserve as members of the EAassembly ex-officio without vote:

1. the Employee Elected Trustees,
2. the Editor of PawPrint, and
3. the Vice President of Human Resources or a designeea representative of the Office of Human Resources appointed by the President to serve as a resource person upon request of the EA.

3.23.4 University Assembly

The EA shall selectassembly appoints five delegatesemployees, of whom at least two are also members of the assembly, to serve on the UA byUniversity Assembly before May 1 of each year. At least two members of the EA shall be selected by the EA to sit on the UA.

!!!! 3.3 Elections

Merge in and modify text from former Article 5. Provide a clear and comprehensive procedure for elections and vacancies. Candidates for seats will run within their designated area (e.g. endowed, statutory, Geneva or at-large), with all employees voting for all candidates. Tabulation of the results of voting shall be carried out by the Hare system.

3.5 Vacancies

3.5.1 Vacancy Defined

A regular vacancy occurs when the term of a member expires, and may be filled by election.

An incidental vacancy occurs when:

1. a seat remains vacant after a regular election;
2. a member resigns or is removed from membership; or,
3. a member ceases to be eligible for membership.

An incidental vacancy is filled by automatic appointment of unseated candidates from the most recent election according to the order of succession provided in this article. Should no eligible candidates remain from the most recent election such vacancies may be filled by appointment.

3.5.2 Filling Regular Vacancies by Elections

The Elections Committee conducts elections according to the following process:

1. The assembly reviews and approves election rules, procedures, and a publicity plan for elections in the semester prior to the elections.
2. Candidates may run only for the seats that match the constituencies to which they belong.
3. All employees may vote for all candidates.
4. To mitigate potential conflicts of interest, the Elections Committee resolves any disputes raised regarding election rules without review by the assembly.
5. Elections must be completed and results tabulated no later than the last day of April.

3.5.3 Filling Incidental Vacancies by Automatic Appointment of Candidates from Most Recent Election

Should an incidental vacancy occur for any seat, the assembly seats the highest-ranked, unseated candidate from the most recent election for:

1. the same seat;
2. any at-large seat, should no more eligible candidates remain and the seat be an at-large seat;
3. any exempt seat, should no more eligible candidates remain and the seat be an exempt seat or an at-large seat;
4. any non-exempt seat, should no more eligible candidates remain and the seat be a non-exempt or an at-large seat;
5. any endowed seat, should no more eligible candidates remain and the seat be an endowed seat;
6. any statutory seat, should no more eligible candidates remain and the seat be a statutory seat; and,
7. any Ithaca-based seat, should no more eligible candidates remain and the seat be an Ithaca-based seat.

3.5.4 Filling Incidental Vacancies by Appointment

Should an incidental vacancy occur and no eligible candidates remain to be seated from the previous election, the assembly may fill the vacancy through appointment by the following process:

1. The assembly solicits interest from the employee community within two weeks of the vacancy’s occurrence. The solicitation proceeds for no less than one month, and continues until it is closed by the assembly.
2. At the next meeting after solicitation has been closed, the Vice Chair for Internal Operations presents a slate of eligible candidates to the assembly for a vote by the same procedure as for the election of officers. If no candidate is eligible to fill a vacancy, the assembly may proceed through:
   1. any exempt candidate, should no candidates remain and the seat be an exempt seat;
   2. any non-exempt candidate, should no candidates remain and the seat be a non-exempt seat;
   3. any endowed candidate, should no candidates remain and the seat be an endowed seat;
   4. any statutory candidate, should no candidates remain and the seat be a statutory seat; and,
   5. any candidate employed on the Ithaca campus, should no candidates remain, unless the seat is the Geneva campus seat.
3. To conduct the election the chair of the meeting:
   1. allows each candidate to make an opening statement of specified duration;
   2. allows all members present to ask questions of the candidates, including the candidates for the office, for a specified period of time;
   3. closes question and answer period;
   4. moves to a vote by secret ballot; and,
   5. repeats voting as needed until one candidate receives a majority of votes cast, eliminating the candidate receiving the fewest votes in each round of voting.

3.5.5 Terms of Members Who Fill Incidental Vacancies

Members who fill incidental vacancies shall serve the full remainder of the term.

3.43.6 Term

Membership on the EA shall be for two years from June 1 of the first year through May 31 of the second year. Terms shall be staggered so that there is an election of one-half of the members annually.The term of membership is two consecutive sessions of the assembly. Terms are staggered such that only half of the members’ terms expire each year. Initially one-half of the persons elected shall serve one- and two-year terms respectively.

3.7 Removal

Assembly felt an impeachment and removal process was a fundamental necessity.Any member of the assembly may motion to impeach another member for conduct that is unethical, illegal, disruptive, or otherwise in conflict with charter and bylaws of the assembly or the University. The assembly must allow the impeached member to attend any discussion, deliberation, or vote related to the impeachment and must inform all members at least one business week in advance of any meeting where it will consider such a motion. The assembly may remove the impeached member by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the seated membership.

ARTICLE 4 Officers

The officers of the EA shall beassembly are:

• the Chair,
• Executive Vice Chair,
• Vice Chair for Internal Operations,
• Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary, and
• the Parliamentarian,.

electedThe assembly elects officers by secret ballot from among the EAits members. Officers may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

!!!! 4.0.1 Removal

Moved Removal to end of Article 4, seems inappropriate to have this as first section about officers. Officers may be removed upon two-thirds (2/3) vote of the seated members of the EA. Immediately thereafter a new officer shall be elected from members of the EA for the balance of the term of office.

4.1 Term

The term of office is concurrent with a session of the assembly.

4.2 Election

Moved and modified from Article 6. Provides process more consistent with other assemblies and committee consensus about how to conduct officer elections. No longer requires candidates to leave the room for a period of discussion in their absence. As soon as possible after the conclusion of elections and no later than the last day of May, the Vice Chair for Internal Operations convenes an organizational meeting in closed session to conduct officer elections in which only those who will be seated members of the assembly in June participate.

The Vice Chair for Internal Operations, unless seeking the position of Chair, leads the meeting until the new Chair is elected. If the Vice Chair for Internal Operations is unable to lead the meeting, a randomly selected member who is not seeking the position of Chair leads. The newly elected Chair presides over the remainder of the meeting.

The officer elections occur in the following order: Chair, Executive Vice Chair, Vice Chair for Internal Operations, Vice Chair for Finance, and Parliamentarian. For each office, the chair presiding over the meeting:

1. entertains nominations of members for the position to be filled;
2. closes nominations;
3. allows each candidate to make an opening statement of specified duration;
4. allows all members present to ask questions of the candidates for a specified period of time;
5. closes question and answer period;
6. moves to a vote by secret ballot; and,
7. repeats voting as needed until one candidate receives a majority of votes cast and eliminates the candidate receiving the fewest votes in each round of voting.

4.3 Responsibilities

4.3.1 General responsibilities

Each officer serves as a voting member of the Executive Board and attends all of its meetings.

4.14.3.2 Chair responsibilities

The Chair shall have full responsibility for:

• assures the smooth and effective operation and maintenance of the EA. That person shall presideassembly;
• presides over meetings of the EAassembly;
• and delegatedelegates responsibilities as needed to ensure the accomplishment ofaccomplish the duties of the office and the goals set forth in the EAthis Charter and associated Bylaws.;

!!!!!! 4.1.1

• The Chair and Vice Chair for Internal Operations will conductconducts, in conjunction with the Vice Chair for Internal Operations, an organizationalorientation meeting with all the Chairs chairs of the EAassembly’s standing and ad hoc committees at the beginning of each election year (see Sec. 4.3.2).session of the assembly;

!!!!!! 4.1.2

Excess language.* The Chair of the EA, where it appears timely and appropriate, shall select a committee of the EA to appear as Business of the Day.

!!!!!! 4.1.3

• Current practice: chair appoints committee chairs, still may set a broader process at discretionIn those cases where�due to a lack of continuity in membership or other extenuating factors�any standing or ad hoc committee of the EA shall indicate a lack of cohesive leadership, the Chair of the EA (with the approval of the Assembly) can invoke the option of directing that the Chair or a Co-Chair of that committee shall be a member of the EA.appoints chairs for each of the assembly’s committees;

!!!!!! 4.1.4

• Moved from Executive Vice Chair.transmits notice of the actions and recommendations of the assembly;
• Moved from Executive Vice Chair.reports periodically to the assembly on the disposition or current status of its actions and recommendations; and,
• The Chair of the EA shall serves as spokesperson of the EAassembly, corresponds with the President of the University, enumerating actions taken by the EAassembly and soliciting a response, and prepare and submits an annual year-end report to the EA and University President.

4.24.3.3 Executive Vice Chair responsibilities

The Executive Vice Chair:

• shall assistassists the Chair and shall be responsible for chairingas needed;
• chairs the Agenda Setting Meetingsmeetings of the Executive Committee, and submitting agenda items for Leadership Meetings. Other responsibilities shall include: and distributes the agenda and meeting materials for regular and special meetings of the assembly;
• reviews minutes prepared by the Office of the Assemblies and distributes drafts to assembly members;

!!!!!! 4.2.1

* transmitting reports of actions and recommendations of the EA and its committees, as the EA shall direct.

• Moved and slightly modified from Vice Chair for Internal Operationsnotifies individuals and units directly affected by pending business of the assembly or its committees;

!!!!!! 4.2.2

* reporting periodically on the disposition or current status of EA actions and recommendations.

!!!!!! 4.2.3

• overseeing the exchange of information and opinions between the EA and the community at-largeserves as Chair of the Communications Committee of the EA and;
• servingserves on the PawPrint Editorial Board.;

!!!!!! 4.2.4

• arrangingarranges for advertising, postering, email campaigns and EA outreach programs.; and,

!!!!!! 4.2.5

Excess language.* promoting employee-advocacy role that the EA can play on campus.

!!!!!! 4.2.6

• presidingpresides in the absence of the Chair.

4.34.3.4 Vice Chair for Internal Operations

The Vice Chair for Internal Operations: Transferred to the Elections committee* shall be responsible for oversight of the EA elections,

• chairingchairs the Internal Operations Committee, and;
• monitors and supervises the operations of the EAassembly’s committees and the assembly’s appointees to other committees;. Responsibilities shall include:

!!!!!! 4.3.1

Make language active and clear.* functioning as the official contact person with all the EA ‘s committees, serving in an advisory capacity for all EA committee Chairs and Vice- or Co-Chairs, and maintaining regular contact with them and helping to insure all committees are fully staffed.

• advises committee chairs on issues of process and directs inquiries as needed;

Function moved to the Internal Operations Committee.* solicits and recommends qualified employee applicants to fill committees vacancies in coordination with committee chairs;

!!!!!! 4.3.2

• conductingconducts, in collaboration and conjunction with the EA Chair, an organizationalorientation meeting at the beginning of each election year, with the Cchairs (or Co-Chairs) of alleach of the EAassembly’s standing and ad hoc committees.; and,

!!!!!! 4.3.3

This function has been assumed by the Executive Vice Chair and was moved there.* notifying prior to any policy review that the EA may initiate, those individuals and bodies affected. Such notification shall include the name of the Chair of the committee authorized by the EA to conduct the review, the charge to the committee, and the time period for which the committee is authorized to conduct its review.

!!!!!! 4.3.4

• presidingpresides in the absence of the Chair orand Executive Vice Chair.

4.44.3.5 Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary responsibilities

The Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary:

• shall maintain the records of the EA and the financial mattersoversees and tracks the finances of the bodyassembly with the assistance of the Office of the Assemblies. Other responsibilities shall include: ;

!!!!!! 4.4.1

Move to Executive Vice Chair.* seeing that the minutes of all meetings are kept and distributed to members within one week after the meeting. This person shall also notify members of special meetings and of important matters proposed for action at any meeting, make public the reports and actions of the EA in cooperation with the Communications Committee, and perform other responsibilities as designated.

!!!!!! 4.4.2

The Office of the Assemblies does this.* maintaining records of notifications and making them accessible to all members of the University.

!!!!!! 4.4.3

• monitoringmonitors financial statements and authorizingauthorizes expenditures in consultation with the other officers of the EA.assembly;
• The Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary shall report regularlyreports periodically to the EAassembly on the status of the funds;
• and shall prepareprepares a yearly expenditure report outlining the use of funds for the past fiscal year.; and,
• In addition, the Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary shall assist with theprepares the annual fund request and budget preparationproposal, creating budget reports as necessary for the Vice President University Relationsof University Communications.

4.54.3.6 Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall see:

• assures that meetings follow procedures found in Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) and within thethis Charter and the Bylaws of the EA assembly and rules on questions and disputes related to interpretation of those rules.

4.4 Executive Board

The Executive Board consists of the officers of the assembly. The Executive Board:

1. formulates and approves an agenda for each meeting of the assembly;
2. Recommended deadline is arbitrary.formulates, in consultation with the chairs of the assembly’s committees, a budget of expenses for the assembly and presents this budget to the assembly for approval no later than September 15; and,
3. prepares an annual report to the President of the university containing:
   1. a summary and description of each action taken by the assembly, and
   2. any unfinished or outstanding items remaining for the assembly.

4.5 Removal

The assembly may remove any officer by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of seated members. The assembly then immediately elects a new officer to serve the remainder of the term.

Refactoring: Moved to Article 3 ARTICLE 5 Elections/Vacancies

Elections shall be conducted by the EA Internal Operations Committee (IOC). The formalities of the nominations and elections process will be held to a minimum, so as to encourage as many employees as possible to run. The IOC will develop specific guidelines to accomplish this, avoiding any procedure that would tend to intimidate employees or discourage them from participating. The content of petition forms and the length of the petitioning period should be among those items considered.

5.1 Soliciting candidates

The IOC of the EA will solicit from the community and from current committee members names of individuals interested in serving on the EA. The IOC will inform the EA of their plans for “soliciting candidates” prior to the actual solicitation. Persons may nominate themselves or, with their consent, they may be nominated by other individuals, community groups, or organizations.

5.2 Filling vacancies

If any position is not filled in a given category, the position shall be filled by the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes from that category. All vacancies will be filled first from the pool of candidates who were not seated in the general election. If vacancies still remain, they will be filled by appointment, after soliciting applications. In both cases, the following guidelines will be adhered to:

5.2.1

In selecting a person to fill a vacant seat other than at-large, first priority is the designation within the payroll classification system (e.g. exempt or non-exempt). The statutory/endowed representation is of second priority. For example, if a vacancy occurs in a non-exempt/endowed seat, that position should be filled by a person holding a non-exempt job in an endowed unit. If no replacement is available there, a non-exempt candidate from the statutory units should be sought. If a candidate still cannot be found, exempt employees may be considered, as well as persons qualified for the various at-large seats.

5.2.2

At-large seats generally may be filled by any employee. The at-large seat designated for the Geneva Experiment Station will be filled by a Geneva employee if possible, and, if not, by an Ithaca campus employee. With at-large seats designated for underrepresented groups, the first priority is the nature of the group (e.g. black, Hispanic). The representation of statutory/endowed units is of secondary importance, with exempt/non-exempt representation of lowest importance.

5.3 Vacancy defined

Prior to the spring elections, the EA shall determine which seats are vacant and shall forward this list to the IOC. A vacancy on the EA occurs when a) a seat is unoccupied at the beginning of a term of office, b) an incumbent resigns, or c) the incumbent of a seat no longer qualifies as a member of the Cornell employee constituency.

5.4 Change in employment status

An EA member’s change of status within the employee constituency (e.g. exempt to non-exempt) shall not disqualify an incumbent from completing his or her term.

5.5 Selection of person to fill vacant seat

If a vacancy occurs, the Chair shall direct the IOC of the EA to select a runner-up from the previous election. The position shall be filled by the candidate receiving the next highest number of votes from the same category as the vacancy. In selecting a person to fill a vacant seat, other than a seat at-large, all criteria stated in Article 5. shall apply.

5.5.1

If there is no pool of runners-up from the previous election, the IOC shall advertise the vacancy and otherwise solicit applicants. The EA will then appoint a member to fill the vacancy from a slate of applicants compiled by the IOC using the criteria listed in Article 5. The selection will be made as rapidly as possible. An appointed candidate will serve through the term of the vacancy.

5.6 Selection by appointment

A voting member of the EA may not serve concurrently as a University Trustee, or as a member of any of the UA’s standing committees and boards, except where specified in this Charter.

5.7 Definition of an employee

For the purpose of voting for and membership on the EA, employees are any full-time and part-time staff members in non-exempt, exempt, or academic non-professorial staff categories.

5.8 Attendance policy

Missing from available draft - Ari Epstein Thursday, 16 March 2006

ARTICLE 6ARTICLE 5 Procedures

The procedures of the EA shall be as follows:

5.1 Protections

Relocated from Article 8 The assembly and its committees shall respect and protect the rights of individuals. When a subject under discussion or examination requires the use of confidential information, all reasonable efforts shall be made to safeguard the confidentiality of this information.

6.1 Term of office

Refactored into Article 3 The term of office for EA members shall be from June 1 to May 31.

6.1.1

Unnecessary, standard scheduled mandated below At the first meeting following June 1st, the EA will adopt a schedule of meetings for the period preceding the start of the next academic year. At the first meeting of the academic year, the EA shall adopt a schedule of meetings for the remainder of the year.

6.2 Meeting schedule5.2 Regular meetings

Regular meetings of the EA are those adopted at the first meeting of the EA. Traditionally meetings are regularly heldRegular meetings of the assembly are on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 12:15 - 1:30 p.m., except University holidays and other dates cancelled at the discretion of the Executive Board. The assembly may adopt a different schedule of regular meetings by majority vote.

!!!!! 6.2.1

Eliminated. Committee felt special policy for dismissal because of absence was unnecessary. Any voting member who is absent for three consecutive or six cumulative unexcused or a total of nine absences for any reason in one year from regularly scheduled meetings indicates either an unwillingness or inability to serve on the EA and a resignation will be requested from the member by the Chair. An excused absence can be granted by the Chair or the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Assemblies for work related (including vacation) reasons or illness.

!!!!! 6.2.2

Members must arrive within ten (10) minutes of the meeting being called to order. Any arrival subsequent to that time will be considered a half-absence, unless otherwise excused. Members who leave prior to adjournment shall be given a half-absence, unless otherwise excused. All absences are accrued. The absence and late policies stated above apply to regularly scheduled meetings as well as those called by the Chair as per Article 6.3.

!!!!! 6.2.3

Unnecessary: ex-officio members already have these rights and responsibilities. Ex-officio members are encouraged to attend the EA meetings and should be included in all internal communications.

6.35.3 Special meetings

The Chair may call special meetings to consider matters demanding immediate attention, or such meetings shall be called when requested by one-fourth (1/4) of the seated members of the EAassembly.

6.45.4 Quorum

A quorum of members required for the assembly to do business shall consist of ais a majority of the seated members of the EAassembly.

6.55.5 Proxy vote

If the EA urgently needs to conduct business on short notice, or if a member of the EA cannot attend a regular meeting for job related reasons, absentee votes may be cast by EA members. A written proxy must be submitted to the Office of the Assemblies by noon of the meeting day on which it is to be voted. Use of proxies will be limited to those issues that have been thoroughly discussed at previous EA meetings.The chair may count any proxy vote that is received before the question to which it pertains is called. Votes submitted by proxy do not count towards quorum.

!!!! 6.6 Robert’s Rules of Order

Moved to end.Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) shall be the basis for determining procedures for debate and general conduct of business not covered in this document.

6.75.6 Executive session

The EA or any of its committeesassembly may go into executive session to discuss confidential matters if a majority of voting members present concurby majority vote of those members who are present.

!!!! 6.8 Speaking privileges

Speaking privileges are obtained by notifying the Chair of a desire to speak on a specific agenda item at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting.

!!!! 6.9 Open discussion

Open discussion shall be an item on every agenda. It permits employees an opportunity to be recognized by the Chair and to make comments without prior arrangement.

6.10 Soliciting officers

Changed and moved to Article 4Immediately after the completion of the spring elections, the IOC of the outgoing EA shall solicit nominees for the positions of Chair, Executive Vice Chair, Vice Chair for Internal Operations, Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary and Parliamentarian, to be chosen from among the seated members of the new EA. The names of the nominees, along with a short vitae, shall be circulated to all members of the newly elected EA not less than seven days before the spring organizational meeting. On June 1st, the outgoing EA shall be officially replaced by the newly elected EA. As soon as possible after June 1st, the newly elected EA shall hold an organizational meeting to elect the above-named four officers.

!!!! 6.11 Agenda

Change to reflect that agenda is set by the Executive Board.The agenda for the EA shall be set by the Executive Vice Chair in consultation with the other officers and be made public prior to EA meetings.

6.125.7 Minutes

The minutes of the EA meetings and those of committees specified in Article 7 shall be sent to the EA members and made available to all members of the University community.The Office of the Assemblies prepares minutes of each meeting, and makes them available to the university community after approval by the assembly.

!!!! 6.13 Establishment of additional procedural rules

The EA may establish additional procedural rules as necessary for the exercise of its authority, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the seated members.

!!!! 6.14 Administrative responses

University administrators or decision-making bodies receiving recommendations from the EA are requested to respond to the EA Chair within ten (10) working days. The response shall acknowledge receipt of the EA’s recommendations and indicate an anticipated course of action. The outcome of the recommendations shall be reported to the EA.

6.155.8 Annual report

The EA- shall present anassembly reviews and approves the annual report prepared by the Executive Board. After it is approved, the Chair presents the report to the UA and the President of Cornellthe university and makes it available to the university community. It shall contain a summary of the EA’s work during the year. In addition, it shall describe any unresolved issues, as well as any matters expected to arise in the future. The report shall be made available to all members of the University.

5.9 Robert’s Rules of Order

Moved from other part of article.Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (current edition) shall be the basis for determining procedures for debate and general conduct of business not covered in this document.

ARTICLE 7ARTICLE 6 Committees

Remove unneeded language. In pursuance of its mandate to address not only personnel policy but a broad range of topics of interest to employees, tThe EAassembly may establish standing or ad hoc committees as appropriate. This Charter hereby creates six standing committees of the EA, the Internal Operations Committee, the Communications Committee, the Personnel Policy Committee, the Education Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Emergency Grant Fund Committee, the Staff Recognition and Awards Committee and a joint committee of the Faculty Senate and the EA, the University Benefits Committee.

7.0.16.1 Membership

Clearer language articulates precisely who staffs what. Chair no longer solely responsible for staffing decisions. Committees may also be created by a call for volunteers or appointment by the Chair. Membership on EA committees is open to all employees of the University.The Internal Operations Committee may appoint or remove members from committees as needed. The Chair of the assembly may appoint or remove chairs for each of the assembly’s committees.

Except where otherwise indicated, any employee is eligible to serve on any committee of the assembly and the term of membership on committees is concurrent with a session of the assembly.

7.16.2 Internal Operations Committee

Removed excess language. The Internal Operations Committee (IOC). of the EA shall consist of three members of the EA, including the Vice Chair for Internal Operations who is Chair of the committee. These individuals may also serve on other committees of the EA or UA. The committee shall facilitate in all appropriate ways the nomination and selection of employee members to both elective and appointive positions administered by the EA. The committee will make every effort to ensure recruitment, selection and seating of a full cross-section of the Cornell employee population. This committee shall: The Internal Operations Committee staffs and monitors the committees of the assembly as well as committees partially staffed by the assembly. The Vice Chair for Internal Operations serves as chair of the committee. The chairs of the standing committees of the assembly serve as voting members. The Chair and Executive Vice Chair of the assembly serve ex-officio as non-voting members of the committee.

The committee:

!!!!! 7.1.1

recruit and encourage employees to run in the general elections.

!!!!! 7.1.2

1. Delegates appointed in same manner as other committee members.determine the means by which the vacant delegate seats to the UA will be filled. Conduct an election by secret ballot within the EA if more than five individuals are nominated to fill the seats on the UA.appoints employees to and removes employees from membership in the University Assembly;

!!!!! 7.1.3

* solicit names of EA members for Chair, Executive Vice Chair, Vice Chair for Internal Operations, Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary and Parliamentarian of the EA, and conduct elections as per Article 6.

!!!!! 7.1.4

1. selectappoints and removes employee members for standing or ad hoc committees of the EAassembly as requested.;

!!!!! 7.1.5

1. selectsolicits applicants from the employee community and appoints employee representatives to ad hoc or standing committees of the UA as requested. The IOC of the EA shall solicit from the community names of individuals interested in serving on committees on the UA. Persons may nominate themselves or, with their consent, they may be nominated by other individuals, community groups or organizations.university as needed;

!!!!! 7.1.6

1. solicitsolicits from the employee community names of individuals to fill one at-large seat for the editorial board of the employee newspaper (presently PawPrint).;

!!!!! 7.1.7

1. along with other interested parties of the EA developdevelops a training program for all members of the EAassembly’s committees and for all new members of the Assembly itselfassembly; and,.

!!!!! 7.1.8

1. at the end of each year, solicitsolicits, at the end of the year, the opinions of all the Cchairs (or co-Chairs) of all of its committees for the names of those committee members who may wish to continue on the committee and who have demonstrated effective, committed, and responsible membership during the past year.

6.2 Elections Committee

The Elections Committee consists of all members of the assembly whose terms continue beyond the current session of the assembly. The committee:

1. reviews assembly election rules and procedures and recommends changes as needed;
2. applies election rules and procedures approved by the assembly; and,
3. plans and supports, in collaboration with the Communications Committee, efforts to solicit candidates for vacant positions in the assembly.

7.26.3 Communications Committee

Clean up language, remove sentences that do not add function or detail. The Communications Committee of the EA shall consist of at least two members of the EA, one being the Executive Vice Chair, who will chair the Communications Committee. These individuals may also serve on other committees of the EA or UA. The Communications Committee shall promote higher visibility for employees as community members, provide a sense of a unified employee body, and help create an increased sense of community among all members of the Cornell community. It is imperative that communications be an ongoing concern of the EA. The members of the Communications Committee shall:

The Communications Committee consists of the following voting members:

1. the Executive Vice Chair of the assembly, who serves as chair of the committee;
2. one other voting member of the assembly; and,
3. two or more employees who are not members of the assembly.

A representative of the Office of Human Resources serves as a non-voting member of the committee.

The committee:

Responsibilities should be articulated in terms of the committee rather than individual members. Relationships to specific non-assemblies organizations should be bylaws to make them more easily adjustable. # serve as full voting members of the editorial board of the employee newspaper (presently PawPrint). # provide regular reports of EA activities and recommendations for publication in the employee newspaper. # explore and use all other appropriate media to advertise the activities of the EA. # make every effort to publicize EA agendas and meeting summaries, using among other means the employee newspaper, if this exists.

1. publicizes the activities of the assembly and its committees, including the agendas of meetings, actions taken, and events organized by the assembly through all available and appropriate media; and,
2. supports and facilitates activities which raise awareness in the employee community of the assembly’s role and function.

7.36.4 Personnel Policy Committee

The Personnel Policy Committee, of the EA shall consists of three members of the EAassembly. These individuals may also serve on other committees of the EA or UA. The committee shall also solicit at least two at-large members from the employee community. The Personnel Policy Committee of the EA shall examine, review and comment upon personnel policies of the University. The committee will bring before the EA all questions relating to personnel policy. In some cases it will be for information, in some for review and others for approval. Before the committee shall undertake any policy review, it will seek the support of the EA. The committee shall:

1. participate in the reviews and recommends changes to, in collaboration with the Office of Human Resources, of personnel policies with the OHR.and other policies affecting the work environment of the university;
2. solicits from employees and University departments opinions, information, and advice relativerelevant to issues before the committee.;
3. explore and make recommendations with respect to personnel policies and other matters before the committee.recommends changes to the policies it reviews; and,
4. provides regular reports concerning the Personnel Policy Committee’sits activities to the EA.assembly.

Unnecessary.# not engage in any activity described in Article 2.10 of this Charter.

7.46.5 Employee Education Committee

The Employee Education Committee. The mission of the Employee Education Committee shall be to support employee development, goals, and opportunities. The committee shall consist of two (2) members of the EA. These individuals may also serve on other committees of the EA or the UA. The committee shall also consist of at least five at-large members selected by the IOC and at least one person from Benefit Services, Organizational Development Services, and the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.

The Employee Education Committee consists of the following voting members:

1. two members of the assembly; and,
2. five employees who are not members of the assembly.

The following serve as non-voting members of the committee:

1. one representative of Benefit Services;
2. one representative of Organizational Development Services; and,
3. one representative of the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.

The committee shall:

# publicize existing educational opportunities for employees at Cornell University; # promote and support staff training and development,

1. reviews programs and proposals affecting employee education, including work-related and elective educational activities, and recommends changes;
2. help to determineidentifies employee education needs,; and,
3. recommends actions the university may undertake to address employee education needs.

# identify gaps in employee educational opportunities with the assistance of the appropriate administrators, # promote and support supervisory training and development, # survey the education programs of comparable institutions and recommend how we may incorporate and benefit from their experience, # provide regular reports concerning the Employee Education Committee activities to the EA, # not engage in any activity described in Article 2. Section 10 of the Charter.

!!!! 7.5 Employee Assembly Finance Committee

Committee removed; responsibilities redistributed among Executive Committee, Vice Chair for Finance, and assembly itself. Employee Assembly Finance Committee. The EA Finance Committee (EAFC) shall consist of the following: four members of the EA, including Vice Chair for Finance and Secretary who shall chair, and three members of EA committees not on the EA. Members shall be endorsed by the IOC and the EA. Five members shall be considered a quorum. This committee shall:

# be charged with the responsibility of creating, maintaining, and monitoring the EA’s annual budget. # consult with membership and committees of the EA to determine the amount of funding needed each year. The committee will propose an itemized budget to the EA for approval no later than January 15 of each year. Pending approval by the EA, the adopted budget will be forwarded to the VP Administration and CFO for review. Upon recommendations of the VP, the EAFC and EA may modify the budget. # solicit spending proposals from each committee of the EA at the beginning of each fiscal year.

The deadline shall be no later than October 15. The EAFC will review the spending proposals and then present to the EA, for approval, it’s recommendations for committee spending based on the availability of funds

!!!!! 7.5.4 Approval of smaller general expenses

have discretion to allocate no more than two-hundred and fifty dollars ($250) per item of general expense without prior approval of the EA. Other requests for funding by the EA or it’s committees shall be considered based on the availability of funds once the annual budget has been approved. Such requests shall be submitted to the EAFC no later than one month before the funds are needed and must include the following:

# A detailed description of the event including the time, place, organizer(s) and the reason for the event and an estimate of the number of employees expected to attend. Include signature(s) of the event organizer(s) and the person/s requesting the funds. # An itemized budget for the event including a listing of all other proposed (approved and pending) funding sources. # The exact amount of funding requested of the EA. # Any documentation or attachments the requester(s) feel will contribute to the decision-making process, including publicity items, schedules, program, articles, or other information on the event.

A copy of the above shall be sent by the requester to each of the following: the EA chair, EAFC Chair, and a designee of the Office of Assemblies. Funding requests of an imminent nature must follow the above procedure with as much advance notice as is reasonable. When necessary, the EAFC may request the EA Chair to call an emergency meeting of the EA for the purpose of voting on a funding request.

!!!!! 7.5.6 Approval of committee actions

A simple majority vote is needed to approve any EAFC actions or recommendations, prior to presentation to the EA. Any funding allocated, not requiring EA approval, a 2/3 vote of the EAFC will be required to approve the expenditure. All budget requests submitted to the EA will require the approval of 2/3 of the members present to pass.

7.66.6 Emergency Grant FundGrants Committee

Changes recommended by current and former members of the EGF committee. Emergency Grant Fund Committee. of the EA shall consist of two members of the EA one of whom shall be chair. These individuals may also serve on other committees of the EA or UA. The committee may also consist the following seven non-EA members to be selected by the IOC: three at large members from the employee community one of whom shall be a UAW representative, one college HR representative, one faculty representative, one undergraduate or graduate student representative, and one outside community representative to ensure a broad community perspective. Five (5) members shall be considered a quorum. The mission of the Emergency Grant Fund shall be to support and assist employees experiencing financial hardship due to non-medical catastrophic events beyond their control. The committee shall: The Grants Committee consists of the following voting members:

1. two members of the assembly, one of whom serves as chair;
2. four employees who are not members of the assembly;
3. one faculty representative, appointed by the Faculty Senate;
4. one retired employee appointed by the Cornell Retirees Association; and,
5. one emeritus faculty member appointed by the Cornell Association of Professors Emeriti.

The following serve as non-voting members:

1. the director of the Employee Assistance Program or a designee; and,
2. the director of the Office of the Assemblies or a designee.

For each of the assembly’s grant funds, the committee:

1. decides the disposition of each grant application according to procedures adopted by the assembly;
2. approves and coordinates efforts to publicize and obtain contributions for the fund; and,
3. reports at least once per semester to the assembly on its activities and any recommended changes to its procedures.

7.76.7 University Benefits Committee

University Benefits Committee (UBC). The UBC will deal with the entire range of benefits and with both endowed and statutory Benefits. Membership shall include two EA members representing statutory and endowed employees and one at-large representative from the EA. The UBC Charter is attached as an addendum to this Charter. The Committee will have four major goals:

# the committee will be the voice of employees on all matters relating to benefits; # the committee may propose changes in benefits policies, arrangements, and modis operandi that will be forwarded to the EA and the faculty for further action by the University administration; # the committee will react to issues and proposals raised by the same parties; and # the Committee will take both a short-run and long-run view of benefits issues.

The University Benefits Committee is chartered jointly by the Employee Assembly and the Faculty Senate, and the committee’s charter is appended to the assembly’s charter.

7.8 6.8 Staff Recognition and Awards Committee

The Staff Recognition and Awards Committee shall consists of the following voting members: of at least two EA members, one of whom shall be the Chair of committee. These individuals may also serve on other committees of the EA or the UA. The committee shall also consist of at least five at-large members selected by the IOC, and a ex-officio representative from the employee newspaper (presently Paw Print). The Staff Recognition and Awards Committee will be charged with administering all aspects of the George Peter Award for Dedicated Service, will work in conjunction with the Office of Human Resources on the annual Staff Graduate Reception, and will investigate other staff award and recognition opportunities and present proposals for consideration to the EA. The Staff Recognition and Awards Committee will work in consultation with other relevant committees and interested parties.

1. two members of the assembly, and
2. three employees who are not members of the assembly.

The following serve as members ex-officio, without vote:

1. the Vice President of Human Resources or a designee.

The committee:

1. identifies and examines opportunities for staff recognition by the assembly;
2. reviews nominations and approves staff recognition awards according to rules adopted by the assembly;
3. coordinates staff recognition activities sponsored by the assembly; and,
4. reviews the assembly’s staff recognition programs and recommends changes for the assembly to adopt.

ARTICLE 8 Protections

Relocate to beginning of Article 5 The EA and its committees shall respect and protect the rights of individuals.

!!!! 8.1 Confidentiality

When a subject under discussion or examination requires the use of confidential information, all reasonable efforts shall be made to safeguard the confidentiality of this information.

ARTICLE 9ARTICLE 7 Amendment Process

An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the seated membership of the EA shall be required to amend the Bylaws and Procedures of the EA and those articles of the Charter not excluded in 9.1. The proposed amendments shall be submitted to the EA in written form at least one meeting prior to a vote.

The committee felt the referendum process excessively cumbersome for the functioning of the EA. Review by the President of the University should be a sufficient check on the assembly’s review of its own charter. The assembly may amend this Charter by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the seated members. The assembly may not approve proposed amendments on the same date that they are proposed or modified. Amendments are subject to approval by the President of the University.

9.1 Article excluded from the amendment procedure

Articles of the Charter excluded from the amendment procedure set forth in Article 9 are those which appear under the headings Authority and Responsibilities, Membership, and Amendment Process. An amendment to any of these articles is governed by the procedure set forth in Article 9.2.

!!!! 9.2 Amendments to exclude Articles 2, 3, and 9

Amendment of the articles specified in Article 9.1 shall require approval by employee referendum, with a majority vote in the employee constituency and a minimum total vote of twenty per cent (20%), plus approval of the President. Before putting amendments into effect, it is expected that the President will report impending changes to the Board of Trustees.

!!!!! 9.2.1

An amendment to those articles specified in Article 9.1 may qualify to be presented as a referendum at the next following annual campus election by either of two pathways:

!!!!! 9.2.1.1

The EA itself, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, may present an amendment.

!!!!! 9.2.1.2

Any member of the Cornell employee community may present an amendment by petition. In order to qualify for presentation at the next following referendum, the petition must be supported by signatures of at least five percent (5%) of the total non-faculty employee constituency.

!!! Definitions

For the purpose of this document only, these definitions apply.

:University:Ithaca campus of Cornell University in Tompkins and Cortland Counties and the Geneva Experiment Station, and all students, faculty, and employees associated with them. :Employees:For the purposes of voting for the membership on the EA, employees are any regular full-time or part-time staff members in the non-exempt, exempt, or academic non-professorial staff categories.
a) In addition to regular full-time and part-time staff, casual and temporary employees may participate in EA committees and other activities. If the latter are asked to take on specific Assembly responsibilities, special consideration should be given to their work schedules and expected tenure at the University.
b) Senior research associates, senior extension associates or others who are classified as “employees” may participate in EA committees and other activities. “Faculty” are those holding University faculty status: Full, Assistant, Associate, Courtesy and Emeritus Professors, plus certain University administrators. Those with college faculty status alone will be considered academic staff (CA), in line with Personnel/Payroll practice. :Seated Membership:The total voting membership of the EA.

Charter of the University Benefits Committee

December 7, 1995; revised, October 15, 1996; second revision, March 12, 1997; third revision, March 1998

Actions Taken

Staff

The Employee Assembly voted on December 6, 1995 to adopt the following as the charter of the University Benefits Committee.

Faculty

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Council of Representatives, succeeded by The Faculty Senate in January, 1996, adopted the following as the Charter of the University Benefits Committee.

Mission

The Mission of the University Benefits Committee is to act as the voice of Employees on all matters elating to Benefits.

Scope

The Committee will deal with the entire range of benefits. The complete list of Benefits includes social security, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, retirement-related benefits, short-and long-term disability, select (health) benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, holidays, military training leave, jury duty, training programs, extramural educational programs, employee assistance program (personal, job related problems), group auto insurance, health insurance and services, dental insurance, vacations, Cornell Children’s Tuition Plan, Employee tuition aid, employee degree program.

The committee will deal with both Endowed and Statutory Benefits.

Goals

The Committee will have four major goals:

1. As stated above, the committee will be the voice of employees on all matters relating to benefits;
2. the committee may propose changes in benefits policies, arrangements, and modis operandi that will be forwarded to the Employee Assembly and the faculty for further action by the University Administration;
3. the committee will react to issues and proposals raised by the same parties; and
4. the Committee will take both a short-run and long-run view of benefits issues.
5. While retaining its right to comment on and make suggestions regarding modis operandi the Committee will not seek to “micro-manage” benefits.

Membership

A. The Population Represented: This committee will represent ALL Employees. Both Faculty and Staff.

B. Composition of the Committee:

Affiliation	Number	Selected by:
Faculty Appointments
Retired	1	Emeritus Professor’s Association
Endowed	1	Faculty Senate
Statutory	1	Faculty Senate
At-Large	2	Faculty Senate
Staff Appointments
Retired	1	Cornell Retiree Association
Union Representative	1	The Unions
Endowed	1	Employees Assembly
Statutory	1	Employee Assembly
At Large	1	Employees Assembly
Administration ex officio, non-voting
ex officio	1	Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
ex officio	1	VP Academic Programs, Planning, Budget OR Director, Statutory Financial and Business Services
ex officio	1	Dean of the Faculty
ex officio	1	Director, University Human Resource Services OR Manager, Benefits

C. Terms

Members will be elected to 3-year terms.

D. Officers, Meetings, Subcommittees

1. Chair and Vice Chair, or Co-Chairs, elected by voting members in the November Meeting for 1-year terms.
2. Secretary: The Committee will have no “permanent” secretary. Instead, members will take turns in taking minutes of meetings.
   • Before submitting final “minutes”, the secretary will have his/her draft reviewed by two committee members.
3. Meetings: Normally, once a month. More often, as required.
4. Ad Hoc Committees: The committee chair may appoint Ad Hoc Committees, as needed, to undertake specialized in investigations and to report back information and recommendations to the parent committee. Each ad hoc committee will have at least one member from the parent committee. Outsiders with relevant experience will be appointed as needed.
5. Relationship to University Human Resources (UHRS)
   1. The Committee will act as a Sounding Board for UHRS on issues and proposals relating to Benefits. Similarly, UHRS will react to initiatives of the Committee.
   2. As appropriate, UHRS staff members will meet with the Committee to share their expertise, information, analyses, research.
   3. UHRS will alert the Committee as early as possible as to crises (rising health costs, etc.) and incipient developments so that the Committee can respond. In the case of changes in health benefits, the Committee should be consulted at the very beginning of developments, e.g., at the beginning/during summer.

Reporting

1. The committee will report regularly to the faculty senate and employee assembly.
   1. Committee members will each report to the group that he/she represents.
2. Periodically:
   1. As appropriate, the committee will prepare a Report to Cornell newsletter (of some such title) to be distributed through campus mail to each faculty member and staff member.
   2. As appropriate, the committee will utilize the Cornell Chronicle, Cornell Work Place, Cornell Daily Sun and Networking (PawPrint) to report on its activities.

Attendance Policy

The goal is active, interested, informed participation. Members missing more than three consecutive meetings will become non-members and the group they represent will be asked to appoint a replacement.

Amendments

The initial Charter of the Committee did not specify how the Committee might modify its Charter or Operating Rules. Nonetheless, the following actions were taken by the committee:

July 18, 1996

Quorum

To take official actions, a Quorum of Six Voting Members must be present.

Terms

Future Terms will be Three Years.

The committee voted to have a Rotating Membership such that about one-third of members would be new each year while two-thirds would be continuing. To effectuate this, the committee conducted a random drawing whose results are recorded in the minutes of July 18, 1996.

March 11, 1997

Quorum

If only 8 positions are currently filled, quorum will consist of Five voting members.