Constitution of the Staff Senate of Texas Tech University

Click To Print

Table of Contents

1. Article I. Name and Mission Statement
2. Article II. Organization
3. Article III. Nominations & Elections
4. Article IV. Jurisdiction
5. Article V. Responsibilities 
6. Acticle VI. Amendment Procedure
7. Article VII. Adoption and Ratification

ARTICLE I. Name and Mission Statement

Section 1. The name of the organization shall be the Texas Tech University (TTU) Staff Senate.

Section 2. The Texas Tech University Staff Senate shall exist to contribute to the welfare of TTU's staff employees; to serve as a liaison among staff, administration, faculty, and students; and to advise the administration in matters affecting the staff. Through these purposes the Staff Senate strives foremost to contribute to the overall success of Texas Tech University.

ARTICLE II. Organization

Section 1. The Staff Senate Electorate shall be composed of Senators representing all Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University System employees, excluding the chancellor, vice chancellors, president, and vice presidents, not represented by the Faculty Senate or Student Senate. Any member of the Electorate shall have the right to vote for the candidate(s) for Senator to represent the employee's appropriately designated service classification and to vote in all other elections held with Senate activities as provided by the Constitution. All members of the Electorate will follow the policies and procedures of Texas Tech University and the laws of the State of Texas.

Section 2. Membership to the Senate is based on one (1) representative for every fifty (50) employees or major fraction thereof in each Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Classification category.

Section 3. The Staff Senate shall elect a president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer from its membership. The past president shall serve in an advisory position only.

Section 4. The number of Senators elected is in direct proportion to the number of regular full and part-time employees in their designated classification. Every five years, beginning in the fall of 2001, the Executive Board will re-compute the numbers of employees per each designated classification to ensure proper representation in the next election cycle.

Section 5. The breakdown of Senators is based on data from classifications under the University's Affirmative Action Plan. TTU's Human Resources will define the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Classification containing TTU and TTUS staff members for Staff Senate representation.

ARTICLE III. Nominations & Elections

Section 1. The Election Committee shall solicit nominations each spring for the Staff Senate by an open nomination process from current staff employees and/or the committee. No member's name shall be listed on the official ballot without that person's consent. The Election Committee must receive nominations no later than April 15, 5:00 p.m. Central Time Zone. The Election Committee shall ensure that there are at least two (2) individuals nominated for each position. The Election Committee and TTU's Personnel Department will verify eligibility of all nominations.

Section 2. Eligibility for election to the Senate shall be extended to all members of the Electorate as defined in Article II, Section 1, who have completed one (1) year of continuous service directly leading up to the time of nominations and who are not disqualified by recent service on the Senate or expulsion from the Senate as state in the Bylaws, Article I. Membership.

Should a Senator be promoted or transferred to a different classification during their term, the Senator must follow the guidelines as described in the Bylaws Article I, Section I Classification Changes.

Section 3. The term of office shall be three (3) years with one-third of the Senate elected each year to ensure overlapping terms. The regular term of office commences with the August meeting and terminates on July 31st of the final year of the term. Senate members shall serve no more than one (1) consecutive three-year term. Senators that complete a term longer than 1.5 years can seek re-election after a one (1) year leave from their term of office.

Section 4. In May of each year, the Election Committee shall conduct an election by preparing and distributing to the staff an official ballot containing names and information of all approved candidates. Ballots will be counted under the supervision of the Election Committee and the results of the election will be announced by the president or by the Election Committee. Ballots will be retained for sixty (60) days following public notification of election results. After that time, they will be disposed of properly. Results can be contested only during the sixty (60) day period.

Section 5. Vacant terms shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Board from a list of alternates from the appropriate designated classification.

Section 6. The Senate shall have an Executive Board consisting of a president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, past-president (ex officio) and an executive committee of one (1) representative from each designated classification. These positions, except president and past president, are elected at the first meeting in June from among the Senators by a majority vote. The president moves to the past president ex officio, and the president-elect moves up to president unless the individual declines, which would then be put to a vote by the Senate.

Section 7. The Executive Board shall meet the last week of each month at a time chosen by the Executive Board. The Senate shall meet the first week of each month at a time chosen by the Senators. Special meetings may be called by the Staff Senate President, with consent of a majority of the Executive Board or by petition of a majority of Senators. All meetings are open to all Texas Tech staff, faculty, administration, students, and public. The quorum for the Senate shall be established as defined in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE IV. Jurisdiction

Section 1. The Staff Senate shall act according to input from the staff and shall serve as an advisory body to the President of Texas Tech University and may consider all matters of university concern.

Section 2. Any member of the University community may bring a matter of university concern to the Staff Senate.

Section 3. The Staff Senate may make recommendations to the President of the University concerning matters of particular interest to the staff of Texas Tech.

ARTICLE V. Responsibilities

Section 1. The Staff Senate shall establish bylaws and create committees to address matters of concern to the staff.

Section 2. The parliamentarian shall govern the conduct and procedures of Senate meetings using Robert's Rules of Order. The president chooses the parliamentarian. The parliamentarian may be chosen from the Senate or may be filled from outside the Senate with no voting rights.

Section 3. Staff Senator attendance and absence procedures are addressed in the Bylaws.

Section 4. The Staff Senate shall regularly report its activities to the staff of the University and distribute minutes of each meeting.

Section 5. The Staff Senate shall call a meeting of the voting staff when requested to do so by the President of the University, or when petitioned by one hundred (100) members of the electorate, or when it deems such a meeting necessary. The Staff Senate President or President-Elect shall preside over the meeting.

ARTICLE VI. Amendment Procedure

Section 1. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by a petition to the President of the Staff Senate signed by at least one hundred (100) members of the staff electorate, by two-thirds vote of the Senators, or by the President of the University.

Section 2. Amendments to the Constitution shall be presented to the Senate in general assembly for two (2) consecutive, scheduled meetings and may be brought to a vote in the second meeting. Constitutional amendments require passage by a two-thirds vote. Upon passage, an amendment shall become effective after ratification by the President of the University following Article VI, Section 2 of the Constitution.

ARTICLE VII. Adoption and Ratification

The Constitution of the Staff Senate shall become effective when adopted by two-thirds of the Staff Senate and ratified by the President of the University.

09-25-97 – Adopted
08-04-99 – Amended
01-03-01 – Amended
11-07-01 – Amended
03-05-03 – Amended
01-04-23 – Amended
05-03-23 - Amended