OF THE FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY CHAPTER
OF THE UNITED FACULTY OF FLORIDA
CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I

Name
This organization shall be known as the Florida Atlantic University Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida.

ARTICLE II

Objectives

Section 1. It is our objective to bring faculty and other professional employees of the university into a relationship of mutual assistance and cooperation with each other and with their colleagues at the other state universities of Florida, in order to obtain for them the rights, privileges, and rewards to which they are entitled by virtue of their employment.

Section 2. It is our objective to promote a democratization of the university that will enable members to better serve the people of the State of Florida.

Section 3. It is our objective to achieve and safeguard academic freedom.

Section 4. It is our objective to combat all forms of discrimination based on age, national origin, political belief, race, religion, or sex in the State University System.

ARTICLE III

Membership

Section 1. All faculty and other professional employees of the university shall be eligible for membership except as otherwise provided in this constitution.

Section 2. No one above the rank of Department Chairperson shall be eligible for membership.

Section 3. Associate membership, without the right to vote, shall be open upon the approval of the Executive Committee of the Chapter to retired teachers and others eligible for membership who withdraw from the profession and who wish to maintain affiliation.

Section 4. No discrimination shall ever be shown toward members or applicants for membership, because of age, national origin, political belief, race, religion, or sex.

ARTICLE IV

Officers and Executive Committee

Section 1. The spring-semester membership meeting shall elect for a term of one year by secret ballot a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. At the same time, those voting will elect Senators and Alternate Senators representing the Chapter at statewide UFF Senate meetings.

Section 2. The President of the Chapter shall be a voting member of the SUS Presidents’ Council of the United Faculty of Florida.

Section 3. The Executive Committee of the Chapter shall be composed of the elected officers, the elected senators, the immediate past president, the stewards, and chairpersons of Standing Committees.

ARTICLE V

Referenda and Recall

Section 1. Proposed actions, including amendments to the Constitution and recall of elected officers, shall be submitted to a referendum vote by order of a membership meeting or the Executive Committee, or by request of at least twenty percent of the members. The Executive Committee shall ensure that ample opportunity is given for pro and con arguments to be given to the membership and shall ensure that the membership has the opportunity to vote by a fair and secret ballot.

ARTICLE VI

Amendment

Section 1. This constitution may be amended as follows: The proposed amendment shall be mailed to the membership within 30 days of discussion at a membership meeting. A vote of 2/3 of the members voting by a written ballot distributed to all the membership shall be sufficient to adopt the amendment.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I

Rules of Order

Section 1. Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern in all cases not covered by the Constitution and Bylaws.

ARTICLE II

Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees shall be:

(1) Grievance Committee

(2) Membership Committee

(3) Political Action Committee

Section 2. The Chairperson of each Standing Committee shall be appointed by the President with the consent of a majority of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III

Selection of Senators to the United Faculty of Florida Senate

Section 1. The President is automatically a Senator representing the chapter at all statewide UFF Senate meetings. Additional Senators shall be elected by secret ballot on the occasion of the annual election of chapter officers. The number of Senators will be in conformity with the United Faculty of Florida Constitution and Bylaws. Candidates not elected to be Senators will serve as Alternate Senators.

Section 2. The members of the bargaining unit at the FAU Developmental Research School shall constitute a precinct electing its own representative to the UFF Senate. The DRS Senator will be a participating member of the Chapter Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IV

Duties of Officers and Executive Committee

Section 1. The President shall preside at all membership meetings and all meetings of the Executive Committee. He or she shall be ex-officio member of all committees, shall sign all necessary documents and papers, and shall represent the Chapter. He or she shall make an annual report at the spring-semester membership meeting. All expenditures in excess of $100 shall be countersigned by the President.

Section 2. The First Vice President shall exercise those duties prescribed by the Executive Committee, and shall serve as Acting President in the event that the President is unable to perform his or her duties.

Section 3. The Second Vice President shall supervise chapter activities and publications.

Section 4. The Secretary shall keep minutes of Executive Committee and membership meetings and distribute or supervise the distribution of minutes as appropriate.

Section 7. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Chapter, shall exercise supervision over the receipt and disbursement of all monies, properties, securities, and other evidence of financial worth of this organization, and shall prepare a financial statement each semester. He or she shall perform or supervise such operations under the direction of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall be bonded and his or her records audited each year.

Section 8. The Executive Committee shall administer the policies of the Chapter as set by the membership. It shall have the power to act for the good of the Chapter in emergency situations where policy cannot be set by the membership.

Section 9. The Executive Committee shall have the power to employ persons on a full or part-time basis. Any member of the United Faculty of Florida who is employed by the Chapter shall be paid a salary equivalent to what he or she would earn in the State University System.

ARTICLE V

Duties of Standing Committees

Section 1. All committees shall be under the direction of and report to the Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Grievance Committee shall keep records of and supervise all grievances.

Section 3. The Membership Committee shall work to increase membership in and support for the United Faculty of Florida.

Section 4. The Political Action Committee shall supervise and coordinate all political activities of the Chapter.

ARTICLE VI

Meetings

Section 1. At least one membership meeting shall be held in the fall and spring semesters. The election of officers shall take place at the spring-semester membership meeting scheduled to allow new officers to assume their offices by April 1.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall hold regular biweekly meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President or a majority of the Executive Council. All meetings are open to the membership.

Section 3. Special membership meetings may be called by the Executive Committee or by petition of ten percent of the members of the Chapter.

Section 4. A quorum for all membership meetings shall be a number equivalent to the membership of the Executive Committee plus five.

Section 5. There will be a published notification and agenda for each membership meeting distributed ten days in advance.

ARTICLE VII

Amendment

Section 1. The Bylaws may be amended as follows: The proposed amendment shall be mailed to the membership within 30 days of discussion at a membership meeting. A majority vote of the members voting by a written ballot distributed to all the membership shall be sufficient to adopt the amendment.

(Constitution and bylaws as revised January, 1997)