Professional Staff Senate (PSS)

Areas of Representation 2025-26

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Governing Documents

PSS Constitution

By-Laws

Standard Operating Procedures

PSS Constitution

ARTICLE I- STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Professional Staff Senate (PSS) shall exist to contribute to the success of 91�� University and to the growth and welfare of its professional employees. The Senate shall seek an active role in the policy decisions of the University. The Senate shall be a fact-finding, deliberative, and consultative body, with authority to make studies, reports, and recommendations on all governance matters which have a significant bearing on professional employees. PSS shall operate, in accordance with the policies set forth by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, as a recognized part of the University's governance system, and shall, as appropriate, work jointly with all the other component parts of this system.

ARTICLE II- CONSTITUENCY AND MEMBERSHIP

1. The constituency of PSS shall consist of all professional staff holding permanent, term, administrative or temporary appointment, with the exception of
A. The President and Vice Presidents.
B. Those with academic or qualified academic rank whose primary responsibility is teaching, research or the Library.
C. Those with voting faculty privileges.

2. The membership of PSS shall consist of twenty-seven (27) elected representatives and the past Chair of the Senate.

3. The composition of PSS shall follow those guidelines established in the Standard Operating Procedures and shall be designed to ensure the highest degree of representation.

4. The status of any member or constituent shall be determined by the Senate in accordance with the prescribed eligibility and retention criteria, as set forth in the By-Laws.

ARTICLE III- STRUCTURE

1. PSS shall consist of twenty-seven (27) elected representative and the past Chair of PSS, each with one and only one vote.

2. PSS shall provide for such officers, agents, and committees as are deemed necessary to carry out the business of PSS.

3. The business of PSS shall be to act as the responsible, representative voice of the concerns and needs of our constituents and to investigate, discuss, report, and make recommendations on those issues that are consistent with the purpose of the Senate.

4. PSS shall establish a calendar of regular meetings and forums for the purpose of conducting its business. These meetings will be conducted in a manner which allows access to interested constituents and guests.

5. PSS shall provide for the recording of all business; the documentation of all official meetings of the Senate as a whole or in committee; and the retention, safekeeping, and accessibility of these records to the constituents or those permitted by the Senate. No constituent shall be denied access to the record of the PSS's business.

ARTICLE IV- POWER AND AREAS OF INFLUENCE

1. PSS shall be the officially recognized representative of professional employees within the University governance system. PSS does not claim to be, nor does it desire to be, the collective bargaining agent for professional employees and disclaims any individual's intent to identify it as such.

2. PSS shall act in those areas outlined in the purpose of its existence. It shall work within the University governance system to clarify and define its areas of influence and shall strive to remain within the confines of its purpose. The Senate may, however, express support or non-support of governance issues outside its area of influence.

ARTICLE V- PROVISION FOR BY-LAWS, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND ORGANIZATION

1. PSS shall establish By-Laws for the effective and efficient conduct of its business.

2. PSS shall provide for Standard Operating Procedures, to be reviewed each academic year by the newly elected Senate.

3. PSS shall establish its internal organization through its By-Laws and Standard Operating Procedures.

ARTICLE VI- PROVISIONS FOR AMENDMENT

1. Request for Revision – A request for a revision of the Constitution or By-Laws may come either from the Senate itself or from the constituency. Requests from the Senate shall be submitted to the Executive Committee by any member of the Senate, with a second of at least one-quarter of the members present at any regular business meeting of PEC. Requests from the constituency may be submitted to the Executive Committee in the form of a petition bearing the valid signatures of a number of constituents equal to or greater than one-quarter of the number voting in the most recent general election for PSS representatives.

2. Certification of Amendment – The Executive Committee shall review the proposed amendment, obtain certification of any petition from the constituency, and make recommendation for further action.

3. Recommendation for Action – If the sponsoring member or constituent is not satisfied with the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the recommended action may be challenged in the following manner: within the Senate, the proposed amendment may be brought to the floor with an appropriate motion and may be discussed in full session, if a majority of members present approve the motion to do so. The constituent may, upon petition of at least one-third of the number of constituents voting in the most recent general election, bring the proposed amendment directly to the ballot. All proposed amendments recommended favorably by the Senate or by petition of the constituency shall be voted upon by the eligible constituents in a timely fashion. A majority vote of those casting ballots will determine the outcome.

ARTICLE VII- ADOPTION This Constitution, and any amendments to it, shall be considered to be in effect when ratified by a majority vote of those constituents participating in a referendum and when approved by the President of the University.

REVISION HISTORY

Amended: (Spring 2019; Rules Chair: Dale Felix, Senators: Courtney Ignari, Virginia Stever, Kevin Boettchner, Robert Mess)
Previous revisions: Unknown
Adopted: Unknown

By-Laws

ARTICLE I- MEMBERSHIP

1. Representation – Twenty-seven (27) members shall be elected to the Professional Staff Senate representing the different constituencies in the manner provided for in these By-Laws and the Standard Operating Procedures.

2. Previous Chair – Should the previous Chair of the Senate not hold one of the elected seats on the Senate in the year following his/her term as Chair, that person shall be included, for the sake of continuity, as an extra member of the Senate for a period of one year.

3. Eligibility and Change in Status
A. Any constituent allowed to hold elected office and not already serving on the Senate is eligible for membership on the Senate.
B. Any member whose status changes while at the University shall have the option of continuing his/her term of office under the status that she/he was elected, provided that she/he is still employed at the University.

4. Nominations and Elections
A. Any constituent may submit names in nomination for election to the Senate. Individuals may nominate for any seat up for election and may nominate themselves for election.
B. Willingness of nominees shall be confirmed and eligibility for the office shall be verified. A ballot containing the names of verified eligible candidates shall be distributed to the appropriate constituency areas.
C. The ballot shall list the name and organizational unit of each candidate, as well as a candidate statement.

5. Terms of Office, Length of Terms
A. All terms of office shall be two (2) years in length, with the exception of a replacement term due to the vacancy of a seat.
B. The terms of office shall be staggered so that in any one year, half the seats are up for election.

6. Resignation, Removal, and Censure
A. The Senate may govern its members as to appropriate conduct and responsibility to the Senate and its constituency, including the removal and/or censure of a member.
B. Any member who resigns loses all rights and privileges extended as a result of membership on the Senate, including vote, office, and committee appointment.
C. The method for Removal and Censure of a member shall be described by the Executive Committee, and it shall be within the power of the committee to make recommendations to the general membership regarding such matters.
D. The seat of any member who resigns or is removed by the Senate shall be deemed vacant and offered to the candidate who received the next highest number of votes in the previous election for the seat. If there is no eligible candidate, the Senate shall appoint an individual to fulfill the term of office.

ARTICLE II- OFFICERS

1. Establishment of Officers
A. The Senate shall provide for the following officers to conduct its business: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.
B. Officers shall serve terms of one (1) year. The Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer may serve a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms of office.
C. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall automatically serve as Chair for the remainder of the term. In the event of a vacancy in any other office, the Senate shall select a new officer in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Standard Operating Procedures.

2. Duties of Officers
A. The duties of the Chair shall be: · To act as the official representative of the Senate · To act as the presiding officer at all meetings of the Senate and general meetings of the constituency · To serve as chair of the Executive Committee and preside at Executive Committee meetings · To obligate the Senate in matters approved by the appropriate internal bodies.
B. The duties of the Vice Chair shall be: · To act as an official representative of the Senate · To serve on the Executive Committee · To assume the duties and powers of the Chair in the event of his/her absence or vacancy of office · To perform all duties assigned by the membership of the Senate or the Chair.
C. The duties of the Treasurer shall be: To maintain all financial accounts and oversee all financial transactions. To assist with the preparation of the budget. To ensure the Senate's financial policies are being followed. To report to the Executive Committee and Senate on finances. To prepare any required financial reporting forms. The Treasurer's signature shall appear on all checks of the organization with the second signature from any of the Senate's other officers with signing authority. To serve on the Executive Committee · To perform other duties as may be assigned by the Senate or at the request of the Chair.
D. The duties of the Secretary shall be: · To serve as the official record keeper of the Senate by recording minutes of the Senate's meetings and maintaining files of the various committee reports · To coordinate distribution of the minutes and any other general information to the constituents · To serve on the Executive Committee · To perform other duties as may be assigned by the Senate or at the request of the Chair.

ARTICLE III- COMMITTEES

1. Standing Committees – Standing committees shall have defined scope and authority; shall hold regular meetings, and shall maintain a regular membership of no less than four (4). The Chair of each standing committee shall be appointed from the Senate membership by the Senate. These committees shall bring recommendations for action to the full Senate. Standing Committees will be established by the PSS in accordance with the Constitution of the Professional Staff Senate.
A. Executive Committee – The Executive Committee shall be composed of the current elected officers and the chairs of the other standing committees. Ex-officio members may be designated in the Standard Operating Procedures. The Chair of PSS shall serve as the chair of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall function as specified in the By-Laws and the Standard Operating Procedures.
B. Rules Committee – The Rules Committee shall perform as specified in these By-Laws and the Standard Operating Procedures.
C. Professional Development Committee – The Professional Development Committee shall perform as specified in these By-Laws and the Standard Operating Procedures.
D. Communications Committee – The Communications Committee shall perform as specified in these By-Laws and the Standard Operating Procedures.
E. Distinguished Service Award Committee – The Distinguished Service Award Committee shall perform as specified in these By-Laws and the Standard Operating Procedures.

2. Ad Hoc Committees – Ad hoc committees may be established by the Senate at any time by designation of membership and charges. Ad hoc committees shall have a defined scope and authority and shall hold meetings as necessary to conduct business. The Chair of each ad hoc committee may be appointed by the Senate or elected from and by the membership of the committee. Ad hoc committees are intent-specific and may conduct investigations and make recommendations for action within their areas of influence to the full Senate.

3. Appointment of Members of Standing Committees
A. Members of all standing committees shall be selected by the Senate from the constituency. The Chair of each standing committee shall be appointed by the Senate and must be one of the elected members of the Senate. Guests may be invited by a committee to attend its meetings.
B. The Senate shall establish Standard Operating Procedures to provide for the prompt establishment of committee membership, charges, frequency of meetings, powers, and reporting responsibilities.

ARTICLE IV- MEETINGS AND METHOD OF BUSINESS

1. Meetings
A. The Senate shall establish a calendar of regular business meetings at the first meeting of each semester. This calendar shall be made available to all members.
B. The Senate shall hold regular meetings in a place and at a time accessible to the general constituency.
C. Special meetings may be called in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures of the Senate.
D. All business meetings of the Senate shall be held in open session. The Senate shall take no official action in closed session.

2. Validity of Business
A. The Senate shall serve as the representative voice of the professional employees in governance matters and, as such, may conduct business on their behalf.
B. The Senate shall provide for the accurate recording and safe-keeping of all transactions, business, etc as may be conducted in its behalf.
C. The business of the Senate shall be conducted in accordance with a set of Standard Operating Procedures.

3. Rules of Order and Standard Operating Procedures
A. The Senate shall enact rules to govern its voting membership, including procedures for appeals of action, reconsideration, etc.
B. The Senate shall provide for a set of Standard Operating Procedures, to be reviewed and approved by each newly elected Senate.
C. The Rules Committee shall be responsible for establishing the Standard Operating Procedures and for reviewing all changes, making recommendations, etc. on the Senate's and its Committees' procedures.
D. By accepting office, each member agrees to abide by Senate rules and operating procedures; to conduct himself/herself in a manner appropriate to his/her office; and to accept the decision of the Senate and its Committees or to follow the appropriate procedures for appeal of those decisions.

ARTICLE V- SPECIAL PROVISIONS

1. Provision for Matters Not Expressly Covered
A. Any item not expressly covered in the Constitution and By-Laws may be decided by the Senate.
B. The Senate may enact no rule or decision in conflict with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Senate.

2. Interpretation of Meaning – A Parliamentarian shall provide a professional opinion on the meaning of the rules and regulations of the Senate and shall render opinion on the orderly conduct of business, conflict of rules, etc.

3. Amendment – These By-Laws may be amended in accordance with the procedures for amendment specified in the Constitution of the Professional Staff Senate.

4. Enforcement – The enforcement powers of these By-Laws are vested in the officers and membership of the Senate.

5. Recognition of University Governance System – The Senate shall support the concept of University-wide governance and shall agree to work diligently to ensure the continued effectiveness of the university governance system.

REVISION HISTORY
Revised 2019-04-08
Revision to Article I.4. to allow for candidate statements on ballots.
Previous revisions: Unknown
Adopted: Unknown

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

ARTICLE I- MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE II- OFFICERS

ARTICLE III- COMMITTEES

ARTICLE IV- MEETINGS AND METHOD OF BUSINESS

ARTICLE V- SPECIAL PROVISIONS

3. Amendment – These By-Laws may be amended in accordance with the procedures for amendment specified in the Constitution of the Professional Staff Senate.

4. Enforcement – The enforcement powers of these By-Laws are vested in the officers and membership of the Senate.

REVISION HISTORY
Revised 2019-04-08
Revision to Article I.4. to allow for candidate statements on ballots.
Previous revisions: Unknown
Adopted: Unknown

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Areas of Representation 2025-26

Governing Documents

PSS Constitution

By-Laws

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

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