Bylaws
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this Association shall be the Council of Chief Student Affairs Officers of the State University of New York (SUNY).
ARTICLE II: MISSION
The mission of the Council of Chief Student Affairs Officers of the State University is to support and enhance the ability of its members to fulfill their responsibilities and achieve the goals of their respective institutions in an exemplary manner by:
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Working with system administration on the development of policies that affect students, student life, and the mission of the University;
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Providing a forum for communication and professional development among chief student affairs officers with the System Administration; and
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Serving as an advocacy group for University support for students, programs, and services that facilitate access to higher education, student involvement, student learning and student success.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Council is open to the highest-ranking official of each State College or University responsible for student affairs programs and services. All members shall be voting members.
ARTICLE IV: ELECTED OFFICERS
Section 1.
The elected officers of the Council shall be past president, president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and member-at-large at large. All elected officers must concurrently serve as chief student affairs officers of institutions affiliated with the State University of New York. Each officer serves as a member of the Council’s Executive Board.
Section 2.
Each of the elected officers shall serve a two-year term.
Section 3.
The vice president shall become president of this Council after the completion of the two-year term of office as vice president or in the event of a vacancy in the presidency. Should the position of president become vacant during the term of office, the vice president shall assume the remainder of that term in addition to their upcoming years in office. For any other vacancy in an executive board position, a special election should be called to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term of original office.
Section 4.
There shall be a president who shall preside at the Council meetings, meetings of the Executive Board, and all other meetings of the Council; to consider all motions regularly made, and to call special meetings as needed. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all Council committees; shall assure that the operation of this Council is in accordance with these bylaws; and shall assure that the officers of this Council are advised of their duties and the operations of the Council. The president also serves as chief liaison to the SUNY System Administration. The president shall become the past president of the Council after completion of the term of office as president.
Section 5.
There shall be a vice president who shall become familiar with the work of this Council in preparation for the term as president and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees. In the absence of the president, the vice president shall perform the duties of the president.
Section 6.
There shall be a past president who shall be responsible for the nominations and elections process.
Section 7.
The Council secretary shall record and transmit to the members official proceedings of this Council and maintain a permanent official file of policy statements, papers, annual committee reports and literature issued by the Council and advise the Executive Board of the contents of such documents.
Section 8.
The Council treasurer shall receive all monies paid directly to this Council; keep an account of all receipts and expenditures; pay or authorize for payment all bills properly charged against the Council; draft an annual budget; make arrangements for an audit as required; and present, in writing, a financial report at the end of each fiscal year and/or at any other time upon request of the Council.
Section 9.
There shall be one member-at-large who shall have voice and vote during the deliberations of the Executive Board. The member-at-large may also assume additional responsibilities as assigned by the president. To be eligible for the position the member-at-large candidate must have been in his/her current institutional position for less than four years.
Section 10.
A designee of the Chancellor of the State University of New York serves as the primary representative of the SUNY System Administration at Council meetings and serves as a non-voting resource person for the Council and advocate for the Council with System Administration.
ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1.
The Executive Board shall manage the affairs of the Council, shall transact all necessary meetings of the membership, shall formulate and recommend policies to the membership, and shall carry out such activities as directed by the membership. The Executive Board shall act as the liaison group between this Council and the State University of New York.
Section 2.
Chair: The president of the Council shall chair the Executive Board.
Section 3.
Membership: The voting members of the Executive Board shall be the elected officers of the Council.
Section 4.
Quorum and Voting Rights: A majority of the Executive Board voting positions shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all regularly scheduled and emergency meetings. Each voting member of the Executive Board shall be entitled to one vote.
Section 5.
Term of Office: The term of office for each position on the Executive Board shall be for two (2) years.
Section 6.
Ad Hoc Committees: The Council may establish ad hoc committees that may act for the Council within such limits as may be established, in writing, by the Council. The president may temporarily appoint an ad hoc committee, pending final approval at the next meeting of the Council.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
At a minimum, four meetings of the Council shall be called annually by the president, or at the joint request of any five (5) members of the Council. The Executive Board is responsible for coordinating the time, location, and agenda for each meeting.
ARTICLE VII: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1.
The officers of the Council shall be elected every two years by a vote of the membership. Only current members may be nominated, placed on an election ballot, and/or vote in the election.
Section 2.
The past president of this Council shall serve as chairperson for nominations and elections.
Section 3.
The past president shall request nominations from all members of the Council and, guided thereby, shall place on the election ballot the names of eligible individuals for each office. The past president, or designated committee, shall have the authority to evaluate the suitability of nominees according to published criteria. The past president shall develop a ballot of all eligible nominees, conduct an election by ballot of all members of the Council, and tally and certify the results. The person receiving the highest number of votes cast for each office shall be certified as elected to that office. A report of the results shall be filed with the secretary of the Council for distribution to the membership.
Section 4.
Elections shall be held and certified in due time to assure that officers elected to take office at the first Council meeting after July 1 of each two-year term.
ARTICLE VIII: VACANCIES AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Section 1.
Vacancy of an Office-
Should the position of president become vacant during the term of office, the vice president shall assume the remainder of that term in addition to their upcoming years in office.
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Should the position of president and vice president become vacant concurrently, the Council shall decide whether to hold an immediate nomination and election process to fill the vacancy, or to fill the vacancy in the next scheduled nomination and election process.
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If a vacancy occurs in the treasurer, secretary or member-at-large position, the Council shall appoint a qualified member of the Council to fill the vacancy.
Section 2.
Removal from an Office
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Any officer may be removed for just cause. Grounds for removal of an officer include: failure to perform the duties of the office as set forth in the bylaws and the policies of the Council; gross impropriety in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the office.
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Officers of the Council may be removed by the following process:
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Procedures to remove an officer from office may be initiated upon written submission of evidence by any member of the Council of proper cause as defined above.
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The submitted material must be signed by at least two (2) current members of the Council before the Executive Board can initiate action.
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Upon receipt of the above information and ensuring that there are grounds for removal, the Executive Board shall conduct appropriate hearings, if needed, or deliberations to consider removing the officer from that office.
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The officer shall be removed upon the affirmative vote of three-fourths (3/4) of all members of the Council.
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ARTICLE IX: FISCAL YEAR AND BUDGET
Section 1.
Fiscal Year: The fiscal year of this Council shall be from July 1 to June 30.
Section 2.
Budget: The annual budget shall be drafted by the Council treasurer and adopted by the Executive Board of this Council. Copies of the budget shall be available to members upon request within 90 days following its adoption by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE X: ASSETS OF THE COUNCIL
All assets of the Council shall be subject to the control of the Executive Board. No part of the net earnings of the Council shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the Council shall be authorized and empowered to pay, as approved by its Executive Board, reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II in accordance with these bylaws.
ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
Amendments to these bylaws may be adopted as deemed necessary for the proper management of this Council.
Section 2.
All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the membership for approval.
Section 3.
Amendments, if passed by a majority of all members voting, shall be added to the bylaws and shall go into effect in accordance with the time specified in the amendment(s).
Approved March 5, 2004
