ByLaws

Article I —Name

 The name of the organization is Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), hereinafter referred to as the Association.

Article II—Purpose, Goals and Objectives

Purpose: The purpose of the Association is to “promote as sense of kinship” and better understanding among Black faculty and staff members at MTSU as well as to bring the perspectives of this Association to bear upon the operating procedures, activities, issues, participation in University affairs, educational and work experiences, and success of black faculty, staff, and students at MTSU. To this end we shall endeavor to do the following:

 Provide a collective voice and forum for addressing matters and affairs related to important issues which affect black faculty, staff and students at MTSU.

Promote, support, and influence a systematic approach to      the recruitment, interviewing, subsequent hiring, retention, professional development, academic excellence, and success of black faculty and staff at MTSU.

 Promote, support and influence a systematic approach to the recruitment, retention, educational development, relevant academic programs, academic excellence, and success of black students at MTSU.

 Develop, establish, maintain, and expand effective collaboration between BFSA, other ethnic minorities and the community at-large.

 Promote, support, influence, and facilitate the coordination and cooperative financing, when appropriate, of relevant sociocultural programs sponsored by various groups (students, nonacademic, academic, etc.)

 Assist in the development of a support system that will promote positive interactions and foster better relationships among all members of the University community and that will include social, cultural, and educational interactions.

 Monitor and encourage the inclusion of cultural diversity as an integral part of the mission of MTSU.

Article III—Membership

Membership in the Association shall be open to all faculty and staff at MTSU who support the mission as defined in the constitution of the Association.

 Article IV—Officers

Section A         The Association shall elect from its membership persons to serve as the elected officers of the Association. The officers of the Association shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian.   To be a candidate for any office, a person must be a member of the MTSU faculty or staff holding paid membership in the Association.

Section B          The officers shall be elected at the May meeting of each year and shall serve a one-year term in office, beginning on the first day of June and continuing until the 31st day of May. Officers shall be elected by secret ballot of the voting members present. All elected officers must receive a majority of all votes cast.   The nomination committee shall be composed of the Executive Committee.

Section C         An officer can serve more than one term; however, officers shall be limited to three consecutive terms in the same capacity.

Section D         Upon expiration of their terms of office, officers shall forward official Association minutes, materials, correspondence, books, and related materials to the newly elected officers.

Section E          Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall be used to cover procedures not prescribed by this constitution.

Article V—Duties of Officers

Section A         The President shall be the chief elected Executive Officer of the Association and shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall assume the usual duties of the presiding officer. She/he shall be the chairperson of the Executive Committee and shall make assignments all appointments to both standing and special circumstances. She/he shall prepare and deliver a written annual report on the status of the Association to the membership before leaving office. The President shall be responsible for providing representation for the Association in all of its business situations as may be necessary. If the President should permanently vacate the position, the Vice President shall take the position and serve out the remainder of the term.

When an official position is necessary on short notice, the President, with the advisement of the Executive Committee, shall be empowered to make a tentative position statement for the Association until such time as the matter can be taken before the general membership.

Section B          The Vice President shall serve with the same powers and authority of the President in the event that the President is absent. The Vice President shall serve as chairperson of the Membership and Credentials Committee.

The President may designate the Vice President to represent him/her as an ex-officio representative on any other committees for which the President may choose to not to serve.

The Vice President shall automatically become President of the Association upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President and a new Vice President shall be elected.

Section C         In cases where both the President and the Vice President leave office, the Secretary shall take the Chair and preside over the election as President pro tem. A special election will be conducted within thirty (30) days to fill the two (2) vacant offices.

Section D         The Secretary shall serve as the recording and corresponding officer of the Association, having responsibilities for the recording of true and accurate minutes of all Association meetings, for the writing of reports, and for regular and routine correspondence with the Membership about the business of the Association.     The

Secretary shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.

It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to incorporate reports of the Treasurer into the official records of the Association.

In addition to recordkeeping, the Secretary shall disseminate the notices and minutes of the meetings to all members.

Section E          The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt, deposit, and expenditure of all monies/funds in such depositories as may be selected by the membership and shall disburse funds of the Association in accordance with good accounting practices and with the fiscal policies and manner directed and established by the Executive Committee of the Association.

 The Treasurer shall maintain appropriate and adequate financial and membership records, shall render to the President and the membership monthly accounts of all financial transactions, and shall be prepared at any time to surrender such records to the President and/or to the Executive Committee upon the request of either. The

Treasurer shall submit the fiscal records for an annual audit. The Treasurer shall actively promote membership in the Association.

Section F          The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for reviewing the Association’s constitution and recommending changes to the General Body. The Parliamentarian shall conduct the election and installation of officers at the May meeting.

Article VI—Removal of Officers

Section A         The process for removal of officers shall be as follows:

Members in good standing, pursuant to action taken in a regular meeting, may initiate a removal petition that should be signed by a minimum of twenty-five (25%) percent of the membership. Said petition is to be accompanied by a copy of a notice calling for a meeting at which the removal petition is to be considered. A quorum must be present in order for action to be taken on the petition.

Section B          If a majority of the membership agrees with the removal petition, the position shall be declared vacant and a new officer elected to fill the position.

Article VII—Meetings

Section A         Regular meetings of the Association shall be held quarterly during the calendar year at a place and time decided by the Executive Committee. Meetings will be conducted under the Robert’s Rule of Order, Revised.

Section B          Meeting quorum: A quorum will constitute/shall equal 33% of the total voting membership. A simple majority of those present is required to take action.

 ection C         Special meetings may be called by consent of the Executive Committee as the need arises. Three (3) days written notice shall be given to all members outlining why the meeting is being held.

Section D         The Association’s regular minutes and agendas shall be mailed or electronically transmitted to the membership one week prior to the regular meeting.

 Article VIII—Standing Committees

Section A         There shall be the following Standing Committees:

 The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected Officers of the Association and Chairpersons of standing committees. A member of this committee shall serve as a liaison with black students. Past Presidents, Chairpersons of the Middle Level Education programs, the Director of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs and the Executive Director Institutional Equity and Compliance shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.                   

The Audit Committee shall consist of the Vice President and two general members selected by the President. The Audit Committee shall, prior to the annual meeting, review and collect annual committee reports and distribute them to the membership at the May meeting and turn over all books and records to the duly elected officers.

The Scholarship Awards/Academic Affairs Committee shall be responsible for academic affairs of the Association as it relates to students and shall identify and develop financial resources for black students, faculty and staff members at MTSU.

The Intra-University Personnel Relations Committee shall seek to devise programs to involve the Association in the hiring, retention, and general welfare of faculty and staff members.

The Sociocultural Affairs Committee shall serve as a liaison and be responsible for implementing the Association’s programs in conjunction with other campus offices (i.e., The Black Student Association, The Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, etc.) in an effort to identify relevant needs and issues that, when properly addressed, may improve communication and enhance relations between black faculty members and students and between black faculty and staff members.

The Activities and Program Planning Committee shall plan and implement activities and programs for fundraising, social interaction, educational development, and cultural enrichment of the black faculty and staff at MTSU and shall plan and implement any other activities that will further actualize the purpose of the Association. It will implement gestures of courtesy and hospitality in areas pertaining to welcoming new black faculty and staff members and in matters of promotion, resignation, sickness, and death with respect to the existing black faculty and staff.

Ad Hoc Committees shall be created as needed.

Section B          The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian whose decisions shall be final in all questions of parliamentary procedure.

Section C         The impeachment process for officers shall meet the same procedural requirements as stipulated for constitutional amendment.

Article IX—Dues and Fees

Section A         The Association shall be able to levy dues upon the membership by a majority vote of the voting membership present at a meeting.

Section B          Special contributions may be requested of the membership by a majority vote of the membership present at a meeting. 

Article X—Voting

Voting rights shall be restricted to those persons who have paid their annual dues.

            Article XI—Amendments

 The Constitution of the Association may be amended when such amendments are submitted to the Associations Secretary in writing and are read at a regular meeting and are approved for a final vote by a simple majority of the membership. The Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds vote of the total membership. Written notice must be given to the membership no less than fifteen (15) days prior to the voting on any amendment to the Constitution.

            Article XII—Adoptions 

This Constitution shall become effective upon a majority vote in its favor by members in good standing assembled. A notice of such assembly must be given to all members fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting.