CASE Bylaws
BY-LAWS OF COLLEGE ASSOCIATION FOR STAFF IN ENGINEERING
Article 1. Name
College Association for Staff in Engineering (CASE) at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.
Article 2. The Purpose of CASE
Consider policies and all matters concerning Engineering Classified Staff, Engineering University Staff, and Engineering non-student wage employees (herein referred to as “Staff”) and to bring these matters to the attention of the dean and, when relevant, the University.
Facilitate communication between Engineering Staff and the administration of the College and University.
Solicit and encourage staff participation in the success of the College of Engineering and the University.
Article 3. Membership
CASE membership shall consist of staff in the College of Engineering. Areas in the college of Engineering are herein defined as Departments, Centers, and general administrative units. Each area shall have at least one representative (with a maximum of two) and one alternate (with a maximum of two) from each area.
- Officers: To be known as the “CASE Leadership Team” will consist of the following positions: Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Communications Specialists.
- Invited Staff Support: Any staff within COE that has been elected or appointed to serve in the University’s shared governance system shall also be a non-voting member of CASE during their term of service.
- Department Representatives and Alternates: Staff elected or selected by their respective areas to serve as designated Representatives and alternates.
- Staff: COE Classified Staff, COE University Staff and COE non-student wage employees.
The governing body shall be known and referred to as CASE. CASE shall consist of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Communication Specialist, and elected Representatives and their respective Alternates from each COE area.
Should any staff within the College of Engineering be elected or appointed to University Council, a Commission, a University or Administrative Committee, the Advisory Council for Budget and Planning, or University Task Force, that person shall also be a non-voting member of CASE during their term of service. This will facilitate communication between the Commissions and Committees and CASE members.
Article 4. Officers and Duties
A. The Chair shall:
- This position will be a 1-year commitment. As this position will be filled by the upcoming Chair-Elect.
- Preside at all regular and special meetings.
- Call special meetings when necessary.
- Keep the CASE Leadership Team and the Dean informed of pertinent issues.
- Appoint committees and subcommittees, as necessary to carry out the work of CASE.
- Inform the President of Staff Senate of the list of Senators, Senate Alternates and CASE officers in July each year.
- Emcee and organize the Annual COE Staff Recognition and Dean’s Award Luncheon.
- Facilitate the committee of the Exemplary Employees of the Year Awards and the COE Dean’s office.
- Mentor Chair-Elect to prepare for the transition to Chair.
- Must remain accessible to the new Chair as a resource at the discretion of the new Chair. (This would be a non-voting position)
B. The Chair-Elect shall:
- This position will be a 1-year role and then become the Chair the 2nd year. (Replacement Chair-Elect will be voted on annually)
- Preside in the absence of the Chair.
- Serve as the principle assistant to the Chair.
- Coordinate requested programs.
- Fulfill any term vacated by the Chair.
- Responsible for announcing the opening of nomination elections of CASE officers and verify permission for inclusion in ballot.
- The current Chair-Elect shall oversee nominations and election of the Staff Senator and their alternate.
C. The Secretary shall:
- This position will be voted on annually, there is no term limit.
- Keep minutes of all meetings and distribute them to the CASE representatives, their alternates and the Dean (or designate alternate) prior to the next meeting.
- Work with the Chair-Elect to obtain the list of nominees, create and disburse the electronic ballot to eligible voters and tabulate the votes for CASE officers.
- Inform Area Representatives of meetings.
- Take attendance at each meeting.
- Keep the membership list current, and always know the number of members needed to allow for a quorum to be determined.
- Be responsible for notifying the area representatives in writing after 2 consecutive CASE meetings have not been attended by an area’s representative or alternate without notice.
- The outgoing Secretary shall remain accessible to the new Secretary as a resource at the discretion of the new Secretary. (This would be a non-voting position.)
D. The Communications Specialist shall:
- This position will be voted on annually, there is no term limit.
- Collect and store all newsworthy items about CASE, including pictures of each year’s events, invitations, and outreach events.
- Maintain and update the CASE website and social media sites. Work with COE advancement area for content as necessary.
- Create media content and flyers for all CASE-coordinated events.
- Monitor and inform CASE Leadership Team of communication/discussions posted on its social media sites.
- The outgoing Communications Specialist shall remain accessible to the new Communications Specialist as a resource at the discretion of the new Communications Specialist. (This would be a non-voting position.)
E. College of Engineering Staff Senator and Alternate shall:
- Serve as COE spokesperson and representative at all Staff Senate meetings.
- Be willing and able to devote a minimum of 2 hours per month to shared governance activities.
- Report back to CASE on Staff Senate business during regular meetings and notify CASE Leadership of time-sensitive shared information.
F. The CASE Representatives/Alternates shall:
- These positions will be selected annually by each area, there is no term limit.
- Disseminate information to and discuss concerns with staff in their areas.
- Actively participate in CASE events and encourage area participation.
- Carry forth area concerns, polling information, etc. to CASE.
- Alternates are to represent their staff in the absence of their areas representative, they are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in as many meetings as possible.
Article 5. Election Procedures and Terms of Office
A. Election of Area Representatives/Alternates
Each area in the College of Engineering shall be responsible for electing or appointing representatives and their areas alternates during the first week of June. New area representatives and alternates shall assume responsibilities on July 1st.
Each area shall elect or appoint no more than two representatives and may elect or appoint up to two alternates. In the event an area is not represented, the Chair shall send an email to the department encouraging staff members to join and/or contact that area’s department head. (If the area choses not to have representation with CASE, as confirmed by the Department Head, the area will be excluded from all awards, activities, and events supported by CASE.)
Each area shall submit to the Chair of CASE the names(s) of the representatives and alternates by July 1st.
There are no restrictions on term limits for area representatives or their alternates.
In the event of a vacancy in an area, the area shall act as deemed necessary to either fill the vacancy or leave it vacant so long as the area is represented by at least one CASE member. The decision shall be conveyed to the CASE Leadership Team.
Each represented area shall have ONE vote on any matters needing a vote. It will be the responsibility of each areas representative(s) to work with their areas and vote according to the consensus of their area. If an alternate needs to cast their area’s vote in the absence of their representative, CASE Leadership must be notified to allow electronic access.
B. Election of CASE Leadership Team Officers:
An annual election will be held for the Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Communications Specialist positions. All officer positions shall be voted on by the area representatives (ONE vote for each area). The Chair will be filled by the current Chair-Elect, providing continuity for the CASE Leadership Team.
The current Chair-Elect will initiate the notifications to begin receiving nominations. Permission must be obtained from candidates before names are placed on the ballot.
The current Secretary will run the voting nomination and elections of officers. Election candidates shall be announced prior to the June meeting and a secret electronic ballot will be sent to all area representatives for vote.
Newly-elected officers shall assume responsibilities at the end of the July CASE meeting.
The Chair will serve one year and the Chair-Elect will automatically be transitioned to the Chair when the vacancy is slated to occur. If the Chair-Elect refuses the transition to Chair, the CASE Leadership Team shall be charged with finding another nominee from the members of the current Leadership Team or past Chairs that are still staff members in the College of Engineering. If no member of the CASE Leadership Team or a past Chair will accept, nominations will be opened up to the current CASE membership. In the case where an already seated Chair remains in the position, they may only serve a total of 3 terms if no other nominees are identified.
In case of a Leadership Team officer vacancy, the current CASE Leadership Team will elect a replacement from the existing officers to fill either the Chair or Chair-Elect positions. In the case of all other positions, an emergency election will be run in the same process as annual elections with the Chair-Elect making the announcement and the Secretary running the nominations. Any and all replacement officers will serve until the following annual election of officers is held.
Article 6. Meetings
The CASE Leadership Team shall meet the 1st Tuesday of each month, or as the need arises.
CASE Membership shall meet the 2nd Tuesday of each month, or as the need arises.
All COE Staff Town Hall shall meet once or twice an academic year – Call for staff concerns to be addressed will be sent out in advance to the Co-Chair, this will not be an open mic session. Questions will be shared with the CASE Leadership Team and forwarded to the Dean for review and preparation.
Annual meetings with the COE Dean:
- CASE Leadership Team
- All COE Staff – Occurs as the Annual Staff Recognition and Dean’s Awards Luncheon.
Article 7. Conducting Business
A 50% area majority shall constitute a quorum for handling business. The Secretary shall determine the quorum at each meeting. If a quorum is not met voting will be deferred to the next meeting when a quorum has been established.
A 50% majority of the members present shall carry a motion, except on a motion to amend the Bylaws. In this case, a vote will be submitted to the full membership, and be ratified by the Staff Senate.
Votes may be by acclamation or show of hands unless a member requests a secret ballot vote, which can be conducted by paper or electronic means.
Roberts Rules of Order will be consulted in the event that an orderly and courteous procedure is not maintained.
CASE Membership Meetings are open to COE staff and visitors, but they shall not be allowed to vote.
Article 8. Committees
Ad hoc committees shall be formed as deemed necessary.
Each committee formed shall keep a full record of its activities and present these records to the Secretary at the termination of the committee’s responsibilities.
The chair of each committee shall keep the CASE Leadership Team informed of its activities and shall report to the Chair.
Article 9. Annual Events
A. COE Annual Staff Recognition and Dean’s Award Luncheon.
Each spring, the Dean of Engineering hosts the Annual Staff Recognition and Dean’s Awards Luncheon. This event replaces the May CASE meeting.
Two Exemplary Employee of the Year awards are given out annually. Any College of Engineering staff with at least one year of service to the College is eligible for this award. The awards are given to one technical and one administrative support staff employee.
The Dean’s Award consists of a certificate, a monetary award letter from the Dean, and a plaque to be presented to the awardees, during the luncheon.
Award recipients are not eligible to receive the Exemplary Employees of the Year awards for five years after winning in either the technical or administrative support areas.
One Virginia Louise “Jenny” Frank Award is given out each year. The award recognizes an outstanding staff member in the COE with a plaque and a monetary award. This generous award has been funded by Dr. Theodore S. and Brenda Rappaport in Jenny’s memory. Jenny was a co-worker and friend to the Rappaports. She worked for over 20 years at Virginia Tech in the Mobile and Portable Radio Research group under Electrical and Computer Engineering, where she was a Public Relations Specialist.
Award recipients are not eligible to receive the Virginia Louise “Jenny” Frank Award for five years after winning.
B. Philanthropy and Community Service
The CASE Leadership Team shall coordinate at least one outreach activity annually, which is available for participation by all staff within the College of Engineering.