SAC Bylaws

Article I – Statement of purpose

The purpose of the Staff Advisory Council herein referred to as “the Council” is to allow staff to participate in the governance of the Lebanese American University, further its mission and contribute to its success. The Council is composed of thirteen (13) staff members proportionally elected from all the University entities. The Council has an advisory role towards the Administration in matters of staff concerns.

Article II - Membership

Eligibility

Membership is limited to full-time staff that have been employed at the University for at least one year and are in good standing.

Staff Advisory Council Composition

The Council shall be composed of members representing the various entities in the University as per the enclosed Appendix B. The election process is described in Article III and Appendix A. Moreover, the HR Department will be represented by two (2) non-voting ex-officio members: the Director of Staff Relations & Development and another member appointed by the Vice President for Administration.

Term of Office

Council members shall be elected for a term of two years. The term shall be staggered so that six or seven of the members of the Council are elected every year.

The number of new members will alternate between six and seven every year. Any member may run for reelection.

Newly elected members will take office in September following the election process.

Vacancies

Any vacancy occurring during the term of an elected member will be filled by a candidate from the same entity following the same election process only to complete the term of the vacant member. This election process shall take place within one month of the vacancy occurrence. If the indicated term expires in less than six months, the vacancy shall not be filled and will remain vacant until the next election process.

Membership may be vacated by written resignation addressed to the Council Chair and a copy to the Vice-Chair.

Attendance

The Council shall meet in-person and/or remotely at least every other month and meetings of the Council may be called during regular working hours.

Forfeiture of Membership

Each SAC member is expected to attend every SAC meeting. Any Council member who misses two (2) consecutive meetings or three (3) in total during an academic year without notification will be considered to have resigned. Members shall inform the Secretary about their absence prior to the meeting.

The secretary shall notify the Chair of any member who has missed the indicated number of meetings. The Chair shall notify the indicated member of his/her membership forfeiture. In the SAC meeting following this notification, the Chair will inform the Council of his/her action and commence an election procedure for the vacant position from the same entity following the same election process only to complete the term of the vacant member.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Council has an advisory role with a mandate to:

• Promote and further the mission of the University.
• Review and suggest amendments to personnel policies and procedures.
• Encourage staff to express their opinions on University issues.
• Foster a spirit of respect, dignity, unity and cooperation among staff.
• Provide advice on staff development needs.

Article III - Election of Council Members

An election process will be carried out in each entity (as per enclosed Appendix A) for membership in the Staff Advisory Council. This election process will be conducted and supervised by the SAC officers. All employees who have one year or more of service and are in good standing are eligible to nominate themselves within his/her/their designated entity as per the attached Appendix A. The staff member(s) receiving the highest number of votes will be considered the Council member(s) representing his/her entity. In case of a draw in the number of votes attained by two members, the person with more years of service at LAU will be selected.

Any complaints regarding the election process should be submitted in writing to the Vice President for Administration..

The current SAC Chair will call for an election process in July and conduct it in coordination with the relevant University offices and the supervision of the SAC officers. The new Council members will assume their responsibilities in September.

Article IV - Council Officers

Officers

The officers of the Council shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair and a Secretary. The Chair and the Secretary will serve for one year, the Vice-Chair will serve for two years: the first as a Vice-Chair and the Second as a Chair. The election of these officers shall take place by secret ballot during the first meeting following the election process, which will be held in one location, conducted and supervised by the Vice President for Administration..

The Chair and Vice-Chair will be chosen from different campuses. Staff members that are considered central may represent either campus.

In case of vacancy in the position of Chair, the Vice-Chair shall assume her/his duties for the unexpired term.

In case of vacancy in the positions of Vice-Chair or Secretary, an election process shall take place during the first meeting following the vacancy.

Duties and Responsibilities of Council Officers

The Chair shall:

1. Convene and chair all meetings of the Council.
2. Represent the Council at University activities and events as appropriate.
3. Coordinate Council activities.
4. Communicate in writing the Council’s recommendations to the Vice President for Administration and liaise between the Council and the Administration.
5. Represent the Council in the University strategic committees including but not limited to the University Insurance Committee (UIC), the University Planning Council (UPC), the University Budget Committee (UBC), and the Cafeteria Steering Committee.
6. In coordination and agreement with the Vice-Chair, assign a SAC member to represent the council in any of the above-mentioned strategic committees and in other committees where SAC is represented as well. 

The Vice Chair(s) shall:

• Assume the duties of the Chair, in his/her absence, or at any other time upon the request of the Chair.
• Represent the Council, along with the Chair, in the University strategic committees including but not limited to the University Insurance Committee (UIC), the University Planning Council (UPC), the University Budget Committee (UBC), and the Cafeteria Steering Committee.

The Secretary shall:

• Record, maintain, and distribute the minutes of all Council meetings to all members for revision prior to the next meeting.
• Coordinate communication, agenda and other materials to all Council members.
• Maintain attendance files of the members.
• Maintain current and past versions of the Bylaws; publish the revised ones and distribute copies as needed.
• Circulate the Agenda for Council members (five working days prior to the meeting date).

Members shall:

• Attend all SAC meetings and participate in resulting works.
• Forward suggestions, recommendations and concerns of staff they represent to the council, as long as they are not personal.
• Represent the council, when nominated by Chair and Vice-Chair, in any university committee.

Article V - Meetings

Council Meetings

Regular Council Meetings

Regular meetings of the Council shall be held every other month throughout the academic year. Place of meetings ( in-person and/or remotely), times and dates shall be relayed to Council members by the Secretary. Any Council member may propose items for the Council’s agenda. Meetings of the Council are open to invited staff that may be asked to tackle matters on the agenda, or who are interested in introducing new business, when approved by the Chair. Meetings of the Council shall be governed by “Robert’s Rules of Order”:

• A simple majority of Council members shall constitute a quorum.
• Quorum is set to be the attendance of seven (7) out of the thirteen (13) members
• No official business or voting shall occur at a meeting that has no quorum.
• Drafted minutes of the previous meeting shall be circulated to all Council members for revision.
• Actions shall be taken by a simple majority of the Council members present at a meeting.

Special Council Meetings

Special meetings shall be called for at the request of at least one third of the members of the Council or the Chair.

Article VI- Record Keeping

The Council’s reports, minutes, proposals, and related matters will be archived on the Council’s webpage (www.lau.edu.lb/sac) and accessible to all LAU staff.

Article VII - Amendments

SAC bylaws may be amended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds majority of the members provided the proposed amendments are communicated to all the members at least two weeks before the meeting at which the amendments are to be considered. Any such amendment shall be initiated by at least one third of the SAC members.

All amendments together with their justification and rationale must be taken to the Board of Trustees, through the Vice President for Administration and the President Cabinet, for approval, before they become effective.