Lgbtq+ Faculty And Staff Council (QFSC)

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Last Updated: Dec 19, 2023, 05:41 PM

Article I - Name of Organization

The official name of the organization shall be the Southern Illinois University Carbondale LGBTQ+ FACULTY AND STAFF COUNCIL (QFSC).

Article II - Mission

QFSC is a constituency organization representative of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s goal to be more inclusive and diverse. Its mission is to provide support, advance the interests, recognize the historical context, and promote the welfare of LGBTQ+ Civil Service, Administrative Professional, and faculty at SIU Carbondale.

We hereby establish the Southern Illinois University Carbondale LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Council for the purposes outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws and manifest our commitment to the well-being of the university.

Our goals are:

  • Advocate for the equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and students;
  • Identify and investigate disparities within the campus community that hinder the excellence of LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and students;
  • Support and advocate for mentoring, networking, and programming initiatives which foster a sense of community among LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and students;
  • Foster an environment that aids in the retention of LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and students;
  • Support LGBTQ+ faculty and staff in areas related to professional advancement and development;
  • Foster opportunities for mentorship for new faculty and staff as they acclimate to the SIU Carbondale environment;
  • Facilitate collaborations in teaching, research, creative activities, service, and university programs;
  • Maintain and ensure positive regard and relationships between the university and members of the LGBTQ+ constituency both on and off all SIU Carbondale campuses;
  • Ensure inclusivity of the unique perspectives, ideas, experiences, needs, and voices of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff within and across the university;
  • Identify and assiduously respond to issues which affect the welfare of LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, or students at SIU Carbondale, especially at it relates to the mission of the university; and
  • Serve as a resource for the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees; the Vice President for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer; the SIU Carbondale Vice Chancellor for Antiracism, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and the SIU Carbondale Chancellor.

Article III - Membership Clarfications and Fees

Section 1. Membership

Membership is open to all full-time SIU Carbondale employees, regardless of race, gender, creed, nationality, religion, economic status, or age, who support the mission and goals of QSFC as outlined in the Bylaws. All SIU Carbondale faculty and staff that wish to become active members must pay annual membership dues of fifteen dollars.

All prospective members must complete a QFSC membership application, which includes name, home/work address, telephone number, email address (if available), employment classification, department, or academic unit, and QFSC committee interest. July 1-June 30 is the membership year. Paid membership dues are not required to be a member of QFSC, however, only paid (active) members can vote.

  1. Annual QFSC membership dues are $15 and are non-refundable. Dues should be paid by October 1. New members should pay their dues at the time of the application submission.
  2. Funds can be utilized for general QFSC expenses that have been approved by the Executive Board. The LGBTQ Resource Center may request funds for programming and initiatives in writing.
  3. Dues may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Checks should be payable to the SIU Foundation with “LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Council (QFSC)” in the memo. Applications and checks should be mailed to the campus address of the QFSC treasurer, which will be provided to the General Membership. Members who pay their dues in cash or credit card will receive an official receipt from the QFSC treasurer or their designee.
  4. The Executive Board shall review the dues structure of the organization on an annual basis and make any appropriate recommendations to the General Membership for approval. The approved changes will be effective in the new fiscal year.
  5.  Students cannot be members of the QFSC unless they are also full-time faculty and staff. However, students may attend open General Membership meetings and be added to the agenda by contacting the President with their request within one week of a meeting.

Section 2. Voting Privileges

To vote, an active member must:

  1. be current in membership dues;
  2. have attended a minimum of two meetings in the past 12 months. Exceptions can be granted by the Executive Board including, but not limited to sabbaticals and work-related absences.

Section 3. Meetings

Meeting of the Board: The Executive Board shall meet no less than two (2) times each semester (i.e., fall and spring terms only) and as needed during summer break.

General Membership Meetings: Open General Membership meetings will occur at least 4 times during the academic calendar year. Closed meetings may occur as needs arise. Unless deemed necessary for special events or time-sensitive urgent matters, there will be an annual business and planning meeting. Notices of all meetings will be emailed to members at least two weeks prior to the date of meeting. All meeting protocols will be handled with appropriate Parliamentary procedure as outlined in Roberts Rules of Order except quorum requirements (see below).

Quorum: A quorum of the General Membership shall consist of 10% of active members.  A proxy vote or votes may be used to constitute a quorum. A proxy vote must be in written form or email and must be submitted to the president prior to the General Membership meeting. A proxy must be an active member of the General Membership. There is no quorum required to conduct regular business of the membership. A quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of three members of the Executive Board. No proxies shall be used to constitute a quorum of the Executive Board.

Committee Meetings: Standing meetings and ad-hoc committee meeting schedules will be determined by the committee chair with at least 24-hour notice.

Section 4. Membership Termination

  1. A QFSC member may terminate their membership at any time by tendering their resignation to the QFSC President in writing, at which point, they will be removed from the active membership roster.
  2. Any conduct that is detrimental to the organization may be grounds for termination of membership as determined by a majority of the Executive Board.
  3. Failure to pay dues within 30 days of October 1 shall result in the termination of voting privileges. In no case shall a person be entitled to vote at any meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.

Article IV - Officers, Officers' Duties and Term Limits

Section 1. Officers

The Officers of the Council shall consist of 7 members elected from the active, voting membership roster. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Representatives (one for AP staff, one for Civil Service staff, and one faculty). These individuals will make up the Executive Board.

Section 2. Officers’ Duties

President: The President shall act as Chief Executive Officer of the QFSC. In this capacity, this person shall serve as spokesperson for the QFSC and as the presiding officer of all its meetings, for which they will manage the agenda. The president does not vote on general issues or during elections except in the event of a tie. The President shall also be the chief spokesperson of the council and shall represent QFCA in relations with other organizations unless this responsibility has been delegated to a member of the Executive Board. The President shall meet regularly with the Chancellor and shall be the primary representative of the QFCA at Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees meetings. In addition, the President shall serve as the official liaison between QFCA and GPSC. The President shall also direct the administration of the council by:

  1. convening and presiding over all Executive Board and General Membership meetings;
  2. serving as the chief spokesperson for the council and represent the interests of all members in both campus and community areas;
  3. establishing and appointing chairpersons for any ad-hoc committees;
  4. acting as QFSC representation on committees or delegating from the Executive Board;
  5. working in conjunction with the Secretary to set General Membership meeting schedules and notify members of said meetings;
  6. calling special meetings of the membership to address special and/or time sensitive urgent matters;
  7. authorizing expenditures and co-sign checks [treasury duties].

Vice President: The Vice President shall ensure the proper performance of all Executive Board duties and serve as the official liaison between the committees and the Executive Board. They will make sure that discussion flows in a manner that is inclusive and participatory and shall respond to any procedural or constitutional issues that may arise within the QFSC. The Vice President shall also serve as the presiding officer of the QFSC in the absence of the President at any official QFSC function. The Vice-President shall ensure the proper performance of all Executive Board duties and the proper operation of all committees. In the President’s absence, the Vice-President shall chair the Executive Board and General Membership meetings. The Vice-President will chair the elections committee and review any necessary changes to the Bylaws and present them to the General Membership annually. In addition, the Vice-President will perform all duties as designated by the President, such as calling special meetings of the membership to address special and/or time sensitive urgent matters and succeed to the office of President in the event of a vacancy in that office or if the president is unable to attend.

Secretary: The secretary shall be the chief communications officer of the QFSC facilitating correspondence among members and bodies of the Executive Board and between members of the Executive Board and all council members. The Secretary shall be the chief records officer of QFSC including acting and organizational Historian, being responsible for documenting the history of the QFSC and for maintaining the organization’s archives. The Secretary shall also notify members of upcoming meetings; taking, maintaining and distributing the minutes of the Executive Board and the General Membership meetings [or arrange to have recorded or distributed], as well as any special business/election meetings as requested or dictated by QFSC bylaws.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the QFSC. The Treasurer shall be ultimately responsible for proposing the annual budget along with oversight of proper deposits and disbursement of all funds of the QFSC and for the establishment and maintenance of appropriate records of all fiscal transactions. The Treasurer shall ensure that all expenditures are within the approved budget and have been properly incurred under the policies of QFSC. The Treasurer will sign, in conjunction with the president or their designee, all checks and financial transactions. The Treasurer shall also maintain a roster of membership.

Representatives: The representatives shall enforce and maintain the Constitution and any related operating papers of the council; maintain order and ensure that parliamentary procedures are adhered to; and maintain ongoing communication with the General Membership as needed. They also foster and maintain communication with their representative constituency groups.

Section 3. Terms

  1. Officers and Executive Board members shall be elected by the General Membership to serve two-year terms, which coincides with the beginning of fall semester.
  2. Officers cannot serve consecutive terms in the same office.
  3. Voting will take place electronically over a specified period.
  4. Terms start at the beginning of the fall academic semester following the election.
  5. If there is a vacancy in the offices of the Executive Board, the general membership shall hold an election during the following meeting to fill the unexpired term. If the General Membership fails to fill a vacant office, the Executive Board shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.
  6. Elections shall take place in the last month of the academic year with one-half of the officers elected in even numbered years and one-half elected in odd numbered years as indicated below.

Even Numbered Years:

  • President
  • Secretary
  • AP Representative
  • Faculty Representative

Odd Numbered Years:

  • Vice-President
  • Treasurer
  • Civil Service Representative

Nominations: The General Membership will ask for nominations to an elected office at the beginning of the spring semester of an election year.

  1. Nominations will be collected electronically.
  2. A nomination shall be placed on the ballot only when the secretary has received verification by the nominee and the nominated person accepts the nomination.

Transition of Officers: The transition of officers shall be made at the first meeting of the fall academic semester following the election.

Removal of Officers: Elected officers can be removed for cause by a two-third majority vote of the voting membership.

Section 4. Resignations and Removal

Resignations: All resignations by Executive Board officers shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Board.

Removal From Office: An elected officer may be removed from the Executive Board when a member has two absences from two regularly scheduled meetings within an academic semester.
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Article V - Amendments

The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the active, voting membership at a regular or special meeting. The proposed amendments shall be distributed to the General Membership 14 calendar days prior to voting.

Article VI - Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of the LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Council, all assets of this organization shall be donated to on-campus LGBTQ+ organizations as designated by the majority of the Executive Board.