Constitution & ByLaws

Miami Dade College
Medical Center Campus

By – Laws of the
SUPPORT STAFF COUNCIL CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I. NAME

SECTION I. The name of this organization shall be SUPPORT STAFF COUNCIL (SSC) hereinafter referred to as the Council. The campus shall have a Council consisting of staff representatives from each area located on the Medical Campus.

ARTICLE II. RESPONSIBILITIES:

 SECTION I. Advise and make recommendations to the Campus and other members of the management team regarding policies, procedures and decisions that involve and affect support staff members.

• Review and provide feedback regarding the annual Campus Plan.
• Promote communication among support staff members regarding relevant college and campus issues and activities
• Encourage the professional growth and career advancement of support staff members
• Recommend appointments of support staff to campus and college-wide committees
• Voluntarily engage in community service activities that promote education, the Campus and College

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

SECTION I. Membership is by an elective process determined by the Council by-laws which currently stipulate that 20% of the number of the support positions in the following areas constitute:

Council membership:

• President’s Office, Deans’ Offices, Health Sciences & Related Studies
• School of Allied Health Technologies
• School of Nursing
• Student Services (including District)
• Administrative Services
• Learning Resources

Officers, specified by the by-laws, are elected by Council members. The President presides.

SECTION II. The members of the Council shall be elected by their respective areas and take office in July of the respective year in which the person’s term in that area expires.

SECTION III. Members shall be elected by ballot to serve for a period of two (2) years .


SECTION IV. An elected member of the Council who is absent from scheduled meetings three times during a term of office shall be removed from the Council. If the three absences consist of medical reason, death in the family, jury duty or vacation, member shall not be removed from the Council. Upon removal of a member, the Council shall elect a pro-tempore representative from the same area to serve for the remainder of the un-expired term.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

SECTION I. The officers of the Council shall be:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasury
• Parliamentarian
• Ex-Officio Officer (immediate past president)

Officers shall be elected by, and from, the Council membership.

SECTION II. The president of the Council shall be its authorized leader; shall preside at all meetings f the Council and the Executive Board. The president shall also serve as a member of the

Executive Board. The president shall also serve as a member of the Executive Council.

SECTION III. The vice-president shall assist the president whenever necessary and shall assume the

duties of the president in case of absence.

SECTION IV. It is not mandatory that there be a Recording and Corresponding Secretary. The necessity of this should be determined prior to selecting officers. Should a Recording Secretary and

Corresponding Secretary be selected, the Recording Secretary shall record complete and

accurate minutes of each Council meeting and of the Executive Board meeting; retain the

original minutes in a permanent book and transfer this book to the next elected Recording

Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall distribute the Council minutes to all members

of the Council and to all support staff, the CEC, the Faculty Senate, the Campus President

and the Library. The Corresponding Secretary shall inform all members of meeting dates

and other dates affecting the SSC members. In the absence of either secretary they shall

alternate for each other. Should both secretaries be absent one alternate should be

selected by either secretary prior to their absence. Only one alternate will be necessary.

Should no alternate have been selected, a secretary pro-tempore shall be elected by the

Council.

SECTION V. The treasurer shall keep complete and accurate records of incoming and outgoing Council

funds and shall collect all monies and disburse it as approved by the Council. If agreed to

by the Council, the treasurer may take minutes of the meeting in the absence of the

secretary.

SECTION VI. The parliamentarian shall be limited to giving advice to the president and other members as

needed and shall call the president’s attention, as inconspicuously as possible, to any

error in the proceedings.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION I. The Executive Board of the Council shall consist of the five Council officers and the

immediate past president as set forth in the Council’s By-Laws. The president shall act

as chairman of the board.

SECTION II. The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Council’s

business meetings, schedule the time and location of the Executive Board meeting and

make recommendations to the Council membership.

SECTION III. Minutes of the Executive Board meeting shall be kept in a permanent file and a copy

shall accompany the Council’s monthly minutes.

SECTION IV. In the event of the president’s absence or inability to continue in that office, the vice-

president shall assume the president’s office. If any other council office becomes vacant

during the term, it shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board to promptly appoint

a successor to such office to serve the remainder of the un-expired term.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

SECTION I. Any staff representative appointed to a committee shall be mutually acceptable to the

campus president and the Council president. Standing committees shall be created by the

Council to review ongoing issues and/or provide periodic reports. Standing committees

will be chaired by a designee of the Campus president.

SECTION II. Special committees may be appointed or elected at Council meetings. Membership

may include persons with special expertise or representation from a constituency

outside the Council. Special committees will cease to function after recommendations

or motions are made to the Council.

ARTICLE VII. QUORUM

SECTION I. A quorum of the Council shall be more than one-half of the Council membership. A

quorum must be present for the valid transaction of Council business. The right to

vote is limited to Council members who are present at the time the vote is taken at a

meeting.

ARTICLE VIII. ORDER OF BUSINESS

SECTION I. The order of business in Council meetings will be conducted in accordance with agendas

distributed prior to the meetings.

ARTICLE IX. MEETINGS

SECTION I. The Council shall meet at least once every month. Regular meeting times will be

determined by the membership at the beginning of each elected year.

SECTION II. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the president or upon the request of one

of the membership at the beginning of each elected year.

• College President
• Medical Campus President
• Executive Board
• Written petition of at least one-half of the Council members.

SECTION III. The agenda for each regular Council meeting will be determined by the Executive Board

at least one week before the meeting. The agenda shall consist of the following:

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• Committee Reports
• Old Business
• New Business
• Additional New Business introduced from the floor by members
• Adjournment

SECTION IV. Standard parliamentary procedure shall be the basis for conducting meetings of the

Council.

ARTICLE X. BY-LAW AMENDENTS

SECTION I. By-Laws may be amended with a majority vote of the Council membership. Changes in

the By-Laws will be distributed to all Council members at least one meeting prior to

voting on the changes.

Rev. 6/05