GOVERNING DOCUMENT OF THE
FULL-TIME NON-TENURE-TRACK UNIT OF THE
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS
KENT STATE CHAPTER
Article I. Name and Affiliation
The name of this unit shall be the American Association of University Professors, Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Unit (FTNTT Unit) of the Kent State Chapter.
Article II. Objectives
The objectives of the FTNTT Unit are to promote the interests of higher education, to advance the standards and ideals of the profession, to enhance the role and authority of faculty, particularly FTNTT faculty, in university governance, to promote the welfare of its members both individually and collectively, and to represent them before the various publics to whom the university is accountable.
Article III. Membership
1. There shall be three classes of membership: Active, Emeritus, and Associate as described in Article II of the Chapter Constitution.
2. Rights of Members
A. Active members in good standing of the FTNTT Unit shall have the right to participate fully in the affairs of the FTNTT Unit and the Association, to vote in elections, on referenda, on constitutional amendments and on ratification of the collective bargaining agreements of the FTNTT Unit, to participate in nominating candidates for the President, Executive Committee offices and the Council, to seek office, and to be elected or appointed to committees or other offices of the FTNTT Unit and the Association.
B. FTNTT Emeritus members in good standing shall have the right to participate in the affairs of the Unit and the Association, to vote in the elections, to participate in nominating candidates for the President, Executive Committee offices and the Council, to seek office, and to be elected or appointed to the committees or other offices of the Unit and the Association, but not the right to vote on dues or ratification of collective bargaining agreements.
C. Associate members in good standing shall have the right to attend meetings, except for meetings at which collective bargaining matters are discussed. They do not have the right to vote.
Article IV. Basis of FTNTT Unit Governance
1. The general membership of the FTNTT Unit is represented on the Council, the governing body of the FTNTT Unit, through Delegates from their colleges or regional campuses and through delegates from emeritus members of the FTNTT Unit.
2. Active members in each college on the Kent Campus shall elect a minimum of one (1) Delegate to the Council. Each Kent Campus college will elect one (1) additional Delegate for every twenty (20) active members, and one (1) additional Delegate for the greater part thereof, in their college or unit.
3. On the regional campuses, the active members on each campus will elect a minimum of one (1) Delegate for their respective campus. Each regional campus will elect one (1) additional Delegate for every twenty (20) active members, and one (1) additional Delegate for the greater part thereof, at their respective campus.
4. Emeritus members shall elect one (1) or more Delegates to the Council. There shall be one (1) Delegate for every twenty (20) emeritus members or greater part thereof, but such unit shall have a minimum of one (1) Delegate.
5. There shall be one (1) non-voting liaison from the Tenure-Track Faculty Unit.
6. For purposes of representation, regional campus members will be counted as part of their regional campus faculty, not as subject area faculty on the Kent Campus. For the purposes of representation, emeritus members will be counted separately, not as college, subject area or regional campus faculty.
7. The Delegates are responsible for communicating the concerns of their constituents to the Council and its officers, and transmitting actions of the Council to their constituencies.
Article V. The Council and Its Election
1. The Council is the governing body of the FTNTT Unit and shall consist of the voting members of the Executive Committee, elected Delegates and others as enumerated below.
2. Active members and emeritus members are eligible for election to President, as other officers of the FTNTT Unit and of the Association, and as Delegates to the Council if they have been members of the Association for one (1) year at any time prior to the time they take office. Prior to the election, parties who have not been members for one (1) year may petition the Council for an exception to this rule in order to run for the position of Delegate.
3. Delegates are elected for two (2) year terms on a staggered basis: approximately half of the Delegates to the Council will be elected each year. In the case of colleges, regional campuses or emeritus members with two (2) or more Delegates, the terms shall be arranged so as to be overlapping.
4. The Nominations and Elections Committee will circulate a call for nominations for Council Delegates during week six (6) of every spring semester. Elections for Council Delegates will be held during the eighth (8th) week of the spring semester each year and will be supervised by the Nominations and Elections Committee, which shall advise each college or regional campus of the number of Delegates to be elected that year. The Committee will report the results of the election to the membership and to the Council. All terms of office begin with the starting date of Faculty contracts in the fall semester.
5. The President may appoint non-voting members to the Council and/or the Executive Committee subject to the respective body's confirmation.
6. Active members who also serve as Officers of state and national affiliates of the Association shall be non-voting, ex-officio members of the Council and Executive Committee and shall report at least annually on respective state and national activities.
7. If a Delegate’s place on the Council becomes vacant, or is anticipated to be vacant for an academic semester or more, the runner-up in the most recent election of the Council delegates for that academic unit will be asked to serve as a designated alternate. Designated alternates will serve with full rights and responsibilities of an elected Delegate during the vacancy period, or until the completion of the Delegate’s term of service, whichever occurs first. In the case of an uncontested election, or in the event the runner-up is unwilling or unable to serve, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall initiate a special election to fill the unexpired term.
8. A petition of at least thirty percent (30%) of the active membership of a college or regional campus will be required to institute a referendum on the question of that unit's Delegate(s) continuing in office. A negative vote of a majority of those voting on the named Delegate(s) will result in removal from office. In the case of removal, an election will be held to fill the resulting unexpired term within thirty (30) calendar days.
Article VI. Officers and Executive Committee
1. Officers shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive Committee will consist of the officers, Immediate Past President and the Chairs of Standing Committees (as identified in Article VI, Section 4) and one (1) non-voting liaison from the Tenure-Track Faculty Unit. Officers of the Executive Committee have one-year terms.
2. After they have been members of the Association for one (1) year, active members and emeritus members are eligible for election or appointment to the Executive Committee.
3. The Nominations and Elections Committee will circulate a call for nominations at the beginning of every spring semester. This will be presented to the current Council and Executive Committee by the fourth (4th) week of the spring term of each year. The Council and/or Executive Committee may add willing candidates to that slate. The completed slate will then be submitted to the full
membership of the unit so that they may elect the officers during the fifth (5th) week. The Executive Committee members' term of office begins with the opening of fall semester.
4. Two thirds of the whole Council or a petition by thirty percent of the full membership will require a referendum on the question of an elected Executive Committee member’s continuance in office. The elected Executive Committee member may be removed from office by a majority of votes by the general membership. Removal of the President will cause an election for President to take place within thirty days.
5. At the last meeting of the spring semester, the President will present to the Council for its approval his or her appointees for the Standing Committee Chairs on the Executive Committee. These appointees will be considered individually by the Council. If any appointee is not approved by a majority of the Council, the President may submit subsequent names. Standing Committee Chairs will take office with the opening of fall semester.
6. An appointed Standing Committee Chair may be removed by a majority action of the whole Council. In the event of resignation or removal of an officer or chair other than the president, the Executive Committee may appoint within thirty (30) calendar days an active member to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. A petition of a majority of the whole Council or a petition by at least thirty percent (30%) of the total number of active members delivered to the Nominations and Elections Committee will require a referendum on the question of a President’s continuance in office. A vacancy for an unexpired term of the President will cause an election for President to take place within thirty (30) days.
Article VII. Functions of Officers and the Executive Committee
. The President is presiding officer of the Executive Committee, the Council and the Unit. He or she is the executive officer of the Unit and will request and receive authorization from the Unit through the Council to act on behalf of the Unit.
2. The Vice President will preside in the President’s absence or temporary incapacity and will act for the President as so designated by him or her. In the event of the vacancy of the office of the President, the Vice President will become President until an election for President is held, at which time he or she returns to the position of Vice President.
3. The Secretary shall see that the minutes are taken of the meetings of the Executive Committee, the Council and the general membership, and shall perform other duties as may be delegated to him or her.
4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all revenue, for the disbursement of funds as authorized by the Council, the Executive Committee or the Unit President, for the maintenance of accurate accounts of income and expenses which shall be made available for the inspection of any members, for the preparation of an annual budget as a member of the Joint Coordinating Board, for the preparation of an annual financial report, and shall perform other duties as may be delegated to the Treasurer.
5. Once the immediate Past President has completed his or her last term of office as President, he or she will be the Chairperson of the Review and Oversight Committee. If the Past President has resigned or is unwilling to serve in this capacity, then a previous Past President will be appointed by the President.
6. The Committee will direct negotiations subject to the approval of the Council and develop the explicit positions of the FTNTT Unit regarding priorities related to long-range goals and policies, professional standards and conditions, faculty economic status and benefits. Among other duties the Committee may maintain liaison with other organizations which may have significance for its functioning.
Article VIII. Committees
1. Standing Committees. The standing committee chairpersons will be members of the Executive Committee. The standing committees shall be the Negotiations Committee, the Membership Committee, the Grievance and Arbitration Committee, the Nominations and Elections Committee, the Review and Oversight Committee and the Organizational Research and Media Committee. Other standing committees may be created by the Executive Committee as deemed necessary; however, elected members of the Executive Committee must remain a majority. The President shall appoint chairpersons of all standing committees subject to the approval of the Council except that in the case of a Review and Oversight Committee the chairperson shall be immediate Past President of the Unit in accordance with Article VII, Section 5. Each committee chairperson will appoint, in consultation with the Executive Committee, members of the respective committees.
A. The Negotiations Committee will call for suggestions from the full membership. The Bargaining Team, in consultation with the Executive Committee and the Negotiations Committee, will develop a contract proposal based upon policies, standards, and positions established historically and by the Council.
B. The Review and Oversight Committee is responsible for assessing the outcome of all actions taken by the Council and the Unit. It reviews the measure to which the Unit observes its resolutions and to which those with contractual agreements fulfill the stipulations of those agreements. It will bring departures to the attention of the President for his or her action. It may report its findings and recommendations to the Council and/or Executive Committee.
C. The Membership Committee will conduct an annual membership drive. It will evaluate the state of the Unit and recommend to the Council and/or Executive Committee whatever actions will encourage and maintain membership in the Unit.
D. The Grievance and Arbitration Committee is responsible for all grievance matters in which the Unit takes part. It will recommend to the Council and/or Executive Committee actions regarding grievance and arbitration.
E. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall supervise and/or conduct all elections, referenda, and ratifications. It will give notice to the general membership through university bodies of the manner and time for electing Officers of the Executive Committee and Delegates to the Council.
F. The Organizational Research and Media Committee shall gather and disperse information, create a newsletter template and procedure for its publication and distribution, as well as other duties specified by the President in consultation with the Council and/or Executive Committee.
2. Ad Hoc Committees. The President may appoint as necessary ad hoc committees from the general unit membership and may exercise ex-officio membership on any committee.
3. Representatives to other committees. The President in consultation with the Council may appoint representatives to Committee W and other Association and/or University Committees.
Article IX. Negotiations
1. The Bargaining Team will be responsible for collective bargaining contract negotiations with the administration of the University or their representatives.
2. The President will appoint a Chief Negotiator, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee and the Council.
3. The Chief Negotiator and/or the President will put forth a slate of Bargaining Team members for approval by the Executive Committee and the Council.
4. The Chief Negotiator and the Bargaining team are responsible to the membership. The Chief Negotiator must meet with the Executive Committee at the first scheduled Executive Committee meeting immediately following any bargaining session or at the call of the President.
5. The President with the approval of the Executive Committee and the Council may remove the Chief Negotiator or any member(s) of the Bargaining Team from that position.
6. The Chief Negotiator may sign a tentative agreement only with a majority affirmative vote of the Bargaining Team.
7. Any tentative collective bargaining agreement must be submitted to the Council. The Council may then remand it to the Bargaining Team or forward it to the membership for ratification or rejection. The Council may also include a recommendation to accept, reject or “no recommendation.”
8. The tentative agreement must be ratified by a majority of the active members voting.
Article X. Meetings
1. Council meetings will be open to FTNTT Unit members and guests invited by the FTNTT Unit President except when the Council elects to meet in Executive Session. A Council meeting may be called by petition of five (5) Council Delegates. The President may call for a session of the Council at any time.
2. Any Council action is valid only with a majority vote of those present.
3. Absentee ballots on a pre-determined and previously discussed question may be sent to the President of the Unit prior to the meeting in which the vote on the question of the Council is to occur. This ballot must be received by the President before the vote is taken. It must specify the question and the vote and be signed.
4. A council member may give written proxy to another FTNTT Unit member of his/her college or regional campus for a specific council meeting.
5. The Executive Committee will meet at least three times annually, at least once each academic semester, subject to the call of the President. An Executive Committee meeting may be called by petition of two Executive Committee members, or the President may call for a session of the Executive Committee at any time.
6. The Executive Committee may take action only with a majority vote of those present.
7. Standing Committees will meet at least three times annually.
Article XI. Ratification and Referenda
1. The Council may elect to refer any action to all of the active members for approval. The results of such referenda are final.
2. Any modification to a collective bargaining agreement must be approved by the Council.
3. Any action by the Council and/or Executive Committee opposed by thirty (30) percent of the active members through petition will be referred to the total membership. The results of such referenda are final.
4. Thirty (30) percent of the active members may through petition initiate a referendum. To pass a referendum will require a majority of the members voting. The results of such referenda are final.
Article XII. Amendments
An ad hoc Constitution Committee will review the Governing Document at times deemed appropriate by the Council. (See Article VIII, section 2.) It will make recommendations for the modification or amendment to the Council. This governing document may be amended by two-thirds vote of the Council and either a majority of the total number of active members or at least sixty (60) percent of those active members who vote.
Article XIII. Liaison
The President shall appoint a member of the unit as a Liaison with the Tenure-Track Unit of the AAUP-KSU. The Liaison shall attend AAUP-KSU meetings of that division’s Executive Committee, the Council, and the general membership in an ex officio capacity. A Liaison from the Tenure-Track Unit of the AAUP-KSU may attend the meetings of the AAUP-KSU, Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Unit in an ex-officio capacity.
Approved: FT NTT Unit Executive Committee 12/8/17
Approved: FT NTT Unit Membership 2/13/18