PEAC Constitution
ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of this
organization is the University of Maine Professional Employees Advisory
Council and shall hereinafter be referred to as PEAC.
Section 2. The purpose of PEAC is to encourage, facilitate and
contribute to collegiality among the professional staff and
administration at the University of Maine. PEAC will concern itself with
non-bargainable issues relevant to professional staff: nominating
colleagues to University committees, collecting and disseminating
information relevant to professionals, and reporting its findings and
recommendations to the President of the University of Maine.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. PEAC shall consist of at
least fifteen (15) members elected by the professional staff. Members
will be apportioned to each of the constituent units, which comprise
PEAC in proportion to the number of professional employees in each unit
as of April 1 of each year. A "unit" will be defined as the professional
employees in each University of Maine vice-presidential administrative
area, with one unit for offices reporting directly to the UMaine
President. In order to ensure sufficient PEAC membership in future
years, the Council may, on a temporary basis, increase elected PEAC
members beyond the fifteen as specified in Article II, Section 1 of the
Constitution.
Section 2. Professionals shall be defined to include all professional
positions regardless of whether the position is represented (UMPSA) or
non-represented, or whether the position is considered an administrative
position as defined by the Office of Human Resources.
- Exclude all positions at the rank of
dean or higher, including associate/assistant vice presidents, vice
presidents, and the President.
- Excludes any position where the
individual holding the position is tenured, on tenure-track, or in a
terminal year of a tenure-track position.
- Other professional personnel may
petition PEAC to be included in its constituency by written request to
the President of PEAC.
- Each unit shall be allocated at
least one (1) representative.
Section 3. Prior to each annual
election, PEAC shall determine the number of members that shall be
apportioned to each unit and shall inform the chief administrative
officer of each unit if an election is necessary.
- Each unit shall elect its member(s)
to PEAC during the spring semester, shall be two (2) nominations for
each unit vacancy on PEAC selected by a nominations committee of at
least three (3) professional employees appointed by the PEAC
membership. All elections are to use secret ballots. PEAC shall be
informed of the results of balloting prior to July 1.
- The term of office for
representatives to PEAC shall be three (3) years.
Section 4. The PEAC executive committee
shall be granted the authority to appoint members of the University of
Maine professional staff to fill unexpired terms of PEAC board members.
ARTICLE III OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of PEAC shall
be (2) Co-Chairs, (2) Co-Chairs Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The
Co-Chairs and Co-Chairs Elect shall be elected for the following
academic year during the final meeting (normally in June) of the current
academic year. The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve a one-year term
and shall be elected at the first fall meeting of the new academic year.
Co-Chairs Elect will have terms of appointment extended as necessary to
provide normal progression of leadership through the chairs. Any member
may hold the Secretary and Treasurer position. The Co-Chairs, Co-Chairs
Elect, Secretary and Treasurer shall make up the Executive committee.
Section 2. It is the intent of the membership that the normal
progression of leadership for PEAC shall be "through the chairs" from
Co-Chair Elect to Co-Chair.
- In the event that the Co-Chair of
PEAC resigns or becomes incapacitated, the Co-Chair Elect shall
succeed automatically to the Co-Chair. The resulting vacancy for the
Co-Chair Elect shall be filled at the next meeting of the PEAC.
- The Co-Chairs shall serve as chief
presiding officers, making all appointments and establishing such
committees and sub-committees as deemed necessary for the efficient
and expeditious conduct of PEAC business and shall represent the
organization as required.
- The Co-Chairs Elect shall serve as
direct assistants to the Co-Chairs, undertaking such projects as
assigned. The office shall have a focus on special projects,
coordinating committee work, and giving such leadership as necessary.
- The Co-Chairs Elect will focus on
developing an understanding of the organization and supporting its
links with the campus community. In that role, the Co-Chairs Elect
shall have responsibility for maintaining contact with membership,
conducting any formal surveys or informal opinion seeking necessary
for policy setting by PEAC and for publishing the PEAC newsletter.
- The Secretary and Treasurer shall
perform those traditional roles as record keepers necessary for the
successful transaction of business. The person, functioning as
treasurer, must be bondable and must maintain financial records of the
organization in accordance with University policy and common
accounting practice.
- The outgoing Co-Chairs shall serve
as Co-Chairs ex-officio for a period of one year from the date of
completion of their term as Co-Chairs.
ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS
Section 1. There shall be at least
quarterly meetings of the PEAC.
Section 2. At the first meeting of the new academic year, PEAC by a
majority vote of those attending, will determine whether or not it
chooses to use Robert's Rules of Order or some other standardized
outline of procedures for the conduct of its business. Or if it chooses
to conduct business and make decisions based upon the achievement of
consensus by those present as determined by the meetings presiding
officer, normally the PEAC Co-Chairs.
ARTICLE V. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. A proposed amendment to the
Constitution must be submitted in writing to the President of PEAC, who
will distribute copies to PEAC and all other University of Maine
professional employees. The proposed amendment shall be voted on by the
professional employees not sooner than thirty (30) days nor more than
forty-five (45) days after the date of distribution. Ratification of the
Constitution shall require a majority vote of University of Maine
professionals voting or a 2/3 vote of PEAC members.
Original Constitution established May
19, 1972 revised: May 31, 1974; May 20, 1980;
Dec. 2, 1981; May 1985; Sept.1986;
Dec.1986; May 1989; May 1994;
May 1996; April 1998; August 2002
