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 shall 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. It
is the intent of PEAC to balance and maintain an enrollment of active,
participatory members who have been elected on a voluntary basis, with a
membership that represents the broad and diverse constituency of
professional employees at the University.
Section 2. Eligibility: 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. PEAC membership shall not include any
positions at the rank of dean or higher, such as associate/assistant
vice presidents, vice presidents, or the President. PEAC membership
shall not include 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 PEAC Co-Chairs.
Section 3. Enrollment: PEAC shall consist of at least fifteen (15)
members. Members shall volunteer, or may be nominated, for
membership. A constituent "unit" shall be defined as the professional
employees in each University of Maine vice-presidential administrative
area. There shall be one unit for each vice-presidential area, and one
unit for the remaining offices reporting directly to the UMaine
President.
Section 4. Election Process:
- At least once each year, PEAC
shall issue an invitation to all professional employees for
membership, and shall issue an invitation to the chief
administrative officer of each constituent unit with the intent to
support and facilitate membership enrollment in their respective
area.
- PEAC shall schedule a meeting of
current members and hold a vote for prospective PEAC members
enrollment. Each prospective PEAC member shall require a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of current PEAC members in attendance in order to become
an active PEAC member. By request of the prospective PEAC member, a
vote of all University of Maine professionals shall be held. The
prospective PEAC member shall require a majority vote of University
of Maine professionals voting, in order to become an active PEAC
member. All elections are to use secret ballots.
- PEAC shall notify each person of
the results within ten (10) business days of the vote.
Following the elections, PEAC shall determine the number of
constituent units that remain unrepresented and shall inform the
chief administrative officer of each unit in an effort to facilitate
additional enrollment.
ARTICLE III OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of PEAC shall
be: two (2) Co-Chairs, two (2) Co-Chairs Elect, a Secretary, and a
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 shall 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 a Co-Chair of
PEAC resigns or becomes incapacitated, a Co-Chair Elect shall
succeed to the Co-Chair. Which of the two Co-Chairs is selected for
immediate succession shall be voluntary, or if both Co-Chairs Elect
seek the vacant seat, the successor shall be determined by majority
vote of PEAC members in attendance. The resulting vacancy for the
Co-Chair Elect shall be filled at the next meeting of 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 shall 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, shall be bondable and shall 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, shall determine whether or not it
chooses to use Robert's Rules of Order, another 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 officers, normally
the PEAC Co-Chairs.
ARTICLE V. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. A proposed amendment to the
Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the PEAC Co-Chairs, who
shall 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 or 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 two-thirds (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;
February 2010
