Article I – Bylaws

These bylaws shall be adopted by a simple majority of the vote cast by the Classified Senate. These bylaws shall provide for regular meetings, methods of nominating and electing officers, the filling of vacancies and such other procedures as shall be needed to carry on the business of the Classified Senate.

Article II – Parliamentary Authority

Parliamentary authority shall be the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article III – Fiscal Year

The Classified Senate fiscal year shall be the same as the college calendar, July 1 through June 30, and all terms of the Senate officers will coincide with the fiscal year.

Article IV – Meetings

Section 1

Regular meetings of the Classified Senate shall be held on the first and third Wednesday of each month, beginning with the first Wednesday in July.

Section 2

Attendance by 50% of the members at any meeting of the Classified Senate shall constitute a quorum.

Article V

Section 1

The Classified Senate shall consist of 18 elected Senators, each of whom is elected by a functional segment of the Classified Staff for a two-year term as follows:

  • Clerical/Secretarial - 7 members
  • Technical/Paraprofessional - 5 members
  • Service/Maintenance - 3 members
  • Skilled Trades - 2 members
  • Community Education Center - 1 member

The proportional representation can be reformulated on a timely basis with regard to changes in the proportions of the regular Classified Staff work force.

Any seat not filled in an election may be filled by an appointment by the President and approved by a 2/3 majority of the Senate without regard to segment availability.

Section 2

Senators shall serve two-year terms. Members of the Senate shall be eligible for re-election. However, no member shall serve more than two consecutive two-year terms without spending at least one year out of the Senate.

If all seats are not filled, then the Senate may temporarily waive this requirement by a simple majority vote.

Section 3

The officers of the Classified Senate shall serve a term of one year and be eligible for re-election for one additional one-year term. No officer shall hold more than one office concurrently.

  1. The President, only upon completion of his or her final elected term of office, shall serve for one year as Immediate Past President. If the Immediate Past President is no longer filling an elected term, he or she will have no vote and will act in an advisory capacity to the Senate and its officers as an ex-officio member for one year.

Section 4

Each current Senate shall determine and meet its own organizational needs providing that its actions do not conflict with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Classified Senate.

Section 5

The outgoing President shall preside at the first regular meeting of the Classified Senate following the election of officers, render a report of the past year with such recommendations as are deemed advisable, and install the newly elected officers. Officers that are not re-elected to a new Senate 2-year term will be asked to function in their position until new officers are elected, but have no voting privileges.

Section 6

The Senators will meet with their constituents as necessary to gain feedback, to report back on what transpired at a previous meeting of the Classified Senate, and to relay information related to his or her specific segment and the Classified Senate.

Article VI – Committees

All committees will act in accordance with Article VI of the Classified Senate Constitution.

Section 1

The Nomination and Election committee shall be a standing committee of the Classified Senate to solicit and receive names of candidates to be chosen as Senators and shall supervise the election of those candidates. Nominations shall be by written petition and the nominee shall accept in writing.

Section 2

The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall be standing committee of the Classified Senate to make timely reports and recommendations to the Senate on Bylaws for conducting Senate meetings and activities and amendments to the Constitution and shall receive all proposals from the membership for amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 3

Ad Hoc Committees may be established upon advice and consent from the members. Such committees shall be formed for special purposes and be of short duration.

Section 4

The Classified Senate Policy Review committee shall be a standing committee of the Classified Senate to review, and make recommendations to the Classified Senate on all district/college policies as presented for the Senate’s consideration through the Pasadena City College shared governance process. The committee shall be chaired by the Parliamentarian, and consist of the following additional membership: one Senator, and two appointed Classified staff members. Every effort will be made to appoint one of the Classified Staff members from the Community Education Center.

Section 5

Commencing with 2003 college calendar year, July 1 through June 30, chairs of all Classified Senate standing committees shall serve a term of one year and be eligible for re-appointment as chair for one additional one year term. No standing committee chair shall hold more than one standing committee chair concurrently.

Article V

Section 1

The Nomination and Election Committee shall present a slate of candidates for Senators upon the consent of the candidates. Any member may make additional nominations through his or her Senator.

Section 2

Elections by secret ballot shall be held in May of each year. A balloting chairperson and two tellers shall be appointed to tally the ballots cast and announce the result.

Commencing with the 2000 election, staggered elections shall be held. Nine (9) senators shall be elected each odd numbered year and nine (9) senators shall be elected each even numbered year. To begin this process, the Senate sitting at the time of ratification of this bylaw shall through its own action determine the seats to be elected in the odd and even years.

(Addendum to above for year 2000 election: three – Clerical/Secretarial, three – Technical/Paraprofessional, one – Service/Maintenance, one – Skilled Trades, and one CEC Senator shall be elected)

The candidate receiving the most votes, plurality, of the votes cast shall be declared the winner for each Senate seat. The self-nomination process as described in Article VII, Section 1, limits the election to verified candidates, therefore, write-in votes shall not be counted. I

n the event of a tie vote on any ballot for one or more Senators, a new election shall be called for immediately and be held as soon as possible with the tying candidates listed on the ballot. This process shall continue until a deciding vote is reached. The newly elected Senators shall take office July 1.

Section 3a

All Senate Officers shall be nominated from and elected by the Senators of the Classified Senate during the first meeting in August. Any nominee for the office of President shall have completed a minimum of one year as a Classified Senator.

Section 3b

Campaigning for Senate Officer: All Senate nominees must follow the District guidelines regarding campaigning.

Section 3c

Order of Senate Officer Election:

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Parliamentarian
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Representative to the Board of Trustees

Section 4

  1.  Any appointee to a committee may be removed for cause from his/her position by a 2/3 majority vote of the Classified Senate.
  2. Any Senator of the Classified Senate may be removed from office for cause by a 2/3 majority of votes cast within his/her segment. This election for removal shall follow a motion for removal passed by a majority of the Classified Senate at a regular or special called meeting.
  3. Elected officers of the Classified Senate may be removed from office for cause by a 2/3 majority vote of the Senators present and voting at a regular or called special Senate meeting.
  4. Any senator may be recalled by a segment election after the presentation to the Senate of a petition signed by a minimum of 20% of the electors in the segment. The Senate shall call the recall election and it will be conducted by the Nomination and Election Committee in a speedy manner. Candidates to replace the senator subject to recall may be listed on the same ballot, in a separate section, to expedite the work of the Senate.

Section 5

A vacancy resulting from resignation or declaration, shall be filled by a Classified Senate President appointment and a majority vote of the Classified Senate.

  1. If the vacancy is filled during the first year of a two-year term, it shall be counted as a complete two year term of the appointed Senator. The appointed Senator will be eligible to run for one additional, consecutive two year term following completion of the appointed term.
  2. If the vacancy is filled during the second year of a two-year term, it shall not be counted as a full term. The appointed Senator shall be eligible to run for election to the Classified Senate for two consecutive terms following the completion of the appointed term.

Section 6 - Leaves of Absence

  1. Any Senator may request a leave of absence of up to one full College semester or a maximum of six months by written request to the President. The leave must be approved, by majority vote, of the entire Senate. If the leave is approved, an interim appointment may be made by the President for any Officer with a vote of approval from the entire Senate. There shall be no more than two Senators granted leave at any time.
  2. The number of Senate members for a quorum shall be reduced by one member for each Senator on leave for the length of the leave of absence.
  3. A leave of absence shall be limited to once every two consecutive terms (four years).

Article VIII – Amendments

Additions to and/or changes in the Bylaws may be effected by a simple majority vote of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and ratification by a simple majority of the quorum at the next regular meeting following the proposal.

Bylaws – Revision (09-17-08). Revision (05-07-14).