Article I - Name of the Organization

The name of this organization shall be the Pasadena Area Community College Classified Senate, hereafter referred to as the Classified Senate.

Article II – Purpose

It shall be the function of the Classified Senate to participate in the governance of Pasadena Area Community College, hereafter referred to as PCC; to actively collect, evaluate, and disseminate information for the classified staff; to dispel rumors; and to represent the collective interests of the classified staff before or on any governance or college committee.

The Classified Senate is organized to:

  1. participate in the PCC governance structure;
  2. provide a body representing the needs, concerns and viewpoints of the classified staff;
  3. provide a centralized means of communicating the needs, concerns, and viewpoints of the members to administration, faculty, Board of Trustees, students, and other interested persons having to do with the growth, welfare and governance of the college;
  4. select from its membership representatives to serve on governance and college committees;
  5. collect, evaluate and disseminate information of interest to the classified staff.
  6. review all policies affecting classified staff, not related to collective bargaining activities.
  7. provide an opportunity for enhancing the democratic process of governance at PCC.
  8. promote and support activities that develop or increase the skills, productivity and professionalism of the classified staff.

Article III - Membership

Section 1

The Classified Senate shall be open to all members of the permanent classified staff who wish to participate, regardless of their classification, and who are not management or certificated, in a broad forum for input from a diverse and knowledgeable membership.

Section 2

The Classified Senate shall consist of 18 voting classified staff members elected as Senators representing their segments as defined in the by-laws.

Section 2

Classified Senators shall be selected from, but not limited to, the segments listed below.

  1. Clerical/Secretarial
  2. Technical/Paraprofessional
  3. Service/Maintenance
  4. Skilled Trades
  5. Community Education Center (shall be represented by 1 Classified Senator)

Article IV - Officers

Section 1

The officers of the Classified Senate shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, Representative to the Board of Trustees and one alternate representative to the Board of Trustees.

Section 2. Duties of Officers

  1.  President
    1. Chair meetings of the Senate
    2. Prepares the Agenda with input from Senators and Classified employees and sees to its posting and distribution
    3. Represents the Senate as assigned by the Senate to other campus organizations and to external organizations
    4. Is authorized to counter sign checks/draughts of the Classified Senate
  2. Vice President
    1. Chairs meetings in the absence of the President or when the Office of President is vacant through resignation, recall or removal
    2. Maintains the rosters of committees and recruits classified employees to
      fill open positions on committees
    3. Chairs the Nomination and Election Committee
  3. Secretary
    1. Records the minutes of the meetings of the Classified Senate
    2. Transcribes and publishes the minutes in a timely manner
    3. Distributes the agendas for coming meetings
    4. Arranges for tape recording Classified Senate meetings and archives the tapes
      of meetings for 6 months before they are recorded over
    5. Takes care of the correspondence of the Classified Senate externally and
      internally
    6. Maintains the records of the Classified Senate except for the financial
      records which are maintained by the Treasurer and relinquishes them to the
      next elected secretary in good order
  4. Treasurer
    1. Collects and Disburses the funds of the Classified Senate
    2. Prepares monthly accounting reports for Classified Senate Meetings and
      for distribution to the classified employees in general on a tri-monthly basis
    3. Supervises the preparation of a yearly budget for the Classified Senate and
      represents the Classified Senate in the Budget Preparation Process for the
      campus Budget Committee)
    4. Prepares checks or draughts of the Classified Senate as authorized and
      sees to their being counter signed by at least two responsible officers
    5. Maintains control of the Classified Senate Scholarship Fund and sees to
      its disbursal in accordance with decisions of the Classified Senate
    6. Maintains the financial records of the Classified Senate and relinquishes them
      to the next elected Treasurer in good order
    7. Treasurer is one of the authorized officers to sign checks and draughts of
      the Classified Senate
  5. Parliamentarian
    1. Maintains order at Classified Senate meetings
    2. Provides interpretation of conduct of business under Robert’s Rules of Order
    3. Operates the tape system to record Classified Senate meetings working together
      with the Secretary
    4. Chairs the Constitution and Bylaws Committee
  6. Representative to the BOT
    1. Attends meetings of the BOT
    2. Represents the Classified Senate to the BOT and furnishes the BOT with the
      opinion of the Classified Senate on relevant issues. When a position is not
      known the Representative will offer to bring the matter to the attention of the
      Senate
  7. Alternate Representative to the BOT
    1. Attends the meetings of the BOT in the absence of the Representative to the
      BOT
    2. Carries out other duties as assigned

Article V - Meetings and Attendance

Section 1

Regular meetings of the Classified Senate shall be held twice a month.

Section 2

Special meetings of the Classified Senate may be called by the Classified Senate President or by two or more members of the Classified Senate. Consent from the College President shall be obtained for meetings held during regular working hours.

Section 3

The rules of attendance shall be:

  1. Any Senator that is unable to attend a meeting is to contact the President of the Senate, prior to that meeting.
  2. Any member who misses three (3) consecutive meetings will be contacted by the President to discuss continuance or replacement on the Classified Senate.
  3. At the first meeting, following elections, all new members will be given an orientation to the Classified Senate's Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 4

At least once per school year, not during the summer inter-sessions, the Classified Senate will hold a General Membership Meeting of all classified employees represented by the Senate: Clerical/Secretarial, Technical/Paraprofessional, Service/Maintenance, Skilled Trades and Community Education Center.

  1. The Agenda for the General Meeting shall be organized by the President of the Senate with input from the Senators and the classified staff as a whole.
    1. Agenda items from the membership may be solicited by an announcement by the Senate or in other means adopted by the Senate
    2. Like agenda item suggestions may be grouped for facility in conduct of the General Meeting
  2. The time and place of the meeting shall be arranged by the Classified Senate
    1. Release time should be requested for the General Meeting (2hours)

    2. The meeting shall be held on the main campus or at the Community Education Center.

Article VI - Committees

Section 1

The Classified Senate shall establish both standing (permanent) and, when appropriate, ad hoc (of short duration) committees to assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures relating to classified staff and to the operational matters of the college, where these do not conflict with collective bargaining activities.

  1. All Committees, standing and ad hoc, serve at the will of the Senate to carry out work assigned by the Senate. Members of all committees are appointed by and ratified by the Senate. Committees of the Senate act as agents of the Senate and all projects, funds requests, proposals, and staffing decisions must come to the Classified Senate for action before implementation, with the exception of the provision of staff development funds to classified employees for staff development activities: conferences, training, workshops, etc. Committees of the Classified Senate may not act without the appropriate approval of the Classified Senate. In an emergency, a Committee may act but the action must be submitted for ratification and approval at the next scheduled meeting of the Classified Senate. No action, even an emergency or urgent action, which impels an action or a commitment that may not be undone, may be taken without the prior approval of a majority of the Classified Senate Officers (the Senate President should be notified of the impending action with sufficient time to permit her/him to poll the officers in an expedient manner).
  2. Members of all committees of the Classified Senate shall be recruited or elected through the process established in Article IV, Section 2B, Vice President.
  3. Each committee of the Classified Senate will elect/select a member to attend Classified Senate Meetings and report to the Senate on the activities of the committee.
  4. All committees of the Classified Senate shall maintain minutes of meetings and submit copies to the Classified Senate in a timely manner.
  5. All committees, to the degree possible, shall mirror the makeup of the Classified Senate through representation from all segments of the classified staff in the proportions listed in Article V Section 1 of the Bylaws of the Classified Senate. No committee should have in excess of 18 classified members unless special circumstances require more members for projects or activities. Such circumstances require the express permission of the Classified Senate through its action on a request for more members.

Section 2

Attendance requirements for Classified Senate committee members will be the same as those applied to elected officials. (see Article V.3-A.B.)

Article VII - Amendments

Section 1

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member of the Classified Staff, in writing, to a Senator. The proposed amendment will be placed on the agenda for consideration at the next regular meeting of the Classified Senate.

Section 2

After being reported, a proposed amendment shall be referred to the Constitution and By- laws Committee for study. After study, the By-laws Committee shall give a report in writing to the Classified Senate calling for enactment or rejection of the amendment.

Section 3

After action by the Classified Senate, to support or oppose the amendment, the proposed amendment will be submitted (to the classified staff for a vote. The proposed amendment must be posted at least five (5) days prior to voting by the Classified Senate, and campus-wide announcement must be made of the time and place of the voting.

Section 4

The proposed Amendment shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the vote cast by the Classified Staff in secret ballot.

Approved by Classified Senate 04/29/92. eam___revised 05-04-92___corrected 07-09-92 d:\constit.doc Revision Approved 11/23/99 (bas); Revision Approved 5/15/01 (bas)