BFSA By-Laws
Article I. BFSA Officers
Section 1. Officer Duties
a) President: The President shall be the chief executive officer of BFSA and shall chair all meetings of the Executive Committee and General Assembly. The president does not vote on general issues or during elections except in the event of a tie. The President shall also be the chief spokesperson of the Association and shall represent BFSA in relations with other organizations, unless this responsibility has been delegated to a member of the Executive Committee. The President shall also direct the administration of the Association by
- convening and preside over all Executive and General Body meetings;
- serving as the chief spokesperson for the Association and represent the interests of all members in both campus and community areas;
- establishing and appoint chairpersons for any ad-hoc committees;
- acting as ex-officio on all ad-hoc committees;
- working in conjunction with the Secretary to set general meeting schedules and notify members of said meetings;
- calling special meetings of the membership to address special and/or time sensitive urgent matters;
- authorizing expenditures and co-sign checks [treasury duties].
b) Vice-President of Faculty: The Vice-President of Faculty shall ensure the proper performance of all Executive Committee duties and the proper operation of all committees. In the President’s absence, the Vice-President shall chair the Executive Committee and General Assembly meetings. In addition, the Vice – President will Perform all duties as designated by the President such as calling special meetings of the membership to address special and/or time sensitive urgent matters and succeed to the office of President in the event of a vacancy in that office.
c) Vice-President for Staff: The Vice-President of Staff shall be the chief records officer of BFSA including acting, and organizational Historian, being responsible for documenting the history of the BFSA and for maintaining the organization’s archives. The Vice-President for Staff shall also be responsible for maintain and update all official documents of the Association and shall be ultimately responsible for all correspondence. The Secretary shall also maintain a roster of membership. The Vice- President for Staff shall also perform all duties as designated by the President and advise the president on issues relating to staff.
d) Secretary shall be the chief communications officer of the BFSA facilitating correspondence among members and bodies of the Executive Committee and between members of the Executive Committee and all Association members. The Secretary shall also notify members of upcoming meetings; taking, maintaining, and distributing the minutes of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly meetings as well as any special business/election meetings as requested or dictated by BFSA Bylaws; Record and distribute [or arrange to have recorded or distributed] minutes of all official meetings including general membership and executive meetings.
e) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the BFSA. The Treasurer shall be ultimately responsible for proposing the annual budget along with oversight of proper deposits and disbursement of all funds of the BFSA and for the establishment and maintenance of appropriate records of all fiscal transactions. The Treasurer shall ensure that all expenditures are within the approved budget and have been properly incurred under the policies of BFSA. Sign, in conjunction with the president or his/her designee, all checks and financial transactions.
f) Parliamentarian: Shall enforce and maintain the constitution and any related operating papers of the Association; Maintain order and ensure that parliamentary procedures are adhered; Chair the elections committee and review any necessary changes to the bylaws and present them to the general membership annually.
Section 2. BOARD MEMBER DUTIES. The BFSA Board members must do the following:
- Attend all board meetings unless prior notice is given regarding absence,
- Be responsible for the creation and management of ad-hoc and standing committees as needed,
- Serve as chairs of at least one standing committee and any established ad-hoc committees, and
- Be responsible for managing the BFSA Issue Assessment protocol outlined in Article VIII (A committee will be formed to review this process as requested by the membership).
Article II. Committees
Section 1. STANDING COMMITTEES. Standing committees may be established and discontinued by the membership. Each committee shall be co-chaired by a board member and an Association member form general membership. Co-chairs shall submit a monthly report to the Executive Committee. The current Standing Committees of the BFSA are as follows:
- Recruitment and Retention Committee -Monitoring efforts at recruiting and retaining Black and other faculty, instructors, and academic professionals who are vital to the well-being of communities of color.
- Faculty Policy and Review Committee - Encouraging Black and other faculty/instructors as they seek a conducive and equitable academic/scholarly environment as well as promotion and tenure.
- Academic Professionals Policy and Review Committee -Encouraging Black and other academic professionals as they seek a conducive and equitable work environment as well as promotion and fair remuneration.
- Communications Committee (Website & Electronic Communication) – Assisting the Vice-President of Staff and Secretary in keeping the membership informed of all significant Association activities and concerns.
- Student Outreach Committee - Ensuring the Association is aware of the broader concerns and issues confronting Black and other student communities at SIUE.
- Elections Committee – Work with the Parliamentarian to conduct the annual elections.
- BFSA Internal Networking Committee - Shall ensure Association members and friends of the Association have opportunities to socialize, network, and discuss concerns among themselves. At least twice a year.
- Professional Development Committee - Facilitate the ongoing professionalism of the Association membership through educational, leadership and networking activities for Alliance members. At least twice a year the Professional Development Chair coordinates such activities.
- Fundraising Committee – Lead BFSA efforts in creating, identifying, and securing various fundraising opportunities need to help the association function.
- Mentorship Committee – coordinate the process of assigning new BFSA members with experienced BFSA members in an effort to promote cross collaboration and foster opportunities for career advancement. This committee may also be responsible for developing a minority leadership academy that is inclusive of black students at the university.
- Ad Hoc Committee - Shall be appointed by the Co-Chairs or the General Body as needs arise.
Section 2. SPECIAL COMMITTEES. Special committees may be established and discontinued by the membership or by the Executive Committee for the purpose of accommodating a specific task or tasks within a limited period of time. Examples of Special Committees include but are not limited to:
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Created by Executive Committee: Fall 2016
Revised: Spring 2017
Approved by the board: 2017
