University of Colorado Student Union

Legislative Council

October 11, 2007                                                                                                                         67LCB15

 

Sponsored by:                                                 Veronica Lingo                       Journalism School Senator

                                                                                                                Appointments Committee Chair

 

Authored by:                                                   Veronica Lingo                       Journalism School Senator

                                                                                                                Appointments Committee Chair

 

A Bill to Standardize Practices in the Appointments Committee

Bill History

The activity of the UCSU Legislative Council Appointments Committee is an important function to the UCSU Legislative Council. It serves to facilitate the nomination of students-at-large onto UCSU-designated joint boards and committees, as well as the nomination of students-at-large to special, non-student, campus-wide committees, in addition to advising on policies related to our nomination process. As part of its mandated purpose to create a standardized and fair procedure in which to operate the nomination process, the Appointments Committee has created and approved Standing Rules. The next logical step to enacting these standing rules is to ensure that future committees may utilize this methodology in their processes.

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Bill Summary

 

WHEREAS, the UCSU Legislative Council has mandated that its Appointments Committee implement a fair and consistent structure for operation and nomination,

 

WHEREAS, this marks the first enacting of any form of standing rules for the Appointments Committee,

 

WHEREAS, said standing rules should be enacted in a form that can be recognized by this and future Councils,

THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED by the Legislative Council of the University of Colorado Student Union, THAT,

 

SECTION 1:  This bill shall insert an Appendix (Appendix A) to the UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws. The text of which shall follow in the remaining pages of this bill.

 

SECTION 2: The UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws Article VI, Section B, Subsection 2f, shall be amended to read (additions are indicated in bold underline and deletions by strikethrough), “All appointments open seats upon to all councils, committees, boards, and commissions, both in the UCSU and University-wide, standing and special, shall be posted publicly for at least three full working days before an appointment can be made. The appointing authority or his/her/its designee(s) shall insure that a uniform selection procedure is used for all applicants for a particular position The Appointments Committee shall follow the procedure set forth in their Standing Rules, to be found in Appendix A of these Bylaws.”

 

SECTION 3:  This bill shall be enacted upon being passed by a majority, present, of the Legislative Council and upon receiving the signature of two of the Tri-Executives or the elapse of six days from presentment without veto.

Vote Count:

10/11/07                                                          Passed                                                 Acclamation

10/18/07                                                          Passed                                                 Acclamation

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Boyce Postma                                                                                      Sarah Martinez-Davine

Legislative Council President                                                      UCSU Tri-Executive

 

____________________________________                             ____________________________________

Hadley Brown                                                                                      Charles Gilford

UCSU Tri-Executive                                                                           UCSU Tri-Executive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing Rules

University of Colorado Student Union Legislative Council

Appointments Committee

 

I.                   Structure and Purpose

a.       The UCSU Legislative Council Appointments Committee (hereby referred to as “the Appointments Committee” or “the Committee”) exists as a subcommittee to the UCSU Legislative Council.

b.      The authority of the UCSU Legislative Council, its Bylaws and the UCSU Constitution supersedes all authority of the Appointments Committee as dictated in these Standing Rules.

c.       The Appointments Committee serves as an advisory board to the UCSU Legislative Council in matters that pertain to student appointments to UCSU designated boards and committees and other non-student, campus-wide committees as designated in the UCSU Legislative Council Bylaws, Article VI, Section B, Subsection 2. It does so by:

                                                              i.      Nominating qualified student applicants to open positions on UCSU joint boards and committees and other non-student committees. These nominations are then subject to the final approval of Legislative Council.

                                                            ii.      Recommending policy choices to Legislative Council when they pertain to the methodology Council uses when appointing students to UCSU Joint Boards and committees. Legislative Council can either solicit recommendations from the Appointments Committee, or the Committee may undertake the task of analyzing UCSU appointment policy and charging a Committee member to draft legislation for Council review.

d.      The Appointments Committee shall consist of five members of Legislative Council.

                                                              i.      New Representatives and/or Senators shall be appointed by the Legislative Council President at the beginning of the legislative session. Incumbent Representatives and/or Senators shall maintain their appointment to the Committee from the previous session.

e.       Motions of impeachment or resignation from the Appointments Committee shall be submitted to the Legislative Council President for review. The Legislative Council President shall reserve authority to approve or deny resignations or impeachments.

II.                Chairmanship

a.       The Legislative Council President shall appoint the Appointments Committee Chair at the time s/he staffs the Appointments Committee. If the Chair is an incumbent to the Chairmanship, s/he shall retain said position within the Committee.

b.      It is the duty of the Chair to facilitate the efficiency and efficacy of the Appointments Committee.

                                                              i.      The Chair shall establish the agenda for and conduct Committee meetings. The Chair will also record the minutes of said meetings and distribute them to the Legislative Council.

                                                            ii.      The Chair will be the primary contact with applicants, Legislative Council, Joint Boards and Committees, as well as all other applicable parties in order to best facilitate a nomination process that is open and efficient.

                                                          iii.      The Chair must maintain an up-to-date record of open seats available on UCSU Joint Boards and Committees.

c.       The Chair is also charged with the duty of devising Committee strategies that will actively engage the greater UCSU student body in an effort to find candidates for UCSU Joint Boards and Committees.

                                                              i.      This can include tabling efforts, outreach projects, etc.

d.      The Chair may not vote on any matter unless that vote shall determine the outcome of an issue or application.

e.       Should the Chair fail to perform her/his duty, the Committee may nominate to impeach her/him.

                                                              i.      Such nominations should be submitted directly to the Legislative Council President with written assent from a majority of the Appointments Committee.

                                                            ii.      The UCSU Legislative Council President reserves final authority in impeachment proceedings.

III.             Procedure

a.       The Appointments Committee shall conduct its business during semi-regular meetings, as the Chair deems necessary.

                                                              i.      Quorum must be established in order for a meeting to occur. Quorum consists of three Committee members being present at the designated meeting time. 

                                                            ii.      In the event of their absence, Committee members may submit a paper proxy dictating their vote or they may give their vote to a present member, but these proxies will not count toward quorum. A member may also send a designated individual as their substitute in order to vote on their behalf. These physical proxies will count toward quorum. Members must notify the Chair of their intention to proxy and to specify which form this proxy shall take three hours prior to the Appointments Committee meeting.

b.      Appointments Committee meetings shall consist of:

i.        Reviews of applications. This first review of an applicant shall be subject to Committee discussion and a motion to move to an interview. The motion shall require a majority approval of members present and voting in order to pass. If the application does not receive majority approval, it will be considered a failed application. It shall be the duty of the Chair to notify candidates of the status of their application.

ii.      Interviews of applicants. This interview will be an opportunity for the Committee to speak with the applicant. At these meetings, the Chair of the Board to which the candidate is applying is encouraged, but not required, to attend. The interview shall then be subject to a motion to nominate the candidate to the UCSU Legislative Council. The motion shall require the majority approval of Committee members present and voting in order to pass. If the candidate does not receive majority approval, it will be considered a failed application.

iii.    All relevant legislative business. This shall include, but is not limited to, legislation and directives the Committee has received from the UCSU Legislative Council, audits and/or discussion and authoring of UCSU Legislative Council legislation that pertains to Appointments activity. Members wishing to undergo legislative business must contact the Appointments Committee Chair three days prior to the next scheduled meeting.

c.       Once a candidate is nominated to the UCSU Legislative Council, it shall be the duty of the Appointments Committee Chair to ensure that the UCSU Legislative Council President and appropriate office staff are notified and to coordinate a time to hear said nomination during a Legislative Council meeting. The Chair shall also have the duty to adequately represent the position and reasoning of the Committee during the nomination hearing.

d.      If, at any time, an applicant fails to be approved by the Appointments Committee or Legislative Council, s/he may reapply for consideration.

                                                              i.      It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to contact the Appointments Committee Chair and notify her/him of the intent to reapply. The Chair shall reserve discretion as to whether the application shall be reheard in Committee.

e.       Committee members may table any application or legislative issue currently in discussion. They may do so by motioning to table. Such a motion will require majority approval of members present and voting. If the motion passes, it will remain on the table until a member makes a motion to remove it from the table and return to discussion. The same voting procedure applies.

f.       The Chair shall enforce an application process that is standardized and therefore fair to all applicants to UCSU Joint Boards and Committees.

                                                              i.      Upon receipt of a new application, the Chair must call an Appointments Committee meeting to initiate the application review process within two weeks, unless the Chair provides extenuating circumstances.

                                                            ii.      The Chair is charged with the duty of maintaining a relatively uniform set of questions for multiple candidates applying to the same board, in order to ensure standardization.

g.      These Standing Rules may be amended through a legislative action approved by the Appointments Committee. Amending these rules shall require two-thirds approval of members present and voting. They shall be enacted through a legislative bill, subject to the approval of the Legislative Council.