General Staff Organization

Mission & Bylaws

Mission

The General Staff Organization (GSO) at the University of Washington Bothell seeks to:

  • Enhance student access and success through excellence in service;
  • Facilitate communication, support and unity among classified staff, professional staff and librarians;
  • Provide leadership through communication, positive change and teamwork among staff, librarians, faculty, and administrators, through campus and community issues.
  • Represent staff by enhancing the working experience and environment.
  • Provide the ability for staff to contribute to the campus and university community.

Bylaws

Article I. Membership

Section A. Membership is voluntary. The following are considered members:

  1. Classified Staff – full or part-time, permanent and temporary
  2. Professional Staff – full or part-time, permanent and temporary
  3. Librarians – full or part-time, permanent and temporary (non-faculty)

Section B. The following are not considered members

  1. Work-study students
  2. Student workers
  3. Faculty

Article II. Officers

Section A. Elected officers make up the GSO Executive Committee and are:

  1. Chair
  2. Vice Chair
  3. Secretary/Treasurer

Section B. Terms of office are:

  1. The officers will assume their duties on July 1.
  2. Both the Chair and Vice Chair serve two years with one position beginning in odd number years and the other position beginning in even numbered years.
  3. Secretary/Treasurer serves two years.

Section C. Eligibility

Only members of the GSO are eligible to serve as officers.

Section D. Vacancies

  1. Vacancies occurring in any position will be filled by interim appointments appointed by the Executive Committee, then by election. The term of service for this emergency replacement will be the amount of time remaining of the previous representative’s term of office.
  2. No position will remain vacant for more than sixty days.
  3. If the Chair position becomes vacant, the Vice Chair will assume duties as Chair until the next election of GSO officers. If this leaves the Vice Chair position empty, the Interim Chair will appoint an Interim Vice Chair.
  4. If the Vice-Chair position becomes vacant, the Chair will appoint an Interim Vice Chair or will assume duties as Vice Chair until the next election of GSO officers. If the Secretary/Treasurer position becomes vacant, the Chair will appoint an Interim Secretary/Treasurer or assume the duties until the next election of GSO officers.

Article III. Personnel Issues

The General Staff Organization encourages individuals to resolve problems and issues through appropriate channels. The GSO does not deal directly with personnel issues specific to individuals or individual job categories represented by other professional organizations.

Article IV. Duties of Officers 

Section A. The Chair and Vice Chair are responsible to:

  1. Direct all GSO affairs
  2. Chair the regular meetings
  3. Act as official spokespersons for the Organization
  4. Coordinate and develop programs
  5. Prepare official correspondence
  6. Divide the above responsibilities as appropriate

Section B. The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible to:

  1. Record the proceedings of the GSO general meetings
  2. Maintain the GSO email list
  3. Distribute the minutes of the meetings to members
  4. Maintain records that include minutes, all GSO committees and the members therein.
  5. Maintain record of all funds.

Article V. GSO Liaisons

Section A. Department Representation

Each department at UW Bothell may appoint a GSO liaison who represents the department’s interests at GSO meetings.

Section B. Liaison Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the departmental liaisons are:

  1. Attend GSO liaison meetings twice a quarter (or send another representative from that department)
  2. Communicate GSO activities and information to department staff
  3. Communicate to the GSO the ideas and needs of department staff

It is not required for liaisons to participate on any committees or projects. The goal is to open up communication between departments and to the GSO group.

Article VI. Meetings

Section A. Regular Meetings

The GSO will hold regular general meetings as established by the officers. Meetings will occur at least one time per quarter during Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters.

Section B. Special Meetings

Special meetings may be called by the Chair, Vice Chair or by a petition signed and dated by 5 members and presented to the Chair or Vice Chair.

Section C. Time & Place

The time and place of the general and special meetings will be set by the GSO Executive Committee.

Section D. Agendas

The agenda of the general meetings will be set by the (Ad hoc committee). For a meeting called by petition, the first items on the agenda must be those on the petition. At the general meetings, time must be reserved for the introduction of business from the floor.

Section E. Notification of members prior to meetings

For all meetings, the Secretary/Treasurer will notify members of the time, place and agenda at least seven days in advance. A reminder notice the day prior to any meeting is at the discretion of the Secretary/Treasurer but is strongly recommended.

Section F. A Quorum

Members present at a general or special meeting will constitute a quorum for conducting the business of that meeting.

Article VII. Committees

Section A. Appointments to Committees

1. The Chair and Vice Chair may appoint committees and committee chairs as necessary. The size, scope, and members are to be reported to the Secretary/Treasurer who will keep records of this information.
2. Members of committees should be representative of the campus and thus efforts should be made to include as many departments as possible in all committees.

Section B. The Standing Committee is:

Elections Committee with one appointed Chair.

(a) The Elections Committee Chair will appoint one or two additional members.
(b) No member of the Elections Committee will be a candidate for office during his or her term of service.

ArticleVIII. Nominations & Elections Anchor

Section A. Nominations

1. GSO members will be notified of a vacant position or of a general election 75 days prior to the election date.
2. Nominations will be submitted to the Elections Committee Chair or his/her designated representative in writing, or by electronic mail, within 60 days of the next election date.
3. Nominations must be written and seconded. Electronic mail messages will suffice as written nominations.
4. The Elections Committee Chair will present to the Staff Organization the names of all eligible nominees who have accepted their nominations.
5. The Secretary/Treasurer will record and archive the names of all nominees along with their acceptance or non-acceptance.

Section B. Elections

1. The Election Committee Chair will prepare an official ballot and mail said ballot to all members within 30 days of the beginning of the contested term.
2. Ballots must be returned to the Elections Committee Chair no later than 15 days after receipt of contested term. Ballots returned electronically will not be accepted and considered invalid.
3. Simple majority of all votes cast will constitute election.
4. The Chair of the Elections Committee will notify the successful candidates, the unsuccessful candidates, and the GSO of the results.
5. In the event of a tie, a run-off vote by written ballot between the two candidates having the highest number of votes will be held at the next general or special meeting of the GSO or by a new ballot to be submitted to members and returned within 15 days.
6. The privacy of voters must be protected.

Article IX. Changes to the mission statement & bylaws

Section A. Proposals

1. Must be submitted to the General Staff Organization in writing.
2. Submissions will be accepted by email addressed to Chair or Vice Chair, or officially at the GSO meetings.
3. Debate will follow with text being made available to members via the GSO email list, or by provision of paper or electronic copy.
4. Redrafts will be written based upon debate.
5. Votes will be recorded on secret ballot sent to members and returned within 15 days.
6. Quorum will be reached if 20% of the members respond.
7. The Elections Committee Chair and one of his/her appointees will tally votes.
8. Confidentiality will be protected as well as the medium can allow.

Section B. Revisions

1. Revisions of the existing mission statement and bylaws will be submitted, debated, and voted upon in the same manner as the newly proposed mission statement and bylaws.
2. No bylaw will be exempt from this bylaw.
3. For a bylaw revision to be duly adopted, the revision shall/must be submitted to the Chancellor for approval.

Article X. Parliamentary Authority

1. In general, the meetings will be conducted informally and the General Staff Organization will meet as a committee of the whole.
2. The rules contained in the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised” will govern GSO meetings in all cases to which they are applicable in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.
3. A parliamentarian will be appointed as needed by the presiding officer.

The mission statement and bylaws were last updated on 09/16/03