Spring 2005

UNI - UNITED FACULTY

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

C 0 N S T I T U T I 0 N

ADOPTED AT THE GENERAL MEETING

HELD ON 8 SEPTEMBER 1975

UPDATED - 1 OCTOBER 1980

UPDATED - 8 SEPTEMBER 1983

UPDATED – 9 March 2005

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNINCORPORATED UNI-UNITED FACULTY UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

Article I

NAME

The name of this Association shall be UNI-United Faculty hereinafter referred to as United Faculty or UF.

                                                            Article II

AFFILIATION

This Association may affiliate with any organization that supports collective bargaining units.  Any such affiliation must be approved by a majority vote at a General Meeting.  A duly approved affiliation shall continue until changed by a majority vote at a General Meeting. UF shall affiliate with the American Association of University Professors(AAUP) and all of its constituent parts, including, but not limited to, the Iowa Conference of AAUP and the national Collective Bargaining Congress.

     Article III

PURPOSES

The primary purposes of the United Faculty shall be:

1. To represent members of the faculty bargaining unit at the University of Northern Iowa in their employment relations.

2. To work with other organizations of public employees and educators in pursuit of common goals.

3. To work for the improvement of university conditions and to seek solutions to community problems relating to the universities.

4. To improve the professional, economic, and civic status of its members.

5. To work for the welfare of university students, the advancement of education, and the improvement of instructional opportunities for all.

6. To support and strengthen the state and national as­sociations with which United Faculty is affiliated.

Article IV

MEMBERSHIP

1.       Active Membership

  Active membership in United Faculty shall be open to all persons engaged in educational work of a professional nature at the University of Northern Iowa, and who are eligible for representation by United Faculty in collective bargaining.

2.       General Provisions

A. Membership shall not be denied any employee of the University of Northern Iowa who is otherwise eligible, because of age, race, sex, religion, physical disability, or national origin.

B. Membership shall be continuous until the member's employment causes his or her membership eligibility to change, or until he or she leaves the employment of the University, or resigns in writing from United Faculty, or fails to pay membership dues within 90 days of being duly notified by the Treasurer that payment of the dues is due, or membership is revoked after due process.

3.       Revocation of Membership

A. The Executive Board may suspend from membership rights or expel any member who they find in willful violation of the Constitution and Bylaws after a full and fair investigation.

B. Any member in good standing has the right to file a complaint al­leging such violations of the Constitution and Bylaws. Such complaints shall be in writing and submitted to the President of the United Faculty.

C. Any member charged with violations of said Constitution and Bylaws shall be notified in writing of the time and place when the Executive Board shall hear the charges. The member shall also be notified of the right to be present with counsel of choice during such meeting, shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses and offer other testimony judged beneficial to the member's defense.

D. The Executive Board hearing shall not be sooner than five (5) work­ing days following notification of charges to the accused. Such notice shall include a copy of the submitted charges.

E. Any decision of the Executive Board may be appealed to the Central Committee of United Faculty at its next regular meeting.

Article V

OFFICERS

1. The officers of United Faculty shall consist of a President, a Vice ­President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

2. All officers must be active members of United Faculty.

3. All officers shall be elected by secret ballot of the Membership at times and for terms provided for in the Bylaws.

4. Whenever a majority of the Executive Board shall agree that an officer has been grossly negligent of the duties defined in the Bylaws or is incapacitated or voluntarily resigns, they shall recommend to the Central Committee that the office be declared vacant.

5. An office declared vacant by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Central Committee meeting in regular session shall immediately be filled for the unexpired term by election of a replacement by the Central Committee.

Article VI

EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. Membership - The Executive Board shall consist of the officers, the im­mediate past president, and three (3) members elected at large.

2. Authority - The Executive Board shall be the executive authority for United Faculty, subject to review by the Central Committee or the membership.

Article VII

CENTRAL COMMITTEE

1. Membership - The Central Committee shall consist of the Executive Board, the chairperson of each standing committee, and one or more rep­resentatives from each unit as defined by the Central Committee.

2. Chairperson - The President of United Faculty shall serve as chairper­son of the Central Committee.

3. Authority - The Central Committee shall be the legislative and policy-making authority for United Faculty, subject to review by the Membership.

4. Members of the Central Committee must be active members of United Faculty during their term of office.

5. Any member of United Faculty who is not a member of the Central. Committee may attend meetings of the Committee and participate in the proceedings upon recognition from the Chair, but shall not have the right to vote.

Article VIII

MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

1. The Membership shall meet at least once a year and shall have power to transact any business of United Faculty.  Membership meetings should only be held during academic year semesters.  The academic year semesters are defined as commencing on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of classes during the fall and spring semesters.

2. Upon receipt of a petition of ten per cent (10%) of the Membership, the President shall convene a Membership meeting no later that 15 working days after the receipt of the petition subject to the above limitations.

3. A quorum for Membership meetings shall consist of those members present and voting at the meeting.

Article IX

BASIC STANDARDS

Collective bargaining negotiations for United Faculty shall take as a mini­mum standard of acceptable terms the provisions of the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure of the AAUP and all provisions of the 1966 Statement of Government of Colleges and Universities of the AAUP not incompatible with the Iowa Public Employment Relations Act.

Article X

AMENDMENTS

The United Faculty may adopt amendments to this Constitution by a majority vote of members voting by secret mail ballot as described in Roberts Rules of Order. Newly revised edition provided that:

(1) the proposed amendments have been introduced at a regular meeting of the Central Committee and referred to the Membership by a vote of the Central Committee.

(2) after such regular meeting of the Central Committee, copies of the proposed amendment have been promptly thereafter distributed to the members of the United Faculty at least five class days prior to a Membership meeting at which the amendment is moved and discussed, and

(3) after such Membership meeting, ballots have been distributed to the entire United Faculty Membership.

Article XI

DISSOLUTION

1. United Faculty may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of those present and entitled to vote at any Membership meeting, provided that notice of the motion to dissolve has been distributed according to the provision for distributing amendments to the Constitution. Such dissolution may not take effect during the term of a collective bargaining contract to which United Faculty is a party.    

2. Upon dissolution, the Executive Board shall make provisions for the payment of all liabilities of United Faculty, shall dispose of the assets of United Faculty in accordance with the purposes stated in Article III above, and shall distribute any remaining funds to the Membership on a pro rata basis.