THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON LIBRARIES

I. NAME.

    The name of this organization is: Professional Forum of the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.  It is hereinafter referred to as the Forum.

II. PURPOSES.   

    A. To address the professional interests and concerns of its members and to be a collective voice on issues related to their professions;

    B. To recommend to the Director of the Libraries representatives of the Libraries to serve on University committees;

    C. To review and revise, as needed, the Career Status Recognition Policy.

III. MEMBERSHIP.

    The membership of the Forum consists of all exempt library professionals in the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.  All members are voting members.

IV. YEAR.

    The Forum will operate on the basis of a year beginning September first and ending August thirty-first.

V. OFFICERS.

    A. The Chair

        1. On September first of each year the Chair Elect succeeds to the Chair.

        2. The duties of the Chair are:

            a. To preside over all meetings of the Forum;

            b. To exercise general supervision over the business of the Forum including preparation of agendas, proposals to be considered and minutes of the meetings;

            c. To communicate for the Forum with the administration of the Libraries, and with other organizations as required;

            d. To represent the Forum at meetings of the Supergroup; and,

            e. To serve as Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee; (unless the Chair of the forum is also a Supergroup member,

                in which case a Professional  Advisory Committee Chair shall be elected fro non-Supergroup members), and,

            f. To fulfill such other responsibilities as are given to this office elsewhere in these Bylaws or by action of the Forum.

        3. If the Chair becomes vacant for any reason, the Chair Elect immediately succeeds to it for the balance of the year as well as for the following

             year provided that succession occurs after March first. No one shall serve for more than eighteen consecutive months as Chair.

        4. The person serving as Chair may not be elected as the next Chair Elect.

        5. The Chair may appoint a member Parliamentarian to advise in the planning and conduct of meetings.

    B. The Chair Elect.

        1. A Chair Elect is elected annually from the membership to serve in that office for one year.

        2. The duties of the Chair Elect are:

            a. To assume the duties of the Chair in the absence of that officer;

            b. To succeed to the office of Chair for the following year;

            c. To record the minutes of each meeting; and

            d. To fulfill such other responsibilities as are given to the office elsewhere in these Bylaws or by action of the Forum.

        3. If the office of the Chair Elect becomes vacant because the incumbent succeeds to the Chair or for any other reason, an election will be held to choose a new    

            Chair Elect.

VI. MEETINGS.

    A. The Forum meets:

        1. Quarterly (Oct., Jan., April, July)

        2. and, as needed on call of the Chair.

    B. QUORUM. A majority of the voting membership must be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.

VII. STANDING COMMITTEES.

    A. The Standing Committees of the Forum are:

        Professional Development Committee, Career Status Committee, and other such standing committees that are established.

    B. Professional Development Committee.

        1. The Professional Development Committee consists of members elected for terms of two years.  The terms are staggered.

        2. The duties and functions of the Professional Development Committee are:

            a. To identify topics regarding professional development which would be of sufficient interest ot the staff for the committee to schedule speakers or workshops    

            within the library.  To then seek funding, publicize, and evaluate the speakers or workshops;

            b. To make recommendations on research proposals submitted by professional staff.

            c. To appoint subcommittees with the purpose of planning/managing special projects of the Committee.

    C. Career Status Committee.

        1. The Career Status Committee is composed of six members, four of whom are elected at large by the staff covered by the Career Status Recognition Policy

        and  two appointed by the Director of  Libraries.  The terms of all members will be two years with eligibility for re-election or re-appointment.  Terms will be

        staggered so as to maintain three new and three returning members.  Members may not be in their probationary period, and should have no less than three years of 

        professional library of archival experience.

        2. The Career Status Committee will maintain a calendar for the career status recognition process and will issue calls for action related to that calendar.  The 

        Committee will serve as a resource for staff and others who have questions or require clarification about the policies and procedures related to career status

        recognition.

        3. The Committee will receive nominations for career status recognition and will receive all documentation related to specific requests.  The committee will also be 

        asked to review the materials related to a search and appointment.  It will judge the appropriateness and completeness of documentation and will request additional 

        documentation when necessary.  The Committee will make recommendations to the Director of Libraries related to each request for career status recognition it 

        receives unless the requester withdraws his or her request.

        4. The Committee will carry out its responsibilities in accordance with the Career Status Recognition Policy and will refer any needed revisions of that policy to the 

        Professional Forum for discussion.

    D. General Provisions Relating to Standing Committees.

        1. In March of each year, the chairs of the individual committees will indicate to the Professional Forum the number of persons (excluding ex-officio and classified 

        staff members) needed for each of the committees to accomplish its year's work.  If, at any time during the course of the year, the chair of any of the committees feels 

        that more members are needed because of some unforeseen increase in the workload of said committee, he or she may add, on an ad-hoc basis, an additional 

        member of members after notifying the Professional Forum of the need.

        2. Each Standing Committee organizes itself annually by the election of a chair and any officers it deems necessary.

        3. Each committee must meet at least two times each year. A majority of the members of any committee must be present to constitute a quorum.

        4. Each Standing Committee is responsible for developing a detailed statement of the policies and procedures to be followed in its activities. These statements and 

        any subsequent revisions will be submitted to the Forum for approval.

        5. Each Standing Committee is to submit to the Forum a written report of its activities by no later than October first of each year.

        6. Any Standing Committee may have questions or proposals on any subject relevant to its charge referred to it by the Forum and is empowered to make 

        recommendations to the Forum.

        7. Standing Committee members will submit a notice of resignation to the Chair of the Professional Forum at least two weeks prior to the resignation date. At the 

        request of the Committee concerned the Chair of the Forum will appoint a member to complete the unexpired term until the next regular election at which time the 

        unexpired term will be filled by vote.

   VIII.    FACULTY AWARDS COMMITTEE

        Each year a member of the Forum will be elected to serve on the Faculty Awards Committee which is chaired by the Director of Libraries.

    IX.     PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

        A. The Professional Advisory Committee serves as a vehicle for two-way communication between the Supergroup and the professional library staff to provide 

        additional feedback to the Supergroup when broader input is desired.  Supergroup can route topics for discussion to the Chair, who will then call a meeting of the 

        committee.

        B. To advise the Supergroup on matters of policy and other library wide issues.

        C. The Professional Advisory Committee is composed of all members of the Forum who are not members of the Supergroup.

        D. The Chair of the Forum will serve as the Chair of this committee, unless the Forum Chair is also a Supergroup member.  If the Professional Forum Chair is a 

        Supergroup member, an election will be held by the Professional Forum to elect a Professional Advisory Committee Chair.  Only those Forum members who are not 

        also members of the Supergroup are eligible to run for chair of the Professional Advisory Committee.

        E. The Professional Advisory Committee will meet on an as needed basis upon call of the Chair.

        F. The Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee will attend Supergroup meetings.

    X. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS.

        A. The Committee on Nominations and Elections will consist of the Chair of the Forum, Chair Elect, and the Chair of each of the Standing Committees.

        B. The duties and functions of the Committee on Nominations and Elections are:

            1. To report at the appropriate times, slates of nominees for all offices and committee memberships for which elections are to be held during the year, except when 

            other provisions are made in these Bylaws; and,

            2. Prepare, distribute, collect and count ballots, and report the results to the Forum.

        C. Rules for nominations and elections are:

            1. Nominations for University Committees are to be presented at the April meeting by the Nominating and Elections Committee.  The list of nominees will be sent 

            with the agenda prior to the meeting.

            2. Nominations for Chair Elect and Standing Committees of the Forum are to be presented at the April meeting by the Nominating and Elections Committee.  The 

            list of nominees will be sent with the agenda prior to the meeting.

            3. Nominations from the floor (including self-nominations) are accepted.  To be printed on a ballot the nomination must be supported by a second.

            4. Nominations are subject to withdrawal by the nominee.

            5. Ballots are to be sent to the members within four days of the meeting at which nominations are made.

            6. Eight calendar days are to be allowed for ballots to be returned.

            7. Election to Chair Elect will require a majority vote.  Election to Standing Committees will require a plurality.

            8. If a runoff election is required, the number of candidates listed on the ballot is to be limited to twice the number to be elected.  In case of a tie for the last 

            position, all candidates involved in the tie will be included.

            9. Ballots must be constructed and addressed so that when returned they are anonymous.

            10. Ballots shall be counted by a meeting of the Committee on Nominations and Elections with a majority present.

            11. After ballots are counted, they shall be deposited with the Chair of the forum who shall keep them for thirty days, after which they may be discarded.

    XI.  PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

        The authority on all procedural questions not covered by the Bylaws or rules of the Forum is the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

    XII. AMENDMENTS.

    A. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed at any meeting of the Forum.

    B. Amendments are not to be adopted at the meeting at which they are first proposed.  At that meeting, they may be discussed for clarification and/or referred to a 

    committee.

    C. Proposed amendments must be distributed to the membership, through the minutes or otherwise, at least eight days prior to the meeting at which the vote on their 

    adoption is to be conducted.

    D. Adoption of amendments to these Bylaws requires two-thirds of the legal votes cast.

rev: 9/24/01 lms ; 4/26/99 ljh ; 5/19/97 klh ; 8/29/95 jkw