Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee (BUSAC)

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BUSAC Charter

Mission and Purpose

Brandeis University recognizes that all staff are essential to the vibrancy and achievements of the community. Brandeis staff members demonstrate their commitment to the life, work, and operations of the university in countless vital ways. Therefore, the University considers Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee (BUSAC) a priority.

The purpose of BUSAC is to improve the work environment through discussions and actions that influence policy, develop and enrich staff, and promote ongoing, meaningful and deliberate improvements to the staff experience, including in the areas of professional development, training opportunities, staff recognition, events, career advancement, and employee wellness. In particular, BUSAC will accomplish this by:

Providing a system for staff to share ideas, concerns, and suggestions regarding the betterment of the staff experience at Brandeis;
Providing an environment where individuals’ opinions and contributions are respected and acknowledged;
Using data, surveys, and other sources of information when formulating recommendations on achievable change;
Meeting with senior administration on a regular basis to review reports and recommendations regarding proposed changes and solutions;
Regularly reporting to staff and senior administration.

BUSAC is not intended to be used as a vehicle for resolving employee grievances, or for negotiating employee wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or benefits.

Composition

BUSAC is the representative body of our staff population. The committee shall be comprised of elected and appointed staff members from the University. Among the elected officials there will be a Chair and Vice-chair. The Chair and Vice-chair will be elected by the voting members of the committee.

An Assistant may be appointed but does not need to be a member of the committee. The Vice President of Human Resources, as ex officio, serves as Advisor and is a non-voting member of the committee.

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Roles

Chair – Responsible for organizing, setting and managing the agenda, facilitating committee and staff meetings, casting a vote in case of a tie, and maintaining a representative committee that reflects the staff community;
Vice-chair – Responsible for assisting the Chair with organizing, setting an agenda, and facilitation of committee and staff meetings; provides continuity in the absence of the Chair;
Advisor – Responsible for advising the Chair, Vice-chair and/or committee on policies, procedures, and regulations;
Assistant – Responsible for record keeping and meeting minutes, dissemination of communication and notification of meetings, and follow-up on delegated assignments;
Committee Members/Member-at-large – Responsible for attending committee and staff meetings, conveying concerns of the work group(s) that they represent and serving, as needed, on sub-committees.

In addition to the Chair, Vice-chair, Advisor, and Assistant (if a member of the committee), there will be at least one (1) committee member of BUSAC who will represent each of the following districts below:

District A: Arts & Sciences (A&S), including the Graduate Schools of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) and Admissions
District B: Brandeis International Business School
District C: Heller
District D: Rabb, including Precollege Program
District E: Centers, Institutes, and Museum
District F: Administration: President’s Office, Provost’s Office, Investments, Legal, Finance, Human Resources, Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Communications, Office of Planning and Institutional Research, Office of Special Events
District G: Institutional Advancement (IA)
District H: Student Affairs: Athletics, Counseling Center, Community Living, Health Center, Student Activities, Student Life
District I: Academic Affairs: Academic Services, Study Abroad, International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO), English Language Program (ELP), Registrar, Graduate Student Affairs
District J: Campus Operations: Public Safety and Facilities, Office of Conference and Event Services
District K: Information Technology Services (ITS) and Library Services

There is, additionally, one elected member-at-large. This person is the nominee or write-in candidate who receives the most votes from outside their district (see Election Procedure (C), below) and who was not selected as the representative from their own district. This member represents the entire staff, regardless of district.

Nominations, Elections and Appointments

The initial BUSAC elections will be held in January 2018. Thereafter, elections will be held in March, beginning in 2019. Terms will begin July 1.

Under the direction of BUSAC, the Election Subcommittee will be responsible for the logistics of the election process, which includes, but is not limited to, the establishment of deadlines, recruitment of candidates, assisting with communication, validating results, and troubleshooting any issues that arise during the election process.

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Nomination Procedure

No later than four (4) weeks prior to the election date, election procedures, nomination forms, and deadlines are sent to all eligible staff.
The nomination forms will include all names of representatives from each district. Staff members may nominate one person from their district, which may be themselves. There will also be a section for write-in candidates.
The nomination form will include a space for one write-in candidate for the member-at-large seat. A list of all eligible staff members for nomination will be distributed and organized by district. Nominations must be from the list.
Nominees will be asked to provide a brief statement that will be shared with voters in their district. Because of the nature of the work, no campaign promises may be made.
Nomination by official ballot will occur no later than three (3) weeks prior to the date of final elections.
A nominee may decline to run for a seat on BUSAC.

Election Procedure

No later than two (2) weeks prior to the election date, ballots will be sent to all eligible staff members by the Election Subcommittee.
The staff members who receive the most nominations, and who agree to run, will be placed on the ballot for each vacant representative seat.
Staff members may vote for one (1) representative in their district, and for one (1) representative from another district as member-at-large.
The eligible candidate who receives the most votes for each vacant representative’s seat will serve on BUSAC. In case of a tie, the committee will make the determination through a confidential ballot vote. The Chair will make the final determination on a tie vote made by the committee.
In the event that a member-elect declines their seat or leaves Brandeis employment before their term begins in July, the Election Sub-Committee will contact the person with the next most votes. In the case of a tie, the committee will make the determination through a confidential ballot vote. The Chair will make the final determination on a tie vote made by the committee.

Appointments

In consultation with the committee, appointments are reserved by the Chair for the purposes of ensuring that the committee is a representative body of the staff population. A member of the committee may resign at any time by providing written notice to the Chair; when possible, two (2) week notice is appreciated.

BUSAC members are expected to attend monthly meetings, engage in BUSAC work, communicate regularly with their districts and work on committees and/or task forces as they arise. Members who have a conflict with meeting times will contact the Chair and Vice-Chair with the nature of the conflict and to discuss a plan of continued engagement such as reading the minutes to ensure they are current on BUSAC business, participating in Subcommittees and Task Forces, and communicating with their district.

Members who do not engage in good faith will be contacted by the Chair or Vice Chair to discuss an outline for participation and a deadline. If the deadline passes without improved engagement, the member may be removed from the committee and replaced by appointment by the Chair and/or BUSAC. Any interim duties to the district will be covered by the At-Large Member. If the vacancy is a Member-at Large, the appointment will be chosen from the pool of all eligible staff members.

If a BUSAC representative resigns or is unable to continue in the role, another staff member from the district will be appointed by the Chair to fulfill the unexpired term. If the vacancy is a Member-at-large, the appointment will be chosen from the pool of all eligible staff members. If the member is either the Chair or Vice-Chair, the committee will hold nominations and a vote to fill the vacant role.

Eligibility

Benefits-eligible staff who have completed their 6-month probationary period by the 1st day of the month that nominations open may nominate, run for committee positions and/or vote in elections.

Staff members who are categorized by Brandeis' Office of Human Resources as Senior Management, including the President, Chiefs, Deans and Vice Presidents, etc., are not eligible.

Terms

District representative members serve a two-year term and may be elected or appointed to a second term as a district representative and/or an at-large member. At-large members serve a one-year term and may be elected or appointed to a second term and/or to a term as a district representative. Regardless of membership type, a BUSAC member’s total continuous length of service may not exceed four years, except when appointed to fill a vacancy. After completing their maximum of four years of continuous service on the committee, a member is not eligible to serve again until two academic years have elapsed.

If a BUSAC member was appointed to fill a vacancy in their district, their eligibility to run for future terms is dependent on the length of their initial term. If this appointment is for less than or equal to one year, the newly appointed member is still eligible to serve for up to two at-large terms and/or two district representative terms, provided their total subsequent service does not exceed four years. If this appointment is for more than one year, the newly appointed member is eligible to serve up to two at-large terms or one term as district representative, provided their total subsequent service does not exceed three years.

If a BUSAC member was appointed to fill an at-large vacancy, their eligibility to run for future terms is dependent on the length of their initial term. If this appointment is for less than or equal to six months, the newly appointed member is still eligible to serve for up to two at-large terms and/or two district representative terms, provided their total subsequent service does not exceed four years. If this appointment is for more than six months, the newly appointed member is eligible to serve for one additional at-large term and/or one term as district representative, provided their total subsequent service does not exceed three years.

The terms of the initial members of the committee shall include one-and-a-half year terms, two-and-a-half year terms, and three-and-a-half year terms, in order to create staggered terms going forward.

The initial Chair and Vice-chair may serve two-and-a-half year terms in their first term. Thereafter, the Chair and Vice-chair will serve two-year terms.

Procedures

The committee will meet monthly. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chair or Vice-Chair.

The Committee will meet in-person whenever possible at a designated space on campus. Given the geographical spread of campus, an online alternative will be offered should members be unable to attend. Due to the sensitive nature of many topics discussed, meetings cannot be recorded and distributed.

After each meeting, minutes will be provided in a timely manner. At the start of each meeting, minutes from the prior meeting will be reviewed, discussed and, if necessary, amended. The committee will discuss the issues that affect Brandeis staff and provide recommendations and potential solutions, where applicable, to senior management through the Chair and/or Vice-chair. Issues that arise as part of collective bargaining are outside of the committee charter. A final determination on what to bring forth will be established among the committee.

The Chair and/or Vice-chair will provide regular reports to staff and senior administration.

At the end of the fiscal year, BUSAC will produce an annual report that will be shared with staff and University administration.

The University considers BUSAC a priority. Therefore, representatives and their supervisors have a joint responsibility in maintaining open communication regarding scheduled committee meetings while ensuring appropriate office or work location coverage.

Subcommittees, Task Forces and Liaison Work

Subcommittees and task forces may be formed to address specific staff needs and concerns.

Subcommittees will be formed to monitor and work on ongoing issues. While a specific issue may be addressed, no defined time period for resolution is required. In contrast, Task Forces will be formed to address specific issues, have a defined charge, and a proposed time period for resolution. In certain cases, the Chair may ask for a volunteer to act as a liaison to other work being done on campus including faculty subcommittees and task forces or search committees for administrative positions. Each committee member may serve on any subcommittee, task force, or act as a liaison.

Subcommittees include, but are not limited to, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Communication, and Constituent Management. Task forces may include Wellness, Recognition, Professional Development, Parking, etc.

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Subcommittees

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Subcommittee – pursues actions and makes recommendations to the full Advisory Committee to ensure that BUSAC fairly and equitably represents, engages, advocates, and adapts on behalf of all staff. Serves as a catalyst to inform, effect, and influence inclusive policy changes across campus. Interfaces with and keeps abreast of other campus entities involved in similar work.
Election Subcommittee – Manages the logistics of the election process, including, but not limited to, the establishment of deadlines, recruitment of candidates, assists with communication, validation of results, and troubleshooting any issues that arise during the election process.
Communications Subcommittee – drafts monthly email template that is distributed to all members for personalization to their specific districts, maintains websites, and monitors BUSAC inbox.
Constituent Management Subcommittee - responsible for connecting with IT and Workday support staff to ensure BUSAC members have monthly updated lists of their district members, including new hires and those who have left.

The Charter

This Charter serves as a living document and may be altered as determined by the committee and Chair.

As the work of BUSAC evolves, parts of this charter may need to be amended or negated. This process is as follows:

The Chair and/or Vice Chair will identify issues as they arise in discussion with the committee.
The Chair and/or Vice Chair will compose amendments to the charter and will circulate for comment approximately 1 week before a BUSAC meeting. Members will have until the meeting to make comments on language or content.
The updated amendments document will be circulated to the committee at the meeting for continued discussion.
The Chair and/or Vice Chair will determine if the amendment needs to be held for more discussion or if a vote will commence.
A roll call vote for ayes, nays, and abstains will be taken. Members must be present to vote.
At the discretion of the Chair, an online voting procedure may be substituted for an in-person roll call.

Committee Transition

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New Members

The Chair and/or Vice Chair will send out a welcome email to new members shortly after the election with a brief introduction and next steps. The outgoing committee rep will be copied as well so the two can connect.

Incoming committee members will be invited to join the first portion of the June meeting for introductions.

The Chair and/or Vice Chair will ensure that all incoming members have access to BUSAC materials including meeting minutes, the charter, and other documents on or around July 1. At that time, the outgoing members will have their access terminated.

New Chair Election

To preserve continuity of Committee work, the election for the Chair position will be held in even-numbered years.

Since a new Chair will not be elected until after July 1, the outgoing Chair will attend and run the July meeting after their term officially ends to ensure a smooth transition. If necessary, the outgoing Chair will attend the August meeting, although it will be run by the new Chair.

The outgoing Chair will make themself available for check-ins at the request of the new Chair in order to efficiently and effectively hand over all duties, including identifying key ongoing work and connecting with members of University Administration.

At the June meeting after the introduction portion, the outgoing Chair will make a call for nominations.
Candidates will submit a statement of interest approximately two weeks before the July meeting to the outgoing Chair.
The outgoing Chair will distribute to BUSAC members (those on the committee as of July 1) once all statements are in.
The outgoing Chair will manage the election process at the July 1 meeting. A roll call vote for ayes, nays, and abstains will be taken. Members must be present to vote.
At the discretion of the outgoing Chair, an online voting procedure may be substituted for an in-person roll call.

Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee (BUSAC)

BUSAC Charter

Mission and Purpose

Composition

Roles

Nominations, Elections and Appointments

Nomination Procedure

Election Procedure

Appointments

Eligibility

Terms

Procedures

Subcommittees, Task Forces and Liaison Work

Subcommittees

The Charter

Committee Transition

New Members

New Chair Election

New Vice Chair Election

Contact BUSAC