SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMETING HB 2224
PROVISIONS RELATED TO STAFF COUNCILS

1. In two places the section of the code references "subsection(c)". There
is no subsection(c) because of a numbering error but the reference is to
the subsection that begins "During the month of April..." and sets out who
is elected to the new staff councils.

2. It must be emphasized that the statute clearly contemplates that the
classified employees themselves should decide how the staff council shall
be elected. The president or administrative head of the institution "at the
direction of the council, and in accordance with procedures established by
the council" is to convene the elections. Thus the staff council should
decide the best way, in consultation with the president, to apply the
statute and conduct the elections.

3. Though the new staff councils are established on April 1, 2003, that
does not mean the elections have to occur before that date. In fact, the
statute merely requires that the elections be held sometime in April and
that the new members take office on July 1. Until July 1 the present staff
councils will continue to operate as in the past.

4. The five categories of employees from which members are elected are the
traditional EEO categories that employees are slotted in for reports to the
federal government. Thus, the HR office should be able to easily identify
what class of employment each employee is eligible to be elected in.

5. The statute does not address whether only employees in the same
employment category vote for persons in that category or whether all
classified employees vote all categories. The present staff council, in
consultation with the president, should decide what method they wish to use.

6. Some institutions may not have any employees in one or more of the
categories. That merely means no one can be elected to those positions.

7. Staff councils should decide whether those on the ballot are by
nomination, by self-selection, or both.

8. The statute states that the chair of the staff council shall be voted on
by all classified employees and not only by those elected to the staff
council and that vote be by any method approved by a majority of the
classified employees. There are a number of ways this could be done. First,
the entire classified staff should vote on a method on choosing the chair.
That might be electing a chair at the same time all the other members are
elected; or holding an election after the members of the council are
elected to choose a chair from among them; or any other method the staff
council deems appropriate.

9. It should be up to the staff council as to whether the chair has a vote
on the staff council.

10. Though the statute says the elected representative to the statewide
advisory council shall serve on the staff council and report to the council
on the meetings of the board of governors, that does not mean the statewide
representative and the representative to the board of governors have to be
the same person. The statute allows one person to serve in both capacities
but it is not required that they be the same person. That is up to the
staff council to determine. 

April 8, 2003 HEPC (Buttrick/Walker)