ARTICLE I PURPOSE OF WEEKLY PAID PROFESSIONAL STAFF ASSEMBLY
Section 1. The Weekly Paid Professional Staff Assembly, herein referred to as WPPSA, is the University of Pennsylvania’s community of all weekly paid, full-time, non-union employees.
Section 2. The WPPSA consists of the following: WPPSA Executive Board, volunteer specialists, University Council committee representatives, participants who attend WPPSA general meetings and/or volunteer, and weekly paid, full-time, non-union employees at large.
Section 3. WPPSA holds monthly general meetings that are open to all weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees of Penn.
ARTICLE II COMPOSITION OF WPPSA LEADERSHIP
Section 1. WPPSA leadership represents all weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees on the University’s main decision-making bodies: University Council and its committees. WPPSA leadership consists of: The Executive Board; volunteer specialists; University Council committee representatives with a seat or seats on a University Council committee; and, former Chairs. The WPPSA leadership is elected in accordance with the principles and procedures as stated in Article II of these Bylaws; and the purpose, principles and procedures governed and outlined in Article III.
Section 2. The Executive Board consists of the Chair, Co-chair, Past-chair (if still a weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employee), Secretary, Treasurer and a Communications Deputy.
Section 3. University Council committees’ representatives fill designated WPPSA seats on standing and independent University Council committees and their subcommittees, which include: Committee on Academic and Related Affairs (CARA), Committee on Campus and Community Life, Committee on Diversity & Equity, Committee on Facilities, Committee on Personnel Benefits, Committee on Open Expression (OE), University Committee for Honorary Degree (UCHD), and ad hoc committees.
Section 4. Volunteer Specialists consists of an Outreach Specialist, Digital Platform Specialist.
Section 5. Former Chairs include all previous Chairs of WPPSA who finished at least a 1-year term and are still weekly paid, full-time, non-union employees at Penn.
ARTICLE III COMPOSITION OF THE WPPSA STAFF
Section 1. All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible for the WPPSA, as identified in Article I, Section 1 and Section 2.
ARTICLE IV COMPOSITION OF THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1. All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to hold a seat on a University Council standing, independent, and ad hoc committees given that they have attended at least 1 WPPSA monthly general meeting in the previous 12 months.
Section 2. To confirm the nominee/candidate for a seat, a majority vote of approval is required from those in attendance at the following WPPSA monthly general meeting.
Section 3. In the event that there are no weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees interested in these University Council committee seats the Executive Board may consider other instances of participation to count as a substitute.
Section 4. All University Council committee seats are appointed at the beginning of the academic year and immediately as needed due to resignations, job promotions, or the creation of an ad hoc committee by University Council.
Section 5. To serve on a University Council committee a weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employee must have attended at least 1 WPPSA general meeting in the previous 12 months and must be approved in a majority vote at a WPPSA monthly general meeting.
Section 6. All WPPSA University Council committee representatives will be asked to give a brief report on the progress of the committee they are serving at the WPPSA monthly general meeting. This will allow WPPSA as a whole to exhibit the best representation and collective voice on each University Council committee.
Section 7. In the event that a seat opens up on a University Council committee, the position will be made available at the following WPPSA monthly general meeting for anyone who meets the eligibility requirements. Should no one at that meeting have interest, a call to fill the seat will be made public via HR email. Interested candidates will be eligible for a vote at the following WPPSA monthly general meeting.
Section 8. The minimum term to serve on a particular University Council committee is 1 year, while the maximum to serve on a particular University Council committee is 3 years. Eligible WPPSA University Council committee representatives may hold more than one seat on a committee but are not recommended to hold more than 3.
Section 9. University Council committee representatives must give ample notice (before the start of the next term) that they intend to step down from a committee so that WPPSA leadership may consider instances of participation found in Article IV, Section 3.
ARTICLE V COMPOSITION OF WPPSA VOLUNTEER SPECIALISTS
Section 1. All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to apply for the volunteer specialists positions.
Section 2. To confirm the nominee/applicant for a seat, a majority vote of approval is required from those in attendance at the following a WPPSA monthly general meeting.
Section 3. WPPSA volunteer specialists help the Executive Board with administrative tasks to help publicize the WPPSA and its initiatives.
Section 4. Outreach Specialist, appointed by the Executive Board, is from the WPPSA. The Outreach Specialist is primarily responsible for start-to-finish event planning to include implementation, on-site management, and post-production debriefing. The Outreach Specialist is in collaboration with the Digital Platform Specialist to promote WPPSA, its events to the University community, (all managed in tandem by the Chair and the Communications Deputy). In special cases, administration of duties may come from other elected leaders of the Executive Board upon approval of the Executive Board.
Section 5. Platform Specialist, appointed by the Executive Board, is from the WPPSA. The Platform Specialist, maintains the WPPSA “contact us” Qualtrics survey. The Platform Specialist supports the Communications Deputy with updates to HR emails. The Platform Specialist manages social media platforms, and outreach strategies across physical and digital platforms.
ARTICLE VI PURPOSE OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board will be the elected voice of the WPPSA. The Executive Board is the decision making body representing the WPPSA in University matters and will act in a manner that serves in accordance with the principles and procedures of these Bylaws. The Executive Board will execute the mission of the WPPSA with integrity while honoring the spirit of the WPPSA. At least half of the elected Executive Board must be present at a WPPSA monthly general meeting or the occasional meeting of WPPSA leadership before business can be conducted.
Section 2. The Executive Board collaborates with the rest of WPPSA leadership (University Council committee representatives, former Chairs, and volunteer specialists) to make decisions that tend to the current and future needs of weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees.
Section 3. The Executive Board will consist of six officers. These six positions are the Chair, the Co-chair, Past-chair, the Secretary, Treasurer and Communications Deputy. In the event of any vacancies of these officers, a replacement will be elected to the Executive Board according to the succession plan outlined in Article IV, section 2.
Section 4. The sole authority and responsibility to revise and amend these Bylaws is entrusted to the Executive Board. All proposed changes will be made at a meeting called for this purpose at least three weeks prior to the changes. All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are invited to attend. All such changes will require a majority vote of everyone in attendance at the meeting.
Section 5. Executive Board elected officers serve for at least 1 year, and are expected to serve 2 consecutive years, (and may vary in positions), with a maximum of 5 consecutive years of service.
Section 6. An end of term, outgoing Chair will notify the Executive Board of an election. The end of term, outgoing Chair, will convene a meeting of the Executive Board within 2 weeks of the following WPPSA monthly general meeting.
ARTICLE VII COMPOSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Chair: All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to run for Chair of the Executive Board provided that they have attended at least 4 monthly general meetings of the WPPSA in the previous 12 months.
Section 2. Co-chair: All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to run for Co-chair of the Executive Board given that they have attended at least 3 monthly general meetings of the WPPSA in the previous 12 months.
Section 3. Secretary: All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to run for Secretary of the Executive Board given that they have attended at least 2 monthly general meetings of the WPPSA in the previous 12 months.
Section 4. Treasurer: All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to run for 1 of the seats of Treasurer of the Executive Board given that they have attended at least 2 monthly general meetings of the WPPSA in the past 12 months.
Section 5. Communications Deputy: All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to run for one of the seats of Treasurer of the Executive Board given that they have attended at least 2 monthly general meetings of the WPPSA in the past 12 months.
Section 6. Past-chair: A Chair takes on this position after completing a 1 or 2-year term.
ARTICLE VIII ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Election for the Executive Board will be held by May of each academic year for all upcoming vacant positions.
Section 2. A call for nominations will be constructed by the current Executive Board and published for advertisement to all weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees.
Section 3. Elections will take place on the date and at the time and location stated in the published announcements. Voting will be conducted by secret ballot and coordinated by the current officers. In the case where the “call for nominations” does not yield enough nominees to fill all the vacant Executive Board positions, the nominees that have been nominated will automatically be declared elected to the Executive Board as unopposed candidates, providing they meet all the other eligibility requirements.
Section 4. The results of the election with names and University affiliation of the newly elected Executive Board will be published in the Almanac and other University venues of communication within two weeks of the election day or in the next available issue.
ARTICLE IX THE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Section 1. The call for nominations will be published in the Almanac, the Daily Pennsylvanian and, with notice, sent to all weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees by all available University venues of communication.
Section 2. This notice will include the following items: an established deadline, the intended publication date of the list of nominees, contact information to which to send nominations and the rules of eligibility as outlined in Section 3. The intended deadline date should be within two weeks of the nomination deadline.
Section 3. Nominations are to be sent to the Secretary of the Executive Board and/or other designated Executive Board by May of each academic year.
Section 4. All nominations received and accepted will be published in the Almanac on the intended issue date. This notice will include the names, University affiliations and a brief biographical sketch of each of the nominees and will also include the date, location and procedures of the election.
ARTICLE X ELIGIBILITY FOR NOMINATION AND ELECTION TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Eligibility for nomination and election to the Executive Board (positions are decided by elections that are open to all WPPSA constituents).
Section 2. In the event that there are no weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees interested in these positions, the Executive Board may consider other instances of participation to count as a substitute (i.e. a weekly paid, full-time, non-union, employee who volunteered at the annual Penn Employee Resource Fair).
Section 3. All weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employees are eligible to vote.
ARTICLE XI THE CHAIR
Section 1. The Chair is the WPPSA’s 1st and primary executive officer and principal representative who will speak on behalf of the WPPSA. The Chair should be knowledgeable of the Penn community and able to speak on all aspects of WPPSA issues.
Section 2. The term of office for the Chair will be 1-year with an option to serve, if nominated, for 2 years.
Section 3. The Chair will prepare the agenda and preside over the WPPSA monthly general meetings and WPPSA leadership meetings. The Chair’s signature will appear on all WPPSA correspondence. The Chair holds a seat on all University Council and the University Council Steering Committee. The Chair is required to attend all meetings of University Council and the University Council Steering Committee.
Section 4. The Chair is the Co-administrator of duties for the volunteer specialists with the Communications Deputy.
ARTICLE XII THE CO-CHAIR
Section 1. The Co-chair is the 2nd executive officer of the WPPSA. The Co-chair will be the primary advisor to the Chair in University matters.
Section 2. The Co-chair serves as the primary administrative help for the Chair.
Section 3. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the Co-chair will assume all duties and responsibilities otherwise handled by the Chair.
Section 4. The Co-chair has the option to assume the role of Interim Chair in the case that the Chair resigns before the end of their term.
ARTICLE XIII THE PAST-CHAIR
Section 1. The Past-chair serves in an advisory role to the Executive Board the 1-year after they have successfully completed their 1 or 2-year term as Chair.
Section 2. The Past-chair will remain an integral part of the organization and will at times be asked for their input in the decision-making process.
Section 3. The Past-chair will serve alongside the current Chair as a mentor to WPPSA leadership
Section 4. The Past-chair cannot sit in place of the current Chair or Co-chair at the University Council or University Council Steering Committee meetings.
Section 5. Should the Chair decide to resign and the Co-chair declines to be Interim Chair, and the Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Deputy, and University Council committee representatives decline to fill the position, the Past-chair may accept the role as Interim Chair. Should the Past-chair assume the role of Interim Chair, they can then attend University Council and University Council Steering Committee meetings.
ARTICLE XIV THE SECRETARY
Section 1. The Secretary is the 3rd executive officer of WPPSA. The Secretary is responsible for all routine correspondence of the Executive Board.
Section 2. The Secretary will be responsible for the recording and reporting of the WPPSA leadership and WPPSA monthly general meeting minutes. Such minutes should be available to any weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employee upon request.
Section 3. The Secretary, in collaboration with the Chair and Communications Deputy, will be responsible for notifying WPPSA constituents of the date, time and location of all meetings and functions.
Section 4. The Secretary should be responsible for the publicity and dissemination of all correspondence.
ARTICLE XV THE TREASURER(S)
Section 1. The Treasurer(s) is the 4th executive officer(s) of the WPPSA. The Treasurer(s) will be held accountable and responsible for handling the finances and maintaining all financial records of the Board. Such records should be made available for audit upon request from the Board.
Section 2. The Office of the Treasurer will be held by 2 elected individuals who are in equal in authority.
ARTICLE XVI THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPUTY
Section 1. The Communications Deputy is the 5th executive officer of WPPSA. The Communications Deputy will be responsible for updates on the WPPSA website with relevant and accurate information and multimedia.
Section 2. Communications Deputy is Co-administrator with Chair over volunteer staff (Outreach Specialist and Digital Platform Specialist).
Section 3. Communications Deputy sends out communication through WPPSA listserv as directed by the Chair.
ARTICLE XVII RESIGNATIONS AND VACANCIES
Section 1. An Executive Board leader will tender their resignations, giving at least 1-month notice to the Executive Board, of such an intent, in writing.
Section 2. In the event of resignation, the Executive Board will fill the position through the following succession plan with an “Interim” designation until either the end of the term or a time deemed appropriate by the Executive Board.
Section 3. Chair resignation: 1st choice is Co-chair; 2nd choice is Secretary; 3rd choice is Treasurer; 4th choice is Communications Deputy; 5th choice is University Council committee representative.
Section 4. Co-chair resignation: 1st choice is Secretary; 2nd choice is Treasurer; 3rd choice is Communications Deputy; 4th choice is a University Council committee representative; 5th choice is a WPPSA participant.
Section 5. Secretary resignation: 1st choice is Treasurer; 2nd choice is Communications Deputy; 3rd choice is a University Council committee representative; 4th choice is a WPPSA participant; 5th choice is a weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employee at large.
Section 6. A Treasurer resignation: 1st choice is Communications Deputy; 2nd choice is University Council committee representative; 3rd choice is WPPSA participant; 4th choice is a weekly paid, full-time, non-union, University employee at large.
Section 7. Communications Deputy resignation: 1st choice is Outreach Specialist; 2nd choice is Digital Platform Specialist; 3rd choice is a University Council representative; 4th choice is a WPPSA participant; 5th choice is a weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employee at large.
Section 8. Past-chair resignation: Past-chairs are unable to officially resign from the position since they are technically the Past-chair for the entire year after their term as Chair. However, they can notify the Executive Board of a need for a reduced or halted advisory role if necessary.
Section 9. Dual Seats: In the case of a vacancy of an Executive Board seat that cannot be filled, any sitting person of the Executive Board may hold dual seats until the end of the term or until the vacancy is filled.
ARTICLE XVIII FORMER CHAIRS
Section 1. All previous Chairs of the WPPSA who have completed a 1-year term or more are automatically in WPPSA leadership if they remain a weekly paid, full-time, non-union University employee.
Section 2. Former Chairs can opt-out or be voted out of WPPSA leadership at any time.
ARTICLE XIX WPPSA AD HOC COMMITTEES
Section 1. In the event of resignations, removal of committee seats, Bylaw amendments, and other special circumstances the Executive Board, led by the Chair, will appoint an ad hoc committee that consist of, no less than, 4 active constituents from WPPSA and 1 person from the Executive Board.
Section 2. All findings and recommendations from the ad hoc committee will be brought to the attention of WPPSA leadership, volunteer specialists, University Council committee representatives, and participants for a vote at a WPPSA general meeting.
ARTICLE XX FINANCIAL CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS
Section 1. Any and all financial endeavors and /or contracts entered into on behalf of the WPPSA will require the approval of the Executive Board. Once approved, 2 persons of the Executive Board, 1 being the Chair, must sign any contracts.