Pima County Community College District
Association of Classified Exempt Staff (ACES)
By-Laws
Article I – Name
The name of this association shall be the Pima County Community College Association of Classified Exempt Staff, also referred to as “ACES”.
Article II – Purpose
Section 1 - This Association shall be recognized by the Pima County Community College Board of Governors as an elected employee representative group, in accordance with the inaugural election held at Pima County Community College on May 2, 1978, for all of its eligible classified exempt employees within the Pima County Community College District in the State of Arizona to participate in the All Employee Representative Council (AERC) and advocate for the development of personnel policies directly and substantially related to wages, salaries, and working conditions.
Section 2 – Provide representation of this Association’s active and eligible membership to the Pima County Community College Board of Governors.
Section 3 - Provide leadership and strengthen visibility of the College’s classified exempt employee group through active participation in College-wide work groups, standing committees, and task forces.
Section 4 - Develop and promote ethical practices, collegiality, and equal opportunity for the College’s classified exempt employee group.
Section 5 - Solicit and discuss the views of the College’s classified exempt employee group; and permit bona fide Association representative’s access to other Association representatives and for the purpose of conducting Association business.
Section 6 - Represent, advise, and discuss concerns of the Association’s active and eligible membership with the proper authority.
Section 7 - Provide informal advice and guidance in relation to grievances and corrective action issues in compliance with all college policies.
Section 8 - Disseminate relevant, accurate, and timely information through the ACES website, official social media platforms, and other publications pertaining to the exempt employee group.
Article III – Membership
Section 1 - Employees eligible for membership in the Pima County Community College Association of Classified Exempt Staff are classified exempt full-time regular employees as defined in the Personnel Policy Statement for College Employees and as determined by the Human Resources department at Pima Community College.
Section 2 - There shall be two classes of membership. The following definitions shall prevail:
A. Active - an employee as defined in Section 1 above who joins the Pima County Community College Association of Classified Exempt Staff by voluntarily paying dues and keeping his/her dues current. Rights conferred to active members include but are not limited to:
- Nominating oneself or other active members for officer positions.
- Being nominated for officer positions.
- Voting.
- Being elected to an officer position.
- Serving on Association standing committees or Association-sanctioned special committees.
B. Eligible - an employee as defined in Section 1 above who does not join the Pima County Community College Association of Classified Staff by voluntarily paying dues.
Section 3 – Dues
A. The Pima County Community College Association of Classified Exempt Staff shall have dues approved by the active membership.
B. Net earnings from dues, interest, and other sources of income shall be devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, or recreational purposes.
C. No part of these net earnings will inure to the benefit of any private individual.
Section 4 - All eligible employees as defined in Section 1 above shall be provided information about the Pima County Community College Association of Classified Exempt Staff and the opportunity to join the active membership.
Section 5 - Active membership shall cease as a result of:
A. Resignation or termination from Pima County Community College.
B. Transfer to a position outside the definition of eligibility or scope of the Association.
C. Non-payment of dues.
D. If an employee chooses to withdraw their active membership of their own accord.
Article IV – Officers and Committees
Section 1 – Board of Directors
The Board of Directors will be comprised of the Association Officers and up to four Representative.
Section 2 – Officers
A. Officers of the Association shall be as follows: President, President-Elect, Past-President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer.
B. Responsibilities of the Association officers shall be as follows:
- President – The President shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors and the general membership, appoint an active member to a vacant officer position in accordance with Article IV Section 4.A., serve as the AERC representative, and may serve as an ex-officio member of each of the other standing committees. The President shall represent the Association before the public, either personally or through delegates, perform all other functions usually attributed to this office, serve as the Association’s representative to the Governing Board or appoint someone to serve in the President’s absence, provide regular reports at Staff Council meetings and establish communication protocol. The President is required to approve all expenditures of the association that exceed $100 or any yearly agreements.
- President Elect – The President-Elect shall perform the functions usually attributed to the office of Vice President. The President-Elect shall conduct Association elections and perform other duties as the President may suggest, complete the President’s term of office if the President steps down during his/her term of office, and then serve as President for the next term as originally elected. The President-Elect may also represent the President at Staff Council or Board of Governor meetings. The President-Elect will chair the Fiscal Review Committee and work with the Recording Secretary to ensure that communication of information is relevant, accurate, and timely.
- Past President – The Past-President shall serve as an advisor to the President and the other officers of the Association. The Past-President shall serve as the chair for the By-Laws Committee. The Past-President may also represent the President at Staff Council or Board of Governors meetings.
- Recording Secretary – The Recording Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and the general membership, maintain official files, work with the Treasurer to comply with record retention requirements, assist the President with association correspondence, maintain copies of AERC proposals, and regularly update the ACES website along with collecting and archiving ACES photos for use in the web pages and marketing materials.
- Treasurer – The Treasurer shall maintain accurate financial records of all dues and other incoming funds. The Treasurer shall also pay all approved bills, work with the Recording Secretary to comply with record retention requirements, compile accurate status reports to be submitted at each general meeting, and prepare a financial report for each general membership meeting that occurs throughout the fiscal year.
C. The terms of office of the Board of Directors shall be as follows:
- The President-Elect, President, and Past-President will each serve a one-year term running from July 1st through June 30th. The President-Elect serves on the Board for three consecutive years (year one as President-Elect, year two as President, and year three as Past-President).
- The Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Representative will each serve a two year term running from July 1st through June 30th. Where the election of the Recording Secretary and two Representative occurs in a year, the following year will have the election of the Treasurer and the other two Representative.
- Term limits: No officer may hold a position for more than 4 years consecutively. In the event that no one is elected to fill a position vacated due to this term limitation, the previous office holder can continue to serve in that position until the following election.
- A member of the Board of Directors cannot simultaneously hold a leadership role on Staff Council.
D. The election/succession of the Board of Directors shall occur as follows:
- All Board of Director positions will be elected through an electronic ballot system or other means if electronic ballot is not available.
- All active members of ACES will be eligible to vote.
- The winner of each contested office will be the candidate receiving the largest number of votes cast for the office. If two or more persons running for the same Board seat receive the same number of votes, the winner shall be decided by lot between them, under supervision of the Past-President.
- All newly elected Board of Directors will be announced at the June general membership meeting.
E. ACES values representation from all segments of exempt employees. However, it is important to keep the ACES Board whole, at all times; otherwise, the representation function of the Board will be unduly diminished. Thus, employees who run for office have an ethical responsibility to ensure they can complete the full term of office. The minimum expectations are to ensure that the employment position held by the candidate is not already predetermined to expire before the end of their ACES term and those employees serving as ACES Board members will conduct themselves in a professional manner and refrain from engaging in behavior that would cause them to be terminated by the College.
Section 3 – Representatives
Up to four Representatives serve on the Board of Directors but are not officers. They serve as Chairpersons for the standing committees, hold meetings, provide monthly reports to the officers, and identify membership concerns. They are responsible for representing ACES and the College through participation on official committees such as, Benefits, and other work groups and task forces as assigned by the President. Representatives serve two-year, staggered terms. They will be elected in alternating years: two in one year and two in the next year.
Section 4 – Standing Committees
A. The standing committees for ACES will be as follows:
- The Networking Committee will be co-chaired by one Representative and include at least three active ACES members. This committee provides opportunities for exempt staff to interact with fellow exempt staff, organize events for members, and allow for people to meet, exchange ideas and interrelate. Additionally, events that promote community service and goodwill will also be focus of this committee. The committee, importantly, will also monitor membership activity and will work to increase the membership base. Lastly, the Representatives are responsible for obtaining regular membership reports via the President who works closely with Human Resources on membership issues.
- The Election Committee will be chaired by the President-Elect and include at least two active ACES members. No one currently on the ballot can serve on the committee. This committee is responsible for the publication of notice for nominations and elections, the verification of eligibility for candidates, the organization and supervision of election proceedings, and the counting of ballots. The Election Committee must be formed by February to properly carry out the tasks associated with administering the Elections process.
- The By-Laws Committee will be chaired by the Past-President and include at least three active ACES members. This committee will consider any proposed changes to the By-Laws, ensure that copies of the By-Laws are readily available to all members, perform audits of the By-Laws, and initiate By-Law changes via voting, if deemed necessary. The By-Laws Committee should be formed in January.
- The Fiscal Review Committee will be chaired by the President-Elect and include at least two active ACES members. This committee will collaborate with the Treasurer to review and develop financial records, review the Association’s financial activities on a semi-annual basis, and submit the results of their review to the ACES Board of Directors.
- The Technology and Communication Committee will be chaired by one representative and will include at least three active ACES members. This committee will develop and deliver regular emails to ACES members related to ACES events and to meeting minutes, regularly update and maintain the ACES website, develop and maintain social media presence for ACES, assist the president and president-elect with using technology to design and conduct surveys, and maintain permissions for Google Groups in support of ACES (minimal work required on this one but it is important when key membership changes occur).
B. Except as otherwise stated in these By-Laws, members of the standing committees will be appointed by the committee chair. Each committee should strive for a membership of three to ten active committee participants.
C. Other committees will be formed as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors. These committees will be formed using the same structure as that of standing committees.
D. Term Limits: Any member selected to serve on a committee will have a term of no more than four consecutive years. In the event there are no volunteers to fill a position that may come open, the chair may elect to have a sitting member serve an additional year.
Section 5 – Vacancies of Office
Vacancies of any office or committee chair position will be filled by the President with the approval of one other officer except in the case of the President, when the procedure in Article IV Section 1.B.2. (President-Elect) will be followed. In the event that the offices of both the President and President-Elect become vacant, a Special Election of the general membership shall be conducted within 30 days of the vacancy to elect a President. He/she shall complete the remaining term of vacated office of President. He/she shall then serve as President for the next term and serve as Past-President in the following term.
Section 6 – Resignations and Recalls
Any member of the Board of Directors may resign at any time by providing written notice to the President. The Board of Directors may request the recall of any Officer or Representative if it is deemed that the Officer or Representative is not representing the best interest of the Association. The Board of Directors, after a simple majority vote, may invoke a recall. The Board Member is recalled by a simple majority of Board Members in attendance at a regular monthly meeting or a special meeting.
Section 7 - Auditor
The Board of Directors may select and hire an auditor, schedule an audit of Association activities as necessary, and receive the final audit response. Results of any scheduled audit shall be reported at the next general membership meeting.
Article V – Meetings
Section 1 – Board of Directors Meetings
A. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors will be held monthly and address ACES business and exempt related issues. The presence of a simple majority of the Board will constitute a quorum. The minutes of the meeting will be kept by the Recording Secretary. The actions taken and measures voted on will be made part of a report to be presented at the next general membership meeting. The President will determine the matters of Association business on which the Board may and may not take action.
B. The President or a simple majority of the Board of Directors can call for a special Board meeting at any time. The time and place of the meeting will be designated by the President. Two working days’ notice should be given unless the meeting is being called to address an extreme emergency. The meeting must be held within five working days. Business conducted at special meetings will be limited to the subject or subjects for which the meeting was called. A simple majority of the Board will constitute a quorum. Any decisions reached by the board during special meetings will be reported to the membership at the next general membership meeting.
Section 2 – Committee Meetings
Committee meetings will be held at a time and place designated by the Committee Chair or the President. A simple majority of the committee will constitute a quorum. Committees will undertake only those assignments as outlined in these by-laws or as delegated to them by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors by a majority vote. The Board of Directors maintains oversight of significant activities conducted and actions to be taken by committees.
Section 3 – General Membership Meetings
A. Regular general membership meetings will be held at least once per quarter at a time and place designated by the President. At least five working days’ notice will be given by a means deemed reasonable by the President. A report of the minutes of any Board of Directors meeting held since the last general membership meeting will be read. Old and new business will be discussed. Any issue of meeting management will be handled according to parliamentary procedure. Disputes regarding parliamentary procedure will be decided by the Recording Secretary.
B. Special general membership meetings may be called at any time and place designated by the President or at the request of a majority of the Board of Directors, or by 25% of the active membership. Two working days’ notice will be given by any means deemed reasonable by the President. Business conducted at special meetings will be limited to the subject or subjects for which the meeting was called. Any action taken will be reported at the next regular general membership meeting.
Article VI – Parliamentary Procedures
Section 1 – The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, govern in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-laws, but in no case used to obstruct the orderly flow of meetings.
Section 2 – Association Voting
A. On matters of business that the President and Board of Directors have determined requires a vote, an electronic vote will be conducted via email.
B. After an electronic ballot has been sent out, a 14-day voting period will commence. Shorter voting periods may be called for by a vote of the majority of the officers to accommodate circumstances.
C. Only active members of the Association are eligible to vote. All electronic ballots must be completed via e-mail by the date and time announced to be counted.
D. A simple majority of votes cast will determine the outcome.
Amendment History:
By-Laws amended June 2021:
- remove "Meet and Confer" language and replace with All Employee Representative Council (AERC) due to college policy changes
- remove "Professional Development Committee" sections due to change with Organizational Effectiveness & Development (OED) department taking over the college's exempt professional development
- update language to reflect changes in representatives roles
By-Laws amended March 2019:
- reorder Amendment History to have most recent changes listed first
- change format of entire document to improve readability
- change language of relevant positions from “Member(s)-at-large” to “Representative”
- combine two current representative roles into one: Networking and Membership with 2 representative filling the role and working collaboratively
- create a new representative position and Committee: Technology and Communication
- eliminate the Community Services position with re-allocation of those duties to the new combined Networking and Membership role, updating of section on Committees to reflect role changes, elimination of the Step-Progression Committee since that process is not current valid (a new committee may be formed in future years related to this topic), and multiple other language changes to support all the changes in representative roles.
- language consistency
- clarification of purposes for Board of Directors, Officers, and terms of office
- addition of ethical responsibility of candidates
- requirement of committee chairs
- resignations and recalls.
- Recognized acronym ACES
- clarification of duties of President-Elect, President, Past-President and Recording Secretary
- member of ACES Board may not hold leadership position with Staff Council
- announcement of Board at June general meeting
- addition of Community Service Committee
- reporting requirements of committee chairs
- Added 2 additional Representatives
- electronic voting
- required voting period
- Representative duties
- better-defined Dues section
- Standing committees, purpose
- officer term limits
- staggered elections
- tie votes
- committee term limits and committee oversight
- association voting
- Special election
- SPP committee
- term Representative
- Position Transfer
- Removal of externally funded language
- Special general membership meeting