The name shall be the President’s Staff Advisory Council (SAC).

The mission of the President's Staff Advisory Council is to facilitate and promote open and direct communication between university staff and senior administration, and to serve as a forum for input, engagement, community building, and discussion of issues important to both staff and the university. 

In support of this mission, SAC’s guiding principles are to:

• Act as advisers to the president and senior administrators with the aim of creating a positive working environment for all University employees;
• Provide staff input into Brown University’s decision‐making processes that directly affect staff;
• Select staff members to serve on important institutional committees;
• Provide input on policies and procedures that pertain to or impact staff and the University community;
• Create committees and ad hoc groups to develop activities that enhance communication and morale through educational, recreational, informational, networking and community events.
• Create networking opportunities for staff across the University;
• Encourage social responsibility and service to the University and the surrounding community;
• Provide a supportive network to collaborate with the University in communicating and achieving its goals

The membership of the Council shall be limited to no less than twenty members and no more than twenty-four members appointed by the president (excluding members who have filled vacancies and past co-chairs). The president may appoint and remove ex officio members, including a SAC Adviser, at their discretion. 

Section 1. Types of Members

1. The membership of the Council shall be selected in accordance with Article IV. The Council shall make every effort to maintain a membership from the full range of diverse backgrounds.
2. The appointed ex officio members of the Council shall be determined by the president.

Section 2. Terms of Service

1. A full term is two years. The only exception to this would be the co-chairs, whose status change will be in accordance with Article V, Section 5 of these bylaws.
2. Any member, during the second year of their first term, is eligible to request a second two-year term. Co-chairs will confirm interest in continuing for a second term with eligible current members ending their first two-year term. Once this cohort has been identified, the remaining vacancies on the Council will be filled, in accordance with Section 6. Filling of Vacancies.
3. Membership is limited to two consecutive terms, at which point a period of twelve months must pass before interested parties may reapply for membership. 

Section 3. Eligibility

Any University staff member who meets the following criteria is eligible to serve on SAC:

• The staff member has a minimum of nine months (does not need to be in succession) of regular University service prior to the start of their term as a SAC member; and
• The staff member serves in a regular position that is designated as 66% time or greater.

Section 4. Member Resignations

A member wishing to resign from the Council shall submit their resignation in writing to the Council co-chairs who will notify the ex officio members.

Section 5. Removals

A member of the Council may be removed from membership for any of the following:

1. Two absences at full Council meetings without notification;
2. Non‐attendance at committee meetings;
3. Other causes as determined by the full Council whenever, in its judgment, the best interests of the University would be served by the removal.

Section 6. Filling of Vacancies

The co-chairs will activate one of the following procedures to fill any vacant positions. These recommendations must be approved by the full Council by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting:

1. Recommend a staff member from the membership alternate pool, making the selection based on order created by the selection committee;
2. Delegate to the Membership Selection Committee the responsibility of making a nominee recommendation to the full Council;
3. Recommend a former member who has served a full term and has not served the past two terms consecutively unless they have been off the Council for at least twelve (12) months.

Those filling vacant positions will have the following term option:

• Complete the term of the member whose position they have taken over.
• Serve a two-year term from their start date.

The membership of the Council shall be selected by an ad-hoc Membership Selection Committee consisting of at least four current Council members and the current co-chairs. 

1. Prospective members must apply by the recruitment deadline provided in the application and announcements.
2. The Membership Selection Committee shall review all applications and submit to the full Council one nominee for each Council opening and a list of five (5) alternates in priority order, which shall stay in place until the next selection process occurs.
3. All nominees and alternates must be approved by the full Council by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting.
4. The Membership Selection Committee will submit the full Council’s recommendations to the president for approval.
5. The new members’ terms will commence at the start of the new academic year.

The Officers of the Council shall be composed of up to three co-chairs and ex officio adviser(s) designated by the president, with any past co-chair(s) serving in a consultant capacity.

Section 1. Co-Chairs' Term

A co-chair’s term is a two-year commitment. The last semester of a chair’s two-year term should be dedicated to wrapping up projects, transferring ongoing projects to the incoming co-chairs, and providing support as the new co-chairs assume leadership. Up to three Council members should share the position of co-chair.  If multiple members do not volunteer to serve, the Council should vote on whether to proceed with a single chair.

Section 2. Elections

The chair election shall take place by secret ballot at the first meeting of the Spring semester, consistent with the following procedure:

1. Prior to the first SAC meeting of the Spring semester, existing co-chairs will solicit applications from existing Council members who are interested in volunteering as a co-chair. Eligible Council members will have served at least one year of service on the Council before applying.
2. Current co-chairs will de-identify the applications and present them to the Council for a vote via secret ballot.
3. If the vote results in a tie, the co-chairs will establish an ad-hoc selection committee. The committee must consist of at least the following: the co-chairs, the ex officio advisers, and two second‐term members of the Council. The two Council members will be selected jointly by the co-chairs and the ex officio advisors.
   1. The selection committee shall research, discuss, and rank the candidates.
   2. The selection committee shall submit the names of the final candidates to the full Council.
4. If enough individuals submit applications to fill the upcoming co-chair vacancies, the current co-chairs will still present the de-identified application responses to the full Council for a vote by secret ballot.
5. If only a single chair is named, the Council will vote on whether election procedures should repeat using the procedure outlined above for a second nominee, or whether a single chair will take full responsibility for the co-chairs’ roles.

Section 3. Resignation

1. Upon the resignation of a co-chair, the remaining co‐chair(s) will assume the full co-chairs’ duties for the balance of the term.
2. Upon the resignation and/or vacancy of all co‐chair positions, the vacating co-chairs will temporarily delegate this office to a second-year Council member who will facilitate the election process outlined in Section 2. Elections. A vote by secret ballot should be held during the next regular meeting, or within one month of the resignations.
3. Upon the resignation of the past co-chairs, the position will remain vacant until the next set of elections, at which point the co-chairs will assume the role of past co-chairs.

Section 4. Duties of the Chair

1. The co-chairs will provide leadership to the full Council.
2. The co-chairs shall be voting members of the Council.
3. The co-chairs will be the spokesperson(s) for the Council in any official matters, unless otherwise delegated to a Council Member for their availability or expertise.
4. The co-chairs will be the official liaison with any other University committees, or will make an appointment to represent the Staff Advisory Council on that committee or at the meeting.
5. The co-chairs of the full Council shall be ex officio members of all Council committees.
6. The co-chairs shall be responsible for organizing annual summary reports for the president.

Section 5. Duties of the Past Co-Chairs

1. The past co-chairs shall be responsible for providing guidance and advice to the current co-chairs upon request.
2. The immediate past co-chairs shall be voting members of the Council.
3. The past co-chairs shall be active members of the Council for at least six months and will continue to provide advice as needed throughout the new co-chairs’ first year of service. 

 Section 6. Recording Meeting Minutes

1. Council members will volunteer to take meeting minutes on a rotating roster. If a member is unable to attend the meeting they are scheduled to serve as the Recorder, they will organize a replacement ahead of the meeting or notify the co-chairs as soon as possible so that a Recorder can be identified.
2. The Recorder is responsible for circulating the meeting minutes to the Council via email at the end of the meeting.
3. Council members are expected to review, provide comments, and vote on the meeting minutes before the next Council meeting.
4. The co-chairs will facilitate the voting process to ensure meeting minutes are approved before the next Council meeting. If there is outstanding business from the previous meeting, the co-chairs will carry the necessary business items forward to the next meeting’s agenda for discussion.

Section 1. Frequency

The full Council will meet twice monthly generally on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month; each meeting will be one hour in length. One or two additional meetings will be added to the schedule for the Council to meet with the President. Meetings will consist of SAC business and committee reports, and then a guest(s) will present or a topic will be discussed. Committees will meet as necessary, as part of or apart from the general Council meetings.

Section 2. Special Meetings

The co-chairs shall be authorized to call special meetings. The purpose of the meeting will be stated in the call. Except in the case of an emergency, five business days’ notice shall be given to all members.

Section 3. Attendance

In the event that a member is unable to attend any regular meeting, the member shall notify the co‐chairs in advance of the meeting. Members may be removed from the Council in the event of two unexcused absences from full Council meetings. (See Article III, Section 6.)

Section 1. Formation

Committees shall be formed by a majority vote of the Council. A motion may be brought forward at any meeting to form a committee. The Events & Participation and Outreach & Communications Committees shall be standing committees.

Section 2. Disbandment

Committees may be disbanded by a majority vote of the Council. A member shall bring forth a motion for a committee to disband.

Section 3. Membership

Committees shall be composed of at least three (3) members of the Council. All members of the Council will be assigned to a committee by the co-chairs.

Members submit their top choices for committees they'd like to work on, and the co-chairs will assign members according to their ranked choices. Members may switch committees after their first year.

Section 4. Officers

The basic officer of the committee shall be the committee chair or co-chairs. The committee chair or co-chairs may appoint other officers at their discretion.

Section 5. Attendance

In the event a member is unable to attend any regular or special committee meeting, the member shall notify the chair or co-chairs of that committee.

Section 6. Role of Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

1. Oversee their committee.
2. Submit reports to the full Council.
3. Monitor attendance/participation of members and report to co-chairs, if necessary.
4. Plan and conduct committee meetings.
5. Provide a briefing to co-chairs every academic year with goals and progress towards them.

These rules may be amended at any regular meeting of the Council by a majority vote (more than 50% of all votes cast by the members present). Suggested amendments must be distributed to the full Council, no later than three working days prior to the first meeting of the next month.  All amendments must be reviewed and approved by the President.

Revised: July 2025