Bylaws and Policies of the
Middlesex Community College Professional Association

 

Bylaws

Voted May, 1995

Middlesex Page

ARTICLE I - NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION

The name of the Association shall be Middlesex Community College Professional Association (MCCPA), hereinafter referred to as "the chapter".

ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES

  1. To improve the professional and economic status of the chapter members.
  2. To serve as a liaison between the Massachu-setts Teachers Association (MTA), the Mass-achusetts Community College Council (MCCC), and the unit members of the MCCC chapter as defined by the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission.
  3. To be responsible for the conduct of all business relative to the local level of operation as indicated by the contract.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership
    1. Full time chapter members are those members of the college who are full time members of the MCCC.
    2. Part time chapter members are those members of the college who are part time members of the MCCC, including both DCE and day school personnel.
  2. Voting and Office Holding Privileges
    1. Each full time unit member shall have one (1) vote, regardless of work load.
    2. Each part time unit member shall have one-fourth (1/4) vote, regardless of work load.
    3. All members may hold any office unless otherwise restricted, and in the capacity of office holder have one (1) vote.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS and REPRESENTATIVES

  1. Officers
    The officers shall be a president, a vice president / Bedford campus, a vice president / Lowell campus, a secretary, a treasurer, and a director.
  2. Representatives
    Representatives shall be as follows.
    1. Area representatives: these persons represent major physical or work areas of the chapter membership; the number will vary as needs dictate. This number will be determined by the membership on a yearly basis.

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    2. Professional staff representative: this person will represent the viewpoint of the professional staff.
    3. DCE representative: this person will represent the viewpoint of the members of the DCE unit.
  3. Powers and duties of the officers
    1. The president shall
      1. preside over meetings of the executive committee and of the general membership,
      2. call for members to serve on any committees established by vote of the general membership,
    2. perform all other functions usually attributed to this office.
    3. The vice presidents shall
      1. act for the President in any circumstances in which the President is unable to function,
      2. serve as the chapter grievance officer for the day contract,
      3. be an ex-officio member of all committees,
      4. perform all other functions usually attributed to this office.

    4. The secretary shall
      1. keep and distribute minutes of all meetings of the executive committee and the general membership,
      2. maintain official files and assist the president with chapter correspondence,
      3. prepare election ballots and distribute them to the membership,
      4. act for the vice-president in any circumstances in which the vice-president is unable to function.
    5. The treasurer shall
      1. maintain a roll of the members, collect dues, and transmit amounts due to the MCCC and MTA,
      2. keep accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements and report to each meeting of the general membership in person or in writing,
      3. inform the president of new day unit members,
      4. prepare an annual financial statement in accordance with state and federal regulations and shall present this to the general membership at the last meeting of the academic year,
      5. hold the funds of the chapter and disburse them in accordance with budget allowances,
      6. seek input from officers and committee chair-persons in order to prepare a proposed annual budget which will be presented to the membership for approval at a meeting in May,
      7. receive executive committee approval for disbursements in excess of $250.
    6. The director
      1. attend the monthly meetings of the board of directors,
      2. report on MCCC business at each meeting of the general membership of the chapter or by written communication to the membership after each MCCC board meeting,
      3. act for the secretary or treasurer in any circumstances in which the secretary or treasurer is unable to function.
  4. Powers and duties of representatives
    1. Area representatives shall
      1. provide communication between chapter members in their work area or building and the chapter officers by attending executive committee meetings,
      2. welcome new chapter members whose office is in their work area or building,
      3. be given first choice to fill vacant delegate seats at the MCCC delegate assembly,
      4. conduct union elections in respective work areas or buildings when necessary,
      5. assist unit members in contract interpretation and enforcement.
    2. The professional staff representative shall
      1. represent the viewpoint of the professional staff unit members at executive committee and general membership meetings
      2. explicitly solicit professional staff input for the negotiations committee representative.
      3. be given first choice to fill vacant delegate seats at the MCCC delegate assembly,
      4. be familiar with the contract as it applies to professional staff and assist professional staff members in contract interpretation and enforcement.
    3. The DCE representative shall
      1. represent the viewpoint of the DCE unit members at executive committee and general membership meetings,
      2. communicate with the DCE unit members at least once per semester,
      3. explicitly solicit DCE input for the negotiations committee representative,
      4. represent DCE unit members at the MCCC delegate assembly,
      5. be familiar with the DCE contract and assist DCE members in contract interpretation and enforcement,
      6. act as the grievance officer for the DCE unit.
  5. Eligibility, Terms and Succession
    1. Eligibility Any chapter member is eligible to be elected an officer of the chapter. An area representative must have a significant portion of their work assignment in the building or work area represented. The professional staff representative must be a professional staff unit member. The DCE representative must be a part-time unit member.
    2. Terms The terms of representatives and the treasurer will expire in even numbered years. Thus they would normally serve a two year term of office. Other officers will serve a one year term of office. All office holders may stand for re-election.
    3. Elections Election of officers and representatives will occur in May. New members of the executive committee shall assume the duties of office on July 1.
    4. Recall An elected official may be removed from office in the following way. A petition to this effect carrying the signatures of 30% of the full time members shall be presented to the executive committee. Within ten (10) working days from receipt of this petition the executive committee shall hold a recall vote which will require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the full time members for removal from office. If that removal is voted, the official is removed, and the executive committee shall, within thirty (30) days, hold a special election to fill the office vacated.
    5. Vacancy If an officer or building representative resigns the executive committee shall hold a special election to fill that office within thirty (30) days. The committee shall ensure that timely notice is provided to all full and part-time members.

ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  1. Membership
    The executive committee shall consist of the officers and representatives.
  2. Powers and duties
    The executive committee shall
    1. be responsible for the management of the chapter, governed by the policies established by the general membership,
    2. report its transactions to the membership,
    3. suggest policies for consideration by the membership,
    4. assist the treasurer in preparing an annual budget for the operation of the chapter,
    5. distribute a list of deadlines called for by the current day contract to full time members by September 30.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

  1. There shall be at least two executive committee meetings each semester on a schedule to be determined by the executive committee. Additional meetings will be held at the request of at least three executive committee members.
  2. There shall be at least two general membership meetings each semester, scheduled as determined by the executive committee. Three weeks prior to each meeting, the executive committee shall solicit items for the agenda from all members. One week prior to each meeting, the executive committee shall prepare an agenda, including all items submitted by members, and shall circulate it to all members.
  3. Special meetings of the general membership may be held at the call of the president or upon written request to the executive committee from five percent (5%) of the membership.
    Special meetings of the professional staff members may be held at the call of the president or the professional staff representative.
    Business to come before special meetings must be stated in the call, which shall be sent in writing to each member at least five working days prior to the meeting.
  4. Quorum
    1. The majority of their members shall be a quorum for the executive committee.
    2. A quorum for general membership meetings shall be twenty percent (20%) of the full time members.

    3. Absentee voting In the event that a member cannot personally attend a general or special meeting due to specifically assigned regularly scheduled classroom, clinical or professional duties as contractually mandated, that member may vote on an issue in balloting held at that meeting in either of the two following ways.
      1. Absentee Ballot A member may submit an absentee ballot in a sealed envelope, which specifies a position on the issue to the chapter President prior to the start of the meeting. This sealed envelope shall be contained in a larger sealed envelope with the printed name and signature of the absentee voter and the issue to which the vote relates. Immediately prior to the vote count, the outer sealed envelope will be opened by the President or designee and the inner sealed envelope will be handed to the designated vote counters. The purpose of this policy is to preserve anonymity for the voter.
      2. Proxy voting Proxy voting shall allow any voting member to be designated an agent to cast a vote representing the absentee. The absentee shall express a desire to vote by proxy and identify that member's agent to the President prior to the start of the meeting, in a signed statement. No agent shall be allowed to cast proxy votes for more than one member.

ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES

  1. Organization
    There shall be the following standing committees.
    1. Nominating/election committee
      This committee shall be responsible for preparing a slate of candidates to be presented to the general membership and for supervising elections as specified in Article IX, (should be VIII) Section 4.
    2. Special Committees
      Ad hoc committees shall be established as needed by simple majority vote at general membership meetings and shall have a term of one calendar (1) year.
  2. Meetings
    Each standing committee shall meet according to the needs of the chapter.
  3. Reports
    The chair of each committee shall be prepared to report to the general membership meeting on the work of the committee or on items requiring action.
    1. Each committee shall choose a secretary who shall record the activities of the committee and assist the chair with correspondence, reports, etc.
    2. Each committee shall prepare an annual written report before June 1 to be given to the chapter secretary and filed as part of the records of the chapter. Ad hoc committees shall submit their reports when their specific function has been discharged.

ARTICLE VIII - RULES AND PROCEDURES

  1. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be the authority of the chapter, where not superseded by these bylaws.
  2. The President may appoint a parliamentarian to assist at general membership meetings of the chapter.
  3. Election procedures
    1. The slate will be drawn up by the nominating/election committee and presented to the general membership thirty (30) days prior to the election date. The 30 day requirement is waived in the event of a special election.
    2. The slate will be presented to the membership at a general meeting, and nominations from the floor invited.
    3. Ballots will be prepared by the secretary of the chapter and distributed to the membership.
    4. Ballots will be returned by individual members to a specified voting area. Names will be checked against the official chapter membership list and ballots will be tabulated by the nominating/election committee.
    5. To be elected a candidate must receive a majority of the votes. If no candidate receives a majority, a run-off election between two (2) candidates with the largest number of votes will be held, such election to be supervised by the nominating/election committee.

ARTICLE IX- AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at any regular meeting of the chapter provided that copies of the proposed amendments have been provided to members of the chapter at least two (2) weeks in advance of the meeting.

Policies

Policy on stipends to chapter officers
It is the policy of the Chapter that officers serve primarily on a voluntary basis. This policy recognizes that all officers provide substantial services to the unit, that the burden of these duties varies from semester to semester and with the individuals fulfilling these duties, and that adequate recompense on an hourly basis is beyond the fiscal resources of the unit.
The president, each vice-president, the treasurer, the secretary, and the DCE representative shall receive a predetermined stipend computed and paid on a per semester basis, as follows.

Policy concerning released time for officers
When the Agreement permits the chapter to have at least one section of released time per semester, one section shall be allocated to the chapter president. A second available section shall be allocated to the chapter director.

Policy on mileage
The MCCPA shall pay mileage at the same rate as the MCCC allowance.

Policy concerning the one-credit orientation course
Each time a unit member teaches the one-credit orientation course as part of their normal teaching load and thus exceeds a twelve-credit-hour load that overload is accrued in a bank.
During the semester of accruing three (3) credits in the bank, or within the following two semesters, that unit member shall receive, as a minimum, a three-credit course reduction in workload.
Non-instructional (staff) personnel shall receive an appropriate reduction in assigned duties during any semester in which teaching this course is assigned.

 

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