The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Original Issuance Date: December 12, 2007
Last Revision Date: October 2025
Next Review Date:

1. PURPOSE

2. RESPONSIBLE OFFICER

3. SCOPE

4. BACKGROUND

5. DEFINITIONS

6. POLICY STATEMENT

 

ARTICLE I. PREAMBLE

The University Staff Senate (USS) was established in 2001 to provide university staff with a voice on campus, and following statutory changes under Section 36.115, was formally approved by staff as their official governance body.

In 2017 the UW System Board of Regents approved the merger of UW Fox Valley, UW Fond du Lac, and UW Oshkosh, leading to a 2019 rebranding of the three campuses and, following the July 1, 2025, closure of the access campuses, the consolidation of governance into one body with USS formally incorporated into UW Oshkosh’s shared governance structure.

All truly successful organizations recognize the value and the importance of the contributions and suggestions that are made by its employees. The university recognizes the tremendous value of suggestions received from all segments of our communities, including those from the members of the university staff. The University Staff Senate was created and established to ensure that all members of the university staff have the opportunity to be actively involved in setting the priorities and future direction for UW Oshkosh.

Oshkosh remains a strong support for the principles, the processes, and the practice of effective, engaged, and transparent shared governance at UW Oshkosh.

ARTICLE II. VISION

All university staff who work at UW Oshkosh will have opportunities to help shape and advance the University through active and involved patterns of collegial communication and interaction with UW Oshkosh’s administration and groups and organizations participating in the process of shared institutional governance as provided under Chapter 36 of the Wisconsin Statutes and any applicable rules, policies, or procedures that are set forth by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

ARTICLE III. NAME

The name of the organization is the University Staff Senate (USS).

ARTICLE IV. CHARACTER AND CHARGE

USS is created as an unincorporated organization that operates within the administrative and shared governance structure of UW Oshkosh. USS is charged with the following responsibilities: (1) To participate in the development of future plans for the University while also promoting and sustaining a positive professional environment for all university staff employees (whether represented, non-represented, limited term, or project appointment); (2) To promote programs and services that support professional development activities; (3) To encourage informed communication among university staff and with the broader University community, including the recognized governance groups; (4) To serve as advisors to the Chancellor and other University administrators; and (5) To perform such other duties and functions as befits a voluntary organization committed to creating and sustaining an affirming and supportive operational environment that promotes and encourages excellence in teaching, working, leading, and serving the communities that make up UW Oshkosh.

ARTICLE V. MEMBERSHIP

All university staff members holding permanent (expectation of continued employment) or project (with the ability to fulfill the commitment) positions are eligible, and encouraged, to be members of USS. Temporary employees (formerly LTEs) are not eligible to serve on USS, or participate in elections, but are welcome to participate in the University Staff Professional Development Day. USS has 18 members, each serving a three-year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The USS is elected by vote of all participating and interested members of the university staff at UW- Oshkosh. The seats within the senate are determined based on vacancies using three-year terms.

Senate representation will not be put into divisional groups, but from university staff collectively. The Senate Office in collaboration with the executive committee will monitor limits, as needed. For example, to be sure that not more than 8 seats are from Academic Affairs. Efforts to be sure there is still broad representation will always be in place.

ARTICLE VI. ADMINISTRATIVE LIAISON

The Chancellor, in consultation with the President and/or Executive Committee, shall appoint an individual to serve as the Administrative Liaison to USS. In making this selection or designation, the Chancellor shall identify an individual with the background, training, experience, commitment, and current work responsibilities that provide orientation and perspective to the broad array of issues impacting the University. The Liaison shall be chosen from among the ranks of the faculty, academic staff, or administrative staff. The Liaison is expected to have regular and recurring access to the Chancellor and to the University’s administrative leadership. The Liaison is expected to be familiar with the University’s system of shared governance and have understandings and sensitivities that will ensure that the work of USS operates in an orderly and efficient manner with these other recognized governance structures and processes.

ARTICLE VII. TERMS OF SERVICE

Terms of service on USS are staggered so that between five and eight seats are open each year. Individuals can nominate themselves or other members of the university staff for appointment to serve on USS. Nominations to fill vacant seat(s), and the subsequent voting for all members, is done in May, with those chosen beginning their term in June. If an elected member leaves before the term is completed, the President will appoint a new member to complete the remainder of the term.

ARTICLE VIII. OFFICERS

USS shall have the following seven officers who serve single-year terms: (1) President; (2) President-Elect; (3) Treasurer; and (4, 5, & 6) 3 USS Members-at-Large. The Executive Committee is comprised of these six USS officers. The Past President (7) (from the previous year) is invited to attend executive committee meetings if they choose to make that commitment. The Past President member will be a non-voting, ex-officio role.

ARTICLE IX. PRESIDENTIAL ALLOCATION

Each spring, the Senate Office (record keeping office for Senate) will request a transfer of funds of $10,000 to the department/area of the incoming President.

 

ARTICLE X. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The 18 USS members who have been elected or appointed to serve shall elect a President- Elect at the June meeting from among the 18 USS members who have been elected or appointed to serve. A newly- elected member must be present to be nominated for an office or have indicated willingness to serve prior to the meeting. In order to be elected to serve as President-Elect, the individual must have been a member of USS for at least one year prior to that election or have served on USS previously. In the event that the President-Elect cannot serve as the President, USS will elect a new President from among the 18 USS members. The duties and responsibilities of each officer are set forth below:

President: Calls and presides over USS meetings; oversees the distribution of the agenda and minutes to Senate members prior to each meeting; calls executive committee meetings as needed; coordinates activities; attends shared governance meetings with the Chancellor and Provost.

Attends meetings with the Chancellor as requested; and makes recommendations to USS for all appointments to Search and Screen committees and other committees requested by the Chancellor and assists Committee on Committees with other appointments.

President-Elect: Serves as Acting President (and performs all those duties) when the President is absent or unable to perform those duties; attends meetings with the Chancellor and Provost and meetings with the Chancellor as requested; and becomes President after completing a one-year service as President-Elect.

Members-at-Large: Serves as an executive committee member; and if the president of Senate is unable to be the UW System University Staff Representative, one of the Members-at-Large is asked to serve in that capacity if able.

Past President: Serves as an executive committee member and in an advisory role as needed to the current President; serves on the University Staff Professional Development Day [USPDD] Planning Committee as chair and reports back to Senate. If unable to serve as chair of USPDD, the President will appoint a replacement.

Treasurer: Manages, reconciles and reports on the budget to USS at all monthly meetings; attends the monthly meetings of the Executive Committee; and oversees all payments of any associated bills or obligations for USS and USPDD.

ARTICLE XI. MEETINGS

Scheduling: Regular meetings of USS, as called by the President, shall be held at least once per month, during the two full semesters of the academic year with a minimum of nine meetings per academic year with periodic meetings during the summer as needed. USS meetings are open to all University employees and are held weekdays between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Members of USS will be allowed to attend meetings in paid status. Any employee serving as an elected member of USS who is assigned to work the second or third shift will use flex work hours to attend these meetings. Arrangement to flex work schedule will be discussed with the appropriate supervisor, and the Administrative Liaison shall actively help to resolve any issues or problems that may arise relating to these scheduling and workload considerations.

Quorum: A quorum for any meeting of the Senate shall be one more than half the full membership of the Senate.

Attendance: USS members are expected to attend at least 75 percent of regularly scheduled meetings, either in person or virtually, unless excused. If a member is unable to meet this expectation, the President may take action to replace the Senate member.

ARTICLE XII. COMMITTEES

USS committees may be established by a majority vote of USS. Each committee will include at least one USS member, and one of those USS members will serve as liaison to USS. All committees select their own chair from among themselves. Committee meetings may be held during paid work hours. Any employee serving as an elected member of the Senate and working second or third shift will use flex work hours to attend Committee meetings, and the Administrative Liaison shall provide support and assistance toward this end, if needed. Arrangement to flex work schedule shall be discussed with the appropriate supervisor. Committees are reviewed annually and those that are no longer necessary will be eliminated by majority vote of USS. When requested, a representative from each committee will attend or provide the monthly USS meetings with updates on the activities of the committee. Terms of the committee chairs will be determined annually by the committee vote. The number of terms of membership on committees is not limited. Committee members must be in permanent employment status.

USS Committees –

Executive Committee: As noted above, in Article VIII, the executive committee shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and three Members-at-large. The Past President will attend executive committee meetings as a non-voting member, ex-officio role. The President will call the meetings as necessary and shall preside over them. In extraordinary circumstances, and when necessary, due to deadlines or timelines imposed by external parties or requirements, the executive committee shall be authorized to exercise the powers of the USS in the event that a quorum cannot be convened. All actions shall be

Bylaws Committee: USS bylaws shall be reviewed at a minimum of every two years or as needed and propose changes to USS as necessary. Membership shall consist of at least two USS members, plus one past bylaws committee member.

Committee on Committees: The Committee on Committees (COC) will survey the university staff no later than May 1 of each year to determine interest and qualifications for service on preferred committees. It is composed of three university staff members: One past COC member and two other Senate members. COC will find nominees for openings on the university committees. Committee appointees compiled by COC shall be presented to the USS executive committee for consideration.

The USS President will submit the COC recommendations to USS for approval. Notification email will be sent to the appointee, USS President and chair of the appropriate committee.

Elections Committee: This committee is charged by the Senate each spring. It is composed of three university staff members: One past USS President, one past Elections Committee member, and one current USS member not seeking re-election this term. The Senate Office will administer the elections survey each spring and share results with the elections committee. Committee will confirm results before taking to Senate for affirmation. New members will be invited to attend a meeting in May before their term begins in June. Elections are to be concluded by May 15th.

The Election Committee is responsible for evaluation of – Broad rep when possible.

Awards, Recognition, & Grants Committee: This committee is responsible for selecting the monthly Star Award winner and provides professional development opportunities to university staff members by offering grants for participation in non-credit conferences, seminars, and workshops. This committee is also responsible for soliciting nominees, reviewing materials on nominees, and recommending the winners of the Outstanding Performance Award (OPA) to the Chancellor. If any committee member is nominated, they are to excuse themselves from the committee meetings and deliberations. The Chancellor makes the final decision of the OPA. Committees monitored by Senate: (1) Outstanding Service Award, (2) Star Award, (3) Sally Margis Grant, (4) Ellie Maslowski University Scholarship Grant, & (5) UWGB Conference Grant.

Compensation Committee: This committee is formed as necessary and is responsible for working with the Human Resources Office and other administrative units on the development and oversight of various policies, procedures and approaches to compensation issues relating to the university staff. (The specific charge to this committee shall be modified and adjusted as the work of this group continues under active development.)

USPDD (University Staff Professional Development Day): This committee will include the Past- President, one executive committee member, and one senator, The annual support and funding for this event is requested of the Chancellor’s Office. This committee will oversee the coordination of all tasks and plans for the day.

Special USS Committees –

The USS shall create such ad hoc committees as it considers necessary to assist in formulating policies and making decisions on special problems.

Hearing Committee:

The University Staff Senate shall be responsible for forming the hearing bodies required by the UW System and UW Oshkosh university staff rules.

Membership: When it becomes necessary to form a hearing body, the president of the Senate shall be responsible for forming a three-member hearing committee according to the following procedures:

1. The three members shall be chosen from the Senate by the president, using random selection The chairperson of the hearing committee shall be appointed from among these three by the Senate. All individuals selected to serve on a hearing committee must be in good standing on all assigned mandatory trainings and shall receive training on proper hearing procedures prior to serving.
2. The president of the Senate shall not serve as a member of any hearing committee.
3. No member of the Senate shall serve simultaneously on more than one committee hearing individual cases.
4. The following are disqualified from service on a hearing committee: (1) any individual who participated in the initiation, formulation, investigation or filing of allegations or charges; (2) any individual who is a member of the concerned university staff member’s department or equivalent; and (3) any individual who is a material witness.
5. If, in the opinion of the president of the Senate (and with concurrence of the Chancellor), members are needed to serve on additional hearing committees, they will be randomly selected by the president from university staff in at least their third year of service at UW

 

Procedures: If a hearing is determined to be necessary, the committee shall operate consistent with the procedures in this section. Where appropriate, additional procedural requirements indicated in the other sections of these rules shall apply. Requirements guaranteeing due process and assuring procedural uniformity include the following:

1. At the request of the president of the Senate, and with the concurrence of the Chancellor, the University shall provide legal counsel to a hearing committee. All parties shall be notified if legal counsel is to be provided.
2. University staff members shall be assured of a fair hearing, which will include the right to present testimony on one’s own behalf, the right to offer witnesses, the right to cross-examine adverse witnesses, and the right to counsel or representation.
3. The department or functional equivalent of the university staff member concerned shall be consulted and have the opportunity to present evidence or testimony through the unit Director or other representative(s), as appropriate.
4. By a majority vote a hearing committee may, on the motion of one of the university staff members involved, or on its own initiative, disqualify any one of its members for cause. In such case, the president of the Senate shall designate a replacement unless, in his/her opinion, the disqualification should occur after a significant portion of the hearing already has taken place. The same replacement procedures shall be followed in the event a member of the committee is not able to complete the assignment.
5. Hearings shall be open or closed in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Meetings.
6. A verbatim sound recording shall be made of all formal Upon written request, a copy of the recording shall be made available at no cost within a reasonable period of time to anyone involved in the hearing.
7. The committee shall have access to documentary evidence it believes to be pertinent, including public records and official documents specifically requested by the committee, and shall have the right to summon witnesses necessary to assure a fair hearing.
8. The Chancellor shall assist committees in obtaining witnesses and documents required for proper conduct of hearings.
9. The hearing committee shall not be bound by common law or statutory rules of evidence; it may admit evidence having reasonable probative value, but shall exclude immaterial, irrelevant or unduly repetitious testimony, and shall allow the exercise of legal privileges. Members of the hearing committee who participate in discussion of the merits and decision-making shall be familiar with all testimony, all deliberations, and all evidence presented.

 

ARTICLE XIII. REPRESENTATIVES TO OTHER GOVERNANCE GROUPS

The University Staff Senate will appoint representatives to the following:

1. Faculty Senate: A Senate member with at least one year experience on Senate is preferred.
2. UW System University Staff Representatives Council: President or designee. Attendee will report back to USS as necessary.

ARTICLE XIV. CHANGING THE BYLAWS

Changes require an affirmative vote by the USS membership. This vote will be done at a USS meeting. Before such a vote will take place, members of the Senate must be given notice regarding the intent to vote on proposed changes. All proposals must be discussed during at least one Senate meeting prior to a vote on the proposed changes. In extraordinary circumstances, and when bylaw changes are necessary due to deadlines or timelines imposed by external parties or requirements, the executive committee shall be authorized to exercise the powers of the USS in the event that a quorum cannot be convened. All actions shall be reported in writing to the Senate that shall review and ratify or reject them at its next meeting.

7. REFERENCES

8. PROCEDURES

9. REVISION HISTORY

Approved 12-12-07

Updated – June 2010

Updated/Approved – November 2010

Updated/Approved – May 2012

Updated/Approved –August 2012

Updated/Approved – December 2012

Updated/Approved – June 2013

Updated/Approved – October 2013

Updated/Approved – January 2015

Updated/Approved – April 2016

Updated/Approved – March 2017

Updated/Approved – November 2018

Updated/Approved – April 2019

Updated/Approved – December 2021

Updated/Approved – March 2023

Updated/Approved – October 2025