Outdated Bylaws — original pdf

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BYLAWS OF THE College Student Commission ARTICLE 1. NAME. The name of the board is the College Student Commission. ARTICLE 2. PURPOSE AND DUTIES. The purpose of the board is to work with local higher education institutions—Austin Community College, Concordia University, Huston-Tillotson University, St. Edward’s University, and the University of Texas— and representative student bodies to analyze relevant data and feedback, and report back to Council with recommendations for new or enhanced City programs, policies or practices that would improve the quality of life of higher education students in Austin, Texas. ARTICLE 3. MEMBERSHIP. (A) The commission is composed of fifteen commissioners appointed by the city council with three representatives from each college/university within the city of Austin. (B) A commissioner serves as the pleasure of the city council. (C) Commissioners serve for a term of one year beginning August 1 on the year of the appointment. (D) A commissioner may not act in an official capacity except through the action of the board. (E) A commissioner who is absent for two consecutive regular meetings or one-third of all regular meetings in a “rolling” twelve-month timeframe automatically vacates the commissioner’s position subject to the holdover provisions in Section 2-1-27 of the City Code. This does not apply to an absence due to illness or injury of the commissioner, an illness or injury of a commissioner’s immediate family member, or the birth or adoption of the commissioner’s child for 90 days after the event. The commissioner must notify the staff liaison of the reason for the absence not later than the date of the next regular meeting of the commission. Failure to notify the liaison before the next regular meeting of the commission will result in an unexcused absence. (F) At each meeting, a roll call will be taken and/or each commissioner shall sign an attendance sheet which indicates that the commissioner does not have a conflict of interest with any item on that agenda or identifies each agenda item on which the commissioner has a conflict of interest. Failure to sign the sheet, or be present for roll call, results in the member being counted as absent and his/her votes are not counted.  (G) A commissioner who seeks to resign from the board shall submit a written resignation to the chair of the commission, the staff liaison, or the city clerk’s office. If possible, the resignation should allow for a thirty-day notice so the city council can appoint a replacement. ARTICLE 4. OFFICERS. (A) The officers of the commission shall consist of a Chair, a Co-Chair, and a Secretary. (B) Officers shall be elected annually by a majority vote of the commission at the last regular meeting of the academic year. In the event a current officer becomes ineligible to serve as an officer, the board may hold an emergency election as needed. (C) The term of office shall be one year, beginning August 1 and ending July 31. An officer may continue to serve until a successor is elected. A person may not serve as an officer in a designated position of a board for more than three consecutive one-year terms. A person who has served as an officer in a designated position of a board for three consecutive terms is not eligible for re-election to that designated office until expiration of two years after the last date of the person’s service in that office. The commission may override the term limit provision for an officer by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the authorized commission members. (D) A commissioner may not hold more than one office at a time. ARTICLE 5. DUTIES OF OFFICERS. (A) The duties of the Chair shall be: 1. Preside at all commission meetings. 2. Appoint all committees. 3. Approve creation of all working groups. 4. Represent the commission at ceremonial functions. 5. Approve each final meeting agenda. (B) In the absence of the Chair, the Co-Chair shall perform all duties of the Chair. (C) The duties of the Secretary shall be: 1. Be responsible for recording clear and concise notes from each official meeting of the commission. 2. Send all notes to the staff liaison within 48 hours after the meeting to be uploaded to the official College Student Commission webpage. ARTICLE 6. AGENDAS. (A) Two or more commissioners may place an item on the agenda by oral or written request to the staff liaison at least five days before the meeting. The staff liaison will draft the agenda based on input from the Chair. The Chair shall approve each final meeting agenda. ARTICLE 7. MEETINGS. (A) The commission meetings shall comply with Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meetings Act). (B) Commission meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order. (C) The commission may not conduct a closed meeting without the approval of the city attorney. (D) The commission shall meet monthly. In November of each year, the commission shall adopt the schedule of the meetings for the upcoming year, including makeup meeting dates for the holidays and cancelled meetings. (E) The chair may request a special called meeting if requested by three or more commissioners. The special called meeting shall state the purpose. The commission may not call a special called meeting in addition to its regular scheduled meetings as identified in its adopted meeting schedule, more often than once a quarter. Unless the meeting is required to comply with a statutory deadline, or a deadline established by Council. (F) Eight commissioners constitute a quorum. (G) If quorum for a meeting does not convene within 30 minutes of the posted time for the meeting, then the meeting may not be held. (H) To be effective a commission action must be adopted by majority vote of the present members. (I) The chair has the same voting privilege as any other member. (J) The commission shall allow citizens to address the board on agenda items and during a period of time set aside for citizen communications. The chair may limit a speaker to three minutes. (K) The staff liaison shall prepare the board minutes. The minutes of each board meeting must include the vote of each member on each item. The minutes must also indicate whether a member is absent. (L) The city clerk shall retain agendas, approved minutes, internal review reports and bylaws. Austin Public Health shall retain all other board documents. The documents are public records under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 552 (Texas Public Information Act). (M) Each person and board member attending a board meeting should observe decorum pursuant to Section 2-1-48 of the City Code. ARTICLE 8. COMMITTEES & WORKING GROUPS. COMMITTEES (A) The College Student Commission shall have the following committees: No committees at this time. (B) Each committee must be established by an affirmative vote of the board. A committee cannot meet until its creation is approved by the Council Audit and Finance Committee. Each committee shall consist of at least three commissioners appointed by the chair. A staff member shall be assigned to each committee by the director of the Austin Public Health. (C) The commission chair shall appoint a commissioner as the committee chair, with the member’s consent. (D) A majority of the total number of appointed committee members constitutes a quorum. (E) Each committee shall meet on a regularly scheduled basis at least quarterly. (F) Each committee shall make an annual report to the board at the January bord meeting. (G) Committee meetings must be posted in accordance with Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meetings Act). (H) At each committee meeting, a committee member shall sign in on a sheet provided and shall indicate that the member has no conflict of interest with any item on the committee meeting agenda, or identify each agenda item on which the member has a conflict of interest. WORKING GROUPS (A) The board can determine the size of a working group but the number of board members serving on the working group must be less than a quorum of the board. (B) A working group may designate a chair, with the member’s consent, but is not required to do so.  (C) Quorum requirements do not apply to working groups. (D) Staff support will not be provided for working groups. (E) Working groups are not required to post their meetings in accordance with the Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meetings Act). ARTICLE 9. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the board in all cases to which they are applicable, except when inconsistent with these bylaws or with special rules or procedure which the board or city council may adopt. ARTICLE 10. AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS. A bylaw amendment is not effective unless approved by the Council Audit and Finance Committee. The bylaws were approved by the College Student Commission at their meeting held on ___.