Exempt Staff Council
Table of Contents: | Purpose | Membership | General Elections | Officers | Committees and Committee Appointments | Meetings Minutes | Making Recommendations on Policy Issues | Amendments on Bylaws
Purpose:
The purpose of the Exempt Staff Council is to serve as a direct channel of two-way communication between regular exempt staff and senior University administration by:providing University administration with an effective method of soliciting and disseminating information concerning plans and programs of interest to regular exempt staff; serving as an advisory body to the Chancellor with respect to policies, programs and practices; affording a systematic means for exempt staff participation in the operation of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Membership:
- General description of membership: The Exempt Staff Council will consist of one representative and one alternate elected from predetermined employee groupings based on organization, type of position or other criterion by which a community of interest can be established. Such representational units shall be established such that there will be at least one representative and one alternate per approximately 10% of the overall number of regular exempt staff members at UTC, with exceptions made by the ESC as needed. Representational units will be reviewed prior to each general election and adjusted as necessary by a committee of ESC members appointed by the ESC Chair.
- Eligibility: Any regular full‑time or part-time exempt staff member who has completed one year of continuous service with UTC on January 1 of the year of general election is eligible to vote in elections and to serve as a representative, with the exception of individuals with faculty rank and individuals reporting directly to the Chancellor.
- Alternate: The alternate will attend meetings in the absence of the representative and is welcome to attend meetings with the representative. However, only one vote will be allowed from each representational unit. The area representative will be the voting member, and the alternate will cast a vote in the representative’s absence. The alternate will assume the role of representative should the elected representative resign, transfer to a position outside the representational unit or become ineligible due to change in job status. When the alternate assumes the duties of the vacant representative, the Chair will appoint a new alternate for the remainder of the term; the new alternate would ordinarily be the individual on the original area ballot with the next highest number of votes.
- A representative who changes positions during a term may complete his/her term if the new position falls in the same employee representational unit for which he/she was elected. If the new position is outside of the original representational unit, the alternate will assume the vacancy, per Section B 3 of these by-laws.
- Representative-at-Large: A representative who transfers to an eligible exempt position outside his/her representational unit may continue to serve on the ESC as a Representative-at-large for the remainder of his/her term. A Representative-at-large may continue to serve the ESC in an officer capacity and may participate in all ESC activities as a voting member.
- Alternate-at-Large: An alternate who transfers to an eligible exempt position outside his/her representational unit may continue to serve on the ESC as an Alternate-at-Large for the remainder of his/her term. An Alternate-at-large may continue to serve on the ESC and may participate in all ESC activities.
- Exempt staff in the areas of Alumni, Development and Advancement will be represented in the Exempt Staff Council by a non-voting representative and alternate of the division. The alternate will attend meetings in the absence of the representative and is welcome to attend meetings with the representative.
- The Director of Human Resources, the immediate past chair (if not a current representative), and a member of the Executive Team appointed by the Chancellor will serve as ex‑officio non‑voting members of the Exempt Staff Council. The Director of Human Resources will be responsible for administrative support to the Exempt Staff Council, to include administration of elections, production of minutes, maintenance of records and other support functions as necessary for the efficient administration of the Council.
Members and Alternates from May 2022 to May 2024
Chair: Susan Lazenby
Vice Chair: Anitra Barrett
Group 1: Institutional Research; Office of the Provost; Center for Teaching & Learning; Center for Professional Education; Chancellor's Office; Equity & Inclusion; Diversity & Engagement; Planning, Evaluation & Research
Representative: Anitra Barrett, Equity & Inclusion
Alternate: Sherry Marlow-Ormsby, Planning, Evaluation, & Research
Group 2: Graduate School; Research & Sponsored Programs; Research Integrity; URaCE (Undergraduate Research); SimCenter; Radio Station; Communications & Marketing (University Relations)
Representative: Alexa McClellan, Research Integrity
Alternate:
Group 3: Advisement; Student Success; Registrar; Enrollment Services
Representative: Elizabeth Johnson, Advisement
Alternate: Jason Harville, Student Success
Group 4: Recruitment; Strategic Enrollment Technology; Financial Aid & Scholarships; New Student & Family Programs; Mocs One Center; Career Services; Student Support Services
Representative: Elizabeth Smith, Financial Aid & Scholorships
Alternate: Kelly Griffin, Financial Aid & Scholorships
Group 5: Children's Center; Challenger Center; Center for Community Career Education; Educational Opportunity Center; GearUP; SE Center for Education in the Arts; Talent Search; Upward Bound; Health & Human Performance; Physical Therapy; School of Education; School of Professional Studies; School of Nursing; Health, Education & Professional Studies
Representative: Sandra Jones, Health, Education & Professional, Studies
Alternate: Rebecca Littleton, Occupational Therapy
Group 6: College of Business; College of Engineering & Computer Science; Marketing & Entrepreneurship
Representative: Stephanie Parrish, Rollins College of Business
Alternate: Christine Estoye, Rollins College of Business
Group 7: Honors College; Library; Biology, Geology & Environmental Sciences; Chemistry & Physics; Math; Education about Asia; Integrated Studies; Art; Communication; Fine Arts Center; Psychology; Social, Cultural & Justice Studies; Music; Dean-College of Arts & Sciences
Representative: Jordan Hicks, Theatre
Alternate: Terry Sanford, College of Arts & Sciences
Group 8: Athletics
Representative: Nathan Barger
Alternate: Emma Fullington
Group 9: Accounting Services; Arena; Auxiliary Services; Bursar; Budget & Finance; Campus Law; Equity & Inclusion; Facilities, Planning & Management; Human Resources; Mocs Card; Procurement & Contracts; Public Safety; Safety & Risk Management; Emergency Services; Parking; Repairs & Maintenance
Representative: Mary Lee Clark, Auxiliary Services
Alternate: Sedrick Snowden, Budget & Finance
Group 10: Information Technology; Student Information Systems; Telecommunications
Representative: Susan Lazenby, Information Technology
Alternate: Lance Keatley, Information Technology
Group 11: Dean of Students; Disability Resource Center; Center for Women & Gender Equity; Student Health & Wellness; International Education; Minority Affairs; Veterans Support Services; Campus Recreation
Representative: Michelle Rigler, Disability Resource Center
Alternate: N/A
Group 12: Counseling Center; Housing & Residence Life; Student Health Services; University Center
Representative: Kathryn Mortensen, Housing & Residence Life
Alternate: Kristin Nalley, Housing & Residence Life
General Elections:
The Office of Human Resources will conduct elections during March of alternating years. The term of office for representatives and alternates will be two calendar years. To be eligible for election as a representative or alternate an employee must have at least one year of continuous service with the university.
- Elections will be held in the spring of even numbered years. Newly elected representatives will begin their term of office at the time of the first ESC meeting following the elections.
- The Office of Human Resources will be responsible to issue ballots containing the names of exempt staff eligible for election in each representational unit. Ballots will be distributed to all exempt staff eligible to vote. A staff member who does not wish to serve may request that his or her name be removed from the ballot.
- In each representational unit, the eligible candidate with the highest number of votes will be offered the opportunity to serve as the ESC representative. In the case of a tie, the individual with the greater continuous service credit with the University will be elected.
- Representatives will serve two-year terms.
Officers:
- Officers:
- Officers shall consist of a Chair and a Vice-Chair.
- ESC Chair duties shall be: to preside at all ESC meetings and establish meeting agendas; to serve as the ESC representative in Budget hearings, meetings with senior administration, and other situations requiring communication of the interests and perspectives of exempt staff at large; to appoint chairs of various standing and special ESC committees; to appoint representatives to various University committees as appropriate.
- The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent and will work with various ESC committees as needed.
- Eligibility: All ESC Officers shall be elected ESC Representatives.
- Method of selection:
- Chairperson and Vice-Chair shall be chosen at the first ESC meeting following the general elections.
- Nominations for Chair and Vice-Chair will be accepted at the first meeting following the election of new representatives.
- Election for each office shall be by a majority of votes of current (newly elected) representatives attending the first meeting.
- Term of office:
- Officers will serve for a two-year term to begin immediately after the election.
- Officers are eligible to serve for no more than two consecutive terms in the same capacity.
- If the outgoing chair is not reelected to serve as a representative, he/she will be invited to serve as an ex-officio member for one term.
Committees and Committee Appointments:
- Chairs of standing and special committees shall be appointed by the Chair of the ESC.
- The Committee Chair is responsible for appointing ESC members to his/her committee. The Committee Chair may also solicit members from the exempt staff roster which is maintained by the Office of Human Resources, with ESC representatives comprising a minimum of 50% of the membership of any committee.
- University committee appointments shall be made, as appropriate by the ESC Chair.
Meetings:
- Meetings will generally be held monthly, unless otherwise indicated.
- The ESC Chair may call special meetings as necessary.
- A quorum necessary to conduct ESC business shall consist of a majority of elected representatives.
- Representatives are expected to effectively represent their units through participation in ESC meetings and other activities: Representatives are responsible to attend every ESC meeting or to insure the alternate attends in his/her place. Representatives who fail to attend four scheduled meetings in any calendar year will be expected to resign from the ESC. Visitors and guests may attend ESC meetings upon invitation by the Chair.
Meeting Minutes from 2022
January / February / March / April / May / June / July / August (no meeting) / September / October / November / December (no meeting)
Meeting Minutes from 2021
January / February / March / April / May / June / July / August (no meeting) / September / October / November / December (no meeting)
Meeting Minutes from 2020
January / February / March (no meeting) / April / May(no meeting) / June / July / August (no meeting) / September / October / November / December (no meeting)
Prior year minutes have been archived and are available upon request.
Making recommendations on Policy Issues:
- ESC representatives are elected to effectively present the views and opinions of their constituent units. They are expected to solicit the views and opinions of their constituents relating to issues of concern to exempt staff and to report back to individuals submitting issues of concern regarding the response of the ESC.
- Issues or recommendations relating to University policy must be submitted in writing to the Chair for review and distribution to the ESC membership prior to discussion and vote.
- Time for discussion of such issues by the ESC must be scheduled prior to the vote of the ESC on the recommendation. Such time may be scheduled before, during or after a regular meeting of the ESC or during a special meeting scheduled for this purpose.
- The ESC representatives shall vote on any recommendation or statement of position to be forwarded to the Chancellor for consideration.
- A majority vote of a quorum of ESC representatives is required for adoption of any such recommendations or statements by the ESC.