LGBTQIA+

Section 1. MEMBERSHIP. QFSA membership is open to all SIUE employees, regardless of race, gender, creed, nationality, religion or sexual orientation, who support the mission and goals of QFSA.

Section 2. MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES. The QFSA membership roster will identify the active (dues-paid) body of the organization. A membership roster will be compiled annually to document members. The Executive Board may establish additional levels of membership and set membership dues and provide policy for the collection of those dues. Dues collected on behalf of the Association shall be deposited into a financial account of the Association.

Section 4. MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION.

1.  A QFSA member may terminate their membership at any time by tendering their resignation to the QFSA President in writing, at which point, they will be removed from the active membership roster.
2.  Any conduct that is detrimental to the organization may be grounds for termination of membership as determined by a majority of the Executive Board.
3.  Failure to pay dues shall result in the termination of membership.

All prospective members must complete a QFSA membership application, which includes name, home/work address, telephone number, email address (if available), employment classification, department or academic unit, and QFSA committee interest. July 1-June 30 is the membership year. Paid membership dues are not required to be a member of QFSA, however, only paid members can vote.

1. Annual QFSA membership dues are $15 and are non-refundable. Dues should be paid by October 1 or within 30 days of becoming a member. New members who join at other points during the calendar year should pay their dues at the time of the application submission.
2. After the QFSA raises $500, 50% of all dues collected will be transferred to the SafeZone Scholarship Fund. All remaining will be utilized for general QFSA expenses that have been approved by the Executive Board.
3. Dues may be paid by cash, check or credit card. Checks should be payable to the SIUE Foundation with “Queer Faculty and Staff Association (QFSA)” in the memo. Applications and checks should be mailed to the campus address of the QFSA treasurer, which will be provided to the General Assembly. Members who pay their dues in cash or credit card will receive an official receipt from the QFSA treasurer or their designee.
4. The Executive Board shall review the dues structure of the organization on an annual basis and make any appropriate recommendations for increases to the general membership for approval. The approved increases will be effective the new fiscal year.

Section 1. MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD. The Executive Board shall meet no less than three times each semester (i.e., fall and spring terms only) and as needed during summer break.

Section 2. GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS. General Assembly meetings of this association will occur, quarterly, at least four times during the academic calendar year. Unless deemed necessary for special events or time-sensitive urgent matters, there would be an annual business and planning meeting during the summer term. Notices of all meetings will be emailed to members at least two weeks prior to date of meeting. Initially, all meeting protocols will be handled with appropriate Parliamentary procedure as outlined in Roberts Rules of Order. The General Assembly may vote to change Parliamentary procedures at any time.

Section 3. COMMITTEE MEETINGS. Standing meetings and ad-hoc committee meeting schedules will be determined by the committee chairs.

Section 1. All meeting protocols will be handled with appropriate parliamentary procedure in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order or such other procedures as determined by the General Assembly. All active members should be made aware of the following protocols:

1. All active members have equal voting rights and privilege within QFSA.
2. A quorum must be present to conduct a meeting of the Executive Board or General Assembly.
3. All agenda and voting items must be submitted to the general membership at least one week prior to the general meeting for review and adequate preparation for the meeting.
4. Voting on the QFSA Constitution, by-law changes, elections and/or the termination of a membership is restricted to active members only.

Section 1. OFFICER DUTIES

1. President: The President shall be the chief executive officer of QFSA and shall chair all meetings of the Executive Board and General Assembly. The president does not vote on general issues or during elections except in the event of a tie. The President shall also be the chief spokesperson of the Association and shall represent QFSA in relations with other organizations, unless this responsibility has been delegated to a member of the Executive Board. The President shall meet regularly with the Chancellor and shall be the primary representative of the QFSA at Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees meetings. In addition, the President shall serve as the official liaison between QFSA and Safe Zone and GSA. The President shall also direct the administration of the Association by:
   • convening and preside over all Executive Board and General Assembly meetings;
   • serving as the chief spokesperson for the Association and represent the interests of all members in both campus and community areas;
   • establishing and appoint chairpersons for any ad-hoc committees;
   • acting as ex-officio on all ad-hoc committees;
   • working in conjunction with the Secretary to set General Assembly meeting schedules and notify members of said meetings;
   • calling special meetings of the membership to address special and/or time sensitive urgent matters;
   • authorizing expenditures and co-sign checks [treasury duties].
2. Vice-President: The Vice-President shall ensure the proper performance of all Executive Board duties and the proper operation of all committees. In the President’s absence, the Vice-President shall chair the Executive Board and General Assembly meetings. The Vice-President will chair the elections committee and review any necessary changes to the Bylaws and present them to the general membership annually. In addition, the Vice-President will perform all duties as designated by the President such as calling special meetings of the membership to address special and/or time sensitive urgent matters and succeed to the office of President in the event of a vacancy in that office.
3. Secretary shall be the chief communications officer of the QFSA facilitating correspondence among members and bodies of the Executive Board and between members of the Executive Board and all Association members. The Secretary shall be the chief records officer of QFSA including acting and organizational Historian, being responsible for documenting the history of the QFSA and for maintaining the organization’s archives. The Secretary shall also notify members of upcoming meetings; taking, maintaining and distributing the minutes of the Executive Board and the General Assembly meetings, as well as any special business/election meetings as requested or dictated by QFSA bylaws; record and distribute [or arrange to have recorded or distributed] minutes of all official meetings including general membership and executive meetings. The Secretary shall also be responsible for maintaining and updating all official documents of the Association and shall be ultimately responsible for all correspondence.
4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the QFSA. The Treasurer shall be ultimately responsible for proposing the annual budget along with oversight of proper deposits and disbursement of all funds of the QFSA and for the establishment and maintenance of appropriate records of all fiscal transactions. The Treasurer shall ensure that all expenditures are within the approved budget and have been properly incurred under the policies of QFSA. The Treasurer will sign, in conjunction with the president or their designee, all checks and financial transactions. The Treasurer shall also maintain a roster of membership.
5. At-Large Executive Board Member: The At-Large Executive Board Member shall enforce and maintain the Constitution and any related operating papers of the Association; maintain order and ensure that parliamentary procedures are adhered to;  and maintain ongoing communication with the general membership as needed.

Section 2. QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICERS. The QFSA officers must be dues paying members in good standing.

Section 3. EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER DUTIES. The Executive Board members shall do the following:

• Attend all Executive Board meetings unless prior notice is given regarding absence;
• Be responsible for the creation and management of ad-hoc and standing committees as needed;
• Transact necessary business between organizational meetings and such business as may be referred to it by the members of the organization, the campus community and other organizations;
• Serve as chairs of at least one standing committee and any established ad-hoc committees; and
• Be responsible for managing the QFSA Issue Assessment protocol outlined in Article VIII (A committee will be formed to review this process as requested by the membership).

Section 4. TERMS. The Officers and Executive Board members shall serve terms as set forth in the QFSA Constitution. The QFSA shall establish a procedure to stagger the terms of the Officers and Executive Board members.

Section 1. ELECTIONS AND NOMINATIONS. The General Assembly will ask for nominations to an elected office at the beginning of the spring semester of an election year.

1. This list of nominees will be presented to the membership at a designated subsequent meeting where election will occur. Nominations from the floor will also be considered, until each office is properly filled. In order to be elected to office, each candidate must receive a simple majority of all votes cast.
2. A separate meeting shall be held for the purposes of electing all offices by the first business day in May. Candidates shall be nominated
   1. From the floor, one regular meeting prior to the election date, or
   2. By write-in to the Secretary of the QFSA, at least five business days prior to floor nominations.
3. A nomination shall be placed on the ballot only when the secretary has received verification by the nominee and the nominated person accepts the nomination.

Section 2. VACANCIES. In the event of a vacancy in the President’s office, the Vice-President shall succeed to that office. The Executive Board shall appoint an interim Vice-President. All other unexpected vacancies shall be filled by the President with the majority approval of the Executive Board, until the original term has ended and time arises for new elections. All vacant officer positions must be filled within 60 days of the official notice of vacancy.

Section 3. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election procedures for all Officers shall be as follows:

1. Confirmation of all officers shall be held by a majority of the voting membership.
2. The election of all officers shall be held during the spring term of the academic calendar year.
3. Serve two-year terms, which will begin on the 15th day after the election of the election year.

Section 4. TRANSITION OF OFFICERS. The transition of officers shall be made at the last regular meeting of the spring semester.

Section 5. REMOVAL OF OFFICERS. Elected officers can be removed for cause by a two-third majority vote of the voting membership.

Section 6. FILLING OF VACANCIES. If any office becomes vacant during the fiscal year, the vacancy must be filled by an active QFSA member who is appointed by the President with a majority vote of approval from the Executive Board.

Section 1. STANDING COMMITTEES. Standing committees may be established and discontinued by the membership. Each committee shall be co-chaired by an Executive Board member and member from the general membership. Co-chairs shall submit a monthly report to the Executive Committee. The current Standing Committees of the QFSA are as follows:

• Faculty and Staff Affairs Committee: Monitoring efforts at recruiting and retaining LGBTQIA+ faculty, instructors and academic professionals who are vital to the well-being of the queer community. Encouraging LGBTQIA+ faculty/instructors and staff as they seek a conducive and equitable academic/scholarly/work environment, as well as promotion and tenure. Facilitate the ongoing professionalism of the Association membership through educational, leadership and networking activities for Alliance members. The Professional Development Chair coordinates such activities at least twice a year.
• QFSA Networking and Fundraising Committee: Shall ensure Association members, friends of the Association and SafeZone have opportunities to socialize, network and discuss concerns among themselves at least twice a year. Lead QFSA efforts in creating, identifying and securing various fundraising opportunities need to help the association, as well as SafeZone and the GSA.
• Membership Committee – Shall be responsible for all activities supporting recruitment of new members of QFSA.

Section 2. AD HOC COMMITTEES.  Ad Hoc Committees may be established and discontinued by the Executive Board as needs arise.

Section 3. TASK FORCES. Task Forces may be established and discontinued by the membership or by the Executive Board for the purpose of accommodating a specific task or tasks within a limited period of time. Task Force membership may include individuals and organizations outside of QFSA that are a part of the SIUE community, surrounding region, subject matter experts or outside consultants.

Section 1. Recognizing that the QFSA will be faced with a multitude of different issues year-round, an issue assessment protocol will be established by the QFSA for use by its members.

Section 2. Use of the issue assessment protocol will promote order within the QFSA, maintain integrity and professionalism within the QFSA, and advance respect for the QFSA at all levels throughout the Edwardsville campuses and external community. The issue assessment protocol will also provide methodical approach for assessing the credibility and facts of issues and taking steps toward their resolution, while concurrently addressing other QFSA matters.

Section 3. The individual desiring an issue be addressed by the QFSA shall complete an appropriate QFSA form with identifying and contact information. The following steps will be taken:

1. Issue or concern must be reduced to writing and submitted to the Executive Board.
2. Issue is placed on Executive Board monthly meeting agenda and discussed.
3. Determine whether data exists to validate issue or concern.
4. Schedule and conduct interview with Executive Board to clarify all pertinent details and ascertain the status of issue or concern.
5. Summarize the situation in a written action document.
6. Determine if QFSA action is appropriate, pragmatic or possible, and develop a list of recommended actions to be presented at appropriate full QFSA meeting.
7. If action is planned, ascertain logistics, including initial and follow-up contact plan, schedule and assessment of outcomes of QFSA intervention.
8. Outcomes of QFSA intervention, if taken, will be reported to the individual who originally presented the issue, then to QFSA at next full membership meeting after the intervention, if any.

The fiscal year of the QFSA shall be from July 1-June 30.

*These bylaws were created using information from the SIUE Black Faculty and Staff Association