University of Missouri-Columbia Libraries
General Policy Manual Policy #2
Staff Representative Committee
0.0 CONTENTS
1.0 Statement of Purpose and Responsibility
2.0 Specific Functions
3.0 Membership
4.0 Elections
5.0 Meetings
1.0 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITY
1.1 The Staff Representative Committee was established by the Library Council in July 1978 as a mode of access for support staff and librarians to the Library Council and to the Libraries Administration.
1.2 The Staff Representative Committee's chief goal will be to facilitate communication among all levels of library staff. Toward this end, the SRC will strive to communicate staff needs, concerns and recommendations to the Library Council or to the appropriate administrator. The Committee will also be a resource for staff to facilitate understanding of new policies and policy changes. The SRC will also serve as a resource to administration and the Director for issues related to library staff.
1.3 All support staff and librarians are encouraged to participate by standing for election and by communicating needs, concerns and recommendations to the representative from their area.
2.0 SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS
2.1 The Staff Representative Committee may propose policies concerning the libraries as a whole, and shall share responsibility for identifying areas for development and policies in need of revision. The Committee will review new policies or revisions as the committee deems them relevant to its purpose, as specified in the policy on Library Policy Formation.
2.2 The SRC will supervise the election of its members (See Section 4.0), with the assistance of the Libraries Human Resource Officer.
2.3 The SRC will be responsible for maintaining the "SRC Suggestion Box." This includes distributing incoming suggestions to appropriate administrators, and printing, collating and posting suggestions and responses near the suggestion box. When problems or concerns about a specific person are voiced through the suggestion box, the concern will be forwarded
to the individual and to his/her supervisor. SRC will hold concerns relating to specific persons in confidence and will respect that person's right to respond or not to respond. Each SRC member is also responsible for responding to individual questions relating to the area s/he represents.
2.4 The SRC will be responsible for maintaining its own MU Libraries Policy Manual and for maintaining a collection of Council Minutes for SRC files.
2.5 The SRC will maintain communication with the Director. The Director and Chair will be responsible for bringing to Council issues arising from these meetings.
2.6 The SRC chair will be responsible for representing staff concerns to the Library Council through attendance and participation at Council meetings. The chair is also responsible for making presentations on the structure and function of SRC at the new staff orientation meetings.
3.0 MEMBERSHIP
3.1 The Staff Representative Committee consists of five (5) members, one each from the Reference Services Division, Technical Services Division, Access Services Division, Administrative Services Division/Special Collections, and Branch Libraries.
3.2 Any support or professional staff member (employed at least 75% FTE) who has worked a minimum of one (1) year for the Libraries, and is not currently serving on the Library Council, is eligible for election to the Staff Representative Committee.
4.0 ELECTIONS
4.1 The Staff Representative Committee will be elected for staggered, two-year terms, beginning in September of each year, which will ensure continuity of representation and prevent ongoing Committee projects from coming to a standstill while newly elected members become familiar with their work.
4.1.1 Election in odd-numbered years: Access Services, Reference Services, and Branches.
4.1.2 Election in even-numbered years: Administrative Services/Special Collections, Technical Services.
4.2 In July, SRC will announce the opening of nominations in the News Notes. The present division representatives shall turn in the names of nominees to the Chair. The Chair will share these nominations with the Committee. The Chair shall announce the deadline for divisional elections in the News Notes.
4.3 The five (5) members of the new Staff Representative Committee will then be nominees for the position of Chair of the Staff Representative Committee. In a general election held annually, the person receiving a plurality of votes will be both Chair of SRC and Staff Representative to the Council. The ballot for said general election will be printed in the News Notes about August 15th each year.
4.4 An individual may not serve consecutive, elected terms. However, after two (2) years off the Committee, s/he becomes eligible to run again.
4.5 If a Committee member cannot fulfill the term of service, the alternate from his or her division (that person who received the second highest number of votes) will finish the term. In the event that there is no alternate, a special election will be held.
4.6 Term of service for newly elected Committee members shall begin September 1st.
5.0 MEETINGS
5.1 The chair of the SRC will attend Library Council meetings for one year beginning September 1st.
5.2 The chair of the SRC will designate another member of the Committee to attend Council in his or her place in the event of the chairperson's absence.
5.3 The SRC will meet and confer after Council meetings as needed.
5.4 The SRC will meet with the Director of Libraries quarterly (or as needed).
5.5 These meetings, and any others necessary, will be scheduled, insofar as possible, to fit individual requirements and availability of members.
Sponsor: Staff Representative Committee, 1982/83
Approved by Library Council: February 3, 1983
Revised and approved by Library Council: December 16, 1986
Draft submitted by SRC: 8/91
Revised and approved by Library Council: September 26, 1991
Revised and approved by Library Council and Director of Libraries: April 20, 2000