MSU Faculty Emeriti Association

The MSU Faculty Emeriti Association Bylaws

February 23, 2007

1. NAME & ORGANIZATION: The name of the Association shall be the MSU Faculty Emeriti Association (hereinafter: MSU FEA). The Association is guided by the MSU Faculty Emeriti Steering Committee, which was originally formed under the auspices of the Office of Faculty & Organizational Development. This formation took place in the early winter of 2004, following a university-wide meeting of MSU Emeriti Faculty and current university personnel in November 2003.


2. MISSION: The MSU FEA mission is to promote, facilitate and sponsor activities that enable Faculty Emeriti to be actively engaged with the University and the community and to share their lifetime of experience and expertise.


3. MEMBERSHIP: All retired faculty officially designated as Faculty Emeriti by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees are members of the Association.


4. STEERING COMMITTEE: The Steering Committee shall establish policies and adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of Committee meetings and for the management of the MSU FEA activities, as it may deem necessary and appropriate. The MSU Faculty Emeriti shall elect new members to the Steering Committee annually. The newly constituted Steering Committee shall consist of twelve elected members with four new members elected annually for three-year terms. The past Chair shall serve, with vote, one additional year.
   
   Typically, the Steering Committee will meet monthly but may meet more frequently as necessary. The Steering Committee shall convene an annual meeting of the MSU FEA in the spring of each year to elect new members of the Steering Committee and to consider changes in the Bylaws.
   
   At their first meeting, following the annual election each year, the members of the Steering Committee shall select and install the three new or re-elected officers. All actions of the Steering Committee will be by majority vote of those present at the meeting. The Steering Committee meetings will be open to all interested faculty emeriti.


5. OFFICERS: The elected Steering Committee shall select three of their number to serve as Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary/Treasurer. These officers will serve a one-year term and will be eligible for a second one-year term. No officer may serve more than two consecutive, one-year terms in any elected position.


6. COMMITTEES: The standing committees will consist of the Awards Committee, the Lecture/Seminar Committee, the Communications Committee and the Nominations Committee. The Steering Committee shall select all committees and their respective chairs annually. Other committees may be established by a majority vote of members present at any Steering Committee meeting. The formed committees have the right to add faculty emeriti members at large with the consensus of the committee


• The Awards Committee will be responsible for developing a slate of potential awardees, presenting the slate to the Steering Committee for approval and developing the processes needed to present the awards.  


• The Lecture/Seminar Committee will be responsible for developing lists of potential speakers for the Steering Committee to consider, contacting the approved speakers and providing the logistics necessary for presenting the programs.


• The Communications Committee will arrange for the needed external communications such as advertising for the lecture/seminar presentations, awards presentations and other activities of the MSU FEA.


• The Nominations Committee shall consist of at least two members from the current Steering Committee and at least one member from the faculty emeriti at-large. The Nominations Committee will prepare a slate of candidates for annual elections. The elections for the steering committee will be held in the spring each year at the annual meeting.


7. ANNUAL MEETING: The annual meeting shall consist of a business portion for the purpose of electing new members of the steering committee and voting on proposed amendments to the MSU FEA Bylaws. Nine members of the Steering Committee must be in attendance at the annual meeting in order for business to be conducted. Nominations for membership on the Steering Committee or amendments to and changes in the Bylaws must be presented in writing to the Nominations Committee or the Steering Committee thirty days prior to the meeting. Successful votes for nominations shall be by a simple majority of those present and voting while Bylaws changes shall pass by a vote of a 2/3 majority of those emeriti members present and voting at the annual meeting.

Adopted May 2007