Staff members are defined in this charter as the following:

• Regular full-time or part-time
• Exempt or non-exempt
• Employees holding positions below the President, University Leadership Team (ULT) and Academic Leadership Team (ALT)
• Employees who are not otherwise defined primarily as faculty or students
• Temporary employees, as defined by HR, are not eligible to serve

Every staff person directly employed by Fielding Graduate University, who is not classified as faculty, is represented by a member of the FSC. Each staff person is eligible, after having served at least 90 days as a regular employee as defined by HR at the time they are seated on the council, to serve on the FSC, pending nomination and approval from their respective division. Eligible employees are also allowed to serve as interim appointments on the council.  Please see the following section “Membership” for more information.

Membership and Composition

The FSC is composed of a minimum of seven and maximum of nine elected members. Each division represented by the ULT members will hold elections, in collaboration with the FSC Nominating and Elections Workgroup, for one representative. However, if no staff volunteers from a represented division, a constituent from another division may be nominated to serve on the FSC. Those divisions are:

• Academic Support, one representative
• Institutional Support, one representative
• Student Services, one representative
• DC Office, one representative
• The remaining elected members of the FSC will consist of at-large representatives

2. Elections will be held no later than the last week of July.

3. The elected members will elect a chair among themselves resulting in voting members and a non-voting chair. The vice-chair and communications officer are regular voting members.

4. The elected term of FSC members will be two years.

a. The FSC year is August 1 – July 31.
b. Length of the term on FSC:

i. All appointments are two years in length.
ii. Members can serve their division for a maximum of two consecutive terms (four years) with a one-term waiting period in the fifth year before being eligible to serve again.

c. General vacancies and Interim Membership: If an opening occurs between the general elections, the council shall inform the staff of the opening and seek an interim appointment. If more than one eligible staff member seeks appointment then an interim election shall be held with a one-week online voting period. The council shall seek appointees that would ensure representation of each of the divisions. All appointments of interim members shall expire at the next general election. If time served as an interim member is greater than two academic terms then that time shall count against the four year service max (b ii.) if an interim member goes on to be elected in a general election.

5. The council shall convene a minimum of three open FCS meetings each year.

a. The council will convene for closed FCS meetings monthly and as needed.

6. A quorum is required for the conduct of business. A quorum shall consist of 2/3 voting members being present. A majority of members must be present to vote on changes to the charter or to remove members from staff council.

7. FSC members are required to attend FSC meetings and to be active participants in the business of the council. If any member misses two consecutive meetings without cause, they are deemed to have not met these requirements and the member’s seat will become open and the FSC will refer to section 5c above for filling general vacancies. If a member is on leave from Fielding, as defined by HR, resulting in their missing two consecutive meetings, the FSC shall consider the appointment of a leave interim member, as appointed in line with section 4.c, until such time that the regular member of the council returns from leave (as defined by HR).