By-laws

Article I

Name

The Ole Miss Faculty/Staff Retirees’ Association hereinafter referred to as the “Retirees Association” or “the Association.”

Article II

Purpose

The purpose of the Association shall be to enable all of the University’s Faculty and Staff Retirees to maintain and promote a close association with the University, by providing both continuing opportunities to keep up with developments concerning the University, and also continuing opportunities to encourage and assist it in carrying out its teaching, research, and service missions.  It will also enable them to maintain continuing social relationships with their faculty/staff contemporaries and near-contemporaries, and to inform the University of ways in which it may continue to assist them in enjoying a healthy, rewarding and pleasurable lifestyle in their retirement years.

Article III

Membership

All retired University Faculty and Staff employees and spouses, shall be included as members of the Association.

Associate Membership

Associate Membership status may be granted to individuals who may not have retired from the University of  Mississippi but wish to affiliate with this organization as a retiree from another institution of higher learning.  The individual must apply to the Board for approval.

Institutional Membership in AROHE

The Ole Miss Faculty/Staff Retirees’ Association maintains institutional membership in the Association of Retirees in Higher Education (AROHE). Dues are paid annually. Ole Miss endeavors to send a delegate to the AROHE biennial conferences. Delegates must be a member of the Ole Miss Faculty/Staff Retirees’ Association Board of Directors.

 

Article IV

Officers

The Association shall be governed by a Board of Directors.  Every effort will be made to have representation from each of the University’s Equal Employment Opportunities Categories (EEOC).  The Board of Directors will serve a 3-year term and will meet quarterly.  The EEOC categories are as follows:

1. Administrative
2. Faculty
3. Non-Faculty Professionals
4. Clerical
5. Technical
6. Skilled Craft
7. Service Maintenance

An Executive Committee shall be elected from the Board of Directors, and will consist of a Chairperson, a Chairperson-Elect, a Secretary/Treasurer, and a Program Chairperson, who shall serve in their respective offices for a two-year term, with the exception being the Chairperson-Elect who will serve three years (one year as Chairperson-Elect and two years as Chairperson).   The Executive Committee will meet monthly to carry on the business of the Association and will communicate their actions to the Association on a regular basis.

Election

The Association will conduct an annual election of its Board of Directors.   The Executive Committee will be elected from and by its Board of Directors.  A call for nominations will take place in April.  The term of office for the duly-elected Board of Directors and Executive Committee will be from July 1 – June 30.

In the event that there is a vacancy on the Board of Directors, the Association will elect a new member to fill the vacancy in January or June, whichever is forthcoming when the vacancy occurs.

In the event that a vacancy occurs on the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors will fill the vacancy at its next quarterly meeting.

While the Association does not wish to impose required attendance at all Board meetings, it does request that the members notify the Chair or the Secretary/Treasurer in advance of their inability to attend an upcoming Board meeting.  Should a Board member be absent without proper notification for three (3) regularly-scheduled meetings, their membership will be terminated and the vacancy filled in accordance with provisions listed above.

Duties

The duties of the Board of Directors will be to serve as the overall governing                               body of the Association.  The Board should engage in all business of the Association and                                    make policies for the Association.  Board members will serve a three-year term; the Board                       of Directors will meet quarterly.

The duties of the Executive Committee Chairperson shall be to preside over the affairs of the Association, to conduct the meetings, and to insure that the purposes set forth in this document are carried out.

The duties of the Chairperson-Elect shall have all the responsibilities of the Chairperson in his/her absence and will assist the Chairperson in conducting the business of the Association.

The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer shall include responsibility for recording and distributing the minutes of the meetings, all written communications to the Association, and perform all duties incidental to the office of Secretary/Treasurer.  In addition, this position will manage the finances of the Association.  The  Secretary/Treasurer will ensure that proper financial records and procedures are maintained.

The duties of the Program Chairperson shall be to solicit input from members of the Association about programs, events, and areas of interest, and to facilitate and organize these programs and events with the aid of the Board of Directors and Association members.

Quorum

A majority of the Board of Directors must be present at any regular meeting or special meeting to constitute an official meeting.

Article V

Membership Privileges

(Because there is no comprehensive list of retiree benefits, this section will be added to the by-laws at a later date).

Article VI

Amendment to Bylaws

Any proposed amendment to this document must be  submitted in writing prior to the next Board of Directors meeting for its consideration at the meeting.  Approval of changes to the bylaws must come as a result of majority vote of those Board members present and voting during the meeting.

Modified April 2019