The University of Wisconsin-Madison Classified Staff Executive Board met Thursday to work further on establishing the bylaws and organization for the committee.
CSEB was established earlier in 2013 in an attempt to lend a voice to the classified staff members at UW-Madison in shared governance. According to the employment page for the university, classified staff refer to positions that support campus infrastructure, such as accountants, custodians and nurses.
The board is currently in the process of creating bylaws, so there is a clearer understanding of the group’s intended purpose. According to the drafted preamble, the committee’s creation stems from the desire to present an inclusive voice of UW-Madison.
“The Classified Staff Executive Committee was created and established to ensure all members of the classified staff have the opportunity to be actively involved in setting the priorities and future direction for the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” according to the UW-Madison CSEC drafted bylaws.
Though the committee’s board has not made concrete decisions on certain aspects of the bylaws, selected members said they thought having a simple outline to present to classified staff would be the best way to start.
“This is a real general document that’s going to change,” accountant Linda Meinholz said. “We need something to get started with, so we thought less was more.”
The committee is also working on the development of the congress of classified staff, which will serve as the large body representing the staff members. Current discussion is being held to determine the way in which representation will be decided.
Meinholz presented the idea of dividing the staff geographically, which would cause representatives to be elected based on region of campus as opposed to job title.
Animal Research Technician Terry Fritter raised concern that by organizing representatives geographically, some staff would not feel as though they are accurately being represented.
“I want to make sure every group is represented,” Fritter said. “With job title and category, we can guarantee that.”
CSEB Chair Russell Kutz said he hopes to have final bylaws within the next couple of months.
“We’re trying to figure out how to establish the Congress by the end of February, maybe as late as March, if necessary, so that we have time to advertise how we’re going to assemble,” Kutz said. “Our goal is to have this all done by spring so that we have the election [for representatives] take place before summer.”
