Bylaws

Article I. Organization Name

The name of this organization shall be the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance at George Mason University.

Article II. Mission

The mission of the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance is to support the University’s mission and vision through the promotion of an inclusive and affirming campus climate for all faculty, staff, and students.

Article III. Goals

  1. To provide LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and allies a forum to exchange ideas and develop programming aimed at encouraging academic engagement, professional development, and a supportive work environment.
  2. To serve as a conduit through which ideas and concerns of LGBTQ+ staff and faculty are communicated to the University administration.
  3. To serve as an active resource for University, Division, College, and Unit administrations regarding issues impacting LGBTQ+ faculty and staff at Mason.
  4. To advocate for the consistent review and equal application of university policies in service of all faculty, staff, and students, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.

Article IV. Membership

Section 1. Membership. Membership in the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall be open to all faculty and staff currently employed at George Mason University on a part-time or full-time basis, including graduate assistants. The LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance agrees to adhere to the University non-discrimination statement: No university Faculty or staff member may be denied membership on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, veterans’ or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other protected group status. Membership in the group is strictly voluntary.

Section 2. Active Membership. Active voting members in good standing will be defined as those members who have registered through the membership process and are currently employed at Mason.

Article V. Business Meetings

The LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall convene for a Business Meeting at least once a semester during the academic year (Fall and Spring). Business Meetings during the summer term will occur on an as-needed basis.

Article VI. Socials

The LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall organize a Social each academic semester, including summer. Additional socials can be organized on an as-needed basis.

Article VI. Executive Committee

Section 1. Eligibility. Executive Committee officers of the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall be employed by George Mason University. They must also be in good standing with the University based on supervisor approval.

Section 2. Titles and Duties. The Executive Committee within the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall include:  Co-Chair- Instructional/Research Faculty, Co-Chair-Admin Faculty/Classified Staff, Vice Chair, Constituency Chairs, Website & Technology Managers, and University Liaisons (ex-officio).

The duties are as follows:

  • The Co-Chairs are responsible for organizing and chairing meetings. Additionally, these individuals will serve as the liaisons with University administration.
  • The Vice Chair generates and maintains meeting minutes and other records. Also, the Vice Chair conducts organizational elections as outlined in Article VI and plans yearly strategic planning retreats The Vice Chair may be asked to act on behalf of the co-chairs in one of their absences.
  • The Constituency Chairs are responsible for holding regular meetings with their committees and reporting to the Executive Committee. See Article VIII for Committee information.
  • The Website & Technology Managers (2 positions) are responsible for web presence of the organization including the Blackboard organizational site. The Co-Chairs shall appoint the Website & Technology Managers, who will serve in this role until they elect to resign.
  • University Liaisons are responsible for representing university administration in their professional roles. An expectation would be that these individuals complete all modules of Safe Zone+ within their first year in the role. These roles are ex-officio and are non-voting officers on the Executive Committee.
    • Director, LGBTQ+ Resources Center (or their designee). This role is a University Liaison due to their role as the administrative leader for LGBTQ+ community at Mason.
    • Faculty/Staff Engagement team member from Human Resources. This role is a University Liaison due to the responsibility HR has in providing support to employees at Mason. This person will be appointed by Human Resources, and up to 2 people can hold the position at a time.

Executive Committee officers in the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance will meet once a month during the academic year (fall and spring) as a group to discuss the group’s operation or a particular issue, in-person or virtual. Meetings in the summer may be held as needed. These meetings are open to all members and advanced notification should be sent out when possible.

Section 3. Term of Office. The Co-Chairs and the Vice Chair serve two-year terms. These officers’ term begins the summer semester following their election and ends at the end of the spring semester two years later as indicated by Article VII, Section 2. Constituency chairs will serve one-year terms. These officers’ term begins the summer semester following their election and ends at the end of the spring semester one year later as indicated by Article VII.

Section 4. An individual may run for re-election in the same role up to three terms, consecutively or non-consecutively. Term limits reset after 10 years.

Section 5: If one of the Executive Committee members resigns, the co-chairs can appoint an appropriate replacement for the remainder of the term. If the co-chairs cannot come to an agreement, the Executive Committee will be asked to vote on a replacement.

Article VII. Elections

Section 1. Election Procedures. Elections for the Executive Committee in the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall be held in the spring of each year. Elections will take place virtually. Information regarding candidates will be circulated prior to the election. The Vice Chair will determine the balloting procedure. A simple majority of those voting will determine the winner of contested elections.

Section 2. Election Rotations. LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance officers will be elected on a rotational basis to ensure organizational knowledge and functionality. The rotation will be as follows:

  • Formal elections during years ending with an even digit will be held for the Instructional/Research Faculty Co-Chair.
  • Formal elections during years ending with an odd digit will be held for the Admin Faculty/Classified Staff Staff Co-Chair and the Vice Chair .
  • Formal elections for Committee Chairs will be held annually.

Article VIII. Committees

The LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance shall have the following standing committees:

  • Community Building Committee: This committee is designed to plan formal and informal events for the membership. The goal of the committee is to facilitate community and establish networks across identity-centered faculty and staff organizations.
  • Outreach & Communication: The campus outreach committee works in conjunction with the co-chairs to help facilitate the identification and outreach efforts to LGBTQ+ employees at George Mason University. The goal of the committee is to enhance the general membership by providing an external face to the network.
  • Graduate Assistants (GA) Community: This committee represents graduate professional assistants, graduate teaching assistants, and graduate research assistants. This committee is responsible for creating community among GAs and elevating issues centered in the GA experience at Mason.
  • Regional Campuses Committee: This committee represents membership at regional campuses (and facilities outside of Fairfax) at George Mason University. This committee is responsible for creating community among employees at these locations and elevating issues present among these members. Individual campus liaisons can be appointed as needed.

The Co-Chairs may establish ad hoc committees as needed.

All ad hoc committees shall receive a specific charge and have a sunset date

established at the time of creation.

Article IX. Amendments

  • Amendments to this document should be proposed to the Co-Chairs in writing. A discussion of proposed amendments and voting will take place virtually with appropriate advance notice. Changes to the amendments require affirmative votes from a majority of executive committee members. If the executive committee cannot attain a majority, the membership body will be asked to vote on changes.

Approved: October 2022