Below are the bylaws for Young Professionals at Nebraska which were approved March 2016. This governing document was developed by a group of members who made up the Young Professionals @ Nebraska Task Force. The association is herein known as Young Professionals at Nebraska.
Young Professionals at Nebraska By-Laws
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Young Professionals at Nebraska.
Article II. Mission -
Young Professionals at Nebraska provides an opportunity for any faculty, staff, or administrator to grow professionally alongside other young professionals in all areas of the institution
Article III. Membership
III.A. The general membership shall be open to all individuals affiliated with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln not to discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.
III.B. Active membership shall be open to any faculty member, staff, or administrator affiliated with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who identifies as a young professional.
III. C. While membership is free, membership is officially recognized upon completion of the annual membership form. The annual membership form will be electronic and solicited in May for the following year cycle. Interested persons may add membership outside of the membership renewal period at any time during the year by contacting the secretary.
III.D. Executive Committee, through a vote of the general association membership, can elect to establish yearly dues, for the sole purposes of supporting the agenda and mission of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Young Professionals Network. No funds shall be utilized to reimburse any member or officer for their service to the association.
Article IV. Meetings of Membership
IV.A. Membership meetings will be at scheduled times throughout the semester as determined by the Executive Committee team and committee Presidents. The calendar year shall run from July 1 through June 30. At minimum, the organization will hold one general membership meeting per semester (fall and spring).
IV.B. The President and Vice-President are responsible for the preparation of the general membership meetings. Individual members shall submit agenda items to the President and/or Vice-President in advance of meetings.
IV.C. For a meeting to be recognized and quorum to be met, there must be at least the same number of general members present as the number of elected executive committee members.
Article V. Executive Committee
V.A. There will be five officers in the Executive Committee: President, Vice-President, Secretary; Marketing Coordinator; Membership Coordinator.
V.B. Each officer must have been an employee at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for at least 1 year to be eligible to run as a member of the Executive Committee.
V. C. Each position is elected as a sole position. Nominations for officers for the next year will be solicited at a March meeting and in at least one e-mail through the listserv. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for seeking nominations from membership body. These officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast by ballot, to be conducted electronically in April.
V. D. All positions will serve a one-year term, with the Vice-President assuming the President position the succeeding year.
V. E. Membership should make a good faith effort to ensure that there is representation from faculty, staff and administrators of various units across campus are on the Executive Committee.
V.F. Newly elected officers shall take office at the beginning of the university fiscal budget year (July 1st)
V.G. Should the President resign, leave the university, or otherwise cease participation in the organization, the Vice-President shall be appointed as interim President, and will serve out the current and following membership year as President. A Vice-President shall be nominated by the Executive Committee for the duration of that membership year. Nominations will then be sought for the Vice-President position during the annual election cycle.
V.H. Should any other officer resign, leave the university, or otherwise cease participation in the organization, the Executive Committee will appoint an interim member to the position until the next election cycle.
Article VI. Executive Committee Officer Duties
VI.A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the general membership and Executive Committee, is generally responsible for overseeing all of the Network’s activities, coordinates the election process with the assistance of the Secretary, calls the meetings of the Executive Committee, and creates and appoints any ad-hoc committees with the approval of the Executive Committee.
VI.B. The Vice-President assumes the duties of the President at the end of the university fiscal year; the Vice-President performs President’s duties when President is unavailable. The Vice-President is responsible for all facets of the budget and financial liability for the Network. They will maintain financial records; receive and disburse funds; record payment of any collected fees and dues (if established); prepare a monthly Treasurer’s Report for Executive Committee review; and answer questions that auditor may have regarding review of Network’s financial records. VI.C. The Secretary keeps records of all General Meetings and the Executive Committee meetings, tracks the number of people attending YPN events, and reviews and maintains a copy of the current bylaws.
VI.D. The Marketing Coordinator is responsible for updating the website, developing and implementing a social media strategy, and collaborating with the Membership Coordinator and Committee Chairs on creating any marketing materials needed to promote YPN events.
VI. E. The Membership Coordinator shall be in charge of maintaining membership listserv, roster, and demographic information; will welcome and inform new members about upcoming activities; will work with the University Human Resources department to continue to promote YPN as an employee resource group (ERG); and will assist with general marketing and publicity of the organization activities, such as the bi-weekly newsletter.
VI. F. The Executive Committee will determine distribution of any funds that are secured for the purposes of assisting with the function of the organization. All budget expenses must be approved by the Executive Committee through a majority vote.
VI. G. The Executive Committee will develop and maintain an Operations Guide which will provide a detailed guide of position descriptions and how each position operates.
VI. H. The Executive Committee will establish and update a goals and objectives statement each year that shall be provided to the general membership to best understand the purpose and mission of the organization.
Article VII. Committees
VII.A. All committees shall be made up of interested membership by the general association.
VII.B. The Executive Committee shall appoint committee chairs by general consensus.
VII.C. The Executive Committee shall make a good faith effort to distribute committee chairs across various units that make up the general membership.
VII.D. All committees will report to the Vice-President
VII.E. Standing Committees shall include:
VII.E.1- Networking Committee
VII.E.1.a-The networking committee will be responsible for creating social programs throughout the year that encourage opportunities for membership to network with other members of the group.
VII.E.2- Professional Development Committee
VII.E.2.a-The professional development committee will be responsible for facilitating programs and activities that enhance members’ knowledge, training, and skills that will assist with individual and professional growth.
VII.F. Ad hoc committees may be created as the Executive Committee decides.
Article VIII. Amendments to By-Laws
VIII.A. Any active member(s) may submit a proposed amendment(s) to these By-Laws to the President of the Association. The proposed amendments must be submitted in writing or electronically.
VIII.B. Proposed amendments shall be presented to the membership body for vote, and must pass with two-thirds approval of ballots cast. Voting shall be conducted electronically and be open for a period of no less than two weeks.
Adopted by Young Professionals at Nebraska Task Force: March, 2016
Task Force Members included: Rachel Ayalon; Cole Boyle; Kara Brant; Katie Buell; Deena Curtis; Haley French-Sloan; Erika Hepburn; Ryan Janousek; Alexandra Jones; Jeff Hall; Tony Lazarowicz; Douglas Pellatz; Kayla Person; Meagan Savage
Adopted by Members: March, 2016
Addendum I: Provisions for the Organization’s First Year of Operation
Article 1. In an effort to ensure the organization continues to develop, all active members, as outlined by the active membership list within the listserv, shall be actively engaged in one of the standing committees.
Article 2. While dues are not established for the first year, the treasurer’s responsibilities will be focused on program development and general organizational direction. The Treasurer will also look at ways that the organization may be able to secure funding to organization opportunities for members. The treasurer should explore options for creating a bank account should any funds be collected.
Amendment History
May 2017-Membership voted (32-1) to pass an amendment changing the official name of the organization from the UNL Young Professionals Network to Young Professionals at Nebraska. As such, all references to the organization name were changed within the bylaws on May 11, 2017.
May 2018-Membership voted (32-1) to pass an amendment changing Articles V an VI, meaning (1) the executive position descriptions were updated, (2) the position of treasurer was eliminated, and (3) the position of Marketing Coordinator was established. All treasury responsibilities will be part of the Vice President position.