Constitution of the Professional Employees Governance Board (PEG Board) Stony Brook University

Article I: Name, Purpose and Responsibilities

1. This body shall be known as the Professional Employees Governance Board (PEG Board) of Stony Brook University

2. The Professional Employees' Governance Board shall operate, in accordance with the policies set forth by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, as a recognized part of the University's governance system with authority to make studies, reports and recommendations on all governance matters which have a significant bearing on professional employees.

3. The general membership, as defined in Article 3, Section 1, elects senators to the University Senate and academic unit senates, and committee members to standing committees of the University Senate and academic unit senates, and to other committees as appropriate.

4. The PEG Board elects officers and proposes and approves amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the PEG Board.

5. All other rights and responsibilities of the general membership shall be discharged through the elected PEG Board.

Article II: Definitions

1. "University" - Stony Brook University.

2. "Professional employees" - As defined in Article III: Constituency and Board Representation.

3. "Academic unit senates" - The Arts & Sciences Senate (A&S Senate), the Health Sciences Center Senate (HSC Senate), and the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences Senate (CEAS Senate).

4. "Business days" - Excludes weekends and all days the University is officially closed.

Article III: Constituency and Board Representation

1. The constituency of PEG Board shall consist of all professional employees of Stony Brook Universty in positions that carry no designation of academic rank (see Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, Article III, Sec. 1(l)). The following categories are excluded from the Professional Employee constituency: ex officio members of the University Senate, interns, residents, and post-doctoral fellows.

2. PEG Board shall consist of (a) professional employees who have been elected as senators to the University Senate, or to one of the academic unit senates; and (b) professional employees who have been elected to standing committees of the University Senate or an academic unit senate, and to other committees as appropriate.

Article IV: Structure

1. PEG Board shall consist of elected representatives as set forth in Article III Paragraph 2, each with one and only one vote.

2. PEG Board shall provide for such officers, agents, and committees as are deemed necessary to carry out the business of PEG Board.

3. The business of PEG Board shall be to act as the responsible, representative voice of the concerns and needs of its constituents and to investigate, discuss, report, and make recommendations on those issues that are consistent with the purpose of the Board.

4. PEG Board shall establish a calendar of regular meetings and forums for the purpose of conducting its business. These meetings will be conducted in a manner which allows access to interested constituents and guests.

5. PEG Board shall provide for the recording of all business; the documentation of all official meetings of the Board as a whole or in committee; and the retention, safekeeping, and accessibility of these records to the constituents or those permitted by the Board. No constituent shall be denied access to the record of the PEG Board's business.

Article V: Power and Areas of Influence

PEG Board shall be the officially recognized representative of professional employees within the University governance system. PEG Board does not claim to be, nor does it desire to be, the collective bargaining agent for professional employees and disclaims any individual's intent to identify it as such.

Article VI: Provision for By-Laws and Organization

1. PEG Board shall establish By-Laws for the effective and efficient conduct of its business.

2. PEG Board shall establish its internal organization through its By-Laws.

Article VII: Amendment Procedures

1. Amendment Proposals
Proposals to amend the Constitution may be presented as motions to be considered by the membership by either: (1) A signed petition of at least ten percent of the members of the constituency; or (2) a majority vote of the PEG Board.

2. Deadlines
Such proposed amendments must be submitted to the elected Secretary at least 10 business days prior to a regular or special meeting of the PEG Board. They will be circulated to the PEG Board at least 5 business days prior to the scheduled meeting.

3. Voting
Within  five business days after the meeting at which amendments were proposed, all members of the constituency will be mailed ballots via email to the members' official campus email addresses. All ballots must be returned by campus mail to the office of the Secretary of the University Senate within 10 business days of mailing and shall be counted within two business days from the date the ballots were due.

4. Implementation
Amendments shall become a part of this Constitution if approved by two-thirds of the members voting. Amendments shall take effect immediately after ballots are counted unless a specific effective date is provided within the amendment.