The PAT Council is made up of duly elected representatives for the PATs at Keene State College.

a) The PAT Council serves, first and foremost, as a liaison between the Professional, Administrative, and Technical Staff (PATs) of Keene State College, the President of Keene State College (KSC) and the University System of New Hampshire (USNH).

b) It serves in an informational and advisory capacity to the President of KSC.

c) It provides recommendations regarding PAT personnel policies and concerns itself with the matters affecting the welfare of the PATs including the rights and responsibilities of the group, promotion, salaries, educational opportunities, retirement and other benefits.

d) It actively seeks input and recommendations from PATs regarding the items listed in section c).

a) The PATs are allied closely with the faculty and operating staff in the execution of KSC's mission and have the responsibility to provide necessary services and to promote excellence in KSC activities. The PATs are active contributors to the goal of KSC's commitment to quality teaching and campus life.

b) The PATs of KSC are those employees whose academic preparation and work experiences qualify them as key individuals (which include directors, supervisors, managers and professional staff such as artists, engineers, accountants, writers, and upper-level technical staff such as television and research technicians) within the structure of KSC and USNH.

c) A PAT shall be defined as an exempt status employee who holds a budgeted/benefited position including those funded through auxiliaries or grants and is full time or a percentage of time.

The Council consists of nine elected members from the PATs, each of whom serves on the Council for two years. Sitting on the Council Ex-officio is the KSC Director of Human Resources. Attempts are made to encourage a broad representation of campus constituencies by inviting all PATs to participate.

a) Elections are held each spring, no earlier than April 1 and no later than May 15. These elections will be called by the Council Chair Person and/or prepared by the Chair Person's designate. Candidates for positions are asked to submit a self nominating paragraph of intent outlining qualities the individual will bring to the council.

b) Newly elected members begin to serve June 1 of the year they are elected.

c) Council officers: The Council shall elect during the first meeting of the summer:

d) The Council shall designate from the Council members (when appropriate) or from the PATs at large representative(s) to:

e) The Council shall form committees as needed from Council Members and PAT membership at large.

f) Meetings: The Council will meet a minimum of four times per semester and at least twice during the months of June, July and August. These meetings are open to the public.

g) Quorum: At any meeting of the Council a simple majority of the Council members in office shall constitute a quorum.

h) Any council member who misses three or more meetings during the semester without notification to the Chair during a semester may be suspended or removed from the Council by a simple majority vote of the Council and replaced with the PAT who came next closest to being elected to the Council during the previous election. Any Council member who misses both meetings during the summer, without notification to the Chair, may be suspended or removed by a simple majority vote of the Council and replaced with the PATs who came next closest to being elected to the Council during the previous election. The Chair may set a meeting to discuss actions.

i) PAT Council members who do not work during the summer months must be able to attend at least one summer meeting of the PAT Council.

j) Any Council member may be suspended or removed with cause (e.g. including but not limited to the suspension of a Council Member, from work, by KSC for acts detrimental to the welfare and the good of KSC) by vote of a simple majority of the Council then in office, at any meeting called for each purpose or at any regular meeting.

k) Vacancies: If the office of any Council member becomes vacant (for whatever reason), during their tenure on the Council, the remaining Council Members will select a replacement from the PATs who came closest to being elected to the Council in the previous election. If no one is available from this list then the Council may replace the position from the membership at large.

Article 4: Revisions to the Bylaws

a) Any PAT may request a change in the Bylaws by submitting a written request to the PAT Council Chair.

b) The Council will discuss the change at the next two regularly scheduled Council meetings and may request input from all PATs.

c) Amendments to the proposed change can only be made by that PAT who submitted the original request for change and must be made in writing to the PAT Chair.

d) At the third regularly scheduled meeting of the PAT Council, after the request for change in the Bylaws, the Council will vote on the revision.

e) A two-thirds majority vote by all Council members is required for the change to go into effect.