UCW Bylaws

The Mission of the UNIVERSITY COMMISSION ON WOMEN is to:

  • Identify the concerns of women at the university;
  • Promote gender equality throughout all areas of the university community;
  • Recommend to the appropriate administrative offices ways to address the concerns of women at the university;
  • Communicate and collaborate with other committees and organizations to provide support, advocacy, and information regarding women's issues;
  • Raise awareness regarding behaviors, actions, issues, policies, and procedures that affect the status of women.

II. CHARGE

The University Commission on Women reports to the president of the University of Houston and is charged with the responsibility of informing and advising the president and the senior administrative leadership as well as the general university community on issues and concerns that have an impact on women at the University of Houston. The Commission will work in consultation with the senior administration, deans, academic department chairs, and administrative department and program managers as well as the Staff Council, Student Government Association, and Faculty Senate.

III. MEMBERSHIP COMPOSITION

Membership on the University Commission on Women shall include men and women representing faculty, staff, and students from all levels of the academic and administrative areas of the University of Houston. All members may vote.  The Commission shall be composed of 14 appointed members and 14 ex officio members as follows:

A. Appointed Members
Fourteen appointed members shall serve on the University Commission on Women as follows: 
         - 6 Faculty: 3 nominated by the Faculty Governance Committee and 3 appointed by the President;
         - 6 Staff: 3 nominated by the Staff Council and 3 appointed by the President; and
         - 2 students: Both nominated by the Student Government Association.

  • Commission members may recruit and recommend nominees for each of these categories through the Executive Committee of the Commission in consultation with the President, the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and Student Government Association.
  • The President approves all members of the Commission.

 B. Ex Officio Members
 Fourteen ex officio members will serve on the University Commission on Women as follows:

  • A liaison from the President’s Cabinet, designated by the President;
  • President-elect of the Faculty Senate or designee;
  • President-elect of the Staff Council or designee;
  • President of the Student Government Association or designee;
  • Two deans or associate deans from two different colleges, appointed by the Provost;
  • An officer from the Office of Equal Opportunity Services;  
  • The Director of the Athletics Department or designee;
  • The Chief Executive Officer of the Houston Alumni Organization or designee;
  • The Director of the Children’s Learning Centers or designee;
  • The Director of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program or designee;
  • The Director of the Women’s Resource Center or designee; and
  • The Director of the LGBT Resource Center or designee.
  • The Director of Human Resources or designee.

C. Full Term Appointments
Faculty and staff members selected to serve a full term shall be appointed for three years on a staggered basis. Student members selected to serve a full term shall be appointed for one year. All full terms shall begin on September 1 of the year of appointment. Members may be reappointed at the end of their first term. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms.

D. Interim Appointments
Interim vacancies on the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as ordinary appointments. Each interim appointee shall be selected from the same constituency as the former commission member he/she is replacing, and shall serve out the balance of the former member's term.

E. Removal
A member shall be subject to removal for missing three consecutive meetings of the Commission without just cause or for failure to carry out commission tasks assigned to that member. Removal shall be affirmed by a majority vote of the Commission.

F. Officers
The officers of the Commission consist of a faculty co-chair, a staff co-chair, a faculty co-chair elect, a staff co-chair elect, 2 co-secretaries, and a webmaster.  They shall be elected to their offices by a majority of those members present and voting at the December meeting each year. Any vacancies will be filled by special elections in which the officer will be elected by a majority of those members present at the first meeting following candidate nominations.

1. Duties of the Co-Chairs

  • Convene and preside over all meetings of the Commission.
  • Assign members to perform needed commission tasks.
  • Serve as the Commission's spokespersons.
  • Oversee the budget.
  • Chair the officer and ex officio member nominating committee.
  • Work with appropriate university staff and/or other commission members to ensure that the workings of the Commission are communicated to the members of the university community.
  • Term period begins in September and ends in August.

2. Duties of the Co-Chair Elects

  • Shadow the current co-chairs.
  • Perform the duties of the co-chairs in their absence.
  • Term period begins in January and ends in August.

3. Duties of the Co-Secretaries

  • Take minutes of commission meetings as well as transcribe and distribute those minutes to members on a timely basis.
  • Handle the day-to-day finances of the Commission.
  • Term period begins in September and ends in August.

4. Duties of the Webmaster

  • Update and keep current the Commission’s website.
  • Term period begins in September and ends in August.

IV. RESOURCES

A. Women’s Resource Center: The staff of the Women's Resource Center shall provide administrative and clerical support to the University Commission on Women, including preparing correspondence, minutes, and reports; arranging for meetings; and handling        finances.

B. Budget: The budget will come from the Office of the President and other sources. Budgeted items and programs may include but are not limited to:

  • Career development scholarships for staff.
  • Scholarships for students and faculty (including travel money).
  • Travel for commission leadership.
  • Events/speakers fund.
  • Workshops for UH community women.
  • Funding of special projects.
  • UH staff tuition scholarships.
  • Awards for distinguished faculty, staff, and students.
  • Endowment account.

V. PROCEDURES

A. Commission Meetings

  • The Commission shall meet at least once per month during the year or at the behest of the co-chairs.
  • Notice of any Commission meeting shall be provided to all members.
  • One-half of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
  • Once a quorum is present, any item of business may be acted upon or adopted by a majority of those members present.
  • Proxy voting shall not be permitted.

B. Subcommittees

1. The Commission shall have the following standing subcommittees:

a. Faculty Advancement: Shall be responsible for exploring issues of particular interest to faculty.

b. Staff Affairs: Shall be responsible for exploring issues of particular interest to staff, including the staff scholarship.

c. Reports, Initiatives and Policies (RIP): Shall oversee any reports generated by the Commission; examine University policies related to women; and oversee any initiatives originated by the Commission.

d. Children on Campus: Shall explore issues related to the children of faculty, staff, and students on campus and other issues related to making UH family-friendly.

2. Additional standing committees may be created by majority vote of the membership. 

3. The Co-Chairs may create ad-hoc committees as needed. 

  • An ad-hoc committee may be the nominating committee.

C. Amendments
The Commission may amend the bylaws at any time with a two-thirds majority vote of all members present at the meeting. Amendments will be distributed for review at least one month prior to any vote. Once changes have been voted upon and approved, they will be attached to that meeting’s minutes and posted to the webpage.

D. External Communications

  • All Commission reports and external correspondence without deadlines pending prior to the next meeting that represent the official position of the Commission shall be approved by a majority vote of the members present at a regular Commission meeting.
  • Commission external correspondence with deadlines pending prior to the next meeting that represent the official position of the Commission shall be distributed to Commission members for review and comment prior to distribution to non-Commission members. Commission members shall be allowed a reasonable time limit for review and comment prior to distribution. Determination of what constitutes a “reasonable time limit” shall be dependent upon the pending deadline and other relevant factors, and will be subject to the Executive Committee’s discretion.

E.  Rules and Regulations
The workings and operations of the University Commission on Women will conform to all rules and regulations of the University of Houston and the state of Texas.

LAST AMENDED November 13, 2012.