Governing Documents

The Executive Committee move to allow the business of the Professional Staff Senate Executive Committee to be conducted remotely via synchronous video teleconferencing from now until such a time as the COVID-19 crisis subsides and allows for normal University business and operations to resume and public gatherings are allowed by the University, local and state governments. 

Remote meetings will be conducted via synchronous video technology that allows all participants to see, hear and speak with one another.  Members shall be considered present if they have joined the meeting and can be both seen and heard by all participants.  Quorum will be determined by the count of voting members that meet this requirement.  The meeting link will be sent to participants by the Secretary in line with current meeting notification requirements. 

Motions and voting shall take place in line with the Senate’s governing documents.  Motions will be put forth and seconded by voting members and will be open for discussion through the video connection as well as through the chat, and when appropriate the chair will ask for a verbal yay/ney vote.  If the vote can not be called from the verbal vote an individual count vote will be taken, allowing the Chair time to visually confirm each members’ vote via their video stream.  If necessary the Chair can ask for clarification from the member on their vote.  

The Constitution gives the general membership of the professional staff the right to elect officers and senators to the Professional Staff Senate; and to nominate and elect (in conjunction with the UB Faculty Senate) representatives from the professional staff or faculty as senators to the SUNY University Faculty Senate.

The bylaws of the PSS govern the formation and function of the senate, including roles and responsibilities, elections and meeting requirements.

The Standing Rules of the Professional Staff Senate document the established policies and procedures of the senate and its committees. While more specific in nature than the Constitution and the Bylaws, the Standing Rules is more easily amended and updated to reflect the day-to-day operations of the PSS.

The members of the professional staff recognize their special responsibilities for the administrative, planning, support and technical functions at the University at Buffalo. These responsibilities derive from their roles as professionals with special knowledge or skills and as public servants affiliated with a public university.

> Read the Code of Ethics for the Professional Staff

All members of the professional staff at UB are bound by the policies and procedures of the university. Many of these policies are spelled out in the Faculty/Staff Handbook that is available to all staff members. Review your roles and responsibilities as a member of the UB community.

> Read the University Policies & Guidelines for Faculty & Staff