Staff Affairs Council

This policy establishes guidelines for the support of the Staff Affairs Council (SAC) from the University. 

The SAC does not engage in issues of compensation and conditions of employment, but does offer recommendations on the experiences of staff members to the University, and in this way supports Colgate’s mission.  That being the case, the University has created the following policy to both enable and recognize the value of the work being done by the SAC. This policy will also facilitate conversations that will inevitably arise in balancing the demands of SAC members’ University jobs and their service on SAC.

Applicability
This policy applies to all elected members of the Staff Affairs Council, including but not limited to its officers, upon the beginning of their service. It also applies to any employee appointed to the SAC filling a slot that would normally be held by someone elected to the position. All SAC members, as all employees, have a responsibility to comply with University policies, including state and federal law. Activities of the SAC and its elected members must likewise be consistent with University policy, and with state and federal law. 

This policy is specific to the SAC, and does not apply to staff serving on other University committees (see the Colgate Staff Handbook, Section V: Compensation, Acting/Temporary Pay/Extra Compensation).

SAC Paid Time Policy

1. Colgate shall allow regular full-time and regular part-time employees serving as elected or specially appointed members of the SAC, whether hourly or salaried, to use a reasonable amount of paid work time (though not overtime) to attend SAC meetings and participate in SAC activities. Paid work time relating to the SAC should generally not exceed 48 hours in a year. Normally no more than five hours should be spent in any given week (though SAC members, particularly officers, may be able to exceed the weekly limit with permission of their supervisors.)
2. Colgate will additionally allow regular full-time and regular part-time employees serving as named officers of the SAC (Co-Chair (Exempt), Co-Chair (Non-Exempt), Vice Chair: Governance, Vice Chair: Communication, Vice Chair: Membership and Representation; Secretary; Treasurer) to use an additional 24 hours a year, as may be required by their roles.
3. When using work time to participate in SAC activities, employees shall request prior approval from their supervisor in order to allow departments to ensure adequate staff coverage. 
4. Supervisors shall approve employee requested time for SAC participation unless the operational needs of the department cannot be readily met without the employee’s attendance during the requested time.
5. Human resource officers are available as a support to the work of the SAC, including being available to help mediate disagreements between SAC members and their supervisors about hours devoted to SAC work, though SAC members should make every effort to resolve these directly first.
6. Human resource officers are also available to support supervisors who experience challenges meeting the requirements of their departments or divisions while supporting employees who are SAC members.