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Operating Procedures

(Revised: 2 February 2004)

 

I. INTRODUCTION

The Council of University of Wisconsin Libraries (CUWL) is established to provide a forum and structure for library and information planning within the University of Wisconsin System. The Council reports to the UW System Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Council, to fulfill its responsibilities, has a number of purposes. These include, but are not limited to:

A. Providing counsel to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and the University of Wisconsin System on library and information technology issues.

B. Serving as the library and information resources advocate and counsel within the University of Wisconsin System for those issues that involve libraries relating to computing, telecommunications, media, and information resources structures.

C. Informing institutional administration(s) of System library issues which affect local institutions.

D. Planning, developing and implementing policies, procedures, and strategic directions for system-wide library issues.

E. Participating in, as appropriate, state-wide library planning and initiatives.

 

II. ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERSHIP

A. The voting membership of CUWL consists of:

1. The chief executive officers representing the library/libraries at the eleven comprehensive and two doctoral universities, or his/her designee.

2. A designated library representative from the UW-Colleges, elected by the Colleges.

3. The State Archivist/Library Director of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin (SHSW) representing the Archives and Library.

4. A representative from the University of Wisconsin-Madison libraries other than Memorial Library, selected by the UW-Madison Chancellor's Library Coordinating Council.

5. Five faculty representatives: one from the doctoral campuses; two from the comprehensive universities; one from UW Colleges; and one from University Extension. Faculty will be appointed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for staggered three-year terms.

B. The non-voting membership of CUWL includes:

1. The Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee.

2. One representative each from the University of Wisconsin ITMC and the CIO’s Council, chosen by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs from a list of candidates nominated by these groups.

3. The Director of Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS).

4. A Vice Chancellor from the University of Wisconsin System appointed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

C. Terms of office of elected and appointive members will begin on 1 July of each year.

 

III. OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND OTHER COMMITTEES

A. Officers and Executive Committee: composition and terms of office.

1. The officers of CUWL are: Chair, Chair-elect, and Secretary. They are elected from CUWL for one-year terms.

2. The Executive Committee is composed of the officers of CUWL plus the past-chair and two additional members, one of whom should be a faculty representative, elected from CUWL for two-year staggered terms.

3. Terms for officers and other executive committee members begin on 1 July of each year.

B. Officers and Executive Committee duties.

The duties of the officers include, but are not limited to:

1. Planning meetings and establishing the agenda.

2. Appointing ad hoc committees, task forces and other working groups to carry out CUWL initiatives and activities.

3. Appointing CUWL representatives to membership in, or attending meetings of, appropriate groups and activities, e.g. UW campus CIO's, or WISCNET board of directors. However, CUWL representatives to WiLS are elected by CUWL, as specified in IV. B below.

4. Acting on behalf of CUWL in matters and issues that, because of time or other unusual constraints, cannot be considered by CUWL as a whole. Such action shall be reported to CUWL on a timely basis.

C. Role of officers and procedure for filling vacated officer positions.

The chair is the presiding officer, the convener of meetings of CUWL and the Executive Committee, and the official spokesperson for CUWL.

1. In the event that the chair of CUWL vacates the position, the unexpired term shall be completed by the chair-elect. The chair-elect will then serve the full term for which she/he was elected. In the event that a chair of CUWL does not fulfill the office responsibly, CUWL, upon recommendation of a simple majority of the group, may remove the chair from office.

2. In the event that the chair-elect vacates the position, for whatever reason, CUWL shall hold a special election to fill the vacancy.

3. In the event that the Secretary of CUWL shall be unable to serve, the Executive Committee will appoint a member of CUWL to fill the unexpired term.

4. The chair-elect will preside in the absence of the chair.

D. Standing committees.

1. CUWL shall establish such standing committees as needed to fulfill its purposes.

2. Standing committees shall be established by vote of CUWL, and shall be accountable and report directly to CUWL.

3. Appointment of members of the standing committees may be by vote of CUWL, or may be delegated by CUWL to the CUWL executive committee.

4. Chairs of standing committees may be appointed by CUWL directly, or by delegation by CUWL to either the executive committee or the standing committee membership.

5. The term of office for chairs of standing committees shall be one year, beginning 1 July.

6. Chairs of standing committees shall consult with the chair of CUWL concerning agenda items and priorities for their respective standing committees.

7. The chair of CUWL will schedule items of business, including any recommendations, from a standing committee for decision or resolution at a CUWL meeting. However, progress reports shall be provided to CUWL by the chairs of standing committees at least once per academic year.

8. The current standing committees of CUWL are:

--UW System Library Automation Managers (LAMs)

--UW System Library Collection Development Officers (CDOs)

--UW System Archives Council (UWSAC)

--UW System Digital Library Advisory Committee (DLAC)

--UW System Resource Sharing Committee (RSC)

 

IV. ELECTIONS

A. Officers of CUWL shall be elected at the Spring Meeting of CUWL.

1. A nominating committee of three voting members of CUWL shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to prepare a slate of officers.

2. Elections shall be timed to coincide with the election of members to the Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) board as well as to facilitate appointment of representatives through appropriate UW System offices.

B. CUWL will elect three eligible members of CUWL to serve on WiLS as specified by WiLS by-laws.

1. Terms shall be for three years.

2. To insure continuity, terms shall be staggered, with initially, the doctoral universities’ representative elected for a one-year term, the comprehensive universities’ representative for a two-year term, and the UW Colleges’ representative for a three-year term. After the first year, one representative for a three year term shall be elected annually.

3. Members shall be elected as follows:

--Year one from a UW doctoral institution library, year two from a UW comprehensive institution library, year three from a UW College library.

--In the event that a CUWL representative, in the third year of a three-year term, is elected, or appointed, to the office of WiLS chairperson-elect, the term of that representative will automatically be extended one year.

--If a CUWL representative's term on WiLS is extended by service on the WiLS Executive Committee, the term of service to be filled by the next election to this seat will be for two years, so as to ensure continuity of service.

--Alternates to the WiLS board from the UW doctoral institution libraries and the UW comprehensive institution libraries will be the runners-up in the most recent election for each respective category. As there is only one representative from a UW college on CUWL, that representative represents the colleges on WiLS without an alternate.

C. All voting members of CUWL will be eligible to vote for candidates for the offices and for the Executive Committee.

D. The CUWL chairperson will notify appropriate UW-system officials of election results immediately following the annual election.

 

V. MEETINGS

A. CUWL shall meet at least twice but not more than six times annually. CUWL will, through its Executive Committee, endeavor to group agenda items together, such that sessions containing matters likely to be of interest only to the library directors can be held separately from full CUWL sessions, at which broad issues of UW library policies and services are discussed.

B. The Executive Committee will meet as necessary but not less than three times annually.

C. The minutes of all meetings shall be broadly shared by the Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs. Distribution should include, at a minimum, Vice-Chancellors of the respective institutions, other System administrators as appropriate, and chairs of boards, task forces, and other groups which includes CUWL representation as part of their membership. The Secretary of CUWL will send copies to all members of CUWL.

D. Robert’s Rules of Order shall serve as the official guide for conduct of meetings.

 

VI. OPERATING PROCEDURES REVISION

A. Operating Procedures revisions may be voted upon at any meeting of CUWL provided that such written revisions will have been submitted to the membership no later than four weeks before the next regularly scheduled meeting of CUWL.

B. Operating Procedures may be revised by a simple majority of the CUWL voting members present at a regularly scheduled meeting of CUWL.