Board of Governors

Governance Document of the Center for Great Plains Studies

University of Nebraska [revised 11/87; 02/08; 11/12; 3/17]

ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Center for Great Plains Studies.

ARTICLE II. AFFILIATION
The Center is administratively responsible to the Dean of the UNL College of Arts and Sciences but serves the entire University of Nebraska.

ARTICLE III. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Center will be to encourage and sponsor interdisciplinary studies, research, teaching, service, and extension activities that are directed toward exploring the biological and physical environments, the people, the institutions, the economy, and the cultures characteristic of the Great Plains and comparable regions.

ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Fellows. Fellows of the Center shall include scholars presently holding regular appointments at the University of Nebraska who are concerned with the past, the present, and the future of the Great Plains. Candidates for this status must be nominated by a Fellow and must present evidence of a research, teaching, or public service commitment to the Plains region.
Fellows are elected upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee and by a majority of the Board of Governors.

Section 2. Affiliate Fellows. Affiliate Fellows of the Center shall include persons not presently holding regular appointments at the University of Nebraska who have a professional interest in the purposes and program of the Center. Candidates for election must be nominated by a Fellow. The nominator must present evidence of a research, teaching or public service commitment to the Plains region. Affiliate Fellows shall also include any Fellow who no longer has an appointment at the University of Nebraska and who has not provided the Director with a signed letter resigning his or her Center affiliation. Affiliate Fellows shall be elected in the same manner as Fellows, but they shall not have voting privileges.

Section 3. Terms for Fellows and Affiliate Fellows. Fellows and Affiliate Fellows are appointed for a term of five years, after which they will be eligible to reapply for Fellow or Affiliate Fellow status.  

ARTICLE V. DIRECTOR
Section 1. Appointment. The Director of the Center shall be appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, with the advice of the Board of Governors and with the approval of the Board of Regents. The appointment will be consistent with University by-laws. The Director's service will be formally reviewed every five years.

Section 2. Responsibilities. As chief administrative officer of the Center, the Director shall have the following responsibilities:
a. Prepare, for the review of the Board and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, an annual budget for the operation of the Center and administer the budget. 
b. Provide overall coordination for the various offices and programs that are under the purview of the Center. 
c. Encourage Fellows of the Center and other faculty members to undertake studies and activities that are consistent with the purposes of the Center, and, as feasible, assist in obtaining funding for these studies and activities.
d. Prepare agenda for meetings of the Board of Governors, chair these meetings, and designate a member of the Center staff to record minutes of these meetings. 
e. Make appointments to standing and ad hoc committees of the Center.
f. Serve as ex officio member to all Center committees.
g. Select staff members and evaluate their performance.
h. Report on the activities of the Center to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
i. Assume, upon consultation with the Board of Governors and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, such other responsibilities as are consistent with the purposes of the Center.

ARTICLE VI. BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Section 1. Composition. The Board shall consist of at least nine members who are Fellows of the Center who will be elected by Fellows for staggered three year terms of office; the Center Director; and up to three outside members, who will be nominated by the Director and appointed for three year terms of office by majority vote of the members of the Board who are Fellows. The Board, which shall have broad representation, shall thus consist of the Center Director, nine or more elected Fellows, and up to three outside members. The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or the Dean's representative shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member.

Section 2. Responsibilities. The Board of Governors provides advice to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Director of the Center for the operation, program priorities, and budgetary matters of the Center for Great Plains Studies.

Section 3. Procedures for the Election of Board of Governors 
a. Nomination: The Nominating Committee shall submit to the Board of Governors not fewer than two names for each vacancy on the Board of Governors no later than March.
b. Election: Center staff shall provide a ballot to each Center Fellow. Each ballot shall contain the names of the nominated candidates and provide for write-in candidates. Ballots shall be returned no later than April 15. The results shall be reported to the Board of Governors by April and appropriately thereafter to the Fellows. A tie vote shall be resolved by chance, conducted under the supervision of the tellers and reported to the Director. New Board members shall assume their duties at the first regular meeting of the fall semester.
c. Vacancies: In the event that a vacancy should occur, the Board of Governors shall name a replacement to serve the unexpired portion of the term.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS
Section 1. Board meetings.
a. The Board of Governors shall normally meet at least twice each year during the academic year. Special meetings may be called by the Director or by written request of the elected members of the Board.
b. The Director shall prepare an agenda and circulate it at least five days in advance of each meeting. Any member of the Board may place an item on the agenda by contacting the Director. Additions to the circulated agenda shall require a vote of a majority of the members present at the meeting.
c. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the Board.

Section 2. Annual Meetings. A meeting of the full membership of the Center shall be held annually in the spring term. The Director shall report to the membership on the Center's programs and projects and shall solicit advice from the membership.

ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing Committees. There shall be the following standing committees: Academic Affairs, Administration, Museum and Outreach, and Nominating. The members and the chairperson of each standing committee shall be appointed annually by the Director with the approval of the Board of Governors. All standing committees shall consist of three Board members and such other Fellows as the Director and Board appoint.

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees. Ad Hoc Committees shall be established as deemed necessary by the Director and by the Board of Governors.

Section 3. Responsibilities of Committees.
a. Academic Affairs Committee. It shall be the responsibility of the Academic Affairs Committee to recommend policy to the Director and Board in all matters relating to the Center’s academic program, including curriculum, publications, scholarships and internships, and library and electronic research resources, and to report annually to the Board.
b. Administration Committee. It shall be the responsibility of the Administration Committee to review and evaluate policy relating to management of Center’s funds and annual budget, personnel matters, non-curricular and non-Museum Center activities, and administration of other on-going programs and to make recommendations to the Director and Board and to report annually to the Board.
c. Museum and Outreach Committee. It shall be the responsibility of the Museum and Outreach Committee to review and evaluate the operation and administration of the Museum and such Outreach programs as the Center shall institute and to make recommendations to the Director and Board and to report annually to the Board.
d. Nominating Committee. It shall be the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to select candidates for election to the Board of Governors; the committee shall seek broad representation among participating disciplines. It shall also receive and make recommendations concerning nominations and policies regarding Fellows of the Center.

ARTICLE IX. PROGRAMS
The Center, through its Director and with the approval of the Board of Governors, shall create offices and programs as it deems necessary to accomplish its goals and purposes. Such subdivisions shall be responsible to the Director and shall operate within a budgetary and organizational framework approved by the Board.

ARTICLE X. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of the Center in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this governance document and any special rules of order the Center may adopt.

Nothing in this governance document shall be construed to be in conflict with the Bylaws of the Board of Regents or the Bylaws of the University of Nebraska--Lincoln.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT OF GOVERNANCE DOCUMENT
This governance document can be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Fellows voting by ballot.