CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY EMERITUS AND RETIRED FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1. NAME AND LOCATION
Section 1. The name of the Corporation shall be the California State University Emeritus and Retired Faculty and Staff Association Inc. (CSU-ERFSA), hereafter referred to as “the Association”. This Association has been formed under the California nonprofit public benefit law for the purposes described below.
Section 2. Principal Office. The President, with the approval of the State Council, may locate the principal office and any branch or subordinate offices at any place or places where the Association is qualified to do business.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
The purposes of the Association shall be
Section 1. To serve as an advocate for the interests of retired academic and non- academic employees of the CSU in all matters relating to their general welfare in the CSU.
Section 2. To assist in establishing the retired faculty and staff employees of the CSU as continuing and participating members of the university.
Section 3. To provide opportunities for maintaining professional relations with colleagues both within and outside the university system.
Section 4. To assist, as retired faculty and staff employees, the CSU and its respective campuses through continuing support, counsel, and service in the interests of present and future students.
Section 5. To develop avenues of communication among retired employees and to gather and disseminate information bearing upon their shared concerns and available resources.
Section 6. To encourage the adoption of enlightened retirement policies and practices throughout the University and to proffer counsel on retirement to the active faculty and staff. To help retired faculty and staff employees continue their endeavors as contributing members of the University, and to seek support for such endeavors.
Section 7. To help retirees continue their endeavors as contributing members of the University through teaching, research, publications, and consultations, and to seek support for such endeavors.
Section 8. To examine the quality of life of retired employees and work for and support those laws and policies which protect the quality of life of retired employees.
Section 9. To support the mission of the California State University System.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP AND DELEGATES FROM AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
Section 1. Delegates are defined in the Bylaws.
Section 2. Members. All California State University retirees who are CalPERS annuitants and such others as have been accorded faculty status are eligible for membership in this Association. Members shall have voting rights and be eligible to serve on committees and to enjoy all the rights and privileges of the Association.
Section 3. Associate Members: Associate memberships may be granted to spouses of deceased members. Other individuals may be granted associate membership by a majority vote of the State Council. Associate memberships are non-voting.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be President, immediate Past President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Editor of the Reporter. The president and vice president shall be from different campuses. The officers shall have such duties and responsibilities as shall be assigned to them in the Bylaws or by actions of the State Council.
ARTICLE V. THE STATE COUNCIL
Section 1. Purpose: The State Council shall be the governing body of this organization.
Section 2. Membership: The State Council shall consist of the officers, Executive Committee members-at-large, delegates from the campus affiliated organizations, State Council delegates-at-large, standing committee chairs, ex officio members of the State Council. Each campus affiliate shall be entitled to select annually one member from among its Association members for each seventy- five (75) Association members or fraction thereof. Delegates shall serve one-year terms and the nine elected State Council delegates-at-large shall serve staggered three-year terms. All terms shall begin on the first day of July.
Section 3. Committees: There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the Officers of the Association, at-large members, and such ex officio members as may be prescribed in the Bylaws. The State Council may establish additional committees as needed and appropriate. Committees shall have such duties and responsibilities as assigned to them in the Bylaws or by the State Council.
Section 4. Meetings shall be held as prescribed by the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI. DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
Dues and assessments are defined in the Association Policy Files.
ARTICLE VII. ESTABLISHMENT OF CAMPUS EMERITUS AND RETIRED FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION AFFILIATES
CSU campus emeritus and retired employee associations are eligible to become CSU- ERFSA affiliates. Requests to become affiliated with CSU- ERFSA shall be submitted to the CSU- ERFSA president. Approval of the campus affiliate shall be by vote of the State Council.
ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS
The Bylaws shall be the implementing rules, procedures, and regulations necessary and appropriate for the immediate and detailed functioning of the State Council and the Association to carry out or put into practice the provisions of the Constitution.
ARTICLE IX. ASSOCIATION POLICY FILES
The Association Policy Files shall include the current dues structure, any assessments, percentage of dues rebated to the campus affiliates, and such other policies that have been approved by the State Council that are subject to periodic revisions and do not affect the fundamental structure or operation of the Association.
ARTICLE X. INITIATIVE
Association members may initiate action in the following manner: The State Council shall consider at its next meeting the formal action specified by a written petition presented to the President which bears the signatures of at least thirty (30) members of the Association. If at that meeting, the State Council fails to affirm the action requested by the petitioners, and if the State Council rejects the proposal a second time, and if the petitioners so request, the action shall be submitted to a vote by a secret ballot of all Association members to be held within ninety (90) days.
Arguments for and against the proposition shall accompany the ballot. The arguments for the proposition shall be prepared by the petitioners, and the arguments against shall be prepared by the State Council. An affirmative vote shall consist of approval by a majority of votes cast.
ARTICLE XI. REFERENDUM
All formal actions taken by the State Council may be subject to referral to the Association membership in the following manner: Upon presentation to the President of a petition bearing the signatures of at least thirty (30) Association members, the State Council shall, at its next meeting, reconsider its formal action as specified by the petitioners. If the State Council reaffirms its action, that action, at the request of the petitioners, shall be submitted within sixty (60) days to a vote by secret ballot to all Association members. Arguments for and against the action shall accompany the ballot. The arguments for the action shall be prepared by the State Council, and the arguments against the action shall be prepared by the petitioners. If a majority of those voting rejects the action of the State Council, that action shall be null and void.
ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS
An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by a majority vote of the delegates at a meeting of the State Council or by presentation to the President of a petition bearing the signatures of at least thirty (30) Association members. The language of an amendment that is to be considered by the State Council shall be provided to the council delegates at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. A properly proposed amendment shall be submitted to a vote by secret ballot to the Association members within sixty (60) days. Arguments for the amendment shall be prepared by the proposers, and arguments against the amendment, if any, shall be prepared by Association members, selected by the Executive Committee, who are opposed to the amendment. Arguments for and against a proposed amendment shall accompany the ballot. An amendment to the constitution shall require ratification by a majority of votes cast.
ARTICLE XIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition, shall be the parliamentary authority for this Association.
ARTICLE XIV. RATIFICATION
This Constitution shall be effective upon the favorable vote of a majority of the Association members voting in a secret ballot.
ARTICLE XV. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
In the event that the membership, by an authorized electoral process, should decide to dissolve the Association, all debts shall be satisfied. All remaining assets of the Association shall be distributed to other education associations designated by the last Executive Committee or by the membership of the Association and which qualify under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Constitution was approved by mail ballot of the membership on August 2, 1996; editorially revised May 10, 1997; further amended by mail ballot January 6, 2009; revised February 21, 2018; revised May 30, 2018; approved by mail ballot of the membership on August 15, 2018.
Revision dates: Feb. 23, 2009 February 21, 2018 May 30, 2018