UNOPA Bylaws Revised & Approved

Content

 

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA ‐ LINCOLN OFFICE PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION (UNOPA)

Bylaws Revised

Approved

September 11, 2023

Revised on 2/6/2026

 

Article I ‐  

The name of this organization shall be the University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Office Professionals Association (UNOPA).

 

Article II ‐ Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of UNOPA is to provide professional development and networking for educational office professionals within the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. We acknowledge the unique role of educational office professionals and the importance of their contributions to the university community.

 

UNOPA fulfills its purpose through the following actions:

  1. Support office educational professionals to obtain their National Professional Standards Program (PSP) certification by sponsoring workshops and promoting participation in the Nebraska Educational Office Professionals Association (NEOPA) and the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP).
  2. Encourage all members to interact and learn from one another through classes, workshops and serving on various University or UNOPA committees and networking events.
  3. Develop leadership skills by serving as officers and leading committees of UNOPA.
  4. Model and cultivate inclusive excellence within our membership.

 

Article III – Membership

Section 1.

Membership shall be open to educational office professionals (Office/Service & Managerial Professional) that fall under one of the classifications in Article III, Section 2, at the University of Nebraska ‐ Lincoln.

The UNOPA membership year is July 1 through June 30. Section 2.

There shall be four classifications of membership: Active, Associate, Retired, and Honorary.

 

Active membership shall be open to all office personnel (Office/Service & Managerial Professional) in the educational system of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Active members shall be entitled to vote, hold an elected or appointed office, and participate in UNOPA activities. Withdrawal from employment at the University of Nebraska‐Lincoln shall constitute a change from Active to Retired or Associate membership.

 

Associate membership shall be open to persons interested in advancing the objectives of the organization but are not eligible to be Active members, and have paid annual dues (e.g., other area higher education employees and former UNL employees). Associate members may attend any general membership meetings but shall not vote or hold an elected or appointed office. They may serve as committee members.


 

Retired membership shall be open to former Active members retired from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and desire to advance the purpose and objectives of UNOPA. They shall have the right to vote and may hold an appointed office and serve as committee members.

 

Honorary membership shall be conferred by a majority vote of the UNOPA Board or the conferring of a UNOPA award. Honorary members are individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth of UNOPA and its membership. They shall not have the right to vote or hold elected or appointed office. There are no dues for this type of membership. This shall be conferred in one‐year increments. (ex. Floyd S. Oldt Boss of the Year Recipient)

 

Section 3.

Rights and privileges, services, and obligations of each classification of membership shall be determined by the UNOPA Board. Full membership privileges in UNOPA shall terminate upon failure to pay dues by August 1 of the current fiscal year. Membership shall be restored upon payment of dues.

 

Article IV – Officers/Duties

Section 1.

The elected officers of UNOPA shall be President, President‐elect, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Website Manager, Membership Coordinator, Treasurer and Planning Chair; all of whom shall be active members in good standing as defined in Article III, to be installed at the May General meeting and assume office on July 1.

 

Section 2.

Nominations of candidates for the offices of President‐elect, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Website Manager, Membership Coordinator and Planning Chair shall be submitted by the membership to the Elections Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall present the nominations at the March general meeting. Additional nominations may be submitted by the membership when the slate of officers is presented. The officers shall be elected prior to the May annual meeting by electronic ballot and shall hold office for a term of one year or until their successors are elected, beginning July 1. The Treasurer’s, Website Manager’s, Membership Coordinator’s, and the Planning Chair’s term will be for two years. No member shall hold the same elected office for more than two consecutive terms.

 

Section 3. 

President:

  • Shall be the presiding officer at all UNOPA general meetings and UNOPA board meetings.
  • Shall, with the assistance of other elected officers, appoint committee chairs except for the Planning Committee Chair, which is an elected position;
  • Shall be a member of Nebraska Educational Office Professionals Association (NEOPA) and the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP); UNOPA will pay for the membership fees to each respective association;
  • Shall represent UNOPA as a delegate to the NAEOP Advisory Council, which is held annually at the NAEOP conference. They may also name a designee;
  • Shall be the ex‐officio representative for the University of Nebraska – Lincoln Staff Senate. They may also name a designee;
  • Shall compile the annual report of UNOPA and distribute to the membership by August 31 following the end of the term;
  • The President shall sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer;
  • The following year, the President shall serve as Immediate Past President on the UNOPA Board.

 

Section 4. 

President‐elect:

  • Shall perform the duties of President in the event of the President’s absence;
  • Shall fill a vacancy in the Presidency if the President cannot complete their elected term. The completion of the presidency term in case of vacancy does not count toward the two consecutive years of service in the elected position;
  • Shall act as advisor to the Planning Committee;
  • Correspond with the UNOPA newsletter editor and the UNOPA Website Manager;
  • Shall be a member of Nebraska Educational Office Professional Association (NEOPA) and the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP); UNOPA will pay for the membership fees to each respective association;
  • Must serve on the UNOPA board one year prior to running for President‐Elect.
  • Shall become the President the following year.

 

Section 5.

Recording Secretary:

  • Shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of UNOPA general meetings and all UNOPA board meetings;
  • Shall keep an up‐to‐date record of the current Bylaws, including Standing Rules and Duties of Committees;
  • Shall send to the President a copy of minutes of each meeting prior to the next UNOPA board or general meeting;
  • Shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President and President‐elect.

 

Section 6.

Corresponding Secretary:

  • Shall conduct the correspondence of UNOPA as directed by the President and the UNOPA Board
    • Life event correspondence (death, birth, etc.)
  • Shall, in the absence of the Recording Secretary assume the duties of the Recording Secretary
  • Shall be the official UNOPA photographer or arrange for a photographer at events.
  • Shall maintain the digital archive of photos.
  • Shall coordinate the holiday collection.

 

Section 7. 

Treasurer:

  • The Treasurer should have prior financial management experience including a broad working knowledge of Excel, the university financial systems, prior SAP access, and experience navigating the reporting functions;
  • The Treasurer will be elected to serve for two consecutive years;
  • Shall receive all monies for UNOPA;
  • Disburse funds as directed by the President and the UNOPA Board;
  • Present monthly reports to the UNOPA Board;
  • Shall oversee and promote the Bradley Munn Professional Growth Fund;
  • Prepare materials for an audit every two years by a non‐UNOPA, UNL financial employee; Present final report to the UNOPA Board and the general membership;
  • Shall study the financial needs of UNOPA for the year; working with the other elected officers and present a proposed budget to the UNOPA Board for final approval in April and then to the general membership by May for the following fiscal year;
    • A majority vote of the members present at May’s general meeting is required to approve the budget.
  • UNOPA follows all University of Nebraska – Lincoln fiscal guidelines.

 

Section 8. 

Website Manager:

  • It is strongly recommended that the Website Manager have a working knowledge of UNLcms.
  • The website manager will be elected to serve for two consecutive years.
  • Shall be responsible for updating and maintaining UNOPA’s website. This can include but is not limited to:
    • Adherence to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln website standards and ADA Compliance for Title II
    • Updates from UNOPA board members or UNOPA members as appropriate.

 

Section 9.

Membership Coordinator:

  • Shall be responsible for sending out renewal forms, welcome letters, and membership cards once a year.;
  • Shall keep an updated spreadsheet of all members;
  • Shall update the listserv;
  • Will obtain names of new office/service and managerial professional employees from HR, send UNOPA information, and make personal contact to see if new employees are interested in becoming a UNOPA member;
  • Shall oversee the Secret Colleagues program (This has been suspended until further notice);
  • Shall promote, with the help of UNOPA board members, UNOPA at appropriate University of Nebraska – Lincoln events;
  • The committee chair position is a two‐year commitment.

 

Section 10.

Planning Committee Chair: (Combine Program, Outreach and Career/Professional Development)

  • Shall be responsible for establishing a pleasant and conducive environment at each general meeting by greeting attendees and encouraging networking;
  • Shall coordinate sign‐in sheets for all UNOPA general meetings and share those with the PSP Committee Chair;
  • Shall provide publicity for UNOPA including sending notices of meetings and information University‐ wide and to other media outlets as appropriate;
  • Shall be responsible for submitting the proposed year’s program and speakers to the UNOPA President and President‐Elect.
  • The committee chair position is a two‐year commitment.

 

Section 11.

Immediate Past President:

  • Shall serve as a member of the UNOPA Board for a one‐year term from the time the new President assumes office
  • Shall act as the president's adviser

 

Section 11:

Vacancy of Elected Office

  • Notice of filling a vacancy for President and President‐Elect shall be given to the UNOPA Membership immediately.
    • The Elections Committee will seek nominations and shall present the nominations via e‐mail.
    • A special election for President and President‐Elect, shall be conducted by electronic ballot within one month of nomination, the term of office to be determined by the circumstances.
  • The Executive Board shall appoint any vacancy occurring among the officers after taking office, except the President and President‐elect, until the next annual election of officers.

 

Article V ‐ Meetings

Section 1:
  • General membership meetings of UNOPA will consist of a rotation of the following:
    • General Membership ‐ Business
    • General Membership ‐ Networking
    • General Membership ‐ Professional Development
  • Shall be held the second Tuesday of each month, September through June, unless otherwise stipulated by a majority vote of the UNOPA Board.
  • Special meetings of the membership may be called by a two‐thirds vote of the UNOPA Board.
  • Membership present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all general membership meetings of the Association.
 
Section 2.

Monthly meetings of the UNOPA Board will be held August through June. Special meetings of the UNOPA Board may be called by the President. A majority (50% + 1) of the members of the UNOPA Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at board meetings.

 

Section 3.

Newly elected officers shall be installed at the May general membership meeting.

 

Article VI – UNOPA Board

Section 1.

The UNOPA Board shall consist of the elected officers of the Association, the Immediate Past President, and the chair for each standing committee. With the exclusion of the Immediate Past President, there shall be no more than two past presidents serving, in elected positions on the UNOPA Board.

 

Section 2.
  • The President, with the help of newly installed officers, shall annually appoint the chairs of the standing committees except the Planning Committee Chair, which is an elected position on the UNOPA board, prior to July 1, and shall appoint other committees as deemed beneficial to the general membership and function of UNOPA.
  • The chair of each standing committee shall be a member of the UNOPA Board with all the rights, responsibilities, and duties of a board member, including the right to vote.
  • The chair of each special/ad hoc committee shall be ex‐officio of the UNOPA Board with all the rights, responsibilities, and duties, except the right to vote.

 

Section 3.

Each member of the UNOPA Board shall submit a written annual report to the President in May for inclusion in the Annual Report of the Association.

 

Article VII ‐ Committees

Section 1.

Standing Committees

  • UNOPA shall have standing committees as follows:
    • Awards
    • Elections
    • Professional Standards Program (PSP)
    • Membership
    • Planning (Combine Program, Outreach and Career/Professional Development)
    • UNOPA Newsletter
    • Ways and Means
  • The job descriptions of the standing committees should not be kept in the Bylaws. The UNOPA Board should have the flexibility to adjust the duties and not require a change in the Bylaws requiring a vote of the membership. The Recording Secretary should have completed job descriptions for each standing committee that should be reviewed by the UNOPA Board annually.

 

Section 2.

Special/Ad Hoc Committees

The President, with the help of the UNOPA Board, may appoint special/ad hoc committees as needed according to the needs and goals of UNOPA.

The definition of an “ad hoc committee” is a committee formed for a specific task or objective and dissolved after the completion of the task or achievement of the objective.

 

Section 3. Committees Roles


Guidelines, duties, and responsibilities for each standing and each special/ad hoc committee shall be specified by the UNOPA Board, and may change from time to time, according to the needs and goals of UNOPA.

 

Article VIII ‐ Affiliation

Section 1.

UNOPA shall annually affiliate with the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) and support the Nebraska Educational Office Professional Association (NEOPA).

 

Section 2.

The UNOPA President or designee will be the delegate to the NAEOP Advisory Council, which is held at the NAEOP Annual Conference.

 

Article IX – Amendments

Amendments to the Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the President, for review by the UNOPA Board, prior to presentation at a regular meeting of the Association. Amendments shall be voted on by members using electronic ballot, within one month following presentation. A majority vote of ballots returned, shall be required for passage, and the amendment(s) shall become effective immediately.

 

Article X ‐ Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern UNOPA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

 

Adopted 12/92 Revised 9/7/94 Revised 9/4/97

Revised 2/11/02 (Standing Rule #7) Revised 10/13/04 (Standing Rule #10) Revised 11/12/04 Revised 5/12/05 (Bylaws/Standing Rules/Revision) Revised 10/9/07

Revised 3/11/08

Revised 4/4/09 (Standing Rules)

Revised 3/17/10 (Bylaws/Standing Rules/Standing Committees/Revisions Revised 10/12/10 (Bylaws/Standing Committees/Revisions)

Revised 9/6/2011 (Standing Committees) Revised 11/1/2011 (Bylaws)

Revised 3/6/2012 (Duties of Committees) Revised 4/30/2012 (Bylaws) Revised 10/9/2012 (Standing Rules) Revised 7/21/2016 (Bylaws/Standing Rules/Standing Committees/Revisions) Revised 10/31/2016 (Bylaws/Standing Rules/Standing Committee/Revisions)

Revised 03/13/2017 (Bylaws/Standing Rules/Scholarship Removed – Career Development) Revised 07/10/2017 (Bylaws Membership Committee)

Revised 05/10/2018 (Overall revisions to simplify and clarify processes, added #10 and 11 to Standing Rules, minor revisions to Standing Committees)

Revised 06/29/2020 (Bylaws/Officer’s Duties/Standing Committees) Revised 09/11/2023 (UNOPA Board)


 

 

 

STANDING RULES

Standing rules are the procedures of the organization, or general policy that are not included in the bylaws. They cannot conflict with the bylaws. Standing rules can be changed or amended at any time. With endorsement of the board, standing rules changes must be presented at a general membership meeting (without previous notice) for approval by a majority vote.

 

  1. Membership shall be for the fiscal year July 1 to June 30. Membership fees are due August 1 of each year. The membership fees are $20 for active members, $20 for associate members, and $10 for retired members. Members who have not renewed their membership by September 30 will be removed from the membership list and lose full membership privileges.

 

  1. New members will have the following payment schedule:
    1. July – December: $20
    2. January – June: $10

 

  1. All UNOPA Board meetings are open to any members. Closed sessions may be determined by a majority vote of the UNOPA board.
  2. The President will not vote on issues unless there is a tie vote in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised.

 

  1. The retiring President has presented the gavel to the incoming President. The incoming President will present the President’s plaque to the outgoing President at the general meeting in May.
  2. UNOPA will pay the registration cost of the President/Delegate and the President‐elect to attend the NAEOP Annual Conference. The delegate or their designee will represent UNOPA at NAEOP functions at the Conference, including receiving awards.
  3. Roberts’ Rules of Order Newly Revised is the parliamentary authority for NAEOP and must also govern meeting conducted via electronic means as much as possible, with adjustments as necessary to accommodate the necessary logistics. he basic guiding principles of Roberts’ Rules should remain the focus of these special rules:
  • Allow all members a fair and reasonable opportunity to participate
  • To protect the rights of a minority to express their views
  • To provide the means for the group to make decisions after a thorough discussion.


 

DUTIES OF COMMITTEES

The job descriptions of the standing committees should not be kept in the Bylaws. The UNOPA Board should have the flexibility to adjust the duties and not require a change in the Bylaws requiring a vote of the membership. The Recording Secretary should have complete job descriptions for each standing committee that should be reviewed by the UNOPA Board as needed.

 

STANDING COMMITTEES

Awards Committee:

  • Shall organize and implement all UNOPA awards and event. In the best interest of the Association, members of the Awards Committee (including chair) shall not be eligible for an award sponsored by UNOPA;
  • Nominees of the Floyd S. Oldt Rose Frolik, Floyd S. Oldt Outstanding Staff of the Year, Floyd S. Oldt Outstanding Managerial Professional of the Year, Floyd S. Oldt Igniting Excellence, and Floyd S. Oldt Boss of the Year Awards shall not be notified of the selection results prior to the official awards ceremony.
  • An individual can only win one award, if eligible per the award criteria, one time per year.
  • Shall review the awards criteria and stipend amount every five years.

 

Elections Committee:

  • Shall be responsible for assuring the future of our organization by establishing and submitting a complete slate of officers for the upcoming year and governing the election process.

 

Professional Standards Program (PSP) Committee:

  • Shall encourage membership to achieve their Professional Standards Program (PSP) certification from the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) and offer information along with promoting membership in Nebraska Educational Office Professionals Association and National Association of Educational Office Professionals;
  • Shall offer at least one workshop per year to provide information on the Professional Standards Program;
  • Shall provide guidance to members who are in the process of earning their Professional Standards Program certification;

  • Shall provide documentation for general membership meetings and UNOPA board involvement to the membership.

     

    Planning Committee:

  • Shall be responsible for establishing a pleasant and conducive environment at each general meeting by greeting attendees and encourage networking;
  • Coordinating decorations (as needed);
  • Coordinating giveaways (as needed);
  • Shall coordinate sign‐in sheets for all UNOPA general meetings and share those with the PSP Committee Chair;
  • Shall provide publicity for UNOPA including sending notices of meetings and information University‐ wide and to other media outlets as appropriate;
  • Shall be responsible for submitting the proposed year’s program and speakers to the UNOPA President and President‐Elect.

 

UNOPA Newsletter Committee:

  • Shall be responsible for collecting information, formatting, editing, and distributing UNOPA’s newsletter.


Ways and Means Committee:

  • Shall be responsible for coordinating volunteers for the parking lot fundraiser
  • May develop other fundraisers throughout the year
  • Maintain the contract and foster open communication with the special events parking coordinator.
  • Reassess fundraiser give‐a‐ways annually