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Vision

A visible, inclusive, and engaged community that supports, empowers, and sustains underrepresented staff and faculty with multiple identities.

Mission

Guided by the Principles of Community, our mission is to serve as a catalyst to positively impact campus climate and culture by supporting recruitment, retention, and development of multicultural employees. We are committed to promoting collaboration and accountability through visible and meaningful engagement with Colorado State University and the greater community.

Values

  • Accountability: we believe that action has to be taken to foster justice on campus
  • Belonging: we believe that our community brings people together with compassion, empathy, respect, and assistance.
  • Development: we believe that our community is here to promote the advancement and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues
  • Empowerment: we are a community of leaders that are recognized by their commitment to meaningful engagement

History

This group was formed in the 1970’s by a group of faculty members and staff of color.  Faculty of color were having difficulty getting tenure from the university, so they decided to form a group called the Minority Caucus.  Issues of recruiting and retention of faculty and staff of color continue to develop, as well as concerns about respect and safety.  Eventually, after many name changes, the organization was renamed the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network and today over 1,000 members from state classified, administrative professionals, and faculty groups have joined by voluntarily self-identifying themselves within many of the multicultural identities on campus.

The Multicultural Staff and Faculty Council was renamed as such in 2022, after an approved motion from the board, and has cultivated a long-standing relationship with CSU Presidents (Adrian R. Chamberlain, Ralph E. Christoffersen, Philip E. Austin, Albert C. Yates, Larry Edward Penley, Anthony Frank, and Joyce McConnell), and with the first Vice President for Diversity (now Office of Inclusive Excellence) and ex-officio board member, Mary Ontiveros.  Serving as a resource for multicultural communities by working to ensure the health, well-being, and safety of our campus community, the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Council is a space for creating sense of belonging regardless of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, ability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or geographic background.

Bylaws

Section 1.

Multicultural Staff and Faculty Council (MSFC)

Section 2.

Authorization: Recognized and supported by the Office of the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence at Colorado State University

Section 1.

Active membership shall be granted to any person who self-identifies as a person of color or with a community of color from the academic faculty, administrative professional, and classified personnel staff at Colorado State University or affiliate status. They will have the right to vote and to hold office. Members can participate in committees and be active participants in MSFC activities.

Section 2.

Alumni membership shall be open to former members of the MSFC. They may not vote or hold office.

Section 3.

Distribution list: An email distribution list of MSFC members will be maintained by the Office of the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence. The list is to remain confidential and not be distributed to MSFC members or other entities due to Federal Guidelines.

Section 1.

The MSFC Board shall be comprised of a Chair, Chair Elect, Past Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, an Ex-officio Member from the Office of Inclusive Excellence, and twelve or more additional Board Members as needed to fully represent and address the needs of the organization, not to exceed twenty members.

Section 2.

The Ex-Officio member shall be a of MSFC.

Section 3.

The Chair and Chair Elect officer positions on the Board are voted upon by the MSFC Organization.  Election process outlined in Article III, Section 7 of the MSFC Bylaws.  Upon completion of the Chair’s term of service of two years, the Chair will assume the role of Past Chair and the Chair Elect will assume the role of Chair.

Section 4.

The Secretary and Treasurer officer positions will be filled from within the Board and voted upon by members of the Board.  Election process outlined in Article III, Section 7 of the MSFC Bylaws. The term of service for the Secretary and Treasurer is two years.

Section 5.

The Ex-officio member position will be the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence or a respective VPIE designee.

Section 6.       Duties of Board Officers shall include the following:

Chair
  1. Shall be an active Board Member voted upon by the Organization
  2. Shall convene and preside over all meetings (includes creating and distributing agendas for all meetings)
  3. Shall sign all documents on behalf of the MSFC after review of the Board Members
  4. Shall act as a spokesperson for the Organization
  5. Shall act as (or appoint) a liaison on campus committees
  6. Shall focus on accountability of the MSFC
  7. Shall review and approve all communication sent to MSFC membership via the distribution list. The Chair Elect or Past Chair may review and approve MSFC communications in the Chair’s absence.
  8. Shall oversee implementation of MSFC professional development opportunities and MSFC events
  9. Shall work with a Board Member or MSFC member at large to update and maintain the MSFC website
Chair Elect
  1. Shall be an active Board Member voted upon by the Organization
  2. Shall assume the role of Chair the following term or should the acting Chair vacate their seat
  3. Shall preside over meetings in the absence of the Chair
Past Chair
  1. Shall be an active Board Member
  2. Shall help with the consistency and sustainability of the organization, transferring knowledge from previous years in office
Secretary
  1. Shall be an active Board Member voted upon by members of the Board
  2. Shall keep accurate and detailed records of all MSFC meetings and affairs and distribute minutes of all meetings to Board Members. In the event the secretary cannot be present at a Board meeting, the Secretary shall ask another Board Member to take minutes at the meeting.
  3. Shall assist the Chair in scheduling Board Member meetings and All Organization meetings. This includes reserving rooms and/or setting up video platforms for MSFC online meetings, functions, events and providing refreshments
  4. Shall inform the treasure of the cost of reserving rooms or providing refreshments to ensure payment through the Office of Inclusive Excellence
  5. Shall send/transmit all official MSFC correspondence, and coordinate preparation and distribution of MSFC notices in collaboration with the Chair and the Office of the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence
  6. Shall initiate the election process for the organization during the spring when needed
Past Chair
  1. Shall be an active Board Member
  2. Shall assist with the consistency and sustainability of the organization, transferring knowledge from previous years in office.
Treasurer
  1. Shall be an active Board Member voted upon by members of the Board.
  2. Shall assist the chair in allocating the financial assistance from the Office of Inclusive Excellence into the different organization and board events and activities.
  3. Shall track and report on MSFC budget income and expenses.
  4. Shall work with Office of Inclusive Excellence staff to ensure that all MSFC invoices/bills are paid in a timely manner in accordance with university fiscal calendar deadlines.
Ex-Officio
  1. The role of the Ex-officio member is to communicate pertinent information from the President’s Executive Leadership Team
  2. Shall be filled by the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence or a respective VPIE designee
  3. Shall provide context, input, financial assistance, and support to the MSFC
  4. Shall attend regularly scheduled meetings of the MSFC Board or designate a representative from the Office of Inclusive Excellence

Section 7.       Election Process

  1. Officers shall serve a term of two years and can be re-elected up to three consecutive terms.
  2. Nominations for Chair and Chair Elect will be solicited and accepted by the Board during the spring or as needed. Elections for these two officer positions shall be conducted no later than the end of the Spring semester. Election of these two officer positions shall be conducted by secret ballot with each organization member having one vote. The winners shall be determined to have received a simple majority of votes cast by Organization members during the election period. Network members will be given at least 10 business days to cast their vote in MSFC elections. A reminder to vote after 5 days from the initial message will be sent out to the organization to encourage receiving their vote. In case of a tie, there will be a run-off election. The newly elected Chair and Chair Elect terms of service shall commence on July 1st or sooner if necessary.
  3. Nominations of Board Members for the officer positions of Secretary and Treasurer shall be solicited and accepted by the Board as those terms of service come to an end or become vacant. Election of these two officer positions shall be conducted during a meeting of the Board with each Board member having one vote. The winners shall be determined to have received a simple majority of votes cast by Board members during said meeting. In case of a tie, the Chair shall cast the deciding vote.

Section 1.

Nominations for new Board Members will be solicited and accepted by the Board as terms of service come to an end or become vacant. All Organization members are eligible to submit a personal nomination to serve on the Board. Election of new Board Members shall be conducted during a meeting of the Board with each Board member having one vote.

Section 2.

Board Members shall serve a two-year commitment

Section 3.

Shall be actively involved Board matters. This includes attending Board Member meetings, attending Organization meetings or events, participating in MSFC Planning Retreats, serving on MSFC Committees, and participating in additional meetings as needed to fulfill responsibilities of those Committees, and serving as a liaison for MSFC on other Committees and/or Councils as needed (i.e., serving as the MSFC liaison with Classified Personnel Council, Administrative Professional Council, Faculty Council, etc.).

Section 4.

Shall assist in the structure of all ad hoc and MSFC Committees

Section 1. Awards & Recognition

  1. Shall be chaired by a Member of the Board with assistance from other Board Members and/or other MSFC members at large
  2. Shall coordinate the selection committee and process for the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network Distinguished Service Awards. There are 3 MSFC Distinguished Service Awards: one each for state classified, faculty, and administrative professional.
  3. Shall coordinate nomination efforts to highlight multicultural staff/faculty
  4. Shall research awards internally and externally for which our CSU staff/faculty would be viable candidates
  5. Shall recognize and honor milestones

Section 2. Annual Events Committee

  1. Shall be chaired by the MSFC Chair with assistance from other Board Members and/or other MSFC members at large
  2. Shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, hosting, and executing the following MSFC signature events:
    • Welcome & Community Connections Event – to kick off the Fall semester with all MSFC members
    • President’s Annual Fall Reception – wrap up of the Fall semester with time for all MSFC members to ask questions of and connect with CSU’s President
  3. MSFC Awards Ceremony & Spring Closing Event – to honor and celebrate the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network Distinguished Service Award winners and to close out the spring semester
  4. Introduction of new University leaders to the entire Network

Section 3. Professional Development & Network Connections Committee

  1. Shall be chaired by a Member of the Board with assistance from other Board Members and/or other MSFC members at large
  2. Shall plan, coordinate, host, and execute 1-2 monthly professional development sessions, lunch & learn, and/or community gatherings to be held in September, October, November, February, March, and April
  3. Topics and presenters should assist MSFC members develop new skills, stay up to date on current issues and trends, provide tools, information, and resources for community members, provide opportunities for discussion with specific groups on campus, provide a space for reflection and healing during challenging times, etc.

Section 4. Ad Hoc Committee

Other committees may be created for a limited period to serve the needs of the organization

Section 1.

Board Meetings will be held twice a month or when necessary.

Section 2.

All Council: Meeting will be held once per semester or as needed.

Section 3.

Board planning retreat will be held once per semester or as needed.

Section 1.

All fiscal matters are processed and supported by the Office for Inclusive Excellence.

Section 2.

The Multicultural Staff and Faculty Council Operating budget is separate from the monies allocated for the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Council Distinguished Service Awards. Both amounts are allocated to MSFC by the Office for Inclusive Excellence. A total of three $1,000 MSFC Distinguished Service Awards are awarded, one each for a state classified, faculty, and administrative professional staff member.

Section 1.

These bylaws may be changed, amended, or added to by a vote of 2/3 of the Board and ratified by a simple majority of votes cast by Organization members during either an organization meeting or during a designated voting period. Notification of proposed bylaw changes shall be made to all Council members at least 10 business days prior to the start of the voting period. Council members will be given at least 10 business days to cast their vote regarding ratification of bylaw changes if voting occurs online, electronically, or via email.  A reminder to vote after 5 days from the initial message will be sent out to the organization to encourage receiving their vote.

Section 2.

Changes, amendments, and additions to these bylaws may be proposed by any MSFC member. Proposed changes shall be presented to the Board at a regular meeting of the Board and voted upon in a timely manner.

Section 3.

Immediately upon their adoption, all changes, amendments, and additions shall be inserted into the bylaws and filed.

Drafted: December 2012
Final Approval: January 2013
Revisions Drafted: March 2015
Revisions Approved: July, 2015
Revisions Drafted: May 22, 2019
Revisions Drafted: January 28, 2022
Final Approval: March 25,2022