The Council on University Planning and Budget could not vote on proposed bylaw changes Friday because, as one CUPB member noted, doing so would have violated the council’s current bylaws.

The council did, however, elect a new council chair, executive committee and budget transfer committee Friday at its first official meeting of the semester.

The CUPB had held an informal meeting last month, which outgoing Chair Elizabeth Hitch, dean of College of Professional Studies, noted was open to the public. At that meeting changes to the council’s bylaws were proposed.

However, CUPB’s bylaws say that bylaw changes can be made at any meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present “provided the amendment has been submitted in writing at a previous meeting.”

CUPB member David Carpenter, English professor, informed the council that no such amendment could have been submitted, since the council had yet to formally meet this semester.

Consequently, the proposed bylaw changes were moved to new business so that they could be discussed Friday but not voted on until the CUPB’s next meeting.

Council members raised concerns about the proposed bylaw changes.

CUPB member John Allison, English professor, questioned the way the bylaw changes would augment the relationships between the council’s subcommittees and the various vice presidents.

Revisions proposed to articles IV and VI of the CUPB’s bylaws suggest that the language used provides opportunities for the administration and the council to work together instead of the CUPB requiring the administration to perform specific tasks.

He said that while the proposed changes may work under the university’s current administration, the administration may change sooner than the CUPB’s bylaws.

“We all know the positions last longer than the people who occupy them,” he said.

Allison’s main concern was that the vice presidents should report first to the committees and not vice versa because the committees must first know what information to ask the vice presidents about.

“People don’t ask for a Zagnut or any other product unless they know it exists,” he said.

CUPB member Bud Fischer, biological sciences professor, who also serves as Faculty Senate chair, told the council that the senate was worried that many of the CUPB’s proposed bylaw changes removed the planning aspect from the council’s purpose.

“If it (the council) is budget and planning than planning has to be part of it,” he said.

The CUPB also approved a yearly meeting schedule Friday. Both Allison and Carpenter voted against the schedule, which does not include scheduled meetings in December or March. Hitch said that in the past the council has often canceled meetings scheduled for those months because of winter and spring breaks.

When the CUPB holds its next meeting, Nov. 9, a new council chair will preside. Council member Hank Davis, associate professor of accountancy and finance, was chosen as the new chair by the council.

Davis will lead not only the council, but also the CUPB’s new executive committee, which was also selected at Friday’s meeting.

Carol Strode, interim director of facilities planning and management; Lynette Drake, director of health services; Kelly Miller, assistant director of student housing; Rick Sailors, director of WEIU radio and television; Mahmood Butt, secondary education professor; Bob Augustine, dean of graduate studies and graduate student Tara Coburn were appointed to the executive committee.

Nine council members were also appointed to the CUPB’s budget transfer committee, which meets to discuss university transfers of $250,000 or more.

Allison, Drake and Carpenter were chosen along with Steve Daniel, associate biological sciences professor; Pat Fewell, secondary education professor; Gloria Leitschuh, associate counseling and student development professor; James Johnson, College of Arts and Humanities dean; John Oertling, theater arts chair and William Weber, academic affairs director.