UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO
STUDENT
GOVERNMENT
CONSTITUTION
Last Updated: April 12, 2005
This
organization shall be known as the University of Toledo Student Government. The
purpose of the Student Government shall be to serve the interests of all
students and serve as the voice of all students to the broader University
community. Student Government shall consider and pursue matters affecting the
student body and promote greater cooperation between the student body and the
University administration, faculty, and staff. Student Government shall
encourage respect for diversity as well as harmonious and productive
relationships between all members of the University community.
ARTICLE ONE
Section I
All legislative powers herein
granted shall be vested in a Congress consisting of a Senate.
Section II
Clause
1: The Student Senate shall consist of fifty (50) Senators chosen each year
from the various colleges within the University. The number of Senators chosen
from each college shall be determined by the colleges’ percentage of enrollment
based on figures for the first day of the current semester, and announced by
the Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Council. No college, regardless of
its enrollment, shall have less than one Senator as its representative. Any student
properly enrolled who has completed at least one academic semester shall be
eligible to hold the office of Student Senator.
Clause
2: Should a vacancy occur in the Student Senate, the President shall, within a
reasonable amount of time and with the advice and consent of the Executive
Committee of the Student Senate, appoint a student to fill that vacancy. The
appointment must then be confirmed by a majority of the Student Senators
present at a regularly scheduled Senate meeting.
Clause
3: The Speaker shall be elected by the incoming Senate during a joint session
of both the incoming and outgoing Senates. The Speaker shall be a member of
either the outgoing or incoming Senate. The joint session shall be presided
over by the outgoing Speaker. The outgoing Senate shall not have the power to
vote but will be able to nominate and discuss nominees.
Clause
4: The Student Senate shall have the powers to discipline, impeach, and remove
Student Government members and officers pursuant to Article Four.
Clause
5: The Senate may enact legislation on behalf of the University community.
Clause
6: The Senate shall establish the rules and procedures for the conduct of all
Student Government elections, and to publish the said rules prior to the
election.
Clause
7: The Senate shall approve appointments to the Student Judiciary Council,
Cabinet, University Standing Committees, and vacant Senate seats, in accordance
with the Bylaws.
Clause
8: The Senate shall approve all recommendations, nominations, and applications
to the Student Judicial Board. All
affirmative recommendations will be forwarded to the Vice President of Student
Services for his or her final appointment, within two weeks, before the end of
the Spring Semester. The Senate shall
also approve the appointment of Student Judicial Board Chairs.
Clause
9: The Senate shall approve all expenditures of Student Government funds above
those required for normal business operations.
Clause
10: The Senate shall enact legislation necessary to carry out its powers and
responsibilities.
Section III
Clause
1: All legislation, with the exception of resolutions, having passed the body
it originated in shall be presented to the President for his/her approval and
signature. All legislation properly enacted and receiving the President’s
signature shall become effective immediately.
Clause
2: The President may return unsigned legislation, with specific enumerated
objections, for reconsideration by the Senate. If the legislation is then
approved by two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the Senate, it shall become
effective without the signature of the President. If such legislation fails to
receive the required two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote within fourteen (14)
days of its return to the President, it shall not become effective and may not
be reintroduced within the same academic term.
Clause
3: If the President takes no action on the legislation within seven (7) days of
its delivery to him/her, it shall become effective.
Clause
4: If the Senate, by its adjournment, prevents the President from returning
legislation, it shall not become effective.
Section IV
During
the Summer Term, meetings of the Senate may be called only by the President,
Vice President, Speaker, or a majority of the Senate Executive Committee.
However, any legislation passed during the Summer Term shall be subject to the
provisions of Article One, Section Four, until the first day of Fall Term.
Section V
The
Student Body shall retain the rights of initiating petitions and referenda.
Upon a valid petition of ten (10) percent of those students eligible to vote
for the office of President, or upon appropriate legislative action by the
Senate, the Senate shall submit the question to the Student Body for approval
or rejection in an election called for that purpose. Such legislation shall
become effective if it receives a majority vote of those students voting,
except that amendments to this Constitution, and Articles of Impeachment shall
require a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of those students voting.
Section VI
All
meetings of the Senate, whether meeting as a whole body or by committee, shall
be open to the public and the press. Senators must be present to vote. Voting
by proxy or in absentee is prohibited. The rules contained in the current
edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the
Senate in all cases to which they are applicable and not in conflict with the
Bylaws or special rules of order that the Senate may adopt.
Section VII
Senate
quorum shall be defined as one-half plus one of the members. The United Student
Assembly quorum shall be defined as one-forth of total seats.
ARTICLE TWO
Section I
All
executive power shall be vested in the President and the Vice President, who
shall be elected by the Student Body each spring. To be eligible for the office
of President of Vice President, the candidates shall maintain a minimum 2.0
cumulative G.P.A. and be in good university standing. They may run for office during or after being enrolled for two
(2) semesters. The President and Vice
President shall each maintain good university standing and full-time student
status during the term of their office.
Section II
The
President shall:
Clause
1: Be Chief Executive of the Student Government;
Clause
2: Serve as the chief spokesperson of the Student Government and the Student
Body;
Clause
3: Appoint Student Judiciary Council Justices to fill vacancies as they occur,
with the advice and consent of the Student Senate;
Clause
4: Submit the Student Government budget and appropriations to the Senate for
its consideration and approval;
Clause
5: Faithfully execute this constitution and all enacted legislation.
Clause
6: Serve as one of two voting delegates to the Ohio Council of Student
Governments, or designate another Student Government member to serve in this
position. The President will also
appoint the second voting delegate.
Section III
The
Vice President shall:
Clause
1: Assist the President in carrying out the powers and duties of the Executive
Branch;
Clause
2: Assume the office of President should that office become vacant.
The Cabinet shall:
Clause 1: Assist the
President and Vice President in carrying out the duties of the Executive
Branch.
Clause 2: Consist of
Cabinet divisions lead by directors/co-directors appointed by the President or
Vice President, with conformational privileges held by Senate.
Clause 3: be
organized by the President, who may create or disband any Cabinet divisions,
with the exceptions of those divisions defined in the Constitution and Bylaws.
Clause 4: Consider
only the director/co-director(s) part of Cabinet in order to carry out the
purposes and functions of the Executive Branch.
Clause 5: Have a
Chief(s) of Staff to whom the Cabinet directors/co-directors report. The Chief(s) of Staff will be appointed by
the President, with conformational privileges held by Senate. The Chief(s) of Staff will report directly
to the President or vice-President.
Section V
Clause
1: Should a vacancy occur in the office of Vice President, the President shall
nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a
two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the Senate.
Clause
2: Should vacancies occur in the offices of both President and Vice President,
the Speaker shall convene the full Senate at the earliest possible time for the
purpose of electing a new President. The President, upon assuming office, shall
appoint a new Vice President pursuant to this Section, Article Two, Section
Five, Clause One.
Clause 3: Until such time that the Senate may
convene to elect a new President, the Speaker shall assume the role of
President, with further succession in the following manner: Chief of Staff,
Cabinet members in the order established the Bylaws, and the Executive members
of the Senate in the order established the Bylaws.
Section I
Judicial
power shall be vested in the Student Judiciary Council.
Section II
Student
Judiciary Council shall consist of five Justices, one of whom shall be
appointed as Chief Justice, by the President and with the consent of the
Executive committee of the Student Senate. The appointment must be confirmed by
two-thirds (2/3) of the Senators present at a regularly scheduled meeting. In order for a case to be heard, three
Justices must be present. Any student properly enrolled shall be eligible to
serve as a Justice. Once seated, a Justice shall serve a three year term,
unless impeached and removed from office. No student may serve as a Justice for
more than three years.
Section III
Student
Judiciary Council shall have final jurisdiction and authority over all cases
regarding controversies arising under the Student Government constitution and
other related governing documents.
Section IV
Student
Judiciary Council shall serve as Public Defenders to any students seeking
representation before the Student Judicial Board. Public Defenders are responsible for informing students of their
rights, the judicial process, and representing them to the best of their
ability. Public Defenders will be
trained through the Dean of Student's Office, along with the Student Judicial
Board.
Section V
In
all cases and hearings undertaken by the Student Judiciary Council or any other
body which has been empowered to act in a judicial function by Student
Government, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public hearing,
to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with
witnesses against them, and to face their accusers.
Section IV
The
Student Judiciary Council shall establish its own rules of procedure, which
must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Student Senate, and shall
publish and make these rules available to the Student Body and all parties
seeking redress before it. All rules of the Student Judiciary Council shall
ensure that fundamental fairness and due process are maintained.
ARTICLE FOUR
Section I
Student
Senate shall have the power to discipline, impeach, and remove any Student
Government member or officer who fails to properly carry out the duties and
responsibilities of his/her office. Members may be disciplined, impeached, or
removed only upon a showing of good cause. The Senate may, within its Bylaws,
formulate an alternative method of discipline of its own members, such as a
code of conduct. Such an alternative method shall preserve due process.
Section II
Any
student or Senate member or officer may present Articles of Impeachment to the
Senate, specifically enumerating reasons supporting impeachment and removal.
Upon presentation of Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, the Speaker shall
convene the Senate for the purposes of hearing evidence and testimony regarding
the member or officer to be impeached. In the event Articles of Impeachment are
presented against the Speaker, the Speaker Pro Tempore shall preside over the
impeachment proceedings. Upon completion of all testimony and after the member
or officer for whom Articles of Impeachment have been brought has had the
opportunity to respond and be heard; a vote to impeach the member or officer in
question shall be considered. A majority vote of the total membership of the
Senate shall be required to impeach any member or officer.
Section III
If
the Senate votes for impeachment, a meeting of the Senate shall be called by
the Speaker within two (2) weeks to consider removal of the member or officer
impeached. The Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Council shall preside
over the Senate during the removal proceedings. In the event that a justice is
being impeached, the Speaker of the Senate shall preside. The presiding officer
shall ensure that due process and fairness are always maintained, and shall not
vote on the question of removal. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the
total membership of the Senate shall be required to remove any member or
officer impeached under this Article. The seat or position of the member or
officer removed shall be considered vacant and shall be filled pursuant to the
procedures set forth herein.
Section IV
Any
member or officer for whom Articles of Impeachment were presented but not
approved by the Senate shall not be compelled to answer for the same charges
again.
ARTICLE FIVE
Section I
Any
Senator may propose amendments to this Constitution. A two-thirds (2/3)
affirmative vote of the total membership of the Senate shall be required to
amend this Constitution.
Section II
No
amendment to this Constitution shall be adopted unless and until it has been
presented to the Senate for consideration and debate no less than three (3)
times at three (3) separate meetings of the Senate, and published conspicuously
so as to allow the inspection of the Student Body.
Section III
Amendments
presented to the Senate for consideration, once defeated, may not be presented
for reconsideration within the same academic term.
Section IV
Amendments
proposed by the Student Initiative, Petition, or Referenda, shall be governed
by Article One, Section Seven.
Section I
This
Constitution shall be ratified and in full force and effect upon receiving a
two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the total Senate membership, and the
approval of the University administration. Once ratified, this document shall
supersede all others as the Constitution of the University of Toledo Student
Government.
Section II
Those
members or officers holding office prior to the ratification of this
Constitution shall continue in their office until the first election is held
pursuant to this Constitution, with the exception of the Justices of the
Student Judiciary Council, who shall complete their appointed term of office.
Section III
There
shall be no charge for membership to this organization.
No
person shall serve as a member of more than one branch or chamber of Student
Government.
Section
V
In order to fully serve the interests and
represent the voice of all students, the Student Government shall exist as a
non-discriminatory body and will strive to encourage diversity amongst its
membership.
No branch of Student
Government shall discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age,
national origin, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, marital status,
political affiliation, or the presence of a disability.
PREAMBLE: The
following shall be known as the bylaws of the University of Toledo Student
Government. The following are an extension of the constitution adopted in 1989,
amended in 1998, and shall not conflict therewith.
COMPOSITION OF
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Section I
A.
The Senate
1. The Senate shall
consist of fifty (50) members with the number of delegates from each college
apportioned according to the annual enrollment of the previous academic year.
2. Each college shall have at least one
representative.
3.
Chief Justice of SJC shall announce the apportionment of Senate seats eight
weeks prior to the election.
4.Vacant
seats shall be filled as prescribed by Section IV of the Bylaws and in
accordance to Article 1, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution, with preference given to applicants from the
same college as the vacant seat.
5. A Senator must be properly enrolled and in good
academic standing.
6.
Properly enrolled shall be defined as any student registered for at least one
class at the University for the semester in question.
7.
An elected Senator’s term shall be two (2) years. If there is a conflict in serving the two (2) year term, elected
senators can resign at anytime in accordance with the Student Government
Constitution.
-
OFFICERS OF
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Section
II
A. The Senate
1.
The officers of Senate shall include the following: Speaker, Speaker Pro
Tempore, Standing Committee Chairpersons, Legislative Secretary, and Recording
Secretary.
2. The aforementioned shall serve as the Executive
Committee of Senate.
DUTIES OF
THE OFFICERS
Section III
A. The Senate
1.
Speaker
1.1
The Speaker shall conduct the general sessions of Senate according to Robert’s
Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
1.2
The Speaker shall act as the Chairperson of the Executive Committee.
1.3 The Speaker shall vote only in the case of a tie.
1.4
The Speaker shall vote serve as the official representative of Student Senate
when needed.
2.
Speaker Pro Tempore
2.1
The Speaker Pro Tempore shall assume the duties of the Speaker in the event of
his/her absence.
2.2
The Speaker Pro Tempore shall have the duties of parliamentarian and
Sergeant–at–Arms as stated in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
2.3 Serve as the liaison to Faculty Senate.
2.4 Serve as Chairperson of the Student Senate Finance
Committee.
3.
Standing Committee Chairpersons
3.1
Standing Committee Chairpersons shall be elected from Senate no later than the
second meeting of the new session.
3.2
Standing Committee chairpersons shall conduct their particular committee
meeting and shall ensure that such meetings are productive.
3.3
The Standing committee Chairpersons shall submit a written committee report at
the time designated by the Executive committee.
4. Legislative
Secretary
4.1
The Legislative Secretary shall prepare the agenda and make it available to
Senators by the beginning of the meeting at the location of that meeting, as
well as copies of all new legislation.
4.2
The Legislative Secretary shall, on a weekly basis, update the Constitution and
Bylaws of Student Government, saved on the computer in the Student Government
Office, to include all approved amendments.
4.3
The Legislative Secretary shall, on a weekly basis, update the Student Senate
Website to include all legislation, minutes, and other information as deemed
necessary.
4.4
The Legislative Secretary shall be responsible for preparing final updated
copies of legislation to be signed by the necessary officers, and placed into
the Senate Archives.
4.5
The Legislative Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the Senate
Archives.
5. Recording Secretary
5.1
The Recording Secretary shall call the roll at the beginning of meetings.
5.2 The
Recording Secretary shall record the results of all votes.
SENATORS-AT-LARGE
Section IV.
A. In the event that there are fewer than 50 senators, the President has the
power to appoint students to fill the vacancies, as per Article One, Section 2,
Clause 2 of the Constitution.
B. In order for a student to be eligible for confirmation by the Senate,
they must complete the following procedure:
C. After the above requirements are fulfilled, the candidate is to be
interviewed and approved by the Senate Executive Committee.
D. The candidate must then be interviewed and confirmed by the Senate at a
regularly scheduled Senate meeting.
E. The Candidate must be approved by the Senate a
minimum of six weeks before the end of the session.
F. This procedure will take effect after the second meeting of each new
Senate session.
G. A Senator-at-Large will remain a Senator until the end of the session.
COLLEGE CAUCUS
LEADER (COLLEGE PRESIDENT)
Section
V.
A. Each Senator shall be a member of their college
caucus mentioned in Section 1,
Subsection A of the Bylaws and college caucus leader shall be a member of the
college caucus.
B. From each of the caucuses there shall be a college
caucus leader and alternate (being the one with the second highest vote) which
shall be elected by those within the caucus at or before the second meeting of
the newly elected Senate.
C. The college caucus leader shall be the official
spokesperson of the college from which he/she is elected.
D. The college caucus alternate shall assume the
responsibility of the college caucus leader in the event of his/her absence.
E. The college caucus leader must attend regular
Senate meetings and must give a monthly report to Senate.
F. The college caucus leader must be enrolled in that
college at all times. If he/she transfers between colleges, a new caucus leader
must be chosen by the caucus at the earliest possible time.
STANDING COMMITTEES
Section VI.
A.
The following shall be the Standing Committee of Senate:
1. Academic
Affairs
2. Administrative
Affairs
3. Housing
and Residence Life
4. Student
Services, and Information, and Public Safety
5. Finance
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section VII.
A.
The Executive Committee shall consist of those persons stated in Section II of
the Bylaws.
B.
The Executive Committee shall serve the following purposes:
1. Coordinate activity among the various standing
committees, including holding a monthly forum attended by all Senators at which
the students may discuss a relevant university topic or topics prescribed by
the Executive Committee.
2. Advise the President, where the Constitution
states, "the advice and consent of senate" is needed.
RESPONSIBILITIES
AND SCOPE OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Section VIII.
A.
Academic Affairs shall pertain to those matters concerning academic standards,
relations between students and faculty, and student grievances concerning
academic issues.
B.
Administrative Affairs shall pertain to relations with University
administration, infrastructural issues involving local, state, and the federal
government.
C.
Housing and Residence Life shall pertain to relations between students and the Office of Residence Life, between
students and off-campus housing personnel, and other issues pertaining or
arising from those areas.
D.
Student Services, Information, and Public Safety shall pertain to relations
between students and those services available to students on campus, to
relations between Student Government and other student organizations, to the
planning and operation of student activities of which Student Government is to
be a part, and the information of students about campus issues, concerns, and
problems as well as relations with other Student Government programs and
branches. They shall also investigate
and recommend improvements upon policing, security, and other pertinent safety
issues for the campus and immediately surrounding areas.
E.
The Finance Committee shall review and make recommendations to Student Senate
concerning all business operations of Student Government above those required
for normal business operations brought to that body by the Executive Branch of
Student Government. It shall also be the duty of the Finance Committee to
review the internal workings and motions of the University of Toledo Student
Government.
CODE OF
CONDUCT
Section
IX.
A. Each branch of Student Government shall have the
power to determine what constitutes the proper conduct of its members.
B. Each branch shall, within two (2) weeks of their
first meetings, submit to Senate, for informational purposes, the code of
conduct adopted by their specific branch.
C. This code of conduct must include, but not limited
to, the following:
1.
Number of excused absences allowed per academic term.
2.
Number of unexcused absences allowed per academic term.
3.
Number of absences from committee meetings allowed per academic term. (Does not apply to Executive or Judicial
Branches)
4.
Number of office hours per week.
5.
Definition of “conduct unbecoming” of a member of that branch of government.
D. Violators of said code of conduct shall be
disciplined pursuant to Article IV of the Constitution.
SPECIAL
COMMITTEES
Section
X.
A. Implementation Committee
1.
It shall be the purpose of this committee to implement all bills which have
passed the Senate and have been approved by the President, as stated in Article
One, Section Four (4) of the Constitution.
2.
The committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, the chair of the
committee involved with the bill, the authors of the bill, and anyone that the
President deems instrumental in the bill’s implementation.
3.
The Implementation Committee has fourteen (14) calendar days to meet after a
bill becomes effective as stipulated in Article One, Section Four (4) of the
Constitution.
4.
The Implementation Committee has sole responsibility of implementing bills.
5.
No Student Government official may act on a bill, on Student Government’s
behalf, without the approval of the Implementation Committee.
6.
The President is the chair of the Implementation Committee.
B. Student Government Freshmen Leaders
1.
It shall be the purpose of this division of the Cabinet to allow first year
students an opportunity to be involved in Student Government.
2.
Student Government Freshmen Leaders shall aide and assist the branches of
Student Government whenever possible and feasible.
3. Student
Government Freshmen Leaders shall be composed of a director or co-directors and
no more than fifty (50) freshmen. In
order to carry out the purposes and functions of this group, only the
director/co-director(s) will be considered part of Cabinet.
4.
The President shall appoint the director or co-directors with the advice and
consent of Senate.
5.
The director(s) shall report to the Executive Branch of Student Government.
6.
The director(s) shall contact incoming students during the preceding summer to
procure membership.
7.
The director(s) shall choose, in an expedient manner, soon after the start of
Fall Term, not in excess of fifty (50) members.
8.
Student Government Freshmen Leaders will follow a mission statement and
procedural rules, which will at no time conflict with the Student Government
Constitution or Bylaws.
C. Other Student Government groups/committees
1.
Students Offering Solutions (SOS) and the Off-Campus Student Association exists
to facilitate students in problem-solving thorough proper channels.
2.
Each of these divisions of Student Government will have a
director/co-director(s) at the discretion of the President of Student
Government.
3.
In order to carry out the purposes and functions of these groups, only the
director/co-director(s) will be considered part of Cabinet.
PRESIDENTIAL
APPOINTMENTS
Section
XI.
A. Presidential appointments must be posted seven days
prior to the nomination becoming effective.
B. Should any Senator wish to exercise the right to
review appointments, the nominee must appear before a standing committee
selected at the discretion of the Speaker and before the Senate body for
approval.
RULES OF
ORDER
Section
XII.
A. The Senate shall conduct its meeting by
parliamentary procedure as prescribed by the Constitution.
B. Senate Meeting Sessions
1.
Meetings shall begin at 9:30 p.m. every Tuesday except during Exam periods,
holidays, and the summer, unless a "Special Session" is called as
stated in Article One, Section Five (5) of the Constitution.
C. Agenda
1. The
Senate meeting agenda shall follow an order:
I.
Call to Order
II.
Roll Call
III.
Approval of Minutes
IV.
Open Floor
V.
Safety Concerns
VI.
Guest Speakers
VII. Reports
A.
Executive Branch
B.
Student Judiciary
Council
C.
Advisor (s)
D.
Student Trustees
E.
Faculty Representative
F.
Speaker
G.
Other
VIII. Committee Reports and Caucus Reports
IX.
Unfinished Business
X.
New Business
XI.
Announcements
XII. XII Final Roll Call
XIII. Adjournment
D. All Senators, Observers, and the Student Government
President and Vice President, Student Government Advisor and Judicial Justice
may speak at meetings, at the discretion of the Speaker, a voice may be offered
to others, unless a motion to do otherwise is passed.
E. Let "Open Floor" be defined as the
following:
1.
Up to the first ten (10) minutes of a meeting
2.
"Open Floor" is the time allotted were any Senator or Student may
address the Senate in an area of their concern involving:
2.1
issues pertaining to Students on local, state, or national levels
2.2
issues or comments on student organizations
2.3
issues or comments on the Senate’s actions and infrastructure
2.4
issues pertaining to the Student Government
3.
Issues pertaining to individual Senators on personal matters are forbidden.
4.
The first five (5) minutes shall be allotted to Senators.
5.
The last five (5) minutes shall be allotted to any Student Senator or student
who wishes to address the Senate.
6.
Time may be reappropriated as the Speaker sees fit.
7.
Every Senator is allowed no more than one (1) minute, with an extension of no
more than one (1) minute.
8.
Students may be allotted up to two (2) minutes
9.
Anyone who addresses the body may submit, within a week, a typewritten copy of
the speech.
10.
Copies of the speech will be added to a bound book, and distributed to the
University President, and any other concerned party (up to 3) to whom the
senator or student requests the speech be sent.
11.
Adjustments to this will be made by the Executive Committee of Senate, with the
approval of the Senate body, by simple majority as they arise.
F. Legislation that is rejected by the Executive
Committee or dies in committee may be put before Senate at the author’s
request, and “reintroduced” with a 2/3 approval of the Senate Body.
LEGISLATION
Section XIII.
A. The Senate shall pass legislation to implement
programs to benefit the university community, to approve government spending,
and to express points of view
B. The Senate may consider three types of legislation:
Bills, Resolutions, and Internal Motions.
1. Bills
1.1
Bills are for the purpose of passing legislation which requires thorough
programming, usually associated with University administration
1.2 Bills will follow a standard format with
a.
Parts (3): Problem, solution, method
b.
Sections
c.
Subsections
2.
Resolutions
2.1 Resolutions
are expressions of opinions, summons for testimony, spending allocations, and
forming of committees.
2.2
Resolutions do not require the signature of the President to become official.
3.
Internal Motions
3.1 The three
types of Internal Motions are: Procedural Motions, Constitutional Amendments,
and Bylaw Amendments.
3.2
Procedural Motions are dealt within Article One (1) Section Two (2) of the
Constitution.
3.3.
Bylaw Revisions are dealt within Section XV of the Bylaws
3.4
Constitutional Amendments are dealt within
Article Five (V) of the Constitution
THE CALENDAR
Section XIV.
A.
Any Senator wishing to submit legislation for consideration shall submit a
typewritten copy of the legislation in the legislation box.
B.
The legislation must then be presented at the next Executive Committee meeting,
the legislation will then be subject to its first reading on the Senate floor
and shall be assigned to a standing committee and placed on The Calendar.
C. Until the legislation is deemed "Ready"
it will go between committees, through the Executive Committee’s channeling.
D. The Senate shall remain informed of the legislation’s
movement.
E. When the legislation is deemed "Ready" it
will be presented to the Senate for its second reading and a vote where it is
subject to all the rules in Article One (1), Section Four (4) of the
Constitution.
1. Internal
motions require three readings before they can be subject to a vote.
F. Legislation that is rejected by the Executive
Committee or dies in committee may be put before the Senate at the author’s
request, and "reintroduced" with a 2/3 approval of the Senate Body.
ELECTIONS
Section XV.
A. Elections for Student Senators and Student Body President and Vice President shall be held within the eleventh and thirteenth weeks of Spring Semester.
1. All Student Government Elections shall be tabulated the same evening polls close. Ballots are not to be handled in any manner by any person without proper party representation from each candidate present.
C. The outgoing
Senate shall hold their final meeting the Tuesday of the fourteenth week of the
Spring Semester. Immediately following
the adjournment of the outgoing Senate, the newly elected Senate will convene
and elect a Speaker.
D. Any properly enrolled UT student is considered
eligible to vote.
E. The election shall be under the supervision
of the Election Board Committee.
1. This committee shall
consist of eight (8) members, not including the chairperson(s).
2. The members of this
committee shall forfeit the right to be a candidate in the year they serve on
the Election
3. The chairperson(s)
shall be appointed by the President with the conformational privileges still
held by Senate.
4. Six (6) student
committee members shall be appointed
by the President with the advice and consent of the Election Board
Chairperson(s). Two (2) University Administration committee members (one from
Student Affairs and one from any other department) shall be appointed by the
Vice President for Student Affairs. The conformational privileges are still
held by Senate.
5. The Committee shall:
a. Formulate
rules for the election
b. Publish
these rules regarding campaigning and make them available to prospective
candidates.
c. Enforce
these rules.
6.
Appeals of the Committees’ decisions can be made to the Student Judiciary
Council, whose decision shall be final.
7. This Committee shall be in place by the end of Fall
Semester.
8. The previous year's
election board manual shall remain binding until the Senate passes the new
manual. The Student Judiciary Council
shall handle all complaints while no Hearing Board is active.
F. An Election Review Committee shall be formed
before the fifth meeting of the newly elected Senate to review the conduct and
implementation of the election and to present a report the fourth week of Fall
Semester to Student Senate containing recommendations regarding the election.
1. The
Committee shall consist of five members.
2. The
Chairperson(s) can not have been part of a contested election.
3. The
Chairperson(s) and members shall be appointed by the executive branch and
approved by Senate.
4. The
report of this committee, as amended by Senate, shall be forwarded to the
Election Board and used in the formulation of the rules of the Election.
FINANCIAL
EXPENDITURE PROCEDURES
Section XVI.
A. An appropriation bill is defined as an itemized
request for funds that states the separate costs of goods sold, services
rendered, work done or reallocation of funds.
B. An appropriation bill shall be classified as
Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4 based on the following criteria:
1. An appropriation bill less than $200
shall be classified as a Level 1 appropriation bill.
1.1 A Level 1 appropriation bill
shall include normal business operation which is defined as an expenditure
related to the process of planning for an event or program sponsored by Student
Government or the operation of Student Government itself.
1.2 It shall take the President or
the Vice President and the Cabinet Appropriations Chair to sign and
approve a Level 1 appropriations bill from the said budget line item.
2. An appropriation bill from $200 to less
than 1% of total Student Government base budget shall be classified as a Level
2 appropriation bill.
2.1 It shall take the President or
the Vice President, Cabinet Appropriations Chair, and the Finance Committee Chair to sign and approve a Level 2 appropriations
bill from the said budget line item.
3. An appropriation bill from 1% of the total
Student Government base budget to less than 5% of the total Student Government
base budget shall be classified as a Level 3 appropriation bill.
3.1 It shall take the Cabinet Appropriations Chair, the majority vote of
the Finance Committee, and the President or the Vice President to approve and
sign a Level 3 appropriations bill.
4. An appropriation bill 5% of total Student
Government base budget or greater shall be classified as a Level 4
appropriation bill.
4.1 It shall take a majority vote of
the Finance Committee and the Senate, the signatures of the Cabinet
Appropriations Chair, and the President or Vice President to approve a Level 4
appropriations bill from a budget line item.
5.
If a Level 1,
Level 2, or Level 3 appropriation bills does not receive approval, it can be brought in front of the Student Senate meeting for approval by a
majority vote of those present.
6. If a Level 4 appropriations bill does not
receive approval, it can be brought in front of the Student Senate meeting for
approval by a 2/3 (two-third) vote of those present.
7.
In the event
that the Finance Committee has not been formed or if the Finance Committee
chooses not to act on a Level 3 or Level 4 appropriations bill within seven (7)
academic days after the Finance Committee has been informed, the approval of
the Level 3 or Level 4 appropriations bill must be received from the Senate
Body.
8. Expenditures in student wages, stipends,
fringes paid to government employees, scholarship fees, and books are exempt
from the approval process, except where stated within this section.
C. The
Student Government ledger, showing all expenditures to date, for the current
fiscal year, must be shown to Finance Committee once a month or at the request
of the Finance Committee.
D. Unapproved
expenditures or expenditures for personal gain, or for non-student government
use are subject to Article IV of the Student Government Constitution.
E. The incoming President or Vice President shall submit a request
for summer funds by the last Senate meeting of the Spring term.
F. In the event of an
appropriations bill Level 3 or below that occurs between the last
Senate general meeting of Spring Term and the first Senate general meeting of
Fall Term, the Executive Branch must gain approval from any one of the following people: A member of the Finance Committee or the
Speaker of Senate. At the first Student Senate meeting of Fall Term, a list of
all appropriations bills approved during that time period will be presented by
the Executive Branch.
G. In the event that the amount of an
expenditure exceeds the approved appropriations bill, the difference between
the expenditure and the appropriations bill
is subject to approval by the Finance Committee. If the Finance Committee
does not approve of the excess expenditure, the person incurring the excess is
subject to punitive actions as allowed by Article IV of the Student Government
Constitution, as well as possible civil and criminal proceedings which may be
initiated at the Finance Committee’s discretion.
H. The Finance Committee must
approve all personnel actions pertaining to the Student Government office
operations, including, but not limited to, hiring and pay adjustments.
1. Termination of employees does not require
approval by the Finance Committee.
I. The Finance Committee shall review and make recommendations to the President on proposed Student Government budget requests. The Finance Committee shall have the power to amend the budget request prior to its presentation to Senate.
1. The President shall present the budget for
approval at or by the first Student Senate meeting of the Fall term.
Section XVII.
A.
Any Senator may propose an amendment to these bylaws.
B.
A three-fifths (3/5) affirmative vote of the entire Senate shall be required
for an amendment. Four-fifths (4/5) of the total Senate membership must be
present for a vote of passage to be taken on an amendment.
C.
No amendment to these Bylaws shall be adopted unless and until it has had a
first reading, a committee report, and a second reading, each at a separate
meeting of the Senate.
D.
Amendments, once defeated, may not be considered for the remainder of the
academic term.
RATIFICATION
Section XVIII.
A.
These Bylaws shall be considered to be in effect upon approval of Senate by a
three-fifths (3/5) affirmative vote and the implementation of the proposed
Constitution.