Bylaws-of-the-Student-Senate-of-Wabash-College

Bylaws of the Student Senate of Wabash College Preamble We, the representatives of the Student Body of Wabash College, in the interest of providing order and regulation to the business of the Student Senate, ordain and establish these Bylaws in accordance with the Constitution of the Student Body of Wabash College Article I Name, Establishment, and Insignia Section Name The name of this body shall be the Student Senate of Wabash College Section Establishment These Bylaws are established by the Student Senate, and are ordained with the authority of the Student Body under Article V, Section of the Constitution Section Insignia The Student Senate may establish the insignia of the Student Body, the Student Senate and their offices Insignia shall be the property of the Student Body, with all rights reserved Insignia may be used by the Student Senate, the appropriate officers and committees of the Student Body and Student Senate, and those granted written permission by the appropriate officer of the Student Senate Article II Membership Section Membership The membership of the Student Senate shall be as outlined in Article IV, Sections and of the Constitution Section Duties of the Members of the Student Senate The Members of the Student Senate shall Faithfully represent the constituency from which they have been elected, Regularly report the business of the Student Senate to their constituency, and Serve in all other capacities as directed by the Student Senate or the Executive Authority of the Student body Section Honorary Senator The Student Senate may confer upon any person who it feels has exemplified the ideals of student governance the station of Honorary Senator An Honorary Senator may serve as an ex-officio or advisor to the Student Senate or any committee of the Student Senate at the direction of President of the Student Body All former Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Student Body shall be awarded this status Section Senate Liaison Communication between the Student Senate and another organization may benefit from the active employment of a liaison A Senate Liaison shall represent the opinion, aims and decisions of the Student Senate to the assigned organization, and report to the Student Senate and its officers on the situation of the assigned organization Senate Liaisons are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the executive authority of the Student Body Section Titles and Honorifics Each member of the Student Senate is entitled to be addressed by his title, or an appropriately shortened version thereof, when conducting business for the Student Body The honorific ‘Mr.’ may be applied to the titles of President, Vice-President, or Chairman—when referring to the chairman of the body who is not also the President of the Student Body The honorific ‘honorable’ may be applied to the titles Senator, Representative, or Chairman—when referring to the chairman of a standing committee of the Student Senate Article III Executive Authority Section Empowerment The executive authority of the Student Body is empowered by Article III, Section of the Constitution The Student Senate may further empower and employ the executive authority under Article III, Section 5, clause and Section 6, clause Section Further Duties and Powers of the President The Student Senate directs the President of the Student Body to serve in the following capacities He shall Execute, to the best of his abilities, the acts of the Student Senate, Appoint all standing and necessary, special committees of the Student Senate with its approval, Appoint all student representatives to committees of the Faculty, and Serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of all committees of the Student Senate when not serving as a voting member of said committees Section Further Duties and Powers of the Vice-President The Student Senate directs the Vice-President of the Student Body to serve in the following capacities He shall Appoint sergeants-at-arms of the Student Senate, when necessary, to maintain order, Serve as the official representative of the Student Body to the Faculty, Serve as the official representative of the Student Body to the Alumni, Serve as the chairman of all committees, where no other chairman has been appointed, and Serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of all committees of the Student Senate when not serving as a voting member of said committees Article IV Legislative Authority Section Empowerment The Student Senate is empowered to enact any legislation which does not violate the letter or spirit of the Constitution or these Bylaws The several committees of the Student Senate may be empowered to create such policies and take such actions which not violate the letter or spirit of the Constitution, Bylaws or policies of the Student Senate Section Convocation Whereas neither the retiring Chairman nor Chairman pro tempore of the Student Senate is present, the senior most member of the Student Senate in terms of semesters served shall call to order the Convocation of the Student Senate each year The chairman shall appoint a voting member-elect of the Student Senate to act as secretary until the Secretary of the Student Senate is elected Unless both the chairman and the President-elect of the Student Body recognize business which must come before the Student Senate immediately, the body shall move at once to the inauguration of the President and Vice-President of the Student Body and the installation of the members of the Student Senate Upon inauguration, the Vice-President shall assume the chairmanship of the Convocation Following the installation of the Members of the Student Senate, the Convocation shall move to the election of a Secretary and a Treasurer Section Legislative Session After the inauguration, installation and the election of the remaining general officers, the President of the Student Body shall open the spring legislative session of the Student Senate At the conclusion of the last regular meeting of the Student Senate each spring, the President shall retire the Student Senate into summer recess The President shall open the fall legislative session of the Student Senate at its first meeting each fall semester and shall dissolve the Student Senate after its last regular meeting in December Matters of concern which arise whilst the Student Senate is in summer recess or after it has been dissolved shall be settled by council between the general officers and the President-elect and Vice-President-elect of the Student Body, if such persons exist Section General Officers of the Student Senate The general officers of the Student Senate shall be the President and the Vice-President of the Student Body, and the Chairman pro tempore, Secretary and the Treasurer of the Student Senate Section Appointment and Duties of the Chairman pro tempore The Vice-President of the Student Body shall appoint a member of the Student Senate to act as Chairman pro tempore The Student Senate must approve the appointment by two-thirds majority vote The Chairman pro tempore of the Student Senate must have completed three (3) semesters of experience serving as a member of the Student Senate, except in cases where no member qualifies or is willing to serve The Chairman pro tempore shall act as Chairman of the Student Senate in the absence of the Vice-President of the Student Body, and otherwise serve as directed by the Executive Authority Section Election of the Secretary and the Treasurer The Student Senate shall elect a Secretary and a Treasurer at the Convocation of the Student Senate All voting members of the Student Senate are eligible for election The Secretary and the Treasurer shall serve, independently, until the next Convocation or until such time as a resignation is given, removal from office occurs, or the officer is otherwise incapable of fulfilling his duty In the event of an early vacancy, the Student Senate shall act to elect a replacement at its next regular meeting; the Vice-President of the Student Body shall execute the duties of the Treasurer during such a vacancy until a replacement is elected Section Duties of the Secretary The Secretary of the Student Senate shall Keep a Roll of the Student Senate, including its members, voting members, honorary senators, senate liaisons, and committee and other appointments, Keep accurate minutes of the meetings of the Student Senate, Keep accurate records of the standing policies of the Student Senate and its committees, and Maintain the electronic resources of the Student Senate, including a An accurate mailing list on which all relevant parties are member, b Any special email addresses as may be required by the officers and committees of the Student Senate, c An accurate blackboard account on which all relevant parties are member, and d A website on which is included the Constitution, Bylaws and policies of the Student Senate and its committees, the Roll of the Student Senate, and any other pertinent information Section Duties of the Treasurer The Treasurer of the Student Senate shall Serve as the chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee, Keep an accurate account of the assets of the Student Body, Direct the distribution of funds as approved by the Student Senate, Pay all approved expenses, and Report regularly to the Student Senate on the financial condition of the Student Body Section Student Activities Fees By the second meeting of the Student Senate each November, the Audit and Finance Committee shall recommend to the Student Senate a rate at which to set the following academic year’s Student Activities Fees The Student Senate shall set the rate of fees no later than the last regular Student Senate meeting of the fall semester Section 10 Apportionment of Funds to the Senior Council Activities Committee The Student Senate shall apportion no more than fifty percent of each semester’s Student Activities Fees to the Senior Council Activities Committee These funds are apportioned for the specific purpose of contracting entertainments for the enjoyment of the entire Student Body, purchase equipment for the betterment of campus entertainment venues, and fund social events for the enjoyment of the Student Body or philanthropic events for the betterment of the Wabash community Article V Meetings of the Student Senate Section Time and Day The Student Senate and its committees shall meet in regular session each full week of class, except during weeks of finals, at a time and on a day to be set by the Student Senate or the respective committee The Student Senate and its committees may meet in special or executive session at any other time The Student Body must be made aware of the time and day of all meetings of the Student Senate and its committees Section Location The Student Senate shall meet in a location designated by the Executive Authority Committees of the Student Senate shall meet in a location designated by their respective chairmen The Student Body must be made aware of the location of all meetings of the Student Senate and its committees Section Dress All persons present at a meeting of the Student Senate shall be expected to dress in an appropriate manner Section Executive Sessions The Student Senate and its committees may convene in or retire to an executive session for the purpose of conducting business in which privacy is necessary Only members of the Student Senate or the respective committee may be present, as well as such Honorary Senators, Senate Liaisons, other ex-officios, and pertinent individuals as the chairman of the respective body may direct Article VIII, Section of the Constitution must be respected Section Meeting Minutes The minutes of all Student Senate meetings or those of its committees shall be forwarded to the members of the respective bodies at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting at which they are to be approved In order to prevent the perpetuation of false or inaccurate information, no non-member may be permitted to review the meeting minutes of the Student Senate or its committees until formal approval by the respective body is granted Section Meeting Procedure Meetings of the Student Senate shall be conducted according to the most newly revised edition of Roberts Rules of Order where those rules not violate the letter or spirit of the Constitution, or the Bylaws or policies of the Student Senate The chairman of the Constitution, Bylaw and Policy Review Committee shall act as parliamentarian of the Student Senate Committees of the Student Senate may adopt their own meeting procedures The chairman of the Student Senate or its committees shall be empowered to ensure that meetings remain orderly Section Quorum The presence of a simple majority of the voting members of the Student Senate or its committees constitutes quorum at meetings of the respective body Section Voting Procedure Each voting member of the Student Senate or its committees shall be entitled to an equal number of votes on an issue before the respective body Any voting member who stands to make significant gain from a decision shall be in conflict of interests; he shall abstain from voting Section Proxies Each voting member of the Student Senate, except the Vice-President, shall be entitled to appoint a proxy Proxies must be appointed from the constituency to which the voting member represents Non-voting members of the Student Senate, including Honorary Senators, Senate Liaisons and other ex-officios are prohibited from appointing proxies Proxies must be sworn under the senatorial oath of office by the President of the Student Body Proxies shall assume all the privileges of the voting member, except he may not be allowed to vote on issues that require the specific knowledge of the voting member, nor may he be present at an executive session of the Student Senate Proxies may not be appointed for committee work Section 10 Attendance Policy In the interest of ensuring that the Student Senate is able to fulfill its duty to the Student Body, every voting member is expected to be present at every regular meeting of the Student Senate Voting members are required to provide a duly sworn proxy at any regular meeting to which they may be absent The voting status of any member shall be suspended after he has failed to attend any two regular meetings without providing a proxy Any voting-member of the Student Senate whose voting privileges have been suspended due to failure to attend meetings without providing a proxy must attend one regular meeting of the Student Senate, only in the form of himself and not a proxy, without the privilege to vote At the next meeting of the Student Senate the voting member must be present, either in form of himself or a proxy Thereupon he shall be eligible to have his voting rights reinstated The reinstatement of voting rights shall always be the first item during new business when an eligible member is present No member’s voting privileges shall be reinstated except by this measure Reinstatement shall occur upon simple majority vote of the Student Senate where all other guidelines have been met This bylaw may not be overruled on a case-by-case basis, nor may it be suspended Committees of the Student Senate may adopt their own attendance policies Article VI Committees of the Student Senate Section Committee Appointment Under Article III, Section 2, clause of these Bylaws, the President of the Student Body may appoint all standing and necessary, special committees of the Student Senate The Student Senate must approve all committee appointments All committees serve at the direction of the Student Senate The President of the Student Body shall retain the authority to dismiss any committeeman or chairman; this authority may be overruled by a simple majority vote of the Student Senate Where a committee description herein lists a specific position to a committee, that appointment is made in the name of the President Section Special Committees Special committees are appointed to fulfill a specific purpose, as outlined by the President of the Student Body upon appointment The President shall dissolve a special committee upon the completion of its function By resolution, the Student Senate may establish a special committee, specifying its purpose, to which the President shall appoint members Section Standing Committees The Student Senate shall have three standing committees, which include the Audit and Finance Committee, the Board of Publications, and the Constitution, Bylaw and Policy Review Committee Under Article IV, Section 4, clause of the Constitution, the chairmen of these committees shall be voting members of the Student Senate when they are not already Section Audit and Finance Committee The voting membership of the Audit and Finance Committee shall consist of the Treasurer of the Student Senate—who shall act as chair—and exactly four others The committee shall be responsible for the financial welfare of the Student Body It shall be empowered to Set the budgetary policy of the Student Senate, Draft the Financial Policy of the Student Senate, Draft the operational budget of the Student Senate, Audit the accounts of any activity, organization or committee receiving funds from or maintaining assets of the Student Body, and Freeze the accounts of any activity, organization or committee Section Board of Publications The voting membership of the Board of Publication shall consist of a chairman, the editor-in-chief—or an alternate—of each board publication as admitted by the board, a number of faculty/staff advisors as elected by the board but not to exceed one-third of the board, and exactly one other appointed from among the voting members of the Student Senate The board is responsible for the maintenance of professional practice in regard to campus publication It shall be empowered to Set policy in regard to professional standards of practice in regard to campus publications, Set guidelines by which a general campus publication can become a board publication, Set guidelines by which the editor-in-chiefs of the board publications shall be chosen, Provide easily accessible information on how students can become involved in campus publications and how students can create new campus publications, Work with the Audit and Finance Committee to create one, integrated budget for all board publications, and Elect a chairman experienced with publications Section Publication Policy The Student Senate strongly supports the journalistic endeavors of the Student Body It shall not impede on the regular exercise of a student’s freedom of speech nor shall it practice in censorship It is, however, the duty of the Student Senate to uphold a proper regard of the Gentlemen’s Rule including its application to public statements Publications which not meet the Board of Publication’s professional standards of practice, will not receive Student Body funds to supplement the publication printing Section Constitution, Bylaw and Policy Review Committee The voting membership of the Constitution, Bylaw and Policy Review Committee of the Student Senate shall consist of a chairman and exactly four others The committee shall be responsible for the review of all decisions, proposals or points of interest in regard to student governance Insofar as the maintenance of our student government is the committee’s primary concern, this committee shall be empowered to Draft legislation at the request of the President or Vice-President of the Student Body or a member or committee of the Student Senate or of the Student Senate itself Review in meeting any question posed regarding the constitutional nature or the possible effect of some action or decision whether past or potential, Review in hearing, upon motion of the President or Vice-President of the Student Body, or upon motion of the Student Senate, or upon motion of other persons as committee policy directs, any action or decision and its constitutional nature or whether it violates the Constitution, or the Bylaws or policies of the Student Senate or the policies of its committees, Pass an injunction against any action or decision, which, after a hearing and in the majority opinion of the committee, violates the Constitution or the Bylaws or policies of the Student Senate, and Present to the Student Senate, upon conclusion of a hearing, the majority opinion of the committee, and other opinions as the chairman directs Section Committee Decisions Unless a decision is reserved specifically to a committee under these bylaws, the Student Senate shall have the final authority over all committee decisions The Student Senate may overrule the decision of any committee by majority vote Article VII Elections Section Elections Commission Under Article VII, Section of the Constitution, the Student Senate shall establish an Elections Commission The President shall appoint a commissioner of elections and no fewer than two commission members The appointment must be approved by the Student Senate The commission shall set the fashion of the ballot, the requirements to have one’s name published on the ballot, determine whether a potential candidate has met said requirements, as well as conducting a candidate debate or other election events Commission decisions may be overruled by the Student Senate Section Polls Insofar as Article VII, Section is upheld, the commission shall set the time, day and location of the polls Section Ballots Prior to a voter receiving his ballot and after he has cast the ballot, no ballot is to come under the possession of any non-commission member The Elections Commission must certify that a voter is eligible before presenting him with a ballot The elections commission shall count the ballots in the presence of the executive authority of the Student Body Ballots are to be retained by the commission until the election results are certified before the Student Senate by the commission and the executive authority Section Objection to Results The result of the election certified before the Student Senate shall be final unless there is objection An objection shall be considered out of order unless it originates from a voting member of the Student Senate and is on the grounds of a spoiled election or the request of a recount An election shall be considered spoiled if the ballots are shown to have been tampered with or are inaccurately printed, or some other grave violation of election procedure has taken place A spoiled election must result in the immediate arrangement of a special election Section Special Election In the event of a spoiled election, a special election of all positions concerned shall be held under the same guidelines as a regular election In the event of two or more candidates receiving the same amount of votes, a run-off election will be held involving no candidates receiving fewer votes than those involved in the tie Section Recounting and Disposal of Ballots A recounting of ballots shall be done by the Elections Commission only at the direction of the Student Senate upon action resulting from a proper objection Only one recount is permissible After the election result has been finalized, the elections commission is to destroy the ballots Section Election Result Once the elections have been properly certified and finalized, the Elections Commission shall notify the Student Body of the result Article VIII Rights and Advocacy Section Rights of the Student Body It is the duty of Student Senate, its general officers, its members, and its committees to ensure that the rights guaranteed to the Student Body and its members are upheld Section Student Advocacy One purpose of student government is the advocacy of student opinions In its representative capacity, the executive authority shall be responsible for managing negotiations between student advocates and the several bodies or departments of the College The Student Senate may endorse, refuse to endorse or pass no opinion on such student movements The Student Senate may not act to prevent any student movement which conducts itself according to the Gentleman’s Rule, nor shall it act to prevent the executive authority from carrying out its representative capacity regarding any student movement which conducts itself according to the Gentleman’s Rule Article IX Amendments Section Origin All proposed amendments to the Bylaws of the Student Senate of Wabash College shall originate in the Student Senate or a committee of the Student Senate Section Adoption A two-thirds majority vote of the Student Senate at two consecutive regular meetings of the Student Senate shall be required to adopt an amendment to these Bylaws Article X Adoption Section Adoption Whereas the Constitution of the Student Body of Wabash College requires under Article V, Section that the Student Senate ordain and establish a set of Bylaws, and whereas no Bylaws have been adopted prior to the date on which these articles were presented to the Student Senate, this Student Senate shall adopt the several articles herein as law upon a simple majority vote Definitions ‘Student Body’ shall refer to the membership of the Student Body of Wabash College ‘College’ shall refer to Wabash College ‘Members’ shall refer to the members of the Student Senate, unless otherwise specified ‘Student Senate’ shall refer to the Student Senate of Wabash College ‘Senator’ shall refer to those members of the Student Senate elected from among living units ‘Representative’ shall refer to all other members of the Student Senate