Ratified by the Student Association: April, 1992
Preamble
We, the students of Virginia Wesleyan College, in recognizing the importance of the student body's role in the governance of this institution do hereby establish a Student Government Association. The Student Government Association shall be the official voice of the students in college affairs. Elected in a democratic fashion, the officers shall represent the interests, goals and aspirations of the student in Community Council, college committees and through direct legislative and administrative action. We do on this 28th day of May in the year of Our Lord 1992, adopt this Constitution for the student body at Virginia Wesleyan College.
Article I:
Student Association
Section A
The formal title of the student organization under this constitution shall be the Student Government Association of Virginia Wesleyan College.
Section B
Every currently registered full-time student shall be considered a member of the Student Association and shall have one vote in all matters decided by popular vote.
Article II:
The Student Government Association
Section A
The Student Government Association (S.G.A) shall exist to coordinate, legislate and appropriate necessary funds towards the Student Association's matter of interest. The considerations of the government extend over a broad area of subjects involved with student interests. This initiative in many such matters lies with the government and its role is to be open-minded and adaptable.
Section B
The Student Government Association shall consist of
popularly elected president and vice president, sixteen (16) popularly elected senators, a student advocate, a secretary, a treasurer, a publicity/information officer, and a Web page editor.
1. There shall be four (4) senators from the sophomore, junior, and senior classes elected in the spring.
2. There shall be four (4) senators from the freshman class elected in the fall.
3. There shall be one (1) student advocate, one (1) secretary, one (1) treasurer, one (1) publicity/information officer, and one (1) web page editor to be appointed annually by the president elect with the consent of the senate elect. Other appointed positions may be created as needed.
4. In order to conduct a vote in the senate, eight (8) senators must be present.
Section C
To be eligible to run for or hold an S.G.A. office, the individual must be in good academic standing. Good academic standing is defined as a cumulative grade point average of a 2.0. The individual must not be on disciplinary probation or any more severe a sanction when running for or holding an S.G.A. office. Any individual who has ever
received official sanctions at Virginia Wesleyan College for offenses involving illegal drugs (excluding alcohol) is ineligible to run for or hold S.G.A office.
Section D
Upon resignation, dismissal or any other means by which a vacancy of an elected official's position occurs, the president of the Student Government Association will nominate, with one week, the name of the student to complete the un-expired term. (This individual may be the student who had
received the highest vote count in the previous election and not been elected.) If the presidential office is vacated, the vice-president automatically attains the office of the president and must, within one week, nominate a vice-presidential candidate. In order to assume any of the above offices by nomination, the nominee must be ratified by 2/3rds of the student senate at the next senate meeting. In case of a rejection by the senate or a refusal by the proposed nominee to accept the nomination, a special election must be conducted by the president within 10 calendar days from the date of the senator ejection or nominee refusal.
Article III:
Student Elections
Section A
1. The president and the vice-president shall run as a ticket.
2. Each presidential/vice-presidential ticket must obtain 80 signatures on a petition.
3. Students who wish to run for the student senate must obtain 20 names on a petition which shall be made available the day after the presidential/vice-presidential final election.
4. The president and the vice-president must not be the head of a campus organization during the time they hold office.
Section B
Those S.G.A. members not having a conflict of interest shall constitute an electoral commission which will organize, announce, supervise and set rules for the election of S.G.A. officers by accepting petitions, printing ballots, certifying ballots as they are cast, preventing harassment or obstruction of voters, insuring that all ballots are valid after the polling is completed, supervising the counting of returns, announcing election results to the campus community and at their discretion, appointing poll watchers. If the electoral
commission finds a candidate breaks the campaigning rules, it will be their job to disqualify the candidate.
Section C
The candidate rules of conduct shall include the following
1. Each candidate shall remain a certain distance away from the voting table, which will be determined by the electoral commission and announced to the campus
community.
2. Each candidate shall be required to vote at 9:00 a.m. to avoid any problems during the day with entering into the electoral area.
3. There shall be no campaigning in the electoral area designated by the yellow line by any student, candidate or voter.
4. There shall be no attempt to communicate in any way directly or indirectly with a person who is in the act of voting or waiting to vote in the designated electoral area.
5. No candidate is to physically harass or disturb any student in such a manner as to interrupt their voting.
6. There shall be no loitering by any students. Any students loitering shall be asked to move on.
7. Any publicity within the yellow lines will be taken down at 9:00 a.m. election day by the electoral
commission.
Section D
1. Petitions for president and vice-president of S.G.A. shall be due by 5:00 p.m. the day before the primary election. A primary shall be scheduled for the third Tuesday in February.
2. Write-in candidates are admissible for the primary. If the write-in candidate qualifies for the final election, the candidate must comply with Section A of Article III within 48 hours or their nomination shall be voided and the next highest vote getter will be made eligible.
3. The two highest vote getters shall be made eligible for the final election.
Section E
1. The final election shall be held the First Tuesday in March. The ticket
receiving the majority of the votes shall be the victor.
2. Write-in candidate are prohibited from the final election.
Section F
If the president-elect and the vice-president elect are unable or unwilling to fulfill their duties of office, the ticket
receiving the plurality of the remaining votes in the final election shall assume the office.
Section G
The election for the four (4) sophomore, four (4) senior senators shall be held one week prior to the due date for submission of the S.G.A. budget.
Section H
The official vote totals in all elections for Student government officers shall be made available to the Student Association upon request.
Section I
The current president of the S.G.A. shall not cast a ballot in Presidential/Vice-Presidential or Senatorial elections. However, if the tabulated vote totals indicate a tie, the president shall "break the tie".
Section J
Late petitions shall not be accepted. If it is discovered that less the necessary number of candidate are running, the normal election shall proceed with those who have submitted petitions. If there are vacant seats, a special election shall be held to fill those seats.
Article IV:
Special Elections
The Student Government Association may hold a special election at any time the need arises. The president and vice-president, with the consent of the student senate, shall establish all guidelines and procedures for each special
election.
Article V:
The Duties of the President and Vice-President of the Student Government Association
Section A
The duties of the president shall be as follows:
1. In the capacity as chief executive officer of the S.G.A., the president shall represent the student body at all school functions and execute the directives of the student senate.
2. The president shall serve as ex-officio member of the Student Government Association senate. In this capacity, the Student Government Association president must attend all meeting and events of the Student Government Association senate. The president shall have the ability to veto any decision made by the senate and, thus, must be informed of any and all voter and decisions which occur in the senate. The veto may only be overruled by a two-thirds majority vote of the
senate.
3. The president shall by virtue of the office sit as the student member on the Community Arbitration Board (CAB).
4. The president shall serve as the official liaison
between the administration of the college and the student senate.
5. The president shall fulfill any other duties set forth in the Student Government Association Constitution.
Section B
The duties of the vice-president shall be as follows:
1. The vice-president shall serve as chairperson and a non-voting member of the student senate.
2. The vice-president shall be responsible for scheduling, announcing, conducting, and controlling (by means of parliamentary procedure set down in Robert's Rule of Order) all meetings of the student senate.
3. The vice-president is responsible for all senate activities and
committees, assuring that they are properly organized and that all senate decisions are upheld.
4. In the case of a tie vote in the senate, the vice-president will "break the tie".
5. The vice-president shall by virtue of the office sit as chairperson of the Community Relations Council (CRC).
6. The vice-president shall collect reports and minutes from all the committees on which a student member sits. All reports and minutes must be properly stored in the S.G.A. office and updated. The vice-president must also during a regular meeting of the student senate, present a summation of the reports.
7. The vice-president shall be responsible for relaying all messages and
announcements between and student senate and the president.
8. The vice-president shall make sure that all the senators remain in good academic and disciplinary standing as per Article II, Section C or bring the matter to the attention of the president, who shall follow procedures for nomination of a new candidate for the office.
9. The vice-president shall fulfill any other duties set forth by the Student Government
Association Constitution.
Article VI:
Duties of the Student Senate
Section A
1. The
duties and expectations of these officers should be recorded,
witnessed and signed by the entire Student Government
Association, including the signature of the officer.
2. If
either the president or vice-president does not approve the
candidate, the candidate is automatically removed from
consideration; however, the un-approving party must openly state
the reasons for disapproval (whatever they may be) at the next
official S.G.A. meeting.
3. Any
member of the S.G.A. may challenge the performance of its
officers.
This can be done by submitting an official letter to the
President of Student Government. The Official Recall Procedures
set forth in Article VIII, Section B would then be activated.
Section B
The senate shall determine and expression of student opinion on all matters of policy both in the Student Government Association and college affairs.
Section C
The Student Government Association Senate shall provide for at monthly intervals and at the appropriate times open meeting of the Student Government Association.
1. The secretary shall issue a report of these meetings for distribution to the Student Government Association.
2. Minority reports may be presented at these meetings and shall be circulated by the Student Government Association.
Section D
All members of S.G.A. are voting members of the Student Welfare Commission (S.W.C.).
Section E
Senators will work at least one hour per week in the Student Government Association office to make the S.G.A. open and visible to the students.
Section F
Two unexcused absences from Student Government Association functions will result in a loss of voting privileges for one month. Three unexcused absences from Student Government Association functions will result in the initiation of the administrative recall procedures by the student advocate.
Section G
Any Student Government Association meeting shall be considered a Student Government Association function.
Article VII:
The Duties of the Student Advocate, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Publicity/Information Officer, and the Web-Page Editor
Section A
The duties of the Student Advocate shall be as follows:
1. The student advocate shall serve as the student member on the Agenda Committee of the
Community Council.
2. The student advocate shall meet periodically with the community advocate to discuss needs and concerns of the college community.
3. The student advocate shall conduct the recall of students from elective office in the Student Government Association or appointed members of college committees or arbitration boards as defined in Article VIII.
4. The student advocate shall serve as official liaison between students and the student senate and shall hold weekly office hours in that capacity.
5. The student advocate is an ex-officio member of the student senate
and shall attend their weekly meetings.
Section B
The duties of the secretary shall be as follows:
1. The secretary shall attend weekly by meetings of the student senate.
2. The secretary shall take accurate minutes of the senate meetings.
3. The secretary shall publish weekly minutes with 24 hours of the next S.G.A. meeting. Additional copies shall be made available for the college community.
Section C
The duties of the treasurer shall be as follows:
1. This individual shall be responsible for the maintenance of the budget in cooperation with the president.
2. This individual shall make an oral bi-monthly report at the S.G.A. meetings.
Section D
The duties of the publicity/information officer shall be as follows:
1. This individual shall be responsible for the making and hanging of promotional materials for all S.G.A. events in a timely manner.
2. This individual shall attend weekly meetings of the student senate.
Section E
The duties of the Web page editor shall be as follows:
1. This individual shall be responsible for maintaining the S.G.A. webpage.
2. This individual shall attend weekly meetings and report the concerns students have to the senate.
Section F
If at any time, any of these members fails to fulfill his or her
responsibilities, the Administrative Recall Procedure shall be initiated (Section VIII).
Article VIII:
Recall Procedures
Section A
Any student serving on the Student Government Association, a standing committee or arbitrational board is subject to recall at any time.
Section B
Official Recall Procedures - The S.G.A. shall have the power to organize the recall of any student from his
committee position or elected office.
1. The initiation of this procedure is the prerogative of any full-time student in the college and must be endorsed by ten percent (10%) of the Student Association by written
petition. However, thee accused must be made aware of these proceedings in a written letter.
2. The S.G.A. shall be required to provide, in the presence of the party involved, an open hearing on the reasons for which this action has been initiated.
3. The party involved in this action shall be provided an opportunity to defend his/her position.
4. The S.G.A. shall then determine by open discussion whether there is justification for such an action.
a. The S.G.A. must decide by two-thirds secret ballot majority vote of its total membership whether recall action is proper. If it is so decided, it shall conduct a referendum among the Student Association to
remove the student from office. If this majority is not obtained, the matter shall be considered closed.
b.
Should it decide that the charges are not substantial, the procedure closed.
5.
Should a member of the S.G.A. be so charged, he shall abstain from voting or vetoing.
Section C
Administrative Recall Procedure
- Administrative recall with only apply to intra-student government disciplinary problems; as per Article VI, Section G. Any member of the S.G.A. may initiate this procedure. A special closed meeting will take place. The S.G.A. must decide by two-thirds secret ballot majority vote of its total membership to recall the member in question. The accused shall have no vote or veto during this procedure.
Article IX :
Referendum Procedures
Section A
Any ballot for a referendum must be certified by the Student Government Association president and secretary.
Section B
Announcement of referendum must be made at specified times prior to its being held.
1. For constitutional amendments, two weeks.
2. For recall referendums, one week.
3. For any issue which requires immediate action, at least one day, during which time every effort must be made to notify all students of this action. A three-fourths majority vote of the senate is needed to allow for this short notice or announcement.
Article X :
Interpretation of the Constitution
Section A
There will be a Constitutional Court with final authority on matters of interpretation of the Senate Government Association Constitution.
Section B
This Constitutional Court shall consist of the president of the Student Government Association and four student members appointed by the Senate. The president shall preside at these meetings.
Section C
Meetings of the Constitutional Court may be called by any member.
Section D
In its authority as the judiciary, it will be the job of the Constitutional Court to clarify matters of ambiguity, make decisions regarding constitutionality and propose legislation through court reports to the senate in handling issues.
Section E
All voting meetings of the Constitutional Court are closed to the student body. Minutes from these meetings shall, however, be made available to the student senate or student body upon request.
Article XI :
Amendment Procedures
Section A
Any amendment may be proposed to the S.G.A., if endorsed by ten percent (10%) of the total Student Association by written petition.
1. Official notification of these proceedings shall be posted by the switchboard at least one week in advance.
2. Those proposing the amendment shall be required to explain and defend their proposal in an open forum.
3. The senate must decide by two-thirds majority vote of the total membership to commit the proposal to referendum.
Section B
If the proposal is endorsed by two-thirds vote of the senate, it shall be submitted to a referendum of the Student Association where it must obtain a two-thirds majority of the ballots cast to pass.
Section C
If the proposal is not endorsed by two-thirds vote of the total membership of the S.G.A. it may be brought to referendum by endorsement of twenty-five percent of the Student Association by written petition.
Article XII:
Ratification of the Constitution
The Student Government Association Constitution must be ratified by two-thirds of the students voting in the ratification referendum.
Article XIII:
Community Council
The student members of the Community Council shall be comprised in the following manner:
Section A
The president of the Student Government Association is an automatic voting member of the Community Council.
Section B
One student member from each of the Community Council's standing commissions shall be selected by the Student Government Association through a secret ballot senate vote to serve as a voting member of the Community Council. These members shall not be S.G.A. senators.
Section C
Four senators, one senator from each year, shall be selected by senate vote to serve as an at-large voting member of the Community Council.
Section D
The student advocate shall serve as the Student member of the agenda Committee and shall also serve as a voting member of the Community Council.
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