PREAMBLE
We, the students of Southern Connecticut State University, establish this governing association of, for, and by the students, in order to promote the welfare of the students, to protect the rights of the students, to serve as the voice of the students, to propose rules and regulations beneficial and desirable to the students, to act as a liaison between the students and University, and to make recommendations to the University on behalf of the students all with the fundamental goal of the improvement and the promotion of the ideals of higher education.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Student Government Association (SGA) of Southern Connecticut State University.
ARTICLE II: FUNCTIONS AND PURPOSES
The Southern Connecticut State University Student Government Association is hereby established in order to:
A. Serve as the voice of all undergraduate students, hereafter referred to as the student body;
B. Promote the welfare of the undergraduate student body;
C. Function as the liaison to the faculty, staff, and administration of the University;
D. Recommend to the University changes in its administrative policies for the betterment of the student body and the University; and to
E. Enact and implement all legislation desirable and beneficial to the student body.
ARTICLE III- MEMBERSHIP AND ELIGIBILITY
A. Membership shall be composed of not more than twenty-five (25) full-time undergraduate students known as Student Representatives-at-Large.
B. Members shall have and maintain during their terms in office a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better.
C. General membership is open to all members of the undergraduate student body.
D. Delegate membership is voted upon by the body of the SGA and shall come from the general membership.
E. The voting membership shall consist of those student Representatives-at-Large as well as those students appointed and approved to fill vacancies in elected positions of the SGA.
ARTICLE IV- STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES-AT-LARGE
A. Elections and Vacancies
1. There shall be twenty-five (25) student Representatives-at-Large.
2. They shall be elected as stated in Article VII of this constitution.
3. If a vacancy occurs in a student Representative-at-Large position, the President of the SGA shall appoint, with the required approval by a concurring majority vote of the voting members of the SGA, a person to fill that vacancy.
4. The officers of the undergraduate classes are not eligible to serve as student
Representatives-at-Large.
B. Student Representatives-at-Large shall have the powers and duties to:
1. Represent the entire student body and the interests thereof to the utmost of their abilities;
2. Serve on one of the permanent boards of the SGA;
3. Serve on external University Committees;
4. Act as voting members of the SGA; and
5. Hold weekly office hours as determined by the SGA.
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
A. Eligibility
l. The officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
2. All officers must have earned at least thirty (30) credits, fifteen (15) of which must
have been earned at Southern Connecticut State University.
3. Candidates for officers shall come from within the voting membership of the SGA.
B. Elections and Vacancies
1. The President of the SGA shall be elected by a majority vote of all the voting members of the SGA.
2. Presidents of any type of student club or organization, including the undergraduate classes, are not eligible to be President of the SGA.
3. If a vacancy occurs for the position of the President, the voting members shall convene, at the discretion of the Vice-President, within one (1) week to elect a new President.
4. The other officers of the SGA shall be appointed by the President with the required approval by a majority vote of the voting members of the SGA.
5. If a vacancy occurs for an officer position of the SGA, except for the position of President, the President shall appoint a person to fill that vacancy within two (2) weeks.
C. Enumeration of Powers and Duties
1. The President shall:
a. Preside at all meetings of the SGA;
b. Act as the spokesperson of the SGA;
c. Act to implement all legislation passed by the SGA;
d. Have the power to make all appointments with a concurring majority vote of the SGA, including:
i. The appointment of the chairpersons of the Boards;
ii. The appointment of SGA Officers;
iii. The appointment of persons to fill positions on SCSU and CSU committees on which the SGA has representation;
iv. The appointment of persons to the Student Advisory Board to the CSU Board of Trustees;
v. The appointment of interim persons to conduct necessary business during breaks in the academic year, but not to positions already filled. These appointments shall last only until the first SGA meeting of the next regular semester, when they may be confirmed or removed; and
vi. The appointment of Delegate members, the President of the SGA shall appoint, with the required approval by a concurring majority vote of the voting members of the SGA, a person to fill that vacancy.
e. Have the power to veto legislation within a period of two (2) weeks from its passage, subject to a reversal by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the total, current voting membership of the SGA;
f. Have the power to convene special meetings of the SGA with twenty-four (24) hours notice;
g. Have the power to call all other meetings of the SGA with four (4) school days notice;
h. Have the power to appoint a non-voting office staff with approval by a
majority vote of the voting members of the SGA;
i. Serve as a voting member of the SGA only for the purpose of breaking a tie;
j. Serve as an ex-officio member of all boards and committees of the SGA; and
k. Serve as liaison between the SGA and the administration, faculty, and staff of
Southern Connecticut State University on matters of concern to the student
body.
l. have the power to establish commissions of the SGA
2. The Vice-President shall:
a. Assist the President of the SGA in implementing all legislation passed by the SGA;
b. Assist the President of the SGA in all SGA matters;
c. Serve as the coordinator of all boards and committees;
d. Hold (at least) a bi-weekly meeting with the chairpersons of the boards;
e. Submit to the members of the SGA at every second meeting a progress report detailing the implementation proceedings of all resolutions previously passed;
f. Serve as President of the SGA in the absence of, or at the request of, the President; and
g. Act as a voting member of the SGA.
3. The Secretary shall:
a. Maintain and update the records and files of the SGA;
b. Maintain all correspondence of the SGA and file the same;
c. Act at the discretion of the President; and
d. Act as a voting member of the SGA.
4. The Treasurer shall:
a. Be responsible for recording and processing all internal expenditures of the
SGA;
b. Act at the discretion of the President;
c. Serve as the Chair of the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee;
d. Present written and/or oral reports at each meeting of the SGA; and
e. Act as a voting member of the SGA.
f. Be responsible for creating and presenting the annual budget to the SGA, said budget must be approved by a majority of the voting members of the SGA
D. All officers of the SGA must hold weekly office hours, as determined by the SGA,
ARTICLE VI- General and Delegate Membership
A. The General Membership shall consist of all members of the student body not elected or appointed as heretofore provided but who are involved with any board or committee, or who attend any general body or other meeting of the SGA. Such members shall:
1. Be encouraged to serve on boards and committees of the SGA;
2. Be granted speaking privileges during all open forums; and
3. Not represent the SGA as official spokespersons.
B. The Delegate Membership shall consist of all members of the student body who are
appointed and approved by the body of the SGA. Such members shall:
1. Serve on boards and committees of the SGA; and
2. Hold office hours as determined by the SGA ;
ARTICLE VII- ELECTIONS, TERMS, AND THE OATH OF OFFICE
A. Elections will take place in the spring semester no later than May the first, but no earlier
than April the first. The election procedure will occur as follows:
1. Representatives will be elected by term:
a. During Even Year elections, ten (10) Representatives-at-Large will be elected;
b. During Odd Year elections, eleven (11) Representatives-at-Large will be
elected;
c. These Representatives shall serve two (2) year terms; and
f. They shall be elected by a plurality of the vote of the entire full-time
undergraduate student body.
2. For the initial Spring Election of the two aforementioned terms, the following
procedures will be followed:
a. The party will nominate the twenty-one (21) members who will be running;
b. The chairperson will identify those on the slate who will be running for a one (1) year term and who will be running for a two (2) year term.
c. All subsequent elections held will be solely for two (2) year terms.
3. The other four (4) student Representative-at-Large positions shall be held open until
the fall semester in order to allow interested freshmen and transfer students to
participate. The procedure for these elections will be as follows:
a. They shall be elected by a plurality of the vote of the entire full- time
undergraduate student body; and
b. These representatives will be elected to a one (1) year term expiring in the
spring of that year.
B. All members of the SGA shall assume their positions and duties to the SGA upon the
two following conditions:
1. If elected, the said elections deemed official; and
2. The administration of the Oath of Office.
C. All newly elected voting members of the Student Government Association shall be
installed in office by the outgoing membership no later than seven (7) school days after
the final certification of election results. When being installed, each of the elected
persons shall take the following Oath of Office:
I, (State name and position), hereby solemnly affirm to fulfill strictly and
conscientiously, the duties that have been bestowed upon me by the
undergraduate student body of Southern Connecticut State University in
accordance with the constitution of the Student Government Association.
With respect to student rights and the amelioration of higher education.
D. The officers and appointed members of the SGA shall take the Oath of Office immediately following their election or appointment.
E. Terms shall expire in two years without re-election or when new elections are certified and newly elected members are installed, whichever occurs first.
F. In the spirit of the Preamble and Oath of Office of this Constitution, the outgoing officers of the SGA shall assist the incoming officers in the transition process.
G. The new President of the SGA shall be elected in accordance with the guidelines of this Constitution immediately after the new membership is installed in the spring, given there is a quorum of the new members, and the election shall be chaired either by an impartial, outgoing member of the Student Government or the most recent Election Commissioner.
ARTICLE VIII- THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
A. The Membership of the Executive Board of the SGA shall consist of:
1. The Officers of the SGA.
B. Duties
1. The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the SGA between its regular business meetings and shall make policy recommendations to the membership of the SGA.
2. The Executive Board shall be subject to the rules of the SGA and shall not act in conflict with the policies, rules, regulations, and actions of the SGA.
C. Meetings
1. All meetings of the Executive Board of the SGA shall be generally open meetings.
2. The Executive Board shall meet weekly during the academic year.
ARTICLE IX – THE PERMANENT BOARDS
- The Chairpersons of the SGA’s Permanent Boards shall be appointed by the SGA
President, shall come from within the voting membership of the SGA, and shall be
subject to approval by a majority vote of the voting membership. Chairpersons shall not
serve as SGA officers.
- Chairpersons of the permanent boards shall attend all chairpersons meeting at the
discretion of the Vice President.
C. The Board of Constitutional Review (BCR)
1. Membership shall consist of a chairperson and at least three (3) members all appointed as heretofore provided.
2. The BCR shall have the duties and powers to:
a. Make recommendations to the SGA and the University through Office of Student Life to grant or deny recognition to a new or proposed organization, or to terminate or suspend the recognition of an existing organization;
b. Review legislation of the SGA prior to its enactment or implementation to ensure that it complies with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and is consistent with prior legislation passed by the SGA, the SGA’s Constitution, and the policies of the University;
c. Review the SGA Constitution and make written recommendations to the SGA for improvements and/or updates; and
d. Receive all new proposals and constitutions directly.
3. The BCR shall give written and/or oral reports to the SGA on its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each meeting of the SGA.
4. The chairperson of the BCR shall act as the Parliamentarian of the SGA and shall serve as an advisor and consultant to the President, other officers, boards, committees and members of the SGA on matters of parliamentary procedure.
D. The Board of Finance (BOF)
1. Membership shall consist of a chairperson, three (3) voting members, and four (4)
alternate members all appointed as heretofore provided.
2. The Board of Finance shall have the powers and duties to:
a. Review budget requests and allocations to clubs and organizations funded by the SGA through the Student Activity Fund; and
b. Recommend to the University through the Office of Student Life to grant or deny a budget request or allocation to a club or organization funded by the SGA through Student Activity Funds.
3. The Board of Finance shall give written and/or oral reports to the SGA on its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each meeting of the SGA.
E. The Board of Student Issues (BSI)
1. Membership shall consist of a chairperson and at least three (3) members all appointed
as heretofore provided.
2. The BSI shall have the powers and duties to:
a. Review the academic policies of the University and recommend to the SGA
changes and improvements in these policies;
b. Act on the implementation of all SGA legislation regarding academics;
c. Assist students in dealing with their professors and/or the University with
concern to matters of academia; and
d. Assist students in dealing with other students, professors, and/or the
University in areas of sensitive nature.
3. The Board of Student Issues shall give written and/or oral reports to the SGA on its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each meeting of the SGA.
ARTICLE X – SUPREMACY
A. The Constitution of the SGA shall supersede the constitutions of the undergraduate classes and all undergraduate clubs and organizations.
B. All voting members of the SGA are subject to full compliance with the rules and regulations of the SGA and the student body.
ARTICLE XI- MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES
A. Meetings
1. The SGA shall hold regularly scheduled meetings during the academic year.
2. Special meetings shall be held as heretofore provided.
3. Meetings of the SGA shall be open meetings as required by the Connecticut Open Meetings Law contained in the Connecticut General Statutes.
B. Procedures
1. All meetings shall be conducted under the rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order
Newly Revised Edition that are applicable and which are not inconsistent with the
Constitution and bylaws of the SGA.
2. A quorum of fifty percent plus one voting member (50% plus 1) of the current voting
membership shall be required to conduct any business except to adjourn.
3. Business may be conducted following the certification of the spring elections and
before the fall elections with a quorum of fifty percent plus one (50% plus 1) of those
elected in the spring.
4. No member shall under any circumstances have or control more than one (1) vote in
the general body of the SGA.
ARTICLE XII- IMPEACHMENTS
- A vote of no confidence shall suspend the President of his/her duties and temporarily
suspend all the appointees of the President, save the Vice-President. Thereafter:
1. A new President shall be elected by the body within one (1) week by a majority vote.
2. The Student Trustee shall oversee the election of a new President. Upon election of a new President, the Vice-President shall resign as Vice-President
B. A vote of no confidence shall remove any person from any position they may hold within the SGA. The vacancy shall be filled as heretofore provided.
C. A vote of no confidence shall be a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire voting membership of the SGA.
ARTICLE XIII- AMENDMENT PROCEDURE
A. Amendments may be proposed by any voting member of the SGA at a duly constituted meeting of the SGA.
B. To be considered, proposed amendments to the Constitution must be accepted by a majority of the voting members present at the meeting before they will be forwarded by the chairperson of the Board of Constitutional Review for consideration.
C. Said consideration shall be completed within one (1) week and any recommendations presented to the SGA at the next meeting. If, after consideration, the amendment(s) is (are) accepted and approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the SGA, the amendment(s) shall be forwarded to the Office of Student Life.
D. If approved by the Office of Student Life, the amendment(s) shall be submitted to the President of the University for approval. If this approval is achieved, the Board of Elections and Internal Management shall arrange for a referendum to be held considering the amendment(s) no later than four (4) weeks after the introduction of the amendment(s).
E. Said Amendment(s) shall be presented in all campus media.
F. Said Amendment(s) shall be instituted by a sixty percent (60%) favorable vote of those full-time undergraduate students voting in the referendum.
ARTICLE XIV – DEFINITIONS
A. A majority vote shall be a vote of fifty percent of the present voting membership plus one additional vote (50% plus 1).
B. A vote of no confidence shall always be a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire voting membership of the SGA.
ARTICLE XV – ENACTMENT OF THIS CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
A. Enactment
This Constitution was approved by the unanimous consent of the SGA general body assembled in March Two Thousand and eleven. This Constitution shall be established and take affect following the certified ratification by sixty percent (60%) of the full-time undergraduate student body voting in the referendum. In the Spring 2011 semester regular elections – coinciding with the referendum -, only twenty-one (21) of the Representative-at-Large positions shall be elected in order to allow for the four (4) of the positions saved for election in the following fall 2011 semester. The total number of Representatives-at-Large shall coincide with the Articles of this Constitution. After ratification and the spring elections, an election of new SGA officers shall take place at the first general body meeting – the date of which shall be set by the current SGA membership before the ratification procedure begins. The ratification of this Constitution shall replace all previous Student Government Constitutions without question.
B. Bylaws of the Student Government Association
1. Expenditure of SGA Funds:
a. The President of the SGA shall have the authority, with the consent of
the Executive Board, to expend up to one thousand ($1000) dollars of
SGA funds per semester without the express consent of the members of
the SGA. Any expenditures above the amount of one thousand ($1000) dollars must be approved by the members of the SGA prior to any
commitment of funds by the President of the SGA.
2. Other Boards
a. The Board of Public Relations (BPR)
i. Membership shall consist of a chairperson as heretofore provided and at least three
(3) members appointed as heretofore provided.
ii. The BPR shall have the powers and duties to:
- Advertise meetings of the SGA on campus;
- Inform the student body of the business and recent proceedings of the SGA;
- Encourage involvement in the SGA; and
- Provide a continuous flow of information between the student body and the
SGA.
iii. The Board of Public Relations shall give written and/or oral reports to the SGA on
its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each meeting of the SGA.
b. The Board of Elections and Internal Management (BEIM)
i. Membership shall consist of a chairperson and at least four (4) members all
appointed as heretofore provided.
ii. The BEIM shall have the powers and duties to:
- Conduct all regular and special elections for all positions of the SGA as well as the elections for the undergraduate classes;
- Establish an Election Commissioner from outside the SGA to oversee the logistics of any election and to ensure fairness, accuracy and integrity in carrying Out such elections;
- Monitor the internal management of the SGA by ensuring that all elected members are performing their stated duties and responsibilities and by ensuring that members are not abusing the powers entrusted to them by the student body;
- Recommend to the SGA the removal of any member for misfeasance, malfeasance, or non-feasance through a vote of no confidence; and
- Oversee the elections of student clubs or organizations if requested to ensure the fairness, integrity, and accuracy of such elections, and to act as an arbitrator in the settlement of disputes or controversies.
iii. The Board of Elections and Internal Management shall give written and/or oral
reports to the SGA on its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each
meeting of the SGA.
c. Board of Clubs and Organizational Management (BOCOM)
i. Membership shall consist of a chairperson and at least four (4) members all appointed as heretofore provided.
ii. The BOCOM shall have the powers and Duties to:
- Serve as a liaison between clubs and organizations and SGA;
- Promote collaboration between different clubs and organizations;
- Assist the Office of Student Life in the management of the Resource Room;
- Provide activities/ events as needed to foster communication between clubs and organizations;
- Provide opportunities for club and organization leaders to develop their leadership skills;
- A member of BOCOM shall serve on the Leadership Retreat Committee; and
- Serve as the primary contact and organizer of Clusters.
iii. The Board of Clubs and Organizational Management shall give written and/or oral
reports to the SGA on its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each
meeting of the SGA.
d. Board Of Membership Involvement
i. Membership shall consist of a chairperson and at least three (3) member all appointed as heretofore provided.
ii. The BMI shall:
- Assist the General Membership in becoming more involved in the SGA;
- Make recommendations to the President for General Members to fill the position of Delegate;
- Assign Delegates to an office hour that is in tandem with a Representatives-at-Large, who shall serve as that Delegates mentor;
- Oversee the running of SGA participation at select events.
- Delegate members cannot be members of the Board of Membership Involvement
iii. The Board of Membership Involvement shall give written and/or oral reports to the SGA on its findings, recommendations, and proceedings at each meeting of the SGA.
3. Grade Point Average:
All members of the Executive Board and all Board Chairs shall have and maintain during their terms in office a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better.
4. Standing Committees:
a. Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee (SAFAC)
- The Student Government Association shall have a collaborative standing committee dedicated to allocating the student activity fee
- Member shall consist of :
- Two (2) representatives from the SGA.
- Two (2) representatives from Programs Council
- Two (2) representatives from Residence Hall Association
- One chairperson aforementioned in this constitution under the treasurer
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Southern Connecticut State University
Last Modified: April 25, 2011
© 2011
