Student Association Constitution

Transcription

1 State University of New York Institute of Technology Student Association Constitution We, the students of the State University of New York Institute of Technology, aspire to share individually and collectively a responsibility for the conduct of our college life and thus promote a high standard of cooperation with the elements of our campus community; we do hereby organize ourselves into an association and establish this constitution declaring its powers and responsibilities as delegated by the president of this college. Article I Name and Purpose The name of this association shall be the State University of New York Institute of Technology Student Association, herein called the Student Association. The State University of New York Institute of Technology shall be herein called SUNYIT. The purpose of the Student Association shall be to advocate for the concerns of the students of SUNYIT and to provide them with a higher quality of campus life. The Student Association shall be responsible, in compliance with State University of New York s Board of Trustees Policies, for the disbursement of the Student Activity Fee from the students of SUNYIT. Article II Membership The membership of the Student Association shall include all students of SUNYIT who have paid a Student Activity Fee during the current or most recent academic semester. All officers of the Student Association shall be required to take the following Oath of Office prior to assuming the duties of their respective office: "I [name of officer] will faithfully uphold the Student Association Constitution and carry out the duties of [organization and position] to the best of my ability, and will represent the students of SUNYIT in a fair and unbiased manner."

2 This oath of office shall remain applicable for the entire duration of all official officers individual terms. When an officer takes the Oath of Office, their term of office begins and their predecessor s ends. Article III Officers There shall exist a Student Association Executive Board with its members elected democratically by the members of the Student Association. The membership of the executive board shall consist of a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. They shall be the Student Association Chief Executive Officer, Student Association Chief of Staff, Student Association Chief Fiscal Officer, and Student Association Chief Clerical Officer respectively. Elections for executive board members shall be held between the ninth week and fourteenth week of each Spring academic semester. Subsection C. Executive board members must take the Oath of Office during the second to last Student Association Meeting of the Spring academic semester. There shall exist Student Association Assistants for the Student Association President and Treasurer if the respective executive member deems it necessary for the current academic year. They shall be the Student Association Executive Assistant and Student Association Vice- Treasurer. Student Association Assistants are not members of the Student Association Executive Board. There shall exist a Student Association Cabinet with its members nominated by the president and requiring a majority vote of approval from the executive board excluding the president.

3 The membership of the cabinet shall consist of all Student Association Coordinators. Section 4. There shall exist a Student Association Senate with the purpose to decide upon the policy and actions of the Student Association. The membership of the Senate shall consist of no more than fifteen seats, with three senators representing each class of undergraduate students, and three senators representing graduate students. Elections for senators shall be held between the first week and fifth week of each Fall academic semester. Subsection C. Senators must take their oath of office during the first Student Association Meeting following the elections. Section 5. There shall exist Student Association Organizations for the purposes of aiding in fulfilling the Student Association s purpose. Student Association Organizations shall have a board consisting of Student Association Member(s). Division i. The size of the board shall be contingent on what the Student Association Executive Board deems necessary in order to carry out the purpose of the organization. The leader of the organizations shall be nominated by the Student Association President and elected by the Student Association Senate. Division i. Organization leaders will take their oath of office at the last Student

4 Association Meeting of the Spring semester. Division ii. All other organization members shall be chosen by the organization leader. They will take their oath during the Fall semester. Subsection C. No two organizations may have purposes that are deemed conflicting by the Student Association Senate. Subsection D. An organization may choose to accept a Student Association Semi-Organization under them for a specialized purpose. Section 6. There shall exist a Student Association Constitutional Court for the purpose of resolving possible infringements of Student Association Policy, with its members selected randomly out of a pool of Student Association Members per case who volunteers to serve by the president and requiring a majority vote of approval by the Senate. The membership of the Constitutional Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The term of office for a member of the constitutional court, after selection and approval from Senate, shall not expire until that case has been fully presented, discussed, and a deliberation has been reached, or that justice is no longer a member of the Student Association. Article IV Stipulations of Office Only members of the Student Association may serve as official officers. Official officers are Student Association Members who have taken the Oath of Office. Student Association members may not take the Oath of Office for more than one office, except when taking the Oath of Office for the Student Association Constitutional Court. Section 4.

5 Any official officer who does not adhere to this oath is in direct conflict with the Student Association s purpose as stated in Article I Section 2 and shall be considered for impeachment. Article V Meetings Student Association Meetings will take place every Thursday in which Fall or Spring semester lecture classes are in session. These meetings shall take place in the Student Center Multi-Purpose Room and shall begin at 12:30 PM. If this meeting space is not available, arrangements shall be made by the Student Association Vice President to hold the meeting elsewhere. Any Student Association Member may attend these meetings. Emergency meetings shall occur when the Student Association Executive Board, by majority vote, sees fit. Section 3. In order for a meeting to start, and to remain in session, there must be quorum. Quorum shall be fifty percent plus one Student Association Senator. Article VI Ratification This constitution shall only become effective following a vote of at least ten percent of Student Association Members with the majority of votes in approval. This constitution shall nullify and make any previous Student Association Constitution void. All recognized bylaws and policies in place at the time of the ratification of this constitution shall remain in effect, except where they would fail to be in compliance with this constitution. Changes to this constitution may be proposed to the Student Association Senate by Student Association member(s).

6 Changes need at least a two-thirds vote of approval from the Senate. Once achieved the new constitution must be voted on by all Student Association Members.