SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

DURANT, OK

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE

We, the students of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, in order to engender a close relationship among the SOSU SGA, faculty, staff, and administration; to secure just and rightful government; to preserve revered traditions; to encourage wholesome school spirit comprised of loyalty, cooperation, and unity among students do hereby ordain and establish, under God, this Constitution.

ARTICLE I

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

SECTION 1-1.

The name of this organization shall be the “Student Government Association of Southeastern Oklahoma State University,” hereafter referred to as SGA of SOSU.

SECTION 1-2.

The SGA shall consist of the Executive Officers, Student Senate, Supreme Court, and all students as identified in Section 1-3 of this constitution of Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

SECTION 1-3.

All enrolled students who pay Southeastern Student Activity Fees shall be members of the SGA.

ARTICLE II

STUDENT GOVERNMENT OFFICERS

SECTION 2-1.

The officers of the SGA shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and other such officers as the Student Senate shall decide.

SECTION 2-2.

To be eligible for President and Vice-President, the student must have completed forty-five (45) semester hours at the time of filing. To be eligible for Secretary, a student must have completed thirty-two (32) hours at the time of filing.

SECTION 2-3.

To be eligible for the office of President, Vice-President, or Secretary, a student must be enrolled as a full-time student at and pay the Southeastern SGA fees during candidacy and the time in which the office will be held.

SECTION 2-4.

To be eligible to run for and retain the office of President, Vice-President, or Secretary, a student must be an officer or senator in good standing with the SGA for one consecutive term.

SECTION 2-5.

To be eligible to run for and retain the office of President, Vice-President, or Secretary, a student must maintain a retention/graduation grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale at SOSU.

SECTION 2-6.

The SGA President reserves the right to appoint a Sergeant-at-Arms and Parliamentarian from the Student Senate membership, subject to the approval of the Student Senate.

SECTION 2-7.

The term of office shall begin at the time of induction and shall end at the completion of the spring semester, or through impeachment or dismissal. The time of induction for new officers and senators shall be at the conclusion of the final meeting of the spring semester.

SECTION 2-8.

A.    The President of the SGA shall preside over all meetings of the Student Senate. The President, Executive Committee, or a majority of the Student Senate, shall have the power to call special sessions of the Student Senate. The President may make any appointments he/she deems necessary; or as provided for by law, with the advice and consent of the Student Senate. The President shall be the official representative of the students at all on-campus and statewide meetings for students or select a representative. The President shall also serve as the presiding officer of the Presidents’ Club in the event that the Vice-President is not able to preside. The President shall also be the official representative of the SOSU SGA.

B.      The Vice-President shall serve as the President of the SGA in the absence of the President for any reason. The Vice-President shall be an ex-officio member of all Student Senate committees, and shall be in charge of compiling all campus concerns and compliments for distribution as necessary and shall serve as the presiding officer of Presidents’ Club. In case of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall become the President for the remainder of the unexpired term. In case of a vacancy in the office of Vice-President, the Student Senate shall elect from its membership another Vice-President for the remainder of the unexpired term.

C.    The Secretary shall keep the minutes, correspondence, documents, and an attendance record of all Student Senate members and officers for all functions of the Student Senate. In case of a vacancy of the Secretary, the Student Senate shall elect from its membership another Secretary for the remainder of the unexpired term. It is the Secretary’s responsibility to keep and maintain archives of all SGA documents.

D.     The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Financial Director will meet once a week or as necessary to set a weekly agenda.

ARTICLE III

DUTIES OF APPOINTED DIRECTORS

SECTION 3-1.  THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

SECTION 3-1:1.

The President of the SOSU SGA shall appoint a non-executive member to aid the SOSU SGA in financial record keeping and reporting. This will enable the SOSU Student Senate to make real-time decisions regarding the financial situation of the SOSU Student Senate.  The Finance Director appointment must be confirmed by the SOSU Student Senate by a majority of voting members present at the first regular meeting of the fall semester.

SECTION 3-1:2.

The position shall be named Financial Director.

SECTION 3-1:3.

The mission of the Financial Director shall be to:

A.    Provide financial information to the SGA that will enable informed financial decisions to be reached.

B.      Assist with the budgeting process.

C.    Analyze expenditure patterns, to meet future expectations.

SECTION 3-1:4.

The Financial Director shall, if necessary, select a special committee to assist with the functions of finances.

SECTION 3-1:5.

A.    The Finance Director shall arrange the budget so that all categories are named “funds.”

B.      Expenditure activity may only take place from one fund.

C.    Every fund shall be its own entity.

D.     An up-to-date record shall be kept for all transactions.

E.      A report shall be submitted by the Finance Director to the Executive Committee on a weekly basis.

SECTION 3-2  THE ELECTIONS DIRECTOR

SECTION 3-2:1.

The President of the SOSU SGA shall appoint a non-executive member to aid the SOSU SGA in elections proceedings, record keeping, and reporting. This will enable the SOSU Student Senate to effectively run elections of the SOSU Student Senate.  The Elections Director appointment must be confirmed by the SOSU Student Senate by a majority of voting members present at the first regular meeting of the fall semester.

SECTION 3-2:2.

The position shall be named Elections Director.

SECTION 3-2:3.

The Elections Director shall, if necessary, select a special committee to assist with the functions of finances.

SECTION 3-2:4.

The mission of the Elections Director shall be to:

A.    Run elections of the SOSU Student Senate.

B.      Provide balanced and impartial elections for all candidates and constituents.

C.    Author all legislation concerning elections and their results.

ARTICLE IV

SENATE MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 4-1.

The membership of the Student Senate shall consist of no more than twenty-five (25) Senators and shall be elected by the SOSU SGA to fill the seats available.

SECTION 4-2.

Each duly enrolled full-time undergraduate and graduate student who pays SOSU SGA fees during candidacy and the time in which the office will be held, will be eligible for candidacy.

Students must have a retention/graduation grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, or high school grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, for entering freshmen only, to be eligible to become, and remain a member of the Student Senate.

SECTION 4-3.

The candidates will not be elected unless they receive forty percent (40%) of the votes cast in the election in which they are running.

SECTION 4-4.

Membership will be available to students without regard to ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES OF A SENATOR

SECTION 5-1.

The Student Senate shall be the governing body of the SOSU SGA and shall have the power to:

A.    Adopt resolutions, bills, by-laws, and other rules and regulations concerning all matters within its authority, (henceforth referred to as “acts”.)

B.      Expend Student Senate funds (appropriated every year from student generated fees).

C.    Organize and oversee all SGA activities (Homecoming, Winter Event, Springfest)

D.     Approve all SOSU student organizations

SECTION 5-2.

Any Student Senator may bring before the Senate any appropriate matter within the authority of the Senate.

SECTION 5-3.

All resolutions passed by the Student Senate, and outside the purview of the SGA to implement, shall be submitted to the University President for approval.

SECTION 5-4.

The Student Senate shall make provisions for revising, digesting and promulgating the actions of the SGA of SOSU.

ARTICLE VI

PROCEEDINGS

SECTION 6-1.

No act will take effect until eight (8) days after final passage of such act.

An act may become effective at any time before the standard effective date provided that an emergency be declared in a separate section of such an act, and an emergency must pass the Student Senate by a two-thirds vote.

All acts passed by the Student Senate will be effective until such a decision is repealed, outdated or struck down as unconstitutional.

SECTION 6-2.

A majority of the voting members of the SGA will constitute a quorum.

SECTION 6-3.

All SGA meetings shall abide by the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act.

SECTION 6-4.

An academic semester shall constitute a session of the Student Senate. An academic year (two (2) sessions of the Student Senate), beginning with the fall semester and continuing through end of the spring semester, shall constitute a Legislature.

SECTION 6-5.

The Student Senate shall hold regular meetings as determined in the by-laws.

SECTION 6-6.

Regular elections are to be held in fall and spring as set forth by the by-laws.

SECTION 6-7.

In case of vacancies in the Senate, a special election may be called to fill the positions for the remainder of the unexpired terms.

ARTICLE VII

STUDENT SUPREME COURT

SECTION 7-1.

The Student Supreme Court shall consist of three (3) justices who shall not be members of the Student Senate or the Executive Committee with exceptions being temporary appointments to the court in accordance with the By-Laws and Rules of the SOSU SGA. Students shall be appointed to the Student Supreme Court by the SOSU SGA President. The President of the SOSU SGA shall also appoint a Chief Justice from the membership of the Student Supreme Court. All appointments shall be made with the advice and consent of the voting members of the SGA.

SECTION 7-2.

To be eligible for the position of Supreme Court Justice, the student must be a full time student at SOSU and maintain a retention/graduation grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale during their appointed term of office.

SECTION 7-3.

The Student Supreme Court shall have the power and duties to:

1.      Interpret the Constitution, by-laws, rules, regulations and other Acts of the Student Senate, and create binding decisions, rulings and orders in line with their interpretations and findings.

2.      Interpret the governing documents of all student organizations on file with the SGA, and create binding decisions, rulings, and orders in line with their interpretations and findings.

3.      Hold meetings as often as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee, Chief Justice, the Student Senate, or the SGA advisor. The meetings shall be in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act.

SECTION 7-4.

Any conflicts regarding the SGA Constitution, acts, rules or by-laws shall be heard and reviewed by the Supreme Court as promptly as practicable.

SECTION 7-5.

The term of office for the justices shall be from the time of appointment until the end of the current Legislature.

ARTICLE IIX

IMPEACHMENT

SECTION 8-1.

All Senators, Officers, and Justices elected and/or appointed under the auspices of this Constitution shall be liable and subject to impeachment for excessive absences, misuse of funds, misusing his/her SGA title for personal or political reasons, failure to uphold the Constitution, neglect of duties, or any other actions unbecoming a Senator, Officer, or Justice as deemed by the SOSU SGA.

SECTION 8-2.

A petition, initiated by any member of the SOSU SGA, signed by 100 members of the SOSU SGA shall initiate impeachment procedures. A majority vote of the voting SGA members at any regular meeting or by a majority vote of the Executive Committee shall also initiate impeachment procedures.

SECTION 8-3.

1.      After a hearing, which is open to the public and presided over by an impartial chairperson (appointed by a majority vote of the voting SGA members), a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the voting SGA members in favor of impeachment shall be required for impeachment to take place.

2.      Impeachment votes shall be cast by secret ballot only.

ARTICLE IX

COMMITTEES

SECTION 9-1.

In addition to the Executive Committee, the following shall be standing committees: the Publicity and Civic Engagement Committee and the Campus Safety and Beautification Committee.

SECTION 9-2.

The President, with the advice and consent of the Student Senate, shall establish any ad hoc committees deemed necessary and may determine their membership.

SECTION 9-3.

The President, with the advice and consent of the Student Senate, may appoint the chair or co-chairs for each standing and ad hoc committee.

SECTION 9-4.

Each voting member of the Student Senate shall be required to serve on at least one standing committee.

ARTICLE X

INITIATIVE, PETITION, AND RECALL

SECTION 10-1.

The SOSU SGA shall have the right, upon submission of a petition containing the signatures of 100 members of the SOSU SGA, to initiate any legislation that is deemed necessary. Such petition will be turned in to the Secretary of the SGA.

Upon certification of the signatures on such a petition, the Student Senate will:

1.      Consider such legislation itself; or

2.      Refer such legislation to the SOSU SGA for their approval or rejection.

SECTION 10-2.

The SOSU SGA shall have the right, upon submission of a petition containing the signatures of 200 members of the SOSU SGA to have referred to the SOSU SGA any legislation that has not been passed by the Student Senate as soon as practicable. Such a petition will be turned in to the Secretary of the SGA. Upon certification of the signature of such a petition, the Student Senate shall refer such legislation to the SOSU SGA for their approval or rejection. This right to petition will not apply to emergency legislation.

SECTION 10-4.

Any measure referred to the SOSU SGA by a petition shall take effect and be enforced after passing by a majority of the votes cast in said election.

SECTION 10-5.

The Student Senate shall establish such by-laws and rules as are necessary for carrying into effect the provisions of this article.

SECTION 10-6.

Upon presentation of a petition that has been signed by twenty-five (25) percent of the number of votes cast in the last SGA regular election to the Student Senate advisor, an election will be held to recall an Officer or Senator holding office under the auspices of this Constitution. Such an election must be held no later than two (2) academic weeks after said petition is presented.

SECTION 10-7.

If three-fourths (3/4) of all ballots cast in said election favor the recall of the Officer, his/her office will be declared vacant.

ARTICLE XI

AMENDMENTS

SECTION 11-1.

An amendment to this Constitution may be initiated by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting SGA members or by a petition signed by a number of students equal to twenty-five (25) percent of the number of votes cast in the previous SGA regular election. All proposed amendments shall be voted on separately by the SOSU SGA at a regular election. Amendments shall be adopted when two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast are in favor of the adoption.

Last Updated: 4 February 2010 by Trent Castleberry

Ratified – Spring Election 2010