STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I TERM OF OFFICE

SECTION 1-1.

The President of the SGA, at the first regularly scheduled Senate meeting following the election, shall induct senators elected in the fall. The term of office shall begin at the time of induction and shall conclude at the time of induction of the newly elected senators for the next academic year.

SECTION 1-2.

If the newly elected student officials are not sworn in by the third meeting after being elected, impeachment proceedings will begin.

SECTION 1-3.

The President of the SGA, at the last regularly scheduled meeting of the spring semester, shall induct senators elected in the Spring. The term of office shall begin at the time of induction and shall conclude at the time of induction of the newly elected senators for the next academic year.

SECTION 1-4.

Officers of the SGA shall be inducted by the President of SOSU or the Vice-President for Student Affairs of SOSU or the President of the SGA during the last regularly scheduled meeting of the spring semester. The term of office shall begin at the time of induction and shall conclude at the time of induction of the newly elected officers for the next academic year.

SECTION 1-5.

The Executive Officers of the SGA shall receive compensation for the performance of their duties by the SGA. Certain chairs and/or co-chairs will receive compensation for the performance of their duties in a manner to be decided by the voting SGA members. The amount to be paid to these individuals will be included in the annual budget to be approved by the SGA at the beginning of the fall semester for the academic year.

ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF THE STUDENT SENATE

SECTION 2-1.

The Student Senate should mandate that meetings occur on minimum weekly basis, with additional meetings as the Senate determines during the fall and spring semesters.

SECTION 2-2.

A majority of voting members of the SGA will constitute a quorum. A majority shall be defined as half (1/2) of the members plus one (1).

SECTION 2-3.

All Student Senate meetings shall abide by the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act.

SECTION 2-4.

The Student Senate may determine the rules of its regular meeting proceedings, and discipline its members for conduct unbecoming a Senator at said meetings or any University function. Any rule not covered by the Statutes is subject to Robert’s Rules of Order.

ARTICLE III SUMMER SESSION

SECTION 3-1.

There shall be a Student Senate during the summer semester.

SECTION 3-2.

The Student Senate shall consist of all current Senators and Officers who who are able to serve.

SECTION 3-3.

In the event that the new President, Vice-President, and Secretary are not able to serve for the summer session, the Senators participating in the summer session shall elect an acting chair.

ARTICLE IV MATTERS BEFORE THE STUDENT SENATE

SECTION 4-1.

Every act of the Student Senate will concern only one subject, which will be clearly expressed in its title.

SECTION 4-2.

A proposed expenditure of funds will be called a “Bill.”

SECTION 4-3.

A proposed policy change or temporary action by the Senate will be brought up in the form of a “Resolution.”

SECTION 4-4.

All Legislation that the Student Senate considers must be submitted to the SGA Secretary in electronic form before it is considered.

SECTION 4-5.

A proclamation, commendation, or compliment shall be any announcement, acclaim, or special recognition by the Student Senate.

ARTICLE V SUPREME COURT

SECTION 5-1.

To be eligible for the position of Supreme Court Justice, a student must be a full time student at SOSU and maintain a retention/graduation grade point average of at least 2.50 on a 4.00 scale. (Supreme Court Justices may not serve a term while they are currently serving as an Executive officer or a Student Senator).

SECTION 5-2.

The term of office for the Supreme Court shall be for one academic year. Appointments shall be made by the fourth academic week of the fall semester. The term will end at the end of the spring semester.

SECTION 5-3.

All Supreme Court Justices must be sworn in within three (3) weeks of being appointed or the appointment will be deemed as null and void and a new appointment shall be made.

SECTION 5-4.

In the event that an issue arises during the summer session that would require an interpretation of the governing documents two (2) justices and one (1) chief justice shall be appointed by the chair of the Summer Session Student Advisory Board.

ARTICLE VI CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS

SECTION 6-1.

Any group desiring to be recognized as an official organization on the campus of SOSU must petition the Student Senate for consideration.

SECTION 6-2.

The Student Senate may periodically request a copy of the organization’s constitution, and a copy of all revisions of that organization’s constitution must be submitted to the Student Senate. After consideration the Student Senate will send a recommendation to the Administration for final approval.

SECTION 6-3.

Immediately after each organization’s election, each organization will register with the Office for Student Life the names of the officers and members of such organization.

SECTION 6-4

Any student organization existing on campus for a period of greater than five (5) years without significant change in name or function shall no longer be required to submit an annual renewal form unless called upon by the SOSU SGA.

ARTICLE VII. PRESIDENTS’ CLUB

SECTION 7-1.

The name of this club will be “The Presidents’ Club of Southeastern Oklahoma State University.”

SECTION 7-2.

The Vice-President of the SGA will be the chairperson of this leadership club.

ARTICLE VIII. OFFICE HOURS POLICY

SECTION 8-1.

All senators and officers of the SOSU SGA shall work a minimum of two (2) office hours each week.

SECTION 8-2.

For each week, the office hours will begin being counted on Thursday Morning, and they must be completed by Wednesday evening so that the record may be made available to the SGA Secretary in time for the regularly scheduled meeting.

ARTICLE IX. ATTENDANCE POLICY

SECTION 9-1.

Unexcused absences from SGA duties will be counted as follows:

1.      An absence from a SGA meeting will be noted as a single (1) absence.

2.      The failure to serve an office hour will result in 1/2 absence.

3.      Not appearing at SGA sponsored events will result in absence(s), determined by the Executive Committee prior to the event.

4.      The failure to attend a committee meeting of a standing committee to which a senator has been assigned shall result in a 1/2 absence.

SECTION 9-2.

A standing House Rules Committee consisting of The Executive Committee and three Senators at Large elected by a majority vote of the Student Senate shall be created at the beginning of each legislature in order to oversee the administration of attendance, ensure the use of the House Rules, and propose changes to the rules as the need arises.

SECTION 9-3.

The accumulation of unexcused absences will be dealt with in the following manner:
A.    Two (2) absences will result in a written notice by the Executive Committee.
B.     Five (5) absences will result in the Senator’s mandatory attendance at a hearing to be conducted by the House Rules Committee to discuss the situation. The hearing will be held to decide the validity of the Senators absences.
C.     If no absences are voided, a recommendation of impeachment will be presented to the Senate at the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting.
D.    If absences are voided, the same process will begin again once the Senator has reached fice (5) absences.
E.     Failure to attend the House Rules Committee hearing will result in the ruling of the Committee without the defense of the Senator in question.
F.      If a member of the House Rules Committee is ever summoned to the Committee then a temporary replacement will selected by a vote of the Committee.

SECTION 9-4.

Absences will be totaled for the Fall and Spring semesters separately.

ARTICLE X. ELECTION REGULATIONS

SECTION 10-1

During each election an election booth may be provided for by the Student Senate the election booth must be manned by at least one Senator or Officer at all times. The election booth must have the biographies of each candidate, and a poster describing the proper procedures for voting No campaigning may occur within 25 feet of the election booth.

In the event of a traditional paper ballot the booth will also have the ballots and ballot boxes. Also position on the Ballots will be in alphabetical order.

In the event of an online election the Student Senate may provide computers for the purposes of voting.

SECTION 10-2.

During the tabulation of election results of a paper ballot election the individuals counting will be the Election Committee Chairman or his/her designate, Executive Committee Member, Advisor(s), and one Senator at Large. These individuals will be responsible for the interpretation if the intent of any ballots the Scan-tron machine cannot read.

SECTION 10-3.

In the event of an online election no campaigning will be tolerated in any computer lab, room, or open area designated for use of university systems (third floor of the union, first floor of the library, etc.) or within 20 feet of a public university computer unless posted on approved board or posting are.

SECTION 10-4.

Electioneering in any form will not be tolerated. Electioneering is hereby defined as any action designed to infringe on the principles of free and open elections. This includes, but is not limited to, intimidation, voter fraud, dorm storming, slander, liable, misuse of Student Government or University resources in conjunction with a currently held office, and use of university systems (Blackboard, campus email, etc.) which violates current terms of use.

SECTION 10-5.

At the conclusion of elections the Elections Director will compile the results in a single report. This report will be signed by the Director, the Senate Advisor, and a Senator at Large. In the event of an online election a staff member from CDIT will also sign the report. This report will be dispersed to and posted in the Student Senate Office and the Student Affairs Office. The ratification of these results will take place at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Student Senate after the report is completed and posted. Ratification will be by a resolution before the body and the President’s signature will be considered the body’s endorsement of the final results.

SECTION 10-6.

Interpretation and enforcement of this section of the bylaws will be left solely to the Elections Director unless superseded by a higher body charged with interpreting governing documents.

ARTICLE XI. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

SECTION 11-1

All standing committees shall set regular dates for meeting within one week after the committee recieves chairmanship. Meetings should take place twice a month. Once the time and location is set, each committee chair shall notify the SGA Secretary of that information, and the SGA Secretary shall post a schedule of all committee meeting times and locations in the SGA office in a prominent location.

SECTION 11-2

The SOSU SGA Secretary shall keep a roster posted in a prominent location within the SGA office of the membership of each committee.

SECTION 11-3

Each committee chair shall keep track of absences at each committee meeting, and report such absences to the SGA Secretary promptly.

ARTICLE XII. GOLF CART POLICY

SECTION 12-1.

The Office of Student Affairs shall be responsible for the SGA Golf Cart checkout.

SECTION 12-2.

No individual may drive the Golf Cart without presenting a current and official SOSU Golf Cart license.

SECTION 12-3.

1.      The Golf Cart may only be used by a member of a registered campus organization, for usage on campus by that organization.

2.      Any individual who checks out the Golf Cart must present a current and official SOSU Golf Cart license.

3.      A check out form and check out log shall be maintained by the Office of Student Affairs, and all checkouts for the Golf Cart Key must be processed by this office.

4.      The checkout form must require the individual to sign a disclaimer/liability form and leave pertinent contact information.

5.      Any individual who checks out the Golf Cart will be fully responsible for any damages to the Golf Cart during their usage of it.

6.      Approval for usage of the Golf Cart must be given by the SOSU SGA President before any checkout may occur.

ARTICLE XIII – Frost Chambers Policy

SECTION 13-1.

The use of the Frost Chambers by any other organization outside of the auspices of this constitution will be approved solely on the permission of the President of the SGA.

ARTICLE XIV. OATH OF OFFICE

SECTION 14-1.

All students elected to SGA offices (Executive Officers, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices) will take the following oath.

SECTION 14-2.

The Oath:

“I, state your name, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, and the Constitution of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Student Government Association, and that I will not, knowingly receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing, for the performance or nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office, other than the compensation allowed by law; I further swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge my duties as (insert office) of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Student Government Association to the best of my abilities.”