Preamble

We, the undergraduate students of Saint Ambrose University, by understanding our right to govern ourselves, hereby assemble to represent the undergraduate student body of this institution. With full knowledge of this premise, we set out to assist in the formulation of university policy and to express the opinions and recommendations of the undergraduate Saint Ambrose community. Furthermore, the Saint Ambrose University Student Government Association strives to support the various campus clubs and organizations in order to create a more participatory community. As a means to achieve these goals we hereby ordain this constitution, by which we will abide, and establish the Saint Ambrose University Student Government Association.

Article I
Name and Purpose

Section 1
Name

The name of this organization shall be the Saint Ambrose University Student Government Association (SGA).

Section 2
Purpose of the Senate

The purpose of the SGA shall be:

     1.  The SGA shall be the representative organization to express the opinions and   recommendations of the undergraduate student body.
     2.  To assist in the formulation of university policy.
     3.  To support the various campus clubs and organizations recognized by the SGA.

The SGA shall be responsible for investigating and reporting on all matters of student concern and shall be the representative and negotiating body for all areas of student interest.

Section 3
Mission Statement

The mission of the Student Government Association is to advocate for students and to advise the university administration of pertinent concerns. The elected senate shall strive to utilize their power to better serve the undergraduate student body and enrich the Ambrosian experience.

Article II
Membership and Position Descriptions

Section 1
Membership

The officers of this organization shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The voting members of this organization shall consist of senators of the three colleges, and representatives of each class.

Section 2
Requirements for Membership

All members of the student body shall qualify to be members, chairpersons, and directors of all student boards or committees. The President and/or a Senator shall nominate chairpersons and directors.

1. Executive Board

To hold an office a student must be enrolled in at least twelve (12) credit hours per semester throughout the term of office, unless he/she is a graduating senior. All officers must sign a grade-release form and maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average while in office.

2. Legislative Body

A. To hold a senate seat, a traditional student must be enrolled in at least twelve (12) credit hours per semester throughout the term of office, unless he/she is a graduating senior.
B. Non-traditional students need to carry at least six (6) credit hours in each semester during their term.
C. Those who fail to meet election requirements or any issues occurring within the election process shall appeal to the Elections Committee.

Section 3
Academic Standards

All senators must sign a grade-release form and maintain at least a 2.25 cumulative grade point average while in office.

Section 4
Position Descriptions

1. Executive Board

A. President
     1. He/She shall receive compensation in the amount of 50.0 percent (%) tuition (33.3 percent (%) of tuition from financial aid and 16.7 percent (%) of tuition from the SGA budget) for up to eighteen (18) credit hours. The money is to be applied to tuition, room, board, or book costs, and is subject to financial aid guidelines.
     2. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the SGA.
     3. He/She shall make a budget along with the Treasurer, Finance Committee, and with the consultation of the Dean of Students; and then present it to the Senate for simple majority approval at (or before) the last meeting of the Senate that precedes the semester in which the budget will take effect on first meeting of the new academic year.
     4. Submit a list of all committee chairs to the Senate for majority approval. The committee chair, in conjunction with the President, shall submit all committee appointments to the Senate for simple majority approval.
     5. He/She may remove at his/her discretion any appointment with the simple majority vote of the Senate.
     6. Be an ex-officio member of all committees and boards of the SGA.
     7. Be chief administrator of all legislation enacted by the Senate.
     8. The President shall have a veto power as follows:
         a. All Senate legislation shall be presented to him/her in writing.
         b. He/She shall approve or veto legislation by signature within seven (7) days
of its enactment by the Senate.
         c. All legislation not approved or disapproved by signature within seven (7) days of its enactment shall be considered approved.
     9. He/ She shall have the power to sign SGA checks in the absence of the Treasurer.
    10. He/She shall keep ten (10) regular, posted office hours in the SGA office. Hours will be set in a timely manner.

B. Vice President
     1. He/She shall receive compensation in the amount of 33.3 percent (%) of tuition (22 percent (%) of tuition from financial aid and 11 percent (%) of tuition from the SGA budget) for up to eighteen (18) credit hours. The money is to be applied to tuition, room, board, or book costs, and is subject to financial aid guidelines.
     2. Assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or by his/her request.
     3. The Vice President will be the official chairperson of all SGA meetings.
     4. If the Vice President is not present, the President Pro Tem will control the chair.
     5. Appoint the chairpersons of all ad hoc committees with a simple majority
approval.
     6. Develop an accurate and working knowledge of all parliamentary procedures used by the SGA.
     7. Keep ten (10) regular posted office hours in the SGA office. Hours will be set in a
timely manner.

C. Secretary
     1. He/She shall receive compensation in the amount of 12.5 percent (%) of tuition (6.25 percent (%) of tuition from financial aid and 6.25 percent (%) of tuition from the SGA budget) for up to eighteen (18) credit hours. The money is to be applied to tuition, room, board, or book costs, and is subject to financial aid guidelines.
     2. The Secretary shall be responsible for the clerical duties of the SGA.
     3. Record and distribute an official record of each meeting of the Senate.
     4. Distribute and post an agenda of each Senate meeting.
     5. Carry out all correspondence of the SGA.
     6. In charge of the SGA files.
     7. Provide information to committee chairpersons concerning the handling of past
functions.
     8. Responsible for informing senators if they are subject to recall by sending a
letter, to that effect, to those senators.
     9. Keep five (5) regular posted office hours in the SGA office. Hours will be set in a timely manner.

D. Treasurer
     1. He/She shall receive compensation in the amount of 12.5 percent (%) of tuition (6.25 percent (%) of tuition from financial aid and 6.25 percent (%) of tuition from the SGA budget) for up to eighteen (18) credit hours. The money is to be applied to tuition, room, board, or book costs, and is subject to financial aid guidelines.
     2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection, safekeeping, and expenditures of SGA funds.
     3. Sign checks of the SGA.
     4. Submit a report of all SGA transactions to the Senate as necessary upon changes to the budget.
     5. Submit a full financial report to the Senate twice a semester.
     6. Submit a complete financial report to the General Accounting Office for audit each semester.
     7. Serve on, but not necessarily chair, the Clubs and Organizations/Finance Committee.
     8. Shall keep five (5) regular posted office hours in the SGA office. Hours will be set in a timely manner.

E. President Pro Tem
     1. Develop an accurate and working knowledge of all parliamentary procedures used by the SGA. Have a presentation in order for senate to fully understand parliamentary procedure.
     2. Regularly update Senate and new Senators working knowledge of existing Senate policies and procedures regarding committees, parliamentary procedure, and other items as deemed necessary.
     3. Chair all SGA meetings in the absence of the Vice President. If both the Vice President and President Pro Tem are absent, the duties of the chair will fall upon the President, followed by the Senate member elected with a simple majority by the senators present.
     4. Responsible for making the motion to recall senator(s) subject to the recall process as stated in Article III, Section 2, Number 2. (Recall).
      5. Chair the Internal Affairs Committee.

F. Advisor
The SGA Advisor shall be the Dean of Students or his/her designate.

     1. The Advisor shall report at each meeting, as necessary.
     2. Shall serve as a resource for general information and guidance during the meetings.
     3. Shall communicate the activities and progress of the SGA to interested members of the administration.
     4. Shall check cumulative grade point averages of all officers and senators at the end of each semester in order to make certain they are maintaining the academic standards required by the constitution.

2. Legislative Body

     1. The legislative powers of the SGA shall reside with the Senate.
     2. The power to create Senate Committees.
     3. Appropriate all money of the SGA.
     4. Recognize all student organizations whose merits have been investigated.
     5. Approve its own President Pro Tem at the beginning of the term.
     6. It shall have the power to override a presidential veto by a two-thirds (2/3)
majority of all its members.
     7. Approve the appointments of the Secretary and the Treasurer by a simple majority vote.
     8. Approve any appointments made by the President to permanent committees as the need arises or at the recommendation of the President. Those appointments shall be approved with a simple majority vote of those Student Senate members voting.
     9. Each Senator shall hold one (1) regular posted office hour a week. Hours will be set in a timely manner.
     10. Each College and class will be required to draft a letter, and each Senator will be required to sign that letter to be presented to their constituents.
     11. Each Senator will be required to meet the requirements of the attendance policy, listed in Article IV, Section 2.
     12. Each Senator will be required to attend and participate in at least one (1) service project organized by SGA, between the dates of April 1 and December 31, and between the dates of January 1 and March 31.
     13. Each Senator will be required to be actively involved in at least one (1) project of SGA, between the dates of April 1 and December 31, and between the dates of January 1 and March 31. Their involvement will be deemed acceptable and sufficient by the committee chairs.

A. College Senators
Consists of twelve (12) senators from the university’s three academic colleges. Each candidate must have declared a major within the division of the office sought, and shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast by students with declared majors in that college. Direct, regular communication with the Deans from each college is asked of the College Senators in order to keep up to date on the changes within the college.

     1. Four (4) senators from the College of Arts and Sciences.
     2. Four (4) senators from the College of Business.
     3. Four (4) senators from the College of Education and Health Sciences.

B. Class Representatives

The President, Vice President, and Senator of each class will be in charge of having direct and indirect communication with their respective class. Written or electronic communication is required to be presented at the beginning of each semester, followed by the responsibility of seeking class concerns and issues during their term.

     1. Three (3) - The President, Vice President, and one senator from the Freshman Class.
     2. Three (3) – The President, Vice President, and one senator from the Sophomore Class.
     3. Three (3) – The President, Vice President, and one senator from the Junior Class.
     4. Three (3) - The President, Vice President, and one senator from the Senior Class.

C. Standing Committees

1. Internal Affairs Committee
     a. This committee will be under the direction of the President Pro Tem.
     b. Shall review the constitution and bylaws and submit all recommendations to the Senate for approval.
     c. Shall coordinate all internal matters of the SGA.
     d. Shall be responsible for collecting and updating project write-ups from senate members for the
Project Binder.

2. External Affairs Committee
     a. Shall be involved with the communications aspect of the SGA and work to inform students of the discussion topics and results of SGA meetings.
     b. Shall coordinate initiatives to reach the undergraduate student body.
     c. Specific positions and duties.
          i. Technical Coordinator.
               aa. Shall maintain SGA’s webpage with pertinent information regarding Senator’s           information and work progress.
               bb. Maintain an open dialogue with the Information Technology
Department and other departments in the technological field.
          ii. Deputy Secretary.
               aa. Shall be responsible for producing a publication to inform the SAU community of SGA’s progress quarterly.
               bb. Shall assist the secretary in any way necessary, including taking the responsibility for the duties of the Secretary in his/her absence.
          iii. Electronic Coordinator
               aa. Shall be responsible for working with TUN to get up to date information posted to the digital sign, located in the Rogalski Center.
               bb. Shall be responsible for contacting maintenance or TUN upon any maintenance issues that may occur.

3. Student Concerns Committee
     a. Shall investigate and address concerns that closely affect the student body.
     b. Shall organize “open mic nights” when necessary.
     c. Shall be in regular contact with Residence Life to address concerns of residential students.
     d. Specific positions and duties.
          i. Off Campus Liaison.
               aa. Shall communicate with off campus students to better address their concerns.
               bb. Help to foster a better relationship between on campus and off campus students.
          ii. Facilities Coordinator.
               aa. Shall address campus maintenance and facilities improvement issues, with the exception of Athletic facilities and recreation facilities.
               bb. Shall keep in regular communication with the Physical Plant.
     iii. Recreational Facilities and Campus Recreation Liaison
               aa. Shall address campus concerns and improvements in the areas of Campus Recreation, athletic facilities, and other recreational facilities.

4. Community Committee
     a. Shall work with SAU and surrounding communities to foster an improved
sense of community and spirit.
     b. Shall develop community service projects to benefit and include the surrounding community.
     c. Shall have the responsibility of assisting the Bee the Difference Day Coordinator with Bee the Difference Day in each of the semesters (Spring and Fall).
     d. Specific positions and duties.
          i. Campus Ministry Liaison
               aa. Appointment - The president of SGA and the Chaplain will nominate the Campus Ministry Liaison and have him/her approved by a simple majority vote by the governing Senate.
               bb. Shall promote spirituality in the SAU community through all
faiths and denominations, by reaching out to the various student ministries while remembering the St. Ambrose Catholic heritage.
          ii. Bee the Difference Day Coordinator
               aa. Shall work with the Director of Service Learning and Community Committee to coordinate Bee the Difference Day for fall and spring semesters.
               bb. Will be the lead coordinator for Bee the Difference Day.

5. Clubs and Organizations / Finance Committee
     a. Review money requests.
     b. Meet with the Treasurer monthly to help oversee the budget.
     c. Address other financial concerns of the SGA.
     d. Uphold the SGA financial archive (keep records updated monthly and during transition of senate terms).
     e. Be a liaison for all of the university’s recognized clubs and organizations.
     f. Meet with clubs and organizations prior to money requests to discuss criteria for approval.
     g. shall be responsible for contacting clubs and organizations to report back to Senate after receiving money. (Moved from treasurer’s duties)
     h. Shall be responsible for collecting and updating project write-ups from senate members for the Project Binder.
      i. Club of the year
          i.Responsible for contacting clubs to send in recommendations for club of the year
          ii. Club of the year will receive $200 for the award
          iii. Club of the year will be awarded at the end of March
     j. Specific positions and duties.
          i. CAB/SGA. Liaison.
               aa. Appointment - The presidents of SGA and CAB will nominate the CAB/SGA Liaison and have him/her approved by a simple majority vote by the governing Senate.
               bb. Duties
                    i. Attend scheduled CAB and SGA meetings.
                    ii. Report to SGA about upcoming CAB activities and concerns raised by CAB.
                    iii. Report to CAB about student concerns and issues raised at all SGA meetings.
                    iv. Plan the CAB/SGA speakers for the Fall and Spring Semesters.
                    v. Plan the annual SOMDay events with the help of a committee represented by both CAB and SGA.

6. Elections Committee
     a. Shall coordinate Fall and Spring Elections, review all candidates’ petition forms, and enforce election guidelines.
     b. The Elections Committee Chair position for Fall Elections will be filled by the Internal Affairs Committee Chair (President Pro Tem). The Elections Committee Chair position for Spring Elections will be filled by the Internal Affairs Committee Chair (if position is held by a member of the senior class or a non-returning member of SGA) or shall be appointed by the Chair of the Internal Affairs Committee (in the event that the Internal Affairs Committee Chair is not filled by a member of the senior class).
     c. The Elections Committee shall consist of the Advisor, graduating Seniors and/or senators of any class who are not returning to SGA as appointed by the Elections Committee Chair. In the event that there are no non-returning senators to serve, the Elections Committee Chair may appoint leaders of other campus clubs and organizations to serve on the Elections Committee.

7. Specific Position Appointments and Coordination
     a. Specific positions under a committee shall be nominated by the SGA President and approved by a simple Senate majority vote.
     d. Specific positions may request the aid of other committee members as needed for their particular areas of responsibility.

Article III
Election, Removal and Replacement

Section 1
Election of Members

     1. All students registered for undergraduate classes shall be members of the SGA and are welcome at all meetings.
     2. The voting members shall be elected as college senators, and class representatives.
     3. The presidential and legislative elections will take place by April 1. On April 5, the transition of offices will take place at 12:00 p.m. (noon). This will include the transfer of duties to the newly elected cabinet. All books and all accounts will be handed over to the new Treasurer. April 5 will be the date the yearly audit will be performed by the St. Ambrose University General Accounting Office. A copy of the report will be given to Senate.

Section 2
Executive Board Election and Appointment

     1. The President shall be elected, along with a running mate, the Vice President, by receiving a simple majority of valid student votes.
     2. A committee composed of the President and President-elect; the Vice President and Vice President-elect; the current Secretary and Treasurer; and the current President Pro Tem will select the secretary. The Advisor will serve as an alternate if the committee is of an even number. The current Secretary will not be allowed to vote if he/she is applying for a second term.
     3. A committee composed of the President and President-elect; the Vice President and Vice President-elect; the current Secretary and Treasurer; and the current President Pro Tem will select the Treasurer. The Advisor will serve as an alternate if the committee is of an even number. The current Treasurer will not be allowed to vote if he/she is applying for a second term.
     4. President Pro-Tem shall be a senator who will then be nominated by the President and elected yearly with a simple majority vote by the governing Senate.

Section 3
Removal from Office

1. Executive Members

Officers who fail to uphold their responsibilities, as listed in Article II, Section 4, Number 1, Part B, are subject to impeachment. In order for an office to be impeached the following must occur; 1) must have completed an act outside of their realm of their position, 2) by failing to meet the requirements of their position, or 3) must have broken another rule put forth by the Senate. In order to impeach an officer, it requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote from Senate.

2. Legislative Body

The executive board shall review those not meeting the requirements, as listed in Article II, Section 4, Number 2, of their office. The appropriate action of a said senator will be left to the discretion of the executive board. Resignation shall be made official when a letter to that effect is submitted to the presiding office of the senate.

Section 4
Replacement

1. President/Vice-President

     A. In the case that a vacancy occurs in the office of Student Government President, the Vice President shall assume the office of President.
     B. In the case that a vacancy occurs in the office of Student Government Vice President, the President Pro-Tem shall assume the office of Vice President.

2. Secretary/Treasurer/President Pro-Tem

     A. In the case that a vacancy occurs in the office of Secretary, a replacement will be chosen according to the rules stated in Article III, Section 2, Number 3.
     B. In the case that a vacancy occurs in the office of Treasurer, a replacement will be chosen according to the rules stated in Article III, Section 2, Number 4.
     C. In the case that a vacancy occurs in the office of President Pro-Tem, a replacement will be chosen according to the rules stated in Article III, Section 2, Number 5.

3. Legislators

     A. Senate seats and/or class officer seats which fail to be filled at the time of the
annual Spring Elections will then be left vacant until eligible students can be elected in the Fall Elections. After Spring Elections, any open seat or any seat declared vacant during the year, shall be voted on by the Senate.
     B. Vacancies that occur in the position of class president will be filled by the current vice
president of that class. Vacancies that occur in the position of class vice president will be
filled by the current senator of that class.
     C. Those seeking an open position must fill out a standard petition form and must address the
Senate upon completion of said form. (See Bylaws, Section C). No petition will be accepted
after December 1st.
     D. A simple majority vote is required for appointment.
     E. Student Petitions for an open seat must be received and validated by the Friday prior to the
respective week’s meeting in order to present themselves at that meeting.
     F. In the case that there is more than one person running for a particular seat, at any chosen
meeting, the candidates must present themselves to the Senate and the Senate will take a
closed ballot vote. The candidate receiving the majority of the votes shall fill the position

Article IV
Meetings

1. Regular Meetings

     A. All meetings of the Student Senate are open to the public.
     B. No meeting of the Senate shall be held without the presence of quorum. A quorum shall consist of one-half (1/2) plus one (1) of the elected members of the Legislature.
     C. Meetings shall be held weekly at a standard time and place throughout the school year unless the Senate is notified otherwise.
     D. All business of the Senate is to be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, except when in conflict with the constitution or its bylaws.
     E. A set schedule of all the regular meetings shall be presented at the beginning of every term and approved with a simple majority vote by Senate.

2. Special Meetings
     A. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Vice President or by five (5) members of the Senate. An attempt to contact all members of the Senate must be made to validate the meeting.
     B. Special meetings shall be confined to the business for which they were called.

Article V
Voting

Each member shall have one (1) vote.

Article VI
Bylaws

1. General Rules

     A. No smoking or chewing of tobacco is allowed during SGA meetings.
     B. No alcoholic beverages may be present at SGA meetings.
     C. Any senator may request a roll call vote on any motion.
     D. During general discussion, no adjournment motion will be recognized until all matters in the category are concluded.

2. Attendance Policy

     A. All members of SGA shall be allowed three (3) absences for his/her entire term of office.
     B. Upon any member’s fourth absence that member shall be subject to evaluation by the executive committee.
     C. A member may appeal to the Executive Committee one (1) time to have an absence due to extenuating circumstances, as determined by the Executive Committee, stricken from his/her attendance record. This must occur within one week of the missed meeting.
     D. Any person not present previous to the recognition of his/her name during “Roll Call” will be considered absent. Any person who must leave prior to the closing of “Old Business” will also be considered absent.
     E. There will be no declaration of a tardy for any person or persons that arrive after recognition of his/ her name during “Roll Call” or who leave prior to the closing of “Old Business” during the course of a meeting.

3. Elections

A. General Rules
     1. A candidate may only run for one position.
     2. All persons planning to run for any SGA position must sign and complete a valid petition form.
     3. A valid petition for senators and class officers must consist of thirty (30) signatures and student ID numbers from students with the same class, academic college, or whomever the candidate would represent from all returning undergraduate students (no graduating Seniors). A valid petition for SGA President and Vice President must consist of two-hundred (200) signatures and student ID numbers from all returning undergraduate students (no graduating Seniors).
     4. Candidates for all SGA positions must abide by the election guidelines set by the Elections Committee and approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting Senate.
     5. No write-in ballots are allowed.

B. Penalties for Breaking Rules
     1. All candidates must attend a mandatory meeting, which serves as their
warning for any election rule violations, unless a legitimate reason is provided to the elections committee 48 hours before the meeting. All proven rule violations will result in disqualification from the election. An appeal within twenty-four (24) hours is available.

C. Students enrolled in their last semester of university work shall not be eligible to vote in the SGA election.

4. Money Issues

A. Money Requests
     1. When money is requested over $50 by the administration, campus organizations, clubs, honor societies, and all community organizations, they must submit a standard SGA money request form. Any representative from an outside club or organization must submit a money request no less than four (4) days prior to the SGA meeting. These requests must be accompanied by an itemized budget.
     2. For all matters over $50, a simple majority will constitute approval.
     3. Only money requests $50 or under need not be voted on, if met with presidential approval.
     4. The criteria used for considering money requests shall include, but not be limited to: fundraising activities, organizational efforts, timeliness, amount of the St. Ambrose University student body affected, and the quality or educational value of the request. SGA will not be responsible for cost that include food and/or other personal expenses, with the exception of expenses included in registration or fees for events.
     5. Clubs and organizations shall meet with the Finance Committee to discuss the above criteria prior to formal request at the SGA meeting.

B. Budget
     1. The President’s Fund must not exceed $150 per semester. Any additional appropriations to this budget will require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote by the Senate.
     2. A two-thirds (2/3) majority will be required to approve any proposal which exceeds the budget allocation, or was never budgeted for.
     3. Club Approval
          A. Clubs will be required to have presented all paperwork to Student Activities and received approval from the Director of Student Activities.
          B. Clubs must come to a SGA meeting prepared to discuss with senate the need for the club.
          C. Clubs must be voted on by Senate, and will be acknowledged by a simple majority vote.
          D. Clubs must meet all requirements that are set forth in the Student Handbook.

5. Senate Time Limit Rule

A time limit for discussion on a certain topic may be set by the presiding officer and will be announced in the agenda. The presiding officer, prior to discussion of the topic, will set the time limit for items not appearing in the agenda. At the end of the allocated time, the floor will be opened up for motions to: table for a specific time, table indefinitely, or continue discussion.

If tabled, the item will be discussed as appropriate at a later meeting. The presiding officer will set the time limit when the tabling motion is accepted. A motion to table takes a simple majority vote.

If the tabling motion fails, the presiding officer will ask for a motion to vote. If there is no motion to vote, the subject is “dead”. If the motion wins approval, voting will take place without discussion.

Article V
Changes to the Constitution

Changes in the constitution can be accomplished by the following two-step process:

Changes to the constitution must be ratified by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting undergraduate student body.

A change can be presented for student ratification by either:

     1. Approval by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting Senate. A proposal must be read at two consecutive meetings. The Senate vote on the proposal will be taken at the second meeting, OR
     2. A petition signed by 25 percent of the total undergraduate student body, as determined by the Registrar of that date.

Upon completion of Number 1 or 2 listed above, the changes must be presented to the student body for ratification within four (4) weeks.

(Revised March 27, 2007)

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