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Augsburg Student Government Constitution
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The name of this organization shall be the
Augsburg Student Body, here after referred to as ASB.
Preamble: We, the members
of the Augsburg Student Body, in order to further the educational
goals and general welfare of the College Community, do hereby establish
this Augsburg Student Body Constitution.
Purpose: The ASB serves
as the primary student voice and liaison between the students and
the administration, faculty and staff of Augsburg College. The ASB,
as a student representative body, creates an active student government
in order to sponsor and direct student concerns and responsibilities.
ARTICLE I. THE AUGSBURG STUDENT BODY
Sec. 1 The Augsburg Student
body shall consist of all students who are registered and pay an
activity fee at Augsburg College as specified in the By-Laws and
financial policies of any given year.
Sec. 2 The rights and responsibilities
of all members of the Augsburg Student Body are specified in the
Student Body By-Laws.
Sec. 3 The Augsburg Student
Body shall create a representative body that shall be called Augsburg
Student Government.
Sec. 4 All powers of the
Augsburg Student Body herein specified shall be vested in the Augsburg
Student Government (ASG).
Sec. 5 In accordance with
the policy of Augsburg College, that discrimination on the basis
of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, marital status,
status with respect to public assistance, disability, sexual orientation,
or age is not accepted or tolerated, as required by Title IX of
the 1972 Educational Amendments or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 as amended in its admission policies, educational programs,
activities and employment practices.
ARTICLE II. STRUCTURE
OF AUGSBURG STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Sec. 1 The main governing
body of the Augsburg Student Body is the Augsburg Student Government.
Sec. 2 The Augsburg College
Student Government shall consist of the following governing bodies:
the Augsburg Student Government, the Augsburg College Executive
Branch, and the Augsburg College Publications Advisory Board. Non-governing
bodies shall consist of: Student Government Commissions, Recognized
Clubs and Organizations, and student appointees to institutional
committees.
ARTICLE III. THE MEMBERSHIP
OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Sec. 1 Membership to the
governing bodies of the Augsburg Student Government shall consist
of the following elected members; Student Body President, Student
Body Vice President, three Student Senate Representatives and one
Class President from each class, Weekend College Class President,
eleven Weekend College Representatives, up to two Incumbent Representatives
and the following appointed members: Student Body Secretary, Student
Body Treasurer, Commissioners and Standing Committee Members.
Sec. 2 Membership to the
non-governing bodies of Augsburg Student Government shall consist
of any student recognized as a member of the Augsburg Student Body
and actively participating in a non-governing body of Augsburg Student
Government.
Sec. 3 The Augsburg College
Publication Advisory Board shall be governed by the Augsburg Echo
Constitution which shall supersede any other regulations on the
board.
ARTICLE IV. REGULATIONS
AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF AUGSBURG COLLEGE STUDENT
GOVERNMENT
Sec. 1 All members must
adhere to the Augsburg College Policy rules and regulations as stated
in the Augsburg Student Guide.
Sec. 2 Elected members must
adhere to the following regulations and responsibilities:
Cl. 1 must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 prior to and during
the course of their term of office.
Cl. 2 must have Senate and committee attendance records in accordance
with this Constitution and its by-laws.
Cl. 3 must meet the requirements of election eligibility in accordance
with this Constitution and its by-laws.
Cl. 4 must direct Augsburg College Student Government policies in
accordance with this Constitution and its by-laws.
Sec. 3 Appointed members
must adhere to the following regulations and responsibilities:
Cl. 1 shall assume their position from the time of their appointment
by the Student Senate until the appointment of their successor.
Cl. 2 must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 prior to and during
the course of their term in office.
Cl. 3 must direct Augsburg Student Government policies in accordance
with this Constitution and its by-laws.
Sec. 4 Any violation of
the above regulations by members of the Augsburg Student Government
shall result in immediate disciplinary action in accordance with
Augsburg College Policy and the By-Laws of this Constitution.
ARTICLE V. THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH
Sec. 1 The Augsburg Student
Government Executive Branch shall consist of the Student Government
President, the Student Government Vice-President, the Student Government
Secretary and the Student Government Treasurer.
Sec. 2 The Augsburg Student
Body President shall have the following rights and responsibilities:
Cl. 1 to act as official liaison among students, and between students
and the faculty, staff, and administration of the college.
Cl. 2 to report to the Senate on all student government relations
as chief representative of the Augsburg Student Body.
Cl. 3 to inform the Augsburg Student Government of changes in administrative
policies, tuition costs and other influential student affairs.
Cl. 4 to serve as representative to any Inter-College boards or
appoint any member of the Augsburg Student Body, subject to the
approval of the Student Senate.
Cl. 5 to nominate, subject to the approval of the Student Senate,
members of the Augsburg Student Body to committees and boards of
the faculty and administration.
Cl. 6 shall maintain weekly office hours.
Cl. 7 to veto any vote of the Student Senate.
Sec. 3 The Augsburg Student
Body Vice President shall have the following rights and responsibilities.
Cl. 1 assume the role of chairperson of the Senate.
Cl. 2 to enforce rules regarding Augsburg Student Government Representatives,
i. e. attendance, GPA, and committee participation.
Cl. 3 to assume the duties of the Augsburg Student Body President
in the absence, incapacity, or at the request of the Augsburg Student
Body President.
Cl. 4 to assume the duties of the Augsburg Student Body President
in the event of a vacancy of the position.
Cl. 5 shall cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie on Student
Government matters.
Cl. 6 shall maintain weekly office hours.
Sec. 4 The Augsburg Student
Government Secretary shall have the following rights and responsibilities:
Cl. 1 to serve as an official correspondence secretary to the Student
Senate.
Cl. 2 to keep an accurate and permanent record of all meetings of
the Augsburg Student Senate, Student Body and other meetings deemed
necessary by the Student Body President and Vice-President.
Cl. 3 to maintain a file of all actions by any of the Standing Committees
of the Augsburg Student Government.
Cl. 4 to be responsible to give and make information known to all
Student Senators and the Executive Committee.
Cl. 5 shall not be a voting member of the Student Senate.
Cl. 6 shall maintain weekly office hours.
Sec. 5 The Augsburg Student
Body Treasurer shall have the following rights and responsibilities:
Cl. 1 to distribute, subject to this Constitution and its by-laws,
all Student Government monies.
Cl. 2 to create policies concerning the financial affairs of the
Student Government as deemed necessary by the Student Senate.
Cl. 3 to create the Treasurer's report to be presented to the Senate
on a monthly basis.
Cl. 4 to attend administrative Finance Committee meetings at the
request of the President or Vice-President and report on college
finances to the Senate.
Cl. 5 shall not be a voting member of the Student Senate.
Cl. 6 shall maintain weekly office hours.
ARTICLE VI. THE STUDENT
SENATE
Sec. 1 The Student Senate
shall consist of the following elected voting members: Class President
for each class, three Class Senators for each class, Weekend College
Class President, and eleven Weekend College Senators. Non-elected
voting members include up to two Incumbent Senators.
Cl. 1 from this voting membership the Senate will elect at its first
meeting, up recommendation of the chairperson, a chairperson pro-temp
and a parliamentarian.
a. The chairperson pro-temp shall serve as a chairperson of the
Student Senate in the absence, incapacity or at the request of the
Student Body Vice-President. The chairperson pro-temp will also
serve as the Student Body Vice-President in the event of a vacancy
in that position.
b. The parliamentarian will have knowledge and interpret questions
of procedure and advise the chairperson in making parliamentary
decisions based on this constitution, its by-laws and the most recent
Robert's Rule of Order.
Cl. 2 incumbents shall be appointed by the voting membership of
the senate, and shall be current senators.
Sec. 2 The Student Senate
shall consist of the following non-voting advisory members: one
representative from each standing committee, one representative
from each Commission, one representative each institutional committee,
one representative from each of the following areas of the college:
faculty, administrative, and staff, and may appoint an advisor as
deemed necessary.
Cl. 1 participation of non-voting advisory members shall be governed
as per the by-laws.
Sec. 3 The Student Senate
shall create the following standing committees: Student Concerns
Committee, Executive Committee, Constitution Committee, Election
Committee, Finance Committee, Publicity Committee and Chartering
Committee.
Cl. 1 the Student Body President shall chair the Executive Committee.
Cl. 2 the Vice-President shall chair the Constitution Committee.
Cl. 3 the Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.
Cl. 4 the Election Committee chairperson, Chartering, Publicity,
and the Student Concerns Committee chairpersons shall be appointed
by the Student Body President and Vice-President.
Cl. 5 the chairperson of the Student Senate (Student Body Vice-President)
shall be an ex officio member of any Student Senate committee and
establish committees as deemed necessary for efficient transaction
of business.
Sec. 4 The Student Senate
has the following legislative powers:
Cl. 1 to enact legislation in accordance with this Constitution
and its by-laws.
Cl. 2 to establish, allocate, and monitor the Augsburg College Student
Government budget in accordance with this Constitution and its by-laws.
Cl. 3 to recognize such clubs and organizations by majority vote
of the Student Senate and in accordance with the by-laws.
Cl. 4 to approve or disapprove all appointments made in accordance
with this constitution and its by-laws.
Cl. 5 to act upon recommendations from the Augsburg College Student
body, the Student Body President and Vice-President, the faculty,
the staff, and the administration.
Cl. 6 to override a Student Body Presidential veto by a two-thirds
majority vote by the voting members of the Student Senate.
Cl. 7 each voting member shall have one vote, to which absentee
votes shall be submitted to the chairperson.
Cl. 8 no proxy votes allowed.
ARTICLE VII. STUDENT SENATE
ELECTION AND RECALL OF MEMBERS
Sec. 1 All elected members
of the Student Senate with the exception of the following year's
freshmen shall be elected in March as per the by-laws for the following
academic year.
Sec. 2 Freshman elections
shall be held in September as per the by-laws.
Sec. 3 All election regulations
and guidelines shall be stated in the by-laws of this constitution.
Sec. 4 The term of office
shall be from May of the elected year to May of the following year.
Sec. 5 The Student Body
may call for the impeachment of any student government member by
a signed petition of 10% of his or her constituent group. The issue
then would be brought before the Student Senate for a vote. The
requirement for impeachment shall be two-thirds of the Student Senate.
ARTICLE VIII. PROVISIONS
FOR REGULAR SENATE MEETINGS
Sec. 1 The Student Senate
shall establish its own schedule of meetings and abide by the following:
Cl. 1 the Student Body Vice-President shall call meetings to order.
Cl. 2 a quorum of two-thirds of the voting members of the Student
Senate shall be present to conduct business.
Cl. 3 any business, other than request for dismissal or recall,
shall be introduced by or through a voting Student Senate member.
Cl. 4 all Student Senate meetings must run in accordance with the
most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
Cl. 5 all Student Senate meetings shall be held in accordance with
the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
Cl. 6 a petition given to the Student Body Vice-President signed
by 10% of the Student Body may call for a Student Body referendum.
Cl. 7 by referendum, the Student Body may rescind any action of
the Student Senate by a two-thirds majority vote.
ARTICLE IX. AUGSBURG COLLEGE
PUBLICATIONS ADVISORY BOARD
Sec. 1 Each year a portion
of the student activity fee shall be directed to the Publications
Advisory Board accounts.
Sec. 2 The money apportioned
to the Augsburg College Publications Advisory Board Account shall
be 11% of the student activity fee revenue, but shall not drop below
$25,000 per year.
ARTICLE X. STUDENT BODY
FINANCE POLICY
Sec. 1 All members of the
ASB are subject to an activity fee.
Sec. 2 The activity fee
shall be determined and approved by the Augsburg Student Government
each calendar year and is subject to the by-laws of this Constitution.
Sec. 3 The distribution
of all ASB monies not directed to the Augsburg College Publications
Advisory Board is subject to the approval of the Student Senate.
Cl. 1 the Finance Committee is responsible for budget review and
the supervision of all ASB monies.
Cl. 2 the Finance Committee is responsible to make accurate recommendations
to Senate of the distribution of all monies.
Cl. 3 no appointed comissioner or member of the Student Senate Executive
Staff may exceed an annual salary greater than that set up by the
Finance Committee each year.
ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS AND
BY-LAWS OF THE AUGSBURG STUDENT BODY CONSTITUTION
Sec. 1 By-Laws will be added
to the Constitution by the Student Senate as deemed necessary by
a majority vote of its members.
Sec. 2 The Student Senate
shall have the power to amend such by-laws by a majority vote of
its members.
ARTICLE XII. RATIFICATION
Sec. 1 The proposed constitutions
and amendments shall be ratified in accordance with the following
procedures:
Cl. 1 the proposed constitution/amendment shall be approved by a
two-thirds majority vote of the Student Senate.
Cl. 2 the constitution/amendment shall be made public to the Augsburg
Student Body for two calendar weeks.
Cl. 3 after the two calendar week period the constitution/amendment
shall be submitted to the Student Senate for reconsideration.
Cl. 4 should the Senate approve the constitution/amendment without
revisions for a second time by a two-thirds majority vote then the
constitution/amendment shall be placed on a ballot and voted on
by the Augsburg Student Body in a special election in accordance
with the by-laws.
Cl. 5 the special election shall be held within one calendar month
after the Student Senate approves the constitution/amendment the
second time without revisions.
Cl. 6 the proposed constitution/amendment must be passed by three-fourths
of the students voting.
Sec. 2 Upon ratification all other conflicting
by-laws shall be null and void.
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