Anoka-Ramsey Community College Student Senate Constitution

Student Senate Constitution-Cambridge

Preamble:
This Student Senate is established to fulfill the purposes in Section I-Purposes of the Senate. This document represents the constitution and by-laws for the Student Senate of ARCC-Cambridge Campus. It is binding on the Senate after it has been ratified and until it is modified according to the procedures included.

Purposes of the Senate
1. Represent the student body to the administration, faculty and staff of the College in all matters concerning students.
2. Represent the student body to the local community, the state, the nation and the world.
3. Recommend the distribution of student life funding to the College Administration.
4. Consider and approve or deny club and organization charters prior to the annual student life budget process.
5. Advocate for student rights, goals and needs at all levels.
6. Provide an organizational structure for student involvement in campus social and political life.
7. Provide a means for students to affect change within the college.

Organization of the Senate
1. Membership
  1. Membership of the Senate shall include up to 25 senators, including the executive board.
  2. Members must be students currently enrolled for at least three credits on this campus.
  3. Members must have signed a waiver granting permission for the Senate Advisor to verify his or her credit load.
  4. Members must have attended at least two meetings prior to election and may be inducted by a majority vote.
  5. Members must have submitted a Student Senate application form no later than one week before election.
  6. Members must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  7. A provisional senator at large category may be instituted by a two thirds majority of the Senate body if the following conditions apply:
    1. The total membership to the Senate, including officers, is less than the maximum number allowed and there are students who wish to be included in the Senate but cannot attend the scheduled meeting because of conflict.
    2. The number of senators at large cannot be more than one third of the total membership of the Senate.
    3. No senator at large can hold office barring extenuating circumstances
    4. All senators at large will provide a regularly checked e-mail address to the Communications Coordinator.
    5. The purpose of this provision is only to boost participation in the Student Senate when it is needed. This provision should not be instituted unless this it the case.
    6. The selection of senators at large will consist of an application being submitted to the Senate by the student wishing to become a senator at large, which is then approved or denied by a simple majority of the Senate body.
    7. If a conflict arises for a full senator who, consequently, wishes to become a senator at large they need to submit their wishes, in writing, to the Senate President. No vote is necessary for the transition upon the approval of the Senate President.
    8. If a senator at large wishes to become a full senator they need to submit their intentions to the Senate Vice President to be put on the agenda for the next meeting. The proposal will then be approved or denied by a simple majority of the Senate body.
    9. Senators at large will have up to five proxy votes per semester. They should follow the proxy procedures detailed in Section II, Subsection C of this document.
    10. Senators at large are encouraged to provide their opinions to the regularly scheduled Senate meetings by means of a proxy, an informal written statement, or by a verbal message to a full senator with the intent that that senator pass on the message attributing the statement to the senator at large.
    11. All Senators at large will keep in contact with the Senate Vice President and any other senators through e-mail and, if they wish, through face to face discussions.
2. Power Division
  1. The president shall have the power to act for or express the opinions of the Senate in matters the Senate has not expressed an opinion on in situations where urgency is important. His or her actions may be modified or reversed at the next meeting of the Senate.
  2. Any three other members of the executive board, acting together, shall have the same power. (as above)
3. Meetings
4. Executive Board shall consist of:
  1. The President, to lead and represent the Senate.
  2. The Vice President, to assist the president and lead committees.
  3. The Legislative Director, to coordinate and encourage Senate legislative efforts, such as “get out the vote” drives.
  4. The Communications Coordinator, to coordinate and control communications in all aspects of the Senate’s business.
  5. The Treasurer, to handle the Senate funds.
  6. The Secretary, to take minutes, type Senate documents, and file Senate related items.

Responsibilities of the Senate
1. The Senate recognizes a responsibility to ensure that Senate actions do not violate federal or state law, do not violate MnSCU or college policy and do not violate this Senate document.
2. The Senate recognizes a responsibility to represent the student body as accurately and completely as possible.
3. The Senate recognizes a responsibility to represent the college in a respectable manner, and to support the college’s mission statement.
4. The Senate recognizes a responsibility to represent the college and the student body to the community in a respectable manner.
5. The Senate recognizes a responsibility to participate in and support the statewide organization of student Senates.
6. The Senate recognizes a responsibility to encourage student life and promote student activities to the students.
7. Responsibilities of the executive board
  1. President
    1. Shall preside over all regular and emergency meetings of the Senate.
    2. Shall appoint all committee chairs.
    3. Shall represent Anoka Ramsey Community College-Cambridge Campus (ARCC-CC) at three-fourths of all MSCSA functions.
    4. Shall run all meetings by parliamentary procedure.
    5. Shall call emergency meeting when needed.
    6. Shall have knowledge of all MSCSA governing documents.
    7. Shall serve at least four office hours per week.
    8. Shall co-chair with the advisor on the Student Life Committee.
    9. Shall have knowledge of the ARCC-CC Student Senate Articles of Operation.
    10. Shall sign all requisitions along with the Treasurer.
    11. Shall have the power to appoint Senate members to tabulate ballots in the absences of the Advisor and/or Vice President.
    12. Shall not have a vote, except in the event of a tie, or in cases where secret ballot is the method of voting.
    13. Shall provide a written report at each regularly scheduled meeting. This report will include but not be limited to the following.
      1. A list of all meetings that the President represented the student Senate at during the previous week.
      2. A detailed description of any and all resolutions or conclusions that came out of those meetings.
      3. A list of the proposed meeting that he or she will be representing the student Senate at in the upcoming week.
      4. A brief synopsis of the items to be on the agenda of the upcoming meeting.
  2. Vice President
    1. Shall assume the Presidency in the absence or incapacity of the President.
    2. Shall coordinate for Senate all committees that are outlined in this document.
    3. Shall be the ex-officio chair of all internal committees unless an alternate is appointed by the President or is elected by the Senate.
    4. Shall count with the advisor the ballots of all General Elections.
    5. Shall attend at least 2/3 of all GCMs and GAs.
    6. Shall prepare the agenda for Senate meetings and e-mail the agenda to all senators at large at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting time.
    7. Shall serve at least four office hours per week.
  3. Legislative Director
    1. Shall assume the Presidency in the absence of aforementioned officers.
    2. Shall serve as the chair of the ARCC-CC Student Senate Legislative Committee.
    3. Shall coordinate all legislative activities on campus.
    4. Shall coordinate the “Get Out The Vote” drive during election years.
    5. Shall coordinate campus Advocacy Days and be responsible for representing the campus at this sort of event.
    6. Shall be informed of the MSCSA legislative issues.
    7. Shall be in contact with local State Legislators.
    8. Shall be informed of Higher Education issues and issues that effect ARCC-CC.
    9. Shall keep in contact with the Vice President (Legislative Director) of the MSCSA.
    10. Shall attend all MSCSA GA’s and GC’s.
    11. Shall serve at least two office hours per week.
  4. Communications Coordinator
    1. Shall assume Presidency in the absence of aforementioned officers.
    2. Shall be responsible for maintaining the Senate bulletin boards.
    3. Shall keep in communication with surrounding colleges.
    4. Shall keep a scrap book and records of all events of the Senate.
    5. Shall attend Communications Committee meetings at state functions.
    6. Shall keep a written record of attendance and role call at all Senate meetings.
    7. Shall coordinate all office hours.
    8. Shall keep an up to date roster of Senate members and their phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
    9. Shall be responsible for all publicity for Senate and Senate activities and events.
    10. Shall serve at least two office hours per week.
    11. Shall attend GAs and GCMs when necessary and if possible.
  5. Secretary
    1. Shall assume the Presidency in the absence of the aforementioned officers.
    2. Shall take the minutes for all Senate meetings.
    3. Shall post a type written copy of the minutes the bulletin board the day of the meeting in which they are approved.
    4. Shall be responsible for typing official ARCC-CC Student Senate documents.
    5. Shall serve at least two office hours per week.
    6. Shall attend GAs and GCMs when necessary and if possible.
  6. Treasurer
    1. Shall assume the Presidency in the absence of the aforementioned officers.
    2. Shall be responsible for the budget and reporting it at all Senate meetings.
    3. Shall assist the Student Life Committee with budget proposals.
    4. Shall serve at least two office hours per week.
    5. Shall attend GAs and GCMs when necessary and if possible.
  7. Senators
    1. It is the responsibility of each senator to attend all scheduled meetings. A senator is allowed 3 unexcused absences (without proxy) before a hearing can be held for removal.
    2. It is the responsibility of each senator to act and vote in a manner that he or she believes to be in the best interest of the student body.
    3. It is the responsibility of each senator to act in a manner that represents the college and the Senate well.
    4. It is the responsibility of each senator to attend as many meetings as possible, and to establish a proxy holder if he or she can not be there.
    5. It is the responsibility of the each senator to participate in college events and activities, except in the event of an emergency.
    6. It is the responsibility of each senator to participate in assigned committees and complete assigned tasks to the best of his or her ability.
  8. Senators at Large
    1. It is the responsibility of each senator at large to attend as many regularly scheduled meetings as possible.
    2. It is the responsibility of each senator at large to keep himself or herself updated on the issues facing the senate.
    3. It is the responsibility of each senator at large to look over the agenda for each meeting before the meeting takes place on order to decide if a proxy vote is necessary.
    4. It is the responsibility of each senator at large to make sure the Senate body hears his or her views.
    5. It is the responsibility of each senator at large to participate in at least two Senate-sponsored activities per school year.

Rights of the Senate
1. The Senate claims the right to represent the student body to the administration, faculty, and staff in all matters affecting the students on the campus
2. The Senate claims the right to a seat on the selection and hiring committee of its advisor.
3. The Senate claims the right to approve or deny charters of college clubs and organizations, including their eligibility to use college facilities and their eligibility for student life or other funding.
4. The Senate claims the right to offer to the administration a recommendation of the Student Senate on all actions taken by the Student Life Committee.
5. The Senate claims the right to form our own operating procedures and rules for internal Senate operation.
6. The Senate claims the right to appeal as outlined in article V, section H of this document.
Procedures for Common Senate Actions
1. Elections of senators
  1. General elections shall be held at a time and place determined by the Senate. The Senate shall also determine the rules under which they will be held.
    1. General elections shall be held each fall term, with enough seats to bring membership to 25 senators.
    2. Notice must be posted four weeks prior to general elections, stating that the Senate is accepting applications
    3. An elections committee consisting of the vice-president and the advisor shall run elections, and hear any complaints about unfairness in any aspect of the election.
  2. Executive board members are elected from the Senate floor. The Senate elects President and Vice President in the spring for the following year’s Senate. This should be accomplished before Spring General Assembly of the MSCSA, so that the president-elect may attend the presidents’ group meeting. The Senate elects the legislative director, communications coordinator, secretary and treasurer after general elections in the fall. All executive board terms are for one academic year. Executive board vacancies are to be filled as soon as possible.
2. Discipline and Removal of senators
  1. The Senate may reprimand, discipline or remove a senator for failing to meet membership qualifications, or for failing to perform member responsibilities as outlined in Section Three, Sub-section H. A fair hearing must be held.
  2. To hold a hearing,
    1. The Senate must pass a motion to hold a hearing. The motion should contain specific charges.
    2. The Senate must appoint a disciplinary committee to hold the hearing. This committee should be balanced and objective.
    3. The committee must assign a date and time for the hearing.
    4. The person for whom the hearing is being held must be informed of the charges, date, time and place at least one full week before the hearing. Reasonable accommodations should be made for his or her schedule.
    5. The charged person shall have opportunity to defend his or her actions, and to respond to the arguments of the chargers.
    6. The committee shall decide to take no action, reprimand the charged, suspend the charged, assign specific penalty to be met or result in removal, remove the charged from the executive board, or remove the charged from the Senate.
3. Committees
  1. The Senate has the right to elect any student to any standing or ad-hoc committee with joint student/faculty and/or administration membership of the college.
  2. Any committee may contain senators at large: the same committee attendance rules apply to senators at large as to full senators.
  3. Standing Committees
    1. The Legislative Committee, coordinated and chaired by the legislative director, serves to try to affect change beneficial to the college in the state legislature.
    2. The Bylaws committee, chaired by the president, must meet at least once a year to consider these bylaws, and update, change or amend them to better serve the student body if necessary.
    3. Platform committee, chaired by the president or the president’s appointee, exists to recommend modifications or additions to the Senate’s platform.
    4. Student Life committee exists to recommend a budget for the student life funds. It is co-chaired by the Senate president and the Director of Student Life.
  4. Ad Hoc committees may be formed by the president or by majority vote of the Senate. Members are appointed by the president or by majority vote of the Senate. Care should be taken to insure that each committee knows what its goals, powers and responsibilities are.
4. Using College Resources
  1. Requisitions. Requisition forms must be filled out as completely as possible, and well ahead of time if possible. Requisitions are the only way to get money from the college. It is important that those responsible for filling them out be familiar with the process.
  2. Contracts for Service. The state has a general-purpose contract that can not be changed without permission from the Attorney General’s office. This contract must serve any purpose the Senate needs, including hiring a DJ, security for an event, repairs on the pool table, or any other contract service. The Senate should never sign any vendor provided contract.
  3. Reserving space on campus. To reserve space on campus or using campus facilities prior arrangement must be made with the secretary of the Dean. If there are any irregularities, it is not a bad idea to check with the Facilities Coordinator also.
  4. Getting a state vehicle. To get the use of a state vehicle, students must check it out ahead of time with the secretary. Waivers must be signed, and licenses must be photocopied.
  5. Using the copier. Getting assistance is not a bad idea. The Senate has a copier code.
5. Attending state level Senate functions
  1. General Assembly is a vital part of the statewide Senate organization. The Senate should always send at least five representatives to GA, because if there are 5 people from this campus are there, this campus gets five votes.
  2. Governing Council Meetings are somewhat less important, but at least one responsible executive board member should be sent to every one to report back to the Senate.
6. Club and Organization charters and administration
  1. Any group of students wishing to form a campus club or organization must secure approval from the Senate before this organization can be recognized as an official club of the college. To secure approval for a chapter, a group of students must meet the following requirements.
    1. Have a purpose for the club that will benefit students in some manner.
    2. Secure an advisor, approved by the Dean of Educational Services.
    3. Submit a proposed written constitution of the Senate at least two (2) weeks prior to action on the charter petition.
    4. If the club is affiliated with a state or national constitution the terms of the affiliation must be filed with the Dean of Educational Services and the Student Senate and be a registered member of the Campus.
    5. The group, club and/or organization must have four (4) active members at all times; each member must be registered with the Senate and be a registered student of the Campus.
    6. A per term calendar of events and financial statement must be submitted to the Student Senate.
    7. The Student Senate shall have the right to records, and activities of all groups, clubs and/or organizations in order to review the operation and determine that they are operating within their stated purpose.
    8. The Student Senate shall have the privilege of calling the presiding officers or other duly constituted representatives of the various student groups, clubs and/or organizations for consultation when considering matters of vital concern to these organizations.
    9. Each group, club and/or organization must have one specified member to be the Student Senate Representative who will meet once a month with the Senate Student Life Committee to discuss up-coming events or other pertinent business.
  2. Revising Old Charters. New versions of old club charters need to be approved according to the same requirements as new charters.
  3. The Senate may suspend or place on probation clubs or organizations that are determined, through means of a hearing, to be in violation of Senate rules or of their charter. In extreme cases, the charter may be revoked by 2/3rds vote if a fair hearing determines that to be the best course of action.
7. Appeals of administrative decisions may be made, but should be handled at the lowest level possible. In order to appeal, the Senate must:
  1. Determine by majority vote that an appeal should be made.
  2. Request, in writing, a meeting with the Dean of Students on the subject to be appealed.
  3. Meet with the Dean of Educational Services, and present an informed and careful argument for its views.
  4. The Dean of Educational Services should respond in writing, outlining his or her decision and the reasons for it.
  5. If the conclusion is not to the liking of the Senate, the appeal may be repeated, in writing, to the Vice President of Educational Services, and again with the President of the College if necessary.
8. Amendment, suspension or ratification of this document
  1. This document may be amended by 2/3rds vote of the Senate.
    1. Any senator may submit a proposed amendment.
    2. Any student may submit a proposed amendment to the Senate, if a petition supporting the amendment that has at least 5% of the student body as signatories accompanies it.
    3. A proposed amendment must be submitted at least one meeting prior to the vote on the amendment.
  2. This document may be suspended, in whole or in part, temporarily, by 2/3rds vote of the Senate.
  3. Following the adoption of this document, and any subsequent amendments, copies shall be posted throughout the campus. If within 5 school days, a petition of disapproval containing ten percent of the student body is not filed, this document shall stand as the adopted Articles of Operation of the Cambridge Campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College Student Senate.