Bates College Student Government Constitution - (Original Version)

Preamble

We, the students of Bates College, feel it necessary to establish a student government in order to organize the student body and better represent student interests. This shall be known as the Student Government and shall include the Representative Assembly and the Executive Council.

Article I: The Representative Assembly

  1. Section 1: The Representative Assembly shall take on all legislative powers of the student body and the Bates College Student Government.
  2. Section 2: The Representative Assembly membership shall consist of:
    1. A. Two (2) representatives from each graduating class, elected through a class-wide election run by the Elections and Judiciary Committee.
    2. B. One (1) representative from each college-owned residential house and hall, elected under the direction of the Elections and Judiciary Committee. For every group of fifty (50) students living in the house or hall, said residence shall have an additional representative in the Representative Assembly.
    3. C. One (1) representative from among off-campus residents, elected under the direction of the Elections and Judiciary Committee. For every group of fifty (50) students living off-campus, there shall be an another representative in the Representative Assembly.
    4. D. One (1) member shall also be appointed Parliamentarian in accordance with the Election and Judiciary Committee Guidelines.
    5. E. All representatives must be a member of the constituency that they seek to represent.
    6. F. All representatives’ terms are one academic year.
  3. Section 3: The officers of the Representative Assembly shall be:
    1. A. The Chair shall be elected by the Representative Assembly in an election run in accordance with Elections and Judiciary Committee Guidelines. The Chair shall mediate all meetings of the Representative Assembly. The Chair shall assume all powers and responsibilities granted to the “Chair” in this Constitution, its Bylaws, and Robert’s Roles of Order.
    2. B. The Secretary shall be elected by the Representative Assembly in an election run in accordance with Elections and Judiciary Committee Guidelines. The Secretary shall Chair the Publicity Committee and assume all powers and responsibilities granted in this Constitution, its Bylaws, and Robert’s Roles of Order.
    3. C. Officers of the Representative Assembly shall be elected from among the Representative Assembly membership. Their former positions as members will be re-elected under the direction of the Elections and Judiciary Committee.
  4. Section 4: The Representative Assembly shall meet every week that Bates College is in session during the Fall and Winter semesters.
    1. A. All meetings shall be called to order by the Chair, unless otherwise noted in the Bylaws.
    2. B. Quorum for meetings of the Representative Assembly shall be a majority of members.
    3. C. Meetings shall be run in accordance with this Constitution, its Bylaws, and Robert’s Roles of Order (in case of any question, use the most current edition), in that order.
  5. Section 5: The powers and responsibilities of the Representative Assembly shall include:
    1. A. The autonomous power to govern itself.
    2. B. The ability to set expectations of members.
    3. C. The sole power of impeachment and removal.
    4. D. The provision of a mechanism to allow students the opportunity to shape and influence college policy.
    5. E. The allocation of all resources overseen by the Student Government.
    6. F. Authorize or alter all recommendations from the Executive Council.
    7. G. The sole power to amend the Student Government’s Constitution and Bylaws.
    8. H. All other powers, functions, and responsibilities a student government may assume that are not otherwise defined here.

Article II: The Executive Council

  1. Section 1: The Executive Council shall take on all executive powers of the student body and Bates College Student Government.
  2. Section 2: The Executive Council shall include:
    1. A. The President shall be elected by the student body in an election run in accordance with the Elections and Judiciary Committee Guidelines. The President shall act as Chair at all meetings of the Executive Council and shall Chair the Parking Committee. The President shall report to both the Representative Assembly and the Executive Council all communications on behalf of the Student Government that he/she has made. This shoold include the progress of legislation that has been given to the Executive Council to communicate to the College, emergencies that have occurred on campus, and concerns that have been communicated to the President. The President shall have the power to make motions in the Representative Assembly, as a representative of the general student body, but does not have the position of “member” and may never vote. In addition, the President assumes all powers and responsibilities granted in this Constitution and its Bylaws.
    2. B. The Vice President of Student Committees shall be elected by the student body in an election run in accordance with the Elections and Judiciary Committee Guidelines. The Vice President of Student Committees shall Chair the Student Committee on Committees. In any case when the President is removed from office or unable to discharge the powers and responsibilities of said office, the Vice President of Student Committees shall take on all powers and duties of President. The Vice President of Student Committees shall assume all powers and responsibilities granted in this Constitution and its Bylaws.
    3. C. The Vice President of Student Clubs shall be elected by student clubs recognized by the Student Government, one vote each, in an election run in accordance with the Elections and Judiciary Committee Guidelines. The Vice President of Student Clubs shall Chair the Organizational Review Board. The Vice President shall assume all powers and responsibilities of the President when both the President and Vice President of Student Committees are unable to discharge the duties of said office. The Vice President of Student Clubs shall have the power to make motions in the Representative Assembly, as a representative of student clubs, but does not have the position of “member” and may never vote. In addition, the Vice President of Student Clubs assumes all powers and responsibilities granted in this Constitution and its Bylaws.
    4. D. The Treasurer shall be appointed by Executive Appointment (as detailed in Article IV). The Treasurer shall Chair the Budget Committee, track the expenditures of the Student Government, and advise both the Chair and the President on financial matters dealing with the Representative Assembly and Executive Council. The Treasurer shall assume all powers and responsibilities granted in this Constitution and its Bylaws.
    5. E. Each advisory committee shall have one (1) member on the Executive Council. The members shall be the student Chairs of each advisory committee. The advisory committees are the President’s, the Dean’s, the Trustees’, and the Facolty’s Advisory Committees. Each such member of the Executive Council assumes all powers and responsibilities granted in this Constitution and its Bylaws.
  3. Section 3: The Executive Council shall meet every week that Bates College is in session during the Fall and Winter semesters.
    1. A. All regolar meetings shall be called to order by the President.
    2. B. Quorum for meetings of the Executive Council shall be a majority of voting members.
    3. C. Meetings shall be run in accordance with this Constitution, its Bylaws, and Robert’s Roles of Order, as applicable and in that order.
  4. Section 4: The Executive Council shall have the power to:
    1. A. Communicate as necessary with all branches of Bates College.
    2. B. Act as liaison for the student body and all student clubs to the Representative Assembly.
    3. C. The administering, allocation, and review of all resources in the charge of the Student Government, pending approval by the Representative Assembly.
    4. D. The selection of students to, and oversight of, student/facolty and student committees, with all appointments pending approval by the Representative Assembly.
    5. E. To write a budget for the Student Government for approval by the Representative Assembly.
    6. F. Provide general leadership and guidance for the student body and student clubs, empowering both, and allowing for all to voice their concerns and opinions to the Representative Assembly so that the students’ will shall be known.

Article III: Position Restrictions

  1. Section 1: All those holding positions, be it member or officer, in the Student Government shall be limited to students currently attending Bates College foll-time.
  2. Section 2: The officers of the Bates Student Government shall be considered the Chair of the Representative Assembly, Secretary of the Representative Assembly, President, Vice President of Student Committees, Vice President of Student Clubs, and the Treasurer.
  3. Section 3: Any person holding an officer position in either branch, Representative Assembly or Executive Council, may not hold any other position, member or officer, in either branch.

Article IV: Executive Appointments

  1. Section 1: Executive Appointments shall be used to appoint positions where this process is stated in the Constitution, its Bylaws, or any other document recognized by the Student Government.
  2. Section 2: Executive Appointments shall be done by a majority vote of the Executive Council.
  3. Section 3: All Executive Appointments must be approved by the Representative Assembly.

Article V: Legislation

  1. Section 1: Legislation to be considered by the Representative Assembly shoold be submitted to the Chair twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. All such legislation must be submitted both in writing and electronically, at the discretion of the Chair. Legislation submitted less than twenty-four (24) hours in advance must go through the two-meeting process as detailed in Section 2.
  2. Section 2: Legislation shall go through a two-meeting process:
    1. A. At the first meeting, upon end of the debate, the legislation is tabled and added to the “old business” section of the next regolar meeting. Any member may make a motion to vote on said legislation at a first meeting, which woold require a second and approval of two-thirds (2/3) of present members.
    2. B. At the second meeting, following any debate, voting may proceed with merely a motion and second.

Article VI: Impeachment and Removal

  1. Section 1: Officers of the Student Government may be impeached for being negligent in their duties or overstepping the bounds of their office as defined in this Constitution, its Bylaws, or any other document(s) recognized by the Student Government.
  2. Section 2: Any member of the Representative Assembly may motion for the Elections and Judiciary Committee to begin investigations, as outlined in the Elections and Judiciary Committee Guidelines. Such a motion requires a second and does not require a vote. The Elections and Judiciary Committee shall immediately begin investigation and the officer in question shall maintain their position(s) and continue their duties until further notice.
  3. Section 3: The Elections and Judiciary Committee shall report to the Representative Assembly any findings of the investigation as soon as they are complete. The report may or may not include articles of impeachment for the officer in question.
  4. Section 4: If the Elections and Judiciary Committee brings articles of impeachment before the Representative Assembly, the membership shall be given the chance to question both the accused officer and the Committee. Following a time to question, the Assembly shall vote whether to impeach the officer in question. The vote to impeach requires two-thirds (2/3) of the entire membership of the Representative Assembly.
  5. Section 5: One week following the impeachment of an officer, presented with any additional information or evidence requested, the Representative Assembly shall vote on whether to remove the officer from office. The vote to remove requires three-fourths (3/4) of the entire membership of the Representative Assembly. If an officer is removed, procedure outlined in this Constitution or its Bylaws shall be followed to replace the officer in question.
  6. Section 6: Members of the Student Government may be censured in accordance with Robert’s Roles of Order. In addition, the Chair of the Representative Assembly shall have the responsibility of removing representatives for failure to maintain a regolar attendance, as detailed by the Duties of Representatives article in the Student Government’s Bylaws.

Article VII: Amendments

  1. Section 1: Any amendment to the Student Government Constitution or Bylaws must go through the two-meeting process, outlined in Article V, Section 2. The amendment may not be voted on in the first meeting it is considered in.
  2. Section 2: An amendment to the Student Government Constitution may originate in either the student body or through any member of the Representative Assembly:
    1. A. Student Body:
      1. i. The student body may propose an amendment to the Student Government’s Constitution through a petition signed by at least ten percent (10%) of the student body, as detailed in the Election and Judiciary Committee Guidelines.
      2. ii. The President shall bring the amendment(s) before the Representative Assembly once the petition has met these expectations.
      3. iii. The Representative Assembly must consider the amendment.
    2. B. Amendments to the Student Government Constitution require the approval of three fourths (3/4) of the entire membership of the Representative Assembly to pass.
  3. Section 3: An amendment to the Student Government Bylaws may originate from any member of the Representative Assembly and requires the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire membership of the Representative Assembly to pass.
  4. Section 4: All amendments to the Student Government’s Constitution or Bylaws become active immediately upon passing within the Representative Assembly, unless otherwise noted in the text of the amendment.