General Bylaws of Hartwick College Student Senate
Article I: Introduction
Article II: Attendance & Dismissal
Article III: Standing Committees
Article IV: Appointed Vice-Presidents
Article V: Expectations for Senate-sponsored Clubs
Article VI: Sub-Committees
Article VII: Bill of Rights
Section 1: These general articles are known as the General Bylaws of Hartwick College Student Senate. They are to act as a structural base for Senate meetings, committees, and administration. The bylaws are to conduct Senate meetings in an orderly fashion.
Section 2: According to the rules of parliamentary procedure and also by a 2/3 (used to be majority) vote of Student Senate, no section of these bylaws are intended to deny authority towards Senate to direct and control affairs. (The only exception to this rule is in the general case of finance.)
Section 3: The bylaws may be amended by the Senate and approval to amend or add to the bylaws would be conducted by a 2/3 (used to be a majority) vote of the Senate.
Article II: Attendance & Dismissal
Section 1: The Chairperson shall be responsible for keeping records of the attendance of all voting members and officers of Student Senate.
Section 2: Senate members are allowed three unexcused absences before the Senate make take a vote to remove a member. If a member does in fact exceed three unexcused absences, the Chairperson and the Vice President of Senate Affairs shall present the case for removal to the Student Senate body.
Section 3: It is a Senate member’s responsibility to notify, in advance, the Chairperson if s/he will not be able to attend a scheduled meeting. Absences must be reported to the Chairperson before the Senate meeting. They must be reasonable excuses determined by the Chairperson i.e. sickness, death in the family, class, etc.
Section 4: If a Senate member does choose to resign, a written notice must be made to the Vice President of Senate Affairs. If the Senate member is a Senator, the person with the highest vote total, not elected in the last Senate election, will be the first in-line to fill the seat. In case of a tie between runner-up candidates, there will be a hearing within the Senate meeting where the two prospects will give a speech stating why they want the position. If there is however no eligible pool to select from, there will be a special election held in the spring under the discretion of the Executive Board. If the Senate member is a Vice-President of a standing committee or Chairperson, the President will appoint a person, with confirmation of the Senate, to fill the vacancy. If the Senate member is an elected official, refer to the guideline in the Constitution.
Article III: Standing Committees
Section 1: Each Senator shall have the privilege to select their first, second, and third choice of committee, and be assigned to at least one of those committees by the VP of Senate Affairs (used to Chairperson), based on the needs of the committee, and the preference of the Senator.
Section 2: If a particular committee is in need of more members, the need shall be made known to the Vice-President of Senate Affairs who shall be responsible for complying with the said request.
Section 3: A report of all formal recommendations or action requiring the approval of the Senate shall be made at the next Senate session following the standing committee’s meetings.
Section 4: The President of the Senate shall be an ex-officio member of any and all Senate committees.
Section 5: The President of the Senate shall appoint with confirmation by the elected Senate, Vice-Presidents to head the standing committees. A 2/3 vote is needed to confirm the appointment. A Chairperson shall also be appointed with confirmation by the Senate to co-ordinate sessions and act as arbitrator on all issues. The Chairperson shall also cast deciding votes in the case of a tie during Senate voting. The Chairperson shall be in charge of Robert’s Rules of Order as well as roll call vote. The Chairperson maintains a record of attendance at all Senate functions for each member of the Senate in accordance of Article 2.
Section 6: Standing Committees of the Senate include those of Judicial Affairs, Senate Affairs, Finance, On-Campus Affairs, and Off-Campus Affairs. The President of Senate also reserves the right to create new standing committees at the beginning of each school year. Any standing committees created during the academic year will require a 2/3 (used to be majority) confirmation of the Senate.
Section 7: The President of Senate shall appoint members of the Student Body to standing committees of the Board of Trustees at the beginning of each academic year.
Section 8: The President of Senate, may, with the approval of the full Senate, create new Senate offices. Such approval demands a 2/3 vote by the present of voting Senate.
Article IV: Appointed Vice-Presidents
Section 1: The Student Senate Constitution and these Bylaws provide for five mandatory standing committees: Judicial Affairs, Finance, On-Campus Affairs, Off-Campus Affairs, & Senate Affairs. The President of Senate, with the confirmation of the Senate, must appoint at least six non-voting Executive Board Members (five Vice-Presidents, one for each committee, and a Chairperson), to serve on his/her cabinet. In the following five sections, these Bylaws will outline the job responsibilities and duties of each mandatory Vice-President. It is important to note that these descriptions are the minimum requirements for each office and they may be broadened at the discretion of the President of the Senate.
Section 2: Responsibilities for Vice-President of Judicial Affairs
Clause 1. S/he is responsible for reviewing proposed club constitutions to ensure that they meet the Senate requirements outlined in Article V.
Clause 2. In the circumstance that there arises a need to amend or rewrite the Constitution and/or the Bylaws, the VP of Judicial Affairs must oversee the process.
Clause 3. The VP of the Judicial Affairs is the primary (but no exclusive) source for noticing and rectifying problems regarding the constitutionality of Senate proceedings.
Clause 4. In the result of apparent violations of constitutionality in any form of Senate business, the VP of Judicial Affairs would head the investigation committee to provide information to the Chairperson in the case of a Senate hearing on the matter. If the VP of Judicial Affairs is under scrutiny, the President of the Senate will select a person other than the VP of Judicial Affairs to head this committee.
Clause 5. The VP of Judicial Affairs has the power to audit clubs’ constitutions; based on the criterion in Article V, to make sure clubs are meeting Senate’s established criteria and that they are also following their mission statements.
Clause 6. In circumstances where a club is determined to be inactive or has failed to meet Senate criteria for clubs, then the VP of Judicial Affairs is the primary person to motion to repeal a club’s constitution.
Clause 7. The VP of Judicial Affairs is also to work as an advocate for any student desiring assistance or advice when facing disciplinary action or other campus-relate problem.
Clause 8. The VP of Judicial Affairs shall be the chair of the Judicial Affairs Committee.
Section 3: Responsibilities for Vice-President of Finance
Clause 1. The VP of Finance is responsible for making sure all weekly Finance meetings are in order.
Clause 2. The VP of Finance is responsible for presenting SMRs at Senate meetings. S/he must give a clear explanation to the Senate explaining what the request is, how much it is for, what was discussed in the Finance Committee meeting pertaining to the SMR, and which club the SMR is from. The VP of Finance must also give a fair, unbiased proposed dollar recommendation for the requested SMR.
Clause 3. The VP of Finance along with the Treasurer is in charge of the student intern approved by Senate for auditing each club’s budget. The student intern will not be a member of Senate.
Clause 4. The Finance Committee will be in charge of upholding the PARDEZ Resolution. It is under the discretion of the VP of Finance to make changes of the resolution and keep it up-to-date.
Clause 5. The VP of Finance is also responsible for circulating memos pertaining to SMRs approved by the Senate. A detailed memo including the club, the amount requested, the amount passed, and any other pertinent information must be given to the Director of Accounting Services, the Director of Student Activities, the President of Student Senate, the Treasurer of Student Senate, the treasurer of the club that filed the SMR, and a copy to be kept in the given club’s Senate folder for record keeping and future references.
Clause 6. The VP of Finance also has many responsibilities concerning club budgets.
Clause 7. The VP of Finance along with the Treasurer is the chairs of the Finance Committee.
Section 4: Responsibilities of the Vice-President of On-Campus Affairs
Clause 1. The VP of On-Campus Affairs is responsible of heading all Senate-sponsored on-campus events. The On-Campus Committee is responsible for organizing the event, working with the Director of Student Activities (when applicable), properly securing a venue for the event, and advertising for the event.
Clause 2. It is the VP of On-Campus Affairs responsibility to try to conduct as many diverse events as feasible based on available resources and time, to make sure Senate plays an active role in the greater Hartwick community. If possible, based on finances and availability, the On-Campus Committee should try to schedule at least one musical or comedy act per academic year.
Clause 3. The VP of On-Campus Affairs also attempts to amplify the voice of the Hartwick community, advocating opinions and views that are being discussed in the community. In addition, the VP of On-Campus Affairs is responsible for organizing issue-oriented Senate forums when called for by the Executive Board or when appropriate. S/he also may conduct other business to stay in touch with the views expressed in the Hartwick community, i.e. polls, focus groups, etc.
Clause 4. The VP of On-Campus Affairs is the chair of the On-Campus Affairs Committee.
Section 5: Responsibilities of the Vice-President of Off-Campus Affairs
Clause 1. In the same vein as the Vice-President of On-Campus Affairs, the VP of Off-Campus Affairs job is to give Senate the opportunity to favorably represent both Student Senate and Hartwick College to the greater Oneonta community. It is the role of the VP of Off-Campus Affairs to try to coordinate, organize events, community service opportunities, programs, etc. as often as resources and time allow so, to maintaining an open and active involvement with the community.
Clause 2. The VP of Off-Campus Affairs also has the primary ability to organize and coordinate projects and conjunction with other colleges and universities, such as SUNY Oneonta.
Clause 3. The VP of Off-Campus Affairs should strive to coordinate at least one community-geared event and/or Student Senate community service project, if possible, based on available funding, resources, and opportunity.
Clause 4. The VP of Off-Campus Affairs shall be in charge of community service events on and off campus (such as Thanksgiving day baskets). The VP of Off-Campus Affairs shall work with Beyond Boundaries and the Director Student Activities to form and coordinate community service projects.
Clause 4. The VP of Off-Campus Affairs may also take the initiative to serve as an advocate of the opinions and views of Hartwick students residing off-campus. In addition, the VP of Off-Campus Affairs, at the discretion of the President of Student Senate, may serve as a liaison between Senate and All-Greek Council.
Clause 5. The VP of Off-Campus Affairs shall be the chair of the Off-Campus Affairs Committee.
Section 6: Responsibilities of the Vice-President of Senate Affairs
Clause 1. The primary responsibility of the VP of Senate Affairs is to conduct fair and legitimate campus-wide elections when mandated or otherwise applicable. In the case where the VP of Senate Affairs is a candidate in a Senate election, the President of Student Senate will delegate the responsibility for conducting elections.
Clause 2. Secondly, the VP of Senate Affairs will oversee the committee selection process, which is when senators select the committee(s) they will join. His/her role is to ensure all standing committees have met their committee demands as determined by their respective vice-president.
Clause 3. The VP of Senate Affairs also is responsible for organizing Senate activities. These have historically included Senate happy hours for the campus, an awards banquet at the end of the year for Senate-sponsored clubs, etc.
Clause 4. The VP of Senate Affairs will also swear in all members of the Executive Board and the Senate to their respective positions. When a new VP of Senate Affairs is confirmed, s/he will be sworn in by a current member (preferably the existing VP of Senate Affairs) of the Executive Board. Then the newly sworn-in VP of Senate Affairs will then proceed to swear-in all other officers.
Clause 5. Finally, as outlined in Article II of the Bylaws, the VP of Senate Affairs, in conjunction with the Chairperson, will be responsible for reviewing and monitoring attendance, resignations, and replacing vacant seats of the entire Student Senate.
Clause 6. The VP of Senate Affairs shall be the chair of the Senate Affairs Committee.
Section 7: The President of Student Senate, at his/her discretion, has several responsibilities that must be delegated. Any of these following responsibilities maybe delegated to a current Vice-President of a standing committee or to a Vice-President of a new standing committee created by the President (based on guidelines governing the creation of standing committees, Article III). The following mandatory responsibilities to be delegated are:
Section 8: The President is also free to create new traditions, job duties, and standing committees (see Article III) when it is desirable to the Senate and Hartwick community. (Couldn’t this go under the presidents’ job, and responsibility which is not mentioned above) (put into Constitution) (delete)
Article V: Expectations for Senate-sponsored Clubs
Section 1: For a club to be recognized by Senate and to be eligible for Senate funding, a constitution must be presented to the Judicial Affairs Committee. The committee will review the club’s constitution and propose alterations. At the next Senate meeting, the Vice-President of Judicial Affairs will provide copies to the Senate so they can make an informed vote. Based on the constitution, in question, and the Judicial Affairs Committee’s discussion on the matter, the Vice-President of Judicial Affairs will propose a recommendation. The Senate may then vote on the issue, and if the constitution is approved by a majority of the Senate, then the club is recognized by Senate and eligible for funding.
Section 2: The criteria by which a constitution to be judge is spelled out in the document titled “Sample Constitution” which is kept by the Vice-President of Judicial Affairs. This document gives a comprehensive formula and list of essential criteria recommended for composing a constitution.
Section 3: During a Senate discussion on a given constitution, errors may be discovered within that constitution that the Judicial Affairs Committee overlooked. This constitution may still be accepted, using a stipulation that the club will amend the constitution. A proposed stipulation stating that the club will amend the section in question to language that the Senate determines is acceptable in this circumstance. Until the stipulation is met, the constitution is not deemed valid in the eyes of Senate.
Section 4: A club is considered inactive when it has not been an organized unit for two years. If the club has not submitted a budget or has amended their constitution, they shall be considered inactive in the eyes of Student Senate. The club’s constitution may be repealed by the VP of Judicial Affairs.
Section 5: Clubs have the power to amend their constitutions. The minimum standard for amending their constitution is 2/3 of present, voting members. After amending their constitution, the club must send the changes to the Vice-President of Judicial Affairs to put in the club’s Senate folder. However, the Vice-President of Judicial Affairs, as spelled out in Article IV, has the power to audit a club’s constitution. Therefore, amendments that is not consistent with Senate criteria can be questioned by the Judicial Affairs Committee and may be subject to repeal as outlined in Article IV.
Section 1: During a Senate meeting, it might be suggested that Student Senate should address a problem, issue, or concern. If Senate decides, by majority vote, that action is needed, an “Ad-Hoc Committee” will be formed. The Ad-Hoc Committee is open to both members and non-members of Senate. The committee will meet to formulate a plan of action to deal with the problem. The next step is to contact and discuss the issue with involved parties (i.e. petition, forum, letters of support from various segments of Hartwick community, etc.)
Section 2: Before the Ad-Hoc Committee can progress any further and claim they represent the Student Senate on the issue, they must prepare a plan of action and present it to the Senate. This plan of action must outline the problem; the students involved in the committee, and lay out the planned course of action. The Senate discusses and debates the plan and then may vote whether they accept the proposal.
Section 3: If the Senate votes to accept the proposal, the proposal is then presented (by either the committee and/or members of the Executive Board) to the appropriate administrator as a Senate-sponsored issue.
Section 4: If no Ad-Hoc Committee is formed or the issue is voted down, the matter is considered dead, and cannot be pursued by Student Senate or anyone claiming to represent Senate on the issue.
Section 5: At the end of the academic year, the Ad-Hoc Committee will be dead. It may become a standing committee under Article III, Section 5. It also may be added under the responsibilities of one of the appointed Vice-Presidents through the amendment process of these bylaws.
Section 1: Students’ rights concerning Student Senate
The students of Hartwick College have the right to:
Section 2: Organizations’ rights
Senate recognized organizations have the right to:
