We, the undergraduate students and Transitional Year Program students of Brandeis University, to enable students to better provide for the needs of the student body; to help student activities achieve their maximum effectiveness; to provide for meaningful address of student concerns and perspectives through the principle of democratic representation; to exercise our indisputable right to be represented meaningfully in the affairs of the University; to foster observance of the shared goals and ideals of the University community; to develop a sense of responsibility for our own conduct and for the welfare of this University; and to protect the individual and collective rights of students do associate ourselves as an Undergraduate Student Union and do hereby establish this Constitution for the Undergraduate Student Union of Brandeis University.
Article I: SupremacySection 1 The Brandeis University Undergraduate Student Union, hereinafter referred to as the "Union," shall be governed by this Constitution. Section 2 This Constitution shall supersede all other Constitutions, documents, and other related governing instruments of the Union Government and all Union Organizations. Section 3 This Constitution shall be enacted in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, and University policies, but the Union Government shall not be responsible for the enforcement of such laws and policies. Section 4 A Union member will be defined as a currently registered, degree-seeking undergraduate student, including students on Study Abroad and on Domestic Leave with Credit Programs, or a student enrolled in the Transitional Year Program. Section 5 All members of the Union, as defined In Article I, Section 4, shall have the right to vote.
Article II: Union SenateSection 1 The legislative powers of the Union shall be vested in the Union Senate, hereinafter referred to as the "Senate." The Senate shall:
Section 2 The Union Senate shall be composed of the Union Vice-President, two Union Senators at-large, each elected by the membership of the entire Union, two Union Senators from each graduating class each elected by the members of his/her class, one Union Senator from each residential quadrangle elected by Union residents of his/her residential quadrangle, one Union Senator from an off-campus residence elected by Union members living off campus, one Union Senator for Racial Minority Students, and one Union Senator for Transitional Year Program students elected by members of the Transitional Year Program. There will also be one Union Senator elected by members of the most recent Mid-Year class to enter Brandeis as of January that academic year. The term of each position shall be one year, as defined in Article IX, with the exception of the Mid-Year Senator position. At the beginning of the spring semester, the newest Mid-Year class will elect their representative to serve for the rest of the academic year. The Senate shall be the sole judge of what constitutes a residential quadrangle for the purposes of Union representation, and who qualifies as a resident thereof. The Union Senator for Racial Minority Students shall be elected by a majority vote of all Union members who have declared themselves to the University as being racial minority students. Section 3 Each Union Senator shall have one vote. The Union Vice-President shall cast a vote only when that vote will affect the outcome of a decision. Section 4 The Executive Senator shall be the Secretary of the Senate, with responsibilities as defined in the By-Laws. The term of the Executive Senator shall be one semester. The Executive Senator shall:
Article III: Union Executive OfficeSection 1 The executive powers of the Union shall be vested in the Union Executive Office. It shall be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Union and carrying out the operations of the Union Government, in accordance with the Constitution, By-Laws, all Senate legislation, and all Student Judiciary decisions. Section 2 The Union President, hereinafter referred to as "President," shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Union. The President shall be elected by the membership of the entire union for a term of one year as defined in Article IX. The President shall:
Section 3 The Union Vice-President, hereinafter referred to as "Vice-President," shall be the President and Presiding Officer of the Senate. The Vice-President shall be elected by the membership of the entire Union for a term of one year as defined in Article IX. The Vice-President shall:
Section 4 The Union Treasurer, hereinafter referred to as "Treasurer," shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Union. The Treasurer shall be elected by the membership of the entire union for a term of one year as defined in Article IX. The Treasurer shall:
Section 5 The Union Secretary, hereinafter referred to as "Secretary," shall be the Chief Operations Officer of the Union. The Secretary shall be elected by the membership of the entire union for a term of one year as defined in Article IX. The Secretary shall:
Section 6 All Union documents and records shall be public knowledge and made available for inspection to any member of the Union by the Secretary. Section 7 The order of ascendancy to the Presidency in case of a vacancy or absence shall be:
If all positions of Union Executive Office mentioned in this Constitution shall become vacant, new Executive Elections shall be held. Until that time, the Executive Senator shall serve as interim Union President and shall be responsible for appointing an Elections Commissioner to oversee these elections. Article IV: Student JudiciarySection 1 The judicial powers of the Union shall be vested in a Student Judiciary. The Student Judiciary shall have jurisdiction in disagreements:
The Student Judiciary shall approach disagreements in the following ways:
The members of the Student Judiciary shall decide cases based on the following factors listed in order of primacy: the union constitution, relevant precedent (de facto and de jure) and their own good sense Section 2 The Student Judiciary shall consist of one Chief Justice, four Associate Justices, and one Clerk of the Court. All Justices shall be elected by the membership of the entire union for a term of one year as defined in Article IX. The Chief Justice shall be elected by a majority vote of the five Union Justices by secret ballot. The Chief Justice shall be responsible for proper conduct of all business of the Student Judiciary, including the calling of and presiding at all sessions. Should the Chief Justice not be able to carry out his or her duties for a temporary period of time, a justice chosen by a majority vote of the remaining Justices shall fulfill his/her responsibilities until such time as the Chief Justice can resume those responsibilities. The Justices will appoint one Public Defender for the academic year. Section 3 The Clerk of the Court shall also be elected by a majority vote of the five elected Union Justices. S/he shall be a full time undergraduate or Transitional Year Program Student during his or her term. The term of the Clerk of the Court shall be one year and shall expire during the end of the school year. Should the Clerk of the Court not be able to carry out his or her duties, for a temporary time, a new Clerk will be appointed by the Chief Justice. The Clerk of the Court is responsible for all pre-trial duties including but not limited to: collection of evidence, establishing and coordinating dates, collection of all pre-trial documents. S/he is required to present all material to the Chief Justice by 5:00 p.m., the class day prior to the hearing. Section 4 A written complaint, which levies specific charges, must be presented to the Clerk of the Court for a case to be heard. The Student Judiciary shall be compelled to hear a case if one justice grants certiorari. The case shall be heard within five academic days of its presentation to the Clerk of the Court, contingent upon certiorari, unless both parties agree to a date after this period. Section 5 A Justice shall have the right to excuse him/herself from hearings of any case where s/he is directly involved, or where a reasonable conflict of interest exist or is perceived. During impeachment hearings in which a Justice is directly involved, he or she must excuse his or herself from the hearing. Section 6 A quorum of four Justices is necessary for an official session of the Student Judiciary unless one or more of the Justices has excused him/herself from hearing the case. In such a situation, a quorum shall be four minus the number of excused Justices. Section 7 The Student Judiciary shall, by majority vote, establish its own standing rules of order which will govern the procedures for hearings. These rules must be provided in writing to all parties to a case brought before the Student Judiciary prior to the hearing of that case. The By-Laws shall not govern the conduct of the Student Judiciary. Section 8 The Student Judiciary must release a written explanation of all decisions to the Union membership no later than five academic days after the hearing. Section 9 The Student Judiciary shall decide all cases by a majority vote of the Justices present and voting. If a majority cannot be reached on a particular charge or motion, the Justices may decide to reargue the case or dismiss it. Section 10 All decisions of the Student Judiciary shall be final and binding. The Student Judiciary shall have the power to specify any and all measures appropriate to the execution of its decisions. The President shall have the responsibility to execute Student Judiciary decisions. Section 11 The Student Judiciary shall be the final arbiter of all Union Government elections. The Student Judiciary may issue an injunction prohibiting the continuance of election proceedings for no more than ten academic days. Specific written charges must be submitted to the Clerk of the Court along with the injunction request for such a request to be considered. The Student Judiciary may order an election to be re-run if it finds that the Constitution or other elections rules have been violated so as to unfairly negatively impact the campaign of one or more candidates, or if an election rule itself is found to have unconstitutionally negatively impacted the campaign of one or more candidates. An order to re-run an election must be issued within five academic days of the original election. Section 12 All hearings of the Student Judiciary shall be open to the public. The Student Judiciary may, by a unanimous vote of members prior to or during the hearing, choose to close a particular hearing to the public if information regarding the identities of participants, or about the case in general, is deemed so sensitive as to be inappropriate for public knowledge or if the presence of the public is deemed to have a negative impact on the hearing. The Student Judiciary shall, by a majority vote of the members, have the right to re-open a hearing. The Student Judiciary shall always release a full written explanation of the case and the decision to the Union membership; Justices may, however, omit particular names by unanimous consent in the interest of propriety. Article V: Finance BoardSection 1 The Union shall establish a Finance Board, which shall allocate the Finance Board Allocations Fund to Chartered and Secured Organizations in accordance with this Constitution and its By-laws and which shall oversee and supervise the financial affairs of all such Chartered and Secured Organizations. Section 2 The Finance Board shall consist of the Treasurer, a Representative for Racial Minority Students, a member appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and four additional members, each of which shall be elected for a one-year term by the Union membership, as defined in Article IX. The Finance Board Member for Racial Minority Students shall be elected by a majority vote of all Union members who have declared themselves to the University as being racial minority students. Section 3 By majority vote, the members of the Finance Board shall elect from such members a Chair, who shall be ultimately responsible for the conduct and operations of the Finance Board. The Treasurer shall not serve as chairperson. By majority vote, the members of the Finance Board shall also establish rules of order and policies in accordance with this Constitution and the Bylaws. Said rules shall become Union documents in accordance with Article III, Section 6. Newly elected Finance Board members shall undergo a mandatory two-week training prior to the end of the semester. This training must include a review of the Treasurer’s manual, which is composed of the Finance board and Treasury by-laws. Any Finance By-Law amendment must be made during or after this training process by both the current Finance Board and the Finance Board Elect. Said rules shall become Union documents in accordance with Article III, Section 6. Section 4 The Finance Board shall assist the Treasurer in overseeing the financial matters of all Chartered and Secured Organizations funded through the Finance Board Allocations Fund as defined in Article VII, Section 6 of this Constitution. Such oversight shall include, but is not limited to:
All candidates for Treasurer must go through mandatory training prior to election. Starting with the 2011-2012 Student Union elections, candidates for Treasurer must: - Announce interest four weeks prior to the election and - Undergo mandatory four week training prior to election Only current Assistant Treasurers may be exempt from training Section 5 The President shall have the power to veto any specific allocation decision made by the Finance Board, in accordance with the time constraints as specified in the Bylaws. Any such presidential veto may, in accordance with the time constraints as specified in the Bylaws, be overturned by a two-thirds vote of all of the members of the Finance Board. Section 6 In allocating funds to Secured Organizations, the Finance Board may not withhold reasonable operating expenses consistent with the approved purpose of a Secured Organziation below the baseline allocations articulated in Article VII, Section 6. The Finance Board may count unspent funds allocated in previous years to a Secured Organization that are currently in the custody of said organziation toward the designated minimum level stipulated in Article VII, Section 6. Article VI: Union OrganizationsSection 1
Section 2 Only Chartered and Secured Organizations shall be eligible to receive funding from the Finance Board Allocations Fund, as hereafter defined, in accordance with this Constitution and its Bylaws. The Justice shall not have the ability to request money via the Finance Board Allocations Fund. Section 3 The rights of Union Organizations to endorse specific candidates or take a position regarding specific issues in accordance with this Constitution shall not be abridged. Section 4 The criteria Chartered and Recognized Organizations must meet, and the process by which they are chartered or recognized shall be established in the By-Laws. Section 5 Secured Organizations shall not pay salaries to Brandeis students. Wages or stipends may be paid only upon the authorization of the Treasurer. The Treasurer's decision shall not prevent a Secured Organization from fulfilling its function as mandated by the student body in the organization's approved purpose on record with the Secretary. The Treasurer may only approve wages or stipends for services that are necessary for the execution of a Secured Organization's approved purpose as mandated by the student body. Section 6 The Senate shall reserve the right to establish additional regulations regarding all Union Organizations, with the exception of the Justice (except as authorized in this Constitution), in accordance with this Constitution. Article VII: Union FinancesSection 1 The University shall assess to all members of the Union, excluding students who are on Study Abroad Programs and students who are on Domestic Leave with Credit Programs, a Student Activities Fee on behalf of the Student Union. The Student Activities Fee shall consist of:
Section 2 The Union Activities Fee shall be used to fund the activities and operations of the Union and all Union Organizations, and shall only be used in furtherance of the stated purpose of such organizations. In the event of non-compliance by any such organization with the requirements and provisions of this Constitution or its Bylaws, the Treasurer may either withhold from such organization its respective portion of the Union Activities Fee or may freeze such organizations finances. Such decisions may be appealed to the Student Judiciary. Section 3 The Student Government Administrative Fee (hereinafter Administrative Fee) shall exist to fund the full-time position of the Student Union Administrative Assistant (hereinafter, Administrator). The Administrative Fee shall be determined by the Treasurer on behalf of the President, and shall be presented before the Senate for ratification by a 2/3 vote. Such presentation shall occur before the end of each academic year for the following year. The Administrative Fee shall be used solely to fund the position of the Student Union Administrative Assistant, a University employee who may not be a member of the Union. Section 4 The Treasurer shall bear ultimate responsibility for the distribution of the Student Activities Fee in accordance with this Constitution and the Bylaws. Notwithstanding such responsibility, the Treasurer may transfer and assign to the Administrator of the Student Activities Fee all administrative and bookkeeping responsibilities associated with the Student Activities Fee. In no event shall the Treasurer delegate to such member of University staff policy making and/or rule making responsibilities related to the Student Activities Fee. Section 5 All fixed amounts received by organizations or funds in the 2006-2007 academic year as stipulated in Article VII, Section 6 shall increase at a rate proportional to the most recent yearly increase of the Consumer Price Index as published by the US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics each year. Section 6
Brandeis University Memorandum of Understanding between the Brandeis Student Union & the Division of Students & Enrollment Club Sports Funding Agreement
Introduction This agreement seeks to create a Club Sports Program under the auspices of the Department of Athletics that is funded by the Department of Athletics and by a portion of the Student Activities Fee (SAF). The Department of Athletics and the Student Union both have a vested interest in the Club Sports program, and therefore, will work together to ensure its complete success. The Department of Athletics will oversee the structure of the program and work with the clubs to plan and budget on a long-term basis. The Finance Board will maintain its role as a funding source for Club Sports by reviewing the budget and allocating SAF money for specific club sports activities. The Department of Athletics will also contribute funding to the program. By collaborating on this effort as outlined below, the Student Union and the Department of Athletics can be certain that this program will run successfully and smoothly.
Club Sports Council A Club Sports Council will be formed to work with the Club Sports Coordinator in the administration of the Club Sports Program. The exact makeup of the council will be determined through discussions between club sport leaders and the Department of Athletics.
Funding Process Each year in March, each club sports team will work in conjunction with the Club Sports Council, the Club Sports Coordinator, and the Department of Athletics to prepare an operating budget for the following academic year. Once this internal budgeting process is complete, the Club Sports Council will present a full budget for the Club Sports Program to the Finance Board. The Finance Board will discuss the budget with the Club Sports Council and allocate money to the individual clubs on a line-item basis for coaching fees, referee fees, league registration fees, and tournament fees.
The Finance Board will have the ability to fully or partially fund other aspects of the club sports program if it views the extra request(s) to be within the purpose of the club and in the interest of the Brandeis Community.
Fund Distribution Process The Student Union Treasurer will transfer to the Department of Athletics the administrative and bookkeeping responsibilities associated with the allocated funds. The Department of Athletics will then ensure the distribution of the funds. If, at the end of the fiscal year, funds remain, they will be spent in a manner to be determined through discussions between the Club Sports Council and the Finance Board.
Section 7 There shall exist a Senior Programs Fee, which shall be $27 for the Academic Year 2003-2004. This fee shall increase at a rate equivalent to 2/3 the percentage increase in tuition. This fee shall be collected from seniors by the University. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the distribution of the Senior Programs Fee. The Senate shall establish rules in the By-Laws governing the use of this fee. Section 8 All Union Organizations that receive funds from the Union Activities Fee, including all Secured Organizations, shall designate one member as the Financial Liaison for such organization. The Treasurer shall consider this Financial Liaison to be the fiscal authority for each such organization, and shall communicate on financial matters with such Liaison. The Financial Liaison shall be responsible for the compliance of their organization with the fiscal policies of the Union, including the preparation of all required financial information as specified below. Should any Union Organization fail to designate a Financial Liaison, the Treasurer shall either withhold from such organization its respective portion of the Union Activities Fee or shall freeze such organization's finances. Section 9 Each semester, the Treasurer and the Chair of the Finance Board shall conduct at least two training workshops on fiscal matters and policies of the Union including all required financial information and reporting. Each Financial Liaison is required to attend at least one of the two workshops. Should any Union Organization fail to send its trained Financial Liaison to said workshops, the Treasurer may either withhold from such organization its respective portion of the Union Activities Fee or, if such funding has previously been received, refuse to disburse further from such funding. Section 10 Prior to receiving any funding from the Union Activities Fee, all Union Organizations, including including the Justice, shall fully disclose to the Treasurer and/or the Chair of the Finance Board the following:
The form and manner of reporting of all such items of required financial information shall be prescribed by the Treasurer with the assistance of the Chair of the Finance Board. All such required financial information shall be Union documents in accordance with Article III, Section 6. In the event any Union Organization either refuses to disclose the required financial information or omits from such information any material matter, the Treasurer shall have the authority to withhold, from such organization its respective portion of the Union Activities Fee, or if such funding has previously been received, refuse to disburse further from such funding. In addition, the Treasurer may order such organization into temporary receivership until such time as the disclosures are either made and/or corrected. Such actions may be appealed to the Student Judiciary. Section 11 No later than one month following the start of each academic semester, the Treasurer shall present to the Senate an accounting review of the collection, distribution and final allocation of the Union Activities Fee during the prior academic semester. The semester review, once presented to the Senate, shall be a Union document in accordance with Article III, Section 6. Section 12 At the conclusion of each academic semester all Finance Board Allocations Fund monies that remain unclaimed, and/or unallocated to Union Organizations, shall revert to the Finance Board for future allocation in a manner consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws. The Finance Board may extend the availability of allocated funds to Union Organizations for a second semester at or after the instance of initial allocation in a manner constitent with the Constitution and By-Laws. At the conclusion of each Fall academic semester all Union Government funds that remain unallocated or unexpended, shall revert to the Union Government for future allocation in a manner consistent with the Constitution and By-laws. Union Government Funds that remain unallocated or unspent at the conclusion of each Spring Semester shall be redistributed to the Finance Board for allocation in a manner consistent with the Constitution and By-Laws. Section 13 The Treasurer shall create a Capital Expenditures and Emergency Fund, hereinafter referred to as the CapEx Fund, to ensure the stability of the Union's financial affairs and allocations. The CapEx Fund shall be funded by the Treasurer at a rate of $10,000 per semester directly from the Union Activities Fee after its collection by the University and prior to distribution by to the Justice Printing Expenses, Finance Board Allocations, and Union Government Funds, until such times that the fund achieves a balance of $150,000. At such times that the fund reaches a balance of $140,000 or more, the Treasurer shall fund the CapEx Fund with such a semester allocation that the CapEx Fund achieves a balance of $150,000. The Finance Board shall be responsible for allocation of all monies from the CapEx Fund, in a manner consistent with the Constitution and By-Laws. The Finance Board may additionally fund the CapEx Fund in excess of the Treasurer's contribution from any funds that have reverted to the control of the Board from other funds or sources, provided that the balance of the Fund remains at $150,000 or below. To ensure the stability of the Finance Board's allocations, the Board may allocate from the CapEx Fund for non-recurring or emergency requests of $5000 or more from Union Chartered and Secured Organizations, provided that such groups do not possess sufficient funds in their accounts to cover such expenses. Article VIII: Union RepresentationSection 1 There shall be at least two student representatives to the Board of Trustees, each selected by the membership of the Union for a term of two years. Each representative shall attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees and all assigned committees. There shall be at least one junior and at least one senior representative at all times Section 2 There shall be two student representatives to the Alumni Association, each elected by the membership of the Union for a term of two years. Each representative shall attend all meetings of the Alumni Association and all assigned committees. There shall be one junior and one senior representative at all times. Section 3 There shall be three student representatives to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Two representatives shall be elected by the membership of the Union, and the third representative shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The term of each elected representative shall last for two years. There shall be one junior and one senior representative. The appointed representative shall have a term of one year. Each representative shall attend all meetings of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Section 4 All representatives specifically mentioned in this Constitution shall attend the Senate meeting immediately prior to the meeting of the body to which they are representatives and the Senate meeting immediately following that meeting. Section 5 The Senate shall have the power to create additional positions of Union representation. The Senate shall create such positions only for specific purposes, for example establishing representative positions to University bodies. Such positions and the responsibilities of each position shall be established in the By-Laws. The President shall reserve sole power to appoint individuals to such positions of Union representation, except for positions for which the By-Laws call for an election by the entire student body. All Presidential appointments shall be subject to Senate confirmation. Section 6 The President shall reserve all powers of Union representation not specifically granted elsewhere in the Constitution or By-Laws. The President may, at his/her discretion, confer all or part of his/her powers of Union representation to individuals to act on his/her behalf, for specific purposes only. The President shall identify, upon request, any and all individuals exercising powers of Union representation on his/her behalf. This power shall not in any way be construed so as to interfere with the duty or ability of the Vice-President to assume the full powers of the Presidency in the true absence of the President. Article IX: Union ElectionsSection 1 To be eligible to run for an elected Union office, a student must be:
A candidate for an office must be a voting member of the constituency that the office represents. Section 2 There shall exist four regular elections for Union offices during the academic year.
The Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary may, in a written statement, change these elections timetables in the event of compelling circumstances. Section 3 No endorsements shall be made for candidates for Member of the Finance Board or Associate Justice of the Student Judiciary at any time. Section 4
Section 5 No person may hold more than one Union Government office simultaneously nor may one person be a candidate for two positions in the same election. Candidates who ran unsuccessfully for a position in the First Spring Election shall be eligible to run for a position in the Second Spring Election. Section 6 1. By August 2011, or any earlier date, the Union shall use the instant runoff voting method of determining winners in elections. The method produces a majority winner in a single election by simulating a series of runoff elections. All first choices are counted, and if any candidate receives a majority of first choices, that candidate is elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and all ballots are recounted as one vote for each voter's highest-ranked candidate who has not been eliminated. The process of eliminating candidates and recounting ballots continues until one candidate receives a majority. 2. Ballot Counting a. The first choice marked on each ballot shall be counted initially by election officials. If any candidate receives a majority of the first choices, that candidate shall be declared elected. b. If no candidate receives a majority of first choices, the Secretary shall conduct the instant runoff consisting of additional rounds of ballot counting. In every round of counting, each ballot is counted as one vote for that ballot's highest ranked advancing candidate. "Advancing candidate" means a candidate for that office who has not been eliminated. A candidate receiving a majority of valid votes in a round is declared elected. c. If no candidate receives a majority of valid votes in a round, the candidate with the fewest votes shall be eliminated, and all ballots shall be recounted. This process of eliminating the candidate with the fewest votes and recounting all ballots shall continue until one candidate receives a majority of the valid votes in a round. d. If a ballot has no more available choices ranked on it, that ballot shall be declared "exhausted" and not counted in that round or any subsequent round. Ballots skipping one number shall be counted for that voter's next clearly indicated choice, but ballots skipping more than one number will be declared exhausted when this skipping of numbers is reached. Ballots with two or more of the same number shall be declared exhausted when such duplicate rankings are reached unless only one of the candidates with the duplicate ranking is an advancing candidate. e. Abstain shall be an option on all union ballots. If there is a tie between a candidate and abstain, then the candidate will be declared the winner of the election. If abstain receives the greatest number of votes during a final election, than there will be a vacancy in the office until the next election, except in the case of the President in which new elections will be held five academic days later. Section 7 The Secretary shall serve as the Chief of Elections for all Union Elections.
Section 8 If an elected official can no longer serve the remainder of his/her term for any reason, s/he shall be replaced in the following manner, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution:
Section 9 If an appointed official can no longer serve the remainder of his/her term for any reason, s/he shall be replaced in the manner s/he was appointed. Article X: Removal from OfficeSection 1 An elected official's constituency shall have the right to recall that official. A petition signed by fifteen percent of an elected official's total constituency shall mandate a recall vote.
Section 2 It shall be the right of the Senate to impeach any elected Union Government official for breach of his/her constitutional duties.
Section 3 Any individual holding an appointed Union Executive Office or position of Union representation may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. Such a vote shall be announced at a meeting of the Senate and the actual vote shall take place at the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting. Article XI: PetitionsSection 1 Any issue upon which members of the Union wish to express a formal opinion may be presented for consideration in a petition. Petitions may not be amendments to the Union Constitution. Section 2 Petitions shall be registered with the Secretary. In order for a petition to be registered, it shall:
Section 3 In order for a petition to be validated by the Secretary, it must be signed by at least fiteen percent of the members of the Union. Each signed must state his/her name, class year, and telephone number. Section 4 Once a petition has been officially validated by the Secretary, it becomes the property of the Union Government and may not be altered in any way. Section 5 At the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting following validation, there shall:
Section 6 The petition vote shall occur within fifteen academic days after the presenation of the petition to the Senate. At least eight academic days prior to the Union vote, the Union Secretary shall announce to all members of the Union and all Union media a description of the petition. Section 7 The sponsors of the petition shall submit to the Secretary an argument FOR the petition. Members of the Union shall have the right to submit an argument AGAINST the petition, if they so choose. These arguments must be submitted to the Secretary at least 48 hours prior to the vote. Section 8 The ballot for a petition shall contain:
Section 9 In order to become the official opinion of the Union, a simple majority of the total number of votes cast must be IN FAVOR of the petition. Abstentions shall not be included in the total number of votes when determining a majority. Section 10 The Union Secretary shall certify the results of the petition no later than five academic days following the end of the voting period. Article XII: AmendmentsSection 1 A Union Constitutional amendment proposal shall be registered with the Secretary. In order for an amendment proposal to be registered, it shall:
Section 2 In order for an amendment proposal to be validated by the Secretary, it shall:
Section 3 Once a proposal for an amendment referendum has been officially presented to the Secretary, it becomes the property of the Union Government and may not be altered in any way. Section 4 At the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting following validation, there shall:
Section 5 The amendment referendum vote shall occur within fifteen academic days after the presentation of the amendment referendum proposal to the Senate. At least eight academic days prior to the Union vote, the Union Secretary shall announce to all members of the Union and all Union media a description of the amendment. Section 6 The sponsors of the amendment shall submit to the Secretary an argument FOR the amendment. Members of the Union shall have the right to submit an argument AGAINST the petition, if they so choose. These arguments must be submitted to the Secretary at least 48 hours prior to the vote. Section 7 The ballot for an amendment referendum shall contain:
Section 8 The amendment referendum shall amend existing wording in this constitution if two-thirds of the total number of votes cast are IN FAVOR if the amendment. Abstentions shall not be included in the total number of votes when determining the number of required votes. Section 9 The Union Secretary shall certify the results of the amendment no later than five academic days following the end of the voting period. Article XIII: Constitutional ReviewSection 1 Every four years there shall be established an independent Constitutional Review Task Force charged with conducting a full review of all aspects of the Union, including the operation of clubs, Secured Organizations, and Union Government. The assemblage of this taskforce will be the responsibility of the president or his/her designated representative. The responsible party shall make a good faith effort to contact all constituencies named in Section 2 in order to assemble the task force. The members of the task force must be finalized within two (2) weeks of the first round of regular fall elections.” Section 2 This task force shall be composed of one representative from each of the following constituencies, elected or appointed by their respective constituencies:
Should one of the constituencies be unable or unwilling to select a representative, the task force shall proceed without a member of that constituency. Instead, the President will appoint another at-large member to the committee. All constituencies must have submitted a representative within two (2) weeks of the first round of regular fall elections. Section 3 The task force shall also be composed of the following representatives, appointed by the President:
If a constituency named in Section 2 fails to put forth an individual for the task force, the Union President may appoint an individual to represent that constituency. Section 4 The President shall name one undergraduate member of the task force as chair. Section 5 All appointments shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. Section 6 The task force shall establish its own standing rules of order:
Section 7 The task force final report shall include:
The task force final report shall be a Union document. Section 8 The task force shall not be subject to review or oversight by the President, Senate, or Finance Board. Disputes regarding the actions of the task force may be brought before the Student Judiciary.
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