Student Union Constitution

Preamble
Supremacy
Union Senate
Union Executive Office
Union Judiciary
Union Allocations Board
Union Organizations
Union Finances
Union Representation
Union Elections
Removal From Office
Petitions
Amendments

Preamble

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: Supremacy

Section 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.

Article II: Union Senate

Section 1

The legislative powers of the Union shall be vested in the Union Senate, hereinafter referred to as the "Senate." The Senate shall:

Represent and reflect through legislation views of the members of the Union.
Enact legislation consistent with the purposes set forth in this Constitution.
Establish and maintain Union Government By-Laws, hereinafter referred to as "By-Laws," to specify the means by which the Union Government will fulfill its Constitutional duties and exercise its Constitutional powers. These By-Laws shall remain consistent with this Constitution.
Approve the creation of Union Chartered Organizations and Union Recognized Organizations.
Confirm Union Presidential appointments to Union Executive Office positions and positions of Union representation by a simple majority.
Ratify the Union Government Operations Budget for each semester.
Reserve all powers not specifically granted elsewhere in this Constitution.

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.

The term of each position shall be one year, as defined in Article IX.

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:

Be a regularly elected member of the Senate.
Be the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, presiding over Senate meetings at the discretion, or in the absence, of the Union Vice-President. In such a situation, the Senate shall select a Senator to serve as Secretary.
Serve as an advocate for individual Union Senators and as a resource to help Senators carry out their responsibilities.
Serve as the Senate liaison to the Union Executive Office.
Assume the Senate duties of the Union Vice-President if that office becomes vacant.

Article III: Union Executive Office

Section 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 Union 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:

Be ultimately responsible for upholding the Constitution and By-Laws.
Be ultimately responsible for the operations of the Union Executive Office.
Have the authority to introduce and sponsor proposed Senate legislation.
Reserve the power to veto specific allocations of the Union Allocations Board, in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws.
Be ultimately responsible for the execution of Senate legislation, Union Allocations Board decisions, and Union Judiciary decisions.
Present charges on behalf of the Union against any Union Organization or Union Government official for failure to act in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws, as applicable.
Establish and appoint presiding officers and members to Union task forces necessary to the execution of the Union Constitution and By-Laws and Senate legislation.
Have the power to write and sign checks on behalf of the Union. The President shall not have the authority to initiate any expenditures not previously authorized by the Senate or the Union Allocations Board.
Create additional Union Executive Office positions and nominate appointees to fill such positions.
Communicate and/or meet with the President of the University at least twice each semester.
Communicate a State of the Union message to the Union membership at least once each semester.
Serve as non-voting chair of the Secured Allocations Funded Organization Board.

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:

Set and publish the schedule for Senate meetings for the entire academic year, and call special meetings of the Senate as necessary.
Establish special committees of the Senate as necessary.
Assign members and appoint chairs to all standing and special committees of the Senate.
Assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President, or in the event the office becomes vacant.

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:

Act as the comptroller of all Union funds in accordance with this Constitution, the Union Government Budget, and Union Allocations Board decisions.
Maintain all financial records of the Union, including Union Organization budgets.
Have the power to write and sign checks on behalf of the Union. The Treasurer shall not have the authority to initiate any expenditures not previously authorized by the Senate or the Union Allocations Board.
Serve as a member of the Union Allocations Board.
Serve as an ex officio member of the Secured Allocations Funded Organization Board.
Draft and submit a Union Government Budget each semester, on behalf of the President, to be ratified by the Senate.

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:

Execute or oversee the daily operations of the Union Government.
Maintain an accurate record of amendments to this Constitution and the By-Laws.
Maintain Union documents and records including but not limited to Senate legislation, Union Judiciary decisions, records of the Union Executive Office, and Union Organization administrative documents.
Oversee and certify all Union elections, petition referenda, and amendment referenda.

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:

Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary

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: Union Judiciary

Section 1

The judicial powers of the Union shall be vested in a Union Judiciary. The Union Judiciary shall have jurisdiction in disagreements:

Between Union Organizations.
Between a member of the Union and a Union Organization.
Between a member of the Union and a Union Government official.
Between the Union and a Union Government official.
Between the Union and a Union Organization.
Between the Union and a member of the Union.
On the constitutionality of any Union Government legislation, decision, or action.
On any and all other questions of constitutionality within the Union.

Section 2

The Union 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 Union 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.

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 Union 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 Union 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 Union 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 Union Judiciary prior to the hearing of that case. The By-Laws shall not govern the conduct of the Union Judiciary.

Section 8

The Union 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 Union 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 Union Judiciary shall be final and binding. The Union 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 Union Judiciary decisions.

Section 11

The Union Judiciary shall be the final arbiter of all Union Government elections.

The Union 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 Union 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 Union Judiciary shall be open to the public. The Union 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 Union Judiciary shall, by a majority vote of the members, have the right to re-open a hearing. The Union 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: Union Allocations Board

Section 1

There shall be established a Union Allocations Board, hereinafter referred to as the "Allocations Board," to distribute Union Government funds to Union Chartered Organizations in accordance with this Constitution and By-Laws.

Section 2

The Allocations Board shall consist of the Treasurer, the Allocations Board Member for Racial Minority Students, a member appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and four additional members elected to the Allocations Board for one year terms by the Union membership, as defined in Article IX.

The Allocations 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.

The chairperson of the Allocations Board shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the Allocations Board. The Treasurer shall not serve as chairperson.

The Allocations Board shall establish its own standing rules of order by majority vote in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws.

Section 3

The President shall have the authority to veto specific allocations of the Allocations Board. These line-item vetoes may be overruled by a two-thirds vote of the Allocations Board.

Article VI: Union Organizations

Section 1

There shall be three distinct types of Union Organizations: Union Secured Allocations Funded Organizations, hereinafter referred to as "SAF Organizations," Union Chartered Organizations, and Union Recognized Organizations.

The SAF Organizations shall be Archon, Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps, the Justice, Student Events, The Waltham Group, the Watch, and WBRS. The purpose of an SAF Organization shall be to provide services to the Union deemed by the Union membership to be important enough to warrant a guaranteed percentage of the Student Activities Fee without the need to rely on a Senate charter or Allocations Board funding. Addition or removal of an SAF Organization, or a permanent change in the percentage of the Student Activities Fee received by one or more SAF Organizations shall be effected only through an amendment to this Constitution.

The criteria Union Chartered Organizations and Union Recognized Organizations must meet and the process by which they are chartered or recognized shall be established in the By-Laws.

SAF Organizations shall not pay salaries or stipends to Brandeis students. Wages may be paid upon the approval of the Student Union Treasurer.

The Treasurer's decision shall not prevent an SAF 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 for services that are necessary for the execution of an SAF Organization's approved purpose as mandated by the Student Body.

Section 2

The Senate shall reserve the right to establish additional regulations regarding Union Chartered Organizations and Union Recognized Organizations in accordance with this Constitution. The Senate shall not have the authority to regulate SAF Organizations.

Section 3

The right 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

There shall exist an SAF Organization Board to discuss issues of concern to SAF Organizations.

The SAF Organization Board shall be composed of two representatives from each SAF Organization. The President shall serve as chairperson of the SAF Organization Board and shall not have a vote. The Treasurer shall serve as an ex officio member of the SAF Organization Board and shall not have a vote.

The SAF Organization Board shall meet at least once each semester. The President shall call all meetings of the SAF Organization Board.

The SAF Organization Board shall, by majority vote, establish its own standing rules of order to govern procedures of its meetings, in accordance with this Constitution.

Article VII: Union Finances

Section 1

There shall exist a Student Activities Fee to fund the activities and operations of the Union:

The Student Activities Fee shall be assessed to all members of the Union.
The Student Activities Fee shall be equal to 1% of tuition.
The Student Activities Fee shall be collected by the University.
The Treasurer shall be the agent of the Union in the collection and distribution of the Student Activities Fee from the University.
Student Activities Fee money shall be used in accordance with this Constitution.

Section 2

The Student Activities Fee shall be distributed each semester, as early in the semester as possible. The Student Activities Fee shall be distributed as follows:

Archon 8.35%
Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps 3.14%
BTV 1.87%
The Justice 6.08%
Student Events 22.47%
Union Government 47.34%
WBRS 8.97%
Waltham Group 1.79%

Section 3

The Union Government shall be required to reserve at least 80.2% of the money it receives from the Student Activities Fee for distribution by the Allocations Board.

Section 4

The SAF Organization Board shall have the authority at the beginning of each semester to redistribute the money dedicated to SAF Organizations for that semester. Such a redistribution requires the unanimous consent of the SAF Organization Board and is in effect only for one semester but may be renewed.

Section 5

Each SAF Organization shall submit to the Treasurer at the beginning of each semester a full and detailed report of all monies used by them in the previous semester, and a detailed budget for use of all Union monies in the current semester. These reports shall become Union documents and shall be made available to the membership of the Union upon request.

Section 6

Charges of mis-feasance, mal-feasance, or non-feasance of Union funds by an SAF Organization shall be brought before the SAF Organization Board which, if satisfied by the charges, shall have the authority to withhold funding from the SAF Organization in question until the matter has been resolved. SAF Organization Board decisions may be appealed to the Union Judiciary.

Section 7

Union Chartered Organizations shall have the exclusive right to request funding from the Allocations Board.

Section 8

There shall exist a Senior Programs Fee.

The Senior Programs Fee shall be $23 for Academic Year 1998-1999. 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 collection and the distribution of the Senior Programs Fee. The Senate shall establish rules in the By-Laws governing the use of these fees.

Article VIII: Union Representation

Section 1

There shall be two student representatives to the Board of Trustees, each elected 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 one junior and 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 University 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 Elections

Section 1

To be eligible to run for an elected Union office, a student must be:

An undergraduate student of Brandeis University or student in the Transitional Year Program.
A full-time Brandeis University student for the period in which s/he will hold office.

Section 2

There shall exist four regular elections for Union offices during the academic year. Fall Elections shall take place between the the second and fifth Wednesday after the first academic day. The Winter Elections may take place between the second and fourth Wednesday after the first academic day of the spring semester. First Spring Elections shall take place between the eighth and eleventh Wednesday after the first academic day of the spring semester. The Second Spring Elections shall take place at least five academic days following First Spring Elections but no more than 15 academic days. The Chief Justice of the Union Judiciary may, in a written statement, change these elections timetables in the event of compelling circumstances.

Section 3

Elections for the following positions shall be held during First Spring Elections:

President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Member of the Union Allocations Board
Representative to the Board of Trustees
Representative to the Alumni Association
Representative to the University Curriculum Committee

Elections for the following positions shall be held during the Second Spring Elections:

Union Senator at Large
Union Class Senator
Union Senator for Racial Minority Students
Justice of the Union Judiciary

Elections for the following positions shall be held during the Fall Elections:

Union Residential Quad Senator
Union Off-Campus Senator
Union First-Year Class Senator
Union Transitional Year Program Senator

Elections for the Winter elections shall be held only if there are vacancies in any Union offices.

No endorsements shall be made for the following positions are any time:

Member of the Union Allocations Board
Justice for the Union Judiciary

Section 4

Spring Union Inaugurations shall take place at the first regularly scheduled Senate meeting following the certification of Spring Election results. These terms shall expire at the following Spring Union Inaugurations. Fall Union Inaugurations shall take place at the first Senate meeting following the certification of Fall Elections results. The terms for the Residential Quad Senators shall expire at the following Fall Union Inaugurations. The terms for the Union First-Year Class Senator shall expired during Spring Inaugurations while Transitional Year Program Senator shall expire at the end of the academic year.

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

The winner of any election for Union Government office shall be the option who receives the greatest total number of votes cast in that election. If there is a tie in a final election between two or more candidates for a single-position office, or for the last position in a multi-position office, a run-off election between the tied candidates shall be held within five academic days of the announcement of the tie vote. If there is a tie in a primary election, all individuals in the tie will advance to the final election. 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 appoint an individual or group of individuals to serve as Elections Commissioner(s) for each election:

The Elections Commissioner(s) shall be considered to be acting on behalf of the Secretary.
The Secretary may serve as the/an Elections Commissioner.
An Elections Commissioner shall not be a candidate for any Union office while serving as Commissioner. The incumbent Secretary, if not serving as Elections Commissioner, may be a candidate.
The Elections Commissioner(s) shall establish additional rules and guidelines as necessary for an election campaign in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws. These rules and guidelines shall be binding over all Union members and all Union Organizations.
The Elections Commissioner(s) shall be empowered to resolve any and all election disputes. Such decisions may be appealed to the Union Judiciary.
The Secretary shall certify the results of all elections no more than five academic days after the final election. The Secretary shall not certify the results of any contested election.
Election results shall remain unofficial until the Secretary has certified the results in writing to the Union.
Additional responsibilities for the Elections Commissioner(s) may be stipulated in the By-Laws.

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:

All vacancies in Union Government office shall become official only when announced by the Secretary. In the event the vacancy is that of the Secretary, this responsibility shall shift to the President.
In the event of a vacancy, a current Government office holder must resign his/her position before declaring candidacy for that vacancy.
An election must be held within fifteen academic days of the official announcement of the vacancy.
Less than thirty academic days from the end of the official‰s term of office, that position shall remain vacant until the next regular inauguration.
In the event of a vacancy in the Union Presidency, the next person on the ladder of ascendancy to the Presidency specified in Article III shall assume the office immediately upon the official declaration of vacancy. There shall be no mid-term election for the positions of President or Vice-President except as provided for in Article III.

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 Office

Section 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.

Each signer of the petition must state his/her name, class year, mailbox number, and place of local residence if relevant to determining constituency.
This petition shall be submitted in person to the Secretary, who will be charged with certifying the petition. If the recall petition is with respect to the Secretary, this responsibility shall shift to the President.
Once a recall petition is certified, a vote for recall shall then be held for that official whose name appears on the petition. This vote shall take place within ten academic days of certification of the petition. The official shall be recalled if at least two-thirds of the officialsÕ voting constituents vote in favor of recall.

Section 2

It shall be the right of the Senate to impeach any elected Union Government official for breach of his/her constitutional duties.

A two-thirds vote of the Senate is required to impeach an elected Union Government official.
A motion to impeach shall levy specific charges, in writing, against the elected official in question.
Upon a successful Senate vote to impeach, the official in question shall be notified by the Secretary and given five academic days from the time of notification to prepare for a case before the Union Judiciary. In the event the official in question is the Secretary, the responsibility of notification shall shift to the President.
The Union Judiciary shall hear the case and try the official for such breach of constitutional duties as were levied in the Senate vote no less than five and no more than ten academic days from the time the official in question was notified.
The Union Government official shall be removed if the Union Judiciary finds him/her guilty of such breach of constitutional duty as was specified by the Senate.

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: Petitions

Section 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 validated by the Secretary. In order for a petition to be validated, it shall:

Be registered in its final form with the Secretary prior to circulation for signatures.
Be signed by a least fifteen percent of the members of the Union. Each signer must state his/her name, class year, and mailbox number.
Identify a sponsor or sponsors of the petition by name, separate from the signatures. The Secretary shall not be a sponsor.
Be presented in person to the Secretary by an identified sponsor.
Section 3

At the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting following validation, there shall:

Be a presentation of the petition to the Senate by the sponsors of the petition.
Exist the option for the sponsors to withdraw their petition if the majority of the sponsors wish to do so.

Section 4

The petition vote shall:

Occur within fifteen academic days after the presentation of the petition.
Be announced to all members of the Union and all Union media in a written notice that includes a description of the petition issue at least eight academic days prior to the Union vote.
Become the official opinion of the Union if a simple majority of the voting members of the Union vote to affirm the petition.

Section 5

Once a petition has been officially presented to the Secretary, it becomes the property of the Union Government and may not be altered in any way.

Article XII: Amendments

Section 1

A Union Constitutional amendment proposal shall be validated by the Secretary. In order for an amendment proposal to be validated, it shall:

Be registered in its final form with the Secretary prior to circulation for signatures.
Identify a sponsor or sponsors of the petition by name, separate from the signatures. The Secretary shall not be a sponsor.
Be signed by at least ten Senators or by fifteen percent of the Union.
State the name, class year, and mailbox number for each signer.
Identify all relevant existing wording from this Constitution, and clearly state the proposed new wording of this Constitution.
Be presented in person to the Secretary by an identified sponsor.

Section 2

At the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting following validation of the amendment proposal, there shall:

Be a presentation to the Senate by the sponsors of the proposed amendment.
Exist the option for the sponsors to withdraw their referendum petition if the majority of the sponsors wish to do so.

Section 3

The referendum vote shall:

Occur within fifteen academic days after the presentation of the amendment proposal.
Be announced to all members of the Union and the Union media in a written notice that includes a description of the petition issue at least eight academic days prior to the Union vote.
Amend existing wording in this Constitution if two-thirds of the voting members of the Union vote in favor of the amendment. Amendments shall become effective as of the start of the following semester unless a date of implementation is clearly specified in the text of the referendum petition.

Section 4

Once a petition 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.