Arts and Sciences Student Council
Constitution
PROPOSED CONSTITUTION (click link for word document)
all questions and comments can be sent to adriennemay@umkc.edu
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PROPOSED A&SSC CONSTITUTION
The name of the organization shall be the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
The purpose of the organization shall be:
A. To provide an organized body through which Arts and Sciences students can participate in the decision and policy-making process of the College of Arts and Sciences.
B. To provide for efficient disbursement of authorized budgeted funds in the best interests of the students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
C. To insure that the needs, desires and attitudes of the Arts and Sciences student body are adequately and correctly represented to the administration of the College of Arts and Sciences and to the administration of the University of Missouri-Kansas City as a whole.
D. To enhance student-faculty interaction and communication.
A. Any student enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences shall be deemed a part of the membership of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
B. Paying dues is not a mandatory requirement to be considered a member of this organization
C. Membership and activities are open to all currently enrolled students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability or Vietnam era veteran’s status.
D. Hazing is strictly prohibited in the State of Missouri and by the University. Hazing is defined as any willful act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, directed against a student or a prospective member of an organization operating under the sanction of an educational institution, that recklessly endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or prospective member for the purpose of initiation or admission into or continued membership in any such organization.
Acts of hazing include, but are not limited to:
§ Any activity that recklessly endangers the physical health or safety of the student or prospective member, including but not limited to physical brutality, whipping, beating, branding, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance
§ Any activity that endangers the mental health of the student or prospective member, including but not limited to sleep deprivation, physical confinement, or other extreme stress inducing activity.
§ Any activity that requires the student or prospective member to perform a duty or task which involves a violation of the criminal laws of this state or any political subdivision in this state.
· Hazing is a class C Felony
A. The Arts and Sciences Student Council shall consist of four (5) Officers and its members.
B. The Council shall select at least one (1) faculty member from any of the Divisions of the College of The advisor for this organization shall be decided upon by the executive officers of the organization. The advisor must be a UMKC faculty or staff member.
C. The Arts and Sciences Student Council can establish committees, as the need arises, to enhance student-faculty interaction and communication and to promote council activities, issues and concerns.
A. The Officers of the Arts and Sciences Student Council shall be:
i. President
ii. Vice President/Senator
iii. Comptroller
iv. Secretary
v. Second Senator
B. These officers shall be elected in the manner described in the Article titled, “Elections,” and shall serve a term of one (1) year unless removed from office as described in the Article titled, “Vacancies and Removals.” All officers shall be elected at the end of the Spring Semester.
C. Requirements of Council Officers:
i. Officers must meet minimum eligibility requirements, including a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and six credit hours of current enrollment, and must not be on student conduct disciplinary or honor code probation. The requirement to be enrolled in six credit hours will be waived for Doctoral students who have completed their formal degree course work, have passed their comprehensive or matriculation examination, and are continuously enrolled in at least one hour of research in the Fall and Winter semesters.
ii. Be currently enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the College of Arts and Sciences.
iii. Have completed at least twelve (12) undergraduate credit hours or six (6) graduate credit hours at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
iv. Have a cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.5 or better.
D. The responsibilities of the officers are as follows:
i. President:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
2. Call regular meetings.
3. Shall chair the Recruitment and Retention Committee as needed.
4. Execute decisions of the Council.
5. Appoint students to committee positions.
6. Prepare the agenda for each council meeting.
7. Post the agenda at least 24 hours in advance of Council meetings.
8. Execute elections of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
9. Serve as liaison between the administration of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
10. Serve two (2) office hours each week during the Fall and Winter Semesters.
ii. Vice President/Senator:
1. Execute decisions of the Council or President when requested to do so by the President.
2. In the event of a President vacancy, assume the duties of the President and serve as such until the next regularly scheduled Council meeting.
3. Shall chair the Legislative Affairs Committee as needed.
4. Provide copies of proposed amendments and amended constitutions to the appropriate offices as provided in the Article titled, “Amendments.”
5. Serve two (2) office hours each week during the Fall and Winter Semesters.
6. Attend all meetings of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
7. Serve all duties as Senator of the Arts and Science Student Counsel as a dually elected officer
iii. Comptroller:
1. In conjunction with the Student Life Office, maintain accurate records of all Council allocations, expenses and income.
2. Shall chair the Appropriations Committee within the regularly scheduled meetings.
3. Maintain funding guidelines and ensure they are followed.
4. Review budgets submitted by recognized student organizations in the College of Arts and Sciences.
5. Provide to the Council a detailed listing and report of allocations made.
6. Provide to the Office of Student Life a detailed listing of allocations made.
7. Prepare the budget for the Arts and Sciences Student Council and submit the budget to the Council for approval.
8. Serve two (2) office hours each week during the Fall and Winter Semesters.
9. Attend all meetings of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
iv. Secretary:
1. Take, compile and distribute minutes of all meetings.
2. Insure proper notification to the campus newspaper and the Student Life Office of all Arts and Sciences Student Council events.
3. Maintain the Council’s records.
4. Record attendance from Council meetings.
5. Serve two (2) office hours each week during the Fall and Winter Semesters.
6. Shall chair the Communications and Advertising Committee as needed.
7. Attend all meetings of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
8. Oversee advertising for counsel elections.
v. Senator
1. Serve on Student Government Association Senate as the second Senator for the Arts and Sciences student counsel.
2. Fulfill all duties on Student Senate
3. Serve 2 officer hours a week during fall and winter semester.
4. Attend all Arts and Sciences meetings.
Article VI: General Members
A. Qualifications of General Members.
To be a general member of the Arts and Sciences Student Council one must meet the following qualifications:
i. Be currently enrolled at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the College of Arts and Sciences.
B. Duties and Privileges of General Members
i. Vote in Arts and Sciences Student Council Officer Elections.
ii. Vote in College of Arts and Sciences Senator Elections.
iii. Serve on committees of the University, the College of Arts and Sciences and Arts and Sciences Student Council if requested by the Council.
iv. Run for an officer position in the College of Arts and Sciences, if the general member meets the conditions set in the University of Missouri Collected Rules & Regulations for student leaders.
Artcle VII: Committees
The President of the Arts and Sciences Student Council shall be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
A. Appropriations Committee
An Appropriations Committee, chaired by the Comptroller, will consist of all members of the Arts and Sciences Student Council but members must be present in order to vote.
i. The Appropriations Committee must establish Funding Guidelines. These guidelines will be reviewed annually by the Committee. Furthermore, the Appropriations Committee must follow said Guidelines.
ii. Using the Funding Guidelines the Appropriations Committee will review allocations requests submitted by university-recognized student organizations that fall under the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
iii. The Appropriations Committee will review co-sponsorship requests submitted by any student organization of the University of Missouri-Kansas City officially recognized by the University.
iv. Using the Funding Guidelines the Appropriations Committee will make decisions regarding the allocation of Arts and Sciences funds, including the amount of money to be allocated for each request and the intent of the funds’ use.
v. The Comptroller will vote on allocation requests only in the case of a tie vote.
vi. The books of account shall be kept up to date and open to the inspection of the University auditor.
B. Legislative Affairs Committee
A Legislative Affairs Committee, chaired by the Vice President, will consist of members of the Arts and Sciences Student Council nominated by the President. The Legislative Affairs Committee shall:
i. Review the Arts and Sciences Student Council Constitutions at least annually.
ii. Prepare for approval by the Council legislation affecting the Arts and Sciences Student Council and legislation affecting the students of the College of Arts and Sciences.
iii. Prepare legislation to be submitted to the Student Government Association Student Senate on behalf of the Arts and Sciences Student Council and on behalf of the students of the College of Arts and Sciences.
C. Communications and Advertising Committee
A Communications and Advertising Committee, chaired by the Secretary, will consist of members of the Arts and Sciences Student council nominated by the President. The Communications and Advertising Committee shall:
i. Design, produce, and distribute all publications for the Council.
ii. Submit for approval by the Council all designs for publications affecting the Council.
iii. Be custodian of all Council paraphernalia and of the Council Logo.
iv. Be custodian, as needed, of all official advertising space allocated to the Council by the University or by the College of Arts and Sciences.
v. Nominate for approval by the Council an adequate number of “Communications” liaisons to the following entities: the Student Life Office, the Student Government Association, the Activity and Program Council, and all organizations falling under the jurisdiction of the Arts and Sciences Student Council. At any time, the Communications and Advertising Committee may designate any appropriate University entity as being in need of a “Communications” liaison. Such future designations must be followed by the nomination of an appropriate liaison by the Communications and Advertising Committee for approval by the Council.
D. Recruitment and Retention Committee
A Recruitment and Retention Committee, chaired by the President, will consist of members of the Arts and Sciences Student Council nominated by the President. The Recruitment and Retention Committee shall:
i. Develop strategies designed to attract new members to the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
ii. Develop strategies designed to retain current members of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
iii. Report strategies for recruitment and retention to the Council for approval.
iv. Recommend prospective members deemed by the Committee suitable for membership to the Council for approval.
E. Event Planning Committee
An Event Planning Committee will consist of members of the Arts and Sciences Student Council nominated by the President and approved by majority vote of the Council. The chair of said committee shall be nominated by the President and approved by majority vote of the Council. The Event Planning Committee shall:
i. Design, produce, and execute all public events for the Council.
ii. Submit for approval by the Council all designs for public events affecting the Council.
iii. Nominate for approval by the Council an adequate number of “Event Planning” liaisons to the following entities: the Office of Student Life, the Student Government Association, the Activity and Program Council, and all organizations falling under the jurisdiction of the Arts and Sciences Student Council. At any time, the Event Planning Committee may designate any appropriate University entity as being in need of an“Event Planning” liaison. Such future designations must be followed by the nomination of an appropriate liaison by the Event Planning Committee for approval by the Council.
F. Ad Hoc Committees
The Council may establish any additional temporary committees it deems necessary.
A. All positions are for one (1) year starting May 1st. Officers of this organization must be chosen in an election format open to all current members. Every effort will be made to notify all members of said election and, further, to reasonably accommodate the needs of all members desiring to participate.
B. Council Officers:
i. Elections for the Officers of the Arts and Sciences Student Council shall commence during the last scheduled Council Meeting in April.
ii. All students currently enrolled in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City may vote for the five (5) officers.
iii. Elections must be publicized in all venues available to the Council no later than two (2) weeks prior to the date of elections.
iv. The election of officers shall proceed by voting on the officer positions in the following order: President, Vice-President/Senator, Comptroller, Secretary, and Senator.
v. The candidates that receive the largest number of votes for the Office for which they are running shall be declared the winners.
vi. Elections must be conducted in the event that one or more candidates are running for the positions.
vii. Instant runoff voting, or plurality voting, shall be used to ensure a majority vote for each of the candidates, if the Student Government Association Election Code is changed to include a similar provision.
viii. Elections must be available online for a period of multiple days and must also have at least two locations on campus at two different times.
ix. Both senators representing the Arts & Sciences Student Council on the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Senate will be elected by students within the College of Arts & Sciences; one of which will be the Vice President and the dually elected Senator.
x. The creation, distribution and tallying of ballots for this election will be the responsibility of the SGA Election Director.
xi. The Arts & Sciences Student Council will be responsible for publicizing the election.
xii. Terms for both SGA Student Senate seats will begin at the first regularly scheduled summer SGA Student Senate meeting and end at the final regularly scheduled SGA Student Senate meeting of the following winter semester.
xiii. No person shall run for a position on the SGA Executive Council and a SGA Student Senate seat at the same time.
xiv. This election process will be implemented in April, 2007, and reviewed in the fall semester of 2007.
xv. Both SGA Student Senators will be required to attend meetings of the Arts and Science Student Council. Failure to attend two consecutive meetings or three meetings for an academic semester will result in the automatic removal of that senator, unless a justifiable reason for absences is given.
Article X: Vacancies and Removals
A. Vacancies
i. Vacancies on the Council shall be filled by appointment.
ii. The Arts and Sciences Student Council President shall appoint an interested party to the vacancy.
iii. After the President appoints a person the Council must approve the nomination of a majority of the members present at the meeting that the confirmation takes place.
iv. All meetings that deal with vacancies will require 6 days of notice and full advertising. Any person who replaces a vacant spot will continue the term out until it is complete.
B. Removals
i. At the Council’s discretion, Officers may be expelled for not fulfilling any duties or qualifications as described in the Constitution.
ii. Officers may be removed from their service on the Arts and Sciences Student Council by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of all members present at any Council Meeting.
iii. If an Officer is recommended for removal the Council President must make a valid attempt to contact the said person before a vote is taken. Said person must be allowed a chance to defend their office or membership if present at the meeting where the vote shall occur.
iv. A vote to remove an Officer from the Council must first be met with a Motion to Remove made by any Officer or Member present at the meeting and a Second to the Motion to Remove by any other Officer or Member present at the meeting.
v. Any Officer recommended for Removal must immediately vacate the Meeting and remain absent until such time as the Vote to Remove has ended.
Article XI: Meetings
Council meetings will be held at least once a month during the Fall and Winter Semesters. Summer meetings shall be at the discretion of the Council.
Article XII: Legislative
A. A quorum to conduct business is constituted by the presence of a majority of Officers of the Arts and Sciences Student Council and Arts and Sciences Student Council Senators.
B. All legislation, unless otherwise specified by this document, shall require a simple majority vote for passage.
C. Voting members include the Vice President/Senator, Comptroller, Secretary, and Senator. The President may vote on allocation requests. In all other cases, the President shall vote only to break a tie vote.
Article XIII: Amendment(s)
A. This Constitution may be amended in either of the following methods:
i. A two-thirds (2/3) quorum vote of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
ii.
A two-thirds (2/3) vote of at least ten
percent (10%) of the student body of the College of Arts and Sciences.
B. It is further understood that if this organization desires at any time in the future to change in any way the provisions of this constitution, that before such action is taken, the organization will submit for approval to the Student Government Association and the Student Life Office every detail of the desired changes to be made
Article XIV: Constitution Override
In the event that special circumstances arise that requires an exception to the guidelines outlined in this document, a three quarters (3/4) majority vote of the Members present at the meeting is required to bypass the constitution of the Arts and Sciences Student Council.
Article XV: By-laws
The Council may enact by-laws. Unless otherwise noted in this document or through by-laws, meetings shall be conducted under Roberts’ Rules of Order, Revised. By-laws can only be enacted with a two-thirds (2/3)-quorum vote of the Council. In conflicts between this document and by-laws, the Constitution shall be held superior.