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Eastern Illinois University Student Government BylawsClick here to download the PDF of Student Government Bylaws.
Student Senate Bylaws
Eastern Illinois University Student Government
Spring 2010
“Student Government will strive in every aspect of their respective office to promote diversity, leadership, service, and integrity. Student Government members shall maintain a progressive state of mind in order to represent the student body in regards to their respective positions. Student Government will protect the rights and interests of the students while also enhancing the quality of the EIU experience through the power that is vested in them by Eastern Illinois University.”
ARTICLE I- ORGANIZATION OF THE SENATE A) COMPOSITION (Mandated by Article II, Section B, Part 1 of the Student Government Constitution)
1) Shall consist of thirty (30) Senators representing the Student Body at large.
2) Senators must meet the following requirements to hold office:
a) Be enrolled in a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours for undergraduate students or nine (9) semester hours for graduate students (full-time student).
b) Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.3 Grade Point Average.
c) Any Senator without an established Eastern Illinois University Grade Point Average is exempt from letter b.
3) Once elected or appointed as a Student Senator the following oath must be taken:
a) I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Eastern Illinois University Student Body. I am of understanding of the responsibilities that come with being a Student Senator and will do all that is in my power to fulfill these responsibilities. From this point on my actions will be representative of the Student Body of Eastern Illinois University.
b) The oath shall be administered by the Student Government Advisor. In the absence of the Student Government Advisor, the Student Body President shall administer the oath.
B) PROCEDURE OF MEETINGS
1) All Senate meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised, except when inconsistent with the Student Body Constitution or the Student Senate Bylaws.
2) All regular and special meetings shall be presided over by the Speaker of the Student Senate, unless the Speaker, through some circumstance, is absent, in which case the Student Body President shall preside.
3) Regular meetings shall be convened a minimum of one (1) per week during the Fall and Spring semester, in accordance with the Student Body Constitution.
4) Special meetings may be convened at the request of the Student Body President.
5) The Senate may proceed with business when a quorum of 50%, plus one voting member, is established following the Call to Order roll call, whereupon another roll call shall be conducted prior to Adjournment.
6) Audience Participation Period
a) Shall be placed on the Agenda of each Senate meeting prior to New Business.
b) The Speaker shall open the floor to anyone not holding membership in Student Government for the purpose of allowing people to present questions, problems and new ideas to the Senate.
c) Unannounced audience participants will be allotted ten (10) minutes to speak. Those who make prior arrangements to speak will have an amount of time to speak designated by the Speaker.
d) Shall not be used for political campaign purposes. It shall be the judgment of the Speaker as to whether the topic is political, subject to reversal if a Senator appeals the ruling of the Speaker and the motion is passed.
e) Any proposal arising out of a report during a meeting may be delayed at the discretion of the Speaker. These new proposals will be considered in their order if original occurrence following established Agenda items.
7) Roll Call Votes
a) Shall be conducted on any motion at the request of a Senator.
b) Shall be conducted on all formal motions at the discretion of the Speaker.
c) Shall be conducted on:
(1) Appropriations
(2) Amendments to the Student Body Constitution
(3) Bylaw changes on the Senate, Student-Faculty Boards, and University Board.
(4) Elections.
8) Agendas
a) A tentative agenda shall be compiled at least two (2) days before each Senate meeting.
b) All legislation must be submitted to the Speaker within four (4) academic calendar days prior to the date of the Senate meeting.
c) Legislation submitted between one (1) and three (3) days prior to the Senate meeting can be placed on the agenda if this action is approved by the majority of the members of the Council of Chairs.
d) The Speaker shall decide the order of the agenda.
e) Agenda’s shall be placed in the Student Activities Center and outside the location of the meeting 48 hours in advance of the call to order of the meeting.
C) ATTENDENCE POLICIES
1) Senators shall be required to attend all meetings. In the event a Senator is unable to attend a meeting, he/she must notify the Speaker of his/her expected absence prior to the meeting.
2) An accumulation of three (3) unexcused absences per semester shall result in removal of office.
3) In the event a Senator is unable to attend a meeting of any University committee in which he/she was appointed, he/she must give prior notification of the absence to the chairperson of that committee. Any non-Student Government meeting, which a Senator has been appointed to, missed, shall count as an absence.
4) One-half absence is defined as an unexcused failure to respond to the Call to Order roll call or the Adjournment roll call by the Secretary of the Senate. If a Senator is present upon voting, the Senator may vote on the issue, however, the absence will count for attendance purposes.
5) A Senator is allowed up to two (2) excused absences per semester.
6) The Speaker of the Senate shall have the authority to declare a Senator’s absence excused or unexcused with the exceptions of:
a) The Committee on Internal Affairs Committee Chair has the authority to declare a Senator’s absence excused or unexcused from office hours and involvement requirement.
b) Committee Chairs have the authority to declare a Senator’s absence excused or unexcused from Committee meetings.
7) In order for an absence to be considered excused prior notification is required.
8) Leave of absence
a) A meeting is set up with the Speaker and a date of return is set in writing.
b) Shall be granted upon request for the following reasons:
(1) Personal
(2) Health.
c) Shall be subject to approval by a majority vote of the Senate
c) Shall be granted for a maximum of one (1) month. At the end of this period, the leave of absence can only be extended by a majority vote of the Senate.
d) If a Senator returns to the Senate canceling the leave of absence, he or she cannot return to the leave status without receiving approval for a new leave of absence.
e) If a Senator is requesting a leave of absence and that Senator is the Chair of any committee, then the Speaker must appoint a member of that committee to be an acting Chair until the Chair return. This appointment shall be made in consultation with Council of Chairs.
D) OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
1) Shall be the presiding officer of the Senate.
2) Shall be the Chairperson of Council of Chairs.
3) Shall, each semester, deliver a State of the Senate address summarizing the Senate’s past accomplishments and future goals.
4) Shall collect and maintain up to date Senator Information sheets from each Senator with the following affixed:
a) Name
b) Campus Address
c) Length or tenure in the Senate
d) Past committee membership / committee(s) desired
e) Committee choice / Chair applications
f) Grade release statement
5) Shall, at the first or second meeting of each semester, appoint a chairperson(s) to each of the standing committees. These appointments shall be subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Senate.
6) Shall appoint Chairpersons and members to any select special committees created, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Senate.
8) Shall rule any Senator off the roll if the said Senator is in conflict with the Student Body Constitution or the Student Senate Bylaws
9) Shall be counted as one of the votes in the thirty (30) member figure and be counted in the number of votes necessary to constitute a majority or two-thirds (2/3) vote.
10) Rules Governing Elections
a) Candidates shall be nominated from among the newly seated Senate during the last meeting of each semester.
b) The election shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised.
c) All candidates shall have at least one full or partial semester of experience on the Senate. This semester does not have to be the previous semester.
d) In the event that the vote ends in a tie, the assembly shall return to a period of discussion.
e) In the event that no one candidate receives 51% of the vote, the Senate shall enter a new round of voting, which shall consist of only the top two candidates from the previous round.
11) Shall serve in all of the capacities of the office until the Call to Order roll call of the last regular meeting of each semester, which shall be presided over by the Student Body President until the conclusion of the Speaker elections, whereupon the newly elected Speaker shall assume his or her powers and duties.
12) Shall be the last name called to vote in a roll call vote.
13) Shall discharge all official correspondence of the Senate.
14) Shall appoint the Parliamentarian of the Senate, subject to the approval of the Senate.
15) Shall be responsible for collecting, recording, and maintaining paper and digital copies of all Student Senate legislation for the duration of their term. In addition, be responsible for producing accurate and updated paper and digital copies of the Bylaws at the end of each semester.
16) Shall be responsible for maintaining the “Senate Mentor Program.”
a) Each semester the Speaker of the Student Senate shall assign the Student Senate Committee Chairs one or more first term Senator(s).
b) Each Committee Chair shall be responsible for:
(1) Advising and helping his/her first term Senator until they become acclimated to Student Senate.
(2) Helping his/her first term Senator stay on task and motivated towards the goals of Student Senate.
(3) Holding a weekly meeting with his/her first term Senator in order to facilitate the growth of ideas and legislation.
17) Shall send copies of all legislation passed by the Senate to the Student Body President no later than two (2) days following the motion’s passage.
E) OFFICE OF THE STUDENT SECRETARY
1) Shall record and maintain all minutes of Student Senate meetings with copies sent to the following seven days after their approval:
a) Student Senators
b) Officers of the Executive Branch
c) Justices of the Student Supreme Court
d) University President
e) Vice President for Student Affairs
f) Student Government Advisor
g) Chair of the Staff Senate
h) Chair of the Faculty Senate
i) Any other officials deemed necessary by the Speaker.
j) University Archives
k) Mayor of Charleston
2) Shall send all Bills and Resolutions to proper administration officers for consideration.
3) Shall present minutes of the previous Senate meeting by the Monday before the next meeting.
4) Shall maintain attendance records of all meetings and bring to the attention of the Speaker any excessive absences.
5) Shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Student Senate and approved by the Senate.
6) Shall be under the direct supervision of the Speaker.
7) Shall assume other powers and duties as designated by the Speaker.
8) Shall be a non-Senate member of the Committee on Internal Affairs.
I. ARTICLE II – COMMITTEES
A. GENERAL
1. All committees, with the exception of the Council of Chairs, are encouraged to have non-Senator members.
2. Committee chairpersons shall interview all non-Senators who wish to serve on their respective committees, familiarize them with the powers and duties of the committee, and report to the Senate all non-Senators accepted as members.
3. Chairpersons shall verbally submit committee reports at each regular Senate meeting.
4. Chairpersons shall verbally submit Final Committee Reports at the last regular meeting of each semester, preceded by a written report submitted to the Speaker prior to the meeting.
5. Chairpersons can only be removed by 2/3 majority No Confidence vote by the Senate.
B. POWERS AND DUTIES
1) COUNCIL OF CHAIRS
a) Shall be composed of the Speaker of the Senate as the Chairperson, and the standing Committee Chairpersons.
b) Shall convene regular meetings each week prior to the day of each regular Senate meeting.
c) Special meetings of the Committee may be convened by the Chairperson.
d) Shall oversee the Student Senate Bylaws.
e) Shall review all Senate/committee programs with the option to recommend confirmation, rejection, continuance, or discontinuance to the Senate.
f) Shall oversee all legislation that is presented by any Senator(s) and must be passed by a simple majority before it is presented to the full Senate.
2) COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
a) Composition
(1) The committee shall be composed of the following voting members:
(i) A minimum of two (2) non-Senator students.
b) Shall investigate areas where student’s academic interests are concerned.
c) Shall report to the Senate any matters of academic nature.
d) Shall send at least one representative from the committee to Faculty Senate meetings and CAA meetings.
f) The committee will deal with all issues between the Faculty, Staff and Student Senate as deemed by a majority of the members of the committee.
g) Shall work closely with the Student Body Vice President for Academic Affairs.
3) COMMITTEE ON EXTERNAL RELATIONS
a) Composition
(1) The committee shall be comprised of the following voting members:
(i) A minimum of two (2) non-Senator students
(ii) Two (2) Faculty members appointed by Faculty Senate
(iii) Two (2) Charleston City Council members (other than the Mayor)
(iv) One (1) Charleston Chamber of Commerce member
(v) One (1) Student City Council Representative
(vi) One (1) Faculty member chosen by the chair through an application process.
(vii) Frequency of meetings of the full committee shall be left to the discretion of the chair.
(2) The committee shall be comprised of the following non-voting ex-officio members:
(i) Mayor of Charleston
(ii) One (1) University Administrator
(iii) Student Body Executive Vice President
(iv)Legal Counsel for the University and the City of Charleston
(3)The members on the committee, excluding Student Senator, shall serve a term of one (1) full academic year.
(4) Student Senators will serve a term of one (1) semester. b) Duties and Responsibilities
(1) The committee shall:
(i) Correspond through written reports every other week with those not attending the monthly meetings.
(ii)Establish and promote productive discourse between the Citizens of Charleston, the Charleston City Council, the Mayor of Charleston, other non-University affiliated groups, the entire University community, and other groups who interact frequently with University students.
(iii) Coordinate their efforts with the appropriate Student Government Committee(s) when necessary.
(iv) Encourage attendance at meeting by all University and Charleston community members, especially those who are directly affected by an issue being discussed by the committee.
(2)The Chairperson shall:
(i) Establish and publicize a regular meeting time and day to the University and Charleston communities.
(ii) Invite, along with other members of the committee, community members who are affected by programs and/or legislation being considered by the committee
(iii) Work closely with the Executive Vice-President.
(3) The Student Body City Council Representative shall:
(i) Submit reports on City Council meetings to the Executive Vice President of Student Government, the External Relations Committee, and the Speaker of the Senate.
(ii) Establish weekly communication with members of the Charleston City Council and/or city staff.
(iii) Give updated reports at all city council meetings pertaining to the activities at Eastern Illinois University.
(iv)Attend all External Relations Committee meetings and city council meetings unless they occur during official university breaks.
(v) Serve a term of one (1) full academic year.
(vi)Be removed from his/her position with a 2/3 majority vote of the Senate.
4) COMMITTEE ON DIVERSITY AFFAIRS.
a) Purpose
(1) Shall be committed to addressing the needs of the students as it relates to diversity in regards to education and programs.
(2) Shall be committed to representing both primary and secondary dimensions of diversity.
(i) Primary dimensions of diversity include the following: race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, culture, sexual orientation, and disabilities among students, faculty, administration, and staff.
(ii) Secondary dimensions of diversity include the following, but are not limited to: educational background, geographic location, and religious beliefs. b) Duties and Responsibilities
(1) Education and Awareness.
(i) Shall work with any effort to promote diversity across campus
(ii) Shall work to foster intellectual development, expand cultural knowledge, and interracial understanding among students, faculty, 9 administration, and staff.
(2) Policy/Procedure
(i) Shall investigate University actions and procedures dealing with diversity issues at the discretion of the Diversity Affairs Chair.
(ii) Shall advise and/or make recommendation to Eastern Illinois University administration regarding diversity issues and policies.
(iii)The Diversity Affairs Committee has full authority and jurisdiction over the Diversity Requirement, as mentioned in Article V letter C; Promotion of the Diversity Requirement.
(3) Programs
(i) Shall sponsor, support, and/or promote programs which build individual awareness, interaction, and understanding of diversity issues among students, administration, faculty, and staff.
(ii) Shall work with any community effort to improve diversity on and off campus.
(iii) Shall work to provide a campus community that is more “inclusive”, culturally sensitive, and respectful of all student issues.
(iv)Shall work to provide information, resources, and opportunities that enhance the diversity in the campus community. 5) COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL AFFAIRS a) Shall ensure that all Senators are performing their required two (2) office hours per week. b) Shall assist the Senate with general office operations. c) The Committee Chairperson shall, in consultation with the Speaker, appoint the Student Government Web Master. The Web Master’s responsibilities shall be:
(1) Maintaining the Student Government and subsidiary web sites.
(2) Maintaining a computerized database of historic and current legislation, executive decisions and other pertinent information.
(3) Shall complete a weekly meeting with either the Speaker or the Internal Affairs Chairperson
(4) Shall be compensated fifty dollars ($50) per month for a maximum of two hundred dollars ($200) per semester.
d) Shall notify Student Senators in writing informing them of the total number of absences they have accumulated immediately after they miss an office hour, committee meeting, senate meeting, or absences of any nature that may be counted toward their limit of three (3) absences.
7) COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AFFAIRS
a) Shall be composed of the following voting members:
(i) A minimum of three (3) non-Senate members.
(ii) One (1) Faculty Senate Appointment. 10
(iii)One (1) Staff Senate Appointment.
b) Shall be composed of the following non-voting ex-officio members.
(i) Vice President for Business Affairs
(ii) Vice President for Student Affairs
(iii) Student Body Vice President for Business Affairs
(iv)Student Body Executive Vice President
c) Shall serve as an advisory committee to the President on tuition increases.
d) Shall advise the Vice President for Student Affairs on all proposed fee increases other than the Room and Board fees which maintain board(s) already designated for that purpose.
e) Shall review information provided by the University’s Budget Director on the funding status of general areas such as salaries, the library, equipment, and deferred maintenance, as well as a projection of the University’s needs based upon the Higher Education Price Index, and recommend an appropriate increase.
f) Shall review information from those non-appropriated funded departments requesting fee increases for the following year, and in regard to this information, make a recommendation to the Student Senate.
g) Shall follow procedures in compliance with the Tuition and Fee Review Committee Policy.
h) Shall write a finalized report about the decisions for the increase, decrease or no action regarding all presented fee proposals, at the end of the spring semester.
8) COMMITTEE ON STUDENT AFFAIRS
a) Shall be responsible for conducting Student Government surveys that the senate recommends.
b) Shall publish to all Colleges of the University, Recognized Student Organizations, and Residence Halls, a complete list of names and districts (if applicable) of each Senator, Executive Officer, and Supreme Court Justice.
c) Shall review all new student organizations, requesting recognition and make a recommendation to the Senate to grant or deny recognition. Shall also have a representative from the new student organization requesting to be recognized come before the senate to state its purpose and answer any questions the Senate may have. In the event that a representative may not make it before Senate, the chairperson of the Student Relations Committee, after speaking with the organization, will speak on behalf of the new student organization requesting to be recognized. Furthermore whether a member of the student organization is present before senate or not, the chairperson of the Student Relations Committee must read the mission statement of the organization requesting to be recognized. d) The Student Relations Committee will be responsible for a Grievance Program
e) The Student Relations Committee will: (
1) Provide the forms at information tables, Union, Recreation Center, Coleman Hall and the Student Activities Center.
(2) Provides boxes at the Union, Recreation Center, Coleman Hall for the collection of the forms
(3) Collect and review the forms weekly
(4) Send the forms to the proper authorities and see that the forms are addressed in a timely fashion.
f) Shall oversee the Public Relations Coordinator
(1) The Public Relations Coordinator shall be responsible for working with all committees on graphic design and publicity projects.
g) Shall appoint and oversee Housing Liaison whose responsibilities shall be as follows:
a) Shall study and report to the Senate on all campus housing matters.
b) Shall represent the Student Senate at the Residence Hall Association (R.H.A.) and report to the activities that are happening within R.H.A.
e) Shall make a list of the hall council meeting times, presidents, and the President’s email address. This shall be made available to all Senate members, to Committee members and upon request.
f) Shall present to the Hall Council President and R.H.A. a roster of the Student Senators at the beginning of the semester. This shall have telephone numbers, addresses, and the web address for weekly posted minutes.
g) Shall have two meetings with all the hall council presidents and R.H.A. President at each semester. These meetings should be held in the beginning and end of each semester.
h) Shall organize activities between the Student Government and R.H.A.
9) COMMITTEE ON UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT AND RECYCLING
a) Shall be composed of the following voting members:
(i) Two (2) non-Senate members
b) The committee shall be comprised of the following non-voting ex-officio members:
(i) The University Director of Recycling and Solid Waste Management
(ii) A representative of N.R.H.H.
c) Shall work in conjunction with the University Recycling Department to maintain and promote the campus wide recycling program.
d) Shall work to properly educate students about campus recycling and direct efforts towards change when necessary.
e) Shall at least once a semester conduct an investigation of lighting and safety issues on and near campus.
f) Shall work with Coles County Solid Waste & Recycling Coordinator to establish a county wide curbside recycling program.
g) Shall each semester request a presentation to the Student Senate by the Eastern Illinois University Recycling Coordinator to inform the Senate on the progress of the campus recycling program.
h) Shall investigate all areas of University expansion and development.
i) Shall oversee and coordinate in planting a tree on an annual basis.
(1) This will take place during the spring or fall semester.
(2) A brick or permanent placement designating the year and “Student Government” will be placed near the tree.
10) PANTHER EXPRESS COMMITTEE
a) Shall be comprised of the following voting members:
(1) One (1) representative from Eastern Illinois University’s Administration.
(2) One (1) representative from Eastern Illinois University’s Faculty.
(3) Minimum three (3) representatives who are non-Student Government members.
b) Will meet regularly to discuss ways to better the shuttle bus, and address any concerns that may arise regarding this service.
c) Must vote on any proposed changes to the Shuttle Bus service. A change will be instituted upon a majority vote of the committee members present.
d) Shall be responsible for promoting the shuttle bus.
11) EX-OFFICIO POSITIONS
a) All ex-officio positions will be open to any Eastern Illinois University students, not excluding Student Senators. All ex-officio members shall be appointed by the Committee on Internal Affairs and confirmed by majority vote of the Senate.
b) Liaison Positions
(1) The Speaker has the power to create liaison positions with approval of the Senate.
(2) All liaison positions will be open to any student of Eastern Illinois University, not excluding Student Senators.
(3) Liaisons must be approved by a majority vote of the Senate.
(4) Liaisons shall submit a written report that shall be placed in the minutes.
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Special Committees shall exist outside the official committee apparatus. These committees shall be convened on the basis of need. Absences from Special Committee meetings shall not be counted. Membership of Special Committees shall be on a volunteer basis. Special Committee reports shall be on an as needed basis.
1. Committee on Constitutional Oversight
2. Committee on Bylaw Revision Adoption
ARTICLE III – SPECIAL MOTIONS
A) LEGISLATION (Mandated by Article VIII and Article IX of the Student Body Constitution)
1) Bills: A bill is a binding statement of the Senate calling for a specific action in its implementation. A bill requires a majority vote of the members present and voting. A bill must be presented to the Senate for the first reading and may only be voted upon its second reading unless it is considered emergency legislation.
2) Bylaw Change: A bylaw change amends the Student Senate Bylaws. A bylaw change requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present and voting. A bylaw change must be presented to the Senate for the first reading and may only be voted upon its second reading.
3) Resolution: A resolution is a non-binding statement of opinion of the Student Senate. A resolution requires a majority vote of the members present and voting. A resolution may be voted upon at the meeting in which it is introduced and is not subject to approval or veto by the Student Body President.
4) All motions to pass Bills or Resolutions, amend the Student Body Constitution, or amend the Student Senate Bylaws must meet the following requirements for consideration by the Senate.
a) The motion must be submitted in writing with justification to the Speaker four
(4) academic calendar days prior to the regularly scheduled Senate meeting in order for the Speaker to refer the motion to the appropriate committee for input, evaluation and consideration.
b) The motion must be accompanied by the names of its intended sponsors (restricted to Senators), and, where different, the names of the authors.
c) The motion may then be considered by the appropriate committee, as designated by the Speaker, at its regularly scheduled weekly meeting. The committee may recommend passage, failure or amendments. The committee must then take a formal vote on the motion, as amended if applicable, with a quorum of members needing to be present.
d) Upon passage of the motion from committee, the name of the committee Chairperson shall be placed on the motion as a co-sponsor and the motion shall be delivered to the Speaker, with comments from the committee affixed, by Monday at 4:30 or 48 hours in advance of the regularly scheduled Senate meeting to be in accordance with the Illinois Open Meeting Act.
e) The motion must be considered by Council of Chairs with the option to recommend to the Senate passage, rejection, or amendments.
f) All special motions, with exception of Resolutions, will be submitted to the Senate and tabled for one (1) week.
g) Resolutions shall be voted on at the present meeting, subject to majority vote of the Senators present for passage.
h) Bills shall be subject to a majority vote of the Senators present for passage.
i) All motions to amend the Student Body Constitution or the Student Senate Bylaws must be accompanied by a written copy of both the current text and the proposed change written in full, subject to two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Senators present.
j) All changes to the Student Senate Bylaws will go into effect the following academic year
k) In the event that a Bylaw Change is required to go into immediate effect in order to safeguard the viability of the Senate, a change may be introduced as an Emergency Bylaw Change. An Emergency Bylaw Change, after being passed through the normal legislative process, shall go into effect immediately after approval. Emergency Bylaw Changes require a unanimous vote of the Senators present. Emergency Bylaw Changes must be introduced as such before the first reading.
5) Emergency Legislation: legislation that will need to be passed by a certain date and the Senate legislation process will not allow this. If legislation is deemed emergency it will be up to the judgment of the speaker as to where it will need to be placed on the Agenda.
a) A bill may acquire emergency legislation status:
(1) Legislation may be approved to be emergency by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senate
(2) A copy of the legislation must be provided to the Senate prior to roll call.
B) CORRESPONDENCE OF THE SENATE
1) Correspondence will be considered as any letter on official Student Government of Eastern Illinois University letterhead.
2) All motions to send official correspondence must meet the following requirements:
a) The motion must be submitted to the Council of Chairs, which shall retain the option to recommend passage, rejection, or amendments to the Senate.
b) Shall be accompanied by copies, which shall be distributed to Senators, and if passed, made available to the University community through the Speaker.
c) Shall be subject to a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Senators present.
d) If approved, letters must be mailed within six (6) calendar days, with any exceptions to be approved by the Speaker, subject to a majority vote of the Senators present.
3) Official Student Government Letterhead may be used for:
a) Official Press Releases
b) Official Correspondence of the Senate
C) BUDGET EXPENDITURES
1) All motions to expend funds over the amount of $50.00 must be approved through a Bill which includes the following information:
a) The exact amount.
b) The item(s) to be purchased with a breakdown of individual costs.
c) The Purchasing agent for the expenditures.
d) The line item in the Student Government Budget from which the funds will be spent.
2) All monies spent under the amount of $50.00 dollars shall be reported to the Senate via placement in the report of the Student Body Vice President for Business Affairs.
3) Student Government funds shall not be used for donations to any person, activity, organization or academic department.
4) Any Student Government monies misappropriated shall be dealt with in accordance with Internal Governing Policy 108. The matter shall be referred to the Office of Student Standards and the Purchasing Department.
5) The Speaker of the Student Senate and the Student Body President shall submit for Senate’s approval the budget for Student Government. The only exceptions of the above qualifications and restrictions shall be: Scholarships/Awards Line-item #71600, Telephone Line-item #71750, and Office Supplies Line-item #71304. All expenditures which fall under these exceptions shall be reported to the Student Senate through the Student Vice President for Business Affairs.
6) All Senators who participate in any Student Government funded conference of educational trip will be required to submit a formal report to the Student Senate and participate in an open forum focused on what each participant learned from the experience and how those experiences can best benefit the University.
D) SUSPENSION OF THE BYLAWS
1) The Senate shall reserve the right to suspend the bylaws in an instance when it is deemed necessary in order to proceed with a specific task.
2) In order to suspend the bylaws a two-thirds (2/3) vote is required by the Senate.
3) In order to suspend the bylaws the senator making the motion must list the section(s) he/she is suspending.
4) The Bylaws will be automatically reinstated as of the Adjournment of the meeting.
ARTICLE IV- GRADE POINT AVERAGE, APPOINTMENTS, RESIGNATIONS AND REMOVAL
A) GRADE POINT AVERAGE POLICY
1) Grade Point Averages and class hours for Senators shall be checked two (2) times by the Student Government Advisor who will determine if the student is eligible to hold office.
a) Once after one (1) week from start of the first official class of the Semester to ensure that the Senator meets the enrollment requirement.
b) After the University designated deadline to drop a course with no grade.
2) The Petitioning Process
a) The Elections Commission will forward all grade release forms to the Student Government Advisor when a student files a complete petition for a Senate seat in the fall and spring semester and when a student files a complete petition for an Executive Office.
b) The Student Government Advisor will determine if the student is eligible to run in the accordance with the Student Body Constitution.
3) Fall and Spring Semesters
a) Grade Point Averages will be collected from each Senator at the beginning of each semester by the Speaker who will forward them to the Student Government Advisor.
b) The Student Government Advisor will determine if the Senators are in accordance with the Student Government Bylaws and the Student Body Constitution.
4) Senators’ class hours shall be checked by the Student Government Advisor after withdrawal phase in accordance with the academic calendar.
5) The Student Government Advisor shall rule any Senator off the roll if the Senator is in conflict with the Student Body Constitution.
6) Appointments must be placed on the consent agenda.
B) APPOINTMENT PROCESS
1) The Speaker will announce any Senate vacancies at the beginning of the next meeting following the vacancy.
2) Applications should be accepted for seven (7) days following the announcement of the vacancy.
3) Interviews will be conducted with the Speaker of the Senate and at least one (1) other Senator.
4) Vacancies and the procedures for filling them shall be made public.
C) REMOVAL (Mandated by Article II, Section
1) The Senate shall not consider the removal of a Student Government Executive Officer, Senator, Supreme Court Justice, or student member of a Student-Faculty Board or Council until a petition for removal is presented to the Speaker and said petition has been signed by five (5) Senators.
a) Said petition must request the removal of the official and state on what grounds the proposal would be justified.
b) Said petition shall cite in what manner the individual’s action(s) create the request for removal.
2) The Speaker shall deliver a copy of the petition to the individual proposed to be removed within twenty-four (24) hours of its receipt.
3) The proposal shall be the first order of business at the next regular meeting of the Senate except in the case where there are not any regular meetings scheduled at the end of the semester, whereupon a special meeting shall be convened.
4) Endorser’s of the petition (or their representatives) and the individual in question (or representative) shall be allowed to introduce their evidence on the removal of the individual.
5) The Speaker shall serve as a mediator, unless there is a conflict of interest, and may call recesses at his/her discretion.
a) In the event that the Speaker is unable to fulfill his/her role, it shall be filled by an executive officer, beginning with the Student Body President. In the even that further conflict still exists, the role of mediator shall be passed through the line of succession established in Article III of the Student Body Constitution
b) If further conflict still exists, the Senate shall nominate one of their number, subject to a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.
6) The head table shall be reserved for the Speaker, the Senate Secretary and witnesses.
7) Opening statements may be presented by either side. The endorser shall make the first statements, the defense shall follow.
8) Argumentation shall not be allowed by either side during the opening and closing statements.
9) Endorser’s shall call witnesses first and defense shall be as follows:
a) Direct examination
b) Cross examination
c) Re-direct
d) Re-cross
e) Senators may present questions for clarification of testimony offered by witnesses.
10) Final arguments may be presented by either side. The endorser shall make the first statement, the defense shall follow.
11) Open debate among Senators (excluding both parties, with the exception when questions are address to them) shall commence at the conclusion of final arguments. Motions to limit debate will require a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote on the membership of the Senate.
12)All of the above procedures shall occur in executive session. When all evidence has been presented, the accused individual may retain in the Senate Chambers.
13) The Senate shall consider the removal of the individual according to rules governing debate outlined in Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised, with the exception of motions limiting debate.
14) Following the end of debate, the Senate shall vote by roll call on the removal of the individual. Removal shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.
15) The result of the roll call shall first be announced to the accused and to the Senate and made available to the public.
16) Removal of a Senator or Executive Officer concerning grades/absences shall not be subject to this procedure.
17) Any Senator removed from office, be it through impeachment, grades or absences, shall be banned from holding office within the legislative branch for one (1) full semester.
D) RESIGNATION
1) A Senator must present a letter of resignation to the Speaker of the Senate stating their reasons for resignation. The resignation may be retracted until the next Committee on Internal Affairs meeting is held at which point the resigning Senator is relieved of all Senatorial privileges including but not limited to speaking and voting at Senate functions and then the Speaker of the Senate may begin the process of filing the vacancy.
ARTICLE V – REQUIRMENTS FOR SENATORS WHILE IN OFFICE
A) OFFICE HOURS
1) Student Senators are required to be present in the Student Government Office for at least two (2) hours per week.
2) If a Student Senator missed any of that week’s office hours, the Student Senator shall be counted for one (1) absence.
3) Performance of the office hours shall be overseen by the Chairperson of the Committee on Internal Affairs.
4) Failure to fulfill this requirement on three (3) separate occasions in a semester will result in removal from Senate.
5) A combination of three (3) absences from office hours, Student Government meetings, and/or committee meetings, will result in removal from Senate.
6) Speaker of the Senate has the authority to declare a Senator’s absence excused or unexcused from Senate meetings. The Committee on Internal Affairs Committee Chair has the authority to declare a Senator’s absence excused or unexcused from office hours. Committee Chairs have the authority to declare a Senator’s absence excused or unexcused from Committee meeting’s
7) A Senator is allowed up to two (2) excused absences per semester.
B) CONSTITUENT INVOLVEMENT REQUIREMENT
1) Senators shall be required to keep in regular contact with their constituents.
a) Senators shall be required to attend a meeting of an RSO of which they themselves are not a member once per month.
b) Senators shall be required to submit a report to the Internal Affairs Chairperson in order to receive credit for their participation.
c) Senator’s obligation to fulfill this requirement begins in the first full month of the Academic year.
C) DIVERSITY INVOLVEMENT REQUIREMENT
1) All Senators are required to participate in a selected event, program, or meeting that promotes diversity on campus.
i) A Senator is required to:
a) Facilitate or help plan a (an) event or program, that promotes the diversity of the EIU/Charleston community, as deemed sufficient by the Diversity Affairs Chair. Senators are not eligible to assist organizations of which they are members.
b) Senators may attend two events that promotes the diversity of the EIU/Charleston community as deemed sufficient by the Diversity Affairs Chair.
c) Upon completion Senators must submit a report to the Diversity Affairs Chairperson.
ARTICLE VI – COMPENSATION OF THE OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND SPEAKER OF THE STUDENT SENATE
A.EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
1) Compensation shall be provided in the following manner:
a) Compensation in the amount of twelve (12) credit hours shall be applied to the Executive Officer’s account to be used for tuition for undergraduates.
b) Compensation in the amount of nine (9) credit hours shall be applied to the Executive Officer’s account to be used for tuition, for graduate students.
c) The Student Government Advisor shall issue the appropriate documents to initiate the waiver.
2) Compensation shall be denied in cases of academic/disciplinary prohibition, withdrawal for the University, removal from office, or failure to fulfill the required five (5) hours per week or maximum forty-eight (48) hours per month of work. In the event that an Executive Officer is removed or resigns from office, he/she shall return the prorated amount of any tuition waiver already received.
3) Executive Officers may, at the discretion of the Student Government Advisor, be reimbursed for mileage expenses incurred during fulfillment of summer requirements.
B) CERTIFICATION OF TIME WORKED
1) Shall report hours worked as those only directly related to their respective Officers and duties as stated in the Student Body Constitution, Executive Rules, Student Senate Bylaws, and posted office hours.
2) Allocations shall be drawn for the Student Government Budget, #245017.
ARTICLE VII – SUMMER PROCEDURES
1) The official representational body for Eastern Illinois University students during the summer shall be known as the Eastern Illinois University Summer Student Senate. The Summer Student Senate shall retain all the powers, rights, and privileges of the Student Senate. The Summer Senate is in session from the first day of class of the summer semester until the last day of finals of that semester
2) Except for the differences listed in this section, the Summer Senate shall comply with all rules in these by-laws. It will be governed by the Eastern Illinois University Student Body Constitution.
(1) Senators shall be exempt from office hours.
3) During the summer session the bylaws cannot be suspended.
4) All members of the Student Senate in session at the time the Summer Senate begins session are members of that Summer Senate. All officers of the Student Senate in session at the time the Summer Senate retain that same position in the Summer Senate
5) Quorum for meetings of the Summer Senate shall be 3 members
6) If a Senate Officer is unable to attend the meetings of the Summer Senate, another member selected by that officer of the Senate able to attend the meetings will perform any actions required of that officer and shall act as a liaison to keep the officer informed of actions taken by the Summer Senate
7) The Summer Student Senate shall meet as set forth by the new officers at the end of the spring semester and, shall be communicated to the Senators as early as possible
8) There will be no formal committee meetings during the Summer Senate for the standing committees.
9) The exemption to section 9, the External Relations Committee shall still maintain relations with the City of Charleston.
i) The Speaker of the Senate shall appoint a senator of non-senator with input from the Executive Vice President
ii) They shall have a monthly meeting, at a place of the chairs discretion.
iii) The committee shall be made up of a limited amount of the outlined committee members.
vi) The committee shall not create legislation
v) Non-senate student members and faculty membership shall be selected by the Summer Committee Chair, Speaker, and Executive Vice President, with senate member and faculty input.
vi) The committee shall inform the Summer Session body along with absent members of the committees work.
Certified by, Alex Boyd, Michael Stopka, Jason Sandidge, Roberto Luna, Tiffany Turner, Zachariah Caskey, Ben Mapes, (Committee on Bylaw Revision Adoption)