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Constitution of the Student Body

  1. Name
  2. Object
  3. Membership
  4. Student Government
  5. Articles of Cooperation
  6. Student Organizations
  7. Terms and Definitions
  8. Amendment

Article I — Name

The name of this union shall be the Student Body of Carnegie Mellon University.

Article II — Object

The object of this union shall be to safeguard and promote the welfare of its members.

Article III — Membership

  1. All students of Carnegie Mellon University are members of the Student Body.
  2. All members of the Student Body are responsible for knowing and abiding by this Constitution.
  3. Only undergraduate members of the Student Body who pay the Individual Activities Fee will be eligible to hold office as a Student Senator.
  4. Only graduate members of the Student Body who pay the Individual Activities Fee will be eligible to hold office as a Graduate Student Assembly Representative.
  5. All members of the Student Body who pay the Individual Activities Fee will be eligible to hold office as Student Body President, Student Body Vice-President, or Student Body Vice President for Finance.

Article IV — Student Government

  1. The purpose of the Student Government is to see that the objectives of this union are carried out by enacting legislation to accomplish these objectives, by supervising and coordinating the execution and financing of extracurricular activities, by effecting punitive measures with respect to its rules, and by acting as the representative body for students to present their views to the faculty and administration.
  2. The Structure of Student Government
    1. Student Government shall consist of a Legislative and an Executive Branch.
      1. The Legislative Branch shall consist of two separate but cooperating governing bodies
        1. Undergraduate Student Government shall consist of a single-chambered legislative body known as the Student Senate. All Undergraduate Student Body legislative powers shall be vested in the Student Senate. This body shall operate according to the rules set forth in the Constitution of the Student Body and the Bylaws of the Undergraduate Student Body.
        2. Graduate Student Government shall consist of a single-chambered body legislative body known as the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA). All Graduate Student Body legislative powers shall be vested in the Graduate Student Assembly. This body shall operate in accordance with the rules set forth in the Constitution of the Student Body and the Bylaws of the Graduate Student Body.
      2. The Executive Branch shall consist of the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President, and the Student Body Vice President for Finance. The Executive Branch shall operate in accordance with the rules set forth in the Constitution of the Student Body.

Article V — Articles of Cooperation

  1. The Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly recognize that some activities should be conducted jointly by the two bodies. These duties are laid forth in the Articles of Cooperation.
  2. Funding of Organizations
    1. All Bodies of Student Government shall be responsible for allocating funds in a manner consistent with the University's Activities Fee Policy and the University's Statement of Assurance.
    2. Student Senate and GSA are jointly responsible for allocating the activity fee to recognized student organizations through an annual budget process.
      1. The budget process will be carried out by a joint committee made up of Student Senators and GSA Representatives.
        1. The Joint Funding Committee (JFC) makes allocation recommendations regarding all Activity Fee money except as outlined in sections (1) through (3) below.
          1. 10 percent of undergraduate fees is given to Student Senate for use as operating funds, special allocation money, and reserve.
          2. Forty Five (45) percent of graduate fees is given to GSA for use as operating funds, special allocation, and reserve.
          3. 25 percent of graduate fees is given to GSA for dissemination to graduate departments on a per-student basis as outlined in GSA bylaws, for use as outlined in GSA fiscal policy.
            1. If GSA bylaws are changed to remove the per-student funding provision, the 25 percent reverts to the Joint Funding Committee for allocation to organizations.
      2. Budgets must be given final approval in a joint session of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly.
        1. A majority of each body must be present for quorum.
        2. Discussion is conducted as a committee of the whole.
          1. The Student Body Vice President for Finance acts as chair of the meeting.
          2. The meeting will be conducted using Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
        3. Votes are conducted separately.
          1. Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly must both approve the budgets in order for them to pass.
      3. Budgets must be approved by Student Senate and GSA by May 1st of the preceding academic year.
      4. Funding Eligibility
        1. All recognized Student Organizations are able to seek funding eligibility from the Joint Funding Committee during the Fall Semester as allowed under the Joint Funding Committee Bylaws.
        2. All organizations which have been given funding eligibility by Joint Funding Committee are able to request Joint Funding Committee funding during the Spring Semester as allowed under the Fiscal Policy and Joint Funding Committee Bylaws.
  3. Executive Branch of the Student Body
    1. President of the Student Body
      1. Duties of the President
        1. Attend, or designate an alternate to attend, all Student Senate, Graduate Student Assembly, and Faculty Senate meetings as an ex-officio member.
        2. Post and keep weekly office hours at an on-campus and student-accessible location.
        3. Review any legislation passed by Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly within seventy- two (72) hours of passage.
        4. Serve as Chair of the Student Government Executive Committee.
        5. Appoint a Chairperson of the Student Body Dining Committee, who will assemble members of the Student Dormitory Council, the Undergraduate Student Senate, and the Graduate Student Assembly, along with other members of the student body to address concerns related to dining on campus. The Student Dormitory Council, Undergraduate Student Senate and the Graduate Student Senate may override the appointment with a two-thirds vote of each body, after which the Student Body President shall
          appoint another chair person.
      2. Powers of the President. The President may:
        1. Veto legislation passed by Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly.
          1. The President holds no line-item veto.
          2. The President must submit the reason for any veto of Student Senate legislation to the Chair of Student Senate within one- hundred twenty (120) hours of passage of the vetoed legislation.
            1. Student Senate may override a veto of Student Senate legislation with a 2/3 vote at the next regular Senate meeting following the chair's reading of the veto.
          3. The President must submit the reason for any veto of Graduate Student Assembly legislation to the President of the Graduate Student Assembly within one hundred twenty (120) hours of passage of the vetoed legislation.
            1. Graduate Student Assembly may override a veto of Graduate Student Assembly legislation with a 2/3 vote at the next regular Graduate Student Assembly meeting following the Graduate
              Student Assembly President's reading of the veto.
        2. Create ad hoc committees and appoint chairs of ad hoc committees with the approval of a majority of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly.
        3. Call special meetings of Student Senate or of the Graduate Student Assembly pursuant to the guidelines set forth in this Constitution, the Bylaws of the Undergraduate Student Body, and the Bylaws of the Graduate Student Body.
        4. Appoint a Vice President of the Student Body. In the case that the Vice President was not elected on a ticket with the President or that the position becomes vacant, this appointment must be approved by a majority of Student Senate and a majority the Graduate Student Assembly.
    2. Vice President of the Student Body
      1. Duties of the Vice President
        1. Assist the President with student body matters, as deemed necessary by the President.
        2. Succeed the President in the event that the President resigns from or is removed from office.
    3. Student Body Vice President for Finance
      1. Duties of the VP for Finance
        1. Attend, or designate an alternate to attend, all Student Senate and Graduate Student Assembly meetings as an ex-officio member.
        2. Serve as the Chair Pro Tempore of the Joint Funding Committee.
        3. Keep account of the income, expenditures, and allocations of all funds under the control of Student Government.
        4. Audit all Student Body funds at the end of the fiscal year and submit a written report to the Student Body President, the Chair of Student Senate, and the President of the Graduate Student Assembly before September 30 of that calendar year.
        5. Prepare the annual budgets of the Student Body Vice President for Finance.
        6. Post and keep regular office hours at an on-campus and student-accessible location
        7. Propose legislation regarding amendments to the Fiscal Policy and other financial matters that concern the Student Body
        8. Advise and give recommendations to the Student Body President on financial matters and financial legislation
        9. Host at least one meeting per semester open to the entire student body to discuss and explain matters concerning the student activities fee
        10. Serve on the Student Government Executive Committee
      2. Powers of the VP for Finance.
        1. Subpoena the financial records of any Student Government funded organization or funded activity.
        2. Freeze the budget of any organization or activity provided funds by the Student Body. A 2/3 vote of both Senate and GSA can overthrow a budget freeze.
        3. Appoint assistants pending the majority approval of Student Senate and Graduate Student Assembly.
      3. Assistants to the Vice President for Finance
        1. The assistants to the Vice President for Finance shall have the right to review the budgets of any funded organization or funded activity.
        2. The assistants to the Vice President for Finance shall have the responsibility to report to the Vice President for Finance any funded organization or funded activity that that may be running a deficit.
    4. Election of Officials
      1. The President and Student Body Vice President for Finance shall be elected in a general campus election held concurrent with the Student Senate's Spring elections. If a Presidential candidate chooses to run with a Vice President, both names shall appear on the same ticket for the election.
      2. To be listed on the ballot, a qualified candidate must submit to the Chair of the Elections Board or a member of the Student Senate or GSA Executive Committees a petition containing the printed names, signatures, and either the phone numbers or email addresses of one-hundred (100) Activity-fee students. Petitions may be submitted beginning on the first day of class in the semester in which the election is to be held and not later than fourteen (14) days prior to the election.
      3. The elections shall be held in accordance with the rules and procedures contained within the Student Government Election Rules.
      4. Ties for the President and Student Body Vice President for Finance shall be broken by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, each, of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly
    5. Removal From Office
      1. The President, Vice President, or Vice President for Finance may resign by submitting his resignation to the Chair of Student Senate, who must notify Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly of the resignation at the next regular meeting of each organization.
      2. The President, Vice President, or Vice President for Finance may be impeached by either of the following methods:
        1. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of both Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly.
        2. A petition submitted to Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly containing five hundred (500) printed names, signatures, and home phone numbers or email addresses of members of the Student Body shall be sufficient to initiate impeachment hearings.
          1. The Executive Committee of the body receiving the petition will validate any such petition within one (1) week of its submission.
      3. Removal
        1. After receiving a request for impeachment, the Chair of Student Senate or President of the Graduate Student Assembly will announce the impeachment request, along with the reasons for the impeachment, at the first regular meeting of each body occurring at least one (1) week after receipt of the impeachment request.
        2. Impeachment hearings shall take place at the first regular meeting of each body following the announcement of the request for impeachment, at which three-fourths (3/4) of the membership is present.
        3. A three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members present at each impeachment hearing shall be sufficient to remove the official from office.
        4. A removed official is not eligible to be elected to any Student Government position for a period of one (1) year from the date of removal from office.
      4. If the President, Vice President, or Vice President for Finance has not paid the Individual Activities Fee for the term of their office, it will be considered grounds for impeachment.
    6. Vacancy
      1. Vacant President Seat
        1. In the event of a vacancy of the President's seat, that the Vice-President can not fill, the Chair of the Student Senate and the President of Graduate Student Assembly shall jointly appoint an interim from the student body.
        2. To be considered for a vacant President's seat, a member of the Student Body must submit a petition to Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly which identifies the office being sought and containing one hundred (100) printed names, signatures, and phone numbers or email addresses of members of the Student Body who have signed no other petition for the vacant President seat.
        3. If a name appears on more than one (1) petition for the vacant President seat, that name will be invalid on all petitions for President on which it appears.
      2. Vacant Vice President for Finance Seat
        1. In the event of a vacancy of the Vice President for Finance's seat, the President shall assume the role or appoint an interim from the student body.
        2. To be considered for a vacant Vice President for Finance's seat, a member of the Student Body must submit a petition to Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly which identifies the office being sought and containing one hundred (100) printed names, signatures, and phone numbers or email addresses of members of the Student Body who have signed no other petition for the vacant Vice President for Finance seat.
        3. If a name appears on more than one (1) petition for the vacant Vice President for Finance seat, that name will be invalid on all petitions for Vice President for Finance on which it appears.
      3. The Executive Committee of Student Senate shall set a deadline of no fewer than 10, but no greater than 20 academic days for receiving petitions.
      4. The petition shall be validated by the Executive Committee of Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly, within five (5) school days of submission when the bodies are in session.
      5. A majority vote of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly in favor of a validated petitioner shall be required to install a new President or Vice President for Finance.
  4. Joint Funding Committee
    1. Membership
      1. The Joint Funding Committee contains eleven (11) members.
        1. One seat shall be reserved for the Student Body Vice President for Finance
        2. Two (2) seats shall be reserved for Undergraduates from Student Senate.
          1. One seat shall be reserved for the Chair of Student Senate, or a permanent representative of the chair.
          2. One seat shall be reserved for the Chair of the Funding Committee of Student Senate.
        3. Two (2) seats shall be reserved for Graduate Students from the Graduate Student Assembly.
          1. One seat shall be reserved for the President of GSA, or his/her permanent representative.
          2. One seat shall be reserved for the GSA Vice President of Finance
        4. The remaining six (6) seats shall be allocated for Graduates and Undergraduates based on the percentage each body contributes of the annual allocation to Student Organizations by the Joint Funding Committee.
          1. These representatives are appointed by the legislative body which represents them.
      2. The Student Body Vice President for Finance shall convene the Joint Funding Committee, and shall serve as Chair Pro Tempore until a Chair has been elected.
        1. The Chair of the Joint Funding Committee shall be elected by the Joint Funding Committee.
        2. The election of the Chair will occur within 3 meetings of the Joint Funding Committee.
    2. Voting
      1. A simple majority will be sufficient unless otherwise specified.
    3. Meetings
      1. All Joint Funding Committee meetings are open to the public, however the committee may close a meeting to the public with a two thirds (2/3) majority vote.
      2. Notice of meetings shall be posted to cmu.student.government and assocs.gsa bulletin boards.
      3. The Joint Funding Committee shall meet at least once every complete month of the Fall and Spring semesters.
      4. The Joint Funding Committee shall not meet when either Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly is out of session.
  5. Fiscal Policy
    1. In order to protect itself from financial loss, Student Government is to maintain money in reserve accounts.
      1. The Joint Funding Committee Reserve shall be maintained at a level of ten (10) percent of the amount allocated annually by the Joint Funding Committee.
        1. The Joint Funding Committee shall only make budget recommendations in which that ten (10) percent is maintained in the Joint Funding Committee Reserve.
        2. The Joint Funding Committee shall make recommendations to Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly to change the level of funds kept in this reserve account as appropriate.
        3. Money from this reserve may be used only to cover a net deficit in the Master Activity Fee Account.
        4. Money in excess of the required ten (10) percent shall be transferred to The Student Government Operating Reserve at the end of each fiscal year.
      2. The Student Government Operating Reserve shall be maintained between two and a half (2.5) and twelve and half (12.5) percent of the amount allocated annually by the Joint Funding Committee.
        1. The Joint Funding Committee shall only make budget recommendations in which at least two and a half (2.5) percent of the total amount allocated to organizations for the next fiscal year is maintained in the Operating Reserve.
          1. It is recommended that the Joint Funding Committee add two and a half (2.5) percent of the of the total amount allocated to organizations for the next fiscal year to the Operating Reserve until the reserve reaches it maximum of twelve and a half (12.5) percent of the annual funds allocated.
        2. The Joint Funding Committee shall make recommendations to the Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly to change the level of funds kept in this reserve account as appropriate.
        3. Money from this reserve may be used on any project or expenditure approved jointly by both Student Senate and Graduate Student Assembly.
      3. The Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly shall maintain their own reserves to protect against loss from their respective accounts, in accordance with Article V, Section II, Subsection B, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph a.
    2. Deficits
      1. For all organizations incurring a deficit, Student Government will bear financial responsibility only for an amount not to exceed the amount of money originally budgeted to the organization by the Joint Funding Committee.
      2. If any organization incurs a deficit at the end of the year, an amount up to the amount of the deficit, not to exceed the Student Government subsidy, may be subtracted from their next year's Student Government allocation. If an organization incurs a deficit for two (2) years, it shall be subject to a review by the Joint Funding Committee, the Student Body Vice President for Finance, or the legislative bodies of Student Government, which may result in probation, suspension of funds, or removal of funding eligibility.
    3. Audits and Inventory Lists
      1. All financial records of organizations or funded activities receiving funds from Student Government shall be open to the Chair of the Joint Funding Committee, the Chairs of the legislative funding committees, the Student Body Vice President for Finance, and the Account Director. Audits of the financial records of all funded organizations or funded activities will be held at least once a year.
      2. Inventory lists may be requested at any time by the Chair of the Joint Funding Committee, the Chairs of the legislative funding committees, the Student Body Vice President for Finance, or the Account Director. If no inventory list is submitted the funds of the organization or funded activities may be frozen. Organizations or funded activities must be made cognizant of this contingency at the time of the request of the inventory list.
    4. No outside bank accounts will be permitted for any organization recognized as a funded organization.
    5. Funding Disclosure (100%) Rule
      1. If one hundred (100) percent of an organization's, activity's or event's budget is financed by the Activities Fee, then all advertising and printed material of that organization must include the phrase: "Funded by your Activities Fee"
      2. If less than one hundred (100) percent of an organization's, activity's or event's budget is financed by the Activities Fee, then all advertising and printed material of that organization must include the phrase: "Funded in part by your
        Activities Fee"
    6. Account Director
      1. All purchases or reimbursements from University accounts are to be made through the account director.
      2. The Account Director reserves the right not to reimburse any money spent without the prior approval of the Account Director.
      3. On-campus purchases are to be made with a purchase requisition, available from the Account Director prior to the purchase
      4. A purchase of less than fifty (50) dollars can be reimbursed by the Account Director using a reimbursement request
      5. Funded Organizations must acquire a purchase requisition from the Account Director in advance for all purchases greater than fifty (50) dollars
      6. Funded Activities may submit receipts for line items approved by the Joint Funding Committee for any amount up to the complete amount of their subsidy
      7. Funded Activities may only request purchase requisitions from the Account Director which specify only items approved by the Joint Funding Committee
    7. By order of the executive committee of either the Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly, pending an investigation by the ordering executive committee, violations of Student Government Fiscal Policy may result in:
      1. The immediate impoundment of an organization's inventory and Student Government-allocated funds
      2. Probation. Organizations on probation must follow the Probation Regulations set forth below.
        1. Approval of Events
          1. All of the organization's events must be approved by the Executive Committees of the body which has recognized the organization.
          2. Multiple events may be approved at one time.
          3. This approval requirement applies to all postering, meetings, practices, social gatherings, or any other event conducted by the organization.
        2. The Executive Committees reserve the right to commission an audit of the organization's financial records without notice.
        3. Membership Information
          1. The organization will routinely report the number of Carnegie Mellon students maintaining active membership in the organization to the Executive Committees of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly. Routine reporting shall be defined as issuing a report at the time any change in the number of Carnegie Mellon students maintaining active membership status occurs.
          2. The organization will keep the Executive Committees supplied with a current list of names of all members of the organization who are not Carnegie Mellon students.
        4. Violation of Probation Regulations
          1. If the Executive Committees find that an organization on probation violates these regulations, the Executive Committees may suspend the recognition of that organization pending an investigation.
          2. Within four (4) weeks of suspending recognition of an organization, the Executive Committees will make recommendations to Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly concerning said organization. If the bodies fail to ratify the suspension of
            recognition, the organization will have its recognition reinstated.
      3. Suspension of recognition or funding eligibility.
      4. Loss of funding eligibility.
    8. Selling of equipment
      1. Any plans to sell an organization's equipment that was purchased even partially with monies allocated by Student Government must be approved by the Joint Funding Committee, the Undergraduate Student Senate, or the Graduate Student Assembly.
      2. All money, up to the amount allocated by Student Government, collected through the sale of an organization's equipment will be returned to the Master Activities Fee account unless otherwise redirected by the Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly.
      3. Student Government will accept the loss caused by depreciation on all equipment purchased through allocations of Student Government. Student Government will not be financially responsible for, and shall not be required to reimburse the organization for, the loss of or damage to any property in
        possession or care of any organization.
    9. Excess funds
      1. At the end of the fiscal year, each organization shall return to the Master Activities Fee account the amount of its surplus. The amount returned shall not exceed the amount of the organization's subsidy. The Joint Funding Committee reserves the right to remove the excess funds of an organization if the committee deems it necessary. The excess amount which can be removed shall not exceed the Student Government subsidy.
      2. Money that is budgeted but not spent by an organization reverts to the Master Activity Fee account, to be used solely for the JFC budgeting process for the following spring
      3. Activity fees unbudgeted during the Joint Funding Committee process will be returned to the Student Senate and the GSA for use as special allocations and reserve.
        1. Surplus money will be divided according to the percent that was contributed by undergraduate and graduate students.
      4. Student Senate and Graduate Student Assembly surpluses, if any, revert to the accounts of the respective bodies.
    10. Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly can override Student Government Fiscal Policy with a two-thirds (2/3) vote of each body, provided at least one (1) week's notice has been given of the proposed override.
    11. Impasse provision
      1. If budgets are not approved by Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly by the May 1 deadline, the operating budgets of both bodies are to be frozen until the budgets are approved.
        1. The freeze does not apply to reserve funds held by either body.
        2. Organizations that have submitted budget requests, if they received a budget during the previous year, will automatically receive 25 percent of their previous year's budget amount if the impasse continues into the next fiscal year.
        3. Graduate departments will receive 25 percent of their per-student allocation.
  6. Dissemination of budget proposals
    1. After it concludes its appeal process, the Joint Funding Committee must disseminate its budget recommendations to members of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly at least one week prior to the joint meeting.
    2. The Joint Funding Committee budget recommendations must be published in Student Government-recognized news sources at least one week prior to the joint meeting.
      1. Senators and GSA Representatives may lodge an appeal to any budget, either on their own behalf or at the request of a club member.
        1. Appeals must be submitted to JFC chair at least 24 hours prior to the joint meeting, so the committee has time to prepare necessary handouts for all attendees.
        2. Appeals must be submitted as amendments to the budgets proposed by the Joint Funding Committee.
      2. Appeals will be discussed the final joint budget meeting.
        1. Appeals are handled in the order they were received, with the member making the appeal having the first chance to explain the motion.
        2. Voting on amendments is handled in the same manner as voting on the final budget – a majority of each body must vote in favor in order for the amendment to pass.
  7. Activities Fee
    1. The Activities Fee shall be the funds that are collected from the Individual Activities Fees and that are placed under the control of Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly by the Carnegie Mellon University Board of Trustees.
    2. The Individual Activities Fee is the contribution of an individual student towards the Activities Fee and shall be determined by the Carnegie Mellon University Board of Trustees upon recommendation by Student Senate and the Graduate
      Student Assembly.
    3. The fee will increase each year according to the rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for the previous calendar year.
      1. The appropriate Consumer Price Index measure will be the national rate of increase measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for all urban consumers (CPI-U) for the previous calendar year.
    4. Additional increases
      1. Student Senate may increase the undergraduate activities fee with a majority vote.
      2. The Graduate Student Assembly may increase the graduate activities fee with a majority vote.
    5. Decreases
      1. Either body may request a decrease in their constituency's activity fee.
        1. The Joint Funding Committee must approve the decrease by a 2/3 majority.
          1. If the Joint Funding Committee rejects the proposal, the decrease is not allowed.
          2. If the Joint Funding Committee approves the proposal, it goes before Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly.
            1. The proposal must be passed by a 2/3 majority of each body.
    6. Any recommendation to change the activity fee by more than 5 percent must be approved by the affected student body in a binding referendum.
      1. Only students who have paid their Activities Fee will be eligible to vote in any referendum that will influence its distribution or amount.
  8. Good-Faith Clause
    1. This clause can only be enacted if Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly has probable cause to believe that the other body has been derelict in its duties as laid forth and implied in this article of the bylaws.
    2. If enacted, Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly will be subject to binding arbitration conducted by a neutral third party who has no stake in the distribution of funds or the relationship between Senate and the GSA.
      1. This arbiter can be a member of the campus community or a professional outside mediator.
        1. A majority vote of each the two organizations' combined executive committees will be sufficient to approve an arbiter.
      2. Student Senate and GSA will split the cost of any outside arbitration.
        1. Funding must come from the operations or reserve accounts of the two bodies, not the master activity fee account.
    3. Funding during arbitration will be handled in the same manner as in Article V, Section IX above.
  9. The Student Government Executive Committee
    1. Membership
      1. The Student Government Executive Committee contains the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President, the Student Body Vice President for Finance, the Graduate Student Assembly President, the Chair of Student Senate, the Chair of the Activities Board, and the President of the Student Dormitory Council
      2. The Student Body President shall serve as the Chair of the Student Government Executive Committee
    2. Duties
      1. To meet at least once a month during the academic year excluding vacations and final exam policies.
      2. To coordinate the efforts of the respective branches of Student Government to best serve the Student Body.

Article VI — Student Organizations

  1. Student Government shall recognize Student Organizations through the Committee on Student Organizations. This committee shall be comprised of Students from Student Senate, the Graduate Student Assembly, and Student Organization leaders. The logistics of the committee shall be assisted through the office of Student
    Activities. The appointment of Students to this body shall be confirmed by the legislative body which represents them.
  2. All student organizations wishing to retain Student Government recognition must adhere to the policies set forward by the Undergraduate Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly. Either the Undergraduate Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly may revoke recognition of a student organization.
  3. The purpose of Student Government recognition of student organizations is to allow for the controlled usage of Student Activities facilities and to regulate the presence on campus of different organizations.
  4. All graduate departments and the GSA Social Committee are exempt from the funding restrictions set forth in Article V Section V Subsection B Subsection 1 of this Constitution.

Article VII — Terms and Definitions

  1. Notification of Student Senate or Graduate Student Assembly shall be satisfied by a message posted on the respective official electronic bulletin board of Student Senate or the Graduate Student Assembly or by electronic mail.
  2. Approval, unless otherwise noted, shall consist of a majority vote of the respective body.
  3. A two-thirds (2/3) vote, unless otherwise noted, will be satisfied by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Senators or Representatives present at any particular meeting.
  4. A funded activity shall be defined as an activity for the benefit of the campus community sponsored by an organization recognized as either a funded or non-funded organization.

Article VIII — Amendment

  1. Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly at a regular meeting of each body.
  2. The Executive Committees of each representative body must make a recommendation on the proposed amendments within one (1) week after the meeting at which the proposal for amendment was submitted.
  3. The proposed amendments must be considered by Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly at the next regular meeting after which the proposal for amendment was submitted.
  4. To be adopted, an amendment must receive a two-thirds (2/3) vote in both the regular Student Senate meeting and regular Graduate Student Assembly meeting immediately following the meetings at which the proposal for amendments was submitted.
  5. Student Senate has sole authority to amend the Bylaws of the Undergraduate Student Body.
  6. The Graduate Student Assembly has sole authority to amend the Bylaws of the Graduate Student Body.

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