Article I: Mount Saint Mary’s University Student Government Association This organization shall be called the Student Government Association and will act as the student branch of the University shared governance. Article II: Preamble We the students of Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Maryland, in order to enhance the ideals of Mount St. Mary’s University and to provide a structure by which we follow, have set forth the following constitution. The purpose of this constitution is to foster the recognition of the students as the body of this Catholic academic institution. We, the Student Government Association, exist to represent the student body, to act as a link between the administration and the students, to provide and promote community activities through clubs, organizations, and events, and to empower the students with a vehicle for the expression of ideas through the shared governance of Mount St. Mary’s University. Article III: Qualifications for Membership A: The Student Executive Board Purpose The purpose of the Executive Board is to promote general welfare of the student body, provide and oversee activities for the Mount Community, and constitute a medium for expressing student opinions on matters of general interest. Election of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer - All full-time students (enrolled in 12 credits or more) are eligible to run in any Student Government election.
- All students running for the position of SGA Secretary or Treasurer must have a GPA of 2.5 or better. Students running for SGA President and Vice-President must have a GPA of 2.75 or better.
- All students running for office must be in good standing with Mount St. Mary’s University as of 2 days prior to the beginning of voting. Any tickets containing a student who is not in good standing as of 2 days prior to voting commencing will be removed from the ballot. (In “Good Standing” is defined as having no academic or disciplinary probation.)
- All elected officers will serve one year terms, beginning with their induction.
- No SGA Executive Officer may hold more than one office simultaneously or be an executive member of any other club or organization.
B: Advisory Board SGA Advisory Board Any full-time student (enrolled in 12 credits or more) in good standing with the University and with a GPA of 2.0 and above may apply for the SGA Advisory Board. However, it is strongly recommended that the student has a GPA of 2.5 or greater. This will be factored into the selection committee’s decision, along with the student’s extracurricular activities and prior experience in the field. All members of the Advisory Board will serve one year terms, beginning with their appointment. Article IV: Duties of the Membership A: Executive Board Each Executive Officer must meet with the SGA advisor once a week. The Executive Committee as a whole must meet together with the SGA advisor twice a month. 1. The President The executive authority of the Student Government shall be vested in the President. Every resolution or piece of legislation must be presented to the Executive Officers of the Student Government. The President’s signature is required for approval once voted upon by the Advisory Board. The President shall be allowed seven days to act upon the resolution or a completed piece of legislation. After seven days, it will become a law without the President’s signature. A Presidential veto can be overturned with a four-fifths vote of the Advisory Board. The President shall be allowed to act on behalf of the Advisory Board in the event of an emergency situation. The SGA Advisory Board shall be notified via email if this occurs. The President will preside over the Advisory Board and make recommendations for legislation. The President will sit on the Mount Council as a voting member. The President may convene the SGA Advisory Board for special meetings. The President is, above all else, the spokesperson of the student body. 2. The Vice President In the absence or incapacity of the President, the Vice President will preside over the Executive Board and take over any Presidential duties. Every resolution or piece of legislation must be presented to the Executive Board of the Student Government. In the absence of the President, the Vice President’s signature is required for approval. The Vice President, or his/her designee in case of conflict, is responsible for organizing, and carrying out all elections on campus for his/her entire term in office. This includes Class Officer Elections, as well as the Student Government Elections for the next term. The Vice President will have the tie breaking vote during Advisory Board meetings if necessary. The Vice President will sit on University Council as a voting member. 3. The Secretary The role of the Secretary is to take and keep a record of all Executive Board and Advisory Board meetings. The Secretary may appoint a member of the Advisory Board to take minutes. If the Secretary chooses the latter, he/she must approve the notes at the end of each meeting. The Secretary will be responsible for distributing the weekly agenda to the members of the Executive Board at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. The Secretary will be responsible for distributing the weekly agenda to the student body at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The Secretary will be responsible for preparing attendance sheets, properly organizing them, and tracking the attendance of the members of the Advisory Board. It is the Secretary’s duty to give the minutes to the editor of the Mountain Echo each week. Additionally, he/she must give the minutes to other members of the Executive Board upon that request. The Secretary will be responsible for collecting all Student Government documents and having them scanned and placed on disk in order to preserve them for future use. The Secretary will be responsible for uploading the minutes onto the SGA website by the day before the next meeting at 5 p.m. If there are technical issues beyond the Secretary’s control, a good faith effort will be made to distribute the minutes. It is the duty of the Secretary to oversee all Club Council meetings. The Secretary will determine the time, date and place of each monthly meeting. 4. The Treasurer It is the duty of the Treasurer to oversee the budget of the Student Government, including the balances of the Executive Officers, the Class Officers and all clubs and organizations each month and provide the Advisory Board with a summary statement. The Treasurer will be the head of the SGA Financial Board. The Treasurer will be responsible for signing and turning in all cash disbursements and check requests from all Mount St. Mary’s University Clubs to the SGA advisor. B: Advisory Board The members of the Advisory Board are expected to attend all meetings. The permanent members of the Advisory Board shall consist of: - The President*
- The Vice President*
- The Secretary*
- The Treasurer*
- The President of Campus Activities Board or their designee
- The Chairperson of Clubs and Organizations
- Two representatives from the Publicity Committee
- Two representatives from the Academic Committee
- Two representatives from the Public Safety Committee
- Two representatives from the Dining Services Committee
- Two representatives from the CID Committee
- Two representatives from the Residence Life Committee
- Two representatives from the Information Technology Committee
- Two representatives from the Community Outreach Committee
- Two representatives from the Mount Spirit Committee
- Two representatives from the Campus Ministry Committee
- Two representatives from the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
- Two representatives from the L.O.F.T. Committee
- Two representatives from the University Life Committee
- Two representatives from the Recycling Committee
- Two representatives from the Enrollment Management Committee
- The Commuter Representative
- The Seminarian Representative
- The Class Officers*
- One representative from each Residence Hall
*These positions are not appointed by the President or Vice President. They are standing positions on the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will hold regular meetings once a week. Any member of the Mount Community may attend the meetings. The President and Vice President shall have the authority to amend the committees of the Advisory Board (addition or removal). The Advisory Board shall enact, enforce, and execute the finalized orders, resolutions, and legislation. All members of the Advisory Board must be in good academic standing according to the required GPA stated in their contract and in the Election Guidelines. Executive and Class Officers must submit an unofficial transcript showing their fulfillment of their GPA requirement to the SGA Advisor at the beginning of each academic semester. All other members of the Advisory Board, excluding the President of the Campus Activities Board, must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Submission of an unofficial transcript is required at the beginning of each academic semester to the SGA Advisor. All members are required to attend all SGA meetings but are allowed up to three absences with notice given to one of the Executive Officers prior to the meeting. If any member of the Advisory Board misses more than three absences, they may be removed from that position by the Executive Board unless an extenuating circumstance – as discussed prior to the absences – permits such absences. All members of the Advisory Board can have no code of conduct violations. A conduct violation obtained by any member of the Advisory Board will be reviewed by the SGA Advisor and may result in probation or removal from the Advisory Board. Article V: Committee Responsibilities Publicity Committee- The Publicity Committee will be responsible for promoting SGA to the student body. The committee will spread the word about meetings, events, and legislation that is set forth by SGA. The main purpose of this committee is to keep SGA in touch with the student body and vice versa. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Academic Committee- The Academic Committee will be in charge of helping with all legislation that is housed within academics at Mount St. Mary’s. One of the co-chairs will communicate with the Dean for Academic Affairs to select two students to service on Academic Appeals Boards when the occasion arises. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Public Safety Committee- The Public Safety Committee will assist in the relationship between SGA and the Department of Public Safety. The co-chairs will be responsible for fostering effective communications between SGA and Public Safety, thus assisting with the legislation addressing safety and/or health concerns of the Mount Community. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Dining Services Committee- The Dining Services Committee serves as a liaison from the student to Dining Services and vice versa. Those on the committee are expected to be in constant communication with Dining Services about questions and concerns that the students bring up, and to make students aware of changes in Dining Services. CID Committee- The Center for Intercultural Development Committee co-chairs will be appointed by the Center for Intercultural Development Office. The co-chairpersons will be responsible for helping SGA with issues concerning diversity as well as fostering diversity in SGA and in the Mount community as a whole. This committee will also assist with any legislation regarding diversity. They will be expected to work closely with CID leadership. Residence Life Committee- The Residence Life Committee will address issues that arise in SGA concerning housing and residential life. This may include the formation of student housing forums which focus on student concerns about housing, and will also research and develop legislation through SGA concerning issues about housing. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Information Technology Committee- The Information Technology Committee will be responsible for all issues concerning technology. The co-chairpersons of this committee will be expected to work in association with the Office of Information Technology to make sure student concerns are addressed and will be charged with looking for ways to improve the use of technology for the student body. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Community Outreach Committee- The Community Outreach Committee will be focused on helping SGA meet its obligation to provide service to the community.. This committee will be expected to oversee two major service projects, one in the fall semester, and one in the spring semester. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Mount Spirit Committee- The Mount Spirit Committee will be in charge of promoting school pride within the student body. The major project this committee will manage is Winter Homecoming, which is held in February. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Campus Ministry Committee- The Campus Ministry Committee co-chairs will be appointed by the Office of Campus Ministry. This committee will be expected to promote faith, one of the four pillars of our institution, among the student body. The co-chairpersons of this committee will work in close association with the Office of Campus Ministry. SAAC Committee- The SAAC Committee co-chairs will be appointed by the leadership of SAAC. This committee will be charged with promoting ways for improving the involvement of student-athletes with the Mount Community while enhancing a positive student-athlete image. They will work closely with athletic teams and events, and will be involved in any legislation that impacts student athletes. L.O.F.T Committee- The L.O.F.T. Committee will be an SGA Committee whose co-chairs will be appointed by the L.O.F.T. leadership. This committee will be responsible for issues concerning the L.O.F.T. lifestyle and housing, and will work with the leaders of L.O.F.T. to ensure a positive working relationship between SGA and L.O.F.T. Recycling Committee- The Recycling Committee will be in charge of promoting the use of recycling among the Mount community. They will be responsible for the research and development of legislation in this area. The chairpersons will be selected via the Advisory Board Election Process. Commuter Representative- The Commuter Representative will be appointed by the commuter leadership. This representative will be in charge of issues concerning non-residential students. Seminarian Representative- The Seminarian Representative will be appointed by the leadership of the Seminary SGA. This representative will be responsible for addressing the concerns of Seminarians, researching and formulating legislation in order to address these concerns, and enhancing the relationship between the University and the Seminary. Residence Hall Representatives- There will be four (4) Resident Hall Representatives, appointed by Resident Assistants from each hall: the Sheridan Representative, the Pangborn Representative, the Apartment Representative (A, Horning, and Keelty Towers), and the Terrace Representative (Dubois, Brute, MacCaffrey, Basil, and Bradley Halls). They will be expected to handle all issues concerning their specific halls. Article VI: Elections Elections are held each year to vote in Class Officers for the academic year. Class Officers serve as representatives for their class and work with an advisor. Class Officers formulate a ticket of four which is comprised of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer all from the same class. In the fall semester, First Year Class Elections are held to vote in the First Year Class Officers for that year. In the spring semester, there are elections held for the Senior, Junior, and Sophomore Class Officers for the next academic year. All students running for Class Office must follow the election guidelines and be in good standing with the University. Article VII: Advisor The advisor to the SGA shall be appointed by the Dean of Students or their designee and shall serve in this capacity until otherwise decided by the Dean of Students. Grievances about the advisor should be brought to the Dean of Students or their designee. Article VIII: Dismissal of Officer/Board Member Procedure - Grounds for dismissal from SGA Executive Board are included but not limited t
- 1. Failure to meet academic GPA of 2.5 for Secretary and Treasure and 2.75 for President and Vice President.
- 2. Violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
- 3. Community infractions where dismissal may be deemed appropriate.
- Charges brought against an Executive Board member may be brought by any member of the Mount Community and may be filled with the SGA Advisor.
- Executive Board meets with the SGA Advisor to discuss the Executive Board member(s) in question.
- 1. Executive Board meets with Executive Board member(s) in question.
- 2. Executive Board meets with all other elected members of the SGA Executive Board to discuss the circumstances of the incident without the Executive Board member(s) in question in attendance
a. As a group, this body decides whether the Executive Board member(s) in question, should be removed from office or remain in office with a written notice signed by the Executive Board members. b. If the Executive Board member(s) in question is removed, replacement officer(s) will be appointed by the Executive Board Officers and approval by the SGA Advisor. - Simple majority vote of the Advisory Board will decide the outcome regarding the Executive Board member(s) in question’s dismissal.
Article IX: Constitutional Amendments An amendment may be introduced to the Executive Board by any member of the student body. The Executive Board may amend any section of the constitution by three-fourths vote of the Advisory Board and approval of the Student Government President. The Student Government President has the power to veto any amendment proposed by the Executive Board. In the event of a presidential veto, the amendment may be enacted by four-fifths vote by the Advisory Board. If the Student Government President fails to act upon the amendment before the regularly scheduled meeting, it shall become an amendment without the Student Government President’s signature. The Student Government President must be allowed a minimum of seven days to act on the amendment. The student body has the power to propose a referendum appealing the Executive Board’s action. Members of the student body have seven days to appeal to the Executive Board’s action. In order to introduce a referendum, signatures of ten percent of the total student population must be obtained. If the minimum ten percent is met, the Student Senate is required to hold a vote of the student body. If the majority of the voting student body disapproves the referendum, the amendment is overturned. If the majority of the voting student body approves the referendum, the amendment will stand. All amendments must be formally drafted to the Constitution and become effective upon ratification. Article X: Ratification of the Constitution The constitution shall be ratified by a 2/3rds vote of the advisory board. (Ratified Tuesday 12 September 2006) | 
