Student
Government Association
As Revised May 2004
Article I – Student Government Association
The
St. Olaf Student Government Association (SGA) is the official student
government on campus. It represents the
interests of the college student community and oversees student related
affairs.
The
SGA represents and serves all student equally, granting no special preference
or treatment and discriminating against no student or group on the basis of
race, color, sex, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion,
socioeconomic status, or handicap.
The
St. Olaf Student Senate is the legislative branch of the Student Government
Association. It is ultimately
responsible for the administration and coordination of all programming aspects
of the SGA, including the approval of all branch budgets and major policy
decisions. In addition, the Senate
serves as the primary liaison between the student community and the college
faculty, student services, and administration.
1.
The
following members of the Senate shall hold full voting positions:
a.
SGA
Executive Officers
1.
SGA
President
2.
SGA
Vice President
3.
Board
of Regents Observer
4.
Student
Activities Coordinator
5.
Political
Awareness Coordinator
6.
Student
Organizations Coordinator
7.
Alumni
Relations Senator
8.
Lion’s
Pause Coordinator(s)
9.
Volunteer
Network Coordinator
10.
Diversity
Celebrations Coordinator
b.
Faculty
Committee Senators
1.
Admissions,
Retention, and Financial Aid Committee Senator
2.
Athletic
Board Senator
3.
Curriculum
and Education Policies Committee Senator
4.
General
Education Committee Senator
5.
Intercampus
Liaison
6.
Media
Board Senator
7.
Review
and Planning Committee Senator
8.
International,
Domestic, and Off-Campus Studies Senator
c.
Specific
Constituency Senators
1.
Residence
Hall Senators
2.
Off-Campus
Senator
3.
Honor
House Senator
4.
Multicultural
Student Senator
5.
International
Student Senator
2.
Each
voting member of the Senate shall have one and only one vote.
3.
The
following members of the Senate shall have no vote:
a.
SGA
Executive Assistant
b.
SGA
Public Relations Director
c.
Inter-hall
Council Chair
d.
SGA
Financial Officer
4.
A
voting or non-voting member of the Senate shall serve as the Parliamentarian.
a.
The
parliamentarian shall be nominated by the SGA Vice President and confirmed by
the Senate. This nomination shall take
place by October 1.
b.
The
parliamentarian shall act as outlined in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules
of Order.
c.
The
parliamentarian shall retain all speaking and voting rights associated with
his/her Senate membership.
All
Senate members shall be subject to removal by impeachment. In the event that the member in question is
the SGA Vice President, the SGA President shall assume the role of chair for
the proceedings of question. A
three-fourths vote of the Senate shall be necessary in order to remove any
senator.
1.
Temporary
Vacancies
a.
The
SGA President shall have the power to fill temporary vacancies of less than one
month by appointing a replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.
2.
President
and Vice President
a.
Should
the SGA President be unable to complete the term of office, the SGA Vice
President shall assume the office of the SGA President and shall appoint a new
SGA Vice President, subject to Senate confirmation.
b.
Should
the SGA Vice President be unable to complete the term of office, the SGA
President shall appoint a replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.
c.
In
the event that the SGA President and Vice President are simultaneously unable
to complete their term of office, the following shall occur:
i.
The
Senate Parliamentarian shall become the presiding officer of the Senate.
ii.
The
SGA Executive Officers shall meet with all possible speed to nominate a
successor to be SGA President.
iii.
This
nomination shall be confirmed by the Senate.
iv.
The
newly appointed SGA President shall fill the vacancy of Vice President as
outlined in these bylaws.
3.
Faculty
Committee Senators and Executive Officers
a.
Should
a position become vacant prior to December 31st of their election
year, another election must be held within one month.
b.
Should
a position become vacant between January 1st and spring elections,
the position shall be filled with a replacement selected by the SGA President
through and application and interview process, subject to Senate confirmation.
4.
Specific
Constituency Senators
a.
Should
any special constituency senator be unable to complete their term of office, a
special election shall be held. All
procedures for standard elections shall be followed, insofar as is possible.
5.
Non-voting
members
a.
Should
the SGA Public Relations Director, the SGA Executive Assistant, or the SGA
Financial Officer be unable to complete the term of office, the SGA President
shall appoint a replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.
1.
Presiding
Officer
a. The SGA Vice President shall preside over all Senate meetings.