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Campus Government Constitution

Student Handbook 2008-2009

The Constitution is subject to revision during the academic year; if this occurs, changes will be publicized to the community.

Preamble

Authority and responsibility for the governance of student life at Kenyon is divided among these bodies. The Administration is charged with instituting policies for the protection of the health and safety of the student body and for the protection of College property. The Faculty is charged with making the academic regulations for the College. The Campus Government is charged with regulating, in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Constitution, all aspects of student life not delegated to the Administration or to the Faculty. In fulfilling this responsibility, the Campus Government has as its aim the establishment of a climate which will promote the process and aims of liberal education.

Section 1

All full-time students, all faculty members, and administrative officers are members of the Campus Government.

Section 2
Any student, faculty, or administrative member of Campus Government who is in residence shall be eligible to hold office as specified under this Constitution.

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Section 1. Functions

The functions of the Senate shall be:

a. To serve as a forum in which students, faculty, and administrative officers communicate and consider matters of general concern to the College;

b. To establish as it deems necessary subsidiary bodies to promote student self-government in the areas of social organizations, classes, and living units;

c. To establish as it deems necessary regulatory boards and agencies and subsidiary governmental bodies for the supervision of campus activities;

d. To legislate within the jurisdiction of the Campus Government rules for the regulation of student life and extracurricular activities.

Section 2. Powers and Duties

a. The Senate shall receive upon request all written reports or proposals from all Faculty Committees with student membership at the same time that these reports or proposals are communicated to the Faculty. On reports from the specified committees, the Senate may formulate an official opinion which shall be conveyed to the Faculty by a designated faculty member of Senate.

The Senate shall review the year-end reports of student organizations, as outlined in the Principles and Rules of Behavior, section II.W.6.f, in the Student Handbook .

b. The Senate shall appoint one of its administrative members to provide a liaison between the Senate and the Administration. It is expected that this Senator shall communicate to the Senate all pending administrative matters affecting campus life and that the opinions of the Senate on these matters shall be reported to the Administration.

c. The Senate shall have legislative authority over the following matters:

i. It may establish regulatory boards and agencies and subsidiary governmental bodies for the supervision of campus activities. These shall be described in the Senate Statutes.

ii. It shall have exclusive power to legislate rules and regulations under the jurisdiction of Campus Government for student life and extracurricular affairs. These shall be printed with the College Rules and Regulations.

When the Senate legislates in any area under its jurisdiction, its legislations shall, in the case of conflict, supersede previous policies established by any other body of the Campus Government. However, nothing in this subsection shall be construed to empower the Senate to interfere directly with the powers and prerogatives of the Student Council.

d. Legislative proposals shall be governed by the following procedures: When the Senate initiates a legislative proposal, it shall officially inform the appropriate Faculty Committee and the Student Council of the proposal. A waiting period of at least fourteen days while the College is in session shall elapse before the Senate reconsiders the proposal for possible amendment and final action. Alternately, the Senate can vote to waive the waiting period by unanimous vote. In the case of the fourteen-day waiting period, Student Council will review the proposed legislation and hear from the members of Council who sit on Senate. If a majority of Student Council has specific concerns about the proposal, it will be sent back to Senate with the Council's written concerns to be voted on and discussed again at the next Senate meeting. If Senate chooses to include the Council's revisions, the proposal will need only a simple majority to pass. If Senate chooses to reject Council's revisions, a final vote of two-thirds of the voting members present, not including abstentions, will be needed in order to accept the proposed legislation as stated. The president of the College shall have the power to waive the waiting period when deemed advisable. Upon final passage by the Senate, the president shall act to ratify or veto the legislation. The legislation shall become effective upon ratification by the president or, should the president fail to act upon it, after thirty (30) days while the College is in session.

e. When a Senate member challenges the constitutionality of any action or policy arising under Campus Government, the Senate shall be the final arbiter of that question. Upon a decision by the Senate, the president of the College shall ratify or veto the decision. The decision becomes final upon ratification by the president or, should the president fail to act upon it, after thirty (30) days while the College is in session.

f. The Senate shall have the power to amend the Constitution as outlined in Article VIII.

Section 3. Membership

a. The Senate shall have twenty-one (21) members, sixteen (16) of whom shall have a vote and one of whom, the student co-chair, will vote only in the case of a tie. The Senate shall be composed of eleven students, five members of the faculty, three members representing the student affairs staff, one member of the academic administration designated by the provost, and the president of the College. The Student Council president, representing the voice of Student Council, shall be a voting member. The president of the College shall be a non-voting member of Senate and has the power to ratify or veto any legislative act of the Senate.

b. The faculty shall elect four of its members to serve two-year terms on the Senate. It shall elect an additional member to serve as Senate co-chair. He or she shall have a vote in only two situations: 1) when the Senate vote is a tie and the student co-chair is not present to cast a tie-breaking vote; and 2) when the Greek Council representative is present and a vote is taken on issues and legislation on which the Greek Council representative is eligible to vote.

c. The eleven student members shall consist of: two elected by the student body in the same election as the Student Council Executive Committee, one to act as a student co-chair and the other to serve as secretary; one representative from each class to be elected from his or her respective class in the spring, or fall in the case of the first-year representative; the president of Student Council; the vice president for student life and the vice president for academic affairs of Student Council; one member of Greek Council to be elected following its elections in the spring (the Greek Council representative shall have voice on all issues and legislation but shall vote only on issues and legislation that deal specifically with the Greek Council by-laws set forth in the Senate Statutes, Article I, and in the Student Handbook under "fraternities and sororities," Articles I, II, and III dealing with rush, pledging, and formal affiliation); and one independent student representative to be elected by independent students. The status of the independent student representative will be analogous to that of the Greek Council representative. He or she will have voice but no vote on all issues, with the exception of those issues on which the Greek Council representative has a vote. In those cases, the independent student representative will have both voice and vote. The independent student representative must be an independent student, that is to say neither a pledge nor a member of an organization represented on Greek Council.

Elections for Senate positions shall be conducted according to the regulations in Article III, section 2.c. The term of office shall commence on June 1.

d. The student and faculty co-chairs shall divide the responsibilities of running an effective and efficient Senate equally. The student co-chair shall be the one to vote in the case of a tie. Also, the student co-chair shall serve as an ex-officio member of Student Council and of the Student Council Executive Committee and as a member of the delegation to the president.

e. The term of office for each elected student member of Senate shall be one academic year.

f. Should a vacancy occur in the Senate, it shall be filled by a faculty election to replace a faculty member and either appointment by Student Council or special election to replace a student member.

Section 4. Procedures

a. The co-chairs shall convene the Senate usually once every two weeks and preside at its sessions. In the event that both chairs are absent, the Senate shall choose a voting member to preside. He or she shall have the right to vote.

b. A secretary shall be elected by the student body and has voice and vote on all issues and legislation. In addition, the secretary will be responsible for taking minutes of Senate meetings, for distributing them via e-mail to Senate members, and for making the minutes available to the Kenyon community by placing them on the College computer system.

c. A quorum shall consist of four (4) student members and four (4) non-student voting members.

d. A simple majority of the members present is required for any action of the Senate, except in the case of amendment (see Article VIII, section 1).

e. In legislative action the Senate shall follow the procedures described under Article II, section 2.d.

f. All statements of official action by the Senate shall be issued by the chairs through the secretary.

g. The Senate shall be provided with funds to meet its operating expenses.

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Section 1. Functions and Powers

The functions and powers of the Student Council shall be:

a. The Council shall formulate and express officially student views concerning affairs of the College.

b. The Council shall supervise the operations of student organizations, activities, enterprises, and social events.

c. The Council shall administer elections, appointments, and removals by impeachment for all student offices in Student Council and Senate.

d. The Council shall allocate the Student Activity Fund and supervise its expenditures. No monies shall be taken from the activity fund, nor debt against it incurred, except by vote of the Council.

e. The Council shall initiate proposals for the betterment of student life and for the good of the College as a whole, when necessary referring proposals to the Senate or other proper agency for further consideration.

f. The Council shall be responsible for establishing election procedures, for fixing dates within the guidelines of this constitution, and for supervising all elections of students to the offices of campus government.

g. The Council shall have the power to impeach and remove students from any elected or appointed office according to the provisions of Article VII.

h. The Council shall charter and regulate procedures for student activities and organizations.

Section 2. Membership

a. The Student Council shall have as its membership: one (1) president; two (2) vice presidents; one (1) treasurer; one (1) communications director; one (1) chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee; one (1) chair of the Housing and Dining Committee; one (1) chair of the Student Lectureships Committee; one (1) chair of the Campus Safety Committee; one (1) representative from each of the four classes; and one (1) president of each of the four classes. With voice but not vote will be the president (except in case of a tie) and one (1) Greek Council representative.

b. Elections will be conducted by the Committee on Student Life, according to the regulations established in Article III, section 2.c.iv.

c. The elections of Executive Committee members, class presidents, class Student Council representatives, and the chairs of the standing committees, shall be conducted each spring in the following manner and administered by the Student Council Committee on Student Life. Each class committee election or appointment will be conducted the following fall by its respective class president.

i. Students running for a position as Class President or Representative to Student Council or Senate or any position on Senate or Student Council must commit to refrain from going on an off-campus study program for the academic year. All candidates must be in good standing with the college. Those wishing to run for the position of Student Council President or Senate Co-Chair must have at least one year experience in Student Government (Serving on Student Council, Senate, or any of the committees under Student Council). Those wishing to run for the positions of Vice President for Student Life, Vice President for Academic Affairs, chair of the Housing and Dining Committee, chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, chair of the Campus Safety Committee, Treasurer, or chair of the Student Lectureships Committee must have at least one semester of experience on that particular committee. Any student is eligible to run for the position of communications director for Student Council.

a) In the event that no eligible student runs for a certain position after the regular nomination period, the nomination period will then be extended by a week thus elections will be held a week later. During this extended period, nominations will be sought only for the position(s) with no candidate; also during the nomination extension, for any position that is not the Vice President for Academic Affairs or Vice President for Student Life, any student who has committed to be at Kenyon for the entire school year is eligible for the position. If there is no candidate for the position(s) of Vice President of Academic Affairs and/or the Vice President of Student Life, then the eligibility requirements remain the same during the extended nomination period. If no candidate can be found during this extra week-long nomination period, elections will be conducted without candidates for those positions; then after the election, a candidate may be appointed to the position by Student Council vote.

b) Should a situation arise in which the elected class representative (either class president, Senate representative, or Student Council representative) of the academic year leaves his/her position, a replacement will be chosen by an election of the entire class, with the candidates being limited to those currently serving on the class committee. Should a situation arise in which another Student Council or Senate official resigns his/her position during the academic year, letters of intent will be accepted for a period of one week by the Vice President of Student Life from those students eligible for the position, and a campus wide special election will be held to elect the new official.

ii. The Committee on Student Life will solicit nominations for all positions being elected; for the regular election of the Executive Committee, the Student Council committee chairs, class representatives to Student Council and Senate positions, nominations will open beginning immediately following spring break. Any current student may nominate any eligible student (including himself or herself) for specific positions via e-mail to the Committee on Student Life by the specified date.

The committee will inform all nominated students of the respective nominations within two weeks of the nominations being opened. Any nominated student wishing to run in the elections will submit a letter of intent during the week after nominations are closed, The letters of intent will appear in the appropriate campus media and be posted on the poll site.

iii. Elections for Student Council and Senate officers will be held during the twelfth week of the second semester. The terms of office for president, the two vice presidents, and the communications director will run from June 1 to May 31. The period of time after the election until the beginning of the term for the new officers shall be a period of internship and training for all officers-elect. Attendance at all meetings shall be required for all officers-elect.

iv. Regulations for all elections

a) Campaign materials may be posted only on bulletin boards and other surfaces designed for such communication. Posting is not allowed on doors to buildings or any painted surfaces. Candidates may only use a maximum of four emails to either the student-info or class-year distribution lists and/or an unlimited number of allstus; all other Kenyon distribution lists are prohibited. Campaign materials, including but not limited to: emails, correspondence on a social networking site or any internet site in general, posters, and flyers, may not contain the link to the poll site.

b) All candidates are responsible for all campaign materials supporting their election, regardless of their origin. All printed materials must be removed within twenty-four (24) hours after the elections. If they are not, a fine will be charged to the candidate ($10 the first day and $5 for each additional day). All fines will be credited to the Student Council Contingency Fund.

c) During polling days, candidates may not post any campaign materials or persons within thirty-five (35) feet of public computer sites.

d) In the event of a run-off, the candidates can begin their campaigning after the official results have been filed.

e) The voting medium is at the discretion of the Student Life Committee. Whatever medium is issued (e.g., poll), the monitoring of the election medium will remain confidential between the poll master, the vice president for student life, and the advisor to Student Council until the results are officially posted. If the current Vice President for Student Life is running in a contested election, then that person will not help monitor the election medium.

f) If a candidate wishes to withdraw from the election, she or he must notify the chair of the Committee on Student Life 24 hours before the elections are held.

g) Under any circumstances, complaints concerning campaign practices or procedures of any or all candidates must be submitted in writing to the chair of the Committee on Student Life immediately after a violation has occurred. In order to be given consideration, all complaints must be received by the chair of the Committee on Student Life no later than twenty-four (24) hours following the alleged violation.

h) If a candidate wishes to contest the election, she or he must do so through a written statement to the chair of the Committee on Student Life within the 24 hours following the election.

i) All candidates must sign an agreement (available from the chair of the Committee on Student Life) stating that they are aware of the regulations and procedures of the election, as well as the responsibilities of the position for which they are running. An email response accepting the nomination will be considered the electronic signature provided the email stating that individual was nominated contains the said election regulations and procedures.

j) Consequences to breaches of election regulations or complaints filed by candidates will be determined by the Vice President for Student Life and the Advisor to the Student Life Committee, in consultation with Student Council, within 48 hours of the occurrence. All candidates will be informed of the decision in writing. These consequences can include, but are not limited to, removal from the ballot or call for a re-election. Appeals may be made to the Dean of Students within 24 hours of notice of the decision.

v. Special Elections

a) Student election run-offs will occur when no candidate receives 40 percent or more of the votes cast in the first election. The run-off will occur between those two candidates who receive the highest number of votes cast.

b) The same rules that govern elections pertain also to all special elections, including run-offs (Article III, Section 2.c.iv.). In the event of a run-off election, all campaign materials from the first election will not be considered part of the campaign materials for the run-off election.

vi. If any elected official is unable to serve her or his full term, the Council will order the vacancy filled by special election as outlined in Article III, Section 2.c.i .

d. Any student holding office in the student government is subject to impeachment for failure to perform the function of her or his office, for gross neglect of duty, for failure to execute daily assigned responsibilities, or for violation of the principles and provisions of the student government. Impeachment proceedings shall be undertaken by the Student Council acting either on its own initiative by vote of two-thirds of its members, or in response to a petition to it bearing the signatures of one-fourth of the constituency of the position in question. The president of the Council shall instruct any student who is thus subject to impeachment to appear before the Council for a hearing. In the event that it is the president of the Council who is being impeached, the vice president for student life shall conduct the hearing. Action to remove a student from office shall require a two-thirds vote, by secret ballot, of the full membership, excluding the charged member of the Council.

e. Attendance at Student Council meetings shall be mandatory for all representatives. After three unexcused absences a semester, the Council will vote whether to remove a representative. This attendance policy shall be applied to all elements of the student government.

f. The advisor of the Student Council shall be the Dean of Students or his or her designee, who shall attend meetings when requested, and shall have voice but no vote.

Section 3. Procedures

a. The Student Council shall meet regularly during the academic year and at such other times as the president of the Council shall determine necessary.

b. Except for the president of the Council, each voting member shall have one vote in Council proceedings. The presiding officer of Council shall vote only in case of a tie.

c. A quorum shall consist of eight voting members of Council.

d. For the Council to conduct official business a quorum must be present. A majority of the members present is required for any action unless otherwise specified.

e. The Council shall publish bylaws establishing the arrangements for its own internal organizations.

f. The new appointments will be the first item of business for the new Council in the fall. The vice president for student life and the Executive Committee will be responsible for publicity for these positions. These appointments shall be made in accordance with Article I, Section 2, as provided in the Student Council By-laws.

Section 4. Executive Committee and Student Council Committees

a. The Executive Committee shall consist of: the president of Student Council; the two vice presidents; the treasurer and the communications director. The student co-chair of Senate shall serve as an ex-officio member.

b. The Executive Committee or Student Council as a whole shall meet with the president of the College at least once a semester while the College is in session.

c. The Executive Committee shall meet with the President of the College, the Dean of Students, and/or other members of the student affairs staff as requested by the Executive Committee.

d. Representation

i. The president of Student Council shall be the chief executive officer of student government and president of the student body. He or she shall convene and preside at all meetings of the Student Council or Council-convened campus assemblies. He or she shall be chair of the Executive Committee and shall preside in conjunction with the president of the College, dean of students, or trustee chair, as necessary, at meetings with the president, administrators, or trustee committees and represent Student Council to Senate as a voting member. He or she shall also represent Senate to Student Council, bringing Senate's agenda to the attention and consideration of Student Council at each Student Council meeting.

ii. The vice president for student life shall be the chair of the Student Council Committee on Student Life as well as coordinate all meetings with the Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees. The vice president for student life shall also represent Student Council to Senate. He or she shall also represent Senate to Student Council, bringing Senate's agenda to the attention and consideration of Student Council at each Student Council meeting. The advisor to Student Life will be the Director of Student Activities and Greek Life, or another designee by the Dean of Students.

iii. The vice president for academic affairs shall be the chair of the Student Council Committee on Academic Affairs. He or she shall assume the powers and duties of the president in the event of the president's absence and shall succeed to the presidency in the event of that position becoming vacant. The vice president for academic affairs shall represent Student Council to Senate. He or she shall also represent Senate to Student Council, bringing Senate's agenda to the attention and consideration of Student Council at each Student Council meeting. The advisor to the Academic Affairs Committee shall be ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the Dean of Academic Advising, or another designee by the Provost.

iv. The treasurer shall serve as chair of the Student Council Committee on Business and Finance. He or she shall authorize and keep records of all expenditures from the Student Activity Fund, and submit to the Student Council, once a semester, and otherwise upon request, written financial reports of all funds allocated. The advisor to the Business and Finance Committee shall be the Director of Student Activities and Greek Life, or another designee by the Dean of Students.

v. The communications director shall be the custodian of all correspondence, official records, and documents of the Student Council. He or she shall keep the minutes of all Student Council meetings and be responsible for their distribution. He or she shall work in conjunction with the president to maintain an informed student body.

e. The chairs of the committees of Student Council not in the Executive Committee are as follows:

i. The chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee is responsible for coordinating with Maintenance staff and monitoring the construction and maintenance of college grounds and buildings, including parking lots and the construction of residence halls. The committee will oversee issues of accessibility, aesthetics, and recreation, and collaborate with other committees, when necessary, regarding issues of safety and academic functionality. The chair will report to Student Council and is responsible for attending on-campus meetings with the Board of Trustees Buildings and Grounds Committee. The advisor to the Buildings and Grounds Committee shall be the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds or another designee by the Dean of Students.

ii. The chair of the Housing and Dining Committee shall coordinate with the appropriate college officials to review all matters pertaining to student housing, theme housing, and the food service. The chair will submit all theme housing decision to Student Council for its consideration. The chair will also represent the students at on-campus meetings with the Board of Trustees Buildings and Grounds Committee. The advisor to the Housing and Dining Committee shall be the Assistant Dean of Students for Housing and Residential Life or another designee by the Dean of Students.

iii. The chair of the Committee on Safety and Security shall act as the student representative to the college administrators and the Office of Campus Safety on issues of student safety and security, as well as communicating all relevant safety matters to the student body. The advisor to the Safety and Security committee shall be the Director of Campus Safety, or another designee by the Dean of Students.

iv. The chair of Student Lectureships oversees speakers brought to campus by student groups. The committee shall look to promote diversity of thought with the speakers it approves. The Business and Finance Committee will earmark a certain sum of money to Student Lectureships which will then be used to pay for all expenses incurred by a speaker, including but not limited to fees, travel, and lodging. No more than one third of Student Lectureships' budget may be used for one speaker. The advisor to the Student Lectureships Committee shall be the Director of Student Activities and Greek Life or another designee by the Dean of Students.

Section 5. Upperclass Committees

In the fall of each year, the sophomore, junior, and senior classes shall each elect a class committee or the class president may seek letters of intent-candidates to be approved by Student Council-to form the class committee. The committees should consist of at least eight (8) students to promote class unity and organize class activities. The class representative to Student Council will serve as a tenth and voting member of the class committee, and the class representative to Senate shall serve as an eleventh and voting member.

a. Class presidents

i. The presidents of the sophomore, junior, and senior classes, elected by their classes at-large according to the regulations as stated in Article III, Section 2.c.iv, will serve as voting representatives to Student Council.

ii. The class presidents will form the class committees in the fall.

iii. The president of each class shall chair her or his respective class committee and represent the class to Student Council.

b. Class representatives to Student Council

i. Upon being elected, the class representatives should be in touch with their classes, be it through e-mail or in writing, introducing themselves and explaining their position.

ii. The class representatives should each hold a class meeting at least once a semester to gather opinions on the agenda items before Student Council and to allow the class an outlet for concerns and ideas.

iii. The class representatives to Student Council and to Senate are required to sit on their respective class committees without running in the committee election, acting as assistants to their class presidents. They will not replace one of the eight (8) elected members of the class committee but will serve in addition to them and the president.

c. Class committees

i. Each committee shall decide on a regular meeting time, which will be publicized to the entire class. The meetings will be open to the class and minutes will be kept.

ii. Any member of the class committee can be expelled from the committee for missing three meetings, as outlined in Article III, Section 2.e.

iii. The advisors to the class committees will be designees of the Dean of Students.

Section 6. First-Year Council

The First-Year Council shall be the official representative body for first-year student discussion, organization, and action. Its functions shall be:

  • to formulate and express officially first-year student views concerning affairs of the College;
  • to initiate specific proposals that will promote the welfare of the College, its student body, and particularly the first-year class;
  • to act as a channel through which information about campus government, current proposals, and activities of general interest will be disseminated to the first-year students;
  • to assist and supervise the functioning of first-year student activities, enterprises, and social events; and
  • to encourage members of the College's administrative staff and faculty to address First-Year Council and interested first-year students.

a. Powers and duties

i. Every first-year student is represented on the First-Year Council and is entitled to be heard by the council in person.

ii. The council shall refer to the Student Council, Senate, or dean of students any proposal upon which it finds legislative or administrative action to be necessary or desirable.

iii. When proposals by any of the above three bodies are referred to the council for comment, the council shall formulate and communicate opinions that reflect the views and interests of the first-year class.

iv. The council shall maintain a treasury, annual appropriations from which shall be allocated from orientation events. All debts incurred by council shall be resolved by the end of the academic year. If debts/credits remain, they will be carried on by the class into the sophomore year.

v. The council shall follow the policy of publishing its minutes and making them available to first-year students.

vi. First-year representatives to Student Council and Senate shall act as liaisons between First-Year Council and the campus government bodies on which they sit.

vii. Under the guidance of the first year dean and the dean of academica, First-Year Council will organize the class's Matriculation Ceremony.

viii. First Year Council shall outline its activities, procedures, and any other pertinent information it feels will benefit the succeeding First-Year Council. This outline shall be completed before the council recesses for the year. Copies of this outline should be given to the two advisors, the first year dean, and the dean for academic advising.

b. Membership

The First-Year Council shall be composed of one first-year representative to Student Council, one first-year representative to Senate, twelve class representatives, and two nonvoting advisors as described below.

i. Class representatives will be chosen from the following residences: Lewis (2), Norton (2), Gund (2), McBride floors two and three (3), and McBride floor one and Mather floor one (3).

The designation by residence buildings above is meant to provide local, residence-specific representative opportunities for first-year students.

ii. The nonvoting advisors shall include one from Student Council and two from the student affairs staff. Two of these three advisors must attend each meeting of the First-Year Council, generally alternating among the advisors.

c. Election of First-Year Council

Election of representatives will be conducted as follows.

i. The community advisors, the First Year Council advisors, and the Committee on Student Life shall conduct and regulate first-year student elections, in consultation with the office of housing and residential life.

a) Elections for twelve class representatives within first-year residence buildings.

b) Elections for one first-year representative to Student Council.

c) Elections for one first-year representative to Senate.

ii. First-year elections will be held during the first month of the academic year, in hall meetings called by the community advisors.

iii. The Committee on Student Life will be responsible for all publication for First-Year Council elections, beginning during the all-campus Activities Fair. Informational meetings will be held in first-year student residences during the following week, at which at least one member of Student Council and one member of the Senate will be present. Either an all-first-year meeting shall be held before the first-year elections to announce the names of candidates for first-year campus government positions or this announcement may be done via email.

iv. Candidates for all positions must submit letters of intent describing their interest in campus government to the first year dean by the end of the second week following the Activities Fair. The letters of intent will appear in the appropriate media prior to voting and will accompany the ballot.

a) Candidates for Campus Senate Representative and Student Council Representative may also run for a class representative position; if the candidate wins Senate, then the person with the next most votes for that class representative position wins that position.

v. The Committee on Student Life shall be responsible for the publication of the names of the candidates. Additionally, Regulations on campaign materials will be in accordance with those in Article 3, Section 2.c.iv.

vi. After the vote, the community advisors shall hand over all ballots to the first year dean, who, in conjunction with the Committee on Student Life, will tally votes and announce winners to the community.

d. Term of office

The term of office for members of First-Year Council shall be one academic year. Members should be prepared to serve the full term. In case of a permanent vacancy, the position shall be filled as soon as possible by First-Year Council. The representative to Student Council and the representative to Senate should be elected from the class representatives. Class representatives should be elected from appropriate residence buildings.

e. Procedures

i. Officers.

With the guidance of nonvoting advisors, First-Year Council representatives should distribute the following duties/offices either by agreement or election among the members of the Council.

a) Secretary: Record and distribute minutes of First-Year Council meetings and advertise any first-year class events.

b) Treasurer: Head or sit on any fundraising committees, maintain accurate records of all first-year class funds, and authorize payments as directed by the Council.

c) First-year representative to Student Council: Sit on First-Year Council and Student Council, representing the interests of the entire first-year class; report Student Council activities and considerations to First-Year Council and to members of the first-year class at large; and solicit input from class members through class meetings or other means.

d) First-year representative to Senate: Sit on First-Year Council and Senate, representing the interests of the entire first-year class; report Senate activities and considerations to First-Year Council and to members of the first-year class at large; and solicit input from class members through class meetings or other means.

e) First-Year Council President:

1) The president of the first-year class shall be elected from the First-Year Council. Interested members shall have the option to give a speech at a First-Year Council election meeting. All representatives are eligible for election, with the exception of the representative to Senate due to prior commitments with Senate. In the event that the representative to Student Council is elected First-Year Council President, a second representative to Student Council will be elected from the Council.

2) The class president shall chair the First-Year Council for the remainder of the year.

3) The president shall work with the first year dean and dean for academic advising to discuss the business of the first-year class.

ii. Meetings

a) The First-Year Council shall meet regularly, as scheduled by representatives and advisors.

b) Each member shall have one vote in council proceedings. If a representative is absent more than three meetings in a semester, the full council may elect another representative from the first-year class.

c) A quorum shall consist of two-thirds of the voting membership. A majority vote of the members present is required for any action.

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The Conduct Review Board is designed to address alleged infractions of the College's non-academic regulations that have been referred to it through the Student Affairs Center. It was created to ensure the protection of student rights and through due process to determine the facts and, if appropriate, to respond to violation(s) of College policy in a manner that is educational in character. (For information about the procedures for the Academic Infractions Board, please consult the Course of Study.)

The limitations of the College's conduct review system should be recognized. Therefore, when an individual believes a crime has been committed, the College recommends that charges be filed in the criminal justice system, as well as with the College. Members of the dean of students' staff and the director of campus safety can assist students in making contact with the appropriate state and federal criminal justice agencies and provide support throughout the process. Students should be aware that some College staff members may be bound by law to report certain offenses to the criminal justice authorities.

For detailed information on the judicial process, visit this page.

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Section 1. Functions and Powers

Campus assemblies provide a College-wide forum for exploring, explaining or discussing any matter of general concern. All members of the campus community are invited to participate in the assembly for the purpose of enhancing communication and harmony in the College. The announcement of each assembly shall specify the format of the meeting, which may include any of the following:

a. presentation of information by the convener or by one or more invited participants;

b. questions posed by participants and responses by other participants;

c. questions submitted from the audience and responses by participants;

d. statements or responses offered by members of the audience;

e. presentation of resolutions for approval by the assembly, and referral to the proper agency; and

f. other action by the assembly, as described in the announcement.

Section 2. Procedures

Campus assemblies may be convened by the president of the College, by the chair of the faculty on the instruction of the faculty meeting, by the chairs of Senate on the instruction of the Senate, or by the president of Student Council on the instruction of the Council or in response to a petition bearing the signatures of one hundred (100) students.

a. Campus assemblies shall be open to all members of the campus community.

b. The convening agency is responsible for making all arrangements for the assembly, including:

i. setting a place and time that will maintain the class schedule;

ii. designating a person to chair the meeting;

iii. inviting the participation of persons whose knowledge of the matter could be expected to enhance its understanding;

iv. specifying the agenda and format of the meeting; and

v. issuing a timely announcement of the assembly (ordinarily at least two [2] days in advance); such an announcement is to include a statement of the matter to be discussed, the names of the chair and invited participants, and a specification of procedures for the conduct of the meeting.

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Section 1

Any student holding office in the campus government is subject to impeachment for failure to perform the functions of her or his office, for gross neglect of duty, for failure to execute daily assigned responsibilities, or for violation of the principles and provisions of the campus government.

Section 2

a. Impeachment proceedings shall be undertaken by the Student Council acting either on its own initiative by a majority of its members, or in response to a petition to it bearing the signatures of one-fourth of the constituency of the position in question. The president of the Council shall instruct any student thus subject to impeachment to appear before Council for a hearing. In the event that it is the president of the Council who is being impeached, the vice president for academic affairs of the Council shall conduct the hearing.

b. Action to remove a student from office shall require a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the Council.

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Section 1

The student body shall have the right to submit to a referendum on any issue which falls within the authority of the Student Council.

Section 2

A referendum may be called by a petition to the Student Council bearing the signatures of one-eighth of the student body. When a referendum is called, the president of the Council shall arrange for a special vote on the issue within two weeks.

Section 3

If the proposal receives the approval of a majority of those voting on the issue, and 25 percent of the student body votes on the issue, except where otherwise provided, the voting shall be binding on the Student Council.

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Section 1

Amendments to this constitution shall be made by the Senate. Amendments shall follow the procedure outlined for Senate legislation in Article II, Section 2.d. To pass the Senate, an amendment will require the consent of two thirds of the voting members present, not including abstentions.

Section 2

Proposals for amendment may be initiated either by the Student Council, faculty, Senate, or campus assembly.

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Section 1

The president of the College shall appoint from the administration an administrative advisor for the campus government who shall have the following responsibilities:

a. To facilitate the operations of all parts of the campus government, assisting and advising all organizations under the jurisdiction of the government;

b. To communicate and interpret to the campus government administrative policies on health, student housing, and dining halls;

c. To maintain a file of all minutes of campus government bodies and all rules and regulations duly established by any body of the campus government;

d. To attest to financial transactions of campus government; however, the administrative advisor shall withhold her or his signature only in cases of procedural irregularities and in cases where the welfare of the College would be placed in jeopardy.

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