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Student Council By-Laws

Student Handbook 2008-2009

Section 1. Executive Committee

a. Powers and duties

i. The Executive Committee shall direct the operations of Student Council, shall keep informed about all campus affairs under the jurisdiction of the Council, and shall furnish to the Council and its several committees sufficient information for the proper discharge of their duties.

ii. The committee shall keep before the Council an agenda of current and future topics for Council consideration and shall call attention to any phase of campus life that merits consideration by the Council.

iii. The committee shall supervise the nomination, election, and appointment of student members and committees, as speci-fied in this constitution. The committee shall present to the Council at least one nominee for each position to be filled by general elections. The committee shall recommend specific election dates and, after approval by the Council, shall notify the campus at-large of the time, place, and procedures of all elections.

iv. The committee shall convene the campus assembly, as provided in Article V.

v. The committee shall hire the new chair of the Social Board for the following academic year. The committee shall work in conjunction with the advisor to the Social Board and at least one representative of the current board to select the new chair and set forth the terms of his or her contract. In addition, the committee shall oversee the Social Board through periodic reports from the chair to the Student Council throughout the year.

b. Membership

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the president, the vice president for student life, the vice president for academic affairs, the chair of the Housing and Grounds Committee, the communications director, the treasurer, and the president of First-Year Council. The student cochair of Senate is an ex-officio member. The president shall serve as chair.

Section 2. Standing Committees/Membership

Student Council retains veto power over all actions of the standing committees.

  • Committee appointments for all committees shall occur in the fall.
  • Each committee chair will solicit letters of intent beginning at least two weeks prior to the Council meeting for appointing committee members. Information about the different committees and their duties shall also be made available.
  • At least two-thirds of the Council must be present for the appointment meeting.
  • Candidates may present themselves in person to the Council during the appointment meeting, though they may not be present during deliberation and voting.
  • Students may serve on no more than two standing committees at one time, and they will not be appointed without a letter of intent.
  • During appointments for committees, equal consideration should be given to all students.
  • Vacancies shall be filled, as they occur, by selection through letters of intent. Calls for letters of intent to fill vacancies must be advertised at least two weeks before the meeting at which they are to be filled.

Procedures for all standing committees are:

  • all committees shall meet once a week;
  • simple majority is required to conduct the business of the committees; and
  • committees may form subcommittees as necessary to efficiently conduct their business.

a. Committee on Student Life

i. Powers and duties

a) The committee, in consultation with the assistant dean of students and director of student activities, is responsible for monitoring and supporting all campus organizations.

b) The committee must approve all new campus organizations and report to Student Council those new organizations which it approves. It must also conduct periodic, regular reviews of all campus organizations.

c) Under the supervision of Student Council, the committee shall regulate and establish guidelines for all elections and referenda to be held for the student body as a whole, and shall inform Student Council, the associate dean of students, and the College of the results.

d) The committee shall conduct nominations and the election among students for the Anderson Cup.

e) The committee shall review all matters pertaining to the food service and initiate proposals and recommendations on food-service policy when necessary. The committee shall meet at least once a semester with the director of the food service and other staff members.

f) The committee shall act as an organizing body through which various health-related activities and groups are proposed, sponsored, and nurtured. The purpose of these activities and groups shall be to address specific health-related topics, to promote health awareness, and to help assess student medical concerns and relate them to the Health and Counseling Center. Any student with health-related concerns or an interest in any of the committee's activities shall be welcome to meet with the committee, to forward suggestions to the student government officers, or to contact members of the committee personally.

g) The committee shall have formal ties with the Snowden Multicultural Center and the associate dean of students and director of multicultural affairs. A member of the committee shall serve as a member of the Snowden Program Board, and the committee shall meet with the assistant dean as needed.

h) The committee shall promote respect, tolerance, sensitivity, and understanding for the rights and dignity of all individuals and groups in the Kenyon community and bring a greater awareness about actions that stigmatize or victimize an individual or group on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, ideology, or physical or mental disability by working with the associate dean of students and director of multicultural affairs, the sexual misconduct advisors, and other appropriate groups or individuals.

i) The committee shall meet as requested with the dean of students, the associate dean of students, an alumni representative, a representative from the Office of Development, and the president of the College to discuss issues regarding campus life and to make suggestions regarding its improvement. This campus forum shall be co-chaired by the faculty cochair of the Senate and the vice president for student life of Student Council and shall have no legislative power. Meetings of the committee may be called by either chair at any time during the academic year. The agenda shall be set by both chairs, working in cooperation, at least two weeks in advance of the forum, and distributed to the members of both committees at that time.

j) The committee shall also meet with the Trustee Committee on Student Affairs.

ii. Membership

a) The committee shall be comprised of vice president for student life, the chairs of Social Board and the Student Lectureships Committee, and members appointed from the student body at-large.

b) The chair of the committee shall be elected from the student body at-large.

c) A secretary shall be elected from within the committee membership to keep written minutes.

d) Other officers or subcommittees may be formed as necessary.

b. Academic Affairs Committee

i. Powers and duties

a) The committee shall appoint three (3) student members to the Faculty Curricular Policy Committee, two (2) student members to the Committee on Academic Standing, and two (2) members to the Academic Infractions Board. The chair may, but is not required to, serve as a representative to one of these committees.

b) The committee shall serve as the delegation to the provost, which shall meet with the provost at least once per month while the College is in session, at the committee's request.

c) The committee shall appoint two (2) student members to meet regularly with the director of information access.

d) The committee shall appoint two (2) student members to meet regularly with the vice president for library and information services.

e) The committee shall be respon-sible for sustaining the student advisory boards. At least once a semester, the com-mittee shall devote one meeting to hearing reports from the chair of each student advisory board. The committee shall cooperate with the provost and concentration directors in this endeavor.

The student advisory boards' responsi-bilities shall include, but not be exclusive to, establishing and maintaining formal commu-nication among majors and between faculty members and majors. Each student advisory board shall organize a majors' meeting once a semester to address majors' concerns.

f) A secretary shall be elected from within the committee to keep written minutes.

ii. Membership

a) The committee shall be composed of student members appointed from the student body at-large.

b) The chair of the committee shall be elected from the student body at-large.

c) A secretary shall be elected from within the committee membership to keep written minutes.

d) Other officers or subcommittees may be formed as necessary.

c. Student Lectureships Committee

i. Powers and duties

a) The committee shall organize and supervise lectures, debates, and other appropriate gatherings. The committee shall strive to bring to campus speakers and performers of diverse viewpoints.

b) The committee must seek approval from Student Council before spending one-third of its annual budget on a single event.

c) The committee shall solicit suggestions from the student body throughout the year regarding possible topics or speakers

d) The committee shall review and consider requests from individuals and groups to co-sponsor other appropriate events.

e) The secretary of the committee shall keep written records with the Student Council communications director.

ii. Membership

a) The committee shall consist of fourteen (14) voting members selected in accordance with Article I, Section 2, Student Council By-Laws.

b) The chair of the committee shall be elected from the student body at-large, but he or she must have at least one semester of experience on the committee. The chair shall report to Student Council two to three times each semester and shall sit on the Committee on Student Life.

c) A secretary and treasurer shall be elected from within the committee membership.

d. Social Board

i. Organization

a) Powers and duties

1) The Social Board shall encourage and oversee appropriate social programs and activities for Kenyon students.

2) The chairs of Social Board shall be responsible for reporting to Student Council plans made by Social Board.

3) The board shall elect one (1) secretary at the beginning of the fall semester.

4) The board shall be open to the campus for suggestions regarding potential social activities.

5) The board shall be receptive to the planning of events sponsored by other organizations. The board shall be open to hear applications submitted by other organizations seeking support in sponsoring events. The board shall conduct hearings to determine the merit of each request in order to dispense funds appropriately.

6) The board must seek approval from Student Council before spending one third of its annual budget on a single event.

b) Membership

1) The board shall consist of fifteen (15) voting members selected in accordance with Article I, Section 2, Student Council By-Laws. The designated assistant director of residential life shall serve as an advisor to and a nonvoting member of Social Board. The chairs shall assume office after they are elected in the spring.

2) The chairs will assume office on June 1 of the year elected and the term will last until May 31 of the succeeding year. .

3) The secretary will be elected by the board at the beginning of the academic year within the first three meetings of the board.

c.) Selection of Social Board chairs.

1) Each spring any student with at least one semester membership on Social Board who wishes to present himself/herself as a candidate for Social Board chair must submit a letter of intent to the director of student activities by the second to last Saturday of the academic year.

2) The director of student activities shall distribute letters of intent to all members of Social Board no later than the Wednesday of the week following the submission of the letters. Current members of the Social Board shall evaluate the candidates and submit their evaluations via e-mail to the director of student activities no later than the following Friday. The director of student activities in conjunction with the designated assistant director of residential life shall develop a standard form for evaluation of all candidates.

3) The director of student activities with the designated director of residential life shall collate the results of the evaluation and distribute the information to the Student Council president no later than the final Friday of the academic year.

4) The Student Council president shall share the results of the Social Board's evaluations of the candidates with the full council before the final Sunday of the academic year.

5) The Student Council full board shall select by voting two candidates to serve as Social Board cochairs.

d.) Responsibilities and compensation for Social Board chairs

1) Each chair shall meet individually with the director of student activities and the designated assistant director of residential life at the end of the fall and at the end of the spring semester to discuss his or her performance and his or her fulfillment of all responsibilities as outlined on Article I, Section2.d of the handbook.

2) The director of student activities and the designated assistant director of residential life shall keep each chair aware of his or her individual performance throughout the semester.

3) Each chair shall earn a stipend of $150 at the end of the fall and at the end of the spring semester, contingent upon recommendation of the director of student activities and the designated assistant director of residential life. Each individual chair shall earn full stipend for the semester or $150, half of the stipend for the semester or $75, or no stipend for the semester.

ii. Powers and duties of the Social Board Executive Committee

a) Chairs of the Social Board

1) The chairs shall act as the primary directors and facilitators in the planning and production of events sponsored by the board.

2) The chairs are responsible for reporting plans made by Social Board to Student Council two to three times each semester. The chairs shall sit on the Committee on Student Life and attend the regular meetings of this committee.

3) The chairs must have at least one semester of experience on the Board.

4) For each event, the chairs will appoint a member or members to serve as event manager(s). If no event manager is assigned for an event, the chairs are responsible for managing the event. It will be the responsibility of the event manager to act as overall organizer of an event. He or she will assign programming tasks to members and follow through as needed. All Social Board members will rotate into the event manager role, in accordance with individual interests and abilities.

5) The chairs, in consultation with the advisors of social board, shall be responsible for submitting a budget proposal to the Finance Committee each spring and fall.

6) The chairs, along with the designated assistant director of residential life and the director of student activities, shall be responsible for conducting an orientation program for the board at the beginning of the academic year.

7) The chairs shall vote only in the case of a tie.

b) Secretary

1) The secretary shall keep records of all Social Board meetings and shall handle official correspondence of the board. The secretary shall notify the board members of emergency meetings. The secretary, in conjunction with event managers, shall be responsible for facilitating the timely notification of the Social Board's activities to the student body.

iii. Procedures

a) The board shall attempt to schedule imaginative and innovative social programs and events throughout the academic year that address the diverse interests of the Kenyon student population.

b) Scheduled events must be approved by the majority of the board.

c) All Social Board events must comply with the College's rules and regulations.

e. Committee on Business and Finance

i. Powers and duties

a) The committee is responsible for the allocation of the student activities fee to all Student Council-recognized organizations and for the allocation of any available funds to needy organizations during supplemental budget hearings.

b) The committee shall oversee the financial affairs of all student organizations receiving money from the student activities fee.

c) Budget hearings will be held at the end of each semester. Supplemental budget hearings will be held if funds are available.

d) The Special Projects Committee, which allocates funds to newly established organizations founded throughout the academic year, and which grants funds to worthwhile cultural, educational, and community service programs, will be the responsibility of the Committee on Business and Finance.

e) The committee shall review the operations of the Kenyon Bookstore.

f) Written records will be kept of all meetings.

g) The committee will meet with the Trustee Committee on Development.

h) The committee members shall serve as the student representatives to the Trustee Committee on Budget and Finance.

i) All budget allocations must meet with the majority approval of Student Council.

ii. Membership

a) The Committee on Business and Finance shall be composed of the Student Council treasurer and ten (10) students, to be elected as stated in Article I, Section 2, Student Council By-Laws. The treasurer shall vote only in the case of a tie.

b) The assistant treasurer shall be appointed by the Student Council treasurer with majority approval of Student Council. Students must be in their first, sophomore, or junior year to apply. All candidates must submit a letter of intent.

f. Special Projects Committee

i. Powers and duties

a) The subcommittee is responsible for encouraging and funding new organizations.

b) The subcommittee shall provide grants to organizations wishing to pursue worthwhile endeavors.

ii. Membership

a) The Committee on Business and Finance as a whole shall assume the powers and responsibilities of the Special Projects Committee with the Student Council treasurer presiding as chair.

iii. Procedures

a) Any organization or individual shall have the right to petition the subcommittee for funds.

b) The subcommittee must interview the petitioners prior to submitting a decision to Student Council.

c) All decisions made by the Special Projects Committee must be approved by Student Council before any action may be taken. Student Council has the authority to overturn any decision made by the Special Projects Committee.

g. Committee on Housing and Grounds

i. Powers and duties

a) The committee shall monitor the maintenance of the College grounds and all College buildings, including student residences.

b) The committee shall make proposals to improve the College grounds and all College buildings.

c) The committee shall regularly review all matters pertaining to student housing, making proposals on housing policy when necessary.

d) The committee, in cooperation with the dean of residential life, shall provide for the periodic review of all campus housing groups.

e) The chair and one member of the committee shall serve as the student representatives to the Trustee Committee on Building and Grounds.

f) Minutes of the committee will be given regularly to Student Council and will be kept with the Student Council Executive Committee.

g) The committee shall meet with the dean of residential life on a regular basis.

h) The committee shall act as a forum for communication and discussion between the students and the Maintenance Department. The committee shall meet at least twice per semester with representatives from the department.

ii. Membership

a) The committee shall be appointed from letters of intent in the fall, in accor-dance with Article I, Section 2, Student Council By-Laws. In addition, the chair of the Campus Committee serves as a member.

b) The chair of the committee shall be elected in the spring by the student body at-large.

c) Other officers or subcommittees may be formed as necessary.

d) Three (3) Office of Residential Life staff members shall serve as non-voting members.

h. Campus Safety Committee

i. Powers and duties

a) The committee shall encourage friendly relations between students and the Office of Campus Safety.

b) The committee shall review Kenyon's security and safety policies and make policy recommendations to the Office of Campus Safety. In order to ensure effective communication among the various entities of campus government, copies of these recommendations will be given to Senate and Student Council.

c) The committee shall act as a forum for communication, ideas, and discussion between the students and the Office of Campus Safety.

d) The committee, in cooperation with the Office of Campus Safety, shall sponsor at least one campus forum per semester.

e) The committee's chair shall attend Student Council meetings as a non-voting member.

f) The Office of Campus Safety is encouraged to utilize the committee for input on the office's operations and policies.

g) Minutes of the committee's meetings will be kept with the director of security and safety.

h) The secretary will submit the committee's minutes to Student Council.

ii. Membership

a) The committee shall consist of eight to twelve students appointed by Student Council from letters of intent received in the fall. Though the chair does not sit on Student Council, he or she will be allowed to be present when Student Council discusses the letters of intent.

b) The chair will be elected in the spring from the student body at-large.

c) The chair shall attend Student Council meetings two to three times each semester as a non-voting member. The chair shall also serve as a member of the Housing and Grounds Committee.

d) By a simple majority vote of the committee's student members, the committee shall elect a vice chair and a secretary from its membership. It is the duty of the vice chair to conduct meetings in the absence of the chair.

e) The director of campus safety, the assistant director of campus safety, and the chief business officer will be non-voting members of the committee. Meetings of the committee shall not take place unless at least one of these persons is present.

f) Student Council has the power of impeachment over the committee's chair and/or student members.

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Section 1. Restricted Assets

a. Restricted assets are those funds invested by the Council for long-term gain and whose use is restricted under subsection c. of this section.

b. Student Council restricted assets shall not be less than 25 percent nor more than 40 percent of those monies not budgeted by the Council in the yearly allocations or not spent by the Council by the end of the fiscal year.

c. The Committee on Business and Finance will add to the restricted assets or liquidate these assets as necessary on a yearly basis according to the stipulations of subsection b. of this section. This will be done at the spring budget meetings of the Committee on Business and Finance for the consideration of the yearly allocations. These funds can be allocated only in an emergency situation. If the committee decides an emergency situation exists, and recommends an allocation of these funds be made, Council must approve the allocation by a two-thirds vote of its membership.

d. The interest accrued on these investments shall be reinvested.

Section 2. Capital Expenditures

a. The capital expenditures account consists of all Student Council money that is neither invested for long-term gain nor allocated to student organizations for their yearly operating budgets. The use of this account is limited to major capital expenditures involving the purchase of property for student organizations, the cost of which would not be included in their yearly operating budget.

b. The capital expenditures account shall not be less than 60 percent nor more than 75 percent of those funds not allocated yearly for operating budgets of student organizations.

c. The money in this account may be allocated only upon the recommendation of the Committee on Business and Finance or upon a majority vote of Council. Upon such a recommendation, the allocation must be approved by a two-thirds vote of Council's membership.

Section 3. Procedures for Recommending the Amount of the Student Activities Fee

a. Committee on Business and Finance recommendation

i. Sometime before the end of the first semester, the Committee on Business and Finance shall conduct hearings to examine tentative budgets for the following academic year for all recognized student organizations desirous of Council funding.

ii. Based on these hearings, the committee shall make a recommendation to Student Council, no later than the end of the tenth week of classes, regarding the per capita amount of the student activities fee, based on the best available projection of student enrollment for the following academic year. The committee can recommend either that the amount remain the same or that it be increased or decreased by an amount sufficient to provide an adequate budget. If the necessary increase or decrease is less than $2 per capita, the committee must recommend no change. If no change is recommended, the fee will remain the same as for the previous year.

b. Student Council ratification

At the next weekly meeting following the presentation of the committee's recommendation, the Student Council must vote to accept or reject that recommendation.

i. An affirmative vote by a majority of the members present shall constitute acceptance of the recommendations.

ii. If Student Council accepts a recommendation to change the amount of the fee, a student referendum must be held.

iii. Defeat of such a recommendation means there will be no change in the amount of the fee.

c. Student referendum and voting

i. If Student Council accepts the recommendations, it must conduct a student referendum before the end of the first semester.

ii. Prior to the referendum, Student Council must conduct an advertising campaign using whatever means they deem expedient to inform the student body about the fee. The following information must be included:

a) a general review of the activities fee concept;

b) a list of organizations requesting funding, but not the amount requested;

c) a general rationale for the proposed change; and

d) exact figures for the present per capita fee and the amount of the proposed per capita fee change.

iii. All first-year students, sophomores, and juniors enrolled on campus at the time of the vote are eligible to vote.

iv. In order for the recommendation to be ratified by the students, 50 percent plus one of the total number voting must cast affirmative votes.

v. Voting will be conducted in the following manner:

a) Balloting will occur on a day(s) specified by the Committee on Business and Finance.

b) Ballots must include a statement of the proposed per capita increase and the proposed per capita total activities fee.

c) Voting will be conducted in a manner deemed most appropriate by the committee in order to ensure and encourage voter participation.

d) Ballots will be collected by the committee, at the conclusion of balloting, for counting and announcement of results.

d. Trustee ratification

i. The Student Council communications director will send a written summary of the referendum results to the president's staff, by the completion of the first semester in December. This will include:

a) the number of eligible voters;

b) the number of votes cast;

c) vote totals for and against the proposed change and the percentages for each;

d) a list of organizations requesting funding, but not the amounts requested;

e) a general rationale for the proposed change;

f) the amount of the proposed per capita increase or decrease; and

g) the total proposed per capita student activities fee.

ii. If accepted by the College administration, the proposal will be recommended by the administration through the appropriate committee to the Board of Trustees for action. Should the trustees accept the proposed increase or decrease, the recommended change shall become binding on the student body.

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Section 1

Student Council shall have sole authority in establishing the arrangement for its internal organization.

Section 2

Amendments to Student Council By-laws shall require the consent of two-thirds of the Council members present.

The most recent changes to the constitution were approved by Campus Senate and Student Council during the 2002-03 academic year.

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