	Student Government Constitution and By-Laws

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CONSTITUTION

Preamble

We, the students of Haywood Community College, in order to promote in each student a personal responsibility for their college and country and to accept their responsibilities as American citizens; to foster a spirit of cooperation among students, faculty, and staff; to maintain the good reputation of the college by upholding high standards of personal conduct; to develop wise leadership; to promote a spirit of high scholarship, character, and service; and to promote a better opportunity for constructively working out the problems of the school, do hereby organize this Student Government Association and establish this Constitution for Haywood Community College.

Article 1- Name:

Section 1: The name of this association shall be the Haywood Community College Student Government Association.

Article 2- Membership:

Section 1: Membership shall be composed of the student body of Haywood Community College.

Article 3- Purpose:

Section 1: The Student Government Association shall be responsible for making the requests and recommendations to the administration that reflect the needs of the student body.
Section 2: The Student Government Association shall be responsible for planning events and projects that reflect the ideas and opinions of the student body.
Section 3: The Student Government Association shall propose the budget detailing the expenditures of the student activity fees and shall submit it to the administration for approval.
Section 4: The Student Government Association shall pass initial approval of all newly formed student organizations.

Article 4- Relationship to College Administration:

Section 1: The student body recognizes that any authority vested in the student body with reference to the administration of the college is a delegated authority, and is given either from the action of the Board of Trustees or from the voluntary action of the President. Any regulations emanating from the Board or from the President shall be regarded as authoritative, unless and until the regulations have been altered or canceled by the Board or the President.
Section 2: Whenever a conflict arises between the Student Government Association and any other segment of Haywood Community College’s Administration except for the President, who shall overrule the Student Government Association, the issue will be referred to the President, whose decision shall be final and binding.
Section 3: The President of Haywood Community College shall have the power to veto and the power to reverse any Student Government Association decisions.
Section 4: The President of Haywood Community College may at any time call a special session of the Student Government Association.

Article 5- Organization:

Section 1: Officers of the Haywood Community College Student Government Association will consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary, and will be elected by the Haywood Community College student body.
Section 2: The legislative body shall consist of students appointed from within the various curricula and approved by the Student Government Association to represent their curriculum, and one student from each sanctioned campus organization. These students shall be referred to as “Delegates.”
Section 3: The duties of Student Government Association officers and delegates and the procedure for election shall be detailed in the Student Government Association Constitution by-laws.

Article 6- Impeachment:

Section 1: Any member of the Student Government Association who meets the criteria for good standing as outlined in the Constitution’s by-laws, or any member of the Haywood Community College Administration, may bring charges of impeachment against any officer or representative of the Student Government Association. The charges must be presented to the Dean of Student Services in writing, signed, and with given reasons for wishing to dispose of the official.
Section 2: Upon receipt of a charge of impeachment, a Board of Impeachment will determine whether the charges should be taken to the Student Government Association delegates for a vote. The Board of Impeachment shall consist of the President of Haywood Community College, Dean of Student Services, Student Government Association Advisor, and members of the standing Student Government Association Student Conduct Committee. Conviction of the charges will be determined by a two-thirds majority vote of the combined Board of Impeachment and Student Government Association delegates.
Section 3: In the event of conviction, the official will be relieved of his or her duties and will be replaced in the normal manner outlined in the Constitution’s by-laws. The convicted official, in addition to being relieved of his or her position, may not hold any other public office at Haywood Community College.
Section 4: In the event of an acquittal of the charges, the accused cannot be tried on the same charges for a second time for the same offense.

Article 7- Amendments:

Section 1: Any amendment to this constitution must be approved by a simple (51%) majority vote of the Student Government Association delegates following a reading of the proposed amendment at two consecutive meetings. The amendments must also have approval of the Haywood Community College Executive Advisory Committee.

Article 8- Ratification:

Section 1: This constitution must be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the Student Body of Haywood Community College upon approval of the President of Haywood Community College.
Section 2: This constitution shall go into effect immediately upon ratification, and signature by the President of Haywood Community College, Dean of Student Services, Student Government Association Chief Advisor, and current Student Government Association President. Date of signature shall be recorded along with each signature.

BY-LAWS

Article 1- Purpose of the By-Laws of SGA:

The by-laws shall be the working rules of the SGA and will be subject to a change by a simple (51%) majority vote of the SGA Delegates. The by-laws must not conflict with the Constitution of the SGA.

Article 2- Delegates:

Section A: The SGA shall be composed of one delegate from each day and night curriculum. However, if any curriculum has an excess of thirty (30) students, then the curriculum may have more than one delegate. A delegate shall also be appointed from within each SGA-sanctioned campus organization. The organization shall be responsible for appointing its delegate on an annual basis.
Section B: In the event that a curriculum does not appoint a delegate by the date set by the Election Committee, the Vice President of Student Services may appoint a delegate-at-large to be responsible for serving that curriculum until a student from that curriculum states an interest in being the delegate.
Section C: Procedure for Becoming a Delegate

The delegate shall be appointed by their responsible curricula no later than the fourth week of the fall semester or the third week of the spring semester. When a student is appointed by his or her curricula, then he or she will be elected by a simple (51%) majority vote of the SGA.
Anyone interested in joining the Student Government Association needs to go to his or her curriculum advisor and receive a letter of recommendation to join. If no one shows interest, then the curriculum advisor needs to appoint someone.
The term of office will be for one year. Delegates will take office as soon as approved in the Student Government Association meeting but will not be allowed voting privileges until the following meeting. The SGA advisor(s) shall be responsible for arranging an appropriate swearing in ceremony.
If the elected delegate is unable to complete his or her term of office, the curriculum shall appoint another delegate under the same procedure as above.

Section D: Responsibilities of SGA Delegates

Maintain a 2.00 grade point average.
Attend all meetings of the SGA and verbally report to the curriculum or club concerning items discussed.
Serve on SGA and other campus committees and devote time and energy to the various functions of SGA (see receiving semester allocations).
Serve as a voting member in SGA.

Article 3- Officers:

Section A: The officers of SGA shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and Public Information Officer. These officers shall be students who have shown the characteristics of scholarship, leadership, stability, honesty, initiative, and responsibility.

The student body will elect the President, Vice President, and Secretary no later than mid-May. The standing Election Committee shall set exact dates. Candidates chosen must receive the highest percentage of votes cast for their office.
The Parliamentarian, Public Information Officer, and Local Interactions Chair will be appointed from within the SGA delegate membership.
The term of office shall be for one year. The officers shall assume office upon the start of the summer session of classes. The SGA advisors and incumbent SGA President shall arrange an appropriate swearing in ceremony.
All officers must maintain a 2.50 grade point average.
All officers must be registered students of Haywood Community College in either a day or night curriculum program, and have at least two consecutive semesters remaining before graduation from Haywood Community College.
In order to run for the office of President, Vice President, or Secretary, a student must do the following:
submit a completed application with 60 signatures representing at least five different curriculums from currently enrolled Haywood Community College students,
participate in a formal interview with the faculty/staff activity committee for all candidate applicants,
participate in a candidate/student forum for statement, and question and answer sessions between officer candidates and students,
submit to the SGA advisor, prior to publicizing, any campaign materials for approval.
No more than $25.00 can be spent in giveaways including tax. All receipts must be turned in to the SGA advisor.
Candidates will receive automatic dismissal if guidelines are not followed or the HCC code of conduct is broken.
If the selected officer is unable to complete his or her term of office, the vacant office will be filled as follows:

President	Filled by Vice President, then Secretary
Vice President	Filled within SGA
Secretary	Filled within SGA
Parliamentarian	Filled within SGA
Public Information Officer	Filled within SGA
Local Interactions Chair	Filled within SGA

If a curriculum or club delegate fills an office, then that Curriculum or Club Advisor shall appoint a new delegate. If no current member of SGA is willing to serve, elections for these offices shall be held as stated in Article 2, Section C, of the by-laws, as soon as possible.

The SGA officers shall appoint a standing election committee from within the SGA delegates to organize and supervise campus elections. If a member of this committee decides to run for an office, then he or she will be removed from the committee. The SGA officers will then appoint a replacement from within the SGA delegates not running for office. The SGA advisor, one faculty or staff member, and one unbiased witness will count ballots immediately after the election. All candidates listed on the ballot may be present for the tabulating of the ballots.
Should a run-off election between candidates become necessary, it shall be held within one week under the same guidelines as in the initial election.

Section B: Responsibilities

The President shall:
Serve as chief executive officer of the organization.
Preside over all SGA meetings in a non-voting capacity, with the sole exception of casting his or her vote to break a tie.
Serve as a liaison between the SGA, students, faculty, and administration.
Call special meetings of SGA upon request of the SGA advisor or college President.
Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees; receive reports from all committee meetings and have a working knowledge of all committees and organizational activities.
Appoint SGA delegates to committees.
Serve as the non-voting student delegate on the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees.
Serve as a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the college.
Work in the SGA office at least five hours a week.
The Vice President shall:
Assume the responsibilities of the President should the President, for any reason; be unable to meet the duties of office.
Serve as a voting member in SGA.
Assist the President as needed.
Maintain the records of the history of the SGA with the assistance of the Public Information Officer and the Secretary.
Attend all regular meetings.
Serve as an ex-officio member of all standing committees.
Attend regular meetings of the SGA Executive Board.
Work in the SGA office at least one hour per week.
Serve as an advocate for special populations on campus and serve as a liaison between special populations and the Special Services Counselor.
The Secretary shall:
Assist the Vice President in maintaining the permanent records of SGA.
Keep the minutes and records of each meeting if the SGA.
Inform all delegates of any upcoming meeting and forward the minutes of each meeting to the Delegates, all Curriculum Chairs, and all Club Advisors.
Serve as a voting member of the SGA
Keep the roll of SGA Delegates. Notify the Elections Committee Chairperson, Curriculum Chair, or Club Advisor and/or Club President of delegates requiring replacement.
Attend regular meetings of the SGA Executive Board.
Follow Vice President in succession of the office of President.
Work in the SGA office at least one hour per week.
The Parliamentarian shall:
Maintain parliamentary order at SGA meetings.
Advise the SGA in the interpretation of the SGA Constitution and By-laws.
Serve as a voting member of the SGA.
Serve as chairperson of the Election committee.
Assist Public Information Officer with scrapbook and other duties as needed.
The Public Information Officer shall:
Serve as chairperson of the Publicity committee.
Prepare and release publicity to the appropriate media, membership institutions, delegates, and advisors, under direction of the SGA Advisor.
Serve as a voting member of the SGA.
Direct the printing and publication of the SGA newsletter.
Assist the Vice President in the maintenance of the historical records of the organization.
Be responsible for advertisement of all SGA sponsored events as well as disseminate other information as requested by the SGA president.
Be responsible for constructing a SGA scrapbook each year.
Attend regular meetings of the SGA executive board.

6. The Local Interactions Chair shall:
a. Serve as a liaison between the students and the SGA to research and resolve campus concerns.
b. Present all information to the proper persons relating to campus issues.
c. Serve as a voting member of the Student Government Association.
d. Attend regular meetings of the SGA executive board

Section C: State Officers
1. Any member of SGA that would like to run for state office must follow all guidelines and regulations set forth by the N4CSGA.
2. If and when the person is elected to state office, he or she must give a report to SGA once a month.

Article 4- Attendance and Meetings:

Section A: Receiving Semester Allocations

Clubs and curricula must have club delegate at every SGA meeting unless club or curriculum is off-campus for event such as conference, conclave, or competition. Each club may have one excused absence if an unforeseen event does not allow a delegate sufficient time to find a replacement (no more than 1 per semester). In both cases, the club advisor will notify SGA advisor by e-mail..
Submitting 2 scrapbook pages (1 per semester) by deadline for Conference competition.
Having at least 1 volunteer for at a minimum of 1 hour at major SGA events (Blood Drives, Back to School Blast, Fall Fling, Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Fling). An exception will be made if a club or curriculum is off-campus for an event such as conference, conclave, or competition. In that case, the club advisor will notify SGA advisor by e-mail.
Co-chair or chair at least one project team.

Tracking:
Regular SGA meeting attendance – Sign in sheet
Officer/project leader or other meeting attendance – Sign in sheet
Scrapbook pages submitted by deadline
Volunteer – Sign in and sign out; report in to SGA President or Advisor
Project Chair/Co-chair – List kept by SGA Secretary/Advisor

Section B: Winning Club of the Month

Club or club(s) who makes the most outstanding contribution for the month – emphasis on volunteering for events (before, after or during).

Tracking:
Regular SGA meeting attendance – Sign in
Officer/project leader or other meeting attendance – Sign in sheet
Volunteer – Sign in and sign out; report in to SGA President or Advisor
Project Chair/Co-chair – List kept by SGA Secretary/Advisor.

Section C: Attending N4CSGA Conference
1. Students who have most significant individual contribution to SGA throughout semester/year have the opportunity to attend conferences

Tracking:
Regular SGA meeting attendance – Sign in sheet
Officer/project leader or other meeting attendance – Sign in sheet
Volunteer – Sign in and sign out; report in to SGA President or Advisor
Project Chair/Co-chair – List kept by SGA Secretary/Advisor.

SGA Advisor will provide monthly report to club advisors on a monthly basis.

Article 5- Committees:

Section A: The officers of the SGA will have the responsibility of appointing the chairperson and two committee members for each of the standing committees. These must be selected from among the SGA officers and delegates. The appointed committee chairperson may select a maximum of three additional committee members from the student body at large.

Section B: Standing Committees

Finance Committee:

Shall prepare an annual student activity budget.
Present budget for approval to the SGA and appropriate College personnel.
Shall be in charge of all fundraising activities for SGA conferences and activities.

Elections Committee:

Responsible for announcing filing dates to the student body no later than the last school day of February.
Establishing and announcing special election dates, times, and polling places no later than one week prior to elections.
Having an alphabetical list of eligible voters at the polls and checking off the names as each voter receives his or her ballot.
Assigning a person to be the custodian of the ballot box.
Posting election results on the student bulletin boards.
Chairperson shall be the Parliamentarian.

Publicity Committee:

Shall release all necessary publicity pertaining to SGA activities.
Shall design and publish SGA newsletter.
Chairperson shall be the Public Information Officer.

Section C: Faculty/Student Activities Committee
There shall be a sub-committee appointed from within the membership of the Student Advisory Committee that shall be titled the Student Activities Committee. This committee, composed of faculty members appointed by the Vice President of Student Services, shall:

Review applications for recognition as a student organization, after such applications have been approved by the SGA delegates.
Meet with SGA officers, delegates, and committees to assist in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the various functions of the SGA. The SGA shall have the responsibility of requesting meetings with the Student Activities Committee.

Article 6- Advisors:

The advisor to the SGA shall be a member of the Student Services staff with the responsibility for coordinating student activities.

Article 7- Oath of Office:

The SGA officers and delegates shall take the following oath of office at a ceremony arranged by the SGA Advisor:

“I, (full name), do solemnly swear to carry out the responsibilities of the office to which I have been elected and now accept. I further agree to abide by and execute the provisions of the office as stated in the Student Government Association Constitution and By-Laws and to abide by all of the published policies and regulations of Haywood Community College.”

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