Student Government Association Constitution

Article I. Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the “Student Government Association of Patrick & Henry Community College.”

Section 2. The purpose of the Student Government Association shall be to provide the necessary governmental structure for the students of Patrick & Henry Community College, to coordinate intellectual, social, and cultural activities for the students of the college, and to present an organized student voice to the administration.

Article II. Organization

Section 1. The Student Government Association of Patrick & Henry Community College shall be comprised of the student Senate, the Student-Faculty Judiciary Committee, the student body officers, and the student body.

Section 2. The student Senate shall be comprised of four representatives preferably elected from each class, and be presided over by the President of the student body. Additional members of the student Senate shall be the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the student body. In the event that a candidate is running for an office unopposed or if there are less than eight candidates running for the student senate, the candidate will be declared winner by default. The Coordinator of Campus Life & Fine Arts and/or a designated representative serve as advisor. The official rules for voting are as follows:

1. A student may vote for no more than one candidate per office unless otherwise indicated on the election ballot.
2. The candidate must be in attendance at the SGA meeting following the election to receive the results.
3. NO ballots can be removed from or added to the ballot box.
4. Each ballot must have the voter’s name and student identification number.

Section 3. The Student-Faculty Judiciary Committee shall be comprised of one non-voting dean, three faculty members (appointed by the college president), and three members of the student body (appointed by the SGA president). These committee members will be appointed during the first week of each fall semester. The committee shall be appointed during the summer session only if needed.

1. No student body members of the committee shall hold any elected office or position with the Student Government Association. In the event that a Student Government Association is not formed in a given year, the director of enrollment services will appoint the student body members to the committee.
2. Student body appointments to the committee shall be apportioned according to class status; the freshman class represented by one student body member, the sophomore class represented by two student body members.

Article III. Duties

Section I. The duties of the student Senate shall be to represent the best interests of the student body of this organization, to hear and discuss grievances and suggestions submitted by individual students, student groups or the administration of this college, and to instruct the Executive Committee in carrying out the purposes of this organization.

1. The president of the student body shall service as the president of the Senate.
2. The student Senate shall have the power of approval over all committee appointments made by the president of the student body.
3. The individual senator shall have the sole duty to legislate, to the best of his or her ability, for the benefit and the best interests of the students represented.
   1. It is the duty of each senator to attend all meetings of the student Senate, both scheduled and called.
   2. It is the duty of each senator, to the best of her or his ability, to inform the student body of Senate legislation through personal contact, and to present the expressed consensus opinions of the student body at all Senate meetings.

Section 2. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to administer such action as the purposes of the Student Government Association require on behalf of itself and the student Senate.

1. The Executive Committee shall have the power to reconsider any legislation presented to it by the student Senate if it feels that such legislation is not in the best interests of the student body.
2. A two-thirds majority or the Executive Committee is required to disapprove legislation passed by the student Senate.
3. The Executive Committee shall have the power to introduce legislation to the student Senate that it feels is in the best interest of the student body.
4. The president shall be the official head of this organization, shall publicly represent the best interests of this organization, shall preside over all meetings of the student body and the Executive Committee, shall supervise the execution of any action required by this organization and appoint such committees as deemed necessary to assist in the performance of presidential duties.
5. The secretary of this organization shall keep a written record of all meetings of the student body, Student Government Association, and Executive Committee. The treasurer of this organization shall keep a written record of all financial affairs and transactions of the organization and shall report all pending expenditures to the local funds accountant in the business office. The treasurer shall also serve as chairman of the Finance Committee. Any previous rights or privileges delegated to the secretary treasurer of this organization shall be delegated to both the secretary and the treasurer.

Section 3. The Student-Faculty Judiciary Committee shall provide a fair and equitable hearing for all cases of discipline that shall:

1. Arise out of a breach of regulations set up by the Student Government Association
2. Arise out of a breach of the Code of Conduct of Patrick & Henry Community College
3. Be referred to it by any unit of the Student Government Association
4. Be referred to it by any dean or faculty member of the college
5. Any member of this committee who feels personally involved in a case shall request that a substitute be appointed as a replacement for the case
6. In the event of a grievance, the chairman of this committee shall notify all parties having an immediate and recognizable interest in the proceedings, and shall schedule a meeting of the committee to discuss these proceedings
7. All proceedings held by this committee are closed, and all recommendations are final

Section 4. The individual members of the student body shall serve in any capacity requested by the president of the student body. They shall elect officers of the student body, and members of the Senate.

Article IV. Failure of Duty

Section 1. If, in the opinion of two-thirds of the student Senate, a senator is failing to meet the demands of duty inherent with the office, the senator shall be called before a special meeting of the Senate for a hearing. Then, if in the opinion of the Senate voting by secret ballot, the senator is found guilty of this failure, she or he shall be censured.

1. This censure shall be considered official notification of the senator’s failure to meet duties, and the Senate’s disapproval of this neglect.
2. No senator shall be allowed more than one censure during the term of office.
3. The president of the Senate shall deliver official censure.

Section 2. If, in the opinion of two thirds of the elected student representatives, any officer of the student body is failing to meet the demands of duty inherent with the office, the officer shall be called before a joint committee for a hearing. Then, if in the opinion of the Student Government Association, the officer is found guilty, he or she shall be censured.

1. This censure shall be considered official notification of the officer’s failure to meeting duties and the Senate and the Executive Committee’s disapproval of this neglect.
2. No officer shall be censured more than once during the term of office.
3. The Chair of the Legal Concerns Committee shall deliver official censure.

Section 3. If, in the opinion of three-fourths of the entire student Senate and Executive Committee combined, any elected official continues to fail to meet the demands of duty inherent with the office, the elected official shall receive a formal request to resign.

1. This formal request to resign shall be delivered by the Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Services
2. This request for resignation may be appealed to the Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Services

Article V. Terms of Office

Section 1. The elected officers and senators of the student body shall serve a term of one year, beginning in the last five weeks of the spring semester, and ending in the last five weeks of the following spring semester.

Section 2. Vacancies within the Student Government Association shall be filled as follows:

1. Vacancy in the office of the president of the student body shall be assumed by the vice-president.
2. Vacancy in the office of vice-president of the student body and/or the secretary and the treasurer shall be filled by a special election within a reasonable time after the vacancy occurs.
3. Vacancies in the student Senate shall be filled by special election within a reasonable time after the vacancy occurs.

Article VI. Qualifications

Section 1. All elected officers and senators shall be students enrolled in a curriculum, shall maintain a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.00, and shall be registered for not less than six semester hours of credit.

Section 2. Any officer or senator whose cumulative grade point average has fallen below 2.00 shall be removed from office, unless the individual can show sufficient cause to prevent removal. Any officer or senator who is placed on academic probation shall be removed from office.

Section 3. All students seeking office shall fulfill the requirements established by the Elections Committee, including understudy.

Section 4. All persons seeking election to an office of this organization must attend at least two Senate meetings prior to the election day.

Article VII. Legislation

Section 1. The Student Government Association shall be empowered to enact such legislation consistent with the policies of Patrick & Henry Community College and the State Board for Community Colleges, and necessary to fulfill its purpose.

Section 2. Such legislation may be initiated by the Executive Committee, the student Senate, or by petition signed by 10 percent of the student body. Ratification requires a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

Section 3. Notice of the ratification vote shall be posted five school days prior to the vote.

Article VIII. Special Committees

Section 1. Special committees may be created at the discretion of the president to aid in the performance of duties.