Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Southwestern Student Congress, herein referred to as the Student Congress.

Article II: Purpose

Section 1. Student Congress. The purpose of this body is to provide a forum for student concerns and opinions as well as to increase communication between the student body and the rest of the University community. It is composed of student representatives. There will be three officers elected by popular vote, 2 representatives per academic class-elected at large--, and one representative per Resident Assistant in the residence halls. Nineteen of these students will be selected to provide a link between the four governing Councils of the University, the Student Congress and the student body. In fulfilling this function, Student Congress members will meet regularly to share information from various councils and formulate student responses to Council actions. The Student Congress holds Town Meetings and other open forums for students to voice concerns and learn about Council actions.

Section 2. Executive Council. The purpose of the Executive Council of the Student Congress is to oversee the activities of the Congress regarding issues, information and policies of the University which are relevant to student life. The Executive Council shall meet regularly to organize activities of the Student Congress.

Article III: Membership

Section 1. Membership of Student Congress is composed of student representatives, representing various constituencies.

Section 2. Student Congress. The Student Congress shall be composed as follows:

The President, Vice-President, and Secretary shall be elected at large by the student body.

Two representatives per academic class shall be elected at large. A student's academic class is defined by the year in which he/she matriculates at Southwestern University; exceptions will be made for transfer students, who will be placed in the appropriate academic class based on the number of credit hours.

Each student may vote in the Class Representative elections for his/her academic class.

There will be one representative per RA in the residence halls, elected during Fall Semesters at Hall Meetings.

Non-voting members are ex-officio members, including the Dean of Students, the Director of Student Activities, and two (2) faculty advisors, which shall be selected by the General Faculty.

The President shall not have voting privileges, except in the case of a tie.

A President, a Vice-President, and Secretary, who are to be popularly elected by the student body.

An Elections Chair, Parliamentarian, a Public Relations Chair, and a Treasurer, who will be appointed by the President with the consent of a majority of Student Congress members.

A representative from each of the student delegations of the governing Councils of the University. These representatives will be selected by each delegation.

All Executive Council members have voting privileges, except the President who votes in case of a tie.

The 19 council representatives will be allocated as follows:

3 to the AAC, 3 to the FAC, 10 to the SAC, and 3 to the UC. Two of the SAC Representatives shall be first-year students, two of the SAC Representatives shall be representatives from the Residence Life Staff, and one SAC Representative shall come from the Union Program Council. The Union Program Council and Residence Life Representatives will also be members of the Student Congress.

Each student delegation to the Councils will select one member to sit on the Executive Council of Student Congress. The Chair of SAC should be the representative to the Executive Council.

Article IV: Membership Requirements

Section 1. Student Congress. Student Congress members must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with the University at the time of election and service.

Section 2. Attendance. Student Congress members are required to notify the Parliamentarian of a potential absence prior to a Student Congress event. No more than 2 unexcused absences from Council Meetings, General Student Congress meetings, and/or Town Meetings will be permitted per semester.

Section 3. Removal from the Student Congress. When a member has violated the attendance policy of Student Congress, the Parliamentarian will notify him/her. The Executive Council will then vote to officially remove the offending member from Student Congress. A simple majority of the Executive Council is required to remove a member. Students removed from office will be ineligible to serve in or run for any Student Congress position for one full academic year.

Section 4. Vacancies. The Elections Chair is responsible for seeing that all vacancies are filled.

Residence Hall representatives. When a residence hall representative has violated the attendance policy and been removed from Student Congress, Elections Chair will contact his/her RA and cooperate with the RA in the election of a new representative in a Hall Meeting.

Class Representatives. When a class representative has violated the attendance policy and been removed from Student Congress, the Elections Chair shall solicit nominations.

1. The Elections Chair shall keep record of all those who submitted applications for a class representative position.
2. When a vacancy occurs, the Elections Chair will contact the applicants, inform them of the vacancy and inquire of their interest for possible nomination.
3. The Elections Chair will also solicit nominations from Student Congress.
4. The Elections Chair will present the information listed above to the Executive Council who will make a recommendation to Student Congress at large.
5. The Student Congress will then vote on the applicant. A simple majority of members present is required to approve an applicant.

Executive Council Members. When an Executive Council member has violated the attendance policy of Student Congress and had been removed from office, the following shall occur:

1. In the event that the office of President is vacant, the Vice-President will assume the office of President for the remainder of the term. The Secretary will then become Vice-President and the procedure outlined below for selecting a new Secretary will be followed.
2. If the office of the Vice-President is vacant, the Secretary shall become the Vice-President and a new Secretary will be selected as outlined below.
3. In the event that the Secretary is incapable of fulfilling his/her office, the Elections Chair will solicit nominations from Student Congress and organize an election within Student Congress to fill that position. In the meantime, the Treasurer will assume the duties of the Secretary, in addition to his/her own.
4. If the Elections Chair, Parliamentarian, Public Relations Chair, or Treasurer should vacate his/her office, the President will appoint a replacement with the consent of a majority Student Congress members present.
5. If a Council Representative to the Executive Council should be removed from office, the remaining Council delegates shall meet to select a new representative to the Executive Council.

Council Members. If a student representative to a council is unable to fulfill his/her duties, the Vice-President will solicit interest in the vacant council seat from within Student Congress. The Vice-President will review the candidates and cooperate with the Elections Chair in organizing an election within Student Congress.

Section 1. Final decisions of Student Congress are made by majority vote of students present at Student Congressmeetings. Decisions made in subsidiary committees of Student Congress are subject to review and discussion by Student Congress at large.

Section 2. Decisions made in Student Congress meetings will be considered the official position of the student body.

Section 3. Quorum. A simple majority of Student Congress members in good standing will be required in order to conduct business.

Section 4. All Student Congress meetings operate under Roberts Rules of Order.

Article VI: Town Meetings

Section 1. Town Meetings shall be the official meetings of the student body, in which all students present shall be able to discuss issues brought forth by any member of the campus community.

Section 2. Town Meetings shall be held monthly at a time and place designated by the Student Congress. These events shall be acknowledged as Priority One events as defined by University policy and no student shall be prohibited from attending because of other scheduled events.

Section 3. Topics of discussion not listed on the agenda may be submitted to any Student Congress member for consideration as an agenda item prior to the Town Meeting.

Section 4. Non-agenda items shall not be discussed without recognition by the President.

Section 5. All Town Meetings shall operate under Robert's Rules of Order.

Article VII: Executive Offices

Section 1. Election of Executive Officers. Executive Officers shall be selected as outlined in Article III, Section 3of this Constitution.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall meet regularly to organize activities of the Student Congress. All Executive Council meetings shall operate under Roberts Rules of Order.

Section 3. President.

a. Presides over Student Congress, Executive Council and Town Meetings, and acts as a liaison between the Student Congress and the University administration and faculty, and other University organizations.

b. Leads discussion in setting Town Meeting agendas, coordinates scheduling of regular Student Congress and Executive Council meetings, calls special meetings, and is a representative to the General Faculty meetings and meetings of the Alumni Association.

c. The President shall have other duties as stated throughout the body of this Constitution.

a. In the absence of the President, presides over Student Congress, Executive Council and Town Meetings. Upon the resignation of the President, the Vice-President assumes the Presidency of the Student Congress and a new Vice-President will be selected as stated in Article IV, Section 4, clause c, paragraph 2. The Vice-President also assists the President in fulfilling his or her duties.

b. The Vice-President will serve as executor of the Councils by maintaining contact with all Council members in order to facilitate the legislative activities of the Student Congress. The Vice-President will insure that student Council members fulfill their duties as Council members as defined in Article III, Section 4 of this Constitution.

a. Keeps official records of all Student Congress meetings, Executive Council meetings, Town Meetings and special meetings called by the President. Distributes official information and memoranda to all members of the Student Congress

b. Provides written copies of the minutes to the members of Student Congress before regularly scheduled meetings. Responsible for official correspondence between Student Congress and any other organizations.

c. The Secretary shall draft and post all minutes of Student Congress, Executive Council and Town Meetings and will provide agendas for said meetings in advance.

a. Insures that Student Congress maintains full representation as outlined in Article IV. He/She will keep records of all those who have run for Student Congress positions.

b. He/She will oversee all regular and called elections, as outlined in Article IX of this Constitution.

a. Maintains records of attendance concerning all members of Student Congress and provides notification of excessive absences to the Executive Council and the member in question under Article IV.

b. The Parliamentarian will be responsible for maintaining Robert's Rules
of Order at all Student Congress, Executive Council and Town Meeting.

c. The Parliamentarian shall also serve as Chair of the Traffic and Safety Subcommittee.

a. Makes sure all Student Congress activities are well publicized and available to the student body and communicates regularly with the campus community regarding all student government events.

b. The Public Relations Chair will assist all other Executive officers in publicizing Student Congress activities related to the duties of the Executive Officers.

c. The Public Relations Chair shall serve as Chair of the Student Publications and Editorial Subcommittee.

a. Is responsible for overseeing all expenses of Student Congress.

b. He/She will manage and appropriate all necessary funds for all Student Congress activities.

c. He/She assumes the office of Secretary, should that office be vacated as outlined by Article IV, Section 4, clause c, paragraph 3.

d. The Treasurer shall also Chair the Student Fees and Allocations Committee.

Section 11. Removal of Executive Officers

Grounds for removal are as follows:
1. Any membership violations as defined by Article IV.
2. Failure to remain in good standing with the University.
3. Failure to perform the duties of his or her office as defined within this Article.
Procedure for removal:
1. Any member of the Congress may initiate removal proceedings against an executive officer under the conditions set forth in Section 11a of this Article.
2. The accusing member will present the nature of the alleged violations committed by the officer in question, who will then be allowed to respond to the charges made against him or her at an Student Congress meeting.
3. After deliberation of the charges, the Student Congress may remove an executive officer from his or her position upon a 2/3 vote of members present.

Article VIII: Committee Structure

Student Congress members not serving as Executive Officers or Council Representatives will have priority, if interested, for membership on the subcommittees over which the Student Congress presides. Student Congress presides over the following subcommittees:

Section 1. Traffic and Safety Subcommittee

a. This committee is composed of student, staff and faculty members. Its function is to set policies pertaining to violations of traffic regulations and to hear appeal cases.

b. The committee shall make a report to the Student Congress once a semester regarding its activities, decisions, and recommendations for encouraging and improving student support for traffic safety on campus.

c. Nominations for student membership on the committee will be approved during a Student Congress meeting.

d. The Parliamentarian shall serve as Chair of this Committee.

a. This committee is composed of students, faculty, administrators and advisors to the various publications. It sponsors three student publications: The Megaphone (newspaper), The Southwestern Magazine (literary magazine), and The Sou'wester (annual).

b. The committee shall make a comprehensive report of its activities and decisions to the Student Congress at least once a semester. Additionally, the committee is required to report to the Student Congress any formal complaints made to it regarding the student publications under its jurisdiction or their editorial policies. Such reports must be made at the first Student Congress meeting following the lodging of the protest.

c. The editors are elected in Spring elections by the student body after submitting applications to the committee. Such elections are governed by the code for general elections presented in Article IX of this Constitution.

d. The Public Relations Chair shall serve as Chair of the Editorial Board.

a. This committee is composed of students and staff members. It is responsible for distributing University funds allocated for student organizations. Student organizations receive funding based on an evaluation of their financial needs as submitted by application to the committee.

b. The committee shall make a report to the Student Congress regarding the disbursement of funds to student organizations at the first Student Congress meeting following the said allocations. Moreover, the committee must report any formal complaints it receives concerning its activities to Student Congress at its first meeting following the lodging of the complaint.

c. The Treasurer of the Student Congress shall serve as Chair of the Student Fees and Allocations Committee.

Article IX: General Elections

Section 1. The Election Committee.

Clause 1. The Election Committee shall be convened by the Elections Chair. The Elections Committee shall be comprised of students that are not candidates. If the Elections Chair is a candidate, the President will appoint a replacement for the duration of the Election.

Clause 2. The election committee is comprised of the Election Chair and two assistants nominated by the Election Chair and approved by the EC. This committee shall preside over the elections.

Clause 3. The Election Committee is responsible for the execution and enforcement of all provisions of this code for Student Elections.

Section 3. Publicity and Petitions.

Clause 1. Elections must be announced in official Student Publications at least two (2) weeks before election day.

Clause 2. Valid petitions will be accepted from the time elections are announced, until twelve o'clock noon, 5 school days prior to the election. A valid petition must contain:

1. The full name of the candidate.
2. The office that the student is seeking.
3. The required number of signatures.
4. The signature of the candidate under "duty" statement.
5. Additional materials as required for the position sought.
Clause 3. Exceptions to the due date must be made by a majority of the Executive Committee prior to the date of the "Meet the Candidates Forum," which will be organized by the Elections Chair or his/her replacement.

Clause 1. Campaign publicity must be in accordance with publicity policy as stated in the Student Handbook. No candidate may send official campus-wide voice mail or electronic mail.

Clause 2. No opponent's name shall appear on any campaign materials.

Clause 3. Personal contact between candidates and voters is not allowed within fifty (50) feet of the polling place on election day.

Clause 4. Any destruction of opponent's materials could result in disqualification of the violator's candidacy. The Election Committee will review the case and present discussion to the Executive Committee where a final decision will be made by a majority vote.

Clause 1. Polling places for each election shall be set by the Election Committee.

Clause 2. Polling hours are from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. for all student elections.

Clause 3. The guidelines for polling volunteers are as follows:

1. Polling volunteers will be selected by the Election Committee.
2. Polling volunteers must be aware of the election procedures and report infractions to the Election Committee.
3. At least one polling volunteer will be present at the polls at all times during the election.
4. No candidate may serve as a polling volunteer.

Clause 1. Balloting will be by paper ballots, printed under the authority of the Election Chair.

Clause 2. Paper ballots shall contain the following information:

1. Designation as "Official Student Ballot"
2. Appropriate balloting instruction
3. Name as written by the candidate
Clause 3. Ballots shall only be valid when balloting instructions are followed. In case of incorrect balloting, only those sections of the ballot correctly marked will be counted.

Clause 4. The ballot shall list the candidates by office in alphabetical order.

Clause 1. Voters must present valid Southwestern ID prior to receiving a ballot.

Clause 2. All current students are eligible to vote.

Clause 3. The Polling Volunteer will check the voter's name on a student roll, marking the roll in such a way as to indicate that the student has voted. The voter will then initial by his/her name. The Polling Volunteer will then hand the student a ballot.

Clause 4. The voter may not leave the polls while voting.

Clause 5. The voter must place the completed ballot into the official ballot box in the presence of the polling volunteer.

Clause 1. No ballot box shall be opened until the polls have closed and the Election Committee convenes for the purpose of counting the ballots. Additional assistants will be chosen by the election chair following the guidelines defined under Section 1 of this article.

Clause 2. The ballots shall be counted in privacy. No candidates shall be present.

Clause 3. The vote tally shall be available to any student upon request.

Clause 4. The number of signatures should be equal to the number of ballots in the box.

Clause 5. The winner shall be the candidate who receives the majority of the votes cast for that position.

Clause 1. Run-off elections shall be held within one week after the election.

Clause 2. Candidates in the run-off shall be the two candidates who have received the most votes. The provisions of Section 7 of this article shall apply.

Clause 1. Official protests of election procedures must be filed in writing with the Election Committee no later than twenty four (24) hours following the posting of the results. Election results will be considered unofficial until the protest period is over.

Clause 2. The Election Committee must rule on the validity of the protest within seventy two (72) hours and make one of the following recommendations to Student Congress:

1. Turn the protest down.
2. Call a new election.
3. Disqualify a candidate.

Section 11. Announcements.

Clause 1. Official results after the protest period must be in the subsequent edition of the appropriate University publications.

Clause 2. Results, subject to protest, will be posted within 24 hours following the tallying of the votes.

Article X: Amendments

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed within a Student Congress meeting and approved by a 2/3 vote. Proposed amendments must be published and posted for at least five days prior to a Student Congress meeting. If ratified by two-thirds of the members present at a Student Congress meeting, then the amendments shall be valid as part of the constitution.

Article XI: Ratification

This constitution shall be ratified by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of those voting in a called election and shall take effect in the Fall Semester, 1998.