Joint Statement of Rights and Freedoms

Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students, and the general well-being of society. Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the attainment of these goals. As members of the academic community, students are encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and to engage in a sustained and independent search for truth.

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The freedom to learn depends upon appropriate opportunities in the classroom, on the campus and in the larger community. Students should exercise their freedom with responsibility.

The responsibility to secure and to respect general conditions conducive to the freedom to learn is shared by all members of the academic community. Each college and university has a duty to develop policies and procedures, which provide and safeguard this freedom. Such policies and procedures should be developed at each institution within the framework of general standards and with the broadest possible participation of the members of the academic community.

Agreeing with this statement by the Joint Commission on the Rights and Freedoms of Students, Marywood University sets forth the procedures, rights, responsibilities, and guidelines outlined in this handbook as indispensable for achieving the goals desired: freedom to teach, to learn, and to search for truth.

*"Student Rights and Freedoms"
NASPA, Washington, D.C., November 1992

Preamble/Mission

The Undergraduate Student Government Association of Marywood University represents the united voice of the undergraduate student body and provides programs and activities, which support the University goal of enabling students to live responsibly in an interdependent world. The elected officers of the Student Government Association work to strengthen existing bonds between students, faculty, staff, and administration and to enrich the University's tradition of excellence in academic and student life programs.

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Undergraduate Student Government Association of Marywood University, from herein referred to as the SGA.

Article II. Purpose

The purposes of the SGA are:

1. To serve as the voice and instrument of the will of the undergraduate student body;
2. To address the rights and interests of individual members of the student body and the University community;
3. To foster leadership through participation in University governance;
4. To advocate and pursue changes in Marywood University policy that enrich or enhance the quality of student life at Marywood University;
5. To promote and sponsor social and cultural activities for the benefit of the student body and Marywood University community;
6. To promote student participation in community service through organized events, collaboration with local officials and businesses, and publicity;
7. To uphold the SGA Constitution and follow the procedures set forth within the Constitution and by-laws in all matters pertaining to the SGA;
8. To improve general awareness of students´ rights and responsibilities; and,
9. To establish a semester plan for financial allocation, policy reform, and activities promotion to be published and disseminated to all University constituents at the beginning of each semester.

Article III. Members

Section 1. Requirements for Seeking Office

Any student in good academic and disciplinary standing, enrolled as a full-time student, and able to fulfill the full two-semester appointment time, is qualified to run for an Officer position within the SGA so long as their current student status adequately meets the purpose of the position through the additional regulations described in Article VI, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution. Students may not seek more than one elected office position at any one election, and students who already hold positions within the SGA from the spring elections may not seek additional offices in the fall elections. All students seeking election to the SGA must fully comply with the election procedures as listed in Article VI of the SGA Constitution.

Section 2. General Requirements for All SGA Officers

All students fulfilling the Officer positions listed under Article III, Section 3 must meet the following general requirements during their tenure in office:

1. Remain a full-time student and in good academic and disciplinary standing;
2. Attend all meetings of the General Assembly and their respective Permanent Committees, barring only absences due to extenuating circumstances excused by the chair of that committee, or by the President of SGA;
3. Meet all additional commitments pledged to the SGA during SGA General Assembly meetings, Permanent Committee meetings, Special Committee meetings, or through written memorandum;
4. Attend at least five events on campus per semester sponsored by either the SGA or Student Activities Crew; and,
5. Meet all obligations to University Committees and relate any important progress of these committees to the SGA as described in Article XII of the SGA Constitution.

Section 3. SGA Officer Positions and Duties

The following positions shall be elected following the election procedures as described in Article VI of the SGA Constitution; be recognized as official SGA Officer positions; be given voting power in the General Assembly and their respective Permanent Committee(s) as described in Article IV of the SGA Constitution; be required to fulfill their listed duties in Article III, Section 3 of the SGA Constitution and the General Requirements listed under Article III, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution; be required to fulfill their University Committee obligations as described in Article XII of the SGA Constitution; be required to fulfill any additional specific officer position requirements as described in Article VI, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution; and be bound to all procedure of the SGA Constitution and by-laws:

A. The President:

1. Represents the SGA in fulfilling the purposes of SGA Constitution;
2. Presides over General Assembly meetings;
3. Prepares an agenda for each SGA General Assembly meeting, in consultation with the Advisor of the SGA;
4. Appoints nonvoting positions subject to a vote of approval by Student Government Association General Assembly officers;
5. Coordinates the Student Leader of the Month Program;
6. Meets with the President of Marywood University monthly;
7. Meets with the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development weekly; and,
8. Meets with the Executive Board of SGA Cabinet weekly.

B. The Vice President:

1. Presides over General Assembly meetings in the absence of the President;
2. Succeeds to the Office of President if that office should become vacant;
3. Assists the President in all SGA activities in accordance with Article II of the SGA Constitution as requested;
4. Chairs Policy Committee A and prepares agenda;
5. Coordinates elections under the procedures described in Article VI of the SGA Constitution; and,
6. Meets with the Executive Board of SGA Cabinet weekly.

C. The Secretary:

1. Records the minutes of all SGA General Assembly meetings and distributes them. A copy of the minutes will be available on the Student Government Association's web page and filed at the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
2. Records attendance of the elected officers of the Student Government Association and notifies the President of absentees exceeding the number designated by the elected officers;
3. Preserves important records and correspondence in the Student Government Association files as well as submit minutes to designated committee´s and offices around campus;
4. Serves as the chair for the Legislative committee;
5. Meets with the Executive Board of SGA Cabinet weekly; and,
6. Presides over the Policy Committee meetings in absence of the Vice President.

D. The Treasurer:

1. Prepares an annual budget in conjunction with the Finance Committee and submits it to the SGA General Assembly under the procedures described in Article XI of the SGA Constitution;
2. Reports current account information to the SGA General Assembly;
3. Serves as Chair of the Finance Committee;
4. Must submit a report at the end of each semester detailing financial transactions of the past semester; and,
5. Chairs the Policy Committee B Committee
6. Meets with the Executive Board of SGA Cabinet weekly.

E. Public Affairs Officer:

1. Chairs the Policy Committee B Committee in the absence of the Treasurer.
2. Allocates designated publicity areas;
3. Reports monthly updates in student newspaper;
4. Coordinates all publicity for SGA through all available media;
5. Serves as a liaison to the Marywood Publicity Office; and,
6. Meets with the Executive Board of SGA Cabinet weekly.

F. Resident Committee Prefect:

1. Presides over all Resident Committee meetings;
2. Serves as a liaison between resident students, the Office of Housing and Residence Life and the SGA.

G. Resident Committee Vice Prefect:

1. Presides over Resident Committee meetings in the absence of the Resident Prefect;
2. Assists the Residence Committee Prefect in all duties; and
3. Succeeds to the Office of Resident Prefect if that office should become vacant;

H. Commuter Committee Prefect:

1. Presides over Commuter Committee meetings;
2. Represents commuter and off-campus resident students at Student Government Association and related meetings;
3. Serves as a liaison between commuter and off-campus resident students and the Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development;
4. Meets with the Dean of Students monthly.

I. Commuter Committee Vice Prefect:

1. Presides over Commuter Committee meetings in the absence of the Commuter Prefect;
2. Succeeds to the office of Commuter Prefect if that office should become vacant;
3. Meets with the Commuter Committee Prefect and the Dean of Students monthly.

K. Assistant Public Affairs Officer:

1. Assists the Publicity Coordinator in informing the community of all Student Government Association events through all available media;
2. Succeeds to the office of Publicity Coordinator should that office become vacant;
3. Serves as a member of the Special Events Committee

L. Athletic Liaison:

1. Acts as a representative of the student athletes and Athletic Department to the SGA;
2. Meets bi-monthly with the Director of Athletics and Recreation or his/her designee;
3. Facilitates Midnight Madness activity, and Fitness Challenge activity;
4. Promotes athletic and recreational events;
5. Attends Athletic Advisory Board meetings;
6. Serves as Liaison to the Student Athletic Advisory Committee meetings; and,

M. Assistant Athletic Liaison:

1. Assists Athletic Liaison in all activities and events as necessary such as Midnight Madness and fitness challenge;
2. Meets bi-monthly with the Director of Athletics and Recreation or his/her designee;
3. Facilitates the Adopt-a-Team Program; (Athletic Liaison)
4. Assists with the Midnight Madness activity, and Fitness Challenge activity;
5. Promotes athletic and recreational events; and,
6. Serves as a member of the Special Events Committee.

N. Campus Ministry Representative:

1. Serves as a liaison between the Campus Ministry Office and the SGA;
2. Coordinates, advocates and encourages spirituality programs and volunteer programs to the SGA;
3. Attends all Volunteers-In-Action meetings;
4. Attends all Campus Ministry meetings; and,
5. Serves as a member of the Policy B Committee.

O. Council of Clubs Prefect:

1. Serves as Chair of the annual Student Activities Fair;
2. Reports monthly to the SALD office;
3. Presides over all Council of Clubs meetings and prepares its agenda;
4. Serves as a member of the Finance Committee;
5. Maintains the records of each club on campus and enforces funding procedures as described in Article XI of the SGA Constitution; and,
6. Presides over Finance Committee Meetings in the absence of the Treasurer.

P. Council of Clubs Vice Prefect:

1. Presides over Council of Clubs meetings in the absence of the Council of Clubs Prefect;
2. Succeeds to the Office of Council of Clubs Prefect should that office become vacant;
3. Assists the Council of Clubs Prefect in maintaining records of each club on campus;
4. Approves clubs and organizations in conjunction with the Graduate Assistant and Director of the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
5. Responsible for recording minutes during the Council of Clubs meeting and filing them in the SALD office.

Q. Representative at Large for the College of Creative Arts and Management:

1. Serves as liaison between the administration, faculty and the students of the College of Creative Arts and Management;
2. Serves as liaison between the administration, faculty of the College of Creative Arts and Management and the Student Government association;
3. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee A; and,
4. Meets with the Dean of the College of Creative Arts and Management at least once every two weeks.

R. Representative at Large for the College of Health and Human Services:

1. Serves as liaison between the administration, faculty and the students of the College of Health and Human Services;
2. Serves as liaison between the administration of the College of Health and Human Services and the Student Government association;
3. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee B; and,
4. Meets with the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at least once every two weeks.

S. Representative at Large for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:

1. Serves as liaison between the administration, faculty and the students of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences;
2. Serves as liaison between the administration of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Student Government association;
3. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee A; and,
4. Meets with the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at least once every two weeks.

T. Representative at Large for the College of Education and Human Development:

1. Serves as liaison between the administration, faculty and the students of the College of Education and Human Development;
2. Serves as liaison between the administration of the College of Education and Human Development and the Student Government association;
3. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee B; and,
4. Meets with the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at least once every two weeks.

U. Special Events Coordinator:

1. Chairs the Annual Students' Holiday Dinner Committee;
2. Presides over all Spring Fling Committee Meetings;
3. Meets monthly with the Director of the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
4. Prepares and coordinates all events and activities for Spring Fling week;
5. Creates positions and selects members for Spring Fling Committee;
6. Creates positions and selects members for Annual Students Holiday Dinner Committee;
7. Submits a monthly progress report to SGA General Assembly.

V. Senior Class President:

1. Provides leadership in promoting class goals and projects in accordance with Article II of the Student Government Association Constitution;
2. Exercise leadership in class activities and be a liaison between the Student Government Association and the Senior Class;
3. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee A;
4. Meets bi-monthly with the Advisor of the class;
5. Presides over all meetings of the Senior Class Council and prepares its agenda; and,
6. Presides over Legislative Committee meetings in the absence of the Secretary.

W. Junior Class President:

1. Provides leadership in promoting class goals and projects in accordance with Article II of the Student Government Association Constitution;
2. Exercises leadership in class activities and be a liaison between the Student Government Association and the Junior Class
3. Meets bi-monthly with the Advisor of the class
4. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee A; and,
5. Presides over all meetings of the Junior Class Council and prepares its agenda.

X. Sophomore Class President:

1. Provides leadership in promoting class goals and projects in accordance with Article II of the Student Government Association Constitution;
2. Exercises leadership in class activities and be a liaison between the Student Government Association and the Sophomore Class;
3. Meets bi-monthly with the Advisor of the class
4. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee A; and,
5. Presides over all meetings of the Sophomore Class Council and prepares its agenda.

Y. Freshman Class President:

1. Provides leadership in promoting class goals and projects in accordance with Article II of the Student Government Association Constitution;
2. Exercises leadership in class activities and be a liaison between the Student Government Association and the Freshman Class;
3. Meets bi-monthly with the Advisor of the class
4. Serves as a member of the Policy Committee A; and,
5. Presides over all meetings of the Freshman Class Council and prepares its agenda.

Z. Senior Class Vice President:

1. Assists the Senior Class President in all SGA activities in accordance with Article II of the SGA Constitution as requested;
2. Serves as a member of the Legislative Committee;
3. Succeeds to the office of Senior Class President should that office become vacant; and,
4. Presides over Senior Class Council meetings in the absence of the Senior Class President.

AA. Junior Class Vice President:

1. Assists the Junior Class President in all SGA activities in accordance with Article II of the SGA Constitution as requested;
2. Serves as a member of the Legislative Committee;
3. Succeeds to the office of Junior Class President should that office become vacant; and,
4. Presides over Junior Class Council meetings in the absence of the Junior Class President.

BB. Sophomore Class Vice President:

1. Assists the Sophomore Class President in all SGA activities in accordance with Article II of the SGA Constitution as requested;
2. Serves as a member of the Legislative Committee;
3. Succeeds to the office of Sophomore Class President should that office become vacant; and,
4. Presides over Sophomore Class Council meetings in the absence of the Sophomore Class President.

CC. Freshman Class Vice President:

1. Assists the Freshman Class President in all SGA activities in accordance with Article II of the SGA Constitution as requested;
2. Serves as a member of the Legislative Committee;
3. Succeeds to the office of Freshman Class President should that office become vacant; and,
4. Presides over Freshman Class Council meetings in the absence of the Freshman Class President.

Section 4. Additional Elected Positions

The following positions shall be recognized as members of their respective Class Councils and elected at the same time as the SGA Officers; however, these positions exist solely for the benefit of the Class Councils, are not to be considered SGA Officer positions, and are thus subject to the regulations regarding Class Councils as described in Article IX, Section 5 of the SGA Constitution in order to be eligible for their position.

A. Senior Class Secretary:

1. Files a copy of the minutes from each Senior Class Council meeting with the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
2. Preserves all correspondence and documents of the Senior Class Council in an appropriate file in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
3. Records attendance of all Senior Class Council meetings and submit a list of all eligible for Senior Class Council membership in accordance to the stipulations set out for Class Council membership in Article IX of the SGA Constitution at the end of each semester; and,
4. Provides copies of all Senior Class Council meetings to the Secretary;
5. Serves as a member of the Spring Fling Committee.

B. Junior Class Secretary:

1. Files a copy of the minutes from each Junior Class Council meeting with the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
2. Preserves all correspondence and documents of the Junior Class Council in an appropriate file in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
3. Records attendance of all Junior Class Council meetings and submit a list of all eligible for Junior Class Council membership in accordance to the stipulations set out for Class Council membership in Article IX of the SGA Constitution at the end of each semester; and,
4. Provides copies of all Junior Class Council meetings to the Secretary;
5. Serves as a member of the Spring Fling Committee.

C. Sophomore Class Secretary:

1. Files a copy of the minutes from each Sophomore Class Council meeting with the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
2. Preserves all correspondence and documents of the Sophomore Class Council in an appropriate file in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
3. Records attendance of all Sophomore Class Council meetings and submit a list of all eligible for Sophomore Class Council membership in accordance to the stipulations set out for Class Council membership in Article IX of the SGA Constitution at the end of each semester; and,
4. Provides copies of all Sophomore Class Council meetings to the Secretary;
5. Serves as a member of the Spring Fling Committee.

D. Freshman Class Secretary:

1. Files a copy of the minutes from each Freshman Class Council meeting with the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
2. Preserves all correspondence and documents of the Freshman Class Council in an appropriate file in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development;
3. Records attendance of all Freshman Class Council meetings and submit a list of all eligible for Freshman Class Council membership in accordance to the stipulations set out for Class Council membership in Article IX of the SGA Constitution at the end of each semester; and,
4. Provides copies of all Freshman Class Council meetings to the Secretary;
5. Serves as a member of the Spring Fling Committee.

E. Senior Class Treasurer:

1. Maintains current records of all funds received and disbursed by the Senior Class Council;
2. Co-signs all checks issued by the Senior Class Council and makes sure that their advisor also co-signs them; and,
3. Files a report of Senior Class Council´s receipts and disbursements in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development at the end of each semester;
4. Serves as a member of the Annual Holiday Dinner Committee.

F. Junior Class Treasurer:

1. Maintains current records of all funds received and disbursed by the Junior Class Council;
2. Co-signs all checks issued by the Junior Class Council and makes sure that their advisor also co-signs them; and,
3. Files a report of Junior Class Council´s receipts and disbursements in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development at the end of each semester;
4. Serves as a member of the Annual Holiday Dinner Committee.

G. Sophomore Class Treasurer:

1. Maintains current records of all funds received and disbursed by the Sophomore Class Council;
2. Co-signs all checks issued by the Sophomore Class Council and makes sure that their advisor also co-signs them; and,
3. Files a report of Sophomore Class Council´s receipts and disbursements in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development at the end of each semester;
4. Serves as a member of the Annual Holiday Dinner Committee.

H. Freshman Class Treasurer:

1. Maintains current records of all funds received and disbursed by the Freshman Class Council;
2. Co-signs all checks issued by the Freshman Class Council and makes sure that their advisor also co-signs them; and,
3. Files a report of Freshman Class Council´s receipts and disbursements in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development at the end of each semester;
4. Serves as a member of the Annual Holiday Dinner Committee.

Section 5. General Assembly Delegates

Any full-time undergraduate student in good academic and disciplinary standing who has attended at least three General Assembly meetings and no less than three fourths of the total General Assembly meetings for the semester will receive General Assembly Delegate status as described in Sub-Section B of this Section of the SGA Constitution for the rest of the academic year so long as they maintain the following requirements throughout the academic year:

A. General Assembly Delegate Requirements:

1. Remains in good disciplinary and academic standing as a full-time student;
2. Attends at least 5 on-campus events sponsored by the SAC or SGA per semester; and,
3. Has attended at least three fourths of the General Assembly meetings for the semester. Those who have gained their General Assembly Delegate status during the fall semester may have it carry over to the spring semester so long as they have attended at least three fourths of the General Assembly meetings during the fall semester. Status does not carry over to the next academic year.

B. General Assembly Delegate Status Description

Those who receive General Assembly Delegate Status gain the following privileges at General Assembly Meetings:

1. Can cast votes following the procedure described by Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution on all motions during the General Assembly meetings; and,
2. Can make motions following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution on issues during the General Assembly meetings;

Article VI. SGA Structure

Section 1. University Committee Procedure

The following list of procedures is to be followed at all General Assembly, Permanent Committee, Special Committee, and Class Council meetings:

A. Rules of Order

1. The presiding officer shall hold discretion in how strictly Rules of Order are enforced, with the exception to this being the procedure describing motions and voting as described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution where the presiding officer shall have no discretion.
2. At any time during the meeting, a motion may be made to strictly adhere to Robert´s Rules of Order for all further meeting proceedings. If this motion is approved by a simple majority vote, then the presiding officer loses their discretion and must conduct the meeting closely following the procedures outlined in Robert´s Rules of Order.
3. A copy of Roberts Rules of Order is to be kept at the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development at all times for reference.

B. Motions and Voting

1. Any member present and eligible to vote under the regulations of the particular committee may make a motion to hold a vote on a particular issue or proposal following the procedures described by Roberts Rules of Order; all motions must be seconded before coming to vote. Presiding officers are not allowed to make motions during the meeting they are presiding over; however, they may request that members of their committee make a motion on a particular issue or proposal.
2. Any member present and eligible to vote under the regulations of the particular committee may make a motion to limit the length of a debate or discussion.
3. Any member present and eligible to vote under the regulations of the particular committee may make a motion limit the length of individual remarks.
4. Voting shall be conducted by a simple hand count of all those present and eligible to vote under the regulations of the particular committee, with counts taken for positive, negative, and abstention. The presiding officer shall conduct each vote count with the result officially recorded by the person responsible for the meeting minutes. Presiding officers are not allowed to vote except to cast a tie-breaking vote should the positive and negative counts of a vote on a particular issue or proposal be equal.
5. Attendance of two-thirds of the members of the particular committee shall constitute the quorum necessary to hold a vote.

C. Meeting Minutes

1. Minutes for every meeting must be recorded and stored in the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development within one week of the meeting time.
2. Each Committee must follow their respective procedures regarding which member should be responsible for recording the minutes of a given meeting. The person responsible for recording minutes is responsible for storing those minutes at the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development and distributing them to other students as necessary.
3. Should the designated meeting minutes recorder be absent from a meeting for any reason, the presiding officer must appoint another member to record minutes at the beginning of the meeting.
4. The presiding officer shall ultimately be held accountable for failure to store accurate minutes at the Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development within one week of the meeting unless exonerated due to extenuating circumstances by a majority vote in the General Assembly.

Section 2. The General Assembly

The General Assembly is to be the main forum for the Student Government Association. All proposals passed through motions in the Policy Committee, Community Out-Reach Committee, and Legislative Committee must be passed at the General Assembly by a simple majority vote of all those in attendance and eligible to vote to be officially endorsed by the SGA and receive SGA funds and/or support. The SGA President is responsible for making sure that all General Assembly meetings meet the purposes, adhere to the regulations, and follow the procedures as listed in this section.

A. General Assembly Purposes:

1. Provide a forum where undergraduate students may observe the functioning of the SGA and voice their concerns and suggestions to all SGA Officers;
2. Hold the final vote on all issues originating from all Permanent Committees and Special Committees;
3. Review progress of all Special Committees and Class Councils as submitted each meeting by their respective committee chairs and presidents;
4. Consider new ideas or issues under the guidance of the SGA Purposes described in Article II of the SGA Constitution, and direct them into the appropriate Permanent Committee or Special Committee for further investigation as necessary; and,
5. Allow non-elected students to participate in the SGA through the General Assembly Delegate system.

B. General Assembly Regulations:

1. Each meeting must be advertised to the University community at least a week before its scheduled time. These advertisements must clearly state the date, time, and location of the meeting and convey that the meeting is open to all undergraduate students.
2. Each meeting must be open to all undergraduate students and be held in a location that can comfortably accommodate the expected meeting turnout.
3. Meetings are to be held no less than once every two weeks unless cancelled due to extenuating weather conditions or some other emergency situation. Any meeting cancellation should be relayed to all SGA Officers and posted at the advertised location of the meeting.
4. The presiding officer must allow students to submit any items they wish to put on the agenda up to 48 hours before the meeting. Any agenda requests must be placed on the General Assembly meeting agenda unless found to be inappropriate, distasteful, redundant, or offensive by the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
5. Those eligible to vote at General Assembly meetings shall be all SGA Officers and General Assembly Delegates present.

C. General Assembly Procedures:

1. The Secretary is to record meeting minutes at every General Assembly meeting;
2. Each meeting will proceed according to an agenda prepared by the presiding officer. This agenda must be approved by the advisor of the SGA and distributed to all those in attendance at the beginning of each meeting.
3. Meetings will be no longer than an hour and fifteen minutes in length, after which the official meeting time may be extended in fifteen-minute increments only through a motion and a majority vote following the procedures listed in Article IV, Section 1.B of the SGA Constitution.
4. Each meeting must include an Open Floor section, during which anyone in attendance may speak for at least two minutes and no longer than five minutes. After having spoken for two minutes, the speaker may be asked to yield the floor through a motion following the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B of the SGA Constitution.
5. Each meeting must allow time for all members of the Executive Cabinet to report the progress of the Permanent Committees, which they preside over. All Executive Cabinet members are responsible for relaying any motions passed in the Permanent Committee over which they preside to the General Assembly during this time. These motions are to be discussed and then voted on though a motion initiated by the presiding officer of the Permanent Committee where the motion originated following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution.
6. Should a vote be made in favor of an issue or proposal that has not already been approved by a Permanent Committee, that issue or proposal will then be sent for review to the Permanent Committee with jurisdiction over the given issue or proposal and then reported on at the next General Assembly meeting by the presiding officer of that Permanent Committee. The General Assembly may only avoid sending the issue to a Permanent Committee by a subsequent three-fourths majority vote that explicitly approves passage of the motion as is and declaring there to be no need for further investigation of the issue. Motions that deal purely with the conduct or proceedings of a given meeting are to be exempted from being sent to a Permanent Committee so long as they do not create or amend by-laws.

Section 3. Permanent Committees

The SGA shall include a Policy Committee, Community Out-Reach Committee, Finance Committee, and Legislative Committee as Permanent Committees. These Permanent Committees are subject to all procedures described in Article IV, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution, as well as to their own individual procedures, regulations and purposes as outlined in the subsequent sections.

Section 4. The Policy Committee

A. Policy Committee Purposes

1. Shall represent student interests in Official University policies and procedures;
2. Advocate students rights and academic freedoms;
3. Research and pursue the correct manner in which to address issues to the Marywood University Administration in order to expediently receive administration response;
4. Formulate and promote University policies and procedures that better the academic, social, cultural, or recreational experience of Marywood students; and,
5. Work with the Marywood University Administration to address student´s concerns through the effective implementation of new policies.

B. Policy Committee Regulations

1. Each meeting must be advertised to the University community at least a week before its scheduled time. These advertisements must clearly state the date, time, and location of the meeting and convey that the meeting is open to all undergraduate students.
2. Each meeting must be open to all undergraduate students and be held in a location that can comfortably accommodate the expected meeting turnout.
3. Meetings are to be held no less than once every two weeks unless cancelled due to extenuating weather conditions or some other comparable emergency situation. These meetings should be held on the opposite weeks from those of the General Assembly. Any meeting cancellation should be relayed to the members of the committee and posted at the advertised location of the meeting.
4. Persons eligible to vote at Policy Committee meetings are those SGA Officers who are declared members of the Policy Committee in their specific Officer position description as described in Article III, Section 3 of the SGA Constitution.

C. Policy Committee Procedures

1. At the first Policy Committee meeting in the fall semester, the presiding officer is to appoint one Policy Committee member to be responsible for recording all meeting minutes for at all meetings occurring during the rest of the academic year. This appointment may be overturned at any time during the following year by a motion and majority vote following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution, at which time the presiding officer shall have to appoint another Policy Committee member to record all meeting minutes for the remaining Policy Committee meetings of the current academic year.
2. The presiding officer must create an agenda that allows each member to report any progress from their respective University Committee(s) as described in Article XII of the SGA Constitution; that allows the committee to discuss all policies and issues originating in the General Assembly; that provides students with a forum to broach their concerns to the members of the Policy Committee; and that gives each issue and policy ample research, review, discussion, debate, and opportunity to be passed on to the General Assembly. Each Policy Committee meeting will proceed in accordance to this prepared agenda and it shall be distributed to all students in attendance.
3. Any special committees created out of the Policy Committee must present the members of the Policy Committee with a report of their progress during each Policy Committee meeting.
4. After a policy or issue has been discussed, it may be sent to the General Assembly for a final vote through a motion and majority vote following the regulations set out in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution. If an issue or policy does not pass an initial vote, it must be either researched further or abandoned at the discretion of the Policy Committee through a subsequent vote.

Section 6. The Finance Committee

A. Finance Committee Purposes

1. Meet as necessary to expediently create a budget proposal for the SGA General Assembly to approve each semester;
2. Provide the SGA and student body with an accurate budget publication each semester; and,
3. Meet as necessary to review financial requests of on-campus organizations and make recommendations to the SGA on a case-by-case basis.

B. Finance Committee Regulations

1. All proceedings of the Finance Committee must occur in concurrence with the procedures and regulations described in Article XI of the SGA Constitution.
2. A period at the beginning of the fall semester must be provided in which to review and analyze all fall semester budget requests from clubs for the fall semester. The cut off date for submission of funding requests must be advertised at least one week before the scheduled date.
3. A period at either the end of the fall semester or the beginning of the spring semester must be provided in which to review and analyze all fall semester budget requests from clubs for the spring semester. The cut off date for submission of funding requests must be advertised at least one week before the scheduled date.
4. All funding requests must be reviewed through both written and oral proposals.
5. A semester budget allocation proposal must be devised and submitted to the General Assembly within four weeks of the beginning of each semester. Once the Finance Committee completes the budget, all monies are to be allocated as described within that budget as expediently as possible to prevent clubs or organizations from being deprived of the means of enriching the experience of Marywood University Students. If the General Assembly has specific objections to the allocations of the Finance Committee´s budget and does not approve the proposed budget by a majority vote at their next meeting, then they may request that the Finance Committee revise specific appropriations and resubmit the budget at the next General Assembly meeting. If the budget is revised in this way, then all monies must be redistributed to reflect any changes made once the revised budget is passed by a majority vote in the General Assembly.
6. Meetings must be held as necessary to adequately deliberate all funding allotments and meet all deadlines.
7. Students must be able to submit specific event funding requests throughout the semester for review of the Finance Committee. Once the Treasurer receives a request, meetings of the Finance Committee must be held as necessary to submit a proposal to the funding proposal concerning the requested event to the General Assembly.
8. The final budget for each semester must be give to the Public Affairs Officer for publication in either the university newspaper or a separate newsletter once it is completed.
9. Persons eligible to vote at Finance Committee meetings are those SGA Officers who are declared members of the Finance Committee in their specific Officer position description as described in Article III, Section 3 of the SGA Constitution.

C. Finance Committee Procedures

1. At the first Finance Committee meeting in the fall semester, the presiding officer is to appoint one Finance Committee member to be responsible for recording all meeting minutes for at all meetings occurring during the rest of the academic year. This appointment may be overturned at any time during the following year by a motion and majority vote following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution, at which time the presiding officer shall have to appoint another Finance Committee member to record all meeting minutes for the remaining Finance Committee meetings of the current academic year.
2. All meetings must proceed according to an agenda created by the presiding officer that allows time for the consideration and deliberation of each budget request.
3. A final budget proposal for each semester must be approved by a majority vote under the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution and sent to the General Assembly within the first four weeks of the semester.
4. Specific event funding requests must be reviewed as they are filed during the semester. The Finance Committee must review each case independently and submit a funding proposal based on its findings to the General Assembly. These budget proposals must pass the Finance Committee by a majority vote under the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. before the next General Assembly meeting.

Section 7. The Legislative Committee

A. Legislative Committee Purpose

1. Formulate any necessary additions or amendments to the SGA Constitution or By-Laws as requested by the General Assembly; and,
2. Research and develop new SGA organizational arrangements and systems that increase the efficiency and efficacy of the SGA in fulfilling its purposes as described in Article II of the SGA Constitution.

B. Legislative Committee Regulations

1. Meetings must be held at least twice per semester, even if there is no request from the General Assembly for new Constitutional Amendments or By-Laws. Such meetings shall be used to discuss and formulate possible revisions to the SGA Constitution or By-Laws that may increase the efficiency or efficacy of the SGA.
2. Meetings must be held as necessary to promulgate Constitutional Amendments and By-Laws at the request of the General Assembly.
3. Persons eligible to vote at Legislative Committee meetings are those SGA Officers who are declared members of the Legislative Committee in their specific Officer position description as described in Article III, Section 3 of the SGA Constitution.

C. Legislative Committee Procedures

1. At the first Legislative Committee meeting in the fall semester, the presiding officer is to appoint one Legislative Committee member to be responsible for recording all meeting minutes for at all meetings occurring during the rest of the academic year. This appointment may be overturned at any time during the following year by a motion and majority vote following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution, at which time the presiding officer shall have to appoint another Legislative Committee member to record all meeting minutes for the remaining Legislative Committee meetings of the current academic year.
2. All meetings must proceed according to an agenda created by the presiding officer that allows time for the consideration and deliberation of each Constitutional Amendment or By-Law request.
3. Any new Constitutional Amendments, By-Laws, or By-Law revisions must be passed by a majority vote under the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution before being submitted to the General Assembly. Proposals for all requests of the General Assembly must be passed before the next General Assembly meeting.

Section 8. Special Committees

A. Formation of Special Committees

1. Special Committees may be formed through a motion and majority vote as described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution during any General Assembly, Permanent Committee, or Class Council meeting to address any specific research, planning, or staffing needs of the SGA. Any motion creating a Special Committee needs to state the intent and goals of that Special Committee.
2. Once a Special Committee has been formed, a Special Committee Chair must be appointed to head that committee following the procedures described in Article VII, Section 2 of SGA Constitution. Any student meeting the requirements of Article III, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution is eligible to Chair a Special Committee.
3. Any Special Committee Chair becomes responsible for forming, maintaining and presiding over their Special Committee in order to meet the original intent and goals of that Special Committee set out when it was formed.

B. Regulations on Special Committees

1. Special Committees must meet as necessary to fulfill the original intent and goals set out at the time of their formation.
2. The Special Committee Chair must report all progress made within his Special Committee back to the body that created the Special Committee.
3. The Special Committee Chair must meet any deadlines and additional requests given to him by the body that created their Special Committee.
4. Any Special Committee may be dissolved by the body from which it originated through a motion and majority vote following the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution in that originating body.
5. Any student may serve on a Special Committee or attend any meetings held by a Special Committee.

C. Procedures for Special Committees

1. At the first Special Committee meeting, the Special Committee Chair is to appoint one Special Committee member to be responsible for recording all meeting minutes for at all meetings occurring during the rest of the academic year. This appointment may be overturned at any time during the following year by a motion and majority vote following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution, at which time the presiding officer shall have to appoint another Special Committee member to record all meeting minutes for the remaining Special Committee meetings of the current academic year.
2. All meetings must proceed according to an agenda created by the Special Committee Chair that will allow the Special Committee to fulfill its originally stated goals and intent, as well as any additional requests and deadlines asked of it.

Section 9. Executive Cabinet Board

A. Executive Cabinet Board Purpose

1. The Executive Cabinet Board shall exist to coordinate SGA activities through inter-Permanent Committee communication and corroboration with the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development; and,
2. The Executive Cabinet Board shall be responsible for appointing students to University Committees listed in Article XII, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution under the procedures described in Article VII, Section 3 and of the SGA Constitution.

B. Executive Cabinet Board Procedure

1. The President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Public Affairs Officer must meet at least once per week with the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development to coordinate the activity of all Permanent Committees and the General Assembly and increase the efficiency of the SGA through goal-setting and communication.
2. This committee, in keeping with the concerns raised in the General Assembly and Permanent Committees, is responsible for creating a broad plan of actions for the SGA each semester, which is to be published in either the school newspaper or a separate newsletter for the University community to review.
3. The Executive Cabinet Board may invite other students and administrators to their meetings in order to gain specialized knowledge on certain issues or policies and better coordinate the SGA´s responses to these issues of policies.

Section 10. Class Councils

Class Councils shall be considered an extension of the SGA and thus subject to all applicable rules and regulations of the SGA Constitution and By-Laws. Specific purposes, regulations and procedures of the Class Councils are listed in Article IX of the SGA Constitution.

Section 11. Additional SGA Bodies

The following organizations shall be considered affiliates of the SGA and all pertinent progress made within them shall be communicated to the SGA General Assembly and Permanent Committees through their respective presiding officers.

A. Special Events Committee

The Special Events Committee shall exist to foster greater student participation in the planning, organization, and execution of the Holiday Dinner, Spring Fling Week, and any other activities that the General Assembly requests.

B. Resident Committee

The Resident Committee shall exist to address all housing and policy concerns of students living on campus and advocate all necessary policy changes to enhance the on-campus residential environment.

C. Commuter Committee

The Commuter Committee shall exist to serve as an advocate for commuter student concerns; inform commuter students of on campus events, policies and procedures; encourage commuter student involvement outside of the classroom; and, support programs and services that address the needs of commuter students.

D. Council of Clubs

The Council of Clubs shall exist to increase the collaboration and accountability of all clubs and organizations on campus to enrich student life through more diverse activities, opportunities, and academic experiences.

Article V. Impeachment

Section 1. Definition

Impeachment shall be defined as officially accusing an elected officer of inappropriate conduct or failure to meet elected duties during their term in office. If an elected member of SGA consistently violates his or her duties or fails to maintain the qualifications necessary for eligibility, his or her case will be brought before SGA.

Section 2. Impeachment Proceedings

At any time, a member of the student body can call for an examination of impeachment against an elected SGA member through a written complaint. This complaint will be immediately forwarded to the accused, and read by the writer of the complaint during the next General Assembly meeting immediately after the filing of the complaint. After the reading of the complaint during the meeting, the accused will be given adequate time to respond to the complaint. After hearing both sides, all present at the meeting will be able to ask either the accused or the accuser questions regarding the given testimony. Once ample time has been allotted to questions from the floor, voting members of the General Assembly will determined whether to acquit or impeach the accused member by a vote motioned by the accuser. An impeachment requires a majority of those present and eligible to vote under Article III, Section 2.B. of the SGA Constitution to vote for impeachment.

Section 3. Trial Procedures

If the vote results in an impeachment, the General Assembly will form an Impeachment Committee under the regulations of Article IV, Section 8 of the SGA Constitution, which will have two weeks to investigate the charges. At the next meeting of the General Assembly, the Impeachment Committee will present their findings. The accused will have one final opportunity to respond to the charges. At this time, the accused will have an opportunity to resign from his or her position, and avoid conviction and the consequences that result. Following the reply, all eligible voting members of the General Assembly at that meeting will vote, either to convict, acquit, or request an additional two weeks for investigation by the Impeachment Committee. A two-thirds vote to convict will result in the immediate removal of the member from SGA, barring him or her from running for elected positions in SGA during the next election, and barring him or her from holding any position in SGA for the remainder of the academic year and the subsequent academic year. Any future attempts by the convicted member to run for office or to hold any position in SGA must be reviewed and approved by the General Assembly by a simple majority vote. If there is no majority vote for either acquittal or an additional two weeks of investigation and the accused was not convicted by a two-thirds majority vote, then the issue must go back to the Impeachment Committee for an additional two weeks. An acquittal will result in all charges being immediately dropped. If the member resigns following an impeachment, any candidacy for an SGA position by that member must be reviewed and approved of by the SGA General Assembly by a majority vote.

Section 4. Right to an Appeal

The following procedure is to be followed by any former Officer wishing to appeal any charges they were convicted of by an SGA impeachment trial:

A. Appeals of Impeachment Conviction

1. Appeals will be directed towards the University Committee on Student Life, chaired by Vice President for Student Life.
2. The University Committee on Student Life will determine whether to hear the appeal, and the procedures to be followed.
3. The decision of the University Committee on Student Life is final.

Article VI. Elections

Section 1. Method of Elections

A. Election Coordination

Elections are conducted by the Vice President of the SGA in collaboration with the Community Out-Reach Committee. All classified undergraduate students are eligible to vote.

B. Qualifications for Election

All those wishing to seek office must meet the SGA Officer requirements listed under Article III, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution as well as meet the additional specific requirements for their position described later in Article VI, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution.

C. Order of Elections:

1. All SGA Officers and elected positions listed under Article III, Sections 3 and 4 of the SGA Constitution, except those positions specifically of the freshman class, are to be elected during the last four weeks of the spring semester.
2. The election of all freshman positions, as well as any SGA Officer and elected positions vacant after the spring election, is to occur within the first four weeks of the fall semester.

D. Election Procedures:

1. All SGA Officer and elected positions available must be advertised to the student body at least three weeks prior to the scheduled election date.
2. All those wishing to run for an elected office must submit a platform, which is to be displayed at the ballot areas, at least a week before elections are scheduled to occur.
3. Any SGA candidacy materials may be posted in any building on campus except for the Liberal Arts Center Rotunda, Main Dining Room, Woods Café, First Stop, Atrium Café, and the Post Office.
4. Signs must be posted only in designated areas of the residence halls, as declared by the Public Affairs Officer.
5. All signs within a radius of 20 feet of the election booth will be removed the day of elections.
6. The Vice President, Public Affairs Officer, and Assistant Public Affairs Officer reserve the right to remove signs considered to be in poor taste or in violation of any of the above regulations.
7. Candidates' signs must be approved for posting in the Center for Student
   Activities and Leadership Development.
8. Student votes for elections shall be collected via paper ballot in areas on campus that are accessible to all students for two consecutive class days. The specific times and locations for these election booths must be advertised to the University community at least one week before they are scheduled to occur.
9. Students unable to cast their vote during the scheduled election times must contact the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development prior to the scheduled election date to devise a personal arrangement for voting.
10. Votes will be tabulated under the supervision of the Vice President in collaboration with the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development and the Community Out-Reach Committee.
11. Election results will be posted in the SAC office as soon as they are available and the winners of each position individually notified.
12. Election results should be expediently disseminated to the entire University community through either the campus newspaper or a separate newsletter issued by the Public Affairs Officer.

E. Additional Stipulations on Elections

1. All persons seeking office within the SGA must recognize that they are committing to serve in their position for the next academic year should they be elected to that office in the spring elections, or for the remainder of the current academic year should they be either elected in the fall semester elections or appointed to office through the procedure described in Article VII, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution.
2. All persons seeking office within the SGA must recognize that, should they be elected, they may only resign from that office after submitting a formal letter of resignation to the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development. This letter is to be read at the first General Assembly meeting held following the resignation.
3. All persons seeking office within the SGA must recognize that, should they be elected, they become subject to the rules Impeachment as described in Article V of the SGA Constitution.
4. Those seeking office must attend a mandatory election meeting held at least two weeks prior to the date platforms are due. Two meeting times and dates will be offered: one afternoon time and one evening time on different days of the week. This meeting will review all positions, give specific requirements for positions, and give an overview of SGA. Those unable to attend must contact the Vice President to set up a meeting. If one doesn´t attend a meeting, the platform will not be accepted.

Section 2. Specific Officer=Requirements Per Position

The following list of special requirements amends those listed in Article III, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution for eligibility to an Officer position on a per position basis. Any position not listed here has no specific additional requirements for eligibility. These special requirements may be waived for those students being appointed to their positions under the procedure outlined in Article VII, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution at the discretion of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.

A. Specific Officer Requirements

1. The President must be entering into their Junior or Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development before declaring their candidacy. The President may not be a Resident Assistant for the term to which they would be elected. Additionally, the President must have been on SGA for at lease one academic year or held another significant leadership position on campus before running. The Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development will approve the prior position.
2. The Vice President must be entering into their Junior or Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership before declaring their candidacy. Additionally, the Vice President must have been on SGA for at lease one academic year or held another significant leadership position on campus before running. The Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development will approve the prior position. Any candidate that is a transfer student will also be subject to review by the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
3. The Secretary must be entering into their Junior or Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership before declaring their candidacy. Additionally, the Secretary must have been on SGA for at lease one academic year or held another significant leadership position on campus before running. The Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development will approve the prior position. Any candidate that is a transfer student will also be subject to review by the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
4. The Treasurer must be entering into their Junior or Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership before declaring their candidacy. Additionally, the Treasurer must have been on SGA for at lease one academic year or held another significant leadership position on campus before running. The Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development will approve the prior position. Any candidate that is a transfer student will also be subject to review by the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
5. The Public Affairs Officer must be entering into their junior or senior year for the tem to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development. Additionally, the Public Affairs Officer must have been on SGA for at lease one academic year or held another significant leadership position on campus before running. The Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development will approve the prior position. Any candidate that is a transfer student will also be subject to review by the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
6. The Senior Class President must be entering into their Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership before declaring their candidacy.
7. The Senior Class Vice President must be entering into their Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership before declaring their candidacy.
8. The Junior Class President must be entering into their Junior year for the term to which they would be elected.
9. The Junior Class Vice President must be entering into their Junior year for the term to which they would be elected.
10. The Sophomore Class President must be entering into their Sophomore year for the term to which they would be elected.
11. The Sophomore Class Vice President must be entering into their Sophomore year for the term to which they would be elected.
12. The Freshman Class President must be in their Freshman year during the term to which they would be elected.
13. The Freshman Class Vice President must be in their Freshman year during the term to which they would be elected.
14. The College of Health and Human Services Representative must be a classified member of the College of Health and Human Services.
15. The College of Creative Arts and Management Representative must be a classified member of the College of Creative Arts and Management.
16. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Representative must be a classified member of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
17. The College of Education and Human Development Representative must be a classified member of the College of Education and Human Development.
18. The Public Affairs Officer must be entering into their Junior or Senior year for the term to which they would be elected. Those entering a fifth year must obtain the approval of the Director of Student Activities and Leadership before declaring their candidacy.
19. The Commuter Committee Prefect must be a classified Commuter student.
20. The Commuter Committee Vice Prefect must be a classified Commuter student.
21. The Resident Committee Prefect must be a classified Resident student.
22. The Resident Committee Vice Prefect must be a classified Resident student.

Section 3. Vacancies

Should there be a vacancy in any Officer or elected position of the SGA for any reason, the following procedure should be followed:

A. Post-Fall Election Vacancies

1. Should a vacancy occur in any Officer position, except that of the President, after the fall semester election has taken place, the position should be first offered to the qualified successor of that position as described in Article III, Section 3 of the SGA Constitution. If there is no specified successor to that position, or if the successor declines to take the vacant Officer position for any reason, then that position becomes open for Appointment under the regulations set out in Article VII, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution.
2. The Office of President may not be filled by appointment. If the Office of President becomes vacant, and the Vice President declines to succeed the position, then a new election must be held under the election procedure listed in Article VI, Section 1.C. of the SGA Constitution to determine a new President.

B. Pre-Fall Election Vacancies

1. If any Executive Board positions become vacant prior to the fall semester elections, the Executive Cabinet can appoint an Executive Board position. However, if a Class Council position is vacant, new elections for the position will be held simultaneously with the fall semester elections.

Article VII. Appointments

Section 1. Officer Vacancies

Should an SGA Officer position become vacant for any reason after the fall elections for the academic year have already taken place, then that position may be filled through the following appointment procedures:

A. Vacancy Appointment Procedures

1. The presiding officer of General Assembly must announce the vacancy of the position at any General Assembly meeting held while the office remains vacant.
2. All those present and wishing to make a statement about a candidate must be given equal time to do so with a maximum length for discussion set by the presiding officer.
3. Once candidate discussion has concluded, motions may be made in accordance with Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution to nominate any person qualified for the vacant position under the SGA Officer Qualifications described in Article III, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution and Article VI, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution. Those nominated for a position may either accept or decline the nomination, and those accepting the nomination must agree to the standard election stipulations set forth in Article VI, Section 1.E. of the SGA Constitution.
4. If more than one person is nominated through the motions, then a run off vote will be held of all present and eligible to vote through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution to determine who wins the position. If only one person is nominated, then they must receive a majority vote of approval of all present and eligible to vote through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution in order to receive the position.
5. If no one is nominated, or a single nominee fails to gain a vote of approval, then the position must be brought up in the same manner at the next General assembly meeting.
6. Any student receiving an SGA Officer position through appointment must fulfill all obligations of their position as set forth in Article III, Sections 2 and 3 of the SGA Constitution for the remainder of the academic year.
7. The Executive Cabinet has the right, in the event of a vacant position between meetings, to nominate and temporarily appoint a person by majority vote. At the next meeting of the SGA the vacant position procedure will be followed.

Section 2. Special Committee Chairs

Should a Special Committee be formed at any General Assembly, Permanent Committee, or Class Council meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article IV, Section 8.A. of the SGA Constitution, the a Special Committee Chair must be named to that Special Committee through the following procedure:

A. Special Committee Chair Appointment Procedures

1. Once a Special Committee has been formed under the procedures set forth in Article IV, Section 8.A. of the SGA Constitution, the presiding officer of originating body of that Special Committee must give all those present and wishing to make a statement about a candidate to become the Chair of that Committee an equal opportunity to do so. The presiding officer may limit the length of this discussion as they see fit.
2. Once candidate discussion has concluded, motions may be made in accordance with Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution to nominate any student qualified under the SGA Officer Qualifications described in Article III, Section 1 of the SGA Constitution to become the Special Committee Chair. Those nominated for a position may either accept or decline the nomination, and those accepting the nomination must agree to the Special Committee regulations and procedures as set forth in Article IV, Sections 8.B. and 8.C. of the SGA Constitution as a binding descriptions of their obligations should they be appointed the position.
3. If more than one person is nominated through the motions, then a run off vote will be held of all present and eligible to vote through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution to determine who wins the position. If only one person is nominated, then they must receive a majority vote of approval of all present and eligible to vote through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution in order to receive the position.
4. If no one is nominated, or a single nominee fails to gain a vote of approval, then the presiding officer must reconsider the formation of the Special Committee at the next meeting of the originating body of that Special Committee.
5. Any student receiving a Special Committee Chair position through appointment must fulfill all obligations of their position as set forth in Article IV, Sections 8.B. and 8.C of the SGA Constitution until their Special Committee is dissolved under the regulation as described in Article IV, Sections 8.B.4. of the SGA Constitution, or until the end of the current academic year.

Section 3. University Committees

Working in collaboration with Center of Student Activities and Leadership Development, the Executive Cabinet Board shall appoint interested students to serve on those University Committees listed in Article XII, Sub-Section B of the SGA Constitution. The Executive Cabinet Board may also appoint interested students to University Committees not listed in Article XII, Section 2 of the SGA Constitution should there be a student interest in doing so. All appointments must conform in both number and student qualifications to the guidelines set out by each University Committee. These appointments are to take place at the beginning of each academic year and remain binding throughout the academic year.

Section 4. Ex-Officio Posts

In order to adapt to meet changing student concerns, the SGA may decide to create new Ex-Officio Posts that address specific areas of expertise for each academic year. These Ex-Officio Posts positions shall be considered ex-officio members of the SGA and be accountable to the SGA through individual purposes, regulations, and procedures set forth in the By-Laws. Ex-Officio may be created or removed via a revision to the By-Laws through the procedure described in Article VIII of the SGA Constitution. Any student applying to fill an Ex-Officio Post must meet the general qualifications described in Article III, Section 1 in order to be eligible for the post. Each year, the General Assembly shall fill any Ex-Officio Posts listed in the By-Laws through the following procedures:

A. Ex-Officio Post Appointment Procedures

1. The Public Affairs Officer must advertise any vacant Ex-Officio Post(s) to the University community at least two weeks before applications for the post(s) are scheduled to be collected.
2. All application materials are to be submitted in electronic, resume format, and upon being received, shall be e-mailed, or otherwise disseminated to all the SGA Officers.
3. At the next General Assembly meeting following the submission of application materials, the presiding officer of General Assembly must provide a paper ballot, which contains the names of all eligible persons who submitted an application for the each Ex-Officio Post, to all those present and eligible to vote under the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution. These ballots are to be collected during the meeting and tallied by the Vice President who shall inform the presiding officer of the winner(s). Should there be a tie, the presiding officer may then cast their vote and decide the winner between those with even vote counts. Once the winner has been decided, the presiding officer shall inform the committee of the election result.
4. If no one has submitted an application for a post, then the deadline for applications shall be extended as necessary and the position re-advertised to the University community.
5. Any student receiving an Ex-Officio Post through appointment must fulfill all obligations of their position as set forth in the By-Laws for the remainder of the academic year.

Article VIII. By-Laws

Section 1. Definition

The By-Laws of the SGA shall represent those procedures and regulations that the SGA has adopted in an effort to more efficiently fulfill its purposes as set forth in Article II of the SGA Constitution.

Section 2. Creation, Revision, and Repeal of By-Laws

A. Creation, Revision, and Repeal of By-Laws Procedure

1. Any proposal for the creation, revision, or repeal of a specific By-Law may be made during any meeting of the General Assembly through a motion and majority vote following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B.
2. By-Laws proposals must then be passed to the Legislative Committee for review. The Legislative Committee shall be responsible for creating a final wording for each By-Laws proposal it reviews in keeping with the original intent of the By-Law.
3. After review by the Legislative Committee through the procedures and regulations listed in Article IV, Section 7 of the SGA Constitution, the final version of each By-Law proposal is to be presented at the next General Assembly meeting. At this time the By-Law proposal may be codified into the By-Laws through a motion and majority vote by the General Assembly through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution.
4. If the By-Law proposal does not pass the General Assembly by a majority vote after being reviewed by the Legislative Committee, then it may be sent back to the Legislative Committee for further review or discarded through a motion and majority vote for either option under the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution.

Article IX. Class Councils

Section 1. Class Council Overview

Class Councils shall be considered an extension of the SGA and thus subject to all applicable rules and regulations of the SGA Constitution and By-Laws. All Class Councils shall meet the purposes, adhere to the regulations, and follow the procedures as listed in this Article,

Section 2. Class Council Purposes

A. The purposes of Class Councils shall be:

1. Representing their particular class of students´ will in accordance with the purposes of the SGA listed in Article II of the SGA Constitution;
2. Plan, organize, and conduct formal or semi-formal dances for their respective class;
3. Provide social activities that enrich the lives of all Marywood University students;
4. Fundraise as necessary to run all planned activities; and,
5. Increase the participation of members of their respective class in all SGA endeavors, and foster better student awareness of the SGA´s purposes, activities, and policies.

Section 3. Class Council Regulations

A. Meeting Regulations

1. Each meeting must be advertised to the University community at least a week before its scheduled time. These advertisements must clearly state the date, time, and location of the meeting and convey that the meeting is open to all members of the Council´s respective class.
2. Each meeting must be open to all members of the Council´s respective class and be held in a location that can comfortably accommodate the expected meeting turnout.
3. Meetings are to be held no less than once every two weeks unless cancelled due to extenuating weather conditions or some other emergency situation. These meetings should be held on the opposite weeks from those of the General Assembly. Any meeting cancellation should be relayed to all Class Council members and posted at the advertised location of the meeting.
4. The presiding officer must allow students to submit any items they wish to put on the agenda up to 48 hours before the meeting. Any agenda requests must be placed on the General Assembly meeting agenda unless found to be inappropriate, distasteful, redundant, or offensive by the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.

B. Class Council Voting Eligibility

Those eligible to vote at Class Council meetings shall be the Class Council´s respective class President, class Vice President, class Secretary and class Treasurer, as well as any student who qualifies for Class Council membership under the following guidelines:

1. Fulfills the requirements for General Class Council membership as set forth under Section 5 of this Article; and,
2. Has attended at least two Class Council meetings and no less two-thirds of the total General Assembly meetings for the semester.

Section 4. Class Council Procedures

A. Class Council General Procedures

1. The Class Council´s respective class Secretary is to be responsible for recording all meeting minutes for at all of the Class Council´s meetings.
2. Each meeting will proceed according to an agenda prepared by the presiding officer.
3. After a policy or issue has been discussed it may become a Class Council´s official directive to be advocated, pursued, and, if applicable, carried out through a motion and majority vote under the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution.
4. Special Committees may be made to address any specific needs of the Class Council through the procedure found in Article IV, Section 8 of the SGA Constitution.

B. Class Council Vacant Position Appointment Procedures

Should either the respective class Secretary or class Treasurer positions become or remain vacant after the fall election, then they may be appointed through the following procedure:

1. The presiding officer of Class Council must announce the vacancy of the position at any Class Council meeting held while the position remains vacant.
2. All those present and wishing to make a statement about a candidate must be given equal time to do so with a maximum length for discussion set by the presiding officer.
3. Once candidate discussion has concluded, motions may be made in accordance with Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution to nominate any person qualified for the vacant position under Section 5 of this Article. Those nominated for a position may either accept or decline the nomination, and those accepting the nomination must agree to the standard election stipulations set forth in Article VI, Section 1.E. of the SGA Constitution.
4. If more than one person is nominated through the motions, then a run off vote will be held of all present and eligible to vote through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution to determine who wins the position. If only one person is nominated, then they must receive a majority vote of approval of all present and eligible to vote through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution in order to receive the position.
5. If no one is nominated, or a single nominee fails to gain a vote of approval, then the position must be brought up in the same manner at the next Class Council meeting.
6. Any student receiving a Class Council position through appointment must fulfill all obligations of their position as set forth in Article III, Section 4 of the SGA Constitution for the remainder of the academic year.

Section 5. Class Council Membership

A. General Requirements for All Class Council Members

1. Must be a member of the respective class that the Class Council represents; and,
2. Must be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic and disciplinary standing.

Section 6. Class Council Advisors

1. Class Councils are responsible for meeting with their advisor on an on-going basis. The advisor should be kept up to date on all happenings involving the class council and should approve all financial transactions.

Article X. Advisor

The Advisor of the SGA shall be the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development. If the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development should be unable to adequately fulfill this advisory role and forfeits their position as SGA Advisor, however, then a comparable Marywood University administrator may volunteer to become advisor of the Marywood SGA for the remainder of the academic year. Should the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development choose to forfeit their position as SGA advisor in this manner, then all instances in the SGA Constitution referring to the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development shall be understood as referring to the current advisor of the SGA, for as long as they hold the position.

Article XI. Financial Procedures

Section 1. The Student Activities Fee and SGA Funds

A. Origin of SGA Funds

Funds are transferred to the Student Government Association after receipt of the Student Activities Fee; therefore, the Student Government Association is responsible to Marywood University and to the student body for the resourceful channeling of its funds. The SGA may also coordinate fundraising efforts to meet specific financial needs if the General Assembly resolves to do so.

B. Expenditure Limitations

Expenditures by the SGA should never exceed resources available.

Section 2. Funding Allocation Procedures

Student Government Association funds are allocated based on the priority of enriching student life through the SGA purposes as set forth in Article II of the SGA Constitution. Budget requests may be submitted through both semester funding requests, and through specific event funding requests. The Finance Committee must review all proposals following the regulations and procedures described in Article IV, Section 6 of the SGA Constitution and those listed within this section. All campus clubs and organizations will only be eligible for financial consideration if the following criteria are met:

A. General Funding Requirements

1. The club or organization must have an account on campus.
2. The Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development must approve any event that wishes to utilize SGA funds at least one week prior to its scheduled date.
3. Each club must have submitted an evaluation form for any previous events that the club has sponsored to the Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development.

B. Acceptable Filing Standards

Maintenance of complete, accurate, and current files in the Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development is required for all clubs and organizations that wish to receive funding from the SGA. The Council of Clubs Prefect shall inform the Finance Committee whether or not a club or organization´s files are acceptable before that club or organization is eligible to receive funds. If the Finance Committee determines that records are incomplete, the funding request will be denied. Acceptable files must include the following:

1. A constitution;
2. An activity sheet from the previous semester and academic year;
3. A current list of all officers;
4. Minutes of all meetings; and,
5. Evaluations of previous Student Government Association funded events.

C. Compliance with the Financial Committee

Clubs submitting funding requests must comply with all deadlines and procedures outlined by the Finance Committee per academic year and the SGA Constitution.

D. Substantiation of Financial Need

Any club or organization that requests SGA funds for a specific event must be able to demonstrate that they have explored all other fund-raising activities and provide proof that a specific amount of monetary aid is necessary for the successful continuation of the organization. Clubs will be responsible for submitting both a written and oral proposal to the Finance Committee. After reviewing the submitted materials and questioning a representative of the club that is requesting funds, the Treasurer shall present the Finance Committee´s recommendation at the next General Assembly meeting.

Section 3. Funding Regulations

The following is a list of general regulations that must be followed in the allocation of any SGA funds:

A. General Funding Regulations

1. Funding for specific events should be allocated only in the semester during which the event is to be held;
2. A deductions from a club's allotment should be considered for each Council of Club meeting where no representative was present since the club's last application for funding;
3. The Student Government Association is unable to honor requests by individuals for funding of personal interests.
4. Specific event funding requests from Honor Societies may only be approved if the Honor Society requesting funds adequately demonstrates that the event will benefit the entire student body.
5. Budget allowances should be sufficiently diversified and flexible to meet reasonable requests from all recognized clubs and organizations.

Article XII. University Committees

Section 1. University Committee Permanent Officer Commitments

In order to improve communication between the SGA and Marywood University administration, members of the SGA shall serve upon many of Marywood University´s official administrative committees. All students serving upon these University Committees must represent the will of the SGA in accordance with Article II of the SGA Constitution and then report their respective University Committee(s)´s progress to the SGA through their Permanent Committees or the General Assembly. The following is a list of each Officer position´s required University Committee commitments, however, other students may still be appointed to University Committees by the SGA through the procedures described in subsequent section of this Article:

A. University Committee Officer Commitments

1. The President must serve as a member of the Marywood University Planning Advisory Council and report all pertinent progress of that committee to both the Executive Cabinet Board and the General Assembly. The President must also serve as a member of the Judicial Board and the Commencement Speakers Committee.
2. The Vice President must serve as a member of the Student Life Committee and Outcomes Assessment Committee and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Policy Committee, Executive Cabinet Board, and the General Assembly.
3. The Secretary must serve as a member of the Cultural Affairs Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Policy Committee, Executive Cabinet Board, and the General Assembly.
4. The Treasurer must serve as a member of the Budget Committee of the University and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Executive Cabinet and the General Assembly.
5. The Public Affairs Officer must serve as a member of the Marketing Committee and Advertising and Promotions Council and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Community Out-Reach Committee, Executive Cabinet Board, and the General Assembly.
6. The Assistant Public Affairs Officer must serve as a member the Marketing Committee and Advertising Promotions Council and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Community Out-Reach Committee and the General Assembly.
7. The Senior Class President must serve as a member of the Commencement and Academic Convocations Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Senior Class Council, Policy Committee, and the General Assembly.
8. The Junior Class President must serve as a member of the Undergraduate Core Subcommittee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Policy Committee, and the General Assembly.
9. The Sophomore Class President must serve as a member of the Undergraduate Core Subcommittee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
10. The Freshman Class President must serve as a member of the Student Life Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
11. The Senior Class Vice President must serve as a member of the Distance Education Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Community Out-Reach Committee and the General Assembly. The Senior Class Vice President must also serve as a member of the Judicial Board.
12. The Junior Class Vice President must serve as a member of the Undergraduate Scholarships and Fellowships Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Community Out-Reach Committee and the General Assembly. The Junior Class Vice President must also serve as a member of the Judicial Board.
13. The Sophomore Class Vice President must serve as a member of the Judicial Board.
14. The Freshman Class Vice President must serve as a member of the Judicial Board.
15. The College of Health and Human Services Representative must serve as a member of the Policy Committee of the University and the Undergraduate Program Committee and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
16. The College of Creative Arts and Management Representative must serve as a member of the Policy Committee of the University and the Undergraduate Program Committee and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
17. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Representative must serve as a member of the Policy Committee of the University and the Undergraduate Program Committee and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
18. The College of Education and Human Development Representative must serve as a member of the Policy Committee of the University and the Undergraduate Program Committee and report all pertinent progress of these committees to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
19. The Resident Committee Prefect must serve as a member of the Dining Services Committee and Student Life Committee and report all progress of these committees to the Resident Committee, the Policy Committee, and the General Assembly.
20. The Resident Committee Vice Prefect must serve as a member of the Parking Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Resident Committee and the General Assembly.
21. The Commuter Committee Prefect must serve as a member of the Dining Services Committee and Student Life Committee and report all progress of these committees to the Commuter Committee, the Policy Committee, and the General Assembly.
22. The Commuter Committee Vice Prefect must serve as a member of the Parking Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Commuter Committee and the General Assembly.
23. The Council of Clubs Prefect must serve as a member of the Judicial Board.
24. The Council of Clubs Vice Prefect must serve as a member of the Cultural Diversity Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Policy Committee and the General Assembly.
25. The Campus Ministry Representative must serve as a member of the Cultural Affairs Committee and report all pertinent progress of that committee to the Community Out-Reach Committee and the General Assembly.

Section 2. Other University Committees that Require Student Appointment

A. List of Other University Committees that Require Student Appointment

Following the appointment procedures as described in Article VII, Section 3 of the SGA Constitution, students must also be appointed to attend the following committees as necessary at the beginning of each academic year:

1. Technology Advisory Committee;
2. Academic Computing Committee;
3. Library and Instructional Technological Services Committee;
4. Arboretum Committee;
5. Students with Disabilities Committee;
6. The Web Advisory Group; and,
7. Dining Services Committee.

Article XIII: Amendments

This SGA Constitution shall only be amended through the following procedure:

A. Constitutional Amendment Procedure

1. Any proposal for a Constitutional Amendment may be made during any meeting of the General Assembly through a motion following the procedure described in Article IV, Section 1.B. and two-thirds majority vote.
2. Constitutional Amendment proposals must then be passed to the Legislative Committee for review. The Legislative Committee shall be responsible for creating a final wording for each Constitutional Amendment proposal it reviews in keeping with the original intent of the Constitutional Amendment proposal.
3. After review by the Legislative Committee through the procedures and regulations listed in Article IV, Section 7 of the SGA Constitution, the final version of each Constitutional Amendment proposal is to be presented at the next General Assembly meeting. At this time the proposed Constitutional Amendment may be ratified into the Constitution through a motion through the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution and three-fourths majority vote by the General Assembly.
4. If the Constitutional Amendment proposal does not pass the General Assembly by a three-fourths majority vote after being reviewed by the Legislative Committee, then it may be sent back to the Legislative Committee for further review or discarded through a motion and majority vote for either option under the procedures described in Article IV, Section 1.B. of the SGA Constitution.