student government association
CONSTITUTION OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
The Student Government Association is established by the students of the Capitol Campus of the Penn
sylvania State University to deal effectively with matters of student affairs, to enact and enforce the
necessary proposals for the promotion and welfare of the students, and control and direct activities of student
organizations in the best interests of the student body, according to this constitution, its bylaws, and the
Policies and Rules for Students. It shall consist of executive, legislative, and judicial branches. A faculty ad
visor shall assist the SGA in matters pertaining to activities between the Senate and the faculty and the Direc
tor of Student Affairs, or a representative, shall be the administrative advisor of the SGA.
EXECUTIVE
Membership
ARTICLE I
Section 1.
The executive branch of this government shall consist of the following officers: a president, a vice president,
a treasurer, and two secretaries. A parliamentarian may be appointed by the president if deemed necessary.
All members must maintain their qualifications.
Section 2. Powers and Duties of the President
a. Preside over all meetings of the Senate.
b. Execute the proposals enacted by the Senate.
c. Call special meetings of the Senate.
d. Fill all vacancies in the Senate occurring after the fall elections with the approval of two-thirds vote of the
Senate.
e. Establish ad hoc committees.
f. Recommend formation of new standing committees.
g. Make appointments of all standing committee chairpersons with advice and consent of the Senate.
h. Approve all members of standing, ad hoc and campus committees.
I. Make appointments to ad hoc committees.
j. May appoint a parliamentarian with the assistance of the election/screening committee.
k. Shall not have a vote, except in case of a tie.
l. Shall relinquish the chair to take part in floor debate.
m. Shall request a voting member, viewed as having a conflict of Interest concerning a motion on the floor,
to abstain.
n. With the advice and consent of the executive officers, carry our such Items, in an emergency situation,
that may arise between meetings of the Senate as long as it does not conflict with the general stan
dards, opinions, or procedures of the Senate.
o. Shall monitor SGA members' GPA, to assure compliance with candidate qualifications and notify any
member of probation status.
p. Add or remove agenda items.
q. Appoint a substitute to fill any vacancy on the Student Court, within one week after occurrence, with ap-
proval of two-thirds vote of the Senate.
r. Accept recommendations for removal of any member of the Student Court for misconduct or neglect, with
approval of two-thirds vote of the Senate.
s. May veto a proposal passed by the Senate. This veto must be presented in writing to every Senate member
before the next meeting after the passage of the proposal explaining the reasons for the veto and sug
gestions ror revision or substitution. Two-thirds vote of the Senate will override the veto and if overrid
den, the proposal will pass and the president will be expected to enforce it.
t. Shall not, during term in office, hold an office In any other student organization.
u. May not miss more than two meetings per academic session.
v. Must serve on at least two committees per academic session of office.
Section 3. Powers and Duties of the Vice President
a. Shall hold the offices of vice president and senator concurrently and so shall have a vote. x
b. Shall be the chairperson of the President's Council.
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d. Accept or re|ect excuses for excused absences.
e. Shall carry out duties assigned by the president.
f. Shall have the power to execute the powers and duties of the president, in the president's absence.
g. Shall not, during term in office, hold an office In any ofher student organization.
h. May not miss more than two meetings per academic session.
i. Must serve on at least two committees per academic session of office.
i. Shall assume the office of the president if that office should become vacant anytime after the fall election.
Section 4. Powers and Duties ot the Treasurer
a. Shall hold the offices of treasurer and senator concurrently and so shall have a vote.
b. Chair the finance committee and vote only In case of a tie.
c. Manage and keep records of finances.
d. Establish and maintain an audit system for all campus organizations in accordance with the Policies and
Rules for Students.
e. Present financial reports to the Senate as established by the Senate.
f. Shall not, during term in office, hold an office In any other student organization.
g. May not miss more than two meetings per academic session.
h. Must serve on at least two committees per academic session of office.
Shall become presiding officer, with a vote only in case of a tie, in the absence of both the president and vice
president.
Section 5. Powers and Duties of the Secretaries
a. Shall hold the offices of secretary and senator concurrently, and so shall have a vote.
b. Shall perform such duties as needed by the Executive Board for SGA purposes.
c. Shall not, during term in office, hold an office In any other student organization.
d. May not miss more than two meetings per academic session.
e. Must serve on at least two committees per academic session of office.
f. Secretarial Duties shall be divided as follows:
1. Executive and Senate Secretary:
a. Keep a record of attendance at all meetings, including visitors.
b. Record, maintain, and post the complete minutes of each SGA meeting.
c. Distribute the agenda before the SGA meeting as outlined In the oylaws.
d. Keep and maintain a permanent record of the constitution of the Student Government.
e. Perform the duties of the club and committee secretary in their absence.
2. Club and Committee Secretary:
a. Type and file standing committee reports.
b. Maintain club mailboxes.
c. Maintain a list of committees, including members and dates of all actions.
d. Type all correspondence from the SGA to the campus organizations.
e. Perform the duties of the executive and senate secretary in their absence.
Section 6. Powers and Duties of the Parliamentarian
a. May be appointed at the discretion of the president with the assistance of the election/screening commit
tee.
b. Shall not be a member of the Senate and so shall not have a vote.
c. Attend all meetings and Interpret the rules of parliamentary procedure.
ARTICLE II LEGISLATIVE
Section 1. Membership
All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Student Senate. Each academic division, both
graduate and undergraduate, shall be entitled to representation in the Senate as follows:
Undergraduate representation- one senator in each of the senior and junior classes, per academic division,
and one senator-at-large for every two hundred full-time equivalent students in their respective
academic year.
Campus Programming Board representation- one senior senator shall be elected as the chairperson.
Graduate representation- one senator for every two hundred full-time equivalent graduate students.
All members must maintain their candidate qualifications.
Section 2. Powers and Duties of the Senate
a. Act upon or revise the proposals brought before the SGA.
b. Establish ad hoc committees.
c. Advise and approve, with two-thirds vote, the creation of standing committees and chairpersons of new
and existing standing committees.
d. Approve any appointments made by the president to fill vacancies.
e. Amend or revise the Student Court Constitution by a two-thirds vote of the acting Senate.
f. Musf serve on at least two committees per academic session of office. The campus programming board
chairperson shall be exempt from this duty.
g. Shall follow parliamentary procedures as stated In Robert's Shortened Rules of Order (latest edition), ex
cept as contained In the bylaws or as stated by the president.
ARTICLE 111 JUDICIAL
1. The Student Court shall be a distinct and separata student organization from the Student Government
Association and shall be governed by Its own constitution.
2. No member of the SGA Senate may be a member of the Student Court.
3. The SGA will refer any and all constitutional questions to the Student Court whose decisions shall be final.
ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES
Any graduate or undergraduate student shall be eligible for membership on all standing, ad hoc, and cam
pus committees with approval of the president.
Section 1. Standing Committees
a. Chairpersons shall be appointed by the president with advice and consent of the Senate.
b. Chairpersons of committees with pending business shall present a report to the Senate.
c. Members shall serve for one academic year.
d. Senior appointments shall be made after the spring elections, when the new executive officers take office.
e. Junior appointments shall be made after the fall elections.
f. Executive Committee
Membership:
1. Shall be the elected executive officers.
2. The president shall be the chairperson.
Duties:
1. Shall meet at least once between meetings of the Senate, acting as a steering committee, preparing all
agendas.
2. Act on matters of an emergency nature between meetings of the Senate.
g. President's Council
Membership:
1. Presidents of all recognized student organizations or their alternates shall be members.
2. The vice president shall be the chairperson.
Duties:
1. Shall assist organizations, recognized by the Senate, in planning and coordinating their activities.
h. Finance Committee
Membership:
1. Shall consist of five students, four of which shall be seniors. An additional junior may be appointed by
the president, after fall elections.
2. The treasurer shall be the chairperson.
3. The Director of Student Affairs, or a representative, shall act as an ex officio member.
Duties:
1. Establish procedures and regulations concerning the administration of funds.
2. Inform the organizations and Senate of the procedures and regulations established.
3. Shall prepare an annual budget for the allocation of the Student Activity Fund to be presented to the
Senate for adoption, as outlined In the bylaws.
4. Make recommendations to the Senate on all requests for funds other than those previously budgeted.
5. Make a review of the Student Activity Fund at the end of the academic year and make recommendations
to the Senate for changes caused by the addition, dotation, or Inactivity of particular organiza
tions.
I. Election/Screening Committee
Membership:
1. Shall consist of six students, four seniors and two lunlors. An additional member may be appointed by
the president.
2. The chairperson shall be a senior senator.
Duties:
1. Review all candidates for general and special elections and committee selections.
2. Formulate guidelines and procedures for the conduct of election campaigns.
3. Conduct the electoral process as outlined In the bylaws.
4. Tabulate the election results and issue notices of those results to the student body within one day after
the closing of the polls.
5. Screen candidates for vacancies In the Senate, Student Court, and Appeals and Hearing Board.
j. Organizational Review Committee
Membership:
1 . Shall consist of six students, three seniors and three juniors. An additional member may be appointed by
the president.
2. The chairperson shall be a senior senator.
Duties:
1. Review all applications for student organizations.
2. Recommend to the Senate acceptance or rejection of these applications.
3. Monitor all organizations to Insure their compliance with the Policies and Rules for Students and recom
mend appropriate action to the Senate if deemed necessary.
k. Campus Programming Board
Membership:
1. Shall consist of five members. Additional members may be appointed by the president.
2. The chairperson shall be a senior senator.
Duties:
1. Shall submit a budget request to the finance committee for each academic year. The SGA will be open
for additions or change of schedule at any time.
2. Shall plan and present campus social and cultural events.
3. Shall, when the Board deems appropriate, co-sponsor events with other clubs and organizations.
4. One member shall attend President's Council to help with the scheduling of activities.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees
a. Established by the Senate or the president who will specify the function and composition.
b. Shall serve until their responsibilities are discharged or their services completed.
Section 3. Campus Committees
a. Student representation on certain Faculty Organization Committees.
b. Members will be appointed by the president.
ARTICLE V CAMPUS ORGANIZATION RECOGNITION
1. All clubs and organizations that wish to become established on the campus must be recognized by the
SGA.
2. All clubs and organizations must comply with the Policies and Rules for Students.
3. All clubs and organizations must follow the financial regulations and procedures as established by the
SGA and the finance committee for the acquisition of funds.
ARTICLE VI ELECTIONS
Section 1. Guidelines
a. All special elections shall be held on a date designated by the president with recommendation by the
Senate.
b. All elections shall be carried out according to procedures outlined in the bylaws.
c. A candidate may only run tar one position.
Section 2. Spring Elections
a. The election of the SGA officers, senior and graduate senators shall be held spring session as outlined In
the bylaws.
b. All elected members shall assume office at the next scheduled SGA meeting tallowing the elections.
c. Officers' and senators' terms of office shall terminate after the next spring elections.
Section 3 Fall Elections
a. The election of SGA junior senators shall be held during the fall session as outlined in the bylaws.
b. All elected members shall assume office at the next scheduled SGA meeting following the elections.
c. Term of office shall terminate after the next fall elections.
Section 4 Qualifications
a. Must be a registered full-time undergraduate or graduate student during the term of office.
b. Shall not be on academic or disciplinary probation.
c. Shall have and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2 00
Section 5. Oath of Offices
The following Oath of Office, which shall be considered as the only official inauguration by any elected of
ficer or senator In the SGA, shall be administered by the Chief Justice of the Student Court (Standards
Board) or a duly appointed representative.
"I do swear (or affirm) that I shall fulfill the duties of the office with which I have
been invested b T ,he Student Body of the Penn State Capitol Campus to the best of my
abilities and that, as the holder of such office, I shall do my best to uphold the prin
ciples of the Penn State Capitol Campus and the Interests of its Student Government."