A) There shall be an Academic Senator from each of the following areas:
College of Applied Science and Technology
College of Business
College of Computing and Information Sciences
College of Engineering
College of Imaging Arts and Sciences
College of Liberal Arts
College of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
College of Science
B) There shall be a voting representative from each of the following Representational Student Organizations (RSO):
AALANA Collegiate Association (ACA)
Global Union (GU)
Greek Council
NTID Student Congress (NSC)
Off Campus and Apartment Student Association (OCASA)
Residence Halls Association (RHA)
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
C) There shall be a Senator from each of the following student body communities:
1. The community including all Female students
2. The community including all Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender students (GLBT)
3. There shall be one Senator from each of the following student class/year levels as defined by the Registrar’s office:
Freshman (Year Level 1)
D) There shall be non-voting representatives from the following Student Service Organizations (SSO):
College Activities Board (CAB)
Reporter
WITR
A) Shall have cumulative grade point averages of a 2.3 or better, be in good academic standing and must not be subject to current disciplinary probation.
B) Shall be matriculated students paying Student Activity Fees.
C) Shall be elected according to the provisions set forth in Article III.
D) Shall be members of the constituencies, which they represent.
E) Shall have attended Rochester Institute of Technology for at least two quarters as recognized by the Institute at the time of election or appointment, with exception of the freshmen senator.
F) Shall attend classes at least two quarters on the RIT campus during the term of office.
A) Shall serve as liaison between Student Government and their constituencies.
B) Shall attend all Student Senate meetings.
C) Shall vote on all Student Senate issues.
D) Shall meet quarterly with their constituents. This includes, but is not limited to, town hall meetings, coffee breaks and office hours.
E) Shall meet with their dean or advisor on a quarterly basis to represent their constituents’ interests.
F) Shall make timely reports to their respective constituencies.
G) Shall elect, through a plurality vote, a President-Pro Tempore to act as Chair of the Senate in the absence of the Vice-President.
H) Shall, to the best of their ability, represent the interests of their constituencies.
I) Shall confirm all appropriate Executive appointments.
J) Shall have the ability to override a Presidential veto by a two-thirds majority of the Senate attendance.
K) Shall determine, through a plurality vote, a Chair of the Senate in the absence of the Vice-President and the President-Pro Tempore.
L) Shall be required to serve on a minimum of one Institute committee per quarter assigned by the Chair of the Senate.
A) Shall serve as liaison between Student Government and their constituencies.
B) Shall attend all Student Senate meetings.
C) Shall meet quarterly with their constituents. This includes, but is not limited to, town hall meetings, coffee breaks and office hours.
D) Shall meet with their advisor on a quarterly basis to represent their constituents’ interests.
E) Shall make timely reports to their respective constituencies.
F) Shall, to the best of their ability, represent the interests of their constituencies.
G) Shall be required to serve on a minimum of one Institute committee per quarter assigned by the Chair of the Senate.
A) Quorum
1. Two-thirds of the elected voting body must be present to achieve a quorum for the transaction of business.
2. Once a quorum is present to conduct business, it shall not be broken by the subsequent withdrawal of any Senator.
B) Voting Authority
1. All resolutions presented before the Senate shall pass by simple majority unless otherwise specified in the Charter, By-Laws, or Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised or subsequent revisions.
2. Each senator and RSO shall have one vote.
3. The Vice President shall have the right to vote only to break a tie.
4. In the absence of the Vice President, the President Pro-Tempore who assumes the role as chair of the Senate and shall lose his/her vote as Senator and gain the Vice President’s tie-breaking vote. The vacant position of the Senator assuming the role of the Chair of the Senate shall be filled by a member of said Senator’s constituency.
5. All voting must take place at a meeting open to the public unless otherwise specified by these bylaws.
6. With the exception of a vote of removal from office, all votes must be taken on an open ballot.
7. There shall be no absentee voting of any kind.
8. Each Senator shall be eligible to vote on any issue in compliance with Standing Rules and procedures of the Senate.
C) Delegation of Vote
1. Senators shall have the right to delegate their vote to a member of his/her constituency.
2. Any person stated as carrying a vote for a Senator must present written verification of that fact. This verification process may be waived at the discretion of the chair of the Senate.
D) Voting Session
1. The voting session of the Student Senate shall be during the normal Institute academic term. No vote may be conducted during Institute recess. Voting sessions shall not be declared during summer quarter.
E) Vote Tallying
1. Simple Majority: the measure shall be passed if more than one-half of the voting body, not abstaining, vote in favor of it.
2. Two-thirds Majority: the measure shall be passed if two-thirds or more of the voting body present during quorum count vote in favor of it.
3. Plurality: the measure which receives the most votes shall be passed.
A) No member of the Senate shall be absent from more than three meetings of the Senate during the school year without submitting acceptable reasons for said absences to the Chair of the Senate. The excuse should be submitted before that meeting for which the person expects to be absent, but will not be accepted later than the next regularly scheduled meeting following the absence.
B) Any member shall be eligible for removal from the Senate for being absent from three meetings per year without sufficient reason and failing to delegate his/her seat.
C) A member may be removed from office for subsequent failure to meet qualifications and duties for holding a Senate position.
D) A member who is late to meeting without an excuse will be counted as absent.
E) A member may be removed from office in accordance with impeachment proceedings as defined in Article V.
A) The Senate shall have the power to establish committees as it sees fit, both standing and ad hoc.
B) The chair of all committees shall be a Senator or an individual who has been nominated by the Senate.
C) Committee chairs shall be approved by a majority vote of the Senate.
D) Committee members shall be chosen in a manner deemed appropriate by the committee chair unless otherwise specified by the Senate.
E) The Senate shall have the authority to choose a new committee chair from the committee members, should the original chair be unable to continue in his/her role for any reason.
F) Committee chairs shall report the progress of the committee periodically to the Senate.
G) All committees shall be recommending bodies, unless otherwise designated by a majority vote of the Senate.
A) The appointee shall be introduced to the Senate at a regularly scheduled meeting.
B) The appointee shall present a written resume of past experience and future goals 48 hours prior to a regularly scheduled meeting.
C) The appointee shall discuss his/her merits, experience, and goals for the position.
D) The appointee shall address appropriate questions or concerns from the Senators.
E) The appointee shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate.
A) Nominations shall be made no later than the second Senate meeting of the Fall Quarter.
B) The nominees shall discuss their merits and experience.
C) If there is only one nominee, he/she shall be elected by a majority vote of the Senate.
D) If there is more than one nominee, the President-Pro Tempore shall be the nominee who receives a plurality of votes.
E) The position of President-Pro Tempore shall reside in the name of that Senator and not in the office of the Senator.
Senators may be compensated for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 10 hours of Student Government related service per week at the current stipend level set in conjunction with the Student Employment Office. These hours will be subject to verification by the Administrative Advisor signing off on the time sheets. Any discrepancies will be referred to the Cabinet. The Administrative Advisor will have final approval to question the Senator and/or modify the time sheet if a discrepancy cannot be resolved by the Cabinet. The President and Vice President reserve the right to recommend compensation be withheld due to a failure in meeting the duties as prescribed in these bylaws.
President
Vice President (Chair of the Senate)
Director of Organization Recognition
Director of Student Relations
Director of Finance
Director of Services
Director of Programming
Director of Public Relations
A) President & Vice President
1. Shall have completed at least five quarters at Rochester Institute of Technology as recognized by the Institute.
2. Shall have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.3 or better, be in good academic standing and must not be subject to current disciplinary probation.
3. Shall be a matriculated student paying Student Activities Fees.
4. Shall be elected as described in Article III.
5. Shall attend classes at least two quarters on the RIT campus during the term of office.
B) Remaining Cabinet Positions
1. Shall have completed three quarters at Rochester Institute of Technology as recognized by the Institute at the time of appointment.
2. Shall have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.3 or better, be in good academic standing and must not be subject to current disciplinary probation.
3. Shall be a matriculated student paying Student Activities Fees.
4. Shall be appointed by the incoming President and confirmed by a Senate majority vote.
A) President
1. Shall oversee operation of the Office Manager and cabinet appointees
2. Shall be the Executive Officer of the Student Government and must authenticate, by signature, all acts, orders, and procedures of Student Government, and has the power to delegate that authority.
3. Shall be responsible for the continual updating and revision of the Student Government operations, Charter, and By-Laws and shall have the authority to delegate that responsibility.
4. Shall interview and appoint the Cabinet members subject to Senate ratification.
5. Shall chair Cabinet meetings.
6. Shall attend Senate meetings, or shall notify the Chair of the Senate prior to regularly scheduled meetings of the Senate if he/she shall not be in attendance.
7. Shall have veto power over all Senate legislation. If legislation is not vetoed within six working days (not including Institute Recess), it shall be considered approved. A vote of veto shall be in the form of a Letter of Veto to the members of the Senate.
8. Shall be an ex-officio member of all Student Government committees.
9. Shall be entitled to act on behalf and in consultation with the Cabinet.
10. Shall perform all duties necessary and proper to ensure the functioning of Student Government.
11. Shall establish and work on long-range goals for Student Government in consultation with the Senate.
12. Shall be a member of the RIT Institute Council and the Institute Council Executive Committee.
13. Shall work with the Director of Finance to submit an annual budget for the Executive Branch.
14. In the event of permanent absence of the Vice President, the President shall appoint a new Vice President to be ratified by two-thirds vote of the Senate.
15. Shall have the authority to create committees, both standing and ad hoc.
16. Shall be responsible for appointing student representatives to all institute committees and initiatives.
17. Shall be the Student Government liaison to the RIT Administration, faculty, and Board of Trustees.
18. Shall be a member of the Board of Trustees’ Student Life Committee.
19. Shall be a member of the Academic Senate.
B) Vice President
1. Shall assume the duties of the President in the event of his/her absence. In the case of permanent absence of the President, the Vice President shall become President.
2. Shall report to the President.
3. Shall work with the President and the Senate in the establishment of Student Government long-range goals.
4. Shall chair the Student Senate and other meetings deemed appropriate by the Senate.
5. Shall vote only in the event of a tie in the Student Senate.
6. Shall organize and oversee the Election Committee of the Student Government.
7. Shall prepare an agenda to be posted at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to each Senate meeting.
8. Shall be a member of the RIT Institute Council.
9. Shall be a member of the Board of Trustees’ Student Life Committee.
10. Shall meet with senators on a regular basis to set, develop, and evaluate their goals.
11. Shall be a member of the Academic Senate.
C) Director of Finance
1. Shall chair the Finance Committee.
2. Shall provide support for all member Finance Directors.
3. Shall serve on the sub-committee for allocation of Student Activities Fees.
4. Shall authenticate, by signature, all financial acts, orders, and procedures of the Executive Branch, Student Senate, and Finance Committee.
5. Shall have the ability to authorize financial acts, orders, and procedures for organizations in the event of an absence of their Finance Director.
6. Shall make a financial report to the President on a weekly basis.
7. Shall oversee distribution of Student Activities Fees Co-sponsorship funds.
8. Shall ensure the review, approval, and implementation of all financial agreements by the Finance Committee.
9. Shall work with the Finance Director to establish budget procedures for clubs recognized by Student Government.
10. Shall investigate opportunities for cost-effectiveness within Student Government.
11. Shall help establish and maintain roll-over, interest, and renewal-replacement budgets.
12. Shall chair the MSO Budget Review committee
D) Director of Programming
1. Shall oversee coordination of Student Government events.
2. Shall make a report to the President on a weekly basis.
3. Shall communicate with the Director of Organization Recognition about co-hosting and collaborating on MSO programs.
4. Shall chair a programming committee when necessary for collaboration.
5. Shall provide support for MSO Programming Directors and SG Senators.
6. Shall assist the President and Director of Finance in preparing a budget for the Programming Committee.
E) Director of Public Relations
1. Shall chair the Public Relations Team.
2. Shall coordinate the Public Relations Team, including but not limited to, the web designer, photographer, and designer(s).
3. Shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the website.
4. Shall provide support for Public Relations Directors of student organizations when needed.
5. Shall make a report to the President on a weekly basis.
6. Shall be responsible for regular advertising and promotion of all Student Government events and initiatives.
7. Shall be responsible for marketing Student Government and updating students as to Student Government’s progress.
8. Shall oversee the production of all literature published by the Student Government Executive Cabinet.
9. Shall assist the President and Director of Finance in preparing a budget for the Public Relations Team.
10. Shall assist the President in preparing an Annual Report for distribution to the RIT community.
F) Director of Services
1. Shall be responsible for the distribution of the weekly minutes of all Senate and Cabinet meetings within seventy-two (72) hours following adjournment.
2. Shall oversee the Student Government note taker.
i. Shall maintain record of absences at Senate meetings and shall send absentee reports to the Chair of the Senate.
ii. Shall record all Senate votes for insertion into the minutes.
3. Shall be responsible for the proper set-up of the Senate meeting facility.
4. Shall maintain all Student Government official documents and policies, with the exceptions noted in the Standing Rules.
5. Shall assist the President in any way deemed appropriate in his/her role as the Administrative Assistant to the President.
6. Shall oversee all Student Government web services (Ride Board, Professor Evaluations, Voting System) and System Administrator.
7. Shall oversee Student Government services (Lawyer, Van, Television Station, Readership Program).
8. Shall be knowledgeable on the Student Government By-Laws, Charter, Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised and subsequent revisions, and Standing Rules.
9. Shall continually investigate the expansion of services Student Government provides to students.
G) Director of Student Relations
1. Shall represent the student body as a whole by advocating for students and student groups.
2. Shall assist the President and Vice President by attending any meeting that he/she cannot attend.
3. Shall propose changes to improve student rights and improve the quality of life within the RIT student body.
4. Shall serve as the Executive Cabinet’s liaison between students and departmental offices.
5. Shall be knowledgeable of the Institute Policies and Procedures Manual.
6. Shall oversee all Student Government committees.
7. Shall work with the Director of Programming to organize open forums for students to voice their concerns at least once a quarter.
8. Shall be responsible for ensuring student representation is present at committees Student Government participates in.
H) Director of Organization Recognition
1. Shall work as a liaison on behalf of the President and the Student Government to the other Major Student Organizations on campus as it relates to team building, communication of events and issues.
2. Shall meet with MSO leaders to establish goals for their respective organizations, which will be presented at the Student Government Leadership Retreat, or to the Senate no later than October 1.
3. Shall meet with MSO leaders to revise goals prior to December 1.
4. Shall meet with MSO leaders during the period of January 1 to February 1, March 1 to April 1, and as needed to assess and document progress of accomplishing aforementioned goals to be delivered in a report to the President.
5. Shall assist the Director of Programming in coordinating MSOs for major events.
6. Shall advocate for clubs by working closely with the Center for Campus Life to make recommendation for change to improve club satisfaction.
7. Shall chair the Club Review Board and work with the appointed Club Review Board Advisor and the Club's Graduate Assistant (Clubs GA) to establish meeting times and agendas.
8. Shall communicate regularly with clubs to address concerns and distribute information.
9. Shall help coordinate information between Event Registration, CCL, and Finance Committee when needed.
10. Shall organize the Presidents’ Roundtable meetings.
A) A cabinet member may be removed from office for subsequent failure to meet qualifications for holding an Executive position (Article II, Section 2).
B) A cabinet member may be removed from office by the President, provided a notification of said removal is given in writing to the member.
A) Finance Committee
1. Membership shall consist of the Director of Finance and the financial director from the following organizations: OCASA, NSC, RHA, Global Union, Greek Council, ACA, CAB, SAAC and WITR.
2. Shall define, maintain, and supervise finance policies for all organizations that receive Student Activities Fees in accordance with Institute policy.
3. Shall make decisions on Requests for Funds.
4. Shall be responsible for preparing, submitting, and maintaining the annual budget of Student Government, CAB, and WITR.
B) Club Review Board
1. Membership shall consist of the Director of Recognition and at least four additional members from any existing Student Government recognized club, including one from the following four categories: sports clubs, professional/academic clubs, cultural clubs, and special interest clubs.
2. Members must be in good standing with their respective club. The club must also be in good standing with Student Government.
3. Each member will be allowed one vote.
4. Voting authority is appointed on an individual basis by the President of Student Government with the recommendation of the Director of Organization Recognition.
5. Each individual must attend at least one club meeting before being granted voting power.
6. The President must present any appointed voting members in his report at the next senate meeting and senators have one week after candidates are granted voting status to object to an appointment.
7. The Director of Recognition will be chairperson and work with the Assistant Director of Campus Life Programs to establish meeting times and agendas.
8. Shall make recommendations to grant or deny recognition to clubs to the Vice President of Student Affairs.
9. Shall annually review Club Guidelines.
10. Shall make recommendations to the President of Student Government on any Institute policy or procedure that effect clubs at RIT.
11. A quorum is achieved in the Club Review Board with at least four members at a meeting.
12. The Director of Recognition will provide a monthly written report to the Senate regarding the Club Review Board’s actions. This report will include any clubs that were recognized, denied, and guidelines or policies that were changed.
13. Shall follow the operating procedures as outlined in Appendix C of these bylaws.
C) Elections Committee
1. Shall be chaired by the Vice President of Student Government.
2. In the event the Vice President is a candidate, the Senate will appoint a new chair of the committee.
3. Membership shall include volunteer senators and cabinet members, but will not include students campaigning for a Student Government position.
4. Shall be the body overseeing elections for all Student Government positions.
5. Shall observe and inform candidates of the Standing Rules of the Elections Committee.
6. Shall set the elections calendar for Student Government.
7. Shall oversee the running and closing of elections through the Student Government Elections Server.
8. Shall receive election packets from candidates and verify eligibility.
9. Shall prepare a report, declare, validate, and advertise winners of Student Government elections.
10. Shall have authority to convene during the elections period to hear grievances regarding the Standing Rules of the Elections Committee.
11. Shall have authority to review campaign material and render warnings to candidates pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Elections Committee.
12. Shall have authority by majority vote to disqualify candidates from the election based upon unethical behavior pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Elections Committee.
13. Shall report to the Student Government Senate regarding elections.
14. Veto power of Elections Committee decisions shall reside with the Student Government Senate by a majority vote.
15. Shall follow the operating procedures as outlined in Appendix D of these bylaws.
D) MSO Budget Review Committee
1. Shall be Chaired by the Director of Recognition
2. Voting members shall include the Director of Finance, three (3) academic senators, one (1) community senator, and two (2) representatives from Major Student Organizations. No MSO shall hold a seat during its own hearing.
3. Shall be responsible for assessing MSO budgets as governed by the Policies and Procedures of the Major Student Organization Budget Review Process.
4. Shall meet for the purpose of yearly budget reviews and budget appeals and as needed.
5. The Director of the Center for Campus Life, or an appointed representative, shall act as an advisor to the Budget Committee.
6. Shall follow the operating procedures as outlined in Appendix E of these bylaws.
The line of succession to the Presidency shall be:
President
Vice President
President Pro-Tempore of the Senate
Thereafter, the succession shall be decided upon by the voting members of the Student Senate.
The President, Vice President, and Finance Director may be compensated for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 20 hours of Student Government related service per week at the current stipend level set in conjunction with the Student Employment Office. These hours will be subject to verification by the Administrative Advisor signing off on the time sheet. Any discrepancies will be referred to the Cabinet. The Administrative Advisor will have final approval to question the cabinet member and/or modify the time card if a discrepancy cannot be resolved by the Cabinet.
The remaining cabinet members may be compensated for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 10 hours of Student Government related service per week at the current stipend level set in conjunction with the Student Employment Office. These hours will be subject to verification by the Administrative Advisor signing off on the time sheets. Any discrepancies will be refereed to the Cabinet. The Administrative Advisor will have final approval to question the cabinet member and/or modify the time sheet if a discrepancy cannot be resolved by the Cabinet. The President and Vice President reserve the right to recommend compensation be withheld due to a failure in meeting the duties as prescribed in these bylaws.
A) The presidents of the Major Student Organizations shall be members of an Executive Advisory Board to the President of Student Government.
B) The president of Student Government shall chair this board and the Director of Organization Recognition will co-chair this board.
C) The Executive Advisory Board shall meet at least three times per quarter.
D) The purpose of this advisory board shall be:
1. To increase communication and interaction among all these MSOs.
2. To provide a forum for expression among the executive student leaders of RIT.
E) The Executive Advisory Board shall not have any decision making power over Student Government or any of the organizations represented before the Senate.
A) The candidates for President and Vice President shall run on the same ticket.
B) Each team shall gather a number of signatures to be determined by the Standing Rules of the Election Committee from student constituents. These signatures should be turned in to the Chair of the Election Committee by a date set in advance by the Committee.
C) Each voter shall cast, at most, one vote.
D) Voting shall be open to all RIT students.
E) Shall follow the prescribed procedures of the Standing Rules of the Election Committee.
A) Each Academic Senator shall, before being elected, gather a number of signatures to be determined by the Standing Rules of the Election Committee from the students enrolled in their college.
B) Each voter may cast, at most, one vote, and only for a candidate within his/her college.
C) Shall follow the prescribed procedures of the Standing Rules of the Election Committee.
A) The Senator from the community including all female students shall be elected by a vote of her community’s populous. Each voter may cast, at most, one vote for a candidate.
B) The Senator from the community including all GLBT students shall be elected by the prevailing GLBT student organization as recognized by the Student Government Senate. In the event of an irresolvable dispute in this matter in the Senate, the Vice President shall recognize which student organization is the prevailing GLBT student organization.
C) The Senator from the community including all freshmen shall be elected by the Student Government Senate pursuant to the following guidelines:
1. The election process for the Freshman Senator shall be organized and overseen by the Vice President, who will also collect names and contact information of students interested in the position.
2. The position for Freshman Senator shall be advertised during fall quarter.
3. The second (2nd) Senate meeting of winter quarter shall consist of a presentation made to students interested in the Freshman Senator position. The presentation will cover the role of Student Government, the Senate, as well as a brief synopsis of the responsibilities and duties of Senate members.
a) Each interested candidate shall be given two (2) minutes to address the Senate or as otherwise allotted by the Vice President.
b) The Senate shall be given time to ask two (2) questions, or as otherwise allotted by the Vice President, which shall be asked of all candidates.
c) The candidates will be asked to leave the meeting and the Senate shall discuss the candidates and their qualifications.
d) Voting shall take place by open ballot and a plurality vote shall win.
4. The Freshman Senator shall be given equal compensation and a programming budget as defined by Student Government Finance Committee.
5. Freshman Senator responsibilities shall follow Article I Section 3.
D) The Senator from the community including all graduate students shall be elected by the Student Government Senate pursuant to the following guidelines:
1. The election process for the Graduate Senator shall be organized and overseen by the Vice President, who will also collect names and contact information of students interested in the position.
2. The position for Graduate Senator shall be advertised for the first two weeks during fall quarter via email to all graduate students.
3. The third (3rd) Senate meeting of fall quarter shall consist of a presentation made to students interested in the Graduate Senator position. The presentation will cover the role of Student Government, the Senate, as well as a brief synopsis of the responsibilities and duties of Senate members.
a) Each interested candidate shall be given two (2) minutes to address the Senate or as otherwise allotted by the Vice President.
b) The Senate shall be given time to ask two (2) questions, or as otherwise allotted by the Vice President, which shall be asked of all candidates.
c) The candidates will be asked to leave the meeting and the Senate shall discuss the candidates and their qualifications.
d) Voting shall take place by open ballot and a plurality vote shall win.
4. The Graduate Senator shall be given equal compensation and a programming budget as defined by Student Government Finance Committee.
5. Graduate Senator responsibilities shall follow Article I Section 3.
a) The Graduate Senator will be responsible for meeting with the Dean of Graduate Studies and the prevailing Graduate advisory committee.
Major Student Organizations are broken up into two categories; RSO and SSO. MSO representatives shall be elected according to their respective by-laws. No person shall serve on the Executive Board of m