Constitution
SGA Constitution
The Student Government Association CONSTITUTION as amended Spring 2018
Preamble We, the students of Cameron University, in order to form a democratic, efficient and responsible Student Government to represent, lead and unify the student body, to decide and recommend for the students upon any matter involving the student interests, to promote common understanding between students, faculty, and administration, while protecting the individual rights of students, do hereby establish and adopt this Constitution for the Cameron University Student Government Association.
Article I – Name
The name of the organization shall be Student Government Association.
Article II – Purpose
1. To serve as the student government Vehicle. 2. To represent, lead, and unify the student body. 3. To aid the university in its larger purpose of education. 4. To make recommendations to the administration of the University concerning student issues and concerns. 5. To act as a means of preserving and maintain the well-being of the university community. 6. To encourage enthusiastic school support.
Article III – Organization
The Student Government Association shall consist of elected Senators, Representatives designated by recognized student organizations, the Executive Council, and Constitutional Committees.
Section 1- Elected Senators and Organizational Representation
a. Elected Senators
i. There shall be (6) elected senators from each academic school and (6) “At Large” elected senators.
• The (6) senator seats from each school and the at-large category may be composed of any classification as long as no classification exceeds (3) seats in each category. • In Spring elections, one seat in each category must remain vacant until the Fall elections in which eligible Freshmen can participate. After fall elections, if those seats are not filled by classified freshmen, the runners-up from the previous elections will earn the seat.
ii. At-large senators shall be those students who at the start of the academic year do not have a declared major in either of the academic schools.
iii. Each elected senator must be a full-time student, maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average and be in good standing with the university.
• A graduating senior may apply for an exemption to the Administrative Advisor if they are fulfilling their academic requirements and the coursework is considered less than full-time (12 hours)
iv. In order to run for a senator position, each candidate must meet the grade point average requirement when they file for office and the classification requirement prior to the start of the academic year in which they are to hold the position.
b. Organizational Representation
i. Each university recognized organization is allotted one Representative member to participate in the Student Government Association. Organizations must have all paperwork required to maintain their status as an active organization on file with the Office of Campus Life and maintain good standing with the Office of Campus life.
Section 2 – Elected Officers
a. The elected officers shall consist of the President, Vice President, and Treasurer. b. Each office shall be elected by a means of campus-wide election held in the spring semester.
• In order to run for an officer position, each candidate must meet the grade point average requirement when they file for office and the classification requirement prior to the start of the academic year in which they are to hold the position.
c. All officers have to be enrolled as a full-time student while being in office.
• A graduating senior may apply for an exemption to the Administrative Advisor if they are fulfilling their academic requirements and the coursework is considered less than full-time (12 hours).
d. Vice President and Treasurer shall be full-time sophomores or above, and have been a member of SGA in good standing for the academic semester prior to their service, and must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average or greater, be in good standing with the University, and maintain said grade point average and standing through their entire term.
e. The President shall be a full-time junior or above and have been a member of SGA in good standing for the academic year prior to their service, and must maintain a 2.75 grade point average or above, must be in good standing with the University and maintain said grade point average and standing through their entire term.
f. Each of the elected officers may only hold one position within the SGA.
g. If the Vice President or Treasurer resigns before the first Tuesday in September of the school year in which he/she is to serve, a campus wide election will take place the second Tuesday and Wednesday of September.
h. If the Vice President or Treasurer resigns after the first Tuesday in September of the school year in which he/she is to serve, the SGA body will be notified at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
i. Upon the early withdrawal of an elected position,
1. An official Letter of Resignation shall be forwarded to the entire SGA, and to the President of the University. 2. A farewell address is to be held during an SGA meeting, explaining why the officer is leaving before the end of term and final thoughts before officially resigning. 3. The voting privileges of the departing officer shall be revoked during this meeting. 4. Privileges may be reinstated if motioned and approved by majority vote. 5. There may also be time for questioning the departing officer if motioned and approved by majority vote. 6. If the President is resigning, the Vice President is to preside over the entire meeting without exception. 7. The full repayment of their awarded stipend. 8. Terms of repayment shall be determined by the current advisor of the organization.
j. Special conditions shall be granted by the Supreme Court. Pending approval, the stipend may be retained k. Any SGA body member will at that time be given one week to express an interest for the vacant position by signing up or nominating another individual in the Student Government office. l. Any nominated individual will be notified in time to accept the nomination. m. After one week, (upon the next regularly scheduled SGA meeting), the candidates will be voted upon by the SGA body
Section 3 – Appointed Officers
a. Appointed officers shall include, but not be limited to, the Secretary, the Parliamentarian, and the Sergeant at Arms. b. Other positions shall be appointed as deemed necessary by the President, such as public information officer, historian, or conference coordinator. c. Appointed officers must be full-time students, maintain a 2.00 grade point average or higher, and must be in good standing with the university. d. All appointed officers, except the secretary, require a majority approval of the SGA body members voting. e. All appointed officer positions may hold up to one other position in the SGA.
Section 4 – Executive Council
a. The Executive Council shall consist of all elected officers and appointed officers b. The Executive Council shall act in the absence of the body and shall approve or disapprove all actions by the President with the exception of the bylaws.
Section 5 – Committees
a. There shall be three (3) constitutional committees - Finance Committee, Election Committee, and Legislative Committee.
1. Ad hoc committees may be created at the discretion of the President to address issues or concerns as they arise. 2. Members of committees must receive approval by a majority vote of the SGA members voting.
Section 6 – Advisors
b. The administrative Advisor shall be appointed to the SGA by the Dean of Students. The Administration Advisor shall:
1. Serve as approving authority for SGA operations. 2. Serve as a liaison with University Administration. 3. Forward all actions of SGA through University channels. 4. Supervise all functions of SGA. 5. Attend all SGA meetings.
Article IV – Powers and Duties Those that hold the positions listed in this section are charged with the task of upholding this constitution, its bylaws, and all other laws and regulations passed under its direction.
Section 1 – The President
a. The President shall:
1. Preside over all meetings. 2. Appoint members of committees with a majority approval of members voting being required for committees 3. Appoint students to all University committees annually and as necessary throughout the academic year. 4. Be the official representative of the SGA at all times when the Body is not available for a decision. 5. Have the ability to call special meetings. 6. Review and recommend all budgets submitted by the Finance Committees. 7. Vote only in the case of a tie. 8. Be responsible for attending meetings under the same rules as the other SGA body members.
Section 2 – Vice President
a. The Vice President shall:
1. Perform the duties of the President, if the President is not available to serve, or the office is vacated. 2. Be a voting member of the SGA. 3. Chair of the Legislative Committee. 4. Maintain a calendar of all SGA meetings, committee meetings and events. 5. Be responsible for attending meetings under the same rules as the other SGA body members. 6. Assume all responsibilities as delegated by the president of the SGA.
Section 3 – Treasurer
a. The Treasurer shall:
1. Keep all financial records of the SGA. 2. Submit in writing to the SGA at the first meeting of each month an itemized statement of funds spent, funds appropriated, and funds remaining. 3. Cooperate with the appropriate administrators in the achievement of the Treasurer's duties. 4. Be a voting member of the SGA. 5. Chair the Finance Committee and vote only in the case of a tie. 6. Be responsible for attending meetings under the same rules as other SGA body members.
Section 4 – Secretary
a. The Secretary shall:
1. Keep all records of the SGA except those of finances. 2. Receive and send all official correspondence of the SGA. 3. Keep attendance records at all official SGA meetings. 4. Be a nonvoting member of the SGA. 5. Be responsible for attending meeting under the same rules as the other SGA Body members. 6. Be responsible for taking the records to the archive librarian at Cameron University at the end of the spring semester.
Section 5 – Parliamentarian
a. The Parliamentarian shall:
1. Oversee all SGA proceedings in accordance with the parliamentary procedures set forth in the bylaws.
• Be able to verify or enforce parliamentary procedure in the event of an oversight or violation.
2. Assist the President in keeping order. 3. Receive majority approval of the Senate members voting. 4. Be a nonvoting member of the SGA. 5. Be responsible for attending meetings under the same rules as the other SGA Body members.
Section 6 – Sergeant at Arms
a. The Sergeant at Arms shall:
1. Maintain order of the SGA at the discretion of the President. 2. Lead the SGA Body in the Pledge of Allegiance at each meeting. 3. Be given any other tasks which the executive officers deem necessary for maintaining the order of the SGA meetings. 4. Be a non-voting member of the SGA
Section 7 – Senators and Representatives
a. Senators and Representatives shall:
1. Perform duties delegated to them by SGA and keep SGA informed of the opinions of their constituents. 2. Create and write legislation pertinent to issues that concern the student body. 3. Serve as a liaison between their respective schools or organizations and the SGA. 4. Be voting members of the SGA. 5. The SGA body shall hold the Executive Council responsible for actions taken in their absence.
Article V – Meetings
a. The SGA Body shall meet every week at a time and place as specified by President of the SGA (or as specified in the bylaws). b. Special meetings may be called as deemed necessary by the President or by majority of the members.
1. Previous notice to all members must be attempted. 2. Quorum must be present to conduct official business.
c. All meetings shall be open. d. A quorum of fifty (50) percent, plus one, of the voting membership must be present to transact business.
Article VI – Legislation
a. All legislation shall originate in the Cameron SGA, receive a ruling from the Legislative Committee, and be passed by the Senate and Representatives of the SGA body.
1. Upon its passage, all legislation must be signed on behalf of the Senate by the presiding officer at the time. 2. The signing of the legislation shall be verified by the acting secretary by signature.
b. Legislation having received the required vote for passage through the Body of SGA shall be submitted to the President of SGA for approval or veto. Failure or refusal on the part of the President to sign a piece of legislation within two weeks of its passage through the body shall constitute a veto. c. Should the President veto a piece of legislation, the Senate shall have two consecutive meetings in which to consider an override of the veto.
1. The first meeting after the announcement of the veto shall be considered the first consecutive meeting. 2. It shall take a two-thirds vote of the Body to override a veto.
d. Once legislation is approved by the SGA President, or should the Body override a Presidential veto, the legislation shall be enacted and forwarded to the SGA Administrative Advisor for approval.
Article VII – Committees: Powers and Duties
Section 1- Constitutional Committees
a. The SGA shall have three (3) constitutional committees - the Finance Committee, Election Committee, and Legislative Committee.
1. The Finance Committee:
i. Consists of seven (7) members or 10% of the SGA body, whichever is greater. ii. Shall be chaired by the SGA Treasurer. iii. Shall form all budgets for the SGA and present to the SGA President for review and recommendations.
2. Student Government Operating Budget
i. The Treasurer shall present the budget to the Body for approval. Once approved, any deviation or reallocation shall be approved by the Body.
2. Election Committee:
i. Shall be chaired by the outgoing President or, if not applicable, by a member of the committee, who shall be voted on by committee members. ii. Shall facilitate and regulate all SGA elections, whether set elections or special elections in accordance with the CUSGA General Election Rules.
3. Legislative Committee:
i. Shall be chaired by the Vice-President or an appointed official by the President of SGA. ii. Shall consist of seven (7) members and the Vice-President. iii. All legislation must be presented to the Legislative Committee two weeks before being presented to the senate floor, and then receive a ruling of either “due pass,” “due fail,” or “postpone.” iv. The Legislative Committee must present a copy of all legislation to the President of SGA and the Administrative Advisor a week prior to presentation to SGA Body.
4. Members of all constitutional committees shall receive a majority approval by the SGA.
Section 2 – Ad Hoc Committees
a. The President may initiate committees to review issues or concerns at the President's discretion. b. Members will require majority approval of the Body. c. Members of the Body may form ad hoc committees as designated by the accepted parliamentary procedures.
Article VIII – The Court
a. The Court shall hear and decide questions of SGA constitutional meaning initiated by any SGA member or student of Cameron University. b. The Chief Justice presides over all meetings of the Court and votes on all cases heard by the Court. c. Members in the court
1. The Court shall consist of no more than seven (7) Justices, to include a Chief Justice. 2. All Justices shall be appointed by the President of SGA, with approval of two-thirds of the senators voting. 3. All Justices must abide by all other policies and regulations enacted by the Senate and the University.
d. Chief Justice must have served on the Supreme Court for at least one academic year before serving as Chief Justice, unless Court Justices are not available. e. No person may maintain dual membership in the SGA. f. All members of the Court must be full-time students, maintain a 2.0 grade point average and be in good standing with the university. g. Vacancies in the Court shall be filled by appointment by the President, subject to a vote of two-thirds of the Senate voting. h. The Court shall exercise those powers duly delegated to it by the Senate. i. Justices shall be removed from their positions by the President of SGA, with approval of the body if they fail to meet attendance requirements set by the Court. j. A Supreme Court Justice term can have no limit, so long as the Supreme Court Justice maintains the requirements outlined for the position.
Article IX – Impeachment
a. Impeachment charges against Senators or Officers are brought to the attention of the SGA by a petition signed by five (5) percent of the student body (derived from most recent Fall semester head count as reported to the State Regents of Higher Education) or by a signed motion of any five (5) SGA Members. b. To initiate impeachment charges, a majority vote is required of the SGA. c. The accused senator or officer has the right to protest and a defense. d. After a full and fair hearing of charges and defense and a due deliberation by the SGA acting as jurors, and with the President of the SGA, 3/4 of the total membership of the SGA is needed to remove the incumbent. e. The Chief Justice of the Court shall assume the chair during all impeachment proceeding involving the Senate or Executive Officers. The presiding officer shall retain the chair in all proceeding against the Court.
Article X – Amendments
Section 1
a. Proposed amendments to the Constitution may be brought before the SGA Body by any SGA member.
1. A proposed amendment to the Constitution will be placed on the agenda at the next regular meeting. 2. Approval by two-thirds of the SGA members present is required to place the proposed amendment on the ballot.
b. Proposed amendments may also be brought before the student body for approval by a signed petition of five percent (5%) of the student body.
Section 2
a. Proposed amendment shall be publicized at least two weeks prior to the voting date.
Section 3
a. Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be approved by two-thirds of the total ballots cast by the student body. b. Following approval by the student body, the amendment shall be presented to the administration for approval and will be incorporated in the Constitution upon their acceptance.
Article XI – Ratification
a. The Constitution becomes effective upon majority approval of the SGA Body voting, majority of the votes cast by the student body, and acceptance of the administration by all necessary legal means.
Article XII – Discrimination
a. The CUSGA does not discriminate against any member of CUSGA or invited guests on the basis of sex, age, race, religion, handicaps, or national origin. The Cameron University Student Government Association does not discriminate against any member or guest for any reason in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. Categories covered under the amendment include the amendment include, but are not limited to, race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, economic status as a veteran.
SGA By-Laws
Cameron University Student Government Association Standing Rules for Conducting Business of the SGA as amended Spring 2008
I. General
1. Application
A. From the time their adoption by majority of the voting members of the Cameron University Student Government Association (SGA), the following rules shall be the rules for the conducting of business by the SGA, except where in these rules are found to be in conflict with the Cameron University Constitution, in which case shall not be valid, notwithstanding SGA approval.
2. Purpose
A. Provide the members of SGA with uniform, easily understood procedures for the conducting of business expeditiously.
3. Interpretation
A. The rules shall be interpreted consistent with the purpose herein stated. Interpretation of the rules shall be made by the presiding officer of the SGA. Such interpretation shall be final unless an appeal of the ruling in made successfully in the following manner:
(1) Following the ruling of the presiding officer but before other business is transacted by the SGA; a member may appeal the ruling by offering a substitute ruling. (2) Once a motion to adopt a substitute ruling is made no other business shall be transacted until the motion is disposed of by the SGA by proper parliamentary procedure.
4. Amendment
A. These rules may be amended upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members of the SGA present.
B. All amendments must be made in writing and presented to the secretary of the SGA prior to being moved.
5. Suspension
A. These rules may be suspended upon two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members of the SGA present.
II. Session General
1. Time and place of sessions
A. The time and place of regular sessions will be set forth by President of SGA at the beginning of each fall semester.
B. The President of SGA may call special sessions of SGA provided notifying all members of SGA a minimum of three days prior to the special sessions.
2. Attendance
A. No business of the SGA shall be conducted without quorum of its voting members being in attendance.
B. A majority plus one of the voting members of the SGA shall constitute a quorum.
3. Quorum Call
A. Any member of the SGA may, at any time, request the presiding officer to question the presence of quorum.
B. Upon the request; the presiding officer shall determine whether or not a quorum is present, and no further business shall be conducted until it is determined that a quorum is present.
4. Decorum in SGA chambers
A. Courtesy in speaking
(1) Refrain from continuing to speak on the floor when not recognized by the presiding officer. (2) Refrain from the use of profanity on the floor. (3) Show respect for colleagues by not using speech on the floor that would or could be constructed as slander or defamation of character. (4) Address all statements and questions to the presiding officer.
B. Decorum of the floor
(1) Refrain from smoking in the chambers. (2) Remove caucusing on the floor to the rear of the chamber when more than two persons are involved. (3) Approach the presiding officer only upon request or permission to do so has been granted, except calling for debate like stated in II.2.D.(3) or on Personal Privilege. (4) Refrain from passing between the presiding officer and a speaking member in SGA or any guest who has been recognized.
C. Tardiness and Absence
(1) Any SGA member having three (3) unexcused absences in a semester will be dropped from the rolls. (2) If a club representative is dropped from the rolls during the school year (fall to spring semester), the club may select a new representative, but must inform the SGA secretary in writing of the changes. (3) If a school senator is dropped from the rolls during the school year (fall to spring semester), the dean of that school may select a new senator, but must contact the SGA secretary in writing of the change. (4) A ny openings on permanent committees may be filled at the discretion of the committee chairperson, but all replacement members must be approved by the SGA body. (5) Absences for emergencies at the last moment must be cleared within three (3) working days after the meeting at which the absence was accrued by any officer of the SGA. It is the responsibility of the member absent to contact the officers about this matter. Any emergency not within the time stated above will be counted as an unexcused absence. (6) If the absence is not an emergency (i.e. special classes, work schedule) then the member must contact an officer of the SGA no less than two (2) working days before the meeting at which the member will not be present. Any non-emergency absence not cleared within the time stated above will be counted as an unexcused absence. (7) No member will be excused for class regularly scheduled during the scheduled meeting times for all regular SGA meetings. (8) If a special meeting is called, anyone not able to attend because of class or work conflicts, illness, inability to acquire child care, or other valid reasons should contact the President or Secretary of SGA, preferably before the meeting is held, but no later than two (2) working days after the meeting. (9) If an organization must replace a representative more than three (3) times, they consequently lose their travel request monies for that year. (10) If a member is more than five (5) minutes late after session has begun, they will be counted as tardy. If a member leaves before session adjourns and the time passed is less than an hour since Call to Order, they will be counted as tardy. If a member receives three (3) unexcused tardy times, they will receive one unexcused absence. (11) To receive an excused tardy, the member must notify an officer of the SGA at least 15 minutes before session starts.
D. Floor Privileges
(1) Floor Privileges are extended only to official senators, representatives, executive officers, Supreme Court justices, and advisors. No one else may address the body in any way other than in an informative way. (2) T he President may grant upon request of a SGA member floor privileges on a temporary, individual basis to those people who can offer knowledge on facts on the pertinent subjects.
5. Personal Privileges
A. Personal Privileges will be granted to a member of the SGA only to permit such member to respond to public attack on the rights, integrity, or reputation of a member of the SGA or upon the SGA collectively or any of the SGA.
B. Remarks made by a member of the SGA who is granted personal privilege shall be confined to such response.
III. Agenda and Business
1. Agenda
A. The agenda for all meetings of the Cameron SGA will be handed out at the beginning of every meeting.
2. Legislation
A. All legislation considered by the Cameron University SGA must be submitted by a voting member of the SGA.
B. Legislation considered by the Cameron University SGA must be submitted by a voting member of the SGA in the following manner:
(1) All legislation has to be heard by the Legislative Committee at their meeting prior to being scheduled on the agenda. (2) Seventy (70) copies of all legislation will be made using operating expenses of the SGA unless copies are provided with the legislation submitted. (3) All proposed legislation will be assigned a number by the secretary of the SGA and will be introduced to the SGA body as “First Reading” on the agenda under new business.
a. The number assigned will have a six digit notation set up where the first number is a 1, 2, or 3. A 1 stands for spring semester, 2 for summer semester, and 3 is for fall semester. The next two (2) digits are the last two (2) digits in the year that legislation is presented. The final three (3) digits are reserved for the secretary to assign numbers in sequential order as legislation turned in.
C. First Reading
(1) First reading is the first classification of legislation under new business and will be conducted in the following manner: (2) The proposed legislation is read by number and title by the secretary of the SGA. Also the recommendation of the Legislative Committee will be told. (3) Author’s Explanation
a. The author of each piece will be given the opportunity to explain his or her reasons for writing the legislation or amendment in present form. b. Author’s explanation will take place at the time the piece of legislation or amendment is presented. c. The amount of time given for author’s explanation will be two (2) minutes. d. During the author’s explanations, the speaker may not debate the legislation or amendment.
(4) Questions to the author
a. Members of the SGA will have the opportunity to ask the author of a piece of legislation or amendment in its present form. b. Questions to the author will take place directly after author’s explanation. c. There will be no debate during questions to the author. d. The time for questions to the author will be two (2) minutes.
(5) Friendly Amendment
a. Friendly amendments are amendments that take place during questions to the author in the following manner: b. T he author of a friendly amendment must state the amendment and ask the author of the legislation if he or she will accept it. c. The author of the legislation to be amended may ask the author of the amendment at the discretion of the presiding officer why the amendment would be desirable. d. The author of the legislation must then declare whether or not the friendly amendment will be accepted. e. If the amendment is accepted, then the author of the amendment must write the amendment onto an amendment form and hand it to the secretary of the SGA to be engrossed in the legislation.
(6) Once the questions to the author has been completed, the legislation is then advanced to Second Reading which will take place during old business of the next regular scheduled SGA meeting.
a. The presiding officer may advance the piece of legislation directly to second reading and proceed but only in emergency situations and the presiding officer must have a two-thirds (2/3) majority approval of the voting members of SGA present.
D. Second Reading
(1) Second Reading begins with the reading of the numbers and the title of the legislation by the secretary of the SGA. (2) Author’s explanation and questions to the author will follow like stated in III.2.C.(3)+(4). During Author’s explanation and questions to the author, amendments to the legislations can be turned in and will be conducted in the following manner:
a. The author of the amendment must fill out an amendment form and hand it to the secretary of the SGA. b. Each amendment will be numbered by the secretary of the SGA in order that they are received, and the author will be told what number his or her amendment is. c. After author’s explanation and questions to the author has been completed as stated in III.2.C.(3)+(4), there must be a motion in order to consider a specific amendment. d. Following questions to the author, the body may debate the motion as stated in rule III.2.D.(3). e. The voting members of SGA must then vote whether or not to accept the amendment. f. All amendment must be proposed by members of SGA.
(3) Debate
a. Only members of the SGA may be recognized by the presiding officer to debate. Once recognized, the speaker may yield the floor to any SGA member. b. Debate may be limited as deemed necessary by the presiding officer.
i. The presiding officer may limit debate to six (6) minutes with three (3) minutes allowed for opponency and three (3) minutes for proponency.
c. All debate must be directly towards the legislation on the floor and proper conduct is expected by the SGA with regards to rules II.4. and II.5.
d. On special issues which are either highly volatile or which have generated an inordinate amount of interest from students across campus, the SGA body may appoint SGA members to hold a public hearing to obtain direct student opinion and report back to the SGA body.
(4) During second reading the following motions pertaining to the legislation are allowed (as outlined in “Roberts Rules of Order”):
a. Lay on the table b. Previous question c. Open, close, or extend debate d. Postpone definitely e. Refer to committee f. Amend g. Postpone indefinitely
(5) Following debate, the legislation is advanced to final passage.
E. Final Passage
(1) Final Passage takes place when the voting members of SGA vote on the legislation. (2) Once the vote has taken place and before the end of a legislative day and not during another piece of legislation being considered a motion to reconsider a piece of legislation would be in order. Reconsideration can only be used once. (3) If the legislation fails to achieve a majority vote on the voting members of SGA, legislation is off the floor and sent out of the system. (4) If the legislation passes by a majority vote of the voting members of SGA, the legislation is sent to the President of SGA for the President’s approval. (5) The President of the SGA may sign the legislation in which time the legislation becomes an act of the SGA and is immediately put into full effect. (6) If the President of the SGA decides to, he may veto the legislation. (7) If the President of the SGA does veto the legislation, the voting members of SGA may override the veto within two (2) regularly scheduled meetings of the SGA and this must take place during new business and requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the voting members present to achieve an override. (8) If legislation is vetoed, the President of the SGA has to explain the reasons for the veto the following regular meeting after vetoing. (9) The President has either to sign or to veto within two (2) weeks after the legislation passed. (10) If the legislation passed within the last two (2) weeks of spring semester and the President of the SGA does not sign it, the right to veto the legislation goes on to the new elected President of the SGA giving time till before the second regular meeting in fall semester to either sign or veto. (11) A voting member is only allowed to vote in one of three ways:
a. Yes b. No c. Abstention
(12) Proxy votes are not allowed.
IV. Parliamentary Authority
1. Robert’s Rules of Order
A. The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order is hereby adopted as the parliamentary authority of the SGA, questions as to motions shall be answered by this authority.