Proposed Constitutional Amendments

SBA Senator and President-Elect, Wade Luckett, proposes the following amendment to the SBA Constitution:

conditioned upon the passage of an Honor Code allowing for SBA powers of Honor Code Committee appointment, by adding the following language to the SBA Constitution:

Article VI – Duties and Responsibilities of Executive Board Officers

Section 1.  Office of the President

(F).  The President shall appoint student members to the Honor Code Committee at the beginning of each academic year, with confirmation of a majority voting in the Senate.  Appointment to the Honor Code Committee shall not act as a bar to that student holding other offices within SBA.  Honor Code Committee appointments shall be held to the highest ethical standards, and are subject to removal upon a vote of 2/3rds of the Senate.  These appointments shall include:

(1).            At least two students who have completed one full academic year of classes, but less than two full academic years of classes; and

(2).            At least two students who have completed two full academic years of classes; but

(3).            No students who have not completed one full academic year of classes.

Constitutional Amendment

The following amendment has been proposed to Article 6 Section 6 of the SBA Constitution:

 "A) The parliamentarian shall serve as an non-voting ex-officio member of all standing and ad-hoc committees, except the constitution committee, where he is a ex-officio member.

 i) The parliamentarian is entitled to send a representative in his place."

This amendment will be discussed at the next SBA meeting on Sunday April 17th.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment/Additions

The following language is proposed to add the Alumni Association Representative positions to the SBA Constitution.  These amendments will be discussed at the March 6, 2011 SBA Senate meeting.  Please contact SBA President, Kelly Obermeier [kelly.obermeier@quinnipiac.edu] if you have any questions or concerns.

All sections in the current Constitution starting with the current section “Article VII – The Senate” shall be moved down one number 

The following is to be inserted into the Constitution:

Article VII – Alumni Association Representatives

A.  There shall be 2 Alumni Association Representatives to serve each academic year.

B.  The 2 Representatives shall be elected by the student body (pursuant to Article 15, Section 6).

C. In order to be eligible to serve as the Alumni Association Representative, a student must be graduating at the end of the academic year in which they serve.

D.  The Alumni Association Representatives serve as the liaisons between the SBA and the Alumni Association.  They are required to attend all Alumni Association meetings and present a report to the SBA a the next scheduled meeting.  The Representatives’ rights at the Alumni association meetings are governed by the Alumni Association bylaws.

E.  The Alumni Association Representatives are ex-officio members of the SBA with a voice, but no vote.

The following is to be added to the Constitution as Article 15, Section 6:

Section 6. Alumni Association Representatives

A) In order for the name of any person to be placed on the ballot for Alumni Association Representative, that person must submit to the Election Committee a petition with twenty-five (25) nominating signatures from the student body.

B) The election shall take place pursuant to Article 15, section 3, Letter D.

C) All Alumni Association Representatives shall assume their position on the last day of classes for the academic year in which they were elected. Their term shall end on the last day of the academic year for which they were elected.

D) All students running for Alumni Association Representatives are excluded from participating in the administration of Alumni Association Representatives elections.

E) The administration of election includes, but is not limited to: creating election ballots, attending the election table, and tallying ballots at the conclusion of the elections.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

The Student Bar Association Constitution Committee and Parliamentarian have proposed the following amendments to the SBA Constitution:

Article VIII Judicial Board

Section 2. Qualifications

(B) The Judicial board shall consist of no more than 3 members of any class.

Article XV – Vacancies

(C). The newly appointed Executive Board officer or Senator shall complete the balance of the term of the individual who vacated the seat.

(D).  The newly appointed Judicial Board member shall serve a life term.

Article VIII – Judicial Board

Section 1. Membership

(B). The student members of the Judicial Board shall be appointed by the SBA President with confirmation of two thirds of the Senate.

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Amendment 2

Article X

Section 4. Funds Given to an Organization

                  No organization shall receive more than three hundred dollars ($300) during the first year of its existence unless they can show good cause for a greater amount.  The Senate shall determine what qualifies as good cause to allow a granting of additional funds to a new organization.  Subsequent budgeting shall be subject to the constraints of Article XI section 3.

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Amendment 3

Article XXII – Constitutional Amendments

The Procedure for amendments shall be as follows:

                  All proposed Constitutional amendments must be distributed at a Senate meeting and throughout the school at least six days before the date of the next meeting.  Such distribution can be done digitally.

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Amendment #4

Standing Committees

Article XI section 8. Public Service Committee

(A) The SBA President shall appoint the chairperson for the Public Service Committee.  The chairperson shall not be a member of the SBA Executive Board or the executive board of any student organization.  The chairperson shall only vote in the event of a tie.

(B) The Public Service Committee shall consist of four members other than the chair person.  The members may not be all members of the same class

(C) The Committee shall be responsible for determining the substantiality of the community service projects of the student organizations

(D) The Public Service Committee must meet prior to fall budget allocations to ensure each student organization met the public service requirement for the previous year, and prior to midyear review to review proposed public service projects for the following.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Cory Schug, as a representative of several student organizations, proposed the following amendments to the Student Bar Association Constitution.  These amendments will be discussed at the SBA meeting on Monday January 17, 2011 at 6pm.

Please contact Kelly Obermeier [kelly.obermeier@quinnipiac.edu] if you have any questions about the SBA or would like to request a voice at this meeting.

Please contact Cory Schug [cory.schug@quinnipiac.edu] if you have any questions about the proposed amendments.

Article VIII

Section 1

(B) The student members of the Judicial Board shall be nominated and elected by the Senate pursuant to paragraph D.

(D) At the last SBA meeting of the spring academic term, or the first meeting after a vacancy on the judicial board occurs Justices shall be nominated and elected per the Judicial Board election procedure of XVI § 6 of this Constitution.

(H) In the case of voluntary retirement or impeachment of a Student Justice, vacancies will be filled pursuant to paragraph (D) of this section.

Section 2

(A)   Members of the Judicial Board shall be any student in good standing.  The Senate, when forming the Judicial Board, shall consider both full-time and part-time students.

Section 3

(A)(1). Appointment

The Chief Justice shall be a student serving on Judicial Board and then appointed by the President to serve as the Chief Justice with the consent of the Senate.

(B)(1). Appointment

The Senior Justice shall be a student serving on Judicial Board and then appointed by the President to serve as the Senior Justice with the consent of the Senate.

(C)(1) Appointment

The Judicial Board Clerk shall be a student serving on Judicial Board and then appointed by the President to serve as the Judicial Board Clerk with the consent of the Senate.

(D)(1) Appointment

The Associate Justices shall be a student nominated and selected by Section 1 paragraph D of this article.

XIV - Elections

Re-title Section 5 to School-Wide Special Elections

Section 6 – Senatorial Special Elections

(A) Nominations will be accepted at a general meeting of the SBA for any student meeting the qualifications for the position.

(B) For all nominations to be approved the student must receive a 25% approval vote of senators present at the meeting.

(C) Before the next SBA meeting the nominated and approved student will be contacted for confirmation of willingness to serve.

(D) At the first SBA meeting after the nominations the Senate will vote on all nominated, approved, and confirmed students with each Senator receiving the same number of votes as vacancies being filled.

(E)  The students with the most votes over 50% of Senators in attendance will fill the vacancies.

(F)  In case of the top students not receiving 50% vote for all vacancies the top students receiving 50% will fill the vacancies and the Senate shall revote with the remaining candidates in accordance to (D) of this Section.

#2 New Organization Funding

Article X section 4 (A)

The Senate shall determine what is sufficient funding for a new organization subsequent to the recognition under section 2 of this article.

#3 Standing Committees

Article XI section 7. Public Service Committee

(A) The SBA President shall appoint the chairperson for the Public Service Committee.

(B) The Public Service Committee shall consist of four members other than the chair person

(1)  There shall be at least one 1L, 2L, and 3L/4L member on the committee including the chair.

(2)  A 1L senator shall be member of the committee

(3)  A member of the senate or the executive board of the SBA shall be another member of the committee.

(4)  Two members shall be a members of executive boards of organizations and not members of the senate or the executive board of the SBA.

                                                        i.     These members shall be nominated, approved, and elected per the Senatorial Election Procedure of XVI § 6 of the Constitution.

(C) The Committee shall be responsible for pre-approving the substantial service requirement proposals of organizations.

(D) The Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the completion of the substantial service requirement of organizations.

(E)  The Committee shall be responsible for creating and maintaining the guidelines for the Public Service Requirement.

Article XI section 8 (renumbering current section 7 to section 8)

(C) Except where enumerated in section 1 of this article, Article VI section 2(E), Article VI section 3(E), and Article XI section 7, no standing committee will have more than one voting member of the executive board.

            (1)            This does not limit members of the executive board assisting the finance committee during the budget allocation process.

(D)Except as enumerated in the constitution, the chairperson of a standing committee shall not be a member of the executive board of the SBA.

(E) All chairpersons must be approved by a majority vote of the Senate.

Article XI section 9 (renumbering current section 8 to section 9)

#4 Ad Hoc Committees

Article XII section 3

(A) Chairpersons of ad hoc committees shall be appointed by the SBA President with the confirmation of the Senate by a majority vote.

(B) The chairperson of a committee shall not be a member of the executive board.

Article XII Section 4

(A) The SBA President shall appoint ad hoc committee members.

(B) The ad hoc committee shall consist of no more than one voting executive board member.

#5 Budget Allocation Process

Article XIII Section 3

(B) Such reallocation shall occur only after notice to the Committee or organization has been provided and that organization has been given the opportunity to justify their budget according to paragraph (C) of this section, infra.

(C) The organization or Committee will be given the opportunity at the SBA meeting directly following any notice of reallocation of funding to explain the need for funding and to show that the funding is being used in accordance with the initial grant of the funding during the budgetary allocation process.   After the organization or Committee has explained the need for funding the Senate shall vote with a requirement of 67% of the Senators in attendance to reallocate the funding.

(D) Disbursement of funds approved during the budgetary allocation process at the start of semester may not be withheld except for reasons stated in sections 6 or 7, infra.

(E) Renumber prior D.

Amendment #6 – Vacancies

Article XV

Section 1 permanent vacancies

(B) If a Permanent Vacancy occurs in the Executive Board, the Senate, or the Judicial Board, the position will be filled in accordance with the Senatorial Special Elections of XVI § 6 of this Constitution.

(C) The newly appointed Executive Board officer or Senator shall complete the balance of the term of the individual who vacated the seat.