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 SGA Code of Laws |
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS Title I Title I
Code of Laws
Chapter 100
Jurisdiction
100.1
All laws and resolutions of the Student Government Association shall be
codified and properly maintained by the person so designated by the
Student
Executive Board. All legislative measures will be published according
to
general topics by title and chapter.
100.2 The following shall be the titles and
chapters
of this Code of Laws: Title
I
Chapter 100-199 Code of
Laws Title
II
Chapter 200-299
Executive
Branch Laws Title III
Chapter
300-399 Legislative
Branch Laws Title IV
Chapter
400-499 Judicial Branch
Laws Title
V
Chapter 500-599 Student
Activities
Branch Laws Title VI
Chapter
600-699 Finance Laws Title
VII Chapter
700-799 Elections Laws Title
VIII Chapter
800-899 Student
Organizations
Laws Title IX
Chapter
900-999 General Laws Title
X
Chapter 1000-1999 Resolutions 100.3
The jurisdiction of this Code shall extend to the entire Student
Government
Association, including all of its offices, elected or appointed, and
its
agencies, branches, committees, members, and organizations or
individuals
participating in its events, activities, and programs. 100.4
This Code shall be superior to any governance, except the Student Body
Constitution, which may be enacted by any discussion of the Student
Government
Association. 100.5
Violation of any law contained herein, by elected or appointed official
of the
S.G.A., or law passed by the Senate, shall cause violator to be subject
to
impeachment. Title II
Executive Branch Laws
Chapter 200
The Student Executive Board
200.1
There shall be a Student Executive Board in accordance with Article V,
Section
1-3 of the Constitution of the Jacksonville State University Student
Body. 200.2 The Student Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice-President of Student Senate, Vice President of Student Activities, Vice-President of Organizational Affairs, Chief Justice, and the Director of Publicity. They shall be voting members. The Student Executive Board shall also consist of non-voting members, as outlined in these Codes. 200.3
The Student Executive Board shall meet at least once a week. Chapter 201
Office of Publicity
201.1
The Office of Publicity is an executive agency responsible for
publicizing the
events and activities of the Student Government. 201.2
The duties of the Office of Publicity include: A.
Coordinating publicity for the Student Government Association. B.
Designing all printed materials, placing all advertisements, and
overseeing all
publicity for the Student Government Association. C.
Working with the Executive Board and S.A.C. Committee Chairpersons to
develop
publicity campaigns for programs and events. D.
He/She shall not be a member of any Student Activities Committee. 201.3
The Director of the Office of Publicity is appointed by the S.G.A.
President
and subject to Senate confirmation. 201.4
The Director of the Office of Publicity shall have a cumulative GPA of
at least
2.5 and be a sophomore in academic standing. 201.5
The Director of the Office of Publicity shall be a voting member of the
Student
Executive Board. Chapter 202
Executive Assistant to the
President
202.1
The Executive Assistant to the President shall be a non-voting member
of the
Executive Board. 202.2
The Executive Assistant to the President is appointed by the S.G.A.
President
and subject to Senate confirmation. 202.3
The Executive Assistant to the President shall be a Senator. No person
shall
hold this office while simultaneously serving as a member of the
Executive
Board. 202.4
The Executive Assistant to the President shall have a cumulative GPA of
at
least 2.3. (Effective 2003 election) 202.5
The duties of the Executive Assistant include: A. To
attend meetings or University functions as the representative of
the S.G.A. President in his absence. B. To
report to the Executive Board in the absence of the President. Chapter 203
Office of Chaplain
203.1
There shall be established the Office of Chaplain of the S.G.A. 203.2
The duties of the S.G.A. Chaplain are: A.
To issue, on behalf of the S.G.A., sympathy to members of the
Jacksonville
State University family in times of loss. B.
To be the S.G.A. liaison to the University Ministers and the Student
Ministries. C.
To offer a moment of silence or non-denominational, inspirational
message
before official S.G.A. functions. 203.3 The Chaplain shall be appointed by the S.G.A. Vice-President of Student Senate and confirmed by the Senate. Title III.
Legislative Branch Laws
Chapter 300
Regular Session
300.1
The regular session of the Senate shall begin no later than the first
Monday
after the first day of class each fall and spring semester. 300.2
The Senate shall meet each week in the Theron Montgomery Building
Auditorium at
6 P.M. on Mondays. All meetings shall be open to the public. 300.3
The Senate may alter the time and place of a particular meeting by
majority
vote one week previous. Chapter 301
Membership
301.1
All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Jacksonville State
University are eligible to be Senators. These students will be
elected in
the Spring General Election by the entire population of the student
body, or if
vacancies occur, appointed by the President of the Senate. A
candidate
for Senate must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.3 and must maintain
this
average throughout his/her term beginning with the 2003-2004 Senate. 301.2 The Senate shall be limited to 35 voting
Senators. Any
student wishing To be appointed to the SGA Senate
must fill out a detailed application, the student will obtain a copy of
the
Constitution and Code and information on Parliamentary Procedure
according to
Robert’s Rules of Order. 301.3
The term of office for a Senator or Committee Chairperson shall be from
the
date on-which fall semester midterm grades are due, as stated in the
fall
course schedule booklet, until one day following the Spring General
election. 301.4
A Senator shall be permitted two (2) absences per semester with two (2)
tardies
being considered one (1) absence. A tardy will be given to any Senator
who
misses roll call. An absence may be deemed acceptable if extenuating
circumstances are present. Extenuating circumstances shall be decided
by the
S.G.A. Executive Board. The Senator has one week after his/her third
absence to
meet with the S.G.A. Executive Board. Should the Senator fail to meet
with the
allotted time, his/her seat will be re-appointed.
301.5 Senators, the Chief Justice, and Associate Justices
shall
take an oath of office no later than the second meeting after their
election/confirmation. The Oath of Office shall be administered by the
Chief
Justice. The Chief Justice's oath shall be administered by the S.G.A.
President. 301.6
The Oath of Office shall be as follows: I (name of individual) do
solemnly swear (or affirm) to uphold the J.S.U. S.G.A. Constitution and
Code of
Laws and to serve the students of Jacksonville State University to the
best of
my ability in my capacity as (office) of the (S.G.A. or S.J.C.). Chapter 302
Senate Vacancies
302.1
At the S.G.A. meeting the President of the Senate will announce any
Senator
Seat
openings.
302.2
To be nominated a person must have the same qualifications as if
running in an
election for Senator. 302.3
The President of the Senate will introduce his/her nominee. Voting on
the
nominee will occur at the following meeting. 302.4
All newly appointed Senators must take the oath of office immediately
after
being voted in. This action is to occur before the inductee takes the
Senator
seat. 302.5
Voting on the Senate seats will go one vacancy at a time. The vacancy
must be
filled by a clear majority of the Senators present at the meeting.
Clear
majority shall be defined as 50%+1 of the Senate present and voting at
the
meeting. 302.6
After questioning, the nominee will leave the room until such a time as
the
bill is passed or defeated or the matter is tabled. A newly elected
senator
shall take the Oath of Office at that meeting so becoming fully
instated. Chapter 303
Officials
303.1
The President of the Senate shall appoint, with the consent of the
Senate, a
Parliamentarian, no later than the second meeting after spring
elections. The
Parliamentarian shall insure that the rules of procedure as established
by
statute, and the general rules for parliamentary procedure as found in
Robert's
Rules of Order, are followed. The President of the Senate shall name an
Acting
Parliamentarian to serve at the first meeting and until a
Parliamentarian shall
be chosen. 303.2
The President of the Senate shall appoint, with the consent of the
Senate, a
Clerk. The Clerk shall take minutes of every meeting and shall receive
and number
all proposed bills and resolutions. The President of the Senate shall
appoint
an Acting Clerk to serve at the first meeting and until a Clerk shall
be
chosen. The Clerk shall also read all bills and resolutions. 303.3
The President Pro-Tempore shall be appointed by the President of the
Senate
with approval of the Senate. The President Pro-Tempore shall preside at
meetings of the Senate when the Senate President is absent. The
President of
the Senate shall nominate a President Pro-Tempore no later than the
second
meeting of the fall semester. 303.4
The President shall appoint an Elections Clerk, with the consent of the
Senate,
as specified in Article V, Section 2, of the Constitution of the S.G.A.
The Elections
Clerk shall conduct all S.G.A. elections, with the assistance of the
Elections
Committee. The Senate Elections Committee shall be under the direction
of the
Elections Clerk and shall maintain no chair. Chapter 304
Forms of Legislation
304.1
Bills shall be legislative proposals to appropriate moneys, adopt
statutory
amendments and revisions, and other legislative proposals as provided
by law. 304.2
A Resolution shall be a formal expression of the will, opinion, or
intent of
the assembly. It shall bear a superscription that shall clearly
identify the
sponsor(s). It shall, in its body, express the basis for the assembly's
expressed will, opinion, or intent. 304.3
All bills presented to the Senate for consideration shall be numbered
by the
Secretary or Clerk. Each proposed bill shall be designated by a number
proceeded by S.B. (e.g. S.B. 1). A Bill passed by the Senate shall be
designated by a title, number and incorporated in the Code of Laws. The
numerical designation shall be in the form of "academic year -
number" (e.g., 94-95-01). The Secretary or Clerk shall be the only
person
authorized to number bills. 304.4
All resolutions presented to the Senate for consideration shall be
numbered by
the Secretary or Clerk. Each proposed resolution shall be designated by
a
number preceded by S.R. (e.g. S.R. 1). A resolution adopted by the
Senate shall
be designated by a number in form "R" - academic year - number (e.g.,
R-94-95-01), and may be titled. The resolution shall then be
incorporated into
Title X of the Code of Laws. 304.5
Bills shall be considered as provided by law in Chapter 304 of Title
III of
this Code. A bill shall be presented to the Senate Secretary who shall
read it
to the assembly. The bill, after the first reading, shall be referred,
by the
President, to the appropriate committee. The committee, when they have
considered the bill and made any changes, which they feel to be
necessary,
shall report the bill to the Senate. The Secretary shall enroll the
reported
bill on the Calendar of Bills, to be considered later at the meeting.
At least
one week must elapse between the bill's first reading and its first
report by
committee. Chapter 305
Rules of Procedure
305.1
Definitions: Calendar of Bills - the official
list of all bills reported favorably out of committee, in consecutive
order, to
be considered by the Senate. Calendar of Executive Business -
the official list of all items of business put to the Senate by the
S.G.A.
President or Student Executive Board concerning nominations or policies
and the
executive business of the Senate, such as approval of Senate official. 305.2
The Senate shall observe the following Rules in conducting its business: The Order
of Business shall be: I.
Call to order II.
Roll Call III.
Reading of the minutes IV.
Chaplain V.
Officer Reports VI.
Committee head Reports VII.
Student Body Report VIII.
Old Business IX.
New Business X.
Discussion XI.
Announcements XII.
Adjournment II. The session shall
be opened by the President of the Senate or the President Pro-Tempore
in the
absence of the President. No motion may be entertained by the President
until
the session has been opened. III. Immediately after
the opening of the session, the President shall read to the members any
messages received for the Senate. This shall include any bills objected
to by
the S.G.A. President. IV. Upon reading of a
message from the S.G.A. President pertaining to a bill to which he/she
objected, the bill in question may be laid on the table for
consideration in
this session, postponed for consideration at another session (in which
case it
shall be laid on the table until that time), or referred to committee.
Any
member may make one of these motions. V. After all messages
have been received by the members; the President shall present to the
members
any items on his table. VI. A bill reported
favorably by committee shall be enrolled on the Calendar of Bills by
the Secretary
for consideration. VII. Any member who
wishes to present a bill to the assembly shall provide the Secretary
with a
copy of the bill twenty-four hours before the meeting is called to
order. At
the time for the Introduction of the Bills the President shall announce
to the
assembly each bill to be introduced and the member or members
sponsoring the
bill. After each bill is announced by the President, the Secretary
shall read
the bill. The President shall then refer the bill to the appropriate
committee.
The Secretary shall insure that each member of the committee shall
receive an
accurate copy of the bill. VIII. Any member who
wishes to present a resolution to the assembly shall provide the
Secretary with
a copy of the resolution before the meeting is called to order. At the
time for
the Introduction of Resolutions the President shall announce to the
assembly
each resolution to be introduced and the member or members sponsoring
the
resolution. After each resolution is announced by the president, the
Secretary
shall read the resolution. The President shall then either refer the
resolution
to the appropriate committee or present it to the assembly for
immediate
action. IX. After all bills
and resolutions have been introduced; the President shall direct the
Secretary
to read the first bill on the Calendar of Bills to the assembly. Each
member
shall be provided with a copy of the Calendar of Bills. X. After the Calendar
of Bills has been considered, the President shall direct the Secretary
to read
the Calendar of Executive Business. XI. The Secretary
shall enroll on the Calendar of Executive Business any appointments
from the
S.G.A. President presented to the Senate for their consent, the reports
of the
committees pertaining to such appointments, and such items as proposed
amendments to the Student Body Constitution. 305.3 Quorum shall be
defined as 50% + 1 of the members. 305.4
The Senate shall follow Robert's rules of Order, insofar as those rules
do not
conflict with the Student Body Constitution or any law stated herein. 305.5
Majority vote shall be 50% + 1 of the members present. 2/3 vote shall
be 66% +
1 of the members present. 305.6
The President of the Senate shall present all bills and resolutions
passed by
the Senate to the S.G.A. President within two days of passage. 305.7
The Senate shall publicize pending legislation and shall encourage
students to
voice their opinions on such legislation. Such publicity may be
coordinated by
the President or Secretary of the Senate, or through an S.G.A. agency
for that
purpose. 305.8
Any member may request a roll call vote. The Secretary shall record
each
Senator's vote. Chapter 306
Impeachment Proceedings
306.1
The Senate shall have the power to impeach (that is, to bring a charge
of
misconduct in office) against any Senator, by 2/3 constitutional
majority vote.
A constitutional majority vote shall be defined as a majority vote of
2/3 of
all Senators on the Senate. The Senate shall try all cases of
impeachment
against Senators, according to the Rules of Procedure in 306.3. 306.2
The Senate shall have the power to impeach any S.G.A. office-holder. If
a
motion to impeach an office-holder shall pass the Senate by
constitutional
majority vote, charges shall be presented to the Student Judiciary
Council for
their action. The Senate shall appoint one or more of its members to
present
the case to the S.J.C. If a Justice shall be charged, the Justice shall
be
automatically temporarily suspended, and the Chief Justice shall
appoint an
Acting Justice for the sole purpose of hearing the misconduct case. 306.3
If a Senator should be impeached, the Senate shall appoint one of its
members
to prosecute the case. The accused Senator shall be permitted to defend
himself/herself, with or without the aid of another Senator(s). The
Senate
shall meet in Special Session to try a misconduct case. Then the
Secretary
shall read the charge to the Senate. Then the prosecutor shall present
the case
against the accused Senator. Either side may also utilize testimony
from other
Senators or other individuals. The members of the Senate shall have at
least 30
minutes to question the accused Senator and any person(s) who gave
testimony.
The accused Senator shall then be dismissed. The Senate shall then
deliberate
for as long as they shall think necessary. A two-thirds constitutional
majority
vote shall be required to remove the accused Senator from office. The
Senate
shall have power to compel testimony by issuing subpoenas. Any person
found in
contempt by the Senate shall be liable to prosecution before the S.J.C. 306.4
Any office-holder found guilty of misconduct and removed from office by
the
S.J.C. may appeal his/her case to the Senate. The original prosecutor
and
defender shall argue the case before the Senate. Chapter 307
Committees
307.1
There shall be an Allocations Committee of no more than 6 members and a
Chairperson. The Allocations Chairperson shall be appointed by the
Vice-President of Organizational Affairs with approval of the Senate.
The
Allocations Committee shall be responsible for receiving, reviewing,
and making
requests to the Senate for funds to be allocated to University
recognized
organizations. 307.2 There shall be a Campus Safety Committee of no less than 4 members a Chairperson, and a Co-Chairperson. The Campus Safety Chairperson shall be appointed by the Vice-President of Student Senate with Senate approval. The Co-Chairperson shall be appointed by the Chairperson. There shall also be one member of the S.J.C. that will serve on the Campus Safety Committee. Each year an invitation will be sent to the University Police Department inviting a student patrol officer to also serve on the Campus Safety Committee. 307.3
There shall be an Election Committee of no more than 6 members and an
Elections
Clerk. The Elections Committee shall work with the Elections Clerk to
ensure
that elections are timely and fair. The Elections Committee shall
coordinate all
S.G.A. sponsored elections including Homecoming, Mr. and Miss Friendly,
Mr. and
Miss Jax State, referenda, and the Spring General Election. 307.4
There shall be a Constitution & Code of Laws Committee of no less
than 4
members a Chairperson and a Co-Chairperson. The Constitution & Code
of Laws
Committee shall review all proposed changes to the Constitution &
Code of
Laws. The Constitution and Code Committee shall supply an updated
version of
the SGA Code of Laws to all Senators by the second senate meeting of
the spring
term. The Constitution & Code of Laws Committee Chairperson shall
be
appointed by the Vice-President of Student Senate and confirmed by the
Senate.
The Co-Chairperson shall be appointed by the Chairperson. 307.5
There shall be an Academic Affairs Committee of no less than 4 members
a
Chairperson and a Co-Chairperson. The Academic Affairs Committee shall
seek to
work with the University Faculty Senate and other academic officials to
address
student concerns with regard to the academic programs of the University
and
issues such as graduation. The Academic Affairs Committee Chairperson
shall be
appointed by the Vice-President of Student Senate and confirmed by the
Senate.
The Co-Chairperson shall be appointed by the Chairperson. This
committee shall
also oversee the Academic Roundtable. 307.6
There shall be a Residence Life and Facilities Committee of no less
than 4
members a Chairperson and a Co-Chairperson. The members of the
Residence Life
and Facilities Committee shall seek to work with the University Housing
Director with regard to student concerns for University Housing
facilities,
classroom facilities, University facilities procedures, rules, and
programs.
The Residence Life and Facilities Committee Chairperson shall be
appointed by
the Vice-President of Student Senate and confirmed by the Senate.
The
Co-Chairperson shall be appointed by the Chairperson. Invitations shall
be sent
out inviting current Resident Assistants to serve on the committee. 307.7
The Senate shall from time to time create such committees as shall be
necessary
for its business. Such committees shall have a specific purpose and
shall exist
for a stated period of time. The chairpersons for these committees
shall be
appointed by the Vice-President of Student Senate and confirmed by the
Senate.
There shall be a Co-Chairperson which shall be appointed by the
Chairperson.
Examples of such committees are Homecoming, Blood Drive, Leadership
Awards Day,
and Class Rings. 307.8 Every Senator shall actively serve on at least two committees, with the exception of Senate committee chairpersons. Should the Senator fail to meet within the guidelines of Section 307.12 his/her seat will be re-appointed. 307.9 All Senate Committees shall be chaired by Senators unless otherwise directed by a majority vote of the Senate.
307.10 The Vice-President of
Student
Senate shall have the power to remove chairpersons of Senate committees
if
probable
cause for dismissal is found.
307.11 The Chairperson of each committee shall have the
power to
remove the Co-Chairperson and committee
members if
probable cause for dismissal is found. 307.12 In Reference to Committees, actively serve
shall be
defined as:
Committee Member shall be permitted two (2) absences per
semester
with two (2) tardies being considered one (1) absence. A tardy
will be
given to any Committee Member who misses roll call. And absence
may be
deemed acceptable if extenuating circumstances are present.
Extenuating
circumstances cannot be decided by the Committee Head and Co-Head then
the
decision shall lay in the hands of the SGA Executive Board. The
Committee
Member has one week after his/her third absence to meet with the
Committee Head
and Co-Head. Chapter 308
Senate Public Access Law
308.1
All records pertaining to the Senate shall be available for inspection
by any
member of the S.G.A. 308.2
Obstruction of public access shall be a criminal offense, and
constitute
misfeasance. 308.3
All regular meetings of the Senate shall be open to the public. All
regular
meetings of Senate committees shall be open to the public. The Senate,
and its
committees, shall have the power to bar and expel individuals for
disruptive
behavior. 308.4
The Senate shall take a proactive approach to public access. The time
and place
of all meetings shall be announced in all official general S.G.A.
advertisements, and shall be posted on the S.G.A. Bulletin Board in the
Student
Center. 308.5 All roll call
votes shall be posted on the S.G.A. Bulletin Board. 308.6
Anyone other than a registered J.S.U. student wishing to address the
Student
Senate or student body during a regularly scheduled Student Senate
meeting
shall submit a request to the President of the Senate no later than
4:30 P.M.
on the Thursday prior to the scheduled meeting. Any and all requests
shall be
at the discretion of the S.G.A. Executive Board. Title IV
Judicial Branch Laws
Chapter 400
Organization
400.1
The Student Judiciary Council (S.J.C.) shall consist of eight Justices
and one
Chief Justice, as specified in Article V1, Section 2 of the Student
Body
Constitution. No member of the SJC may be an active chairperson of any
other
branch of the SGA. Justices shall have a grade point average no
less than
2.3 on a 4.0 scale semester and cumulative. The Chief Justice
shall have
a grade point average no less then 2.75 (Effective Elections Spring
2004) on a
4.0 scale and cumulative. 400.2
The Justices shall be appointed by the President of the Student
Government
Association with the consent of two-thirds of the Senate. If a vacancy
shall
occur in a position due to resignation or ineligibility, the S.G.A.
President
shall submit a nominee for replacement to the Senate within one month
of the
vacancy. 400.3
The newly appointed Justices shall elect, from among themselves, a
Chief
Justice. The Chief Justice must have at least one term of
experience as a
Justice prior to becoming Chief Justice. However, the term is not
required to have been served immediately prior to the current
term. The
justices shall convene in a special session to hold the election.
The
Chief Justice must be elected before the summer that proceeds the
current
term. Should the Justices be unable to reach a consensus by dead
day, the
newly elected S.G.A President shall select the Chief Justice.
Should no
Justice have served on term previous to the current term, any Justice
may run
for Chief Justice. The newly selected Chief Justice is required
to undergo
training session by the outgoing Chief Justice should the newly elected
Chief
Justice have no previous experience as a Justice. 400.4 Justices
shall be expected to attend all official meetings of the
Student Judiciary Council. An absence may be deemed acceptable in
extenuating circumstances if determined so by the SGA Executive
Board.
Should a justice incur an unacceptable absence, his/her seat shall be
considered vacant.
400.5 Copies of decisions rendered by SJC related to a
the JSU
Constitution or Code of Laws shall be required to be on hand in the
Office of
Student Life and available to any student by request. Chapter 401
Traffic Court
401.1
The S.J.C. shall convene for Traffic Court no less than once a month on
Monday
as determined by the Chief Justice and the University Police
Department.
Traffic Court shall start no later than 4:30 pm. Traffic Court
shall
convene in an easily accessible location as determined by the Chief
Justice and
by the University Police Department. This location must be decided upon
before
the first day of classes of each fall semester. The Chief Justice
must
announce the location at the first Senate meeting. The Traffic
Court
shall have the power to hear cases involving parking violations on
campus. 401.2
The Traffic court shall consist of 8 Justices and the Chief Justice. A
representative of the University Police Department shall serve as an
ex-officio
member. To hold court quorum, which is 5 Justices not including
the Chief
Justice, must be present. 401.3
Any person receiving a citation for a violation on campus has 10 days
after the
date on the citation to report a decision to appeal the citation. The
appeal
must be reported to the U.P.D. 401.4
If the person receiving a citation loses the appeal, a court cost of
$1.00
shall be added to the cost of the citation. Chapter 402
Rules of Civil Procedure
402.1 Any
person within the Jacksonville State University Community (faculty,
staff,
student, or guest) may file a report if he/she feels that there is
evidence to
believe that the SGA Code of Laws or Constitution has been violated by
any
person(s), group(s), or organization(s) affiliated by the SGA.
Person(s),
group(s), or organization(s) may be defined as: executive
officers,
chairpersons, committee members, senators, candidates, officers-elect,
and
assistants. 402.2
In order for there to be a subsequent hearing and resolution to a Code
of Laws or Constitution violation, the following must
occur: (1) an
official report must be obtained from the SGA Chief Justice and must be
completed and signed by the person(s) filing the report
(plaintiff). (2)
The Chief Justice will submit copies to the other Justices on the
council. (3) The Justices will determine if there is
justification for hearing
by individual vote. (4) The vote shall be returned to the Chief
Justice
within two days of notification. If a hearing is necessary by
majority
vote of the Justices, the accused party will receive a copy of the
report and a
letter containing all the pertinent information (ex. Date, time, place,
etc.)
Regarding the case. Both the person(s) filing the report and the
accused
shall attend the hearing. Failure to attend a hearing will result
in a
decision being rendered on the evidence available and, consequently,
will favor
the attending party. 402.3
If a field report demands clarification, elaboration, or merits further
investigation, the Chief Justice and the Student Judiciary Council will
be
responsible for other pertinent facts and data in order to insure
fairness in
resolving the issue.
402.4
In order to ensure fairness, both the accuser
and the accused will have five business days from the date of
notification to
prepare a response. A hearing will take place no later than 10
business
days after notification. Should either party require more time to
prepare its
case, then either party may make a personal appeal to the Chief Justice
for
more time. 402.5
The hearing shall be attended by the Chief Justice and the Judicial
Council as
well as the accusing and defending party, witnesses (maximum of five
per
party), the SGA advisor or (in his or her absence) the Director of
Student
Activities. Both parties may have their advisor present if
applicable. The advisor may converse with his/her advisee and may
not
address any other person involved in the hearing. The Chief Justice may
request
or allow others to attend (ex. Expert witnesses, impartial observers,
etc.) 402.6 A
recording of all hearings shall be made. The recordings shall be
sealed
after the final decision is reached. The sealed record(s) shall then be
held by
the Director of Student Life until after the student(s) are no longer
enrolled,
at which time the records will be destroyed. 402.7 The
hearing shall begin with only the members of the Judicial Council, the
accusing
party, the defending party, their advisors and the Chief Justice.
After
appropriate introductions of all attending individuals, the Chief
Justice shall
ask the accusing party to present their evidence. The accused
party will
then be allowed to respond to and question the evidence. At any
time, the
Judiciary Council and the Chief Justice may ask questions of either
party. 402.8
Witnesses will be allowed into the hearing after the initial evidence
and the
questioning has concluded. The Chief Justice may invite and
dismiss
witnesses at his/her discretion. The witnesses may be questioned
at any
time by the SJC, the Chief Justice, the defending party and the
accusing party. 402.9 After
the Chief Justice has determined that both parties have been given a
fair
opportunity to make presentations and the SJC has no further questions,
all
persons except the SJC Justices will be dismissed for the
deliberations.
The Chief Justice shall guide the deliberation process and conduct
voting
procedure upon the conclusion of the deliberation period. Vote
may be
either taken by secret ballot or open vote. A majority vote (50% + 1)
is needed
to confirm that a Code of Laws or Constitutional Violation has
occurred.
The Chief Justice shall only vote in the case of the abstention of a
Justice or
a tie. 402.10
Any decision rendered by the Chief Justice and the SJC concerning any
violation
associated with the SGA Constitution or Code of Laws is final except as
follows. Review of a decision may be requested only by the
President or
Advisor of the SGA. An appeals hearing can be requested to the
Director
of Student Activities, Associate Vice-President, and the President of
Jacksonville State University. Chapter 403
Student Judiciary Council
Sanctions Guidelines
403.1 The
Student Judiciary Council shall have the jurisdiction and power to
impose
sanctions resulting from violations within all titles and chapters of
the Code
of Laws and the SGA Constitution. 403.2
If a majority vote determines that a violation of the SGA Code of Laws
and/or
the SGA Constitution has occurred, then the Justices of the SJC and the
Chief
Justice shall determine an appropriate sanction for the
violation. The
recommended sanction must be agreed upon by a majority of the Justices
who
voted in the case, which determined that a violation occurred. 403.3
Sanctions resulting from violations within the SGA Constitution and the
Code of
Laws include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Disqualification- the defending party may be disqualified if
found
guilty of a violation and may lose all SGA sponsored privileges,
awards, and
other such entitlements as a result.
2. Fines-The defending party may be fined no less than $50.00 and
no more
than $200.00 if found guilty; depending on the severity of the
violation. 3. Suspension- the defending party
may be suspended from participating in SGA sponsored activities/events
if found
guilty of committing a violation. Title V
Student Activities Branch
Chapter 500
Organization of the Student
Activities Council
500.1
A Student Activities Council (S.A.C.) shall exist to provide a variety
of
activities for the student body. The S.A.C. shall be composed of
student
chairpersons and the S.G.A. Vice-President of Student Activities. The
S.G.A.
Vice-President of Student Activities shall chair the S.A.C. 500.2
The Vice-President of Student Senate shall nominate chairpersons for
the
activities committees based on applications and interviews. Such
nominations
shall be made to the Student Senate for confirmation. The
Vice-President of
Student Activities shall have the power to remove chairpersons of the
S.A.C. if
probable cause for dismissal is found. 500.3
The following shall be the committees of the Student Activities
Council: Major
Entertainment, Special Events, Cultural Affairs, Issues and Concerns,
Comedy
Club, Movie Night, Secretary, and Parliamentary Affairs. The
Vice-President of
Student Activities shall have the power to create other committees,
after
consultation with the Executive Board to meet the needs of the student
body. 500.4
Each Chairperson must work in conjunction with a committee of
volunteers. 500.5
Each Chairperson must appoint a Vice-Chairperson from the committee to
assume the
duties of the Chairperson should he/she be unable to fulfill his/her
duties.
Each chair must also appoint a secretary from the committee to maintain
all
correspondence and take the roll and minutes. Chapter 501
Meetings of the S.A.C.
501.1
The S.A.C. shall meet regularly as determined by the Vice-President of
Student
Activities. The meetings shall include reports from the
Vice-President of
Student Activities and each of the committee chairpersons (as
appropriate) and
any other business relating to student activities. Chapter 502
Duties of Chairperson
502.1
Each Chairperson must attend any training sessions in their entirety as
requested by the Vice-President of Student Activities. 502.2
The Vice-President of Student Activities must reside and keep office
hours two
months during the summer months. Title VI
Finance Laws
Chapter 600
Office of the Vice-President
of Organizational Affairs
600.1
The S.G.A. Vice-President of Organizational Affairs shall be the
disbursing
agent for the Student Government. 600.2 The
S.G.A. Vice-President of Organizational Affairs shall issue a monthly
report to
the Senate, of moneys allocated to S.G.A. recognized
organizations. 600.3 The
Office of Student Life shall be responsible for all relations with
University
recognized Organizations. The office shall maintain
the
Organizational Council. 600.4 The
Duties of the Director of the Student Organizational Council include: A. Preside over all
meetings of the Student Organization Council. B. The Council shall
meet at least once a month. C.
Coordinate and review all bills and resolutions which come from the
Council for
Senate review. D.
Coordinate all news articles, announcements, and advertisements from
the
Council for publication in the Jacksonville State University newspaper,
The
Chanticleer. E.
Report all news articles, announcements, and advertisements to the
Director of
Publicity. F.
To advise the S.G.A. Vice-President of Student Senate on all matters
concerning University
Recognized Organizations. Chapter 601
Annual Budget
601.1
The Executive Board, under the direction of the S.G.A. President, shall
submit
a proposed budget to the Senate no later than September 30. 601.2
The Annual Budget shall clearly and specifically designate the
appropriation of
all S.G.A. moneys. 601.3 No funds shall
be appropriated except by law. 601.4
A regular appropriation shall be one, which is made as part of the
Annual
Budget Act. A special appropriation shall be one, which is made
separately from
the Annual Budget to an organization or agency, which is not part of
the S.G.A.
No special appropriation will be made to an organization not in full
compliance
with Title VII. Chapter 602
Funds Disbursement Process
602.1
S.G.A. funds shall be disbursed by the S.G.A. Vice-President of
Organizational
Affairs in accordance with law and University procedure. The SGA
Vice-President
of Organizational Affairs shall inform each person, branch, or
committee with
an S.G.A. account of the University policies regarding University funds. 602.2 The S.G.A. Vice-President of Organizational Affairs shall not authorize disbursement of any funds for any account in excess of the funds appropriated by the Annual Bud | |