Preamble:
We, the students of Siena University, in order to provide leadership, promote campus and civic participation, improve the academic and residential communities on campus, and inform the students of their rights, hereby establish this constitution and adopt it as the supreme governing document for all students and establish the bylaws of the Student Government Association.
Article I: Definitions
Section One: Student Body: All fully matriculated students shall be known collectively as the Siena University Student Body.
Section Two: Student Government Association: The Joint Committee on Student Government Association and all of its constituent organizations and their advisors shall be collectively known as the Siena University Student Government Association.
Section Three: Student Government Organizations: All organizations within the Student Government Association included within Article II of this Constitution shall be known as Student Government Organizations.
Article II: Student Government Organizations
Section One: The Student Senate
- A) Authority: The chief legislative authority for the Student Body shall rest in the Student Senate, who shall be elected and duly convened in order to serve as the voice of the Student Body, in communications with Staff, Faculty, Administrators, and the President and Board of Trustees of Siena University.
- B) Composition: The membership of the Student Senate shall consist of an Executive Board and a General Board.
- a. The Executive Board: shall consist of the Senate President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and all other appointed members of the Executive Board, outlined in the Student Senate Constitution.
- b. The General Board: shall consist of the Presidents of each Class Council, Representatives from the Commuter Student Association, the Student Events Board, three Senators-at-Large, all Standing Committee Chairpersons, The Student Senate Advisor and the Vice President for Student Life.
- c. The Student Senate shall be governed by its own independent constitution which shall always be made public and available to the Student Body. Should any conflicts arise between the Student Senate Constitution and the Constitution of the Student Body, the Constitution of the Student Government Association and the Student Body shall supersede, and all conflicting sections shall be nullified. The extent of nullification and other determinations on that ground shall be made by the Vice President for Student Life whose review shall be final.
Section Two: The Student Events Board
- A) Authority: The Student Events Board shall be the primary student programming board for Siena University, and shall endeavor to produce programs for the enjoyment and benefit of the Student Body.
- B) Composition: The Student Events Board will be composed of an Executive Board and a General Board.
- a. The Executive Board: shall consist of The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and all appointed members of the Executive Board appointed by the elected members.
- b. The General Board: shall consist of the Co-Chairs and Chairs of all Committees of the Student Events Board, representatives of Student Senate and the Commuter Student Association, and the Student Events Board Advisor.
- c. Events Committee: The Student Events Board shall establish committees dedicated to the planning of events, and shall include information regarding the aforementioned committees within their own constitution.
- d. The Student Events Board shall be governed by its own independent constitution which shall always be made public and available to the Student Body. Should any conflicts arise between the Student Events Board Constitution and the Constitution of the Student Government Association and Student Body, the Constitution of the Student Government Association and Student Body shall supersede, and all conflicting sections shall be nullified. The extent of nullification and other determinations on that ground shall be made by the Vice President for Student Life whose review shall be final.
Section Three: The Commuter Student Association
- A) Authority: The Commuter Student Association shall have the power to represent the interests of all commuter students of Siena University, as well as provide programming and advocacy for the commuter student population.
- B) Composition: The Composition of the Commuter Student Association shall be contained within the Constitution of the Commuter Student Association.
- a. The Executive Board: shall consist of The President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary and all other appointed members of the Executive Board, outlined in the Commuter Student Association Constitution.
- b. The General Board: shall consist of four Event Coordinators, the Marketing Coordinator, two Commuter at Larges, Representatives from the Student Senate and the Student Events Board, the Assistant Dean of Students and the Commuter Student Association Advisor and all other members of the General Board appointed by the Executive Board, outlined in the Commuter Student Association Constitution.
- c. The Commuter Student Association shall be governed by its own independent constitution which shall always be made public and available to the Student Body. Should any conflicts arise between the Commuter Student Association Constitution and the Constitution of the Student Government Association and the Student Body, the Constitution of the Student Government Association and Student Body shall supersede, and all conflicting sections shall be nullified. The extent of nullification and other determinations on that ground shall be made by the Vice President for Student Life whose review shall be final.
Section Four: Organizational Funding
- A) The Student Senate is to receive exactly eight percent (8%) of the total Student Activity Fee amount for the fiscal year, unless that figure exceeds $27,500 which will then be the amount allocated to the Student Senate.
- B) Funding for the Student Events Board shall be determined by review of the Associate Director for Student Activities and Leadership Development, Director of the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development, and The Student Senate Treasurer, and shall include a formal and in depth proposal, from the Student Events Board Treasurer, for each of the events to be planned by the committees of the Student Events Board. An audit of the previous fiscal year may be requested by the Associate Director and Director during the course of this review process, and the review process must be completed no less than ten business days in advance of the Budget Allocation Committee’s Annual Allocations Meeting.
- C) Funding for the Commuter Student Association shall be determined by the Director of the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development, and The Student Senate Treasurer. The budget proposal, from the Commuter Student Association Treasurer, shall include a complete explanation for each of the events to be planned by the Commuter Student Board of the Commuter Student Association. An analysis of previous year expenses may be requested by the Director and The Student Senate Treasurer during the proposal review process.
Article III: Joint Committee of the Student Government Association
Section One: Composition: The Joint Committee of the Student Government Association shall consist of three voting members:
- A) The Student Senate President
- B) The Student Events Board President
- C) The Commuter Student Association President
Section Two: Authority: The Executive power of the Student Body shall lie in the Joint
Committee of the Student Government Association. The Committee shall have the power to:
- A) Manage all Committees which shall fall under it;
- B) Direct the creation of new committees whether they be permanent or Ad Hoc;
- C) Make suggestions to its constituent organizations on matters of policy and decision making
- D) Assist in the facilitation of collaboration between its constituent organizations, the office of Student Activities and Leadership Development, and the members of the Division of Student Life.
- E) Plan and facilitate any coordination, such as training and programming between the three Student Government Association boards.
- F) Address the concerns of the Student Body and facilitate conversation between the Joint Committee, the Student Body and members of the faculty, staff and administration.
Section Three: Meetings: Meetings of the Joint Committee of the Student Government Association shall be held at least once a month when school is in session in order to facilitate productive communication between organizations. Meetings may be called in addition to those at the request of any member.
Section Four: Organization: The Joint Committee of the Student Government Association shall be organized as an entity under the Department of Student Life. The Student Senate, Student Events Board, and The Commuter Student Association will serve as constituent organizations concurrently under the Joint Committee of the Student Government Association and the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development.
Section Five: Voting Structure: The Student Senate, The Student Events Board, and The Commuter Student Association will each have one vote on matters brought before the Joint Committee of the Student Government Association. The representatives of The Student Senate, The Student Events Board, and The Commuter Student Association on the Joint Committee of the Student Government Association will vote in adherence to their respective boards on any matter brought before the Committee.
Article IV: Class Councils
Section One: Authority: The Class Councils shall have the authority to represent all of the members of their respective class years. Class years shall be determined by the expected date of graduation.
Section Two: Composition: The Class Councils of the respective classes shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Class President shall have the power to appoint additional, non-voting members, to the class council, with the approval of 3/4ths of the elected council members.
Section Three: Senior Class Council: The Senior Class Council shall be an expanded Council, including all positions that the Senior Class President sees fit to appoint in order to assist in preparations for Senior year events with the consent of the Class Council. The Senior Class Council shall be elected in the winter elections prior to the start of the Senior Year and shall serve for the entirety of the academic year.
Article V: Student Conduct Review Board
Section One: Authority: The Judicial power of the Student Body shall lie in the Student Conduct Review Board. The Board shall have the ability to hear appeals of violations of Siena Life, The Student Government Association and Student Body Constitution, or any of the Constitutions for the Constituent Organizations included herein.
Section Two: Composition: The Student Conduct Review Board shall strive to consist of nine members, generally two of Senior status, two of Junior status, two of Sophomore status, and three at-large members based on the composition of the applicant pool for the given year, one of which shall be designated Chairperson and two designated Associate Chairpersons.
Section Three: Selection: The process for the selection of members of the Student Conduct Review Board shall be supervised by the office of the Dean of Students. The Student Senate President shall always be invited to serve on the Selection Committee, and nominations made by the Selection Committee shall be approved by the Student Senate.
Section Four: Procedures: The procedures and processes for the Student Conduct Review Board shall be contained in Siena Life and shall always be made available to the Student Body.
Article VI: Elections of Officers of All Organizations and Councils
Section One: Elections shall be held at regular intervals to select officers for the aforementioned Organizations and Councils. These elections shall be organized and regulated by the Commission of the Student Government Association Elections.
Section Two: Elections shall be held once a year, before the conclusion of the fall semester in order to elect officers of the Student Senate, Student Events Board, Commuter Student Associations, and Class Councils for the following calendar year’s terms.
Section Three: The timing of the aforementioned elections are to be determined by the Commission on Student Government Elections, in accordance with the Commission’s bylaws.
Section Four: Elections of Officers for all aforementioned organizations will have its own independent by-laws which shall always be made public and available to the Student Body.
Should any conflicts arise within the Commission of the Student Government Association Elections, the Election bylaws, the Student Government Association, and the Student Body Constitution, the Vice President for Student Life will facilitate the resolution of said conflict. The Vice President for Student Life review of any matter shall be final.
Article VII: Committees of the Student Government Association
Section One: All joint committees established by the constituent organizations shall fall under the jurisdiction of the Joint Committee of the Student Government Association. All committees shall have at least one and no more than four representatives from each of the constituent organizations, except when the Joint Committee of the Student Government Association shall prescribe otherwise. Each organization shall have one vote on all joint committees, regardless of the number of representatives on the committee.
Section Two: Commission of the Student Government Association Elections: The Commission on Student Government Association Elections shall be composed of three CoChairpersons.
- A) For the purpose of the Winter elections, the Co-Chairpersons shall be the President of the Student Senate, President of the Student Events Board, and President of the Commuter Student Association.
- B) If one of the Presidents of the Student Senate, Student Events Board, or the Commuter Student Association is actively participating in the Winter Elections process, they will not be permitted to be on the Election Commission. The President of the board will go down the line of succession to find a member of their board that is not participating in the Winter Election process and is able to serve on this committee. If there are no members eligible to serve on this committee, the advisor of their respective board will choose the representative.
Section Three: Ad Hoc Committees: The Joint Committee of the Student Government Association shall have the power to establish and regulate committees other than those formal standing committees established under Article VIII. Each Ad Hoc committee created under this framework shall sit until such a time its stated goals are completed, and for that purpose, upon creating, every ad hoc committee must list its stated goals, and shall not be disbanded until either those goals are met or a two thirds majority of the Joint Committee on the Student Government Association shall vote to disband the committee.
Article VIII: Amendments
Section One: Amendments By Joint Committee on Student Government Association: Any amendments proposed to this constitution by the Joint Committee on Student Government Association shall abide by the following procedures:
- A) When an amendment is proposed during a session of the Joint Committee of The Student Government Association, the sitting Chairperson shall ask the member who proposed the amendment to draft a formal amendment, to be discussed at the following meeting of the Committee. Once discussion on the amendment has been had, the committee will vote on whether or not to send the proposed amendment to the three constituent organizations for approval. A simple majority is required to send an amendment to the student government organizations. Each organization will then review the amendment and either approve it or deny the amendment and return it to the Committee with its comments. Once all three organizations consent to the amendment, a special election of the entire Student Body must then be held within ten class days, or at another interval determined by the Commission on Student Government elections and approved by the Joint Committee for the Student Government Association. Approval by a two-thirds majority of the voting student body is necessary for the proposed amendment to take effect as part of this Constitution. The amendment will take effect immediately upon the verification of the results of the election.
Section Two: Amendments By Organizations: Any amendments proposed to this constitution by any of the constituent organizations of this constitution shall abide by the following procedures:
A) A proposed amendment may originate in any of the three major organizations, The Student Senate, The Student Events Board, and the Commuter Student Association. Approval by a two-thirds majority vote of the entire organization shall cause the proposed amendment to be submitted to the Joint Committee on the Student Government Association. Upon receiving the amendment request from the organization, the Joint Committee on the Student Government Association shall submit it for the consideration of the other two organizations, both of which would have to pass it by a vote of two-thirds. Should the amendment pass with two-thirds in all three organizations, a special election of the entire Student Body must then be held within ten class days, or at another interval determined by the Commission on Student Government Elections and approved by the Joint Committee for Student Government Association. Approval by a two-thirds majority of the voting student body is necessary for the proposed amendment to take effect as part of this Constitution. The amendment will take effect immediately upon the verification of the results of the election.
Section Three: Amendments by Student Body: Any amendments proposed to this constitution
originating from the student body shall abide by the following procedures:
A) A proposed amendment to this constitution may originate in the student body. In order to propose an amendment, a petition with the signatures of no less than 500 signatures must be submitted to the Joint Committee on Student Government Association, with the proposed amendment attached. Following receipt and verification of the petition, the Joint Committee
on Student Government Association will consider the amendment and then with its comments, submit the document for the review of the Student Senate, Student Events Board and The Commuter Student Association, who will then have ten class days to review the document and submit comments to the Joint Committee on Student Government Association. At this point, the Joint Committee on Student Government Association will schedule a meeting within five class days, to meet with the petitioner(s) in order to establish a final amendment proposal. A special election of the entire Student Body must then be held within ten class days or at another interval determined by the Commission on Student Government
Elections and approved by the Joint Committee for Student Government Association. Approval by a two-thirds majority of the voting student body is necessary for the proposed amendment to take effect as part of this Constitution. The amendment will take effect immediately upon the verification of the results of the election.
Section Four: Amendments to Organizational Constitutions: Any amendments proposed in any form to the constitutions of bylaws of those constituent organizations shall follow procedures expressly stated within their own constitutions, and following the passage of any amendment, notification will be given to the Joint Committee on Student Government Association within five class days.
Article IX: Ratification
Ratification of this document requires a simple majority vote of each of the constituent organizations, following which a referendum shall be laid before the Student Body, with no less than two-thirds of the votes cast being in the affirmative required to pass. Once the vote has been passed by the Student Body, the constitution shall be immediately adopted.
Article X: Effective Date
Finalized in Committee on October 2nd, 2023 and forwarded to relevant Organizations
Approved by Student Senate on November 14, 2023
Approved by Student Events Board on November 13, 2023
Approved by the Commuter Student Association on November 15, 2023
Ratified by the Student Body in General Elections and adopted on November 16, 2023
Constitutional Committee Members
Luke Keith, President, Student Senate
Madeleine Sloan, President, Student Events Board
Lillian Kronau, President, Commuter Student Association
Maggie Cross, Advisor, Student Senate
Bella Zacardi, Advisor, Student Events Board
Thomas Schlinck, Advisor, Commuter Student Association