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Article I

Membership and Purpose

Section I. Every student currently enrolled in the required number of courses specified by the Board of Trustees shall be a member of the Student Government Association of Oklahoma Baptist University, and therefore entitled to the rights embodied in this breathing Constitution.

Section II. The Student Government Association exists as a venue for the student body of Oklahoma Baptist University to have dialogue with the administration. Therefore, student expressions, which are reflected in Senate Resolutions, shall be submitted to the Dean of Students and the President of the University for consideration of approval. Furthermore, the Student Government Association will work in conjunction with the administration to appoint student representatives to various University Committees. The President and Vice President shall represent the student body in the Student Development Committee of the Oklahoma Baptist University Board of Trustees, joint sessions of the Board of Trustees, the University and Faculty Forums, Prexy Club, and the University Planning Analysis Committee.

Article II

The Executive Branch

Section I. The powers and responsibilities of the Executive Branch of the Student Government Association shall be entrusted to the popularly elected President and Vice President.

Section II. The President and Vice President of the Student Government Association must have completed sixty hours or more at the end of the semester in which election occurs in order to be inaugurated. Furthermore, both Executives must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in order to assume office. The Executives will assume office approximately one week following election in order to have a transition period prior to the beginning of the following academic year, and must publicly affirm their oath to the Student Government Association before the Senate in order to be inaugurated.

Section III. The Executive Branch shall be responsible for the publications and functions of the Student Government Association. If the elected President is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the office, regardless of the circumstances, the Vice President shall assume the role of President and the Senate Pro Tempore shall assume the office of Vice President. The Senate can then elect a new Pro Tempore. If the elected Vice President is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the office, regardless of the circumstances, the President can then appoint an Acting Vice President for a period not exceeding two months until a new election for Vice President occurs.

Section IV. The President

Provision I. The President shall have authority in recommending and appointing student representatives to the various University Committees upon receiving a complete list from the Dean of Students entailing the various positions to be filled, and shall be charged with communicating those positions to the Senate.

Provision II. The President must submit a proposed budget to the Senate during the Senate meeting directly following Hyde Park during the spring semester for approval by a simple-majority vote. Upon failure, a revised budget must be submitted to the Senate for approval by a simple-majority vote during the following meeting, or during an emergency meeting before the end of the spring semester. Furthermore, the President must propose fee changes within the Student Government Association, which shall be subject to Senate approval by a simple-majority vote and must be included in the proposed budget.

Provision III. The President shall be vested with the power to veto appropriations and resolutions deemed mundane or insipid within one week of passage. The Senate must secure a two-thirds majority to override a Presidential Veto.

Provision IV. The President is vested with the opportunity to issue Executive Orders regarding the operations of the Student Government Association. Contested Executive Orders must be addressed by the Supreme Court, which is vested with the power to discern the legality of such actions.

Provision V. The President may submit legislation to the Senate for consideration with the approval of the President of the Senate. Furthermore, the President may request that the President of the Senate call a special session to address issues deemed urgent.

Provision VI. The President may appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who will serve as Executive of the Supreme Court upon a simple majority approval of the Senate.

Provision VII. The President may create additional Student Government positions if deemed necessary with a simple majority approval of the Senate.

Section V. The Executive Cabinet

Provision I. The Executive Cabinet shall serve at the pleasure of the President, with the exception of designated Chairpersons, and exists in order to assist the President with the operations of the Student Government Association. The President must also approve the Chairperson nominations made by the administration. Members of the Executive Cabinet must be nominated by the President and must receive a simple majority approval from the Senate prior to assuming office.

Provision II. Members of the Executive Cabinet must have completed one semester prior to being nominated and must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in order to be considered for approval.

Provision III. The Executive Cabinet shall be comprised of the Student Government Association Secretary, Treasurer, Attorney General, the Chairpersons of various Student Government Association organizations, and other additional members that the President believes to be needed.

Provision IV. The Secretary of the Student Government Association shall be responsible for the maintenance of all official Student Government files and office procedures. The Secretary shall also serve as the Executive Assistant to the President.

Provision V. The Treasurer of the Student Government Association shall be responsible for recording all official Student Government expenditures. The Treasurer must submit a monthly financial report to the Senate indicating the previous monthly expenditures.

Provision VI. The Attorney General of the Student Government Association shall serve as the official judicial advocate of the administration, and will represent the Constitutional concerns and interpretations of the administration when before the Supreme Court.

Section VI. The Vice President

Provision I. The Vice President of the Student Government Association shall serve as the President of the Senate, with voting privileges when a tie must be broken.

Provision II. The Vice President shall have the opportunity to appoint a Secretary of the Senate to serve as Executive Assistant to the Vice President. The Secretary of the Senate shall assist the Vice President in the operations of the Senate and the maintenance of the Student Government Association office.

Provision III. The Vice President shall have the opportunity to create additional Student Government Senate positions if deemed necessary with a simple majority approval of the Senate. Furthermore, The Vice President shall be vested with the power to appoint worthy individuals to vacant or vacated Senate seats.

Provision IV. The Vice President shall have the ability to establish the agenda for the Senate and basic rules of procedure.

Provision V. In the case of an emergency requiring immediate presidential action, the Vice President shall assume the necessary duties of the office of President, provided the President cannot be contacted by good faith effort.

Article III

The Legislative Branch

Section I. The legislative responsibilities of the Student Government Association shall be vested in the Senate. Therefore, all appropriations and resolutions shall be the function of the Senate.

Section II. Senators must be popularly elected by a simple majority of their constituents. Vacant or vacated seats may be filled by the President of the Senate, upon approval of the Senate by a simple majority. Applications for Senate shall be made available to the student body no later than 1 week after the first day of classes. Applications must be turned in to the Election Board no later than the third week of classes. All Senate elections shall occur within a period not exceeding one month from the beginning of the fall semester, and shall be executed by the Election Board. Upon election the Senate must publicly affirm their oath to the Student Government Association.

Section III. Senators must maintain a 2.5 grade point average to retain their seat, and will only be allotted two absences per representative year. Upon the accumulation of more than two absences the Senator shall be removed and the vacant seat may then be filled.

Section IV. Various Functions of the Senate

Provision I. All elected and non-elected officials of the Student Government Association must be held accountable to the Senate. Therefore, the Senate shall have the vested power to impeach and remove any appointed or elected officials, including Senators, found guilty of wrongdoing upon a three-fourths vote. The Supreme Court must certify the action as acceptable and may rule on the legitimacy of such legislative actions.

Provision II. The Vice President of the Senate shall call a special session of the Senate the Wednesday following Executive elections to inaugurate the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect, who shall assume office immediately upon affirming their oath to the Student Government Association.

Provision III. The Senate must approve official petitions for the establishment of student organizations. Those organizations desiring to be officially recognized must submit a list of ten student signatures, a faculty sponsor, and a tentative constitution. Charters shall be granted upon a simple-majority vote of the Senate.

Provision IV. The Senate alone shall be vested with the ability to amend the Constitution through a three-fourths vote on any proposal. If passage of a proposed amendment is secured it shall become effective immediately.

Provision V. The Senate shall have authority in recommending and appointing student representatives to the various University Committees, upon receiving a complete list of University Committees from the SGA President, by vesting Senators with the authority to nominate students to serve on University committees. Nominations shall be approved by a simple-majority vote of the Senate. Nominations must be submitted to the Senate for approval no later than the second meeting of each semester.

Section V. Operations within the Senate

Provision I. The Senate shall be required to meet monthly. Additional meetings may be established by the President of the Senate or by a simple majority vote of the institution.

Provision II. The Senate shall elect a President Pro Tempore who shall serve as President of the Senate when the Vice President is absent or steps down to participate in Senate actions.

Section VI. Senate Districts

Provision I. The composition of the Senate shall accurately reflect the various aspects and patterns of campus life. Therefore, Senators shall be elected to represent class affiliations and the campus at-large.

Provision II. All Class Presidents shall represent their respective classes as Senators with full voting privileges. There shall be a total of four Class Presidents serving as Senators.

Provision III. Each class shall elect 5 Senators to represent their respective class, with a total of 20 Senators from the respective four classes on campus.

Provision IV. The remainder of the Senate shall be elected to reflect the campus at-large. Therefore, an additional eight Senators shall be elected by the student body to represent the campus at-large.

Provision V. Senators at-large must be full-time students during their term in office. Senators elected to serve a class must be a member of that respective class and a full-time student during their term in office.

Article IV

The Judicial Branch

Section I. The judicial responsibilities of the Student Government Association shall be vested in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court shall serve as the final interpreter of the Constitution and designated actions of the Student Government Association.

Section II. The Supreme Court shall consist of three justices. The Chief Justice, once nominated and confirmed, shall then appoint two Associate Justices to assist in judicial matters within one week of confirmation. All members of the Supreme Court, however, must have and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

Section III. Operations within the Supreme Court

Provision I. The Supreme Court shall be required to meet once monthly to address current issues pertaining to the Court and the Student Government Association. The Court may, however, meet more frequently as deemed necessary by the Chief Justice.

Provision II. All petitions to the Supreme Court pertaining to any matter of judicial review shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Student Government Association, and the Chief Justice must then establish a court date within one week of the petition registration. An assigned Justice shall then issue a written decision for the Court majority within one week of the meeting; the dissenting Justice shall have the opportunity to also issue an opinion. Opinions must be made public and copies must be sent to the Executives of the Student Government Association and the Dean of Students.

Provision III. The members of the Supreme Court may decide the basic rules of procedure not mentioned within this document; however, equal opportunity must be granted to both petitioners and defendants.

Provision IV. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall serve as one of the Student Government representatives designated to work in conjunction with the Dean of Students and any University Committees requiring student representation.

Article V

The Election Board

Section I. The powers and responsibilities of executing and regulating elections of the Student Government Association shall be vested in an independent Election Board.

Section II. The Election Board shall consist of three members. The Chairperson of the Election Board shall be appointed by the President. Upon Senate confirmation the Chairperson shall appoint two associates to assist in maintaining proper elections.

Section III. Publicity of Student Government Elections

Provision I. The Election Board shall be responsible for adequate publicity of the filing period for all elections. The Election Board must make an earnest effort to notify the student body of the filing period at least one week prior to the deadline utilizing numerous publicity venues such as the student newspaper, electronic mail, and university announcements. The Election Board must also allow the same period of time and utilize the same venues of publicity to notify the student body of upcoming elections. Furthermore, the Election Board must acknowledge official poll sites and hours of operation during the designated period prior to official elections.

Section IV. Applications for Student Government Offices and Election Dates

Provision I. All applications for Student Government Association offices and class positions shall meet the required standards designated by the presiding Election Board. Applications shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Student Government Association on or before the date to be designated on the official applications. Applications for President and Vice President, however, must be submitted one month in advance of the election.

Provision II. The official elections for Student Government Association President and Vice President shall occur on the Thursday following Hyde Park Day. The Election Board shall work with the President and Vice President to establish other election dates within the designated period of time.

Provision III. Elections for Class Presidents and Class Vice Presidents shall be held at the time specified by the Election Board rules. Each Class President and Vice President shall run on the same ticket. If the Class President is unable to fulfill the duties bestowed to them, the Class Vice President shall assume the office of Class President and the Election Board shall hold a special election for Class Vice President. If the Class Vice President is unable to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of the office of Class President, regardless of the circumstances, a special election shall be held to fill the vacant office.

Section V. Election Voting and Determination of Elected Officials

Provision I. The Election Board must maintain a minimum of one official poll to remain open for a minimum of eight hours.

Provision II. The Election Board shall hold a lottery prior to the printing of the official ballots to determine the order that the listed candidates for Student Government and class offices will appear on the election ballots. Candidates may appoint one official observer to monitor polling operations and witness the official counting of the ballots.

Provision III. Absentee ballots shall be provided to student voters who petition the Secretary of the Student Government for a ballot no less than twenty-four hours prior to official elections. Absentee ballots must be prepared and available for one week prior to official elections.

Provision IV. All current members of the Student Government Association, regardless of classification, shall have voting privileges upon presentation of official student identification issued by the university and upon signing the official voter roll, which must be kept, along with cast ballots, for a period of one week following any election.

Provision V. The Election Board and appointed officials shall count the cast ballots immediately following an official election. Upon certification of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court the official numerical election results shall be made public record and posted at the Student Government office.

Provision VI. The disclosure of the non-numerical results of the final election for Harvest Court and any other elections where campaigning is prohibited shall be postponed until the respective coronation ceremonies.

Provision VII. The candidate that secures the most number of votes in any official election shall be declared the official victor.

Article VI.

Organizations Under the Auspices of SGA

Section I. Volunteer Action Committee

Provision I. The Volunteer Action Committee shall be established with the intent of involving the student body in activities to improve the OBU environment and surrounding community through efforts of voluntary action.

Provision II. The Volunteer Action Committee shall receive annual funding as designated by the President upon Senate approval of the annual budget.

Provision III. The Volunteer Action Committee shall be required to fulfill two campus-wide projects per semester. The President must approve official projects recommended by the Committee.

Provision IV. The governance of the Volunteer Action Committee shall be established by the Co-Chairpersons, nominated by the Dean of Students and the President, upon Senate confirmation. The Co-Chairpersons shall serve at the pleasure of the President and may decide basic rules of procedure not designated in this document.

Section II. Campus Activities Board

Provision I. The Campus Activities Board shall be established with the goal of fostering a stronger community of faith and learning through sponsoring entertainment events such as Biggie, Freshman Follies, Spring Affair, and other events deemed necessary by the Board.

Provision II. The Campus Activities Board shall receive annual funding as designated by the President upon Senate approval of the annual budget. Student Government funds shall not be used to sponsor an event in which the student body is charged for admission unless designated otherwise by the Senate.

Provision III. The governance of the Campus Activities Board shall be established by the Co-Chairpersons, nominated by the Campus Activities Director, who serves as the official administrator of the Board, and the President, upon Senate confirmation. The Co-Chairpersons shall serve at the pleasure of the President and the Director, who holds final authority, and may decide basic rules of procedure not designated in this document.

Section III. University Concert and Lecture Series Commission.

Provision I. The University Concert and Lecture Series Commission, which shall be referred to as UCS, shall be established with the goal of fostering a stronger community of faith and learning through sponsoring various concert and academic events.

Provision II. The University Concert and Lecture Series Commission shall receive funding from a designated enrollment fee to be used to sponsor UCS events. The fee shall be decided by the Senate and enacted by the Board of Trustees.

Provision III. The governance of the University Concert and Lecture Series Commission shall be established by the Co-Chairpersons, nominated by the Campus Activities Director, who serves as the official administrator of the Commission, and the President, upon Senate confirmation. The Co-Chairpersons shall serve at the pleasure of the President and the Director, who holds final authority, and may decide basic rules of procedure not designated in this document.

Provision IV. The University Concert and Lecture Series Commission shall be required to host a minimum of two events per semester.

Article VII

Statutes

Section I. Statutes under the former Constitution shall remain active unless changed within this Constitution.

Oklahoma Baptist University
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