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| − | Student Senate does not have jurisdiction over [[The Wiki Fire]], much as it might try.
| + | {| align=right |
| | + | | __TOC__ |
| | + | |} |
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| | + | Student Senate serves two primary purposes. First, it is the student body's legislative body for student affairs, most notably the distribution of [[Clubs and organizations|club]] budgetary money and disbursement of the Senate Discretionary Fund. Second, it is the students' primary advocate for student interests to the [[faculty]], [[staff]] and [[administration]], and to that end passes a lot of resolutions and conducts a lot of committee work making recommendations for reform. |
| | | | |
| − | == General ==
| + | Senate meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in CFA 110. |
| | | | |
| − | The webpage is located [http://deptorg.knox.edu/studentsenate here]
| + | ==Senators== |
| | + | Senators are elected early in Fall Term to serve for the school year. Each year the Executive Board [[Gerrymandering|draws election districts]] from which senators are elected. |
| | | | |
| − | == Officers ==
| + | See also [[List of Current and Former Student Senators#District Senators|List of current and former District Senators]] |
| | | | |
| − | === President === | + | ==Executive Committee== |
| | + | The Executive Committee, comprising the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer (and since 2006 the four committee chairs), steers the activities of Senate and draws election districts. The Executive Committee meets once a week, but nobody knows when, and no minutes are published. |
| | | | |
| − | [[Matt Cessna]] is the President for the 2006-2007 academic year | + | The four executive officers are the four members of the [[Student Life Committee]] (SLC), which distributes the [[Student Activity Fee Fund]] (approx. $300,000 for 2006-07). |
| | | | |
| − | Past Presidents:
| + | The Student Life Committee voted to pay the four executive officers a stipend of approximately 10 hours per week ($7.50/hr) during the summer of 2006 and was not discussed by the general student senate. The stipend is identical to those paid to student leaders of organizations like [[Union Board]], [[Catch]] and [[TKS]]. Those stipends have been in place for many years. |
| − | {|
| + | |
| − | | 2005-2006 || [[Zach Stephesen]]
| + | ===Current Executive Board 2021 / 2022 === |
| − | |-
| + | * President - [[Mujtaba Hassan]] |
| − | | 2004-2005 || [[Abbie Letzer]]
| + | * Vice President - [[Izn E Allah]] |
| − | |-
| + | * Treasurer - [[Daniel Bien]] |
| − | | 2003-2004 || ''unknown''
| + | * Secretary - [[Caleb Baird]] |
| − | |-
| + | * Health and Wellness Chair - [[Eeman Mahar]] |
| − | | 2002-2003 || ''unknown'' | + | * Sustainability Chair - [[Teagan Springer]] |
| − | |-
| + | * Campus Life Chair - [[Jamil Davis]] |
| − | | 2001-2002 || [[Josh Ferchau]] | + | * Diversity Chair - [[Elaena Kahn]] |
| − | |-
| + | * Campus Outreach Chair - [[Sarah Wallenfelsz]] |
| − | | 2000-2001 || [[Nick Bunnel]] | + | |
| − | |} | + | See also [[List of Current and Former Student Senators#Executive Board|List of current and former Executive Board members]] |
| | + | |
| | + | See also [https://www.knox.edu/offices/dining-and-food-services/whom-to-contact] |
| | + | |
| | + | ==Committees== |
| | + | Committees for student senate will change every so often, depending on what the students think is important, and what needs wish to be met. Past committees have included: Safety and Services, Technology, Residential Quality of Life, and many more. |
| | + | |
| | + | In 2022, there are seven standing Student Senate committees: Dining Services, [[Finance Committee|Finance]], Campus Life, Health and Wellness, Sustainability, Diversity, and Campus Outreach. They each meet once a week throughout the week to discuss campus issues and write resolutions. |
| | + | |
| | + | [http://departments.knox.edu/studentsenate/ComeetingTimes.html Committee Meeting Times] |
| | + | |
| | + | ==Student Senate Update== |
| | + | At least once per week the Communications Officer sends a Student Senate Update e-mail to the entire campus, containing the minutes of the previous meeting. These minutes are meant to be word-for-word, but as a single person collects them by typing them as quickly as possible as things are said, they are generally not completely verbatim. Senators are, however, sent the minutes prior to the campus wide email with the opportunity to correct them. Senators are also encouraged to email text of extended statements to the Senate Clerk. Non-senators, on the other hand, do not have the opportunity to correct their remarks, and thus their views are more often inadequately expressed in the minutes. Moreover, whereas in previous years the Clerk was a neutral body and not permitted to participate in debate, the current Senate administration has allowed the Clerk to participate in debate on numerous occasions, raising serious questions of bias in Senate recordkeeping. |
| | + | |
| | + | The only way to get the [[The Knox Experience|full experience]] is to [[Hell|attend the meeting]]. |
| | + | |
| | + | ==Club Budget Process== |
| | + | The [[Finance Committee]] administrates the [[Clubs and organizations|club]] budget process. At the beginning of [[Spring Term]], representatives of all [[Clubs and organizations|clubs]] must attend a meeting that explains the process. Soon after all [[Clubs and organizations|clubs]] may bring draft budgets to members of the Finance Committee, who can provide assistance. All [[Clubs and organizations|clubs]] submit final drafts, and then the committee apportions funds based on the total quantity of money available from the [[Student Activity Fee]]. |
| | + | |
| | + | ==Controversies== |
| | + | |
| | + | ===Budget Process 2006=== |
| | + | The budget decisions in 2006 caused a huge uproar because several [[Clubs and organizations|clubs]] received less money then was usual when they failed to follow the detailed budget rules correctly. Notable [[Clubs and organizations|clubs]] that protested their assignments at the 18 May 2006 Senate meeting included [[Caxton Club]], [[Martial Arts Club]], [[Badminton Club]], [[Cricket Club]], and [[Common Ground]]. |
| | + | |
| | + | The problems with the 2006 process led to major reforms and simplifications in the budget process during the [[2006-2007]] school year. Many say the subsequent budget process has gone much more smoothly, but for others, concerns remain regarding a variety of changes such as the new cap on the budget a [[Clubs and organizations|club]] can request for a year and a (much lower) cap on additional funds/budget requests for a new club's first year. |
| | | | |
| | + | ===Executive Board By-Laws Rewrite 2007=== |
| | + | Shortly after election of the new [[Executive Board]] for the [[2007-2008]] school year, President-elect [[Brad Middleton]], [[AJ Ross]], and possibly others began rewriting the [[Text of the Student Senate Constitution and By-Laws#By-Laws|Senate By-Laws]] in secret. They were presented to the Executive Board for approval at its last meeting of the [[2006-2007]] school year on May 23. Prior to that point, most of the Executive Board knew nothing of the proposed By-Laws changes, although they had been leaked to other sources. |
| | | | |
| − | === Vice-President ===
| + | There were two primary changes: The less controversial change added agreement by unanimous consent to the By-Laws. The second major change radically altered the procedural structure by which Student Senate considers resolutions. Whereas previously the Senate considered motions brought to the floor on the floor and only referred them to committee on occasions when the issues required significant development, the changes require that all resolutions be referred to committee unless the Chair (typically the President) or a 2/3 majority of Senate (the same threshold used for amending the constitution) decide to refer it directly to the floor. In committee, a resolution must gain the support of the committee chair (and in result the Executive Board) as well as the administration before it may be debated on the Senate floor. |
| | | | |
| − | [[Patrick Herlihey]] is the Vice-President for the 2006-2007 academic year.
| + | The Executive Board approved the changes unanimously, and according to Senate President Brad Middleton they will be introduced as law in the first Senate meeting of the 2007-2008 year. |
| | | | |
| − | Past Vice-Presidents:
| + | The objections were twofold: first, the Executive Board had fundamentally altered the procedures by which Senate does business without allowing Senate to vote on the matter. The Executive Board justified itself using Article 4 Section 1 Clause 3 of the Student Senate Constitution, which states "The Executive Board shall have the power to act for the full Senate at times when the Senate is not in session." The Executive Board apparently interpreted this as carte blanche, while others feel that it is an abuse of the caretaker powers assigned to Senate. The question of further use of this privilege appeared in the Discourse article, including concerns that the Executive Board could nullify acts of Senate after Senate had adjourned, or act in regard to resolutions it considered particular desirable or undesirable, crippling or approving them between Thursdays and then reporting the results as a fait accompli. |
| − | {|
| |
| − | | 2005-2006 || [[Hassan Massoud]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | 2004-2005 || [[BJ Hollars]]
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| − | |-
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| − | | 2003-2004 || ''unknown''
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| − | |-
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| − | | 2002-2003 || ''unknown''
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| − | |-
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| − | | 2001-2002 || ''unknown''
| |
| − | |}
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| | | | |
| − | === Treasurer ===
| + | The second objection concerned the actual new resolution procedures. The changes have been interpreted to mean that the Executive Board and the [[administration]] now have the power to kill resolutions they do not like, irrespective of the opinions of the Senate. Multiple members of the Executive Board have suggested that they can be trusted not to abuse this power, but some question may be raised as to the honesty of that, considering the method by which the changes were approved; also, regardless of whether or not it is consciously abused, the style of power such an amendment allows may well put the student body's definition of abuse, which would center on maintaining its democratic right to control its Senate, at odds with the Executive Board's, which will apparently focus more on cultivating a relationship with the administration and deciding bills in small committees and among the Board than respecting the sense of Senate and the student body as a whole. |
| | | | |
| − | [[Peter Westphaelen]] is the Treasurer for the 2006-2007 academic year.
| + | Although not specified in the amendment, Senate President Brad Middleton suggested that the motion to move a resolution directly to the floor would occur during the Additions and Revisions to the Agenda portion of the meeting - but, as the motion would likely be interpreted narrowly, might not allow members of the Senate to have details on a resolution before a vote to consider is taken, likely eliminating all but the most extraordinary chance of a bill being successfully taken from committee. Notably, the US Congress has a similar rule to take from committee, only requiring a simple majority - a feat even they rarely achieve. |
| | | | |
| − | {|
| + | ==Demographics== |
| − | | 2005-2006 || [[Megan Gamble]]
| + | ===2007-2008=== |
| − | |-
| + | ''Not yet compiled'' |
| − | | 2004-2005 || ''unknown
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | | 2003-2004 || [[Abbie Letzer]]
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | | 2002-2003 || ''unknown''
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | | 2001-2002 || ''unknown''
| |
| − | |}
| |
| | | | |
| − | === Communications Officer === | + | ===2006-2007=== |
| | + | ''Note: These are estimations only.'' |
| | | | |
| − | [[Elaine Wilson]] is the Communications Officer for the 2006-2007 academic year. | + | There are a total of 57 senators on Student Senate (including the Executive Board): |
| | + | *38 (67%) are male (44% of campus). |
| | + | *19 (33%) are female (56% of campus). |
| | + | *32 (56%) are Greek-affiliated (~35% of campus) |
| | + | *23 (40%, 61% of total males) are Greek-affiliated males |
| | + | *9 (16%, 47% of total females) are Greek-affiliated females |
| | + | *1 (2%) is an international student (7% of campus) |
| | + | *10 (18%) are students of color (15% of campus) |
| | + | *13 (23%) are [[Class of 2007]] |
| | + | *14 (25%) are [[Class of 2008]] |
| | + | *14 (25%) are [[Class of 2009]] |
| | + | *16 (28%) are [[Class of 2010]] |
| | | | |
| − | {|
| + | Of the Executive Board: |
| − | | 2005-2006 || [[Jamie Bellian]] and [[Patrick Herlihey]]
| + | *7 (88%) are male |
| − | |-
| + | *1 (13%) is female |
| − | | 2004-2005 || ''unknown''
| + | *6 (75%) are Greek-affiliated |
| − | |-
| + | *0 are [[International Students|international students]] |
| − | | 2003-2004 || ''unknown''
| + | *0 are students of color |
| − | |-
| + | *1 (13%) is [[Class of 2007]] |
| − | | 2002-2003 || ''unknown''
| + | *4 (50%) are [[Class of 2008]] |
| − | |-
| + | *3 (38%) are [[Class of 2009]] |
| − | | 2001-2002 || ''unknown''
| |
| − | |}
| |
| | | | |
| − | == Constitution == | + | ====Greek representation==== |
| | + | Of all Senate: |
| | + | *15 (26%) are [[Tau Kappa Epsilon]] |
| | + | *5 (9%) are [[Kappa Kappa Gamma]] |
| | + | *4 (7%) are [[Delta Delta Delta]] |
| | + | *3 (5%) are [[Phi Gamma Delta]] |
| | + | *3 (5%) are [[Sigma Chi]] |
| | + | *2 (4%) are [[Beta Theta Pi]] |
| | + | *2 (4%) are [[Sigma Nu]] |
| | + | *0 are [[Pi Beta Phi]] |
| | + | *25 (43%) are unaffiliated |
| | | | |
| − | # Purpose of Student Senate
| + | Of the Executive Board: |
| − | ## Section 1: General Powers
| + | *3 (38%) are [[Tau Kappa Epsilon]] |
| − | ### The Knox College Student Senate shall be the supreme student governing body in matters related to non-academic student life on campus.
| + | *1 (13%) are each of [[Delta Delta Delta]], [[Phi Gamma Delta]], and [[Beta Theta Pi]] |
| − | ### The Knox College Student Senate shall preserve the rights of the students as outlined in the Knox College Student Handbook and in the constitutions of the various judicial bodies.
| + | *2 (25%) are unaffiliated |
| − | ### The Knox College Student Senate shall be the official representative of the student body to the faculty, administration and staff.
| |
| − | ### Any policy of Knox College is within the students’ purview; Senate may make a recommendation concerning any policy or action.
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| − | ## Section 2: Powers Concerning Student Organizations
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| − | ### Senate shall approve the formation of new clubs. Groups of students who wish to be recognized as an official college club shall submit a formal application to the Finance Committee. Official recognition requires Senate approval by a majority vote of the reccommendation of the Finance Committee. Guidelines for new organization approval shall be contained in the Student Senate Finance Committee Guidelines. The New Campus Organization Guidelines may be amended by a majority vote of those Senators present at a meeting.
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| − | ### A group of students who is not recognized as an official organization by the Senate may appeal to the Student Life Committee for recognition if the group feels the Senate has acted improperly. The Student Life Committee’s decision shall be final.
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| − | ### The Senate may revoke a student organization’s recognition by a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate. Senate may also place organizations on probation. An organization which has its recognition revoked or which is placed on probation may appeal the decision to the Student Life Committee. The Student Life Committee's decision shall be final.
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| − | ### Any group of students that feels it has been “harmed” (as consistent with the Harassment Policy) may petition Student Senate to have the accused organization’s recognition revoked. If the Senate fails to revoke the accused organization’s recognition, the harmed group may appeal to the Student Life Committee. The Student Life Committee’s Decision shall be final.
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| − | ### The Student Senate shall be responsible for allocating funds to campus clubs and organizations. Senate shall request a portion of the Student Activities Fee from the Student Life Committee for the purpose of distributing these funds. Senate will only allocate student activities fees to those clubs that have open membership to all students. The Senate Finance Committee shall review the annual budget applications and make a recommendation to the Senate. The Senate must approve the proposed budgets by a majority vote of those present. The guidelines for appropriation shall be contained in the Student Senate Finance Committee Guidelines. The Guidelines may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those present at a general meeting.
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| − | ### A club which feels it did not receive adequate funds for its annual budget may appeal to the Student Life Committee. The Student Life Committee’s decision shall be final.
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| − | ### The Student Senate shall have the power to allocate remaining additional funds to clubs throughout the year. The Finance Committee shall review these requests and make recommendations to the full Senate. Approval of the additional funds requires a majority vote of those Senators present.
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| − | ### Senate shall oversee those expenditures of student organizations which were allocated from the Student Activities fee. Senate may pass all regulations necessary and proper to ensure the responsible use of student funds.
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| − | ## Section 3: Appointment Powers
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| − | ### Pursuant to the student right “to be heard and considered at appropriate levels of the decision-making process about basic policy matters of direct concern,” the Student Senate shall be the primary organization that appoints student representatives within the college governance process.
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| − | ### All appointments, unless other wise stated, shall be made by the Executive Board and ratified by a two-thirds vote of the Senators present at a general meeting.
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| − | ### The Senate shall appoint all the student members of the Faculty Committees of the College
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| − | ## Section 4: Housing Powers
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| − | ### The Residential Quality of Life Committee shall, with the assistance of the Dean of Residential Learning, review applications for Special Interest Housing grants. This review must take place at least two weeks before lottery.
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| − | ### Based on these reviews, the Student Residential Quality of Life Committee shall make a recommendation to the Student Life Committee, who will make the final decision on Special Interest Housing grants.
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| − | ### At the same time that the Committee communicates its recommendations to the Student Life Committee, it shall also communicate its recommendations to those groups applying for Special Interest Housing Grants. The groups may then approach the Student Life Committee if they disagree with the Committee’s recommendation.
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| − | ### The Knox College Student Senate shall develop criteria for the Housing Committee to use during the review process. Criteria for special interest housing approval shall be contained in the Special Interest Housing Criteria of the Knox College Student Senate By-Laws and shall be printed in the Knox College Student Handbook. The Special Interest Housing Criteria may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those present at a general meeting.
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| − | # Membership
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| − | ## Section 1: Term of Office
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| − | ###The Senate shall be fully elected by the student body.
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| − | ## Section 2: Qualifications for Office
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| − | ### Members of the Student Senate must be enrolled in classes at Knox or participating in a Knox-approved off-campus program. Periods where classes are not in session shall not be construed as disqualifying students from membership.
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| − | ### The Senate shall adopt an attendance policy that will be stated in the by-laws.
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| − | ## Section 3: District Representatives
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| − | ### Students shall be elected to Senate by districts, drawn according to residence by the Student Senate Executive Board.
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| − | ## Section 4
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| − | ### No district shall include both first year and upper class students.
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| − | ### All students who do not live on campus shall constitute their own district.
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| − | ### Each district shall be assigned a number of representatives proportional to the number of students living within that district.
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| − | ### District elections shall occur in the fall of the academic year in which the elected students will hold office. Vacancies will be filled by mid-year elections held at the beginning of winter and spring terms, if necessary.
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| − | ### District Representatives shall serve a term of one academic year.
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| − | ### District representatives must be enrolled in classes at Knox or participating in a Knox-approved off-campus program. Periods where classes are not in session shall not be construed as disqualifying students from membership.
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| − | ### Any extended absence by a district representative shall constitute review by the Executive Committee.
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| − | ## Section 5: District Elections
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| − | ### Students seeking positions as District Representatives must reside within the district they hope to represent.
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| − | ### Students are only eligible to vote for those candidates running from within their district.
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| − | ### Elections shall be conducted by the Senate Executive Board by the third full week of the term.
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| − | ### The candidates who receive the most votes shall win the election. In case of tie, a run-off election will be held between the candidates who received an equal number of votes.
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| − | ## Section 6: Representatives to Faculty Committees
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| − | ### Immediately following the election of the senate, the Senate Executive Board shall appoint Senators to serve as representatives on College faculty Committees. These appointments must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the senate.
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| − | # Student Senate Committees
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| − | ## Section 1: Senate Committees
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| − | ### Below lists of responsibilities for the standing committees shall not be construed as exhaustive and all such committees may be delegated additional responsibilities pursuant to their general responsibilities by the Senate or on a voluntary basis of the chair or the entire committee.
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| − | ### The Senate shall have the power to establish or abolish Senate ad hoc or special committees at any time by a majority vote of those present at a general meeting. A motion creating these special or ad hoc committees shall specify the charge of the committee, the duration of time that the committee shall exist and how the chair is to be selected.
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| − | ### If a motion is moved by a standing, special, or ad hoc committee, it does not require a second in the chamber.
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| − | ### The Executive Board shall have the power to create an ad hoc committee and to name its chair.
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| − | ## Section 2: Communications Committee
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| − | ### The Communications Committee is responsible for informing the community of the actions of Student Senate and shall serve as the link between student views and Senate action. The Communications and Public Relations Committee shall also be responsible for facilitating internal Senate communication.
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| − | ### Pursuant to Part A, the Communications Committee may use any means necessary and proper to inform the student body of Senate action.
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| − | ### The Communications Committee shall work with the Vice President for the purposes of publicizing elections and position openings.
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| − | ### The Communications Committee shall conduct any referenda initiated by the Senate.
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| − | ### The Communications Officer shall be the chair of the Communications Committee
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| − | ## Section 3: Finance Committee
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| − | ### The Finance Committee shall be responsible for guaranteeing the responsible use of student funds by student organizations.
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| − | ### The Finance Committee shall review the individual clubs’ and organizations’ annual budget requests. Based on these reviews, the Finance Committee shall recommend to the Senate the amount of each club’s budget for final approval. Each organization shall be notified of this Finance Committee recommendation at least one week prior to the general Senate meeting at which the budgets are considered. Final approval of the budgets requires a majority vote of those Senators present at a general meeting.
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| − | ### The Finance Committee shall accept and review all requests from organizations for additional funds and formulate a recommendation to the Senate. Senate shall have final authority on the appropriation of additional funding to organizations.
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| − | ### The Finance Committee shall review the proposals for the formation of new clubs. It shall make its recommendation to Senate based on criteria established by the Senate and contained in the Student Senate Finance Committee Guidelines. For a club to be officially recognized and enjoy the privileges thereof, (See “clubs” Article I, Section 2) the Senate must approve the proposal by a majority vote of those Senators present at a general meeting.
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| − | ### The Finance Committee may review any financial policy that affects students and introduce motions and/or recommendations to the Senate based on those policy reviews.
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| − | ### The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.
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| − | ## Section 4: Dining Services Committee
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| − | ### The Dining Services Committee shall represent student views on all matters relating to the Dining Services of Knox College.
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| − | ### The Dining Services Committee may review any Dining Services policy that affects students and introduce motions and/or recommendations to the Senate based on those policy reviews.
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| − | ### The chair of the Dining Services Committee shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall be elected in the Spring Term campus-wide elections.
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| − | ## Section 5: Residential Quality of Life Committee
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| − | ### The Residential Quality of Life Committee shall represent student views on all matters relating to the Campus Life Office of Knox College and will, assist the Office in identifying programmatic, developmental and operational deficiencies within the residential environment, and work collaboratively with this office to identify solutions and assist in their implementation.
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| − | ### At least two weeks before the annual housing lottery, the Residential Quality of Life Committee shall, with the assistance of the Associate Dean of Students for Campus Life, review applications for Special Interest Housing grants. Using criteria established and approved by the Senate, the committee shall make a recommendation to the Student Life Committee, who will formally approve grant selection. Grant selection must also be approved by the full Student Senate.
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| − | ### The Residential Quality of Life Committee may review any Residential Learning Policy that affects students and may introduce motions and/or recommendations to the Senate based on those policy reviews.
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| − | ### The chair of the Residential Quality of Life Committee shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall be elected in the Spring Term campus-wide elections.
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| − | ## Section 6: Safety and Services Committee
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| − | ### The Safety and Services Committee shall represent the students’ views on all matters concerning issues of safety and services on the Knox College Campus.
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| − | ### This committee may review any policy of the safety and services departments which affects students and introduce recommendations and/or motions to Senate based on those policy reviews.
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| − | ### The chair of the Safety and Services Committee shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall be elected in the Spring Term campus-wide elections.
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| − | ## Section 7: The Technology Committee
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| − | ### The Technology Committee shall be responsible for best utilizing the technological resources at the college’s disposal to best serve students in both academic and residential life.
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| − | ### The Technology Committee may review any policy of the College that pertains to the use of technology on campus.
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| − | ### The chair of the Technology Committee shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall be elected in the Spring Term campus-wide elections
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| − | # Officers of Student Senate
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| − | ## Section 1: The Executive Board
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| − | ### The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Safety and Services Committee Chair, Technology Committee Chair, Dining Services Committee Chair, Residential Quality of Life Chair and the First-Year counselor, who shall be ex officio, non-voting.
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| − | ### The Executive Board shall provide general leadership to the Student Senate and shall oversee and coordinate the activities of the standing, special, and ad hoc Senate committees as well as meet with the college administration periodically.
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| − | ### The Executive Board shall interpret this Constitution. Interpretations shall be final and determined by a majority of the entire Executive Board.
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| − | ### The Executive Board shall have the power to act for the full Senate at times when the Senate is not in session.
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| − | ## Section 2: The President of the Student Body/Student Senate
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| − | ### The President will be one of the four student representatives on the Student Life Committee.
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| − | ### The President is the spokesperson for the Senate to the community and is responsible for all the activities of Senate.
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| − | ### The President shall have the executive power in terms of Senate resolutions and shall be the chief spokesperson for student rights and student empowerment on campus.
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| − | ### The President shall chair the Executive Board of Senate and in such capacity oversee and coordinate the activities of other officers.
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| − | ### The President may call special meetings of the Senate.
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| − | ### The President shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member on all Standing Senate Committees.
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| − | ### The president must have served at least three total academic terms on Student Senate prior to his or her taking office.
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| − | ### The President of the Senate shall invite the President of the College to deliver an address to the Student Senate detailing the state of Knox College. The invitation should be delivered during the first week of winter term and request that the President of the College comes before the Senate at a time convenient to both parties.
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| − | ## Section 3: The Vice President of the Student Body/Student Senate
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| − | ### The Vice President will be one of the four student representatives on the Student Life Committee.
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| − | ### The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President in the President’s absence.
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| − | ### The Vice President shall be an ex officio, non-voting member of all standing Senate Committees.
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| − | ### The Vice President shall be the administrator of all Student Senate elections.
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| − | ## Section 4: The Treasurer of the Student Body/Student Senate
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| − | ### The Treasurer will be one of the four student representatives on the Student Life Committee.
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| − | ### The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Senate and of the student body and in such role, shall see that student funds are used responsibly.
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| − | ### The Treasurer, with the assistance of the Finance Committee and the final approval of the Senate, shall formulate recommendations to the College concerning financial matters including, but not limited to, tuition increases, the budget of Union Board, the budgets of the student publications and the amount of money allocated to the Senate for appropriation to the various student clubs and organizations.
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| − | ### The treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee and in such role be responsible for the committee’s activities.
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| − | ### The Treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing the funds of the student organizations on campus. In such role, the treasurer shall collect budget requests from clubs and distribute them to the Finance Committee for consideration.
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| − | ### The Treasurer shall also collect additional fund requests and distribute them to the Finance Committee for consideration.
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| − | ### Upon final approval of club budgets by the Senate, the Treasurer shall direct the Student Activities Office to deposit in each club’s account the final amount approved by Senate.
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| − | ### The Treasurer shall be an ex officio, non-voting member on all standing Senate committees.
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| − | ### The Treasurer must have gone through the budget process prior to his/her term in office.
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| − | ## Section 5: The Communications Officer of the Student Body/Student Senate
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| − | ### The Communications Officer will be one of the four student representatives on the Student Life Committee.
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| − | ### The Communications Officer shall be responsible for informing the community about the decisions made by Student Senate as well as publicizing upcoming Senate meetings.
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| − | ### The Communications Officer shall be responsible for facilitating all Senate sponsored forums.
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| − | ### The Communications Officer shall be an ex officio, non-voting member on all standing Senate committees.
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| − | ## Section 6: The First-Year Counselor
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| − | ### The First-Year Counselor shall be elected by the Senators representing the first-year class after fall district elections.
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| − | ### The First-Year Counselor shall serve as the liaison between the First-Year Senators and the Executive Board of Student Senate. The primary responsibility of the First-Year Counselor shall be to work in conjunction with the Executive Board in order to integrate First-Year Senators into Senate’s procedures and structures.
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| − | ### The First-Year Counselor shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member on all standing Senate committees.
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| − | # Meetings of the Student Senate
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| − | ## Section 1: Open Meetings
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| − | ### Meetings of the Student Senate shall be open to all members of the community as well as to the press and their recording devices.
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| − | ### Every general meeting of the Student Senate shall have a period of the meeting for “Community Business,” at which time members of the community may address the Senate.
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| − | ## Section 2: Quorum
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| − | ###Quorum is required for any official Senate action. A quorum shall consist of one-half plus one of the total members of Senate. If quorum is not achieved at a regularly scheduled general meeting or is lost during a regularly scheduled meeting, the Senate may only hear community business, committee reports, officer reports, administrator reports or engage in informal discussion.
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| − | ## Section 3: Parliamentary Procedure
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| − | ### The Knox College Student Senate’s Parliamentary Procedure as contained in the Knox College Student Senate By-Laws shall govern the Senate in all official meetings.
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| − | # Censure, Impeachment, and Removal
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| − | ## Section 1: Censure
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| − | ### A censure motion shall require a second and a two-thirds vote of those Senators present at a general meeting. The Senator in question shall have the right to make a final statement immediately prior to the vote. The censure motion shall be read as the Senator stands in front of the chamber and will be released to the media.
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| − | ## Section 2: Impeachment
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| − | ### An individual may be impeached as a Senator or an Officer. Any Senator may propose an impeachment resolution and the resolution shall be considered a main motion and requires a second and a majority of the entire Senate for approval. Upon passage of the impeachment resolution, the Senator or Officer is officially “impeached.”
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| − | ### The student body may also present an impeachment resolution by presenting a petition to Senate bearing the signatures of twenty per cent of the full-time student body. Upon verification of the requisite twenty per cent of the student body, the Senator or Officer is officially impeached. The presiding officer may ask students who have signed the petition for verification of their signature.
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| − | ### Any impeachment motion shall contain a detailed account and explanation of the charges and whether the Senator is being impeached only as an Officer or as a Senator.
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| − | ### Following and impeachment, there shall immediately be an investigation of the charges by a special committee appointed by the non-impeached members of the Executive Board. The committee will report its findings to the full Senate no later than one week after the Senator or Officer has been impeached.
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| − | ### Following the Judiciary Committee’s report there shall be a special hearing of the full Senate to determine whether the Senator or Officer should be removed.
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| − | ## Section 3: Removal
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| − | ### A presentation shall be made by the special committee listing their recommendation.
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| − | ### The impeached Senator or Officer may make a statement and question those making the charges as well as members of the Special Committee. Other Senators may question the impeached Senator if and only if the impeached Senator agrees.
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| − | ### Senators may also question the sponsors of the impeachment resolution.
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| − | ### The impeached Senator or Officer shall then leave the room so that the Senate may privately deliberate and vote on the matter.
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| − | ### In the case of an Officer being impeached as an Officer, a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate shall be necessary for removal from office. Upon this two-thirds vote, the Officer shall immediately relinquish his or her office and all the duties of that office.
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| − | ### A Senator or Officer who is removed shall relinquish their position on any and all faculty committees.
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| − | ### The procedures outlined in this article shall not apply if an officer leaves, or goes on an off campus study program for at least a term, or graduates.
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| − | ### The Senate may establish an attendance policy with a removal component that would not have to be consistent with the above procedures.
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| − | ## Section 4: Recall Elections
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| − | ###During the course of an academic term, a district may recall its representative if they have grievances with the representative.
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| − | ### To initiate a recall election, the members of the district must present the Student Senate with a petition that contains thirty-three percent of the district resident’s signatures and a reason for attempting to initiate a recall vote.
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| − | ### When this is accomplished, a special election will be held to determine whether or not that representative will be replaced by a different candidate.
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| − | ### A majority of the district must vote to replace the candidate in order for the removal to take effect.
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| − | # Initiative and Referendum
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| − | ## Section 1: Initiative
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| − | ### The student body may initiate regular motions, amendments to the Senate Constitution, or amendments to any judicial bodies’ constitutions in the Senate through a student petition bearing the signatures of at least twenty per cent of the number of full-time students. This requirement fulfilled, the Senate shall be obliged to debate the proposition and put it to a vote of the Senate within two weeks of it being presented to the Senate.
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| − | ## Section 2: Referendum
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| − | ### Any legislation may be presented to the student body for a referendum by a majority vote of the Student Senate or by a petition bearing the signatures of at least twenty per cent of the number of the full-time students. It shall be the responsibility of the Communications Committee to administer this referendum, the result of which will be obligatory upon the Senate provided that the at least fifty per cent of the number of students in full-time residence take part in the vote.
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| − | # Amendments
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| − | ## Section 1: Proposal of Amendments
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| − | ### Amendments to this Constitution can be suggested by any Senator.
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| − | ### Prior to ratification, an amendment must be officially proposed. This can happen in two ways:
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| − | #### An amendment may be officially proposed through a majority vote of the Senate, or
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| − | #### An amendment may also be officially proposed by the student body through a petition bearing the signatures of twenty per cent of the student body . (See “initiative” Article VII, section 1.)
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| − | ### Any proposed amendment may be debated for ratification immediately, but must be debated for ratification within two weeks.
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| − | ## Section 2: Ratification of Amendments
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| − | ### After an amendment has been officially proposed either from the student body or the Senate, ratification shall require a two-thirds vote of the entire Student Senate and a majority vote of the Student Life Committee.
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| − | ### Any amendment that proposes change in a college policy or faculty regulations must be approved by the appropriate faculty committee or by the entire faculty in the case of proposed changes to faculty regulations.
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| − | # Student Rights
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| − | ##The enumeration in this Constitution and in the Knox College Student Handbook of certain student rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the students.
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| | | | |
| − | == Bylaws == | + | ==See also== |
| | + | *[[List of Current and Former Student Senators]] |
| | + | *[[Text of Student Senate Constitution and Bylaws]] |
| | + | *[http://departments.knox.edu/studentsenate/index.html Student Senate official website] |
| | | | |
| − | 1. Election of Senators
| + | [[Category:Student Government]] |
| − | 1. At the beginning of each academic year, it will be the responsibility of the Executive Board to organize districts based proportionally on residence figures
| + | [[Category:Student Senate]] |
| − | 2. Once the districts have been apportioned, it will be decided at the discretion of the Executive Board as to how many representatives will be elected from each district
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| − | 3. It will then be the job of the Communications Officer to make available applications for prospective candidates.
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| − | 4. Once the deadline for applications has passed, the Vice President will setup an online election and the Communications Officer will publicize it to the entire campus.
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| − | 5. By this process, Senators will be elected and shall hold office for a term with the maximum length of one year and not to extend past the next immediate spring term following their election.
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| − | 6. The election process should be completed and the new Student Senate should be seated by October 1.
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| − | 7. Once elections are completed; no extra Senator positions or 'at-large' Senators may be created without a ¾ majority of Senate votes.
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| − | 2. Senate Meetings
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| − | 1. Each meeting will begin at a pre-set time and at a predetermined location.
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| − | 2. Meetings shall be scheduled to last two hours and take place once a week.
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| − | 3. Senators should make it a priority to attend fully all meetings as each of them has been elected by their peers within the Knox community.
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| − | 4. Meetings will begin with a roll call.
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| − | 5. Absences will be either excused or unexcused.
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| − | 6. In order to obtain an excused absence, a Senator must clear with the Vice President the reason for his/her absence at least one day prior to the weekly Senate meeting.
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| − | 7. Only the absences cleared by the Vice President will be excused, all other absences will be unexcused.
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| − | 8. In order to take an action, Senate must maintain quorum. Quorum will consist of ½ + 1 of the total number of Senators being present.
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| − | 9. Once the chamber has achieved quorum, the meeting will continue in the format the presiding officer sees fit.
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| − | 3. Structure of Committees.
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| − | 1. At the first meeting of Student Senate, the presiding officer shall instruct Senators to declare their preferences of Senate committees and faculty committees.
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| − | 2. The Exec Board, which consists of the President, Vice President, Communications Officer, Treasurer, and the First-Year Representative, shall then assign Senators to committees.
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| − | 3. The Exec Board will then appoint a Chair of each committee. The default Chairs of the finance and communications committees will be the Treasurer and Communications Officer respectively.
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| − | 4. Committees are encouraged to meet weekly and are required to meet no less than four times per academic term.
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| − | 5. Attendance at all regularly scheduled committee meetings is mandatory.
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| − | 6. The same rules for excused absences apply for committees with the lone exception being that the committee Chair and not the Vice President is the person whom needs to excuse a committee absence.
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| − | 7. As with all Senate meetings, all committee meetings will be open to any member of the Knox community.
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| − | 4. Procedures of Senate Meetings.
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| − | 1. With the exception of anything explicitly listed below, Robert's Rules of Order will govern Senate meetings.
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| − | 2. The number of 'ayes' needed to pass a resolution is ½ + 1 of the Senators present.
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| − | 3. The number of 'ayes' needed to pass a Constitutional Amendment shall be 2/3 of all present Senators.
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| − | 4. The number of 'ayes' needed to remove an item from the consent agenda shall be ten
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| − | 5. The number of 'ayes' needed to close the speakers list shall be 2/3 of the present Senators.
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| − | 6. The number of 'ayes' needed to immediately end discussion shall be ¾ of the present Senators.
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| − | 7. If a Senator wishes to be heard, he/she is to raise his/her hand to be added to the speakers list.
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| − | 8. The presiding officer shall call on Senators to speak in the order which they were added to the speakers list.
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| − | 9. The President shall preside over all Senate functions.
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| − | 10. In the event that the President is unable to preside over a meeting or wishes to engage in debate, he/she must yield the chair to the Vice President or next ranking officer.
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| − | 11. Officers rank as follows: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Safety and Services Committee Chair, Dining Services Committee Chair, Technology Committee Chair, Residential Quality of Life Committee Chair and finally First-Year Representative.
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| − | 12. In the rare event that none of the above mentioned officers are able to preside, Senate shall immediately adjourn until the next scheduled Senate meeting. M. Senate may go into a closed session when a ¾ majority wishes to do so.
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| − | 5. Attendance Policy and Policies for Dismissal/Resignation of Senators.
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| − | 1. A Senator is allowed one unexcused absences per academic term.
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| − | 2. A second unexcused absence in a given term will result in the immediate dismissal of that Senator.
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| − | 3. An unexcused committee absence shall count as ½ of a Senate unexcused absence.
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| − | 4. Any Senator may resign from office at any time which they deem necessary by writing a letter to the President of the Senate.
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| − | 5. A Senator may vacate his/her Senate seat for any reason and any length of time that the Exec Board determines to be appropriate.
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| − | 6. In the event of a Senator's dismissal or resignation, the seat shall remain vacant until a special election is held before the first Senate meeting of the next academic term.
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| − | 7. In the event a Senator vacates his/her seat, the Exec Board shall either recommend a replacement or leave the seat empty.
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| − | 8. If and when a Senator returns to the post he/she vacated, the Senator who was filling in will be removed.
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| − | 9. In the event of a vacated seat, the newly installed Senator must be confirmed by a 2/3 majority of the full Senate.
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| − | 10. If a Senator is assigned to a faculty committee, it is his/her responsibility to attend those committee meetings on a regular basis. The Student Senate Exec Board reserves the right to excuse any faculty committee member from service if he/she misses an egregious amount of faculty committee meetings.
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| − | 6. Voting
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| − | 1. There are four distinct types of votes: voice votes, hand votes, straw poll votes and roll call votes.
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| − | 2. All votes by default will be done by a voice vote.
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| − | 3. The presiding officer will tally any hand vote and announce it to the chamber. The tally will also be included in the Senate minutes.
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| − | 4. A roll call vote may be requested by any Senator.
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| − | 5. All roll call votes will be indicated in the minutes so they are made public knowledge as they are intended. The vote tally will also be announced to the chamber.
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| − | 6. A straw poll vote may be requested by any member of the Exec Board.
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| − | 7. The Election of Officers (Exec Board)
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| − | 1. Applications for the next year's Exec Board and other offices will be made available during the fourth or fifth week of spring term.
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| − | 2. The outgoing Vice President of the Senate will oversee the election process once the application deadline has passed, unless the outgoing Vice President is seeking election to the Exec Board, in which case the election committee will oversee the election.
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Student Senate serves two primary purposes. First, it is the student body's legislative body for student affairs, most notably the distribution of club budgetary money and disbursement of the Senate Discretionary Fund. Second, it is the students' primary advocate for student interests to the faculty, staff and administration, and to that end passes a lot of resolutions and conducts a lot of committee work making recommendations for reform.
Senate meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in CFA 110.
Senators[edit]
Senators are elected early in Fall Term to serve for the school year. Each year the Executive Board draws election districts from which senators are elected.
See also List of current and former District Senators
Executive Committee[edit]
The Executive Committee, comprising the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer (and since 2006 the four committee chairs), steers the activities of Senate and draws election districts. The Executive Committee meets once a week, but nobody knows when, and no minutes are published.
The four executive officers are the four members of the Student Life Committee (SLC), which distributes the Student Activity Fee Fund (approx. $300,000 for 2006-07).
The Student Life Committee voted to pay the four executive officers a stipend of approximately 10 hours per week ($7.50/hr) during the summer of 2006 and was not discussed by the general student senate. The stipend is identical to those paid to student leaders of organizations like Union Board, Catch and TKS. Those stipends have been in place for many years.
Current Executive Board 2021 / 2022[edit]
See also List of current and former Executive Board members
See also [1]
Committees[edit]
Committees for student senate will change every so often, depending on what the students think is important, and what needs wish to be met. Past committees have included: Safety and Services, Technology, Residential Quality of Life, and many more.
In 2022, there are seven standing Student Senate committees: Dining Services, Finance, Campus Life, Health and Wellness, Sustainability, Diversity, and Campus Outreach. They each meet once a week throughout the week to discuss campus issues and write resolutions.
Committee Meeting Times
Student Senate Update[edit]
At least once per week the Communications Officer sends a Student Senate Update e-mail to the entire campus, containing the minutes of the previous meeting. These minutes are meant to be word-for-word, but as a single person collects them by typing them as quickly as possible as things are said, they are generally not completely verbatim. Senators are, however, sent the minutes prior to the campus wide email with the opportunity to correct them. Senators are also encouraged to email text of extended statements to the Senate Clerk. Non-senators, on the other hand, do not have the opportunity to correct their remarks, and thus their views are more often inadequately expressed in the minutes. Moreover, whereas in previous years the Clerk was a neutral body and not permitted to participate in debate, the current Senate administration has allowed the Clerk to participate in debate on numerous occasions, raising serious questions of bias in Senate recordkeeping.
The only way to get the full experience is to attend the meeting.
Club Budget Process[edit]
The Finance Committee administrates the club budget process. At the beginning of Spring Term, representatives of all clubs must attend a meeting that explains the process. Soon after all clubs may bring draft budgets to members of the Finance Committee, who can provide assistance. All clubs submit final drafts, and then the committee apportions funds based on the total quantity of money available from the Student Activity Fee.
Controversies[edit]
Budget Process 2006[edit]
The budget decisions in 2006 caused a huge uproar because several clubs received less money then was usual when they failed to follow the detailed budget rules correctly. Notable clubs that protested their assignments at the 18 May 2006 Senate meeting included Caxton Club, Martial Arts Club, Badminton Club, Cricket Club, and Common Ground.
The problems with the 2006 process led to major reforms and simplifications in the budget process during the 2006-2007 school year. Many say the subsequent budget process has gone much more smoothly, but for others, concerns remain regarding a variety of changes such as the new cap on the budget a club can request for a year and a (much lower) cap on additional funds/budget requests for a new club's first year.
Executive Board By-Laws Rewrite 2007[edit]
Shortly after election of the new Executive Board for the 2007-2008 school year, President-elect Brad Middleton, AJ Ross, and possibly others began rewriting the Senate By-Laws in secret. They were presented to the Executive Board for approval at its last meeting of the 2006-2007 school year on May 23. Prior to that point, most of the Executive Board knew nothing of the proposed By-Laws changes, although they had been leaked to other sources.
There were two primary changes: The less controversial change added agreement by unanimous consent to the By-Laws. The second major change radically altered the procedural structure by which Student Senate considers resolutions. Whereas previously the Senate considered motions brought to the floor on the floor and only referred them to committee on occasions when the issues required significant development, the changes require that all resolutions be referred to committee unless the Chair (typically the President) or a 2/3 majority of Senate (the same threshold used for amending the constitution) decide to refer it directly to the floor. In committee, a resolution must gain the support of the committee chair (and in result the Executive Board) as well as the administration before it may be debated on the Senate floor.
The Executive Board approved the changes unanimously, and according to Senate President Brad Middleton they will be introduced as law in the first Senate meeting of the 2007-2008 year.
The objections were twofold: first, the Executive Board had fundamentally altered the procedures by which Senate does business without allowing Senate to vote on the matter. The Executive Board justified itself using Article 4 Section 1 Clause 3 of the Student Senate Constitution, which states "The Executive Board shall have the power to act for the full Senate at times when the Senate is not in session." The Executive Board apparently interpreted this as carte blanche, while others feel that it is an abuse of the caretaker powers assigned to Senate. The question of further use of this privilege appeared in the Discourse article, including concerns that the Executive Board could nullify acts of Senate after Senate had adjourned, or act in regard to resolutions it considered particular desirable or undesirable, crippling or approving them between Thursdays and then reporting the results as a fait accompli.
The second objection concerned the actual new resolution procedures. The changes have been interpreted to mean that the Executive Board and the administration now have the power to kill resolutions they do not like, irrespective of the opinions of the Senate. Multiple members of the Executive Board have suggested that they can be trusted not to abuse this power, but some question may be raised as to the honesty of that, considering the method by which the changes were approved; also, regardless of whether or not it is consciously abused, the style of power such an amendment allows may well put the student body's definition of abuse, which would center on maintaining its democratic right to control its Senate, at odds with the Executive Board's, which will apparently focus more on cultivating a relationship with the administration and deciding bills in small committees and among the Board than respecting the sense of Senate and the student body as a whole.
Although not specified in the amendment, Senate President Brad Middleton suggested that the motion to move a resolution directly to the floor would occur during the Additions and Revisions to the Agenda portion of the meeting - but, as the motion would likely be interpreted narrowly, might not allow members of the Senate to have details on a resolution before a vote to consider is taken, likely eliminating all but the most extraordinary chance of a bill being successfully taken from committee. Notably, the US Congress has a similar rule to take from committee, only requiring a simple majority - a feat even they rarely achieve.
Demographics[edit]
2007-2008[edit]
Not yet compiled
2006-2007[edit]
Note: These are estimations only.
There are a total of 57 senators on Student Senate (including the Executive Board):
- 38 (67%) are male (44% of campus).
- 19 (33%) are female (56% of campus).
- 32 (56%) are Greek-affiliated (~35% of campus)
- 23 (40%, 61% of total males) are Greek-affiliated males
- 9 (16%, 47% of total females) are Greek-affiliated females
- 1 (2%) is an international student (7% of campus)
- 10 (18%) are students of color (15% of campus)
- 13 (23%) are Class of 2007
- 14 (25%) are Class of 2008
- 14 (25%) are Class of 2009
- 16 (28%) are Class of 2010
Of the Executive Board:
Greek representation[edit]
Of all Senate:
Of the Executive Board:
See also[edit]
