Section Nine: Student Government Organization Constitution

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Preamble

Students of Carroll Community College, in the belief that the college experience offers many and varied opportunities for students to develop an awareness of their rights and responsibilities as members of the community, do hereby establish this constitution for the Student Government Organization.

Article I. Name

The name of the organization, for all official intents and purposes, shall be the Carroll Community College Student Government Organization, hereafter referred to as the SGO.

Article II. Membership

Every enrolled credit student of Carroll Community College, both full and part time, is a member of the SGO, and eligible for the Governance Board, without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnic background, national origin, age, disability, or religion.
To participate in SGO, those students who have completed a total of 24 term credit hours at any accredited undergraduate institution shall be considered second-year students. Those students who have completed fewer than 24 term credit hours shall be considered first-year students.

Article III. Objectives

The primary objectives of the SGO and its appointed members are to:

Ensure the privileges, rights, and responsibilities of all students as stipulated in the Student Bill of Rights.
Acknowledge and support student clubs and organizations on campus that present themselves to the SGO for approval.
Provide leadership and guidance to committees and clubs so they may organize and direct meetings and events that comply with the objectives of the organization’s constitution.
Assist in explaining administrative views and policies to the student body.
Seek problem areas in which student views and feedback can be represented either to faculty or administration.
Actively encourage student involvement in all clubs, organizations, and activities and foster volunteerism both on and off campus.
To develop a degree of professionalism in its members.

Article IV. Constitutional Authority

This constitution shall be the fundamental law governing the actions of the entire student body; this includes the student government as well as any and all student clubs and organizations.

Article V. Organization

The affairs of the SGO shall be managed by a Governance Board, which will act as the principal student governing board of Carroll Community College, with all other student organizations subsidiary to it.

The Governance Board of the SGO shall consist of up to ten elected members. Returning students shall be comprised of five students currently attending Carroll in either first-year or second-year standing and shall be elected in the spring term for the following school year. Their roles as student leaders shall begin officially on July 1 of that year. The following fall semester an additional five students will be elected to the Governance Board. These students can be new students or returning students to the college. New students shall be new to Carroll for the given school year and may be either incoming freshman or transfer students, regardless of credits earned.
1. These members shall be chosen by free election by the student body following a review by the SGO, as described in the Constitutional By-Laws.
2. All students who have completed college credits must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and carry a minimum of 6 credits per term in order to be eligible for positions on the SGO Governance Board.
3. Any Governance board member who is absent without cause for three meetings throughout the term is immediately suspended. A clarification of cause of an absence must be decided by majority vote of the Governance Board. A two-thirds majority vote is required for the overturning of a suspension. Any result less than a two-thirds vote, member is expelled although they may run for office the following election. Any appeal by the suspended member will be heard one week after suspension.
Executive Officers of the Governance Board will be: President, Vice President, Communications Officer, and Secretary. The duties of these officers shall be as stated below unless otherwise agreed upon by the Governance Board. All officers are to provide leadership in their respective positions.

President:

Presides over all meetings of the SGO and ensures that Parliamentary Procedure and the Code of Ethics are followed.
Acts as official representative for all necessary functions or appoints any Governance Board member in their place.
Creates provisional committees.
Appoints provisional committee heads and members.
Schedules SGO meeting time for the present term.
Calls emergency SGO meetings.
May cancel/reschedule meetings.
Executes and enforces the provisions of the Constitution.
Serves as SGO representative to the Board of Trustees.

Vice-President:

Shall preside over SGO meetings in President’s absence.
Assumes powers of the President following dismissal, resignation, or impeachment of the President.

Communications Officer:

Responsible for ensuring proper publicity for SGO related memorandums, announcements, calendars, meetings, activities, or events by either taking responsibility or appointing another board member to do so.
Responsible for maintaining the SGO Blackboard page and social media presence.

Secretary:

Records and distributes all minutes of the SGO meetings.
Responsible for generating a list of members of SGO which would include their names, addresses, and phone numbers.
Shall be responsible for ordering flowers, cards, or the appropriate action for students, faculty, or staff within the college community pending approval from the SGO.

Article VI. Student Activities Finance Board

The Student Activities Finance Board, hereafter referred to as the SAFB, is subsidiary to the SGO. The SAFB allocates funds to clubs and organizations for budget requests which have been determined to be programmatically appropriate by the SGO. The Student Activities Finance Board shall be appointed by the Director of Student Life.

The membership of the Student Activities Finance Board shall be:
1. Chair (non-voting): Director of Student Life
2. Vice Chair (voting): Coordinator of Experiential Learning and Student Organizations
3. Additional Student Member (voting): Two members of the SGO
4. Non-Student Members (voting): =
  1. Faculty Representative - Any regular full-time or part-time teaching professional.
  2. Administrative Representative - Any professional staff member employed under an administrative contract.
  3. Other members of the Student Affairs team may be offered a position on the SAFB, at discretion of the Director of Student Life
5. Secretary (non-voting): The Director of Student Life shall provide the administrative support for the SAFB.
The SAFB shall be responsible for the following:
1. Yearly Budgeting Process‑The SAFB shall coordinate the budgeting process each fall and spring term and the Director of Student Life shall monitor the budget throughout the year.
2. Updated club budgets will be given to club representatives by the Coordinator of Experiential Learning and Student Organizations.
Quorum for the SAFB shall be at least five voting members.
Meetings
1. The SAFB shall hold budget hearings each fall and spring term. Requests for additional funds will be presented to the SAFB and voted on by members.
2. The meetings of the SAFB shall be open to the college community.
SAFB By-Laws. The SAFB may review the by-laws and propose changes to the SGO as necessary. Any changes made to the SAFB By-Laws shall require a majority vote of the SGO.

Article VII. Campus Organizations

Clubs or special interest organizations may be formed if the creation coincides with the objectives of Carroll Community College for the general benefit of the student body. All clubs and organizations recognized by the SGO must be open to all current credit students without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnic background, national origin, age, disability, or religion.

Any new organization that requests recognition from the SGO must meet the following criteria:
1. At least three members that will act as a temporary steering committee and a consenting full-time faculty or staff advisor.
2. A written constitution that includes: the official name, purpose, membership, structure and organization, elections, duties of officers, finances (if applicable), affiliation (if applicable), and procedures for amendment.
3. A Budget Request Form detailing funds requested from the available Student Activities Fees for the remainder of the current academic year.
The organization shall be officially recognized by a simple majority of the SGO.
Existing campus clubs and organizations that have previously been approved operate under the following regulations:
1. All club participants must be current credit students at Carroll Community College.
2. Officers of campus organizations must possess and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0
3. Organizational funding shall be determined by the Student Activities Finance Board in accordance with the By-Laws established by the SGO. Any organization can request funds generated by student activities fees at an SAFB meeting, provided the SGO has approved the conceptual appropriateness of the request.
4. A member of the SGO Board who is also a club/organization president or a steering committee member for a club or organization must abstain from voting on issues which would directly benefit that club or organization.

Article VIII. Amendments

Any amendments to this Constitution, its By-Laws, or the Code of Ethics and Conduct, may be introduced by any member of the SGO.
Any amendment to the Constitution, its By-Laws, or the Code of Ethics and Conduct must be approved by the student body in a referendum a week following its introduction to the student body. A simple majority vote will allow the proposed amendment to pass to the SGO for approval.
Any amendment must be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote by the members of the SGO.
Any amendment to the By-Laws may be approved by a two-thirds majority of the SGO without referendum.

Article X. Ratification

Ratification of this Constitution for the Carroll Community College Student Government Organization, and the Code of Ethics and Conduct shall be established by a simple majority vote by the present SGO members, followed by a referendum majority vote of the student body.

Impeachment

Impeachment procedures of any member who isn’t upholding the Constitution, By-Laws, or the Code of Ethics and Conduct can be initiated by any member, and executed by the SGO, in accordance with the By-Laws.

Student Government Organization By-Laws

Impeachment procedures of any member who is not upholding the Constitution, By-Laws, or the Code of Ethics and Conduct can be initiated by any member, and executed by the SGO, as follow:

Article I. Impeachment

Impeachment procedures of any member who isn’t upholding the Constitution, By-Laws, or the Code of Ethics and Conduct can be initiated by any member, and executed by the SGO, as follows.

If a member of the Governance Board would like to impeach another member, they must approach the advisor or president with specific violations of the guiding documents.
The member charged will be contacted by the advisor and/or president with notice of the hearing and charges.
The member charged will have at least a week to prepare a response, which they will present at the next SGO meeting.
The member charged may by ousted by a two-thirds vote.
If the member charged is not impeached, they shall be encouraged to implement constructive criticism given at the hearing.
If found guilty, they may be given the opportunity to resign, otherwise, they will be expelled.

Article II. Student Election Guidelines

All persons interested in running for office have a week to campaign during elections.
All candidates may use flyers, posters, and other advertising material on the campus grounds, provided they are approved by the Student Life Office.
Elections will be run on the SGO Blackboard site during the week of elections, 8:00 AM Monday through 5:00 PM Friday.
Returning students who wish to run for SGO may participate in elections the week prior to finals during the spring semester. New students who wish to run for SGO may participate in and interview during the third full week of the fall semester followed by elections during the fourth week.
Applications for Candidacy shall be available in the Student Life Office four weeks prior to elections week.
All applications will be reviewed by the SGO members and SGO Advisor. Eligible candidates will be interviewed and selected by the SGO one week prior to elections week.
Criteria for selection includes: demonstrated commitment to support the best interests of the student body at Carroll Community College, emerging leadership skills, integrity and the ability to be collaborative. The Elections Committee shall seek Executive Board members with diverse experiences, areas of study, and points of view.
The SGO shall elect a qualified person to fill any vacancy in membership. Notification of any vacancy must be made public to the student body immediately, and the SGO will vote two weeks following submitted applications. A candidate for any vacancy must complete an Application for Candidacy Form, including a petition and signatures of at least 10 members of Carroll Community College. An application for any vacancy will be available from the Office of Student Life.
The President and Vice President must be of returning student standing and their positions shall be filled by the second meeting following the spring elections. The positions of Secretary and Communications Officer may be either a returning or new student and shall be filled by the second meeting following the fall elections. The positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Communications Officer will be decided by plurality vote of the five members from the spring election. The Secretary and Communications Officer positions will be up for reelection after the fall elections are held and new SGO members have been sworn in.

Article III. Requests

Any presentation made to the SGO must be presented in writing with each SGO Board member receiving a copy of the proposed idea. No request will be considered without written copies distributed and presented by a member of the group requesting consideration.

Article IV. Budget Guidelines

Memberships to any club or organization financed through the Student Government Organization must be open to all current credit students at all times. Club meetings must be also open to all current credit students at all times.
The entire credit-seeking student body is eligible to participate in any activity financed through the SGO.
Clubs and organizations are not eligible for allocation from the SGO if their membership or philosophy implies bias in sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnic background, national origin, age, disability, or religion.
Any activities, programs, or clubs that do not abide by the SGO policies will not receive funds, and will be automatically cut off from using funds already received.
Clubs and organizations may request supplemental funds of the SAFB at any time.
Decisions on monies allotted by the SGO will be given within a two-week period.
All activities financed through the SGO and held on campus will be free of charge and open to all Carroll Community College students who have paid an activity fee. Exceptions may be made on petition to the SAFB.
Funds presently available for allocation to student organizations consist solely of student activity fees. All income derived from outside sources by organizations receiving allocations from SGO must be deposited into the organization’s SGO account.
Monies generated through outside sources must be allocated to those activities that fall within the constitutional and budget guidelines of SGO.
Transfer of money from one account or organization to another must be approved by the SAFB. The SAFB reserves the right to disapprove any such transfer.
Each club or organization receiving funds should maintain separate and detailed records of its expenditures for each event.
A portion of the total student activity fee will be placed into a contingency fund to pay for items and events not already budgeted.
All requests for funds must be submitted in writing to the SAFB members. Requests not submitted in writing and/or distributed to each SAFB member present will not be considered.
No SGO monies shall be spent on alcohol.
No club or organization shall receive monies for refreshments at club meetings. Funding for banquets or refreshments for other activities/events shall be considered a low-priority item and will be approved at the discretion of the SAFB.
Money will not be budgeted for equipment, supplies, or programs whose primary use is for classroom instructional purposes.
Advisors and students will not be paid from student activity fees for contracted services rendered for the normal operation of student clubs and organizations.
Contracted personnel must have advance approval from the SAFB prior to approval of contracts for services to student clubs and organizations. All contracts must go through the Office of Student Life, who will forward them to the Office of Risk Management for review and approval. All contracts must be signed by appropriate college officials. Students do not have the authority to sign contracts on behalf of the SGO or the College under any circumstances, no exceptions.
No person using SGO funds shall have any interest in, or derive any profit from, any contract or purchase from such funds.
Guests will pay the full cost of an event unless approved otherwise by the SAFB.
Fees collected from guests must be deposited in the club’s deposit account established for that event.
All completed receipts for expenditures incurred during the event must be submitted to the Student Life Office immediately upon completion of the event.
No money shall be reimbursed to individuals or groups without a receipt and/or prior approval.
No money shall be refunded to anyone who signed up for an event and did not participate in that event unless a refund is granted by a two-thirds majority vote of the SGO. The unused money is forfeited and goes toward payment of that event.

Article V. Mileage Expenses

Every effort should be made to reserve campus cars or vans for SGO business. If using personal vehicles, expenses shall be reimbursed by the SGO to the person responsible for the transportation of the materials documented via a Monthly Expense Voucher (available in the Administrative Services Office or the Office of Student Life). The current mileage reimbursement amount shall be paid to the person for every mile driven, starting location being Carroll Community College for reimbursement purposes.

Article VI. Fund Raisers

Clubs and Organization may have fund-raisers provided they comply with the following:

A Fund-Raising Form must be completed and presented by a member of the club or organization to the Student Life Office before a fund-raiser can be approved.
Monies generated must be used to benefit a club/organization activity or event in which the nature of the event/activity was approved by the SGO, but sufficient funds were not available or supplied, OR, monies generated will go to a charitable organization.
Campus Police must be notified, using the Campus Events Form for Money Exchange on Campus and be present for any money exchange on campus.

Article VII. Appeals Process

Appeal original action to the Student Activities Finance Board.
Appeal secondary action to the Student Government Organization.
Appeal the decision of the SGO to the Director of Student Life.
Appeal the decision of the Director of Student Life to the Associate Provost of Student Affairs.
In the appeals process, members of the SAFB, SGO Governance Board, and appellant are to be present.