1.The name of this organization will be the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA).
B.Student Body
1.The Student Body shall be defined for USGA as all full-time, currently enrolled undergraduate students for the current term.
C.Membership
1.All currently and actively enrolled full-time undergraduate students of Drexel University will be eligible for membership in the USGA, provided that the students maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 and have no standing judicial sanctions.
2.Membership in the USGA is open to all students regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or ability.
3.For the purposes of this document, USGA officers are those students holding offices in the organization.
D.Advisors
1.The primary advisor to the USGA will be the University Dean of Students or his or her designee. The USGA may appoint other advisors provided that they are full-time faculty or staff of the University.
E.Overview
1.Assemblies
a)The USGA consists of three Assemblies: one to handle academic affairs (AAA), one for student life issues (SLA), and another for Engagement and Operations Assembly (EOA).
b)The Assemblies function as independent units.
c)On a regular basis, all three Assemblies will meet as a unit in a Joint Session.
F.Quorum is required for all votes at Joint Sessions.
G.Vacant positions will not be counted against quorum.
a)Actions taken by an Assembly that incur expenditures from the Assembly's budget must be cleared with the President and Treasurer to ensure availability of proper funds.
2.Public Meeting Provision
a)All Assembly meetings and all Joint Sessions will be open to the public unless the convened body votes to close the meeting.
II.Mission Statement
A.The USGA will fairly represent the students of the University and foster relations between the students and the University community.
III.The Student Life Assembly (SLA)
A.Responsibilities
1.Consider student life issues brought to the USGA.
2.Consider University administration issues as they relate to student life.
3.Maintain correspondence with University student life personnel.
4.All SLA officers will serve as voting officers during Joint Sessions.
B.Membership
1.One student who is classified as a commuter at the time of election will be elected Commuter Representative.
2.One student who resides in University housing at the time of election will be elected Residential Living Representative.
3.One student participating in a University-recognized Greek organization on campus at the time of election will be elected Greek Life Representative.
4.One student attending the University from a foreign country will be elected International Student Representative.
5.One student participating in a University-recognized student organization at the time of election will be elected Student Organization Representative.
6.One student will be elected Athletics Representative.
IV.The Academic Affairs Assembly (AAA)
A.Responsibilities
1.Consider academics-related issues brought to the USGA.
2.Consider University administration issues as they relate to academics.
3.Maintain correspondence with the Deans of the Colleges and Schools.
4.Work with the Provost and Faculty Senate to improve the educational experience of students.
5.All AAA officers will serve as voting officers during Joint Sessions.
B.Membership
1.One Representative in the AAA will be elected from each of the following Colleges of the University by the undergraduate students majoring in a discipline within that College:
a)College of Arts and Sciences
b)College of Business
c)College of Engineering
d)College of Information Science and Technology
e)College of Media Arts and Design
f)College of Nursing and Health Professions
g)Goodwin College of Evening and Professional Studies
2.One Representative in the AAA will be elected from each of the following Schools of the University by the undergraduate students majoring in a discipline within that School:
a)School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences
b)School of Education
3.One student enrolled in a co-op program of study will be elected Co-Op Representative.
V.The Engagement and Operations Assembly (EOA)
A.Responsibilities
1.Guide the procedural and structural evolution of the organization.
2.Prepare legislation relating to internal policies, including amendments to this document and the SOP.
3.Facilitate efficient operation of the other Assemblies.
4.Oversight of elections.
5.All EOA officers will serve as voting officers during Joint Sessions unless otherwise noted in the position description.
6.The EOA shall nominate one of its members to be a CPSG Representative.
a)At that time the candidate will be voted on by the following Joint Assembly Meeting. If the CPSG Representative shall step down or be removed, they shall be replaced by the next Joint Session meeting.
B.Membership
1.Election to all positions in the EOA will be open to any eligible candidate as defined in the "Elections" portion of this document unless otherwise noted in the position description.
2.The Treasurer will develop the annual organization budget, maintain the financial records of the organization, and serve as the official University contact for USGA financial matters.
3.The Archivist will serve as the secretary of the EOA and the USGA as a whole, archiving the business of the government and taking minutes at EOA meetings and Joint Sessions. Will be chairperson of the Library Committee and will be the primary contact with the library
4.The Events Director will handle facilities resources for USGA events, including reservations, security, and other matters, as well as assist with event logistics. This person will serve as the key coordinator of the annual Student Life Awards Banquet.
5.The Personnel Director will track personnel assignments within the USGA. This person accepts and files personnel paperwork, such as resignations, misconduct charges and applications.
6.The Media and Marketing Director will promote USGA events and maintain official USGA communication with campus media outlets. Additionally, this person will be available to help the Assemblies develop promotional materials for their events.
7.The Technology Director will be responsible for maintaining the Web site and other electronic communications systems of the USGA.
VI.The USGA Executives
A.The President
1.Responsibilities
a)Serve as the official representative of the USGA to the University and the community at-large.
b)Serve as the official representative of USGA to non-Drexel student governments.
c)Preside over and prepare agendas for Joint Sessions of the USGA.
d)USGA President is designated as a representative of the CPSG
e)Only vote during Joint Sessions to resolve ties.
2.Election
a)The President will be elected by the voting undergraduate student body.
b)All candidates for the Presidency must have served at least one “academic” year as an active voting member in the USGA.
3.Additional Rights and Privileges.
a)Executive Review. The President will review legislation passed by the Assemblies or the Joint Session as a sign of final approval. If the President wishes, however, he or she is permitted to veto such legislative actions up to seventy-two hours after they are passed by notifying the Vice President in writing. Any legislation not vetoed after seventy-two hours will be automatically enacted.
B.The Vice President
1.Responsibilities
a)Monitor the internal workings of the organization and facilitate smooth operation of the Assemblies.
b)Serve as the official representative of USGA to other Drexel student governments.
c)Serve as a voting officer during Joint Sessions.
d)Serve as the coordinator of legislative operations for the USGA and must review SOP changes to ensure that no document conflicts arise.
e)If the President shall hold the Chair of the Council of the CPSG and or is unable to hold a representative position, the Vice-President shall hold the President’s representative seat.
f)Fulfill the duties of the President in his or her absence.
2.Election
a)The Vice President will be appointed by the outgoing government at the second Joint Session of the Spring term.
b)All candidates for the Presidency must have served at least one “academic” year as an active voting member in the USGA
3.Additional Rights and Privileges
a)Consensus Request. The Vice President may delegate an item to a particular Assembly but invoke this right to require the item to be approved in a convened Joint Session to take effect.
b)Document Consistency. The Vice President may reject, with recommendations, amendments to the SOP passed by the EOA or Joint Session if and only if they conflict with this document or with other policies in the SOP. This right is absolute and can only be overridden by amending the conflicting portions of the SOP or the Constitution.
VII.Intergovernmental Relations
A.Membership in the Council of Philadelphia Student Governments
1.The USGA is a member of the Council of Philadelphia Student Governments (CPSG) and has ratified the Charter of the Council in so far as it does not conflict with current Bylaws, the Constitution of the Association, or relevant University regulations.
2.The USGA President is the “Student Body President” for the purposes of the Charter. The EOA is the “legislative council” of the USGA for the purposes of the Charter.
3.The USGA President is designated as one of the two (2) representative of the CPSG.
4.The EOA shall nominate one of its members to be a CPSG Representative. At that time the candidate will be voted on by the following Joint Assembly Meeting. If the CPSG Representative shall step down or be removed, they shall be replaced by the next Joint Session meeting.
5.If the President shall hold the Chair of the Council and is unable to hold a representative position, the Vice-President shall hold the President’s representative seat.
6.It shall be the responsibility of the CPSG Representative to represent the views of the Drexel Student Body and its government and to keep both informed as to the actions of CPSG, and vice versa.
VIII.Joint Sessions
A.General Information
1.A Joint Session of the USGA is an official meeting of all the Assemblies chaired by the President.
2.All Joint Sessions will have at least one five-minute period allocated for receiving concerns and comments from the student body.
3.Joint Sessions will be used to take action on business items affecting more than one Assembly or the USGA as a whole.
B.Specific Legislative Responsibilities
1.The annual USGA budget must be approved by a simple majority of the convened Joint Session by the end of the summer Academic term.
2.Any legislation amending this document or the SOP requires a two-thirds majority of the convened Joint Session to be passed.
3.Any legislation on which a Consensus Request is invoked requires a simple majority of the convened Joint Session to be passed.
4.Presidential vetoes may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the convened Joint Session.
C.Frequency and Scheduling
1.The USGA will conduct no less than three (3) but no more than five (5) Joint Sessions during any term.
2.The Joint Session schedule for each term will be announced at the first Joint Session of the term.
3.Additional Joint Sessions may be called by the President as long as the additional session would not cause there to be more than the maximum limit for Joint Sessions in a term.
4.The President or the Personal Director must notify all USGA officers about a specially scheduled Joint Session no less than twenty-four hours before the Session.
D.Voting
1.To pass motions at Joint Sessions, quorum is required
2.Unless explicitly noted, motions shall pass if there is a simple majority defined as more "Yes" votes than "No" Votes
3.Abstentions are not counted as a Yes or a No vote
IX.Absentee Vote
A.Absentee Votes on an issue can be submitted through an online system. However, it must be submitted no later than 24 hours after that Joint Session Meeting. This option is only applicable providing a valid excuse in which a person is unable attends the meeting. The Results will be posted the next day when all votes are calculated.
B.Only at President’s discretion
X.Substitutes and Alternates
A.Substitutes
1.Any officer who is unable to attend a meeting is encouraged to send a substitute. Substitutes have no voting powers and cannot introduce legislation, but can give and receive information.
B.Alternates
1.If a officer is unable to attend meetings for an entire term, he or she is encouraged to select an alternate. Alternates have full voting rights and assume all responsibilities of the absent officer.
2.The absent officer must notify the Personnel Director in writing about his or her selection of an alternate.
3.Alternates can serve for only one term at a time.
4.Alternates must be approved by a simple majority of the Joint Session before they gain voting rights.
5.For a officer to use an alternate for more than one term, the alternate must be approved by the convened Joint Session each term. No officer may serve as a substitute or alternate for any other officer.
XI.Elections
A.The annual elections will take place no later than the sixth week of the Spring term so that the newly elected officers take their oath of office at the third regularly-scheduled Joint Session of the term.
B.All positions will be on the ballot for each annual election except for Vice President.
C.The EOA will be responsible for setting up the policies and procedures for elections.
XII.Executive Succession
A.Presidential Succession
1.If the President is removed or resigns, the Vice President becomes the President.
2.If the Vice President is removed, resigns, or succeeds to the Presidency, the chair of the EOA becomes the Vice President and his or her former position is opened to appointment.
3.Subsequent succession yields to the other assembly chairs in the order they appear in this document.
4.Further succession yields to USGA officers with the most years served as an elected officer. If there is a tie for time served, the President shall be the senior most officers whose office first appears in the Standard Operating Procedures.
5.Members who decline to succeed to the Presidency yield the Presidency to the next officer in line.
XIII.Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
A.The specific operating rules of the USGA are expounded in a separate document called the Standard Operating Procedures. The Constitution is reserved for high-level structural description. In the event that a conflict exists between the Constitution and the SOP, the Constitution always takes precedence.
XIV.Ratification
A.This Constitution must be ratified by a simple majority of the voting undergraduate student body.
B.This Constitution will supersede any and all previous Constitutions.
XV.Amendments
A.Any and all amendments to the Constitution must be submitted to the President in writing when introduced as new business at a Joint Session.
B.Amendments to the Constitution must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the convened Joint Session. Once approved there, the amendment will be placed on the ballot for ratification by a simple majority vote of the voting undergraduate student body and will take effect immediately upon approval.
C.An amendment that does not alter the mission or high-level structure of the USGA, such as an amendment to a officer's title or responsibilities, does not require student body ratification and will take effect once approved by a two-thirds majority of the convened Joint Session.
XVI.Dissolution
A.This organization may only be dissolved if and only if all officers of the USGA vote to do so and a three-fourths majority of the voting student body approves the dissolution.