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+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 1
+ SGA BYLAWS
+ September 2021
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 2
+ I. DUTIES OF THE SENATE
+ 1. Scope
+ i. This article shall apply to all members of the Senate and corresponding advisors.
+ ii. This section is established in concord with Article II and Article VI of the Constitution.
+ iii. Should any part of this article be found unconstitutional, such part shall be considered
+ severable and the rest of the article shall remain in effect.
+ 2. Membership Responsibilities & Roles
+ i. Per the Constitution, there exists three (3) distinct types of SGA members at large:
+ 1. Executive Board
+ a. Article III of the Constitution defines the responsibilities and roles of the four (4)
+ Executive Board members.
+ b. The Executive Secretary shall be tasked with recording how frequently each of
+ the non-senate bodies within SGA (such as the PRDC) issue a report to the
+ Senate during general body meetings. The Executive Secretary shall note if any
+ of these bodies are ever in violation of the GBM reporting requirements outlined
+ in the group’s bylaws, and, if so, should take the appropriate action detailed
+ therein.
+ c. In addition, the Executive Board shall also ensure the smooth integration of new
+ members – especially freshmen – into SGA.
+ i. The Executive Board shall coordinate the production of transition
+ documents compiled by the Executive Branch, Standing Legislative
+ Committees, and Class Councils. These documents shall be finished at
+ the end of every one-year term, presented to the Senate, and provided to
+ the next SGA.
+ ii. The Executive Board shall also organize at least one mandatory SGA
+ retreat per one-year term to clarify its goals and promote group
+ development.
+ d. The Executive Board shall ensure regular communication with their counterparts
+ in the Graduate Student Organization (GRO) by meeting with the co-chairs of the
+ GRO at the beginning of each semester. The Executive Board shall at this time
+ ensure that committee chairs establish contact with relevant GRO executive
+ board chairs.
+ 2. Class Councils
+ a. Per the Constitution, there shall exist four (4) Class Councils that shall represent
+ each of the four (4) undergraduate classes.
+ b. Class Councils, which are comprised of one (1) Class President and six (6) Class
+ Senators, shall strive to:
+ i. Understand the sentiments of their class via outreach methods (e.g.
+ surveys).
+ ii. Serve as primary SGA liaisons to their class by communicating what the
+ SGA is doing.
+ iii. Utilize proper programming to facilitate class-specific unity events.
+ c. Class Councils shall meet weekly.
+ d. At the first Class Council meeting, one member shall be designated to take
+ minutes for all Class Council meetings.
+ 3. Class Presidents
+ a. Per the Constitution, four (4) Class Presidents shall be elected for every one-year
+ term to serve as primary class representatives on the Senate.
+ b. Class Presidents shall exercise general superintendence over all class affairs.
+ c. Presidents shall serve on the Executive Board’s Class Council Task Force that
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 3
+ seeks to enhance cross-council collaboration in bringing matters of class-related
+ significance to the attention of the Senate.
+ i. Class Council Task Force meetings shall be called by the Executive
+ President once a month and throughout each one-year term.
+ d. Class Presidents shall ensure proper and regular communication between their
+ respective councils and classes.
+ e. Class Presidents shall set every Class Council meeting agenda and lead all Class
+ Council meetings.
+ f. Class Presidents shall also be considered as Senators and perform all regular
+ Senatorial duties.
+ 4. Senators
+ a. Per the Constitution, twenty-eight (28) Senators shall be elected for every
+ one-year term.
+ b. Senators participate within SGA as members of the Senate, Standing Legislative
+ Committees, and Class Councils.
+ c. Senators shall be proactive in pursuing student interests and concerns, in addition
+ to actively lobbying relevant administrators.
+ d. Senators shall prioritize their commitments to SGA and strive to attend all
+ SGA-related meetings.
+ e. Senators may be considered in bad standing if they do not fulfill the
+ aforementioned guidelines and subsequently may be subject to an impeachment
+ hearing under Article IX of the Constitution.
+ f. A representative from the SGA will be selected by the Senate to attend the GRO
+ meetings and thereby act as a point of contact between the GRO and the SGA. In
+ turn, the GRO will provide an equivalent representative from their group to
+ attend the SGA meetings.
+ g. Post-Election Meet and Greet
+ i. As part of the official inauguration process of SGA, newly-elected SGA
+ representatives must attend a mandatory meet and greet session
+ designed to interface with the undergraduate student body within 7 days
+ after election decisions are released.
+ ii. The meet and greet session must be at least one hour long.
+ iii. The meet and greet session must have all newly elected representatives
+ present.
+ iv. The meet and greet session must be open to all JHU undergraduates and
+ be held in a space that is easily accessible to all JHU undergraduate
+ students.
+ v. Executive Vice President will be tasked with organizing the meet and
+ greets.
+ vi. Meet and greet session will be widely publicized by SGA.
+ h. SGA Tabling Events
+ i. SGA will host one tabling event every month of the school year, with
+ provisional exceptions to December, January, and May, as these months
+ tend to have less school days compared to others. Explicitly, months that
+ must have a tabling event include September, October, November,
+ February, March, and April.
+ ii. Tabling events must be at least one hour long.
+ iii. Tabling events must be staffed by a minimum of six SGA
+ representatives, each from the four class councils, as well as two other
+ SGA members. A member of the Executive Board may be allowed to
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 4
+ substitute one of the six SGA representatives.
+ iv. SGA representatives must take turns tabling to ensure that as many
+ different SGA representatives as possible are participating in these
+ events.
+ v. All senators and the Executive Board must attend at least one tabling
+ event throughout the year.
+ vi. Tabling events must open to all JHU undergraduate students and be held
+ in a space that is easily accessible to all JHU undergraduate students and
+ preferably, in a highly frequented area. Possible tabling areas include:
+ 1. Breezeway
+ 2. Brody Learning Commons and Terrace
+ 3. Milton S. Eisenhower Library
+ 4. Charles Commons
+ 5. In front of Fresh Food Café
+ 6. Levering Café and Courtyard
+ 7. Mattin Center
+ vii. Tabling events must be well-publicized by all the class councils before,
+ during, and after the events to draw in as much attendance, and future
+ attendance, as possible.
+ viii. At the end of every tabling event, there must be a report submitted about
+ the event’s feedback.
+ ix. There must be a sign-up sheet assigning placements at the beginning of
+ the year, and any rooms or spaces shall be reserved as necessary, for
+ every month of the year
+ x. Once the freshmen are elected, they will be held accountable for these
+ above guidelines.
+ ii. Advisors
+ 1. There shall exist SGA advisors who shall be resources when called upon by the SGA.
+ a. The SGA, in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of Student Life shall
+ appoint one (1) SGA Advisor for the SGA at large and four (4) Class Council
+ Advisors.
+ iii. Inclusivity and Resource Awareness Trainings and Presentations
+ 1. To foster a positive and health community within the SGA and across campus, the SGA
+ shall participate in the following trainings during their term in office:
+ a. Diversity and inclusion training from the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the
+ Office of Gender Equity
+ b. SafeZone training from the Office of LGBTQ Life
+ c. Bystander Intervention Training from the Title IX Office
+ d. Mental health resource training from the Counseling Center
+ e. Student organizations or financial processes training from the Office of Student
+ Leadership and Involvement (SLI) or the Student Activities Commission.
+ 2. Special Conditions
+ a. If time or scheduling conflicts do not permit these trainings to be completed
+ during the Fall Retreat, an SGA member can spread them out over the course of
+ their first semester in session.
+ b. If an SGA member received a version of one of these trainings within the last
+ three years, and the training is scheduled for the Fall Retreat, they will be
+ permitted to exempt out of the already completed training and perform an
+ alternative activity for others who have exempted out.
+ i. To opt out, an SGA member must provide an email, certificate, or other
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 5
+ formal documentation that they completed a training.
+ II. SENATE PROCEDURAL RULES
+ 1. Scope
+ i. The Senate Procedural Rules shall supersede all legislation and Robert’s Rules of Order, but shall
+ not supersede other Bylaws or the Constitution.
+ 2. Membership Privileges
+ i. Only Members of the Senate, including Executive Board officers in an ex-officio capacity shall
+ have speaking privileges in the Senate during the consideration of motions.
+ 3. Attendance
+ i. Required
+ 1. Attendance at Senate general body meetings, committee meetings, and Class Council
+ meetings is mandatory for all Senators. The Executive Vice President shall be permitted to
+ grant a total of 12 excused absences per senator per year, with an additional 4 excused
+ absences for every additional committee beyond 2 committees that the senator serves on.
+ Senators who have 2 unexcused absences shall be subject to an impeachment vote per the
+ Constitution. Senators who have 4 unexcused absences shall be thanked for their service
+ and summarily dismissed from the SGA per the Constitution.
+ ii. Taking Attendance
+ 1. A roll call shall be taken at the beginning of each Senate meeting, and recorded in the
+ minutes. The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for keeping track of whether
+ enough Senators are present when voting on legislation.
+ 2. Members must stay for the entire meeting unless previously excused or in cases of
+ emergency.
+ iii. Recording Attendance
+ 1. All SGA members’ attendance records shall be noted on the SGA’s website and shall be
+ sent to the student body in a press release every semester.
+ iv. Documenting and Verifying Absences
+ 1. The Executive Secretary shall document all absences – Senate, committee, and council –
+ on a spreadsheet publicly available on the SGA website. The spreadsheet shall be updated
+ with absences no later than one week from the date of a meeting. If no minutes for a
+ meeting are provided to the Secretary after one week, all persons required to attend the
+ meeting shall be counted as absent until minutes are provided.
+ a. The Chair of the Internal Affairs Committee shall maintain parallel attendance
+ records to ensure that attendance records can be double-verified.
+ v. One-Time Medical Leave and One-Time Family Emergency Leave
+ 1. Once a school year, if an SGA member is temporarily unable to attend meetings for any
+ reason verified by an accredited medical provider, they shall be permitted to take a
+ medical leave of no more than two academic weeks.
+ 2. Once a school year, if an SGA member is temporarily unable to attend meetings for any
+ reason related to family emergency, they shall be permitted to take a family emergency
+ leave of no more than two academic weeks.
+ 3. These absences will come from the 12 excused absences. However, if there are more than
+ 12 absences in that time, we will grant up to two weeks.
+ 4. Meetings
+ i. Agenda
+ 1. The Executive Vice President shall set the agenda according to the needs of the SGA.
+ 2. Committee reports shall consist solely of reports – any pending committee action must be
+ reported in advance and dealt with later in the meeting.
+ ii. Chair of Senate Meetings
+ 1. The Vice President shall chair the meetings of the SGA Senate. If the Vice President
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 6
+ yields the chair in accordance with proper parliamentary procedure, or is unable to attend
+ a Senate meeting, the President of the Senior Class shall fulfill the duties as Chair.
+ iii. Decisions of the Chair
+ 1. The chair shall enforce Senate procedures as well as the Constitution and Bylaws,
+ including but not limited to ruling motions or conversations out of order. A single member
+ (no second is required) may contest such a decision, which is debatable but
+ nonamendable, before it takes effect. A two-thirds vote of the Senate shall be necessary to
+ overturn the chair’s decision.
+ iv. Manner of Presiding and Yielding of the Chair
+ 1. The Vice President shall preside the meeting in an orderly, objective and fair manner
+ giving opportunity to all Senators to represent their views provided they maintain
+ decorum. Furthermore, the Vice President shall use his or her discretion in speaking on
+ issues provided he/she maintains objectivity and fairness in the manner of the meeting.
+ The Vice President shall yield the chair to a successor any time the item of discussion is
+ his or her confirmation, elections, impeachment, or removal.
+ v. Order
+ 1. The Senate shall follow the most current version of Roberts Rules of Order in its general
+ body meetings, subservient to any provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws.
+ vi. Moving the Motion
+ 1. Following the moving of a motion and a proper second (if required), the Chair shall
+ immediately state the motion to the assembly. If the motion may be discussed, the Chair
+ shall immediately ask, “Is there any discussion?” and the body shall discuss the motion. If
+ the motion may not be discussed, the Chair shall immediately put the motion to a vote.
+ vii. Discussion on the Motion
+ 1. It is in the interest of the Senate (being a deliberative assembly) to foster productive and
+ persuasive speech by each member so long as it is done in an efficient manner. The author
+ of the motion shall be given the opportunity to speak first in order to present the reasoning
+ behind the motion. Other motions may be moved anytime during discussion. During
+ debate, filibusters are not permitted.
+ viii. Voting
+ 1. Abstentions, used at the individual Senator’s discretion, should only be used in the rare
+ case of a direct conflict of interest. Votes become final when the Chair announces the
+ vote.
+ ix. Straw Polls
+ 1. The use of “straw poll” votes is highly discouraged.
+ x. Roll Call
+ 1. If there is opposition to a motion, then a roll call shall take place.
+ 2. For a roll call vote, the Chair shall state the motion and then the Executive Secretary shall
+ read the roll of the Senate, and each Senator shall state their vote when their name is
+ called. Senators absent at the time of the vote shall be recorded as “absent” (this has no
+ bearing on attendance policy but does establish presence or lack of quorum). Per the
+ Constitution, all votes and discussions shall be public, except for those permitted to be
+ closed by the Constitution.
+ xi. Proxy Voting
+ 1. Due to the deliberative nature of Senate meetings, and due to the possibility of the
+ swaying of one’s opinions during a debate, proxy voting is neither permitted nor accepted.
+ III. SENATE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES
+ 1. Scope
+ i. This article shall apply to all committees of the Senate of the Student Government Association
+ (“SGA”) and shall not extend farther than senatorial committees.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 7
+ ii. This section is established in concord with Article VI of the Johns Hopkins University
+ Undergraduate Student Government Association Constitution (“The Constitution”).
+ iii. Should any part of this article be found unconstitutional, such part shall be considered severable
+ and the rest of the article shall remain in effect.
+ 2. Types of Committees
+ i. Per the Constitution, there shall exist two (2) distinct types of committees of the Senate:
+ 1. Standing Legislative Committees
+ a. Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate shall be established in these
+ Bylaws and shall exist in perpetuity.
+ b. Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate shall be established to address the
+ general business of the Senate and to recommend to the Senate the adoption or
+ rejection of legislation.
+ c. The number of members of Standing Legislative Committees shall be at the
+ discretion of the Executive Vice President when sorting Senators into
+ committees, but shall allow for the efficient functioning of the committees.
+ 2. Ad-hoc Committees of the Senate
+ a. Ad-hoc Committees of the Senate, in accordance with the Constitution, shall be
+ established by a 2/3 vote of the Senate and shall automatically expire at the end
+ of the academic semester during which they were established.
+ b. Ad-hoc Committees of the Senate shall be empaneled to address matters of great
+ importance to the student body and may recommend that the Senate take up
+ certain proposals through its regular legislative process in order to address
+ specific concerns.
+ c. The parameters and scope of individual ad-hoc committees shall be stipulated in
+ the legislation providing for their specific establishment.
+ d. The number of members of Ad-Hoc Committees of the Senate shall be provided
+ for in the legislation establishing the particular committees.
+ e. An SGA Long-Term Ad-Hoc Committee, appropriately abbreviated as an
+ LHAC, shall be a type of ad-hoc committee, adherent to all standard terms and
+ requirements of an ad-hoc committee, with the following and express exceptions:
+ i. An SGA LHAC shall be established in perpetuity until a clearly
+ delineated date of expiration or sunset, or until which time that the
+ Senate votes by ⅔ majority to determine that the LHAC’s mandate or
+ purpose has elapsed.
+ ii. An SGA LHAC may include additional differences from traditional
+ ad-hoc committees, provided that those differences are clearly
+ delineated in the SGA LHAC’s legislative enactment act and provided
+ that those differences do not violate other terms of the SGA Bylaws or
+ the SGA Constitution
+ 3. Membership of Committees
+ a. Sorting of Senators into Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate
+ i. Each member of the Senate shall serve on at least one (1) Standing
+ Legislative Committee of the Senate, but may serve on more than one
+ (1) at the discretion of the Executive Vice President.
+ ii. Pursuant to the Constitution, the Executive Vice President shall sort
+ Senators into Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate, and
+ confirmation of these appointments shall require ratification by a
+ plurality of the Senate.
+ iii. In executing the Constitutional duty to sort Senators into committees,
+ the Executive Vice President shall solicit the wishes of individual
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 8
+ Senators; study their individual passions and legislative priorities; if
+ prudent, consult with SGA colleagues; and shall thereafter proceed to
+ sort Senators into committees at the first Senate General Body meeting
+ in a manner which, in the opinion of the Vice President, will allow
+ individual Senators to flourish and will best serve the students and
+ community of the Johns Hopkins University.
+ b. Participation of the Non-Senate Committee Members
+ i. Per the Constitution, membership in all committees is open to students
+ at large, subject to restrictions provided for herein these Bylaws.
+ ii. Per the Constitution, members of committees who are not only duly
+ serving members of the Senate may participate fully in committees with
+ the express exception of voting.
+ 1. Duly serving members of the Senate may participate fully in all
+ aspects of the committees on which they serve, including
+ voting.
+ iii. Membership in certain Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate is
+ restricted within these Bylaws.
+ iv. Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate not herein restricted
+ from doing so may appoint non-Senate members to serve on its
+ committee with a 2/3 vote of the Senate members of the committee and
+ a 2/3 confirmation of the Senate as a whole.
+ v. Determinations of whether membership of individual Ad-hoc
+ Committees of the Senate is open to students at large or restricted to
+ members of the Senate shall be defined in the legislation providing for
+ the establishment of the particular Ad-hoc committee.
+ vi. Appointment of non-Senate members to Ad-hoc Committees of the
+ Senate shall be made in the legislation providing for the establishment
+ of the particular committee.
+ 4. Establishment of Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate
+ a. The following Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate shall be
+ established.
+ i. Committee on Academic Affairs
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Academic
+ Affairs is not inherently statutorily restricted on the
+ basis of Senate membership.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ a. The Committee on Academic Affairs shall be tasked
+ with the following responsibilities:
+ i. To deal with matters relating to Student
+ Advising, the Registrar, the Academic
+ Council, and other academic-related organs
+ of the University to improve the academic
+ atmosphere for students.
+ ii. To work with administrators, including the
+ Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and
+ Sciences and the Dean of the Whiting School
+ of Engineering, to advance academic policies
+ and programs that fit the needs and desires of
+ the student body.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 9
+ iii. To work with the Executive Board and the
+ Senior Class Council on matters related to
+ Convocation, Commencement, and other
+ University academic ceremonies.
+ iv. To take up other measures relating to
+ academic affairs.
+ ii. Committee on Civic Engagement
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Civic
+ Engagement is not inherently statutorily restricted on
+ the basis of Senate membership.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ a. The Committee on Civic Engagement shall be tasked
+ with the following responsibilities:
+ i. To promote matters of civic engagement,
+ civic involvement and participation, civic
+ activism, student activism, community
+ engagement in Baltimore and beyond, and
+ issues of public, political or civic concern
+ that fall beyond the realm of other
+ committees.
+ ii. To collaborate with JHU student groups
+ focused on civic engagement and aid them in
+ their efforts.
+ iii. To work with other Senate committees, the
+ Office of Student Life, the Office of
+ Multicultural Affairs, LGBTQ Life, Student
+ Disability Service, the Office of Institutional
+ Equity, and other relevant academic
+ departments and faculty in its
+ aforementioned matters of scope whenever
+ applicable.
+ iii. Committee on Internal Affairs
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Internal Affairs
+ is restricted to duly serving members of the Senate.
+ b. The Executive Vice President is the President of the
+ Senate and the Senate’s Parliamentarian and shall
+ serve as an ex-officio member of the Committee on
+ Internal Affairs.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ a. The Committee on Internal Affairs shall be tasked
+ with the following responsibilities:
+ i. To deal with all matters related to the internal
+ affairs of the Senate, with the exclusion of
+ matters related to the Senate’s budget which
+ are restricted to the Committee on Finance.
+ ii. To deal with matters related to amendments
+ of the SGA Constitution, the SGA Bylaws
+ and the Senate Procedural Rules.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 10
+ iii. To deal with matters related to amendments
+ of the Committee on Student Elections
+ (CSE) Bylaws and other appropriate
+ governing student documents, excluding
+ revising the SAC Bylaws, a power which is
+ reserved to the Committee on Finance, and
+ the SGA Judiciary Bylaws, which are
+ reserved by the Constitution to the Judiciary
+ itself.
+ iv. To handle all appointments of SGA officials
+ as prescribed by statue, including the
+ evaluation of the Executive President’s
+ judicial nominees, and to recommend to the
+ Senate their appointment or rejection.
+ v. To help facilitate the impeachment process
+ by holding proceedings to make findings of
+ fact and regulation and providing an
+ informed perspective to the Senate.
+ vi. To conduct ethical or disciplinary hearings of
+ SGA members and refer to the Senate such
+ cases with its recommendations.
+ vii. To deal with all other legislation that relates
+ to the internal affairs of the Senate.
+ iv. Committee on Finance
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Finance is
+ restricted to duly serving members of the Senate.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ a. The Committee on Finance shall be tasked with the
+ following responsibilities:
+ i. To deal with the financial matters of the
+ Student Government, including
+ appropriations, funding procedures, and
+ financial management.
+ ii. To evaluate and vote on all legislation that
+ allocates funds from the Senate.
+ iii. To collaborate with the Committee on
+ Student Organizations and the Student
+ Activities Commission (SAC) to guarantee
+ the success of student organizations by
+ aiding groups through their grant and
+ sponsorship request process.
+ iv. To advise the Executive Treasurer on matters
+ related to funding.
+ v. Committee on Health, Safety, and Sustainability
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Health, Safety,
+ and Sustainability is not inherently statutorily
+ restricted on the basis of Senate membership.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 11
+ a. The Committee on Health, Safety, and Sustainability
+ shall be tasked with the following responsibilities:
+ i. To deal with matters pertaining to the health
+ and safety of the student body.
+ ii. To take up measures related to sustainability
+ and facilities, as applicable to the Johns
+ Hopkins community.
+ iii. To work with Campus Safety and Security,
+ Student Life, Health and Wellness Center
+ administrators, and other University officials
+ to advocate and ensure the health, safety, and
+ well-being of students.
+ iv. To work with the Recycling Center and the
+ Office of Sustainability to advance
+ sustainable practices. To work with the Vice
+ President for Facilities and Real Estate as
+ well as other University administrators to
+ advance the interests of the student body
+ with respect to real estate, buildings and
+ grounds, auxiliary services, facilities, and
+ related matters.
+ vi. Committee on Student Organizations
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Student
+ Organizations is restricted to a minimum of ten, duly
+ serving members of the Senate.
+ b. The Executive Treasurer is the Chairman of the SAC
+ and shall serve as an ex-officio member of the
+ Committee on Student Organizations.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ a. The Committee on Student Organizations shall be
+ tasked with the following responsibilities:
+ i. To conduct hearings with leaders of proposed
+ student organizations to evaluate and
+ determine their recognition status within the
+ SGA.
+ ii. To work to ensure inter-organizational
+ collaboration among the clubs, groups, and
+ organizations of the undergraduate
+ population at Hopkins.
+ iii. To work with student organizations to
+ advance their goals and to help facilitate their
+ continued success.
+ iv. To work with other organs of the SGA,
+ including the SAC and the CMC, to ensure
+ and promote the success of student
+ organizations.
+ v. To ensure that University resources,
+ including usage of the Hopkins logos,
+ funding, facilities and other resources are
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 12
+ used only by approved student groups and
+ that such resources are distributed fairly and
+ utilized responsibly.
+ vi. To ensure that approved student
+ organizations remain in good standing with
+ the SGA and the University, and to
+ recommend corrective actions to the Senate
+ when groups violate SGA, University, local,
+ state, and/or federal rules, regulations, and/or
+ laws.
+ vii. To establish protocols for applying to be an
+ approved student organization and
+ regulations governing the types and
+ standards of such organizations.
+ viii. To work with University officials, including
+ the Coordinator for Student Organizations;
+ the Associate Dean of Student Engagement;
+ administrators of programs housing student
+ organizations such as the Office of
+ Multicultural Affairs, the Interfaith Center,
+ the Department of Athletics and Recreation,
+ the Center for Social Concern, the
+ Homewood Arts Programs, and the Digital
+ Media Center; and other University
+ personnel, to advance collaboration and
+ standardization of expectations for student
+ organizations.
+ ix. To take up other measures relating to student
+ organizations.
+ vii. Committee on Student Services
+ 1. Membership
+ a. The membership of the Committee on Student
+ Services is not inherently statutorily restricted on the
+ basis of Senate membership.
+ 2. Responsibilities
+ a. The Committee on Student Services shall be tasked
+ with the following responsibilities:
+ i. To evaluate proposals for SGA sponsorship
+ of events.
+ ii. To work to provide SGA-sponsored services
+ to fill needs that the University
+ administration cannot or will not provide.
+ iii. To work towards improving existing services
+ available to students.
+ iv. To work with student organizations, the
+ University, and businesses to advance the
+ aforementioned responsibilities.
+ v. To take up other measures relating to student
+ services.
+ 5. Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 13
+ a. Chairs and Vice-Chairs
+ i. The Internal Affairs Committee and Finance Committee shall each have
+ two chairs automatically.
+ ii. Every other standing and ad-hoc committee shall have one chair and
+ one vice chair.
+ b. Selection of the Chair
+ i. The Executive Vice President, as President of the Senate, shall schedule
+ and preside over the first meeting of each Standing Legislative
+ Committee in order to facilitate, and until, the election of the
+ committee’s chair.
+ ii. Within one (1) week of the Senate’s first General Body meeting, each
+ Standing Legislative Committee of the Senate shall meet to elect its
+ Chair or co-chair.
+ iii. At this first committee meeting, the Executive Vice President shall call
+ to order the committee. The Executive Vice President shall then ask for
+ secret paper ballot nominations of committee members to serve as chair
+ of the committee. Only duly serving members of the Senate may be
+ nominated as committee chairs. Individuals may not serve as chair of
+ more than one (1) committee, or as the chair of a committee if they are
+ the vice-chair for another committee.
+ iv. Upon collecting the nominations, the Executive Vice President shall
+ read the nomination aloud and ask each nominee if he or she would like
+ to perform the service of committee chair.
+ v. Those responding in the affirmative shall each give short speeches
+ outlining their qualifications and priorities.
+ vi. Without a discussion, each Senate member on the committee shall then
+ cast a vote for the chair by confidential paper ballot.
+ vii. Any candidate receiving a plurality of votes will then be installed as
+ committee chair or co-chair and will be sworn in by the Executive Vice
+ President.
+ viii. The Executive Vice President and Executive Treasurer, in their
+ respective roles as ex-officio members of the Internal Affairs
+ Committee and of the Finance Committee, shall also serve as respective
+ ex-officio co-chairs of those committees.
+ ix. If no candidate receives a plurality, the Executive Vice President shall
+ cast a tie breaking vote.
+ x. The Committee Chair’s term of office shall extend for the term of the
+ Senate.
+ c. Selection of the Vice-Chair
+ i. The Chair of the Committee (excluding the Internal Affairs and Finance
+ committees) must nominate a Vice-Chair for their committee upon their
+ election as chair or at the following committee meeting.
+ ii. The Vice-Chair of a committee must be a duly elected SGA Senator and
+ must be an official member of the committee for which they are a
+ Vice-Chair.
+ iii. The Vice-Chair must not be the Chair or Vice Chair of another
+ committee.
+ iv. After the Chair submits their nomination of a Vice-Chair to their
+ committee, the committee members must approve the selection with a
+ 2/3rds vote.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 14
+ 6. Chairs of the Ad-hoc Committees of the Senate
+ a. The legislation providing for the establishment of the particular ad-hoc
+ committee shall designate a chair.
+ b. The term of the Chair of an Ad-hoc Committee of the Senate shall expire when
+ the term of the committee itself expires at the end of the semester.
+ 7. Responsibilities of Committee Chairs
+ a. Chairs of Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate and Ad-hoc
+ Committees of the Senate shall having the following responsibilities:
+ i. To issue a committee report at General Body meetings, informing the
+ Senate of relevant projects and actions of the committee and its
+ members.
+ ii. To submit legislation with recommendations to the Executive Vice
+ President and Executive Secretary.
+ iii. To create the agenda for each committee meeting and publish these
+ agendas to the Senate.
+ iv. To appoint a member of the respective committee to take the minutes of
+ each meeting.
+ v. To send a copy of the committee minutes to the Executive Secretary in a
+ timely manner.
+ vi. To meet regularly with the Executive Board to report on committee
+ operations.
+ vii. To perform certain other functions as situations necessitate.
+ viii. To maintain suggestion boxes as needed to provide for the needs of the
+ student body
+ 1. It shall be the duty of the chair of the SSC to appoint
+ committee members to gather the suggestions left in the boxes.
+ 2. To report on the contents of the suggestion boxes bi-weekly at
+ SGA general body meetings.
+ b. Co-chairs of the Finance and Internal Affairs Committees and Chairs and Vice
+ Chairs of Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate and Ad-hoc
+ Committees of the Senate shall having the following additional responsibilities:
+ i. By the end of September, co-chairs/chair and vice chair must submit a
+ cooperation plan to the Executive Vice President detailing an agreement
+ between each co-chair/ chair vice chair on how they plan to work
+ cooperatively to run their committee
+ 1. Plans must include but are not limited to:
+ a. Means of communication and response time
+ b. Workflow in terms of planning committee meetings
+ and projects
+ c. Means of conflict resolution
+ d. Limited-use Mental Health and Academic Stress
+ related provisions under which responsibilities can
+ temporarily be waived
+ 2. The requirement to have a plan can be waived if both
+ co-chairs/the chair and vice chair sign a waiver or otherwise
+ inform the Executive Vice President stating that they do not
+ feel the need to have a cooperation plan.
+ a. If a cooperation plan is waived, a co-chair/chair or
+ vice chair has the right to request a cooperation plan
+ at any point throughout the year.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 15
+ b. Requests must be sent in an email to the Executive
+ Vice President and their co-chair/chair or vice chair,
+ and cooperation plans must be created and submitted
+ to the Executive Vice President within 10 days of the
+ request.
+ 3. The Executive Vice President may reject any cooperation plan
+ deemed to be insufficient. Rejections can be overturned by a
+ 4/5ths vote of the committee that the agreement applies to.
+ 4. For cooperation plans concerning the Internal Affairs
+ Committee, the Executive President shall fill the role of the
+ Executive Vice President in the processes outlined in this
+ section of the Bylaws.
+ 5. Cooperation plans must be shared with senate committee
+ members.
+ 6. Cooperation plans may not be changed without the approval of
+ the Executive Vice President.
+ 7. Failure to follow the rules within this section of the Bylaws is a
+ formal violation of the Bylaws, and may lead to the
+ consequences associated with such.
+ 8. Both co-chairs/chair and vice-chair must express their approval
+ of the cooperation plan in writing or email to the Executive
+ Vice President.
+ 9. If cooperation plans are not submitted and are not waived, the
+ co-chairs/chair and vice chair shall be automatically removed
+ and a new election for co-chairs/chair or vice chair will be
+ held.
+ 10. If one co-chair/chair or vice chair believes that it was not
+ possible for them to submit a cooperation plan because the
+ other co-chair/chair or vice chair refused to cooperate, they
+ may petition the Judiciary to rule on the question of whether
+ failure to submit a cooperative plan was solely or mostly by the
+ fault of one of the co-chairs/chair or vice chair. If they rule that
+ to be the case, the co-chair/chair or vice chair who was ruled to
+ have been mostly or completely responsible for the failure to
+ produce a mutually-agreed upon cooperative plan shall be
+ removed as committee chair.
+ a. After chair removal, the committee must take a vote
+ to appoint a new chair.
+ i. The removed chair may not participate in
+ committee chair-related deliberations or vote
+ on matters concerning committee chairs after
+ their removal, and may not become the chair
+ of any committee through the end of their
+ term.
+ ii. The vice chair shall not automatically
+ become the chair if the chair is removed
+ through this process, but may run in the chair
+ election.
+ b. After Vice Chair removal, the Chair shall appoint a
+ new Vice Chair, subject to committee approval
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 16
+ c. Vice-Chairs of Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate and Ad-Hoc
+ Committees shall have the following responsibilities:
+ i. Vice-Chairs shall fulfill the duties of the chair whenever they are not
+ present at meetings or otherwise unavailable. They must fulfill all the
+ responsibilities of the chair when the chair is on leave or absent at a
+ meeting, and highlighted duties include:
+ 1. Chairing committee meetings when the chair is absent
+ 2. Updating the Senate on committee activities during GBM
+ when the chair is absent
+ ii. Vice-Chairs shall assist the Chairs in all their duties as agreed upon
+ between the Chair, the Vice-Chair, and the committee at large.
+ 8. Committee Meetings
+ a. The Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate shall be required to regularly
+ meet at least once every two (2) weeks, with the expressed exception of the
+ Committee on Finance and the Committee on Internal Affairs, which shall meet
+ as needed at the discretion of the Committee Co-Chairs.
+ b. The Chairs of Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate that are required to
+ meet regularly shall, at the first committee meeting of the term, discuss with
+ committee members potential times to meet at least once every two (2) weeks.
+ c. During the first meeting of every Standing Legislative Committee of the Senate,
+ the Chairs – if they choose – shall designate one committee member to take
+ minutes during every committee meeting, otherwise they themselves shall take
+ the minutes.
+ d. In accordance with the Constitution, any student is welcome to observe any
+ committee meetings.
+ e. Committees may, in accordance with the Constitution, close meetings to discuss
+ sensitive personnel matters by a 2/3 vote of the committee. However, all voting
+ must take place in public with individual votes recorded as prescribed by Senate
+ rules and legislation.
+ f. Any member of the three SGA branches is welcome to attend committee
+ meetings, even those closed by the committee itself.
+ 9. Removal of Chairs or Members of a Committee of the Senate
+ a. The Chair of a Standing Legislative Committee of the Senate or an Ad-hoc
+ Committee of the Senate may be removed by a ¾ vote of the committee itself, or
+ by a 2/3 vote of the Senate as a whole.
+ b. A member of a committee may only be removed by a ¾ vote of the Senate as a
+ whole.
+ c. If a Committee chooses to remove a chair by a 2/3 vote of the Committee itself,
+ they must abide by the following procedures.
+ i. A senate member of a committee must submit the signatures of at least
+ 1/2 of the senate members of the committee calling for the removal of
+ the committee chair to the Executive Vice President.
+ 1. When there is an odd amount of senators in the committee, the
+ number of signatures required shall be rounded up.
+ ii. The Executive Vice President shall convene a meeting no later than 2
+ weeks after the receipt of the signatures calling for the removal of a
+ committee chair to hear arguments for and against chair removal and to
+ hold a vote to remove the chair.
+ iii. At a minimum, the chair under consideration for removal must be
+ allowed the opportunity to speak, and a senator calling for the chair’s
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 17
+ removal must be allowed an equal opportunity to speak. Speaking order
+ should be determined by some form of chance.
+ iv. After speeches from the chair under consideration and from an accuser,
+ senate members of the committee shall enter into deliberations. The
+ chair under consideration of removal must not be present for
+ deliberations. After deliberations have concluded, senate members of
+ the committee must vote by secret ballot on whether to remove the
+ chair. The chair under consideration for removal cannot participate in
+ this ballot.
+ v. If the chair is removed, they shall be thanked for their service and
+ downgraded to a regular senate member of the committee.
+ vi. Upon removal of a single chair of a committee, the Executive Vice
+ President shall hold an election for a new chair no later than one week
+ after the removal of the original chair.
+ 1. The Vice-Chair shall not automatically succeed the Chair in the
+ case of Chair removal by Committee or Senate vote, but may
+ run in the election to replace the chair.
+ vii. The removed chair may not run in the chair election held to determine
+ their replacement.
+ viii. The Executive Vice President cannot be removed from the Internal
+ Affairs Committee and the Executive Treasurer cannot be removed from
+ the Finance Committee.
+ d. Removal of the chair of a committee, or of a member of the committee, done by
+ the full senate, shall proceed in identical fashion to impeachment proceedings as
+ prescribed by the Constitution and further expounded upon by supporting
+ statutes.
+ e. Vice-Chairs may be removed by the Chair of a committee in consultation and
+ with the consent of the Executive Board.
+ i. In order to remove a Vice-Chair, the Chair of a committee must submit
+ in writing/email why they feel that they require a new Vice-Chair to the
+ Executive President and Vice President.
+ ii. Upon receiving the request to remove a Vice-Chair, the Executive Board
+ shall convene separate meetings with the Chair and Vice Chair of the
+ committee to further discuss the issue, and may convene a meeting with
+ the Chair and Vice Chair if desired.
+ iii. If the Executive Board determines that whatever the Chair believes
+ necessitates the removal of the Vice Chair cannot be resolved, the
+ Executive Board shall consent to the removal of the Vice Chair and the
+ Chair shall appoint a new Vice Chair.
+ 1. The Executive Board should generally defer to the judgement
+ of the Chair
+ iv. The Chair of a committee may also remove a Vice-Chair by submitting
+ written notice to the members of the committee of why they want to
+ remove the Vice-Chair.
+ 1. The committee shall then vote on the removal of the
+ Vice-Chair, with a 2/3rds vote required to remove the
+ Vice-Chair.
+ f. Any member of the Senate who is impeached in accordance with the Constitution
+ and relieved from the duties of the Senate are thus automatically removed from
+ all Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate and Ad-hoc Committees of the
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 18
+ Senate.
+ g. Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Committees may resign from Committee leadership
+ positions.
+ i. If the Chair resigns, the Vice-Chair shall temporarily serve as Chair
+ until new Chair elections can be held under the procedures described
+ above.
+ ii. If the Vice-Chair resigns, the Chair shall appoint a new Vice-Chair.
+ iii. Notices of resignation of Committee leadership must be sent to the
+ Executive Vice President.
+ 10. Committee Vacancies
+ a. Any vacancies within Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate or Ad-hoc
+ Committees of the Senate created by the departure of a member of the Senate
+ shall be filled by the Executive Vice President and confirmed by a plurality of the
+ Senate.
+ b. Any vacancies within Standing Legislative Committees of the Senate or Ad-hoc
+ Committees of the Senate created by the departure of a non-member of the
+ Senate shall be left vacant unless filled by Senate legislation.
+ IV. LEGISLATION OF THE SENATE
+ 1. Scope
+ i. This article shall apply to all legislation taken up by the Legislative Branch of the SGA.
+ ii. Should any part of this article be found unconstitutional, such part shall be considered severable
+ and the rest of the article shall remain in effect.
+ 2. Process
+ i. Legislation shall be written by any member of the Legislative or Executive Branches of SGA. ii.
+ Legislation shall take one of two forms:
+ 1. A bill, which formally enacts a law within the scope defined by the Constitution; or
+ 2. A resolution, which formally declares the opinion of the Senate and thus the Student
+ Body.
+ ii. Legislation shall require and document the presence of:
+ 1. At least one (1) introducer (also known as an author or composer);
+ 2. At least two (2) co-sponsors of the Legislative Branch who are not introducers;
+ iii. Legislation shall be written in any mainstream serif font (Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond,
+ Baskerville, etc.) and, by precedent, be headed with the round, golden-blue seal of the SGA.
+ iv. Upon receiving sponsorship of at least two (2) members of the Legislative Branch, the original
+ sponsor of the Bill or Resolution shall submit the legislation to the Executive Vice President.
+ v. The Executive Vice President shall then forward the legislation to the appropriate Committee Chair
+ for the committee’s consideration and alert the Senate of the received legislation and its committee
+ hearing date.
+ vi. All legislation must be considered by a Committee of the Senate before being considered by the
+ Senate itself. In the most exceptional of cases, the Executive Vice President shall be empowered to
+ waive this requirement in order to allow the Senate to directly address pressing matters.
+ vii. Once legislation is referred to a Committee of the Senate, the Committee shall deliberate and vote
+ upon a recommendation to the Senate for the legislation’s adoption or rejection. A plurality vote
+ shall be necessary to recommend legislation’s adoption or rejection, or to undertake other
+ committee actions. A committee may also elect to advance legislation to the Senate with no
+ recommendation, if after significant deliberation, the committee elects to do so. A tie vote within a
+ committee brings the legislation before the Senate with no recommendation.
+ 1. Upon passage in committee, legislation may be amended by mutual agreement of the
+ committee chair and the legislation’s introducer so long as the amendment does not alter
+ the intention of the bill.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 19
+ viii. All legislation, pursuant to the Constitution, must be adopted by the full Senate. A Committee
+ alone is not empowered to take any direct action other than to recommend and refer action to the
+ Senate as a whole.
+ ix. Upon receiving the recommendation of a Committee of the Senate, the Executive Vice President
+ shall introduce the legislation to the Senate and call upon its original sponsor to discuss its merits
+ and field questions from the Senate.
+ x. The legislation shall then be deliberated upon, pursuant to the Senate’s rules and procedures, and
+ the Senate shall eventually vote for the legislation’s adoption or rejection.
+ xi. If the Senate votes to adopt the legislation, the Executive Vice President shall affix the Seal of the
+ Senate to the legislation. The Executive President, Executive Vice President, Executive Treasurer
+ and Executive Secretary will then place their signatures at the bottom of the legislation so as to
+ confirm its adoption. The legislation will then have the full force and effect of law.
+ 1. For ceremonial purposes, the introducer(s) and co-sponsors shall have the right to sign the
+ legislation as well.
+ xii. If the Senate votes to reject the legislation, the Executive Vice President shall indicate its rejection
+ and place their signature at the bottom so as to confirm its rejection. The Executive Vice President
+ shall not affix the Seal of the Senate to rejected legislation.
+ V. STUDENT ACTIVITIES COMMISSION
+ 1. General Policies
+ i. The Student Activities Commission, hereafter referred to as SAC, shall be a subsidiary of the SGA
+ Finance Committee.
+ 1. In the event that there are 8 or less members in the Finance Committee, then all Finance
+ Committee members shall be voting members of SAC.
+ 2. In the event that there are more than 8 members in the Finance Committee, at each
+ convening of SAC, it shall be the responsibility of the Executive Treasurer to ensure that
+ no more than 8 Finance Committee members attend as voting members.
+ a. In the event that there are more than 8 Finance Committee members interested in
+ attending a SAC meeting as a voting member, the Executive Treasurer shall
+ allow the first 8 members who RSVP for the SAC meeting to attend as voting
+ members.
+ 3. All Finance Committee members are required to attend any SAC meeting regardless of
+ whether or not they are a voting member for said meeting.
+ 4. All funding decisions will be passed by a simple majority.
+ ii. The SAC shall be comprised of eight voting Commissioners, appointed by the SGA Executive
+ Treasurer and confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate.
+ iii. All SAC Commissioners and finance committee members shall be eligible to 1 vote in every
+ decision.
+ 1. The SGA Executive Treasurer shall only vote in the case of a tie.
+ 2. Any person at a SAC meeting who is a part of an organization that submitted a grant, shall
+ be asked to leave while the committee discusses the grant and will be unable to vote on
+ said grant.
+ 3. All votes shall be a simple majority vote
+ iv. The SGA Executive Treasurer shall chair the SAC.
+ v. All student groups recognized by the SGA will be eligible for funding from the SAC including
+ monthly grants; however groups which receive annual funding from another source will not be
+ eligible for an annual allocation.
+ 1. The SAC will not consider grants submitted by individual students or groups not
+ recognized by the SGA.
+ 2. Class Councils will be eligible for monthly grant funds.
+ vi. The SGA Treasurer shall have the right with approval of a ⅔ majority vote of the Senate to remove
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 20
+ any member of SAC.
+ 1. The collective SAC body (including both commissioners and Finance Committee
+ Members) can request the removal of a commissioner by a ⅔ vote to then be approved by
+ a ⅔ majority vote of the Senate.
+ vii. The SAC will evaluate grant proposals based on the following four criteria:
+ 1. The SAC Funding Guidelines
+ 2. Feasibility
+ 3. Impact
+ 4. other funding sources that the club is receiving for the proposal.
+ viii. The SAC shall be responsible for maintaining a set of funding policies and caps by which all
+ decisions shall be based. These will be set annually and approved or amended by the Senate in the
+ month prior to reregistration. In addition, they must publish these policies and caps to the student
+ body once approved by the Senate.
+ ix. SAC has the right to revoke funding by a ⅔ majority vote of the SAC for violation of SAC
+ funding guidelines or policies.
+ x. SAC is responsible to provide budgets and balances to student organizations if requested.
+ xi. The Senate can overturn any decision of the SAC by a ⅔ majority vote.
+ xii. The chair of the finance committee will be required to provide bi-weekly updates to the Senate on
+ all decisions made by SAC in addition to the regular updates of the treasurer.
+ 2. Annual Grants
+ i. Annual appropriation decisions shall be made by the SAC within one month of the completion of
+ reregistration.
+ ii. Organizations will not be eligible for annual grants if they receive annual funding outside of SAC.
+ iii. Organizations that have been recognized or reestablished shall not be eligible for annual
+ allocations until the following school year. This includes organizations recognized or reestablished
+ in the fall semester.
+ 1. This will exclude governing boards, who will become eligible for annual grants
+ immediately upon recognition.
+ iv. The Treasurer can then, if necessary, apply a universally proportional cut across all groups to
+ ensure that the given amount is equal to the amount available to give out.
+ v. The final annual budget allocations will require Senate confirmation by a majority vote.
+ 1. The allocations must be submitted a minimum of 10 days prior to the vote.
+ 2. The Senate has the right to amend any budget on the floor by a majority vote.
+ vi. Neither the SAC nor SGA shall publish the annual allocations.
+ vii. Should any student organization fall into debt with their University account, they will immediately
+ become ineligible for all SAC funding including both the annual allocation and monthly grants
+ until there is a positive or zero balance in their account.
+ 1. SAC must notify organizations in the deficit at least 30 days prior to the annual allocation
+ process to allow the organizations to correct it before allocations.
+ 3. Monthly Grants
+ i. The SAC shall meet bi-weekly (once every other week) during the fall and spring semester starting
+ in October based on a schedule set at the start of the semester to discuss monthly budget requests.
+ ii. Organizations are eligible for monthly grants immediately upon SGA recognition.
+ iii. Each meeting will be given a maximum budget set as the total amount of money in the monthly
+ grant account divided by the number of meetings in the school year.
+ 1. Any unused funds from previous meetings will be redistributed to all following meetings.
+ iv. In order for a meeting to commence, a majority of SAC must be present.
+ v. A single group cannot receive more than 40% of the meeting budget.
+ 4. Recruitment Procedures
+ i. Each year, the executive treasurer will be responsible for filling any vacancies left open by
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 21
+ members who have either graduated or given up their duties on the SAC.
+ ii. The recruiting process shall be divided into three parts
+ 1. An application designed to gauge interest in and knowledge of the body
+ 2. An interview with the treasurer and SAC board members
+ 3. Confirmation from a majority vote of the Senate.
+ iii. SAC membership should be based on the merit of the individual and should be justifiable to the
+ SGA Senate for confirmation.
+ iv. All appointments made by the SGA Treasurer shall have to be approved by the SGA Senate by a
+ simple majority.
+ VI. SENATE VACANCIES
+ 1. In the event of any vacancy, the vacancy shall be announced to the relevant constituents through an email
+ that includes a notification of the process and/or application by which the position shall be filled.
+ 2. Senatorial Vacancy
+ i. In the case of a Senatorial vacancy, the remaining members of the Class Council shall choose a
+ new Senator, following the process herein prescribed subject to any constitutional restrictions.
+ 1. The Class President shall immediately assemble the Class Council and inform them of the
+ vacancy.
+ 2. The Class Council shall then collectively draft an application to fill the vacant seat.
+ 3. This application shall then be disseminated to every member of the class within seven (7)
+ business days of the vacancy being created. Business days shall refer to all days when
+ University classes are held on the Homewood campus.
+ 4. The Class Council shall then conduct interviews of any candidates it deems qualified for
+ the position. These interviews must conclude within seven (7) business days of the
+ dissemination of the applications.
+ 5. Within two (2) business days of these interviews, the Class Council must vote on
+ candidates. Voting to confirm a new senator shall follow the plurality scheme; the
+ candidate receiving the most votes shall be nominated by the Class Council to fill the seat.
+ ii. The Senate shall then, in accordance with the Constitution, vote to confirm or reject the Class
+ Council’s nominee.
+ iii. If the Senate votes to reject the nominee, the Class Council shall immediately convene again to
+ either vote on one of the other candidates or restart the entire process.
+ iv. The relevant Class President and the Executive Board shall keep the Student Body informed of
+ any decisions throughout this process.
+ 3. Class Presidential Vacancy
+ i. In the case of a Class Presidential vacancy, the remaining members of the Class Council shall
+ choose a new President from among themselves, following the process herein prescribed subject to
+ any constitutional restrictions.
+ 1. The Executive Vice President shall immediately assembly the Class Council and inform
+ them of the vacancy.
+ 2. The Class Council shall then collectively gather secret paper ballot nominations of Class
+ Council members to fill the vacant seat from within the Council itself.
+ 3. Upon collecting the nominations, the Executive Vice President shall read the nomination
+ aloud and ask each nominee if he or she would like to perform the service of Class
+ President.
+ 4. Those responding in the affirmative shall each give short speeches outlining their
+ qualifications and priorities at the next Class Council meeting (within five business days
+ of the vacancy being created).
+ 5. Without discussion, each council member – including the outgoing Class President – shall
+ then cast a vote for Class President by roll call vote.
+ 6. Voting to confirm a new Class President shall follow the plurality scheme; the candidate
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 22
+ receiving the most votes shall be elected.
+ a. If a tie occurs, a second vote shall be held.
+ b. If another tie occurs, successive elections will occur until a President is selected.
+ ii. Once nominated by the Class Council, the nominee must face a confirmation vote by the Senate at
+ its next meeting.
+ VII. COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING COMMISSION
+ 1. The Communications and Marketing Commission, hereafter referred to as the CMC, shall be a subsidiary
+ group of the Student Government Association organized within the Office of the Executive Secretary.
+ 2. The CMC shall operate according to a set of CMC Bylaws set by the Senate.
+ 3. The CMC shall be tasked with all matters related to the marketing and promotion of the SGA, including but
+ not limited to: social media management, website maintenance and construction, and graphic design.
+ 4. The CMC shall be comprised of at least five voting Communications and Marketing Aides, appointed by
+ the SGA Executive Secretary with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate.
+ i. In the event of a vacancy, the SGA Executive Secretary may appoint replacement members as
+ outlined in the preceding section or may divide responsibilities among the remaining CMC
+ members.
+ 5. The SGA Executive Secretary shall chair the CMC but shall only vote when a tie exists.
+ 6. Quorum shall be set at half plus one of the membership of CMC.
+ 7. The Senate shall, under the Constitution, retain its oversight prerogatives over the CMC.
+ VIII. POLICY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
+ 1. The Policy Research and Development Commission, hereafter referred to as PRDC, shall be a subsidiary
+ group of the Student Government Association organized within the Office of the Executive Vice President.
+ 2. The PRDC shall operate according to a set of PRDC Bylaws, which shall elaborate on matters not
+ delineated here. The PRDC Bylaws shall be set by the Senate.
+ 3. The PRDC shall be comprised of at least five voting Policy Advisors, appointed by the SGA Executive Vice
+ President with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate.
+ i. At the discretion of the Executive Vice President, a Policy Advisor may be promoted to a “Senior
+ Policy Advisor of [area of expertise]” if said Policy Advisor has a specific portfolio of area of
+ issues on which they are uniquely capable, experienced, or qualified to advise the SGA.
+ ii. In the event of a vacancy, the SGA Executive Vice President may appoint replacement members or
+ may divide responsibilities among the remaining PRDC Policy Advisors.
+ 4. The PRDC shall be tasked with:
+ i. Service to and Collaboration with Additional SGA Organs
+ 1. The Senate, committees, class councils, the SAC, the CMC, the Judiciary and the CSE
+ may request that the PRDC conduct research on an issue on their behalf.
+ ii. Service to and Collaboration with JHU Student Organizations
+ 1. Undergraduate student organizations may request the aid of the PRDC in conducting
+ policy research, development, and statistical analysis in their own activities.
+ 2. The PRDC is expected to prioritize reports requested by the SGA, then focus on reports
+ for student organizations.
+ iii. Conducting policy research and development on behalf of the SGA.
+ 1. Harnessing advanced research tools to execute its duties, including but not limited to:
+ a. Articles obtained from accredited academic institutions or publications
+ b. Government reports or publications
+ c. Documents in the JHU Sheridan Libraries Special Collections and Archives
+ d. Computer code (Java, C, C+, Python, R, MatLab, etc.)
+ e. ArcGIS
+ f. Stata
+ g. SPSS
+ h. ERDAS
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 23
+ i. ENVI
+ iv. Publishing Reports
+ 1. The PRDC shall have the ability to make reports to the Senate and other organs of the
+ SGA based on its research. The PRDC shall make at least 1 report to the Senate every
+ semester.
+ 2. The PRDC shall produce and publish publicly at least 2 policy reports per semester.
+ 3. The PRDC shall have the ability to send reports to the University administration.
+ 4. Reports may include a recommended course of action if and only if the recommended
+ course of action is (a) supported by the data in the report and (b) the recommended course
+ of action has been formally endorsed by the Senate through motion or formal resolution.
+ v. The SGA Executive Vice President shall chair the PRDC but shall only vote when a tie exists.
+ vi. Quorum shall be set at half plus one of the membership of the PRDC.
+ vii. The Senate shall, under the Constitution, retain its oversight prerogatives over the PRDC.
+ IX. STUDENT GROUPS
+ 1. Scope
+ i. This article shall apply to all dealings with current and proposed student organizations by the
+ Committee on Student Organizations and the SGA Senate.
+ ii. Should any part of this article be found unconstitutional, such part shall be considered severable
+ and the rest of the article shall remain in effect.
+ 2. Recognition of Proposed Student Organizations
+ i. The SGA Senate has, under the Constitution, jurisdiction over the appointment process of new
+ student organizations.
+ ii. The Committee on Student Organizations shall receive applications for proposed student
+ organizations and determine, along with the Coordinator of Student Organizations, which Category
+ these groups fall under.
+ 1. All JHU student organizations currently categorized as: Academic and Research, Center
+ for Social Concern, Dean of Student Life Charter Organizations, Sports Clubs and
+ Fraternity and Sorority Life will be eligible for additional recognition by SGA and thus
+ eligible for SAC monthly grants.
+ a. For annual grant eligibility, they must drop their recognition outside of SGA.
+ 2. They will be reviewed and confirmed by a majority vote of the Committee on Student
+ Organizations on a rolling basis.
+ iii. The Committee on Student Organizations shall conduct hearings with the Coordinator of Student
+ Organizations and leaders of proposed groups to evaluate the uniqueness and feasibility of their
+ mission, the establishment of a longitudinal organizational structure, the level of risk and their
+ contribution to on-campus student life.
+ iv. The Committee on Student Organizations shall vote on whether to recognize the existence and
+ provide funding for proposed student organizations. Committee quorum and a simple majority is
+ required for the committee’s determination to be in effect.
+ 1. The Committee’s decision shall be referred to the Coordinator of Student Organizations,
+ by the end of the academic term at which the application was submitted, to finalize the
+ new group registration process.
+ 2. The Committee’s decision shall be referred to the SGA Treasurer and the Student
+ Activities Commission to give new organizations access to start-up funds and student
+ group grants.
+ v. A decision to recognize or deny a proposed student organization by the Committee on Student
+ Organizations can be appealed by any SGA Senator with a simple majority vote, at which point
+ the General Body will evaluate the proposed student organization and vote on a final determination
+ of its recognition.
+ 3. Current Student Organizations
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 24
+ i. The SGA Senate is, under the Constitution, empowered to pass legislation governing student
+ groups.
+ ii. All student organizations recognized by the SGA Senate shall undergo a yearly review of their
+ operations by the Committee on Student Organizations, upon which their yearly budget grant from
+ SAC shall be contingent.
+ iii. A decision to revoke recognition of an existing student organization by the Committee on Student
+ Organizations can be appealed by any SGA Senator with a simple majority vote, at which point
+ the General Body will evaluate the student organization and vote on a final determination of its
+ recognition.
+ iv. Student groups may not disallow any member the right to vote with regard to race, color, creed,
+ religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, citizenship, or
+ handicap. This requirement may be waived in circumstances in which an individual group has a
+ specific reason – related to the impending graduation of group members – as to why members set
+ to graduate in the academic year following the election should not be allowed to vote in a group
+ election.
+ 1. If the group wishes to waive this requirement, they must present a case to the SGA Senate
+ explaining why graduating members should not be allowed to vote in an election. If the
+ SGA rules in the group’s favor, then the class of graduating members will not be allowed
+ to vote. The disallowance of graduating members, if approved, must apply to every
+ member of the group, without exception, who is to graduate in the semester following the
+ election.
+ v. Student groups must ensure that all students have the right to express their chosen pronoun, chosen
+ name, and gender identity in all documents, programs, and material.
+ vi. All laws passed by the SGA governing approved student organizations shall be compiled into a
+ singular document and sent to the leaders of the student organization at the beginning of each
+ school year.
+ vii. All Senators should be paired with a set number of student organizations, with Senators belonging
+ to the Committee on Student Organizations taking on 3-4 organizations more than those not on the
+ committee. Upon the inauguration of freshmen senators, they shall be assigned to a number of
+ organizations equal to that of other senators. The senator originally assigned to that organization
+ shall be retained as an advisor to the freshman senator.
+ 1. The procedures for pairing shall be the duty and discretion of the Chair(s) of the CSO and
+ shall take place by mid-July at the earliest.
+ 2. No Senator should be paired with an organization that would constitute a conflict of
+ interest.
+ viii. The senators shall act as a point of contact for the student organizations that they are paired with
+ and should be in regular communication.
+ 1. The senators shall be responsible for first contacting their paired student organizations
+ within the week following the pairings of the Senators to organizations.
+ ix. The senators should help guide their student organizations to the correct sources of information or
+ committee.
+ 4. Student and Student Organization Application Updates
+ i. The SGA shall strive to keep students and student organizations apprised of the status of their
+ applications to itself or its constituent bodies – including committees, class councils, the SAC, and
+ the CMC.
+ 1. For applications requiring two or more weeks to approve or deny, the following measures
+ shall be used to maintain these channels of communication:
+ a. Students shall have the right to request an update on their application’s progress
+ every two weeks, even if a final outcome cannot be provided at that time.
+ b. For each application process, the SGA shall publish an estimated timeline with
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 25
+ general stages and timeframes on the process of approval and denial, as well as
+ relevant points of contacts, on the SGA website.
+ i. The SGA shall email the aforementioned timeline to all application
+ submissions’ authors.
+ X. INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY
+ 1. Records
+ i. Public Disclosure
+ 1. All SGA records shall be presented to the public in an online JHBox that is accessible in
+ less than 2 clicks from the SGA website homepage or 4 clicks from the SGA’s social
+ media pages.
+ a. Any SGA document deliberated in the public sphere – legislation, minutes, and
+ working documents – shall be placed into JHBox within a week of creation.
+ ii. Freedom of Information
+ 1. Any JHU undergraduate’s request for SGA information sent to HopkinsGroups or the
+ SGA website shall be honored within a week of request, and if information cannot be
+ provided, a legitimate legal, or personal privacy-related reason shall be provided in
+ writing. Denied requests may be appealed to the Judiciary. All requests, fulfilled or
+ denied, shall be listed in the SGA public records.
+ iii. Longevity
+ 1. At the end of every academic year, the Internal Affairs Committee shall store all of SGA’s
+ digital records for protection in a secondary technological archive. The records shall be
+ housed in the SGA Office.
+ iv. Minutes
+ 1. Minutes shall, at the very least, always include the following:
+ a. The date, time, and location of a meeting.
+ b. Those present at and absent from a SGA meeting, including whether the absence
+ is excused or unexcused.
+ c. Any guests in attendance at the meeting.
+ d. The matters discussed in a meeting.
+ e. The main ideas discussed within each matter.
+ f. The major points or motions raised during the meeting.
+ g. All votes made during the meeting, conditional upon a final bill vote being
+ executed by roll call, each senator’s vote will be recorded.
+ 2. Minutes shall be made available to the Executive Secretary no later than a week from the
+ meeting at which they were recorded. Failure to send minutes shall be noted on the SGA
+ website.
+ 3. Worklog
+ a. An SGA work log shall be created at the beginning of the school year, no later
+ than the first General Body Meeting, by the Executive Secretary of SGA. The
+ SGA work log shall be made accessible on the SGA website.
+ b. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Secretary to ensure that the work
+ log is continually updated by SGA members and posted on the SGA website. It is
+ encouraged that individual SGA members fill out the log.
+ c. The SGA work log shall compile all the legislation, non-legislative projects,
+ roles, and responsibilities of individual SGA members.
+ d. An example SGA work log was created in March [link]. This format can be used
+ as a template.
+ XI. INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY
+ 1. Impeachment
+ i. Impeachment shall be defined as the reprimand of a member by no less than a 2/3 vote of the
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 26
+ Senate for any legitimate reason outlined in the Constitution and/or Bylaws.
+ ii. Any impeachment may be appealed to the Judiciary within seven (7) days.
+ iii. A mark of impeachment shall be made in the public record and this mark shall be kept on the
+ record until the end of the semester, at which time the impeachment shall be lifted.
+ 2. Removal
+ i. Removal shall be defined as the removal of an SGA member from their office by the processes
+ outlined in the Constitution and/or Bylaws. If removed, the removal shall be noted in the public
+ record and the SGA member shall be stripped of all titles and privileges.
+ XII. SUPREMACY
+ 1. The Constitution, these Bylaws, and the Senate Procedural Rules herein prescribed shall supersede
+ legislation of the Senate and shall retain supremacy, in conjunction with the Constitution, over any other
+ SGA laws and governing documents of subsidiary bodies and student organizations.
+ 2. Should any part of these Bylaws be ruled unconstitutional, such part shall be considered severable and the
+ rest of the document shall remain valid and enforceable.
+ XIII. AMENDMENTS AND RATIFICATION
+ 1. These Bylaws, unless specified below, may only be amended and ratified by a two-thirds vote of the entire
+ membership of the Senate.
+ 2. Semantic Amendments
+ i. Amendments related to incorrect grammar or specifying acronyms may be made by the Internal
+ Affairs without a Senate vote.
+ 1. Internal Affairs Committee will notify the Senate of these changes.
+ XIV. CAUCUSES
+ 1. Formation
+ i. In order to form a caucus, the following criteria must be met:
+ 1. Formation must be initiated by an SGA Senate member
+ 2. Submission of a bill establishing a caucus that contains the following:
+ a. Rules for caucus (granted that they do not supercede the general guidelines of
+ caucuses)
+ b. Purpose of the caucus
+ c. Goals of the caucus
+ d. Why there is a need for this caucus on campus
+ e. List of at least 10 interested individuals
+ f. List of at least 3 potential partner student organizations
+ 3. Caucuses must be approved by a 2/3rds vote of the Senate
+ 2. Leadership:
+ i. Each caucus must have, at a minimum, a Chair and a Vice-Chair
+ 1. The Chair of the caucus must be an elected member of the Senate or the Executive Board.
+ 2. The Vice Chair must be a member of the Senate, the Executive Board, an Executive Board
+ Commission, a former SGA elected member, or a non-senate member of a standing
+ committee.
+ ii. The Chair of the caucus shall be responsible for the following duties:
+ 1. The Chair shall serve as the chief executive officer of the caucus.
+ 2. The Chair shall be the official spokesperson of the caucus.
+ 3. The Chair shall preside at and lead all meetings of the caucus and shall prepare the
+ meeting agendas.
+ 4. The Chair shall coordinate elections within their caucus by the end of September.
+ 5. The Chair shall be responsible for overseeing all administrative duties for the caucus.
+ 6. The chair shall also be responsible for ensuring that there is a Caucus page on the SGA
+ website that contains leadership information and all meeting minutes.
+ iii. The Vice Chair shall be responsible for the following duties:
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 27
+ 1. Record detailed minutes at all meetings for the caucus and shall keep them on file.
+ 2. The Vice Chair shall manage any and all internal and external organizational
+ correspondence, as requested by the Chair.
+ 3. The Vice Chair shall maintain all membership records for the caucus, including updating
+ the roster and member attendance sheet.
+ 4. The Vice Chair shall be responsible for reserving rooms and spaces for all meetings and
+ events.
+ 5. In the event that the Chair is unable to lead meetings or fulfill other administrative
+ responsibilities, the Vice Chair shall step in momentarily as their proxy.
+ 6. Upon resignation of the Chair of a caucus, the Vice-Chair shall serve as interim chair until
+ new elections are held.
+ a. Eligibility rules of interim chairmanship shall follow that of Vice Chair and not
+ Chair.
+ iv. Each caucus may specify additional leadership roles in their Caucus Rules Bill.
+ v. Leadership Election Procedures:
+ 1. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the caucus must be elected by the SGA Senate in a General
+ Body Meeting.
+ a. This must be completed within one month of the approval of a caucus
+ 2. In order to run for a leadership position, a candidate must be nominated by a Senator
+ during the General Body Meeting in which the election shall take place.
+ a. Incumbent Chairs or Vice-Chairs in the Caucus for which the election is for, may
+ not nominate candidates for either position.
+ 3. Each candidate must speak for up to five minutes on why they should be elected to the
+ position they are running for.
+ a. If there is only one candidate nominated for a position, the Senate shall move
+ directly into voting procedure for the nominee.
+ b. If there are multiple candidates, after the speeches, Senators may motion for a
+ Q&A, a Moderated Caucus, or to move into voting procedure.
+ i. If there are no motions for a moderated caucus or a Q&A, the Senate
+ shall move directly into voting procedure for the position being
+ discussed.
+ c. After speeches and optional discussion, the Senate shall move into voting
+ procedure.
+ 4. A candidate for a position must win a majority of the votes to obtain the position they are
+ running for.
+ a. If there are more than two candidates and neither gets a majority of the vote, the
+ Senate shall move into a second round of voting, with the candidate who got the
+ least votes in the prior round of voting taken out of consideration for the position.
+ b. This process shall continue until a candidate gets a majority of the vote.
+ 5. Elections for each position shall be held during one of the first three General Body
+ Meetings of each year’s Senate. New elections shall be held during the academic year
+ upon the resignation of the Chair or Vice-Chair of the caucus, or upon the receipt of the
+ signatures of 2/3rds of the Senate.
+ a. Upon resignation of Chair or Vice-Chair, new elections must be held within two
+ weeks of resignation. If the resignation occurs during a time in which the next
+ GBM is farther than two weeks away (for example, during winter break), the
+ election shall be carried out at the next GBM.
+ b. Between the resignation of the Chair and the election of a new chair, the Vice
+ Chair will serve as interim Chair, and the caucus will vote on a temporary
+ replacement for the Vice Chair.
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 28
+ i. Upon resignation of the Vice Chair, the chair will determine who will
+ serve as interim Vice Chair until a new election can be held.
+ 3. Powers and Responsibilities of Caucuses
+ i. Caucuses shall work to advance, represent the needs and concerns of, and promote greater equality
+ for the community that they represent.
+ ii. Actions that caucuses are authorized to carry out include without Senate Approval include:
+ 1. Endorsing, suggesting, or otherwise encouraging legislation aimed to help the
+ constituency they represent
+ 2. Reviewing and providing feedback on whether legislation passed by SGA is as inclusive
+ of and mindful to the needs of the constituency they represent as possible.
+ 3. Acting as a safe space for the constituency they represent, and providing meaningful
+ opportunities for the constituency they represent to convene and discuss pertinent issues.
+ 4. Holding General Body Meetings with interested students and interested student groups to
+ discuss whatever issues are deemed relevant by the caucus.
+ 5. Running a Social Media Account
+ 6. Any actions not included in this list require further action before the caucus may carry
+ them out, which shall be described within these bylaws.
+ iii. Events and Initiatives
+ 1. There are two routes for initiatives to be approved:
+ a. In order to work on events and initiatives, caucuses can present their initiative to
+ a GBM (to ensure awareness within the Senate)
+ i. Any relevant legislative committees can comment / provide feedback
+ ii. 2 A simple majority vote within the Senate can approve the
+ event/initiative
+ b. Alternatively, a caucus initiative can partner with a specific legislative committee
+ i. A committee simple majority vote can approve said initiative/event
+ 4. Internal Rules
+ i. Caucuses shall define their structure, operating rules, and any other leadership not specified by
+ these bylaws by creating an annual Caucus rules bill that must be approved by the Senate every
+ academic year.
+ 1. Annual Caucus Rules bills shall be approved by a majority vote of the Senate by end of
+ September at the latest.
+ 2. Rules Bills must stay within the structure provided in these bylaws, and may not outline
+ any responsibilities, leadership election procedures, or anything else that contradicts these
+ bylaws.
+ 3. Rules Bills should include a potential caucus logo if applicable
+ 4. Annual Rules Bills must be posted publicly on the SGA website. The Caucus shall not be
+ allowed to carry out any of its responsibilities and shall be considered null and void until
+ the Rules Bill is posted on the website.
+ 5. Membership
+ i. Caucus membership shall be open to all interested students of any background or demographic, in
+ accordance with our Constitution
+ 1. Caucuses may further define in their Rules bill the specifics of “membership” within their
+ caucus
+ XV. GOVERNING BOARDS
+ 1. Governing Boards will be subcommittees of the CSO and fall under the CSO’s jurisdiction.
+ 2. Governing Boards shall be reappointed following SGA elections in the spring.
+ 3. There will be a governing board for each category of organizations under the SGA.
+ i. FSL organizations and sports clubs will be exempt from governing boards.
+ 4. Governing Boards shall be composed of 5 members: Chair, Secretary, Representative to the CSO, and 2
+ Johns Hopkins Student Government Association Bylaws – September 2021 – Page 29
+ general members.
+ i. The MLC will have an independent process to appoint four of its governing board positions,
+ separate from the process outlined in these bylaws. The fifth and final representative of the MLC
+ governing board will be appointed by the CSO, in collaboration with and consultation of the MLC
+ executive board, by the process described in these bylaws.
+ 1. The MLC may choose to opt-out of this process annually by informing the CSO. Should
+ they opt out, the positions will be filled as outlined in these bylaws.
+ ii. The position of representative to the CSO will be specifically applied to, but the Chair and
+ secretary will be chosen by the governing board from themselves.
+ iii. The representative to the CSO will be a non-voting member of the CSO.
+ 5. The governing board members will be chosen by an application and interview process with the CSO and
+ confirmed by a simple majority of the Senate.
+ i. To be a member of a governing board, you must be a member of an executive board of an
+ organization under the governing board’s jurisdiction.
+ ii. The MLC process for selection of four of its governing board positions is independent and
+ specified by Section XIV: Governing Boards 4.a.
+ 6. Decisions made within a governing board shall be made by a simple majority with each member being
+ entitled to one vote.
+ 7. Organizations will be required to be under the governing board of their primary categorization.
+ i. Organizations will have the option to opt-in to an additional governing board with the approval of
+ the governing board they wish to be added under.
+ 8. Governing boards have the right to pass and send recommendations to the CSO, given that they have
+ reached a majority-approved decision to do so.
+ 9. The CSO can overturn any decision made by governing boards by a ⅔ vote.
+ 10. A member of any governing board can be removed by ⅔ vote of the Senate at the recommendation of a
+ simple majority vote of the CSO.
+ 11. Governing boards shall have a meeting with all executive members under their jurisdiction twice a semester.
+ 12. Governing board members should provide logistical support to organizations under them to the best of their
+ ability
+ 13. Regular updates about organizations under them shall be provided to the CSO.
Amendments between these editions
- SGA Bylaws Amendments 2023 — Bill / Bylaws amendment · March 2023 · 111th session
- SGA-B-2324.X - SAC Removal Bylaws Amendment Act — Bill / Bylaws amendment · November 2023 · 111th session