THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD
CONSTITUTION OF THE STUDENT BODY
PREAMBLE
We, the Students of the University of the Incarnate Word in
order to form an effective and efficient self-government, serving the collective interests
of the University community, to prepare ourselves for effective living in a democratic
society, and to encourage self-reliance in our search for truth and justice, do establish and
endorse this Constitution for the University of the Incarnate Word Student Body
Article I
Establishment:
The name of the governmental organization under this constitution shall be the
University of the Incarnate Word Student Government Association. The
Student Government Association shall be divided into executive and legislative
branches, with neither branch exercising any power properly belonging to the
other.
Article II
Membership
Section 1. The Executive Council
The Executive Council shall be composed of four elected officials and four
appointed officers. The appointed officers are selected by newly elected executive
officers in the spring of each academic year following elections for offices.
Section 2. The Senate
The Senate shall be composed of one representative designated by the Dean from
each college or school (MSE, CHASS, DSE, HEBSA, NHP, GSR, SMD), three
representatives from the freshman class, one senator from the international student body,
one senator from the student-athlete population, four from the commuting populous, and
four from the student residential body. Any non-appointed positions can be elected at the
discretion of the Executive Council.
Section 3. The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives shall be composed of the elected or appointed
representatives from every registered student organization.
Section 4. Inauguration
At inauguration, the President, the Vice President and the entire Executive
Council shall take the following oath of office administered by any University
administrator of the elect’s choice including the DUESP.
"I solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of Student Body [state
your position], and will to the best of my ability uphold the Constitution and Rules
of the University of the Incarnate Word Student Body, so help me God."
Article III
Executive Council Officers
Section 1. Duties of the Executive Council
The duties of the Executive Council shall be to address student concerns and
issues, to execute all Student Government Association decisions, to appoint students to
all committees and/or councils, and to act as student advocates to the administration for
all student body business, as well as to provide leadership by enacting legislation which
benefits the student body.
Section 2. Elected Executive Officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and
Parliamentarian
A. President
The President’s duties shall consist of serving as the chief student
representative on all matters relating to the University including: answering
questions from the public and student-body, facilitating and presiding over all
executive and general meetings, representing the student body on the Board of
Trustees, creating ad hoc and standing committees as necessary, appointing
chairs to those committees with the advice and consent of the Executive
Council, drafting the initial yearly SGA budget, and carrying out any other
duties deemed necessary by the consensus of the Executive Council.
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B. Vice-President
The Vice-President’s duties shall consist of acting on behalf of the President if
the President is unable to carry out his/her duties, appointing all committee
assignments to officers, appointing senators and house members to
committees, sitting on the Development Board, serving as the President of the
Senate (Liaison), helping the President draft the yearly budget, and carrying
out any other duties deemed necessary by the President.
C. Secretary
The Secretary’s duties shall consist of recording minutes of all Student
Government Association meetings (executive, general, and special),
distributing the minutes of the General Assembly to the student body via the
SGA website, keeping files of all Student Government Association business
and carrying out any other duties deemed necessary by the consensus of the
Executive Council.
D. Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian/Historian shall run and keep order at all meetings, keep
an accurate roll of the Student Government Association membership, chair the
Constitution and By-Laws committee, chair Executive Privilege proceedings,
make the final determination on all matters concerning interpretation of the
Constitution and By-Laws, and keep records of all Student Government
Association events with the assistance of the appropriate chairperson. The
Parliamentarian shall also serve as the House of Representatives Liaison;
coordinate student organization registration in conjunction with the Student
Organizations Coordinator, act as the advisor to the House of Representatives
when questions arise regarding duties and procedures, manage the House
budget in conjunction with the Executive Council Treasurer, and shall carry
out any other duties deemed necessary by the consensus of the Executive
Council.
Section 3. Appointed Executive Officers: Chief of Staff, Treasurer, Attorney General and
Director of Public Relations
F. Chief of Staff (Appointed by the President)
The Chief of Staff’s duties shall serve as an administrative assistant to the
President. Responsibilities include keeping the President’s calendar,
representing the President at meetings if necessary, coordinating with cabinet
members, run the General Assembly in the absence of the Parliamentarian,
act, serve as a liaison to the freshmen cohort (along with the three freshman
senators), and any other duties deemed necessary by the Executive Council.
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G. Treasurer (Appointed by the Elected Officers and confirmed by Senate)
The Treasurer’s duties shall consist of managing the annual budget of the
Student Government Association in conjunction with the Director of
University Events and Student Programs (hereafter referred to as the DUESP)
disbursing funds and allocations upon authorization of the Student
Government and the DUESP, reconciling fund disbursement, keeping a record
of receipts and transactions, settling affairs with the UIW Business Office, and
carrying out any other duties deemed necessary by the consensus of the
Executive Council. Candidates must be pursuing a career field relevant to the
duties described above, and the appointed shall be confirmed by the
incumbent Senate.
H. Attorney General (Appointed by Elected officers)
The Attorney General’s duties shall be composed of being the chief enforcer
of all SGA policies. This includes but is not limited to: investigating how
student organizations spend appropriations, investigating on-campus student
issues (parking, food services, etc.), investigating disputes between the student
body and administration, serving as the student representative on the
University Planning Commission if called upon, compiling a monthly report
for the President to present to the Board of Trustees, and any other duties
deemed necessary by the Executive Council.
I. Director of Public Relations (Appointed by the Elected Officers)
The Director of Public Relations (DPR) shall be in charge of all social
networking on behalf of SGA, routinely update and improve content of the
SGA webpage, design original advertising for all campaigns/events, and shall
carry out any other duties deemed necessary by the consensus of the
Executive Council.
Article IV
Executive Privilege
Section 1. Executive Privilege
The Executive Privilege shall be defined as the exercise of voting privilege by the
Elected Executive Officers of the Student Government Association when the Executive
Council fails to reach a consensus.
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Section 2. Invoking Executive Privilege
When a consensus of the entire Executive Council cannot be reached, Executive
Privilege may be called by any Elected Executive Officer. Invoking this privilege shall
be considered only as a last resort and must meet with the approval of the Director
University Events and Student Programs (DUESP). In order for the privilege to be
invoked, each Executive Officer must be present. Each will cast a single vote, only on
the issue of debate at hand, and a simple majority will decide the issue.
Section 3. Process of Executive Privilege
There will be a five-minute recess before the issue will be debated. For the
debate, there will be one officer (elected or appointed) chosen to speak for and against the
issue. The Parliamentarian will chair the proceedings. The Executive Officers will hear
four one minute debates:
A. One for the issue.
B. One against the issue.
C. And two rebuttals on the issue at hand.
After the debate, all Executive Officers will vote and cannot abstain on the issue.
Section 4. Breaking a Tie
In the event a simple majority is not reached, the issue will then go back to the
Executive Officers for another debate, as defined in Article IV, Section 3, with the Senate
Chairperson present. No longer than one week after the Executive members have met
and failed to reach a majority vote, another vote must be taken which includes the
Executive Officers and the Senate Chairperson.
A simple majority will decide the issue. Executive Privilege cannot be invoked
again on the same matter.
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Article V
The Senate
Section 1. Senators
The Senate shall be composed of appointed Academic and Elected Class/Other
Senators.
A. Academic Senators
The Dean of each academic college shall appoint one person to represent that
college or school of the university. They shall be appointed no later than the sixth
week of the first semester of the academic year.
B. Class Senators
The freshman shall have three representatives to represent their class under the
supervision of the Chief of Staff and the Vice President.
C. Other Senators
Additionally, there will also be elections for one international student senator, one
senator from the student-athlete populous, four senators for the student
commuters, and three senators from students living on campus. The Vice
President shall hold elections no later than the sixth week of the first semester of
the academic year. In the event of no candidates, the directors of Residence Life,
Athletics, and International Business shall appoint senators. It shall be the duty of
the Vice President to find Commuter Senators in the absence of candidates.
Section 2. Senate Governance
The Vice President shall act as advisor, manage the budget, and set the agenda for
Senate meetings and activities with the Senate Chairperson. The Vice President shall
relay all information to and from the Executive Council at meetings. The Senate
Chairperson shall preside over all meetings of the Senate. This individual shall be elected
from the membership of the Senate Body by a plurality vote. There shall be one vote per
member in the Senate. The Vice President shall only vote to break a tie. The Senate shall
convene at least twice each semester and members shall participate in all Student
Government Association General Assembly meetings. Each Senator is entitled to one
vote at the General Assembly. Voting privilege at the Student Government Association
General Assembly is restricted to those members appointed or elected to the Senate. In
addition, no acting Senator may represent an organization at a General Assembly.
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Section 3. Duties of Senators
Each Senator shall act as the official representative of his/her constituency to the
Student Government Association; provide an effective student voice in the formation of
university policy; investigate matters pertinent to the well-being of the student body; be
aware of and to inform the student body of events on the local, state, and national levels,
which relate to their academic growth and knowledge; work closely with the faculty and
administration in fostering mutual cooperation; and carry out the foregoing provisions
and all other authority vested by and contained in the spirit of the constitution. Senators
shall also plan and execute specific events given by the Executive Council and shall carry
out other duties deemed necessary by the consensus of the Executive Council or the
Senate.
Section 4. Removal from the Senate
If any senator is found to be in breach of his or her duties which are stated in the
Constitution and the Bylaws, the following impeachment procedure can be implemented.
A. The Vice President must submit in writing reasons for dismissal to
DUESP and the Senator in question.
B. The DUESP must agree in writing that these charges have merit for
dismissal.
C. If it is decided that the charges do merit dismissal, then a dismissal
notice signed by both the Vice-President and the DUESP containing
the reasons for dismissal will be sent to the Senator within five
working days.
In order to remove an Academic Senator from the Senate, the Vice-President must
submit in writing reasons for dismissal to the DUESP and to the Dean of the respective
school or college.
A. The DUESP along with the said Dean must agree in writing that these
charges merit dismissal before any action is taken.
B. If it is decided that the charges do merit dismissal, then a dismissal
notice signed by the Vice-President, the DUESP, and the respective
Dean containing the reasons for dismissal will be sent to the Academic
Senator within five working days.
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Section 5. Appellate Process
Once the dismissal letter has been sent to the Class Senator, the Senator in
question has 5 working days to submit a written motion of appeal to the Executive
Council. The Executive Council will then convene to consider the motion, during which
time the Vice-President will have five minutes to deliver his or her opinion to the
Executive Council. The Executive Council will be furnished with a copy of the dismissal
letter from the DUESP. A vote then takes place to affirm or overturn the dismissal. In
either case, a simple majority is needed in which the option to abstain from voting is not
available. In addition, there is not an appellate process for Academic Senators.
Article VI
House of Representatives
Section 1. Representatives
The House of Representatives shall be composed of no more than two
representatives from each registered student organization on campus.
Section 2. House of Representative Governance
The Parliamentarian shall act as advisor, manage the budget, and set the agenda
for House meetings and activities with the House of Representative Chairperson. The
House of Representatives Liaison shall relay all information to and from the Executive
Council at meetings.
The House of Representatives shall participate in Student Government
Association General Assembly meetings regularly. Each student organization is entitled
to one vote at the General Assembly. If for any reason, one House of Representatives
member is representing more than one organization, that House of Representatives
member will only be allowed to vote once.
Section 3. Duties of Representatives
The duties of the House of Representatives shall be to act as the official
representative of his/her constituency to the Student Government Association; to provide
an effective student voice in the formation of University policy; to investigate matters
pertinent to the well-being of the student body; to be aware of and to inform the student
body of events on the local, state, and national levels, which relate to their academic
growth and knowledge; to work closely with the faculty and administration in fostering
mutual cooperation; and to carry out the foregoing provisions and all other authority
vested by and contained in the spirit of this constitution. Representatives shall also plan
and execute specific events assigned by the Executive Council and shall carry out any
other duties as deemed necessary by the consensus of the Executive Council or the House
of Representatives.
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Article VII
Qualifications/Maintenance Requirements of Officers and Members
Section 1. Elected Executive and Appointed Executive Officers
All officers must be in good standing with the University of the Incarnate Word,
must possess and maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.6, and must
begin their term with at least two full academic semesters remaining at the University of
the Incarnate Word. The student in office must maintain a GPA of 2.5 each session (to
include summer grades). The student must also be registered as a full time undergraduate
or graduate at Incarnate Word.
Section 2. The Senate Members
Senate members must be in good standing with the University of the Incarnate
Word, must possess and maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.6,
and must begin their term with at least two full academic semesters remaining at the
University of the Incarnate Word. The student in office must maintain a GPA of 2.25
each session. The student must also be registered as a full time undergraduate or
graduate at Incarnate Word.
Section 3. Confirming Qualifications
The DUESP will have the responsibility of confirming qualifications for each
prospective member before election/appointment results may be finalized. Good
standing is defined as academic and/or personal conduct congruent with the University of
the Incarnate Word’s Student Code of Conduct.
Section 4. Waiver of Qualifications Requirements
The right to waive any requirements is reserved to a consensual decision by the
Dean of Campus Life and the DUESP. There shall be no waivers for students not in good
standing with the University of the Incarnate Word as defined in the section above.
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Article VIII
Terms of Office
Section 1. Term of Office
The term of office of newly elected officers begins after the graduation following
the election in May. The term of office ends on the date of graduation at the end of the
academic year in May. The only duties the new officers will be required to engage in
before the training retreat pertains to the interviewing and selection of the appointed
Executive Officers.
The term of office of newly elected Senators shall begin on the date of the Senate
and House training, which is held no later than one week after elections. The term of
office ends on the date of graduation at the end of the academic year in May.
Section 2. Resigning From Office
A letter of resignation must be submitted two weeks prior to leaving to the
Student Government Association Advisor (DUESP) and to the highest ranking Executive
Officer.
Article IX.
Removal from Office
Section 1. Impeachment
In the interest of maintaining a responsible and cohesive governing body some
attention must be given to the means by which an irresponsible party might be removed
from office.
A. Impeachment may only occur by vote within the General Assembly and with
the approval of the DUESP.
B. At General Assembly, any member of the General Assembly or Executive
Council may raise charges of impeachment against a member of the Executive
Council.
C. If charges are brought, the highest-ranking member of the Executive Council
who has not been accused will call for a vote in the General Assembly.
D. The voting must be conducted by secret ballot.
E. The counting will take place by the DUESP and the highest-ranking Executive
Officer not being impeached.
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F. The results of the count must be reported no later than the next General
Assembly. The count must result in a 2/3 decision to continue the
impeachment process.
G. If achieved, the matter will be brought before the Student Conduct Review
Council facilitated by the Dean of Campus Life. The hearing will follow
standard SCRC guidelines.
H. The DUESP will be considered as a “Friend to the Council.” “Friend of the
Council” will give a testimony to the Student Conduct Review Council and
will be able to seat in through the impeachment hearing.
I.
There is no appeal of this decision once rendered.
Section 2. Immediate Dismissal
The DUESP may, at any time, terminate the contract of any member of the
Executive Council who fails to meet the qualifications as outlined in Article III Section13, Article VII Section 1, or the SGA expectations contract signed by each member. The
DUESP will notify the officer in writing of their dismissal. The DUESP will notify all
present Executive Council members of the dismissal and work with the remaining
members to appoint a new officer.
Appeals will be made to the Dean of Campus Life. The Dean of Campus Life
will review the appeal and render appropriate action.
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Article X
Student Legacy Fund Appropriations and Governance
The Student Legacy Fund, as approved in the fall of 2013 by SGA, The Student
Body, and the Board of Trustees, will be appropriated and governed in the following
manner:
Section 1. Appropriation
1. Student Organizations –------------------------------------------------------ 32.5%
a. Student Organization Appropriations –------------- 38.5%
i. 1st 25 to renew ---------------2% (each)
ii. 2nd 25 to renew --------------1% (each)
iii. Remainder ------------------- 0.5% (each)
b. Senate Stipends ----------------------------------------- 7.5%
i. 20 Senators------------------5% (each)
c. Graduate and Professional Student Association ---15.5%
d. Increase SGA Budget ----------------------------------38.5%
2. Environmental Sustainability ------------------------------------------------- 20%
a. Department of Sustainability ------------------------ 100%
i. 5 Student Scholars -----------6.25%
ii. Coordinator -------------------6.25%
iii. Projects ------------------------87.5%
3. Student Wellness ---------------------------------------------------------------- 20%
a. General Improvements-------------------------------- 100%
i. i.e. Rockwall, B-Cycle, Rec Sports, etc.
4. Education Enhancement ------------------------------------------------------- 20%
a. 24/4 Library--------------------------------------------- 80%
b. CCL Study Immersion--------------------------------- 10%
c. Other------------------------------------------------------10%
5. SGA Endowment --------------------------------------------------------------- 7.5%
a. Investments
i. i.e. Co-op, Stocks/Bonds, Real Estate, Credit Union, etc.
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Section 2. Governance
1.
2.
3.
4.
Funds will be managed by SGA*
All budgets will be published on www.UIW.edu/SGA
Spending will be approved by a simple majority at SGA General Assemblies
Affected Department Director, 1 EC Officer, and 5 Senators will make up the
directing board of each category**
a. Student Organizations – Paul Ayala
b. Environmental Sustainability – Coordinator (TBD) or Phil Lopes
c. Student Wellness – Scott Leblanc
d. Education Enhancement – Cheryl Anderson
e. Endowment – Dr. Agnese/Jurenovich
5. Any funds unused at the end of the academic year will go into the Endowment
Fund.
6. Renewal, Increase, and Dissolution
a. Every 3rd year the student body will be polled to;
i. A) Maintain the current fee
ii. B) Raise the fee
b. Voting Years
i. Fall 2017, Fall 2020, etc.
c. Dissolution
i. If the endowment interest rate ever accrues more than the fee
generates, then the fee can be dissolved.
XI.
The Legacy Fund Appropriations and Governance clause (Article X)
shall be removed from the Constitution and placed in the Bylaws.
XII. All Executive Council Officers shall only serve a total of two terms
on the Executive Council effective the next election.
XIII. In the event of a vacancy, a two-thirds majority vote of the entire
Executive Council shall be required to hire a replacement with the
advice and consent of the General Assembly.
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*SGA is a branch of Campus Life, which falls under the Vice President of Enrollment
Management and Student Services. SGA will continue to collaborate with the SGA
advisor and all affected departments when utilizing the funds.
**The Endowment Board will be co-chaired by the Past-President and Past-VP. The
entire Executive council will comprise the additional members of the board. In the
event that the Past-President and Past-Vice President are unable to chair the
Endowment Board, then the current President and Vice President will chair the board.
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