CHAPTER 300 ADMINISTRATIVE STATUTES OF
THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SENATE
300.1 Convening Hour. The Undergraduate Student Senate shall convene at the hour fixed by the preceding meeting. In the event the Undergraduate Student Senate adjourns the preceding meeting without having fixed an hour for convening, the Undergraduate Student Senate shall convene on the following Monday at 5:00 p.m.
300.2 Opening the Session. The Undergraduate Student Senate President shall, upon order being obtained, have the sessions of the legislature opened with a moment of silence.
300.3 Convening in Absence of Undergraduate Student Senate President. In the absence of the Undergraduate Student Senate President, the Chair of the Rules and Judiciary Committee shall be Speaker Pro Tempore and shall perform all duties of the Undergraduate Student Senate President until such time as the Undergraduate Student Senate President may assume the chair.
300.4 Quorum. A quorum consists of a majority of all the qualified members of the Undergraduate Student Senate. When a lesser number than a quorum convenes, the members may sit as a body politic, but no business can be concluded in the name of the Undergraduate Student Senate.
300.5 Approval of Minutes. After the moment of silence, and upon the presence of a quorum, the Undergraduate Student Senate shall ask for additions or corrections to the printed minutes. Upon hearing objections and after concluding additions and deletions, the Undergraduate Student Senate President shall approve the minutes without the necessity of a vote of the Undergraduate Student Senate.
300.6 Order of Business shall be as follows:
A. Call to Order
B. Moment of Silence
C. Attendance
D. Call for Quorum
E. Approval of Minutes
F. Officer Reports
G. Standing Committee Chair Reports
H. Select Committee Chair Reports (if applicable)
I. Special Orders
J. Old Business
K. New Business
L. Announcements
M. Adjournment
300.7 Rules of Debate. Debate shall be structured as follows:
· Round One - five minutes affirmative, five minutes negative.
· All rounds that follow, until round five, three minutes affirmative, three minutes negative.
· Following round five, debate can be extended by 60% majority vote.
300.71 No member shall speak more than once in the affirmative on the main motion until all other members who wish to speak have done so.
300.72 Any voting member may yield their time to any member or non-member.
300.8 General Decorum. The Undergraduate Student Senate President shall preserve order and decorum. Decency of speech shall be observed and personal reflection carefully avoided.
300.9 General Admittance to Room. No person except members, officers, and employees of the Undergraduate Student Senate and advisors shall be permitted on the floor of the Undergraduate Student Senate during its meetings unless permitted by the Undergraduate Student Senate President or provided by the constitution of the Student Government Association, but shall remain in the area designated for visitors by the Undergraduate Student Senate President.
Congress Committees:
CHAPTER 304 COMMITTEE
304.1 All committees shall be appointed by the Undergraduate Student Senate President unless otherwise specifically ordered by the legislature.
304.2 Membership of committee is required for all Representatives-at-Large
304.21 Any organization or residence hall representatives who wish to serve on a committee may do so.
304.3 Chairman of each committee shall be appointed by the President of the Undergraduate Student Senate.
304.4 Standing Committees. At the commencement of the session, the President of the Undergraduate Student Senate shall appoint the following standing committees: Rules and Judiciary, Screening and Appointments, Appropriations, Student Welfare and Parking and Transportation.
304.41 All committees with the exception of the Appropriations Committee will have one Chair. The Appropriations Committee will have two co-chairs.
304.5 Procedure in the committee shall be governed by the rules which the committee determines applicable for the committee with approval from the President of the Undergraduate Student Senate.
304.51 Annual Funding procedures must be followed in accordance with the SGA Funding Policy. Changes to the Funding Manual must be approved by the SGA President, Treasurer and Advisor.
304.6 Refer to committee. All legislation may be referred to committee at any time after first reading by majority vote of the Undergraduate Student Senate
304.7 Reports from Committee. The committee, according to its rules, shall take action on the legislation and return to the full body with any of following reports:
304.71 Favorable report from committee. When a committee reports a bill with the recommendation that it be passed, the bill shall be placed in unfinished business.
304.72 Unfavorable report from committee. When a committee reports a bill with the recommendation that it not be passed, the bill shall not be placed on the agenda.
304.73 Report without prejudice. When a committee decides to return legislation to the body without taking any action, it is placed in unfinished business.
304.74 Majority Opinion. In the event that legislation is not passed with consent of committee, a majority opinion shall be issued by the committee chair.
304.75 Dissenting Opinion. The members in the minority of the opinion may write a dissenting opinion to be considered by the Undergraduate Student Senate upon action on the legislation.
304.8 Remove from Committee. In the event that a committee does not take action on legislation, the Undergraduate Student Senate votes to bring the legislation to the floor with a two-thirds vote.
