The Constitution of the Student Polity

Preamble

In accordance with the Polity of St. John’s College, we, the students of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, recognize our right to establish an instrument of governance. We also accept the responsibilities, delegated to us by the College, which include:

the representation of undergraduate student interests to the Dean; and the communication of the actions done in pursuit of those interests to the Student Polity
the establishment and maintenance of formal channels of communication between the students and the Faculty;
the management of funds available to the Student Polity;
the sanctioning of all student clubs, organizations, committees, and activities, and their regulation, if necessary;
the establishment of a forum for the free exchange of dialogue;
the creation and management of Polity Law;
the representation of the students of St. John’s College to the community outside the college;
any other duties agreed upon by the students and the Dean.

The Student Polity hereby exercises its privilege of establishing a undergraduate representative government for itself.

General Provisions

Section 1. Name:

The name of the undergraduate representative government shall be the St. John’s College, Annapolis Delegate Council; hereafter referred to as the Delegate Council

Section 2. Object:

The general object of this Constitution is to ensure the fulfillment of the responsibilities established in the Preamble.
In pursuit of this object, the Delegate Council must interpret this Constitution as is necessary and proper.

Section 3. Authority:

This Constitution is the basis for the conduct of the Delegate Council.
The Delegate Council is the only undergraduate representative government with the authority to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted by the Dean and established in this Constitution

Section 4. Legality:

The Delegate Council should obey local, state, and federal law, as well as the policies of the Polity of St. John’s College.
The Delegate Council shall not discriminate and shall discourage discrimination against individuals on the basis of factors including but not limited to: race, sex, age, religion, disability, color, national origin, military status, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, gender identity, or expression or any other factors in accordance with the above.
The Delegate Council will discourage the restriction of any individual’s freedom of public speech, assembly, expression, or association.

Section 5. Majority Definitions:

Super majority shall be defined as a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the voting council.
A majority shall be defined as greater than half (1/2) of the voting council.
Standing Delegate Council shall be defined as current members of the Delegate Council regardless of voting rights.
A Voting Council shall be defined as members of the standing council who are voting on a given matter.

Article I: Membership

Section 1. Requirements for Membership

A Member of the Delegate Council shall refer to a person holding the position of Delegate or Officer.
Throughout their terms and candidacies, all Members must be in good standing with the College in accordance with the policy of the Assistant Dean’s Office.
There shall be no barriers to running for a position as a Member except for those specifically outlined in this Article.
All Members shall serve until either their term expires, or they: resign, leave the College, are expelled, are impeached, or are no longer eligible to serve pursuant to the restrictions above.
No Member of the Delegate Council may hold a position as both a Delegate and an Officer at the same time or hold more than one (1) Officer position at a time.
At the first meeting of a new Member, they shall recite before the Delegate Council an Oath of Office, to be determined by the Delegate Council.

Section 2. Delegates:

A Delegate shall represent the members of their class in the Delegate Council and must be a member of the class which they are representing.
There shall be up to sixteen (16) Delegates on the council at any one time. Each class will have up to four (4) representatives from their class.
Delegates shall have the right to vote on all issues before the Delegate Council.
Freshman-class Delegates shall serve terms lasting one (1) semester; all other Delegates shall serve terms lasting one (1) year. First semester freshman terms shall expire upon the end of the first semester; second semester freshman terms and all other Delegate terms shall expire with the end of the academic year.
Delegates are elected as described in Article II.

Section 3. Officers:

Officers are representatives of the Student Polity as a whole: the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Polity Herald, and the Polity Attorney.
Officers are elected as described in Article II.
Officers shall serve a term beginning at the first meeting of the Spring semester following their election and expiring upon the swearing in of the new officers at the beginning of the following Spring semester, except those elected through Ad Hoc elections or appointed, whose terms will begin at the meeting after their election or appointment and expire upon the swearing in of the new officers at the beginning of the following Spring semester.

Section 4. Officer Positions:

A. The President

The President shall be the chairman and a voting member of the Delegate Council, and shall call and preside over meetings of the Delegate Council and the Student Polity, formulating the agenda in consultation with members of the Delegate Council as necessary.
They shall be authorized to request from the Treasurer a financial report on Polity funds, which is to be submitted within one (1) week of the request. They shall sign, together with the Treasurer, all checks drawn from Polity funds.
They shall appoint, subject to majority approval of the Delegate Council, Acting Delegates, an Acting Treasurer, an Acting Secretary, or an Acting Polity Herald to fill any vacancies which may occur in those offices until an Ad-Hoc election takes place. If such vacancies occur with more than six (6) weeks that the college is in session, as defined by the academic calendar, remaining in the member’s term, Ad Hoc Elections must take place within one (1) week, with the winner of that election then filling the vacancy for the remainder of the term. With less than six (6) weeks that the college is in session, as defined by the academic calendar, remaining in the term, no Ad Hoc Election is required, unless the Delegate Council calls a vote with a majority in favor of hosting an election.
They shall appoint, subject to the majority approval of the Delegate Council, the Polity Attorney.
They shall represent the Student Polity whenever they determine that the Polity can be better represented by one (1) individual than by the Delegate Council as a whole.
The President has the discretion to veto passed legislation during the meeting in which it is passed. The Delegate Council may override their veto in a vote with a super majority.
The President, who is an Officer and a voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been a member of the Delegate Council for at least one (1) year prior to taking office.

B. The Secretary

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings called by the President. They shall send said minutes to the Polity Herald within one (1) week of their notation.
The Secretary shall be responsible for recording votes, taking attendance, and organizing the agenda.
They shall be responsible for all Polity records, which includes the regular maintenance of the archives.
They shall serve as an Acting President in the event that the President is temporarily incapacitated, or, in the event that the office of President becomes vacant, shall serve as Acting President until an Ad Hoc Election for President is held.
The Secretary must maintain a list of all chartered clubs, which denotes whether any club currently does or does not have an archon.
The Secretary must maintain a list of all Acts and Resolutions of Council since the adoption of this Constitution, including those which have been repealed.
The Secretary, who is an Officer and a voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been a member of the Delegate Council for at least one (1) semester prior to taking office.

C. The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep accounts of and disburse all Polity monies, and shall have authority to request detailed accounts of the monies allocated to any Polity organization.
They shall sign, together with the President, all checks drawn on Polity funds.
They shall each month, or also at the request of the President or the Council, make a formal report to the Delegate Council concerning all Polity monies.
The Treasurer is responsible for the emergency fund. The creation and use of this fund is outlined further in Article VI, Section 3.
The Treasurer has the discretion to institute a mandatory review of any passed budgets. A budget under mandatory review may be passed again by a two-thirds majority.
The Treasurer, who is an Officer and a voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been a member of the Delegate Council for at least one (1) semester prior to taking office.

D. The Polity Herald

The Polity Herald shall direct and coordinate the efforts of the Delegate Council to integrate Delegate Council business more inextricably with the interests of the Polity.
They shall be seated on all committees and forums which may be established concerning Polity-wide interests.
They shall manage all press and public relations, assisting the Secretary in the promulgation of Delegate Council minutes and Polity records in manners accessible to the Polity at large. Within 3 days of receiving approved minutes from the Secretary, they are expected to send them out to the Polity. They are also expected to announce Delegate Council Meetings to the Polity.
They shall serve as an advocate for the interests of the Polity Entire, remaining non-partisan but reminding the Council of its role as representatives of the desires and rights of the Polity.
The Polity Herald shall have limited voting rights, only being unable to cast votes in matters of external budgetary allocations.
The Polity Herald, who is an Officer and a restricted-voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been a member of the Delegate Council for at least one (1) semester prior to taking office.
At the close of every semester the Polity Herald shall distribute to the Polity a report of accomplishments achieved during the year. The content of said report must include information regarding funds distributed, and may include other noteworthy achievements undertaken by the Delegate Council. The Report shall be distributed via various means such that all members of the Polity may easily have access to its contents. Additionally a copy of the report shall be kept on record for future access and reference by the Council or upon request from a member of the Polity.
At the beginning and the end of every semester, the Herald will promulgate the archives maintained by the Secretary.

E. The Polity Attorney

The Polity Attorney shall hear legal complaints as specified within the Polity Handbook from members of the Student Polity and present those they judge meritorious to the Delegate Council.
The presentation of legal complaints shall occur no more than three (3) meetings after the Polity Attorney deems the complaint meritorious.
They shall serve as chair of the Election Board and appoint to members of the Board whatever tasks they deem necessary to administer and publicize the elections.
They shall cast a vote when a tie occurs among the regular voting members of the Council.
They shall, upon the decision of the Delegate Council, reclaim funds from either a group or an individual, and take the legal actions necessary to reclaim and return such funds to the Delegate Council Treasury.
The Polity Attorney, who is an Officer and a non-voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been a member of the Delegate Council for at least one (1) semester prior to taking office.
They shall be nominated by the President and appointed by a majority vote of the voting Delegate Council by the second meeting of the President’s term. If they have not been a member of the Delegate Council for the required one (1) semester prior to taking office, they may be appointed by a super majority (2⁄3) vote of the voting Delegate Council.

Section 5. Council Liaisons:

Council Liaisons are Members of the Delegate Council who serve on its subsidiary committees.
They shall be appointed by the President, and confirmed by a majority vote of the Delegate Council.
They shall promote collaboration between the subsidiary committee and the Delegate Council by reporting the details of committee meetings to the Delegate Council.
There shall only be one (1) Council Liaison per committee.
One person may serve as Council Liaison to more than one (1) committee.
A Council Liaison must have been a member of the Delegate Council for at least one (1) semester prior to taking office.

Article II: Elections

Section 1. Conditions for Elections:

All Elections are administered by an Election Board.
Voting must be done in a way that verifies the voter is a member of the Polity, preserves anonymity, and prevents voters from voting more than once.
Elections shall take place in the dining hall at lunch and the coffee shop in the afternoon, on either the same or subsequent weekday(s). Voting may occur through other secure means (e.g. online) if the council deems it appropriate and necessary by a super majority.
In the event of the college not convening in-person before the election of Delegates at the start of the year, the Polity Attorney shall have the ability to call an election by other secure means with the approval of The President. Officers and Polity members have two (2) days to contest the proposed means of conducting the election. In such an event, the complaint will be sent to the Dean’s office who will have the final say. Otherwise, the election shall take place according to the timeline of Article II, Sections 3 and 4.
Voting shall take place for no less than one (1) hour at each venue.
Should a currently serving Delegate or Officer run for and secure another position, whether as Delegate or Officer, they have thereby resigned and vacated their former position.

Section 2. Election Procedures:

A. The Election Board

The Election Board is chaired by the Polity Attorney.
The Election Board shall be appointed by the Polity Attorney, and shall consist of a minimum of five (5) individuals, including the Polity Attorney. No candidate shall serve on an Election Board.
Candidates for Delegate and Officer positions will have the right to reject members of the Election Board.
All members of the Election Board must be present at the counting of the ballots.
The Polity Attorney shall assign to the Election Board any duties deemed necessary to administer and publicize the election.
The Polity Attorney may, with the consent of the Election Board, appoint Special Deputies to aid in the elections if their schedule does not permit them to be there the whole time.

B. General Elections

General Elections are permanent and regular elections which determine Officers and Delegates for their respective terms.
The publicizing of a General Election must occur across at least two (2) types of media, one of which must be the SJC email, and at least one (1) week in advance, and must inform candidates of the membership of the Election Board.
The Polity Attorney must allow three (3) days after announcing the election for Polity members to announce their candidacy before finalizing the ballot.
The Polity Attorney must inform candidates of the membership of the Election Board at least two (2) days before the election.
Write-in votes and blank ballots shall be accepted. Blank ballots shall be taken as votes of no confidence. If the majority of votes are no confidence votes, the election process shall be redone so as to find candidates that the Polity feel represent them.
Voting for Officer elections will be ranked. Delegate elections will be an approval vote.
At any polling place where votes are being taken, the Polity Attorney must display a list of all candidates who have announced their candidacy according to the deadline set by the Polity Attorney.

Section 3. Delegate Elections:

Upperclassman Delegate elections shall take place and conclude no later than the Friday after the first Monday seminar of a new academic year.
Freshman Delegate elections shall conclude no earlier or later than one (1) week to the day later in the first semester, and coinciding with Officer elections for the second semester.
Voters shall indicate up to four (4) candidates in Delegate Elections.
The constituencies shall be the academic classes. Each class shall be represented by four (4) Delegates.
So long as a constituency remains without a Delegate, their seat shall be considered vacant, and shall be excluded when considering whether a quorum exists for a given meeting of the Delegate Council.

Section 4. Officer Elections:

General Election for the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Polity Herald shall be held during the second week following Thanksgiving recess, and the newly elected Officers shall take office at the first meeting of the Spring semester following their election.
Members of the Student Polity may be nominated for the office of President by submission of a petition signed by at least twenty (20) members of the Polity.
Members of the Student Polity may be nominated for the offices of Polity Herald, Secretary, and Treasurer by submission of a petition by at least ten (10) members of the Polity.
Petitions shall be submitted to the Polity Attorney. Signatures appearing on more than one petition for each office shall not be counted. Signatures shall be collected by individual candidates on their own behalf.
Voting will occur via ranked voting, conducted as follows:
1. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they wish. This includes write ins.
2. If any candidate has the majority of first choice votes, that candidate wins.
3. If no candidate has the majority of first choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first choice votes is eliminated and their votes are distributed based on the second choice of those who voted for them.
4. The process repeats until a candidate has a majority of votes (1⁄2) or if there are two (2) candidates remaining.
5. If two (2) candidates remain and neither have the majority vote, the candidate with the plurality wins.
6. If a tie occurs between the final two (2) candidates, a runoff election between them will be held.

Section 5. Vacancies:

If a constituency is unrepresented for whatever reason with more than six (6) weeks left in the term, an Ad Hoc Election shall be held within two (2) weeks by the Polity Attorney.
If the constituency has no representatives whatsoever, that constituency shall be unrepresented until a member of that class announces their intention to the Polity Attorney to represent that class, at which time the class shall be informed of another Ad Hoc Election to be held in one (1) week.
If for whatever reason the office of the President becomes vacant the Delegate Council shall hold an Ad Hoc Election within one (1) week of the vacancy.
If the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, or Polity Herald become vacant prior to the completion of one-half (1/2) of their term, the Delegate Council shall hold an Ad Hoc Election within one (1) week of the vacancy.

Section 6: Ad Hoc Elections

Ad Hoc Elections are those elections which are not permanent and regular, and instead are held as vacancies in the Delegate Council and its related bodies arise.
The same rules for General Elections apply to Ad Hoc Elections, with the exception that advertisement for Ad Hoc Elections may take place less than one (1) week before they are held.

Section 7. Election Disputes:

Only current members of the student polity are qualified to be disputants of an election.
The disputant shall present a grievance to the Polity Attorney within two (2) days following the day of the election. The Attorney shall then notify the Delegate Council.
The Delegate Council will decide if the election should be re-administered. If they so decide by a super majority vote, the election must be re-administered within two (2) weeks of the disputed election.

Article III: Impeachment

Section 1. Grounds for Impeachment:

A Delegate or Officer may be impeached by their constituents if the constituents are dissatisfied with their performance or execution of duties.
The Delegate Council may vote to impeach a Delegate or Officer if they find that Delegate or Officer to be acting in disregard of this Constitution, the Polity Laws, the Acts of Council, or Oath of Office.
A Delegate or Officer may be impeached for missing too many subsequent meetings of the delegate council.
An Officer or Delegate may not be subject to impeachment proceedings on the same charges more often than once in a two (2) month period.

Section 2. Delegate Impeachment Procedure:

By a member of the Polity
1. Any member of the Polity may submit to the Polity Attorney a petition of impeachment. This petition must include a list of charges against the Delegate. It must bear the signatures of at least one-third (1/3) of the members of their class. The Polity Attorney shall notify the individual about the petition of impeachment and then present the petition to the Delegate Council.
2. An open hearing of the Delegate Council shall take place during the next meeting after the petition is presented to the Delegate Council, dedicated to the debate of the Delegate in question. The Delegate must be permitted to offer a defense. After debate has been closed, the vote will occur after a motion to vote has been raised.
3. The concurrence of three-fourths (3/4) of the entire voting membership of the Delegate Council is necessary to remove that Delegate from office. The Delegate being impeached cannot vote.
4. If the Delegate is not convicted by the Council and three-fourths (3/4) of the Delegate’s class sign a petition to override, it overrides the Council’s vote and the Delegate is removed from office.
By a member of the Delegate Council
1. Any member of the Delegate Council may submit to the Polity Attorney a petition of impeachment. This petition must include a list of charges against the Delegate. It must bear the signatures of at least one-half (1/2) of the members of the Delegate Council. The Polity Attorney shall notify the individual about the petition of impeachment and then present the petition to the Delegate Council.
2. Following a notification from the Polity Attorney of a petition for impeachment, an open meeting of the Delegate Council shall be held, publicized to the Polity in advance, dedicated to the debate of the Delegate in question. The Delegate must be permitted to offer a defense. After debate has been closed, the vote will occur after a motion to vote has been raised.
3. The concurrence of three-fourths (3/4) of the entire voting membership of the Delegate Council is necessary to remove that Delegate from office. The Delegate being impeached cannot vote.

Section 3. Officer Impeachment Procedure:

By the Polity
1. A member of the Polity may submit to the Delegate Council a petition of impeachment. This petition must include the signatures of at least one-fifth (1/5) of the members of the Polity and a list of charges.
2. An open meeting of the Delegate Council shall be held, devoted to debate of the Officer in question. The Officer must be permitted to offer a defense.
3. The concurrence of three-fourths (3/4) of the membership of the Delegate Council shall remove that Officer from office. The Officer being impeached (if they have voting rights) cannot vote.
4. If the Officer is not convicted by the Council and three-fourths (3/4) of the Polity sign to override the decision, it overrides the Council’s vote and the Officer is removed from office.
By the Delegate Council
1. A member of the Delegate Council may submit to the Delegate Council a petition of impeachment. This petition must include the signatures of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the Delegate Council and a list of charges.
2. An open hearing of the Delegate Council shall be held, publicized to the Polity in advance, devoted to debate of the Officer in question. The Officer must be permitted to offer a defense.
3. A polity wide vote must be held, and, at the concurrence of at least two-thirds (2/3) of those voting, the Officer shall be removed. This vote shall follow the same procedures as the election voting. The minimum number of votes in favor of impeachment in order for the vote to be valid is one-tenth (1/10) of the polity. The Officer being impeached cannot vote.

Section 4. Automatic Process Impeachment Procedure:

The Automatic Process begins if a Member:
1. Missed two (2) consecutive scheduled Delegate Council Meetings and is an Officer.
2. Missed three (3) consecutive scheduled Delegate Council Meetings and is a Delegate.
3. Missed half or more than half of the meetings held by the Delegate Council during one (1) calendar month.
The Polity Attorney shall place on the agenda of the following meeting after a member has triggered the automatic process a hearing of impeachment concerning the Delegate or Officer who has triggered the Automatic Process as described above.
A delegate who is absent for more than one-third (1/3) of any meeting shall be considered to have been absent from that meeting for the purposes of the automatic impeachment process.
At this hearing the Polity Attorney will present to the Delegate Council the reason why the Automatic Process has been begun.
The Delegate or Officer will have the opportunity to explain the absences that mandated the hearing of impeachment.
By a vote the Delegate Council will decide based on what they have heard during the hearing whether the Delegate or Officer in question deserves to be impeached via Automatic Process.
If two-thirds (2/3) or more of the present voting members of the Delegate Council find that the Officer or Delegate in question deserved to be impeached, the Delegate or Officer in question is immediately impeached and the Automatic Process is finished. If less than two-thirds (2/3) of the present voting members find that the Delegate or Officer in question deserved to be impeached, then the Delegate or Officer is not impeached and the Automatic Process is finished.
If the Polity Attorney is the officer in question, then the relevant actions will be carried out by the Secretary.

Article IV: Procedure of the Delegate Council

Section 1. Conditions for Meeting:

Quorum must be met in order for there to be a legitimate meeting of the Delegate Council.
Quorum is defined as two-thirds (2/3) of all seated Delegates & Officers.
A quorum is established by calling roll.

Section 2. Procedure:

After quorum has been reached, the President may call the meeting to order.
Any suggested edits to the minutes must be discussed. All edits to the minutes must be voted upon and, when disputed, decided via vote of simple majority.
Officers will read reports that the Officer believes the Delegate Council should hear, or that the Delegate Council has ordered the Officer to present. If any member of the Delegate Council motions that continued discussion is necessary, the contents of the report will be discussed by the Delegate Council.
Emergency Items must be discussed. An emergency item is any item whatever that the President states must have priority over regular agenda items.
Agenda Items will be discussed for the remainder of the meeting, in the order of:
1. Old Business: those items which have been on the agenda previously, but were not called to vote prior to the adjournment of the last meeting of the Delegate Council
2. New business: those items which have not been on the agenda previously.
For Adjournment to occur:
1. A motion in the format: “Motion to set time in which to reconvene (the proposed meeting time)” must be made by a Delegate and seconded by another Delegate. The motion must be voted upon, with a simple majority being sufficient to pass the motion.
2. A motion in the format: “Motion to adjourn” must be made by a Delegate and seconded by another Delegate. The motion must be voted upon, with a simple majority being sufficient to pass the motion.

Section 3. Voting:

In cases where consensus cannot be reached, a vote is sufficient to officially decide an issue. The President has the authority to call an item to vote, and the President will choose which method of voting is to be used in deciding the issue. If a Member of the Delegate Council feels it is prudent to change the method of voting on an issue, they may motion that the vote be conducted in a different way. If the motion is seconded, the vote shall be conducted in the manner proposed. A call for Division does not require a second.
1. Voice Vote: In response to a call for affirmative votes, those members of the Delegate Council voting affirmative must call “aye”. In a response to a call for negative votes, those members of the Delegate Council voting negative must call “nay”. A simple majority is sufficient to determine the outcome of the vote. In a voice vote, volume is sufficient to determine a simple majority.
2. Division of the House: A Division of the House requires the Secretary to record the votes that each member of the Council casts. The Secretary calls their name, the member of council will respond with “aye” for an affirmative, “nay” for a negative, and “oi” for an abstention. These will be recorded and summed, with a simple majority being sufficient to decide the issue, excluding ratios otherwise specified in the constitution.
In the case of votes pertaining to the merit or character of Polity members, the Secretary will not record the names of the voting members of the Delegate Council.
Voting cannot be done in absentia, if a member is not present at a meeting to represent their vote themselves in any way, they cannot have another member of the council pass on or represent their vote.
In matters concerning a club in which a council member holds leadership in, or in any other matters in which a council member may have any other conflict of interest, the council member may not vote. In such cases, they must declare a temporary recusal while the particular matter is discussed. If a council member is a candidate for a position appointed by the Delegate Council, they must recuse themselves from voting and may not remain in the chamber during an executive session discussing said appointment.

Section 4. Practices:

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of the Delegate Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and any acts of council the Delegate Council may adopt. The Delegate Council may adopt acts of council which establish new rules for proceedings which shall supersede Robert’s Rules.

Article V: Actions of the Delegate Council

Section 1. Polity Law:

Polity Law is defined as the body of laws created by the Delegate Council for the purpose of encouraging or discouraging actions by the Polity. Polity Law shall be listed under the category “Polity Laws” in the Student Handbook.
Polity Laws shall be enacted according to the following procedure:
1. The law shall be proposed by a member of the Delegate Council or the Committee on Student Life.
2. The Secretary shall then give public notice of the proposed law within three (3) school days.
3. A public meeting open to the entire Polity shall be held no sooner than three (3) school days and not later than two (2) weeks, after the notification, at which meeting the Delegate Council shall solicit the advice and opinion of the Polity concerning the proposed law.
4. Upon the approval of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the seated members of the Delegate Council, the proposed law shall be enacted.
5. Enactment shall be reported to the Dean within one (1) week and must be sent out to the Polity by email.
Polity Law may be repealed by any one of the following procedures:
1. The Delegate Council may repeal a Polity Law by the concurrence of three-fourths (3/4) of its seated members.
2. When a petition for the Repeal of a Law, signed by at least seventy-five (75) members of the student Polity, has been submitted to the Delegate Council, a referendum, supervised by an Election Board appointed and chaired by the Polity Attorney, shall be held within two (2) school weeks of the petition’s submission. The law shall be repealed upon majority approval. If the law is not repealed no further petition for the repeal of that law shall be accepted for a period of two months.
3. The repealing of a Polity Law shall be reported to the Dean within one (1) week and must be sent out to the Polity by email.

Section 2. Acts of Council:

Acts of Council are policies that express the way the Delegate Council will fulfill its duties. They may not contradict the Constitution. In moments of doubt, refer to the Polity Attorney.
An Act of Council may be proposed by any member of the Delegate Council.
A majority (1/2) vote of the Delegate Council is required to pass an Act of Council.
Acts of Council must be reported to the Dean within one (1) week.
Amendments are allowed to be made to a proposed Act of Council prior to its passage.
An Act of Council may be repealed using the same procedures outlined in Sections 2-4 of this section.
Any existing Act of Council may be amended following the procedures outlined in Sections 2-5 of this section. Acts of Council do not expire until repealed.
An Act of Council may not be repealed through the Constitutional Review Process. However, if the constitution is so amended as to render an existing Act of Council unconstitutional, it shall be considered nullified but not repealed. This means that the Act of Council will be treated as if it were repealed, with the only difference being that if the constitution were to be amended to render the nullified Act of Council constitutional, it will be considered reenacted.

Section 3. Resolutions of Council:

Resolutions of Council are resolutions expressing the opinion of the sitting Delegate Council that passes them.
Resolutions of Council may be proposed by any member of the Delegate Council.
A majority vote of the Delegate Council is necessary to pass a Resolution of Council.
Resolutions of Council must be reported to the Dean within two (2) weeks and must be sent out to the Polity by email.
Resolutions of Council expire at the end of each academic year.

Section 4. Committees:

Committees may be appointed as needed to aid the Delegate Council in the execution of its duties. Standing Committees require a charter which outlines the process of selecting internal leadership and election procedures. Temporary committees will require a statement of purpose which details the purpose and purview of said committee.
Any member of the council may propose the creation of a committee. Committees created by and, therefore, subject to the Delegate Council may have as many members of the DC as needed with the exception of the Constitutional Review Committee. Members of the polity are also allowed to serve on committees as necessary.
When the creation of a temporary committee is proposed by a member, the council will review the proposed statement of purpose. The statement of purpose may be amended by a majority vote of the Delegate Council while the proposal is under consideration. The statement of purpose of any existing committee may be amended at any time by a majority vote of the council. A majority vote is required to approve the statement of purpose and to bring the committee into existence. A majority vote of the Council will also be sufficient to dissolve a committee.
When the creation of a standing committee is proposed by a member, the council will review the proposed charter. The charter may be amended by a majority vote of the Delegate Council while the proposal is under consideration. Passage of the proposal requires a majority vote of the council. The charter of any existing standing committee may be amended at any time by a majority vote of the council. A majority vote of the council will also be sufficient to dissolve a standing committee.
Membership of a Temporary Committee will be determined as follows:
1. A member of the council or polity may be nominated by either the President or by a council member; the voting on the nomination is to follow standard Delegate Council voting procedures. A majority vote is required to secure nomination.
2. The nomination must specify whether an individual is being nominated to serve as chair of said committee or merely as a member of said committee.
3. A majority vote of the council will be sufficient to remove a member of the committee.
Membership of a Standing Committee will be determined as follows:
1. According to the charter of the committee, the charter will be subject to approval by the Council.
2. Members of Standing Committees will be appointed by the Delegate Council according to the procedures outlined by the charter of the standing committee.
3. A majority vote of the council will be sufficient to remove a member of the committee.
At the conclusion of every academic year, the Temporary Committees will be classified as inactive unless otherwise stipulated by the Council. At the beginning of the next academic calendar, each inactive Temporary Committee must be reviewed by the Council in regards to reactivating the committee or if it will be dissolved. If the committee is reactivated, the membership and leadership process must be conducted again.
The Delegate Council may maintain a Student Committee on Instruction, to establish and maintain formal channels of communication between the students and the faculty on matters of curriculum.
The Delegate Council may maintain the Committee on Student Life to regulate and govern non-curricular aspects of student life, to promote cooperation among the organizations, coordinate student activities, and to propose legislation where necessary to the Delegate Council.
The President has the privilege to institute committees that shall be referred to as Presidential Committees.
1. Presidential Committees do not require approval from the Delegate Council.
2. Presidential Committees shall have a statement of purpose which does not require approval from the Delegate Council, and which shall be presented to the Delegate Council within one (1) week of the formation of the committee.
3. Membership of Presidential Committees is determined by the President and does not require approval from the Delegate Council.
4. Presidential Committees can be dissolved by a majority vote of the Delegate Council at any time.

Article VI: Clubs & Budgeting

Section 1. Charters:

Once a club charter is accepted by the Delegate Council, a copy of it shall immediately be made available to the Student Services Coordinator.
A club charter must include several pieces of information, including but not limited to:
1. the objects of the club.
2. the process of selecting archons, vice archons, & treasurers.
3. the individual responsibilities of archons, vice-archons, & treasurers.
4. the processes by which the club may modify its own charter.
All club archons and treasurers, at the end of their term, must submit the names of their successors in writing before the end of the spring semester.
Failure to meet the above requirements may result in the revocation of a club’s charter and the denial of its funding.
If any member of the Delegate Council feels that an archon is in abrogation of their duties, a supermajority vote of the Delegate Council will be sufficient for said archon’s removal. Said archon must be given an opportunity to defend themselves to the Council prior to the vote for removal.

Section 2. Budget Submission:

The Delegate Council must announce within the first week of each semester that budgets may be submitted. Budget submission will only last for two (2) weeks.
Any budget submitted late will be considered after a super majority vote by the Council and after the review of all other budgets.
Coinciding with the announcement the Delegate Council must provide budgeting forms. The Delegate Council must continue to provide forms throughout the session.
Budgets may be passed by a simple majority.
Available funds will be distributed by the Delegate Council.
The Delegate Council may not remove more funds from a club’s allotment than has been accounted for by the club’s budget and audit.
General Elections must be held before budgets may be reviewed.
A club cannot receive funds from the Delegate Council unless it has a charter approved by the Delegate Council.
Any funds allocated to clubs by the Delegate Council must be spent in a manner accessible to the entire Polity unless approved otherwise by the Council.

Section 3. Emergency Budgets and Funds:

At the conclusion of the regular budgeting process, the Delegate Council must hold in reserve an amount equivalent to no less than one-fifteenth (1/15) of the funds received that semester as an emergency fund.
Emergency budgets shall be submitted using the same procedure as regular budgets. They will be evaluated before and after regular funds have been distributed, and may be passed by a simple majority.

Section 4. Audits:

By receiving funds from the Delegate Council, each club is held responsible for submitting an audit before the last week of classes each semester.
1. If a club plans on having expenditures after this deadline they are required to inform the treasurer and may be granted a new deadline.
The Delegate Council is responsible for providing forms and any necessary guidance concerning audits.
Lost receipts will not be accepted and reimbursed.
Overspending of an individual budget line item is not allowed, and the overspent amount will not be eligible for reimbursement.
To reallocate the budget, clubs have to come to the Delegate Council to receive approval. If the reallocated budget is spent before approval, it will be considered as overspending the budget line item, and it will not be eligible for reimbursement.
Any club that does not submit an audit will be required to meet with the Delegate Council before their budget can be evaluated.

Article VII: Amendments

Section 1. Proposing an Amendment:

An Amendment may be proposed either by a member of the Delegate Council or by a petition signed by at least one-fifth (1/5) of the Polity.
The party proposing the amendment must make a presentation to the Delegate Council. After the presentation a majority vote will determine if the proposal is worth further consideration.

Section 2. Passing a Proposed Amendment:

The Delegate Council, upon deeming the proposal worthy for further consideration shall appoint a committee to study the proposal’s merits.
1. This committee shall consist of the original proposer, the Polity Attorney, the Polity Herald and at least two (2) Delegates.
2. Should the committee recommend that the Constitution be amended, the Delegate Council shall notify the Polity of the proposed amendment and hold at least one (1) public meeting attended by the Members and Officers of the Delegate Council whereby the polity can voice their concerns about the proposed amendment.
3. After the last of these public meetings, the Delegate Council shall vote on the proposal, and approval by at least four-fifths (4/5) of the full membership of the Delegate Council shall enact the amendment.
4. After the approval of an Amendment by the Delegate Council, the Polity must vote on the Amendment. The Polity votes on the Amendment after a week of publication. A majority of voting members of the Polity is sufficient to decide the will of the Polity. The minimum number of votes to pass the amendment that must be cast for this type of vote to be valid is equal to one-tenth (1/10) of the Polity. If the vote is invalid, then the Amendment is thrown out.

Article VIII: Constitutional Review

Section 1. Reviewing the Constitution:

Every three (3) years, after the Delegate Council has accomplished all pressing business and at the prompting of the Polity Attorney, the Delegate Council will enter into its Review Period:
1. At the beginning of The Review Period, a constitutional committee will be formed made up of one delegate from each constituency and the Polity Herald, and led by the Polity Attorney.
2. This committee will meet of their own accord and independently of the Delegate Council to discuss the merits of the constitution and propose any changes to it.
3. Members of the Delegate Council who are not on the committee are encouraged to send the Polity Attorney any and all concerns they have about the constitution and goals they deem important during the review process.
4. After five (5) weeks, the constitutional review committee will come before the Delegate Council to present their proposed changes.
5. Any member of the Delegate Council may flag a change made by the committee.
6. The flagged items may be debated and put up for a majority vote as to whether they should be kept as is, or changed.
7. The committee has one (1) week after the vote to change an item to edit it in the manner the council deemed they should.
Once the Delegate Council is able to adjourn a meeting without a flagged item the new Constitution will be shared with the Polity and at least one (1) public meeting will be held to give polity members a chance to express their concerns.
Once it seems that the Student Polity’s concerns are dealt with adequately, the Review Period is over, and the new Constitution will come to a vote, which is to be conducted as follows:
1. The manner in which the Delegate Council and the Student Polity decide to cast their votes is by a vote within each group.
2. Both the Delegate Council and the Student Polity must meet quorum on the day of the vote; if quorum is not met, the vote is invalid.
3. For the Delegate Council a quorum is defined as two-thirds (2/3) of all members, and a minimum of three-fifths (3/5) of all members voting in favor of the constitution is necessary to pass the revised constitution.
4. For the Student Polity, a simple majority of all members voting is necessary to pass the revised constitution. The minimum number of votes to pass the revised constitution that must be cast for this type of vote to be valid is equal to one-tenth (1/10) of the Polity.
5. If both parties achieve a quorum and vote in a manner that fails to pass the constitution, the constitution must be revised and voted upon again.
6. If both parties vote to pass the revised constitution, the revised constitution passes and immediately becomes the new constitution.

Yours,
Article IX:
The Student Polity &
Delegate Council of MMXXIII