I. 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.
In accordance with the above, 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.
In accordance with Section 4.1 of the General Provisions of the Polity of St. John’s College, the Delegate Council will discourage the restriction of any individual’s freedom of public speech, assembly, expression, or association.

Article I: Membership

Section 1: Delegates

A Delegate shall represent the members of their class in the Delegate Council.
Delegates shall vote on all issues before the Delegate Council.
Freshman-class Delegates shall serve terms lasting one semester; all other Delegates shall serve terms lasting one 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 Spring Commencement.
No barrier other than enrollment at the College and membership of their constituency shall be imposed upon candidates for Delegate positions.
Delegates are elected as described in Article IV. Upon election, Delegates shall recite before the Delegate Council an Oath of Office, to be determined by the Delegate Council.
Delegates shall take office at the first meeting after the election, and shall serve until Spring Commencement, unless they resign, are impeached, leave the College, or are expelled.

Section 2: Officers

1. Officers

Officers are representatives of the Student Polity as a whole: the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Polity Herald, and the Polity Attorney. No Student Polity member may hold a position as both a Delegate and Officer, or hold any two offices simultaneously.
Officers are elected as described in Article IV. Upon election, officers shall recite before the Delegate Council an Oath of Office, to be determined by the Delegate Council.
All officers shall serve a term of one calendar year from the day on which they are sworn in.
Officers shall take office at the first meeting after the election, and will serve out their tenure of one calendar year unless they resign, are impeached, leave the College, or are expelled.

Sub-Section 1: Officer Positions

1. 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 the Delegate Council.
They shall be authorized to request from the Treasurer a financial report on Polity funds, which is to be submitted within one week of the request. They shall sign, together with the Treasurer, all checks drawn from Polity funds.
They shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Delegate Council, Delegates, a Treasurer, a Secretary, or a Polity Herald to fill any vacancies which may occur in those offices if such vacancies occur after the completion of one-half (1/2) of the term of office. If such vacancies occur prior to the completion of one-half (1/2) of the term of office, the President shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Delegate Council, Delegates, a Treasurer, a Secretary, or a Polity Herald until Ad Hoc Elections are held for those offices.
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 individual than by the Delegate Council as a whole.
They shall be authorized to appoint whatever Presidential Committees may be necessary to aid them in the execution of their duties.
The President has the discretion to veto passed legislation. The Delegate Council may override their veto with a two thirds majority.
The President, who is an Officer and a voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been in residence at either campus of the College for at least one year and be a member of the Delegate Council for at least one year prior to taking office, and shall be in good standing with the College.

2. The Secretary

The Secretary shall keep and publish the minutes of all meetings called by the President.
The Secretary shall be responsible for recording votes, taking attendance, and organizing the agenda.
They shall be responsible for all Polity records.
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, who is an Officer and a voting member of the Delegate Council, must have been in residence at either campus of the College for at least one year and at the Annapolis Campus for at least one semester and be a member of the Delegate Council for at least one semester prior to taking office, and shall be in good standing with the College
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.

3. The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep accounts of authority to request detailed accounts of
and disburse all Polity monies, and shall have 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 at the request of the President, 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 V, 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 in residence at either campus of the College for at least one year and at the Annapolis Campus for at least one semester and be a member of the Delegate Council for at least one semester prior to taking office, and shall be in good standing with the College.

4. 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 de facto on all student 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.
They shall serve as an advocate for 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, 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 in residence at either campus of the College for at least one year and be a member of the Delegate Council for at least one semester prior to taking office, and shall be in good standing with the College.
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.
The Herald will promulgate that list maintained by the Secretary in accordance with item F of the Secretary.

5. The Polity Attorney

The Polity Attorney shall hear complaints from members of the Student Polity and present those they judge meritorious to the Delegate Council.
The presentation of meritorious complaints shall occur no greater than three meetings after the Polity Attorney first adds the complaint to the agenda. During budgeting season the presentation of meritorious complaints may occur within five meetings.
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 in residence at either campus for at least one year and at the Annapolis Campus for at least one semester and be a member of the Delegate Council for at least one semester prior to taking office, and shall be in good standing with the College.
They shall be nominated by the President and appointed by a majority vote of the standing Delegate Council at the first meeting after the inauguration of the President.

Section 3: Council Liaison

Council Liaisons
1. Council Liaisons are members of the Delegate Council who serve on its subsidiary committees, such as the Committee on Student Life.
2. They shall be appointed by the President, and confirmed by a majority vote of the Delegate Council.
3. They shall seek to promote collaboration between the subsidiary committee and the Delegate Council.
4. There shall be no more than one (1) Council Liaison for any given committee.
5. One person may serve as Council Liaison to more than one committee.
6. Council Liaison must have been in residence at either campus of the College for at least one year be a member of the Delegate Council for at least one semester prior to taking office, and shall be in good standing with the College.

Article II: Elections

Section 1: Conditions for Elections

All Elections are administered by an Election Board.
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 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

The Election Board
1. The Election Board is chaired by the Polity Attorney.
2. 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.
3. The Board shall be approved by each candidate if the election is for an Officer or Delegate position.
4. For any other election, the Board shall be approved by the Delegate Council.
5. All members of the Election Board must be present at the counting of the ballots.
6. The Polity Attorney shall assign to the Election Board any duties deemed necessary to administer and publicize the election.
7. The publicizing of any election whatever must occur across at least two types of media and at least one week in advance.
8. 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.
General Elections
1. General Elections are permanent and regular elections which determine Officers and Delegates for their respective terms.
2. Write-in votes and deliberate abstentions shall be accepted.
3. The candidate receiving the plurality of votes shall be elected. Should no candidate receive the plurality on the first ballot, the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall stand.
4. At any polling place that votes are being taken, the Polity Attorney must display a list of all candidates who have announced their candidacy prior to the day of the election.

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 week to the day later in the first semester, and coinciding with Officer elections for the second semester.
Voters shall indicate up to four candidates in Delegate Elections.
The constituencies shall be the academic classes. Each class shall be represented by four Delegates.
So long as a constituency remains without four Delegates, those seats 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

A General Election for the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Polity Herald shall be
1. Members of the Student Polity may be nominated for the offices of President and Polity Herald by submission of a petition signed by at least twenty (20) members of the Polity.
2. Members of the Student Polity may be nominated for the offices of Secretary and Treasurer by submission of a petition by at least ten (10) members of the Polity.
3. Petitions shall be submitted to the Polity Attorney. Signatures appearing on more than one petition for each office shall not be counted.

Section 5: Vacancies

If a constituency is unrepresented due to withdrawal, resignation, death, impeachment, or change in residence, an Ad Hoc Election shall be held within two weeks, subject to procedure as determined by the Delegate Council.
If the constituency is not represented, 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 two (2) weeks.
If for whatever reason the position of the President becomes vacant the Delegate Council shall hold an Ad Hoc Election within three (3) weeks of the vacancy.
If the position of Secretary, Treasurer, or Polity Herald becomes vacant prior to the completion of one-half (1/2) of their term, the Delegate Council shall hold an Ad Hoc Election within three (3) weeks 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 to apply to Ad Hoc elections.

Section 7: Election Disputes

Of Delegate positions
1. The disputant shall present a grievance to the Election Board, who shall re-administer the election if they deem it necessary.
Of Officer positions
1. The disputant shall present a grievance to their Delegate, who shall then notify the Delegate Council.
2. The Delegate Council will decide if the election should be re-administered. If they so decide, the election must be re-administered within two (2) weeks.

Article III: Impeachment

Section 1: Grounds for Impeachment

A Delegate or Officer may be impeached by their constituents if they are dissatisfied with their performance or execution of duties.
A Delegate or Officer may be impeached if disciplinary action taken against them has rendered them undesirable as their Delegate.
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: Impeachment Procedure

1. Delegates

By a member of the Polity
1. Any member of the Polity may submit to the Delegate Council 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 their class. It shall first be presented to the Delegate Council for confirmation.
2. Following this, the Council shall debate the charges with the Delegate present. 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.
By a member of the Delegate Council
1. Any member of the Delegate Council may submit to the Delegate Council 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. It shall first be presented to the Delegate Council for confirmation.
2. Following this, the Council shall debate the charges with the Delegate present. 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.

2. Officers

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.
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 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. 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. The minimum number of ballots which must be cast for this type of vote to be valid is one hundred (100) Polity members.

3. By Automatic Process

The Automatic Process begins if a Delegate or Officer of the Delegate council has:
1. Missed two consecutive scheduled Delegate Council Meetings and is an Officer.
2. Missed four 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 calendar month.
The Polity Attorney shall place on the agenda a hearing of impeachment concerning the Delegate or Officer who has triggered the Automatic Process as described above.
1. At this hearing the Polity Attorney will present to the Delegate Council the reason why the Automatic Process has been begun.
2. The Delegate or Officer will have the opportunity to explain the absences that mandated the hearing of impeachment.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
1. Quorum is defined as two-thirds (2/3) of all seated Delegates & Officers
2. 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.
1. 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.
1. 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.
1. 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 the time to which to adjourn until (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.

Section 4: Practices

In cases where there is a dispute concerning matters of decorum, Robert’s Rules of Order determines:
1. Whether or not there has been a breach in decorum, and;
2. The order and manner of resolution for that breach in decorum.

Article V: Actions of the Delegate Council

Section 1: Polity Law

Polity Law is defined as laws created by the Delegate Council for the purposes of encouraging or discouraging actions by the Polity. Polity Law shall be listed under the category “Polity Laws” in the Student Handbook.
They 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.
3. A public meeting open to the entire Polity shall be held no sooner than three (3) 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 full 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 two (2) weeks 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 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 two (2) weeks 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.
They may be proposed by any member of the Delegate Council.
A majority vote of the Delegate Council is necessary to pass an Act of Council.
Acts of Council must be reported to the Dean within two (2) weeks.
An Act of Council may be repealed by the same procedure by which it was passed.
Should any minor changes be made by the Delegate Council in an Act during the above process, this shall not be held to constitute the passage of a new Act, and shall not require that the aforementioned process start again.
Acts of Council do not expire until repealed. The Constitutional Review process is insufficient to repeal an Act of Council.

Section 3: Resolutions of Council

Resolutions of Council are resolutions expressing the opinion of the Delegate Council.
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 upon the election of new Officers.

Section 4: Committees

Committees may be appointed as needed to aid the Delegate Council in the execution of its duties.
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, promoting cooperation among the organizations, coordinating student activities, and proposing legislation where necessary to the Delegate Council.

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, 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, consequently, its funding.

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 weeks.
Coinciding with the announcement the Delegate Council must provide budgeting forms. The Delegate Council must continue to provide forms throughout session.
The Delegate Council will evaluate budgets on a first come first serve basis. Budgets may be passed by a simple majority.
Funds will be distributed as they become available to the Delegate Council.
Each semester will be considered independently and as such, no funds will be guaranteed between semesters.
The Delegate Council may not remove more funds from a club’s account than has been accounted for by the club’s budget and audit.
Elections must be held before budgets may be reviewed.
A club cannot receive funds from the Delegate Council until 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.
1. Funds given to clubs by the Delegate Council may be used in a manner that is not accessible to the entire Polity only when they have received approval from either the Dean or the Assistant Dean.

Section 3: Emergency Budgets and Funds

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

Section 4: Audits

By receiving funds from the Delegate Council, each club is responsible for submitting an audit before the last week of classes each semester. The Delegate Council is responsible for providing forms and any necessary guidance concerning audits.
Any budget discrepancy is deducted from the request of the next budget.
Any club that does not submit an audit will be required to meet with the Delegate Council before they can submit a budget.

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 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 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 simple majority of voting members of the Polity is sufficient to decide the will of the Polity. However, a quorum of one-tenth (1/10) of the Polity must be met for the vote to be valid. If a vote is invalid, then the Amendment is thrown out.

Article VIII: Constitutional Review

Section 1: Reviewing the Constitution

Every three 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. A. At the beginning of The Review Period, a constitutional committee will be formed made up of one delegate from each constituency, the Polity Herald, and lead by the Polity Attorney.
1. 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.
  1. 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.
2. After three (3) weeks, the constitutional committee will come before the Delegate Council to present their proposed changes.
3. Any member of the Delegate Council may flag a change made by the committee.
4. The flagged items may be debated and put up for a majority vote as to whether they should be kept as is, or changed.
  1. The committee has one 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 end a meeting without a flagged item being needed to be changed, then the Review Period is over.
The new Constitution will be shared with the Polity and at least one 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 new Constitution will come to a vote, which is to be conducted as follows:
1. For the purposes of a Constitutional Vote, the Student Polity has a singular vote, and the Delegate Council has a singular vote.
2. The manner in which the Delegate Council and the Student Polity decide to cast their votes is by a vote within each group.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. For the Student Polity, a quorum is defined as one-tenth (1/10) of all members of the Student Polity, and a simple majority of all members voting is necessary to pass the revised constitution.
6. If both parties achieve quorum and vote in a manner that fails to pass the constitution, the constitution must be revised and voted upon again.
7. If both parties vote to pass the revised constitution, the revised constitution passes and:
8. Immediately becomes the new constitution.

Article IX

Yours, The Student Polity & Delegate Council of MMXVI