of the Undergraduate Student Body of the University of Notre Dame Du Lac
Revised & Updated: January 16, 2017
The University of Notre Dame Student Union 2016 – 2017
| Rebecca Blais Student Body President |
Sibonay Shewit Student Body Vice-President |
Prathm Juneja Chief of Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Eisele Student Union Secretary |
Mason Shinn Student Union Treasurer |
Monica Montgomery Parliamentarian |
| Erica Tabor Director of Communications |
Daniel Swanson Executive Controller |
Caitlin Geary Judicial Council President |
| Eva Niklinska Director of Academic Affairs |
Stephanie Mastorakos Director of Internal Affairs |
Bryce Badura Director of Campus Technology |
| Kimberly Sullivan Director of Constituent Services |
Xun Chris Wang Director of Gender Issues |
Caitlin Hodges Director of Community Relations |
| Joseph Sierotko Director of Residence Life |
Andrea Tong Director of Social Concerns |
Andrew Helmin Director of University Affairs |
| Rachel Wallace Student Union Representative to Diversity Council |
MaKenna Siebenaler Campus Ministry Representative |
Andrew Recker Athletics Representative |
| Louis Bertolotti Student Union Board Executive Director |
Christina Fernandez and Elizabeth Feeley Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs |
Daniel Hopkinson and Nabila Mourad FUEL Directors |
| Paulina Eberts Club Coordination Council |
Michelle Lacouture Off-Campus President |
Katelyn Wray Senior Class President |
| Sara Dugan Junior Class President |
Michael Conlon Sophomore Class President |
Joe Witt Freshman Class President |
| Julia Dunbar Director of Health and Wellness |
Grace Watkins University Policy Liaison |
Prathm Juneja Director of National Engagement and Outreach |
WE, THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, recognize the uncommon value of the vision of Our Lady’s University and our essential role in its ongoing realizations. In order to achieve the greatest possible contribution to our community, we endeavor to make efficient and effective use of the resources available, to communicate student convictions clearly and willfully to faculty, administrators, and trustees, and to achieve consensus within the University community on the formulation and execution of policy. We labor with the entire Notre Dame family to ensure that each student reaches his or her full academic, social, and spiritual potential and resolve to sustain the evolving spirit of Notre Dame by entrusting its care to the student. Therefore, we do hereby ordain and establish this Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Body of the University of Notre Dame and form the Notre Dame Student Union.
(a) The authority of this Constitution is the basis for all business of the Student Union. The Student Union or any members thereof shall not act in any way that is contrary to this Constitution.
(1) Nothing in the bylaws shall come into conflict with this Constitution.
(2) Amendments to an organization’s bylaws may only be written by the organization the bylaws pertain to and must be approved by ¾ of the voting members within that organization. The Student Activities advisor to the organization must approve any bylaw amendments.
(c) This Constitution shall mandate the following—
(1) All voting shall require a simple majority unless otherwise specified in this Constitution. When not specified by this Constitution, The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall take effect.
(2) All members of the Senate must be given a copy of The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure as well as a copy of this Constitution.
(3) The Student Union Ethics Commission shall be in charge of reviewing and enforcing all attendance policies set forth in each Student Union organization’s constitutional article and/or bylaws. Furthermore, the Ethics Commission will oversee the faithful completion of the duties of each position enumerated in this Constitution. Should the Ethics Commission feel that any Student Union official is in violation of attendance policies and/or neglecting his or her duties as set forth in this Constitution and/or any applicable bylaws, the Ethics Commission may take the appropriate action outlined in Section 13.7 of this Constitution.
(a) Any undergraduate student enrolled at the University of Notre Dame who is of good academic standing, as determined by the Office of the Registrar or the First Year of Studies Program, and of good disciplinary standing, as determined by the Office of Community Standards and Housing, shall be eligible to hold an office in the Notre Dame Student Union.
(b) All elected officials (including those within the Hall Presidents Council, Student Union Board, and Senate) as well as appointed Senate Department Directors must be present for their entire term.
(c) No person may simultaneously hold more than one office enumerated in this Constitution.
(a) An amendment to this Constitution may be presented to the Senate by any member of Senate or through a petition.
(b) A presented amendment to this Constitution shall be adopted with the following actions—
(1) A two-thirds vote of all present and voting members of the Senate and the signature of the Student Body President.
(2) If the Student Body President does not sign an amendment passed by a two-thirds vote of all voting members of the Senate, he or she shall return it to the Senate, stating his or her objections, within two weeks, at which time the amendment may be adopted with a five-sixths vote of all voting members of the Senate.
(3) The approval of the Student Activities Office.
(a) This Constitution recognizes the Godgranted dignity of all persons and their right to respect, justice, and a welcoming environment, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, nationality, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability or disability, religion, veteran status, socioeconomic status, and documentation status. This Constitution forbids any acts of harmful and unjust discrimination and disrespect within the Student Union.
(b) Allegations of discriminatory activity shall be brought before the Student Union Ethics Commission as misconduct under Subsection (a) of Section 13.7 of this Constitution.
(a) The Student Body President shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year elected.
(b) The Student Body President shall ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Student Union.
(c) The Student Body President shall represent undergraduate student interests and maintain regular communication with the undergraduate student body and be responsive to undergraduate student opinion.
(d) The Student Body President shall address the Senate at least once each semester in his or her State of the Student Union Address, but may address the Senate at any time with regards to an important issue or topic. Each shall be delivered orally and submitted in written form to each member of the Senate. State of the Student Union Addresses shall occur by the following schedule:
(1) Upon the Student Body President’s election by the last Senate meeting of the semester.
(2) By the last Senate meeting of November.
(3) By the last Senate meeting of his or her term.
(e) The Student Body President shall serve as the chairperson of the Campus Life Council in the capacity outlined in the Bylaws of the Campus Life Council.
(f) The Student Body President shall represent the undergraduate student body as an ex officio member of the Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees.
(g) The Student Body President shall appoint a Student Union Secretary, a Chief of Staff, an Executive Controller, and a Director of Communications as outlined in Article I. The Student Body President shall also appoint Senate Department Directors. All enumerated appointments shall be approved by the Senate.
(h) The Student Body President shall attend all Senate meetings.
(i) The Student Body President shall create ad hoc Senate departments as needed.
(j) The Student Body President shall schedule and chair meetings between university leaders and local law enforcement leaders including, but not limited to, the Chief of the South Bend Police Department, Sheriff of St. Joseph County, District 1 Commander of the Indiana Excise Police, Chief of the Notre Dame Security Police, and a representative from the University of Notre Dame administration. The meetings shall take place at the following times during the President’s term:
(1) Once during the month of August.
(2) Once during the month of January.
(3) Once during the month of April.
(k) The Student Body President or any qualified designee acting on behalf thereof shall attend all meetings of the Community/Campus Advisory Coalition (CCAC) as the representative of the student body of the University of Notre Dame. The Student Body President or the designee thereof shall brief the Student Senate regarding the affairs of the CCAC at its first regular meeting after any meeting of the CCAC.
(m) The Student Body President shall develop, submit, and present a budget proposal for the Office of the Student Body President for the purposes of limited, policy-based programming to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting with the assistance of the Student Body Vice-President and the Executive Controller.
(n) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to the Student Body President.
(a) The Student Body Vice-President shall assist the Student Body President in the performance of presidential duties.
(b) The Student Body Vice-President shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year elected.
(c) The Student Body Vice-President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Senate and ensure its efficient and effective operation.
(d) The Student Body Vice-President shall attend Executive Cabinet meetings.
(e) The Student Body Vice-President shall assist the Student Body President and the Executive Controller in the development, submission, and presentation of the budget proposal for the Senate to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(f) The Student Body Vice-President shall assist the Student Body President in the development, submission, and presentation of the budget proposal for the Office of the Student Body President.
(a) The Chief of Staff shall assist the Student Body President in the daily duties and tasks of the President.
(b) The Chief of Staff shall assist the Student Body Vice-President in the coordination of the efforts of any standing or ad hoc departments as needed.
(c) The Chief of Staff shall attend all Executive Cabinet meetings.
(e) The Chief of Staff shall be responsible for all Senate press releases.
(f) The Chief of Staff shall be responsible for publicity for the Senate.
(g) The Chief of Staff shall be appointed by the Student Body President and approved by the Senate.
(b) The Student Union Secretary shall facilitate the distribution of information among all branches of the Student Union. This shall include distribution of information among the following groups—
(c) The Student Union Secretary shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Student Union’s public records, which shall include (but are not limited to) the minutes and agendas of the aforementioned Student Union meetings. The Student Union Secretary shall also serve as the archivist of the Student Union Archives and ensure their effective and efficient organization and operation.
(d) The Student Union Secretary shall make all public records of the Student Union easily accessible to all students, faculty, and staff of the University.
(e) The Student Union Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation of minutes of the aforementioned Student Union meetings and distribute the minutes to the members of the Senate as well as students, faculty, and staff who request the minutes.
(a) The incoming Judicial Council President shall nominate a Parliamentarian to the Senate at the first Senate meeting of the term. The Senate shall review and approve this nomination.
(b) The Parliamentarian shall advise the Chairperson of the Senate and Campus Life Council regarding parliamentary procedure and The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.
(a) The Director of Communications shall update and maintain a web site consistent with the Student Union Board and Senate and shall oversee all external communications of student government.
(b) The web site shall—
(1) Facilitate communication and collaboration among student groups.
(2) Effectively publicize all student group events and programs to the student body.
(3) Be updated weekly during the academic year.
(c) The Director of Communications shall attend Executive Cabinet and Executive Programming Board meetings.
(d) The Director of Communications shall be appointed by the Student Body President and approved by the Senate.
(a) The Student Body President shall appoint a representative to the University Department of Athletics.
(b) The Athletics Representative shall aid and advise the Student Body President and Student Body Vice-President in all matters pertaining to athletics.
(c) The Athletics Representative shall serve as a member of Executive Cabinet and be approved by the Student Senate.
(a) The Executive Controller shall maintain an accurate and timely record of all income and expenses of the Senate.
(b) The Executive Controller shall approve all transactions of the Senate and submit requests to the Office of the Student Union Treasurer.
(c) The Executive Controller shall be appointed by the Student Body President and be approved by the Student Senate.
(d) The Executive Controller shall assist the Student Body President in the development, submission, and presentation of the budget proposal for the Senate to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(e) The Executive Controller shall attend all Executive Cabinet meetings and all Financial Management Board meetings.
(a) The Student Body President shall appoint a representative to the Office of Campus Ministry.
(b) The Campus Ministry Representative shall be responsible for providing input on the spiritual needs of the student body and the student government policies relating to the same.
(c) The Campus Ministry Representative shall sit as a member of the Executive Cabinet and be approved by the Student Senate.
(a) The Student Body President shall appoint a representative to the Diversity Council.
(b) Student Union Representative to Diversity Council shall be responsible for maintaining contact and communication between Student Government and Diversity Council.
(c) Final resolutions and recommendations may be presented between the two bodies by way of the Student Union Representative to Diversity Council.
(d) The Student Union Representative to Diversity Council shall sit as a member of the Executive Cabinet and be approved by the Student Senate.
(a) The Senate shall be composed of the following members:
(1) One elected Senator per undergraduate residence hall.
(2) One elected off-campus undergraduate Senator.
(3) Four Class Presidents.
(4) Club Coordination Council President.
(5) Off-Campus President.
(b) Each Senator shall be elected by the undergraduate residents of each hall each year. Students who currently reside off-campus or will during the fall semester shall elect one undergraduate student to serve as the Off-Campus Senator each year.
(c) Each Senate member must be present for the entire term.
(d) Each Senate member shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year elected.
(e) Each Senate member shall have one vote.
(f) Student Body Vice-President.
(a) The Student Body President shall serve as a non-voting member of the Senate.
(b) Parliamentarian.
(c) Student Union Secretary.
(1) The Student Union Secretary shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Senate’s public records, which shall include, but are not limited to, the minutes and agendas of Senate.
(2) The Student Union Secretary shall make all public records of the Senate easily accessible to all students, faculty, and staff of the University.
(3) The Student Union Secretary shall prepare the minutes of Senate meetings and distribute the minutes to the members of the Senate as well as students, faculty, and staff who request the minutes.
(4) The Student Union Secretary must compile a document containing all agendas, dockets, and minutes for a given Senate’s and Campus Life Council’s term.
(d) Department Directors.
(1) The Student Body President shall accept applications for Department Directors and then nominate a Department Director for each of the Executive Departments.
(2) Department Directors must be nominated by the Student Body President to the incoming Senate. Department Directors shall be approved by a ⅔ vote of the Student Senate. Any potential conflicts of interest that may arise because the Director will simultaneously be a member of a Student Union club or special interest organization should be made known to the Senate during the approval process.
(3) Senate Department Directors shall be appointed after the elections for Senators have taken place.
(4) The appointed Department Director may attend and speak at Senate meetings.
(5) The appointed Department Director shall attend all weekly Executive Cabinet meetings.
(e) Executive Controller.
(1) The Controller shall maintain an accurate and timely record of all income and expenses of the Senate.
(2) The Controller shall approve all transactions of the Senate and submit requests to the Office of the Student Union Treasurer.
(3) The Controller shall be appointed by the Student Body President.
(4) The Controller shall assist the Student Body President in the development, submission, and presentation of the budget proposal for the Senate to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(5) The Controller shall attend Executive Cabinet meetings.
(f) Chief of Staff.
(1) The Chief of Staff shall be responsible for all Senate press releases.
(2) The Chief of Staff shall be responsible for publicity for the Senate.
(3) The Chief of Staff shall attend Executive Cabinet meetings.
(g) The Student Union Treasurer shall be a nonvoting member of Senate.
(h) The Student Union Board Executive Director shall be a non-voting member of Senate.
(i) At least one Hall Presidents Council Co-Chair shall be a non-voting member of Senate.
(j) Judicial Council President.
(1) The Judicial Council President shall serve as non-voting member of Senate.
(2) The Judicial Council President has speaking privileges, but may not vote or make motions, so as to prevent any bias in his/her role as the chief judicial officer of the Student Union.
(a) The Senate shall formulate and advance the position of the undergraduate student body on all issues concerning campus life.
(b) Resolutions constitute a call for action and must be passed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. A resolution cannot be adopted until it has been signed by the Student Body President. Any resolution not signed by the Student Body President within one academic week may be adopted by a three-fourths vote of all the voting members of the Senate.
(c) Orders constitute the execution of explicitly stated powers of the Senate. Orders must be passed by a two-thirds vote unless otherwise stated.
(d) A letter shall constitute an inquiry or point of information. Points of inquiry to the Office of Student Affairs shall be communicated verbally by the Student Body President within one academic week.
(e) The Senate shall establish the fiscal policies of the Student Union and supervise the proper implementation of these policies.
(f) The Senate shall review and address any allegation of misuse of undergraduate student organization funds or misconduct of undergraduate student organizations and their members though the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(g) The Senate shall use the Campus Life Council as a forum where students may discuss matters affecting student affairs with faculty and administrative personnel in order to build campus-wide consensus and make appropriate recommendations to the Vice-President for Student Affairs. Resolutions passed in the Senate addressing the Office of Student Affairs shall be submitted directly to the Campus Life Council.
(h) The Senate shall elect four Senators as voting members to serve on the Campus Life Council. The Senator representing Off-Campus shall automatically be appointed to serve as one of the four voting members on the Campus Life Council.
(i) For all meetings of the Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee, at which the agenda of the undergraduate student presentation is determined by the Student Body President and Vice-President, the Student Body President and Vice-President shall present to the Senate, no later than one week prior to the presentation to the Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee, a summary of the issues covered in the presentation. The Senate may make informal recommendations regarding the content of the report to the Student Body President and Vice-President for their consideration.
(j) The Senate shall review and approve any nominations made to it pursuant to the relevant provisions of this Constitution.
(k) The Senate shall establish regulations for all elections under this Constitution.
(l) The Senate shall make Senate documents available to undergraduate students upon request.
(m) Each Senator shall attend his or her respective Hall Council meetings to disseminate information and survey undergraduate student opinion on Senate agenda items.
(n) All positions enumerated in this Constitution shall perform other duties as the Senate may determine by a two-thirds vote of all Senate members.
(o) The Senate shall adopt the most recent edition of The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure as the official rules of procedure governing the operation of the Senate. This Constitution and Senate bylaws shall take precedence when this Constitution or Senate bylaws and The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure conflict. Any rule in The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure may be temporarily suspended by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
(p) A majority vote shall be required for the passage of any action unless otherwise specified in this Constitution, Senate bylaws, or The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.
a) The Senate shall meet at least every week from April 1st to March 31st during the regular academic school year at a reasonable time and campus location determined by the Chairperson.
(b) Any five members of the Senate possess the power to call a meeting with 48 hours written notice.
(c) No business shall be conducted in the Senate unless a quorum is present. A quorum exists when 3/5 of the voting members are present. The Chairperson shall not be counted in the quorum. A member represented by proxy shall not be counted in the quorum.
(d) Any member of the Senate shall lead the body in a short prayer to begin the meeting.
(e) The Senate shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for the Senate to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(f) Attendance at meetings of the full Senate is mandatory for Senate members. Permission for an absence must be obtained from the Chairperson.
(1) The Senate Department Directors and the Student Union Secretary are responsible for taking attendance at their respective meetings and will use their own discretion to mark absences.
(2) A tardy is marked as more than ten minutes late for a meeting and three tardies are counted as one absence.
(4) The Student Union Ethics Commission will alert the Senator in writing when he or she has reached three unexcused absences.
(6) Excessive excused absences are unacceptable and will result in a referral to the Student Union Ethics Commission by the Chairperson of the Senate for review.
(h) In the event of the absence of the Chairperson, and in the event the Chairperson has not given notice and appointed a voting member of Senate to the Chair, the Senate shall elect an acting chairperson from its voting membership present at that meeting.
(i) The Chairperson shall establish the agenda in conjunction with the Executive Cabinet.
(1) Said agenda as well as all resolutions and orders to be voted upon shall be distributed to Senate members no less than 48 hours prior to the Senate meeting.
(2) Any resolution or order that does not meet this condition may only come to a vote at the current meeting if the members unanimously agree to take a vote.
(3) In the event of a Senator-called meeting as outlined in subsection 3.4 (b), a tentative agenda and any new business to be voted upon must be provided when the meeting is called.
(j) Any member of the Senate, non-voting or voting, shall possess the right of agenda.
(k) Should an agenda item affecting the interests of the faculty come before the Student Senate, the Chairperson may recognize a representative of the Academic Council to address the Student Senate on the issue.
(l) All meetings of the Senate shall be open to the public. The Senate may close a meeting with a two-thirds vote.
(m) Only voting members of the Senate may make motions.
(n) The person who authors or presents a bill to the floor of the Senate shall be allowed to remark an unlimited number of times in debate, unless otherwise instructed by the Chairperson.
(o) Except when expressly noted in the Constitution and Senate bylaws, all votes taken in the Senate shall be taken from the voting membership present at a meeting, provided there is a quorum, and not necessarily from the entire voting membership of the Senate.
(p) Proxy.
(1) In the event that a voting member of the Senate should be absent from a meeting, that member may leave a proxy with another voting member of the Senate.
(3) The proxy must be signed in order to be valid.
(4) If the measure the proxy pertains to is significantly altered, as determined by the Chairperson, then the proxy will become invalid unless stipulations were made on the proxy for the alterations.
(q) Committee on the Budget.
(1) The Committee on the Budget shall meet at least once each term for the purpose of approving the Student Union Budget, as submitted by the Student Union Treasurer.
(2) The committee shall be chaired by the Student Body President.
(4) The Student Union Secretary and Parliamentarian shall attend the meeting to record the minutes of the meeting and advise the Chair on parliamentary procedure, respectively.
(r) If meetings are closed, distribution of the minutes shall be restricted to members of the Senate. Minutes shall present non-biased and comprehensive documentation of all business that occurs at the meetings.
(s) If a meeting is closed to a specific member of the Senate, as determined by the Senate, that member is not eligible to receive the minutes of that closed meeting.
(t) Any measure requiring Senate approval may be introduced at any standing or ad hoc department meeting by a member of that department where it shall be reviewed.
(u) Any measure requiring Senate approval may be introduced at any meeting of the Senate by a sponsoring member of Senate. The Chairperson of the Senate may assign the measure to the appropriate executive department or an ad hoc committee created by the Chairperson for the purpose of reviewing the measure. The Chairperson of the Senate may waive assignment of any resolution, letter or order and hold immediate consideration of it before the Senate in extraordinary circumstances.
(v) Upon departmental or committee approval, a measure shall be introduced at the next meeting of the Senate provided no less than three days pass between approval and Senate consideration.
(w) Upon departmental or committee rejection or if the sponsor feels the measure’s intent has been significantly altered by the department or committee, the sponsor may nevertheless introduce the measure at the subsequent meeting of the Senate, provided a two-thirds majority of the Senate agrees to consider the measure.
(a) The Director of Student Activities shall serve as or designate an advisor to the Senate.
(b) The Student Union Treasurer shall submit all necessary financial information to members of the Senate by November 30th and as requested by the Senate.
(a) The Senate shall hold an informational meeting for those seeking office in the Student Senate as his or her dorm’s elected representative at least two weeks prior to the Election Day established by the Judicial Council.
(1) The meeting shall seek to inform prospective Senators about:
(i) The role and importance of the Student Senate.
(ii) The commitments, time and otherwise, which Senators are expected to make.
(iii) Election regulations.
(2) This meeting shall be coordinated by the Department of Internal Affairs.
(1) This workshop shall include, but not be limited to, the following topics:
(i) An overview of the current status of ongoing issues and projects of Student Senate and the Student Union.
(ii) Parliamentary procedure.
(iii) The role of the Senate and its duties.
(iv) Commitments and expectations of incoming Senators.
(v) The department structure and solicitation of departmental preferences.
(2) This workshop shall be coordinated by the Department of Internal Affairs and the incoming Chairperson of the Senate.
(c) Newly elected Senators shall attend all sessions of the outgoing Senate held after the incoming Senate’s election date.
(d) Each Senator shall meet with the newly elected Senator from his or her respective residence hall to explain at least the following: recent business, the purpose of the Senate, the responsibilities of the position, and the role of the Senate in the Student Union.
(e) The Chairperson, Parliamentarian, and Secretary shall each meet with the new Chairperson, Parliamentarian, and Secretary to explain their role in the Student Senate.
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of Student Body President of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Body. So help me God.
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of Student Body Vice-President of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Body. So help me God.
I, (name of Senator), do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of student Senator of the University of Notre Dame du Lac; that I will bear true allegiance to the same; that, exercising my highest ethic, I will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of Undergraduate Student Body; that I take this obligation freely; and, that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office which I am about to enter.
(a) In the event of an appeal of an Election Committee decision, in accordance with Article XVII, the Senate shall convene within 48 hours to hear the appeal.
(b) All appeals must be filed within 12 hours of the conclusion of the hearing.
(c) Until such time as Senate can hear the appeal, the decision of the Election Committee shall stand.
(d) The meeting of the Senate once the appeal has been filed shall proceed as follows:
(1) The Election Committee of the Judicial Council shall be represented by the Judicial Council President or the Vice-President of Elections, who shall speak first to the Senate, stating the allegation made against the candidate(s), the Election Committee’s deliberations, and the sanction given. This shall take no more than five minutes.
(2) The candidate(s) shall then state his or her reason for appeal. This shall take no more than five minutes.
(3) After hearing initially from the Judicial Council and the candidate(s), the Senate must decide by a two-thirds vote that there are grounds to hear the appeal.
(4) If the Senate decides to hear the appeal, time shall be allowed for both sides to respond to the claims of the other and to call witnesses on their behalf.
(5) The Senate may ask relevant questions of either party, or request the presence of any other relevant third-person(s) for questioning.
(e) The Senate may force the Election Committee to reconvene within 24 hours for the purpose of reconsidering its decision by a three-fourths vote.
(f) If quorum cannot be reached to hear the appeal, or a decision is not reached during the convened meeting, the decision of the Election Committee shall stand.
(a) The following members shall attend the weekly Executive Cabinet meeting:
(1) Student Body Vice-President.
(2) Chief of Staff.
(3) Standing and ad hoc Senate Department Directors.
(4) Executive Controller.
(5) Director of Communications.
(6) Student Union Secretary.
(7) FUEL Directors.
(8) Parliamentarian.
(9) Student Union Representative to Diversity Council.
(10) Athletics Representative.
(11) Campus Ministry Representative.
(b) The Student Body President shall chair these meetings.
(c) The Student Body President may appoint other such members to the Executive Cabinet as he/she may see fit.
(a) The Department of Academic Affairs shall address undergraduate student needs as they relate to the academic affairs of the university and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate.
(b) The Department of Campus Technology shall address undergraduate student needs concerning issues of information technologies and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate. This department will serve as a liaison between students and the Office of Information Technologies.
(c) The Department of Community Relations shall address the relations between the student body and the residents of the Michiana area as it works to build a lasting relationship between the two groups. This department will serve as a liaison between students and the South Bend community by fostering relationships and maintaining the open lines of communication with community and neighborhood leaders, workers on campus, and city officials, among others. Additionally, this department will collaborate with representatives from various student governments of the colleges and universities in the Michiana area.
(d) The Department of Constituent Services shall serve as the gateway department for the handling of student issues as they may arise. The department shall coordinate such activities as may be productive for improving student life and making the voices of students heard within their government.
(e) The Department of Gender Issues shall address undergraduate student needs concerning issues of gender, sexual orientation, sexual violence and the development of gender resources and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate.
(f) The Department of Internal Affairs shall monitor the transition, internal review, and overall process of the Student Union as outlined in this Constitution and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate.
(g) The Department of Residence Life shall address undergraduate student needs in all areas of residence life and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate.
(h) The Department of Social Concerns shall address student concerns in areas such as social justice, human solidarity, and sustainability, both in the Notre Dame community and the global world, and then make appropriate recommendations to the Senate.
(i) The Department of University Affairs shall be responsible for addressing all pressing and pertinent issues relevant to the student body in the respective year as well as any other issues not explicitly under the jurisdiction of another department.
(j) Department membership and size shall be determined at the discretion of the Student Body President.
(1) Each Senator shall serve in at least two departments unless the Senator is a Senate representative to the Campus Life Council, in which case the Senator is only required to serve in one department.
(2) Department Directors shall not be required to serve in departments other than the one they chair.
(3) The Student Body President may appoint members to each department via application to the Student Body President.
(4) Department membership shall also be open to the entire student body.
(k) Ad Hoc Departments.
(1) The Student Body President may create ad hoc departments addressing special student interests as long as one Senator agrees to serve within that department.
(2) The Student Body President shall nominate a director for each ad hoc department.
(3) The Student Body President may disband any ad hoc department at any given time.
(l) All standing and ad hoc departments shall meet at least once every two weeks during the regular academic year.
(m) All standing and ad hoc departments shall have the ability to plan and program events related to their issues that include (but are not limited to) such activities as awareness weeks, focus groups, speakers, and information nights.
(a) The following members shall attend the Executive Programming Board meeting.
(1) One Hall Presidents’ Council Co-Chair.
(2) Four Class Vice-Presidents.
(3) Club Coordination Council Vice-President.
(4) Off-Campus Vice-President.
(5) Student Union Board Director(s) of Programming.
(6) Director of Communications.
(b) The Chief of Staff shall chair meetings of the Executive Programming Board and shall oversee the online programming calendar.
(c) The Director of Student Activities shall appoint an advisor to the Executive Programming Board.
(a) The Executive Programming Board shall facilitate the coordination, communication, and calendar setting of all Student Union groups whose primary responsibility is to serve the programming needs of the student body.
(b) The primary goal of this group will be to prevent overlap in programming and to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of each of the aforementioned groups’ events in an effort to draw more students to each group’s events. This shall be done by setting and updating an online calendar with all planned and proposed events for each group. Each member of this group is hereby required to update the online programming calendar in a timely fashion, as regards their individual events.
(c) Meetings of the Executive Programming Board shall occur as follows:
(1) Regular meetings shall occur three times annually: once each in October, January, and April. These meetings shall serve as organizational meetings for the new terms of office and semesters. At these meetings, the members of the Executive Programming Board shall establish such policies as are necessary for the maintenance of the online programming calendar, which is to be overseen by the Director of Communications and Chief of Staff.
(2) Further meetings may be called, as necessary, at the request of four members of the Executive Programming Board or by direction of the Chief of Staff.
(a) FUEL Directors.
(1) At least two FUEL directors shall be appointed as described in Section 6.3.
(2) The directors shall serve a one year term beginning April 1.
(4) The directors shall write bylaws before May 1 to outline the effective operation of FUEL.
(b) Membership.
(1) The membership of FUEL shall be restricted to First Year students.
(2) The FUEL directors shall select the membership.
(i) The method of selection shall be outlined in the FUEL Bylaws.
(ii) The members shall be selected within two weeks of the completion of Freshman Class Council elections in accordance with the FUEL Bylaws.
(3) The membership shall be approved by the Student Body President.
(4) The membership shall serve from date of selection until March 31.
(a) The FUEL Directors and FUEL Membership shall aid in the effective achievement of the goals of the Student Union as determined by the Student Body President in conjunction with the Executive Cabinet.
(b) The Directors of FUEL shall ensure effective aid to the Student Union by using their experiences as student leaders to accomplish the goals of FUEL, which are stated as follows:
(1) Integration of First Year leaders into the Student Union.
(2) Explanation of Student Union policies and procedures to First Year leaders.
(3) Facilitation of community development among the First Year leaders.
(4) Education of the First Year leaders in the practices of ethical peer leadership.
(a) The Student Body President shall appoint at least two FUEL directors.
(1) The FUEL directors from the previous administration shall recommend to the Student Body President at least one candidate for consideration for directorship.
(2) The Student Body President’s nominations for directorship shall be approved by the Senate.
(b) The incoming directors shall meet with the directors from the previous administration to discuss changes to the structure of the program and the revision of the FUEL bylaws.
(c) Before revising the bylaws, the incoming directors shall meet with the incoming members of the Executive Cabinet to determine the best way in which FUEL can aid in accomplishing their specific goals for the specific term.
(a) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to FUEL.
(b) The FUEL Directors shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited, to selection policies, attendance, and timeline) necessary for FUEL to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the directors’ Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(a) Student Union Board Directors.
(1) The Student Union Executive Board of Directors shall be composed of the SUB Executive Director, the SUB Director(s) of Programming, the SUB Director of Operations, the SUB Director of Publicity, the SUB Director of Art and the SUB Director of Finance.
(2) The Student Union Board Directors Meetings shall be chaired by the SUB Executive Director.
(3) The SUB Directors shall be approved by the Senate.
(4) The SUB Directors shall provide overall direction and guidance to ensure consistency, coordination, and quality in all SUB events and activities.
(5) The SUB Directors shall determine all SUB policies and maintain current records of these policies.
(6) The incoming SUB Directors shall select the programming division heads prior to April 1st of each year.
(b) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to SUB. The advisor shall serve as a non-voting member of the SUB Directors.
(c) Student Union Board Executive Director.
(1) The Student Union Board Executive Director shall serve as the undergraduate student body coordinator and supervisor of all phases of the operation of SUB.
(2) The Student Union Board Executive Director shall serve as a voting member on the Campus Life Council.
(3) The Student Union Board Executive Director shall develop, submit, and present a budget proposal for SUB to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting with the assistance of the SUB Director of Finance.
(4) The Student Union Board Executive Director may reject any program if it comes into conflict with the mission and/or bylaws of SUB or this Constitution.
(d) SUB Director(s) of Programming.
(1) The Director(s) of Programming shall oversee, direct, and facilitate the planning and coordination of all commissions and programs.
(2) The Director(s) of Programming shall assess undergraduate student needs and ensure that all SUB programs are consistent with these needs.
(3) The Director(s) of Programming shall sit on the Executive Programming Board.
(4) The Selection Committee, in accordance with Section 7.4, may determine how many directors are necessary to fulfill the position requirements.
(e) SUB Director of Operations.
(1) The Director of Operations shall overse internal communications.
(2) The Director of Operations shall oversee and revise the office policies.
(3) The Director of Operations shall oversee the maintenance of the office and the morale, retention, and recruitment of SUB membership.
(4) The Director of Operations shall maintain a written record of all business of SUB. These records shall include, but not be limited to, agendas and minutes of meetings, office hour schedules, mailing lists, and phone numbers. All records shall be available to undergraduate students upon request.
(f) SUB Director of Publicity.
(1) The Director of Publicity shall ensure that the undergraduate student body is effectively informed of all SUB programs.
(2) The Director of Publicity shall manage all external communication efforts for SUB.
(g) SUB Director of Art.
(1) The Director of Art shall oversee and assist in all artwork associated with events, including but not limited to graphic design and photography.
(2) The Director of Art shall work with the SUB Director of Publicity in regards to all advertising outlets.
(h) SUB Director of Finance.
(1) The Director of Finance shall maintain an accurate and timely record of all income and expenses of SUB.
(3) The incoming Director of Finance shall assist the Student Union Board Executive Director in the development, submission, and presentation of the budget proposal for SUB to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(i) Dorm Representatives.
(1) Each dorm shall elect one person to represent his or her dorm’s interests to the Student Union Board.
(2) These elected officials shall serve on at least one committee and there shall be at least one elected dorm representative on each SUB division as determined by the SUB Director of Operations.
(3) Dorm representatives will be in charge of the distribution of approved SUB publicity within his or her own dorm.
(4) Dorm representatives must attend hall council.
(j) Appointed Programming Division Heads.
(1) The SUB Directors shall select, via application and interview, all programming division heads.
(2) Appointed programming division heads shall also assist in the recruitment of volunteer members for their division.
(3) Appointed programming division heads shall also assist with the distribution of approved SUB publicity within his or her own dorm.
(a) SUB shall enhance undergraduate student life by providing undergraduate student service and social, intellectual, and cultural opportunities that respond to the needs and wants of the undergraduate student body in the most efficient manner available.
(b) SUB shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for SUB to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(c) All members of SUB shall serve a one-year term beginning on May 1st, with a transitory training period in effect from the date of appointment or approval of new members until May 1st. During the period, the outgoing members of SUB shall meet and work with their successors to explain the role and practical functioning of SUB.
(a) The Student Union Board Executive Director and the Director(s) of Programming shall create divisions to fulfill the diverse programming needs of SUB as outlined in Section 7.2.
(b) The membership of each division shall consist of at least one programming division head and at least one member of the elected dorm representatives. The divisions shall be open to student volunteers as determined by the SUB Directors.
(a) Selection Committee for Student Union Board Executive Director.
(1) The Student Union Board Executive Director Selection Committee shall be composed of the incoming Student Body President, the incoming Student Body Vice-President, the outgoing SUB Executive Director, the outgoing Director(s) of Programming, and the Director of Student Activities. The Director of Student Activities shall cast a vote in the event of a tie.
(2) In the event the outgoing Student Union Board Executive Director or Director(s) of Programming are applying for Student Union Board Executive Director, the Student Union Board Executive Director or the concerned Director(s) of Programming shall not sit on the Selection Committee for his or her position. A non-returning SUB Executive Board of Directors member shall instead serve and vote during the Student Union Board Executive Director’s selection.
(3) The Selection Committee shall nominate and present the new Student Union Board Executive Director by the first meeting of the Senate in March. The Senate shall review and approve this nomination.
(b) Selection Committee for SUB Director(s) of Programming, SUB Director of Operations, SUB Director of Publicity, SUB Director of Art and the SUB Director of Finance.
(1) This Selection Committee shall be composed of the outgoing Student Union Board Executive Director, the incoming Student Union Board Executive Director, two outgoing Directors, the incoming Student Body President, and the Director of Student Activities. The Director of Student Activities shall cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
(2) The Selection Committee may determine how many Directors of Programming are necessary to fulfill the position requirements.
(3) In the event that a person up for nomination is also on the Selection Committee, that person shall not sit on the Selection Committee. Instead, a comparable non-returning SUB Executive Board of Directors member shall sit in his or her place.
(4) The Selection Committee shall nominate and present the new SUB Directors to Senate by March 15th. The Senate shall review and approve all nominations.
(a) The Hall Presidents Council shall be composed of (but not limited to) the Hall President from each undergraduate residence hall, the two Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs, and the Hall Presidents Council Treasurer. Each undergraduate residence hall shall have one vote.
(b) Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs.
(1) The outgoing Hall Presidents Council shall elect two members to serve as Co-Chairs for the following year prior to the third Friday in March of each year.
(2) The Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year elected.
(3) The Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs shall serve as chairpersons of the Hall Presidents Council and ensure its efficient and effective operation.
(4) One Hall Presidents Council Co-Chair will serve as a voting member on the Campus Life Council.
(5) Both Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs shall attend all Executive Programming Board meetings.
(6) The incoming Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs shall develop, submit, and present a budget proposal to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting in accordance with the priorities set by the Hall Presidents Council Executive Cabinet.
(7) The Hall Presidents’ Co-Chairs shall nominate administrative assistants at their discretion with the approval of the Hall Presidents Council.
(8) The Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs shall perform other duties as the Hall Presidents Council may determine. Additions to constitutional duties may be appealed to the Senate and approved by a two-thirds vote of all Senate members.
(c) Hall Presidents Council Treasurer.
(1) The Hall Presidents Council Treasurer shall be nominated by the Co-Chairs by the beginning of each term.
(2) The Hall Presidents Council Treasurer shall maintain an accurate and timely record of all income and expenses of the Hall Presidents Council.
(3) The Hall Presidents Council Treasurer shall approve all transactions of the Hall Presidents Council and submit requests to the Office of the Student Union Treasurer.
(4) The Hall Presidents Council Treasurer shall sit on the Financial Management Board.
(d) Hall Presidents Council Athletic Chair.
(1) The Hall Presidents Council Athletic Chair shall be nominated by the Co-Chairs by the beginning of each term and approved by the Hall Presidents Council.
(2) The Hall Presidents Council Athletic Chair shall fulfill the responsibilities of coordinating undergraduate residence hall concession stands.
(3) The Hall Presidents Council Athletic Chair shall fulfill the responsibilities of coordinating pep rally hosts.
(a) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to the Hall Presidents Council.
(b) Attendance at all meetings of the Hall Presidents Council by at least one member of hall government is mandatory. Cases of excessive absenteeism shall be referred to the Student Union Ethics Commission at the discretion of the Hall Presidents Council Co- Chairs.
(c) The HPC shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited, to attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for the HPC to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(a) The decision to award the title of Hall of the Year to a residence hall shall be decided by a review board comprised of the following members:
(1) Both Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs.
(2) The Hall Presidents Council Treasurer.
(3) Both Hall Presidents Council Social Chairs.
(4) The Hall Presidents Council Athletics Chair.
(5) Two (2) Senators, who shall not sit on their own halls’ review boards.
(6) One (1) member of the senior Judicial Council leadership.
(7) The Director of the Department of Residence Life.
(b) The review board shall receive presentations from a maximum of three (3) members of hall government. Up to an additional four (4) members of the hall may also contribute to the presentation. The presence of the Hall President is required, and the review board shall not hear any presentation in the absence of the Hall President.
(c) If, for any presentation, a member of the Hall of the Year review board is unable to ensure impartiality, either by his or her own estimation or the decision of the review board by majority vote, said member must recuse himself or herself from scoring the hall(s) in question. In the event that a member of the review board is recused, their score for that residence hall will be voided and replaced by the mean score given by the other scoring members.
(d) The total score for the Hall of the Year shall be comprised of 55% presentation and 45% Rockne awards. Each residence hall’s monthly Rockne submission shall be evaluated on a noncompetitive rubric determined by the Hall Presidents Council Executive Board by the start of each academic year. This rubric, and the rubric for the presentations, shall be distributed to the Hall Presidents in a timely manner. The Rockne scores shall be totaled and weighted to equal 45% of the final score. After the presentations, the average score shall be weighted to equal 55% of the final score and then combined with the Rockne score. After the total points for each hall are tabulated, the Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs shall announce the winning residence hall as Hall of the Year at the student leadership awards dinner. The next highest-scoring male residence hall shall be named Men’s Hall of the Year, and the next highest-scoring female residence hall shall be named Women’s Hall of the Year. In the event of a tie, the review board shall vote to determine the winner.
(e) All records of point allocation and voting in the event of a tie shall be made available to the public upon request once a winner has been announced.
(a) The Club Coordination Council (CCC) shall be composed of (but not limited to) the Club Coordination Council President, the Club Coordination Council Vice-President, and the Club Coordination Council Controller.
(b) Club Coordination Council President.
(1) The Club Coordination Council President shall be elected by a majority vote of the outgoing Club Coordination Council prior to the first Senate meeting in March of each year.
(2) The CCC President shall serve a one year term beginning April 1st of the year elected.
(3) The CCC President shall serve as chairperson of the Club Coordination Council to ensure its efficient and effective operation.
(4) The CCC President shall attend all Senate meetings as a voting member.
(c) Club Coordination Council Vice-President.
(1) The Club Coordination Council Vice-President shall be elected by a majority vote of the outgoing Club Coordination Council prior to the first Senate meeting in March of each year.
(2) The CCC Vice-President shall serve a one-year term beginning April 1st of the year elected.
(3) The CCC Vice-President shall assist the CCC President in ensuring the efficient and effective operation of the Club Coordination Council.
(4) The CCC Vice-President shall attend all Executive Programming Board meetings as a voting member
(d) Club Coordination Council Controller.
(1) The Club Coordination Council Controller shall be nominated by the incoming CCC President and be approved by a majority vote of the outgoing Club Coordination Council prior to the first Senate meeting in March of each year.
(2) The CCC Controller shall serve a one year term beginning April 1st of the year elected.
(3) The CCC Controller shall sit on the Financial Management Board.
(a) The Club Coordination Council shall disseminate information concerning undergraduate club issues and activities, recommend funding allocations for all undergraduate clubs, serve as a representative of all undergraduate clubs, and coordinate cohesive club programming.
(b) The Club Coordination Council shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for the Club Coordination Council to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(a) Sophomore, Junior, & Senior Class Officers.
(1) The Sophomore, Junior, and Senior undergraduate classes shall be represented by four class officers elected by their respective class members in a campus-wide vote each year.
(2) Sophomore and Junior Class Officers shall serve a one-year term beginning on May 1st of the year elected.
(3) The Senior Class Officers shall come into office on May 1st of the year elected and shall serve in those positions up until the class’s five year reunion.
(4) The Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class Officers shall ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Class Councils.
(b) Freshman Class Council.
(1) The Freshman Class Council shall be composed of a representative from each undergraduate residence hall.
(2) The Freshman Class Council Representatives shall serve until May 1st of the academic year of their selection.
(3) The Freshman Class Council Representatives shall elect a President, Vice- President, Treasurer, and Secretary by October 15 of the year of their selection.
(4) The President shall ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Freshman Class Council.
(a) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to each class.
(b) All Class Presidents shall attend weekly Senate meetings and serve as voting members.
(c) All Class Vice-Presidents shall attend the Executive Programming Board meetings.
(d) The Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class Officers shall select Class Council members at their own discretion.
(e) The incoming Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class Treasurers shall each develop, submit, and present a budget proposal for his or her respective Class Council to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(f) The Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class Treasurers shall represent the Class Councils on the Financial Management Board.
(g) The Sophomore Class Officers shall nominate a student Sophomore Class Advisor to assist the Freshman Class Council and ensure its efficient operation prior to September 15th. The Senate shall review and approve this nomination.
(h) The Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Class Officers shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for their Class Councils to carry out their constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the respective class’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission. The Freshman Class Council shall create bylaws if instructed by their advisor. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor.
(a) Off-Campus President.
(1) The Off-Campus President shall be elected by the students who will reside off campus at the beginning of the next academic semester and those currently off campus.
(2) The Off-Campus President shall serve a one-year term beginning on May 1st of the year elected.
(3) The Off-Campus President shall become Off-Campus President Ex-Officio beginning at the conclusion of his or her term and ending with the completion of the academic semester.
(4) The Off-Campus President shall ensure the efficient and effective operation of the Off-Campus Council.
(b) Off-Campus Vice-President.
(1) The Off-Campus Vice-President shall be elected by the students who will reside off campus at the beginning of the next academic semester and those currently off campus.
(2) The Off-Campus Vice-President shall serve a one-year term beginning on May 1st of the year elected.
(3) The Off-Campus Vice-President shall become Off-Campus Vice-President Ex-Officio beginning at the conclusion of his or her term and ending with the completion of the academic semester.
(c) Off-Campus Senator.
(1) The Off-Campus Senator shall be elected by the students who will reside off-campus at the beginning of the next academic semester and those currently off campus.
(2) The Off-Campus Senator shall serve a one-year term beginning on May 1st of the year elected.
(d) Off-Campus Ambassadors.
(1) Off-Campus Ambassadors shall be appointed by the Off-Campus President no later than September 15th.
(2) The Off-Campus President shall appoint no less than six Off-Campus Ambassadors.
(3) Off-Campus Ambassadors will be appointed to various off-campus neighborhoods in a manner that effectively maximizes the outreach of the Off-Campus Council. Ambassadors represent the opinions of this appointed area and disseminate information in such a way that it is readily accessible to residents of this area.
(a) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to the Off-Campus Council.
(b) The Off-Campus President shall develop, submit, and present a budget proposal for the Off-Campus Council to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting in accordance with the priorities set by the Senate.
(c) The Off-Campus President shall represent the Off-Campus Council on the Financial Management Board.
(d) The Off-Campus President shall represent the Off-Campus Council on the Senate.
(e) The Off-Campus President shall select Off- Campus Council members at his or her own discretion, including a minimum of six Off-Campus Ambassadors.
(f) The Off-Campus President shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for the Off-Campus Council to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization‘s Student Activities Office advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(g) The Off-Campus Vice-President shall represent the Off-Campus Council in the Department of Community Relations. The Off-Campus Vice-President may alternatively attend an appropriately related department at the discretion of the Off-Campus President.
(h) The Off-Campus Senator shall represent the Off-Campus Council on the Student Senate.
(i) The Off-Campus Senator shall represent the Off-Campus Council on the Department of Community Relations. The Off-Campus Senator may alternatively attend an appropriately related department at the discretion of the Off-Campus President.
(j) The Off-Campus Ambassadors shall report directly to the Off-Campus President on issues pertaining to off-campus life.
(k) The Off-Campus Ambassadors shall be responsible for aiding the Council in its mission to disseminate information to students living Off-Campus. Ambassadors are responsible for community outreach within their respective neighborhood, including outreach to student and non-student members of the community.
(k) The Off-Campus President Ex-Officio and Vice-President Ex-Officio will assist the Off-Campus President and Vice-President in transitioning during the end of the Spring academic semester.
(a) The Financial Management Board shall be composed of the Student Union Treasurer, the Executive Controller, the Student Union Board Director of Finance, the Hall Presidents Council Treasurer, the Club Coordination Council Controller, all Class Treasurers (the Freshman Class Treasurer shall join the Financial Management Board once elected), the Off-Campus President, and the Judicial Council President. The above members shall each have one vote. In addition, the Director of Student Activities shall designate a non-voting advisor to the Financial Management Board.
(b) Student Union Treasurer.
(1) The outgoing Student Union Treasurer shall nominate to the Student Senate one of the Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer as a replacement prior to third Thursday in February of each year. This nomination shall be reviewed and approved by the Student Senate. Should an Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer not be available to appoint, the Student Union Treasurer may reappoint himself/herself, if eligible to serve, or open the position to applications to the student body.
(2) The Student Union Treasurer shall serve a one-year term beginning on March 1st of the year nominated.
(3) The Student Union Treasurer shall maintain an accurate and timely record of all finances of the Student Union.
(4) The Student Union Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the Financial Management Board and ensure its efficient and effective operation.
(5) The Student Union Treasurer shall disburse all undergraduate student organization funds and ensure that all clubs and organizations receiving undergraduate student organization funds adhere to the fiscal policy established by the Senate.
(6) The Student Union Treasurer has the power to freeze the funds of any account which exceeds its budget allocation.
(7) The Student Union Treasurer shall develop, submit, and present a budget proposal for the Office of the Student Union Treasurer to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(c) Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer.
(1) At least two Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer shall be presented to the Senate by the first meeting in April of each year by the incoming Student Union Treasurer. The Assistants shall be approved by the Senate.
(2) Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year nominated.
(3) Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer shall assist the Student Union Treasurer in the performance of duties related to the Office of the Student Union Treasurer.
(4) Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer shall serve as non-voting members on the Financial Management Board.
(i) One Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer shall oversee the Student Business Managers.
(ii) One Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer shall serve as a liaison to The Shirt Project.
(5) Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer shall perform other duties as the Student Union Treasurer may determine.
(a) The Financial Management Board shall meet at least once every two weeks from April 1st to March 31st during the regular academic school year at a reasonable time and campus location determined by the Student Union Treasurer.
(b) No business shall be conducted unless a quorum is present.
(c) The Financial Management Board shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for the FMB to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(d) Financial Management Board meetings shall be open to the public as a general rule; however, the Student Union Treasurer reserves the right to close the meeting at any time deemed appropriate.
(e) The Assistants to the Student Union Treasurer shall take minutes at Financial Management Board meetings on an alternating basis. These minutes will be publicly available to the Student Body with stipulations.
(f) In the event that a member of the Financial Management Board should be absent from a meeting, that member may leave a signed proxy with any member of the Board. If the measure the proxy pertains to is significantly altered during the meeting, as determined by the Student Union Treasurer, then the proxy will become invalid unless stipulations were made on the proxy for alterations.
(g) The Financial Management Board shall conduct hearings throughout the academic year for additional funding requests from contingency and Carry-forward funds.
(h) The Financial Management Board shall conduct one formal review of allocations by February 1st of each year.
(i) Annual Allocation Hearing.
(1) The Student Union Treasurer shall distribute documentation detailing budget proposal requirements, allocation hearing deadlines, and Senate fiscal policies to each member of the Financial Management Board and one representative from each organization seeking funds prior to the allocation hearing. The Student Union Treasurer shall establish a reasonable time and date for the submission of budget proposals.
(2) The Student Union Treasurer shall conduct one formal meeting with a representative from each organization seeking funds prior to submission of budget proposals.
(3) The incoming Student Union Treasurer shall chair the annual allocation hearing.
(4) Budget proposals shall be presented by incoming officers and organization representatives.
(5) The outgoing members of the Financial Management Board shall recommend an appropriate allocation of funds to the Senate Committee on the Budget in April of each year. These allocations shall be approved by the incoming Senate Committee on the Budget.
(6) The Student Union Treasurer shall communicate all allocation awards and restrictions on fund usage for the following fiscal year in writing to each organization prior to the end of the academic year.
(7) Appeals of annual allocation awards must be submitted in writing to the Student Union Treasurer no later than September 30th of each year.
(j) The records of the Student Union Treasurer shall be available for undergraduate student inspection upon request.
(a) The Financial Management Board shall conduct an annual hearing to ensure the fair allocation of undergraduate student funds. This hearing shall be completed and allocations submitted to the Student Senate Committee on the Budget for approval in April of each year.
(b) The Financial Management Board shall review budget requests in an efficient and timely manner and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate.
(c) The Financial Management Board shall uphold the fiscal policy outlined in this Constitution.
(d) The Financial Management Board shall review fund usage and recommend reallocations to the Senate at any time during its term.
(e) The Financial Management Board shall monitor the financial activity of organization for misuse of undergraduate student organization funds and violations of written allocations. Any violations may constitute grounds for impeachment by the Senate and/or a freeze of funds.
(f) The Financial Management Board may hear appeals of Club Coordination Council decisions and reverse such decisions by a two-thirds vote.
(g) All decisions made by the Financial Management Board and the Student Union Treasurer may be appealed to the Senate.
(a) The Student Businesses shall provide students with practical experience in a business environment and offer convenient services to the Notre Dame community. The minimum goals of the Student Businesses shall be to break-even after all debts are paid.
(b) The Student Businesses shall be composed of the following undergraduate student-operated businesses: Irish Gardens and Adworks. Any new student-run business is subject to approval by a three-quarters vote of Financial Management Board.
(c) Student Business Oversight.
(1) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to the Student Businesses. The advisor and an Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer shall oversee the daily operations of the Student Businesses.
(2) The Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer and advisor shall review all Student Business policies and maintain a current listing of these policies.
(d) Student Business Managers.
(1) The Student Business Managers shall be nominated prior to March 1st of every year.
(i) The current Student Business Managers and the Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer shall each nominate a new Student Business Manager.
(ii) The current Student Business Managers and the Assistant to the Student Union Treasurer shall be able to nominate the current Student Business Manager for another term.
(iii) These nominations shall be reviewed and approved by the Financial Management Board and the Senate.
(2) The Student Business Managers shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year nominated.
(3) The Student Business Managers shall manage the daily operations and establish the policies of their respective businesses.
(4) The Student Business Managers shall make daily decisions concerning staffing, inventory, and promotion within their respective businesses.
(6) The Student Business Managers shall submit a business plan to the Financial Management Board no later than the first Financial Management Board following spring allocations.
(7) The Student Business Managers shall provide accurate and timely reports to the Financial Management Board detailing the finances and operational condition of the Student Businesses at least once each month while classes are in session.
(8) The Student Business Managers shall perform other duties as the Financial Management Board may determine.
(a) The Shirt Project shall endeavor to promote unity among the undergraduate student body and serve as a fundraiser for charitable causes as well as undergraduate student organizations.
(b) The Shirt Project Committee.
(1) The President of The Shirt Project shall be nominated by the Financial Management Board before November 1st of each year and approved by the Senate.
(2) The President of The Shirt Project shall appoint the members of The Shirt Project Committee before December 1st of each year.
(3) The Shirt Project Committee shall oversee all aspects of The Shirt Project.
(4) A member of The Shirt Project Committee shall report to the Financial Management Board on the operational conditions of The Shirt Project as requested.
(5) The Shirt Project Committee shall make timely financial reports and information available to the Senate or Financial Management Board as requested.
(c) The Director of Student Activities shall designate an advisor to The Shirt Project. The advisor shall assist The Shirt Project Committee in the execution of its duties.
(d) The design and color of The Shirt shall be approved by the Financial Management Board prior to production in an efficient and timely manner.
(e) The Student Union Treasurer shall approve all expenditures relating to The Shirt Project. Any expenditure over $5,000 for The Shirt Project shall be approved by the Financial Management Board in an efficient and timely manner.
(a) Definitions and Organizations.
(1) The following groups are defined as special-interest student organizations:
(i) Bookstore Basketball. Bookstore Basketball is a charitable organization that organizes an annual five-on-five outdoor basketball tournament to support the Jumpball Programme.
(ii) Debate Team. The Debate Team competes in national policy and parliamentary debate competitions.
(iii) Gay Straight Alliance. The Gay Straight Alliance shall serve as an organization promoting communication among members of the LGBTQ community and their straight Allies.
(iv) Junior Parents Weekend. Junior Parents Weekend is a weekend in February to allow the parents of junior students to meet and socialize.
(v) Knights of Columbus. The University supports a council of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal organization, on campus.
(vi) Student Campus Orientation Committee. The Student Campus Orientation Committee (SCOC) is responsible for training student staffs for, and coordinating student programming during, the First Year Orientation Weekend. Additionally, the committee represents student interest in University-level conversations concerning First Year Orientation and its programming events.
(2) Where appropriate, these organizations shall present bylaws to their advisor no later than October 1st of each year for approval.
(b) Powers.
(1) The Student Body President or his designee shall notify the special-interest student organizations in the event that business is placed on the Senate agenda relating to this Article or the special-interest student organizations.
(2) In the event that any item of business pertaining to this subsection or the special interest student organizations should come before the Senate, the special-interest student organizations may each send a representative to Senate to speak on their behalf.
(c) Funding.
(1) Special-interest student organizations shall be provided funding with funds made available for FMB allocation to organizations of the Student Union.
(2) Special-interest student organizations shall each submit a budget request to the Student Union Treasurer, which shall include estimates of available outside funding, such as funding by a University office or expected endowment return.
(3) Special-interest student organizations shall be eligible for winter reallocation and use of the FMB Collaboration Fund.
(4) The Financial Management Board shall allocate the funds available to the special interest organizations as it sees fit, taking into account availability and expectation of outside funding.
(a) The Financial Management Board Collaboration Fund is intended as a means for clubs, residence halls, and organizations, such as those which have limited programming budgets, to be able to sponsor an event with a student organization that has a mutual interest in the event.
(b) The Fund shall be used whenever there is clear, mutual interest in an event.
(c) The Financial Management Board shall not consider requests for funds from previous years when deciding on presented appeals.
(d) The Financial Management Board does not support a policy of retroactive funding; all appeals shall be made before the event is to occur.
(a) The process of this appeal to the Financial Management Board shall be initiated and organized by the club.
(b) The cosponsors shall agree on the terms of the co-sponsorship.
(c) This agreement shall be documented on the form for the appeal to the Collaboration Fund.
(d) The form shall be submitted to the Club Coordination Council at least one week (five business days) before it shall be presented to the Financial Management Board at its meeting.
(e) Once the form is completed, the club shall make an appointment with the appropriate Club Coordination Council Division Chair in order to have the appeal reviewed.
(f) This meeting shall include, but shall not be limited to, a Club Coordination Council Representative from the same division as the club, an officer of the club, and one representative of each of the cosponsors participating in the agreement.
(g) The Club Coordination Council Representative shall review the appeal form with the officers present, asking questions to help clarify ambiguities and reach an understanding of planned income, expenses, and intent of the event.
(h) The Representative from the meeting shall then present the appeal to the Club Coordination Council.
(i) The Club Coordination Council shall then decide whether or not to recommend the appeal to the Financial Management Board and the dollar amount to be recommended (this may be greater or lesser than the dollar amount of the initial appeal request).
(j) Whether or not the Club Coordination Council recommends the appeal, it shall present the appeal to the Financial Management Board.
(1) The Club Coordination Council Controller shall give the cosponsors adequate notice before he or she presents their appeal to the Financial Management Board.
(2) A representative from a cosponsoring group must attend the presentation of the appeal to the Financial Management Board.
(3) The Financial Management Board shall not hear an appeal in the absence of a representative from a co-sponsoring group.
(4) The Financial Management Board may consider both the dollar amount recommended by the Club Coordination Council and the dollar amount requested by the club.
(5) The Financial Management Board shall then vote in favor of or in opposition to the allocation of either the dollar amount recommended by the Club Coordination Council or the dollar amount requested by the club.
(a) The Judicial Council shall be composed of (but not limited to) the Judicial Council President, the Judicial Council Vice-President of Elections, the Judicial Council Vice-President of Peer Advocacy, the Hall Election Coordinators, the Election Committee, the Peer Advocates, and the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(b) Judicial Council President.
(1) The Judicial Council President shall be nominated before March 15th of each year by the outgoing Judicial Council President and approved by the outgoing Senate.
(2) The Judicial Council President shall serve a one-year term beginning on April 1st of the year nominated.
(3) The Judicial Council President shall serve as the chairperson of the Judicial Council and ensure its efficient and effective operation. The chairperson shall vote when casting a vote affects the result.
(4) The Judicial Council President shall serve as a voting member of the Campus Life Council.
(5) The Judicial Council President shall serve as a non-voting member of the Senate.
(6) The Judicial Council President shall nominate the Vice-President of Elections and the Vice-President of Peer Advocacy prior to the end of each regular academic year. The Senate shall review and approve these nominations.
(7) The Judicial Council President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Student Union Ethics Commission. The Chairperson shall vote when casting a vote affects the result.
(8) The incoming Judicial Council President shall nominate a Parliamentarian to the Senate at the first Senate meeting of its term. The Senate shall review and approve this nomination.
(9) The Judicial Council President shall be responsible for verifying the validity of all votes cast in any election in accordance with the elections regulations stipulated in Article XVII of this Constitution.
(c) Judicial Council Vice-Presidents.
(1) The Judicial Council Vice-Presidents shall serve a one-year term following Senate approval.
(2) The Judicial Council Vice-President positions shall be open to the student body and shall be advertised as such.
(3) The Judicial Council Vice-President of Elections.
(i) The Judicial Council Vice-President of Elections shall coordinate the duties of the Hall Election Coordinators, Election Committee, and the elections in accordance with the election stipulations in Article XVII of this Constitution.
(ii) The Judicial Council Vice-President of Elections shall sit on the Election Committee of the Judicial Council and serve as its chairperson.
(4) The Judicial Council Vice-President of Peer Advocacy.
(5) The Judicial Council Vice-Presidents shall perform other duties as the Judicial Council President may determine.
(a) The Director of Student Activities shall appoint an advisor to the Judicial Council.
(b) The Judicial Council shall work to ensure that the Student Union operates ethically and within this Constitution.
(c) Election Committee.
(1) The Election Committee shall review all allegations of potential elections misconduct and all potential violations of elections regulations in accordance with Section 13.5.
(2) The Election Committee shall aid the Vice-President of Elections in his or her duties in conducting elections as outlined in Article XVII of this Constitution.
(3) The Election Committee shall be composed of seven voting members, to be selected before petitions are distributed for elections of Freshman Class Council representatives.
(i) The Judicial Council President and Vice-President of Elections shall interview and select undergraduate students for this purpose.
(ii) The Senate shall review and approve each of the members.
(iii) It is the responsibility of the Judicial Council to make the student body aware of interviews for these positions.
(4) The Director of the Department of Internal Affairs shall serve as a non-voting member of the Election Committee to impartially advise the committee on all constitutional matters.
(5) The Judicial Council President shall serve as a non-voting member of the Election Committee ex officio.
(6) The Vice-President of Elections will serve as the chair of the Election Committee.
(7) Voting members of the Election Committee hold an enumerated position and may not hold any other enumerated position concurrent with their time of service on the Election Committee, in accordance with Section 1.3 of this Constitution.
(8) Election Committee members may not campaign for any ticket while holding this position.
(9) If at any time a member of the Election Committee is unable to give an unbiased judgment regarding an allegation of election misconduct, either by his or her own estimation or the decision of the Committee by majority vote, that member must recuse him or herself from the proceedings of the Committee which regard that particular allegation.
(d) Peer Advocacy.
(1) The Judicial Council President and Vice-Presidents, in conjunction with the undergraduate student advocates, shall provide assistance to undergraduate students accused of violating University rules and regulations.
(2) The Judicial Council shall interview and select undergraduate student advocates at its discretion.
(e) Hall Elections Coordinators.
(1) A Hall Election Coordinator shall be appointed by the president of each residence hall by September 15th.
(2) Hall Elections Coordinators shall be responsible for ensuring each hall election proceeds according to the guidelines stipulated in this Constitution.
(3) Hall Elections Coordinators shall be overseen by the Vice-President of Elections.
(f) The Judicial Council shall present bylaws by May 1st to establish the operational procedures (including, but not limited to, attendance and tardiness policies) necessary for the Judicial Council to carry out its constitutional duties. These bylaws must be approved by the organization’s Student Activities advisor and presented to the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(a) The Judicial Council President and Vice-Presidents shall meet at least once each month, during regular academic school year, at a reasonable time and campus location determined by the Judicial Council President.
(b) The Judicial Council President shall call full meetings of the Judicial Council when necessary.
(c) The Vice-President of Elections shall call meetings of the Hall Election Coordinators of the Election Committee when necessary.
(d) The Vice-President of Peer Advocacy shall call meetings of the undergraduate student advocates when necessary.
(a) The incoming Judicial Council President shall develop, submit, and present a budget proposal for the Judicial Council to the Financial Management Board for the annual allocation meeting.
(b) The responsibilities of the Election Committee and the Judicial Council Vice-President of Elections include, but are not limited to, the administration of the functional aspects of elections, including ballot distribution, debates, propaganda and overseas (abroad) voting.
(c) The Hall Elections Coordinators are responsible for distributing election information and guidelines to the Hall Councils, monitoring voting sites, and administering awareness for the rules of elections within their Hall.
(a) All allegations of election misconduct are to be submitted to the Vice-President of Elections. All potential violations must be reported within 48 hours of the time committed or by 11:59PM on the day of the election, whichever is sooner.
(b) If the Vice-President of Elections determines that the allegation has merit and may result in a potential sanction of a candidate or ticket, he/she must then call together the members of the Election Committee to review the allegation.
(1) The Vice-President will present the allegation.
(2) The accused party and the accusing party will both be permitted to speak and to call witnesses on their behalf.
(3) Where not outlined in the Constitution or its bylaws, the hearing shall follow the procedures outlined in The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.
(c) The Election Committee will then meet in a private forum for discussion and debate.
(1) The Election Committee must obtain a 2/3 quorum.
(2) The Election Committee will decide whether the campaign/candidate/ticket in question is in violation of election or campaign rules.
(3) If a violation has occurred, the Election Committee shall determine appropriate sanctions and/or penalties.
(4) Both decisions require a majority vote of the Election Committee. In the event of a tie, the chair will vote.
(d) All verdicts, motions, votes, and decisions are to be recorded by the Election Committee for the purposes of notification and appeals.
(e) Any time the Election Committee finds a candidate/ticket in violation of the elections regulations or guilty of misconduct, the Vice-President shall issue a written decision on behalf of the Judicial Council to be released to the campus media, which shall include the violation, the sanction given, and a brief explanation for the decision. The Vice-President of Elections shall provide the candidate a full statement, in writing, of the Election Committee’s decision; the statement shall explain the process leading to the decision as best as possible and is for the candidate’s use only. All other information pertaining to hearings and appeals shall be considered confidential.
(f) The Election Committee must convene within 24 hours of the submission of the allegation to the Vice-President of Elections.
(g) No new allegations may be submitted after 11:59PM on the day of the election.
(h) In the event that the full Election Committee has not yet been assembled at the time of an allegation, the Judicial Council President and Vice-President of Elections shall issue a decision and appropriate sanctions based on their judgment of the facts of the allegation.
(i) Any decision of the Election Committee may be appealed directly to the Senate. Appeals of the decision of the Election Committee must be filed within 12 hours of the hearing.
(j) If the Senate overturns the decision of the Election Committee, the Committee must reconvene within 24 hours to reconsider the allegation in light of the Senate’s decision. This decision of the Election Committee, which must be informed by the written report of the Senate and may not be identical to the original decision, is final.
(a) The Election Committee and Judicial Council shall facilitate campus debates for the candidates running for Student Body President and Student Body Vice-President. The debates shall provide interested students and candidates with opportunities to discuss important issues and answer questions and concerns provided by their constituency.
(b) In the event of a run-off election, the Judicial Council shall host an additional debate between the run-off candidates on the Sunday following the primary election.
(c) In the event of a run-off re-election, the Judicial Council shall host an additional debate between the run-off re-election candidates on Sunday night preceding the run-off re-election.
(a) The Student Union Ethics Commission shall conduct hearings according to this Constitution, its bylaws, and guidelines adopted by the Senate and the other Student Union organizations— including (but not limited to) Financial Management Board, SUB, Hall Presidents Council, Class Councils, and Judicial Council— and shall make recommendations to the Senate or the appropriate University offices in the event of misuse of undergraduate student organization funds or misconduct of undergraduate student organizations and their members, or behavior deemed unethical by the Student Union Ethics Commission.
(b) One member of each of the following groups shall be chosen at random to serve on the Student Union Ethics Commission —
(1) Each Class Council’s Officers.
(2) Student Union Board Executive Board of Directors.
(3) Residence Hall Senators.
(4) Club Coordination Council Executive Board.
(5) Hall Presidents Council Executive Board.
(6) Off-Campus Council Officers.
(7) The Judicial Council President shall chair the Commission and shall vote when voting affects the outcome.
(c) Commissioners shall be chosen by May 1st of the term they serve in their respective organizations, with the exception of the commissioner from the Freshman Class Officers, who shall be chosen in conjunction with their election. All commissioners shall serve until May 1st of the following calendar year. Commissioners shall be chosen at random within each of the aforementioned groups. The person chosen may accept or decline the position; this process shall continue until a representative accepts the position.
(d) In the event that an allegation is brought against the Judicial Council President, he or she must recuse himself or herself. The remaining commissioners shall elect a chairperson from their ranks to serve until such allegation is resolved.
(e) In the event that an allegation is brought against a commissioner other than the Judicial Council President, said commissioner must recuse himself or herself. The group represented by said commissioner shall select from its ranks a representative to fill the vacant position until such allegation is resolved, using the same procedure outlined in Subsection (c) of Section 13.7 of this Constitution.
(f) If at any time a commissioner is unable to give an unbiased judgment, either by his or her own estimation or the decision of the Commission by majority vote, said commissioner must recuse himself or herself. The group represented by said commissioner shall select from its ranks a representative to fill the vacant position until such allegation is resolved, using the same procedure outlined in Subsection (c) of Section 13.7 of this Constitution.
(g) The Student Union Ethics Commission shall aid the Senate in the selection process of the Michael J. Palumbo Award as defined in Article XIX of this Constitution.
(a) The Senate may bring bills of impeachment against the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice-President, the Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs, the Club Coordination Council President, the Class Officers, the Freshman Class Council Officers, any Senator, and the Off-Campus President for misconduct in office. Signatures of a majority of the members of the Senate on a Bill of Impeachment shall constitute impeachment.
(b) A Bill of Impeachment shall cite specific allegation(s) of misconduct. Misconduct shall include disturbance of the peace, incompetent or negligent performance, disregard of the authority of the Student Union, violation of this Constitution or its bylaws, infringement upon the rights of another, willful injury to the good name of the Student Union, hindrance of the Student Union or any of its agents in legitimate endeavors, intentional mismanagement of undergraduate student funds, conspiracy to commit any of the above, or actions that are deemed unbecoming by the Senate.
(c) A two-thirds vote of the entire voting membership of the Senate, supporting the allegations of misconduct as stipulated in a bill of impeachment, shall result in removal from office.
(d) Any official appointed and approved by the Senate not listed in Subsection (a) above is subject to removal by the Senate with a two-thirds vote for misconduct in office.
(a) A petition bearing the valid signatures of 15% of the undergraduate student body currently residing locally shall cause the Senate to hold a campus-wide recall vote for the Student Body President and/or the Student Body Vice-President within two academic weeks of the presentation of the petition.
(b) A petition bearing the valid signatures of 20% of a Senator’s residence shall cause the Senate to hold a recall election for that Senator within two academic weeks of presentation of the petition.
(c) A petition bearing the valid signatures of 20% of a Class constituency currently residing locally shall cause the Senate to hold a recall election for any or all of the Class Officers within two academic weeks of presentation of the petition.
(d) A petition bearing the valid signatures of 20% of the Off-Campus President’s constituency currently residing locally shall cause the Senate to hold a recall election for the Off-Campus President within two academic weeks of presentation of the petition.
(e) All petitions must clearly state the reason(s) for the recall.
(f) A signer of a recall petition must be an undergraduate student who is currently enrolled in at least one academic credit hour at the University of Notre Dame. A valid signature for the purpose of recall must include the full name and local address of the signing student.
(g) A two-thirds majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for removal from office, provided that 20% of the elected official’s specified constituency casts votes.
(a) In the event of a vacancy in an elected office due to resignation or recall, a new election shall be held within two academic weeks.
(b) Should a provision be provided for replacement of an officer in an organization’s bylaws that do not conflict with the following exceptions, it shall take precedence over the general provision for the mandatory new election within two academic weeks:
(1) In the event that any elected position becomes vacant with less than eight academic weeks remaining in the term, the Senate shall appoint an eligible undergraduate student to serve as the acting official for the remainder of the term.
(2) In the event of a vacancy in an appointed office due to resignation or removal, the same appointment procedure shall be followed as outlined in this Constitution for that position to find a replacement. The replacement shall be nominated within two academic weeks.
(3) In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice-President shall become Student Body President.
(4) In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Student Body Vice-President, the Student Body President shall appoint an Acting Student Body Vice-President. The Acting Student Body Vice-President shall become the official Student Body Vice-President upon approval of a majority vote of the entire Senate.
(5) In the event that the offices of both the Student Body President and Student Body Vice-President shall simultaneously become vacant, the Senate shall appoint and approve an eligible (as described in Article I) undergraduate student to serve as Acting Student Body President in the interim period before a new Student Body President and new Student Body Vice-President are elected.
(6) In the event that the Student Union Treasurer vacates the position of Treasurer during the year, one of the current Assistants to the Treasurer shall be appointed by the Senate to serve as Acting Student Union Treasurer until such time as the Senate approves the appointment of a new Student Union Treasurer by a majority vote of the entire Senate.
(7) In the event that a SUB Director position is vacated during the year, the remaining members of the Board of Directors shall nominate a replacement within two academic weeks for approval by the Senate.
(8) In the event that one or both of the Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs should vacate the position during the year, the Hall Presidents Council shall elect one member(s) to serve as Acting Co-Chair(s) for the remainder of the term.
(9) In the event that a Class President vacates the position, the Class Vice- President shall become Class President. In the event that another Class Officer vacates the position, the Class President shall nominate a replacement within two academic weeks, subject to the approval of the Senate. In the event that the offices of both the Class President and Class Vice- President shall simultaneously become vacant, the remaining officers shall nominate an Acting Class President and an Acting Vice-President within two academic weeks, subject to the approval of the Senate.
(10) In the event that the Freshman Class President vacates the position, the Freshman Class Council Vice-President shall become President. In the event that another officer vacates the position, the President shall nominate a replacement within two academic weeks, subject to the approval of the Senate. In the event that the offices of both the President and Vice-President shall simultaneously become vacant, the remaining officers shall nominate an Acting President and an Acting Vice-President within two academic weeks, subject to the approval of the Senate.
(a) A petition bearing the valid signatures of 200 members of the undergraduate student body shall cause the Senate to consider a specific resolution within one academic week of the presentation of the petition to the Senate.
(b) A valid signature for the purpose of petition must include the full name and local address of the signing undergraduate student.
(a) A petition containing the signatures of 15% of the undergraduate student body may create an initiative.
(b) A two-thirds vote of the undergraduate students who exercise their right to vote, provided 20% of the undergraduate student body currently residing locally casts votes, is necessary for the initiative to become binding upon the Senate. A binding initiative shall cause the Senate to take swift and necessary action on the issue of the initiative.
(c) A valid signature for the purpose of initiative must include the full name and local address of the signing undergraduate student.
(a) A referendum is an instrument by which the Senate can gauge undergraduate student opinion on a certain issue by placing the issue in ballot form before the undergraduate student body. A referendum may suggest but shall not necessitate action by the Senate.
(b) The Senate may place a referendum item in front of the undergraduate student body by a simple majority vote.
(a) Each Student Union organization shall develop written procedures, methods, and policies to maintain continuity and ensure a smooth transition process between administrations and submit a report to the Senate detailing their respective future transition processes prior to February 1st of each year.
(b) The Senate shall review and approve all plans of transition. In the event that a plan is not initially approved by the Senate, the organization shall modify and resubmit a report to the Senate within two academic weeks.
(c) Each organization shall implement transition plans. The Student Union Ethics Commission shall monitor the transition and internal review of the Student Union and make recommendations to the Senate.
(a) Student Union organizations shall review sections of this Constitution enumerating their respective purpose, duties, powers, and procedures each year.
(b) Each organization, chairperson, or coordinator shall submit suggestions pertinent to the internal review of the organization to the Senate prior to April 30th of each year. Suggestions shall be presented as amendments when appropriate.
(a) Any Notre Dame undergraduate student in good academic standing (as determined by the Office of the Registrar or the First Year of Studies) and good disciplinary standing (as determined by the Office of Community Standards) is eligible for candidacy.
(b) A candidate or ticket shall be defined as any undergraduate student(s) with the intent of seeking office who are therefore subject to elections regulations.
(c) All election rules and campaigning are subject to University regulations as outlined in duLac. Please note that the placing of posters in non-bulletin board space is not permitted by University regulations, and candidates do so at their own risk.
(d) Campaigning may be held only over a period specified by the Election Committee. Campaigning consists of any public contact for the solicitation of votes. Personal appearances, placement of posters, or distribution of any election materials shall be considered campaigning. Any campaigning before or after the specified period is a violation of campaign rules, the penalty for which may include a maximum penalty of forfeiture of candidacy. Campaigning within LaFortune is allowed only in the basement and the 1st floor, with the exception of the radio station WVFI. No campaigning may take place in or near any Student Union office or venues occupied by the Student Union, including (but not limited to) all meetings, events, or agendas of official business, as well as space that is funded by the Student Activities Office. In addition, no candidates may campaign in any venue while occupied by a class period or exam.
(e) E-mail as a source of campaigning may be used; however, the use of Listservs is prohibited. A listserv email is any email that ends in “@listserv.nd.edu” or any variations in terms of capitalization thereon. Google Groups created for use by a Residence Hall, Student Union Organization, or University department, office, or official may not be used in campaigning.
(f) Endorsements.
(1) Endorsements shall include public, formal, or organized communication or appearances indicating support for a candidate or ticket.
(2) Candidates/tickets may solicit and campaign on endorsements from student groups and from individual students.
(3) No Student Union organization enumerated in this Constitution may endorse a candidate for a student office.
(4) Individuals holding the following offices enumerated in this Constitution may not endorse any candidate or ticket—
(i) Student Body President.
(ii) Student Body Vice-President.
(iii) Student Body President-elect.
(iv) Student Body Vice-President-elect.
(v) Chief of Staff.
(vi) Members of the Election Committee.
(vii) Student Union Board Executive Director.
(viii) Student Union Treasurer.
(ix) Class Council Officers.
(x) Off-Campus Council Officers.
(xi) Hall Presidents Council Co-Chairs.
(xii) Club Coordination Council President.
(xiii) Hall Senators.
(xiv) Off-Campus Senator.
(5) No individual currently holding an office enumerated in this Constitution may endorse a candidate for that same office.
(6) Candidates may not communicate an endorsement such that it can be construed to represent that of a Residence Hall, Student Union Organization, University department, office, or official.
(7) No student group may use funds of any type (allocated or unallocated) to support a candidate for a student office.
(g) Candidates may not be involved in or instruct others to engage in any unethical behavior as detailed in 17.1(i).
(h) Candidates are expected to behave ethically at all times. Unethical behavior will be penalized by the Election Committee of Judicial Council. Examples of unethical behavior include monopolization of limited bulletin board space, covering or defaming of any other candidates’ posters, insulting or defaming other candidates, and harassment or misconduct toward any election officials.
(i) Beginning at midnight the day of the election, all forms of campaigning are prohibited in the immediate polling place. The immediate polling place must be cleared of all campaign literature by the Hall Election Coordinator in the case of in-hall voting, and by an Election Committee member in the case of voting that takes place elsewhere. In the case that the election is held online, a personal computer is not a physical ballot station. “Immediate polling place” is defined as the area within 20 feet of a physical ballot station provided by Judicial Council or Hall Election Coordinator. If the election is held online, no candidates/tickets may provide a link to the polling web site. Only Judicial Council may provide a link to the polling web site.
(j) Blank votes, unapproved write-ins, or split ticket votes shall not count as valid votes and shall not be considered in the final tally.
(k) In cases of elections where there is one candidate/ticket running unopposed the Judicial Council may recommend that the Student Senate suspend the election and the candidate/ticket shall be declared the winner.
(l) No new bylaws pertaining to elections may be put into practice after petitions become available without a three-fourths vote of the Senate.
(m) All allegations of election misconduct are to be submitted to the Vice-President of Elections. All potential violations must be reported within 48 hours of the time committed or 11:59PM on the day of the election, whichever is sooner.
(1) The Judicial Council shall then conduct a review of the allegation as outlined in Article XIII and follow appropriate procedures.
(2) The Election Committee reserves the right to change any sanction based on the magnitude of the offense. The committee will adhere to a policy of keeping all rules uniform to all candidates.
(3) In any dispute over the Election Committee’s interpretation of these rules, any interpretation may be appealed to the Student Senate.
(4) The penalty imposed by the Election Committee shall stand until such time as the Senate hears the appeal.
(5) No election result may be released to the public while any allegation or appeal is pending.
(n) Failure to settle any penalties before election days shall result in immediate forfeiture of candidacy.
(o) For the purpose of petitions, the original signature of an undergraduate student shall be required to signify approval of a candidate or ticket’s placement on the ballot.
(p) In the event that an election proceeds to a runoff, all tickets in the runoff may have a nominal increase in their funding equivalent to 20% of the funding initially allocated for the primary election.
(q) The Judicial Council President shall be responsible for verifying the validity of all votes cast in any election.
(r) Where not otherwise specified, sanctions for violations of election regulations shall be up to the discretion of the Election Committee. The Election Committee shall be able to select an appropriate sanction, up to and including forfeiture of candidacy.
(a) The exact date of the elections for Student Body President, Vice-President, and Class Officers shall be announced before January 30th each year.
(b) There shall be an informational meeting for all candidates. The bylaws shall be explained and all rules and regulations will be discussed. It is the responsibility of all candidates to be fully aware of the official election rules as outlined in these bylaws and all University regulations in reference to posting.
(c) Campaigning may begin as soon as a candidate/ticket has turned in a fully signed petition and it is verified and approved by the Election Committee.
(d) No petition shall be accepted after the deadline without prior written approval of the Election Committee. A new member on a ticket without approval by the Election Committee must get new signatures. Only official petitions as distributed by the Election Committee may be used. An official list of candidates shall be posted outside the Student Government Office.
(e) Receipts for all election materials purchased or donated must be presented to the Election Committee prior to any use of the materials. All receipts must be accompanied by a list of materials purchased.
(f) Failure to disclose the proper cost of any election materials is a highly serious breach of campaign rules. Penalty shall be forfeiture of candidacy.
(g) Copies of all physical campaign materials, including but not limited to posters, flyers, and table tents, must be submitted to the Election Committee and stamped for approval by a member of the Election Committee, excluding the Director of the Department of Internal Affairs, before posting.
(h) Candidates may not be involved in or instruct others to engage in any unethical behavior as detailed in Section 17.1.
(i) Social Media.
(1) Candidates may utilize social media in campaigning.
(2) Candidates may create a social media account or page specifically for campaigning. The account or page must be approved by the Election committee before use and be made accessible to Judicial Council. All activity on a social media account or page, including but not limited to text posts, photos, and videos must adhere to the guidelines detailed in Section 17.1.
(3) A personal social media account or page may be used to campaign. If a candidate uses their personal media account or page for their campaign, that personal account or page must be made accessible to Judicial Council. All actions on a personal account or page (including but not limited to the posting of text posts, photos, and videos) which may be construed as campaigning must adhere to the guidelines detailed in Section 17.1.
(4) Any spending associated with social media for campaigning purposes must be documented and approved by the Election Committee before it is incurred. Spending must have a specific, known cost before the action is taken.
(5) “Social Media,” as a rapidly developing and changing field, shall be interpreted by the Election Committee on an ongoing basis. In the event of new or changing policies, candidates will be informed before the release of petitions, in accordance with Section 17.1.
(6) All allegations of election misconduct regarding social media usage will be heard by the Election Committee in accordance with procedures in Section 13.5.
(j) Write-in candidates are those candidates who missed the deadline or switched tickets after the deadline. Write-in candidates may be voted for, but will not appear on the ballot. Write-in candidates shall be approved under the following conditions before the date of the election:
(1) Candidates must furnish independent proof of good academic standing from the First Year of Studies or the Office of the Registrar and proof of good disciplinary standing from the Office of Community Standards.
(2) The Election Committee shall not undertake the responsibility of informing the student body of write-ins’ placement on the ballot.
(3) Candidates must submit a petition with 100 unique signatures in addition to the required number of signatures for the position.
(4) All materials for write-in candidacies must be submitted for approval by the Judicial Council no later than four (4) calendar days before the election.
(k) Student Body President and Vice-President Election.
(1) Candidates for Student Body President and Student Body Vice-President must run on the same ticket. Students may not split tickets when voting.
(2) The primary election for Student Body President and Vice-President shall be held on the fourth Wednesday of the second semester. The run-off election will be held on the Monday following the primary.
(3) Petitions for the office of Student Body President and Vice-President shall require 700 signatures for the placement on the ballot. Petitions will be made available at noon on the first Tuesday of classes of the second semester. The deadline for the filing of all petitions is noon of the Friday of the following week.
(4) A campaign limit is set for all Student Body Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates’ tickets at $200.00. All outside contributions count toward the limit. All donations shall be assessed towards the limit at their fair market value with the sole exception of an individual’s labor which shall not be assessed against the limit. Combining campaigning funds of more than one ticket is not permitted and shall result in forfeiture.
(5) The Judicial Council shall facilitate campus debates for the candidates running for Student Body President and Student Body Vice-President.
(l) Freshman Class Council.
(1) Freshman Class Council Representatives shall be elected by a majority vote of the freshmen in each residence hall by the fourth Friday of the academic year.
(2) A freshman shall submit to the Election Committee a petition of no less than 10% of his or her residence hall’s freshman residents to be considered an eligible candidate.
(3) A campaign limit is set for all candidates at $20.00. All outside contributions count toward the limit. All donations shall be assessed towards the limit at their fair market value with the sole exception of an individual’s labor which shall not be assessed against the limit. Combining campaigning funds of more than one ticket is not permitted and shall result in forfeiture of candidacy.
(m) Class Officer Election.
(1) The Class Officers Elections shall be held before March 3rd each year.
(2) Candidates for Class Officers must run on one ticket that designates the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Students may not split tickets when voting.
(3) Petitions for class officer shall require 200 signatures for the placement on the ballot.
(4) A campaign limit is set for all candidates’ tickets at $75.00. All outside contributions count toward the limit. All donations shall be assessed towards the limit at their fair market value with the sole exception of an individual’s labor which shall not be assessed against the limit. Combining campaigning funds of more than one ticket is not permitted and shall result in forfeiture.
(a) General Hall Provisions.
(1) All hall elections are to be conducted by the Hall Election Coordinator.
(2) Each Hall Election Coordinator is responsible for following the guidelines set forth by the Election Committee.
(3) Posters to be placed on bulletin boards may not exceed eleven inches by seventeen inches. Posters may be placed inside residence halls and within public buildings. No posters may be placed within the classrooms themselves.
(4) Each Hall Election Coordinator must hold an information session for students interested in the positions.
(5) Receipts for all election materials purchased or donated must be presented to the Hall Election Coordinator prior to any use of the materials. All receipts must be accompanied by a list of materials purchased.
(6) Candidates may utilize social media in campaigning. Accounts or pages used for campaigning, whether personal or created for the purpose of campaigning, must be made accessible to the Hall Election Coordinator.
(b) Hall Senator, President, Vice-President(s), and SUB Representative.
(1) The election for Senator shall be held prior to March 1st of each year. The election for President, Vice-President(s), and SUB Representative shall be held before April 1st each year. The Judicial Council reserves the right to specify dates for hall elections pending the approval of the Hall Presidents Council. In the absence of specified dates, hall election dates may be determined by the Hall Election Coordinator, but must be conducted prior to the final meeting of the current Student Senate, Hall Presidents Council, and Student Union Board.
(2) The residence hall Senator, President, and SUB Representative must reside in the residence hall that he or she wishes to represent during the entire term of office Halls may not have more than one person fulfill any of these positions during a term.
(3) Each hall may have up to two Vice-Presidents. If a hall has two Vice-Presidents, they shall serve in different semesters. The Vice-President must reside in the residence hall during the semester in which that Vice-President is serving. Vice-Presidents who split up their terms must run on a ticket together.
(4) Each hall shall be responsible for determining the formation of tickets amongst any or all of the elected hall positions.
(5) Each hall shall be responsible for petitions for candidates and/or tickets.
(6) A campaign limit is set for all candidates for Senator, President, Vice-President(s) and SUB Representative at $50.00. If tickets are formed amongst any of these positions the spending limit shall apply to the entire ticket and not to the individuals who make up the ticket. All outside contributions count toward the limit. All donations shall be assessed towards the limit at their fair market value with the sole exception of an individual’s labor which shall not be assessed against the limit. Combining campaigning funds of more than one ticket is not permitted and shall result in forfeiture.
(a) The election shall be held on or before the third full week of April of each year.
(b) The Off-Campus President and Vice-President and the Off-Campus Senator must reside off-campus during the following academic year. Having a university-provided, on-campus residence during the following academic year disqualifies a person from this office.
(c) Candidates for Off-Campus President and Vice-President must run on the same ticket. Students may not split tickets when voting.
(d) Off-Campus Senator and Off-Campus President and Vice-President shall require no petition.
(e) Students currently living off-campus and students living off-campus during the following academic year are eligible to vote for Off-Campus President and Vice-President and Off-Campus Senator.
(f) A campaign limit is set for all candidates’ tickets at $75.00. All outside contributions count toward the limit. All donations shall be assessed towards the limit at their fair market value with the sole exception of an individual’s labor, which shall not be assessed against the limit. Combining campaigning funds of more than one ticket is not permitted and shall result in forfeiture.
(a) To win the election, a candidate/ticket must receive a majority of valid votes cast. There shall be an option for the voter to abstain on the ballot, but a vote to abstain will not count as a valid vote.
(1) A run-off shall be held between the two highest vote-getting candidates/tickets if no candidate/ticket received the required total on the first ballot.
(2) In the event of a tie in the election of a Senator, Hall President, Hall SUB Representative, or Freshman Class Council election, additional run-off elections shall be held in the individual residence hall until a majority is obtained.
(3) In the event of a tie in the run-off election for the Student Body President, Student Body Vice-President, Class Officers, Off-Campus President, or Off-Campus Senator, the ticket/candidate which wins the most amount of Senate constituencies shall win the election.
(i) The Student Senate shall convene a special meeting for the purpose of observing the Judicial Council President announce the run-off election results from the individual Senate constituencies.
(ii) The Judicial Council President shall announce the candidate/ticket who received the most votes in each Senate constituency.
(iii) The Judicial Council shall not release any information regarding the results from the individual Senate constituencies prior to this meeting to any person.
(iv) If there is a tie between the candidates/tickets in a Senate constituency, the respective Senator shall cast the deciding vote at this special meeting.
(v) If there is a tie between the candidates/tickets in a Senate constituency and the Senator is not present, the Senate constituency’s vote shall be voided.
(F) If the Senate constituencies stand equally divided, the Chairman of the Senate shall cast the deciding vote.
(b) In the event that a candidate/ticket in a runoff election forfeits, whether due to choice or by sanction, a re-election will be given to the student body.
(1) The two top remaining tickets with the highest vote total from the primaries will be introduced in the run-off re-election.
(2) The re-election shall take place no later than four days following the forfeiture of the candidate/ticket.
(3) The two remaining tickets may receive a nominal increase of $35 to their spending limit.
(c) In the event that there are no qualified candidates for a position or office, that position or office shall go unfilled.
(a) Mandatory student activity fees, as fixed by the University and the Student Senate shall be collected by the Notre Dame Accounting department and held in a University account.
(b) The student activity fee shall be a separately itemized fee on each student’s bill for both the fall and spring semesters.
(c) The Student Union fiscal year shall coincide with the University’s fiscal year and extend from July 1st to June 30th.
(d) Student activity fee revenue may be used for, but shall not be limited to, the following purposes―
(1) Social events, seminars, workshops, retreats, and conferences.
(2) Equipment, supplies, and materials required for the operation of student programs and activities.
(3) Travel and per diem for students and professional staff members participating in student programs and activities.
(4) Premiums for liability and casualty insurance coverage for students serving in official capacities or participating in such programs and activities.
(5) Dues for institutional national charter memberships in recognized student organizations.
(6) Salaries and compensation to students serving in official capacities, or to any other full or part-time employees of the Student Union.
(a) The pool of available funds shall be comprised of the total amount of student activity fees collected plus a portion of the proceeds from The Shirt Project.
(1) 50% of The Shirt Project profits per annum, less $125,000 to be made available for FMB allocation, shall be invested in the Student Union Endowment. The remaining 50% of The Shirt profits shall go towards The Shirt Charity Endowment less any funds needed to ensure the beginning fiscal year balance of $100,000 in the Shirt Charity Medical Fund and the minimum $100,000 Rector Fund allocation, direct revenue will be diverted from that year’s Shirt Charity Endowment investment to offset any difference.
(2) The initial quantity of The Shirt ordered shall be directed toward achieving an estimated net profit of no less than $250,000.
(b) 39% of the funds available for FMB allocation shall be allotted to the line item “Clubs and Organizations” as the minimum amount designated for distribution by the Club Coordination Council with final review by the Financial Management Board.
(c) 1.75% of the funds available for FMB allocation shall be placed in a contingency fund to be allocated by the Financial Management Board for the purpose of co-sponsorship; at least one club and one other Student Union organization must be involved.
(d) The remaining 59% of available funds shall be distributed among the following Student Union organizations―
(1) Student Union Board.
(2) Office of the Student Body President.
(3) Student Senate.
(4) Hall Presidents’ Council.
(5) Freshman Class.
(6) Sophomore Class.
(7) Junior Class.
(8) Senior Class / Senior Week.
(9) Off-Campus Council.
(10) Office of the Student Union Treasurer.
(11) Judicial Council.
(12) Club Coordination Council.
(13) Transfer / Freshman Orientation.
(14) Any other areas deemed appropriate by the Financial Management Board with the approval of the Student Senate.
(e) .25% of available funds shall be allocated to the special-interest student organizations.
(f) For the purpose of the Rector Fund, a minimum of $100,000 shall be allocated to the Vice President for Student Affairs annually. In the event that the applied earnings from the Shirt Charity Endowment are insufficient to ensure the beginning fiscal year balance of $100,000 in the Shirt Charity Medical Fund a minimum $100,000 Rector Fund allocation, direct revenue will be diverted from that year’s Shirt Charity Endowment investment to offset any difference.
(a) Allocated funds may not be used for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or other controlled substances of any kind.
(b) Student Activity fees may not be used for charitable contributions.
(1) Charitable contributions shall include but not be limited to, direct donations to charities or individuals, and gifts, prizes, and awards for non-students.
(i) Gifts purchased with funds from the Student Senate account with the express purpose of furthering relations between the Notre Dame Student Union and relevant bodies shall not be considered charitable contributions.
(ii) In the special case that the giving of gifts or prizes is inherent to the nature of an event being sponsored by a Student Union organization, appeals for exceptions to Paragraph (1) above may be made to the Financial Management Board prior to the holding of the event.
(2) Student Activity fees may be used to fund Notre Dame students’ participation in service work.
(3) Fundraising events may be sponsored by an organization or club if the purpose of the event is to educate, entertain, or increase student participation in a cause.
(i) The net profit of a fundraising event may be donated to charity.
(ii) The total revenue from a fundraising event may be donated to charity if the sponsoring club or Student Union organization obtains the approval of the Financial Management Board prior to the event.
(4) The Financial Management Board shall grant approval to appeals for exceptions to this Subsection if all of the following are met―
(i) The event furthers the mission and purpose of the group.
(ii) The event educates or entertains the students of the University.
(iii) Use of student activity fees does not violate any of the other provisions of the fiscal policy of the Student Union.
(c) Allocated funds may not be used for the support of candidates whether federal, state, local, or University level.
(d) Ethnic organizations are eligible for funding provided that their programming will promote greater cultural awareness and understanding within the Notre Dame community.
(e) The Shirt Coordinator, Student Union Treasurer, and Financial Management Board, when accepting bids for The Shirt, will ensure that the accepted bid is from a company which does not employ the use of sweatshops.
(a) Funds of any type (allocated or unallocated) cannot be used for a direct contribution to any candidate for political office, including student elections.
(b) Any appearance by political candidates, elected officials, or their surrogates shall follow the previously-adopted rules for campaign appearances as described in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC) guidelines.
(c) Only the political clubs (College Democrats, Libertarians, and Republicans) shall be permitted to use funds of any type (allocated or unallocated) for the following activities—
(1) Selling and/or purchasing t-shirts supporting a particular candidate.
(2) Holding rallies with student speakers and/or professors, but without the appearance of political candidates, elected officials, or their surrogates.
(3) Developing, posting, and distributing signage and promotional materials regarding the parties’ positions and the candidates.
(4) Taking a club bus trip to a candidate appearance in a nearby city.
(5) Endorsing a candidate.
(6) None of these activities may be used to support a candidate for student office except for endorsement. No funds of any type (allocated or unallocated) may be used to support a candidate for student office.
(d) The aforementioned activities shall be clearly indicated and properly attributed to the student club, and not seen as a University sponsored event.
(a) The salaries, if any, of elected and/or appointed officials shall be approved by the Financial Management Board and the Student Senate.
(b) Any event which has sum obligations greater than $5,000, or 10% of the requesting organization’s total budget, whichever is the larger amount, shall be approved by the Financial Management Board.
(c) Any disbursement over $5,000, or 10% of the requesting organization’s total budget, whichever is the largest amount, shall be reported to the Treasurer and approved by the Financial Management Board.
(d) Bids for programs scheduled for the next fiscal year, previous to the initial budget allocation meeting, may be made with Financial Management Board’s approval.
(e) In the event that approval from Financial Management Board is needed while school is not in session, the organization seeking approval must notify the Student Union Treasurer. At such time, the Student Union Treasurer must contact and receive approval from a majority of the Financial Management Board. In the event a majority of the Financial Management Board cannot be reached the Student Union Treasurer may grant approvals. In the event the Student Union Treasurer is unable to grant approvals, the Director of Student Activities must be contacted in order to grant approval.
(f) The Senate may hear appeals of Financial Management Board decisions and reverse these decisions by a two-thirds vote of all Senate members.
(a) The Financial Management Board shall monitor the finances of the Student Businesses.
(b) The Student Businesses shall have no initial allocation; however, the Student Union Treasurer may submit a request for funds in order to cover general office expenses.
(c) Requests for capital expenditures shall be submitted to the Student Union Treasurer by the individual business requesting the funds.
(d) The Financial Management Board shall approve capital expenditure requests in an efficient timely manner.
(e) Net profits from the Student Businesses shall be transferred to the Student Union Carryforward account at the end of each fiscal year.
(f) Net deficits from the Student Businesses shall be reconciled with funds from the Student Union Carry-forward account at the end of each fiscal year.
(g) Groups within the Student Union shall budget as necessary to ensure that they spend only the dollar amount allocated during each fiscal year.
(1) In the event that a group spends in excess of its allocation, the entire debt must be repaid during the subsequent fiscal year. This shall be accomplished by a funds transfer executed by the Student Union Treasurer prior to November 1st. Groups must be notified of such a situation by September 15th.
(2) Should the debt from the previous year be in excess of 15% of the current fiscal year’s allocation, a payment schedule appeal may be brought to the Financial Management Board. However, the Financial Management Board is limited in that total repayment must be made within three years (the current year and the following two years). Additionally, the group must pay a minimum of 15% of its annual allocation during each year of the repayment process so as to expedite repayment. All appeals must be made by October 1st, and all decisions must be finalized by October 31st to permit the necessary funds transfer prior to November 1st, as outlined above.
(a) Appropriations from the Carry-forward account are designated for the purpose of financing unique and extraordinary opportunities for which have been previously unbudgeted and unplanned.
(b) New capital expenditures as well as improvements on existing capital assets may be financed through the Carry-forward account.
(c) The Carry-forward account may finance any other type of allocation not specifically mentioned above that is deemed appropriate by the Financial Management Board.
(d) The Financial Management Board shall consider Carry-forward account requests on a rolling basis.
(e) The Carry-forward account shall never be allowed to fall below $15,000, notwithstanding current-year student activity fees.
(f) The Carry-forward account shall never exceed $100,000, notwithstanding current-year student activity fees. Any excess funds above this amount shall be placed in the Student Union Endowment. When the endowment return is negative, this provision shall be waived.
(g) Total yearly allocations out of the Carryforward account shall not exceed $10,000.
(h) Interest payments on the net monthly balance of student activity fees shall be deposited to the Carry-forward account.
(i) Any fiscal year-end surplus or deficit shall be applied or deducted from the balance of the Carry-forward account.
(a) 50% of revenues per annum from The Shirt Project, less the $125,000 directly available for FMB allocation, in addition to surplus funds above the $100,000 cap on the Carry-forward account shall be added to the initial principle.
(b) Annual interest accrued from the Student Union Endowment shall be allocated by the Financial Management Board at the annual allocation meeting.
(c) The Student Union shall not spend down the principle of the Student Union Endowment for any reason.
(d) The Student Union Endowment shall be overseen by the Financial Management Board.
(e) Any disputes regarding the Student Union Endowment shall be resolved by the Senate.
(a) The Shirt Charity Endowment shall exist so that the interest acquired from the endowment may fund the Shirt Charity Fund account.
(b) Funds added to the Shirt Charity Endowment principal at the end of each fiscal year shall consist of 50% of net revenues of sales of The Shirt less any funds needed to ensure the beginning fiscal year balance of $100,000 in the Shirt Charity Fund and minimum $100,000 to the Rector Fund after Charity Fund Endowment applied earnings.
(c) The Student Union shall not spend down the principle of The Shirt Charity Endowment for any reason.
(d) If Shirt Charity Fund requests approved by Financial Management Board exceed the balance of The Shirt Charity Fund, existing funds in The Shirt Profit account may be transferred directly to the Shirt Charity Fund account to cover any shortfall. If this occurs, the starting balance amount of the Shirt Charity Fund shall be reevaluated by the Financial Management Board and approved by the Senate.
(e) The Shirt Charity Endowment shall be overseen by the Financial Management Board.
(f) Any disputes regarding the Shirt Charity Endowment shall be resolved by the Senate.
(a) The Irish Clover Award is given to two outstanding members of the Notre Dame community for exemplary service to the student body. Recipients may include students, faculty, staff, administrators, or alumni.
(b) The Student Senate shall choose the recipients of the Irish Clover Award each term.
(a) Named in honor of its first recipient, the Michael J. Palumbo Award shall be given annually to a member of the undergraduate student body for outstanding service and dedication to the Notre Dame Student Union.
(b) The Senate shall confer the award on a Student Union official prior to April 1st of each year.
(1) Have given outstanding service to and shown exceptional dedication to the Notre Dame Student Union.
(2) Be an undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame in good standing with the University.
(3) Have held any office in the Notre Dame Student Union for at least one academic year.
(4) Have been nominated for the award by at least one undergraduate student of the University of Notre Dame.
(5) Have performed services so as to greatly further the causes of the Notre Dame Student Union.
(6) Have gone beyond the call of duty to show honor and respect for the Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Body of the University of Notre Dame du Lac.
(7) Have demonstrated outstanding character in the best tradition of the University of Notre Dame and its ideals.
(d) The Student Union Ethics Commission shall aid the Student Senate’s selection process by—
(1) Informing the undergraduate student body of the existence and purpose of the award and soliciting nominations.
(2) Gathering information about all nominees sufficient to making an informed decision.
(3) Recommending a recipient of the award to the Student Senate, for its approval, no later than the second-to-last meeting of its term.
(e) The winner of the Michael J. Palumbo Award each year—
(1) Shall be informed of his or her selection and be issued a certificate of accomplishment.
(2) Shall have his or her name engraved on the award’s commemorative plaque which hangs in the Student Government Office.
(a) Named in honor of former Notre Dame Professor, Frank O’Malley, the Frank O’Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award shall be given annually to a member of the Notre Dame faculty who has had an outstanding impact on undergraduate education at the University and shown exceptional service to the students of the Notre Dame community. Any faculty member is eligible for consideration.
(b) The Student Senate shall choose the recipient of the Frank O’Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award each term.