The By-Laws of the Student Body Article I Section 1. Attendance 1] All Senators shall attend all General Sessions meetings of the Student Government Association but shall be granted two unexcused absences per semester. 2] All Senators shall attend all Student Senate sessions but shall be granted two unexcused absences and three proxies per semester. A proxy may be any non-Student Government Association member who meets the same eligibility requirements as the Senator that he or she represents. In a session of the Student Senate, a proxy cannot be recognized by the acting chair for the purposes of debate, and the responsibilities of a proxy in the Student Senate shall be limited to only voting privileges on resolutions on which they are instructed to vote. 3] All Senators are granted two unexcused absences per semester from the meetings of the Committees on which they are members. The Chairman of a Committee may excuse a Senator’s absence in the event of an emergency or unforeseen circumstance. 4] When it is necessary to be absent from a Senate meeting, or when a proxy is sent to a session of the Student Senate, Senators shall notify the Vice President using the Student Government Association Absence/Proxy form. Notification should be submitted no less than twenty four hours prior to the meeting. If proper notification is not given, the absence shall not be excused by the Vice President except in unexpected and serious situations. 5] Each committee chair shall be responsible for providing a written committee report to the Vice President within a week of each meeting. The Vice President shall be responsible for notifying the President or their designee of any unexcused absences at Committee meetings. 6] It shall be the responsibility of the Vice President or their designee to notify any Senators when he or she has received an unexcused absence from a General Meeting of the Student Government Association, a Student Senate Session or a committee meeting. Lack of notification, though, shall not excuse a Senator who receives excessive unexcused absences. 7] When a Senator has received unexcused absences in excess of the number granted for committee meetings, Student Senate sessions, or General Meetings of the Student Government Association, the Vice President shall ask the Senator to resign before impeachment proceedings begin. Section 2. Office Hours 1] All Senators shall maintain a minimum of five office hours per week in the Student Government Association with at least one hour of work occurring in the Student Government Association Office. 2] All Senators shall be required to post records of their completed office hours in the Student Government Association Office in compliance with the standard set forward by the Vice-President at the start of their terms. 3] No Senator shall be allowed to maintain less than five hours per week more than two times per semester, nor shall any Senator be allowed to maintain an average of less than five office hours per week per semester. 4] It shall be the responsibility of the Vice President or their designee to notify all Senators when they have failed to maintain or record a full week of office hours. Lack of notification, though, shall not excuse a Senator who receives excessive unexcused missed hours 5] When a Senator has failed to maintain the minimum number of office hours for more than two weeks in a semester, the Vice President shall ask the Senator to resign before impeachment proceedings begin. 6] Office Hours shall be defined as hours spent working on Student Government Association related business. Time spent in general meetings of the Student Government Association or a Senate session shall not count as office hours. 7] In unexpected and serious situations, the Vice-President shall excuse a Senator from his or her office hours. Section 3. Requirements 1] All Senators, within one month of taking office, shall attend a program organized by the Vice President or their designee on Student Senate procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order. 2] All Senators shall sign the job description contract for Senators within one month of taking their oath of office. Each job description shall acknowledge that the Senator has a working knowledge of the Constitution of the Student Body of University of North Carolina Asheville and its supplementary documents. Any Senator who has not signed this contract within one month shall be eligible for impeachment for nonfeasance. Section 4. Senate Procedure 1] Sessions of the Student Senate shall, at all times, follow explicitly the rules and procedure as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised with the following exceptions: A) When they conflict with the Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville and its supplementary documents. B) The agenda of all Student Senate sessions shall accommodate the following schedule of business. i) Call to Order ii) Roll Call (to establish if quorum is present) iii) Standing Committee reports iv) Ad Hoc Committee reports v) Consideration of Old Business vi) Consideration of New Business vii) Calls from the Floor viii) Calls from the Gallery ix) Informal Comments and Announcements x) Adjournment 2] If a committee or commission of the Student Government Association may have information or experience concerning the subject of a bill or resolution before the Student Senate, the Student Senate may refer the bill or resolution to that body for evaluation or recommendation. The body shall then make a report to the Student Senate upon the date specified by the Student Senate. 3] The Student Senate shall not consider legislation which may conflict with the Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville or its supplementary documents except when such motions would amend or resolve to amend these documents. 4] All Senate Standing and Ad Hoc Committees shall be open to all members of the Student Government Association. Only the Senators on each committee shall be voting members. The rules and procedure of each committee shall be established and enforced by the chair. 5] The Student Senate shall consider any and all appointments made by the President or Vice President, which shall be introduced to the Student Senate for consideration. No appointment shall be enacted without having passed the Student Senate. 6] A library of all Student Government documents shall be maintained by the legislative librarian and made available to all Student Government Association members. All legislation shall be classified according to the title, number, type and date. Each administration shall have completed the library of all legislation presented during its term before the next administration takes office. 7] All Senators shall be given the following documents after taking office: 1. The Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville. 2. All Constitutional Amendments. 3. The Student Government Association By-Laws. 4. A blank copy of each form of legislation, including: a. Constitutional Amendment b. Formal Resolution c. Vice Presidential Appointment d. Presidential Appointment 5. All Executive and Legislative job descriptions 6. Student Government Association Absence/Proxy Form 7. Committee Meeting Report Form 8. Organization Recognition Form 9. Elected Position Application Form 10. Appointed Position Application Form 11. A printed list of names and dates of all former administrations 12. A guide to parliamentary procedure 13. Approved budget for the current administration. 8] The Student Senate, by majority vote of its membership, shall have the authority to request an investigation by the Student Affairs Office of the expenditure of any or all Student Government funds pending an investigation of the propriety or accounting of such funds. This investigation shall be completed within fifteen days. 9] Quorum for all sessions of the Student Senate shall be two-thirds of the sitting members of the Student Senate. 10] Prior to the distribution or allocation of any Student Government Association funds, the allocation must be listed in the approved budget. The Student Senate shall have the power to amend the Student Government Association budget by a two-thirds vote. No funds shall be allocated that have not been previously budgeted. Section 5 Minutes 1] The Vice President or their designee shall be responsible for maintaining minutes and publishing a written record of all Student Senate sessions except sessions which have been moved into closed session, which shall not be recorded in any manner. The written minutes shall be included in the legislative library of each administration. 2] The Vice President or their designee shall be responsible for posting a copy of the written minutes in the Student Government Association within twenty four hours after approval. 3] Minutes of all Student Senate sessions shall be available for review by the public, but shall not be removed from the Student Government Association Office. 4] Minutes of all Student Senate sessions shall be archived for a minimum of four administrations. Section 6. Senate Rules of Order 1] Before a Senator may speak or make a motion, he or she must be first recognized by the presiding officer of the Senate. 2] Senators shall direct all debate and/or questions through the Chair of the Senate 3] Senators shall avoid the use of the personal pronoun “you” and the use of names of other members while in debate. 4] A “point of information” or “query to the speaker” must be directed through the presiding officer to be recognized. The speaker may either choose to yield to queries or refrain from being queried. The presiding officer shall then allow the speaker to answer the query to continue in debate. 5] Senators shall remain at their seats while votes are being taken. No Senator shall be permitted to join the body while a vote is being taken. 6] Senators shall be prohibited from leaving the body without the consent of the presiding officer. Any Senator who leaves the body without the consent of the presiding officer shall be considered absent without excuse. 7] Any Senator who arrives after a roll call to a Student Senate session shall be recognized by the presiding officer or the Parliamentarian as having arrived and be recorded as present. Section 7. Voting Procedure 1] All votes on main motions shall be roll call votes. 2] Upon the request of one-fifth of the Senators present, a vote on any motion shall be a roll call vote. 3] Results of roll call votes shall be recorded, and the votes in the affirmative and the negative and the abstentions shall be announced. The record of all roll call votes shall be included in the legislative library of each administration. 4] All other votes shall be conducted by a show of hands. The votes in the affirmative and the negative and the abstentions shall be announced. 5] Results of all votes are recorded in the minutes. 6] A majority during any vote shall be constituted by a majority of the Senators voting, with abstentions not considered votes. A two-thirds vote shall be constituted by two-thirds of Senators voting with abstentions not considered votes. Section 8. Impeachment Procedure 1] If allegations of malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance are made against an individual currently serving in the Student Government Association, the individual making those accusations must submit a motion to the Senate calling for a trial of the accused. The individual making the accusation and the individual being accused shall abstain from voting on the motion to take up a trial. 2] The charges that an individual may be accused of shall be defined as follows: A] Malfeasance: the willful and purposeful disregard for the Constitution and its supplementary documents, actively and aggressively breaking the rules of the Student Government Association. B] Misfeasance: the failure to discharge ones duties in accordance with the Constitution and its supplementary documents and performing ones duties wrongly or insufficiently. C] Nonfeasance: the failure to exercise the duties of an individual’s office at all, failure to sign job description contract within an acceptable amount of time following an individual’s election or appointment 3] If the Senate takes up the motion by a simple majority vote, a trial will convene at the next Student Senate session unless the Senate by a simple majority vote agrees to schedule the trial for a different date. All trials shall occur in closed session. 4] The Presiding Officer of the trial shall be the Vice President of the Student Body unless the Vice President is the accused, in which case the Parliamentarian shall act as the Presiding Officer of the trial. 5] If the Senate chooses to begin a trial against an individual, that individual shall be released of their duties of their office until the resolution of the trial. If their office is in the line of succession, their post shall be filled by the individual below them until the resolution of the trial. 6] The procedure for a trial shall be as follows: A] An opening statement by the accuser B] An opening statement by the accuse C] The accuser shall present evidence to substantiate the charges against the accused. D] The accused shall offer a defense of their actions and records. E] Each Senator shall vote ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty.’ 7] If the Senate finds an individual guilty by a two thirds vote, that individual shall be discharged from their office and ineligible to hold future office in the Student Government Association. If the Senate decides ‘not guilty,’ that person shall immediately reassume the duties and responsibilities of their office. Section 9. Constitutional Rulings 1] If an issue in the interpretation of the Constitution or its supplementary documents arises during the debate over related motions, a Senator may make a motion that the Student Government offers an official ruling on a specific section of the document. 2] If such a motion is agreed to, the Senate shall lay the motion and any motions it would affect aside for one week and when it reconvenes, debate the motion so that it may issue a ruling. 3] The Senate shall, for the purposes of providing a clear and understandable interpretation as future precedent, by unanimous consent agree to a precisely worded statement outlining their specific interpretation of the constitutional or supplementary document clause in question. 4] Once this interpretation passes the Senate by unanimous consent, it must go to the President who shall approve it. 5] If the President and Senate are in agreement over the specific wording of the interpretation, it shall be recorded by the Legislative Librarian as an addendum to the By-Laws for reference by future administrations. This interpretation shall be considered a part of the law unless it is overriden by a later ruling in the same manner as the first. Article II Section 1. The Legislative Librarian 1] The Legislative Librarian shall be a Senator of the Student Government Association appointed by the Vice President of the Student Body 2] The Legislative Librarian shall serve a term of one calendar year or until they have submitted a resignation for the office before the Senate. 3] The Legislative Librarian shall be responsible for the following tasks: A] Keeping the legislation of the current session of the Student Government Association up to date and publically available during the session. B] Keeping the legislative records of previous administrations well ordered and available in the Student Government Association office. C] Presenting legislation before the Senate by acting as the official reader of legislation during a session of the Student Senate until the suspension of the reading of a bill. 4] The Legislative Librarian shall be eligible for the receipt of an extra stipend to be added to their Senatorial stipend if they fulfill the duties of their office for the duration of their term. Section 2. The Senate President Pro Tempore 1] The Senate President Pro Tempore shall be a Senator of the Student Government Association appointed by the Vice President of the Student Body. 2] The Senate President Pro Tempore shall serve a term of one calendar year or until they have submitted a resignation for the office before the Senate. 3] The Senate President Pro Tempore shall be responsible for A] Acting as the Presiding Officer of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President of the Student Body B] Succeeding to the Vice Presidency of the Student Body if the Vice President vacates that office for any reason. Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate 1] The Clerk of the Senate shall be a Senator of the Student Government Association appointed by the Vice President of the Student Body. 2] The Clerk of the Senate shall serve a term of one calendar year or until they have submitted a resignation for the office before the Senate. 3] The Clerk of the Senate shall be responsible for A] To keep records of attendance, accurate minutes, and any other records of the Student Senate B] To advise the Chief of Staff on clerical matters related to the body of the Student Senate. Section 4. The Sergeant-at-Arms 1] The Sergeant At Arms shall be a Senator of the Student Government Association appointed by the Vice President of the Student Body 2] The Sergeant At Arms shall serve a term of one calendar year or until they have submitted a resignation for the office before the Senate. 3] The Sergeant At Arms shall be responsible for the following tasks: A] Carry out all orders of the Vice President during Senate Meetings. B] Maintain order in the meeting and other areas used for the business of the Senate and its committees and divisions and members C] Supervise the entering and exiting from the Senate and the other areas used for the business of the senate 4] The Sergeant At Arms shall be eligible for the receipt of an extra stipend to be added to their Senatorial stipend if they fulfill the duties of their office for the duration of their term. Section 5. The Parliamentarian 1] The Parliamentarian shall be a Senator of the Student Government Association appointed by the Vice President of the Student Body 2] The Parliamentarian shall serve a term of one calendar year or until they have submitted a resignation for the office before the Senate. 3] The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for the following tasks: A] Be available to all Senate members for questions concerning parliamentary procedure B] Attend all workshops for new Senators to give instruction on parliamentary procedure C] Ensure that all Senate meetings run according to parliamentary procedure 4] The Parliamentarian shall be eligible for the receipt of an extra stipend to be added to their Senatorial stipend if they fulfill the duties of their office for the duration of their term. Article III Section 1. Attendance 1] All Executives shall attend meetings of the Student Government Association in accordance with a standard set by the Student Body President at the beginning of their term of office. 2] All Executives shall attend all Executive Cabinet meetings but shall be granted two unexcused absences per semester. 3] When it is necessary to be absent from a meeting (General meeting, Executive Cabinet meeting, etc), executives shall notify the President or their designee for such matters. Notification should be submitted no less than twenty four hours prior to the meeting. If proper notification is not given, the absence shall be unexcused except in unexpected and serious situations. 4] It shall be the responsibility of the President or their Designee to notify any Cabinet Official when he or she has received an unexcused absence from a General meeting of the Student Government Association, the President shall ask the Executive to resign before impeachment proceedings begin. 5] When an Executive has received unexcused absences in excess of the number allowed for Executive Cabinet meetings of General meetings of the Student Government Association, the President shall ask the Executive to resign before impeachment proceedings begin. Section 2. Office Hours 1] The Chief of Staff shall maintain a minimum of ten hours per week in the Student Government Association Office with at least two-thirds being performed during regular office hours. Time spent in Executive Cabinet meetings of the Student Government Association shall not count as office hours. 2] The President and Vice President shall maintain a minimum of fifteen hours per week in the Student Government Association Office, with at least one half being performed during regular office hours. Time spent in Executive Cabinet meetings of the Student Government Association shall not count as office hours. 3] All Executives shall maintain a minimum of ten hours per week in the Student Government Association Office, with at least one third being performed during regular office hours. Time spent in Executive Cabinet meetings of the Student Government Association shall not count as office hours. 4] All Executives are responsible for providing a weekly report on the completion of their office hours to the Student Body President in accordance with the standard set by the President at the beginning of their term. 5] No Executive shall maintain less than the minimum number of required office hours more than twice per semester. 6] It shall be the responsibility of the President or their designee to notify all Executives when they have failed to maintain or record a full week of office hours. Lack of notifications, however, shall not excuse an Executive who repeatedly fails to maintain office hours. 7] When an Executive has failed to maintain the number of office hours for more than two weeks in a semester, the President shall ask the Executive to resign before impeachment proceedings begin. 8] Office Hours shall be defined as hours spent working in the Student Government Association Office or time spent outside the office doing Student Government Association business. 9] Regular Student Government Association Office hours shall be from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Monday through Friday. 10] In unexpected and serious situations, the President shall excuse an Executive from his or her office hours. Section 3. Requirements 1] All Executives shall sign their job description within one month of taking their oath of office. The assigned signature shall be an assurance that each Executive is aware of the duties of his or her office. Each job description shall acknowledge that the Executive has a working knowledge of the Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville and its supplementary documents have been read and understood. Any Executive who has not signed his or her job description shall be eligible for impeachment for nonfeasance. 2] The President shall administer the Oath of Office to all Executives unless otherwise specified in the Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville. The Oath of Office shall be administered to an Executive during the first General meeting following Senate approval of his or her appointment. Section 4. General Session Procedure 1] The agenda of each General Meeting of the Student Government Association shall be set by the President, but shall include a roll call. 2] All Executives shall be given the following: 5. The Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville. 6. All Constitutional Amendments. 7. The Student Government Association By-Laws. 8. A blank copy of each form of legislation, including: a. Constitutional Amendment b. Formal Resolution c. Vice Presidential Appointment d. Presidential Appointment 5. All Executive and Legislative job descriptions 6. Student Government Association Absence/Proxy Form 7. Committee Meeting Report Form 8. Organization Recognition Form 9. Elected Position Application Form 10. Appointed Position Application Form 11. A printed list of names and dates of all former administrations 12. A guide to parliamentary procedure 13. Approved budget for the current administration. 3] The President or their designee shall keep a record of all Executive Cabinet meetings. The written record shall be included in the legislative library of each administration. Article IV Section 1. Hiring Procedure 1] Before appointing Executive Positions, the President of the Student Body shall advertise vacant Executive Positions and conduct interviews of all applicants for said positions. Section 2. The Chief of Staff 1] The Student Government Association Chief of Staff shall be a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body. 2] The Chief of Staff shall serve a term of one calendar year or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Chief of Staff shall have the power: A] To call and preside over all Student Government Association Budget Committee meetings and to enforce the rules of its proceedings. The Budget Committee shall consist of the President of the Student Body, the Vice President of the Student Body and another person deemed necessary by the Chief of Staff. This committee shall develop and periodically review the fiscal budget of the Student Government Association. B]The Chief of Staff may request the appointment of an Office Manager to assist in the management of duties, during which case the duties would be split in half--including office hours) 4] The Chief of Staff shall be required: A] To coordinate the maintenance and operation of the Student Government offices between the Executive and Legislative Branches. B] To coordinate the maintenance, operation and disbursement of Student Government financial accounts and budgets in cooperation with the President of the Student Body. C] To keep records of attendance, accurate minute and any other records of the Executive Cabinet and Student Senate. Section 3. Elections Staff 1] The entire body of the Elections Commission shall be made up of current students of the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall have met the same criterion outlined for other members of the Executive Cabinet as outlined by Article III, Section 3, Subsection 1. Further, they are to adhere to the same standards of impeachment as the rest of the Student Government. However, they will not be held to any standard of “Office Hour” requirements. 2] The Elections Commissioner shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body and confirmed by the Senate and shall serve a term of one calendar year or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Elections Commissioner shall be required: A] To appoint eight members of The Elections Commission and to compose legislation requesting their confirmation by the Senate B] To coordinate all elections of the Student Government Association in conjunction with the rest of the Elections Commission and in compliance with the Student Government Association Constitution and By-Laws C] To compose legislation to be voted upon by the Student Senate in order to establish both the date and the procedures for each upcoming Student Government Association election pursuant to student law as described by this Constitution and By-Laws. This legislation must pass by a two thirds majority roll-call vote and at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the suggested elections week. 4] The Elections Commissioner shall have the power: A] To call and preside over meetings of the Elections Commission and to enforce the rules of its proceedings as outlined by the Constitution, its By-Laws and Roberts Rules of Order. 5] The Elections Commission shall consist of eight student members and the Elections Commissioner. That body’s rules, objectives, prerogatives and requirements shall be defined as follows: A] The Elections Commission shall have the Elections Commissioner as a presiding officer, who shall not cast a vote unless the Commission is equally divided. B] The members of the
Elections Commission shall assist the elections Commissioner in execution of
the duties of his or her office. D] The quorum for meetings of the Elections Commission, including the Elections Commissioner, shall be two-thirds. E] The members of the Elections Commission shall promote the Student Government Association Freshmen and General Elections in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville, including but not limited to the organization of debates and other promotional events and posting of non-candidate literature that promotes the election. F] The members of the Elections Commission shall provide at least one open forum for candidates prior to the spring election and at least one open forum for candidates prior to the election of freshman in the fall. These forums must be on campus in areas designated as open to the public. G] In such cases where the Elections Commissioner feels polling sites to be appropriate and has passed the appropriate legislation pursuant to that determination as outlined in Article V Section 1 Subsection 1 of the By-Laws, all such sites shall be maintained by members of the Elections Commission H] The Elections Commission shall take down any campaign flyers, banners, etc. from polling sites, if polling sites have been established. I] The members of the Elections Commission shall ensure that all elections procedures are followed during elections. J] Any member of the Elections Commission shall be required to report all suspected impropriety taking place within the elections to the full body of the Elections Commission. K] The Elections Commission shall be required to investigate any claims or suspicions of impropriety under the chair of the Elections Commissioner. L] The Elections Commission shall destroy all signs or campaign materials that do not abide by elections procedures. M] The Elections Commission shall be responsible for listing all candidates running for office and providing that information to all candidates at least seventy two hours before the elections, through email. Section 4. Executive of External Affairs 1] The Executive of External Affairs shall be a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body. 2] The Executive of External Affairs shall serve a term of one calendar year or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Executive of External Affairs shall have the power: A] To act as a liaison between any and all community contacts outside the University and the Student Government Association. 4] The Executive of External Affairs shall be required: A] To report weekly on the Status of any and all legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly and United States Congress pertaining to education and students in general to the Student Senate. B] To be responsible for any and all community involvement, including sponsorship and participation, for all Student Government Association official functions. Section 5. Executive of Internal Affairs 1] The Executive of Internal Affairs shall be a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body. 2] The Executive of Internal Affairs shall serve a term of one calendar year or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Executive of Internal Affairs shall have the power: A] To serve as the Student Government Associations liaison to Faculty Senate. B] To act as the Student Government’s liaison to other University organizational/departments. 4] The Executive of Internal Affairs shall be required to: A] To attend to any duties as prescribed by the Student Body President. Section 6. Executive of Multicultural Affairs 1] The Executive of Multicultural Affairs shall be a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body. 2] The Executive of Multicultural Affairs shall serve for the full term of the Student Body President or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Executive of Multicultural Affairs shall have the power: A]To act as a liaison between any and all University organizational/departments related to multicultural affairs. 4] The Executive of Multicultural Affairs shall be required: A] To serve as the Student Government Association's liaison to Diversity Action Council Section 7. Executive of Sustainability Affairs 1] The Executive of Sustainability Affairs shall be a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body. 2] The Executive of Sustainability Affairs shall serve for the full term of the Student Body President or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Executive of Sustainability Affairs shall have the power: A] To act as a liaison between any and all other University organizational/departments related to environmental and sustainability affairs. 4] The Executive of Sustainability Affairs shall be required: A] To act as the Student Government Association's liaison between the Student Environmental Center and other environmentally oriented student organizations Section 8. Executive of Public Relations 1] The Executive of Public Relations shall be a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville and shall be appointed by the President of the Student Body. 2] The Executive of Public Relations shall serve for the full term of the Student Body President or until their resignation has been submitted to the Student Senate. 3] The Executive of Public Relations shall have the power: A] To serve as the Student Government Association's liaison to the Blue Banner. 4] The Executive of Public Relations shall be required: A] To serve as the Student Government Association's liaison to the University/Student Body. Article V Section 1. 1] A polling site shall only exist under the prerogative of the Elections Commissioner. If The Elections Commissioner feels polling places are necessary, it shall be their job to properly define them within the confines of their legislation outlining elections procedures, as outlined in Article IV, Section 3, Subsection 3, Clause C. 2] A violation of elections procedure shall be defined as any infraction of the rules established by the Elections Commissioners legislation outlined in Article IV Section 3, Subsection 3, Clause C, or any infraction of the Constitution and its By-Laws. If an accusation of violation of elections procedure is made against a candidate, the Elections Commission must meet to discuss said accusation and to rule as to whether or not a candidate has indeed violated elections procedure within 72 hours of the accusation being formally filed with the Elections Commissioner. If indeed a candidate is determined to have violated elections procedure, they shall be disqualified. 3] If an accusation is made within 72 hours of the closing of the polls, the Elections Commission is still required to meet and deliberate on that accusation. If the accusation is found to be accurate, and the respective candidate is found to be in violation of elections procedure, they shall be ineligible to hold office if they were elected. 4] A campaign manager shall be defined as anyone who actively coordinates the planning and implementation of a registered candidate’s campaigning activities. Section 2. Eligibility 1] Within two working days after the deadline for filing election applications, each registered candidate shall be notified by the Elections Commissioner of his or her eligibility or ineligibility. 2] If a candidate for office has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 but greater than or equivalent to 1.85, the Elections Commission shall be required to meet before the beginning of the election to determine the candidate’s eligibility status. If the Elections Commission determines that extenuating circumstances have contributed to the substandard GPA, the candidate shall be allowed to run for office. However, should the candidate be elected and his or her GPA not be raised to a 2.0 when computed by the Registrar at the end of the spring semester, the officer shall be declared to be ineligible to hold office. Section 3. Candidate Requirements 1] All candidates for office, their campaign managers, and anyone openly campaigning for any candidate, shall not work at the election polls, should election polls exist. 2] All candidates must abide by the Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville and its supplementary documents. 3] Campaign managers for registered candidates must be registered with the Elections Commission and must abide by the Constitution of the Student Body of the University of North Carolina Asheville and its supplementary documents. It shall be the responsibility of the registered candidate to ensure that his or her campaign manager(s) have read and understood the elections procedures. Section 3. Voting Procedure 1] All persons who are eligible to vote must present a valid UNC Asheville student identification number to vote if doing so at a polling site, or provide their UNC Asheville student identification number if voting online. Section 4. Elections Procedures 1] There shall not be any prohibitions on the size, type, or message of a printed sign other than the general limits on obscenity and truthfulness in campaigning. 2] Advertisements shall not be placed on glass doors or glass partitions in any building. 3] Any candidate whose campaigning causes damage to university facilities during the campaign shall be held responsible by the University for any damage caused to the facilities during the campaign and shall be in violation of elections procedure. 5] Any candidate or campaign manager of a candidate who destroys the campaign materials of any other candidate shall be in violation of elections procedure. 6] Any candidate who directs any other person to destroy the campaign materials of another candidate shall be in violation of elections procedure. 7] Campaign materials shall not be placed on the same floor of any building where a polling site is located, should they exist. If polling sites do exist, it shall be the responsibility of both the candidate and the Elections Commission to ensure there are no advertisements on that floor. 8] No campaigning of any kind shall take place in academic classrooms, with the exception of a statement of candidacy. No posters or active recruitment shall be made within the perimeters of a classroom. 9] There shall be no campaigning of any kind by anyone at a polling site if polling sites have been established. Any person who campaigns at a polling site shall be in violation of elections procedure. Section 6. Campaign Expenses 1] All candidates are allowed to spend a maximum of fifty dollars on their campaign materials. All candidates shall be allowed to seek sponsorship from individuals, on-campus organizations and off-campus organizations to defray their personal cost, but these contributions must be deducted from the fifty dollar campaign expenses. 2] Sponsorship shall be defined as the giving of assistance in the form of direct funding, indirect funding, material grants and/or publicity. 3] Registered candidates must register with the Elections Commission any individual or organization which is sponsoring a candidate in a direct or indirect manner. Failure to register a sponsor is a violation of elections procedure. 4] The value of all material grants and publicity shall be set at the public cost of obtaining these identical goods and services. 5] Failure to maintain adequate records of expenditures shall result in an official investigation of any candidate’s campaign practices and shall be a violation of elections procedure. 6] All receipts shall be accompanied by a completed Budget Expense Form. The Elections Commission shall not accept receipts without the completed budget expense form. 7] All candidates shall submit their receipts and completed Budget Expense Forms to the Elections Commission within twenty four hours of the closing of the polls. Any candidate who fails to do so is in violation of elections procedures. Section 7. Ballots 1] All candidate’s names shall be listed alphabetically with the first name first. The first name used on the ballot shall be chosen by the candidate. Section 8. Rules and Regulations 1] The Elections Commission shall plan mandatory rules and regulations meeting before campaigning may begin. 2] The Elections Commissioner shall notify all registered candidates of all pending Elections Commission meetings. 3] All registered candidates and campaign managers shall attend the rules and regulations meeting and any other meetings called by the Elections Commission. Any registered candidate who has not been excused and does not attend a meeting called by the Elections Commission shall be in violation of elections procedure. 4] Any write-in candidate who wins an election shall be held responsible for submitting to the Elections Commission a completed Budget Expense Form and accompanying receipts within the twenty four hours after being notified of the election results by the Elections Commissioner. Write-in candidates shall be allowed to spend a maximum of fifty dollars on their campaign materials. |