| ARTICLE
I. NAME AND PURPOSE |
| Section 1. |
The name of this organization shall be the
Student Senate of Durham Technical Community College. |
| Section 2. |
The purpose of the Student Senate shall
be to coordinate and regulate student activities; to provide
procedural guides for student participation in making policies
concerning student affairs; to provide a framework within
which students may work to improve the college; to serve
as an agency to stimulate civic responsibility, and to encourage
and assist with enforcing campus regulations that affect
the whole student body.
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| ARTICLE
II. MEMBERSHIP |
| Section 1. |
The Senate shall consist of representatives
from each curriculum area and chartered club or organization,
non-curriculum students (“special student” status)
and students chosen by the Executive Board in the following
numbers: three Senators from University Transfer/General Education;
three Senators from Health Technologies; three Senators from
Industrial and Engineering Technologies; three Senators from
Business and Public Service Technologies; three Senators from
Information Systems Technologies; three Senators from Adult
and Continuing Education; one Senator from each chartered
club or organization; three non-curriculum (“special
student” status) and a maximum of 10 Senators that may
be chosen by the Executive Board. |
| Section 2. |
The decision to select or elect student Senators
shall be made by the represented curriculum area, club or
organization, advisors (special students) to the Senate, or
Executive Board. |
| Section 3 |
Senators shall be full-time or part-time students
at Durham Technical Community College. |
| |
Paragraph 1. |
Full time faculty, part
time faculty and /or individuals contracted to teach a credit
course at Durham Technical Community College are not eligible
to serve on the Student Senate. |
| Section 4. |
Senators shall serve for the academic year
(fall through spring semesters). Senators may serve more
than one term on the Senate. Senators, not able to complete
a full term, shall be replaced by the Advisor of their chartered
club, or organization, or the Dean of their curriculum area.
Senators appointed by the Executive Board who are not able
to complete a full term shall be replaced with a 2/3 vote
from the current members of the Executive Board. |
| Section 5. |
The existing members of the Student Senate
shall work together during the summer to create a budget
to be submitted to and approved by the incoming Student
Senate at the beginning of each academic year when the fall
semester Student Senate convenes. Once approved, this budget
shall be binding through the remainder of the academic year
unless a majority vote of the Senate agrees to override
the approved budget. All spending must correspond with the
approved budget and this constitution. If no budget has
been approved, the existing members of the Executive Board
shall make all spending decisions by majority vote until
a budget is approved. In the case that there are no Executive
Board members, Advisors shall make all spending decisions
until a new Executive Board is elected.
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| ARTICLE
III. OFFICERS |
| Section 1. |
The Executive Board of the Senate shall be
the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Community
Outreach Committee Chairperson, Student Concerns Committee
Chairperson, Social Activities Committee Chairperson, and
Public Information Officer. Advisors to the Student Senate
shall be nonvoting members of the Executive Board. |
| Section 2. |
The members of the Senate shall elect the
Executive Board each year in Spring Semester. |
| Section 3. |
Duties of the Executive Board |
| |
Paragraph 1. |
The President shall preside at all meetings,
maintain order at all meetings, notify Senators of all upcoming
meetings, coordinate the Senate meeting agenda with the Senate
Advisors, appoint committees, maintain communication with
the Dean of Students, and maintain a “C” or better
grade average while in office. Other responsibilities will
be added as needed. |
| |
Paragraph 2. |
The Vice President shall assume the role
of the President in her or his absence, assist the President
with maintaining order at all meetings, provide guidelines
for Parliamentary procedures, and maintain a “C”
or better grade average while in office. Other responsibilities
will be added as needed. |
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Paragraph 3. |
The Secretary shall maintain a permanent
record of minutes of the Senate meetings. The Secretary shall
turn these minutes into the Vice President within two weeks
of each meeting, type correspondence in a timely manner as
needed for the Senate, and maintain a “C” or better
grade average while in office. Other responsibilities will
be added as needed. |
| |
Paragraph 4. |
The Treasurer shall maintain a working
budget and present the budget at monthly Senate meetings.
The Treasurer shall also be the Senate liaison with the Senate
Advisors regarding any requests for money and maintain a “C”
or better grade average while in office. Other responsibilities
will be added as needed. |
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Paragraph 5. |
The Community Outreach Committee Chairperson
shall preside at all Community Outreach Committee meetings,
maintain order at all Community Outreach Committee meetings,
coordinate the agenda for Community Outreach Committee meetings,
maintain an attendance record of each Community Outreach Committee
meeting, and ensure staffing at all community outreach and
fundraising events. The Community Outreach Committee Chairperson
shall maintain a “C” or better grade average while
in office. Other responsibilities will be added as needed. |
| |
Paragraph 6. |
The Student Concerns Committee Chairperson
shall preside at all Student Concerns Committee meetings,
maintain order at all Student Concerns Committee meetings,
coordinate the agenda for Student Concerns Committee meetings,
maintain an attendance record of each Student Concerns Committee
meeting, and ensure staffing at all Student Concerns Committee
events. The Student Concerns Committee Chairperson shall maintain
a “C” or better grade average while in office.
Other responsibilities will be added as needed. |
| |
Paragraph 7. |
The Social Activities Committee Chairperson
shall preside at all Social Activities Committee meetings,
maintain order at all Social Activities Committee meetings,
coordinate the agenda for Social Activities Committee meetings,
maintain an attendance record of each Social Activities Committee
meeting, and ensure staffing at all Social Activities events.
The Social Activities Committee Chairperson shall maintain
a “C” or better grade average while in office.
Other responsibilities will be added as needed. |
| |
Paragraph 8. |
The Public Information Officer shall
direct the printing and publication of Student Senate materials,
and assist in all other areas related to public information
as deemed desirable by the Student Senate Executive Board
and the purpose of the organization. The Public Information
Officer shall maintain a “C” or better average
while in office. Other responsibilities will be added as needed. |
| Section 4. |
The Executive Board shall have the power to
allocate up to one hundred dollars of Senate funds in emergency
situations by a majority vote of the members of the Executive
Board. |
| Section 5. |
Failure of individual members of the Executive
Board to perform the duties of the office shall constitute
sufficient grounds for impeachment. Charges of impeachment
may be brought forth by any Senator against any member of
the Executive Board. Charges will be heard in a closed session
by the Executive Board. Advisors to the Student Senate must
be present during this closed session. The Executive Board
will impeach by a majority vote of the remaining members
of the Executive Board. |
| Section 6. |
The Executive Board may choose to elect
a maximum of 10 Senators from the general student population
to represent areas not covered by curriculum programs, chartered
clubs/organizations and non-curriculum students (“special
student status”).
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| ARTICLE
IV. MEETINGS |
| Section 1. |
The Senate shall meet monthly at a regularly
scheduled time. Special meetings shall be called as needed.
Senate meetings shall be open to all students, faculty and
staff. |
| Section 2. |
Attendance at all monthly Senate meetings¾and
meetings of committees on which the Senator serves¾is
required. Attendance at monthly Senate meetings will be enforced
as such: any Senator who misses two meetings shall have their
club/organization Advisor or appropriate Dean notified. If
two meetings are missed, active status of that Senator will
be reviewed by the Executive Board. Should the Board find
that there is adequate evidence to support the loss of active
status, that Senator will lose voting privileges until active
status is re-established in accordance with Article VII, Section
Six. The appropriate Dean, club/organization Advisor or current
Executive Board has the right to appoint a new Senator prior
to the next Senate meeting. |
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| ARTICLE V.
RESPONSIBILITIES |
| Section 1. |
Senators shall be aware of issues and concerns
in their specific curriculum areas of organizations as well
as issues and concerns impacting the entire student body. |
| Section 2. |
Senators shall serve as student body representatives
on college committees, as requested. |
| Section 3. |
The Student Senate shall monitor funding requests
to be reimbursed from student activities funds. |
| Section 4. |
All Senators must maintain active status,
which is defined as attendance at all monthly and committee
meetings, active participation in at least one standing
committee, and active participation in Student Senate sponsored
activities.
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| ARTICLE
VI. COMMITTEES |
| Section 1. |
The Student Senate shall establish committees
to carry out tasks during the school year. |
| |
Paragraph 1. |
Standing committees shall be the Community
Outreach Committee, the Student Concerns Committee, and the
Social Activities Committee. The role of the Community Outreach
Committee shall be to organize events and activities, which
promote humanitarian actions within the local community. The
role of the Student Concerns Committee shall be to accurately
represent concerns from the greater student body and propose
actions to remedy these concerns. The role of the Social Activities
Committee shall be to organize events and activities that
contribute to the social development of students. |
| |
Paragraph 2. |
Each Senator must serve on at least one
committee. Prior to the second Senate meeting of the school
year, each Senator shall choose the committee in which he
or she will serve. |
| |
Paragraph 3. |
Ad hoc committees shall be established
as needed during the school year.
|
| ARTICLE
VII. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS |
| Section 1. |
Any group of students desiring to function
as a student organization of Durham Technical Community College,
which has purposes consistent with the Senate constitution,
may apply for recognition as a club by the Student Senate
and the College through submission of a Request for Charter. |
| Section 2. |
The act of Charter and recognition shall be
evidence of the right of the organization to use the name
of the Senate and the College and shall entitle the group
to the use of College facilities in accordance with normal
policies, procedures and regulations. |
| Section 3. |
Each student organization shall be responsible
to the Student Senate and the College and shall be held responsible
for the official acts of their officers and members. |
| Section 4. |
Each student organization shall elect or appoint
one representative for the Student Senate who will serve for
the academic year (fall through spring semesters). |
| Section 5. |
Each student organization must maintain active
status with the Student Senate. Active status is defined as
consistent attendance at all monthly meetings by the club
or organization’s appointed representative (refer to
Article 4, Section 2), active participation and attendance
in at least one standing committee by the appointed representative,
and participation in Student Senate sponsored activities. |
| Section 6. |
At the point that the club or organization’s
representative misses two Senate or committee meetings,
or evidence is presented to the Student Senate that the
club or organization has not maintained active participation
in events, active status of the club or organization will
be reviewed by the Executive Board. Should the Board find
that there is adequate evidence to support the loss of active
status, the club or organization will lose voting privileges
and access to all Student Senate funding until active status
is re-established. Clubs or organizations seeking re-establishment
of active status should submit a written request for reinstatement
that includes a plan to actively participate in the Student
Senate, the name of the newly-appointed representative,
and attendance by this representative at all remaining Senate
meetings. Individual curriculum representatives seeking
re-establishment of active status should first seek re-appointment
by the appropriate Dean of his or her curriculum area. In
the case that this is approved, the Senator should then
submit a written request for reinstatement that includes
a plan to actively participate in the Student Senate and
to attend all remaining Senate meetings. If all requirements
are satisfied, active status will be re-instated at the
end of the second consecutive Senate meeting attended by
the newly-appointed or returning representative.
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| ARTICLE
VIII. VOTING |
| Section 1. |
Each Senator shall have one vote. |
| Section 2. |
A quorum shall consist of one fourth of the
total numbers of Senators serving in a given school year.
If a quorum is not present and the Senators present decide,
by consensus, that a vote needs to be taken on a particular
issue, an emergency meeting will be called within ten days.
Senators shall be notified of the emergency meeting by phone
and the number of Senators present at that meeting will be
considered a quorum. |
| Section 3. |
To pass a motion, a majority vote of the
quorum is needed.
|
| ARTICLE
IX. RULES OF ORDER |
| The rules contained in
Roberts’ Rules of Order (current edition) shall
govern the Senate and any committees in all cases and situations
to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent
with this Constitution. |
| ARTICLE X.
ROLE OF THE INSTITUTION |
| Durham Technical Community
College shall provide an opportunity for the development of
responsible student leadership on campus by sponsoring and
supporting the Student Senate. |
| |
Paragraph 1. |
Advisors shall provide advice and counsel
to the Student Senate, helping Senators fulfill their responsibilities
as outlined in Article V. Advisors shall be exempt employees
of the college.
|
| ARTICLE
XI. BY-LAWS |
| The Student Senate shall
have the power to adopt and enforce such By-laws as shall
not violate this Constitution. Proposed By-laws must be approved
by the Vice President of Student Support Services and the
President of the College. If disapproved, the Vice President
of Student Support Services and the President must state in
writing exactly what sections are not agreeable and submit
this for Senate amendment of such sections.
|
| ARTICLE
XII. AMENDMENTS |
| The Constitution may
be amended by a majority vote of the Student Senate. A proposed
amendment must be submitted in writing to Senators two weeks
prior to the vote. Proposed amendments must be approved by
the Vice President of Student Support Services and the President
of the College. If disapproved, the Vice President of Student
Support Services and the President must state in writing exactly
what sections are not agreeable and submit this for Senate
amendment of such sections.
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| ARTICLE
XIII. RATIFICATION |
| This constitution shall
be adopted if approved by a quorum vote of the Senate and
approved by the Vice President of Student Support Services
and the President of the school. If disapproved, the Vice
President of Student Support Services and the President must
state in writing what sections are not agreeable and submit
this for Senate amendment of such sections. |
