Chapter 1.

 WESLEYAN COUNCIL ON STUDENT AFFAIRS The Constitution As effective at 10 January 2014Revised November 2015Further Revised February 2017Further Revised April 2017Further Revised September 2017Further Revised October 2017Further Revised November 2017Further Revised January 2018Further Revised February 2018Further Revised March 2018Further Revised April 2018 Further Revised November 2018Further Revised April 2019Further Revised September 2019Further Revised October 2019Further Revised November 2019Further Revised December 2019Further Revised March 2020Further Revised April 2020? Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs 2015 Being the Constitution adopted on 8 December 2014, to come into effect on 11 January 2015, as amended on: November 30, 2015February 6, 2017April 24, 2017September 4, 2017September 18, 2017October 9, 2017October 16, 2017October 23, 2017November 6, 2017November 13, 2017January 29, 2018February 19, 2018March 26, 2018April 2, 2018November 12, 2018April 1, 2019April 21, 2019September 2, 2019September 9, 2019October 21, 2019November 11, 2019December 5. 2019March 30, 2020April 27, 2020This Act, and all statutes and resolutions made by the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs under the Constitution, shall be binding on the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs, its constituent and subsidiary entities, and the Student Body. Table of ContentsChapter I. Introduction………………………………3 Mission Statement PurposeChapter II.Positions………………………………….3Voting CompositionSchematic of PositionsChapter mittees………………………………6Committee DescriptionsChapter IV.Meetings………………………………….8Order of BusinessVotingChapter V.Elections………………………………….8Chapter VI.Resignations and Vacancies…………12Chapter VII. Impeachment……………………………..13Chapter VIII.Amendments……………………………..14 Constitution ActAn Act to constitute the Wesleyan Council on Student AffairsChapter 1. Introduction1. Mission StatementThe Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs is committed to, and passionate about all aspects of student life. As an organization, The Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs aims to represent, advocate for, and provide services to the student body in a way that echoes the genuine concerns and wants of its constituency. The Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs welcomes its responsibility to lead for and be accountable to its constituency. It recognizes that Ohio Wesleyan University’s strength comes from the diversity of its student body, as well as the various passions of its students.2. PurposeThe Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs shall, subject to this Constitution, have the power to make resolutions and statutes and take actions with respect to:(i) ensuring the greatest participation by students in the immediate governance of and policy development for the Ohio Wesleyan University at all levels;(ii) regulating, legislating for, and promoting student clubs, organizations, and programs;(iv) attending to the general safety and security of the student body and University;(v) conducting and disseminating reports, studies, and opinions; (vi) passing regulations, recommendations, and requests on any matter before the University community in a fair and open manner(vii) appointing students to serve as members of and representatives to student committees, faculty committees, and University commissions;(viii) appointing students to serve as members of and advisors to the university conduct system or its successor;(ix) maintaining and disbursing the student activity fee and any other funds the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs has control over;(x) informing all students of the activities of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs and encouraging active participation in them; and(xi) presenting a report to the President of the University, Faculty, and Board of Trustees from time to time through the chief executive of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs.Chapter II. PositionsEvery Senate shall continue for one year from the first meeting of the Senate, and no longer.1. Voting CompositionThe Senate shall be composed of a number of voting members as determined in the following manner:(i) one member shall be the President of the Student Body;(ii) one member shall be the Vice President of the Student Body;(iii) one member shall be the Secretary of the Student Body;(iv) one member shall be the Treasurer of the Student Body ;(v) one member for each of the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes shall be Senators of their class, provided this number does not exceed six;(vi) at least sixteen members shall be general Senators; and(vii) one member shall be an appointed Senator;(viii)one member shall be the President of the Senior Class.2. Non-Voting CompositionThe Senate shall be composed of a number of non-voting members as determined in the following manner:(i) three members shall be Delegates of the Faculty;(ii) two members shall be Delegates of the Administration; and(iii) a number of members shall be Delegates of other constituencies, to be determined by statute.3. Executive PowerAll executive power of the student body shall be vested in an Executive Cabinet and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Act and statutes passed by the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs.There shall be a President of the Student Body (“President”), Vice President of the Student Body (“Vice President”), Secretary of the Student Body (“Secretary”), and Treasurer of the Student Body (“Treasurer”). A. Composition of the CabinetThe Executive Cabinet shall consist of a minimum of the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Cabinet shall, at its discretion or upon direction by statute, appoint other members, ministers, directors, and inferior officers of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs to be members. B. President(i) The President shall be the chief executive of the student body and leader of the Executive Cabinet.(ii) The President, together with the Vice President, shall be chosen by the student body.(iii) The President shall administer and enforce all statutes of the student body.(iv) The President shall, with the advice and consent of the Full Senate, appoint Cabinet members and make appointments established by statute; but the Full Senate may vest by statute the appointment of such officers and members in the President alone as they think proper.(v) The President shall convene the Full Senate to meet at a set time and place on twenty-four hours notice, provided that the purpose for such action shall be urgent.(vi) The President shall, with the advice and consent of the Vice President, prepare the legislative and executive program for their administration for the consideration of the Full Senate.(vii) The President shall, from time to time, present a report on the state of the student body to the student body through the Full Senate. (viii) The President, together with the Vice President, will serve as representatives of the student body on the Archway committee of the University Administration.C. Vice President(i) The Vice President shall be the deputy to the President in all matters relating to that office.(ii) The Vice President shall execute all duties discharged to the office by statute.(iii) The Vice President, together with the president, shall serve on the Archway Committee of the University Administration.D. Secretary(i) The Secretary shall be the chief administrator of the student body.(ii) The Secretary shall ensure the appropriate maintenance of all records and property of the student body, and ensure the proper administration of elections.(iii) The secretary shall be chosen by the student body.E. Treasurer(i) The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the student body.(ii) The Treasurer shall, subject to statute, provide for the appropriation, disbursement, and maintenance of the student activity fee and any other income streams the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs has control over.(iii) The Treasurer shall be elected by the student body. 4. Schematic of PositionsChapter III. Committees1.Power of CommitteesCommittees conduct studies or surveys, appoint students to student-faculty committees, allocate student funds, maintain a connection between the student body and WCSA through social media, and act on residential life issues. Committees meet for one hour every mittee chairs or designated committee members give reports at Full Senate meetings each week on their activities. (i) Committee chairs may present resolutions or bills at Full Senate meetings. 2. Appointment to CommitteesEach Senator shall be appointed to a committee at the beginning of the term. Committee members shall not miss more than three meetings, without the permission of the committee . If this limit is exceeded, it will result in the Senator’s dismissal from WCSA. 3. Committee DescriptionsAcademic Affairs Committee studies and initiates the appropriate action on matters that concern the academic life of students. It appoints students to student-faculty committees.Administrative Policy Committee exercises oversight of the Code of Student Conduct. Also, the committee appoints, with the consent of the full body, all the Student Justices and Student Advisors. Other responsibilities include reviewing University policies as they pertain to students and make recommendations for revisions and reviewing WCSA’s governing documents.Budget Committee is in charge of allocating money from the Student Activity Fee and any other other income streams the Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs has control over and consists of a University Finance Subcommittee, which examines the financial considerations of the University each fall within the context of the student concerns. Budget Committee acts as the “watchdog” of campus programming and ensures there is diversity in programming and limits over-programming.Public Relations Committee is the liaison between WCSA and the students. It provides the OWU community with necessary information concerning various WCSA-related events and issues. The committee administers all WCSA elections, plan the Student-Trustee Dinner in the Spring Semester, updates the WCSA web site, organize Town Hall meetings for the student body to be aware of issues and voice their concerns, and also generally informs you about what is going on with WCSA while giving you the opportunities to voice your opinions. Student Life Committee is responsible for studying and initiating appropriate actions on residential living issues that concern students. It is in charge of the following areas: residential halls, parking, Greek life, dining services, and other university policies pertaining to residential living.Student Inclusion Advocacy CommitteeThe Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee (SIAC) will be made up of at least 4, but not more than 8, general senators. The role of the Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee are to speak for and work on behalf of all students who identify as lacking representation within Ohio Wesleyan University, and will be elected in process with Chapter V The external and internal co-chairs of this, or chair if the committee members choose to have a sole chair, committee will be chosen from among the committee members and approved by a ? vote from the members of the Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee. Chapter IV. Meetings1. Quorum Until the Senate otherwise provides, the presence of at least one more than one-half of the number of the voting members to which the Senate is entitled shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the Senate for the exercise of its powers.2. Voting Questions arising in the Senate shall be determined by a majority of the votes other than that of the presiding officer, who shall not vote unless either the numbers are equal or their vote would be decisive on certain types of question, and then they shall have a casting vote.3. Standing Orders and Administration The Senate shall enact its own standing and temporary orders and provide for its own internal governance and administration, provided its provisions shall not contravene any other order of this Constitution or statute.4. Legislative Sessions The first session of the Senate shall begin on the first day of the fall semester and terminate at the end of the fall semester. The second session of the Senate shall begin on the first day of the spring semester and terminate at the end of the spring semester.5. Organizational Meeting At a time not after the week prior to the final week of the semester in which a general election has taken place, the Senate shall hold an organizational meeting for the purpose of determining its principal and other officers, standing orders, administration, and other matters of process and procedure.6. Payment of Members The legislative shall allocate no funds, nor the executive appropriate any funds, towards the maintenance or compensation of any officer or member of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs.7. Statutory AuthorityAll statutes shall be enrolled in a Code of Ordinances. All of the Code of Ordinancesshall have statutory authority.Chapter V. Elections1. Determination of MembershipThe Senate’s membership shall be determined in the following manner:(i) the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Student Body shall be chosen by the provisions of Chapter III of this Act;(ii) the Treasurer shall be chosen by the provisions of Chapters II and V of this Act; (iii) the Senators of the various classes shall be chosen by an election for those positions within each class;(iv) the Senators of a general nature shall be chosen by an election for those positions within the student body;(v) the Senators of an appointed nature shall be chosen by the Senate;(vi) the Delegates appointed by the Faculty shall be chosen by the Faculty through their usual processes, provided that the appointment of such Delegates shall be made through notification in writing to the presiding officer of the Senate;(vii) the Delegates appointed by the Administration shall be chosen by the President of the University, one of whom shall be the Advisor to the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs, provided that the appointment of such Delegates shall be made through notification in writing to the presiding officer of the Senate; and(viii) the Delegates of any other constituency be appointed by that constituency through their usual processes, provided that the appointment of such Delegates shall be made through notification in writing to the presiding officer of the Senate.(ix) the Senior Class President shall be elected through the various procedures determined by the Senior Class Council.2. Disqualification from SelectionAny person who:(i) is not a full-time matriculating student in good standing with the registrar of the University; shall be incapable of being chosen or sitting as a member of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs.3. Qualifications of CandidatesAll candidates shall be subject to the qualifications set out by Chapter IV of this Act.4. Qualifications of ElectorsAll electors shall be eligible to vote in any election of the student body, provided that the elector is a full-time student at the University not subject to suspension or expulsion.5. Timing of Elections(i) The regular elections for all elected members shall occur on the first Friday of April.(ii) If a candidate is elected to multiple offices then they shall take the highest office and the candidate(s) receiving the next most amount of votes shall be elected to the lower office(s).(iii) Forms announcing intent to run shall be due no later than two (2) weeks prior to the date of the elections. (iv) Special elections shall be held on the date not exceeding twenty-one regular academic days from the date of the place of any member becoming vacant. (v) Ballot initiatives, special elections, and referenda shall be held on either the Second Friday of November, the first Friday of November, the second Friday of November, the third Friday of March, or the third Friday of April.6. Administration of ElectionsElections shall be administered by an Elections Commission, to be created by statute. The elections commission shall be formed by the Advisor to WCSA, WCSA Faculty Advisors and the highest ranking elected member not seeking an office subject to the election. The Commission’s functions shall be:To organize elections for President, Vice President, Class Representatives, SIAC representatives, Secretary, Treasurer and Senators.Tally and declare results of elections by the next meeting of the Spring semester.Regulate and oversee election campaigns to ensure that candidates follow all rules.Ensure that enough intent-to-run forms are received by the rm the electorate of any major changes to the electoral system since the last election.7. Disputed ElectionsElections in dispute shall have the conduct in dispute submitted to the Elections Commission.8. Recall of a Member by Student BodyAny member shall, following the presentation of a petition bearing one-quarter of the total number of eligible electors for the constituency of that member being delivered to the presiding officer of the legislative, be thereupon subject to a special election for the purposes of recall.9. Recall of a Member by the LegislativeAny member shall, following the presentation of a petition bearing two-thirds of the total membership of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs being delivered to the presiding officer of the legislative, be thereupon subject to a special election for the purposes of recall.10. Special Election for the Purposes of RecallUpon a member being subject to a special election for the purposes of recall, a special election shall be called for the determination of that member’s seat. That member shall continue to retain his or her seat until superseded by the election of another person in that special election or in any general election.11. Ballot InitiativeAny member of the student body may present a petition bearing the signatures of 15% of the total membership of the student body to the Secretary of the Student Body, demanding the enactment or rescindment of legislation therein contained. The Secretary shall then schedule an initiative election subject to the provisions of this Chapter.Chapter VI. Resignations and Vacancies 1. Resignation of Member A member may by writing addressed to the presiding officer, or to the Secretary of the Student Body if there is no presiding officer, resign his or her place, which thereupon shall become vacant.2. Vacancy by Absence Until the Senate provides otherwise, the place of a member shall become vacant if for three meetings of any session of the Senate they, without the permission of the Senate, fails to attend the Senate.3. Resolution of Vacancies Shall the place of any member become vacant, the vacancy shall be resolved by:(i) if the member is the President, Vice President, or Secretary of the Student Body, their vacancy shall be resolved by the provisions of Section 4 of this chapter;(ii) if the member is a Senator of any nature other than that of appointed,the Senate shall hold a nomination period and then an internal election, unless the seat is already vacant at the first meeting of the Senate, if there is such a vacancy the Senate may establish other procedures to resolve the vacancy. The current voting members shall vote on who will occupy the vacated seat;The opening of the nomination period and the internal election may not occur during the same sitting of the Senate.(iii) if the member is a Senator of an appointed nature, the Senate shall choose a person to fill the place;(iv) if the member is a Delegate of any constituency, that constituency shall choose a new person to fill the place.4. Vacancies in Principal Offices(i) In the event that the office of the President shall become vacant, the Vice President shall become President.(ii) In the event that any other cabinet position shall become vacant, the legislative shall elect a member to serve in the cabinet position for the remainder of the term of that office.(iii) In the event that the office of the President and Vice President shall become vacant, the following members will act in the cabinet position in order of precedence:(a) Secretary(b) Treasurer(c) Any other officers prescribed by statute(iv) In the event that a member shall fail to be appointed within ten days to serve in a cabinet position by the legislative, the position shall be elected through the special election process.Chapter VII. Impeachment1.ImpeachmentAny member, including a principal officer, of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs may be removed from office through the process of impeachment.2.Reasons for Impeachment The member may be impeached for any one of the following charges:(i) the member is not a full-time matriculating student in good standing with the registrar of the University;(ii) the member is convicted and is under sentence or subject to be sentenced by a court of the United States of America or any State for any offense punishable under the law by imprisonment for one month or longer;(iii) the member has violated this Act or statute; or(iv) the member has been found responsible for a violation of a serious nature by the conduct system (or its successor) of the University.3. Initiation of ImpeachmentImpeachment of a member may be initiated by submission of a form to the president of the Wesleyan Council on Student affairs that is signed by no fewer than four members of the Wesleyan Council on Student affairs. If the president is the subject of impeachment, the form shall be submitted to the vice president.Chapter VIII. Amendments1.Amending the ConstitutionThe Constitution may be amended through approved means.2.Approved MeansThe following shall be considered approved means:(i) Referendum(a)Any member of the student body may present a petition bearing the signatures of 25% of the total membership of the student body to the Secretary of the Student Body, proposing an amendment to the Constitution. The Secretary shall then schedule a referendum election subject to statute. The amendment shall be adopted if agreed to by a majority of the voters casting ballots in that election.(ii) Internal(b)The bill for the amendment thereof must be passed by two-thirds of the votes cast by the Full Senate, provided that the bill has been heard in its final form for no fewer than two regular sitting days prior to its passage. ................
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