SGA Senate
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The SGA Senate is the legislative branch of the SGA. The current session is The 96th SGA Senate.
Contents |
[edit] Representation
Main Article: SGA Representatives
Representatives are elected by the members of their class year. Those who are in their fourth or later year are all considered seniors and are grouped together for the purposes of voting. Each class year receives one representative for the first 50 students, a second representative for the second 50 students and one additional representative for every 100 additional students (past the first 100). In other words, for every 100 students, each class year gets one representative (rounded down) plus one additional. If the senior class has less then 50 students, it receives one representative.
[edit] Powers
The Senate can:
- create ad-hoc committees of any members of Stevens.
- censure or expel its own members
- override Presidential vetoes by a two-thirds vote.
- impeach nearly any officer of the SGA.
- revoke RSO status under special conditions.
[edit] Meetings
The Senate must meet within two weeks of the start of the Spring and Fall semesters. When classes are in session, the Senate must meet at least every two weeks. Meetings must be at regular intervals and any meeting diverging from that pattern must be announced at least one week in advance. All meetings must be open to any person who wishes to attend. All meetings must follow Robert's Rules of Order, subservient to the Constitution and Bylaws.
[edit] Agenda
The agenda for a Senate meeting is prepared by the Cabinet at least five days in advance. (i.e. if the meeting is on Sunday, the agenda must be sent out on the Tuesday.)
[edit] Emergency Meeting
The Senate may be called to meet by the SGA President if an emergency exists. The only recent example was an emergency meeting scheduled for April 30th, 2009 to resolve a tie in election of the rising Sophomore Class. However Zarah Thanasides chose to withdraw from the election. (See SGA Senate Elections 2009)
[edit] Quorum
Quorum for meetings consists of two thirds of representatives who do not have disciplinary action pending against them.
[edit] Chair
The vice president chairs all meetings assuming he or she is present. If the vice-president is unable to chair a meeting, then the Chairman Pro-Tempore chairs the meeting. If neither of those two people are able to chair the meeting, the representatives select one of themselves to chair the meeting.
[edit] Minutes
The minutes of the meeting are to kept by the SGA Secretary, but if the Secretary is unable, the Secretary Pro-Tempore shall take the minutes. At the next meeting, the minutes are corrected if necessary and approved.
[edit] Debate
Debate on a motion may not be closed within five minutes of of opening except by unanimous consent. In the course of debate on a motion, all Senators who wish to speak are first called upon, then all Cabinet members, then all guests, then going back and repeating with the Senators. However the chair may call a person out of turn if the comment is meant in response to another comment. All debate and discussion must relate to a motion, and no debate is permitted if there is no motion on the floor.
[edit] Voting
Motions may be approved by general consent, that is, when the chair asks for objections to the motion as it stands and none appear. If objections do appear then a voice vote is called, in which the chair asks for all in favor then for all opposed and judges based upon the vocal responses of the Senators determines whether the motion passed or failed. However any Senator may ask for a roll call vote, in which the name of each Senator present is read off and their vote recorded. However one third or more of the Senators present abstain from voting on a motion, it neither passes nor fails (regardless of the remaining votes) and is returned to the floor for debate.
[edit] Attendance
There are two type of absences in regards to Senators: excused and unexcused. An absence by a Senator is considered unexcused unless he or she contacts the rest of Senate at least one day before the meeting. If a Senator has two unexcused absences in a semester, an item to remove the Senator from office is placed on docket for the following meeting. The item will be placed on the docket again after every subsequent unexcused absence by that Senator. Additionally if any Senator is absent (excused or unexcused) from more then 25% of all meetings in a semester, an item is placed on the docket to remove him or her from office. The item is placed on the docket again after every subsequent absence (excused or unexcused). The 25% of all meetings is generally interpreted as being 25% of all meetings planned for that semester. A Senator who arrives late or leaves early from a meeting only receives half credit for the meeting, though may be considered excused if the Senator gave prior notice.
