Bylaws

Article I - The Executive Board

Composition and Qualifications

The Executive Board shall:

  1. Demonstrate investment and commitment through participation in community involvement,
  2. Be well versed in the SGA Constitution and bylaws,
  3. Attend Executive Board training at the beginning of each semester;

All members of the Executive Board, at the time of election and throughout the duration of their service, shall:

  1. Be a full-time matriculated student,
  2. Be in good academic standing,
  3. Be in good standing with the Honor Code Council,
  4. Be able to serve for the duration for the full academic year,
  5. Be in good judicial standing;

While holding office, no member of the Executive Board shall:

  1. Serve on a class board,
  2. Be a member of the Honor Code Council,
  3. Be a Senator;

President of SGA

  1. The President of SGA must:
  2. Have been an active member of SGA for a minimum of three semesters,
  3. Exceptions can be made for students that do not meet this requirement if and only if they clearly demonstrate their leadership capacities in non-SGA organizations,
  4. Exceptions will be decided by the SGA Advisor,
  5. Be a sophomore or junior at the time of election,
  6. Further information and details about this office is to be located in Article I.

The Vice President of SGA

  1. The Vice President of SGA must:
  2. Have been an active member of SGA for a minimum of two semesters,
  3. Exceptions can be made for students that do not meet this requirement if and only if they clearly demonstrate their leadership capacities in non-SGA organizations,
  4. Exceptions will be decided by the SGA Advisor,
  5. Be a sophomore or junior at the time of election,
  6. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.3;

The Treasurer of SGA

  1. The Treasurer of SGA must:
  2. Be a first year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,
  3. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.4;

The Archivist of SGA

  1. The Archivist of SGA must:
  2. Be a first-year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,
  3. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.5;

The Public Relations Officer of SGA

  1. The Public Relations Officer of SGA must:
  2. Be a first-year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,
  3. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.6;

The Chair of Committees of SGA

  1. The Chair of Committees of SGA must:
  2. Be a first-year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,
  3. Have served on any SGA committee for a minimum of one semester,
  4. Exceptions can be made for students that do not meet this requirement if and only if they clearly demonstrate their leadership capacities in non-SGA organizations,
  5. Exceptions will be decided by the SGA Advisor,
  6. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.7;

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of SGA

  1. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of SGA must:
  2. Be a first year, sophomore or junior at the time of election
  3. It is recommended that the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of SGA has experience with and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and efforts and be able to apply that knowledge and expertise to serving and working with the Mount Holyoke community,
  4. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.8;

The Chair of the Senate of SGA

  1. The Chair of Senate of SGA must:
  2. Hold office for full academic year,
  3. Be a first-year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,
  4. Have been a member in good standing of Senate for a minimum of one semester,
  5. Exceptions can be made for students that do not meet this requirement if and only if they clearly demonstrate their leadership capacities in non-SGA organizations,
  6. Exceptions will be decided by the SGA Advisor,
  7. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.9;

The Chair of Special Interests of SGA

  1. The Chair of Special Interests of SGA must:
  2. Be a first-year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,Have been a member in good standing of Senate for a minimum of one semester,
  3. Have been a member in good standing of Senate for a minimum of one semester,
  4. Exceptions can be made for students that do not meet this requirement if and only if they clearly demonstrate their leadership capacities in non-SGA organizations,
  5. Exceptions will be decided by the SGA Advisor,
  6. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.10;

The Chair of Halls of SGA

  1. The Chair of Halls of SGA must:
  2. Be a first-year, sophomore, or junior at the time of election,
  3. Have been a member in good standing of Senate for a minimum of one semester,
  4. Exceptions can be made for students that do not meet this requirement if and only if they clearly demonstrate their leadership capacities in non-SGA organizations,
  5. Exceptions will be decided by the SGA Advisor,
  6. Further information and details about this office is to be located in I.B.11;

The Senate may suspend these qualifications by a vote of three-fourths of quorum.

Duties and Powers

The Executive Board shall:

  1. Act as a liaison between the students and the administration, staff and faculty,
  2. Attend all critical school-wide meetings, all special meetings of the Senate, and all meetings of the Executive Board,
  3. Report regularly on all pertinent Executive Board activities at Senate meetings,
  4. Attend Executive Board training,
  5. Form Senate and maintain general responsibility for the efficient operation of the Senate,
  6. Meet with SGA Advisor as needed,
  7. Delegate any duties to the other members of the Executive Board with their cooperation as necessary,
  8. An SGA E-Board member who is not running in the spring elections should join ACE as an ex-officio member and work with the ACE advisor to co-monitor the polls and compile the results both semesters,
  9. In the case that there is no eligible SGA E-Board member, a senator, or committee member who is committed to not running in the spring election, should be appointed through Committee Yourself Week and assume the full responsibilities of this role instead;
  10. Attend all Senates.

Roles of the SGA Executive Board

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Archivist

Public Relations Officer

Chair of Committees

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Chair of Senate

Chair of Special Interests

Chair of Halls

Election

  1. The President, Vice President, Treasurer, Archivist, Public Relations Officer, Chair of Committees, and DEI Officer shall be elected annually in campus-wide elections, with polls opening the week after spring break.
  2. The Chair of the Senate, Chair of Chair of Special Interests, and Chair of Halls shall be elected by a majority of quorum of the Senate at its first meeting following the finalized election of the other officers.

Taking Office

  1. Results from All Campus Elections should be finalized no later than one week prior to the final meeting of Senate,
  2. All incoming Executive Board members shall attend the final meeting of Senate the semester they are elected, with the exception of students studying abroad or in an academic exchange program for the spring semester in order to be inducted into their new positions,
  3. New officers will take office when: their academic and judicial standings have been verified, they are formally inducted, and they have completed their final exams at the end of the spring semester,
  4. Outgoing officers will be responsible for turning in final records to Archives and Special Collections, as facilitated by the Archivist,
  5. Outgoing officers will be responsible for creating a transition document that clearly outlines their responsibilities, accomplishments, limitations and suggestions as regarding their position moving forward,
  6. The transition document must be sent to both the incoming officer and the Archives and Special Collections no later than the last day of exams,
  7. The entire incoming Executive Board must meet at least once with the outgoing Executive Board before the last day of classes,
  8. Each outgoing officer must meet at least once with their successor before the last day of classes of the spring semester,
  9. The incoming Executive Board will meet at least once without the outgoing Executive Board,
  10. The incoming Executive Board must attend a mandatory training in the summer before classes start in the fall.

Article II - Senate

Duties of Senators

  1. Each Senator may represent only one constituency,
  2. Senators are required to attend all regularly scheduled and ad-hoc Senate meetings as called by the Chair of the Senate. If unable to attend any required meeting, they must contact the Chair of Halls or Special Interests stating this fact,
  3. The Chair of Halls or of Special Interests must confirm that they have granted an excused absence,
  4. Three unexcused absences is grounds for removal from the Senator position,
  5. Senators must sign and adhere to a contract stating these duties.

Hall Senators

  1. Hall Senators must be elected by a majority of the voting constituency in their hall before the first meeting of the Senate,
  2. Hall Senator Elections shall be run electronically: a) Each hall will have one senator position. Halls with a North and South Side shall elect one senator for each side. Each senator has one vote in Senate. b) In the event of a tie, only those candidates involved in the tie shall be candidates in a tie-breaking election,
  3. If unable to attend any required meeting, they they must contact the Chair of Halls stating this fact,
  4. The Chair of Halls must confirm that they have granted an excused absence,
  5. Three unexcused absences is grounds for removal from the Senator position,
  6. After missing a third meeting, the Senator will be removed from Senate per the discretion of the Chair of Hall Senators and the replacement will be coordinated by the Chair of Halls,
  7. Hall Senators are accountable to the students in their residence halls,
  8. Hall Senators should maintain consistent communication with the entirety of the staff of their hall,
  9. Hall Senators must consistently email hall staff to communicate relevant information from Senate and to gather concerns from the staff to relay to Senate, with hall staff once a month and update SCA every week, or as needed, through email,
  10. Hall Senators are responsible for soliciting the opinions and concerns of the residents of their hall, and expressing those views at SGA Senate meetings.

Special Interest Senators

  1. Special Interest Senators will represent any group within the student body that seeks to have their unique interest represented in Senate,
  2. Special Interest Senators shall be responsible for communicating with their constituencies and advocating for them at Senate meetings,
  3. Special Interest Senators are encouraged to find the most efficient approach to gather input and concerns from their constituents, whether by: a) Sending weekly emails, b) Attending events pertaining to their constituency, c) Any other applicable methods.

Special Interest Senator Recognition Process

  1. Any Special interest Group that wishes to be represented in Senate must document their wish to the Chair of Special Interests via a form that the Executive Board must make available and accessible to the student body,
  2. The Chair of Special Interests will then inform the Special Interest group that their inquiry has been officially documented,
  3. After a Special Interest Groups' desire for representation has been officially documented, they must elect a Senator to be responsible for all duties of a Special Interest Senator,
  4. Special Interest Groups that wish to be represented in Senate must document their wish every academic year.

Class Board Senators

  1. Class Board Senators shall be elected by a vote within their respective Class Board elections through the All Campus Elections process in the Spring,
  2. First year class board Senators will be elected in the Fall through the All Campus Elections process,
  3. Class Board Senators shall hold their position for one full academic year, and are responsible for representing their class year in the senate by raising the concerns of their classmates and voting on their behalf. Class Board Senators must be available for Senate every Tuesday,
  4. Class Board Senators shall serve as a resource and connection to SGA for their class by holding office hours once per week, publicizing the Senate agenda in advance of meetings to solicit opinions from members of their class, and publicizing the minutes after meetings,
  5. The same attendance rules that apply to Hall and Organization senators shall apply to the Class Board Senators,
  6. The Chair of Special Interests of SGA shall serve as the Class Board Senators' official liaison on the Executive Board.
  7. Frances Perkins Scholar Association Senators shall serve alongside Class Board Senators and the same codes of conduct shall apply to both roles.

Meetings and Procedures

  1. Regular meetings of Senate shall be presided over by the Chair of the Senate,
  2. Special meetings may be called when deemed necessary, or at the request of the President of SGA, a majority of the members of the Senate, or by petition of one-tenth of the students of the college,
  3. The Senate shall meet weekly during the academic year. Senate meetings must take place in a location accessible to all students of the college. It is the duty of the Chair of Senate to notify Senators of the time and place of each meeting,
  4. All students of the college are welcome to attend weekly meetings of the Senate, and will have a voice but no vote,
  5. All decisions of the Senate may be subject to appeal by the Honor Code Council,
  6. Any member of the Mount Holyoke community may appeal a decision by filing a complaint with the Honor Code Council within fifteen days following a decision by the Senate.

Petitions

  1. A Petition is a statement of advocacy, concern or call to action; Petitions are specifically not exclusive SGA initiatives and can be designed, initiated and pursued by any entity,
  2. A Petition can be submitted to SGA for conversion into a Resolution, though it need not be; henceforth this document will outline the process for submitting a Petition for ratification as a Resolution within Senate,
  3. A Petition ought not be used as the first step in addressing items of concern on campus, but rather should be the culmination of ongoing discussions and reflect a dedication to maintain attention on the item(s) of concern.
  4. Further details and information on petitions can be found in Senate Procedures: Petitions.

Resolutions

  1. A Resolution is a commitment from SGA to address the stated concern,
  2. A Resolution should document communications which brought a specific problem to the attention of the SGA Senate, and all efforts to resolve the problem,
  3. A Resolution ought not be used as the first step in addressing items of concern on campus, but rather should be the culmination of ongoing discussions and reflect a dedication to maintain attention on the item(s) of concern.
  4. Further details and information on petitions can be found in Senate Procedures: Resolutions.

Memorandums

  1. A Memorandum is a commitment from SGA to address the stated concern,
  2. A Memorandum should document communications which brought a specific problem to the attention of the SGA Senate, including all preceding Resolutions and all efforts to resolve the problem,
  3. A Memorandum ought not be used as the first step in addressing items of concern on campus, but rather should be the culmination of ongoing discussions and reflect a dedication to maintain attention on the item(s) of concern,
  4. A Memorandum is the strongest statement the SGA can make; it should be used only for concerns of the highest importance.
  5. Further details and information on petitions can be found in Senate Procedures: Memorandums.

Campus Concerns Correspondence

  1. After Senate meetings, the Archivist of the Executive Board will delegate individual student concerns to different members of the Executive Board, according to predetermined arrangements,
  2. The Executive Board then ensures that the concerns are addressed, and Senators are updated on the responses,
  3. Members of the Executive Board are encouraged, if possible, to empower Senators by providing them resources to address the concerns themselves,
  4. The Executive Board may decide to address campus concerns in additional matters, as deemed necessary.

Article III - Committees

Committee Bylaws

  1. SGA will maintain three classifications of committees,
  2. Student Standing Committees: which are related to specific areas of student academic and non-academic life,
  3. College Standing Committees: where there is student membership on college standing committees wherein student input is desired,
  4. Student Advisory Committees: which work closely with a specific college department as per the request of the department,
  5. More information about the types of committees may be found in the Appointing Board Bylaws,
  6. Changes to committee names and the committee classification are to be voted upon by a three-fourths vote of Senators in attendance.

Committee Maintenance

  1. New and ad-hoc committees may be proposed by the SGA Executive Board, the Appointing Board, the Senate or by all members of the student body through the New Committee Formation Policy. These committees will not be recognized formally until approved by the Senate,
  2. Committees will be filled by an application and interview process conducted by the Appointing Board at the beginning of fall and spring semesters,
  3. All committee members are accountable to the student body and are responsible for gathering opinions from students about all issues under consideration,
  4. Student committees should meet as often as necessary to conduct business and address specific areas of concern to the committee.

Committee Chairs

  1. A chair will be appointed within the committee by fifty-percent plus one majority vote, except for: a) Appointing Board Chair is the Chair of Committees, b) A Constitutional Review Committee Chair is the SGA President, c) Leadership Retreat Chair is the SGA Vice President,
  2. It is the responsibility of the chair to comply with all components of the committee chair contract.

Role in Senate

  1. Senate may call upon a committee to present an update of their relevant committee activities to the Senate body,
  2. The chair(s) of the called upon committee must coordinate their presentation with the Chair of Senate,
  3. All committee members are encouraged to attend any Senate meeting where issues relevant to the committee are being discussed.

Constitutional Review Committee

The Constitutional Review Committee should act as a standing committee to review and defend the Constitution of SGA as well as serve as an educational resource to the EBoard,

Changes made during a constitutional review year, as proposed by the Constitutional Review Committee, are to be voted on by the student body through an All Campus Election;

All parties with language in the Bylaws must review pertinent Bylaws on a yearly basis in conjunction with the CRC. The co-chairs of CRC shall hold these parties accountable and ensure that any proposed changes or amendments follow the correct approval process,

Changes to the Bylaws, when not in a constitutional review year, as proposed by the relevant party, must be approved by three-fourths of the quorum of Senate;

It is recommended that the following parties review their relevant bylaws on a yearly basis and meet with the CRC at least once per academic year:

  1. Executive Board,
  2. Appointing Board,
  3. All Campus Elections Committee,
  4. Honor Code Council,
  5. Ways and Means,
  6. SGA Business Office;

Membership ought to include, but not be limited to:

  1. The SGA President, who will become a co-chair unless they elect to not where they will serve as a voting member. In order to become a voting member and not a co-chair, they simply must inform the group advisor, the other chair, and the group as a whole,
  2. A member from All Campus Elections, To serve as a liaison between ACE and the Constitutional Review Committee and to provide insight on election knowledge and processes;
  3. A member from a Class Board, to serve as a liaison between Class Boards and the Constitutional Review Committee and to provide insight on the functions of Class Boards;
  4. A member from the Appointing Board, to serve as a liaison between Appointing Board and the Constitutional Review Committee, act as a liaison between all committees and the Constitutional Review Committee, and to provide insight on committee structures, processes, and functions;
  5. Two members from the community at-large as per the Committee Yourself Process

The non SGA President co-chair of the Constitutional Review Committee shall have served at minimum of one year on the committee and be voted on by members of the committee the academic year prior to holding the position,

  1. The election shall be held by the end of April,
  2. In the case that this seniority requirement cannot be fulfilled, any member who has served for at least a semester may serve as chair.

Article IV - Elections

SGA All Campus Elections

The SGA President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Archivist, Public Relations Officer, DEI Officer, and Chair of Committees will be elected by a campus-wide election,

Candidates are eligible only after attending at least one informational meeting about the elections. Students not studying on campus may arrange for a proxy to attend the informational meeting in their place;For each position, ballots shall contain a space in which an abstention may be recorded, as well as a space in which a write-in candidate may be named as the recipient of that vote,

In the event that there is no candidate for an office or post, the Executive Board is then responsible to fill the vacancy by means of an application available to all eligible members of the student body or use the following ACE cycle to elect the position,

  1. Should no candidate then come forward, the outgoing and incoming Executive Boards have the power to identify a nominee for a vacant Executive Board position. The nominee can take office with the approval of three-fourths of a quorum of Senate,

Quorum shall be 50% of the eligible voters plus one vote. If a quorum is not reached, the Senate may vote to accept the results of the election by a three-fourths vote of quorum of the Senate

  1. Senate is not permitted to extend the voting period,
  2. If the Senate is unable to hold the vote for any reason, results will be finalized in favor of the voting results immediately following the conclusion of the senate session following the close of the voting period,

All Campus Elections Committee shall be responsible for developing campaign guidelines and distributing these guidelines to all candidates.

Referendum Voting

  1. Campus-wide referendums may be proposed on any matter of interest and concern to SGA. A three-fourths vote of the Senate or a petition signed by at least one-tenth of the students of the college is necessary to require a campus-wide referendum,
  2. Referendum voting shall follow the voting procedures specified by All Campus Election. A majority vote shall be required to pass a referendum, with at least fifty-percent of the constituents of SGA plus one, as defined by All Campus Elections,
  3. If quorum is not reached Senate may choose to accept the results by a
  4. three-fourths vote of quorum of the Senate.

Requesting a Recount

Any student of the college may request a recount of an SGA election or referendum by submitting to the All Campus Elections Committee a petition signed by one-tenth of the students of the college calling for a recount.

Appeals Process

  1. All SGA elections and referendums may be subject to appeal to the Honor Code Council (HCC),
  2. All complaints concerning the election process, or decisions made by the All Campus Elections Committee, must be directed primarily to ACE, with the HCC serving as a board of appeals,
  3. Election results will not be posted until at least 24 hours after the conclusion of voting,
  4. All complaints and appeals must be filed before or within those 24 hours,
  5. Election results will not be posted until decisions have been made concerning all pending appeals,
  6. Complaints will be accepted after results have been posted only at the discretion of ACE and HCC,
  7. Any student of the college may appeal a decision made by SGA, Senate, or any of its constituent parts by filing a complaint in accordance with HCC procedures.

Article V - Removal

Executive Board

Any SGA Executive Board officer may be removed from office for neglect of duty or noncompliance with the position qualifications,

Removal of any SGA Executive Board officer requires the submission of an official complaint to the Honor Code Council by a student, staff, or faculty member of Mount Holyoke College that must include, but is not limited to:

  1. The name and position of the person in question,
  2. The name(s) and position(s) of the complainant,
  3. A clear explanation of the officer in question's failure to fulfill the duties and roles laid out for them in the SGA Constitution,
  4. All additional information or evidence that would be considered relevant to the officer's removal,

In order to appeal any decision of the Honor Code Council, an official appeal request may be submitted to the Division of Student Life within one week of the decision's release to all affected parties. Information for appeals will be provided in the follow up letter after the meeting with the Honor Code Council,

  1. The appellate decision must be made and announced to affected parties within one week of the appeal's submission.

Senators

Senators, after having missed three meetings during the academic year, will be removed from the Senate at the discretion of the Chair of Halls or the Chair of Special Interests for neglect of duty.

Committee Members

Committee Chairs may be removed by Appointing Board as according to the Appointing Board Committee Chair Removal Policy,

Committee Members may be removed by the Appointing Board as according to the Appointing Board Committee Member Removal Policy.

Article VI - Filling Vacancies

Executive Board

In the event of the inability of the Vice President, Treasurer, Archivist, Public Relations Officer, DEI Officer, or Chair of Committees to hold office, the Executive Board has the power to either:

  1. The standing prerogative to nominate a new member to their ranks in the aforementioned offices, to be confirmed with the approval of Senate,
  2. Initiate an election process utilizing the All Campus Election Committee. ACEC would follow the already set process and guidelines for elections,

In the event that the President is unable to hold office, the Vice President shall assume the Presidency. In such a case, a new Vice President shall be appointed via the above process,

In the event that the Chair of Senate is unable to hold office,

  1. The Chair of Halls or Chair of Special Interests will be considered to fill the position first,
  2. If neither officer is willing or able to serve as the Chair of Senate, then the position will be opened to the remaining members of the Executive Board,
  3. Finally, if none of the Executive Board members are willing or able to fill the role, refer to the aforementioned established procedure,

In the event that the Chair of Halls or Chair of Special Interests is unable to hold office, a replacement shall be selected by the aforementioned established procedure,

Seniors will be eligible to fill vacancies.

Senators

In the event of the inability of a senator to hold office, the selection of a replacement shall be coordinated by the Chair of Hall Senators or the Chair of Special Interests,

The replacement will be established using the same procedures as established previously for appointing a senator during the standard appointment period (Bylaws, Article II, B&C).

Committee Members

The appointment procedure must follow an application and interview process during the semester or the upcoming Committee Yourself process,

In the event of the inability of a committee member to hold office, the committee member must:

  1. Inform their Appointing Board liaison as soon as the member decides to vacate the position,
  2. Participate in an exit interview with their Appointing Board liaison,

The vacancy must be filled via the aforementioned appointment procedure the following semester.

Committee Chairs

In the event of the inability of a committee chair to hold office, the committee chair must:

  1. Inform their Appointing Board liaison as soon as the chair decides to vacate their position,
  2. Participate in an exit interview with their Appointing Board liaison,

The vacancy must be filled according to the procedures set out by the committee's constitution.

Article VII - SGA

All Student Organizations applying for funding must abide by the Ways and Means Committee Guidelines,

Each organization receiving SGA funding must be recognized with Student Involvement and have a viable credit background:

  1. They must pass all audits,
  2. Maintain contact with their Ways and Means representative,
  3. Complete accurate records of the use of their funding,
  4. Use funding appropriately and responsibly, according to the guidelines outlined in the Ways and Means Guidelines.

Article VIII – SGA Business Office

Mission

SGA Business Office serves the banking needs of all student organizations and residence halls on campus, regardless of their funding sources,

  1. The Business Office must provide excellent service and education to representatives who utilize the available services,
  2. The Business Office is run by SGA, with support from campus services,

All policies concerning the Business Office will be reviewed annually and throughout the academic year as needed and made available to all representatives who utilize the available services,

  1. Changes in policy shall be made available immediately.

Staff

All Business Office staff shall be supervised by the SGA Advisor,

The Business Office Coordinator shall meet regularly with the SGA Treasurer, the SGA Advisor, and Financial Services,

The Business Office Coordinator shall collaborate with the SGA Treasurer on the Business Office section of the Ways and Means Committee Guidelines and on treasurer trainings,

The Business Office Coordinator shall have final say in all policy matters after discussions with SGA Treasurer, bookkeepers, Financial Services and Student Involvement.

Article IX - Suspension of the Rules

SGA Constitution, Bylaws, and Senate Rules of Procedure may be suspended for a specific purpose and stated duration whenever the Senate deems necessary,

The Executive Board or Senate may propose suspension of the rules, and it must be approved by a vote of three-fourths of the Senate.

Article X – Amendment and Adoption

Amendments shall be proposed to the Constitutional Review Committee who will review them and present them to Senate,

Amendments shall be voted on by 'fifty percent plus one' majority through the All Campus Elections process,

  1. The Executive Board or Senate may propose suspension of the 'fifty percent plus one' requirement for the campus vote. The decision to suspend must be approved by a vote of three-fourths of the Senate,

After a majority vote in favor of these amendments, they will become effective immediately, thus repealing all previous SGA Bylaws,

The current system of government herein established shall become effective immediately.