Article II - Structure of Memorandum Process
Identifying a problem for a Memorandum
Memorandums can address many different types of items of concern, but should be germane to the Mount Holyoke campus.
Memorandums should never be the first step in addressing items of concern, ought to reflect research and careful preparation, and should follow one or more Resolutions on the item of concern,
Memorandums are only to be introduced to the Senate after considerate communication has occurred between the authoring or sponsoring parties and those who are to be most directly affected by the Memorandum, which is to be documented within the Memorandum.
Authoring a Memorandum
A Memorandum must reflect the position of the SGA entity from which the Memorandum originates
The Authoring Party must sign the Memorandum,
No Authoring Party may author more than one Memorandum at any time,
The Authoring Party ought to utilize the SGA Memorandum Template (see Article III) for consistency and clarity,
No Memorandum shall violate the Mount Holyoke College Code of Conduct, and all Memorandums shall refrain from the use of inappropriate language,
All Memorandums shall reflect consideration for accessibility in their formatting.
Sponsoring a Memorandum
A Memorandum must be sponsored by a Senate Commission, and must reflect the position of the members of the Senate Commission,
All members of the Sponsoring Party must sign the Memorandum.
There may be unlimited Sponsoring Parties to a Memorandum, but there must be at least one,
Memorandums must have separate Authoring and Sponsoring Parties,
A Memorandum must be sponsored before the Memorandum can proceed in the process.
Submission of a Memorandum for Recommendations
A Memorandum must be sent to the SGA Executive Board for review, whereby recommendations may be made for the Authoring and Sponsoring Parties,
Any changes made a Memorandum must be put approved by the Authoring and Sponsoring Parties before the changes are to be officially adopted,
The SGA Executive Board may inform the Authoring or Sponsoring Parties of any requirements for Memorandum, which are not met by their submission; no Memorandum is to be scheduled for Senate consideration until the basic requirements are met,
The Authoring and Sponsoring Parties are not required to accept edits and other recommendations from the SGA Executive Board, with the exception of the requirements for Memorandums outlined here,
The final version of a Memorandum must be submitted to the SGA Executive Board no less than one week prior to the Senate meeting in which it will be presented for Senate consideration.
Senate Consideration
A Memorandum must be presented to the SGA Senate as a whole, to be scheduled with the Chair of Senate,
A Memorandum must be presented with time for dialogue, debate and questions at the time of their presentation,
No Memorandum shall be passed on the same day as it is introduced to the Senate body; Memorandums must be scheduled for discussion for at least two separate Senate meetings in order to be considered and passed within SGA Senate,
A Memorandum is nonbinding to the SGA until passed with a quorum-meeting three-fourths majority vote of the Senate body and signed by the President of SGA.
Amendments
Any change made to a Memorandum after initial presentation to the Senate shall be considered an amendment,
Any member of the SGA Executive Board or Senate may recommend an amendment,
Amendments are to be presented to the Senate body at any time of consideration, excluding during the vote for passage of the Memorandum,
Amendments require a fifty percent plus one majority in order to be added to a Memorandum,
Amendments are to be appended to the end of the Memorandum, leaving the original language untouched,
If accepted, an Amendment does not pass the Memorandum, and a secondary vote is required to pass the Memorandum.
Veto Process
Any passed Memorandums are to be sent to the SGA Executive Board, whereupon the Executive Board may either:
-
Vote for ratification, signified by the signature of the President of SGA,
-
Vote for veto, requiring a quorum-meeting three-quarters majority vote of the SGA Executive Board.
A vetoed Memorandum results in mediation between the Authoring and Sponsoring Parties, which must consist of a meeting to discuss the veto and what actions the Executive Board requests in order to be rescinded.
No changes may be made to the Memorandum after passage in Senate without being presented to the Senate for another vote,
A veto may be rescinded by the SGA Executive Board at any time, but requires a quorum-meeting three-quarters majority vote,
If a Memorandum is changed and scheduled for consideration within the Senate, it will resume the Memorandum process starting at Senate Consideration,
Any veto by the SGA Executive Board may be overridden by a supermajority seven-eighths vote of the SGA Senate, whereupon the Executive Board must ratify the Memorandum faithfully.
Ratification Process
A Memorandum shall be considered ratified after a vote by the SGA Executive Board to be signed by the President of SGA,
A ratified Memorandum must be sent to the student body, the Office of the President, the Mount Holyoke Archives, and the Mount Holyoke News, the Board of Trustees, presented to the faculty at the monthly faculty meeting, and brought to the attention of all SGA entities for implementation and adherence.
SGA entities which fail to adhere to the SGA policies and positions passed within Memorandums could be subject to penalization; no Ways and Means Committee funding will be approved for if it should go towards events, activities, or organizations which are in conflict with ratified Memorandums.
