The Constitution of the Florida Community College at Jacksonville Student Government Association

Revised February, 2003

PREAMBLE

The members of the Florida Community College at Jacksonville Student Government Association, in order to establish an association of the member students of Florida Community College at Jacksonville, do establish this Constitution of Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Student Government Association. Rights and privileges extended to members by the Constitution shall be recognized by Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Student Government Association.

ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. The organization that will represent the student body of Florida Community College at Jacksonville shall be known as the Student Government Association, herein referred to as FCCJ-SGA, or SGA.

Section 2. The FCCJ-SGA shall serve as the official voice of the student body and as a connection between the student body, faculty, and the administration of the college.

ARTICLE II. Collegewide EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1. The President, Vice President, or Proxy of each campus SGA shall comprise the Collegewide Executive Board. These members shall have full voting rights. In addition, a Secretary shall be appointed for each meeting and the assigned Campus Student Activities Director/Coordinator shall serve as the host advisor.

Section 2. The Collegewide Executive Board shall serve as the coordinating body of the FCCJ-SGA and the Director of Student Life, Leadership and Campus Programs shall serve as the advisor. His/her role is as follows:

Part 1. Approve and set guidelines for all SGA elections. These guidelines include: dates, deadlines, and procedures required to implement said elections.

Part 2. Promote harmony between campuses of the college.

Part 3. Be responsible for recommending the disposition of any Collegewide student concerns.

Section 3. Meetings:

Part 1. All Board meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, unless otherwise specified and agreed upon by the board members.

Part 2. The quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of fifty percent plus one (50% + 1) of the total voting members. In addition, a member or proxy from each campus must be present.

Part 3. At the beginning of each term on a date established by the Board Advisor, the board will meet and establish dates and times for following meetings during said term. The Chairmanship will be rotated alphabetically by campus name among the four SGA Presidents.

Section 4. The Board shall be responsible for informing the student body of all actions and plans through appropriate means.

ARTICLE III. CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

Section 1. The voting membership of the Campus SGA shall be comprised of Elected and/or Appointed Officers and Campus Representatives and Standing Committee Chairpersons.

Part 1. Elected Officers shall consist of a President, Vice President, two Senators and one Representative per 1,000 college credit students or fraction thereof not less than 500.

Part 2. In the event of an appointment, the aforementioned positions shall be given voting rights.

Part 3. Each campus club may designate a club representative. This representative shall not be an Elected and/or Appointed Officer of SGA.

ARTICLE IV. ELECTION OF CAMPUS OFFICERS AND CLUB REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1. Two elections shall be held during the academic year: one in the first six weeks of the Fall Term and one in the last six weeks of the Spring Term.

Section 2. All currently enrolled students, with a registration fee slip or valid student ID, may vote in the elections. All voting shall be by secret ballot.

Section 3. The election of the candidates shall be determined by plurality vote: a number of votes obtained by one candidate exceeding that of one group or any other candidate but not constituting an absolute majority. In case of a tie, a second election shall be held within a two-week period. All elected offices are subject to verification of qualifications and tabulation of votes.

Section 4. The offices of Vice President, Senator II, and even numbered Representatives shall be elected in the Fall Term. The offices of President, Senator I and odd numbered representatives shall be elected in the Spring Term.

Section 5. The terms of office will be as follows:

Part 1. President, Senator I, and odd numbered Representatives shall take office on the first day of the Summer A Term and shall serve until the last day of the following Spring Term.

Part 2. Vice President, Senator II, and even numbered Representatives shall take office upon the completion of the election and shall serve until the next year Fall elections.

Part 3. In the event of a vacancy, the successor shall serve until the next scheduled election regardless of office.

Section 6. To be eligible to run for an office in the SGA, a student must fulfill the following requirements:

Part 1. Student candidates shall be nominated with at least 50 signatures including student numbers or social security numbers on a nomination form supplied by the SGA and submitted five (5) working days prior to elections. Candidates shall run for office for no more than one campus of the college and shall be eligible to represent only that campus. Only currently enrolled college-credit students may run for office. The majority of the credits must be on the campus they wish to represent.

Part 2. Students shall have a 2.5 GPA for all college work completed at the time they run for office. Students who are enrolled in college for the first time during the semester they run for office are excluded for the 2.5 GPA requirement.

Part 3. To be eligible to run for office of President, the student must have completed nine credit hours at FCCJ along with the minimum 2.5 GPA. The candidate must also be currently enrolled in at least nine college credit hours.

Part 4. The Student Government Advisor shall determine GPA eligibility by reviewing the student's record and maintaining that the candidate has a minimum of 2.5 in the “All College Cumulative” total located at the bottom of the student's record.

ARTICLE V. QUALIFICATIONS TO HOLD OFFICE

Section 1. Students who qualify to run under Article IV and are elected must achieve a minimum of 2.5 GPA. They must also maintain at least an all college cumulative 2.0 GPA. Failure to do so shall mean the student is no longer eligible to serve and is automatically dropped from office.

Section 2. The student elected or appointed to office must be enrolled in and complete a minimum of nine college credit semester hours each fall and winter term. Students who drop below nine semester hours during the term are considered dropped from office on the date that they drop below nine credit hours.

Section 3. Students who are convicted of a violation of criminal law or are found civilly liable for an act of moral turpitude while holding office shall be immediately disqualified to hold office pending exercise of all available rights of judicial appeal to the Campus Dean of Student Success.

ARTICLE VI. ORDER OF ASCENSION

Section 1. The purpose of this article is to establish an outlined procedure for the advancement of officers when a position becomes vacant for any reason. It is not the purpose of this article to give one position power over another; it is designed to permit the orderly ascension of officers between regularly scheduled elections as vacancies occur. If a position becomes vacant, the officer in the seat immediately below that office is expected to fill that position and all other officers would then advance up one position leaving the President to nominate a new individual to the lowest position not occupied. If for any reason an officer declines the advancement to that position, the President shall go to the next office down and request that the officer assigned to that position step-up to the vacant position, passing the officer(s) that declined.

Section 2. In the event that an office becomes vacant, the President shall nominate one person for each position open. However, the floor may introduce further recommendations for vacant positions provided that the individual is present to accept the nomination. Appointment of an officer shall result after a plurality vote at an announced SGA meeting. Upon confirmation from the voting members of SGA, the appointee will occupy the lowest ranking seat at the time of installation into office.

Section 3. The order of ascension in the case of a vacancy shall be as follows:

President, Vice President, Senator I, Senator II, Representative I, Representative II, then III, etc....

Section 4. The selection of President, Vice President, Senators, and Representatives shall be determined during elections.

ARTICLE VII. RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE

Section 1. PRESIDENT: The President shall be Chairperson of the Campus SGA. The President shall serve or designate representatives to serve on the Executive Board Committee, the Collegewide student Appeals Committee, and the President’s Advisory Committee. The President shall be responsible for nominating students to fill vacancies in any office as it may occur, subject to approval by plurality vote at an official meeting.

Section 2. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall preside over the Campus SGA in the absence of the President; shall serve on the Collegewide Executive Committee; and shall assist the President. The Vice President is also responsible for coordinating all standing committees and campus clubs/organizations and giving reports to the President on the progress of such committees/clubs/organizations.

Section 3. SENATORS: Senator I shall preside over the Campus SGA in the absence of the President and Vice President. Senator II shall preside in the absence of the President, Vice President, and Senator I. The Senator shall assist the President and serve on at least one standing committee or regular SGA committee, as assigned by the President.

Section 4. REPRESENTATIVES: Representatives shall serve on at least one SGA committee per semester and are responsible for assessing the needs and concerns of the campus student body. The Representatives shall assist the President.

Section 5. OTHER OFFICES: Additional officers may be nominated by the President and must be approved by the voting members of SGA.

Part 1. They may include, but are not limited to: Secretary, Parliamentarian, Sergeant-At-Arms, Historian, and Chaplain.

Part 2. These officers will not have voting rights and will not be subject to the same eligibility restrictions required of voting officers. They must be registered students at FCCJ but their classes do not have to be comprised of college credit classes. They may be noncredit classes, GED, Adult Education, or any other type of program sponsored by FCCJ.

Section 6. RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL OFFICERS:

Part 1. Schedule and maintain campus office hours appropriate to position with department approval.

Part 2. Participate in the College student leadership development training and activities.

Part 3. Attend Florida Junior/Community Colleges Student Government Association (FJCCSGA) activities as required by position and SGA President and Advisor.

Part 4. Perform all duties and responsibilities per the constitution.

Part 5. Attend Committee meetings as assigned.

Part 6. Fulfill all agreed upon travel commitments.

ARTICLE VIII. CAMPUS SGA PROCEDURES

Section 1. The Campus SGA will conduct meetings on a regular basis not less than one per month. The time and place are set by the President. These meetings are open to the public, although only elected and appointed officers and club representatives will be permitted to vote. All Student Government meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, unless otherwise specified. Meeting minutes shall be sent to the Campus President, Campus Dean of Student Success, and to the Advisor. A copy shall also be posted in the Student Activities Center and SGA Office for review by students.

Section 2. A quorum shall consist of 50% plus one of the voting membership.

Section 3. Voting members are expected to attend all official meetings. Three unexcused absences may result in impeachment. Official meetings include monthly open forums and Campus Officer meetings.

ARTICLE IX. CAMPUS STANDING COMMITTEES AND EXPECTATIONS OF OFFICERS

Section 1. In order to delegate authority in a collegiate manner, standing committees shall serve as helpful advisory groups to the Executive Board and to the Campus Student Government Association. Every officer is expected to serve on at least one committee. Only voting members of the Student Government Association may serve as committee chair person.

Part 1. Campus standing committees consist of but are not limited to:

1. Volunteer Center

2. Programming Board

3. BACCHUS

Part 2. Other committees may be formed as the need arises within Student Government (ad-hoc committees). These committees may be chaired by any SGA member pending approval of the President at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Part 3. Standing committees and ad-hoc committees are defined in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Section 1. Amendments must be formally proposed in writing and presented at a regular meeting of the Collegewide Executive Board. Voting on the proposed amendment cannot take place until the next regular meeting of the Collegewide Executive Board. In order to pass, the amendment must receive a two-thirds majority vote by members of the Collegewide Executive Board.

ARTICLE XI. APPEALS

Section 1. Actions of a Campus SGA and/or Collegewide Executive Board may be appealed by any student. Appeals of a Campus SGA action should be addressed to the Student Activities Director/Coordinator of the campus. Appeal of a Collegewide Executive Board action shall be addressed to the Director of Student Life, Leadership and Campus Programs.

Section 2. To appeal an action of the Campus SGA, a petition outlining the grievance and at least 50 signatures with student numbers or social security numbers of the campus students shall be presented to the Student Activities Director/Coordinator who shall confer with the Campus Dean of Student Success, the SGA President, and the petitioner to the grievance to reach a decision. The next level of appeal shall be to the campus President, who shall have the final review of the action to be taken.

Section 3. Appeals of an ad-hoc impeachment committee will be directed to the Dean of Student Success of the campus, who will have final review of the action to be taken.

Section 4. To appeal on action of the Collegewide Executive Board, a student shall present a petition outlining his/her grievances. This petition shall have at least 100 signatures and student numbers or social security numbers and be submitted to the Executive Board Advisor, who will confer with the Executive Director of Cultural Programs for a decision. The next level of appeal shall be the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Development and Student Success, who will have final review of the action to be taken.

ARTICLE XII. IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURES

Section 1. If an Elected or Appointed Officer fails to uphold his/her responsibilities of that office, as outlined by the Constitution or Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, that officer will be subject to impeachment as outlined.

Section 2. The Campus SGA may vote impeachment proceedings of a member by a two- thirds (2/3) vote of the voting membership present at an announced meeting. The member in question will not have the right to vote on the issue of his/her impeachment. Impeachment proceedings will be referred to an ad-hoc committee composed of the Campus Dean of Student Success, two faculty, and four students who are not voting members of SGA. These student members will be appointed by the Director/Coordinator of Student Activities. The results of this committee is to decide if the charges against the member are valid and determine if said member is innocent or guilty. If the decision of the committee is “guilty,” the member is immediately removed from office but has the right to appeal this decision through the Campus President, whose decision is final.

ARTICLE XIII. REVISIONS

Section 1. This Constitution may be revised by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the membership of the Collegewide Executive Board subject to the approval to the college beginning with Campus Student Activities Directors and then the Executive Director of Cultural Programs.