Wesleyan Student Assembly — Wesleyan University

Wesleyan Student Assembly Constitution May 2007

Wesleyan Student Assembly

Constitution as of November 2007

Article I

Name

The name of this organization shall be the College Body of Wesleyan University.

Article II

Membership

Every student recognized by the University as an enrolled undergraduate shall be considered a member of the College Body.

Article III

Wesleyan Student Assembly (hereafter referred to as “WSA” or “the WSA”)

A. The WSA shall act as the legislative and deliberative body of the College Body.

B. The WSA shall be responsible for:

1. overseeing the allocation of Student Activities Fee.

2. transacting all other business of the College Body.

3. identifying student interests and representing them to the Wesleyan community.

4. serving as a forum for the consideration, development, and promotion of University policies consistent with student interest.

C. Furthermore, the Wesleyan Student Assembly shall not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, color, age, national or ethnic origin, or disability in the execution of its responsibilities under this constitution or in the administration of its policies and programs.

Article IV

Composition of the Wesleyan Student Assembly

The WSA shall be composed of thirty-seven (37) members, each of whom shall serve on one or more standing committees (c.p. By Laws Article 1). Unless indicated, all positions listed below are undesignated (i.e., candidates are elected to the WSA, not to a specific committee).

1. Ten (10) members shall be elected to the WSA at the beginning of the fall semester to serve terms beginning upon election and ending at the beginning of the final meeting of the spring semester of the following calendar year.

a. The frosh class shall elect six (6) representatives from the entering (frosh) class.

b. Four (4) at-large representatives who are members of the sophomore, junior, or senior classes shall be elected by students in the aforementioned classes.

2. Ten (10) members shall be elected to the WSA at the end of the fall term.

a. The frosh class shall elect three (3) representatives from the frosh class, to serve terms beginning upon election, and ending upon the end of the fall term of the following calendar year.

b. Three (3) at-large representatives who are members of the sophomore, junior, or senior classes shall be elected by students in the aforementioned classes, to serve terms beginning upon election and ending upon the election of their replacements at end of the fall term of the following calendar year.

c. Four (4) students shall be elected to the Student Budget Committee and the WSA concurrently by the entire student body, to serve terms beginning upon election and ending upon the election of their replacements at end of the fall term of the following calendar year.

3. Fifteen (15) members shall be elected to the WSA at the end of the spring semester to serve terms beginning upon the beginning of the final Assembly meeting of the spring semester and ending the beginning of the final Assembly meeting of the spring semester of the following calendar year.

a. The frosh class shall elect five (5) frosh to represent the following academic year’s sophomore class.

b. The sophomore class shall elect five (5) sophomores to represent the following academic year’s junior class.

c. The junior class shall elect five (5) juniors to represent the following academic year’s senior class.

4. Two (2) members shall be elected to the WSA at the end of the spring semester to serve terms beginning at the beginning of the final Assembly meeting of the spring semester day that year and ending upon the final Assembly meeting of the spring semester of the following calendar year.

a. The entire student body shall elect one (1) president, who is a member of the current frosh, sophomore, or junior class

b. The entire student body shall elect one (1) vice president, who is a member of the current frosh, sophomore, or junior class.

Article V

Officers and Committee Chairpersons

A. The officers of the WSA shall be the President, the Vice President, the Coordinator, and the Treasurer. All officers of the WSA shall be members of the Executive Committee [EC] (bl I.A.4), act as Student Representatives to the Board, and oversee the WSA office, staff and evaluation of Administrator.

1. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the WSA and shall be the chair of the Executive Committee.

2. The Vice President shall be an assistant to the President of the WSA and shall assume that office should the President be unable to fulfill hir duties. The Vice President shall chair the Organization and External Affairs Committee (OEAC) and the Student Representatives to the Board (SRTB) and will be the Vice Chair of the EC. He, she, or ze shall be the Chief Communications Officer and shall be the chair of all general WSA meetings. When chairing meetings of the WSA, he, she, or ze shall not be permitted to vote on any matter before the Assembly except in the event of a tie, in which case the Coordinator shall cast the deciding vote.

3. The Coordinator shall be the Vice Chair of the Organization and External Affairs Committee, and shall take the minutes of the EC

4. The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the WSA and chair the Student Budget Committee (SBC).

B. The non-officer committee chairpersons of the WSA include the Community Outreach Committee Chair, the Educational Policy Committee Chair, the Student Affairs Committee Chair, and the Finance and Facilities Committee Chair. All non-officer committee chairpersons of the WSA shall be members of the Executive Committee [EC] (bl I.A.4), act as Student Representatives to the Board.

C. Internal Elections will be held at the final Assembly meeting of the spring term that will determine the composition of the coming year’s EC. These elections will be held with an Assembly composed of 27 voting members. All outgoing Assembly members are invited to serve as ex oficio members for the purposes of internal elections. A student is eligible to run for a chair position if ze meets any of the following two conditions: the student has been elected to the Assembly in either the most recent Winter Elections or the most recent Spring Elections; the student has been appointed to fill a position elected in the most recent Winter Elections or the most recent Spring Elections. If the student was an official candidate for President or Vice President in the most recent Spring Elections, ze is eligible to run for a chair position contingent upon hir election to the WSA in the Fall Elections.

The President-elect and Vice President-elect will be ratified by the Assembly at this meeting. The President is the only Assembly member eligible to stand for election to the EC chair, and the Vice President is only Assembly member eligible to stand for election to the Organization and External Affairs chair. The Final Assembly meeting must be held after Spring Elections are complete. Students will begin their tenure as Officers or Chairpersons upon commencement day, and their terms will end upon commencement day of the subsequent year.

D. The members of the Executive Committee must be re-approved by the full Assembly at the first meeting of the fall semester. At this meeting, every Committee Chair must present and justify what they have accomplished since the last WSA meeting of the spring semester. Once the presentations of summer accomplishments are complete, the Assembly must vote by secret ballot to re-approve each Committee Chair in hir position. The President and the Vice President are exempt from re-approval, but must nevertheless give a presentation of their summer accomplishments. A majority of the Assembly is required to re-approve each Committee Chair. If a Committee Chair fails to garner majority support of the Assembly, then an internal election, for which any member of the Assembly is eligible, will be held to replace that Committee Chair.

E. All other interim positions shall be internally elected at the last WSA meeting of the academic year per the recommendations of the Executive Committee.

By-Laws

Article I.

Committees of the WSA

The following committees shall be standing committees of the WSA

Section 1.01

Community Outreach Committee ( COCo )

(i) Composition: Six (6) members, five (5) of whom are internally elected by the full WSA.

(i) The chairperson shall chair all COCo meetings and co-chair the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC). In addition, the chair shall sit on EC, SRTB, and shall be a student trustee on the University Relations Committee. The chair shall serve on, or appoint one member to, any other ad hoc committees that arise on which COCo representation is appropriate.

(ii) Five (5) other members

1) Three (3) of whom shall serve on the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC)

2) Two (2) of whom shall sit on the Association of Wesleyan Area Residents (AWARe)

(ii) Committee Responsibilities:

(i) Recognition and Criteria of Student Groups.

1) Student Groups must be “recognized” by COCo in order to receive allocations from the SBC and to have access to other services provided by the WSA.

a) COCo recognizes student organizations based on a group’s mission statement and its adherence to the WSA’s non-discriminatory clause, which states: “The WSA shall not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, marital status, gender identity or gender expression in the execution of its responsibilities under this constitution or in the administration of its policies and programs.”

i) A group in seeming violation of the clause may be recognized if the violation is central to the purpose and functioning of the organization.

b) The student group must work toward enhancing the greater Wesleyan community, promoting discussion rather than exclusion and antagonism in its events and activities as determined by the Chair of COCo under the supervision of the President of the WSA.

2) COCo shall propose criteria for group recognition to be approved by a majority of the WSA.

a) Failure to comply with the stipulated criteria throughout the year may result in a revocation of recognition status.

(ii) Publications

1) Create and maintain a comprehensive group list.

2) Produce a comprehensive guide for student groups.

(iii) Community Relations

1) COCo shall maintain relations with student groups and the Wesleyan Community.

2) COCo shall collaborate with SBC regarding student groups.

a) Gather feedback on student events and submit recommendations to SBC.

3) COCo shall increase and facilitate Wesleyan-Middletown relations.

(iv) Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC)

1) The COCo Chair shall appoint one (1) member of the student body to sit on PSAC.

(v) 190 High

1) The COCo chair shall manage and oversee the usage of 190 High St . These responsibilities include delegating spaces to interested student groups, maintaining a relationship between the groups and the administration, and performing weekly checks of the building for damages. Additional responsibilities are on the file with the WSA Office Administrator.

Section 1.02

Educational Policy Committee (EPC)

(i) Composition: Four (4) members, all of whom are internally elected by the full WSA .

(i) The chairperson shall chair EPC meetings, shall sit on the EC, shall serve as Co-Chair of the Library Committee, and shall be a student trustee on the Trustees’ Campus Affairs Committee. The chair shall serve on, or appoint one member to, any other ad hoc committees that arise on which EPC representation is appropriate.

(ii) Three (3) other members, consisting of

1) One (1) “Voting Member” who shall have a vote on the faculty EPC and

2) Two (2) non-voting members.

(iii) The chairperson and voting member shall have a voice and a vote on the Faculty EPC and have a voice but no vote at all faculty meetings.

(iv) Non-voting members shall be permitted to serve on subcommittees and ad hoc committees of the Faculty EPC, attending Faculty EPC meetings to report as appropriate.

(ii) Committee Responsibilities:

(i) Address issues of educational policy, including majors, curriculum, admissions, library, e-portfolio, course access, academic calendar, academic advising, and international studies.

(ii) Archive all EPC documents in the EPC Archives in the WSA office.

Section 1.03

Finance and Facilities Committee (FiFaC)

(i) Composition: Six (6) members, all of whom are internally elected by the full WSA.

(i) The chairperson shall chair FiFac meetings, sit on EC, Major Maintenance and the Major Maintenance Leadership Committee, co-chair the Dining Advisory Committee, and shall be a student trustee on the Trustees’ Finance Committee. The chair shall serve on, or appoint one member to, any other ad hoc committees that arise on which FiFaC representation is appropriate.

(ii) Five other members

1) Two (2) of whom shall serve on the Dining Advisory Committee.

2) One (1) of whom shall serve on the Undergraduate Residential Life Committee (URLC)

3) One (1) of whom shall serve on the Financial Aid Overview Committee (FAOC)

4) One (1) of whom shall serve as the facilities liaison on the space committee of the Student Life Committee (SLC)

5) One (1) of whom shall serve on the Business Continuity Committee (BCC)

6) One (1) of whom shall serve on the Code Compliance Board (CCB)

7) One (1) of whom shall serve on the Sustainability Committee

8) Two (2) of whom shall serve on the Usdan Advisory Committee

9) Two (2) of whom shall serve on the Transportation Committee

(ii) Committee Responsibilities:

(i) To act as a liaison between the WSA and the Office of Finances and Administration, Physical Plant, Residential Life, Dining, Construction Services, the Financial Aid office, the Investment Office, and other offices necessary to the execution of the committee’s responsibilities.

(ii) Freeman Facility Advisory Committee

1) The Chair of the FiFac committee shall appoint one (1) member of the WSA to sit on the Freeman Facility Advisory Committee (FFAC) from September to May.

Section 1.04

Organization and External Affairs Committee (OEAC)

(i) Composition: Six (6) members, five (5) of whom are internally elected by the full WSA.

(i) The Vice President shall be the chair of OEAC.

(ii) The Coordinator, who shall be responsible for ensuring that the following committee responsibilities are fulfilled:

1) The WSA agenda is distributed to all appropriate individuals and organizations, including the WSA Office Coordinator, major publications, and all WSA representatives so that they may adequately prepare for meetings.

2) Events and opportunities are publicized, in regular, visible, and public locations.

3) Committee reports are distributed to all WSA representatives at least 24 hours before general assembly meetings

4) Regular minutes of WSA meetings are taken and posted on the WSA website.

5) All resolutions passed by the WSA are given to the President of the University, Dean of the College, the Argus, all WSA representatives, and other appropriate administrators and publications.

(iii) Five (5) other members

(ii) Committee Responsibilities

(i) Communicate the actions and deliberations of the WSA to the Student Body, and conduct outreach to bring students into collaboration with the WSA. The OEAC is the public relations arm of the WSA.

(ii) Act as the Elections Committee and facilitate and advertise the elections except in the event that members of OEAC are participating in the elections, in which case their spots should be filled by other members of the assembly that are not participating in elections.

(iii) Organize and run the appointments of students from the community at large for various WSA positions that arise throughout the year. All such appointments must be approved by a majority vote of the WSA.

1) Appointment Committee:

i. Appointments will be open to all enrolled undergraduate students on campus.

ii. The OEAC and the chair of the committee with the vacated seat shall constitute the Appointment Committee. Any meeting of the Appointment Committee must include at least two members of the OEAC, the chair of the committee with the vacated seat and the Coordinator. The Coordinator shall chair Appointment Committee meetings. In the event that there are not two members of OEAC eligible to serve on the Appointment Committee the Coordinator may select other eligible assembly members to serve on this committee.

iii. The Appointment Committee shall interview to ascertain which candidate is best suited to fill the aforementioned vacancy.

iv. After all interviews are completed, the Appointment Committee shall discuss its findings, and vote to appoint one candidate by a majority.

a. If the Appointment Committee cannot come to a majority decision, they will re-interview all candidates they deem pertinent. This does not indicate that appointments must be reopened to all initial candidates, or any students who express interest after the first round of interviews.

b. If after the second round of interviews the Appointment Committee cannot reach a unanimous decision, the WSA President will cast the tie-breaking vote.

v. In the case of any uncertainty involving the appointments process, the final decision lies with the WSA President.

(iv) Archive all WSA documents in the University Archives, including minutes from EC meetings.

(v) WSA Website

1) OEAC will be responsible for updating the website and ensuring that the information on it is accurate and current. This includes but is not limited to ensuring that agendas and resolutions are published, minutes are uploaded, and committee information and contacts are accurate.

2) OEAC will be responsible establishing a relationship with ITS for maintenance of the website for each academic year.

(vi) Career Resource Center Advisory Committee (CRCAC)

1) The Chairperson of OEAC shall co-chair the CRCAC with the Director of the Career Resource Center .

2) At least one (1) other member of IPC will serve on the CRCAC.

3) Other members of OREAC can join the CRCAC when the chairs deem necessary.

(vii) The New York Times Readership Program: The OEAC will monitor and report on the New York Readership Program.

Section 1.05

Student Affairs Committee (SAC)

(i) Composition: Seven (7) members, six (6) of whom are internally elected by the full WSA. ).

(i) The Chairperson shall chair SAC meetings, sit on EC and shall be a student trustee on the Trustees’ Campus Affairs Committee. The Chairperson shall also co-chair SLC and the URLC.

(ii) Six (6) other members

(ii) Committee Responsibilities

(i) To oversee and make recommendations regarding university student life issues

1) Liason regarding all student life issue including but not limited Residential Life, the Code of Non-Academic Conduct, the Dean of the College Office, Public Safety Policy, Alcohol and Other Drug Policy, Student Health Policy, Student Behavioral Health Policy, Fire Safety and Facilities Inspection Policy, and overall campus climate.

(ii) Student Life Committee (SLC)

1) The Chairperson of the SAC shall co-chair the SLC with the Vice President of Student Affairs.

2) In addition, all members of the SAC shall serve on the SLC.

3) The Chairperson of the SAC shall designate members to sit on ad-hoc joint student-administrative subcommittees formed by the SLC.

4) The SAC shall meet with the Student Judicial Board in the event of any potential revisions to the Code of Non-Academic Conduct. The SLC shall review any changes to the Code of Non-Academic Conduct and submit those changes to the President of the University for final approval.

(iii) Undergraduate Residential Life Committee (URLC)

1) The Chairperson of SAC shall co-chair the URLC with the Dean of Student Services.

2) In addition, the Chairperson shall designate three (3) SAC representatives to serve on the URLC.

3) URLC is responsible for advising the Office of Residential Life on all issues pertaining to residential life on campus, including program housing applications and evaluation, and room selection.

4) URLC shall also make recommendations regarding Residential Life to SLC.

5) In addition, the Chairperson of SAC will vote on the final approval of new program houses and on the evaluative status of existing program houses along with the Director of Residential Life and the Vice President of Student Affairs.

(iv) Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee (AOD)

1) The Chairperson of SAC will sit on the AOD Core Committee.

2) The Chairperson will designate SAC members to sit on each of the AOD Subcommittees. The four standing subcommittees are Assessment, Policy & Enforcement, Education, and Environmental Strategies. These committees report all recommendations to the AOD Core Committee.

3) The AOD Core Committee will make policy recommendations regarding Alcohol and Other Drug to SLC.

(v) Office of Behavioral Health Student Advisory Board

1) The Office of Behavioral Health for Students (OBHS) maintains a Student Advisory Board to make recommendations regarding the services offered by OBHS.

2) This group will also assist the Director of Behavioral Health in making recommendations regarding this office to SLC.

3) One member of SAC shall sit on this committee. If this member cannot attend a meeting, another member of SAC shall temporarily fill the role.

(vi) Student Health Advisory Committee

1) The Office of Health Services maintains a Student Advisory Board to make recommendations regarding the services offered by Health Services and WesWell.

2) This group shall also assist the Director of Health Services in making recommendations regarding this office to SLC.

3) One member of SAC shall sit on this committee. If this member cannot attend a meeting, another member of SAC shall temporarily fill the role.

(vii) Campus Climate Log Committee

1) The Campus Climate Log Committee serves to oversee and maintain the Campus Climate Log.

2) One SAC member shall sit on this committee.

(viii) Student Judicial Board (SJB) Oversight

1) The Student Affairs Committee is responsible for overseeing the SJB. The SAC does not have the authority to involve itself with specific SJB cases.

2) The SJB shall submit its Mid-Year and End-of-the-Year report to the Chairperson of the SAC.

3) SAC members shall sit on the appointments committee for new SJB members.

(ix) Public Safety Advisory Committee

1) One (1) SAC member, preferably one who sits on AOD, shall serve on PSAC.

(x) Dining Advisory Committee

1) One (1) SAC member shall serve on the Dining Advisory Committee.

(xi) Sexual Misconduct Committee

(xii)

Section 1.06

Student Budget Committee (SBC)

(i) Composition: Seven (7) members

(i) The committee will consist of Four (4) members elected by the college body and three (3) members internally elected in the fall by the full WSA.

(ii) The treasurer, who is internally elected in the fall by the full assembly, shall Chair the SBC, sit on the Executive Committee, and shall be a student trustee on the Trustee’s Finance Committee.

1) The treasurer will have regular contact with the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development.

(iii) Two (2) members internally elected by the full WSA in the fall.

(iv) Four (4) members elected by the college body before the spring semester (c.p. Article IV A.2).

(v) The Chairperson of SBC shall assign a member to act as the liaison to the Social Committee. The liaison may act as an Ex-Officio member of the SC in order to assist the SC with finance procedures and relaying WSA input.

(ii) Committee Responsibilities

(i) Create Tri-annual reports on budget, make allocations, make recommendations on the Student Activities Fee, film series, Readership Program and Crowell Concert Series Wesleyan student ticket prices.

The following committees shall be auxiliary standing committees of the WSA.

Section 1.07

Executive Committee (EC)

(i) Composition: eight (8) members, the President and Vice President, and six (6) chairpersons internally elected by the WSA.

(i) The President shall be the chairperson.

(ii) The Vice President shall be the vice chair.

(iii) The Coordinator and the Treasurer

(iv) Committee chairpersons of COCo , EPC, FiFac, SAC,

(v) The Coordinator shall record the EC agenda.

(vi) Prepare the WSA agenda for distribution by the Coordinator

(ii) Committee Responsibilities

(i) Report regularly to the WSA.

(ii) Meet regularly with the President of the University and other relevant University representatives.

(iii) Issue a WSA report from the Board of Trustees’ meeting to be distributed campus wide on a semi-annual basis.

Section 1.08

Student Representative to the Board Committee (SRTB)

(i) Composition: Eight (8) members; the officers of the WSA, and committee chairpersons of COCo , EPC, FiFac, and SAC.

(i) The vice president of the WSA shall chair SRTB meetings.

(i) All other student trustees.

(ii) Committee Responsibilities

(ii) The SRTB shall meet regularly.

(iii) For each trustee meeting, the SRTB shall prepare a summary report documenting all WSA activities.

(iv) Engage the student body in issues to be brought to discussion during trustee meetings, while maintaining the confidentiality set forth by the trustees.

Section 1.09

Constitutional Review Committee

(i) Composition: The members of the OEAC and any other interested assembly members will constitute the Constitutional Review Committee. The Coordinator shall be the chair of the Constitutional Review Committee.

(ii) Committee Responsibilities:

(i) To meet at least once during the spring semester and review the WSA Constitution.

(ii) To make any necessary revisions or deletions and bring said changes to the assembly for majority vote.

(iii) Facilitate necessary vote(s) to ratify changes.

Section 1.1

Endowment Advisory Committee:

(i) Purpose: The Endowment Advisory Committee (EAC) shall serve as an advisory body regarding Wesleyan University ’s investments. The EAC shall meet no less than once in each calendar month during the academic year. The EAC shall report its activities to the WSA no less than once in each semester. The EAC shall work in conjunction with and meet with the corresponding faculty Committee and the office of the Director of Investments. The EAC shall work to increase community awareness of, and access to, University investment activity.

(ii) Composition:

(i) One member of FiFac shall serve as the chair of the EAC.

(ii) One (1) member of the WSA selected to the EAC during the fall internal elections.

a) In the event this seat is vacated, it shall be filled by an internally elected WSA member.

(v) No more than one of these seats may be filled by a senior.

(vi) Two (2) additional students, chosen from the student body at large by standard WSA appointment procedure

Section 1.12

Wesleyan Student Assembly Endowment Committee:

(i) Purpose: The WSA Endowment Committee (WEC) shall serve as a decision-making body regarding the WSA Endowment. The WEC shall meet no less than three times in each academic year. The WEC shall report on the performance and investments of the WSA Endowment once at the end of each semester. The WEC shall invest the money in the WSA Endowment upon approval by the WSA.

(ii) Composition:

(i) Four WSA members shall constitute the Authorized Officers:

(a) The chair of the SBC, who shall serve as the chair of the WEC.

(b) The President of the WSA.

(d) The chair of the FiFac.

(ii) Three members of the administration shall serve on the committee in an advisory role:

a) The Vice President for Finance and Administration of the University.

b) The Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the University.

c) The Associate Vice President for Finance of the University.

(iii) Committee Responsibilities:

(i) Meet at least three times each academic year.

(ii) Make formal recommendations to the WSA for the investment of the WSA Endowment.

(iii) Facilitate necessary vote(s) to ratify investments.

Section 1.13

WSA External Standing Committees

A. Social Committee

(i) A chairperson, appointed at the end of spring term, from the student body at-large, elected by a majority of the members of the social committee and the SBC-WSA liaison, after being presented as a recommended candidate by the present chairperson.

(ii) Other social committee members will be appointed at the end of spring term, from the student body at-large, in consultation with the current Social Committee chairperson. These appointments must be publicly advertised.

(iii) One SC member shall serve as the liaison to the SBC and the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development. This SC member will send a meeting summary after every SC meeting to the SBC liaison and to the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development.

(iv) Each member of the SC, including the chair, has one vote.

(v) The SBC and the Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development shall oversee the SC.

(vi) The SC shall be an external standing committee of the WSA.

B. Senior Class Officers

(i) The Senior Class shall be represented by a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, all to be elected in the spring of their junior year.

(ii) The officers of the Senior Class shall act as the search committee for the Senior Class’s commencement speaker. They are responsible for preparations for graduation and the class’s alumni reunions, and are responsible for senior cocktails and must maintain regular contact with the SBC.

Article I.
Procedures

Section 2.01

Schedule and Notice of Meetings

(i) The WSA shall establish a regular meeting time and place at its first meeting of the academic year.

(ii) All meetings of the WSA shall be announced to the Wesleyan community and are open to the public. The OEAC must publicize weekly announcements (when school is in session) that include, but are not limited to: the agenda and a summary of WSA activity.

(iii) The WSA may close a meeting, or any portion of a meeting, to all non WSA members, excepting by name those necessary to the conduct of said meeting or part thereof, by a two-thirds majority of those voting. All proceedings of a closed meeting, or closed portion of a meeting, are confidential. The disclosure of said proceedings may result in impeachment of those responsible.

i) The WSA may make public confidential proceedings by a two-thirds majority of those voting.

(iv) After completion of internal elections in the fall, the WSA shall meet every week while school is in session.

(v) EC may cancel meetings except when such meetings have been convened under the provisions of 3.01.iv.

(vi) The Coordinator must call a meeting if the president or at least seven members of the WSA so desire. This meeting must be well publicized, and WSA members must be notified at least 24 hours in advance.

B. Rules of Order

(i) The rules of parliamentary procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order, as generally understood by the assembly, shall govern the WSA in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with special rules and orders of the WSA.

1) Any WSA member may move to limit length of debate.

2) Any WSA member may move to limit length of individual remarks.

3) Any WSA member may move to restrict debate to WSA members only.

(ii) Anybody may speak at the WSA meetings.

(b) Accountability

(i) WSA members are responsible for knowing the views, actions, and procedures of the WSA.

(ii) If representatives of the WSA do not agree with the WSA’s position on a certain issue, they may advocate their own views, so long as they articulate that they are advocating their own views, and not those of the WSA.

(c) Every meeting of the general assembly of the WSA shall open with the singing of “Battle Cry,” the Wesleyan fight song.

Section 2.02

Election Procedures

For Purposes of this article a “student,” “class,” “voter” or the “College Body” refers only to members of the undergraduate College Body enrolled in the university at the time of the election.

(i) The Elections Committee shall oversee all elections mandated by the Constitution and its By-Laws.

(ii) Composition: The Elections Committee shall be composed of an Election Coordinator and at least two other WSA representatives who are not candidates in the election.

1) The Election Coordinator is responsible for supervising fair and unbiased election procedures and abiding by all provisions of the College Body Constitution.

2) For Fall elections, the Coordinator shall serve as Election Coordinator unless ze is running for reelection, in which case the President shall fill the position; for January and Spring elections the Coordinator shall serve as Elections Coordinator, provided that individual is not a candidate.

(iii) Responsibilities:

1) The Election Coordinator is responsible for drafting an election timeline and presenting it to the WSA. The timeline must include but is not limited to: information sessions, petition deadline, presidential debate, voting, and announcement of results.

2) The Election Coordinator, in consultation with the Elections Committee, will determine the subsequent course of action to resolve all disputes regarding election or campaign procedures.

3) Only members of the Elections Committee and the WSA President and Vice President shall have access to election materials or the election homepage. Upon completion of the election, the results shall be viewed by the entire Elections Committee and publicized.

4) All elections shall be publicized by the Elections Committee. Candidates’ pictures and statements shall be published as long as said pictures and statements turned in by the committee’s prescribed deadline.

5) Voting shall take place over a five (5) day period.

6) The Elections Committee is responsible for informing the college body of the opportunity to seek office and shall hold an information session to explain procedures and distribute a copy of election rules before the election begins. Candidates must sign a document, or have a proxy sign for them if abroad, stating that they understand the campaigning rules and will comply with them.

(iv) Any member of the College Body shall be eligible to seek an office open to hir respective class year. No member of the College Body may hold two generally elected WSA positions concurrently, including positions on external standing committees of the WSA. Any eligible student, upon completion of a petition drafted by the Elections Committee, shall be placed on the ballot. Students who are abroad may select a proxy to complete a petition on their behalf.

(v) If the term of a committee chair runs for election during the winter and wins, that person shall retain the chair of their committee.

(vi) Any positions that are resigned at the end of the semester will be added to the following election as half-term positions. The winners of the election will choose if they would like a full-year or half-year term. If nobody chooses a half-year term, that position will be given to the lowest vote getter among those elected.

(vii) The method of election shall be on-line voting unless the Elections Committee deems this method insecure or impossible, in which case the Elections Committee shall hold paper ballot elections and shall draft procedures in writing that aim to ensure open, fair and unbiased elections.

(b) Campaigning is permitted and encouraged.

(i) Physical campaigning, which includes any form of written or oral communication containing a candidate’s name or likeness, is prohibited within public campus computer labs.

(ii) No one may send e-mails advocating the election of a particular candidate or group of candidates to WSA-produced lists.

(iii) A candidate will be responsible for acts in violation of the constitution that ze commits or of which ze is aware. Immediately after becoming aware of a violation, the candidate is responsible for notifying the Elections Committee. If the candidate is deemed responsible for the violation, ze cannot run as an official candidate for any position in a subsequent redo election.

(i) If the Elections Committee determines that illegal campaigning has occurred, the candidate(s) in question shall be removed from the ballot and disqualified from the election. The Elections Committee shall bring this issue to the assembly, and the assembly has the right to nullify the election with a two-thirds vote at any time.

(ii) The candidate may run in any subsequent election or participate in any following appointment.

(d) An entire election may be deemed invalid by a two-thirds vote of the entire pre-election WSA on the grounds of improper methods of balloting or campaigning, including but not limited to bribery, coercion, breaches of security which violate the anonymity of voters, improper tampering by the Elections Committee or failure to abide by any provisions of this article (VII). If necessary, the election will be repeated within two academic weeks.

Section 2.03

Rules of Order

(i) Every standing committee of the WSA shall report at each regular meeting of the WSA.

(ii) Every standing committee of the WSA shall draft resolutions when necessary.

(iii) All ad hoc committees of the WSA and all other committees whose members are appointed by any part of the WSA shall report to the entire WSA as the EC sees fit.

(iv) Members of the administration, the faculty, and the Board of Trustees shall be invited to address the assembly on matters of concern to the student body.

(v) The Coordinator may appoint a parliamentarian.

Section 2.04

Quorum

(i) Two-thirds of WSA members shall constitute a quorum.

(ii) For special meetings called under the provisions of III.01(A)(5), a majority of WSA members shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2.05

Attendance

(i) Any member who misses three consecutive meetings or four total meetings without having any of the absences excused by the EC during one semester will be impeached. “Meetings” include regularly scheduled meetings, committee meetings, and other special events scheduled for the committee. It is the role of the Coordinator to notify members of their absences and risk of impeachment.

(ii) Without sufficient prior notification to the Coordinator, any member who arrives late to a meeting, or leaves before the completion of the meeting, will receive an unexcused absence. Any members who foresee missing a part or the entirety of a meeting must contact the Coordinator and their chair before the meeting.

The Student Activities Fee and Funding Procedures

Section 2.06

Student Activities Fee

(i) The WSA shall be responsible for allocating, making changes to, and reviewing the level of the Student Activities Fee (SAF) to be levied on each student.

1) The WSA Office budget is part of the SAF, and is to be managed by the President of the WSA. The Office Budget must pay the salary of the WSA Office Coordinator, WSA Office supplies, and the salaries of WSA Office workers.

(b) Increases or decreases in the SAF shall be put to a referendum of the College Body. Approval of two thirds of those voting shall be required to change the fee.

(d) The SAF shall be allocated per the SBC’s policies.

Section 2.07

Funding Procedures

(i) Allocations

1) The SBC shall allocate money to student groups based on a voting process. In any given meeting of seven SBC members, four votes in favor or against an allocation decide that allocation.

2) If some members are not present and the vote results in a tie, the chair has the tiebreaking vote.

3) The SBC shall inform all funded groups of their allocations.

(ii) Funding

1) The Student Budget Committee shall draw an SBC Contract, subject to the approval of the assembly, stipulating rules and regulations for the spending of allocated funds. Before funds are turned over to an organization, a signed SBC Contract must be returned to the SBC Treasurer.

2) Each committee or organization receiving SAF shall make such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the execution of its duties. These rules and regulations shall be available to the SBC, which shall have no veto power over any of these regulations.

3) The SBC may require any committee or organization receiving funds to report at any time.

4) Each committee or organization receiving SAF is required to have a SBC representative who shall keep an accurate record of income and expenditures and shall make its record of income and expenditures available to the treasurer. The SBC shall retain the authority to review the expenditures of any committee or organization receiving allocations from the SAF.

5) All money allocated to student groups by the SBC remaining in that group’s account at the end of the year shall automatically revert to the SBC at a date, no earlier than April 1 of the school year in which said funds are allocated, to be determined by the SBC. Any funds not allocated by the SBC but deposited into that group’s account shall remain in the account indefinitely. Failure to comply with the regulations of this article or the Allocation Contract shall result in the immediate stoppage of payment of debts incurred by the noncompliant committee or organization. The members of such a committee or organization shall then be considered independently responsible for the payment of said debts.

6) Any funds returned to the SBC at the end of the year or unspent by the SBC will be placed in the WSA Endowment.

7) Any group in debt at the end of either semester will have their account frozen until that debt is paid in full. Groups with a frozen account cannot request or be allocated money. The SBC shall be empowered to impound or freeze any or all student group accounts when organizations or committees receiving said allocations are deemed insolvent by this committee.

8) The SBC reserves the right to reassume any funding allocated to a group before the end of the school year

a) Any group whose funding is reassumed may appeal to the members of the Executive Committee, who may overturn the SBC’s reassumption by a majority vote.

(iii) Criteria for Funding

1) The SBC will propose criteria at the end of each year the following year to the assembly. The criteria must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the assembly.

2) The SBC may propose new criteria, which shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of the WSA.

3) The SBC will be responsible for publicizing its criteria.

Section 2.08

WSA Endowment

(i) Structure

1) The WSA Endowment shall be composed of the end-of-the-year surplus funds of the SBC in accordance with Article II, Section 2.08.

2) The WSA Endowment shall be overseen by the President, Vice President, chair of the SBC and chair of the FiFac,

(ii) Procedures

1) The WEC shall meet and make recommendations on investment to the WSA. Recommendations will pass and go into effect with a majority vote of the WSA.

a) If approved, the WSA Endowment may be paired with the University Endowment with the consent of the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. The WSA Endowment must exceed $50,000 in order to do so.

2) Money shall be drawn from the WSA Endowment and placed in the active funds of the SBC before the beginning of the academic year.

a) The SBC shall not draw from the WSA Endowment until it exceeds $100,000.

b) The SBC shall begin to draw from the WSA Endowment at a rate of no more than 2% when the Endowment exceeds $100,000.

c) The SBC shall draw from the Endowment at a rate of no more than 3% when the Endowment exceeds $150,000.

d) The SBC shall draw from the Endowment at a rate of no more than 4% when the Endowment exceeds $200,000.

3) Any attempt to access the WSA Endowment in excess of these amounts will require a 75% vote by the WSA and the consent of the Authorized Officers as defined in Article I, Section 1.12.

4) Reports on the performance of the WSA Endowment will be given by the WEC at least two times in each academic year.

5) The contract signed between the University and the WSA regarding the WSA Endowment shall be automatically renewed with the signature of the president. The renewal of the contract will not be subject to a vote.

Article III.

Referenda and Initiatives

Section 3.01

The SBC may not campaign for a change in the Student Activities Fee in computer labs.

Section 3.02

Non-Budget Referenda and Initiative

(i) Non-budget issues may be brought to referendum or initiative either by at least one-third of the entire WSA membership or by a petition of at least ten percent of the student body.

(ii) Non-budget referenda or initiatives shall be passed by a majority of the student body voting.

Article IV.

Resignation, Impeachment and Recall

Section 4.01

Resignation and Appointments

(i) The Appointment Committee shall organize and run the appointments of students from the community at large for various WSA positions that arise throughout the year. All such appointments must be approved by a majority vote of the WSA.

(ii) Appointment Committee

1) Appointments will be open to all enrolled undergraduate students on campus.

2) The Coordinator and the chair of the committee with the vacated seat shall constitute the Appointment Committee.

3) The Appointment Committee shall interview to ascertain which candidate is best suited to fill the aforementioned vacancy.

4) After all interviews are completed, the Appointment Committee shall discuss its findings, and vote to appoint one candidate by a majority.

5) If the Appointment Committee cannot come to a majority decision, they will re-interview all candidates they deem pertinent. This does not indicate that appointments must be reopened to all initial candidates, or any students who express interest after the first round of interviews.

6) If after the second round of interviews the Appointment Committee cannot reach a unanimous decision, the President will be solely responsible for the decision.

7) In the event of an internally elected committee chair or the EPC’s voting member resigns before the end of hir term, an internal election to fill the vacant chair or voting member position will be held following the normal appointments process.

a) In the event this internal election results in a violation of one or more committee’s bylaws, the EC shall work with the membership of these committee(s) to resolve said violation.

Section 4.02

Impeachment and Recall of Individual Assembly Members

(i) Members of the Wesleyan Student Assembly may be subject to impeachment and possible recall for failure to fulfill their responsibilities to their constituents, the student body, and/or the assembly.

1) “Impeachment” signifies the process of investigation and presentation to the assembly of a member’s violation(s) of the constitution and its by-laws. “Recall” signifies the dismissal of a member as per the assembly’s vote after an impeachment hearing.

2) The WSA shall begin impeachment proceedings against any WSA member upon receipt by the Coordinator of a petition for impeachment.

3) A petition of impeachment must contain the signatures of either one-sixth of the student body or one-third of the members of the WSA.

4) Within three (3) academic days of receipt of the petition, OEAC shall notify the defendant of the charges being brought against hir and provide a written copy of the articles of impeachment.

5) Within seven (7) academic days of receipt of the petition, but no less than four (4) days after the defendant is notified of the charges being brought against hir, OEAC shall present the case at the General Assembly meeting at which the person in question shall have the opportunity to respond. At any time, the Assembly reserves the right to go into executive session.

6) Within seven (7) academic days of the impeachment proceeding, the WSA shall vote on the petition of impeachment. A two-thirds vote of the present voting WSA body is needed for a member’s recall.

7) Persons under the jurisdiction and purview of the WSA, such as members of the Social Committee and Senior Class Officers, are also subject to the same impeachment procedures as WSA members.

(ii) The President, Vice President, Coordinator, or Treasurer may be subject to impeachment from hir position for failure to fulfill hir responsibilities.

1) One-third of the members of the Wesleyan Student Assembly or one-sixth of the student body may petition to impeach the President, Vice President, Coordinator, or Treasurer.

2) The President, Vice President, Coordinator, or Treasurer will have the opportunity to address the assembly on the impeachment proceedings at the following meeting of the assembly.

3) The recall voting procedure shall take place at the next meeting of the assembly following the President, Vice President, Coordinator, or Treasurer’s address. A vote by two-thirds of the members of the Wesleyan Student Assembly is needed to approve the recall of the President, Vice President, Coordinator or Treasurer. If the recall attempt is successful, the President, Vice President, Coordinator, or Treasurer from hir position as an officer, and as a member of the assembly.

4) Following the successful recall of the President, the Vice President shall assume the role of President. The Coordinator shall then facilitate a special campus-wide election to fill the vacancy for Vice President as soon as possible.

5) Following the successful recall of the Coordinator or Treasurer, the WSA shall internally select a new Coordinator or Treasurer from its membership.

6) Following the successful recall of the Vice President, the Coordinator shall then facilitate a special campus-wide election to fill the vacancy for Vice President as soon as possible. A member of the Independent Projects Committee selected by IPC committee members will assume the role of Vice President until a new Vice President is elected by the student body.

(iii) If the assembly does not approve an impeachment motion vote on a recall within seven days of the assembly’s vote of impeachment, the student body may vote to recall the representative in question. Two-thirds of the entire student body voting in the recall voting procedure shall be necessary to recall the representative.

Section 4.03

Recall of Entire Student Assembly

(i) The membership of the Wesleyan Student Assembly may be recalled by a vote of no confidence from the student body.

1) One-half of the members of the student body may petition to initiate recall procedures against the membership of the WSA.

2) Within seven (7) academic days of the receipt of the recall petition, the Student Assembly shall conduct an open and public hearing on the question of recall.

3) Within seven (7) academic days of the hearing, the assembly shall facilitate a campus-wide vote of assembly recall. Two-thirds of students voting are necessary to recall the entire assembly membership.

4) Members of the assembly shall serve until new representatives are selected. After a positive vote of recall, assembly members shall organize elections consistent with the structural and committee guidelines for the assembly.

a) These elections may not be nullified except where egregious fraud has occurred, including the subversion of the will of the electorate.

5) After recall, former assembly members may continue to serve on faculty, student, or trustee subcommittees with the consent of two-thirds of the newly elected WSA.

Section 4.04

Annual Reports

(i) At the last WSA meeting of each academic year, the President shall submit an annual report to the WSA for review and approval. The report shall include mention of all major matters with which the WSA dealt during the year. The report shall also include numerical results of all issues voted on by the student body and all resolutions and amendments voted on by the WSA.

(ii) At the last WSA meeting of each academic year, each committee chair shall submit an annual report to the WSA for review. Each report shall include mention of all major matters with which the committee dealt during the year.

(iii) Each academic year’s approved Annual Report of the WSA and all annual committee reports shall be kept on file at the WSA office.

(iv) At the first WSA meeting of each academic year, the acting Coordinator shall distribute the previous year’s Annual Report of the WSA along with all of the previous year’s annual committee reports to all WSA members.

Section 4.05

WSA Office Coordinator

(i) The WSA Office Coordinator will be overseen by and report to the following members of the Executive Committee: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Coordinator, and COCo chair.

(ii) The WSA Office Coordinator and those five (5) officers named in 11.01.(a) will at the beginning of the academic year determine the goals and set expectations for the Office Coordinator. Those officers will also perform an assessment of the Office Coordinator at the end of the academic year.

(iii) The goals, set of expectations, and end of the year assessment will be made available and submitted in the WSA annual report.

(iv) Salary for the next academic year will be determined by the officers in accordance with the end of the year assessment and budgetary criteria as set by the Student Budget Committee. Final approval will be made by a majority vote of the WSA.

(v) The officers are responsible for hiring the Office Coordinator. Final approval will be made by a majority vote of the WSA.

(vi) The WSA Office Coordinator will report on a regular basis throughout the year to Finance and Administration.

Section 4.06

Amending the Constitution

(i) Motions to Amend

1) The WSA may, by a vote of at least one-third of the entire assembly, move to amend this constitution.

2) Ten percent of the student body may petition to amend this constitution.

(ii) This constitution, after a successful motion to amend, shall be amended by a two-thirds vote of the student body voting.

Section 4.07

Amending the By-Laws

(a) These by-laws shall be amendable by a two-thirds vote of the entire WSA or by referendum of the College Body.

(b) Any vote by the WSA to amend the by-laws must be voted on at the meeting following the motion of the amendment.

Section 4.08

Official Constitution

(a) The official copy of the College Body Constitution shall be kept in the WSA office. A copy of the Constitution as it stands at the completion of each academic year shall be submitted by the Coordinator to the University Archives and, if possible, made available online.

Memoranda of Understanding

It is understood that the phrase, “a majority of the Wesleyan Student Assembly” as it is used in this document means a majority of those assembly members present and voting at a given meeting, unless otherwise specified. It is understood in the Student Body Constitution that “WSA Administrator” is equivalent to “WSA Office Coordinator.”

190 High Street
building hours: 12n - 12am