Student Senate By-Laws

Meetings and Quorums

Meetings

The Student Senate shall generally have two types of meetings, general and staff.

1. General Meetings
   1. Shall normally meet every other week throughout the academic year and shall consider all questions placed before it.
   2. Student Senators may make proposals or resolutions.
   3. Student Senators may vote on proposals and resolutions.
   4. Informing the Student Body of the cancellation of any meetings due to holidays or at the institutional level shall be the responsibility of the Student Senate.
   5. Special emergency meetings may be called at the request of a Student Senator or Administration.
   6. All scheduled Student Senate meetings and activities shall be publicly announced; are considered open and may be attended by all interested members of the Student Body, Staff, Faculty and Administration.
   7. The Student Senate President shall act as the chair of all Student Senate meetings unless otherwise specified.
   8. In the absence of the President the Vice President may act as the chair.
   9. The chair can only vote in a tie situation.
2. Staff Meeting
   1. Shall normally meet every other week throughout the academic year opposite general meetings.
   2. Purpose of the meetings shall be for the management of the office and the discussion internal issues.
   3. Special emergency meetings may be called at the request of a Student Senator or Administration.

Voting

1. Decisions of the Student Senate will be of a simple majority vote.
2. Each Senator shall have one vote in all official business in which a vote is taken.
3. During meetings the chair shall only have a vote in the event of a tie-breaker.

Student Electorate

1. The Student Senate shall recognize a Student Representative for the purpose of casting one electoral vote on each matter voted upon during all general meetings.
2. The Student Representative shall be chosen by the attending Student Body within a reasonable amount of time.
3. The Student Representative shall have the power to make motions.
4. The Student Representative shall also be given a reasonable amount of time to gather a vote from the attending Student Body before casting the electoral vote.

Quorum

1. Shall have a quorum of the voting membership, fifty percent (50%) plus one (1), present before any business of the Student Senate may be conducted.

Committees

Committee Structures

1. Committees shall be formed in order to review, make recommendations on business items or to carry out the business functions of the Student Senate.
2. Committees shall be of two types Standing or Ad Hoc.
3. Chairs of the committees shall be determined by the Student Senators.
4. Members of the committees may comprise of members of the Student Body and community as needed.
5. All the work of the committees is to be reviewed by the Student Senate.
6. Supervision of committees falls onto the Student Senator to whom is assigned.

Standing Committee

1. The Document Review Committee
   1. Shall review and make recommendations for changes to Student Senate documents.
   2. The chair of the committee is outlined in the Student Senate by-laws.
   3. Shall be comprised of the Student Senate and the Program Coordinator of Student Life.
   4. Additional members may be added as resource individuals.
2. Elections Committee
   1. Shall review and make recommendations for changes to the Student Senate electoral process.
   2. Shall govern the electoral process and shall report findings.
   3. Shall be comprised of the chair, the Program Coordinator of Student Life and additional members to oversee the process.
   4. The chair of the Elections Committee shall be the Event Coordinator or their designee.

Ad Hoc Committee

1. Ad hoc committees shall be formed for purpose of a specific task or to oversee particular projects.
2. Committees shall be assigned to report to a Student Senator for progress and recommendations.
3. Committees shall be created by vote of the Student Senate.
4. Timelines for the completion of projects shall be determined by the motion creating the committee.
5. Changes or extensions of timelines can be requested by the committee.
6. Committees can be dissolved by completion of projects or by vote of the Student Senate.

By-Laws

Adoption

1. Adoption of the Student Senate bylaws require a 3/5 vote of the entire Student Senate.

Revisions

1. Revisions of the bylaws of the Student Senate requires a 3/5 vote of the total membership of the Student Senate.

Submission

1. A revision, addition or removal of a bylaw must be submitted to the Student Senate in writing one (1) week prior to the Student Senate meeting at which time it will be put to a vote.

Higher Documentation

1. No amendment to the bylaws shall conflict with the Constitution or with any policy or procedure adopted by the college. In the event of such conflict, the Constitution, policy or procedure shall supersede the bylaw.

Constitutional Amendments

Amendments

1. 1. Amendments to this Constitution shall be submitted to the Student Government Association for vote by ¾ of the Student Government Association in attendance at a general Student Government Association meeting or by a petition bearing the signatures of 1/5 the entire Student Body.
2. The Event Coordinator shall receive proposed amendments, valid signatures of the petition by referring to the official College records and submit the amendments for the vote at any regular or special meetings.
3. A proposed amendment of this Constitution shall be announced at least two (2) weeks prior to the vote at a Student Government Association general.
4. A proposed amendment to this Constitution shall become effective if it receives an affirmative majority of the votes cast for it at a Student Government Association meeting.
5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision or amendment of the Constitution shall be effective unless it has been approved by the College’s Board of Trustees.

Constitutional Revisions

Committee

1. A committee may be appointed by a ¾ vote of the entire Student Senate to undertake revision of this Constitution.
2. Revisions of this Constitution shall be submitted to the Student Government Association for vote by action of ¾ of the entire Student Government Association or by a petition bearing the signatures of 1/5 the entire Student Body.
3. The Event Coordinator shall receive the petition for the constitutional revision from the Student Body and validate the signatures on the petition by referring to the official College record and submitted the revision for a vote at any regular or special meeting.
4. The proposed revision of this Constitution shall be announced at least two (2) weeks prior to the Student Senate general meeting at which the Student Government Association will put it to a vote.
5. A proposed revision to this Constitution shall become effective immediately upon receiving an affirmative majority of the votes cast for it at the Student Government Association meeting.
6. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provisions or revisions of the Constitution shall be effective unless it has been approved by the College’s Board of Trustees.

Adoption of Constitution

Upon adoption by the Student (body/Senate), this constitution becomes immediately effective and supersedes all previous Lorain County Community College Student Government Constitutions, which may exist and may have been in force to this date.

In all respects, this Constitution and the rights and responsibilities of the Student Body shall be and remain subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees of the College, which reserves the right to replace any or all of the Constitution’s provisions in the interests of better attaining the Mission of the College.