PREAMBLE
We, the students of ÃÛÌÒAPP, in order to provide an officially recognized student government that is a representative of student organizations as well as individual students and serves to identify and represent the students' interest by promoting responsible student participation in the overall policy and decision-making process of the University; to enhance the quality and scope of education and student life at the University; to provide the official voice through which student opinion may be expressed; to study student problems and make appropriate recommendation(s); to facilitate communication between and among all University and civic arenas, the student body, and to advance the general welfare of the student body do hereby adopt and establish this constitution.
Article I. Name
Section I. This organization shall be officially known as the Student Government Association of ÃÛÌÒAPP, hereinafter referred to as SGA.
Article II. Purposes
Section I. The purposes of this organization shall be as outlined in the Preamble of this Constitution.
Article III. Organization
Section I. The SGA shall represent its membership, the Student Body, which consists of all full-time and part-time students who are duly registered at ÃÛÌÒAPP, and shall exercise its authority through the Constitution as hereinafter provided.
Section II. The governing structure of the SGA shall consist of three distinct branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. No student may concurrently serve in both the Judicial and any other branch.
Article IV. Qualifications of Members
Section I. To become a candidate, to hold office, or to represent the SGA, a student must comply with the ÃÛÌÒAPP Policy for Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities and with the eligibility requirements of the office as set in the By-laws.
Article V. Executive Branch
Section I. All executive powers shall be vested in the Executive Branch of the SGA.
Section II. The Executive Branch shall consist of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary/Treasurer, the Executive Committee, and the Election Commission.
Section III. The Executive Branch officers shall assume office June 1. The officers shall hold office for one complete year or until a successor is installed. From the day of inauguration to June 1 the newly elected Executive Officers are to be referred to as Executive "Elect".
Section IV. The chief executive officer shall be the President, who shall be elected by the student body during the annual general election as specified in the By-laws.
Section V. A candidate for the office of President must be a full-time ÃÛÌÒAPP student as defined by ÃÛÌÒAPP, and shall have completed a minimum of forty-five (45) semester hours of academic credits at the time of filing for office. The candidate must have been enrolled at ÃÛÌÒAPP at least one year (two long semesters shall count as one year and two summer sessions shall count as one long semester) prior to the date of filing.
Section VI. The Vice President shall be elected by the student body during the annual general election as specified in the By-laws.
Section VII. A candidate for the office of Vice President must be a full-time ÃÛÌÒAPP student as defined by ÃÛÌÒAPP, and shall have completed a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of academic credits at the time of filing for office. The candidate must have been enrolled at ÃÛÌÒAPP at least one year (two long semesters shall count as one year and two summer sessions shall count as one long semester) prior to the date of filing.
Section VIII. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected by the student body during the annual general election as specified in the By-laws. To be a candidate for the office of Secretary/Treasurer a student must have completed 12 hours. The candidate must have completed one long semester at ÃÛÌÒAPP immediately prior to the semester of their election.
Section IX. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Executive Officers and the committee chairpersons and shall perform such duties as defined in the By-laws.
Section X. The Election Commission shall uphold the SGA Election Rules. The Division of Student Affairs and Strategic Initiatives shall serve as administration to all SGA elections as defined in the By-laws.
Article VI. Legislative Branch
Section I. The legislative body of the Student Government Association shall consist of two houses.
Section II. The upper house shall be known as the Senate with membership of College Senators, Class Senators, and other members as designated by the By-laws.
Section III. The lower house shall be known as the House of Representatives with membership as designated in the By-laws.
Section IV. Term limits for College Senators shall be two academic years, and term limits for other Senators and Representatives shall be one academic year.
Section V. All legislation and other duties as outlined in the By-laws shall originate in either house. Upon affirmation by both houses, legislation shall pass and be forwarded to the President of the Student Body.
Section VI. A candidate for Senator must be a full-time ÃÛÌÒAPP student as define