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BRYANLGH COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

Mission Statement

The BryanLGH College of Health Sciences Student Government Association (SGA) is the voice of students and serves as a communication link between students and the college community. SGA works toward building a positive campus environment.

ARTICLE I – NAME

Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Student Government Association

(SGA) of BryanLGH College of Health Sciences. Within these By-Laws, it will be referred to as SGA.

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES

Section 1.

The purpose of SGA is to provide for organization of BryanLGH College of Health Sciences student body, so that they may participate in the activities of this college.

The functions are to foster the spirit of cooperation and unity among the

students, faculty, and staff to enable the students to prepare for worthy

citizenship through self-expression for leadership. SGA is a non-profit

organization that shall operate in accordance with the By-Laws stipulated

on these pages.

Section 2.

The objectives of this organization shall be:

A. To represent the student body as the “official” voice at all College functions.

B. To foster a spirit of cooperation and unity among the students, faculty, and administration.

C. To encourage involvement in College activities.

D. To provide opportunities for the development of leadership skills.

E. To improve the quality of student life.

F. To recommend policies for student activities.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

All students currently enrolled in BryanLGH College of Health Sciences shall be represented by SGA and shall have representation until graduation or withdrawal from the College.

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Section 2.

All students are assessed a Student Activity Fee for each credit hour taken as deemed by BryanLGH College of Health Sciences Administration.

Budgetary support for SGA shall be derived from student activity fees & SGA fund raising activities.

Section 3.

No currently enrolled student at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences shall be denied

membership in SGA on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, handicap, gender, age, religion, marital status, or sexual preference.

Section 4.

Organizations, which request to become a recognized student organization, must meet the following guidelines:

A. They must develop Constitution/By-laws outlining the purpose of the organization.

B. Have two approved advisors who are regularly scheduled employees at the college.

C. Appoint a representative(s) who will attend SGA meetings and report back to the organization

D. Operate in accordance within the mission and operations of BryanLGH College of Health Sciences.

E. Receive a vote of approval by SGA to become a recognized student organization.

ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Section 1.

Executive Officers of this organization shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

A. The positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer will be elected from the student body as a whole.

B. The regular term of office shall begin on the day after the Spring Commencement Ceremony for a period of one (1) year.

C. Executive Officers must be in good academic standing at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences in order to run for and hold office.

D. Each academic year, SGA approves two Faculty/Staff/Administrative members of BryanLGH College of Health Sciences to act as SGA Advisor.

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Section 2. Election of Student Government Executive Officers.

A. Elections shall be held the first full week in April.

B. The election process will be posted by the first full week in March by the Election Committee, which is appointed by SGA prior to each election. Members of the Election Committee cannot be individuals who are running for office.

C. The Election Committee is responsible for drawing up the procedures for the election and for implementing the election.

D. After determining the eligibility of the candidates with the Coordinator of Student Services, the Election Committee shall post the ballot of nominees.  The names shall be listed in alphabetical order. The ballot shall be posted at least one week in advance of the election and shall be placed in areas that are readily seen by all SGA members.

E. Voting shall be by written ballot. Ballots shall be distributed and a secured ballot box shall be placed at an appropriate place with controls that guarantee a valid election.

F. The Election Committee and the SGA Advisors shall tally the votes.  A vote of more than 50% of those who voted shall be necessary for election. Run off elections will be held the week following the election. 

G. The names of the elected officers and representatives shall be posted in appropriate places and submitted to the SGA Advisor.

H. Should the election be contested, a petition contesting the election must be delivered to the SGA Advisors within 24 hours of the end of balloting. The petition must include all reasons why the election is being contested, and it must include any evidence. Only the SGA Advisors can invalidate an election and require another election.

I. Vacancies shall be filled by presidential appointment with the approval of the Student Government Executive Officers and Representatives. If the office of president is vacated, the Vice-President shall assume the presidency.

J. Any elected or appointed member of the SGA is subject to recall by a majority vote of his/her constituents. A recall election shall be held whenever 20% of the qualified voters of the constituency sign a petition to recall. No member shall be subject to a recall election more than once during an academic year.

Section 3. Duties of the Executive Officers and SGA Advisor.

A. President:

The President of SGA shall serve as the chief spokesperson for the student body. The President presides over all meetings of the SGA. The President will be expected to work closely with the SGA Advisor to ensure communication and establish action plans. Should the President become unable to fulfill the term as President, the Vice President shall complete the term as president and appoint a new Vice President from the SGA membership.

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1. The President’s duties shall include:

A. Prepare the agenda for each meeting

B. Preside at all meetings of the organization

C. Appoint special committees and chairpersons.

D. Represent the College and SGA to the public.

E. Recommend student appointments to college committees.

F. Serve as a liaison to College Administration/Faculty.

G. Oversees preparation of the budget.

H. Seek out and resolve any academic issues that come forth from the student body.

I. Provide activities to recruit and increase current Executive officer and Representatives’

involvement.

B. Vice President:

1. The Vice President’s Duties shall include:

A. Perform the duties of the President in his/her absence; should the Vice President be absent, the line of succession shall be as follows: Secretary and Treasurer.

B. Provide student insight and knowledge about programs by soliciting feedback from all student groups.

C. Serve as a representative to Student Activities Council.

D. Assist Student Activities Council as an active member representing the student body and SGA at all Student Activities Council meetings.

C. Secretary:

1. The Secretary’s Duties shall include:

A. A record shall be kept of the proceedings of SGA.

B.  The minutes of each meeting shall be posted no later than two weeks past the date of the meeting.

C. Copies of the minutes will be posted in the Student Center, and SGA bulletin board.

D. Attendance records shall be kept for SGA meetings.

E. Maintain the history of the SGA.

D. Treasurer:

1. The Treasurer’s Duties Include:

A. The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining all SGA financial records, developing the SGA budget and providing financial guidance and budget information for organizations under SGA.

B. Present a detailed financial report at SGA meetings.

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E. SGA Advisors:

1. The SGA Advisors Duties shall include:

A. Attend all meetings of the SGA.

B. Provide advice to the leadership of SGA through out their term of office.

C. To provide training workshops, team building exercises, and leadership information through out the academic year.

ARTICLE V- REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1.

Representatives of Professional Student Organizations at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences serve as official members of SGA. Professional Student Organizations include all organizations that are affiliated with a degree-seeking program offered at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences.

A. The representatives of this organization shall include the following:

1. One representative from each recognized Professional Student Organization appointed by the members of that organization.

2. The Representative must be in good academic standing as deemed by the Registrar Office at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences in order to run for and hold office.

3. The Representative shall be allowed to vote and likewise hold office on SGA under the organization they represent and serve as a liaison for that organization.

4. The representative must be decided upon within their respective organizations and reported to the SGA President and Advisors before the last day of class in the spring

semester.

5. The Representative is an official member of SGA and therefore is required to attend all official SGA meetings/events and is bound to the SGA Bylaws, rules, and regulations.

Section 2.

Representatives of Nonprofessional Student Organizations at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences serve as official members of SGA.  Nonprofessional Student Organizations include all student groups where all students that attend BryanLGH College of Health Sciences are eligible for membership.

A. The representatives of this organization shall include the following:

1.  One representative from each recognized Nonprofessional Student Organization appointed by the members of that organization.

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2. The Representative must be in good academic standing as deemed by the Registrar Office at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences in order to run for and hold office.

3. The Representative shall be allowed to vote and likewise hold office on SGA under the organization they represent and serve as a liaison for that organization.

4. The representative must be decided upon within their respective organizations and reported to the SGA President and Advisor before the last day of class in the spring

semester.

5. The Representative is an official member of SGA and therefore is required to attend all official SGA meetings/events and is bound to the SGA Bylaws, rules, and regulations.

Section 3.

Representatives of each class at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences serve as official members of SGA. Class representatives will include a representative from each entering nursing class and one representative from each Allied Health Program that are affiliated with a degree-seeking program offered at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences.

A. The representatives of this class shall include the following:

1. One representative from each recognized class representative appointed by the members of their respective class.

2. The Representative must be in good academic standing as deemed by the Registrar Office at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences in order to run for and hold office.

3. The Representative shall be allowed to vote and likewise hold office on SGA under the class they represent and serve as a liaison for that class.

4. The representative must be decided upon within their respective class and reported to the SGA President and Advisors before the last day of class in the spring

semester.

5. The Representative is an official member of SGA and therefore is required to attend all official SGA meetings/events and is bound to the SGA Bylaws, rules, and regulations.

 

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

Section 1.

Meetings are held monthly during the academic year excluding breaks. Minutes from all meetings will be posted in the Student Center and SGA bulletin board.

Meetings of SGA will normally be held in the student center and be open to all students and faculty who may wish to attend. The SGA President can request a closed session of the board in instances where discussions or decisions may affect the reputation of individuals or organizations associated with the college. No action can be taken during closed session.

Section 2.

A quorum must be present to take official action at SGA meetings. A quorum shall consist of one more than one-half or 51% of the total voting membership.

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Section 3.

The voting membership shall consist of all SGA Executive officers and elected and appointed representatives. The President votes only in the event of a tie.

Section 4.  Attendance.

A. All Executive officers and Representatives shall be required to attend all SGA meetings/events. When an Executive officer or representative is unable to attend a scheduled meeting/event, s/he must notify the President before the meeting/event. The Executive officers will decide if the absence is excused or unexcused. If an Executive officer or representative exceeds two unexcused absences during their term of office within the semester, s/he will be required to resign. The vacancy for executive officers will be filled by presidential appointment with SGA voting members’ approval. Each executive officer/representative can only have up to four EXCUSED absences within one semester.

B. In the event that a vacancy of a Representative occurs due to attendance, change in degree-seeking program, or withdrawal from the college, that organization shall be charged with appointing a new representative to therefore reinstate voting rights.

Section 5. Expenditures.

A. Expenditures must be approved by a majority of the SGA voting

members present.

B. A new and modified budget will be distributed during the next official SGA meeting after expenditures have been made.

 

ARTICLE VII – STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 1. SGA Activities Committee

A. Membership

1. The Vice President with the Approval of the SGA voting members appoints members of the SGA Activities Committee.

2. The Vice President serves as the Chair of the committee.

B. Functions

1. The members of the committee plan and implement activities for the students at BryanLGH College of Health Sciences.  Providing for the general welfare of the students, campus life, student life, and student concerns.

2. The final authority for approval of all activities organized by SGA shall be the SGA Advisors.

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Section 2. Election Committee

A. Membership

1. The SGA voting members appoint members of the Election Committee.

2. The President of SGA will appoint the Chairman.

3. Members of the Election Committee cannot be individuals who are running for office.

4. These appointments shall take place the third week of the spring semester.

B. Function

1. The Election Committee will carry out its duties as outlined in Article 4, Section 2 of the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VIII – BY-LAWS

Section 1.

The final authority for interpretation of these By-Laws shall be the SGA Advisor.

Section 2.

Amending the By-Laws:

A. Any Member of SGA may propose a change in the By-Laws by putting forth a motion at a SGA meeting. The motion requires a second.

B. One more than half or 51% of the voting membership must vote to consider the change to the By-Laws.

C. The suggested change is then posted for all students to review.

D. At the meeting following the first vote, the proposed change is discussed and debated.

E. At the meeting following the debate and discussion of the proposed change a vote is held. A total of 75% or more of the voting membership must approve the proposed change in order for it to become part of the By-Laws.

F. These By-Laws shall be reviewed and voted on every year before the first full week in March.

Section 3.

These By-Laws, once approved by SGA and the College Administration, go into effect immediately. All previous By-Laws will become null and void upon the acceptance of these present By-Laws.

Section 4.

Roberts Rules of Order, revised edition, will conduct formal action of SGA. Informal action will be conducted by a show of hands or a voice vote.