Title 1 Rules of Construction

§ 1 Definitions and Format of Bylaws

(A) Where applicable, texts shall be written following the Modern Language Association (MLA) standard.

(B) All text shall be written in Times New Roman 11 point font. Headings shall be bold.

(C) Unless the context of a text indicates otherwise, the plural shall imply the singular, and the singular shall imply the plural.

(D) Gendered nouns and pronouns shall be avoided, but when used out of absolute necessity, the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, and the feminine gender shall include the masculine gender, unless indicated otherwise by context.

(E) A clause expressing an exact definition or manner of an item, or an exact responsibility, obligation, or duty of a member, shall be written using the future positive phrase, “Shall,” or, “shall be.”

(F) A clause expressing an exact limitation or restriction of an item, or an exact limit or restriction of a member, shall be written using the future negative phrase, “Shall not,” or “shall not be.”

(G) A clause expressing a possible definition or a possible manner of an item, or a right of a member shall be written using the future positive phrase, “May.”

(H) Clauses shall, as much as possible, be limited to one topic contained within a single sentence.

(I) Titles of the Bylaws shall be numbered sequentially throughout their parent document using Arabic Numerals, e.g. Title 4; Sections of the Bylaws shall be numbered sequentially throughout their parent document using Arabic Numerals, e.g. §4; Subsections shall be listed sequentially within in their parent section by American Alphabetic capital letters contained in parenthesis, e.g.(D); Parts shall be listed sequentially with in their parent subsection by lowercase roman numerals contained in parenthesis, e.g. (iv); Subparts shall be listed sequentially within their parent Part by lowercase American Alphabetic lowercase letters contained in parenthesis, e.g. (d); Thus a full citation of the fourth subpart of the fourth part of the fourth subsection of the fourth section of the fourth title of the code would read Title 4 USGA Code §4(D)(iv)(d).

(J) Any undergraduate student of Loyola University Chicago as defined by the Office of Registration and Records is a constituent of the USGA.

(K) Any member who has served for any ten weeks of a semester shall be considered to have served for the full semester.

(L) Emails sent from a “@luc.edu” address shall be deemed to be the signature of the individual to whom that address is assigned in all cases in which a signature is required.

(M) A term of USGA begins following the administering of the Oath of Office for the newly elected of the spring election and concludes after the administering of the Oath of Office for the newly elected of the following spring election. The outgoing Chief Justice shall administer the oath. The Oath shall be: “I (insert name) do solemnly swear to serve the students of Loyola University Chicago and to the best of my ability uphold the constitution and mission of the Unified Student Government Association. I herby  take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”

§ 2 No individual may hold more than two internal positions in the USGA.  There shall be no limit to the number of external appointments. Internal appointees consist of, but are not limited to, all appointees by the Speaker and the Executive, who deal with the efficient administration of USGA affairs. External appointees consist of, but are not limited to, all persons tasked with representing the USGA and student body in external affairs.

 

Title 2 Elections

§ 1 Positions Elected in Spring Elections

(A) Sophomore, Junior, Senior, and Undesignated Representatives

(B) President

(C) Vice President

(D) Chairman of the Judicial Board

§ 2 Positions Elected in Fall Elections

(A) Freshman Representatives

(B) All remaining open positions

§ 3 Qualifications for Candidacy

(A) All candidates must meet the following general qualifications:

(i) Shall be a member of the undergraduate student body.

(ii) Shall be in good disciplinary standing as determined by the Office of the Dean of Students.

(iii) Shall maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative Grade Point Average as determined by the records of the Office of Registration and Records.

(iv) Shall be a candidate for only one position.

(v) Candidates shall receive 50 signatures petitioning for placement on the ballot.

(vi)Candidates shall be members of the constituency of the office they are seeking as defined by the Office of the Registrar.

§ 4 Campaign Finance

In all general elections, candidates shall be subject to the following public financing and spending cap requirements.

(A) Rules for Candidates

(i) Candidates for office shall receive public funding for their campaign in the amount of one quarter of the spending cap for the position contingent upon approval of the Elections Board.

(ii) Spending Cap

(a) Candidates for executive office shall be subject to a spending cap of $100.

(b) Candidates for legislative office shall be subject to a spending cap of $50.

(c) Candidates for judicial office shall be subject to a spending cap of $50.

(iii)Submission of Receipts.

(a) In order to receive Election Board approval of campaign materials as outlined below, candidates shall submit receipts for the purchase to ensure compliance with the spending caps.

(B) Rules for Endorsing Organizations

(i) Spending Cap

(a) Organizations which have endorsed a candidate for executive office in compliance with the rules outlined below may spend up to $50 for campaign materials which advocate the election of that candidate.

(b) Organizations which have endorsed a candidate for legislative office in compliance with the rules outlined below may spend up to $25 for campaign materials which advocate the election of that candidate.

(ii) Submission of Receipts. In order to receive Election Board approval of campaign materials as outlined below, the endorsing organization shall submit receipts for purchases to ensure compliance with the spending caps.

§ 5 Procedures to be placed on the Ballot

(A) All candidates shall obtain an election packet which contains the USGA Bylaws, candidacy petition, details regarding candidates meetings, and the election contract.

(B) Candidates or their representative shall attend a Candidates Meeting with the USGA Election Board. Should a representative be sent, they shall present a letter from the candidate certifying their authority to act as an agent of the candidate. At the Candidates Meeting, election procedures shall be outlined, and the following documents shall be submitted:

(i) A Candidacy Petition. Candidates shall submit their candidacy petition which shall contain a minimum of 50 signatures.

(ii) An Election Contract. Candidates shall sign an election contract binding them to all policies in the USGA Bylaws. Violations of the USGA Bylaws may result in sanctions being imposed by the Election Board.

(iii) A Statement of Candidacy. Candidates shall submit a statement of candidacy not to exceed one page as well as a current headshot of themselves. The Election Board shall make all reasonable efforts to make the statements available to voters, including but not limited to making them available on the ballot.

(C) Rules for Campaigning

(i) Candidates and their agents shall be limited to providing factual and substantiated information. Candidates shall be prohibited from engaging in acts of libel and/or slander.

(ii) Campaigning shall be restricted to days permitted by the Election Board in accordance with USGA Bylaws. This shall not be construed to prohibit obtaining signatures on election petitions.

(iii) Candidates and their agents shall submit all elections materials to the Election Board for approval prior to dissemination. Contents of and the Dissemination of Election Materials shall be in accordance with the policies of Loyola University Chicago as well as the laws of the

United States, the State of Illinois, the County of Cook and the City of Chicago.

(iv) The mutilation of campaign materials shall be prohibited. Any candidate or their agents who knowingly destroys, mutilates, defaces, falsifies forges, conceals, or removes any campaign materials shall be guilty of mutilation of campaign materials.

(v) Candidates for the office of President and Vice President shall run as a ticket.  When submitting their candidacy petition, candidates for the offices of President and Vice President shall be required to name their running mate

(vi).Candidates for Chairman of the Judicial Board, Sophomore Representative, Junior Representative, and Undesignated Representative shall be prohibited from running as a ticket.  Candidates shall be guilty of running as a ticket should any campaign materials be produced listing the names of more than on candidate.

(vii)Candidates and their agents shall be prohibited from campaigning door-to-door in residence halls.

(viii) Candidates and their agents shall be prohibited from physically campaigning in University computing facilities during polling hours.

(ix) Specific building restrictions shall be as follows:

(a) Centennial Forum Student Union (CFSU): Posting shall be allowed in CFSU on the designated bulletin boards upon approval from the Information Desk.

(b) Dining Facilities: Posting shall be permitted in dining facilities upon receiving written approval from dining services staff.

(c) Dumbach Hall: Posting shall be permitted on all classroom and hallway bulletin boards. Posting is prohibited on building walls.

(d) Mundelein Center. Candidates shall use personal discretion when campaigning and posting in this academic building, and maintain professionalism. Preventing the functioning of this building shall be prohibited.

(e) Cudahy Science. Campaigning and posting in Cudahy Science shall be prohibited.

(f) Sullivan Center for Student Services. Campaigning and posting in Sullivan shall be prohibited.

(g) Life Science Building. Posting on floor bulletin boards shall be allowed upon the approval of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office. Posting of fliers is permitted on classroom bulletin boards. Campaigning is prohibited in the building proper.

(h) Residence Halls. Materials for posting shall be submitted to the Department of Residence Life for approval and posting.

(i) Libraries. Campaigning shall be prohibited in Cudahy and Lewis libraries, as well as the Information Commons.

(j) Terry Student Center. Postings shall be submitted for approval and posting to the information desk.

(k) Maguire Hall and Corboy Law Center. Posting shall be permitted on classroom and floor bulletin boards in these academic buildings.

(l) Outdoors. The use of sidewalk chalk is prohibited.

(m) Posting shall be prohibited on boards maintained by Academic Departments in all University buildings.

(D) Endorsements

Any Registered Student Organization (except USGA) may endorse one or more candidates for office. A letter of endorsement signed by the President of the organization shall be required to be submitted to the Election Board before the candidate may claim the endorsement or the organization may take any action publicly supporting the candidate. Upon receipt of a letter of endorsement, the endorsing organization becomes an agent of the candidate, making the candidate responsible for the actions of the organization. Standard rules regarding running as a ticket apply to actions taken by endorsing organizations.

(E) Polling Violations. The following actions or conspiracy to commit the following actions shall be polling violations, subjecting the candidate to the imposition of sanctions by the election board.

(i) Vote Buying. The buying of votes shall be prohibited. Any candidate or their agents who knowingly gives or lends or promises to give or lend any money or other non de minimis consideration to any voter shall be in violation of the prohibition on vote buying.

(ii) Promise for Vote. It shall be prohibited for any candidate or their agent to knowingly promise to cause or support the appointment of any person to any University public or private office or to perform or refrain from performing any official act. Such actions shall be in violation of the prohibition on promise for vote.

(iii) Selling of Vote. It shall be prohibited for any candidate or their agent to vote for or against any other candidate in consideration for any gift, loan, or other non de minimis consideration including a promise to cause or support the appointment of any person to any University, public or private office. Such actions shall be in violation of the prohibition on selling of vote.

(iv)Prevention of Voting or Candidate Support. It shall be prohibited for any candidate or their agent to prevent any person from lawfully voting, or supporting or opposing the nomination or election of any candidate to USGA office through the use of force, intimidation, threat, deception or forgery. Such actions shall be in violation of the prohibition on prevention of voting or candidate support.

(v) Voting more than once. It shall be prohibited for any candidate or their agent to submit, cause to be submitted, or aid in the submission of a ballot by an individual who has previously voted in the current election.

(vi)Mutilation of Election Materials. It shall be prohibited for any candidate or their agent or person delegated by the University to assist with the elections to destroy, mutilate, deface, falsify, forge, conceal, or remove any record, register of voters, affidavit, election results, ballot, or any document or computer program which is used or preserved in connection with any election. Such actions shall be in violation of the prohibition on mutilation of election materials and may result in sanctions by the election board, the filing of charges through the University conduct system and/or local law enforcement as required.

(vii) Tampering with Voting Machines. It shall be prohibited for any candidate or their agent or person delegated by the University to assist with the elections to tamper with or aid in tampering with any machine or device used in connection with voting or the counting of votes so as to interfere with the proper functioning of such device, to alter the results recorded or intended to be recorded on such device, or to record or cause to be recorded votes which are not cast legally. Such actions shall be in violation of the prohibition on tampering with voting machines.

§ 6 The Ballot

(A) The ballot shall include all open positions for that election, broken down by position, with candidates listed in random order in a manner determined by the Election Board.

(B) An extra spot shall be included for every position so that voters may cast a write-in vote.

(C) The Election Board shall oversee the inclusion of referenda on the ballot. Referenda may be composed of any specific question regarding the undergraduate community, or the polices or structure of the USGA. Referenda shall be placed upon the ballot upon majority approval of the Senate or by submission of a signed petition of 500 or more verified Loyola University Chicago undergraduate students. Referenda which win majority approval are of equal weight to a USGA Resolution or Bill, and may not be vetoed by the President.

§ 7 Election Board

(A) Composition. The Election Board shall consist of five members nominated and elected by the Senate. Members may be current USGA members or other students. No individual who is a candidate for election and/or is participating in the campaign of any other individual for office in the USGA shall be nominated for or serve on the Election Board.

(B) Officers. The members of the Election Board shall assign the following positions to specific members of the Election Board:

(i) A Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be responsible for conducting meeting and hearings of the Election Board.

(ii) A Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the Minutes and other records of the Election Board’s proceedings.

(C) Powers. The Election Board shall have the power to interpret the laws of the USGA regarding the conduct of elections. The Election Board shall have the power to conduct hearings to determine if a candidate has violated the laws regarding the conduct of elections. The Election Board shall maintain a journal of all proceedings.

(D) Sanctions Imposed. The Election Board shall have the power to impose sanctions on candidates for violation of the laws regarding the conduct of elections as follows:

(i) a minor Offense. For a minor offense, the Election Board may impose sanctions on a candidate up to and including limitations on the type, quantity, and location of campaigning.

(ii) a major Offense. For a major offense, the Election Board may impose sanctions on a candidate up to and including removing the candidate from the Ballot.

(iii)All sanctions imposed by the election board may be appealed by the candidate to the Judicial Board.

§ 8 Election Procedures

(A) All general elections shall be conducted by an electronic or computer based medium.

(B) The Candidate who receives the plurality of votes for a position shall be the winner of that election. When a position calls for multiple candidates to be elected, the candidates receiving the highest vote counts shall be the winners.

(i) In the event of a tie the election shall be determined by a 2/3 majority vote of the Senate.

(C) Fall elections

(i) Candidates Meetings shall be conducted between Monday and Wednesday of the second week from the beginning of the fall semester.

(ii) Campaigning shall begin at 12:01 AM on Monday of the third week from the beginning of the fall semester and shall conclude at 11:59 PM on Sunday of the fourth week from the beginning of the fall semester.

(iii)Voting shall be conducted on the Monday of the fourth week from the beginning of the fall semester, and the results shall be posted when available that week. Exact dates on which voting shall be conducted shall be established by the Election Board.

(D) Spring elections

(i) Candidates Meetings shall be conducted between Monday and Wednesday of the sixth week before the beginning of final exams.

(ii) Campaigning shall begin at 12:01 AM on Monday of the sixth week before the beginning of final exams and shall conclude at 11:59 PM on Sunday of the fourth week before the beginning of final exams.

(iii) The Election Board shall hold a public election rally at a time and location of their choice during the period in which campaigning is permitted. Candidates shall be provided an opportunity to speak and answer questions at this rally.

(iv)Voting shall be conducted four weeks before the beginning of final exams, and the results shall be posted when available the fourth week before the beginning of final exams. Exact dates on which voting is to be conducted shall be established by the Election Board.

§ 9 Rights of Candidates

(A) Publication of Election Results. All election results shall be made available to all candidates.

(B) Right of Grievance. All candidates shall have the right to file a grievance with the Election Board before or during the elections. The Election Board shall hear all grievances, and shall take proper action.

§ 10 Senate Approval of the Election.

The Senate shall vote to approve the results of the Election. Candidates shall have the right to file a grievance with the Speaker of the Senate which shall be heard at the next Senate Session. Should the Senate not approve the results of the election at the first meeting after the publication of election results, the results shall be sent to the Judicial Board.

§ 11 Internal Elections

(A) Open positions within the USGA between elections may be filled through a process of internal elections as determined by the Speaker of the Senate.

(B) Executive Officers. The Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Communications Officer, the Chief Judicial Officer, and other associated presidential appointments, shall be filled through an application and nomination process.  After conferring with the Vice President and the USGA Advisor, the President shall, from a pool of applicants, nominate to the Senate one candidate for each position, which the Senate shall confirm or reject with a majority vote.

 

Title 3 The Legislative Code

§ 1 The Senate

(A) Membership and Attendance

(i)Senators shall notify the Chief Judicial Officer and Speaker of the Senate at least 24 hours in advance of any anticipated absence or truancy. Emergencies will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Senators who fail to notify the Speaker and Chief Judicial Officer of their absence or truancy will be referred to the Judicial Board.

(ii) No senator may accrue excused absences totaling one fourth of the scheduled meetings. Senators who accrue excused absences of one fourth of scheduled meetings will be referred to the Judicial Board.

(iii) The Speaker of the Senate shall be the sole determiner of whether or not an absence or truancy is excused.

(iv) Being truant shall be defined as arriving more than 15 minutes after the Senate session has been called to order. All Senators who arrive late to Senate must speak with the Speaker of the Senate and provide a reason for their truancy. Senators who fail to do so will be referred to the Judicial Board for action.

(v) Senators who accumulate excessive truancies, as determined by the Speaker of the Senate, will be referred to the Judicial Board for action.

(B) Meetings and Agendas

(i) Regular senate sessions shall be on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m., during the Fall and Spring Semesters. The Speaker shall specify the meeting locations, and furnish that information to the Department of Communications.

(ii) At the Senate’s first meeting it shall from its membership nominate and elect a Speaker. Until such time, the President shall serve as the interim chairperson.

(iii)The Senate shall follow this agenda at its regular meetings:

(a) Call to Order and Roll Call

(b) Approval of Minutes

(c) Audience to Visitors

(d) Unfinished Business

(e) Legislation

(f) New Business and Discussion

(g) Advisors Report

(h) The Executive Committee Report

(i) Judicial Report

(j) The Academic Committee Report

(k) The Allocations Committee Report

(l) The Facilities and Transportation Committee Report

(m) The Justice Committee Report

(n) The Safety and Wellness Committee Report

(o) Special Committee Reports

(p) Announcements

(iv)Parliamentary Authority

(a) In the conduct of the meetings of the USGA Senate, the most current edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall prevail except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws.

§ 2 Standing Committees

(A) Membership and Attendance

(i) The standing committees shall be subsidiary legislative bodies of the USGA, limited to their specific topics and their specific members.

(ii) Every Senator shall be a voting member of one committee and shall be registered as such. All committees, except the Allocations Committee, shall be open for all to participate in, however only Senators registered to a given committee may vote in that committee.

(iii)Committee Assignments

(a) Spring Elections.

After spring elections, and immediately after the election of a Speaker, Senators shall be assigned to committees proportionally by a system determined by the Speaker, and approved by the Senate.

(b) Fall Elections.

After fall elections, newly elected Senators shall be assigned to committees proportionally by a system determined by the Speaker, and approved by the Senate.

(c) Internal Elections.

After an internal election, newly elected Senators shall be assigned to committees by a system determined by the Speaker, and approved by the Senate.

(B) Committee Structure

(i) All committees shall elect from its own membership a chairperson to organize and facilitate its meetings and business. The chairperson shall be elected during the first committee meeting of the new Senate term.

(ii) During this meeting the committee shall further create committee by-laws to which they will be bound for the duration of the Senate term.  These committee by-laws shall include, but are not limited to:

• • • • A committee attendance policy.  This policy shall enumerate the number of excused absences that are permitted to a committee member as well as what shall constitute an excused absence from a committee meeting or event.
      • The process for selecting a chairperson and the process for removing a chair if he proves to be deficient in his duties.
      • The date and time of all regular committee meetings.
      • Responsibilities which will be expected from all members of the committee, and which the committee members will be bound to fulfill.

(iii)  All committee by-laws shall be submitted to the Speaker of the Senate and the Chairman of the Judicial Board following the first meeting of the term for approval.  All committee by-laws shall fall under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Board once they are approved by the Speaker and Chairman of the Judicial Board.

(C) Meetings and Agendas

(i) Committees shall meet no less than once a week at a time and place specified in the committee by-laws.  The committee shall provide to the Senate and the Department of Communications detailed written reports of their meetings and business.

(ii) After each meeting the Chairperson shall submit a committee report with the Secretary of the Senate by a deadline established by the Speaker of the Senate.

(iii) Committee members shall attend all committee meetings except where excused by the committee by-laws.

(iv) Committees shall organize Tabling events a minimum of two times a semester. Tabling shall be reserving space in a populated area of either the Lake Shore or Water Tower Campus and there standing present to answer questions, distribute material, or gather feedback pertinent to the committee or the USGA.

(D) Parliamentary Authority

(i) In the conduct of the meetings of USGA committees, the Chairperson may establish the rules of order that shall prevail except as otherwise provided by law.

§ 3 The Legislative Process

(A) Drafting and Sponsoring Legislation

(i) All legislation shall be submitted with completed cover sheet to the Speaker of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, the President of the USGA, and the Chairman of the Judicial Board no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled Senate meeting at which the legislation shall be considered.  Blank cover sheets for bills and resolutions shall be found at the end of this title.

(ii) Legislation shall have a chief sponsor, who shall give the first argument in favor of the legislation when it is brought to the table of the Senate.

(iii) Legislation shall be co-sponsored by either a committee or by five senators before it can be brought to the table of the Senate.

(iv) Only Senators or Committees shall sponsor legislation. A committee sponsors a piece of legislation when the membership of that committee votes to do so, and writes the committee’s name onto the legislation’s cover sheet. A Senator sponsors a piece of legislation by signing her name onto the legislation’s cover sheet. Senators or Committees shall only sponsor a piece of legislation if they feel comfortable voting in favor of the legislation at the time that they agree to sponsor it.

(v) Legislation shall be written including clauses that enumerate the purpose of and reason for the legislation beginning in “Whereas;” for example: “Whereas the student body asks that its needs are considered;” and clauses that enumerate the action of the legislation beginning in “Therefore be it resolved by the Unified Student Government Association that;” for example: “Therefore be it resolved by the Unified Student Government Association that the student body’s needs are considered.”

(B) Debating Legislation and Motions

(i) When a piece of legislation or a motion is brought to the table, the chief sponsor of the legislation or the maker of the motion shall speak first in favor of it. Subsequent debate will follow a negative/affirmative cycle. Debate shall end only after a successful motion to move to the previous question.

(ii) A person may only speak twice on a single question.

(C) Voting on Legislation and Motions

(i) Electronic Voting

After debate has completed and the Senate has moved to the previous question, the Speaker shall open the vote using the I-Clicker devices issued to each Senator.  The Speaker shall state the specifics for the current vote, including the values for each button of the I-Clicker and any other information that is pertinent to the vote.  Following the vote, the Speaker shall announce the outcome.  In order to pass, the legislation or motion must receive more affirmative votes than negatives, abstentions counting as a non-vote.

(ii) Vote by Roll Call

The Speaker shall conduct a roll call vote at the request of a Senator. A Senator may ask for a roll call vote by saying, “I Move for a Roll Call Vote on the previous question.” This Motion does not require a second. The Speaker shall then proceed to recite the roll, with each senator voicing her vote after hearing her name. The Speaker shall record the votes as they are said. After taking tally and recording it, the Speaker shall ask if any member would like to change her vote. After re-tallying, if necessary, the Speaker shall announce the result of the vote. In order to pass, the legislation or motion must receive more affirmative votes than negatives and abstentions.

 

 

Unified Student Government Association

Loyola University Chicago

 

 

 

Legislation of the Senate

Bill Cover Sheet

_____–_____–_____

To be filed by the Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ________ Act

Purpose of the Act

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chiefly Sponsored By

Cosponsored by the Committee of

 

 

Unified Student Government Association

Loyola University Chicago

 

 

 

 

Legislation of the Senate

Resolution Cover Sheet

_____–_____–_____

To be filed by the Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The _________ Act

Purpose of the Act

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chiefly Sponsored By

Cosponsored by (the Committee of)

 

Title 4 The Executive Code

§ 1 The Executive Committee

(A) The President

(i) The effectiveness of the government shall be the President’s primary responsibility.

(ii) The President may choose to establish administrative procedures, job description, commissions, or groups which he deems necessary for the effective and efficient administration of the USGA. Such Executive Orders shall stand permanent until changed by the Senate or succeeding Executive Orders.

(iii) The President shall ratify Bills and Resolutions by affixing his signature upon them.

(iv) The President shall have the power to directly veto a Bill or Resolution in part or in full to the Senate after it is passed by issuing a written statement indicating the desire to do so.

(a) If the President fails to sign a Bill or Resolution within 13 days of its approval by Senate, it shall be deemed vetoed.

(b) At a scheduled Senate meeting, the President shall submit and present specific written recommendations for change on a vetoed Bill or Resolution within 14 days of the legislation’s initial passing.

(v) The President shall be responsible for compiling a written report of the action of the Executive Committee and providing a written report to the Secretary of the Senate no less than 48 hours before the weekly Senate meetings.

(B) The Vice President

(i)  The Vice president shall oversee all UPC’s.

(ii) In the absence of a CSO, the vice president shall serve as the chief executive of CAN, until the election of a CSO.

(iii) The Vice President shall make a monthly report regarding the actions of the various University Policy Councils.

(C) The Chief Financial Officer

(i) The CFO shall attend all Allocations Committee meetings to act as an advisor. Only in the event of a tie shall the CFO have a vote.

(ii) The CFO shall be charged with the maintenance and management of the USGA budget in accordance with The Financial Code.

(iii) The CFO shall participate in quarterly sweeps of student organization accounts with SAGA.

(D) The Chief Communications Officer

(i) The CCO shall be charged with the professional and punctual production of a biweekly newsletter.

(ii) The CCO shall appoint a Webmaster and a Public Relations Coordinator to be approved by majority vote of the Senate.

(iii) The CCO or his designee shall record the minutes of the executive committee.

(E) The Chief of Student Organizations

(i) The CSO shall be internally elected from the membership of the Campus Activity Network in a manner established by the Vice President at the second CAN meeting.

(F) The Campus Activities Network

(i) CAN shall be composed of representatives from all registered student organizations, and will be chaired by the CSO.  CAN shall serve as a forum for student organizations to bring forth issues pertaining to their affairs, and shall meet at a time and place determined by the CSO.  CAN shall seek to bring student organizations together to allow them to more effectively pursue their goals as well as to connect them to the USGA so that their needs can be more effectively addressed.

(G) Chief Judicial Officer

(i) The Chief Judicial Officer shall maintain parliamentary order in all sessions of the Senate.  The Chief Judicial Officer shall also be charged with investigating all instances worthy of censure or impeachment.  The Chief Judicial Officer shall be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

(H) Other Associated Executive Positions

(i) The President reserves the right to create and fill positions that are necessary and proper to the functioning of the Executive Committee.

(I) Removing Executive Committee Members

(i) The President reserves the right to remove positions of his committee, however the decision to remove an executive member must be sustained by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.

§ 2 Department of Communications

(A) The appointed Webmaster shall be charged with maintaining and updating the USGA website with minutes, legislation, events, and updated contact information for all USGA members.

(B) A USGA newsletter shall be published at least twice a semester and contain progress reports from the Speaker of the Senate, Chairman of the Judicial Board, CCO, CFO, CSO, Vice President, and the President.

 

Title 5 The Financial Code

§ 1 Mission

The mission of the Financial Code shall be to provide policies and procedures for the effective management of all USGA Funds.

§ 2 Office of Financial Affairs

(A) Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer shall serve as an advisor to the Allocations Committee and the Budget Special Committee, and be tasked with managing and maintaining the USGA financial accounts and transactions.

§ 3 USGA Funds

(A) Funds

(i) General Fund

The General Fund shall provide resources for the general operations of the USGA. The General Fund shall operate based on line items pursuant to §3(C)(ii)(b).

(ii) Student Activity Fund

The Student Activity Fund (SAF) shall provide resources to be allocated to student organizations as provided by §4. The Student Activities Fund is a pool fund as described in §3(C)(ii)(a).

(B) Budgeting

The Vice President of Student Affairs of Loyola University Chicago shall issue the budget to the Unified Student Government Association.

(i) Drafting of the Budget

The Budget Special Committee shall be charged with drafting the USGA Budget, consisting of the General Fund, the Student Activities Fund, and the Reserve Fund. The Budget Special Committee shall consult with the relevant officers concerning the individual funds. The structure of the funds is defined in §3(C)(iii).

(ii) Senate approval of the Budget

After the budget has been drafted, it must be sent before the Senate as a bill sponsored by the Budget Special Committee. The Budget Special Committee shall provide an assessment of the current budget and budget draft for the upcoming year. If the bill is rejected, the Budget Special Committee must submit a new budget at the following Senate session.

(C) Accounting Systems

All USGA financial affairs shall adhere to the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) shall be the record of all expenditures from the USGA budget, tracking the status and transactions of all USGA fund. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer to maintain the GAAP. The outgoing and incoming Chief Financial Officer shall create an appropriate GAAP for the upcoming year.

(i) Line Items

Line items are to provide funding for particular functions or programs of the USGA. Each line item shall be assigned to the appropriate officer. Expenditures from a line item may only be used for their named function by the officer or their designee.

(ii) Pool Funds

(a) Student Activity Fund

The Student Activity Fund shall be a pool of funds to be allocated to eligible student organizations pursuant to §4. The activity of the Student Activity Fund shall be tracked through the SAF Tracker as a component of the GAAP.

(b) General Fund

The General fund shall be a pool of funds to be allocated pursuant to §5. It shall be held as a balance in the GAAP.

 

§ 4 The Student Activity Fund

(A) Allocation Authority

The Senate of the Unified Student Government Association shall be the appropriator of the Student Activity Fund (SAF). Eligible Student Organizations, as determined by Student Activities & Greek Affairs (SAGA), may request funding from the Student Activity Fund through Annual Budget Requests and through Special Funding Requests.  All funding must conform to University Policy to be eligible for allocation.

(B) SAF Allocations Meeting

The Allocations Committee shall meet Mondays at 5:30 PM on dates determined by SAGA to hold hearings with student organizations on pending special funding requests and to prepare allocation recommendations for the Senate. The Allocations Committee shall meet at the end of the academic year to hold hearings with student organizations on pending annual budget requests and to prepare allocation recommendations for the Senate.

(C) Special Funding Requests

Special Funding Requests are requests for SAF funding for programs and services that arise during the course of the year. Organizations may submit a special funding request form (SFR) to SAGA by Friday at 12:00 PM. The SFR is distributed to members of the Allocations committee for its next regular meeting.

(D) Annual Budgets

Annual budgets are requests to provide SAF funding for an organization’s annual programs as well as Start-up funding. The Annual Budget process occurs each spring semester in which requests are made for the following academic year. Deadlines for submissions shall be determined by SAGA.  After hearing annual budget requests, the Allocations committee shall prepare a preliminary allocation recommendation. After hearing any rehearing requests, a final allocation recommendation will be prepared and submitted to the Senate.

(E) Budget Transfers

Budget Transfers are requests made by student organizations to transfer funds within a program; not across programs. Student organizations desiring to alter the amount of funding allocated within a funding category shall submit a Budget Transfer Form to SAGA.  The Budget Transfer request will be heard at the next regular Allocations Committee meeting. The request may be approved in whole, in part, or may be denied.  Requests exceeding $1000, or fundamentally altering the premise of the budget proposal, must be re-submitted as a new Special Funding Request.

(F) Senate Oversight

(i) The Chairperson of the Allocations Committee shall present the Senate with a summary sheet of allocations recommendations with vote counts, as well as a copy of the “Program Detail and Justification Form” for each event.

(ii)All USGA members shall announce conflicts of interest regarding SAF allocations during Allocations Committee and Senate meetings and recuse themselves from the vote. Failure to do so could result in judicial action.

(iii) As the official appropriator of the Student Activity Fund, the Senate has oversight authority over all allocations. The Senate must approve, amend, or reject all final recommendations of the Allocations Committee.

(iv)The Senate may hold hearings to determine Registered Student Organization compliance with USGA and SAF policies, and may audit individual events.

(v) The full Senate shall receive a briefing at the beginning of each new academic year concerning allocation protocols and the budget guidelines to facilitate their role as appropriator of student funds.

(G) Appeals

(i) SFR and Budget Transfers

(a)    Organizations may file an appeal of the Allocation Committee’s funding recommendations with the Senate. An organization that wishes to appeal a funding recommendation must turn in an appeals form to SAGA within ten business days of the allocation decision. If the student organization has made fundamental changes to the budget proposal, the proposal shall be re-submitted to the Allocations Committee.  In the absence of any fundamental changes to the petitioning student organization’s funding request, it shall be placed onto the agenda for the next Senate session.

(b) During an appeal to the Senate the Chair of the Allocation Committee shall present a detailed report on the rationale for the Committee’s decision.  The student organization shall then have the opportunity to present their case before the Senate.

(c) Any sustained appeals shall be communicated to SAGA and the pertinent student organization within 24 hours of the Senate’s vote by the Chair of the Allocations Committee.

(ii) Annual Budgets

(a) Rehearing Request

Organizations which have been asked to supply additional information or desire to provide addition information or clarification may request a rehearing with the Allocations Committee by scheduling an appointment with the SAGA office within deadlines established by the SAGA office.

(b) Annual Budget Appeals

Student Organizations may appeal the funding decision of the Senate by submitting an appeals form to the SAGA office within five days of the Senate allocation. The petitioning student organization shall then be placed onto the agenda for the next Senate session. The appeal process shall be determined by the Speaker.

(H) Funding Guidelines

The budget guidelines shall be created by SAGA and the Allocations Committee and a copy of said guidelines will be given to the President and the Chief Justice.

(I) Additional Rules and Regulations

Additional rules and regulations may be prepared by the Unified Student Government Association in conjunction with SAGA. The USGA Code and such additional rules and regulations shall be published as “Funding Guidelines” and shall hold the full force and effect of law following approval through the Senate and Judicial Board.

§ 5 Approval and Oversight

(A) General Fund Access

Access to the General Fund is limited to officers in the interests of fiscal management and responsibility. The Chief Financial Officer and the President shall authorize all transactions.

(B) Reporting Expenditures

All transactions must be reported to the Chief Financial Officer for the effective management of the budget, accompanied by a receipt as soon as possible. Repeated failure to submit receipts within five business days shall be considered grounds for judicial action.

(C) Financial Status Reports

The Chief Financial Officer shall prepare a report to be submitted to the Senate on a weekly basis. This report shall detail the status and activity of all USGA financial accounts based on the information provided by the GAAP. This report shall be published on the USGA Website.

(D) Intra-Fund Transfers

Intra-Fund transfers are transfers of monies between lines in a single fund within the General Fund.  The President and the Chief Financial Officer must approve line transfers.

(E) Inter-Fund Transfers

Inter-Fund transfers are transfers of monies between the three USGA funds. Inter-Fund transfers must be approved by the USGA Senate.

 

Title 6 The USGA Judicial Board

§ 1 The Judicial Board is tasked with the maintenance of all internal USGA documents, including but not limited to the USGA by-laws and Committee by-laws.  The Judicial Board shall also ensure that all USGA actions conform to established University policy and the USGA by-laws.  The Board retains the power of Judicial Review over all legislation and Executive Orders.  The Board shall further hear all complaints brought against members of the USGA and shall issue rulings in those cases brought before them.  The Board shall hear all cases in involving the proper and efficient administration of the USGA brought before them by the Chief Judicial Officer.

§ 2 A complete record of each meeting shall be included in a Judicial Board Report.  This report, which shall include, but is not limited to, the status of bills and resolutions passed by the Senate and Judicial Rulings and Opinions on complaints filled by the Chief Judicial Officer, shall be disseminated to the entire student government within 24 hours after each meeting of the Judicial Board

 

Title 7 Amendments

§ 1 The Code may be amended by a majority vote of the USGA Senate, at any scheduled meeting of the USGA Senate.

§ 2 The proposed amendment to the USGA Code shall be submitted in writing at the scheduled meeting of the USGA Senate prior to the meeting at which the amendment shall be considered. A copy of the proposed amendment shall be distributed at the time of its proposal.

§ 3 All Amendments to this document shall be listed in consecutive order at the end of this document after being approved by the Vice President of Student Development.