Title 1 – The Legislature
Title 2 – The Executive
Title 3 – The Judiciary
Title 4 - Auxiliary Officers
Title 5 – Amendments
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Title 1 The Legislature
§ 1 The Senate
As the elected representatives of the undergraduate student body, all legislative power shall be vested in the Senate. The Senate shall have the duty and power to legislate policies in order to carry out the Mission of the USGA, and for the general welfare of the Loyola University Chicago undergraduate student body. The Senate shall vote on the approval of all Executive nominations.
§ 2 Legislative Authority
(A) Legislations
(i) Bills
The Senate may enact legislation concerning governmental rules, regulations, and policies, or to amend USGA bylaws, which shall take the form of a bill.
(ii) Resolutions
The Senate may enact legislation to express the official opinion of the Loyola University undergraduate student body, which shall take the form of a resolution.
(B) Veto Override
The Senate shall have the authority to override a veto of the President by a two-thirds majority vote.
§ 3 Members
There shall be 35 undergraduate members elected to the Senate. Senators shall be responsible for the representation of their constituents before the Senate and Loyola University Chicago community. Senate membership shall be composed as follows:
(A) Seven Freshman Senators
(B) Seven Sophomore Senators
(C) Seven Junior Senators
(D) Seven Senior Senators
(E) Seven Undesignated Senators
(F) Temporary Undesignated Senators
(a) Open Senator shall be transformed to Temporary Undesignated Senator positions. These positions shall cease to exist upon the start of the Spring Election and said positions shall not be added to the ballot. Temporary Undesignated Senators shall be called Undesignated Senators and shall be called by their original name only in reference to when the position is being voted on.
§ 4 Officers of the Senate
(A) Speaker of the Senate
The Speaker of the Senate shall be the chairperson of the Senate, internally nominated and elected from the membership of the Senate. The Speaker shall relinquish her ability to sponsor legislation, participate in debate, and shall vote only in the case of a tie. The Speaker shall be responsible for setting the agenda at all Senate meetings, as well as maintaining order in accordance with the most current edition of Roberts Rules of Order, and with the USGA Bylaws.
(B) Secretary of the Senate
The Secretary of the Senate shall be nominated by a member of the Senate and shall be approved by a majority vote of the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate shall organize senate agendas, record the senate minutes, and provide the necessary materials to the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate shall not sponsor legislation, debate, or vote.
(C) Speaker Pro Tempore
The Speaker Pro Tempore, hereafter referred to as the Pro Temp, shall be a Senator elected by a simple majority of the Senate. The Pro Temp shall assist the Speaker in his duties and shall assume the role of the Speaker in the event of the Speaker’s absence or dismissal. The Pro Temp may participate in debate, introduce legislation, and vote, except when he is acting as Speaker during a Senate session.
§ 5 Meetings
(A) Regular Sessions
(i) The Senate shall convene weekly during the regular academic term.
(B) Special Sessions
The Senate may convene for a Special Session upon recommendation by the Speaker of the Senate or the President and approved by the majority of Senate members.
(C) Emergency Sessions
The Senate shall convene for an Emergency Session upon the joint order of the President and the Speaker of the Senate.
(D) Quorum
Quorum of the Senate shall be constituted by a plurality of seated senators.
§ 6 Standing Committees
(A) Meetings
Standing Committees shall meet on a regular basis throughout the academic year and shall provide a written report at each regular session of the Senate.
(B) Membership
(i)Each Senator shall be appointed by the Speaker to serve on a single standing committee. The membership of each of the standing committees shall elect a Chairperson.
(ii) Committee Bylaws: At the first meeting each standing committee shall establish bylaws to facilitate the efficient operation of the committee for the appointed term. These bylaws shall include but are not limited to meeting time, attendance, and disciplinary procedures. These aforementioned bylaws shall be submitted to the Chief Judicial Officer and the Judicial Board before the next scheduled Senate meeting.
(C) The Standing Committees shall be:
(i) Academic Affairs
The Academic Affairs Committee shall be concerned with academic issues at Loyola University Chicago, including, but not limited to, classes, curriculum, finals scheduling, library services, University Core requirements, and major/minor requirements. The Academic Affairs Committee shall also be the primary representative of the USGA to the Academic Council.
(ii) Allocations
The Allocations Committee shall hear Student Activity Funds requests from Registered Student Organizations, and prepare allocation recommendations for the Senate. The Allocations Committee may review and propose changes to the Funding Guidelines as necessary.
(iii) Facilities and Transportation
The Facilities and Transportation Committee shall be concerned with issues regarding campus facilities and transportation services, including, but not limited to, 8-Ride, Inter-Campus Shuttles, room reservations, and building maintenance.
(iv) Justice
The Justice Committee shall be concerned with issues of social justice, environmental sustainability, and issues of Catholic and Jesuit identity at Loyola University Chicago.
(v) Residence Life and Dining
The Residence Life and Dining Committee shall be concerned with issues including but not limited to Residence Hall policies, and dining services on campus.
(vi) Safety and Wellness
The Safety and Wellness Committee shall be concerned with issues including but not limited to issues of safety on campus and in the neighborhood, and student health, and shall be the primary representative of the USGA to the Wellness Center and Campus Safety.
§ 7 Special Committees
(A) Members and Procedure
A Special Committee shall be activated by order of the Senate, or as prescribed by law. Five or more members shall be nominated and confirmed by the Senate to each of the following special committees. At the first meeting of all special committees, the membership shall pass by-laws which shall govern the committee for its duration. These by-laws must be submitted to the Chairman of the Judicial Board for judicial approval and shall thereafter be maintained by the Judicial Board. Once activated, Special Committees shall provide a written report to the Secretary of the Senate no less than 48 hours before the weekly Senate meetings.
(B) The Special Committees shall be:
(i) Budget
The Budget Special Committee shall be concerned with preparing the annual budget of the USGA, after an amount is determined by the Vice President of Student Affairs.
(ii) Constitutional Review
The Constitutional Review Special Committee shall be concerned with evaluating the status and effectiveness of the USGA bylaws.
(iii) Elections Board
The Elections Board shall convene prior to and be concerned with the administration of all USGA elections. All members standing in the election for which the Elections Board has convened shall be prohibited from serving as members of this Board.
§ 8 Ad-Hoc Committees
Ad-Hoc Committees may be established as needed by order of the President, the Speaker of the Senate, or by majority vote of the Senate. Once established, ad-hoc committees shall provide a written report to the Secretary of the Senate no less than 48 hours before the weekly Senate meetings.
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Title 2 The Executive
§ 9 All executive authority and power shall be vested in the executive branch. The executive branch shall have the duty and power to carry out actions and implement changes as legislated by the Senate.
§ 10 President
(A) Executive Power
As the elected undergraduate student body president, the President shall have executive power and responsibility for the effective and efficient administration of the affairs of the USGA and the leadership of the Loyola University Chicago undergraduate student body. The President shall nominate student representatives to the board of trustee subcommittees to the Senate. The President shall nominate to the Senate individuals to any vacant appointee positions. The President shall be the official spokesperson of the USGA, and shall serve on the University Coordinating Committee.
(B) Executive Order
The President shall have the authority to issue Executive Orders to further the official governance of the USGA. All Executive Orders shall conform to the USGA bylaws.
(C) Veto Power
The President shall have the power to veto Bills and Resolutions that have been passed by the Senate. The President shall return vetoed bills or resolutions to the Senate with specific recommendations for change.
§ 11 Executive Committee
The President shall chair the Executive Committee composed of the following:
(A) Vice President
The Vice President shall assist the President in maintaining the efficient operation of the Executive Branch. In the event that the position of President is vacant, the Vice President shall become the President. The Vice President may also serve as Acting President at the written request of the President. The Vice President shall act as the liaison between UPC student representatives and the USGA, and shall make monthly reports to the Senate on the activity of the UPCs. He/she shall oversee the activities of USGA appointees.
(B) Chief Financial Officer
The Chief Financial Officer, hereafter referred to as the CFO, shall attend all Allocations Committee meetings act as an advisor to that committee. Only in the event of a tie shall the CFO have a vote in the Allocations Committee. The CFO shall be charged with the maintenance and management of the USGA budget in accordance with The Financial Code. This shall include delivering weekly reports to the Senate concerning the transactions and balances of the USGA financial accounts. Further, the CFO shall work with SAGA to complete quarterly sweeps of RSO accounts to reclaim any unused, yet allocated, funding to be reallocated by the Senate.
(C) Chief Communications Officer
The Chief Communications Officer, hereafter referred to as the CCO, shall manage the Department of Communications. The CCO shall be responsible for communicating the USGA agenda and actions to the student body. The CCO shall make weekly reports to the Senate regarding the activities of the Department of Communications.
(D) Chief of Student Organizations
The Chief of Student Organizations, hereafter referred to as the CSO, shall serve in an auxiliary role for student organizations, through the promotion of connections between organizations and as a student resource for these groups. The CSO shall also chair the Campus Activities Network, comprised of a representative from each registered student organization. He shall make a monthly report to the Senate regarding his activities pertaining to student organizations. The CSO shall be the primary liaison between student organizations and the USGA and administration of the university as needed.
(E) Chief Judicial Officer
The Chief Judicial Officer, hereafter referred to as the CJO, shall maintain parliamentary order in all sessions of the Senate. He shall investigate and enforce all censurable and impeachable acts of members of the USGA.
(F) Speaker of the Senate
The Speaker of the Senate shall be the primary representative of the Senate to the Executive Committee, attending Executive Committee meetings. The Speaker shall not have the power to vote within the Executive Committee. The Speaker shall give reports of the actions of the Senate. Responsibilities of the Speaker within the Executive Committee shall be determined in a meeting held between the President and the Speaker.
(G) Chairman of the Judicial Board
The Chairman of the Judicial Board shall serve as the primary Judicial advisor to the Executive Committee. The Chairman shall not have the power to vote within the Executive Committee. Responsibilities of the Chairman within the Executive Committee shall be determined in a meeting held between the President and the Chairman.
§ 12 The Cabinet
The Cabinet shall be chaired by the President and shall consist of the members of the Executive Committee (The Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Communications Officer, Chief of Student Organizations, Chief Judicial Officer, Speaker of the Senate, and Chairman of the Judicial Board) and the chairs of the standing Senate Committees. The chairmen of any ad hoc committee which the membership of the Cabinet deem appropriate to invite, may attend at the request of a majority of the Cabinet. The Cabinet shall serve as a coordinating body for the USGA. It shall convene bi-weekly at a time and place determined by the President of the USGA to discuss overall USGA strategy and vision. At the first meeting of the term, the Cabinet shall pass by-laws which shall govern the body for the duration of the year. These by-laws shall be submitted for approval to the Judicial Board and will be maintained by that body. The Cabinet shall also serve to foster collaboration between the three branches of the USGA.
§ 13 Campus Activities Network
The Campus Activities Network, hereafter referred to as CAN, shall be a body composed of one representative of each registered student organization. CAN shall serve the collective interest of Loyola student organizations. CAN meetings shall be held at the discretion of the CSO, though no less than once a semester. A general meeting shall be called to address an issue pertinent to general membership. The CSO has the ability to address concerns of individual student organizations outside the scope of CAN in the manner he deems appropriate.
§ 14 Appointed Positions
Appointed positions shall consisted or, but are not limited to, any student seat held on the Board of Trustees Committees, University Policy Committees, and other coordinating or search boards. The President shall have the right to appoint these positions with the consent of a plurality of seated members of the Senate. These appointees shall be tasked with representing the USGA and student body in their capacity as a student representative. They shall be under the purview of the Vice-President who shall report on their activities to the Senate. Any failure to properly represent the USGA shall result in Judicial action.
§ 15 Order of Succession
(a) If, by resignation or removal from office, there is neither a President or Vice-President to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, then the Speaker of the Senate shall, upon his resignation from the Senate, act as President.
(b) If, at the time when under subsection (a) of this section there is no Speaker of the Senate, then the Chairman of the Judicial Board shall, upon his resignation from the Judicial Board, act as President.
(c) An individual acting as President under this subsection shall continue to do so until the expiration of the current Presidential term.
(d) If by resignation or removal from office, the officers listed in subsections (a) and (b) are exhausted, an Emergency Internal Election shall be called to fill all vacant positions within the Order of Succession, as determined by the USGA Advisor.
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Title 3 The Judiciary
§ 1 USGA Judicial Board
The USGA Judicial Board shall be responsible for hearing motions of impeachment and censure that have been passed by the Senate, as well as any other alleged violations of the USGA Charter, Constitution, or Code. The USGA Judicial Board shall have the authority to exercise review of the constitutionality of any legislation passed by the Senate, or Executive Order issued by the President. The Judicial Board is in charge of maintaining an updated copy of the Charter, Constitution, and Code.
§ 2 Membership
(A) Chairman of the Judicial Board
The Chairman of the Judicial Board shall preside over all meetings of the Judicial Board. The Chairman, or his designee, shall provide a written report, which shall include dissenting opinions, if any, to the Senate no later than one week after issuing a ruling. The Chairman shall also serve as an advisor to the Executive Committee. The Chairman shall be elected by the student body at large.
(B) Associate Justices
Four Associate Justices shall serve on the USGA Judicial Board. The Associate Justices may write a concurring or dissenting opinion regarding a case heard by the Judicial Board. The President shall nominate Associate Justices for confirmation by the Senate.
§ 3 Misconduct
(A) Censure
A censure shall be a judicial reprimand of any member of the USGA. Censures shall be enacted through the following process:
(i) Any member of the Loyola University of Chicago community may file a complaint, which outlines the specific violation of the USGA charter, USGA Constitution or USGA code with the Chief Judicial Officer. A complaint shall be filed no less than 72 hours before the judicial meeting in which it be heard. The CJO shall notify the defendant no less than 36 hours prior to the judicial meeting in which it shall be heard.
(ii) The CJO shall conduct an investigation of all relevant parties. After investigation, he shall file a censure of the party under investigation with the Judicial Board if he sees fit.
(iii) The complaint shall be heard at the next scheduled Judicial meeting. The CJO shall present the USGA complaint and the defendant shall have the right to defend themselves. If the complaint is sustained, the Chairman of the Judicial Board shall present the ruling at the next scheduled Senate meeting.
(iv) After a member of the USGA receives his third censure, the Senate must review his misconduct and vote to file an impeachment complaint. This subject shall appear under “Unfinished Business” in the meeting’s agenda.
(v) The recipient of a censure may choose to appeal his censure to the Judicial Board on the grounds that no rule was, in fact, violated, or if there were mitigating factors, which shall be determined by the Judicial Board after the Board has announced the censure to the Senate.
(vi) The Judicial Board shall have the discretion to issue multiple censures should they deem it appropriate.
(B) Impeachment
Grounds for impeachment shall consist of failure to fulfill the duties of a member’s position as enumerated in the USGA By-Laws, and failure to conduct oneself in a manner befitting a member of the USGA. The impeachment process may be preceded by the equivalent of three censures.
(i) Impeachment complaints against any member of the USGA may only be filed by the CJO after being passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate. At this point, the USGA official in question shall be stripped of all privileges associated with his position, which shall include but are not limited to the capacity to vote in the Senate, until the Judicial Board issues a ruling in the case.
(ii) The Judicial Board shall be presented with pending impeachment complaints once they are voted on by the Senate, and shall hear the complaints at that meeting.
(iii) The Judicial Board may remove a member of the USGA from office should an Impeachment complaint be sustained.
(iv) Individuals who are impeached and removed from office shall be ineligible for any USGA elected or appointed position for the rest of that academic year.
(v) Individuals who have been removed from office retain the right to submit an appeal to the Judicial Board. Should the petition for appeal be granted, the Judicial Board shall hear the appeal the week following the original ruling.
(vi) While a case is being appealed, the defendant shall remain a member of the USGA under the conditions of his impeached status.
(C) Resignations
A resignation shall be deemed official once the resignee has tended his resignation in writing to the Chairman of the Judicial Board, President, and Speaker of the Senate. Should any individual choose to resign from USGA, he will need to seek judicial approval before elected or appointed to any USGA position for that academic year.
(D) Respect
(i) When any member of the USGA identifies himself as such, he shall not comport himself so as to reflect poorly on the USGA.
(a) To identify oneself as a member of the USGA shall include, but not limited to, introducing oneself as such or wearing USGA apparel.
(ii) At any University-affiliated event or meeting, each member of the USGA shall conduct himself in a professional manner and shall demonstrate proper respect for the USGA and its rules of order.
(iii) Violation of this section is punishable by censure. For all complaints, the Judicial Board may issue warnings, probation, or other disciplinary action as provided by law.
§ 4 Judicial Review
The USGA Judicial Board shall have the power of Judicial Review over the USGA Code. The Judicial Board is further charged with the maintenance of the USGA by-laws, committee by-laws, and all other internal USGA documents.
§ 5 Meetings and Agenda
(A) The USGA Judicial Board shall meet weekly at a time and location determined by the Chairman.
(B) All four Associate Justices and the Chairman must attend the meetings of the Judicial Board, exceeding no more than four (4) excused absences.
(C) Quorum for the Judicial Board requires attendance of the Chairman and two Associate Justices; all meetings will be closed to the public.
(D) Senators and members of the Executive may attend, but must be approved before the meeting by the Judicial Board.
(E) Meetings shall adhere to the following Agenda.
(i) Call to order and Roll Call.
(ii) Review pending cases.
(iii)Review passed legislation.
(iv)Hold Hearings
(F) Hearings shall adhere to the following Agenda.
(i) Pre-hearing motions
(ii) Introductory statements
(a) Plaintiff-five minutes
(b) Defendant-five minutes
(iii) Presentation of Plaintiff’s case-15 minutes
(iv) Presentation of Defendant’s case-15 minutes
(v) Closing arguments
(a) Plaintiff-five minutes
(b) Defendant-five minutes
§ 6 Rights of the Accused
(A) The accused shall be entitled to the following:
(i) To have prior knowledge of all the charges and have the charges explained clearly and fully at every point during the hearing,
(ii) To be informed of the names of the witnesses to testify against him,
(iii)To hear all testimony and see all written statements concerning the charges,
(iv)To refute statements made by witnesses and question them,
(v) To have a fair and prompt hearing,
(vi)To be notified promptly of the results of the hearing,
(vii) The opportunity to present a counter claim to the court, which will be handled as an original petition.
§ 7 Justice Removal
A member of the Judicial Board may be removed from office by a 2/3 majority of the Senate.
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Title 4 Auxiliary Officers
§ 1 Advisor to the USGA
The Division of Student Affairs shall appoint an Advisor to the USGA. The Advisor shall not have a vote in the USGA.
§ 2 Chaplain to the USGA
The Department of University Ministry may appoint a Chaplain to the USGA. The Chaplain shall not have a vote in the USGA.
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Title 5 Amendments
§ 1 The Constitution may be amended by 2/3 of USGA Senate members present voting in the affirmative, at any scheduled meeting of the USGA Senate.
§ 2 The proposed amendment to the USGA Constitution 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, following approval by the University’s Vice President of Student Development.
