WCSA Bylaws (March 2016)

Bylaws of the Westmont College Student Association

Section I: Job Descriptions

  1. The duties of the General Council include, but are not limited to the following:
  2. To represent the voice of the students to the faculty, staff and administration by serving as an advisory body to the WCSA President.
  3. To discuss and vote on all proposals submitted to WCSA within a manner deemed appropriate by the council from the time the proposal was submitted.
  4. To approve each semester, by a majority vote, a budget to guide the distribution of WCSA funds and to appropriate funds accordingly.
  5. To approve all monetary expenses and allocations within WCSA in accordance with the approved budget.
  6. To oversee and conduct elections for the General Council of the following school year.
  7. To oversee incoming First Year Senator Elections during the fall semester.
  8. To approve Executive Council appointments to vacant or unelected offices by a majority vote.
  9. To discuss current campus events and concerns of the students.
  10. To keep detailed and comprehensive records of duties and actions, to be appropriately filed in the WCSA office in the form of a year-end report.
  11. To codify and catalog all WCSA bylaws.
  12. Executive Board
  13. President
  14. The President represents the student body to the faculty, staff, administration, and the Santa Barbara community. This representation will be fulfilled by the President’s presence on college committees and in presentations to various administrators, faculty, alumni, and/or parent groups. The President will oversee WCSA by leading weekly executive meetings and evaluating all major decisions made by the organization.
  15. The duties of the President include, but are not limited to, the following:
  16. Attend all meetings of the Executive Council and Senate
  17. Serve as the official representative of the students to the faculty, staff, administration, and the Santa Barbara community.
  18. Preside over and set the agenda for WCSA Executive Council meetings.
  19. Cast a vote on every Executive Council decision that comes to a vote.
  20. Meet a minimum of monthly with the Vice President to discuss issues related to the Senate.
  21. As necessary, create joint committees between the Executive Council and the Senate.
  22. Appoint WCSA members, and other students, if necessary, to college committees
  23. Fill any WCSA vacancies, which occur more than 30 days before a general election, with an appointee. This appointment requires a majority Executive Council vote and three-fourths Senate vote to be confirmed.
  24. Veto any vote of the Senate within 7 days of the initial vote. This veto can be overturned by a three-fourths vote from the Executive Council and Senate.
  25. Unless otherwise delegated, maintain a record of all bills passed by the Executive Council.
  26. Meet with the College President monthly to inform him of student needs and to receive updates about any relevant decisions made by the administration
  27. Sit on the President's Council
  28. Break ties, when they occur, on official Executive Council votes.
  29. Meet weekly or biweekly with the Director of Campus Life
  30. Maintain a minimum of two posted office hours per week
  31. Vice President
  32. The Vice President presides over the Senate. The Vice President will sit on college committees and represent the student body in meetings with faculty, administrators, alumni, and/or parent groups.
  33. The duties of the Vice President include, but are not limited to, the following:
  34. Attend all meetings of the Senate and Executive Council
  35. Facilitate all Senate meetings
  36. Prepare and distribute the agenda for all Senate meetings
  37. Cast a vote on every Executive Council decision that comes to a vote
  38. Function as the WCSA President in the event that the President is unable to perform their aforementioned duties. When acting as President, the Vice President is not able to vote on General Council decisions
  39. Sit on committees as appointed by the WCSA President.
  40. Lend advice to the President in the process of recommending appointments (which would be subject to both an Executive Council and Senate confirmation vote) to the General Council to fill a vacant, dismissed, or recalled position
  41. Break ties, when they occur on official WCSA Senate votes
  42. Meet with the College VP for Student Life monthly to inform her/him of student needs and to receive updates about any relevant decisions made by the administration
  43. Unless otherwise delegated, maintain a record of all bills passed by the Senate.
  44. Schedule individual meetings with Senators as needed
  45. As needed, commission Senate committees and appoint chairs
  46. Maintain a minimum of two posted office hours per week
  47. Carry out directives of both the Senate and the WCSA President
  48. Meet weekly or biweekly with the Director of Campus Life
  49. Business Manager
  50. The Business Manager oversees the financial outlays and revenues of WCSA; this involves proposing a semester budget, controlling funds, disbursing funds, and offering advice on the appropriation of finances with regard to proposals and daily activities of WCSA.
  51. The duties of the Business Manager include, but are not limited to the following:
  52. Attend all meetings of the Senate and Executive Council
  53. Cast a vote on every Executive Council decision that comes to a vote
  54. Provide the Executive Council with an annual budget. This budget will be discussed, amended, as necessary, and approved by a majority vote at the start of the school year
  55. Oversee the revenues, expenditures, and debts of all WCSA monies, and to periodically report the financial condition of all student organizations to the Executive Council
  56. Support and guide business managers from other affiliated student organizations funded by student fees. The Business Manager will plan and facilitate a meeting between all of the student organizations’ business managers each semester to discuss student fees and fund distribution.
  57. Function as the WCSA President in the event that neither the President nor the Vice President is able to perform their aforementioned duties. When acting as President, the Vice President is not able to vote on General Council decisions.
  58. Meet with the College VP for Finance monthly to inform him/her of student needs and to receive updates about any relevant decisions made by the administration
  59. Sit on committees as appointed by the WCSA President.
  60. Lend advice to the President in the process of recommending appointments (which would be subject to a General Council confirmation vote) to the Executive Council and the Senate to fill a vacant, dismissed, or recalled position.
  61. Maintain a minimum of two posted office hours per week
  62. Communications Manager
  63. The Communications Manager ensures seamless communication between the Executive Council and the Senate and communicates the plans and purposes of WCSA to the student body.
  64. The duties of the Communications Manager include, but are not limited to, the following:
  65. Work with the Senators to create a bimonthly "This Week at Westmont" summary of important events and issues for Senator hall publications
  66. Sit on committees as appointed by the WCSA President
  67. Ensure that meeting minutes, agendas, bills and other relevant documents are posted to the WCSA site in a timely fashion
  68. Periodically review and update WCSA documents in shared Google drive
  69. Receive and distribute all official communications on behalf of the student government
  70. Work closely with campus publication groups to promote an understanding of the work of WCSA
  71. Coordinate design projects (either enacting the design on various creative platforms themselves or assembling a team to create the desired material)
  72. Meet with the College VP of Administration monthly to inform him/her of student needs and to receive updates about any relevant decisions made by the administration
  73. Work with SB Community members on local projects such as Montecito Beautification Day and other important events
  74. Unless otherwise delegated, take complete and accurate minutes of all Senate and Executive Council meetings and distribute minutes, decisions and action items to all Council members within 48 hours of the WCSA meetings.
  75. Maintain a minimum of two posted office hours per week.
  76. Chief of Staff
  77. The duties of the Chief of Staff include, but are not limited to the following:
  78. Support the WCSA President and Vice President through administrative record keeping and follow through
  79. Collect ambassador report forms and work closely with ambassadors in their liaison roles
  80. Sit on committees as appointed by the WCSA President.
  81. Make room preparations and reservations for all Executive Council and Senate meetings
  82. Notify WCSA members of the time and place of all meetings
  83. Be responsible for monitoring the implementation of legislation from the Executive Council and the Senate
  84. Maintain a record of all bills passed by the Senate
  85. Maintain a minimum of two posted office hours per week
  86. Work closely with WAC to manage and maintain WCSA Office including e-mail and phone lines
  87. Senate
  88. Hall Senators
  89. Hall Senators represent the six residence hall populations on campus. One Senator will be elected per hall. The primary responsibility of the Senators is to consult and work closely with residence hall students to get input and ideas on ways to improve the student experience.
  90. The duties of the Hall Senator include, but are not limited to the following:
  91. Represent students from your residence hall or constituency to WCSA and campus administration.
  92. Communicate with students & administration on campus issues
  93. Work closely with the Executive Council to distribute Student Fee dollars in the best interests of the College and the students.
  94. Draft and present bills to the WCSA Senate that represent changes or improvements that will benefit the College and the student body.
  95. Cast a vote on every Senate decision that comes to a vote.
  96. Attend and participate in weekly Senate meetings.
  97. Convene and meet every other week with a hall council and/or do at least 2 hours of canvassing to your constituency each week.
  98. Meet monthly with residence hall staff to coordinate on hall issues and ideas.
  99. Meet monthly with Director of Campus Life and respective Residence Hall Director.
  100. Academic Senator
  101. The Academic Senator will be elected in the general March elections and will be the representative to the administration for academic concerns.
  102. The duties of the Academic Senator include, but are not limited to, the following:
  103. Serve on the Academic Senate committee.
  104. Sit on committees as appointed by the WCSA President.
  105. Attend and participate in weekly Senate meetings.
  106. Cast a vote on every Senate decision that comes to a vote.
  107. Draft and present bills to the WCSA Senate for any issues WCSA or the students deem necessary.
  108. Meet at least twice a semester with the College Provost to discuss academic issues as they relate to student experiences and interests.
  109. Maintain a minimum of two posted office hours per week.
  110. At Large Senators
  111. At Large Senators represent an important aspect of Student Life such as Extracurricular activities or Athletics. At large senators are selected by the WCSA President and must be approved by a three-fourths vote of both the Executive Council and the Senate.
  112. The duties of the At Large Senators include, but are not limited to, the following:
  113. Sit on committees as appointed by the WCSA President.
  114. Attend and participate in weekly Senate meetings.
  115. Cast a vote on every Senate decision that comes to a vote.
  116. Complete bi-monthly report forms.
  117. Ambassadors
  118. On the first Tuesday of every month, WCSA Ambassadors shall be present for the first 30 minutes of the Senate meetings.
  119. There shall be one ambassador representative from Intercultural Programs, one from Westmont Activities Council, and one from Mission & Ministries.
  120. Ambassadors shall be required to complete ambassador report forms and submit them to the Chief of Staff at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
  121. Ambassadors shall have the opportunity to share about their respective divisions and hear an update from WCSA.
  122. Ambassadors shall gather input from the Senators regarding how events and programming have been received by the community in order to enhance student programming.

Section II: Meetings

  1. Two-thirds of the voting members will constitute a quorum. No business can be conducted unless a quorum is present.
  2. The Executive Council and Senate shall meet on Tuesday evenings in the Library 1st floor conference room (VL 216).
  3. The order of business for a regular Executive Council and Senate meeting shall typically be:
  4. Opening Prayer/Announcements
  5. Quorum Call/Lightning Round
  6. Ambassador/Committee Reports
  7. Funding Requests
  8. Discussion of Bills/Vote
  9. Open Forum/Important Future Issues/Points of Tactical Necessity
  10. Preparation for Next Meeting/Review
  11. Adjournment
  12. All members of the student body, faculty, staff, and administration may attend meetings of the General Councilthat are not closed to the general public by a simple majority vote (half plus one). Such members may participate in discussion during the open forum. Proposals not presented during open forum must be submitted to the President or Vice Presidentwithin twenty-four hours of the General Council meeting in order to be put on the agenda.
  13. A closed session shall be defined as a time when only current members of WCSA are permitted to be present in the Executive Council or Senate meeting.
  14. The Executive Council or Senate shall enter a closed session at any time by a proposed motion and a ⅔ approval of the council. The session may be reopened by a motion and majority vote from the council.
  15. Special sessions may be called under the following circumstances:
  16. If designated by the President or Senior Vice President when all Senate members have been notified.
  17. If requested in the form of a petition to the President or Vice President by ⅔ of the voting membership of the Senate.
  18. If requested in the form of a petition form to the President or Vice President by ten percent (10%) of the Student Body.
  19. The President shall prepare the agenda and facilitate the Executive Council meetings, and the Vice President shall prepare the agenda and facilitate the Senate meetings.
  20. During the first Tuesday of each month, WCSA Ambassadors shall join the first 30 minutes of the WCSA Senate meeting.

Section III: General Procedure

  1. All meetings of the Executive Board and Senate shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order. All decisions must be motioned, seconded, have an opportunity for debate, and voted upon. Such decisions include, but are not limited to: amending and/or approving proposals, minutes, budgets; opening and closing the meeting.
  2. The voting rules (Robert’s Rules/Parliamentary Procedure) shall be executed as follows:
  3. A quorum is necessary for any official vote to take place. For a quorum to exist, two thirds of the council members must be present at any given meeting.
  4. Before a vote can take place, a motion to vote must be made and seconded by someone other than he or she who made the motion.
  5. Each member has three (3) options when a vote comes before the General Council: for, against, or abstain.
  6. A simple majority of those present is required for a vote to pass.
  7. A motion can be made to table a proposal or issue to a future meeting. This type of motion also follows the above process.
  8. To amend a motion that has passed, a new motion must be made and follow the preceding steps.

Section IV: Legislation

  1. Bills
  2. A bill is a binding statement calling for a specific action in its implementation. A bill requires a majority vote of the members present and voting.
  3. A bill may be introduced by member of the WCSA Executive Council or Senate.
  4. Bills shall be submitted to the Chair at least 48 hours before the next meeting.
  5. Bills shall be written in the format and template as provided in the Google Drive resource folders.
  6. All proposals brought to WCSA are subject to amendment. A friendly amendment is one that does not change the meaning of the bill. All friendly amendments can be simply added by making a motion to the chair. Amendments that do change the meaning of the bill must passed by a simple majority and the amended portion of the bill will be immediately updated.
  7. If the bill passes, the date and time of the passage as well as the voting record shall be printed on the bottom of the bill and saved to the WCSA google drive.
  8. After passage of the bill through the Senate and Executive Council, the WCSA President will either sign or veto the bill. The signing of the bill passes it into law and a veto sends it back to the Senate. If the WCSA President does not sign the bill, it will automatically become a law within three days.
  9. If the bill is vetoed by the WCSA President, it shall be automatically placed on the calendar for the next meeting.
  10. For any bill in which WCSA purchases tickets using student fee dollars, the bill sponsors must provide equal opportunity for all members of the student body to participate unless the hosting party asks specifically for WCSA representatives.
  11. Funding Proposals
  12. Any Westmont student, faculty, or staff member is eligible to submit a funding request to WCSA.
  13. Funding proposals shall be submitted through the WCSA webpage.
  14. Submitted funding proposals shall be examined in light of the funding proposal review criteria (located within the WCSA google drive) and will take into account past precedent and the implications of future precedent setting.
  15. Both branches shall vote on whether to approve the proposal. The decision will be communicated to the requestor by the WCSA business manager within 48 hours.

Section V: Election