Student-written, student-run, student-read since 1878. Student-programmed since 2007.
Meeting for the last time of the 2008-2009 school year in the Round Room of the Ford Center for the Fine Arts last Thursday, Student Senate assembled with an extensive list of constitutional and bylaws amendments that were, for the most part, left for next year’s senate to tackle.
The amendments were specifically targeted to the Finance Committee Regulations, Special Interest Housing in the Constitution, and a variety of bylaws and constitutional amendments sponsored by Senator Allison Ehrhard.
The first proposed amendment was quickly approved by unanimous consent the changes to the Finance Committee Regulations, which among other things, rose the funding for unbudgeted clubs to $500.
Next, a lengthy discussion of Residential Quality of Life regulations occurred. In some cases, necessary clauses of the Bylaws had never been actually written.
Student Senate Committees
Section 5: Residential Quality of Life Committee
A. The Residential Quality of Life Committee shall represent student views on all matters relating to the Campus Life Office of Knox College and will assist the Office in identifying programmatic, developmental and operational deficiencies within the residential environment, and work collaboratively with this office to identify solutions and assist in their implementation.
B. The Residential Quality of Life Committee shall, with the assistance of the Associate Dean of Students for Campus Life, review applications for Special Interest Housing grants. Using criteria established and approved by the Senate, the committee shall make a recommendation to the Student Life Committee, who will formally approve grant selection. Grant selection must also be approved by the full Student Senate.
C. The Residential Quality of Life Committee may review any Residential Learning Policy that affects students and may introduce motions and/or recommendations to the Senate based on those policy reviews.
D. The chair of the Residential Quality of Life Committee shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall be elected in the Spring Term campus-wide elections.
I. Purpose of Student Senate
Section 4: Housing Powers
A. Special Interest Housing (SIH) shall be the responsibility of the Special Interest Housing Ad-hoc Committee
B. The SIH ad-hoc committee shall be composed of all the representatives of the Residential Quality of Life Committee, and the Dean of Residential Learning (ex-officio) with the following exceptions:
a. Any member of the Res. Qual. Committee has to declare if they intend to apply for an SIH house before the ad-hoc committee is formed. These people cannot be on the SIH ad-hoc committee.
b. Any member of the Res. Qual. Committee who comes forward and declares that he or she has a conflict of interest at any time will be excused from the SIH ad-hoc committee.
c. Any member of the SIH ad-hoc committee can come forward at anytime during the SIH housing process and declare a conflict of interest and ask to be replaced on the committee.
C. If a member of the Res. Qual. Committee cannot serve on the SIH ad-hoc committee the following process will be used to appoint the appropriate number of members to the SIH ad-hoc committee:
a. All current senators who are not currently applying for an SIH house will have their names randomly selected. Names will be randomly chosen until all the vacancies are filled. When a senator’s name is pulled, he or she may choose to decline to be on the ad-hoc committee.
b. This committee must be approved by a majority of the senate.
D. If the chair of the Res. Qual. Committee is unable to serve on the SIH ad-hoc committee, then he or she will appoint an eligible member of the Res. Qual. Committee to serve as the chair of the SIH ad-hoc committee.
E. All members of the SIH ad-hoc subcommittee (including the Dean of Residential Learning) shall commit to be present at all meetings.
F. All SIH applications will be blind other than two declared representatives for each house.
G. Criteria for evaluation of SIH applicant groups must be decided on and presented to the Senate for approval prior to the committee’s presentation to campus.
H. SIH does not guarantee an accepted group a small house. All groups must first apply for programmatic early block housing. If a group feels that they need a house, they must provide support for this request in their application. However, there is no guarantee that any small houses will be given out during the SIH process.
I. The SIH ad-hoc committee shall give a presentation to the campus about the SIH application process during week five of Winter Term.
J. Housing applications shall be due during the seventh week of Winter Term, giving the SIH ad-hoc committee a minimum of three weeks before the end of winter term to review applications. Furthermore, groups must submit a ballot statement (275 words maximum) summarizing their group and their goals.
K. During the seventh week of winter term, groups’ ballot statements will be sent out to current full-time students, who will then vote on them. These applications shall be blind to avoid bias.
L. The SIH ad-hoc committee shall use the results of this online voting in their SIH decisions. How these decisions factored into their final decision shall be made known in the final SIH presentation to Senate.
M. Alternatively, or in addition to a ballot statement and online voting fair, the SIH ad-hoc committee may choose to hold a housing fair, at their discretion. However, this fair will not include voting, so as not to give larger groups an advantage.
N. The SIH ad-hoc committee shall review all SIH applications, and hold interviews with each prospective SIH group during the first two weeks of spring term.
O. By the third week of spring term, the SIH ad-hoc committee shall make their final recommendation to the Student Senate in the form of a Res. Qual. Consent agenda with each group being voted on separately.
P. During the discussion in Senate of the recommendations, the SIH ad-hoc committee shall give a presentation specifying how and why they made their SIH choices.
Q. Recommendations made by the committee can be approved or denied in the following manner:
a. If a senator wishes to remove a group from the Res. Qual. consent agenda he or she must propose the removal of a group, and receive a second. Any group being removed will require a 2/3 majority of the senate for removal.
b. If an applicant group is denied by the ad-hoc committee, a Senator can make a motion to have that group approved. Any group being approved will require a 2/3 majority of the senate for approval.
R. The Special Interest Housing Criteria may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those present at a general meeting.
Finally, the list of resolutions sponsored by Senator Ehrhard received both support and contention, and were ultimately all either voted down or removed from consideration until next year.
The Student Senate Executive Budget was expected to be approximately $56,000 for the coming school year.
Comments
5/28/2009
12:45 a.m.
5/28/2009
1:46 a.m.
A. All general Senate meetings shall be recorded by audio or video device, and the recordings shall be made available to the public. A written summary of discussions and specific votes on action items, committee reports, and consent agenda with excused and unexcused absences shall be distributed to the public after each general meeting.
(Item B was removed in its entirety)
C. The Executive Board shall be required at each general meeting to make a full report of its proceedings and decisions.
D. After any Senate meeting in which amendments to the Senate Constitution or By-Laws are approved, an updated and time-stamped version of the full text of the amended documents shall be distributed to the public as part of the meeting minutes.
5/28/2009
1:51 a.m.
Article III (By-laws)
R. All general Senate meetings shall be recorded by audio or video device as well as in writing by the Senate Clerk. The Clerk shall correct the typewritten minutes using the recording, in order to ensure that the written transcript of the meeting is as full and fair as practicable. The transcript shall include all oral statements made by all meeting attendees on substantive and procedural issues, with the speakers identified. The written version of the minutes shall include, in addition to the transcript: the date, time, and location of the meeting; attendance records, including excused and unexcused absences as well as arrivals and departures during the meeting; the contents of the consent agenda as submitted and as approved; the Treasurer’s report; all vote results, including tallies and roll calls; the text of all resolutions and other documents debated or referred to during the meeting; and written versions of all Executive Board, Senate committee, and faculty committee reports. The assembled minutes shall be formatted so as to maximize clarity and flow, and shall be distributed to the public by e-mail, along with a link to the audio/video recording, no later than four days after the meeting.
Article V Section 1 (Constitution)
A. All meetings of the Student Senate, including general, committee, and Executive Board meetings, shall be open to all members of the community as well as to the press and their recording devices. Meeting times and detailed agendas for all such meetings shall be distributed to the public prior to the meeting.
5/28/2009
2:26 a.m.
Resolution Concerning Meeting Records
WHEREAS, Student Senate is the Knox student body's primary tool for exercising its rights and accomplishing its ends in school administration; and
WHEREAS, to most vigorously represent the various perspectives of our constituents, the district senators must have sufficient power at all levels of decision-making to ensure that students' voices are heard; and
WHEREAS, in order to optimize transparency and the flow of information between committees, senators, and constituents, all meetings and actions undertaken in Student Senate must be as open and well-publicized as possible; and
WHEREAS, public and promptly disseminated records of all Senate proceedings are necessary to ensure that constituents are as aware as possible of the nature of the business Student Senate conducts in their names; and
WHEREAS, recent controversies have demonstrated a need for increased vigilance in self-reporting Senate actions in order to limit accusations of bias and strengthen Senate’s position as an effective advocate for student interests; and
5/28/2009
2:27 a.m.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that Section 4 be added to Article V of the Constitution to read as follows:
Section 4: Minutes and Meeting Records
A. All general Senate meetings shall be recorded by audio or video device, and the recordings shall be made available to the public. Written minutes of Senate general meetings (including attendance records, the entire agenda, the text of all resolutions and documents considered and the arguments made in the meeting, the outcomes of all votes, the text of all Executive Board and Senate and faculty committee reports, and all oral statements made at the meeting) shall be recorded at the meeting, verified against the audio/video recording to ensure that they are as verbatim as practicable, and distributed to the public after each general meeting.
B. Written meeting records of all committee meetings detailing the issues and resolutions discussed, the arguments made by attendees, and actions taken by the committee shall also be taken, read to the full Senate at the next opportunity, and distributed along with the general meeting minutes. Copies of relevant documents shall be distributed with the general meeting minutes. Committee minutes need not be verbatim.
C. The Executive Board shall be required at each general meeting to make a full report of its proceedings and decisions since the previous general meeting, which shall include a written record of all discussions and actions taken on Senate's behalf, including all correspondence with the administration. Copies of relevant documents shall be distributed with the general meeting minutes. Pursuant to Article IV Section 1, a formal opportunity shall be provided at each meeting to object to, discuss, and rescind by majority vote any actions the Executive Board has taken since the last Senate general meeting.
D. After any Senate meeting in which amendments to the Senate Constitution or By-Laws are approved, an updated and time-stamped version of the full text of the amended documents shall be distributed to the public as part of the meeting minutes.
5/28/2009
2:27 a.m.
R. All general Senate meetings shall be recorded by audio or video device as well as in writing by the Senate Clerk. The Clerk shall correct the typewritten minutes using the recording, in order to ensure that the written transcript of the meeting is as full and fair as practicable. The transcript shall include all oral statements made by all meeting attendees on substantive and procedural issues, with the speakers identified. The written version of the minutes shall include, in addition to the transcript: the date, time, and location of the meeting; attendance records, including excused and unexcused absences as well as arrivals and departures during the meeting; the contents of the consent agenda as submitted and as approved; the Treasurer’s report; all vote results, including tallies and roll calls; the text of all resolutions and other documents debated or referred to during the meeting; and written versions of all Executive Board, Senate committee, and faculty committee reports. The assembled minutes shall be formatted so as to maximize clarity and flow, and shall be distributed to the public by e-mail, along with a link to the audio/video recording, no later than four days after the meeting.
BE IT THEREFORE ALSO RESOLVED, that Article V Section 1 Paragraph A of the Constitution be amended to read as follows:
A. All meetings of the Student Senate, including general, committee, and Executive Board meetings, shall be open to all members of the community as well as to the press and their recording devices. Meeting times and detailed agendas for all such meetings shall be distributed to the public prior to the meeting.
5/28/2009
2:36 a.m.
5/28/2009
2:37 a.m.
WHEREAS, currently votes affecting the student body are not required to be done by roll call, preventing constituents from knowing how their representatives voted on a resolution or amendment; and
WHEREAS, mandating roll call for all amendments and resolutions will increase accountability and transparency; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that Article V Paragraphs B through D of the By-Laws be amended to read as follows:
B. All votes by default will be done by a voice vote. All votes on substantive motions, including votes on resolutions and amendments, shall by default be conducted by roll call, and must be conducted either by roll call or by unanimous consent. All votes on procedural motions shall by default be conducted by voice vote.
C. Any senator may request a resolution motion be passed without discussion by making a motion to agree requesting agreement by unanimous consent. The motion does not require a second and may be defeated by the objection of a single senator. If no objection is heard, the resolution is passed motion is carried by unanimous consent.
D. Where the result of a voice vote is unclear, any senator may request a vote by show of hands. The motion does not require a second. The presiding officer will tally any hand vote and announce it to the chamber. The tally will also be included in the Senate minutes.
5/28/2009
2:38 a.m.
WHEREAS, current data on Senate discretionary funds should be made more publicly available to guide student organizations in requesting funds; now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that Paragraph F be inserted into Article III of the By-Laws to read as follows, and that subsequent sections be renumbered accordingly:
F. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for maintaining an itemized list of all funds under Senate’s control, updating the list as needed before each general meeting, and publishing and regularly updating the list on the Senate website.
5/28/2009
2:40 a.m.
WHEREAS, Student Senate is the Knox student body's primary tool for exercising its rights and accomplishing its ends in school administration; and
WHEREAS, to most vigorously represent the various perspectives of our constituents, the district senators must have sufficient power at all levels of decision-making to ensure that students' voices are heard; and
WHEREAS, current written policies regarding Senate approval of Executive Board actions are ambiguous and do not comport with current practice, which has been to bring Executive Board decisions to Senate for approval; and
WHEREAS, approval of amendments to the Senate Constitution and By-Laws is properly conducted in an open forum with maximum opportunity for public comment, which only a general Senate meeting can provide; and
WHEREAS, Senate must clarify the balance struck between the occasional need for the Executive Board to act in emergency circumstances and the need for decisions to be fully considered and debated by the entire Senate wherever possible; now
5/28/2009
2:40 a.m.
BE IT THEREFORE ALSO RESOLVED, that Article VIII Section 1 of the Constitution be inserted to read as follows, and that subsequent sections be renumbered accordingly:
Section 1: Interpretation
A. The general Student Senate shall be the final interpreter of the Constitution and Bylaws. Senate shall strive to eliminate ambiguities in the Constitution and Bylaws by incorporating its interpretations into these documents by amendment, pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 of this article.
BE IT THEREFORE ALSO RESOLVED, that Article IV Section 1 Paragraphs C and D of the Constitution be amended to read as follows:
C. The Executive Board shall interpret this Constitution. Interpretations shall be final and determined by a majority of the entire Executive Board. The Executive Board shall act as a caretaker for the interests of student government when the full Senate is not in session, including during breaks and between general meetings. This power shall not be construed to allow amendment or contravention of the Constitution, Bylaws, or Senate procedures.
D. The Executive Board shall have the power to act for the full Senate at times when the Senate is not in session. All actions taken by the Executive Board while acting as caretaker, including the approval or rejection of policy or resolutions, shall be tentative pending review and confirmation by a majority of the Senate present at the next general meeting (except where the actions, when performed by the Senate itself, would require a different threshold of confirmation, in which case the more rigorous standard shall apply). A formal opportunity shall be provided at each Senate meeting to discuss, object to, and vote on Executive Board actions.
BE IT THEREFORE ALSO RESOLVED, that Article VII Paragraph C of the By-Laws be amended to read as follows:
C. Votes by the Executive Board shall be conducted by a voice vote roll call vote.
5/28/2009
3:27 a.m.
My recollection of the meeting is that most of what was discussed and subsequently voted on was decidedly rejected by the senate. There were no ‘close call’ votes on the amendments discussed last Thursday.
The item of recording senate minutes and posting them on the website is a great idea and can be implemented now that it is technologically and financially feasible. The majority of the other proposed amendments were viewed as largely superfluous and convoluted attempts to increase ‘transparency’ and that is why they were rejected.
5/28/2009
4:26 a.m.
5/28/2009
8:05 a.m.
5/28/2009
8:13 a.m.
5/28/2009
9:52 a.m.
I did send Michael's proposed changes to the senate immediately after I received document and I did not receive the finance guidelines prior to the meeting. I e-mailed the three of you [you, Heather, and Michael] that twice prior to the meeting to ask for the pertinent documents. There's only so much I can do, Alison. I don't appreciate, what I think was, an insinuation that there was some level of irresponsibility on my part.
5/28/2009
11:20 a.m.
5/28/2009
1:37 p.m.