Student Government Association Constitution

We, the student bodies of all of the campuses of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, in order to provide for orderly and responsible expression of student opinion; to participate in the administration of the student activities program; to develop, foster, and maintain school unity and spirit; and to promote better relations between students and administration, school and community, do hereby authorize and establish this Constitution for the Student Government Association for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Article I: Enactment

1. Organization Name
   
   1. This organization shall be known as the Student Government Association of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
   2. This organization shall be abbreviated “SGA.”
2. Organization Purpose
   
   1. To promote a good relationship between students, faculty, administration and all campus clubs and organizations.
   2. To promote the general welfare of the College.
   3. To create and maintain standards of good citizenship among the students.
   4. To provide wholesome activities on a regular basis for students while encouraging a high standard of scholarship.
   5. To cooperate with the student body in reviewing or changing student policies when the need for such becomes apparent and to keep the student body informed as to existing policies.
   6. To serve as an advisory body to all students, clubs and activities.
   7. To approve the formation of new campus organizations.
3. The Jackson County, Jefferson Davis, and Perkinston campuses shall each have and maintain a SGA for their respective campus.
4. The three SGA organizations shall be governed and directed by the Executive Council which shall consist of the executive officers of each campus.
5. The MGCCC SGA will be governed by all rules and policies in the MGCCC Student Handbook.

Article II: Members

1. Membership of the MGCCC shall consist of the Executive Officers and Members-at-Large.
2. Executive Officers
   
   1. Each campus’s SGA shall have six (7) Executive Officers:
      
      1. President shall:
         
         1. Preside over all meetings of the Executive Officers unless his/her chair has been yielded.
         2. Preside over all meetings of the SGA unless his/her chair has been yielded.
         3. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council.
         4. Call special meetings as needed.
         5. Appoint all committees as needed.
         6. Enforce the Constitution of the SGA.
         7. Serve as a member of College committees when needed.
         8. Call meetings of the SGA with the Dean of Student Services on a case by case basis when immediate action is needed.
         9. Serve in official roles for campus functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
         10. Cast a deciding vote when voting is tied. Otherwise, the President shall not have a vote in issues brought before the SGA.
         11. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
      2. Vice President shall:
         
         1. Perform all the duties of the President in his/her absence.
         2. Assist the President in the execution of his/her duties.
         3. Serve as Election Commissioner in all elections unless election guidelines preclude his/her involvement.
         4. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council.
         5. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
      3. Secretary shall:
         
         1. Keep accurate records of all official meetings of the SGA.
         2. Be responsible for all correspondence of the SGA.
         3. Provide minutes of meetings to members, administrators, and other organizations as requested.
         4. Maintain an orderly record and display for dissemination to the student body.
         5. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council.
         6. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
      4. Treasurer shall:
         
         1. Keep an accurate record of all money received and paid out in the name of SGA.
         2. Render an account of the finances to the SGA on a scheduled time or as requested/directed by the SGA President or the SGA Advisor.
         3. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council.
         4. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
      5. Reporter/Historian
         
         1. Report news/minutes of SGA activity to the student body.
         2. Serve as liaison between the SGA and the other student organizations on campus.
         3. Maintain records (such as officer list and member directory) for all student organizations on campus for the SGA.
         4. Review and report active status of student organizations to the SGA.
         5. Present prospective student organizations for recognition by the SGA after proper organization initiation procedures have been followed.
         6. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
      6. Parliamentarian
         
         1. Oversees all meetings to ensure proper order and decorum are followed according to the SGA Constitution.
         2. Serves as Sergeant-at-Arms for all meetings as needed.
         3. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA Advisor.
      7. Class Presidents (Freshman and Sophomore)
         
         1. Determined by election as the Freshman and Sophomore to receive most votes in SGA elections.
         2. Represent Freshman or Sophomore Class on Executive Council.
         3. Perform all other duties and functions as assigned by the SGA advisor.
   2. Members-at-Large
      1. Each Member-at-Large will be a voting member of the SGA upon election to the SGA.
      2. Members-at-Large will serve on committees within the SGA as appointed by the Executive Officers.
      3. Members-at-Large will participate and assist in all activities planned by the SGA.
      4. The number of Members-at-Large shall not exceed a total of 18. Total number of Members-at-Large may be less than 18 if qualifications or interest is not met.

Article III: Elections

1. Elections shall take place once a year unless extenuating circumstances call for additional elections.
2. The Executive Officers shall be elected in the following manner:
   
   1. Executive Officers of the SGA shall be selected by a faculty and staff committee approved by the Dean of Student Services. The Selection Committee shall consist of the Dean of Student Services, three full-time students named by the current Executive Officers, the SGA Advisor, and a faculty/staff member named by the currently serving Executive Officers.
   2. Candidates for the Executive Officers must be full-time freshman students in good standing during the month of April preceding their sophomore year.
   3. Applications for Executive Officers shall be submitted to the SGA Advisor prior to the posted deadline.
   4. Eligible candidates shall be a full-time student completing their second full semester at MGCCC with a 2.0 GPA on all work completed to date.
   5. All prospective Executive Officers must have completed 24 academic hours prior to taking office in August.
   6. Candidates must have read the Constitution and displayed an intention of serving as an Executive Officer for the next academic year.
   7. Executive Officers shall be selected on the basis of their applications, individual interviews, records of service to the community and the College, and academic records.
   8. Executive Officers must be enrolled as a full-time student to hold his/her office.
3. Members-at-Large will be elected during September of the current academic year.
   
   1. Nominations shall be submitted using the current SGA Application. Applications may be obtained from the SGA Advisor.
   2. Nominees that are returning students or transfers from other academic institutions must be enrolled as a full-time student at MGCCC with a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all academic work completed.
   3. Incoming freshman nominees shall have a minimum ACT composite score of 15 or academic average of at least a “C” while in high school. These nominees must be enrolled as a full-time student at MGCCC.
   4. All nominees must have read the Constitution and displayed a commitment to being a member of the SGA for the academic year if eligible.
4. SGA Elections will be conducted via online elections (when available). Online ballots will be accepted for a period of time designated by the Coordinator of Student Activities for each campus.
   
   1. Each student will use a username and password established by Information Technology.
   2. Each student will only be allowed to vote once.
5. When online elections are not available, elections will take place via paper ballot. Paper ballots will be accepted for a period of time designated by the Coordinator of Student Activities for each campus.
   
   1. Each student will only be allowed to vote once.
   2. The Coordinator of Student Services will designate an area of campus to collect the ballots.
   3. The balloting area will be staffed by a member of the Student Government Association Executive Officers or by the Coordinator of Student Activities.
   4. Ballots will be counted by hand by the Coordinator of Student Activities and two members of the Student Government Association Executive Officers. Ballot counts will be done individually and not at the same time to ensure accurate counts.
6. Only students on the final ballot will be allowed to campaign. Students campaigning for the SGA must adhere to the following policies:
   
   1. Students posting flyers around campus must have permission from the campus Coordinator of Student Activities and adhere to all posting policies for that campus.
   2. Students are not permitted to campaign in the area designated for collecting ballots.
   3. Hand Billing or placing flyers on cars will not be permitted.
   4. Under no circumstance shall one student slander another for reason of garnering votes. Violation of this policy could result in actions taken by the Dean of Student Services.
   5. Violations of any of these guidelines will result in the removal of said student from the ballot.

Article IV: Meetings

1. SGA Meetings
   
   1. SGA will meet weekly at a time that is conducive for all members to attend the meeting.
   2. Meeting times will be announced and approved by vote during the first meeting of the full SGA each semester.
   3. Weekly meetings require a quorum to be an official meeting. Quorum shall be defined as a simple majority of SGA.
   4. All official meetings of the SGA shall be governed and operated under Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
   5. All meetings shall be presided over by the President. If not available, the chair shall be filled in order of Executive Officers present.
   6. The President shall not have an official vote in SGA matters unless it is to break a tie.
   7. All members should attend all official meetings of the SGA. If absent, the member should present an excuse for absence to the Executive Officers no later than the next scheduled official meeting of the SGA.
   8. Three unexcused absences are grounds for removal from the SGA.
   9. Members that create disorderly conduct are subject to be asked to leave the meeting and given an unexcused absence. If asked to leave, member may be subject to discipline by the Executive Officers, SGA Advisor, or the Dean of Student Services.
   10. All official meetings are open to the public as space and time allows. If material that is to be covered during an official meeting is protected by FERPA or by other governing policies of the College, the public may be asked to refrain from attendance.
2. Executive Council Meetings
   
   1. All members of the Executive Officers of the three campus SGAs are members of the Executive Council.
   2. The Executive Council shall meet at least once annually and more often as required by need or request.
   3. Executive Council meetings require a quorum to be an official meeting. Quorum shall be defined as a simple majority of Executive Council.
   4. All official meetings of the Executive Council shall be governed and operated under Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
   5. The mission of the Executive Council is to foster a unified camaraderie among the three SGAs by offering suggestions and leadership for the coming academic year.
   6. The Presiding President over the Executive Council will be an Executive Officer from one of the three SGAs. The Presiding President shall come from each college in rotation. The Presiding President shall not have a vote in Executive Council affairs unless it is to be used to break a tie.
   7. Each SGA will have a total of 4 votes in the Executive Council. The four votes are to be used by the top four Executive Officers of each campus’s SGA. If a campus has placed an Executive Officer in the position of Presiding President, the Presiding President may name another Executive Officer from his/her campus to use his/her vote.
   8. SGAs must have at least four members present at the Executive Council meeting to cast four votes. No absentee votes shall be allowed.
   9. All decisions of the Executive Council are subject to the evaluation and approval of the Deans of Student Services.

Article V: Filling Vacancies

1. Membership Seats
   
   1. Membership seat total is set at the end of the election of the SGA each academic year.
   2. Totals for each year may decrease as the academic year progresses, but not increase higher than the original number set at election.
2. Removal of Members
   
   1. Executive Officers and Members-at-Large that do not fulfill their responsibilities may be removed from the membership roster.
   2. If SGA member shows no interest to continue with their position or has created disciplinary problems, a motion may be made to remove the member from the membership roster.
   3. Motions for Removal may be made by any member of the voting SGA members.
   4. The SGA President may not make a motion to remove members.
   5. All motions for removal must be accompanied by just cause for removal. If present, member in question may be given the opportunity to refute the charges brought against them.
   6. Motion for Removal must be passed by a 2/3 majority vote by the members present at the time the motion was made.
3. Filling Vacancies
   
   1. Executive Officer Positions
      
      1. If an Executive Officer is removed in good or bad terms, the position shall be filled by the process of succession by the officer below him/her.
      2. This process will continue until the Parliamentarian position becomes open.
      3. The Parliamentarian position shall be made by accepting nominations from the Members-at-Large.
      4. A simple majority vote from the SGA will be used to fill the empty position of Parliamentarian.
   2. Members-at-Large
      
      1. If a Member-at-Large is removed during the course of the year, his/her position shall remain open.
      2. Applications from the student body for an open position vacated by an elected Member-at-Large may be accepted as interest presents itself.
      3. Applications should be submitted to the SGA Advisor for review.
      4. Qualifying applicants will be submitted to the Executive Officers for evaluation.
      5. Executive Officers will present qualifying applicants to the SGA and make a motion for acceptance if only one applicant qualifies or a vote for multiple applicants.
      6. When applicants have been narrowed to one applicant by popular vote, a 2/3 majority vote is required to add the applicant to the membership roster.

Article VI: Amendments

1. Amendments to the Constitution may be made by any member of the SGA.
2. All amendments shall be submitted in writing at an official meeting of the SGA.
3. There will be a minimum one week delay on voting on amendments to allow for adequate research, evaluation, and discussion of the amendment.
4. A 2/3 majority vote of the SGA members present is required to pass the amendment.
5. Amendments that call for significant changes in the Constitution must be approved by a simple majority vote by the student body.