Student Government

Constitution

III) Executive

A) Executive Committee

1) The Executive Committee exists to manage and provide direction to Student Government and to carry out the actions of Student Government. The Executive Committee shall be chaired by the President or, in the President’s absence, by their designee.

2) The Executive Committee consists of all Constitutional Standing Committee Chairs and others as designated in the operating documents.

B) Chairs

1) Definition and Purpose – Standing Committee Chairs are the representatives and spokespersons for their Committees in all Student Government matters and are responsible for progress on Committee responsibilities on behalf of Student Government. Standing Committee Chairs guide and coordinate the advancement of the mission and goals of the Committee.

2) Rights/Restrictions/Duties

a) Standing Committee Chairs shall attend all Assembly and Executive Committee meetings.

b) Standing Committee Chairs shall report all of their Student Government activities at Assembly meetings.

c) Standing Committee Chairs shall assist and guide the recruitment of Committee Members for their Committee.

d) Standing Committee Chairs shall implement Committee objectives and assist their Committee in the formulation of those objectives.

e) Standing Committee Chairs shall hold a minimum of three office hours per week.

f) Standing Committee Chairs shall not simultaneously hold the office of Senator.

g) Standing Committee Chairs may vote during Assembly meetings only on items falling under Article II.B.5-6 of this Constitution.

3) Appointment/Election

a) Standing Committee Chairs other than the Chairs of Fee Allocation, Senate Finance, and Cultural Diversity shall be appointed by the Student Government President with the approval of two-thirds of the Student Senate.

b) The Chair of the Cultural Diversity Committee shall be elected internally by their respective Committee according to a process prescribed in their Committee Bylaws.

c) The Fee Allocation Committee Chair shall, according to a process outlined in the Committee bylaws, be elected internally by the Committee with the confirmation of the Senate.

d) The Chair of the Senate Finance Committee shall be elected by the Senate four weeks prior to the end of spring term and shall take office at the beginning of the new University fiscal year.

e) The Chair of the Technology Fee Committee shall be selected by the Student Government President from the five student members appointed to the committee. The Chair appointment shall be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.

C) President’s Office

1) President

a) Definition and Purpose

i) The Student Association President shall be recognized as the official representative of the Student Association. The President shall represent Student Government and the Student Association in all System and University matters.

ii) The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Student Government.

b) Rights/Restrictions/Duties

i) The President shall be the official representative and spokesperson of the St. Cloud State University Student Association.

ii) The President shall regularly communicate the views of the Student Association to the University President and other Executive leadership of the University and System.

iii) The President shall direct the work of the Student Government Executive Committee.

iv) The President shall attend and preside over Student Government Executive Committee meetings.

(a) The President may vote during the Executive Committee meetings in the instance of a tie.

v) The President shall report their activities at the Assembly meetings.

vi) The President shall make appointments to fill any vacancy of an Executive Officer position within Student Government.

(a) Appointments made by the President shall be either ratified or overturned by the Senate within ninety days of appointment.

vii) The President may, at his or her discretion, call special sessions of the Senate, the Executive Committee, the Judicial Council, and/or the Student Association.

viii) The President shall either sign or veto any legislative actions taken by the Senate within ten calendar days of ratification.

(a) If the President fails to sign a legislative action taken by the Senate within ten calendar days, the legislation shall be automatically confirmed.

(b) If the legislation is vetoed by the President, the President shall notify the Senate at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

ix) The President shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees, unless his or her membership in a committee is defined elsewhere in this Constitution.

x) The President shall serve a minimum of ten office hours per week.

2) Vice President

a) Definition and Purpose

i) The Student Association Vice President shall be recognized as the secondary representative of the Student Association. The Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, represent Student Government and the Student Association in all System and University matters.

ii) The Vice President shall be the Chief Operating Officer of Student Government.

iii) The Vice President shall serve as the Treasurer of Student Government.

b) Rights/Restrictions/Duties

i) The Vice President shall be the secondary representative and spokesperson of the St. Cloud State University Student Association.

ii) The Vice President shall serve in the capacity of the President at the President's request.

iii) The Vice President shall direct the work of the Student Government Senate.

iv) The Vice President shall attend and preside over Student Government Senate meetings.

(a) The Vice President may vote during the Senate meetings in the instance of a tie.

v) The Vice President shall report his or her activities at the Assembly meetings.

vi) The Vice President shall serve a minimum of ten office hours per week.

3) Election/Removal

a) The President and Vice President shall be elected during the Spring general elections as outlined in the operating documents.

i) Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates shall run concurrently as a ticket.

ii) Any member of the Student Association must have served a minimum of one academic term as a member of Student Government to be eligible to serve as President or Vice President.

iii) The President/Vice President ticket that receives plurality in the general election shall be declared the winner.

b) The President may resign from office in accordance with Section II.E and must also notify the University President and the Student Association Vice President in writing.

c) The Vice President may resign from office in accordance with Section II.E and must also notify the University President and the Student Association President in writing.

4) Vacancies/Succession

a) If the office of the President is vacated, the Vice President shall assume the office of the President.

b) If the office of the Vice President is vacated, an internal election will be held within three weeks of vacancy or at the third Senate meeting following vacancy, whichever is a greater length of time.

i) The President Pro-Tempore shall serve as Interim Vice President until a new Vice President is elected.

c) If the offices of the President and Vice President are concurrently vacant, the President Pro-Tempore shall serve as the Interim President. The President Pro-Tempore shall then appoint an Interim Vice President. If the office of President Pro-Tempore is also vacant, the Executive Committee will select an acting President.

i) If the concurrent vacancies occur before the end of the Fall Semester, a general election shall be held no less than six weeks and no more than twelve weeks from the vacancies to select a new President and Vice President.

ii) If the concurrent vacancies occur before the end of the Spring Semester, the offices shall be filled by internal elections. The Executive Committee shall elect a new President with a two-thirds majority vote and the Senate shall elect a new Vice President with a two-thirds majority vote. The elections shall be held no less than four weeks and no more than eight weeks from the offices being vacated.

5) Executive Assistant

a) Definition and Purpose

i) The Executive Assistant shall serve as the Chief Recorder and Custodian of the records of Student Government.

b) Rights/Restrictions/Duties

i) The Executive Assistant shall attend and keep accurate records of the Assembly and Executive Committee meetings.

ii) The Executive Assistant shall hold no other appointed or elected positions within Student Government.

iii) The Executive Assistant may vote only on selecting an advisor, on a motion to hold special meetings of the Assembly, and on motions to suspend the agenda.

iv) The Executive Assistant shall preserve all records, reports, and official documents of the Student Government.

v) The Executive Assistant shall serve five office hours per week.

vi) Additional duties of the Executive Assistant shall be determined by the operating documents of the Student Government as well as the Student Association President.

c) Appointment/Removal

i) The Executive Assistant shall be appointed by the President with a two-thirds confirmation by the Senate.

ii) The Executive Assistant may be removed from their office by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee.

6) President Pro-Tempore

a) Definition and Purpose

i) The President Pro-Tempore is the second alternate to the President in succession and performs duties of the President’s office in the absence of the President or Vice President.

b) Right/Restrictions/Duties

i) The President Pro-Tempore shall serve as Chair of Assembly meetings in the absence of the Vice President.

ii) The President Pro-Tempore may not chair Assembly meetings during elections in which they are a candidate.

c) Election/Removal

i) The President Pro-Tempore must be a Standing Committee Chair or Senator.

ii) The President Pro-Tempore shall be elected by a majority vote of the Senate.

iii) The President Pro-Tempore may be removed from the position of President Pro-Tempore by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.