STUDENT GOVERNMENT OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

							            STUDENT GOVERNMENT OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

                                CONSTITUTION


                                   PREAMBLE

We, the Students of Allegheny County of Community College of Allegheny
County do ordain and establish this constitution to provide for a responsible and
responsive Student Government that will promote freedom of expression,
develop a sound, progressive academic community and represent the students
to the collegiate and civic communities.

                                 ARTICLE I
                            Name and Membership

The name of this organization shall be the Student Government of Allegheny
Campus (Allegheny Campus to include Homewood-Brushton Branch, Evening
and Day students). Representation is automatic for all members of the student
body.

                                  ARTICLE II
                              Form of Government

Section I. Student Government shall consist of the Legislative and Executive
branches.

Section II. The Legislative Branch shall consist of twelve (12) members elected
by the student body. The elections will occur in the fall semester of each year (in
October). Write-in candidates will be considered only if they collect a minimum of
ten (10) votes. Elected members will serve for one (1) year until the next
scheduled elections take place provided that the student is a registered
Community College of Allegheny County, Allegheny Campus student, and also
maintains academic eligibility. If any vacancies in Student Government occur
during the fall semester, those vacancies shall be filled by the student with the
next highest vote total in the Fall elections. The elections will be monitored by
the Student Election Committee coordinated through the Office of Student Life.
Candidates for elections must carry at least three (3) credit hours per semester at
CCAC and must take the majority of their credits at CCAC, Allegheny Campus.

Section III. The Executive Branch shall consist of:

A.    The President who shall preside over meetings. This person shall
      represent Student Government to the Administration and shall be a
      member of the campus committee concerned with student affairs.
      Membership in any other committees shall be on a voluntary basis.
B.    The Vice President, who shall perform the above duties in the absence of
      the President, shall assist the President and perform above duties as
      directed by the President and shall finish the term of office of said
      President.
C.    The Secretary, who shall receive and present to Student Government all
      communications, shall reply and initiate correspondence as directed by
      the President, and shall act as President in the absence of the President
      and Vice President.
D.    The Treasurer, who shall have knowledge of all financial transactions
      pertinent to Government, shall assist all campus student organizations
      with financial matters, and act as President in the absence of the
      President, Vice President and Secretary.
E.    A President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected by
      Student Government no later than fourteen (14) days after the Legislative
      elections held during fall semester.
F.    Any member of Student Government shall have the opportunity to serve
      on campus committees and shall share responsibility with the President
      on those committees when possible.

Section IV. The Director of Student Life or his/her designee is ex-officio advisor
to the Student Government shall be identified as advisor in all minutes and
printed material. The advisor will have a voice, but no vote in Student
Government functions.

Section V. Meeting of the Student Government will be held no less than twice a
month during the regular school year on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Special
meetings can be called by the President. Special meetings can also be called
upon receipt of a petition signed by twenty-five (25) student body and/or Student
Government members with the purpose of the meeting stated on the petition.
Student Government members will be notified by certified mail of special
meetings within three (3) days of the petition.

Section VI. Reports of meetings and any elections shall be filed with the
Executive Cabinet, the Allegheny View and posted in the Office of Student Life
not later than five (5) days after the date of their approval by Student
Government.

Section VII. Any member of the student body is welcome and encouraged to
attend all regular Government meetings with privileges of discussion determined
by the President. Voting on all issues is restricted to duly elected Government
members.
Section VIII. Any Student Government member who is absent for three (3)
consecutive meetings shall lose his/her voting privileges and is not considered
part of the quorum. Upon attending two (2) consecutive meetings said member
will be reinstated. Any member missing a total of five (5) unexcused meetings
during a year will forfeit his/her seat on Student Government.

Section IX. A quorom of fifty percent (50%) plus one (1) of all elected Student
Government members is necessary to conduct business and three (3) to hold
formal meetings.

Section X. Robert’s Rules of Order shall serve as a guide for Parliamentary
procedures for Student Government meetings.

                             ARTICLE III
              QUALIFICATIONS FOR STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Section I. Candidates for seats on Student Government must:
A.    Be registered as students of the Community College of Allegheny County
      and must be enrolled for at least three (3) credit hours.
B.    Not be employees of CCAC.
C.    Have, and maintain, a 2.0 quality point average for all courses completed.
D.    Should a Senators’ grades fall below a 2.0 quality point average or should
      a Senator be placed on probation, this member must resign from
      Government.
E.    Senators will be required to verify quality point average and semester
      hours at the first regular meeting of Student Government at the beginning
      of each semester. (i.e. Fall and Spring) according to Allegheny Campus
      Academic Standing Regulations.

                                   ELECTIONS

Section I. Student Government’s elections shall be conducted by the Elections
Committee with the aid of the Director of Student Life or a representative
designated by him/her. Rules and procedures become binding on each
candidate.

Section II. General elections shall be held once yearly.
A.    There shall be twelve (12) Government seats to be filled in the fall.
B.    General Elections shall be held within forty (40) school days of the first
      day of classes in the fall. Senators elected in this election shall take office
      immediately after elections and shall serve until new officers are elected
      during the fall semester of the following year.
Section III. Voting shall be by secret ballot with the privilege of write-in votes of
all Senate seats.

                                  ARTICLE IV
                            INITIATIVE AND RECALL

Section I. Initiative: The procedure of initiating new legislation shall be as
follows: Any member of the student body may secure a petition from the Student
Life Office. If ten percent (10%) of the student body shall petition, Student
Government must then consider this petition. If this petition shall be rejected by
Government, the proposed legislation shall be submitted to the student body to
be voted upon at a special meeting. Ten (10) academic days prior to the
meeting, information pertaining to the proposed legislation shall be circulated
among the student body. Approval shall be by a simple majority of those voting.

Section II. Recall: Students may petition Student Government for removal of
any elected or appointed Senator. The procedure for such action is the same as
Section I.

                                  ARTICLE V
                          DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

Section I. Impeachment: Any Council member may be subject to impeachment
proceedings for any actions which violate the Constitution or College policy.
Proper due process procedures will be followed. All hearings will be held before
a full Government meeting chaired by the Director of Student Life of his/her
designee. A three-quarter (3/4) vote of all Senators is necessary to impeach.

Section II. Vote of No Confidence: The Office of President, Vice President,
Secretary, and Treasurer may be subjected to a motion for a Vote of No
Confidence which may be moved at any time by any member of the Student
Government who feels that Government no longer has confidence in any
individual filling an executive position.

A Vote of No Confidence may also be called by any member of the student body
by presenting a petition with the signatures of five percent (5) of the student body
and presenting that petition at a regularly scheduled Student Government
meeting.
A.    The subject of the Vote of No Confidence cannot Chair the meeting.
      Natural succession applies.
B.    A three-quarters (3/4) vote of all members of Student Government is
      needed to carry a Vote of No Confidence.
C.    The subject of a Vote of No Confidence (Executive Branch only) will have
      his/her seat vacated and filled by a special internal election by Student
      Government members.
D.    The subject of a Vote of No Confidence will be able to re-apply for the
      vacated Executive seat. This seat will be filled internally by nominations
      from within Student Government. That vacated seat will be determined by
      a simple majority vote of all Student Government members.
E.    At no time will a Vote of No Confidence be sufficient grounds to expel an
      Executive Officer from Student Government. That member of Student
      Government will retain a Senate seat even though he/she were subjected
      to a Vote of No Confidence.

                            ARTICLE VI
                  STUDENT GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES

There shall be three (3) standing committees within Student Government with
general duties and members as follows:

Elections Committee: Shall be comprised of Student Government members
who are not seeking re-election and members of the student body; and chaired
and coordinated by the Director of Student Life. This committee shall use this
constitution as a guide.

Budget Committee: The Chairperson of the Budget Committee shall be the
Student Government Treasurer. The Committee shall recommend for approval a
total budget to the Student Government. All budget requests approved by
Student Government will be sent to the Director of Student Life, the Dean of
Students and Executive Dean for approval.

Publicity Committee: This committee shall be composed of four (4) Senators
and chaired by the Secretary. This committee will coordinate all publicity and
promotional efforts for Student Government.

                           ARTICLE VII
                  AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Section I. Amendments to this Constitution shall be read at a Student
Government meeting at which the amendments are introduced; they shall also be
published in one (1) issue of the student newspaper and posted on designated
bulletin boards for two (2) weeks prior to being considered by Student
Government for approval. A majority vote of all Student Government members is
necessary to place the proposed amendments before the full student body. A
simple majority of all student body members voting in a special or a regular
election is necessary for approval. This election must take place no later than
four (4) weeks from the time of its approval by Student Government.
                               AMENDMENT I
                          APPOINTMENT TO OFFICE:

Vacant Student Government seats that occur in the spring semester may be filled
by appointment. Announcements of open Senate seats will be made available to
campus media and every effort will be made to publish these vacancies in the
Allegheny Campus student newspaper, the CCAC Website, and to post on the
bulletin boards, and the TV monitors for two weeks prior to appointment
hearings. All candidates for appointment must meet with Student Government
for a question/answer session. A majority vote of the Student Government is
necessary for appointment. Once appointed, new Senators will receive all rights
and voting privileges and be subjected to the same requirements as an elected
member. Newly appointed members will take office immediately after being
voted in, and shall serve until fall elections of the following academic year.




Revised: April 24, 2003