Our Constitution
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE
STUDENT COUNCIL CONSTITUTION
(As Amended Through April 2021)
The General Assembly of the College of Arts and Science is the official assembly with the right to represent students in this college, or authorize other persons to do so. The General Assembly’s purpose is to better the quality of life At New York University for the students of the College of Arts & Science. The General Assembly shall coordinate and administer the activities of its officers and committees in accordance with this Constitution.
The Members of the General Assembly
The College of Arts & Science Student Council is composed of the General Assembly and Executive Board.
Executive Board Members
The General Assembly Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, Senator, Director of Finance, Director of Communications, Senior Class President, Junior Class President, Second-Year Class President, First-Year Class President, Advocacy Chair, Alumni Relations Chair, Curriculum Chair, Club Council Chair, Community Service Chair, Programming Chair, Transfer Student Chair, and Sustainability Representative.
Elected Officers
The following members of the Council are elected by a majority vote of the non-graduating College of Arts & Science student body in the spring preceding their term: President, Vice President, Senator, Director of Finance, Advocacy Chair, Curriculum Chair, and Programming Chair.
The following members of the Council are elected by a majority vote of the members of their respective classes in the spring preceding their term: Senior Class President, Junior Class President, and Second-Year Class President.
The following members of the Council are elected by a majority vote of the College of Arts & Science student body in the fall: Sustainability Representative.
The following members of the Council are elected by a majority vote of the members of their respective class year in the fall: First-Year Class President.
Appointed Officers
The following members of the Council are appointed by the outgoing Executive Board, subject to a 2/3 overrule by the Council’s General Assembly: Director of Communications, Alumni Relations Chair, Club Council Chair, Community Service Chair, Transfer Student Chair, and the chairs of all Special Committees created by the Council due to the skills needed to fulfill responsibilities of this position. Of the appointments in this section, only the Special Committee Chairs may be dismissed with a two-week notice.
General Assembly Members
Officers and all other members of the General Assembly shall serve as General Assembly Members. Membership in the General Assembly requires attendance at two consecutive meetings by discretion of the Executive Board.
Eligibility for Office
All students in the College of Arts & Science who are in good standing in accordance with the College of Arts & Science Academic Probation program are eligible to be General Assembly members of the General Assembly and all of its committees.
No person may hold two or more officer positions at the same time.
In order to run for the position of Student Council President, a candidate must have served as a member in the College of Arts & Science Student Council for at least two semesters, one of which must have been as an Executive Board Officer. The semester in which a person chooses to run can be counted as one of the two semesters. The candidate must be in their third year of college when they take office.
In order to run for the position of Student Council Vice President, a candidate must have served as a General Assembly member in the College of Arts & Science Student Council for at least two semesters, one of which must have been as an Executive Board officer or class board member for a full academic year. The semester in which a person chooses to run can be counted as one of the two. The candidate must be in their third year of college when they take office.
In order to run for the position of Student Council Senator, a candidate must have served as a General Assembly member in the College of Arts & Science Student Council for at least two semesters, one of which must have been as an Executive Board officer. The semester in which a person chooses to run can be counted as one of the two.
In order to run for the position of Student Council Director of Finance, a candidate must have served as an elected, appointed, or General Assembly member in the College of Arts and Science Student Council for at least two semesters. The semester in which a person chooses to run can be counted as one of the two. No person may serve as the Council’s Director of Finance if they are also the Director of Finance or serve in a similar capacity in a club that receives a budget from the general assembly
During the Spring General Elections, candidates for Senior Class President must have completed/be completing at least 84 credits, candidates for Junior Class President must have completed/be completing at least 54 credits, and candidates for Second-Year Class President must have completed/be completing at least 24 credits. Any registered First-Year student may run for First-Year Class President in the Fall Elections.
Class standing for these positions at any time other than the Spring General Elections is determined by the student’s credit status at the time of the previous spring semester.
Individual candidates may appeal to the Elections Committee regarding these credit limitations (see V I, 4) and exemptions can be made at the discretion of the Vice President.
Incoming internal transfers from Liberal Studies into the College of Arts & Science are eligible to run and vote for the position of Junior Class President.
In order to apply for the position of Transfer Student Representative, an applicant must be an external transfer student to NYU.
Powers of the Members of the Council
Powers reserved to the Members of the Executive Board:
If the Council as a whole is unable to vote on an issue (for example, in the case of time-sensitive issues or other situations where the General Assembly does not have the logistic ability to vote), it can be passed by majority vote of the Executive Board. If the Executive Board does not have the logistical ability to vote on a time sensitive matter, the decision can be made by the President, Vice President, and Senator.
A member of the Executive Board may make decisions in accordance with their duties as specified in this Constitution. If decisions are questioned by other members of the Executive Board, they should be brought up for discussion at the next Executive Board meeting. After such discussion, if necessary, an Executive Board or General Assembly member may bring the decision in question to the attention of the General Assembly. Decisions are subject to overrule by a 2/3 majority vote by the General Assembly.
The amount and type of participation that is required of the committee members of the General Assembly is left to the discretion of each committee chair of the Executive Board.
Members of the Executive Board have the financial powers described in VI A.
Voting
All General Assembly members who have attended more than one meeting in that academic year have voting rights. General Assembly members cannot vote at the first meeting they attend in that academic year.
The General Assembly must meet quorum before voting on a matter. Quorum for such votes shall be half plus one of the average of the weekly General Assembly attendance for October, November, and December of the previous year.
The President may vote only as specified in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
Sanctioned Powers
In the event that new procedures are needed which are not specifically addressed in this Constitution, the President can issue an executive order. After its issuance, the President must inform the Council as to the nature of the executive order at the next Student Council General Assembly meeting.
An executive order will remain in place until the term of the issuing President is over, or if the Council votes by a 2/3 majority to overrule it.
If the President issues an executive order and no Student Council member moves to overrule the executive order within two weeks of its issuance, the Advocacy Chair must open the General Assembly Floor to discuss the validity of the executive order.
Executive and Representative Duties
President
The President shall be the official voice and representative of the College of Arts & Science Student Council, as well as the liaison between the College’s students and administration
The President shall serve as an advocate for student issues, making themself available to the students so that they may voice their opinions about how to improve the quality of life and academic excellence in the College.
The President shall work in conjunction with school administration and faculty to operate as a visible and legitimate student government.
The President shall be the College of Arts & Science Student Council representative to the Student Government Assembly (SGA) and Presidents Council (PC). They are responsible for attending all relevant SGA and PC meetings which are required to be held on Thursdays from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM.
The President shall be the College of Arts & Science Student Council representative on the PC’s Undergraduate Affairs Committee.
The President shall call and chair all meetings of the Student Council.
The President may designate a chairperson pro tempore, who must be an Executive Board member, to chair a Student Council meeting in the absence of both the President and the Vice President.
The President may request any person, who is not a Student Council member, to leave the room if they are disruptive. The President may be overruled in this matter by a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly.
The President may take account of the General Assembly when quorum is not reached at three consecutive meetings, or if a majority of the membership resigns. The President shall appoint replacements, subject to a majority vote of those students present.
The President shall make all administrative decisions toward the orderly operation of the General Assembly and may issue executive orders in accordance with III C, 1.
The President shall sit as a non-voting ex-officio member of all Council committees.
The President, Vice President, and Senator shall meet regularly with the Dean of the College of Arts & Science to discuss and align the direction of the Council and the School.
The President, alongside the Senator and Vice President, is required to plan and execute a semesterly Town Hall where they update the CAS student body about the General Assembly’s initiatives and answer any questions posed by the body.
Vice President
The Vice President shall assume the office and duties of the President, under terms of VII, A 2.
The Vice President shall chair the Elections Committee in accordance with VI, 1. Under normal circumstances as chairperson of that committee, the Vice President would be excluded from holding another elected position on the General Assembly after the conclusion of their term. If the Vice President foresees that they will run in another Student Council election, the Vice President must request the Council to nominate an Acting Election Director as early in their term as possible.
The Vice President can be a non-voting ex-officio member of all other committees.
The Vice President shall be the Alternate College of Arts & Science Student Council Representative to the SGA/PC if the President cannot do so.
The Vice President shall have other duties as assigned by the President.
The Vice President shall record and keep the names of all members present at Executive Board meetings, whether quorum was attained, and agendas of all meetings. These records shall be made available upon request on the CAS Student Council website, as shall copies of this Constitution and all of its Amendments.
The Vice President shall review the membership of E-Board members at least once per month and recommend to the President and Senator those members who should be called into a meeting in order to discuss their violations of these Rules.
The Vice President is responsible for overseeing the Class Presidents and Class Boards.
They shall meet as-needed with the Senior Class President and Junior Class President.
They shall meet at least biweekly with the Second-Year Class President and First-Year Class President.
They shall, in conjunction with the Class Board Advisor, be responsible for administering Class Board orientation before Reading Day in their incumbent Spring, Class Board training before the first day of Fall classes, and First-Year Class Board training once the First-Year Class Board is selected
They shall be responsible for mediating conflict and removing any members of the Class Boards, where appropriate
The Vice President shall be the All-University Games Captain unless they appoint someone to assume those responsibilities.
The Vice President, alongside the Senator and President, is required to plan and execute a semesterly Town Hall where they update the CAS student body about the General Assembly’s initiatives and answer any questions posed by the body.
Senator
The Senator shall represent the students and the College of Arts & Science Student Council at all meetings of the University Senate, such as the University Senate, the Senators Council (SSC), and the Student Government Assembly (SGA).
As the official voice within the University Senate for the College of Arts & Science, the Senator shall have the power to represent their view on issues with consideration of the student opinion. Measures must be taken to ensure that the student opinion is being gathered and the final decision rests with the elected Senator. They shall determine the dominant view of the students by utilizing forms of outreach (i.e. Council discussions, surveys, informal conversations).
The Senator shall also keep the student body informed of all University and Council initiatives and events.
The Senator, alongside the President and Vice President, is required to plan and execute a semesterly Town Hall where they update the CAS student body about the General Assembly’s initiatives and answer any questions posed by the body.
The Senator shall report to the Student Council on relevant matters and events that occurred or were discussed at University Senate and Senators Council meetings.
The Senator shall also be required to bring up issues at University Senate and Senators Council meetings if the General Assembly so desires.
The Senator shall assume whatever duties or positions assigned by the University Senate.
The Senator is required to sit on the Advocacy Committee of the General Assembly.
The Senator shall appoint an alternate to a University Senate, Senators Council or SGA meeting if the Alternate Senator and Advocacy Chair are unavailable.
Director of Finance
The Director of Finance shall perform the duties described in VI A.
The Director of Finance shall oversee and be responsible for the direct disbursement of funds that are allocated to the General Assembly. However, they may not authorize the transfer of Council money to an outside organization without the General Assembly’s approval.
The Director of Finance shall maintain a comprehensive set of records for all collections and disbursements. The committee budgets shall be made available to the public through a request form on the official Student Council website.
The Director of Finance must also make account information available to any member of the university who requests it.
The Director of Finance will be responsible for ordering food for General Assembly meetings.
Director of Communications
The Director of Communications shall be appointed, as specified in IA, 1b.
The Director of Communications shall chair the Public Relations Committee (see V A).
The Director of Communications shall act as Council historian, maintaining visual records of all Council events and initiatives.
The Director of Communications shall be responsible for making and distributing all of the General Assembly’s marketing material to the student body.
The Director of Communications must maintain all Council social media platforms and the official website.
The Director of Communications must inform the student body of Council events and initiatives via our newsletter and website as stated in V A, 3.
Class Presidents
There shall be a Class President for each College of Arts & Science class year:
Senior Class President
Junior Class President
Second-Year Class President
First-Year Class President
Each Class President shall preside over a Class Board (see V B, 3):
Class Presidents shall facilitate the work of their Board, delegating tasks and resolving conflict where necessary.
Class Presidents shall have full authority on the decisions of their Board, but should strive to lead their Board to consensus before making executive decisions.
Each Class President shall participate in relevant mandatory Class Board trainings and orientations:
The Senior Class President, Junior Class President, and Second-Year Class President shall attend Class Board orientation before Reading Day in their incumbent Spring and Class Board training before the first day of Fall classes.
The First-Year Class President shall attend First-Year Class Board training once the First-Year Class Board is selected.
Each Class President shall meet regularly with their Class Board Advisor, the Vice President, or the Student Council Advisor:
The Senior Class President shall meet with the Senior Class Board Advisor. They shall consult the Vice President as-needed, especially to mediate conflict or remove members from their board.
The Junior Class President shall meet with the Junior Class Board Advisor. They shall consult the Vice President as-needed, especially to mediate conflict or remove members from their board.
The Second-Year Class President shall meet with the Second-Year Class Board Advisor. They shall also meet regularly with the Vice President.
The First-Year Class President shall meet with the First-Year Class Board Advisor. They shall also meet regularly with the Vice President.
Advocacy Chair
The Advocacy Chair shall serve as the Alternate Senator if the Alternate Senator cannot do so.
The Advocacy Chair shall chair the Advocacy Committee (see V C).
The Advocacy Chair shall act as a liaison in all grievances between students and the faculty and administration or may designate a member of the Advocacy Committee to do so.
The Advocacy Chair is required to sit on at least one all-university committee.
The Student Advocacy Chair shall implement or sustain long term projects or initiatives throughout their term related to the focus of their committee.
Alumni Relations Chair
The Alumni Relations Chair shall be appointed, as specified in IA, 1b.
The Alumni Relations Chair shall serve as the chairperson of the Alumni Relations Committee, as specified in V D.
The Alumni Relations Chair shall work in conjunction with the College of Arts & Science Alumni Association.
Curriculum Chair
The Curriculum Chair shall serve as the chairperson of the Curriculum Committee, as specified in V E.
The Curriculum Chair shall act as the liaison between the administration and the student body in all areas concerning the curriculum with the College of Arts & Science.
The Curriculum Chair shall serve as the Student Council representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. If the Curriculum Chair is unable to attend, they must send an alternate in their place. They are responsible for presenting a report to the General Assembly on the policy changes enacted by the body directly following a meeting of the UCC.
The Curriculum Chair shall implement or sustain long term projects or initiatives throughout their term related to the focus of their committee.
Club Council Chair
The Club Council Chair shall be appointed, as specified in IA, 1b.
The Club Council Chair shall oversee all College of Arts & Science clubs, serving as a liaison between the General Assembly and the clubs it oversees.
The Club Council Chair shall receive applications for new CAS clubs once in the fall semester and bring them to Executive Board.
The Club Council Chair will plan a CAS specific Club Fest at the beginning of the Fall Semester.
All co-sponsorship and contingency funding requests will be received by the Club Council Chair and directed to the Student Council advisor for discussion.
The Club Council Chair shall be responsible for receiving room requests from CAS clubs.
Community Service Chair
The Community Service Chair shall be appointed, as specified in IA, 1b.
The Community Service Chair shall serve as the chairperson of the Community Service Committee, as specified in V F.
The Community Service Chair shall be responsible for service activities.
Programming Chair
The Programming Chair shall chair the Programming Committee (see V G).
As Chair of the Programming Committee, they are responsible for planning CAS Formal as well as at least one other semesterly event, such as Bagelfest. The Programming Committee Chair is responsible for planning a CAS Stressbuster in both the fall and spring semester.
Transfer Student Chair.
The Transfer Student Chair shall be appointed, as specified in IA, 1b.
The Transfer Student Chair shall serve as the chairperson for the Transfer Student Committee of the CAS Student Council General Assembly.
The Transfer Student Chair shall implement or sustain long term projects or initiatives throughout their term related to the transfer student experience.
Sustainability Representative
The Sustainability Representative will also serve as the CAS Alternate Senator.
The Sustainability Representative would maintain a relationship with the Office of Sustainability and other green groups on campus for updates on how to make CAS Student Council and the broader CAS greener.
The Sustainability Representative should counsel Committee Chairs and Class Presidents to ensure the execution of environmentally friendly events.
The Sustainability Representative will sit on the SGA Sustainability Committee, given it is active in the current academic year, and report back with updates on initiatives and events.
The Sustainability Representative should regularly update the CAS Student Council on NYU’s progress towards a more sustainable future.
In their role as Alternate Senator, the Sustainability Representative shall represent the students of the College of Arts & Science and the General Assembly as the Senator when the Senator cannot do so. While the Alternate Senator is serving as the Senator they will be held to the same standards described in IV C.
In their role as Alternate Senator, the Sustainability Representative may attend any University Senate or Student Government Assembly meeting as an observer and may replace the Senator for the remainder of the meeting, if the latter is obliged to leave.
In their role as Alternate Senator, the Sustainability Representative is entitled to formal notices and copies of the Senators Council minutes upon request to the Senators Council
In their role as Alternate Senator, the Sustainability Representative shall be eligible for regular assignments from the committees of either the Senators Council or Student Government Assembly, except if membership is otherwise restricted.
In their role as Alternate Senator, the Sustainability Representative shall have other duties as assigned by the Senator and Student Council President.
The Sustainability Representative is also required to sit on at least one SSC or University Senate committee. This may include the Sustainability Committee.
CAS Student Council Advisor
The CAS Student Council Advisor shall support and guide the General Assembly in all matters they choose to pursue in the forthcoming academic year.
The CAS Student Council Advisor shall ensure that the Council adheres to all relevant university policies.
The ultimate decision making and execution process is left to the discretion of the elected Executive Board Officers and General Assembly members.
They shall, in conjunction with the Vice President, be responsible for administering Class Board orientation before Reading Day in the incumbent Spring, Class Board training before the first day of Fall classes, and First-Year Class Board training once the First-Year Class Board is selected.
The advisor shall also advocate for the Student Council and their mission in all discussions held between the advisor and other members of the faculty and administration.
The advisor is the Student Council’s Parliamentarian and Constitutionalist.
General Responsibilities
All Executive Board members are suggested to serve on an SGA Committee of their choosing.
All Executive Board members shall remain current with university and school-wide issues.
All Executive Board members shall attend all events sponsored by the College of Arts & Science Student Council unless there is an aforementioned class or work conflict.
An Executive Board member who is absent from four Student Council meetings, including General Assembly meetings and Executive Board meetings in one semester will be put on probation. Tardiness of more than 15 minutes to a meeting counts as an absence. While on probation the President can appoint an acting official to take their place. Attendance status will be recorded and reviewed by the Vice President each month. Reinstatement of their status will be decided by 2/3 vote of confidence by the General Assembly two weeks after the officer’s probation.
In the event that an Executive Board member is unable to perform their duties for more than three weeks, the President can appoint an acting official to take their place. The acting official shall be responsible for all the duties and responsibilities of the absent member. The acting official may be granted official status subject to a vote of confidence by the General Assembly two weeks following their appointment. Any member who is unable to perform their duties for more than one semester must resign their position.
Council’s Committees
Public Relations Committee
The Director of Communications shall chair the Public Relations Committee (see IV E, 2).
The Public Relations Committee will have the applied positions of videographer, photographer, social media manager & graphic designer. Application would be reviewed by the PR Chair and chosen at their discretion.
The Public Relations Committee shall ensure that the student body is kept informed of the initiatives and events of the General Assembly.
The Public Relations Committee is responsible for helping with the making and distribution of all Student Council marketing materials.
Class Boards
Each Class Board shall be responsible for representing the views and addressing any problems of their own class to the Student Council, the College of Arts & Science Administration, and the University.
Each Class Board shall consist of a Class President, as well as Board Members whose number shall not exceed a total determined annually by the outgoing Vice President and each Class President
Each Class President shall guide their specific Class Board to program and execute events, and advocate on behalf of their class (see IV F, 2).
Each Class Board is responsible for hosting a minimum of 4 events per year:
One of these events must be a Kick-Off event, held before the third week of September except under special circumstances
The remainder of the events are up to the discretion of the Board. These events should be planned with the College Cohort Program’s learning outcomes in mind: Academic Success, Personal & Career Development, Community Engagement, and Leadership Experience. They need not, however, directly correlate to a specific learning outcome
Each Class Board will be assigned a Class Board Advisor, who will assist them with the programming and execution of events
The Class Board Advisor, in collaboration with the College Cohort Program, will be responsible for planning a marquis event for each class year:
Each Board will be responsible for staffing and promoting this event; however:
This event is not included in the required total of 4, unless the Board decides to take a larger role in its planning, in which case it may count toward the required total of 4.
Each Class Board shall do outreach to their class at least once per semester in order to gauge student concerns and interests. The feedback from this outreach shall be addressed through advocacy work, programming, or other initiatives by the end of the semester or academic year.
Each Class Board shall participate in relevant mandatory Class Board trainings and orientations:
The Senior Class Board, Junior Class Board, and Second-Year Class Board shall attend Class Board orientation before Reading Day in their incumbent Spring and Class Board training before the first day of Fall classes.
The First-Year Class Board shall attend First-Year Class Board training once they are selected.
Policies on attendance and performance assessment, as well as other policies not outlined in the Constitution, shall be set in the Class Board Manual.
Class-Specific Requirements
First-Year Class Board
The First-Year Class Board is not responsible for planning a Kick-Off event, making them responsible for a total of 3 required events rather than 4.
Eligibility
During Spring General Elections, applicants for Senior Class Board must have completed/be completing at least 84 credits, applicants for Junior Class Board must have completed/be completing at least 54 credits, and applicants for Second-Year Class Board must have completed/be completing at least 24 credits. Any registered First-Year student may apply for First-Year Class Board in the Fall Elections.
Class standing for these positions at any time other than the Spring General Elections is determined by the student’s credit status at the time of the previous spring semester.
Individual candidates may appeal to the Elections Committee regarding these credit limitations (see V H, 5) and exceptions can be made at the discretion of the Vice President.
Incoming internal transfers from Liberal Studies into the College of Arts & Science are eligible to apply for the position of Junior Class Board member.
Applicants for all Class Board positions must be in good standing in accordance with the College of Arts & Science Academic Probation Policy.
Advocacy Committee
The Advocacy Chair shall chair the Advocacy Committee (see IV G, 2).
The members of the Advocacy Committee shall defend and promote the rights of the General Assembly and the students of the College of Arts & Science.
The members of the Advocacy Committee shall serve as representatives to the administration or faculty as assigned by the Student Advocacy Chair.
The Advocacy Committee is charged with planning a year long initiative, culminating in one large Upstander event in the spring semester; with the goal to inform students of University or College policies and to amplify the student voice.
A single topic for the initiative must be chosen the summer prior to the academic year.
The Advocacy Committee must engage with and gather information from the student body regarding the chosen topic in the fall semester. This information may be used in formulating the spring semester event.
Alumni Relations Committee
The Alumni Relations Chair shall chair the Alumni Relations Committee (see IV H, 2).
The Alumni Relations Committee shall be responsible for enhancing the relationship between current students of the College of Arts & Science and the College’s alumni.
The Alumni Relations Committee is charged with planning at a minimum of two events during the year, one of which is the annual Spring Alumni-Student Banquet.
The Alumni Relations Committee shall implement or sustain long term projects or initiatives throughout their term related to the focus of their committee.
Curriculum Committee
The Curriculum Chair will chair the Curriculum Committee (IV I, 1).
The Curriculum Committee shall be responsible for enhancing the relationship between current students of the College of Arts & Science and the College’s faculty.
The Curriculum Chair is charged with planning at minimum two events during the year, one of which is the annual Fall Student-Faculty Banquet. The Curriculum Chair also must work with the Dean’s Office on Declaration Day.
Community Service Committee
The Community Service Chair will chair the Community Service Committee (IV K, 2).
The Community Service Chair is charged with planning at least 2 community service and 2 fundraising events per year for the student body as well as the General Assembly members of the General Assembly.
The Community Service Committee shall be responsible for Council fundraising activities.
The Community Service Chair shall implement or sustain long term projects or initiatives throughout their term related to the focus of their committee.
Programming Committee
The Programming Chair shall chair the Programming Committee (see IV L, 1).
The Programming Committee is charged with planning larger Student Council events that are not associated with any other Student Council committee. These include at minimum CAS Formal as well as at least one other semesterly event, such as Bagelfest. The Programming Committee is also responsible for planning a CAS Stressbuster in both the fall and spring semester. Other programming is up to the discretion of the Programming Chair.
The Programming Committee is responsible for planning CAS Stressbusters.
Transfer Student Committee
The Transfer Student Chair shall chair the Transfer Student Committee (see IV M, 2).
The Transfer Student Committee is charged with planning at least 2 events, one per semester, aimed at the most recent cohort of transfers.
The Transfer Student Committee shall be responsible for responding to the needs of the entire CAS transfer student population, both internal and external.
The Transfer Student Committee shall implement or sustain at least one long term project or initiative throughout their term related to the focus of their committee. This will be initiated in the fall semester.
The Election Committee
The Vice President shall be the chairperson of the Election Committee and the Election Director, except when the Council nominates an Alternate Election Director so that the Vice President may run in future Student Council elections (see IV B, 2).
The remaining members shall be all graduating seniors or someone who is not rerunning for the following election.
The Election Committee exists for the purpose of running Student Council elections, and shall have complete charge of said elections, subject to 2/3 overrule by the General Assembly.
The Election Committee is the body that has the power to make decisions regarding a vote on the ratification of an amendment to the election code.
The Election Committee shall begin convening at the beginning of the year for Fall Elections as necessary or at the beginning of Spring Semester for Spring Elections.
Special Committees
The General Assembly may form Special Committees to handle issues not dealt with by other committees, which arise from the needs of the students.
Special Committees shall be initiated by a majority vote of the General Assembly and chaired through Presidential Appointment in accordance with I B.
Financial Allocation Procedures
General
Disbursements and authorizations require the signature of the Director of Finance and final approval of the General Assembly advisor.
Allocations of funds via co-sponsorship to recognized student organizations require approval by a majority vote of Council.
The General Assembly may audit the books of any recognized student organization within its domain.
Reimbursement to clubs who have spent their money within the proper guidelines should be accomplished with all due promptness.
Allocations to external organizations not recognized require approval by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
No loans may be granted to any external organization.
A complete annual statement, covering the previous fiscal year, shall be submitted to the newly elected President and Director of Finance and shall be placed in the files of the General Assembly.
When proposing the annual budget at the beginning of the fall semester, the Director of Finance shall take into account an allotment of funds for Senior Week. No more than 10% of Student Council’s annual budget may be allocated to that program.
Club Status and Funding
All potential clubs must fill out the required forms for club recognition and submit them to the Club Council Chair. Official club status can only be granted by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Once granted club status, all clubs must fill out the forms required by the Chair of CAS Club Council in order to receive a budget.
Once all required forms are handed in, the President, Director of Finance, and Club Council Chair shall review these forms and may grant a budget to the organization.
The amount awarded to an official College of Arts & Science club will be left to the discretion of the President, Director of Finance, and Club Council Chair and will be decided upon on the following factors: 1) proposed activities for the year, 2) number of years in existence, 3) past year’s performance, 4) and anything else they decide to consider.
An official notification will be presented to the club. This notification can be given to the Kimmel Operations as the official document needed to register.
A College of Arts & Science club cannot register with the Center for Student Life (CSL).
Club Contingency Funding
The clubs requesting contingency funding must already be registered with the General Assembly as an official College of Arts & Science club.
These clubs can petition for contingency funding if they have either exhausted their whole budget, or are planning a new and unanticipated event.
Co-sponsorships
The organization requesting co-sponsorship funds must be recognized by either the Student Council or the Center for Student Life (CSL).
The organization must follow all specified co-sponsorship guidelines in order to attain funding from Student Council.
Miscellaneous Student Council Codes
General
The resignation of a Student Council officer shall be required in writing. This letter of resignation must be submitted personally to the President, who will notify the General Assembly at the next regular meeting, if the academic year has started, at which time the office becomes vacant.
The Vice President shall assume the office and duties of the President should the office become vacant before the end of the elected term. However, two weeks after the Vice President has assumed office, the General Assembly must have a vote of confidence. This vote of confidence shall be by ballot. If it does not pass, the Acting President shall become the Vice President once again and a new Acting President shall be appointed from amongst the membership by nominations. That Acting President shall again face a vote of confidence after two weeks in exactly the same terms as their predecessor.
The outcome of votes of confidence may not be reconsidered or rescinded.
Elections
General
The CAS Student Council will follow the university-wide election code.
The person occupying the post of the Vice President is the Election director for the Spring and Fall General Elections. All remaining members of the Election Committee are chosen in accordance with V, I, 2.
All College of Arts & Science students may vote. All elected Student Council officers shall be elected by the entire eligible student body (i.e. will attend NYU during the period the elections are running for) of the College, except for Class Presidents, who are to be elected by their respective classes.
The newly elected Student Council Executive Board shall take office after the final meeting of the spring semester.
Spring General Elections
If the General Assembly fails to hold an election in the spring, all non-graduating members of the General Assembly shall then make up the total membership of the General Assembly. A quorum of these members shall be necessary to call a meeting to order. The remaining Student Council shall conduct an election within the first four weeks of the fall term.
The Election Director, in consultation with the Election Committee, shall present an Election Plan with accompanying rules for the Spring General Elections. This plan should follow the precedent of the previous year, unless the Election Committee finds sufficient reason to alter them.
The Spring General Elections for SGA voting members, which includes the President and Student Senator, should follow the All-University timeline.
The Election Committee shall make a final list comprised of the names of the newly-elected officials. At the completion of this report, the Election Committee is dissolved.
Fall General Elections
The Election Director, in consultation with the Election Committee, shall present an Election Plan with accompanying rules for the Fall Elections. This plan should follow the precedent of the Spring General Elections, unless the Election Committee finds sufficient reason to alter them.
The Fall Elections shall take place within six weeks of the start of the fall term.
The Election Director shall make a final report to the Student Council containing the results of the Fall General Elections.
Impeachment
Internal Removal
An executive order from the President can remove someone from office in special circumstances. Refer to III C, 1.
Other than an external removal described in B of this Article, the General Assembly shall have the sole power of impeachment and conviction of one of its members.
All members of the Executive Board may be subject to impeachment and may be removed for conviction of gross and deliberate dereliction of duties assigned to that office in other articles or section of this Constitution, abuse of power or office held, deliberate misuse of Council money or facilities for personal gain, or violations of New York University regulations. The impeachment of a member of the Executive Board is only applicable to members holding an elected or appointed position.
Both the accuser(s) and the accused party or parties shall present their case before the General Assembly. The President shall act as the moderator unless they are either the accused or accuser. In this scenario, the Vice President shall preside. When a member is suspected of being guilty on grounds which might conceivably lead to impeachment and conviction of that member, the General Assembly may by 2/3 vote refer the case to the student representatives of the Faculty Committee on Discipline. This vote must be cast by ballot and may not be rescinded or reconsidered. If the vote carries, the matter must be referred to the student representatives of the Faculty Committee on Discipline. No one shall interfere, or cause any of this matter to be removed from the jurisdiction of this committee. If the General Assembly member suspected is the President, their case cannot be referred to the student representatives of the Faculty Committee on Discipline and must be heard in accordance to Article IVIf the case is not or cannot be referred both the accuser(s) and the accused party or parties shall present their case before the General Assembly.
Conviction of the accused and adoption of the penalty is achieved if 2/3 of the members of the General Assembly vote in the affirmative.
Once convicted, the maximum penalty invoked by the Council shall not exceed removal from office.
External Removal
The students of the College of Arts & Science shall have the power of recalling a Council member for: abuse of power or office held, gross and deliberate dereliction of duties assigned to that office in other articles and sections of this Constitution, deliberate misuse of the Council money or facilities for personal gain, or violations of New York University regulations.
A petition to recall must contain the name and the office of the Council member to be recalled, specific charges against the member named above, and the signatures, printed names, student identification numbers, and net IDs of 15% of the College of Arts and Science student body. A petition to indict the President requires 20% of the student body.
The completed petition must be handed to the Vice President who must verify the petition within fourteen days of its reception.
No petition of recall may be submitted against a Student Council member until that member has held office for thirty days that the University is in session.
Meeting Procedure
Committee Meetings Procedural Codes
The committee chairperson shall lead all meetings of the committee.
All committee chairpersons shall speak for and represent their committees whenever necessary.
A quorum for a committee is a majority of the fixed membership of that committee.
All members of a committee, including the chairperson, can vote in their respective committees.
When a committee decides to write or sign a letter of support, that letter/resolution/etc. must be presented at a General Assembly meeting and approved by a majority of the General Assembly.
Student Council Meeting Procedure
The General Assembly must have at least one meeting every two weeks excluding summer session, winter break, and spring vacation, barring special circumstances.
The General Assembly Meetings shall conduct business according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. But this Constitution shall take precedent in any conflict with Robert’s Rules of Order.
Amendments
General
The General Assembly, whenever 2/3 of the fixed membership shall deem it necessary and appropriate, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution.
The Proposed Amendment(s) shall be temporarily in effect once they are approved by the General Assembly. However these Amendments must be voted on by the student body at the next regularly called election.
The General Assembly may, by 2/3 vote, choose to hold a special election during the year for the purpose of ratifying said Amendment(s).
The Amendment(s) shall be made clearly visible such that anyone wishing to read the items up for approval shall have the opportunity to do so. In addition, both the affirmative and negative expressions of opinion will be provided as choices in the voting process.
All appropriate sections of the Election Committee’s plan shall be utilized in regard to setting up a fair and impartial vote on the ratification of the Amendment(s).