../senators/Get%20to%20know%20your%20Student%20Senators.
../senators/Information%20onthe%20standing%20committees%20of%20USS.
../senators/Charter,%20by-laws%20and%20other%20information.
../senators/Services%20provided%20by%20USS.
../senators/Online%20discussion%20forum.
../senators/Features%20and%20facts%20about%20Senate.
|| Home ||

By-Laws page 2

 

II. Operating Procedure

A. While not a public body, the Undergraduate Student Senate's meetings shall be open to the public and will be conducted in a manner consistent with the spirit of the Ohio Open Meetings Law, section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code. However, after a majority vote of quorum, by role call, the Undergraduate Student Senate reserves the right to hold an executive session for the following purposes:

1. To consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a state employee or official, for the investigation of charges or complaints against a state employee, official, licensee, or regulated individual unless the state employee, licensee, or regulated individual request a public hearing;

2. To consider the purchase of public property for public purposes, or for the sale of property at competitive bidding, if premature disclosure of the information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public interest;

3. Conferences with an attorney for the senate that are the subject of pending or imminent court action;

4. Preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with senate employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment;

5. Matters required to be kept confidential by federal laws or rules or state statutes;

6. Specialized details of security arrangements where disclosure of the matters discussed might reveal information that could be used for the purpose of committing, or avoiding prosecution for, a violation of the law.

B. A bill, resolution, or motion of any kind is invalid unless adopted in an open meeting of the senate: this bill shall apply to committees
and subcommittees of the senate.

C. Meetings will be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, except where such rules conflict with any provision of these By-Laws. Interpretation of Robert's Rules of Order will be made by the internal parliamentarian for the Senate. [the Senate reserves the right to invoke another procedure for any particular meeting].

1. The Senate will appoint by majority vote a senator to serve as parliamentarian. This position will be the last filled when selecting chairs.

D. The business of the Undergraduate Student Senate shall be conducted with the guidance of the Executive Director.

E. Members of the Undergraduate Student Senate reserve the right to contest any ruling of the Executive Director regarding operating procedure during a meeting. Decisions of the Executive Director may be overruled by a majority vote of the Senators present at the meeting.

F. All voting will be by voice vote. However, a roll call or hand vote may be done at any time at the request of an Undergraduate Student Senator.

G. A period will be designated at the beginning of each meeting during which any interested person may have three (3) minutes to discuss concerns relevant to Kent State University or Senate (Public Contributions). This period may be lengthened following a motion to do so by a member of the Undergraduate Student Senate and with approval by a majority vote of Student Senators present.

H. A period of time at the end of each meeting will be reserved for Public Contributions following the same guidelines established in II. G. (see above).

I. An Undergraduate Student Senate member may yield the floor to a spectator at any time except when a motion has been made and properly seconded. However, the Executive Director must recognize and Undergraduate Student Senate member before she/he can recognize a spectator.

J. Any Undergraduate Student wishing to insert and item for consideration on the agenda (except for Allocation Requests) may do so by contacting the Executive Director by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the next meeting.

K. Allocation requests to be considered by the Undergraduate Student Senate must be submitted to the Senator for Business and Finance or her/his designee by the time stipulated in the Allocation Request cover letters. These deadlines will be extended ONLY in EXTREME circumstances by the Business and Finance Senator; the Business and
Finance Senator may be overruled by a 2/3 majority.

1. Handling Allocation Requests, when the Allocation Committee is not present, the Undergraduate Student Senate shall use the following procedure:

a. The Executive Director shall recognize the Finance Director of her/his designee, who will then read the request currently pending.

b. The Finance Director shall then yield the floor to the representative of the organization submitting the request. The representative then has three (3) minuted during which time she/he may explain and justify the request. After the representative has finished speaking, the floor will be open for the Senators to address questions to the organization's representative and/or discuss the proper disposition of the request among themselves.

c. After a Senator has made a motion and the motion has been properly seconded, discussion will be limited to members of the Undergraduate Student Senate.

d. If a motion is not seconded or if a properly seconded motion fails, the floor is again open to questions and discussion. (move to allocation guidelines)

L. It shall be the policy of the Undergraduate Student Senate with regard to the Undergraduate Student Senate Staff, University committees, and all other Undergraduate Student Senate appointments that no bias will be shown on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or sexual preference.

 

Next page-->