Student Senate Constitution

PRINT DISCLAIMER: Official version of this document is accessible in the online policy library at https://policyoffice.ku.edu/. Printed copies may not reflect the most recent updates.

DOCUMENT TYPE:

Policy

PURPOSE:

To articulate the Student Senate Constitution

APPLIES TO:

University of Kansas students

CAMPUS:

Lawrence

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 

Preamble
Title One - The Student Senate

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Representation in Shared Governance
• Article 03. Compensation for Officers
• Article 04. Archival of Records
• Article 05. Constitutional Amendments

Title Two - The Legislative Branch

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Meetings
• Article 03. Legislation
• Article 04. Appointment of Legislative Officers
• Article 05. Students' Assembly
• Article 06. Student Councils
• Article. 07. Student Executive Council
• Article 08. Student Senators 
• Article 09. Speaker of the Students' Assembly 
• Article 10. Internal Affairs Director
• Article 11. City Commission Representative 
• Article 12. Chairs of the Student Councils
• Article 13. Vice Chairs of the Student Councils
• Article 14. Secretaries of the Student Councils
• Article 15. Associate Senators for the Student Councils
• Article 16. Discipline and Removal of Members

Title Three - The Executive Branch

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Student Body President
• Article 03. Student Body Vice President
• Article 04. Graduate Student Body President
• Article 05. Appointment and Removal of Executive Officers
• Article 06. Coordinator of Staff
• Article 07. Treasurer
• Article 08. Fund Development Director
• Article 09. Government Relations Director
• Article 10. Outreach Director
• Article 11. Community Affairs Director
• Article 12. Public Relations Director

Title Four - The Judicial Branch

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Elections Commission
• Article 03. Chair of the Elections Commission
• Article 04. Judicial Proceedings
• Article 05. Jurisdiction of the University Judicial Board

Title Five - The Budget Code

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Required Student Fee Review
• Article 03. Required Student Fees
• Article 04. Block Funding
• Article 05. Line-Item Funding
• Article 06. Wednesday Night Funding
• Article 07. Other Matters

Title Six - The Election Code

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Schedule
• Article 03. Candidates
• Article 04. Student Coalitions
• Article 05. Voting
• Article 06. Campaign Resources
• ​​​​​​​Article 07. Regulations on Campaigning 
• Article 08. Disputes
• Article 09. Ballot Referendums

Title Seven - The Advisory Boards

• Article 01. General Provisions
• Article 02. Community Development Fund Board
• Article 03. Educational Opportunity Fund Board
• Article 04. Watkins Health Services Advisory Board
• Article 05. Mental Health Advisory Board
• Article 06. Recreation Services Advisory Board
• Article 07. Legal Services for Students Advisory Board
• Article 08. Student Engagement Center Advisory Board
• Article 09. Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Advisory Board
• Article 10. Sustainability Advisory Board
• Article 11. Ad Hoc Advisory Boards

Appendix - Contracts and Agreements 

POLICY STATEMENT:

PREAMBLE

We, the Students of the University of Kansas, recognize and value the importance of our role in fulfilling the educational aspirations and success of the University. Fully committed to properly advocating and communicating student’s needs and convictions to the administration, faculty, staff, as well as local, state, and federal authorities; we do hereby assemble as a united and organized body of students which together shall constitute the Student Senate.

All power and authority of the University originates from the members of the Student Body. The Student Senate shall be the representative body of the students at the University.

Subject to and in accordance with the control of the Chancellor and the Board of Regents as provided by law, the Student Senate is empowered to formulate the present Constitution, along with its codes and bylaws, as it shall deem wise and proper for the control and governance of all University affairs which directly and primarily affect the students of the University:

• The Student Senate shall enhance the learning experience of all KU students both in and out of the classroom.
• The Student Senate shall further the cultural, social, and political growth of KU students.
• The Student Senate shall ensure that the learning opportunities at KU are open to all students without exception. This includes but is not limited to race, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, color, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital or parental status, socio-economic status and to the extent specified by law, age or veteran status.
• The Student Senate shall protect and enhance students’ right to free speech.
• The Student Senate shall increase access and input in university policy decisions and the educational process at KU.
• The Student Senate shall build a vital and thriving University community encompassing students, faculty, staff, and administration.
• The Student Senate shall work to strengthen ties between the University community and all the residents of Lawrence and the State of Kansas.
• The Student Senate shall represent students at all levels as a part of university governance.
• The Student Senate shall represent students on university, local, state, national, and international levels to further these goals.
• The Student Senate shall work to ensure that the University of Kansas listens to student advocacy at every level.

This Constitution shall become effective upon the approval of the majority of the Students’ Assembly, present and voting as provided by Article III, Section 5 of the University Senate Code. “Rules and Regulations so formulated may be enacted, amended or repealed by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a regular or special meeting when the notice of the meeting states the substance of the enactment, amendment, or repeal to be considered.” Upon a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, the Student’s Assembly may give final approval for an exemption from a specific part of this Constitution to any corporation, organization, or group.

We do hereby ordain and establish this Constitution, which shall be the governing document of the Student Senate.

TITLE ONE — THE STUDENT SENATE

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 01-01-01. Authority. The authority of this Constitution shall be the basis for all business conducted by the University of Kansas Student Senate. The Constitution shall be referred to for the appropriate governance, formulation, and execution of policy.

§ 01-01-02. Branches of Government. The Student Senate shall consist of three branches of government that are granted certain responsibilities and powers under this Constitution.

These branches are as follows:

• The Legislative Branch, implemented by Title Two.
• The Executive Branch, implemented by Title Three.
• The Judicial Branch, implemented by Title Four.

§ 01-01-03. Independence of the Branches of Government. No person may be a member of multiple branches of the Student Senate at the same time.

§ 01-01-04. Budget Code. The Student Senate Budget Code, implemented in Title Five, shall be administered by the Finance Council of the Legislative Branch, with the cooperation of the Treasurer and Fund Development Director.

§ 01-01-05. Elections Code. The Elections Code, implemented in Title Six, shall be administered by the Elections Commission of the Judicial Branch.

§ 01-01-06. Advisory Boards. The Advisory Boards, implemented in Title Seven with such rules and procedures as provided under that Title, shall be an extension of the Legislative Branch.

§ 01-01-07. Code of Ethics. The Student Senate is empowered by the Student Body to responsibly and ethically represent student interests. For this reason, all members of the Student Senate must abide by the following Code of Ethics.

a) Student Senate members must faithfully and honestly represent the Student Body and, if applicable, their constituency.

b) Student Senate members represent a diverse and multicultural body of students and shall always be mindful and respectful of all cultures and identities when legislating on behalf of students.

c) Student Senate members must present all legislation with complete and accurate information.

d) Student Senate members must, if allowed, consistently and regularly vote on matters before the Student Senate. Each member must cast only one vote.

e) Student Senate members must receive all legislation with fair and rigorous discussion.

f) Student Senate members must actively participate in meetings of the Student Senate. Members must contribute to the conditions necessary for healthy and productive conversation, as well as promote collaboration between their fellow members.

g) Student Senate members must abide by the Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities.

h) Student Senate members must practice mutual respect for their fellow members. Members must maintain decorum when they represent the Student Senate.

i) Student Senate members must not knowingly use their position to solicit or receive any monetary or non-monetary gift, or a normally unattainable advantage, from any individual.

§ 01-01-08. Supplemental Documents. The following documents are considered to be critical parts of student governance at the University of Kansas, and may create additional rules for Student Senate or its members:

• The University Senate Code, available through the KU Policy Library.
• The University Senate Rules & Regulations, available through the KU Policy Library.
• The Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities, available through the KU Policy Library.
• The Student Senate Budget Book, available on the Student Senate online workspace.

§ 01-01-09. Online Workspace and Other Online Platforms. The Student Senate shall designate one online workspace, such as Microsoft Teams, through which Student Senate members can access pertinent documents and notices. The Student Senate may designate additional online platforms, such as the University of Kansas website and the Student Engagement Center’s KU Engage website, through which members of the public may access information about or submit information to the Student Senate.

§ 01-01-10. Public Listing of All Members. The Student Senate must maintain a public list of all members on a Student Senate online platform.

§ 01-01-11. Accessibility. The Student Senate must be accessible for all its members.

a) Requesting Accommodations. In the event that any Student Senate member requires any accommodations, they may request them from the KU Student Access Center in accordance with University disability accommodation policies.

b) Referral by the Internal Affairs Director. A member who discloses to the Internal Affairs Director a disability or health condition, and who simultaneously makes a request for accommodation or assistance or states that they are unable to meet their duties due to this disability or health condition, must be referred by the Internal Affairs Director to the Student Access Center for potential accommodations.

c) Consideration and Implementation. After receiving a request for accommodations for a Student Senate member from the Student Access Center, the Internal Affairs Director must determine if the requested accommodations would be feasible to implement within the Student Senate.

i) Accommodations Deemed Infeasible. If the Internal Affairs Director finds that the requested accommodations would not be feasible to implement, they must discuss the reasons for this determination with the Student Access Center.

ii) Implementation. Upon a determination by the Internal Affairs Director or the Student Access Center that the requested accommodations would be feasible to implement, the accommodations shall be approved and the Internal Affairs Director must implement the accommodations in a timely manner. The Internal Affairs Director shall have the power to secure cooperation from the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial officers to fulfill this requirement.

d) Costs. If approved accommodations require purchasing equipment or modifying the operations of the Student Senate, the Internal Affairs Director must coordinate with the Treasurer and appropriate University staff to acquire the necessary resources. In the event that the necessary resources cannot be acquired from the University, the Student Executive Council may approve the use of a reasonable amount of funds available for internal purchases of the Student Senate to provide the accommodations.

e) Exceptions. As in-person meetings are needed for the engagement of members in discussion, an inability to attend in-person meetings may not be the basis for an accommodation.

f) Confidentiality. Student Senate members may not breach the confidentiality of records or the privacy of other members in relation to requesting, discussing, and implementing accommodations.

g) Basis for Discipline. In the event that a Student Senate member fails to meet the requirements of this Section, this action shall form the basis for discipline by the Student Executive Council or Students’ Assembly as provided under the implementing Title for the Legislative Branch.

§ 01-01-12. “Student” Defined. As used in this Constitution, “student” refers to any person enrolled in at least one credit hour of coursework on the Lawrence Campus or Edwards Campus of the University of Kansas.

Article 02. Representation in Shared Governance.

§ 01-02-01. In General. This Article lists bodies outside of the Student Senate where the Student Senate contributes to student representation.

§ 01-02-02. Appointments of the Student Body President. The Student Body President shall make the following appointments:

• One student to the Parking Commission.
• Seven students to the Transit Commission, of which one student must be a representative of the University residence halls and one student must be the Student Senate Treasurer unless they decline.
• One student to the governing board of the University Daily Kansan, which must be the Student Body Vice President unless they decline.

§ 01-02-03. Appointments of the Students’ Assembly. The Students’ Assembly shall make the following appointments by elections:

• Eighteen students to the University Senate, of which fifteen must be undergraduate students and three must be graduate students.
• Three students to the executive committee of the University Senate, of which two must be undergraduate students and one must be a graduate student.

§ 01-02-04. Appointments of the Student Body Vice President. The Student Body Vice President shall appoint undergraduate representatives to the boards and committees of the University Senate.

§ 01-02-05. Appointments of the Graduate Student Body President. The Graduate Student Body President shall appoint graduate representatives to the boards and committees of the University Senate.

§ 01-02-06. Appointments of the Student Rights & Affairs Council. The Student Rights & Affairs Council shall make the following appointments by elections:

• One student to the governing board of Kansas Athletics, Incorporated.
• Two students to the governing board of Friends of Lied.
• One student to the executive committee of Friends of Lied.

§ 01-02-07. Revisions to the Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities. Every two years, the Student Rights & Affairs Council shall review the University’s Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities (referred to as the Student Code), and may propose revisions thereto.

a) Purpose. The purpose of revisions to the Student Code shall be to protect the rights of the Student Body and better reflect the obligations of students as part of the University community.

b) Responsibility. The Chair of the Student Rights & Affairs Council shall be responsible for leading discussion of revisions to the Student Code with Student Senate members and University staff who enforce the Student Code; provided, however, that any student may prepare a revision to the Student Code.

c) Review by the Legislative Branch. Revisions to the Student Code shall be submitted as legislation. A bill to revise the Student Code shall be heard by the Student Rights & Affairs Council and no other Student Council, and then by the Students’ Assembly.

d) Restriction on Amendments. The Students’ Assembly may not amend a bill to revise the Student Code.

e) Remand by the Students’ Assembly. In the event that a bill to revise the Student Code is not passed by the Students’ Assembly, it shall be remanded to the Student Rights & Affairs Council for further consideration, including amendments.

f) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to revise the Student Code shall be a two- thirds vote.

g) Presentment to University Leadership. After enactment of a bill to revise the Student Code, the Chair of the Student Rights & Affairs Council shall present the revision to University leadership for further review.

h) Monitoring of Implementation. After enactment of a bill to revise the Student Code, the Chair of the Student Rights & Affairs Council shall monitor the University’s review of the revision and provide regular updates to the Student Senate regarding implementation of the revision.

§ 01-02-08. Amendments to the University Senate Code. The Student Senate may make amendments to the articles of the University Senate Code relevant to the Student Senate, and propose amendments to other articles of the University Senate Code which shall then be reviewed by the executive committee of the University Senate, as provided by the University Senate Code.

a) Responsibility. The Speaker of the Students' Assembly and Internal Affairs Director shall be responsible for monitoring the University Senate Code for conflicts with this Constitution and for preparing amendments to remedy these conflicts; provided, however, that any student may prepare an amendment to the  University Senate Code.

b) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to amend the University Senate Code or propose an amendment to the University Senate Code shall be a two-thirds vote.

c) Restriction. The Student Senate may not consider any amendment or proposed amendment to the University Senate Code that would create a conflict with this Constitution.

d) Presentment. After enactment of a bill to amend the University Senate Code, the Speaker of the Students' Assembly shall present the amendment to the relevant offices of the University for implementation. After enactment of a bill to propose an amendment to the University Senate Code, the Speaker of the Students' Assembly shall present the proposed amendment to the executive committee of the University Senate.

§ 01-02-09. Amendments to the University Senate Rules & Regulations. The Student Senate may propose amendments to the University Senate Rules & Regulations (referred to as the USRR), which shall then be reviewed by the executive committee of the University Senate, as provided by the University Senate Code.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to propose an amendment to the University Senate Rules & Regulations shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Presentment. After enactment of a bill to propose an amendment to the USRR, the Speaker of the Students' Assembly shall present the proposed amendment to the executive committee of the University Senate.

§ 01-02-10. Independent Amendments. This Article may be amended independently by the Internal Affairs Director to reflect changes in the representation of students made by outside bodies, according to the Article governing constitutional amendments.

Article 03. Compensation for Officers.

§ 01-03-01. In General. Certain officers of the Student Senate, as provided for under their respective implementing Articles, may be compensated for the services they provide to the Student Senate by receiving a stipend or hourly wage through the University human resources office from funds available to the Student Senate.

§ 01-03-02. Responsibility. The Internal Affairs Director and Coordinator of Staff, with assistance from University staff, shall be responsible for ensuring that all officers eligible to receive compensation have the resources necessary to fulfill the requirements set by this Article, and receive their compensation in a timely manner.

a) Legislative and Judicial Officers. The Internal Affairs Director shall be responsible for compensation received by Legislative and Judicial officers.

b) Executive Officers. The Coordinator of Staff shall be responsible for compensation received by Executive officers.

§ 01-03-03. Human Resources Requirements. An officer who is eligible to receive compensation from the Student Senate must meet the requirements set by the University human resources office before receiving this compensation.

a) Accrual of Compensation. Compensation for an officer shall accrue in any period prior to them meeting the requirements set by the University human resources office, and be paid out upon them meeting these requirements. However, the Student Senate recognizes that the University human resources office may refuse to pay out accrued compensation.

b) Forfeit of Compensation. An officer who cannot meet the requirements set by the University human resources office, or who otherwise does not take timely action to meet these requirements, shall forfeit all accrued compensation and the eligibility to receive compensation.

§ 01-03-04. Compensation Grades. All officers must be compensated at uniform compensation grades.

a) Undergraduate Hourly. Officers receiving compensation at the Undergraduate Hourly grade must be paid $10.50 per hour, less any applicable taxes and other amounts the University is required to withhold.

b) Graduate Hourly. Officers receiving compensation at the Graduate Hourly grade must be paid $22.04 per hour, less any applicable taxes and other amounts the University is required to withhold.

c) Regular Stipend. Officers receiving compensation at the Regular Stipend grade must be paid a single sum of $250.00 following each fall and spring semester during their service. This sum must be the final amount paid to such officers, with any taxes and other withholdings added on when it is charged to the Student Senate.

§ 01-03-05. Recording of Work Hours. An officer receiving hourly compensation must record their work hours through the University’s online human resources system.

a) Limitations. The University may limit the amount of work hours an officer may record during a set amount of time, based on applicable statutes and regulations.

b) Fraudulent Recordings. An officer who records work hours in excess of the amount of time they genuinely provided service to the Student Senate shall be subject to removal from their position as provided under this Constitution.

§ 01-03-06. Fulfillment of Service for Stipends. An officer receiving stipend compensation may not receive a stipend following a semester in which they provided negligible or no service to the Student Senate.

a) Partial Service. An officer who resigns or is removed from the Student Senate during a semester shall remain eligible to receive compensation as if they had continued to provide service for the entire semester.

§ 01-03-07. Independent Amendments. This Article may be amended independently by the Internal Affairs Director to reflect changes in the minimum compensation rates for student workers set by law or University policy.

Article 04. Archival of Records.

§ 01-04-01. In General. All records and documents used for the business of the Student Senate must be preserved as historical records for future reference.

§ 01-04-02. Responsibility and Enforcement. The Coordinator of Staff is responsible for the archival of Student Senate records at the conclusion of each spring semester. To implement this Article, the Coordinator of Staff may order any member of the Student Senate to preserve and turn over any records or documents held by that member and covered by this Article. In cases of ambiguity, the Coordinator of Staff may exercise reasonable judgment to implement this Article.

§ 01-04-03. Scope of Records. Records that must be archived include, but are not limited to, the following:

• This Constitution and all other rules promulgated by the Student Senate.
• The Student Senate Budget Book.
• All agendas, minutes, attendance records, voting records, and reports from any meetings of the Legislative Branch.
• All legislation and records of action on that legislation.
• All emails sent to or from official Student Senate email accounts, except those relating solely to the personal business of the member operating that account.
• All budgets, invoices, and other documents submitted by student organization officers relating to funding from the Student Senate.
• All contracts and agreements entered into by any Student Senate member relating to the Student Senate.
• All documents, decisions, election results, and campaign materials collected by the Student Senate Elections Commission.
• All filings submitted to and decisions made by the Student Senate Constitutional Court.
• All outreach materials and press releases created by Student Senate members relating to the Student Senate.
• All application or request forms submitted to the Student Senate.

§ 01-04-04. Handling of Sensitive Records. The Coordinator of Staff shall indicate records that include sensitive information, such as information that could reasonably be expected to compromise the safety or financial security of a person, for appropriate treatment during storage of these records.

§ 01-04-05. Storage of Records. Records of the Student Senate must be stored physically or digitally with the University Archives in the Spencer Research Library. Emails may be stored in the accounts in which they originally appeared.

§ 01-04-06. Requests for Records by Student Senate Members. A member of the Student Senate may request copies of archived records by communicating this request to the Coordinator of Staff. After receiving a request for archived records, the Coordinator of Staff must respond in a timely manner.

a) Excessive Requests. If, in the opinion of the Coordinator of Staff, a member of the Student Senate is submitting requests that, due to their number or scope, would prevent the Coordinator of Staff from exercising their other responsibilities set by this Constitution, the Coordinator of Staff may refuse to produce those records or provide an alternative production of records that is smaller in scope.

§ 01-04-07. Public Requests for Records. A person who is not a member of the Student Senate may request copies of archived records, pursuant to state or federal law, through the appropriate University office.

Article 05. Constitutional Amendments.

§ 01-05-01. In General. This Constitution may be amended by legislation duly considered and passed by a two-thirds vote of each Student Council to which the legislation is assigned and of the Students’ Assembly.

§ 01-05-02. Review by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. All amendments to this Constitution must be first reviewed and passed by the Student Rights & Affairs Council, except for those made by ballot referendums. No amendment may be considered by the Students’ Assembly that has not first been passed by the Student Rights & Affairs Council.

§ 01-05-03. Responsibility. The Internal Affairs Director shall be responsible for giving effect to amendments by updating this Constitution.

a) Technical Corrections. The Internal Affairs Director may, when updating copies of the Constitution, make technical corrections to ensure that the Constitution remains coherent and well-ordered, such as changing the numbering of sections, changing the names of positions to reflect new names, and updating the table of contents; provided, however, that these corrections in no way affect the substance of amendments to this Constitution.

§ 01-05-04. Official Copy of the Constitution. The Internal Affairs Director shall be responsible for designating and maintaining one official copy of this Constitution, which shall be considered by all Student Senate members to be a true and correct representation of the Constitution.

a) Available to the Public. The official Constitution must be made available to all Student members and the Student Body through the Student Senate online workspace and online platforms.

b) Review by the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall be responsible for reviewing the official Constitution and determining whether it correctly reflects the originally adopted Constitution and all amendments made thereto. The opinion of the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly on the correctness of the official Constitution must be respected by the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

c) Amendments Not Yet Reflected. In the event that an amendment has been made to this Constitution but has not yet been reflected in the official Constitution, the enacted copy of the legislation which made this amendment shall be sufficient evidence to support the amendment’s correctness in matters before the Student Senate.

d) Handling of Discrepancies. In the event that a discrepancy exists in the official Constitution, the person discovering this discrepancy shall bring notice to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly or to the Students’ Assembly to correct it.

§ 01-05-05. Independent Amendments. Certain parts of this Constitution may, if expressly provided for, be amended by the Internal Affairs Director independently of any action by the Legislative Branch to reflect changes in circumstances within or around the Student Senate.

a) Notice. Notice of an independent amendment must be provided to all Student Senate members through the Student Senate online workspace. Notice of an independent amendment must include the amendment’s exact text.

b) Review by the Students’ Assembly. After notice of an independent amendment is provided, any member of the Students’ Assembly may, at its next meeting, move to vote on the amendment. The amendment must then be ratified by a two-thirds vote or otherwise disapproved of.

c) Taking Effect. An independent amendment will take effect after notice of the amendment is provided and the Students’ Assembly either ratifies or takes no action on the amendment at its next meeting.

TITLE TWO — THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 02-01-01. Structure. The Student Senate establishes the Students’ Assembly, which shall be the upper body of the Legislative Branch; and the Student Councils, which shall be the lower bodies. Further, the Student Senate establishes the Student Executive Council, which shall ensure the orderly consideration of legislative business and fulfill certain other responsibilities.

§ 02-01-02. Authority. The powers to enact legislation, and the power to speak as the Student Senate and Student Body through resolutions, shall be held solely by the Legislative Branch of the Student Senate.

§ 02-01-03. Public Meetings. The Legislative Branch may only act during public meetings, with sufficient notice given to Student Senate members and the Student Body, unless otherwise specified in this Constitution.

a) Executive Sessions. A body of the Legislative Branch allowed to conduct business in executive sessions shall, in doing so, allow only members of the body and other persons invited by the body to be present, and exclude all other persons.

§ 02-01-04. Voting Rights. The right to vote on matters before the Legislative Branch shall be granted to those persons provided for in the implementing Articles of each body of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-01-05. Speaking Rights. The right to speak on matters before the Legislative Branch shall be granted to all students. However, a presiding officer may give preferential recognition to voting members of their body for speaking. Further, a presiding officer may recognize non-students to provide advice on legislative business.

§ 02-01-06. Voting Procedure. Final votes on legislation and votes in internal elections must be taken through polls in the Student Senate online workspace. The results of these polls must be public and retained after the voting period has concluded, so they can be entered into the minutes of that meeting.

a) Duration of Polling. The presiding officer may decide the duration of polling, provided that the duration is not less than 90 seconds.

b) Voice Votes. For the efficiency of legislative business, the presiding officer may allow voice votes on motions. However, final votes on legislation must still be taken through polls, and if a voice vote is disputed, it must be redone online as well.

c) Unanimous Consent. For the efficiency of legislative business, the presiding officer may ask for unanimous consent on any action that they reasonably believe will be non-controversial.

§ 02-01-07. Election Procedure. The Student Councils and Students’ Assembly must ensure that all elections held by the Legislative Branch remain fair.

a) Nominees. Nominees for internal elections must be taken from the floor, with any student able to be nominated or nominate themself.

b) Speeches. All nominees for an internal election must be given equal and sufficient time to explain their qualifications and goals. While a nominee gives their speech, the presiding officer may require other nominees to leave the room.

c) Discussion. Once all nominees have given their speeches, the presiding officer may require nominees to leave the room. During this period the presiding officer will recognize students to speak on the viability of the nominees so long as discussion remains decorous.​​​​​​​

d) Student Council Voting Results. Following an election in a Student Council, the Secretary of that Student Council must communicate the election results, together with the voting record, to the Internal Affairs Director.

e) Single Preference Elections. An election for which only one person may be elected (e.g., Internal Affairs Director) shall follow the following procedures.

i) Voting. Each member voting in the election shall cast one vote. The nominee elected must receive a majority of the votes cast in the election.

ii) No Contest. If there is one nominee in the election, the nominee may be elected by unanimous consent. If unanimous consent is not granted, the nominee must still receive a majority vote to be elected.

iii) Voting with Three or More Nominees. In the event that there are three or more nominees in the election and no nominee receives a majority vote during the first round of voting, the presiding officer may limit subsequent rounds of voting to only the two nominees receiving the most votes.

f) Multiple Preference Elections. An election for which multiple persons may be elected (e.g., representatives to the University Senate) shall follow the following procedures.

i) Voting. Each member voting in the election shall cast a number of votes equal to the number of persons who may be elected. The nominees elected must receive the most votes cast in the election.

ii) No Contest. If the number of nominees is equal to or less than the number of persons who may be elected, the nominees shall be elected without a vote.

iii) Ties. In the event that a tie in voting makes more nominees than the number who may be elected receive the most votes in the election, the presiding officer shall call a new vote for those persons who received a tied number of votes.

§ 02-01-08. Presiding Officer Impartiality. No person may preside over a meeting of a body of the Legislative Branch during the consideration of legislation in which they have a personal interest above other legislation. A person may return to presiding over a meeting after the final vote on that legislation or when the meeting turns to other business.

a) Situations Included. Situations in which a presiding officer must temporarily step down include the following:

• They are an author of the legislation.
• They are a subject, or a member of a group that is a subject, of the legislation.
• They share a relationship with an author or subject of the legislation closer than those normally shared among student leadership.
• They are a coalition leader in a Student Senate Election, and the legislation would affect the candidacy or campaigning of their coalition members.
• Other situations where the presiding officer’s decisions would reasonably be questioned as motivated by concerns other than their obligations to the Student Senate.

b) Basis for Discipline. In the event that a presiding officer does not step down from presiding over a situation covered under this Section, this action shall form the basis for discipline by the Student Executive Council or Students’ Assembly as provided under this Title.

§ 02-01-09. Guest Speakers. The Student Councils and Students’ Assembly may from time to time recognize persons from the University or the general public to address their meetings as guest speakers.

§ 02-01-10. Parliamentary Procedure. All meetings of the Legislative Branch must follow the rules of procedure set out in the current edition of Roberts’ Rules of Order Newly Revised.

a) Relaxation. Certain rules of procedure may be relaxed by the presiding officer of a meeting to promote the efficient consideration of legislative business, provided that the rules are not in dispute and that the rules do not affect the rights of Student Senate members.

§ 02-01-11. Resignations. A person seeking to resign from their membership or position in the Legislative Branch must communicate this resignation to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

a) Resignation of the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly. In the event that the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly resigns, they must communicate this resignation to the Student Body President and Internal Affairs Director.

Article 02. Meetings.

§ 02-02-01. In General. The Legislative Branch shall meet regularly during the academic year while classes are in session.

§ 02-02-02. Scheduling. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall be responsible for scheduling all meetings of the Legislative Branch. For each academic year, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must complete the schedule of meetings prior to the start of that academic year.

a) Venue. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall be further responsible for providing a venue, such as in the Kansas Union, for meetings held in person.

b) Food and Refreshments. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may, with the approval of the Student Executive Council, provide food and refreshments to attendees at meetings of the Student Councils and Students’ Assembly by using a reasonable amount of funds available for internal purchases of the Student Senate.

§ 02-02-03. Public Notice. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall be responsible for providing timely notice of all meetings of the Legislative Branch to Student Senate members and the general public through the Student Senate online workspace and online platforms.

§ 02-02-04. Legislative Cycles. The meetings of the Legislative Branch within an academic year must be organized into a certain number of Legislative Cycles, measured in weeks, during which all bodies of the Legislative Branch will meet in turn to ensure that legislation can be disposed of in an efficient manner. Legislative Cycles should generally be two weeks long, but they may be extended to accommodate holidays, breaks, and other such occurrences in the academic year.

a) Student Councils. The Student Councils must all meet on the first Wednesday of a Legislative Cycle.

b) Student Executive Council. The Student Executive Council must meet between the meetings of the Student Councils and the Students’ Assembly. This meeting should take place on the Tuesday directly before the meeting of the Students’ Assembly unless the Chair of the Student Executive Council determines that a different date would be more suitable.

c) Students’ Assembly. The Students’ Assembly must meet on the last Wednesday of a Legislative Cycle.

§ 02-02-05. Joint Senate. Following the Spring Student Senate Elections and the conclusion of legislative business in an academic year, the Students’ Assembly shall meet in a special session as the Joint Senate, with the attendance of all outgoing and incoming members of the Student Senate. The purpose of Joint Senate shall be to introduce the incoming members to the Student Senate, hold certain elections, and conduct other business.

a) Presiding Officer. Until the point where a new Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may be elected, the outgoing Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may preside over the meeting of the Students’ Assembly. In the event that the outgoing Speaker of the Students’ Assembly is not available, the Student Executive Council, comprised of its outgoing members, may select another Student Senate member to preside.

b) Voting Rights. Voting rights at a Joint Senate meeting shall be granted only to incoming voting members of the Students’ Assembly. Outgoing members may not vote on matters considered at the Joint Senate meeting.

c) Address by the Student Body President. During the Joint Senate meeting, the outgoing and incoming Student Body Presidents must be recognized to address the meeting.

d) Postponement. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may postpone the Joint Senate meeting due to unresolved disputes relating to the Student Senate Elections or other unforeseen circumstances; provided, however, that the Joint Senate meeting still occurs before the start of legislative business in the next academic year.

§ 02-02-06. Special Meetings of the Student Executive Council. The Student Executive Council may from time to time be called a special meeting, outside of the Legislative Cycles, to consider pressing business or provide new information to its members.

a) Notice. Members of the Student Executive Council must be provided notice at least one week in advance of special meetings, unless the business to be considered would make this infeasible.

b) Members Empowered to Call Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Student Executive Council may be called by the Chair of the Student Executive Council, the Student Body President, or the agreement of three other voting members.

§ 02-02-07. Meeting Agendas. Each meeting of the Legislative Branch must have an agenda listing all matters that will be brought forth and in what order they will be considered. Agendas may be updated during meetings to reflect changes in these matters. Each agenda should include digital links to legislation, if feasible.

a) Access by Student Senate Members. Meeting agendas must be made available to all Student Senate members before their meetings through the Student Senate online workspace.

b) Student Councils. The Chairs of the Student Councils must prepare agendas for the meetings of their respective Student Councils.

c) Student Executive Council. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must prepare agendas for the meetings of the Student Executive Council.

d) Students’ Assembly. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must prepare agendas for the meetings of the Students’ Assembly, subject to amendments and approval by the Student Executive Council.

§ 02-02-08. Minutes. The Secretaries of the Student Councils shall take the minutes at the meetings of their respective Student Councils; the Internal Affairs Director shall take the minutes at the meetings of the Students’ Assembly and Student Executive Council.

a) Review by the Internal Affairs Director. The Internal Affairs Director is responsible for reviewing minutes from the Student Councils, as well as other documentation from their meetings, and verifying their accuracy. The Internal Affairs Director may make or order corrections to the minutes as needed to ensure their accuracy.

b) Review by Legislative Branch Bodies. Each body of the Legislative Branch must at each meeting, before proceeding to other business, verify the accuracy of the minutes from their previous meeting and accept additions or corrections from the attendees.

§ 02-02-09. Emergency Rescheduling. Meetings of the Legislative Branch may be rescheduled without notice by their respective presiding officers in response to emergencies or unforeseeable circumstances that prevent the consideration of legislative business. The presiding officers must ensure, if possible, that any rescheduling has a minimal impact on the Student Senate.

a) Notice Requirement. In the event that a meeting is rescheduled in response to an emergency or unforeseeable circumstances, any requirements relating to public notice may be limited as needed to accommodate the rescheduling.

§ 02-02-10. Decorum. A presiding officer shall have all power necessary to retain decorum, as defined by Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, in their meetings. For serious or repeated breaks in decorum, the presiding officer may refuse to recognize the member at fault for the remainder of the meeting or order them to leave the meeting; provided, however, that any voting member who is ordered to leave a meeting may still exercise their voting rights.

Article 03. Legislation.

§ 02-03-01. In General. The primary form through which the Legislative Branch may act is legislation, with such requirements and procedures as provided under this Article.

§ 02-03-02. Types. Legislation before the Legislative Branch may take the form of bills or resolutions.

a) Bills. A bill is legislation that the Legislative Branch has the power to put into effect. Subjects of bills may include, but are not limited to, amendments to this Constitution, allocation of the Required Student Fees, and orders to any officer of the Student Senate.

b) Resolutions. A resolution is legislation that the Legislative Branch cannot put into effect, but that expresses the sentiment of the Student Senate or the Student Body. Subjects of resolutions may include recommendations, condemnations, and other statements.

§ 02-03-03. Sponsorship. Legislation may be sponsored by any Student Senate member. Sponsoring legislation indicates that the sponsor agrees with the content of the legislation. No Student Senate member may be added to legislation as a sponsor without their consent.

a) Withdrawal. A sponsor may withdraw their support for a piece of legislation at any time prior to that legislation being enacted. After the legislation has been introduced to the Legislative Branch, a sponsor requesting to withdraw must communicate their request to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly, at which point they must be removed from the legislation.

§ 02-03-04. Eligibility Requirement. All legislation brought before the Legislative Branch must be authored or sponsored by a member of the Student Senate.

§ 02-03-05. Form Requirements. All legislation before the Legislative Branch must include the following parts.

a) List of Authors. Legislation must have a correct list of all persons who contributed to it, including the positions held by any persons within the Student Senate or the University, and the constituencies of any Student Senators.

b) List of Sponsors. Legislation must have a list of all Student Senate members who have agreed to sponsor the legislation, including the positions held by these persons and the constituencies of any Student Senators.

c) Title. Legislation must have a title that identifies its effect and whether the legislation is a bill or resolution.

d) Summary. Legislation must have a brief and correct summary of what the legislation would do if enacted.

e) Preamble. Legislation must include a clause or series of clauses explaining the factual background of the legislation and the reasons why the legislation should be enacted. These preamble clauses must be identified by being preceded by “Whereas” or “Preamble.”

f) Effective Clauses. Legislations must include a clause or series of clauses that constitute the effect of the legislation. These effective clauses must be identified by being preceded by “Enacted,” “Resolved,” “Ordered,” or other applicable verbs.

g) Gender-Neutral Language. Personal pronouns in legislation must be gender neutral, unless the referred-to person's pronouns are known.

§ 02-03-06. Identical Legislation Restriction. In the event that an item of legislation is not passed by the Student Councils or Students’ Assembly, or is vetoed by the Student President, and for this reason is not enacted by the Student Senate, an identical item of legislation may not be introduced again to the Legislative Branch in the same academic year.

a) Legislation Indefinitely Postponed. Legislation that has been indefinitely postponed from consideration by the Student Councils or Students’ Assembly shall not be restricted from being introduced again to the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-03-07. Introduction—Standard Procedure. Legislation must generally be introduced to the Legislative Branch by being filed with the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may specify an online platform through which legislation can be filed.

a) Filing Deadline. Based on the Legislative Calendar, the filing deadline for each Legislative Cycle is the Sunday before the meetings of the Student Councils at 5:00 PM.

b) Extension of Filing Deadline. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may extend the filing deadline for legislation for some or all filers, provided that this extension does not interfere with any other deadlines under this Article.

§ 02-03-08. Introduction—Alternate Procedure. As an alternative to filing legislation prior to a Legislative Cycle, legislation may be introduced to the legislative branch by being submitted to the Student Councils, Student Executive Council, or Students’ Assembly at one of their meetings. The Legislative Branch body that accepts the legislation through this procedure shall be considered to have generated the legislation.

a) Requirements. A person seeking to have legislation generated by a Legislative Branch body must provide good cause that they could not have used the standard procedure for filing legislation, and that the legislation must be enacted in a time-sensitive manner.

§ 02-03-09. Processing. After legislation is introduced to the Legislative Branch, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must process the legislation to ensure that it is ready for consideration.

a) Markup. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must add, to each piece of legislation, a unique number to identify the legislation and the date the legislation was introduced. For legislation that has been filed with the Legislative Branch, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must indicate the Student Councils to which that legislation is assigned. For legislation that has been generated by a Legislative Branch body, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must indicate that body.

b) Form Corrections. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may adjust the formatting and presentation of legislation to contribute to a uniform and professional appearance, provided that this does not alter the substance of the legislation.

c) Assignment to the Student Councils. Except as provided elsewhere, for all legislation filed with the Legislative Branch, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must assign that legislation to two Student Councils. These assignments must recognize, if applicable, the specific charges of each Student Council. If no specific charges apply, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may assign legislation at their discretion.

§ 02-03-10. Rejection. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may, at any point after legislation has been introduced but before it has been passed by a Legislative Branch body, reject legislation that does not meet the requirements set under this Article.

§ 02-03-11. Access by Student Senate Members. All legislation, once introduced to the Legislative Branch and processed, must be made available to all Student Senate members in a timely manner through the Student Senate online workspace.

§ 02-03-12. Consent Agenda. Certain items of legislation, as provided by this Constitution, may be included on a consent agenda for consideration by the Student Councils and Students’ Assembly, allowing all such items to be passed at once by unanimous consent. However, a body considering a consent agenda may still give full consideration to specific items of legislation if so desired.

§ 02-03-13. Consideration by the Student Councils and Students’ Assembly. The Student Councils and Students’ Assembly must consider legislation in a fair and constructive manner. The presiding officers of these bodies are responsible for ensuring that consideration remains decorous.

a) Presentation. The presiding officer must provide a reasonable amount of time for a person(s) affiliated with the legislation to present it to the meeting attendees and answer any questions from the attendees. If there is no presenter available, the presiding officer may read the legislation to the meeting attendees in place of the presentation.

b) Informal Discussion. The presiding officer may allow informal discussion of legislation among after it has been presented, if discussion is needed to better understand the legislation and its effects.

c) Speeches. Following the presentation of the legislation and any informal discussion, the presiding officer will recognize attendees to give speeches on the legislation. Speeches must be divided into supporting or opposing speeches. The presiding officer must recognize an attendee giving an opposing speech first, and then recognize attendees in an alternating manner based on their type of speech.

d) Amendments. At any point during consideration, the body may alter the legislation by agreeing to amendments. Amendments may be moved in the Student Councils without an exact form, so long as it is clear how the legislation should be altered. The Chair of the Student Council must then give form to the amendment during or following the meeting. Amendments moved in the Students’ Assembly must have an exact form.

e) Closing Discussion. At any point during consideration, the body may agree by a two- thirds vote to immediately close discussion—including the presentation, informal discussion, speeches, and other motions—and proceed to a vote on passage of the legislation. However, the body must allow at least one opposing speech before closing discussion, if one is offered.

f) Postponement. At any point during consideration, the body may postpone consideration to its next meeting. The body may also postpone consideration indefinitely, at which point the legislation shall be treated as if it were not passed.

g) Tabling or Reordering. At any point during consideration, the body may lay the legislation on the table or amend its agenda to consider the legislation at a different point during its meeting.

h) Passage. Following the conclusion of discussion, if the legislation is not disposed of in another way, the body must vote on passage of the legislation. Except as provided elsewhere, the threshold for passage is a majority vote.

§ 02-03-14. Passage by the Student Councils. Legislation must be passed by all the Student Councils that it is assigned to. Following passage by the Student Councils, the Internal Affairs Director must refer the legislation, including any amendments made by the Student Councils, to the Student Executive Council.

a) Legislation Generated by a Student Council. Legislation may be generated by a Student Council by a majority vote. Legislation generated and passed by a Student Council may be immediately referred to the Student Executive Council.

§ 02-03-15. Role of the Student Executive Council. The Student Executive Council must receive all legislation passed by the Student Councils and prepare it for consideration by the Students’ Assembly.

a) Meeting Agenda for the Students’ Assembly. The Student Executive Council must include all duly passed legislation on the agenda for the next meeting of the Students’ Assembly.

b) Constitutionality of Legislation. The Student Executive Council must ensure that all legislation complies with the provisions of this Constitution, as well as any University policies that affect the Student Senate. The Student Executive Council may consult with University staff to determine if legislation is constitutional. If legislation is found to be unconstitutional, the Student Executive Council may refuse to refer it to the Students’ Assembly.

c) Conflicting Amendments. In the event that legislation is considered by two Student Councils and these Student Councils each agree to conflicting amendments, the Student Executive Council must decide which Student Council’s amendments will be included with the legislation when it is referred to the Students’ Assembly, or otherwise create a compromise between the Student Councils’ amendments. The Chairs of the Student Councils in conflict may present their respective Student Council’s reasoning for the amendments to aid the Student Executive Council’s deliberations.

d) Postponement of Legislation Generated by the Student Councils. The Student Executive Council must review all legislation generated by the Student Councils to determine if the legislation is properly time-sensitive. The Student Executive Council may, by a majority vote, postpone legislation generated by the Student Councils to the next Legislative Cycle.

e) Remedies for Errors in Consideration. The Student Executive Council may remedy errors in the consideration of legislation by the Student Councils that resulted in the legislation not being passed. Such errors include but are not limited to the following:

• Legislation being improperly rejected by the Student Councils as unconstitutional.
• Voting polls affected by technical errors. In these events, the Student Executive Council may exercise the legislative power of the Student Councils to pass the legislation itself and refer it to the Students’ Assembly.

f) Legislation Generated by the Student Executive Council. Legislation may be generated by the Student Executive Council by a majority vote. Legislation generated and passed by the Student Executive Council may be immediately referred to the Students’ Assembly.

§ 02-03-16. Passage by the Students’ Assembly. All legislation must be passed by the Students’ Assembly before it is enacted.

a) Legislation Generated by the Students’ Assembly. Legislation may be generated by the Students’ Assembly by a majority vote. Legislation generated and passed by the Students’ Assembly may be enacted without consideration by the Student Councils or Student Executive Council. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must ensure that legislation introduced to the Legislative Branch in this manner is constitutional and in good form.

§ 02-03-17. Role of the Student Body President. The Student Body President may consent to legislation that was passed by the Students’ Assembly, causing it to be enacted; or veto legislation that was passed by the Students’ Assembly, causing it to not be enacted.

a) Veto Override. The Students’ Assembly may override a veto made by the Student Body President by a two-thirds vote, and thereby cause the legislation to be enacted.

b) Deadline. The Student Body President may hold legislation for up to 10 days before consenting to or vetoing the legislation, starting the day after the legislation was passed by the Students’ Assembly. In the event that the Student Body President does not consent to or veto the legislation by the end of this deadline, the legislation shall be enacted.

c) Communication. The Student Body President must communicate their decision to consent to or veto legislation to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

d) Notice of Vetoes. In the event that the Student Body President vetoes legislation passed by the Students’ Assembly, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must make a notice of this veto available to all Student Senate members in a timely manner through the Student Senate online workspace.

§ 02-03-18. Enactment. Following enactment, the Student Senate shall put legislation into effect immediately, unless the legislation provides otherwise.

a) Signing. All legislation, as a matter of form, shall be signed by the Student Body President and Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

b) Implementation of Bills. All officers of the Legislative and Executive Branches relevant to enacted bills must take care to faithfully implement them.

c) Presentment of Resolutions. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must ensure that all enacted resolutions are presented to the persons or groups, if any, listed on them.

§ 02-03-19. Enactment of Interim Legislation. During breaks of multiple weeks in the academic year, the Student Executive Council may exercise the legislative power of the Students’ Assembly to enact interim legislation. Interim legislation must be enacted by a two- thirds vote and with the assent of the Student Body President.

a) Requirement. Interim legislation must be in response to a time-sensitive issue that would result in substantial harm to the Student Senate or the University if left unresolved until the Student Councils and Students’ Assembly resume their meetings.

b) Review by the Students’ Assembly. All interim legislation enacted by the Student Executive Council must be reviewed by the Students’ Assembly at its next meeting. The Students’ Assembly may ratify legislation enacted by the Student Executive Council by the required voting threshold for that legislation, or otherwise reject the legislation, causing the legislation to no longer have effect.

Article 04. Appointment of Legislative Officers.

§ 02-04-01. In General. All officers of the Legislative Branch must be elected by the Legislative Branch or temporarily appointed as provided under this Article.

§ 02-04-02. Eligibility. Any student may serve as an officer of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-04-03. Terms. Each officer of the Legislative Branch shall serve from the time they are elected to the time they resign, are removed, or another person is elected to fill their position.

§ 02-04-04. Timing of Elections. Elections for Legislative officers must be held at the times and before the bodies listed under this Section.

a) Last Meetings of the Student Councils. During the last meetings of the Student Councils in an academic year and before the Joint Senate meeting, elections must be held within each Student Council for the following positions:

• The Chairs of the Student Councils.
• The Vice Chair of the Student Council.
• The Secretary of the Student Council.
• The Associate Senator for the Student Council.

b) Joint Senate. During the Joint Senate meeting of the Students’ Assembly, elections must be held for the following positions:

• The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.
• The Internal Affairs Director.
• The City Commission Representative.
• Representatives to the University Senate.

§ 02-04-05. Special Elections. In the event that an officer of the Legislative Branch resigns or is removed, the Student Councils must hold special elections to fill vacancies in the Chairs, Vice Chairs, Secretaries, and Associate Senators of the Student Councils; and the Students’ Assembly must hold special elections to fill vacancies in the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly and Internal Affairs Director.

§ 02-04-06. Temporary Appointments. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may temporarily appoint officers of the Legislative Branch in response to a position being vacant. These appointments shall last only until the Student Councils or Students’ Assembly can fill the vacancy by election.

a) No Compensation. A Legislative officer who is temporarily appointed by the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly or Student Body President may not receive compensation from the Student Senate for this service.

b) Appointment of the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly. The Student Body President may temporarily appoint the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly in response to the position being vacant.

Article 05. Students’ Assembly.

§ 02-05-01. In General. The Students’ Assembly, as the upper body of the Legislative Branch, shall review all legislation before it is enacted.

§ 02-05-02. Membership. The following shall be the members of the Students’ Assembly:

• The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly. Non-voting except to break ties.
• The Internal Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The City Commission Representative. Non-voting.
• All Student Senators. Voting.
• The Chairs of the Student Councils. Voting.
• The Vice Chairs of the Student Councils. Non-voting.
• The Secretaries of the Student Councils. Non-voting.
• The Associate Senators for the Student Councils. Voting.
• The Graduate Student Body President. Voting.
• All other members of the Executive Branch. Non-voting.
• All members of the Judicial Branch. Non-voting.

§ 02-05-03. Quorum. The Students’ Assembly shall take no action without one-third of its voting members present.

§ 02-05-04. Presiding Officer Succession. In the event that the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly is unable to preside over a meeting of the Students’ Assembly, the duty to preside shall fall to the following persons, in order: the Chair of the Student Rights & Affairs Council, the Chair of the Community Affairs Council, the Chair of the Finance Council, the Internal Affairs Director, and the Student Body Vice President.

§ 02-05-05. Appointment of a Secretary. In the event that the Internal Affairs Director is unable to take the minutes at a meeting of the Students’ Assembly, the presiding officer may appoint another person to temporarily fulfill this duty.

§ 02-05-06. Livestreaming. The Public Relations Director shall be responsible for ensuring that meetings of the Students’ Assembly are livestreamed to, and recorded and published on, a Student Senate online platform.

Article 06. Student Councils.

§ 02-06-01. In General. The Legislative Branch shall have three Student Councils: the Finance Council, the Community Affairs Council, and the Student Rights & Affairs Council.

§ 02-06-02. Membership. The following shall be the members of each Student Council:

• The Chair of the Student Council. Non-voting except to break ties.
• The Vice Chair of the Student Council. Voting.
• The Secretary of the Student Council. Voting.
• The Associate Senator for the Student Council. Voting.
• All Student Senators assigned to the Student Council. Voting.
• All students meeting the requirements for public membership under this Article. Voting.
• The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly. Voting.
• The Internal Affairs Director. Voting.
• The City Commission Representative. Voting.
• The Graduate Student Body President. Voting.
• All other members of the Executive Branch. Non-voting.
• All members of the Judicial Branch. Non-voting.

§ 02-06-03. Quorum. There shall be no quorum requirements for the Student Councils to conduct business, so long as all Student Senate members are given sufficient notice and opportunity to attend.

§ 02-06-04. Presiding Officer Succession. In the event that the Chair of a Student Council is unable to preside over a meeting of their Student Council, the duty to preside over its meetings shall fall to the following persons, in order: the Vice Chair of the Student Council, the Associate Senator for the Student Council, and the Secretary of the Student Council.

§ 02-06-05. Appointment of a Secretary. In the event that the Secretary of a Student Council is unable to take the minutes at a meeting of that Student Council, the presiding officer may appoint another person to temporarily fulfill this duty.

§ 02-06-06. Specific Charges of the Finance Council. The Finance Council specifically shall be charged with the following matters.

a) Budget Code. The Finance Council must review legislation relating to the Budget Code, including reviews of the Required Student Fees and allocations of Block Funding, Line- Item Funding, and Wednesday-Night Funding.

b) Financial Stewardship. The Finance Council must ensure that the Student Senate, including its Advisory Boards, do not allocate funds in excess of the revenue received by the Student Senate.

c) Funding Regulations. The Finance Council must regularly review the funding regulations provided by the Budget Code, and add, remove, or alter these regulations through legislation as needed.

§ 02-06-07. Specific Charges of the Community Affairs Council. The Community Affairs Council specifically shall be charged with the following matters.

a) Resolutions. The Community Affairs Council must review all resolutions.

b) Discrimination of Students. The Community Affairs Council must discuss and address issues of discrimination of and prejudice towards students at the University through legislation and other means.

c) Representation of Students. The Community Affairs Council shall research and advocate for policies that support the ability of all students, regardless of background, to achieve success at the University. Further, the Community Affairs Council shall assist University initiatives supporting underrepresented students, including first-generation students.

d) Inequities in the Student Senate. The Community Affairs Council shall investigate inequities within the structure of the Student Senate and develop and review legislation to cure them.

e) Community Service Activities. The Community Affairs Council shall work to host community service events.

§ 02-06-08. Specific Charges of the Student Rights & Affairs Council. The Student Rights & Affairs Council specifically shall be charged with the following matters.

a) Amendments to the Constitution. The Student Rights & Affairs Council must review all legislation to amend this Constitution.

b) Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities. The Student Rights & Affairs Council must review the University’s Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities and prepare revisions thereto every two years.

c) Education and Defense of Student Rights. The Student Rights & Affairs Council must develop and review legislation to educate students about the rights provided to them by the University, and legislation addressing actual or prospective infringements of those rights.

d) Review of Housing & Dining Rates. The Student Rights & Affairs Council may review the rates for campus housing and dining every year, request presentations from Housing & Residence Life and the KU Memorial Union relating to these rates, and propose changes to these rates in the interest of the Student Body, in consideration of letters of intent prepared by the All Scholarship Halls Council.

e) Policies of Certain University Offices. The Student Rights & Affairs Council must maintain an understanding of policies developed by the following University offices that may affect student rights:

• The Office of the Provost.
• The Police Department.
• Housing & Residence Life.
• The KU Memorial Union, including dining.
• The Student Engagement Center.
• The Office of Civil Rights & Title Nine.

§ 02-06-09. Assignment of Student Senators. Following each Student Senate Election and the appointment of each Community Student Senator, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must assign each Student Senator to one Student Council, where the Student Senator will have voting rights. The Internal Affairs Director must record the assignment of each Student Senator.

a) Preferences of Student Senators for Assignment. An assignment made by the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall reflect the preference of the Student Senator being assigned. However, the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may make whatever assignments needed to prevent excessively skewed numbers of members across the Student Councils.

§ 02-06-10. Public Membership. Any student who is not already a member of the Student Senate may become a voting member of a Student Council by attending two consecutive meetings of that Student Council.

a) First Meetings. For the first meeting of each Student Council in an academic year, students may exercise the voting rights they would gain through public membership without meeting the requirement to attend two consecutive meetings.

§ 02-06-11. Committees. Each Student Council may, by action on a motion or by action of the Chair of that Student Council, assemble committees to prepare legislation or investigate issues relevant to their charges, with such memberships and procedures as the Student Council may provide.

Article 07. Student Executive Council.

§ 02-07-01. In General. The Student Executive Council shall ensure the orderly consideration of business by the Students’ Assembly and fulfill other administrative duties provided under this Constitution, such as the discipline of Student Senate members.

§ 02-07-02. Membership. The following shall be the members of the Student Executive Council:

• The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• The Student Body President. Voting.
• The Student Body Vice President. Voting.
• The Graduate Student Body President. Voting.
• The Internal Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The City Commission Representative. Non-voting.
• The Chair of the Finance Council. Voting.
• The Chair of the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• The Chair of the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• All students elected by the Students’ Assembly to serve on the executive committee of the University Senate. Voting.
• The Coordinator of Staff. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Fund Development Director. Non-voting.
• The Government Relations Director. Non-voting.
• The Community Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The Public Relations Director. Non-voting.
• The Chair of Elections Commission. Non-voting.

§ 02-07-03. Quorum. The Student Executive Council shall take no action without one-half of its voting members present.

§ 02-07-04. Presiding Officer Succession. In the event that the Chair of the Student Executive Council is unable to preside over a meeting of the Student Executive Council, the duty to preside over its meetings shall fall to the following persons, in order: the Student Body Vice President, the Chair of the Student Rights & Affairs Council, the Chair of the Community Affairs Council, and the Chair of the Finance Council, and the Internal Affairs Director.

§ 02-07-05. Appointment of a Secretary. In the event that the Internal Affairs Director is unable to take the minutes at a meeting of the Student Executive Council, the presiding officer may appoint another person to temporarily fulfill this duty.

§ 02-07-06. Required Attendance. All voting members of the Student Executive Council must attend all of the Student Executive Council’s meetings, or otherwise designate a proxy to exercise their vote.

Article 08. Student Senators.

§ 02-08-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Student Senators as members of the Legislative Branch, who shall be elected by the Student Body.

§ 02-08-02. Academic Student Senators. An Academic Student Senator shall be elected from one of the divisions of students listed under this Section. This division is the Academic Student Senator’s constituency.

a) Apportionment. The Elections Commission must apportion sixty-four seats each academic year to the divisions of Academic Student Senators, proportional to the University’s student census at the beginning of the fall semester, provided that each division be apportioned at least two seats of Academic Student Senators.

b) Divisions. The following divisions of students may elect Academic Student Senators:

• Undergraduate students with 60 credit hours or less in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
• Undergraduate students with more than 60 credit hours, and graduate students, in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
• Students in the School of Architecture & Design.
• Students in the School of Business.
• Students in the School of Education & Human Sciences.
• Students in the School of Engineering.
• Students in the School of Journalism & Mass Communication.
• Students in the School of Music.
• Students in the School of Law.
• Students in the School of Social Welfare.
• Students in the School of Pharmacy.
• International undergraduate students.
• Domestic graduate students.
• International graduate students.
• Non-traditional students.

c) Non-Traditional Students. Non-traditional students shall be defined as students who meet at least one of the following criteria: are at least twenty-four years old, are married, are a parent, are a veteran, are active military or otherwise able to be called into service in a way that would disrupt coursework, are commuting more than ten miles to the University, have had a break of at least two years in their college education, are a primary caregiver, or are a full-time employee working 40 hours or more per week.

d) Choice of Division. A student who is a member of multiple divisions may choose which division they will be elected from.

e) Time of Election. Academic Student Senators shall be elected during the Spring Student Senate Elections.

§ 02-08-03. On-Campus Student Senators. Three On-Campus Student Senators may be elected from students living in the residences operated by the University housing office on or near the Lawrence Campus, of which one student must be elected from the residence halls, one student must be elected from the Scholarship Halls, and one student must be elected from the campus apartments.

a) Time of Election. On-Campus Student Senators shall be elected during the Spring Student Senate Election.

§ 02-08-04. Off-Campus Student Senators. Five Off-Campus Student Senators may be elected from students living outside the Lawrence Campus, who do not live in a residence leased through the University housing office and who are not members of a sorority or fraternity.

a) Time of Election. Off-Campus Student Senators shall be elected during the Spring Student Senate Election.

§ 02-08-05. First-Year Student Senators. Five First-Year Student Senators may be elected from undergraduate first-year students. A first-year student is a student who is taking their first year of courses at any post-secondary educational institution, not including any courses taken during high school or in a summer term immediately following graduation from high school.

a) Time of Election. First-Year Student Senators shall be elected during the Fall Student Senate Election.

§ 02-08-06. Community Student Senators. An eligible organization at the University may appoint one Community Student Senator to advocate for the organization and any students it represents. Organizations may abstain from appointing a Community Student Senator.

a) Appointment. An eligible organization seeking to appoint a Community Student Senator must communicate the Student Senator’s name and contact information to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

b) Term of Office. A Community Student Senator shall serve from the time of their appointment to the time the organization they represent appoints another person, or to the time the Community Student Senator is no longer eligible to be a Student Senator.

c) Eligible Organizations. The following organizations are eligible to appoint a Community Student Senator:

• Graduate Student Advisory Board.
• Asian American Student Union.
• Black Student Union.
• Latin American Student Union.
• First Nations Student Association.
• Muslim Student Association.
• International Student Association.
• STEM.
• Student Veterans of America.
• Fulbright Scholars Association.
• All Scholarship Hall Council.
• Undergraduate Business Council.
• Multicultural Greek Council.
• Panhellenic Association.
• Interfraternity Council.
• National Pan-Hellenic Council.
• Engineering Student Council
• Minority in Pre-Law Association.

d) Dues Prohibited. No organization that requires dues from students as a requirement for membership may appoint a Community Student Senator.

§ 02-08-07. Constituency. A Student Senator must be a member of the constituency they represent at the time they are elected. This Section does not apply to Community Student Senators.

§ 02-08-08. Terms. A Student Senator shall serve from the Joint Senate meeting following the Student Senate Election in which they are elected to the next Joint Senate meeting.

a) Contingency. In the event that a Joint Senate meeting is not held in an academic year, a Student Senator shall serve from the Monday following the end of undergraduate final exams in the academic year in which they are elected to the Sunday following the end of undergraduate final exams in the next academic year.

b) Not Applicable to Community Student Senators. This Section does not apply to Community Student Senators.

§ 02-08-09. Required Attendance at Legislative Meetings. Student Senators must attend all meetings of the Students’ Assembly and of the Student Council to which they are assigned.

a) Communication of Absences. If a Student Senator cannot attend a meeting of the Students’ Assembly, they must notify the Internal Affairs Director prior to the meeting. If a Student Senator cannot attend a meeting of their Student Council, they must notify the Internal Affairs Director and the Secretary of that Student Council prior to the meeting.

b) Absence Allowance. Each Student Senator shall be allowed three excused absences and two unexcused absences during their term.

c) Excused Absences. A Student Senator’s absence from a legislative meeting must be excused for the following reasons: family emergencies, religious holidays, illness, job interviews, mandated court appearances, responsibilities relating to examinations or special events for teaching assistants, time-sensitive research studies, required clinical hours for graduate students, attendance at conferences, comprehensive exam preparation, thesis defense preparation, military or ROTC obligations, and participation in University activities at the request of University authorities.

d) Additional Allowed Absences. A Student Senator’s allowed absences may be increased by a majority vote of the Students’ Assembly or the Student Executive Council.

e) Courtesy Warnings. The Internal Affairs Director may provide courtesy warnings to Student Senators who are approaching the allowed number of absences.

§ 02-08-10. Replacement Student Senators. A vacancy for a Student Senator may be filled by any student who is eligible to serve as a Student Senator.

a) Threshold. The threshold for confirming a replacement candidate for a vacancy shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Advertisement of Vacancies. When a Student Senator vacancy arises, the Internal Affairs Director must advertise that the vacancy may be filled by eligible students, through Student Senate online platforms and other platforms that the Internal Affairs Director deems appropriate. A vacancy should be made public no more than seven days after it arises. A filled vacancy should be taken down in the same amount of time.

c) Applications. The Internal Affairs Director must collect applications to fill a Student Senator vacancy through a Student Senate online platform. The Internal Affairs Director will decide what information is required to be submitted with these applications, provided that the information is reasonably tailored to the Students’ Assembly’s consideration of the replacement candidates.

d) Presentation of Replacement Candidates. The Internal Affairs Director will present any replacement candidates for a vacancy to the Students’ Assembly at its next meeting. The Assembly will then vote to confirm a candidate as the new Student Senator. A replacement candidate may speak to the Assembly while they are being presented.

e) Voting with Multiple Candidates. If there are multiple replacement candidates for a single vacancy, the Internal Affairs Director will present each candidate before any confirmation vote is held. The Students’ Assembly will then vote separately on the confirmation of each candidate. The candidate with the most votes over the confirmation threshold shall be confirmed as the new Student Senator. If no candidate receives enough votes to be confirmed, the vacancy shall remain.

f) Not Applicable to Community Student Senators. This Section does not apply to Community Student Senators.

Article 09. Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

§ 02-09-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly as an officer of the Legislative Branch, who shall be the head of the Legislative Branch and the presiding officer of the Students’ Assembly.

§ 02-09-02. Powers and Duties. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of the Student Councils, one per Legislative Cycle, and of the Students’ Assembly.

b) Evaluate legislation before the Student Executive Council and Students’ Assembly for compliance with this Constitution and relevant University policies.

c) Provide for the orientation and training of Student Senators and Legislative officers to ensure that they can effectively discharge their duties and participate in legislative business.

d) Develop legislation relating to prominent issues at the University, and assist Student Senate members with writing legislation, as requested.

e) Coordinate and supervise the Legislative officers to contribute to the smooth functioning of the Legislative Branch.

f) Organize and update the Student Senate online workspace and online platforms as they relate to legislative business.

g) Maintain communication with the Executive and Judicial Branches to assess items of concern for the Student Senate.

h) Contribute to a productive and collaborative environment within the Legislative Branch.

i) Create derivative documents from this Constitution, such as rules summaries, as needed.

§ 02-09-03. Compensation. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 15 hours per week.

Article 10. Internal Affairs Director.

§ 02-10-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Internal Affairs Director as an officer of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-10-02. Powers and Duties. The Internal Affairs Director must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of the Student Councils, one per Legislative Cycle, and of the Students’ Assembly.

b) Take minutes and track attendance at the meetings of the Students’ Assembly and Student Executive Council, similar to the Secretaries of the Student Councils.

c) During meetings of the Students’ Assembly and Student Executive Councils, ensure that all attendees can access legislation, proposed amendments, and other pertinent documents through the Student Senate online workspace, and create voting polls on the workspace.

d) Receive minutes, voting records, and attendance records from the Secretaries of the Student Councils, verify their accuracy, and make them available on the Student Senate online workspace and other online platforms.

e) Maintain a public tracker for all legislation on a Student Senate online platform, including for each piece of legislation a copy of the exact text and its current stage of consideration within the Legislative Branch.

f) Monitor the attendance of Student Senators and Legislative officers at all meetings of the Legislative Branch, and refer violations of the attendance rules provided under this Title to the Student Executive Council.

g) Receive complaints against Student Senate members for disciplinary procedures and refer these complaints to the Student Executive Council as provided under this Title.

h) Prepare and continually update a list of Legislative Branch members and a list of Judicial Branch members, and make these lists available on a Student Senate online platform.

i) Monitor this Constitution to determine when sections need to be updated and how the Constitution can be revised to better support the work of the Student Senate.

j) Other duties as assigned by the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

§ 02-10-03. Compensation. The Internal Affairs Director shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 10 hours per week.

Article 11. City Commission Representative.

§ 02-11-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the City Commission Representative as an officer of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-11-02. Eligibility. Any undergraduate student with more than 60 credit hours or graduate student enrolled in courses in the Lawrence or Edwards Campuses of the University may serve as the City Commission Representative.

§ 02-11-03. Powers and Duties. The City Commission Representative must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of the City Commission of the City of Lawrence.

b) Attend one meeting per month of an additional board or committee of the City of Lawrence, which shall be the Downtown Transit Station Steering Committee unless the City Commission Representative selects another board or committee.

c) Advise the City Commission of the City of Lawrence of issues affecting students, and advocate on behalf of the Student Body.

d) Report to the Government Relations Director on issues arising in local government that may affect students.

e) Maintain communication with the Legislative and Executive Branches to coordinate lobbying in local government and the engagement of students in local government.

f) Perform outreach to students to encourage them to participate in the governing bodies of the City of Lawrence, focusing particularly on graduate student engagement.

§ 02-11-04. Vacancy. In the event that a vacancy arises in the City Commission Representative, the Government Relations Director shall fulfill the duties of the City Commission Representative until the position is no longer vacant.

§ 02-11-05. Compensation. The City Commission Representative shall be compensated at the Regular Stipend grade.

Article 12. Chairs of the Student Councils.

§ 02-12-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Chairs of the Student Councils as officers of the Legislative Branch, who shall be the presiding officers of their respective Student Councils.

§ 02-12-02. Powers and Duties. The Chairs of the Student Councils must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of their Student Council and the Students’ Assembly.

b) Evaluate how legislation assigned to their Student Council can be amended to cure any issues and improve its effectiveness before it is referred to the Student Executive Council.

c) Ensure that their Student Council fulfills the charges provided under this Title.

d) Coordinate and supervise the Legislative officers for their Student Council.

e) Develop legislation relating to the charges of their Student Council, and assist the members of their Student Council with writing legislation, as requested.

f) Advise the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly and Internal Affairs Director of current or prospective issues faced by the Student Senate.

g) Contribute to a productive and collaborative environment within their Student Council.

§ 02-12-03. Compensation. The Chairs of the Student Councils shall be compensated at the Regular Stipend grade.

Article 13. Vice Chairs of the Student Councils.

§ 02-13-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Vice Chairs of the Student Councils as officers of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-13-02. Powers and Duties. The Vice Chairs of the Student Councils must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of their Student Council and the Students’ Assembly.

b) Assist the Chair of their Student Council with organizing and running meetings.

c) Contribute to the consideration of all legislation before their Student Council.

d) Assist new members of their Student Council with understanding Student Senate procedures and opportunities.

e) Other duties as assigned by the Chair of their Student Council.

§ 02-13-03. Compensation. The Vice Chairs of the Student Councils shall be compensated at the Regular Stipend grade.

Article 14. Secretaries of the Student Councils.

§ 02-14-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Secretaries of the Student Councils as officers of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-14-02. Powers and Duties. The Secretaries of the Student Councils must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of their Student Council and the Students’ Assembly.

b) Record all actions taken by their Student Council on legislation, elections, and other business in the minutes of Student Council meetings, including the voting records of any polled votes.

c) Track the attendance of Student Senate members at the meetings of their Student Council through an online poll or form.

d) During meetings of their Student Council, ensure that all attendees can access legislation, proposed amendments, and other pertinent documents through the Student Senate online workspace, and create voting polls on the workspace.

§ 02-14-03. Compensation. The Secretaries of the Student Councils shall be compensated at the Regular Stipend grade.

Article 15. Associate Senators for the Student Councils.

§ 02-15-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Associate Senators for the Student Councils as officers of the Legislative Branch.

§ 02-15-02. Powers and Duties. The Associate Senators for the Student Councils must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Attend all meetings of their Student Council and the Students’ Assembly.

b) Represent the interests of their Student Council to the Students’ Assembly and, if needed, provide to the Students’ Assembly the reasoning for actions taken by the Student Council.

c) Report to their Student Council all actions taken by the Students’ Assembly, as well as other ongoing matters in the Student Senate.

d) Contribute to the coordination of Student Council meetings, as needed.

§ 02-15-03. Compensation. The Associate Senators for the Student Councils may not receive compensation from the Student Senate.

Article 16. Discipline and Removal of Members.

§ 02-16-01. In General. The Legislative Branch may discipline any member of the Student Senate for failing to meet their responsibilities, violating the Code of Ethics, or otherwise interfering with Student Senate’s obligation to effectively represent the needs of the Student Body (together, misconduct).

§ 02-16-02. Authority. The Student Senate grants the power to discipline all members to the Student Executive Council, through disciplinary proceedings; and to the Students’ Assembly, through impeachment proceedings.

a) Judicial Branch Excluded. The Legislative Branch may not discipline members or officers of the Judicial Branch.

§ 02-16-03. Impartiality. No Student Senate member may vote, preside over, or otherwise participate in a disciplinary proceeding or impeachment proceeding that is based on their own alleged misconduct; or the alleged misconduct of another member, if the relationship between them would cause their decisions to reasonably be questioned as motivated by concerns other than their obligations to the Student Senate.

a) Basis for Discipline. In the event that a presiding officer does not step down from presiding over a situation covered under this Section, this action shall form the basis for discipline by the Student Executive Council or Students’ Assembly as provided under this Title.

§ 02-16-04. Undue Burden. No Student Senate member may be required to answer accusations of misconduct against them in such a way that creates an undue burden for them, including by being subject to excessively long proceedings or proceedings that take place in unusual places or at unusual times.

§ 02-16-05. Complaints Against Members. Any person may submit complaints of misconduct by Student Senate members to the Internal Affairs Director.

a) Gathering of Evidence. After receiving a complaint of misconduct, the Internal Affairs Director must take timely and diligent action to gather further statements and any material evidence from the complainant in support of their complaint.

b) Referral to the Student Executive Council. After gathering evidence, the Internal Affairs Director must refer the complaint to the Student Executive Council. The Internal Affairs Director may not withhold a complaint from the Student Executive Council.

c) Complaints Regarding the Internal Affairs Director. If a complainant alleges misconduct by the Internal Affairs Director, or is concerned the Internal Affairs Director would not appropriately receive their complaint, they may instead submit it to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly, who shall be responsible for fulfilling the requirements provided under this Section.

§ 02-16-06. Start of Disciplinary Proceedings by the Student Executive Council. The Student Executive Council may start disciplinary proceedings against a Student Senate member based on a complaint that has been referred to it, or by its own initiative.

a) Threshold. The threshold for starting disciplinary proceedings against a Student Senate member shall be a majority vote.

b) Parties to a Disciplinary Proceeding. The parties to a disciplinary proceeding in the Student Executive Council shall be the person who submitted the complaint as the basis for the proceeding, as the complainant; and the Student Senate member accused of misconduct, as the defendant. In the event that a disciplinary proceeding was started on the initiative of the Student Executive Council, the Student Executive Council shall be the complainant.

c) Responsibility for Communication. The Internal Affairs Director shall be responsible for providing updates to the complainant and defendant during a disciplinary proceeding.

§ 02-16-07. Hearings by the Student Executive Council. After starting disciplinary proceedings against a Student Senate member, the Student Executive Council must then summon the accused member to a hearing, at which the accused member must address the charges made against them and answer questions from the Student Executive Council.

a) Notice. No disciplinary hearing shall be held for which the person responding to the complaint has not been provided notice at least five days in advance.

b) Time Provided. The Student Executive Council, for each disciplinary proceeding, must recognize the complainant for at least five minutes and recognize the defendant for at least five minutes.

c) Executive Session. To respect the privacy of defendants, the Student Executive Council may hold disciplinary hearings in executive session.

§ 02-16-08. Action by the Student Executive Council. At the conclusion of disciplinary hearings, the Student Executive Council may, by a two-thirds vote, impose disciplinary measures against the accused member. These disciplinary measures may extend to the following:

• Censuring the accused member.
• Suspending any voting and speaking rights held by the accused member for a period of up to one academic year.
• Removing the accused member from being an officer of the Student Senate.
• Removing the accused member from their membership in the Student Senate.
• Forbidding the accused member from participating in the Student Senate for a period of up to one academic year.

§ 02-16-09. Review of Student Executive Council Actions. The Students’ Assembly may review disciplinary measures taken by the Student Executive Council at its next meeting after the measures are put into place. The Students’ Assembly may, by a majority vote, disagree with the disciplinary measures and reverse any actions by the Student Executive Council.

§ 02-16-10. Bill of Impeachment. A Student Senate member may be charged with misconduct under this Article through a bill of impeachment, which must lay out the specific forms of misconduct the accused member has committed.

a) Eligibility. The bill of impeachment must be authored by a Student Senate member.

b) Threshold for Trial. A bill of impeachment must be agreed to by ten members of the Legislative Branch, including Student Senators and Legislative officers, before it may be submitted to the Students’ Assembly.

c) Parties to an Impeachment Proceeding. The parties to an impeachment proceeding before the Students’ Assembly shall be the author of the bill of impeachment, as the case manager; and the Student Senate member accused of misconduct, as the defendant.

d) Mootness. A bill of impeachment shall become moot upon the Student Senate member being removed by the Student Executive Council, and any impeachment proceedings up to this point must be dismissed.

§ 02-16-11. Trial Before the Students’ Assembly. A bill of impeachment must be transmitted to the presiding officer of the Students’ Assembly to begin an impeachment trial.

a) Presiding Officer. If the presiding officer of the Students’ Assembly is the subject or author of a bill of impeachment, or their impartiality is reasonably questioned, then the duty to administer and preside over an impeachment trial must follow the normal order of succession.

b) Schedule. The presiding officer must schedule an impeachment trial to take place within two weeks of receiving the bill of impeachment. An impeachment trial may take place during a regular meeting of the Students’ Assembly, or a special meeting set by the presiding officer with the consent the both parties.

c) Dismissal. The Students’ Assembly may, by a majority vote, dismiss a bill of impeachment at any time before the trial begins.

d) Arguments. Once the Students’ Assembly has convened in a trial on a bill of impeachment, the Students’ Assembly must set an equal amount of time for both parties to deliver arguments and an equal amount of time for both parties to answer questions from the meeting attendees.

e) Discussion and Speeches. The Students’ Assembly may set a period of time after argument in an impeachment trial for discussion and speeches by its members before proceeding to render judgment. The presiding officer must recognize members for speeches in alternating order according to whether their speech supports conviction or acquittal.

§ 02-16-12. Judgment of the Students’ Assembly. At the conclusion of a trial on a bill of impeachment, the Students’ Assembly must render judgment on whether the accused member has committed misconduct.

a) Conviction. The Students’ Assembly may, by a two-thirds vote, render judgment that the accused member is guilty and remove them from being an officer, or from being a member in any capacity. The Students’ Assembly may further, by a majority vote, forbid a convicted member from participating in the Student Senate for an unlimited amount of time.

b) Acquittal. If, at the conclusion of an impeachment trial, the accused member is not adjudged guilty, then they must be acquitted of the accusations made against them, and no further disciplinary proceedings may be started or continued on the same or similar accusations.

§ 02-16-13. Effect of Restrictions on Further Participation. In the event that a person is forbidden from further participation in the Student Senate, that person may not hold any membership in the Student Senate, may not speak or vote during meetings, may not participate in the creation of the legislation, may not be a candidate in a Student Senate Election, may not be a nominee for any election before the Legislative Branch, and may not have any other material relationship with the Student Senate.

§ 02-16-14. Appeal ability. A member subject to disciplinary measures by the Student Executive Council or adjudged guilty by the Students’ Assembly may appeal from this decision as provided under the implementing Title of the Judicial Branch.

§ 02-16-15. Non-Discrimination. No member of the Student Senate may be disciplined for conduct protected by University non-discrimination and equal opportunity policies.

TITLE THREE — THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 03-01-01. Structure. The Student Senate recognizes the Student Body President as the head of the Executive Branch, together with the Student Body Vice President, and implements other officers of the Executive Branch under this Title to fulfill certain functions within and around the Student Senate, and to assist the Student Body President with implementing their campaign platforms.

a) Graduate Student Body President. The Student Senate further recognizes the Graduate Student Body President as an officer of the Executive Branch, who shall be independent of the Student Body President and Student Body Vice President.

§ 03-01-02. Authority. The Student Senate vests the Student Body President with the power to assign additional duties to all Executive officers except the Graduate Student Body President, to set the procedures through which these duties are fulfilled, and to set standards for the conduct of these officers; provided, however, that additional duties assigned by the Student Body President do not conflict with the provisions of this Constitution and that the Executive officers may still reasonably fulfill the duties assigned by this Constitution.

§ 03-01-03. Resignations. A person seeking to resign from their position in the Executive Branch must communicate this resignation to the Student Body President.

a) Resignation of the Student Body President. In the event that the Student Body President resigns, they must communicate this resignation to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

Article 02. Student Body President.

§ 03-02-01. In General. The Student Senate recognizes the Student Body President as an officer of the Executive Branch, who shall be the head of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-02-02. Powers and Duties. The Student Body President must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Represent the needs and interests of the Student Body in meetings with University leadership, state government officials, and national government officials.

b) Advocate for the advancement of the Student Senate and promote student governance across the University.

c) Maintain communication with the Legislative and Judicial Branches to assess items of concern for the Student Senate.

d) Conduct outreach to other student governance organizations at the University and the student governments of other colleges and universities.

e) Serve on the Students’ Advisory Committee of the Kansas Board of Regents.

f) Coordinate and supervise the Executive officers in conjunction with the Coordinator of Staff.

g) Monitor and make allocations from any funds available to the Student Body President through the University endowment office.

§ 03-02-03. Election. The Student Body President shall be elected during the Spring Student Senate Election.

§ 03-02-04. Term. The Student Body President shall serve from the Monday following the end of undergraduate final exams in the academic year in which they are elected to the Sunday following the end of undergraduate final exams in the next academic year.

§ 03-02-05. Presidential Commissions. The Student Body President may from time to time assemble Presidential Commissions, with such memberships and procedures as they may provide, to research issues at the University and prepare responses to those issues.

§ 03-02-06. Office Space. The Student Body President may assign, from any space available to the Student Senate, offices for certain officers of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches, provided that any decisions regarding office space are justified to assist the work of the Student Senate officers.

§ 03-02-07. Vacancy. In the event that a vacancy arises in the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President shall immediately become the Student Body President.

a) Student Body Vice President Also Vacant. In the event that both the Student Body President and Student Body Vice President are vacant, the Students’ Assembly may elect a new Student Body President by a two-thirds vote. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may call a special meeting of the Students’ Assembly to hold this election.

§ 03-02-08. Compensation. The Student Body President shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 20 hours per week.

Article 03. Student Body Vice President.

§ 03-03-01. In General. The Student Senate recognizes the Student Body Vice President as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-03-02. Powers and Duties. The Student Body Vice President must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Represent the actions and interests of the Student Senate to the University Senate, and monitor all appointments of students to the University Senate.

b) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-03-03. Election. The Student Body Vice President shall be elected during the Spring Student Senate Election.

§ 03-03-04. Term. The Student Body Vice President shall serve from the Monday following the end of undergraduate final exams in the academic year in which they are elected to the Sunday following the end of undergraduate final exams in the next academic year.

§ 03-03-05. Vacancy. In the event that a vacancy arises in the Student Body Vice President, a replacement may be nominated by the Student Body President and confirmed by the Students’ Assembly.

a) Nomination. The Student Body President must immediately nominate any student to serve as the new Student Body Vice President, and communicate this nominee to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

b) Confirmation. The Students’ Assembly must vote to confirm the Student Body President’s nominee at its next meeting. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may call a special meeting of the Students’ Assembly to hold the confirmation vote. The Students’ Assembly may confirm the nominee by a two-thirds vote, or otherwise reject the nominee.

c) Rejection. In the event that the Students’ Assembly rejects a nominee for Student Body Vice President, the Student Body President must select a new nominee as soon as practicable.

§ 03-03-06. Compensation. The Student Body Vice President shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 20 hours per week.

Article 04. Graduate Student Body President.

§ 03-04-01. In General. The Student Senate recognizes the Graduate Student Body President as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-04-02. Eligibility. Any graduate student enrolled in courses on the Lawrence or Edwards Campuses of the University may serve as the Graduate Student Body President.

§ 03-04-03. Powers and Duties. The Graduate Student Body President must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Represent the needs and interests of graduate students in meetings with University leadership and offices.

b) Author and sponsor legislation as directed by the Graduate Student Advisory Board.

c) Other duties as assigned by the Graduate Student Advisory Board.

§ 03-04-04. Appointment. The Graduate Student Advisory Board shall appoint the Graduate Student Body President through such procedures as it may provide.

§ 03-04-05. Compensation. The Graduate Student Body President shall be compensated at the Graduate Hourly grade for up to 20 hours per week.

Article 05. Appointment and Removal of Executive Officers.

§ 03-05-01. In General. Officers of the Executive Branch, who are not elected or appointed otherwise, shall be appointed by a selection committee composed of the Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, and Graduate Student Body President.

§ 03-05-02. Eligibility. Any undergraduate student enrolled in courses on the Lawrence Campus or Edwards Campus of the University may be appointed as an Executive officer.

§ 03-05-03. Timing. A selection committee for Executive officers must begin the process of appointing Executive officers after a new Student Body President and Student Body Vice President take office. The selection committee must make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the Executive Branch has no vacancies.

§ 03-05-04. Procedures. A selection committee for Executive officers must follow the procedures set by the University human resources office for providing a public listing of the positions, collecting applications from candidates, interviewing candidates, hiring candidates, and all other matters the office may specify.

§ 03-05-05. Terms. An Executive officer covered under this Article shall serve from the time they are appointed by their selection committee to the time a new Executive officer is appointed in their place.

§ 03-05-06. Removal. The Student Body President may remove officers of the Executive Branch, except the Graduate Student Body President, for failing to meet their responsibilities, violating the Code of Ethics, or otherwise interfering with Student Senate’s obligation to effectively represent the needs of the Student Body.

a) Appeal ability. An officer removed by the Student Body President may appeal this decision as provided under the implementing Title of the Judicial Branch.

§ 03-05-07. Temporary Appointments. In the event that a vacancy arises among the Executive officers covered under this Article, outside of the normal course of appointing these officers, the Student Body President may temporarily appoint a replacement. These appointments shall last only until a selection committee can respond to the vacancy.

a) No Compensation. An Executive officer who is temporarily appointed by the Student Body President may not receive compensation from the Student Senate for this service.

Article 06. Coordinator of Staff.

§ 03-06-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Coordinator of Staff as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-06-02. Powers and Duties. The Coordinator of Staff must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Coordinate and supervise the Treasurer, Fund Development Director, Government Relations Director, Outreach Director, Community Affairs Director, and Public Relations Director. Ensure these officers complete their duties, and enforce standards on these officers set by the Student Body President.

b) Act as a liaison between the Student Body President and the bodies of the Legislative and Judicial Branches.

c) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-06-03. Compensation. The Coordinator of Staff shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 20 hours per week.

Article 07. Treasurer.

§ 03-07-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Treasurer as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-07-02. Powers and Duties. The Treasurer must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Assume final responsibility for the monitoring of all monies held or allocated by the Student Senate.

b) Prepare forms on a Student Senate online platform to collect applications and other submissions needed for the good function of funding provided by the Student Senate. Ensure that all officers, as needed, have access to these forms.

c) Receive applications for funding from the Student Senate Activity Fee, including Block Funding, Line-Item Funding, and Wednesday-Night Funding; and review these applications for compliance with the provisions of this Constitution and applicable University policies. If needed, work with applicants to cure defects in their applications.

d) Advise the Finance Council in its consideration of applications for Wednesday-Night Funding, including by communicating the balance of this funding available to the Student Senate and by preparing projections for avoiding overallocation throughout the academic year.

e) Ensure the fulfillment of allocations of Line-Item Funding and Wednesday-Night Funding through cooperation with the funding coordinators designated under the Budget Code and the student organization officers who received the allocations, including by collecting all relevant information for these allocations and transmitting it to the funding coordinators and by handling fulfillment issues as they arise.

f) Ensure the fulfillment of allocations of Block Funding through cooperation with University finance staff.

g) Present to the Required Student Fee Review Committee on behalf of the Student Senate Activity Fee, with a proposal necessary to support all expected uses of that Fee.

h) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-07-03. Compensation. The Treasurer shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 20 hours per week.

Article 08. Fund Development Director.

§ 03-08-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Fund Development Director as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-08-02. Powers and Duties. The Fund Development Director must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Receive applications for Community Development Funding and Educational Opportunity Funding, and review these applications for compliance with the provisions of this Constitution and applicable University policies. If needed, work with applicants to cure defects in their applications.

b) Organize the Community Development Fund Board, including by scheduling its meetings, communicating regularly with its Chair, publishing its decisions, and maintaining its membership through contact with the bodies which may appoint members.

c) Ensure the fulfillment of allocations of Community Development Funding through cooperation with the Funding Coordinators designated under the Budget Code and the student organization officers who received the allocations, including by collecting all relevant information for these allocations and transmitting it to the Funding Coordinators, and by handling fulfillment issues as they arise.

d) Organize the Educational Opportunity Fund Board, including by scheduling and presiding over its meetings, and maintaining its membership through contact with the bodies which may appoint members.

e) Ensure the fulfillment of allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding through cooperation with University finance staff.

f) Meet regularly with the Student Body President, Treasurer, Funding Coordinators designated under the Budget Code, and University finance staff to monitor allocations of Community Development Funding and Educational Opportunity Funding.

g) Present to the Required Student Fee Review Committee on behalf of the Community Development Fund Fee, with a proposal for that Fee which the Community Development Fund Board approves.

h) Promote awareness of Community Development Funding and other resources provided by the Student Senate through cooperation with the Outreach Director and Public Relations Director.

i) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-08-03. Compensation. The Fund Development Director shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 15 hours per week.

Article 09. Government Relations Director.

§ 03-09-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Government Relations Director as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-09-02. Powers and Duties. The Government Relations Director must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Serve as a liaison between the Student Body President and the Student Senate at large, and local, state, and national governing bodies.

b) Plan, host, and create agendas for networking and lobbying events attended by the Student Senate with local, state, and national governing bodies, including the Kansas Board of Regents Higher Education Day and Big 12 on the Hill in Washington, DC.

c) Advocate on behalf of students at large to local, state, and national governing bodies.

d) Organize nonpartisan political education for the Student Body, including voter registration efforts, voting guides, policy forums, and other functions as directed by the Student Body President.

e) Maintain relations with the University’s peer institutions and their respective student governments, including by planning conferences and events with these institutions.

f) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-09-03. Compensation. The Government Relations Director shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 15 hours per week.

Article 10. Outreach Director.

§ 03-10-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Outreach Director as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-10-02. Powers and Duties. The Outreach Director must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Reach out to and meet with undergraduate and graduate student organizations, and University offices and programs, to expand awareness of the Student Senate.

b) In cooperation with the Public Relations Director, create flyers, posters, social media posts, and other promotional materials to expand awareness of the Student Senate.

c) Coordinate events in partnership with the Center for Community Outreach and Student Union Activities.

d) In cooperation with the Student Engagement Center, create and maintain a list of all recognized student organizations of the University and their primary contacts.

e) Host tabling events at prominent locations on the Lawrence Campus.

f) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-10-03. Compensation. The Outreach Director shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 10 hours per week.

Article 11. Community Affairs Director.

§ 03-11-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Community Affairs Director as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-11-02. Powers and Duties. The Community Affairs Director must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Advocate on behalf of underrepresented demographics of students at the University, including by addressing their needs to University leadership and departments and by supporting policies to improve their safety and success at the University.

b) Research the effectiveness of legal, healthcare, childcare, financial, and other supportive resources provided by the University.

c) Maintain the Student Senate’s relationships with community supportive services funded through the Required Student Fees.

d) Inform multicultural student organizations of resources available through the Student Senate and the University at large.

e) Promote awareness of events supporting underrepresented students and, if feasible, organize events promoting multicultural awareness.

f) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-11-03. Compensation. The Community Affairs Director shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 10 hours per week.

Article 12. Public Relations Director.

§ 03-12-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Public Relations Director as an officer of the Executive Branch.

§ 03-12-02. Powers and Duties. The Public Relations Director must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Maintain all social media accounts relating to the Student Senate.

b) Maintain the website of the Student Senate, and ensure that all information included on the website is kept up to date.

c) Ensure that meetings of the Students’ Assembly are recorded and broadcast for transparency to the Student Body.

d) Create logos and branding for the Student Senate.

e) Create news releases to detail the decisions of the Student Senate to local media and the Student Body.

f) Promote the Student Senate Elections and provide information on how students can get involved.

g) Other duties as assigned by the Student Body President.

§ 03-12-03. Compensation. The Public Relations Director shall be compensated at the Undergraduate Hourly grade for up to 10 hours per week.

TITLE FOUR — THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 04-01-01. Structure. The Student Senate recognizes the University Judicial Board as having the ultimate power to hear and decide disputes relating to the Student Senate and this Constitution. The Student Senate establishes the Elections Commission as a body of the Judicial Branch responsible for ensuring the fairness and efficiency of all Student Senate Elections, and as having original jurisdiction over all disputes arising from the Student Senate Elections.

§ 04-01-02. Reserved Power. The Student Senate reserves the power to establish intermediate courts with appellate or original jurisdiction inferior to the University Judicial Board. The Student Senate recalls the Constitutional Court as having this jurisdiction in years past.

§ 04-01-03. Resignations. A person seeking to resign from their membership or position in the Judicial Branch must communicate this resignation to the heads of the Legislative and Executive Branches.

Article 02. Elections Commission.

§ 04-02-01. In General. The Student Senate establishes the Elections Commission as a body of the Judicial Branch and charges it with enforcing the provisions of the Elections Code.

§ 04-02-02. Membership. The Elections Commission shall consist of the Chair of the Elections Commission and four other members, all voting.

§ 04-02-03. Additional Charges. In addition to enforcing the Elections Code, the Elections Commission shall have the following charges.

a) Outreach. The Elections Commission must conduct outreach to inform the Student Body of the Student Senate Elections, including such matters as voting and becoming a candidate. The Elections Commission may work with University newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations to fulfill this charge.

b) Presidential Debate. The Elections Commission must host a debate between the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates of each Presidential Ticket during the time for campaigning in the Spring Student Senate Election provided under the Elections Code. The Elections Commission must announce this debate at least two weeks before it is held. The Elections Commission must decide on a set of reasonable and appropriate questions for the candidates, and may accept questions from the Student Body as well.

c) Resource Closet. The Elections Commission must prepare and stock a space with common supplies used for campaigning by using a reasonable amount of funds available for internal purchases of the Student Senate. The Executive Branch must cooperate with the Elections Commission in preparing and stocking the resource closet.

§ 04-02-04. Appointment. The Chair of the Elections Commission and other members of the Elections Commission must be nominated by the Student Body President and confirmed by the Students’ Assembly.

a) Chair of the Elections Commission. The Chair of the Elections Commission shall be specifically appointed to this office by the Student Body President and Students’ Assembly.

b) Nomination. The Student Body President must consult with the Student Body Vice President and Graduate Student Body President to select their nominee within two weeks of a vacancy arising in the Elections Commission. The Student Body President must communicate their nominee to the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly for confirmation.

c) Confirmation. The Students’ Assembly must vote to confirm the Student Body President’s nominee at its next meeting. The Students’ Assembly may confirm the nominee by a four-fifths vote, or otherwise reject the nominee.

d) Rejection of Nominee. In the event that the Students’ Assembly rejects a nominee for the Elections Commission, the Student Body President must select a new nominee within two weeks of that rejection.

§ 04-02-05. Terms. Each member of the Elections Commission shall serve for two academic years, counted from the fall semester to the summer semester. Each member’s term shall include the academic year during which they were confirmed to serve on the Elections Commission, and the following academic year.

§ 04-02-06. Impartiality. No person may be a member of the Elections Commission who is, in any way, involved in or related to a Student Coalition, or otherwise participating in a Student Senate Election.

§ 04-02-07. Compensation. The members of the Elections Commission shall be compensated at the Regular Stipend grade.

Article 03. Chair of the Elections Commission.

§ 04-03-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Chair of the Elections Commission as an officer of the Judicial Branch, who shall be the head of the Judicial Branch and the presiding officer of the Elections Commission.

§ 04-03-02. Powers and Duties. The Chair of the Elections Commission must fulfill the following duties, in addition to those assigned to them elsewhere in this Constitution, and shall be vested with all powers necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties.

a) Ensure that the Elections Commission fulfills its responsibilities under the Elections Code and any additional charges.

b) Coordinate and supervise the members of the Elections Commission.

c) Communicate with the Student Body President and Speaker of the Students’ Assembly regularly regarding the state of the Student Senate Elections and any current or potential issues arising therefrom.

Article 04. Judicial Proceedings.

§ 04-04-01. In General. This Article sets rules for judicial proceedings by bodies of the Judicial Branch. This Article does not apply to the University Judicial Board.

§ 04-04-02. Timeliness. A body of the Judicial Branch in the process of holding a judicial proceeding must take all actions reasonable to dispose of that proceeding in a timely manner, which shall extend to filing deadlines, hearing schedules, opinion announcements, and all other parts of the proceeding.

§ 04-04-03. Complaints. Judicial proceedings must be started by the filing of a complaint to the appropriate body of the Judicial Branch. All complaints must include the following parts.

a) Body. The complaint must list the body of the Judicial Branch whose jurisdiction is being invoked.

b) Plaintiffs. The complaint must list the persons or groups starting the judicial proceeding, who shall be the plaintiffs.

c) Defendants. The complaint must list the persons or groups allegedly at fault in the dispute, who shall be the defendants.

d) Provisions in Dispute. The complaint must list those provisions of this Constitution that the defendant is alleged to have violated.

e) Supporting Information. The complaint must provide adequate information to support the plaintiffs’ accusations against the defendants, which may include material evidence or information about witnesses.

§ 04-04-04. Notification of Judicial Proceedings. After receiving a complaint, a body of the Judicial Branch must notify the defendants that they are a party to the judicial proceeding, provide them with copies of the complaint, and inform them of all applicable provisions provided under this Constitution.

§ 04-04-05. Motions to Withdraw. At any point after a judicial proceeding has been started but before it has been disposed of by a body of the Judicial Branch, the plaintiffs may submit a motion to withdraw their complaint. Upon a motion to withdraw being granted, the judicial proceeding shall end with no further action. A body of the Judicial Branch must grant a motion to withdraw unless it determines that ending a judicial proceeding would not be in the best interest of justice.

§ 04-04-06. Motions to Dismiss. After the defendants are notified of a judicial proceeding, they may submit a motion to dismiss the complaint. A body of the Judicial Branch must grant a motion to dismiss if it determines, by a majority vote of its members, that the complaint is malformed or that it does not present a genuine dispute based on its supporting information.

§ 04-04-07. Answers. After the defendants are notified of a judicial proceeding, and if the complaint is not dismissed, a body of the Judicial Branch may require the defendants to file an answer to the complaint, in which the defendants respond to the plaintiffs’ accusations.

§ 04-04-08. Hearings. After the defendants are notified of a judicial proceeding, and if the complaint is not dismissed, a body of the Judicial Branch may require the plaintiffs and defendants to attend a hearing, at which the parties may deliver their arguments and answer questions from the body.

a) Procedure. The body may determine procedures for its hearings as needed, provided that it provides an equal chance to the plaintiffs and the defendants to argue their cases.

b) Witnesses. The parties to the proceeding may present witnesses with relevant testimony at the hearing for examination.

§ 04-04-09. Rulings. A body of the Judicial Branch must rule on disputes before it by a majority vote of its members. The body must then deliver an opinion that indicates the ruling and explains the body’s reasoning.

a) Relevant Documents. The body’s ruling must be primarily based in this Constitution and University policies affecting the Student Senate, though it may draw parallels from other legal systems as needed.

b) Opinion Assignment. If the presiding officer of the body is in the majority, they must write the body’s opinion. Otherwise, the members in the majority must select one member among them to write the body’s opinion. The member charged with writing the opinion must accept input from other members in the majority.

c) Concurring and Dissenting Opinions. Members agreeing with the body’s opinion may write separate concurring opinions. Members disagreeing with the body’s opinion may write dissenting opinions. All members’ concurring and dissenting opinions must be presented alongside the body’s opinion.

d) Communication. The body must provide copies of its opinion, together with concurring and dissenting opinions, to the parties of a proceeding. The body must also provide copies to heads of the Legislative and Executive Branches.

§ 04-04-10. Public Access. Bodies of the Judicial Branch must provide public access to all filings and rulings from their judicial proceedings on a Student Senate online platform.

a) Exclusion of Sensitive Materials. Bodies of the Judicial Branch may exclude from public access sensitive information, such as information that could reasonably be expected to compromise the safety or financial security of a person, or the privacy of persons who are not parties to a dispute.

Article 05. Jurisdiction of the University Judicial Board.

§ 04-05-01. Original Jurisdiction. The Student Senate vests the University Judicial Board with original jurisdiction over the compliance of legislation enacted by the Legislative Branch and policies adopted by the Executive Branch with this Constitution and University policies affecting the Student Senate.

a) Remedies. In the event that the Judicial Board determines that legislation or policies of the Student Senate violate this Constitution or applicable University policies, it may enjoin any relevant members and officers from taking action to implement them and provide equitable relief as needed.

§ 04-05-02. Appellate Jurisdiction. The Student Senate vests the University Judicial Board with appellate jurisdiction over decisions made by bodies of the Student Senate through judicial or disciplinary proceedings.

a) Decisions Covered. The following decisions may be appealed to the University Judicial Board:

• Disciplinary measures imposed by the Student Executive Council.
• Convictions in impeachment by the Students’ Assembly.
• Removal of Executive officers by the Student Body President.
• Decisions by the Elections Commission disposing of Elections Code disputes.

b) Remedies. In the event that the Judicial Board determines that a Student Senate body or officer has committed error in deciding a matter before it, it may vacate or reverse that decision and provide equitable relief as needed.

§ 04-05-03. Rules and Procedures. The University Judicial Board shall apply rules and procedures to disputes arising from the Student Senate that are uniform to all proceedings before it.

a) Due Process. The Student Senate requires that all proceedings of the Judicial Board under this Article provide effective due process to all parties and deliver fair and accurate decisions.

§ 04-05-04. Precedent. The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of the Student Senate must ensure that their actions are consistent with the decisions of the University Judicial Board interpreting this Constitution and applying University policies to the Student Senate.

TITLE FIVE — THE BUDGET CODE

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 05-01-01. Authority. The Student Senate shall, through the assessment of Required Student Fees against students enrolled in courses on the Lawrence Campus and Edwards Campus of the University, and in accordance with this Budget Code, apportion and allocate funds to various University offices, community programs, and student organizations for the benefit of the Student Body.

§ 05-01-02. Funding Coordinators. The Student Senate may designate one or more members of the University staff, through agreement with them and their offices, to serve as Funding Coordinators for the Student Senate.

a) Responsibilities. The Funding Coordinators shall be responsible for executing allocations of funding made by the Student Senate through the University’s financial systems, and for maintaining contact with the various financial offices of the University to ensure that the Student Senate complies with University financial controls and procedures.

§ 05-01-03. Schedule. The Chair of the Finance Council, with the agreement of the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall set a schedule in each academic year for reviewing the Required Student Fees, making allocations of Block Funding, and making allocations of Line-Item Funding, including the deadlines for submissions to the Student Senate, the dates of hearings and deliberations, and the dates for when funding proposals are submitted to the Legislative Branch for review.

a) Includes Educational Opportunity Funding. This Section shall also include submissions, hearings, and deliberations for Educational Opportunity Funding, defined further under the implementing Title for the Advisory Boards.

§ 05-01-04. Maximum Funding for Student Organizations. No student organization shall receive more than $10,000 in funding from the Student Senate, which shall include Line-Item Funding and Wednesday-Night Funding.

a) Includes Community Development Funding. This Section shall also include allocations of Community Development Funding, defined further under the implementing Title for the Advisory Boards.

b) Suspension. This Section may be suspended to allow a student organization to receive more than the maximum amount stated.

i) Line-Item Funding and Wednesday-Night Funding. The Finance Council or the Students’ Assembly may grant funding greater than the maximum amount by a two- thirds vote.

ii) Community Development Funding. The Community Development Fund Board may grant funding greater than the maximum amount by a two-thirds vote.

§ 05-01-05. Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations. A student organization may be allocated funding to indirectly raise funds through its events for a nonprofit organization.

a) Exemptions. Funding may be allocated for items which support a fundraising event such as decorations and flyers.

b) Fundraising Event Sales. Funding may not be allocated for any items which are sold. Student organizations may not use funding to make profit or raise funds.

c) Purpose. Funding may not be allocated for items whose primary recipient is non- students.

§ 05-01-06. Budget Book. The Student Senate must, at the conclusion of each academic year, prepare a Budget Book for the upcoming fiscal year, which shall include all decisions related to the Required Student Fees and the Student Senate’s various forms of funding.

a) Parts. A Budget Book must, for the fiscal year, include the following:

• A list of the Required Student Fees and their rates.
• An estimate of revenue from the Student Senate Activity Fee.
• The apportionment of the Student Senate Activity Fee to Block Funding, Line-Item Funding, and Wednesday-Night Funding.
• A list of Block Funding allocations.
• A list of Line-Item Funding allocations, including allocations made through the Student Senate Activity Fee and the Community Development Fund Fee.
• A list of Educational Opportunity Funding allocations.
• A list of debt agreements supported by the Required Student Fees.
• A historical summary of the Required Student Fees.

b) Restatements. If any part of a Budget Book is changed after it is prepared, the Student Senate shall prepare a restatement of the Budget Book as a supplement to the original. The original statement of the Budget Book shall be retained for archival purposes.

§ 05-01-07. Oversight of Funded Organizations. Organizations to which the Student Senate has allocated or apportioned funds, and organizations seeking funding from the Student Senate, must comply with all provisions of this Section.

a) Open Books and Records. Organizations to which funds are allocated or apportioned must make their books and records open for inspection by the Treasurer or Fund Development Director, or their designee, at any time during normal business hours.

b) Request for Annual Report. Organizations to which funds are allocated or apportioned must, upon request by the Treasurer or Fund Development Director, submit an annual report to the Student Senate detailing their revenues and expenses for the previous fiscal year.

c) Documentation of Other Fundraising Efforts. Organizations seeking funding must provide documentation of other fundraising efforts they have undertaken.

d) Request for Copy of Publication. Organizations seeking funding for an advertisement in any medium or any other form of publication must, upon request by the Treasurer or Fund Development Director, submit a copy of the publication. If the publication is not written in English, the organization must provide an English translation.

e) Request for Admission to Events. For the purpose of verifying compliance with this Budget Code, organizations to which funds are allocated or apportioned must, upon request by the Treasurer or Fund Development Director, provide two admission passes to the Treasurer or Fund Development Director for events they host which charge for admission.

§ 05-01-08. Consent to Return Funds. Organizations to which the Student Senate has allocated or apportioned funds may return a portion or the entirety of these funds to the Student Senate by providing written consent to the Treasurer.

§ 05-01-09. Compliance. Organizations to which the Student Senate has allocated or apportioned funds, and organizations seeking funding from the Student Senate, who are not in compliance with the relevant provisions of this Budget Code, may be sanctioned by legislation. These sanctions may affect the organization’s eligibility for funding.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to impose sanctions shall be a two-thirds vote.

§ 05-01-10. Non-Affiliation. The allocation or apportionment of funds to any organization shall not be construed to imply that the Student Senate agrees with the beliefs or actions of that organization, unless otherwise specified by the Student Senate.

§ 05-01-11. Legal Liability. The Student Senate recognizes that the University may overturn its decisions relating to the Student Senate Activity Fee, including all derivative forms of funding, if those decisions would create genuine legal liability for the University.

Article 02. Required Student Fee Review.

§ 05-02-01. In General. The Student Senate implements the Required Student Fee Review Committee (referred to as the Fee Review Committee) as part of the Finance Council. The Fee Review Committee must review all Required Student Fees each year and prepare a proposal for what the Required Student Fees should be set at in the next fiscal year (collectively, the Fee Review process).

§ 05-02-02. Authority. The Fee Review Committee shall have the exclusive power within the University to propose changes to the Required Student Fees. Further, no changes to the Required Student Fees may be made without the assent of the Finance Council and the Students’ Assembly.

§ 05-02-03. Responsibility. The Chair of the Finance Council shall be responsible for administering Fee Review, ensuring that the Fee Review Committee completes its proposal in a timely manner, and handling all communication on behalf of and within the Fee Review Committee.

§ 05-02-04. Membership. The members of the Fee Review Committee are as follows:

• The Chair of the Finance Council, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Four students elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• Two students elected by the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• Two students elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• Two graduate students nominated by the Graduate Student Body President and confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Students’ Assembly. Voting.
• One student enrolled in courses at the Edwards Campus nominated by the Dean of the Edwards Campus and confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Students’ Assembly. Voting.
• The Graduate Student Body President. Voting.
• The Student Body President. Non-voting.
• The Student Body Vice President. Non-voting.
• The Coordinator of Staff. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Fund Development Director. Non-voting.

§ 05-02-05. Terms. Members of the Fee Review Committee, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 05-02-06. Deadlines. The Fee Review Committee must meet the deadlines provided under this Section.

a) Trustee Financial Information and Hearing Schedule. The Chair of the Fee Review Committee must collect relevant information from the trustees of the Required Student Fees, and schedule hearings with the trustee of each Required Student Fee, by November 15 of each academic year.

b) Submit Required Student Fee Proposal. The Fee Review Committee must complete its hearings and deliberations, and the Chair of the Fee Review Committee must submit a Required Student Fee proposal for review by the Finance Council, by February 15 of each academic year.

§ 05-02-07. Hearings and Deliberations. During the spring semester of each academic year, the Fee Review Committee shall hold hearings with the trustee of each Required Student Fee to assess the Student Body’s need for a change to that Required Student Fee. After these hearings, the Fee Review Committee shall meet to deliberate on a proposal for all Required Student Fees.

a) Proxy Votes Prohibited. No member of the Fee Review Committee may vote by proxy during the deliberations of the Fee Review Committee.

§ 05-02-08. Financial Outlook. Throughout the Fee Review process, the Treasurer must provide updates on the finances of the Student Senate for evaluation by the Fee Review Committee, Finance Council, and Students’ Assembly.

§ 05-02-09. Required Student Fee Proposal. After completing its hearings and deliberations, the Fee Review Committee must agree to a proposal for all Required Student Fees, covering the next fiscal year. This proposal must be agreed to by a two-thirds vote of the Fee Review Committee.

a) Fee Breakdowns. As part of its proposal, the Fee Review Committee may specify budget items within a single Required Student Fee to indicate how revenue from that Required Student Fee should be used.

b) Fee Merges. The Fee Review Committee may propose that one or more Required Student Fees be merged into an existing Required Student Fee.

c) Reasonable Justification. The Chair of the Fee Review Committee must gather reasonable justification from the Fee Review Committee for each proposed change to the Required Student Fees, including increases, decreases, and merges, that will be sufficient for review by the Student Senate and presentment to other bodies.

d) Justification for Reducing or Zeroing a Fee. The Fee Review Committee may recommend reducing a Required Student Fee or setting a Required Student Fee to a rate of zero dollars only if the Fee Review Committee has sufficient justification to believe—

• That the trustee of that Required Student Fee is not in compliance with this Budget Code; or
• That the revenue from that Required Student Fee is not being solely used to support student services; or
• That the revenue from that Required Student Fee is being used in an inefficient manner to support student services; or
• That the financial cost of that Required Student Fee to students is greater than the overall benefit of the trustee’s service to students; or
• That there has been a change in circumstance that reduces the Student Body’s need for that Required Student Fee.

§ 05-02-10. Restriction on Amendments. As the Fee Review Committee is the only body with knowledge of the circumstances of each Fee Entity, the Fee Review Committee shall have the sole power to amend a Required Student Fee proposal once it has been submitted to the Finance Council for review, unless otherwise specified under this Article.

§ 05-02-11. Review by the Finance Council. After the Fee Review Committee has approved a Required Student Fee proposal, the Chair of Fee Review Committee must present it, as legislation, to the Finance Council at its next meeting. The Finance Council may, by a two- thirds vote, pass the Required Student Fee proposal.

a) Remand. In the event that the Finance Council does not pass the Required Student Fee proposal, it shall be remanded to the Fee Review Committee for further consideration. The Finance Council shall provide recommendations for amending the Required Student Fee proposal, which the Fee Review Committee must consider.

b) Review Limited to the Finance Council. The Finance Council shall be the sole Student Council to review the Required Student Fee proposal.

§ 05-02-12. Review by the Students’ Assembly. After the Finance Council has passed a Required Student Fee proposal, the Chair of the Fee Review Committee must present it to the Students’ Assembly at its next meeting. The Students’ Assembly may, by a two-thirds vote, pass the Required Student Fee proposal.

a) Remand. In the event that the Students’ Assembly does not pass the Required Student Fee proposal, it shall be remanded to the Fee Review Committee for further consideration. The Students’ Assembly shall provide recommendations for amending the Required Student Fee proposal, which the Fee Review Committee must consider.

b) No Vetoes. The Student Body President may not veto the Required Student Fee proposal.

§ 05-02-13. Emergency Approval. In the event that the Student Senate has not agreed to a Required Student Fee proposal after the last Legislative Cycle in an academic year, the Fee Review Committee shall assume the power to pass the proposal by a two-thirds vote, without any further review. The Chair of the Fee Review Committee must schedule as many special meetings of the Fee Review Committee as are needed at this point to quickly pass the proposal.

§ 05-02-14. Presentment to University and State Governance. After the Student Senate has passed a Required Student Fee proposal, the Chair of the Fee Review Committee must, with the cooperation of the Student Body President, present the Required Student Fee proposal to University leadership for such approval as the University may require, and finally present the Required Student Fee proposal to the Kansas Board of Regents.

a) Remand. In the event that the Required Student Fee proposal is remanded to the Student Senate by University leadership or the Board of Regents, the Fee Review Committee shall proceed to amend and pass the Required Student Fee Proposal under the procedures for emergency approval.

b) Updates. The Chair of the Fee Review Committee must provide regular updates to the Finance Council and Students’ Assembly of further action taken on the Required Student Fee Proposal by University leadership and the Board of Regents.

§ 05-02-15. Taking Effect. The Student Senate recognizes that the rates for the Required Student Fees for a University fiscal year shall be effective upon the agreement of the Kansas Board of Regents to those rates.

a) No Alterations. The rates of the Required Student Fees for a fiscal year, once effective, may not be altered in any manner by the Student Senate.

§ 05-02-16. Fulfillment. Revenue from the Required Student Fees shall be disbursed directly to their respective trustees. This revenue may be used at the trustees’ discretion, provided that this use does not contradict information submitted to the Student Senate.

§ 05-02-17. Duration of Fee Revenue. Revenue from the Required Student Fees shall not expire, and the trustees of the Required Student Fees shall retain this revenue between University fiscal years at their discretion.

Article 03. Required Student Fees.

§ 05-03-01. In General. The Student Senate authorizes the Required Student Fees listed under this Article to be assessed by the University against each student for each semester they are enrolled in courses on the Lawrence Campus and Edwards Campus. The rate of each Required Student Fee shall be recorded for each fiscal year in the Student Senate Budget Book.

a) Summer Semester. Students enrolled in courses for the University summer semester shall be assessed each Required Student Fee at a half rate, rounded to the nearest five cents ($0.05).

b) Credit Hours Threshold. Students enrolled in six or fewer credit hours for a fall or spring semester, or four or fewer credit hours for a summer semester, may be assessed a reduced rate for the Required Student Fees.

§ 05-03-02. Student Senate Activity Fee. For the purpose of contributing to a diverse and enriching experience for the Student Body, the Student Senate authorizes a Student Senate Activity Fee to support various sources of funding.

a) Trustee. The Student Senate, acting through the Treasurer, shall be the trustee for the Student Senate Activity Fee.

b) Stipulations. To ensure that the Student Senate Activity Fee is used for the benefit of the Student Body, the Student Senate requires that the following stipulations be met.

i) Derivative Sources of Funding. The Student Senate Activity Fee shall be used to provide Block Funding, Line-Item Funding, and Wednesday-Night Funding at amounts set during the Fee Review process.

§ 05-03-03. Student Union Fee. For the purpose of promoting the operations of the Kansas Union and Burge Union, the Student Senate authorizes a Student Union Fee to contribute to the operations of the KU Memorial Union.

a) Trustee. The governing board of the KU Memorial Union shall be the trustee for the Student Union Fee.

b) Permanent Fee. The Student Union Fee must include a Burge Union Fee from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2048, set at $18.70, to contribute to lease payments for the Burge Union. The Burge Union Fee may not be increased and no revenue from other Required Student Fees may be used for the same purpose. The Student Senate may use any revenue from the Burge Union Fee in excess of the Burge Union’s annual lease cost to complete payments on this lease early.

c) Stipulations. To ensure that the Student Union Fee is used for the benefit of the Student Body, the Student Senate requires that the following stipulations be met.

i) Student Representation in Management. Students shall make up 50% of the voting members of all committees and boards pertaining to the operation and governance of the Kansas Union and Burge Union, which shall include, but not be limited to, the Memorial Corporation Board and its committees.

ii) Review of Decisions Affecting the Burge Union. All major decisions affecting the role, function, and purpose of the Burge Union may be reviewed by the Fee Review Committee and by the Legislative Branch as a whole.

§ 05-03-04. Student Health Fee. For the purpose of promoting the health and welfare of the Student Body, the Student Senate authorizes a Student Health Fee to contribute to the operations of Watkins Health Services and Counseling & Psychological Services.

a) Trustees. Watkins Health Services shall be the trustee for the Student Health Fee. Counseling & Psychological Services shall be the trustee of the Counseling & Psychological Services Fee, which shall be included in the Student Health Fee.

b) Stipulations. To ensure that the Student Health Fee is used for the benefit of the Student Body, the Student Senate requires that the following stipulations be met.

i) 24-Hour Mental Health Services. Counseling & Psychological Services shall provide after-hours mental health services through a phone line available at all hours of the day.

ii) Specific Medical Services. Watkins Health Services shall provide free and confidential HIV testing, access to PrEP medication for HIV prevention, and services for transgender persons. Watkins Health Services shall further examine options relating to dental services, sports medicine for non-athletes, and Eastern medicine services.

§ 05-03-05. Hilltop Child Development Fee. For the purpose of providing affordable options for child care to the Student Body, the Student Senate authorizes a Hilltop Child Development Fee to contribute to the operations of the Hilltop Child Development Center.

a) Trustee. The Hilltop Child Development Center shall be the trustee for the Hilltop Child Development Fee.

b) Stipulations. To ensure that the Hilltop Child Development Fee is used for the benefit of the Student Body, the Student Senate requires that the following stipulations be met.

i) Scholarships for Child Care. Any revenue of the Hilltop Child Development Fee used to subsidize child care costs shall only be used to subsidize child care costs for students.

§ 05-03-06. Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Fee. For the purpose of providing education and programming for the prevention of sexual assault, the Student Senate authorizes a Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Fee to support the operations of the Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center.

a) Trustee. The Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center shall be the trustee for the Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Fee.

b) Stipulations. To ensure that the Sexual Assault Prevent & Education Center Fee is used for the benefit of the Student Body, the Student Senate requires that the following stipulations be met.

i) No Course Credit. No revenue from the Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Fee may be used to fund courses that are taken for credit at the University.

§ 05-03-07. Student Recreation Fee. For the purpose of developing and improving the University’s recreational facilities and grounds, the Student Senate authorizes a Student Recreation Fee to contribute to the operations of the Ambler Student Recreation & Fitness Center and the programming of KU Recreation Services.

a) Trustee. KU Recreation Services shall be the trustee for the Student Recreation Fee.

§ 05-03-08. Educational Opportunity Fund Fee. For the purpose of providing educational opportunities for the Student Body, the Student Senate authorizes an Educational Opportunity Fund Fee to provide allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding.

a) Trustee. The Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall be the trustee for the Educational Opportunity Fund Fee.

§ 05-03-09. Campus Transportation Fee. For the purpose of providing campus transportation to the Student Body, the Student Senate authorizes a Campus Transportation Fee to support the operations of KU Transportation Services and Lawrence Transit.

a) Trustee. KU Transportation Services shall be the trustee for the Campus Transportation Fee.

§ 05-03-10. Campus Environmental Improvement Fee. For the purpose of promoting sustainability at the University, the Student Senate authorizes a Campus Environmental Improvement Fee to support recycling services in University facilities.

a) Trustee. KU Operations shall be the trustee for the Campus Environmental Improvement Fee.

§ 05-03-11. Legal Services for Students Fee. For the purpose of providing affordable legal services to the Student Body, the Student Senate authorizes a Legal Services for Students Fee to support the operations of Legal Services for Students.

a) Trustee. Legal Services for Students shall be the trustee for the Legal Services for Students Fee.

§ 05-03-12. University Daily Kansan Readership Fee. For the purpose of supporting local news coverage and student journalism, the Student Senate authorizes a University Daily Kansan Fee to support the operations of the University Daily Kansan.

a) Trustee. The University Daily Kansan shall be the trustee for the University Daily Kansan Fee.

§ 05-03-13. Student Engagement Fee. For the purpose of fostering and enhancing student engagement at the University, the Student Senate authorizes a Student Engagement Fee to support the operations of the Student Engagement Center.

a) Trustee. The Student Engagement Center shall be the trustee for the Student Engagement Fee.

b) Stipulations. To ensure that the Student Engagement Fee is used for the benefit of the Student Body, the Student Senate requires that the following stipulations be met.

c) Not Used for Dues. No revenue from the Student Engagement Fee may be used to support the operations of student organizations requiring dues.

§ 05-03-14. Supportive Services Fee. For the purpose of providing necessary health and safety supportive services not offered by the University, the Student Senate authorizes a Supportive Services Fee to support the operations of Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, HeadQuarters Kansas, The Willow Domestic Violence Center, and the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center.

a) Trustees. Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, HeadQuarters Kansas, The Willow Domestic Violence Center, and the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center shall be the trustees for their respective portions of the Supportive Services Fee.

§ 05-03-15. Jayhawk Finances Fee. For the purpose of educating students in managing their personal finances, the Student Senate authorizes a Jayhawk Finances Fee to support the operations of Jayhawk Finances.

a) Trustee. Jayhawk Finances shall be the trustee for the Jayhawk Finances Fee.

§ 05-03-16. Community Development Fund Fee. For the purpose of supporting education and programming for events, the Student Senate authorizes a Community Development Fund Fee to provide allocations of Community Development Funding.

a) Trustee. The Community Development Fund Board shall be the trustee for the Community Development Fund Fee.

§ 05-03-17. Edwards Campus Student Services Fee. For the purpose of promoting the success of students on the Edwards Campus of the University, the Student Senate authorizes an Edwards Campus Student Services Fee to support student-supportive services on the Edwards Campus.

a) Trustee. The Vice Provost for the Edwards Campus shall be the trustee of the Edwards Campus Student Services Fee.

Article 04. Block Funding.

§ 05-04-01. In General. The Student Senate shall provide allocations of Block Funding from the revenue of the Student Senate Activity Fee, for the purpose of supporting long-established programs and initiatives for student success at the University.

§ 05-04-02. Eligibility. An organization seeking Block Funding must meet the requirements provided under this Section.

a) Broad Benefit. The organization must provide a broad tangible benefit to the University.

b) Continuing Viability. The organization must demonstrate continuing viability in its ability to continue its functions.

c) University Staff. For the purpose of providing budget and bookkeeping services, the organization must include a University staff member.

d) Establishment. The organization must have been established at the University and continually funded by the Student Senate for at least three years, or be able to provide yearly audits of its activities for the past three years prior to applying for Block Funding.

§ 05-04-03. Applications. Applications for Block Funding shall be collected through a Student Senate online platform. The Chair of the Finance Council, together with the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall create the form for collecting these applications.

a) General Organization. Generally, the application form for Block Funding shall direct organizations to complete separate requests for each program or initiative for which the organization seeks Block Funding.

b) Opening Date. Applications for Block Funding must be opened and made available by December 1 of each academic year.

c) Closing Date. Applications for Block Funding must be closed according to the Budget Code schedule set by the Chair of the Finance Council.

§ 05-04-04. Block Funding Committee. The Chair of the Finance Council shall assemble a Block Funding Committee to review applications for Block Funding and prepare a proposal for allocations of Block Funding.

a) Membership. The following shall be eligible to be members of a Line-Item Funding Committee:

• The Chair of the Finance Council, as Chair. Voting.
• All voting members of the Student Councils and Students’ Assembly. Voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Fund Development Director. Non-voting.

b) Determination of Eligibility. A Block Funding Committee shall, in its review of applications for Block Funding, determine whether organizations seeking Block Funding are eligible to receive Block Funding, as provided under this Article.

§ 05-04-05. Review by the Finance Council and Students’ Assembly. A proposal for Block Funding, prepared by a Block Funding Committee, shall be reviewed as legislation by the Finance Council and no other Student Council, and then by the Students’ Assembly, with presentations done by the Chair of that Block Funding Committee.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a Block Funding proposal shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Amendment. The Finance Council may, by a majority vote, amend a proposal for Block Funding. The Students’ Assembly may not amend a proposal for Block Funding.

c) Remand by the Finance Council. If a proposal for Block Funding does not receive a two-thirds vote in the Finance Council, the proposal shall be remanded to the same Block Funding Committee that prepared the proposal, to create a new proposal for Block Funding.

d) Remand by the Students’ Assembly. If a proposal for Block Funding does not receive a two-thirds vote in the Students’ Assembly, the proposal shall be remanded to the Finance Council for further proceedings, including amendments.

e) Emergency Approval. In the event that the Student Senate has not agreed to a proposal for Block Funding after the last Legislative Cycle in an academic year, the Students’ Assembly shall assume the power to amend the Block Funding proposal, by a majority vote; and pass the Block Funding proposal, by a two-thirds vote. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must schedule as many special meetings of the Students’ Assembly as are needed at this point to quickly pass the Block Funding proposal.

§ 05-04-06. Fulfillment. Allocations of Block Funding shall be disbursed directly to the organizations which have received these allocations. These allocations may be used at the organizations’ discretion, provided that this use does not contradict information submitted to the Student Senate.

§ 05-04-07. Duration of Allocations. Allocations of Block Funding shall be effective for the University fiscal year for which they are allocated. After this time, the outstanding portions of all allocations shall be considered expired and be returned to the Student Senate.

§ 05-04-08. Allocation to the Student Senate. The Student Senate must, in each academic year, make an allocation of Block Funding to itself as provided under this Section.

a) Compensation for Officers. The Student Senate must allocate to itself enough funds to cover the total potential compensation for all officers, based on their compensation grades and number of allowed hours per week.

b) Travel Expenses. The Student Senate should allocate to itself a reasonable amount of funds for the travel expenses of the Executive Branch’s delegations to conferences.

c) Food and Refreshments at Legislative Meetings. The Student Senate should allocate to itself a reasonable amount of funds to provide food and refreshments at meetings of the Legislative Branch.

d) Office Supplies. The Student should allocate to itself a reasonable amount of funds for office supplies.

e) Election Resources. The Student Senate must allocate to itself a reasonable amount of funds for resources for the Student Senate Elections, as provided under the Elections Code.

f) University Identification Replacement Program. The Student Senate must allocate to itself a reasonable amount of funds to support the University Identification Replacement Program, as defined under this Title.

§ 05-04-09. Reduction of Allocations. The Student Senate may reduce an allocation of Block Funding granted to an organization through legislation. Such legislation shall be reviewed by the Finance Council and the Student Rights & Affairs Council, and then by the Students’ Assembly.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to reduce an allocation of Block Funding shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Consent of the Treasurer and Certification of Necessity. No legislation to reduce an allocation of Block Funding may be considered without the written consent of the Treasurer and a written certification by the Treasurer that reducing the allocation is necessary to maintaining the financial wellbeing and operations of the Student Senate.

c) Funding Already Used. No legislation to reduce an allocation of Block Funding may be considered that would cause the organization to incur a deficit with regard to its Block Funding.

Article 05. Line-Item Funding.

§ 05-05-01. In General. The Student Senate shall provide allocations of Line-Item Funding from the revenue of the Student Senate Activity Fee and the revenue of the Community Development Fund Fee, for the purpose of supporting student organizations at the University.

§ 05-05-02. Eligibility. Organizations seeking Line-Item Funding must be recognized by the University and registered with the Student Engagement Center.

§ 05-05-03. Applications. Applications for Line-Item Funding shall be collected through a Student Senate online platform. The Chair of the Finance Council, together with the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall create the form for collecting these applications.

a) General Organization. Generally, the application form for Line-Item Funding shall direct organizations to complete separate requests for each event or project for which the organization seeks Line-Item Funding. The application shall also allow organizations to request an amount of General Funding, as provided under this Article.

b) Opening Date. Applications for Line-Item Funding must be opened and made available by December 1 of each academic year.

c) Closing Date. Applications for Line-Item Funding must be closed according to the Budget Code schedule set by the Chair of the Finance Council.

§ 05-05-04. General Funding. Organizations seeking Line-Item Funding may request $100 of General Funding for office supplies, printing, and other expenses, without providing a reason or purpose for this funding.

§ 05-05-05. Line-Item Funding Committee. The Chair of the Finance Council shall assemble a Line-Item Funding Committee to review applications for Line-Item Funding and prepare a proposal for allocations of Line-Item Funding.

a) Membership. The following shall be eligible to be members of a Line-Item Funding Committee:

• The Chair of the Finance Council, as Chair. Voting.
• All voting members of the Student Councils and Students’ Assembly. Voting.
• All voting members of the Community Development Fund Board. Voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Fund Development Director. Non-voting.

b) Determination of Eligibility. The Line-Item Funding Committee shall, in its review of applications for Line-Item Funding, determine whether organizations seeking Line-Item Funding are eligible to receive Line-Item Funding, as provided under this Article.

§ 05-05-06. Review by the Finance Council and Students’ Assembly. A proposal for Line- Item Funding, prepared by a Line-Item Funding Committee, shall be reviewed as legislation by the Finance Council and no other Student Council, and then by the Students’ Assembly, with presentations done by the Chair of that Line-Item Funding Committee.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a proposal for Line-Item Funding shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Amendment. The Finance Council may, by a majority vote, amend a proposal for Line-Item Funding. The Students’ Assembly may not amend a proposal for Line-Item Funding.

c) Remand by the Finance Council. In the event that a proposal for Line-Item Funding is not passed by the Finance Council, the proposal shall be remanded to the same Line-Item Funding Committee to create a new proposal for Line-Item Funding.

d) Remand by the Students’ Assembly. In the event that a proposal for Line-Item Funding is not passed by the Students’ Assembly, the proposal shall be remanded to the Finance Council for further proceedings, including amendments.

e) Suspension of Regulations. In the consideration of a proposal for Line-Item Funding, the Finance Council or the Students’ Assembly may suspend the application of regulations to a particular organization by a two-thirds vote.

i) Effect on Fulfillment. The suspension of regulations relating to an organization’s allocation of Line-Item Funding shall continue during fulfillment of this allocation, and preclude the rejection of a submission against this Line-Item Funding for violation of these regulations.

f) Emergency Approval. In the event that the Student Senate has not agreed to a proposal for Line-Item Funding after the last Legislative Cycle in an academic year, the Students’ Assembly shall assume the power to amend the Line-Item Funding proposal, by a majority vote; and pass the Line-Item Funding proposal, by a two-thirds vote. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly must schedule as many special meetings of the Students’ Assembly as are needed at this point to quickly pass the Line-Item Funding proposal.

§ 05-05-07. Applicable Regulations. Organizations receiving Line-Item Funding who are eligible for Community Development Funding must comply with all regulations for Community Development Funding, as provided under the implementing Article of the Community Development Fund Board. Otherwise, organizations receiving Line-Item Funding must comply with all regulations for Wednesday-Night Funding provided under this Title.

§ 05-05-08. Purchase and Payment Submissions. The Student Senate shall maintain a form on a Student Senate online platform for organizations to submit purchases and payments they seek to have made with their allocation of Line-Item Funding. The Chair of the Finance Council, together with the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall create this submission form.

a) General Organization. Generally, the submission form for Line-Item Funding shall direct organizations to submit information about the project, event, or series of events which the purchases or payments will support; and a budget providing sufficient detail for the fulfillment of these purchases and payments.

b) Opening Date. Submissions against Line-Item Funding must be opened and made available in time to allow reasonable fulfillment for events held at the start of each academic year.

c) Closing Date. Submissions against Line-Item Funding must be closed at the end of each academic year.

§ 05-05-09. Fulfillment. The Treasurer and Fund Development Director, together with the Funding Coordinators designated under this Budget Code, shall take care to fulfill all submissions of purchases and payments made against allocations of Line-Item Funding.

a) Review. The Treasurer shall be responsible for reviewing submissions against Line-Item Funding from the Student Senate Activity Fee. The Fund Development Director shall be responsible for reviewing submissions against Line-Item Funding from the Community Development Fund Fee.

i) Compliance with Regulations. The Treasurer and Fund Development Director shall determine whether a submission complies with the regulations specified under this Article.

ii) Adherence to Submitted Information. The Treasurer and Fund Development Director shall determine whether a submission fairly adheres to the information submitted by the organization in its application for Line-Item Funding. The Treasurer and Fund Development Director shall make reasonable allowances for differences between the organization’s submitted information and the organization’s actual events and projects.

b) Rejection. The Treasurer and Fund Development Director may, according to their responsibilities to review such submissions, reject submissions against Line-Item Funding that violate the provisions of this Section.

i) Effect on Allocations. The rejection of a submission against Line-Item Funding shall not affect the outstanding portion of the organization’s allocation of Line-Item Funding, and the organization shall not be prejudiced or barred from making further submissions against its allocation of Line-Item Funding.

c) Required Materials. The Treasurer and Fund Development Director may, to fulfill submissions against Line-Item Funding, require the submission of invoices, taxpayer information, financial forms, and other materials necessary to complete the transactions or required by the University.

§ 05-05-10. Duration of Allocations. Allocations of Line-Item Funding shall be effective for the University fiscal year for which they are allocated. After this time, the outstanding portions of all allocations shall be considered expired and be returned to the Student Senate.

§ 05-05-11. Reduction of Allocations. The Student Senate may reduce an allocation of Line- Item Funding granted to an organization through legislation. Such legislation shall be reviewed by the Finance Council and the Student Rights & Affairs Council, and then by the Students’ Assembly.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to reduce an allocation of Line-Item Funding shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Consent of the Treasurer. No legislation to reduce an allocation of Line-Item Funding may be considered without the written consent of the Treasurer.

c) Funding Already Used. No legislation to reduce an allocation of Line-Item Funding may be considered that would cause the organization to incur a deficit with regard to its Line- Item Funding.

Article 06. Wednesday-Night Funding.

§ 05-06-01. In General. The Student Senate shall provide allocations of Wednesday-Night Funding from the revenue of the Student Senate Activity Fee, for the purpose of supporting student organizations at the University.

§ 05-06-02. Eligibility. Organizations seeking Wednesday-Night Funding must be recognized by the University and registered with the Student Engagement Center.

§ 05-06-03. Application Form. Applications for Wednesday-Night Funding shall be collected through a Student Senate online platform. The Chair of the Finance Council, together with the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall create the form for collecting these applications.

a) General Organization. Generally, the application form for Wednesday-Night Funding shall direct organizations to submit information about the project, event, or series of events for which it seeks Wednesday-Night Funding, as well as a related budget and a description of other fundraising activities.

b) Opening Date. Applications for Wednesday-Night Funding must be opened and made available in a timely manner for the first Legislative Cycle of each academic year.

c) Closing Date. Applications for Wednesday-Night Funding must be closed after the last Legislative Cycle of each academic year.

§ 05-06-04. Applications. An organization seeking Wednesday-Night Funding shall submit an application for Wednesday-Night Funding for review by the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive applications for Wednesday-Night Funding for each Legislative Cycle.

a) Submission Deadline. Applications for Wednesday-Night Funding shall be due the Friday before each Legislative Cycle at 5:00 PM.

b) Extension of Submission Deadline. The Treasurer may extend the deadline to submit applications for Wednesday-Night Funding for some or all organizations, provided that this extension does not interfere with any other deadlines for Wednesday-Night Funding.

c) Relation to Event or Project. An application for Wednesday-Night Funding must be related to a project, event, or series of events hosted by the submitting organization.

d) Full Budget Required. An application for Wednesday-Night Funding must include the organization’s full budget for the project, event, or series of events.

e) Review by the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for reviewing all applications for Wednesday-Night Funding and notifying the organization of potential conflicts with the provisions of this Budget Code or potential issues with fulfilling the organization’s submitted budget.

f) Rejection. The Treasurer may reject an application for Wednesday-Night Funding that would be infeasible for them to fulfill based on its timing, if the allocation were made.

§ 05-06-05. Legislation. After submitting an application for Wednesday-Night Funding, the same organization shall submit a bill to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding shall be a majority vote.

b) Filing Procedure. Bills to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding shall be filed according to the procedures provided under the implementing Title of the Legislative Branch.

c) Form. Bills to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding shall follow a form determined by the Treasurer and Speaker of the Students’ Assembly.

d) Consent Agenda. A bill to allocate $500 or less of Wednesday-Night Funding shall be considered on the consent agenda of the Legislative Branch bodies which review this bill.

e) Sponsorship by the Treasurer. To ensure these bills may be considered by the Legislative Branch, the Treasurer shall sponsor all bills to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding. This sponsorship shall not indicate that the Treasurer supports any particular bill to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding.

f) Violations. Violations of the regulations for Wednesday-Night Funding shall be considered by the Legislative Branch through points of order.

i) Guidelines. The Finance Council shall be primarily responsible for applying the regulations for Wednesday-Night Funding. However, this shall not prevent other Student Councils or the Students’ Assembly from considering such points of order.

ii) Remedies. If the presiding officer considering such a point of order finds that it correctly notes a violation of the regulations for Wednesday-Night Funding, they must order corrections to the bill to remove the parts at issue. If the violations cannot be severed from the bill, the presiding officer must remove the bill from consideration.

§ 05-06-06. Prohibited Uses. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used for any of the purposes provided under this Section.

a) Partisan Activities. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to campaign for or against a person, group, or ballot question in any election. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used for activities that relate to Student Senate Elections or a Student Senate ballot referendum.

b) Alcohol. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to purchase alcoholic beverages.

c) Academic Projects. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used for academic projects intended to be published in an academic journal or presented at an academic conference.

d) Awards and Giveaways. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to purchase items without a primarily educational purpose with the intent to distribute them, including awards, trophies, and presents.

e) Honorariums for University Faculty. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to provide honorariums to University faculty.

f) Commercial Promotions. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to advertise or promote a product, or a profit-seeking person or organization.

g) Recruiting Students. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to recruit students for post-graduation employment. Wednesday-Night Funding shall not be allocated to any organization whose primary purpose is recruiting individuals for University enrollment or post-graduation employment.

h) Maintaining Affiliations. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to maintain an affiliation with another organization, unless this affiliation is vital to the continued functioning of the organization which received an allocation of Wednesday-Night Funding.

i) Granting Scholarships. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used to grant scholarships to students.

j) Fundraising for Other Groups. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used as direct contributions to another organization.

k) Duplication of Services. Wednesday-Night Funding may not be used for projects, services, or materials that, by practical effect, duplicate functions of the Required Student Fees.

§ 05-06-07. Resource Closet. To promote sustainability and reduce redundant use of its resources, the Student Senate shall maintain a shared resource closet for items obtained through Wednesday-Night Funding.

a) Return of Unused Items. Organizations must return all unused or reusable items obtained through Wednesday-Night Funding to the Funding Coordinators designated under this Title within 10 business days following the event for which the allocation was made. Items which cannot reasonably be returned or be reused are exempted.

b) Use of Unclaimed Items. Organizations shall forfeit all items obtained through Wednesday-Night Funding that they do not collect within 10 days following the event for which the allocation was made.

c) Checking Out. An organization seeking to use the resource closet shall communicate the items it needs to the Community Affairs Director. The Community Affairs Director will then make these items, if in stock, available to the organization in a timely manner.

d) Responsibility. The Community Affairs Director shall be responsible for maintaining the shared resource closet, including by organizing the closet and maintaining a record of the closet’s inventory that is available through a Student Senate online platform. The Student Body Vice President shall assist the Community Affairs Director in these responsibilities if needed.

§ 05-06-08. Funding for Food. An organization may receive no more than $500 per academic year in Wednesday-Night Funding for the purchase of food.

a) Exemptions. An organization may receive an exemption from this Section at the discretion of the Treasurer. The Treasurer may grant an exemption if, in their opinion, the amount of food requested by the organization is reasonably tailored to the organization’s activities, expected attendance, and total budget for its events; and if there is enough Wednesday-Night Funding available to the Student Senate to support this amount of food.

§ 05-06-09. Funding for Travel. No organization may be allocated Wednesday-Night Funding for travel expenses. Travel expenses shall include lodging, transportation, and dining, but not registration costs.

a) Exemptions. An organization may receive an exemption from this Section by legislation. This legislation shall be reviewed by the Finance Council and no other Student Councils, and then by Students’ Assembly.

i) Threshold. The threshold for passage of an exemption pursuant to this Section shall be a majority vote.

ii) Justification. An organization seeking funding for travel must justify that travelling is an essential part of its activities.

b) Duration. An exemption allowing funding for travel shall be effective for all allocations made in the same academic year, including allocations covering activities in the next academic year, such as through Line-Item Funding.

§ 05-06-10. Required Policies for Funded Groups. All groups to which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated must comply with the policies provided under this Section.

a) Announced and Open to the Public. Organizations to which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated must abide by state laws mandating open meetings. All events for which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated shall be announced and open to the public.

b) Open to All Students. Organizations to which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated must make all of their events open de facto to all University students. These organizations may not require membership fees or dues, nor may they charge admission for any event supported by Student Senate funds. Admission charges do not apply to travel funding granted an exemption under the relevant provisions.

c) Student Senate Logo on Promotional Materials. Organizations to which Wednesday- Night Funding is allocated must display the Student Senate logo on their promotional materials, including physical and digital materials. If display of the logo is impossible, the same promotional materials must include “Funding contributed by the University of Kansas Student Senate.”

d) No Academic Standards. Organizations to which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated may not require students to meet academic standards as a requirement for participation in their events.

e) No Academic Credit for Participation. Wednesday-Night Funding shall not be allocated to organizations whose primary purpose is for members to give or receive academic credit.

f) Students as Officers. Organizations to which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated shall be led and managed by students.

g) Student Membership on Financial Governing Bodies. Wednesday-Night Funding shall only be allocated to organizations in which students constitute a proportional or greater share of the voting seats on the financial governing body of that organization, relative to the share of its total budget provided by the Student Senate.

h) Non-Discrimination. Organizations to which Wednesday-Night Funding is allocated must comply with the University’s non-discrimination policies.

§ 05-06-11. Reimbursements. Allocations of Wednesday-Night Funding may be fulfilled through purchase reimbursements. Reimbursements must be approved by the Treasurer before any purchase is made.

a) Documentation. The organization requesting reimbursement must submit an itemized receipt of the items purchased to the Treasurer within five days of the purchase.

b) Venues Prohibited. Reimbursements may not be made for venue costs.

c) Notice of Time Commitment. Organizations shall be advised that reimbursements may take multiple months to be disbursed, and that organizations seeking reimbursements are responsible for managing this financial burden.

d) Pain of Violation. Violation of the provisions provided under this Section shall automatically render the reimbursement void.

§ 05-06-12. Fulfillment. The Treasurer, together with the Funding Coordinators designated under this Budget Code, shall take care to fulfill all allocations of Wednesday-Night Funding.

a) Required Materials. The Treasurer may, to fulfill an organization’s submitted budget, require the submission of invoices, taxpayer information, financial forms, and other materials necessary to complete the transactions or required by the University.

§ 05-06-13. Duration of Allocations. An allocation of Wednesday-Night Funding shall be effective from the date when the bill to allocate Wednesday-Night Funding is enacted, to the end of the project, event, or series of events which is supported by the allocation. After this time, plus ten days, the outstanding portions of the allocation shall be considered expired and be returned to the Student Senate.

a) Extension by the Treasurer. The Treasurer may, in their discretion, extend the duration of an allocation of Wednesday-Night Funding.

b) Duration Limit. All allocations of Wednesday-Night Funding must expire at the end of the University fiscal year in which they were made.

§ 05-06-14. Reduction of Allocations. The Student Senate may reduce an allocation of Wednesday-Night Funding granted to an organization through legislation. Such legislation shall be reviewed by the Finance Council and the Student Rights & Affairs Council, and then by the Students’ Assembly.

a) Threshold. The threshold for passage of a bill to reduce an allocation of Wednesday- Night Funding shall be a two-thirds vote.

b) Consent of the Treasurer. No legislation to reduce an allocation of Wednesday-Night Funding may be considered without the written consent of the Treasurer.

c) Funding Already Used. No legislation to reduce an allocation of Wednesday-Night Funding may be considered that would cause the organization to incur a deficit with regard to its Line-Item Funding.

§ 05-06-15. Suspension of Regulations. An organization seeking Wednesday-Night Funding may receive an exemption to any provision of this Article by a two-thirds vote of the Finance Council or the Students’ Assembly.

Article 07. Other Matters.

§ 05-07-01. University Identification Replacement Program. The Student Senate shall, in partnership with the Student Engagement Center, cover students’ replacement fees for University identification cards, when a replacement is sought to affirm the student’s gender identity, with such procedures and rules as the Student Engagement Center may provide.

§ 05-07-02. Other Sources of Funding. For sources of funding available to the Student Senate but not covered under this Constitution, the Student Senate may make appropriate allocations by legislation.

TITLE SIX — THE ELECTIONS CODE

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 06-01-01. Authority. This Elections Code shall govern all the organization of elections held by the Student Senate and all actions by candidates in Student Senate Elections, with the goal of promoting free, fair, and equitable elections.

§ 06-01-02. Elections. The Student Senate shall hold two elections during each academic year, being the Fall Student Senate Election and the Spring Student Senate Election, during which the Student Body selects certain members and officers of the Student Senate.

§ 06-01-03. Responsibility of Candidates. All candidates in Student Senate Elections agree to follow this Elections Code and accept the consequences of potentially violating any part of this Elections Code.

§ 06-01-04. Campaigning. As used under this Title, “campaigning” refers to any activity that promotes or discourages the election of one or more candidates in a Student Senate Election, or that promotes or discourages the passage of one or more ballot referendums in a Student Senate Election.

a) Activities Excluded. Campaigning shall not include private meetings of a Student Coalition to develop platforms or handle internal affairs, or the gathering of signatures for ballot referendums.

b) Campaign Materials. As an extension of campaigning, “campaign materials” refers to any physical object or digital property with the primary purpose of campaigning, such as buttons, T-shirts, flyers, food, websites, social media accounts, and posts made through social media accounts.

Article 02. Schedule.

§ 06-02-01. In General. All Fall Student Senate Elections and Spring Student Senate Elections must follow uniform schedules.

§ 06-02-02. Official Schedules. The Elections Commission must prepare an official schedule prior to each Student Senate Election. This official schedule must provide concrete dates for matters in the Student Senate Election by applying the provisions of this Article to the academic year and semester in which the Student Senate Election is held.

a) Public Display. The Elections Commission must display the official schedule for an upcoming or current Student Senate Election in prominent locations on the Student Senate online workspace and online platforms.

§ 06-02-03. Fall Student Senate Elections. Fall Student Senate Elections shall begin with the registration of candidates and end with the announcement of the official election results by the Elections Commission.

a) Candidate Registration. Candidates must file their Declarations of Candidacy between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the first full week of September, and 5:00 PM on the Friday of the second full week of September.

b) Campaigning. Candidates must only campaign between the time they submit their Declarations of Candidacy, and 4:00 PM on the Wednesday of the first full week of October.

c) Voting. Voting shall run between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the first full week of October, and 4:00 PM on the Wednesday of the first full week of October.

d) Disputes. Reports of violations of the Elections Code must be submitted between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the first full week of September, and 4:00 PM on the Wednesday of the first full week of October.

e) Runoff Elections. Voting in runoff elections shall run between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the second full week of October, and 4:00 PM on the Wednesday of the second full week of October.

§ 06-02-04. Spring Student Senate Elections. Spring Student Senate Elections shall begin with the registration of candidates and end with the announcement of the official election results by the Elections Commission.

a) Ballot Referendums. Students must file all ballot referendums between 9:00 AM on the start of classes in the spring semester, and 5:00 PM on the Friday of the second full week of February.

b) Candidate Registration. Candidates must file their Declarations of Candidacy between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the third full week of February, and 5:00 PM on the Friday of the week before Spring Break, as set by the University.

c) Campaigning. Candidates must only campaign between the time they submit their Declarations of Candidacy, and 4:00 PM on the Thursday of the first full week of April.

d) Coalition Registration. Student Coalitions must register between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the third full week of February, and 5:00 PM on the Monday before the first full week of April.

e) Voting. Voting shall run between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the first full week of April to 4:00 PM on the Thursday of the first full week of April.

f) Disputes. Reports of violations of the Elections Code must be submitted between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the third full week of February, and 4:00 PM on the Thursday of the first full week of April.

g) Runoff Elections. Voting in runoff elections shall run between 9:00 AM on the Monday of the third full week of April, and 4:00 PM on the Wednesday of the third full week of April.

§ 06-02-05. Schedule Changes. In response to emergencies or unforeseeable circumstances, the Chair of the Elections Commission may, with the consent of the Student Body President, make changes to the schedule of a Student Senate Election to ensure that registration, campaigning, and voting remain orderly.

Article 03. Candidates.

§ 06-03-01. Eligibility. All candidates in a Student Senate Election must be students enrolled in at least 6 credit hours of courses on the Lawrence Campus or Edwards Campus of the University; provided, however, that the candidacy of graduate students shall not be limited by credit hours.

a) Student Senators. A candidate for Student Senator must be a member of the constituency they are seeking to represent throughout the Student Senate Election.

§ 06-03-02. Declaration of Candidacy. All candidates who appear on the ballot in a Student Senate Election must register with the Elections Commission by submitting a Declaration of Candidacy. The Declaration of Candidacy must include contact information for the candidate, the office they are running for, and an agreement to comply with the provisions of the Elections Code. The Declaration of Candidacy must also include, for candidates for Student Senator, the constituency they are seeking to represent.

§ 06-03-03. Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates. Candidates for Student Body President and Student Body Vice President must partner to run in a Student Senate Election (together, a Presidential Ticket).

Article 04. Student Coalitions.

§ 06-04-01. In General. Members of the Student Senate and candidates in a Student Senate Election may form Student Coalitions for their mutual benefit. On the ballot of a Student Senate Elections, candidates must be listed with an indication of their Student Coalition.

a) Not Applicable to Fall Student Senate Elections. Candidates in a Fall Student Senate Election may not form or join Student Coalitions.

§ 06-04-02. Affiliation. A candidate in a Spring Student Senate Election may be affiliated with only one Student Coalition, or no Student Coalitions.

§ 06-04-03. Registration and Roster. A Student Coalition seeking to be recognized on the ballot of a Spring Student Senate Election must communicate its identifying information and a roster of all candidates affiliated with it to the Chair of the Elections Commission.

a) Deadline for Registration. The deadline for a Student Coalition to register and submit its roster to the Elections Commission must follow the schedule provided under this Title.

b) Obscene Names Prohibited. No Student Coalition may be recognized by the Elections Commission that has an obscene or illegal name, or a name that expresses hostility to marginalized students.

§ 06-04-04. Changing Coalitions. If a candidate has already affiliated themself with a Student Coalition, they may change their Student Coalition at any time before the deadline for registration of Student Coalitions by communicating this change to the Chair of the Elections Commission.

§ 06-04-05. Withdrawal. A candidate may withdraw from their Student Coalition at any time before the deadline for registration of Student Coalitions. If the Student Coalition has already listed the candidate as an affiliate when submitting its roster to the Elections Commission, the candidate must withdraw by communicating their withdrawal to the Chair of the Elections Commission.

Article 05. Voting.

§ 06-05-01. Eligibility. All students enrolled in courses on the Lawrence Campus or Edwards Campus of the University may vote in Student Senate Elections.

§ 06-05-02. Manner of Voting. Voting in a Student Senate Election must be conducted through an online platform. This online platform must be the Student Engagement Center’s KU Engage website, unless the Elections Commission determines that this website is defective.

§ 06-05-03. Ballot. The Elections Commission must create the ballot for each Student Senate Election, including all declared candidates with indications of their Student Coalition, if any, and all Ballot Referendums.

a) Instructions. The ballot must include instructions explaining how students will select their constituency and cast their votes.

b) Interference Disclaimer. The final part of the ballot before students are shown candidates must include the following disclaimer: “This is the final point where candidates may speak to you during the voting process. To keep your vote private, please do not interact with any candidates until you have finished voting.”

c) Ordering of Candidates. Candidates must be listed on the ballot in random order.

d) Presidential Tickets. Candidates in a Presidential Ticket must be listed together on the ballot, with all votes for that Presidential Ticket counting for both the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidate.

e) Ballot Referendums. The parts of the ballot for ballot referendums, if any, must be listed after the parts for all candidates.

§ 06-05-04. Constituencies. For positions in the Student Senate that represent certain constituencies of students, a student must be a member of that constituency to cast a vote for a candidate for that position. Students may vote in all constituencies of which they are a member, including all academic divisions of the University that they are enrolled in.

a) Academic Student Senators. A student who is a member of multiple constituencies which may elect Academic Student Senators may cast votes in only one of those constituencies.

b) Assumption of Validity. For constituencies that cannot be verified by University records, the Elections Commission must assume that the constituencies selected by a student are valid, unless it acquires evidence to the contrary.

§ 06-05-05. Setting Aside Votes. A vote cast in a Student Senate Election may be set aside and not counted if the Elections Commission determines that the student who cast the vote was not eligible to vote, or that the student who cast the vote was not a member of the constituency for candidates to which the vote was cast.

§ 06-05-06. Election Mechanics. All positions in the Student Senate shall be elected by a single-choice plurality vote.

a) Student Senators. A student may, for each constituency of Student Senators, vote for a number of candidates equal to the number of seats available for that constituency. The candidates in each constituency who receive the most votes shall be elected.

b) Presidential Tickets. A student may vote for one Presidential Ticket. The candidates in a Presidential Ticket who receive the most votes shall be elected.

c) Write-In Votes. A student may, for each constituency of Student Senators and for Presidential Tickets, cast votes for students not listed on the ballot by writing in the students’ names. However, a student may not cast a write-in vote for a candidate already listed on the ballot for that constituency.

i) Excluding Extra Votes. In the event that a student casts a combination of votes for candidates listed on the ballot and write-in votes for candidates not listed on the ballot exceeding the number of votes they are allowed to cast for that constituency, their votes shall be accordingly counted first for the candidates listed on the ballot, and then for valid write-in votes in the order the student has written them, excluding latter write-in votes above the number of allowed votes.

ii) Non-Consenting Students. Write-in votes for students who communicate to the Elections Commission that they do not wish to be involved in a Student Senate Election shall be set aside.

iii) Ineligible Students. Write-in votes for students who are not eligible to be candidates in a Student Senate Election shall be set aside.

iv) Unusable Write-In Votes. Write-in votes for which the Elections Commission cannot determine which students received the votes shall be set aside.

§ 06-05-07. Access to Voting Data. Before the public release of results from a Student Senate Election, only the Elections Commission and University staff authorized by the Elections Commission may access voting data.

§ 06-05-08. Verification of Election Security. After the close of voting in a Student Senate Election, the Elections Commission must determine that no technical errors affected voting, no ineligible votes were cast, and that the election was not otherwise subject to manipulation or defects.

§ 06-05-09. Runoff Elections. In the event that a constituency of Student Senators cannot have all seats elected due a tied vote in a Student Senate Election, the Elections Commission must schedule a runoff election for those candidates who received a tied number of votes, to determine which candidates shall be elected. Any runoff elections must be held in accordance with the schedules provided under this Title.

§ 06-05-10. Unofficial and Official Results. The Elections Commission must, after the close of voting, publish the results from a Student Senate Election to the candidates and the Student Body.

a) Parts. Results from a Student Senate Election must include, for the Presidential Tickets and each classification of Student Senator, the candidates elected and the total votes received by each candidate.

b) Unofficial Results. The Elections Commission must immediately publish a set of unofficial results, which shall further include any candidates proceeding to a runoff election and any candidates with pending complaints of Elections Code violations which may disqualify them.

c) Official Results. Following the close of runoff elections and the Elections Commission disposing of all complaints of Elections Code violations, the Elections Commission must publish a set of official results. The official results shall be considered final unless altered by further judicial proceedings.

Article 06. Campaign Resources.

§ 06-06-01. In General. The Student Senate shall provide general supplies to all candidates, and a certain amount of funding for campaign materials to the candidates in each Presidential Ticket.

§ 06-06-02. Campaign Supplies. The Elections Commission must maintain a store of common supplies used for campaigning near the office space of the Student Senate. These campaign supplies must be made available to all candidates.

a) Specific Items. Supplies provided by the Elections Commission must include, but not be limited to, sidewalk chalk, poster boards, markers, copy paper and cardstock, and button- making supplies and equipment.

b) Restocking. The Chair of the Elections Commission must ensure that the campaign resource closet remains well-stocked with campaign supplies through cooperation with the Funding Coordinators designated under the Budget Code.

§ 06-06-03. Funding for Presidential Tickets. The Student Senate shall provide each Presidential Ticket with $500 together for purchases of campaign materials.

§ 06-06-04. Submitting Purchases. Candidates seeking to use the campaign funding provided under this Article must submit items available for sale to the Chair of the Elections Commission. The Chair of the Elections Commission must then, through cooperation with the Funding Coordinators designated under the Budget Code, provide the requested items to the candidates in a timely manner.

a) Monitoring. The Elections Commission must retain all receipts from purchases pursuant to this Article, and ensure that no candidates on a Presidential Ticket use more funding than the amount made available to them.

§ 06-06-05. Restrictions on Purchases. Campaign funding provided under this Article may not be used for the following purchases.

a) Food. Campaign funding may not be used for the purchase of food.

b) Alcohol. Campaign funding may not be used for alcoholic beverages.

c) No Genuine Purpose. Campaign funding may not be used for items which, in the opinion of the Elections Commission, have no genuine purpose for campaigning.

§ 06-06-06. Procedures. The Elections Commission may develop such procedures for the use of campaign resources provided by the Student Senate as are appropriate for the good order of Student Senate Elections.

Article 07. Regulations on Campaigning.

§ 06-07-01. Improper Times for Campaigning. No candidate may start campaigning before filing their Declaration of Candidacy with the Elections Commission, or campaign outside of the time provided for campaigning by the schedule for the Student Senate Election.

a) Write-In Candidates. A candidate for Student Senator who has not filed a Declaration of Candidacy may campaign after the deadline for submitting Declarations of Candidacy, according to the schedule for the Student Senate Election.

§ 06-07-02. Outside Funding. No candidate may use any monies for campaigning, including the candidate’s own funds and funds contributed by others, except those provided under the Elections Code.

a) Pain of Violation. A candidate who violates this Section shall be immediately disqualified.

§ 06-07-03. Outside Supplies. No candidate may use any supplies that would constitute campaign materials, except supplies provided under the Elections Code and supplies reasonably available to all candidates.

§ 06-07-04. Use of Non-University Property. No candidate may campaign from private property, or distribute campaign materials in private property, without permission from the property owner or a person authorized by the property owner to give this permission. Candidates may still campaign and distribute campaign materials on University campuses.

§ 06-07-05. Removal of Campaign Materials. No candidate may leave standing campaign materials, such as signs, on University campuses after the Sunday following the close of voting in a Student Senate Election.

a) Non-Removable Materials Excepted. This Section shall not cover standing campaign materials that the candidate cannot remove or is not permitted to remove.

§ 06-07-06. Digital Messaging Without Consent. No candidate may contact any student not involved in campaigning by digital messaging—including but not limited to emails, phone calls, and text-messaging—without the student’s consent.

§ 06-07-07. Interference in Voting. To ensure that students can vote in secret and without interference, no candidate may speak to, observe, or otherwise interact with a student who is completing a ballot; provided, however, that candidates may still demonstrate to students how to access the ballot.

a) Pain of Violation. A candidate who violates this Section shall be immediately disqualified.

§ 06-07-08. Chalking. A candidate may only use chalk for campaigning that is water-soluble, and may only apply chalk to outside walking surfaces on University campuses. No candidate may alter chalk applied by another candidate without their consent.

§ 06-07-09. Exchange of Campaign Materials for Votes. No candidate may provide campaign materials to a student in exchange for that student voting for the candidate, or any other candidate in their Student Coalition, through an express or implied agreement with that student.

§ 06-07-10. False Representation of Endorsements. No candidate may state or advertise the endorsement of any person or group for themself or another candidate, when that endorsement has not been made by the person or group, unless the candidate’s statement or advertisement represents an honest mistake by the candidate.

§ 06-07-11. First-Year Student Senators: No Member Support. No Student Senate member may campaign on behalf of any student running for First-Year Student Senator.

§ 06-07-12. Transfer of Campaign Funding. No candidates in a Presidential Ticket may transfer their campaign funding, directly or through in-kind contributions, to other candidates in a Presidential Ticket or candidates in another Student Coalition.

Article 08. Disputes.

§ 06-08-01. Filing of Complaint. Any student may submit a complaint to the Chair of the Elections Commission alleging that a candidate in a Student Senate Election has violated the provisions of the Elections Code. A single complaint may allege violations of multiple provisions and violations on multiple occasions.

§ 06-08-02. Judicial Proceedings. After receiving an Elections Code violation complaint, the Chair of the Elections Commission must start judicial proceedings on the complaint in a timely manner, as provided under the implementing Title of the Judicial Branch.

a) Production of Documents. The Elections Commission may, on a motion by a party or its own initiative, order that a party to a proceeding produce relevant documents within a reasonable scope to the Elections Commission and other parties, in a manner specified by the Elections Commission.

b) Standard of Proof. The allegations of a complaint shall be proven by a preponderance of the evidence.

c) Adverse Inferences. In the event that the Elections Commission has reason to believe that a candidate has not been fully truthful and forthcoming in answering a complaint made against them, the Elections Commission may draw reasonable adverse inferences in support of the allegations made in the complaint.

§ 06-08-03. Remedies. In the event that the Elections Commission determines, after holding a judicial proceeding on a complaint, that a candidate has violated any provision of the Elections Code, it must order remedies to correct the violation, up to and including disqualification of the candidate who committed the violation.

a) Mandatory Disqualification Threshold. Except as provided otherwise, the Elections Commission must disqualify a candidate who it has found to have committed violations of the regulations on campaigning provided under this Title on three separate occasions.

§ 06-08-04. Effects of Disqualification. In the event that a candidate in a Student Senate Election is disqualified, they may not, under any circumstance, be elected to or take office in the position they were running for.

a) Before Voting. In the event that a candidate is disqualified before a vote, they must no longer continue campaigning, they must not be listed on the ballot, and any write-in votes for them must not be counted.

b) During or After Voting. In the event that a candidate is disqualified during or after voting, any votes they receive or have received must be set aside, as if they received zero votes.

c) No Further Participation. A candidate who is disqualified from running in a Student Senate Election may not hold any membership in the Student Senate, or be an officer of the Student Senate, for the following two full academic years.

Article 09. Ballot Referendums.

§ 06-09-01. In General. Any student may, by a petition for a ballot referendum, place legislation on the ballot of a Spring Student Senate Election.

a) Not Applicable to Fall Student Senate Elections. A ballot referendum may not be placed on the ballot of a Fall Student Senate Election.

§ 06-09-02. Petitions. A petition for a ballot referendum must contain the exact wording of the legislation it proposes, along with a brief factual summary of the effect the legislation would have if enacted.

§ 06-09-03. Restrictions. No ballot referendum may propose legislation to deny or revoke funding provided by the Student Senate to any recognized student organization.

§ 06-09-04. Threshold of Signatures. A petition for a ballot referendum must receive signatures from at least 5% of all students enrolled in courses in the Lawrence Campus and Edwards Campus of the University, based on the University’s student census at the beginning of the fall semester of that academic year.

a) Signature Requirements. A signature on a petition for a ballot referendum must consist of the student’s name and University identification number. No student’s signature may be included on a petition for a ballot referendum without their consent.

b) Request for Figure. An author of a ballot referendum may request an exact number of signatures for this threshold from the Chair of the Elections Commission. In responding to such a request, the Chair of the Elections Commission must consult with the University’s registrar and other appropriate University offices.

§ 06-09-05. Filing. A petition for a ballot referendum, meeting the required number of signatures, must be filed with the Chair of the Elections Commission, who must in turn provide copies to the heads of the Legislative and Executive Branches.

a) Deadline. The deadline for the filing of a ballot referendum must follow the schedule provided under this Title.

b) Verification of Signatures. The Elections Commission must verify the signatures collected for the ballot referendum. The Elections Commission may set aside signatures that are invalid.

c) Validity of Legislation. The head of the Legislative Branch must verify that the legislation included with the ballot referendum is in good form and does not conflict with this Constitution or University policies affecting the Student Senate. The head of the Legislative Branch may contact the author of the ballot referendum to cure defects in the legislation.

§ 06-09-06. Enactment by the Legislative Branch. In the event that the Legislative Branch enacts the legislation included with a ballot referendum, prior to the start of voting on the ballot referendum and without amending or otherwise altering the legislation, the ballot referendum must be considered moot and may not be included in a Student Senate Election.

§ 06-09-07. Enactment. In the event that a ballot referendum receives, out of all votes cast supporting or opposing it, more than 50% of votes supporting it, with at least 10% of all eligible students voting on the ballot referendum, the legislation included with the ballot referendum shall be enacted by the Student Senate. If the ballot referendum does not receive enough votes supporting it or enough votes total, it must be considered lost.

a) Implementation. All officers of the Student Senate must cooperate in implementing legislation enacted through a ballot referendum.

b) No Vetoes. The Student Body President may not veto legislation enacted through a ballot referendum.

§ 06-09-08. Restriction on Alterations. No legislation, either proposed by a ballot referendum and then enacted by the Legislative Branch as provided under this Article, or enacted solely through a ballot referendum, may be altered or repealed through later action of the Legislative Branch for a period of 365 days after enactment.

TITLE SEVEN — THE ADVISORY BOARDS

Article 01. General Provisions.

§ 07-01-01. Structure. The Student Senate establishes the Advisory Boards as extensions of the Legislative Branch to fulfill specialized purposes as provided under this Title.

§ 07-01-02. Appointments by the Student Body President. The Student Body President shall make appointments to the Advisory Boards, when provided under their respective implementing Articles, as specified by this Section.

a) Chairs. In appointing the Chairs of the Advisory Boards, the Student Body President shall consult with the heads of the organizations for which each Advisory Board has been established to examine.

b) Other Members. The Student Body President shall conduct interest surveys with all members of the Student Senate in each fall semester, and make the remainder of their appointments according to which students have expressed interest in particular Advisory Boards and to the Student Body President’s opinion of which students would best contribute to the purpose of these Advisory Boards.

§ 07-01-03. Supervision. The Speaker of the Students’ Assembly shall be responsible for supervising the Advisory Boards to ensure they fulfill their purposes.

Article 02. Community Development Fund Board.

§ 07-02-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Community Development Fund Board to make allocations from the revenue of the Community Development Fund Fee.

§ 07-02-02. Meetings. The Community Development Fund Board must meet at least once per Legislative Cycle.

a) Scheduling. The Fund Development Director shall schedule the meetings of the Community Development Fund, and in doing so follow any direction the Community Development Fund Board may provide. For each semester, the Fund Development Director must complete the schedule of meetings prior to the start of that semester.

b) Venue. The Fund Development Director shall be further responsible for providing a venue, such as in the Kansas Union, for meetings held in person.

c) Usual Day. The Community Development Fund Board should meet on the Tuesday before meetings of the Student Councils in a regular Legislative Cycle, unless it determines that a different date would be preferrable.

§ 07-02-03. Membership. The members of the Community Development Fund Board shall be as follows:

• The Vice Chair of the Community Affairs Council, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• The Fund Development Director, as Vice Chair. Voting.
• The Community Affairs Director, as Secretary. Voting.
• One student elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• Two students elected by the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• Three students appointed by Director of the Student Engagement Center. Voting.

§ 07-02-04. Term. Members of the Community Development Fund Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-02-05. Appointment of a Secretary. In the event that the Secretary of the Community Development Fund Board is unable to take the minutes at a meeting of the same, the presiding officer may appoint another person to temporarily fulfill this duty.

§ 07-02-06. Eligibility. An organization seeking Community Development Funding must be recognized by the University and registered with the Student Engagement Center, and the organization or its events and projects must promote at least one of the interests provided under this Section.

a) Community. Community shall be the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include abilities or disabilities, age, citizenship, cognitive style, culture, economic status, education, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, geographic background, languages spoken, marital or partnered status, national origin, physical appearance, race, and religious perspective. The Community Development Fund Board may recognize additional aspects of community.

b) Intercultural Education. Intercultural education shall be any form of education or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, or perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds.

§ 07-02-07. Application Form. Applications for Community Development Funding shall be collected through a Student Senate online platform. The Chair of the Finance Council, together with the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall create the form for collecting these applications.

a) General Organization. Generally, the application form for Community Development Funding shall direct organizations to submit information about the project, event, or series of events for which it seeks Community Development Funding, as well as a related budget and a description of other fundraising activities.

b) Opening Date. Applications for Community Development Funding must be opened and made available in good time for the first Legislative Cycle of each academic year.

c) Closing Date. Applications for Community Development Funding must be closed after the last Legislative Cycle of each academic year.

§ 07-02-08. Applications. An organization seeking Community Development Funding shall submit an application for Community Development Funding for review by the Fund Development Director. The Fund Development Director shall receive applications for Community Development Funding for each Legislative Cycle.

a) Submission Deadline. Applications for Community Development Funding shall be due the Friday before each Legislative Cycle at 5:00 PM.

b) Extension of Submission Deadline. The Fund Development Director may extend the deadline to submit applications for Community Development Funding for some or all organizations, provided that this extension does not interfere with any other deadlines for Community Development Funding.

c) Relation to Event or Project. An application for Community Development Funding must be related to a project, event, or series of events hosted by the submitting organization.

d) Full Budget Required. An application for Community Development Funding must include the organization’s full budget for the project, event, or series of events.

e) Review by the Fund Development Director. The Fund Development Director shall be responsible for reviewing all applications for Community Development Funding and notifying the organization of potential conflicts with the provisions of this Article or potential issues with fulfilling the organization’s submitted budget.

f) Rejection. The Fund Development Director may reject an application for Community Development Funding that would be infeasible for them to fulfill based on its timing, if the allocation were made.

§ 07-02-09. Consideration of Applications. The Community Development Fund Board shall, in each Legislative Cycle, hear from organizations that have applied for Community Development Funding and then decide whether to grant or deny these applications.

a) Threshold. The threshold for granting an allocation of Community Development Funding shall be a majority vote.

§ 07-02-10. Prohibited Uses. Community Development Funding may not be used for any of the purposes provided under this Section.

a) Partisan Activities. Community Development Funding may not be used for activities that directly affect the electoral goals of one person or group relative to another, that relate to Student Senate Elections, or that relate to a Student Senate ballot referendum.

b) Alcohol. Community Development Funding may not be used to purchase alcoholic beverages.

c) Academic Projects. Community Development Funding may not be used for academic projects intended to be published in an academic journal or presented at an academic conference.

d) Career Advancement. Community Development Funding may not be used for career fairs, employment-related workshops, professional networking activities, or other events created for career advancement.

e) Honorariums for University Faculty. Community Development Funding may not be used to provide honorariums to University faculty.

f) Commercial Promotions. Community Development Funding may not be used to advertise or promote a product, or a profit-seeking person or organization.

g) Recruiting Students. Community Development Funding may not be used to recruit students for post-graduation employment. Community Development Funding shall not be allocated to any organization whose primary purpose is recruiting individuals to enrollment in the University or to post-graduation employment.

h) Maintaining Affiliations. Community Development Funding may not be used to maintain an affiliation with another organization, unless this affiliation is vital to the continued functioning of the organization which received an allocation of Community Development Funding.

i) Granting Scholarships. Community Development Funding may not be used to grant scholarships to students.

j) Fundraising for Other Groups. Community Development Funding may not be used as direct or indirect contributions to another organization.

k) Duplication of Services. Community Development Funding may not be used for projects, services, or materials that, by practical effect, duplicate functions of the Required Student Fees.

§ 07-02-11. Funding for Food. An organization seeking Community Development Funding for purchases of food must reasonably justify that this food follows a cultural tradition or is related to an event’s purpose of promoting diversity or intercultural education.

a) No Culinary Tradition: Limit per Semester. An organization that represents students who do not share a cultural culinary tradition may receive no more than $500 per semester in Community Development Funding for the purchase of food.

§ 07-02-12. Required Policies for Funded Organizations. All groups to which Community Development Funding is allocated must comply with the policies provided under this Section.

a) Announced and Open to the Public. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must abide by state laws mandating open meetings. All events for which Community Development Funding is allocated shall be announced and open to the public.

b) Open to All Students. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must make all of their events open de facto to all University students.

c) Student Senate Logo on Promotional Materials. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must display the Student Senate logo on their promotional materials, including physical and digital materials. If display of the logo is impossible, the same promotional materials must include “Funding contributed by the University of Kansas Student Senate.”

d) No Academic Standards. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated may not require students to meet academic standards as a requirement for participation in their events.

e) No Academic Credit for Participation. Community Development Funding shall not be allocated to organizations whose primary purpose is for members to give or receive academic credit.

f) Students as Officers. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated shall be led and managed by students.

g) Student Membership on Financial Governing Bodies. Community Development Funding shall only be allocated to organizations in which students constitute a proportional or greater share of the voting seats on the financial governing body of that organization, relative to the share of its total budget provided by the Student Senate.

h) Non-Discrimination. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must comply with the University’s non-discrimination policies.

§ 07-02-13. Reimbursement. Allocations of Community Development Funding may be fulfilled through purchase reimbursements. Reimbursements must be approved by the Fund Development Director before any purchase is made.

a) Documentation. The organization requesting reimbursement must submit an itemized receipt of the items purchased to the Fund Development Director within five days of the purchase.

b) Venues Prohibited. Reimbursements may not be made for venue costs.

c) Notice of Time Commitment. Organizations shall be advised that reimbursements may take multiple months to be disbursed, and that organizations seeking reimbursements are responsible for managing this financial burden.

d) Pain of Violation. Violation of the provisions provided under this Section shall automatically render the reimbursement void.

§ 07-02-14. Oversight. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated, and organizations seeking Community Development Funding, must comply with all provisions of this Section.

a) Open Books and Records. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must make their books and records open for inspection by the Fund Development Director or their designee at any time during normal business hours.

b) Request for Annual Report. Organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must, upon request by the Fund Development Director, submit an annual report to the Community Development Fund Board detailing their revenues and expenses for the previous fiscal year.

c) Documentation of Other Fundraising Efforts. Organizations seeking Community Development Funding must provide documentation of other fundraising efforts they have undertaken.

d) Request for Copy of Publication. Organizations seeking Community Development Funding for an advertisement in any medium or any other form of publication must, upon request by the Fund Development Director, submit a copy of the publication. If the publication is not written in English, the organization must provide an English translation.

e) Request for Admission to Events. For the purpose of verifying compliance with the provisions of this Article, organizations to which Community Development Funding is allocated must, upon request by the Fund Development Director, provide two admission passes to the Fund Development Director for events they host which charge for admission.

§ 07-02-15. Fulfillment. The Fund Development Director, together with the Funding Coordinators designated under this Budget Code, shall take care to fulfill all allocations of Community Development Funding.

a) Required Materials. The Fund Development Director may, to fulfill an organization’s submitted budget, require the submission of invoices, taxpayer information, financial forms, and other materials necessary to complete the transactions or required by the University.

§ 07-02-16. Duration of Allocations. An allocation of Community Development Funding shall be effective from the date when the application for Community Development Funding is granted, to the end of the project, event, or series of events which is supported by the allocation. After this time, plus ten days, the outstanding portions of the allocation shall be considered expired and be returned to the Student Senate.

a) Extension by the Fund Development Director. The Fund Development Director may, in their discretion, extend the duration of an allocation of Community Development Funding.

b) Duration Limit. All allocations of Community Development Funding must expire at the end of the University fiscal year in which they were made.

§ 07-02-17. Reduction of Allocations. The Community Development Fund Board may reduce an allocation of Community Development Funding by a two-thirds vote.

a) Consent of the Fund Development Director. The Community Development Fund Board may not reduce an allocation of Community Development Funding without the written consent of the Fund Development Director.

b) Funding Already Used. The Community Development Fund Board may not reduce an allocation that would cause the organization to incur a deficit with regard to its Community Development Funding.

§ 07-02-18. Suspension of Regulations. An organization seeking Community Development Funding may receive an exemption to any provision of this Article by a two-thirds vote of the Community Development Fund Board.

§ 07-02-19. Compliance. The Community Development Fund Board may sanction organizations to which Community Development Funding has been allocated, and organizations seeking Community Development Funding, who are not in compliance with the relevant provisions of this Article, by a two-thirds vote. These sanctions may affect the organization’s eligibility for Community Development Funding.

§ 07-02-20. Non-Affiliation. The allocation of Community Development Funding to any organization shall not be construed to imply that the Student Senate agrees with the beliefs or actions of that organization, unless otherwise specified by the Student Senate.

§ 07-02-21. Legal Liability. The Student Senate recognizes that the University may overturn its decisions relating to Community Development Funding if those decisions would create genuine legal liability for the University.

Article 03. Educational Opportunity Fund Board.

§ 07-03-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Educational Opportunity Fund Board to provide allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding from the Educational Opportunity Fee.

§ 07-03-02. Responsibility. The Fund Development Director shall be responsible for administering Educational Opportunity Funding, ensuring that the Educational Opportunity Fund Board fulfills its purpose in a timely manner, and handling all communication on behalf of and within the Educational Opportunity Fund Board.

§ 07-03-03. Membership. The members of the Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall be as follows:

• The Fund Development Director, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• The Treasurer, as Vice Chair and Secretary. Non-voting.
• The Student Body President. Voting.
• The Graduate Student Body President. Voting.
• The Chair of the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• The Vice Chair of the Finance Council. Voting.
• Four students appointed by the Student Body President, of which one must be a graduate student. Voting.
• One student elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• The Vice Provost for Student Affairs, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Director of the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, or their designee. Non- voting.
• The Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-03-04. Terms. Members of the Educational Opportunity Fund Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-03-05. Appointment of a Secretary. In the event that the Secretary of the Educational Opportunity Fund Board is unable to take the minutes at a meeting of the same, the presiding officer may appoint another person to temporarily fulfill this duty.

§ 07-03-06. Application Form. Applications for Educational Opportunity Funding shall be collected through a Student Senate online platform. The Chair of the Finance Council, together with the Treasurer and Fund Development Director, shall create the form for collecting these applications.

a) General Organization. Generally, the application form for Educational Opportunity Funding shall direct organizations to complete separate requests for each program for which the organization seeks Educational Opportunity Funding.

b) Opening Date. Applications for Educational Opportunity Funding must be opened and made available by December 1 of each academic year.

c) Closing Date. Applications for Educational Opportunity Funding must be closed according to the Budget Code schedule set by the Chair of the Finance Council.

§ 07-03-07. Hearings and Deliberations. During the spring semester of each academic year, the Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall hold hearings with each organization that has applied for Educational Opportunity Funding. After these hearings, the Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall meet to deliberate on allocations for the next University fiscal year.

a) Allocations. The Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall agree to a complete set of allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding by a two-thirds vote.

§ 07-03-08. Eligibility. Allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding must be administered by a University department, unit, or affiliated organization to support students enrolled in courses on the Lawrence Campus or Edwards Campus.

§ 07-03-09. Allocation Criteria. Allocations of Educational Opportunity funding must meet at least one of the criteria provided under this Section.

a) Scholarships. The allocation may provide academic scholarships or fellowships to graduate or undergraduate students.

b) Grants. The allocation may provide need-based grants, including assistance for special expenses like childcare or assistance for students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education.

c) Public Service Salaries and Scholarships. The allocation may provide salaries, grants, or scholarships for students participating in public service programs or community service programs.

d) Student Service Salaries. The allocation may provide salaries for students employed in programs that support students, such as tutoring, daycare, and peer counseling.

§ 07-03-10. Considerations. In making allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding, the Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall consider the factors provided under this Section.

a) Past Use of Allocated Funds. The Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall consider organizations’ use of past allocations, including their expenditures and any unused portions of these allocations.

b) Overall Merit. The Educational Opportunity Fund Board shall consider the needs of the Student Body met by the organizations’ programs, the impact these programs have on the University community, and the efficiency of these programs.

§ 07-03-11. Prohibited Uses. Allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding may not be used for any of the purposes provided under this Section.

a) Replacement of Existing Support. Educational Opportunity Funding may not be used to replace existing support from the University for financial aid or student services, or to fund existing services and programs for students at a current level of support.

§ 07-03-12. Fulfillment. Allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding shall be disbursed directly to the organizations which have received these allocations. These allocations may be used at the organizations’ discretion, provided that this use does not contradict information submitted to the Student Senate.

§ 07-03-13. Duration of Allocations. Allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding shall be effective for the University fiscal year for which they are allocated. After this time, the outstanding portions of all allocations shall be considered expired and be returned to the Student Senate.

a) No Alterations. The allocations of Educational Opportunity Funding for a fiscal year, once effective, may not be altered in any manner by the Student Senate.

§ 07-03-14. Non-Affiliation. The allocation of Educational Opportunity Funding to any organization shall not be construed to imply that the Student Senate agrees with the beliefs or actions of that organization, unless otherwise specified by the Student Senate.

§ 07-03-15. Legal Liability. The Student Senate recognizes that the University may overturn its decisions relating to Educational Opportunity Funding if those decisions would create genuine legal liability for the University.

Article 04. Watkins Health Services Advisory Board.

§ 07-04-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Watkins Health Services Advisory Board to examine the operations of Watkins Health Services and analyze the impacts of these operations on the Student Health Fee.

§ 07-04-02. Membership. The members of the Watkins Health Services Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Ten students appointed by the Student Body President, of which two students must be graduate students, four students must be undergraduate students, and one student must be transgender. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Voting.
• The Community Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The Administrative Director of Watkins Health Services, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Medical Director of Watkins Health Services, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-04-03. Terms. Members of the Watkins Health Services Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-04-04. Charges. The Watkins Health Services Advisory Board shall be charged with the following matters:

• Monitor student health insurance plans and provide input into the creation and maintenance of these plans.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by Watkins Health Services and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the Student Health Fee by Watkins Health Services.

Article 05. Mental Health Advisory Board.

§ 07-05-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Mental Health Advisory Board to examine the operations of Counseling & Psychological Services and analyze the impacts of these operations on the Student Health Fee.

§ 07-05-02. Membership. The members of the Mental Health Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Six students appointed by the Student Body President, of which two students must be graduate students and four students must be undergraduate students. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Voting.
• The Community Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The Director of Counseling & Psychological Services, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-05-03. Terms. Members of the Mental Health Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-05-04. Charges. The Mental Health Advisory Board shall be charged with the following matters:

• Monitor the accessibility of appointments for students and the barriers to accessibility.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by Counseling & Psychological Services and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the Student Health Fee by Counseling & Psychological Services.

Article 06. Recreation Services Advisory Board.

§ 07-06-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Recreation Services Advisory Board to examine the operations of KU Recreation Services and analyze the impacts of these operations on the Student Recreation Fee.

§ 07-06-02. Membership. The members of the Recreation Services Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Five students appointed by the Student Body President, of which one must be a graduate student. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Community Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The Director of KU Recreation Services, or their designee. Voting.

§ 07-06-03. Terms. Members of the Recreation Services Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-06-04. Charges. The Recreation Services Advisory Board shall be charged with the following matters:

• Assess whether the spaces available for recreation programs are sufficient, and assess any expansions to these spaces.
• Monitor the accessibility of recreation areas to the Student Body in general and student organizations in particular.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by KU Recreation Services and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the Student Recreation Fee by KU Recreation Services.

Article 07. Legal Services for Students Advisory Board.

§ 07-07-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Legal Services for Students Advisory Board to examine the operations of Legal Services for Students and analyze the impacts of these operations on the Legal Services for Students Fee.

§ 07-07-02. Membership. The members of the Legal Services for Students Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Five students appointed by the Student Body President, of which one must be a student in the School of Law, one must be a graduate student, and one must be a Student Senator. Voting.
• One student elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Community Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The Director of Legal Services for Students, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-07-03. Terms. Members of the Legal Services for Students Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-07-04. Charges. The Legal Services for Students Advisory Board shall be charged with the following matters:

• Oversee the operation and implementation of Legal Services for Students programs in all policy matters.
• Participate in the selection of new staff for Legal Services for Students, through the Chair or their designee.
• Ensure that Legal Services for Students has at least one attorney to specialize in litigation on behalf of students when such cases may arise.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by Legal Services for Students and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the Legal Services for Students Fee by Legal Services for Students.

Article 08. Student Engagement Center Advisory Board.

§ 07-08-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Student Engagement Center Advisory Board to examine the operations of the Student Engagement Center and analyze the impacts of these operations on the Student Engagement Fee.

§ 07-08-02. Membership. The members of the Student Engagement Center Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Five students appointed by the Student Body President, of which one must be a graduate student. Voting.
• One student elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• Two student elected by the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Community Affairs Director. Non-voting.
• The Director of the Student Engagement Center, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-08-03. Terms. Members of the Student Engagement Center Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-08-04. Charges. The Student Engagement Center Advisory Board shall have the following charges:

• Monitor the needs of the Student Body relating to student involvement and engagement, and assess whether the Student Engagement Center meets these needs.
• Monitor the needs of student organizations relating to University support and training, and assess whether the Student Engagement Center meets these needs.
• Assess the services provided by the Student Engagement Center to historically underrepresented students and marginalized students.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by the Student Engagement Center and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the Student Engagement Fee by the Student Engagement Center.

Article 09. Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Advisory Board.

§ 07-09-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center Advisory Board (SAPEC Advisory Board) to examine the operations of the SAPEC and analyze the impacts of these operations on the SAPEC Fee.

§ 07-09-02. Membership. The members of the SAPEC Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Two students appointed by the Student Body President. Voting.
• One student elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Community Affairs Council.
• One student elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• Three students appointed by the Director of the SAPEC. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Director of the SAPEC, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-09-03. Terms. Members of the SAPEC Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-09-04. Charges. The SAPEC Advisory Board shall have the following charges:

• Monitor the prevalence of sexual assault and other sex-based violence at the University.
• Assess the Student Body’s need for prevention and education programs targeting sexual assault and other sex-based violence.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by the SAPEC and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the SAPEC Fee by the SAPEC.

Article 10. Sustainability Advisory Board.

§ 07-10-01. Purpose. The Student Senate establishes the Sustainability Advisory Board to examine the operations of KU Operations relating to recycling, composting, and sustainability efforts and analyze the impacts of these operations on the Campus Environmental Improvement Fee.

§ 07-10-02. Membership. The members of the Sustainability Advisory Board shall be as follows:

• One student appointed by the Student Body President, as Chair. Non-voting except to break ties.
• Two students appointed by the Student Body President. Voting.
• One student elected by the Finance Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Community Affairs Council. Voting.
• One student elected by the Student Rights & Affairs Council. Voting.
• One student appointed by Vice Chancellor of Operations. Voting.
• The Student Body President, or their designee. Non-voting.
• The Treasurer. Non-voting.
• The Vice Chancellor for Operations, or their designee. Non-voting.

§ 07-10-03. Terms. Members of the Sustainability Advisory Board, except those serving by virtue of another position in the Student Senate or at the University, shall serve from when they are elected or appointed to the end of the same academic year.

§ 07-10-04. Charges. The Sustainability Advisory Board shall have the following charges:

• Identify areas in which policies can be developed to improve the campus environment.
• Maintain communication with the City of Lawrence regarding the Student Body’s and the University’s interest in city environmental policy.
• Analyze the accomplishments made by KU Operations relating to recycling, composting, and sustainability efforts, and the impacts of its programs.
• Analyze the demands placed on the Campus Environmental Improvement Fee by KU Operations.
• Respond to additional charges assigned by the Student Body President.

Article 11. Ad Hoc Advisory Boards.

§ 07-11-01. Purpose. The Student Senate may from time to time assemble ad hoc Advisory Boards to examine entities supported by the Required Student Fees, provide feedback on their programs, and prepare recommendations for reviews of the Required Student Fees.

§ 07-11-02. Assembly. The Student Body President and the Speaker of the Students’ Assembly may, by agreement, assemble ad hoc Advisory Boards with such memberships, procedures, and charges as they may provide, provided that all members be selected from the Student Senate and that each ad hoc Advisory Board have at least three members.

§ 07-11-03. Gathering of Information. An ad hoc Advisory Board shall gather information needed to evaluate the use of the Required Student Fees through cooperation with the heads of the entities it was assembled to examine.

APPENDIX — CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS

[Transcribed using optical character recognition (OCR) software.]

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING USE OF BURGE UNION STUDENT REQUIRED CAMPUS FEE

THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (“MOU”) is made this Fourth day of November, 2015, (the “Effective Date”) by and between the University of Kansas Memorial Corporation, d.b.a. KU Memorial Unions (the “Union”) and the University of Kansas Student Senate (the “Senate”) (collectively, the “Parties”).

RECITALS

Whereas, the Union is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in 1921 to provide certain auxiliary services on the University of Kansas (“University”) Lawrence campus; and

Whereas, the University owns the University of Kansas Union building located at 1301 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence Kansas, and the University of Kansas Burge Union building located at 1601 Irving Hill Road, Lawrence, Kansas, and the University has charged the Union with administering such properties in furtherance of the missions of University and the Union; and

Whereas, the University has initiated the Central District Development Project, a development and construction project that includes construction of new student union space, to replace the current Burge Union; and

Whereas, the Senate and the Union shall make a joint recommendation to the “Building Names Committee” as to what the new Burge Union should be officially named; and

Whereas, the Union requested an increase of the current “Student Union Renovation Fee”, which totals $13.80 (thirteen dollars and eighty cents), to a new total of $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) to be re-designated for FY 2017 and 2018 to be used for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) for the Burge Union and extended from FY 2019 through FY 2048 to fund the construction lease of the Burge Union; and

Whereas, this $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) fee shall be renamed the “Burge Union Fee”; and

Whereas, the Student Senate Fee Review Committee approved the “Burge Union Fee” at a total of $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) on September 28, 2015; and

Whereas, the Student Senate Finance Committee approved the “Burge Union Fee” at a total of $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) on October 21, 2015; and

Whereas, the Student Senate full legislative body approved the “Burge Union Fee” at a total of $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) on October 28, 2015; and

Whereas, the Parties wish to enter into this MOU to memorialize the source and purpose of the Union Fee reallocation.

Now, therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the Parties agree as follows:

AGREEMENT

1. The Parties enter into this MOU to memorialize their understanding that the current “Student Union Renovation Fee”, which totals $13.80 (thirteen dollars and eighty cents), will be renamed the “Burge Union Fee” and will be increased to a new total of $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) to be re-designated for FY 2017 and 2018 to be used for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) for the new Burge Union and extended from FY 2019 through FY 2048 to fund the construction lease of the Burge Union. 
2. The “Burge Union Fee” shall not be extended beyond FY 2048 and shall not be increased to an amount more than $18.70 at any time between FY 2017 through FY 2048. At the end of FY 2048, the “Burge Union Fee” shall terminate.
3. Allocation of the “Burge Union Fee" by the Senate is contingent upon the Union establishing an agreement with the University for the construction of the Burge Union at a lease total of no more than $1,195,200 (one-million, one-hundred ninety-five thousand, two-hundred dollars) per fiscal year and upon the University completing construction of an Integrated Science Building (ISB) and Burge Union in fall 2018. In the event that the Union fails to enter into an agreement with the University to construct the Burge Union or if the University fails to construct the planned ISB and Burge Union, the “Burge Union Fee” shall immediately terminate and all revenue from the fee from FY 2017 to the point of termination shall be re-allocated by the Student Senate Fee Review Committee.
4. The “Burge Union Fee” of $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) and revenue from the Burge Union operations are to be used in FY 2019 through FY 2048 to finance the lease of $1,195,200 (one-million, one-hundred ninety-five thousand, two-hundred dollars) per annual fiscal year for the construction of the Burge Union, The University shall cover all costs related to utilities, custodial and maintenance (O&M); and facility lifecycle costs (replacement of building infrastructure and envelope). The Union will provide an annual financial accounting to the Fee Review Committee as to how the lease obligations to the university were met. The Fee Review Committee reserves the right to: (1) ensure the Union makes an equitable contribution annually to the lease payment, and (2) to save any fee revenue in excess of the annual lease cost to end the fee early if the excess revenue that has been saved will cover the remainder of the lease obligation, or to use in years the Burge Union Fee revenue and Union revenue do not meet the year’s lease obligation.
5. The “Burge Union Fee” shall not be extended beyond Fiscal Year 2048 and shall not be increased to an amount more than $18.70 (eighteen dollars and seventy cents) at any time from Fiscal Year 2017 through Fiscal Year 2048, The “Student Union Building Operations Fee” shall not be increased, nor shall any additional student fees be instituted, to raise additional revenue to meet the Burge Union lease obligation. The Senate's sole contribution for the Burge Union during the Fiscal Year 2017 through Fiscal Year 2048 period shall be the $18.70 (eighteen dollar and seventy cents) “Burge Union Fee”.
6. The Union's program goals to be pursued in the Project are: the establishment of retail services sufficient for the community, the creation of lounges conducive to student activities and events, the development of meeting and event space of an open, flexible nature capable of accommodating groups of up to 1200 (to include the Union's largest career and exhibit fairs and commencement gatherings with associated breakout rooms), access to ISB classroom space when not in use suitable for student group meetings, establishment of Legal Services for Students offices on the second-level mezzanine, a “reflection room” space for students on the second-level mezzanine, a KU Info help-desk to compliment the KU Info help-desk and offices in the Kansas Union, housing of the Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity on the first level below the second-level mezzanine, housing of the Campus Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center on the first level below the second- level mezzanine, and the building of an appropriate production kitchen and service system to serve events in the space. Green commons space east of union and plaza space north of Union will be designated for student event use. The Program should allow for expansion as the site becomes the campus center in the decades ahead.
7. Consistent with the missions of the Senate and the Union, the Burge Union will retain the purpose and will be used for student directed and focused activities, services, and events. A redirection, by the University, of the Burge Union's role or removal of the Burge Union from the oversight of the Senate and/or the Union would be a basis for the Senate and the Union to terminate Burge Union funding. All major decisions affecting the role, function and purpose of the Burge Union are reviewable at the request of the Fee Review Committee and the Student Senate legislative body.
8. Legal Services for Students retains the right to remain, rent free, in the Burge Union for perpetuity. The Union may not diminish the size of the Legal Services for Students offices and the Union must ensure the Legal Services for Students offices are maintained at a comparable level with the rest of the Burge Union facility. In the event that the Legal Services for Students Director options to relocate the offices elsewhere, the Senate shall retain the right to determine what the space shall be used for.
9. The Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity retains the right to remain, rent free, in the Burge Union for the term of the lease. The University shall be responsible for funding all personnel and operating expenses of the Women’s Center, including furniture, fixtures, and equipment associated with the Center. The Senate and the Union shall not be liable for any expenses of the Women’s Center. In the event the Women’s Center Director options to relocate the center elsewhere, the Senate shall retain the right to determine what the space shall be used for.
10. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center retains the right to remain, rent free, in the Burge Union for the term of the lease. The University shall be responsible for funding all personnel and operating expenses of the Sexual Assault Center, including furniture, fixtures, and equipment associated with the Center. The Senate and the Union shall not be liable for any expenses of the Sexual Assault Center. In the event the Sexual Assault Center Director options to relocate the center elsewhere, the Senate shall retain the right to determine what the space shall be used for.
11. Inclusion of a KU Info help-desk on the first level of the Burge Union is to be an augmentation of the broader service. The Union shall retain a KU Info help-desk and KU Info director offices in the Kansas Union.
12. Student organizations registered with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center (SILC) will not be assessed audio/visual equipment rental fees for use of the Burge Union, Kansas Union, or other Lawrence Campus Union facilities. The Union may charge for audio/visual services when union operators are needed or there are special requirements. Room charges will not be assessed to SILC registered student organizations for use of the Burge Union, Kansas Union or other Lawrence Campus Union facilities unless either of the following apply: there is an admission charge or registration fee; OR less than 50% of the people attending the event are current KU students, faculty and staff. If either of the above is applicable, registered student organizations will be assessed room and equipment rental fees at the university rate. Such fees will not be assessed to the student organizations if the Student Senate is a sponsor or has contributed funding for the event. Registered student organizations will not be charged room rental when the event participation of non-KU individuals/groups is the result of a service learning opportunity for the student organization's members. Registered community organizations will be assessed room and equipment rental at the university rate.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this MOA to be executed as of the Effective Date.

[Signature] 11-4-15
Jessie Pringle Date
President, KU Student Senate

[Signature] 11/4/15
Tyler Childress Date
Chair, Senate Fee Review

[Signature] 11/4/15
David Mucci Date
Director, KU Memorial Corporation

[Signature] 11/4/15
Lauren Arney Date
President, Memorial Corporation Bd.

CONTACT:

The University of Kansas Student Senate
Kansas Union, Room 410 
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-3710
senate@ku.edu

RESPONSIBLE UNIT: 

Student Senate

APPROVED BY:

Student Senate

APPROVED ON:

2013-01-01

EFFECTIVE ON:

2013-01-01

REVIEW CYCLE:

Annual (As Needed)

CHANGE HISTORY:

10/24/2025: Updated section 02-03-13. Added Discussion section 02-01-07. Removed sections 07-02-10 (Share of Total Budget Eligible for Funding) and 05-06-06 (Share of Total Budget Eligible for Funding). 
10/08/2025: Made to live text page. 
10/06/2025: Updated formatting. 
04/21/2025: Updated link.
03/25/2025: Migration to TeamDynamix from Drupal.
06/27/2024: Moved Student Senate Rules & Regulations link to Policy Statement.
04/25/2017: Updated Purpose and Applies To sections. Removed PDF attachment.
08/24/2015: Updated PDF attachment, Contact section, and keywords section.
06/26/2013: Policy uploaded into the Policy Library.

TITLE: 

Student Senate Constitution