Constitution of the Student Government Association of the University of Georgia
Article I. Name
This organization shall be the Student Government Association of the University of Georgia (abbreviated hereafter as SGA).
Article II. Purpose
SGA shall be the organized voice for each student of the University of Georgia; shall protect students’ rights; shall serve as a liaison between students, administrators, and organized governing bodies of the University; shall foster an environment of civic responsibility; and shall advocate on behalf of the students’ academic, social, and cultural welfare.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Student Membership
All University of Georgia students are members of SGA upon the payment of their Student Activity Fee. Committee Members, Elected Officials, and Appointed Officials are considered Active.
Section 2. Non-Discrimination Policy
Membership and all privileges, including voting and officer positions, must be extended to all students without regard to age, ethnicity, gender, disability, color, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or sex and gender identity.
Article IV. General Organization
SGA shall be organized into three branches: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial.
Article V. Executive Branch
Section 1. Executive Composition
The Executive Branch shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, other appointed Executive Officers, Cabinet, General Assembly, Freshman Forum, and other bodies as dictated by the rules and procedures.
Section 2. Officers
Paragraph A. President
i. Must be registered as a full time student as defined by the President’s degree or program of study, and must maintain an institutional G.P.A. of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale throughout the term.
ii. Shall speak on behalf of SGA.
iii. Shall make appointments to University-wide committees and governing bodies that have student representation and shall select students to represent the student body outside the University.
iv. Shall serve as the University delegate to the Student Advisory Council of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and shall have the authority to appoint Student Advisory Council delegates with a majority approval of the Senate.
v. Shall have the ability to create committees that expire at the end of each term.
vi. May veto resolutions and bills passed by the Senate within a week of passage. Such a veto must be in writing and delivered to the President Pro- Tempore.
vii. Shall present to the student body a report on SGA activities at the end of each academic term.
viii. Shall establish rules and procedures in accordance with the Constitution of SGA.
ix. Shall run as a ticket with the Vice President and Treasurer.
x. Shall be elected by the student body in a secret ballot and inaugurated no later than April 30.
Paragraph B. Vice President
i. Must be registered as a full time student as defined by the Vice President’s degree or program of study, and must maintain an institutional G.P.A. of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale throughout the term.
ii. Shall assist the President in the fulfillment of presidential duties.
iii. Shall have the power to call meetings of the Senate.
iv. Shall be the presiding officer of the Senate.
v. Shall vote in the case of a tie in the Senate.
vi. Shall serve as a non-voting member of the Rules Committee.
vii. Shall act in full capacity of the President should the President be unable to fulfill the duties of office.
viii. Shall establish rules and procedures in accordance with the Constitution of SGA.
ix. Shall run as a ticket with the President and Treasurer.
x. Shall be elected by the student body in a secret ballot and inaugurated no later than April 30.
Paragraph C. Treasurer
i. Must be registered as a full time student as defined by the Treasurer’s degree or program of study, and must maintain an institutional G.P.A. of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale throughout the term.
ii. Shall be responsible for the finances, financial records, and financial transactions of SGA, and shall have the authority to delegate these tasks to an Executive appointment.
iii. Shall chair the Small Clubs Allocations Committee.
iv. Shall give an itemized report on the current state of the budget at each Senate meeting.
v. Shall establish rules and procedures in accordance with the Constitution of SGA.
vi. Shall run as a ticket with the President and Vice President.
vii. Shall be elected by the student body in a secret ballot and inaugurated no later than April 30.
Paragraph D. Chief of Staff
i. Shall be a non-Senator appointed by the President.
ii. Shall aid the Executive Branch in its organization and general duties.
Paragraph E. Executive Secretary
i. Shall be a non-Senator appointed by the President.
ii. Shall be responsible for recording Executive Branch members’ absences and shall provide this information to the Attorney General.
iii. Shall make reservations on behalf of SGA.
iv. Shall be responsible for preparing the agenda for Cabinet meetings.
v. Shall compile weekly reports from all Executive Branch members and provide them at weekly Cabinet meetings.
Paragraph F. Attorney General
i. Shall be a non-Senator appointed by the President with a majority approval of the Senate.
ii. Shall act as a liaison between the Executive and Judicial Branches.
iii. Shall make eligibility checks each academic term on all SGA Officers and Senators.
iv. Shall inquire, investigate, and gather evidence, testimony, or written statements relevant to possible or alleged violations of the Constitution and all other governing documents by any elected or appointed official other than the President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Justices.
v. Shall serve as the chair of the Elections Committee.
vi. Shall serve as a non-voting member of the Freshman Board Selection Committee.
Paragraph G. Freshman Board Advisors
i. Shall be two non-Senators appointed by the President with a majority approval of the Senate.
ii. Shall aid the Freshman Board in the execution of its duties.
iii. Shall serve on the Freshman Board Selection Committee.
iv. Shall report to the Chief of Staff.
Paragraph H. Director(s) of Freshman Forum
i. Shall be no more than three non-Senators appointed by the President.
ii. Shall aid the Freshman Forum in the execution of its duties.
iii. Shall select the members of Freshman Forum.
iv. Shall report to the Chief of Staff.
Paragraph I. Historian
i. Shall be a non-Senator appointed by the President.
ii. Shall work to maintain an accurate record of the activities and projects of the current term.
Section 3. Cabinet
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Cabinet is to act as the authority of the Executive Branch.
Paragraph B. Composition
The Cabinet shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chief of Staff, Executive Secretary, Attorney General, SGA Graduate Advisor, SGA Faculty Advisor, and any other positions appointed by the President as outlined in the rules and procedures.
Paragraph C. Duties
i. Shall review the progress of Executive Committees.
ii. Shall advise and support the President, Vice President, and Treasurer in carrying out Executive duties.
Section 4. General Assembly
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the General Assembly shall be to coordinate and implement Executive initiatives among the general student community.
Paragraph B. Composition
Shall consist of Executive committees determined by the rules and procedures.
Paragraph C. Directors of Executive Committees
i. Shall be appointed by the President.
ii. Shall have the authority to create subcommittees to exist for the duration of the Director’s term.
iii. Shall submit their reports in writing to the Executive Secretary prior to any meeting of the Cabinet.
iv. Shall report to the Senate at each meeting.
Section 5. Freshman Forum
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Freshman Forum is to develop leaders in the freshman class through leadership training and community projects.
Paragraph B. Composition
Shall be composed of no more than one-hundred freshmen.
Paragraph C. Membership Selection
i. An application process shall be held during the beginning of the fall semester to select members for the term.
ii. The Director(s) of Freshman Forum shall have the authority to establish eligibility requirements.
iii. The Director(s) of Freshman Forum shall be responsible for the application reviewing process.
Paragraph D. Duties
i. Shall participate in General Assembly and Freshman Forum meetings.
ii. Shall fulfill all mandatory obligations as defined by the Director(s) of Freshman Forum.
Section 6. Standing-Select Committees
Paragraph A. Elections Committee
i. Shall derive its authority from the Executive Branch of SGA.
ii. The Judicial Branch of SGA shall have oversight power to ensure the Constitutionality of the elections process.
iii. Shall plan, monitor, manage, and define the annual elections procedures of SGA in order to maintain an effective and meaningful process as prescribed by the Constitution.
iv. Composition
1. Shall be chaired by the Attorney General who shall vote only in the case of a tie.
2. Shall be comprised of two non-active members of SGA appointed by the President and approved by a majority vote of the Senate, two active members of SGA appointed by the President and approved by a majority vote of the Senate, and the President Pro-Tempore.
3. The SGA Graduate Advisor and the SGA Faculty Advisor shall serve as non-voting members.
4. The majority of students on this committee must be graduating seniors.
5. Should the President Pro-Tempore not be able to impartially serve on the elections committee, he/she must appoint a Senator to serve on the committee.
6. Quorum shall consist of four of the five voting members and the Attorney General.
v. Elections Code
1. Shall be the rule upon which the Elections Committee operates.
Paragraph B. Small Clubs Allocations Committee
i. Shall derive its authority from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and SGA.
ii. Shall be responsible for distributing funds from the Small Clubs Allocations account to student organizations classified as small clubs.
iii. Composition
1. Shall be chaired by the Treasurer who shall serve as a voting member.
2. Shall include four Senators appointed by the Treasurer and approved by a majority vote of the Senate, who shall serve as voting members.
3. Shall include a representative from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, who shall serve as a non-voting member.
4. Shall include a representative from the Department of Student Activities as the committee secretary with no voting privilege.
5. Shall include an Accounting Assistant from the Student Activities Business Office with no voting privilege
6. Should a temporary vacancy occur, the Treasurer shall appoint a Senator to serve on the committee.
iv. Shall review all requests for funding from the Small Clubs Allocations account and shall determine the monies appropriate for a small club to meet its specified goal. Upon approval, the request is sent to the Student Activities Business Office.
v. Small Clubs Allocations Code
1. Shall be the rule upon which the Small Clubs Allocations Committee operates.
Article VI. Legislative Branch
Section 1. Legislative Composition
The Legislative Branch shall consist of all Legislative Officers and the Senate.
Section 2. Officers
Paragraph A. President Pro-Tempore
i. Shall be elected by a majority vote of the Senate at the first meeting of the new Senate.
ii. Shall act in full capacity of the Vice President when the Vice President is unable to fulfill the duties of the office.
iii. Shall act upon any veto delivered by the President.
iv. Shall investigate and gather evidence, testimony, or written statements relevant to possible or alleged violations of the Constitution or other governing documents by the President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Justices.
v. Shall serve as the chair of the Rules Committee.
vi. Shall serve as the chair of the Freshman Board Selection Committee.
vii. Shall serve on the Elections Committee.
Paragraph B. Parliamentarian
i. Shall be a non-Senator appointed by the Vice President with a majority approval of the Senate.
ii. Shall advise the Senate as to the legality and Constitutionality of Senate actions, proposals, and legislation.
Paragraph C. Secretary of the Senate
i. Shall be a non-Senator appointed by the Vice President with a majority approval of the Senate.
ii. Shall be responsible for recording and distributing the agenda and minutes of the Senate.
iii. Shall be responsible for recording absences of Senators, Freshman Board members, and Student Life Representatives and shall provide this information to the Attorney General.
iv. Shall be responsible for forwarding approved legislation to the President and the Supreme Court.
vi. Shall maintain a voting record for every member of Senate.
Section 3. The Senate
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Senate is to serve as the Legislative power of SGA.
Paragraph B. Composition
Shall be composed of the Senators, the Freshman Board, and the Student Life Representatives.
Paragraph C. Duties
i. Senators, Freshman Board members, and Student Life Representatives shall attend all Senate meetings as scheduled by the Vice President.
ii. Senators, Freshman Board members, and Student Life Representatives shall not be required to attend Senate meetings between the Spring and Fall terms.
iii. Senators, Freshman Board members, and Student Life Representatives with voting rights must be present in order to vote on any item or issue; there shall be no voting by proxy.
iv. A quorum of the Senate shall be considered two-thirds of all members of Senate on the roll, including Senators, the five voting members of the Freshman Board, and Student Life Representatives, must be present in order to conduct official business.
v. A two-thirds vote of the Senate overrides a presidential veto.
Paragraph D. Powers of Impeachment and Removal from Office
i. Shall require a two-thirds vote of the Senate to impeach the President, Vice President, and Treasurer or remove Justices for violations of the Constitution or other governing documents as presented by the President Pro-Tempore.
ii. The Chief Justice shall preside over impeachment hearings for the President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
iii. The Vice President shall preside over hearings regarding the removal of Justices from office.
iv. Senate members shall recuse themselves from any hearing if they have any relationship with, partiality towards, or prejudice against the accused that would compromise their objectivity.
v. No other business may be conducted by the Senate during impeachment hearings.
Paragraph E. Rights of the Accused
i. Shall be given one week’s notice if they are to be reviewed by the Senate.
ii. The charges must be formally presented to the accused by the President Pro-Tempore.
iii. The accused may present any necessary or desired materials that demonstrate contrary evidence to the alleged accusation.
Section 4. Senators
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Senators will be to represent the needs and interests of the student body.
Paragraph B. Composition
i. Shall be elected from each of the schools and colleges of the University of Georgia in proportion to the student enrollment within the school or college using the formula of one Senate seat for every one-thousand students in a college and one Senate seat for any college with less than one-thousand enrolled.
ii. One Graduate Senator shall be elected per every two-thousand graduate students. The President of the Graduate Student Association, or a designee of the President of the Graduate Student Association, shall serve as an additional Senator representing the Graduate School. This designee shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate.
iii. Shall be registered as full time students as defined by their degree or program of study and must maintain an institutional G.P.A. of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale throughout the term. iv. Shall be enrolled in the school or college in which they stand for election.
v. Shall be elected by the student body in a secret ballot and inaugurated no later than April 30.
vi. If a Senator ceases to be enrolled in the school or college he or she was elected to represent, then he or she will be subject to review by the Supreme Court.
Paragraph C. Duties
i. Shall represent and advocate on behalf of students within the school or college from which he or she was elected.
ii. Each Senator shall have one vote in Senate.
Section 5. Freshman Board
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Freshman Board will be to represent the concerns and needs of the freshman class to the Senate. The Freshman Board term shall commence upon the installation of the body at a meeting of the Senate and shall expire upon the end of the current Senate term.
Paragraph B. Composition
Shall be composed of no more than twenty and no less than five first-year students.
Paragraph C. Membership Selection
i. An application process shall be held during the beginning of the fall semester to select members for the term.
ii. The Freshman Board Selection Committee shall oversee the selection process.
iii. The Freshman Board Selection Committee shall consist of either the President or Vice President, two Freshman Board Advisors who will each have a vote, two Senators appointed and approved by a majority vote of the Senate who will each have a vote, and two non-Senators appointed and approved by a majority vote of the Senate who will each have a vote.
iv. The Freshman Board Selection Committee shall be chaired by the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate who shall serve as a non-voting member.
v. The Attorney General shall also serve as a non-voting member.
vi. The Freshman Board Selection Committee shall set the guidelines of the selection process, including criteria used for screening applicants.
vii. Every member of the Freshman Board Selection Committee must be present in order for the committee to conduct business.
Paragraph D. Duties
i. Shall represent and advocate on behalf of the freshman class.
ii. Shall fulfill all mandatory obligations as defined by the Freshman Board Advisors.
iii. Shall have five votes in Senate, which will rotate among the members of Freshman Board.
Section 6. Student Life Representatives
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Student Life Representatives will be to represent the extracurricular needs and interests of the student body. The Student Life Representative term shall commence upon the installation of the body at a meeting of the Senate and shall expire upon the end of the current Senate term.
Paragraph B. Composition
i. One representative shall be chosen by and amongst the following categories of Student Life: Residence Hall Life, South Campus, Athletics and Recreation, Service, Political, Religious, and the Arts.
ii. Three representatives shall be chosen by and amongst Greek Life, each representing a different council within Greek Life.
iii. Three representatives shall be chosen by and amongst Multicultural Student Life, each representing a different area within Multicultural Student Life.
iv. Two additional representatives shall be chosen from other areas of Student Life.
v. Shall be chosen by the second Senate of the fall semester.
vi. Shall be approved by the Rules Committee and confirmed by a two- thirds vote of the Senate.
Paragraph C. Duties
i. Shall represent and advocate on behalf of students within their respective Student Life category.
ii. Each representative shall have one vote in Senate.
Section 7. Rules Committee
Paragraph A. Purpose
The purpose of the Rules Committee is to ensure the legitimacy of the Legislative process.
Paragraph B. Composition
i. Shall be chaired by the President Pro-Tempore and consist of the Vice President, who is an ex officio, non-voting member, and five Senators who shall be appointed by the President Pro-Tempore and approved by a majority vote of the Senate.
ii. In the case of an absence of one member of the Rules Committee, the President Pro Tempore will cast any necessary tie-breaking votes.
iii. Quorum shall consist of four of the five Senators and the President Pro Tempore.
Paragraph C. Duties
i. Shall correct all semantic errors in proposed legislation.
ii. Shall catalog all legislation presented before the Senate.
iii. Shall rectify any code in accordance with approved bills.
iv. Shall rectify the Constitution in accordance with approved Constitutional amendments.
Section 8. Legislation
Paragraph A. Resolutions
i. Shall be drafted to express an official position of the Senate on behalf of the student body.
ii. Shall be submitted to the Rules Committee for semantic revision before appearing before the Senate.
iii. Shall require one reading at a Senate meeting. The Vice President shall entertain debate and amendment, and the Senate will vote on the proposed resolution.
iv. Shall require a majority vote of the Senate.
Paragraph B. Bills
i. Shall be drafted to alter any code or other governing document other than the Constitution.
ii. Shall be submitted to the Rules Committee for semantic revision before appearing before the Senate.
iii. Shall require one reading at a Senate meeting. Upon first reading, the Vice President shall entertain debate and amendment, and the Senate will vote on the proposed bill.
iv. Shall require a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Paragraph C. Amendments
i. Shall be drafted to make deletions or insertions to the Constitution.
ii. Shall be submitted to the Rules Committee for semantic revision before appearing in front of the Senate body.
iii. Shall require a first and second reading at a Senate meeting. Upon first reading, the Vice President shall not entertain debate. At least one week shall transpire between the first and second reading. Upon second reading, the Vice President shall entertain debate and amendment, and the Senate will vote on the proposed amendment.
iv. Shall require a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
v. Shall require a majority approval of University students voting on the amendment. The Vice President shall set the date of the vote.
vi. Shall be approved by the President of the University of Georgia for passage or shall take effect one week after being delivered to the President.
Section 9. Parliamentary Authority
Paragraph A. Robert’s Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings, except as set forth in this Constitution and the rules and procedures.
Paragraph B. Rules and Procedures
i. Shall be created by the President, Vice President, and Treasurer in consultation with the Supreme Court, and approved by a majority vote of the Senate.
ii. Shall expire at the end of each term.
Paragraph C. Rules for Debate
Shall be established within the rules and procedures.
Paragraph D. Open Meetings
All meetings of SGA shall be open to all members of the University community, except where expressly provided for by this Constitution.
Article VII. Judicial Branch
Section 1. Judicial Composition
The Judicial Branch shall consist of a Supreme Court.
Section 2. Officers
Paragraph A. Chief Justice
i. Shall be appointed by the President with a majority approval of the Senate.
ii. Shall call and preside over all meetings of the Supreme Court.
iii. Shall align with a majority opinion or may elect to file a dissenting opinion jointly with the Associate Justices or individually.
iv. Shall present the a majority opinion of the Supreme Court, both verbally and in writing, to the Senate without disclosing personal information, including but not limited to health, legal, or academic records.
v. Shall have one vote in every judicial hearing.
vi. Shall preside over the impeachment hearing should the President, Vice President, or Treasurer face impeachment.
Paragraph B. Associate Justices
i. Four Associate Justices shall be appointed by the President with a majority approval of the Senate.
ii. Shall align themselves with a majority opinion or may elect to file a written dissenting opinion either jointly or individually.
iii. Shall issue a written majority opinion authored by either the Chief Justice or Associate Justices.
v. Shall each have one vote in each judicial hearing.
Paragraph C. Alternate Justices
i. Shall be appointed by the President in accordance with the rules and procedures.
ii. Shall fulfill the duties of Associate Justice should a temporary or permanent vacancy occur.
Paragraph D. Secretary of the Court
i. Shall be appointed by the Chief Justice.
ii. Shall compile, distribute, and archive all materials presented by the Attorney General and the accused.
iii. Personal information, including but not limited to health, legal, or academic records, shall never be distributed through any records kept by the Secretary.
Section 3. Supreme Court
Paragraph A. Jurisdiction
i. Shall hear alleged violations of the Constitution or any other governing documents by any elected or appointed official other than the President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Justices as presented by the Attorney General.
ii. Shall determine the Constitutionality of any legislation passed through the Senate
iii. Shall determine the Constitutionality of any rules and procedures.
iv. Shall determine the Constitutionality of the manner in which legislation is passed.
v. Shall be consulted by the President, Vice President, and Treasurer in the creation of the rules and procedures that shall outline the process for judicial proceedings.
Paragraph B. Powers of Impeachment and Removal from Office
i. Shall require a majority vote of the Justices to impeach a member of Senate or remove members of the Executive Branch other than the President, Vice President, and Treasurer from office for violations of the Constitution or other governing documents as presented by the Attorney General.
ii. Justices shall recuse themselves from any hearing if they have any relationship with, partiality towards, or prejudice against the accused that would compromise their objectivity.
iii. Should a recusal occur, the Chief Justice shall call upon the necessary number of Alternate Justices to fulfill the duties of the absent Justice(s).
Paragraph C. Rights of the Accused
i. Shall be given one week’s notice if they are to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
ii. The charges must be formally presented to the accused by the Attorney General.
iii. The accused may present any necessary or desired materials that demonstrate contrary evidence to the alleged accusation.
Paragraph D. Appeals
A decision of the Supreme Court may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of Senate signed by the President.
Article VIII. Vacancies
Section 1. Vacancy in the Office of the President
The Vice President shall assume said office for the remainder of the term. The current Vice President will be sworn in as President at the next immediate Senate by the Chief Justice. The Office of the Vice President shall then be considered vacant.
Section 2. Vacancy in the Office of the Vice President
The President Pro-Tempore shall assume said office for the remainder of the term. The current President Pro-Tempore will be sworn in as Vice President at the next immediate Senate by President. The President Pro-Tempore Senate seat shall be considered vacant.
Section 3. Vacancy in the Office of the Treasurer
The President shall appoint said office for the remainder of the term upon two- thirds approval of the Senate. If the appointment is a member of Senate, said Senate seat shall be considered vacant.
Section 4. Vacancy in the Office of the President Pro-Tempore
Upon vacancy a new President Pro-Tempore will be elected by the Senate at the next immediate Senate.
Section 5. Vacancy in the Office of a Senator
All students who qualify as candidates may apply for a vacant seat. Applicants will be selected by the Rules Committee and approved by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Section 6. Vacancy in the Seat of Student Life Representative
Shall be approved by the Rules Committee with a representative from the same Student Life category and confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Section 7. Vacancy in an Appointed Office
The President and/or Vice President shall appoint one candidate for the vacant position. Said appointment is contingent upon the rules of approval for that office.
Section 8. Resignation
An elected or appointed official who wishes to resign shall submit a resignation in writing to the head of his or her respective branch. If the head of a branch resigns, he or she must submit his or her resignation to the heads of the other two branches.
Article IX. Recall and Referendum
Section 1. Recall
i. A recall election for any office may be called by a petition signed by at least ten percent of the electing body. For Senators, the electing body is the college or school that they represent, and for the President, Vice President, and Treasurer, it is the entire University student body.
ii. Only one recall election per Senator or Officer per term of office shall be held.
Section 2. Referendum
i. A referendum on any question may be called by a petition by at least ten percent of the student body.
ii. A referendum may also be called by two-thirds of the Senate.
iii. The Vice President shall set the date of the referendum.
Article X. Constitutional Review
Section 1. Constitutional Revision Commission
After the first Senate of the fall semester of 2014, and each fourth year thereafter, there shall be established a Constitution Revision Commission.
Paragraph A. Composition
i. Shall be composed of eleven voting members: the President, Vice President, Treasurer, President Pro-Tempore, two Senators appointed and approved by a majority vote of the Senate, one member of the Freshman Programs appointed and approved by a majority vote of the Senate, the SGA Chief Justice, one additional Justice chosen by the Supreme Court, and two non-active members of SGA appointed by the President and approved by a majority vote of the Senate.
ii. The SGA Graduate Advisor and SGA Faculty Advisor who shall both serve as non-voting members.
iii. The Attorney General shall chair this committee as a non-voting member.
iv. Vacancies occurring on the commission shall be filled by appointment by the Attorney General approved by a majority vote of the Senate from the same constituency as the original member.
v. All meetings of the Commission are open to the general student body.
Paragraph B. Duties
i. Shall evaluate the effectiveness of the current SGA Constitution.
ii. If significant deficiencies are found with the current document, a new Constitution shall be drafted and presented for Ratification.
iii. If the Constitutional Revision Commission deems the document can be updated through individual amendments, such amendments will be drafted and submitted to the Senate in accordance with the amendment process.
iv. Shall forward a copy of any Constitutional changes to the President who shall notify the entire student body of the impending changes by using the most effective method possible.
Section 2. Approval of New Constitution
Paragraph A. Ratification
i. Shall be submitted to the Rules Committee for semantic revision.
ii. Shall require a first and second reading at a Senate meeting.
iii. Upon first reading, the Vice President shall not entertain debate. At least one week shall transpire between the first and second reading.
iv. Upon second reading, Vice President shall entertain debate and amendment, and the Senate may vote on the proposed Constitution.
v. Shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
vi. Shall require a majority approval of University students voting on the Constitution. Ten percent of the University student body must participate in the vote for ratification. The Vice President shall set the date of the vote.
vii. Shall be approved by the President of the University of Georgia for passage or shall take effect one week after being delivered to the President.
Article XI. Oath of Office
All Constitutional officers must take the following Oath of Office in order to assume elected and appointed positions. “I, (name of nominee), do hereby affirm that I will faithfully support and defend the Constitution and Bylaws of the Student Government Association of The University of Georgia, the Constitution of the State of Georgia, and the Constitution of the United States of America; and I will endeavor to fulfill my obligations to the students and my duties as (name of office), to the best of my ability.”
Article XII. Constitutional Supremacy
Upon ratification, this Constitution and its associated codes shall supersede all previous governing documents, which shall be deemed null and void.
