Article VII – Election Procedures and Guidelines

THE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION WILL APPOINT A COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF FIVE (5) MEMBERS, HEREBY KNOWN AS THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL ORGANIZE AND STAFF THE ELECTION IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER.

  1. The SGA elections will be held in conjunction with the Student Trustee election described in the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
  2. The election committee will take the following actions:
    1. Review each petition of a candidate seeking a position for the required amount of signatures;
    2. Submit the petitions to the Manager of Student Programming for review of the grade point average of the candidates not less than three (3) days before the first day of the elections.
    3. If one (1) of the two (2) conditions mentioned above are not met the candidate will be declared ineligible to participate in the elections.
  3. The Election Committee will determine the elements of the ballots and will release the final ballot not less than two (2) days prior to the first day of the elections.
  4. During the election, the polls will be open for five and one half hours (5 1/2) on two (2) consecutive days in a location that received at least one (1) publicized notice not less than five (5) days prior to the election.
  5. The election committee will count the ballots after the polls close on the last day of the election. The SGA fiscal adviser shall be present to monitor the activity. The candidates or designated representatives may also be present.
  6. Election results will be posted in at least three (3) public places not more than five (5) days after the polls closed.
  7. A simple majority of the ballots cast shall result in the election by the student body; one (1) President, one (1) Executive Vice President/Chairman-IOC, one (1) Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions, one (1) Vice President of Financial Affairs, one (1) Secretary/senator and Six (6) Senators to run the SGA of South Suburban College.

Article VIII – Terms of Office

  1. A transition period for all newly elected member of the SGA will be from the date of election until the second regularly scheduled SGA May meeting. This time period will allow newly elected members to become familiar with the procedures and people affiliated with the SGA and allow time for the formation of ideas and programs for the following year.
  2. New Officers will officially take their seat at the second regularly scheduled SGA meeting in May.
  3. All Executive Board and Senatorial members shall receive a copy of the SGA Constitution and by-laws the day after the election results are posted.

Article IX – Impeachment, Recall, and Expulsion

A. President

  1. The Executive Vice President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions, or Vice President of Financial Affairs may call an impeachment trial on the grounds of negligence or deliberate failure to perform Presidential duties as set forth herein or in the by-laws.
  2. The Executive Vice President must call a special meeting of the SGA to levy the charges against the President in oral and written form. The adversarial process will be used to establish the facts.
  3. The Executive Vice President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions, Vice President of Financial Affairs and the Senate must impeach the President by a four-fifths majority vote.
  4. If the SGA cannot successfully impeach the President within five (5) school days of the first impeachment trial meeting, the charges will be dropped and the President will finish the term.

B. Executive Vice President Chairman-IOC

  1. The President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions, or Vice President of Financial Affairs may call for an impeachment trial on the grounds of negligence or deliberate failure to perform the duties as set forth herein or in the by-laws.
  2. The President must call a special meeting of the SGA to levy the charges against the Executive Vice President in oral and written form. The adversarial process will be used to establish the facts.
  3. The President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions, Vice President of Financial Affairs and the Senate must impeach the Executive President by a four-fifths majority vote.
  4. If the SGA cannot successfully impeach the Executive Vice President within five (5) school days of the first impeachment trial meeting, the charges will be dropped and the Executive Vice President will finish his/her term

C. Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions

  1. The President, Executive Vice President, or Vice President of Financial Affairs may call for an impeachment trial on the grounds of negligence or deliberate failure to perform the duties as set forth herein or in the by-laws.
  2. The President must call a special meeting of the SGA to levy the charges against the Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions in oral and written form. The adversarial process will be used to establish the facts.
  3. The President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Financial Affairs and the Senate must impeach the Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions by a four-fifths majority vote.
  4. If the SGA cannot successfully impeach the Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions within five (5) school days of the first impeachment trial meeting, the charges will be dropped and the Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions will finish his/her term.

D. Vice President of Financial Affairs

  1. The President, Executive Vice President, or Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions may call for an impeachment trial on the grounds of negligence or deliberate failure to perform the duties as set forth herein or in the by-laws.
  2. The President must call a special meeting of the SGA to levy the charges against the Vice President of Financial Affairs in oral and written form. The adversarial process will be used to establish the facts.
  3. The President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions and the Senate must impeach the Vice President of Financial Affairs by a four-fifths majority vote.
  4. If the SGA cannot successfully impeach the Vice President of Financial Affairs within five (5) school days of the first impeachment trial meeting, the charges will be dropped and the Vice President of Financial Affairs will finish his/her term.

E. Senator

  1. The President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions, or the Vice President of Financial Affairs may call for an impeachment trial on the grounds of negligence or deliberate failure to perform the duties as set forth herein or in the by-laws.
  2. The President must call a special meeting of the SGA to levy the charges against the Senator in oral and written form. The adversarial process will be used to establish the facts.
  3. The President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Public Relations and Promotions and the Vice President of Financial Affairs must impeach the Senator by a four-fifths majority vote.
  4. If the SGA cannot successfully impeach the Senator within five (5) school days of the first impeachment trial meeting, the charges will be dropped and the Senator will finish his/her term.

Article X – Ratification and Amendments

  1. This Constitution shall take effect immediately upon the ratification by a simple majority of the votes cast in a campus wide election.
  2. This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the membership of the SGA Senate following a recommendation from the Executive Board.

Article XI – By-laws

  1.  Any by-laws necessary for the operation of the SGA shall be approved by a three-fourths majority vote of the SGA Senate.
  2. Any by-laws may be suspended by a three-fourths majority vote of the SGA Senate.
  3. Nothing in the by-laws shall be in direct conflict with this Constitution.
  4. The by-laws are to be considered additions to and part of the Constitution.

Article XII – Vacancies

IF FOR ANY REASON A SENATORIAL POSITION BECOMES VACANT BEFORE THE TERM EXPIRES, THE OFFICE SHALL BE DECLARED VACANT. THE SGA WILL NOTIFY STUDENTS TO SUBMIT A RESUME OF QUALIFICATIONS AND INTERESTS AND WILL INTERVIEW THOSE THAT SUBMIT A RESUME. FOLLOWING THE INTERVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCESS, THE SENATE MEMBERS SHALL SELECT APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUAL(S) BY SIMPLE MAJORITY.

Article XIII – Constitutional Interpretations

ALL SGA MEETINGS, CORRESPONDENCE, CONDUCT, ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST EDITION OF ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER.