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TTUHSC Student Government Association Constitution

  • The name of the body of student representatives (Senators) shall be the Student Government Association (SGA). 

  • The Student Government Association is a body of students elected by their respective classes duly appointed with the tasks of: promoting, coordinating, and directing student affairs and activities affecting the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; acting to voice student concerns to the TTUHSC Faculty and Staff; encourage interdisciplinary communication and participation among the individual schools that compose TTUHSC. 

    1. The Student Government Association will advocate for the student body and liaise between the TTUHSC student body and the faculty and staff. 
    2. The Student Government Association and its respective Senators will represent the TTUHSC student body as pertains to activities and other matters involving, but not limited to, representation on institutional committees. 
    3. The Student Government Association will acknowledge, communicate with, coordinate, and assist with student organizations within the TTUHSC system.
    1. The Student Government Association shall represent all student body populations within the TTUHSC community. 
    2. The SGA will be composed of duly elected students from each school that comprises the TTUHSC community.
    3. Numerical representation ratios shall be in accordance with SGA bylaws. 
    4. An Executive Council shall preside over all activities of the SGA and shall be composed of the following four officers: 
      1. President, 
      2. Vice President of Communications, 
      3. Vice President of Operations, 
      4. Vice President of Finance
    1. Election Thereof 
      1. Elections will be held according to the procedures outlined within the SGA bylaws. 
      2. Senators in good academic and senatorial standing consistent with the SGA bylaws may run for any of the four officer positions and may win election for the position for which they are running by a majority vote in the SGA Senate. 
      3. Eligibility to run includes one year experience in the SGA Senate with all attendance, community service, and SGA awareness requirements met. 
      4. New officers must be elected annually by the SGA Senate body, no later than the last Senate meeting of the Spring Semester. e. Incumbent officers are limited to two terms of service and must run for reelection annually. 
      5. Any Senators desiring to run for office must submit an intent to run form to the Executive Council no later than two weeks prior to the election date. 
      6. Newly elected Executive Officers will be inducted at the TTUHSC Student Government Association Awards and Installation Banquet in April. 
    2. Resignation from Office 
      1. President 
        1. In the event that the president resigns before the end of a term, the Vice President of Communications may assume the responsibilities of the office of President with approval of the SGA Senate by majority vote. 
      2. Vice Presidents 
        1. In the event that one of the vice presidents resigns before the end of a term, the President shall appoint, within one week of the vacancy, a suitable replacement from the Senate. 
        2. The appointment of the new Vice President must be confirmed via majority vote in the SGA Senate no later than 30 days after the appointment. 
        3. The Senator filling a vacated Executive Officer position must be in good academic and senatorial standing consistent with the SGA bylaws. 
    3. Officer Descriptions and Duties 
      1. President 
        1. Shall represent the official opinion of the student body at TTUHSC when requested to do so to persons outside the Student Government Association. The President shall do so by vote of the Student Senate, if necessary. 
        2. Shall preside over Senate meetings. 
        3. Shall represent the Student Body of TTUHSC at all business or social functions or appoint a representative to do so. 
        4. Shall call meetings, both special and regular, of the Student Senate. 
        5. Shall supervise the appointment and establishment of Senate committees, 
        6. Shall hold regular meetings with the SGA advisor and members of the administration. 
        7. Shall serve on Institutional Committees as needed.
        8. Shall attend all of Board of Regents Meetings, Foundation Board, and others as required by TTUHSC Administration.
        9. Shall chair the Student Regent and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board selection committee for TTUHSC. In the event that the president wishes to apply for the student regent, they must designate a Vice President to chair the committee.
        10. In the event of a deadlock over senate issues, the President shall cast the deciding vote.
      2. Vice President of Communication
        1. Shall preside over SGA Senate meetings when the President is absent and will assume the role of President upon vacancy. 
        2. Shall serve on Institutional Committees as needed. 
        3. Shall oversee the Public Relations Committee and Social Committee 
        4. Shall be responsible for internal communication with the senate body. 
        5. Shall maintain communications with the TTUHSC External Relations Office. 
        6. Shall assign senators to committees. 
        7. Shall have the power to appoint individuals to Standing Committees in the case of a vacant seat, or whenever a Senator is not part of any Standing Committee 
        8. Shall coordinate the purchasing and distribution of SGA apparel and promotional items. 
        9. Shall oversee the recording of the minutes of SGA meetings. 
        10. Shall ensure the SGA minutes are delivered via email no later than two days after a scheduled SGA meeting to the senate body.
      3. Vice President of Operations
        1. Shall maintain the record of the annual requirements as outlined in the bylaws. 
        2. Shall oversee the Operations Committee and the Community Service Committee 
        3. Shall maintain and regulate attendance records of all Senate meetings. 
        4. Shall serve on Institutional Committees as needed. 
        5. Shall monitor activities of voting members to ensure a quorum and the ability of the Senate to conduct business. 
        6. Shall assist executive council on Senate Constitution changes. 
        7. Shall be responsible for conducting senate elections. In the case that no individuals run for a senate seat from a particular school, the VP of Operations will be responsible for filling the seat via review of nominated students or communication with the seat’s respective program.
      4. Vice President of Finance
        1. Shall receive and disperse SGA funds with the approval of the Executive Council. 
        2. Shall serve on Institutional Committees as needed. 
        3. Shall oversee the Senate Finance Committee and Scholarship Committee 
        4. Shall present the HSC Student Budget to the Student Services Fees Committee. 
        5. Shall meet with the President and Treasurer of student organizations to discuss budgetary concerns and suggestions as needed. 
        6. Shall collaborate with the Director of Student Life on all other financial responsibilities and scholarship opportunities provided by SGA.
    4. General Officer Expectations
      1. All Executive Officers are held accountable by the Director of Student Life. Any officer deemed by the Director of Student Life to be in dereliction of their duties, or in violation of the Student Code of Conduct, shall meet with the Director of Student Life and may be subject to review by the Office of Student Life for possible removal from SGA. 
      2. All Executive Officers must maintain good academic standing as outlined in Article VI, Section c in order to continue in office. 
      3. All Executive Officers shall hold meetings with the respective committees, Director of Student Life, and administration as needed.
    5. et alii
      1. Executive Officers may continue serving at the end of their term for a year as At-Large Senators with all the duties, rights and privileges of an SGA Senator, excluding voting. 
        1. The purpose of At-Large Senators is to improve overall student body representation. 
        2. There is no limit to the number of At-Large Senator seats. 
        3. At-Large Senators must maintain current TTUHSC enrollment and be in good academic standing and must abide by SGA by-laws. 
      2. These positions are to be re-evaluated annually by the SGA President and Director of Student Life. 
      3. All At-Large Senators are exempt from community service and SGA awareness responsibilities.
    1. All Campuses
      1. Community Service
        1. Shall be responsible for researching, scheduling and conducting all community service events. 
        2. Shall coordinate and publicize the community service functions of the Student Government Association on all TTUHSC campuses. 
        3. Shall maintain a record of all community service events for future volunteer opportunities. 
        4. The Chair shall report to the VP of Operations on a weekly basis. 
      2. Operations Committee
        1. Shall be overseen by the VP of Operations. 
        2. Shall be populated in accordance with SGA By-Laws. 
        3. Shall review suggestion box submissions to research and attempt to resolve issues faced by students on each campus. This would require close collaboration with the Director of Student Life. 
        4. Shall monitor legislative groups and review legislation and project rough drafts during committee meetings. They are to serve as a helping hand for senator collaborations. 
        5. Shall submit passed legislation to the TTUHSC Announcements. 
        6. The Chair shall report to the VP of Operations on a weekly basis.
      3. Social Committee
        1. Shall coordinate and publicize the social functions of the Student Government Association on all of the TTUHSC campuses: 
          1. Senators & Subs or some other kind of Fall Semester Meet and Greet 
          2. SGA Awards and Installation Banquet to be done in the Spring Semester 
        2. Shall coordinate with Senators regarding cross-campus Student Government Association social functions. 
        3. Shall coordinate with the Director of Student Life and Executive Council on all SGA-sponsored social events. 
        4. The Chair shall report to the VP of Communications on a weekly basis. 
      4. Public Relations
        1. Shall be responsible for developing promotional materials for all SGA events and involvement opportunities, including but not limited to: 
          1. Social Events 
          2. Scholarships 
          3. Fundrasiers 
          4. Community Service events 
          5. Bimonthly SGA recognition posts 
        2. Shall submit advertisements through Student Life, Stat Line, and TTUHSC Announcements regarding SGA, and other events. 
        3. The Chair shall report to the VP of Communications on a weekly basis. 
      5. Finance Committee
        1. Shall be overseen by the VP of Finance who will act as coordinator but shall have no voting power in the committee. 
        2. In order to ensure equitable disbursal of SGA special projects funds, the Finance Committee shall be populated by at least one Senator drawn from each School (School of Medicine, School of Health Professions, School of Nursing, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health). 
        3. Shall discuss, approve, and disperse allotted SGA budget and special projects funds to all registered student organizations in an equitable and timely manner. 
        4. In the event that there is a deadlock within the committee in regard to any issue, the VP of Finance shall cast the deciding vote. 
        5. In the event that there is a deadlock, and the VP of Finance is deciding on funding pertinent to their respective school or a registered organization in which they are a member or an officer, then the President shall be called on to cast the deciding vote. 
        6. The Chair shall report to the VP of Finance on a weekly basis.
      6. Scholarship Committee
        1. Shall be overseen by the VP of Finance who will act as coordinator but shall have no voting power in the committee. 
        2. In order to ensure equitable disbursal of SGA special projects funds, the Finance Committee shall be populated by at least one Senator drawn from each School (School of Medicine, School of Health Professions, School of Nursing, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health).
        3. Shall collaborate with the Office of Student Life in all efforts to fundraise for and coordinate the Star Spangle Double T Scholarship. 
        4. Shall determine the recipients of the Endowed Phonathon Scholarship. 
        5. In the event that there is a deadlock within the committee in regard to any issue, the VP of Finance shall cast the deciding vote. 
        6. In the event that there is a deadlock, and the VP of Finance is deciding on funding pertinent to their respective school or a registered organization in which they are a member or an officer, then the President shall be called on to cast the deciding vote. 
        7. The Chair shall report to the VP of Finance on a weekly basis.
      7. Standing Committees
        1. Standing Committees shall be populated annually according to the Bylaws by duly elected Senators on a volunteer or appointment basis as determined by the VP of Operations. 
        2. All Standing Committees shall be chaired by a current member of the relevant committee. 
        3. Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the members of each committee no later than the second meeting of the SGA in an academic calendar year. 
        4. Every effort should be made to ensure all Standing Committees have at least one senator from each of the campuses.
    2. Ad-Hoc Committees
      1. Shall be formed by the Executive Council on a situational basis. 
      2. Shall be populated by no more than 7 Senators on a volunteer or appointment basis. 
      3. Shall be terminated at the end of the academic year or at the project's completion, whichever is first. 
      4. Shall determine a chairperson internally prior to any other discussions. 
    1. Any Executive Council member or Senator of the SGA, TTUHSC student, TTUHSC Faculty or staff member may present themselves to speak before the SGA floor or may bring a third party to the SGA floor to speak. 
    2. All speakers must be approved by the Executive Council no later than 3 days prior to a scheduled SGA meeting. 
    1. The Student Government Association will be required to vote on and pass an annual disbursement to student organizations, as presented by the VP of Finance 
    2. A 2/3 vote is required on the SGA Senate floor to pass the disbursal of organization funds.
    1. The Executive Council shall determine all meeting dates prior to the start of the academic year. 
    2. Meetings shall be held twice monthly on the agreed-upon dates unless otherwise specified. 
    3. All meetings shall be open to the public. 
    4. Committee meetings shall be held as often as necessary to conduct their respective duties and business. 
    5. A quorum must be present (2/3 of active, voting Senators) in order to conduct business and for voting purposes.
    1. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the President and the VP of Operations no less than 2 weeks prior to its introduction to the Senate. 
    2. Proposed amendments may be brought to the SGA President by any Executive Officer or Senator in good standing. 
    3. Amendments shall be introduced to the Senate, and all discussions and voting shall be postponed until the following meeting. 
    4. Amendments and By-Law changes must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote. 
    5. All voting shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules. 
    6. Shall become effective immediately upon ratification.
    1. The Executive Council shall serve as the active Senate between semesters. 
    2. The Executive Council shall not have the power to enact changes to the Constitution during the inter-semester periods. 
    3. The Executive Council shall not have the power to decide on the distribution of SGA monies during inter-semester periods.

  • All elected Senators and Executive Officers shall take the following oath upon being installed, to be administered by the President or an individual appointed by the President: 

    "I do hereby solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of my office and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Student Government Association of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and the rules and regulations thereof."

By-Laws

    1. Representation is based on current enrollment, re-evaluated each Spring, determined as follows: 
      1. Each school’s enrollment will be obtained from the Fact Book each Spring. 
      2. Distance education enrollment will be subtracted from the total enrollment for each school. 
      3. The percentage of total in-person enrollment for each school will be divided in ½ then rounded down. 
      4. The resulting numbers will reflect the following year Senate seats per school.  
      5. Distance education students will receive 10 Senate seats.  
    2. School 
      1. GSBS: 3 
      2. School of Health Professions 
        1. Laboratory Sciences & Primary Care 
          1. Molecular Pathology: 1 
          2. Physician Assistant: 2 
          3. Clinical Laboratory Sciences: 1 
        2. Rehabilitation Sciences 
          1. Athletic Training: 1 
          2. Occupational Training: 1 
          3. Physical Therapy: 3 
          4. Rehabilitation Sciences: 1 
        3. Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences 
          1. Audiology: 1 
          2. Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences: 3 
          3. Speech Language Pathology: 1  
      3. School of Medicine 
        1. MS1: 3 
        2. MS2: 3 
        3. MS3: 3 
        4. MS4: 3 
      4. School of Nursing 
        1. Traditional BSN: 9 
      5. School of Pharmacy 
        1. Dallas: 4 
        2. Amarillo: 3 
        3. Abilene: 2 
        4. Lubbock: 1 
      6. Distance Education: 10 
        1. Includes: 
          1. SPPH: Public Health program
          2. SHP: Clinical Counseling & Mental Health programs, Healthcare Management & Leadership programs, Physical Therapy, PostProfessional Doctor of Occupational Therapy, and Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy 
          3. SON: all programs other than Traditional BSN 
    1. Responsibilities 
      1. Senators of the Student Senate shall be entrusted by the constituency to represent the interests of their respective school and campus as well as the general interest of the TTUHSC student body.  
      2. Mandatory attendance at each bimonthly meeting. In the event a Senate member must miss a meeting, he/she must submit an absence request form.  
    2. Requirements  
      1. Attendance 
        1. Senators will be allowed 2 total unexcused absences per year, to include Senate meetings and committee meetings.  
        2. Following the second absence, the Senator will be notified in writing by the VP of Operations. 
        3. Upon the third absence, the Senator will meet with the Executive Officers to determine appropriate action.  
        4. The attendance policy may be waived, at the discretion of the Executive Officers, for Senators with special professional commitments. 
      2. Duties 
        1. Each Senator is entrusted to advocate for TTUHSC students in all affairs and holds the duty of publicizing and debating student concerns during the SGA sessions.  
        2. Senators will abide by all the regulations stated in the Senate Constitution & Bylaws.  
        3. Each Senator will be required to participate in a minimum number of community service events/hours as designated by the Executive Officers and as organized by the Community Service Committee.  
        4. Each Senator will be required to participate in a minimum of SGA awareness events/hours as designated by the Executive Officers and as organized by the Public Relations Committee.  
        5. Each Senator will be required to serve on one of the standing committees and may serve on any ad-hoc committees as they are formed.  
        6. Each Senator will be expected to participate in the production of legislation as designated by the Executive Officers. 
      3. Academic Standing 
        1. All Senators of the SGA must be registered students at TTUHSC with a GPA of 2.5 or better, current and cumulative. Students without a numeric GPA must be considered "passing" by their respective program both current and cumulative.  
    3. Ethical Standards 
      1. Senators must represent the Student Government Association and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in a positive light at all times. 
      2. Senators are expected to act in a manner consistent with the expectations outlined in the TTUHSC Student Code of Conduct and the Senator Contract.  
      3. Senators must always treat their fellow members or officers with respect. 
      4. Senators must uphold the Values-Based Culture of one team, kind-hearted, integrity, visionary, and beyond service. 
    4. Accountability & Removal Process 
      1. Any Senator or Officer can submit a member in violation of the organization's purpose, requirements, constitution, or university policy to the Executive Officers.  
      2. Once an Officer receives the violation, it will be reviewed at the next Executive Officers meeting. 
      3. If the Executive Officers find the violation credible, then they will schedule a time for the Senator to come speak to the Executive Officers about the violation. 
      4. After the meeting with the Senator in question, the Executive Officers will take a vote on whether to move forward with a warning, probation, or removal process. A unanimous vote is required to move the process forward. The Executive Officers can also identify that there was no violation and there is no need to move forward with an accountability process. 
        1. Warning – There is sufficient evidence to find a Senator in violation but not enough to warrant probation or removal. Warning will include documenting and emailing notice of warning to members. 
        2. Probation – There is sufficient evidence to find a Senator in violation, and the member will not be considered in good standing for a set amount of time to be determined by the Executive Officers. Senators on probation will not be able to vote or participate in SGA activities or events during the period of time determined by the Executive Officers.  
        3. Removal – There is sufficient evidence to find a Senator in violation, and the violation or behavior is severe enough to warrant removal. Senators removed from the Senate are prohibited from holding a seat in the future and will not graduate with SGA honors or distinctions. 
          1. If the vote passes to move the process forward for removal, the Senator will be given the option to appeal the decision before the Senate.  
            1. A two-thirds vote is required to remove a Senator.  
              1. If the vote passes, the Senator will be removed. 
              2. If the vote does not pass, the Senator will not be removed and will instead be placed on probation. 
            2. If the Senator is not present at the meeting where the vote took place, they should be notified of the vote within 24 hours. 
    1. School Breakdown – See Article I: Representation  
    2. The Election process shall be headed and organized by the VP of Operations, in coordination and agreement with the Executive Officer team and the Office of Student Life.  
    3. A timetable shall be constructed and followed to determine deadlines for the election process. The process must include, but is not limited to, creating the following dates and deadlines: 
      1. Determine the date of the Senator Orientation/Leadership Seminar (for example, the third Saturday of September). All other dates will be constructed, retroactively, from this Orientation date. 
      2. In more than one six weeks prior to the Orientation date (for example, earlier than the first Saturday of August), the following documents must be created: 
        1. A roster must be constructed listing all vacant and occupied seats, organized per school, program, and year or level.  
        2. A senator application form on the SGA HSC Net page, collecting information including but not limited to: 
          1. The applicant’s first, middle, and last name. 
          2. The applicant’s preferred full name 
          3. The applicant’s TTUHSC R#. 
          4. The applicant’s TTUHSC email address. 
          5. The applicant’s personal phone number. 
          6. The applicant’s school, program, and year or level. 
          7. The applicant’s campus location. 
          8. A brief essay (5-6 sentences) introducing the applicant and detailing why the applicant is running for the senator position. 
          9. A photographed headshot of the senator which will be presented to their class upon voting. 
      3. At least six weeks prior to the Orientation date, emailed invitations must be sent to all TTUHSC students to announce vacant seats. Applications will run for two weeks (up until four weeks before the orientation date). The email should include: 
        1.  An introduction to the Student Government Association and our mission. 
        2. The standing senators for that program or class, and the number of vacant seats for that program or class. 
        3. An invitation to apply for vacant senator seats, as well as a URL link to the HSC Net senator application page, the deadline to apply (at least four weeks prior to the Orientation date), and a disclosure that students must be in good academic standing to apply.  
      4. A reminder email for Senator applications should be sent one week prior to the application deadline, as well as one day prior to the application deadline.  
      5. Following the application deadline (at least four weeks prior to the orientation date), an election form must be created on HSC Net within 2-4 days. The election form should include: 
        1. The first page, which prompts students to fill in their R#, select their program along with the year or level, and select their campus location. 
        2. Subsequent pages, which will be redirected to by the first page, include each applicant sorted in alphabetical order by last name, and presented as a single-option selection. Applicant entries should include: 
          1. The applicant’s preferred full name. 
          2. The applicant’s headshot. 
          3. The applicant’s application essay. 
        3. For cases where the number of applicants does not exceed the number of vacant seats for a particular program or class: 
          1. In the case where there are exactly as many applicants as there are vacant seats for that program or class, the applicants all win the seats by default.  
          2. In the case where there are fewer applicants than vacant seats for that program or class, the applicants win by default, and an additional text input should be present on that page instructing voters to write-in a nomination. Any nominations, as well as the number of empty seats, will be presented to that program’s ESAW contact to directly fill in seats over the semester, as early as possible. 
      6. The election should run for at most one week (ending three weeks prior to the orientation date). 
      7. Winners of each program’s election, by plurality vote, must be notified by email, and asked if they accept the senator seat. 
      8. In the case of ties, a run-off election ballot (only listing tied contenders for vacant seat(s)) must be created and emailed out to the corresponding class(es) one week prior to the orientation date, running for at least four days. Winners of the run-off election must be promptly notified by email and asked if they accept the seat. 
      9. At least two weeks prior to the orientation date, all programs with newly-filled senator seats must be notified of their new senators. 
      10. At least two weeks prior to the orientation date, all sitting senators must be emailed an invitation to the senator orientation/leadership seminar.  
    4. All senators, new and returning, shall be documented by the VP of Operations. Documents tracking senator point requirements, senator attendance, and senate breakdown by program shall be created by the VP of Operations.