Friday, March 12, 1965
The Daily Nebraskan
Page 3
of the University of Nebraska, with the consent
of the Board of Regents, do hereby ordain and es
tablish this constitution for the administration of
student government.
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the As
sociation of Students of the University of Nebras
ka, herein referred to as the Association.
Article II. Purposes
The purposes of this organization shall be to
act as the supreme student governing body in
the regulation and coordination of all phases of
student self government and to serve as an agency
through which relationship between administration,
faculty, and students and between the general pub
lic and students may be maintained.
Article 111. Membership
All regularly enrolled students in the Univer
sity of Nebraska, at Lincoln, shall be members of
the Association and shall be entitled to take part
In all activities of the Association as hereinafter
outlined.
Article IV. Powers
The Association, acting through its appropriate
organs, shall have the following powers, in so far
as these powers do not conflict with general Univer
sity regulations established by the Board of Re
gents. Section 1. Towers Relating to Organizations.
A. To recognize all proposed new student organ
izations and to approve their constitutions, with
out which recognition and approval an organiza
tion shall not be permitted to function.
B. To establish, by majority vote of the Student
Senate, new and uniform conditions for the contin
ued approval of existing student organizations, to
demand compliance with said new conditions with
in a reasonable and stated length of time, and to
revoke, by conviction in Student Court, the con
stitutions and rights to function of organizations
failing to comply.
C. To schedule and-or conduct all student elec
tions of general University interest, not excluding
those for contests sponsored by subordinate organ
izations. Section 2. Powers relating to Ad Hoc Assemblies.
A. To organize and-or control all student rallies
or demonstrations.
B. To organize and-or control all student mig
rations. Section 3. Powers relating to Removal or Disquali
fication. A. To suspend or dismiss from office, by con
viction in Student Court, any student executive of
the government of the Association who shall refuse
to carry its legislation into effect.
B. To disqualify, suspend or dismiss from As
sociation office, for a stated length of time, by
conviction of the Student Court, any student who
shall violate duly-enacted ordinances, regulations
or other legislation of the Association.
Section 4. Powers relating to Liaison.
To serve as liaison between students and fac
ulty, between students and the Board of Regents
and-or their representatives, between students and
the state legislature, and between students and the
general public at such time as the general wel
fare of the students and-or the University shall re
quire such service.
Section 5. Powers relating to General Welfare.
To exercise any other powers necessary for the
general welfare of the students.
Section 6. Powers of Implementation.
To enact such legislation as may be necessary
for the execution of the powers granted in this
Article.
Article V. Organs
The legislative, executive and judicial organs of
the Association shall be as follows:
Section 1. The Student Senate, hereinafter referred
to as the Senate.
A. Composition. The Senate shall consist of thir
ty five (35) elected members with voting privi
leges, the President and Vice President of the As
sociation, and two faculty representatives, all or
whom shall serve without voting privileges except
as hereinafter noted.
1. Elected members. The elected members
shall be chosen by direct apportionment from the
colleges of the University of Nebraska in accord
ance with Article V below.
2. Replacements for elected members. In case
of a vacancy in elected representatives, a replace
ment to fill out the unexpired term shall be elected
by the Senate from those who have submitted writ
ten applications for the position. The replacement
shall meet all the regular requirements of the of
fice. 3. Faculty representatives. Two faculty mem
bers shall be appointed by the Faculty Commit
tee on Student Affairs from nominations submitted
by the Student Senate.
B. . Eligibility.
1. Elected members. To be eligible for election
to the Senate, a candidate must:
a. Be a regularly enrolled member of the col
lege he proposes to represent and agree in writing
to resign if he should terminate his enrollment
in that college during the term of office for which
he seeks election.
b. Be regularly enrolled as a full-time student,
either as an undergraduate or as a graduate stu
dent. c. Meet University regulations for participa
tion in extra-curricular activities.
2. Faculty representatives. To be eligible for
appointment as faculty representative, a nominee
must hold rank of assistant professor or higher.
C. .Terms of Office.
1. Elected members. Elected members shall as
sume office one week after the Spring general elec
tion and shall serve for one year.
2. Faculty representatives. Faculty representa
tives shall have terms of two years. Terms shall
be staggered.
Section 2. The Association Executive.
A.. The President.
1. Election. The President of the Association
shall be chosen by plurality vote at the Spring
general election under the provisions of Article VI,
below. , t.
2. Eligibility. To be eligible for election to the
Presidency of the Association, a candidate must:
a. Meet all University regulations for partici
pation in extra-curricular activities.
b. Have completed twenty seven (27) Univer
sity approved credit hours and the previous semes
ter in residence.
3. Term of Office. The term of office of the
President of the Association shall be the same as
that of an elected member of the Senate.
4. Replacement. In case the President of the
Association shall become unable to fulfill his duties
by reason of disqualification, disability, death, or
impeachment and conviction, the Vice-president of
the Association shall assume the powers and du
ties of the office and serve for the remainder of
the original term.
B. The Vice-President.
1. Election, Eligibility, and Term of Office. The
election, eligibility, and term of office of the Vice
President of the Association shall be identical with
those of the President of the Association.
2. Replacement. In case the Vice President of
the Association shall become unable to fulfill
his duties by reason of disqualification, disabili
ty, death, or impeachment and conviction, or in
the event of the succession of the Vice-President
to the President, the Speaker Pro-Tempore of the
Senate shall assume the power, duties, and re
sponsibilities of the office of the Vice Presidency,
including the succession to the Presidency in the
event of the vacating of that office, for the re
mainder of the original term.
C.The Student Cabinet.
1. Composition. The Student Cabinet shall com
prise an advisory body appointed by the President.
All appointments shall require approval by a
majority vote of the Senate. This body must in
clude the following:
a. Secretary of Organizations for Honoraries
and Professional Fraternities, Sororities and Soci
eties. b. Secretary of Organizations for Regulatory
Organizations, to include IFC, Pan-Hellenic, all dor
mitory government bodies, AWS, IWA and ICC.
c. Secretary of Organizations for Activities, to
include all other organizations.
2. Eligibility. To be eligible for appointment
to the Student Cabinet, a nominee must be regu
larly enrolled as a full-time student, either as an
undergraduate or as a graduate student, and must
meet the University requirements for participation
in extra-curricular activities.
3. Term of Office. A member of the Student
Cabinet shall serve as the President of the Associa
tion directs.
D. . Director of Records.
1. Eligibility. To be eligible for appointment
as Director of Records, a nominee must be regu
larly enrolled as a full-time student, either as an
undergraduate or as a graduate student, and must
meet the University requirements for participation
in extra-curricular activities.
2. Term of Office. The Director of Records
shall serve as the President of the Association
directs.
E. .The Executive Committee. The Senate shall
elect three of its members to serve with the Presi
dent and Vice-President of the Association as an
Executive Committee. The faculty advisers shall
serve in an advisory capacity to. this body.
Section 3. The Student Court.
A. Composition. The Student Court shall consist
of one Chief Justice and six Associate Justices ap
pointed by the President of the Association. These
appointments shall be approved by at least two
thirds of the membership of the Senate 30 class
days prior to the Spring general election. The Chief
Justice shall at all times be a student in the
College of Law.
B. . Eligibility. To be eligible for appointment to
the Student Court a nominee must:
1. Be regularly enrolled as a full-time student
with a cumulative grade point average of at least
six.
2. If an undergraduate, have at least junior
standing.
3. Meet all University regulations for par
ticipation in extracurricular activities.
C. .Terms of Office. All Justices shall serve for
one academic year commencing the first day of
classes in the fall and terminating the last day of
finals the following spring.
D. . Vacancies. Vacancies on the Student Court
shall be filled within 10 class days according to
the procedure outlined for the selection of origi
nal members.
Article VI. Elections
Section 1. The Electoral Commission.
A. . Composition. The electoral commission shall
consist of five Commissioners, two of whom shall
be the faculty representatives to the Student Sen
ate, one of whom shall be appointed by the Presi
dent of the Association and shall serve as Direc
tor, one of whom shall be elected by a majority
vote of the Senate, one of whom shail be selected
by the Student Court from its own membership
by a majority vote of that body.
B. Eligibility. To be eligible for appointment to
a non-faculty seat on the Electoral Commission, a
nominee must be a regularly enrolled full-time
student, and meet University regulations for
participation in extra-curricular activities.
C. Term of Office. Student members of t h e
Commission shall be nominated before the third
full week of classes of each semester of each regu
lar academic year and shall serve for the re
mainder of that semester.
D. . Duties. The duties of the Electoral Commis
sion shall be:
1. To announce filings and schedule election
dates for all elections conducted by the Association.
2. To publicize dates and procedures for fil
ings and elections, and to issue at the request of
candidates advisory opinions as to the legality of
proposed methods in election campaigns.
3. To establish polling places and to supervise
the balloting at each polling place, either in person
or through agents authorized and announced by the
Commission one week prior to the election.
4. To tabulate the ballots, with at least three
Commissioners being present and at least one of
them being a faculty representative.
5. To seal the ballots, tabulations, and compu
tations and deliver them to the senior faculty rep
resentative for safekeeping for a thirty-day period.
6. To announce the complete results of the elec
tion to the press, including the number of votes
cast for each candidate, and to be prepared, upon
request, to issue a break-down of Presidential
votes and votes cast on amendments and refer
enda by colleges.
E. . Powers. The electoral Commission shall
have power to:
1. Initiate, by majority vote of all its members,
prosecutions in Student Court for infractions of
electoral laws or rules.
2. Annul, by a four-fifths majority of all its
members any election for good cause and to re
schedule it within 10 class days.
3. Reapportionment. The electoral commission
shall reapportion by direct apportionment the rep
resentation of the Student Senate among the sever
al colleges of the University according to the en
rollment of the second semester. The apportion
ment shall be completed and the results published
by the first day of April.
4. Establish at the beginning of each semester
regulations with the consent of the Senate.
F. .The Commission shall be responsible to the
President of the Association.
t
Article VII. Powers of the Various
Organs
Section 1. The Student Senate.
The Senate elected under this Constitution shall
have the following powers:
A. . To determine its own rules of procedure,
provided that such rules do not infringe upon pow
ers granted by this Constitution to other organs of
the Association.
B. To elect its own officers, among them a
Speaker Pro-Tempore to act in the absence of the
Vice-President, and to specify the length of their
terms.
C. To enact regulations, ordinances, statements
of policy, and other legislation of the Association
by simple majority, provided that at least two
thirds majority of the members are present and
voting.
D. To enact Organic Acts of the Association,
i.e., acts concerned with functions of the Associa
tion as noted elsewhere in this Constitution, by
a two-thirds majority of the entire voting member
ship of the Senate.
E. .To adopt, in the name of the Association,
resolutions on public issues.
F. To adopt recommendations concerning af
fairs which affect the University at large by sim
ple majority, provided that at least two-thirds of
the members vote, and to present those recom
mendations to the University official concerned.
G. .To authorize expenditures by the Treasur
er of the Association according to the procedures
of Article VIII below, and to initiate Association
assessments.
H. To call itself into special session on 24
hour's notice by a petition signed by at least one
third of the voting membership of the Senate and
deposited with the Vice-President, or by a vote to
this effect by one-third of the Senate member
ship, or by receipt of a petition signed by five
per cent of the voting members of the Association
and deposited with the Vice-President.
I. To initiate by a majority secret ballot of
the Senate action in the Student Court to remove
any Senator for good cause,
J. To impeach, by a two-thirds majority of the
entire voting membership, the President or Vice
President of the Association, or a Justice of the
Student Court for malfeasance of office, and to ap
point prosecutors.
K..To establish by Organic Act procedures for
the recognition of new student organizations and
the approval of their constitutions.
L..To enact, alter, or amend regulations per
taining to all student organizations in the interests
of the University as a whole.
M..To sponsor, authorize, or regulate rallies,
assemblies, and convocations of students and stu
dent migrations, subject to the restrictions of the
By-Laws of the Board of Regents.
N..To establish such permanent or ad hoc leg
islative committees as it sees fit, providing that
permanent committees be established by Organic
Act.
0. To express student opinions and attitudes,
through its separate members, on all issues and
aspects of student life as those opinions and at
titudes exist in the college community.
Section 2. The Association Executive Branch.
A. . President. The President of the Associa
tion, chosen under this Constitution shall, acting
personally or through a member of the Student
Cabinet empowered by him in writing, have the
following powers:
1. To introduce in the Student Senate measures
designated as 'Government Bills.'
2. To set the agenda, by notice given in writing
to the Vice-President at least 24 hours prior to
each regular Student Senate meeting, which agenda
may be altered only by a two-thirds majority of
those voting, and subject to Article IX, Section 1.
3. To order the Electoral Commission to sched
ule and conduct within eight days a referendum on
a. Any Government Bill not passed in its origi
nal form within eight days after its introduction.
b. Any non-Government Bill passed by the
Senate.
4. To enact by decree any Government bill ap
proved at a referendum, or to declare null and
void any bill rejected at a referendum.
5. To call special sessions of the Senate on 24
hours notice by means of a request to that effect
deposited with the VicePresident.
6. To prosecute student organizations or indivi
dual students before the Student Court for violation
of duly enacted legislation of the Association.
7. To be responsible for the execution of all
provisions of the Constitution and Organic Acts,
to carry out duly-enacted legislation of the Senate,
and to report all such executive action to the Sen
ate. 8. To submit an annual budget in accordance
with Article VIII of this Constitution for approval
by the Senate.
9. To represent the Association in a ceremonial
capacity and to state student opinion before public
and official assemblies, and in correspondence.
10. To approve, by affixing his signature with
in eight class days, all legislation enacted by the
Senate, or to veto it within eight class days, and
to submit a statement of his objections to the
Senate at their next regular meeting after the
veto, at w hich time the veto may be subject to re
versal by two-thirds majority of all voting Senate
members.
11. To present an annual written report sum
marizing the past year's activities of the Associa
tion at the first meeting following the Spring gen
eral election.
12. To appoint Student Cabinet members, sub
pect to Senate approval to specify their duties,
and to change their duties as he may deem fit,
both to be by written instrument, provided such
action does not conflict with other provisions of
this Constitution.
13. To remove any Student Cabinet member by
written instrument which shall be filed with the
Director of Records.
14. To preside over meetings of Student Assem
blies sponsored by the Association.
15. To preside over meetings of the Execu
tive Committee.
16. To appoint the Senate Committee Chair
man with the approval of the Executive Committee.
17. To appoint the Director of Records.
B. . Vice-President. The Vice-President of the
Association shall have the following powers.
1. To succeed to the Presidency in the event of
the vacating of that office.
2. To exercise the powers of the President in
the absence of that officer.
3. To preside over meetings of the Student Sen
ate. 4. To assume such duties as shall be assigned
him in writing by the President of the Association.
5. To remove, by decree, any member of the
Senate upon three unexcused absences.
C. The Student Cabinet. The individual mem
bers of the Student Cabinet shall have such powers
as the President of the Association may delegate
v
them in writing, provided such delegations do not
infringe upon the provisions of this Constitution.
The Secretaries of Organizations shall be responsi
ble to the President for the execution of any legisla
tion passed by the Senate pertaining to organiza
tions, for the maintainence of good relations be
tween organizations, and to serve as a liaison be
tween organizations and the Association organs,
D. Director of Records. The Director of Rec
ords shall be responsible to the President for the
maintainance of clear and orderly records of the
Association, including all minutes, legislation, de
crees, and correspondence. He shall also rec
ommend to the President for appointment the fol
lowing officers, to be subordinate to the Director.
1. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be required
to 1) aid the President in the preparation of the
annual budget, and aid him in its presentation in
accordance with Article VIII, 2) keep all financial
records of the Association and submit financial re
ports upon request, 3) correlate his activities with
the office of the Director of Student Activities.
2. Recording Secretary. The Recording Secre
tary shall be required to 1) keep the minutes of all
meetings of the Senate and the Cabinet, 2) submit
for weekly publication in the Daily Nebraskan a
complete account of the action of the Senate and
Cabinet, 3) submit all legislation in written form
to the President.
3. Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding
Secretary shall be required to 1) conduct neces
sary correspondence for the Association, 2) assume
the duties of the Recording Secretary in his ab
sence. E. . Executive Committee. The Executive Com
mittee shall serve as a coordinating body between
the Legislative and Executive branches of the As
sociation. The Executive Committee shall approve
appointments of Senate Committee Chairmen made
by the President.
Section 3. Student Court
A. . Nature of Judicial Function of Student Gov
ernment. Nothing herein is to be construed as lim
iting or supplanting any of the rights, privileges,
immunities, or obligations of each student under
the rules and regulations of the University of Ne
braska Board of Regents, the ordinances of the
City of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the laws and con
stitutions of the State of Nebraska and the United
States of America, but the provisions herein are
to be a process in addition to those rights, privi
leges, immunities and obligations.
B. Judicial Powers: The judicial power of fhe
Student Court shall extend to the following con
troveries: 1. Matters of impeachment.
2. Matters of interpretation of this constitution.
3. Matters of contested elections.
4. Matters concerning organizations when re
ferred to the Court by the University of Nebraska
administration, the Student Senate, or an indivi
dual student.
5. Other matters arising under the bylaws, or
ganic acts, or ordinances of the Student Senate, or
the exercise of the powers of the President or Vice
President of the Associated Students of the Univer
sity of Nebraska."
C. Rules: The Student Court shall operate un
der and be governed by such rules and regulations
as the Student Senate shall adopt by ordinance or
organic act, except that such rules and regulations
shall not infringe upon any of the powers herein
granted to the Student Court.
D. . Disposition of Matters: Parties involved in
a decision of the Student Court shall have an ap
peal to the Faculty Senate Committee on Student
Affairs where that committee grants such an ap
peal. The decisions of the Student Court, where
not altered by the Faculty Senate Committee on
Student Affairs on appeal, shall be complied with
and enforced by the legislative and executive
branches created in this Constitution. The Student
Court may also recommend to the appropriate Uni
versity office appropriate penalties or sanctions in
any controversy.
E. . Rights of students and student organiza
tions. In addition to the rights, privileges, immuni
ties and obligations which each member of the
Associated Students of the University of Nebraska
holds under the rules and regulations of the Uni
versity of Nebraska Board of Regents, the ordi
nances of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the
laws and constitutions of the State of Nebraska
and the United States of America, it is herein rec
ognized that:
1. The right of each student and each stu
dent organization to local, speedy and just deter
mination of controversies wholly confined within
the community of the University of Nebraska.
2. The right of any student against whom dis
ciplinary action is contemplated by the University
of Nebraska to be informed of and receive a hear
ing concerning the alleged conduct on which such
contemplation is tiased.
3. The right of each student through representa
tives to participate in a process by which discip
linary action against any other student is or is not
recommended to t h e University administration,
and a process by wiich controversies arising within
student government and organizations are settled.
F. . Relationship of Student Tribunal. The chart
er of the Student Tribunal of the University of
Nebraska is hereby recognized as the official state
ment of authority for that body. The Student Sen
ate of the Associated Students of the University of
Nebraska is hereby charged with all duties and
empowered with all functions charged to the "stu
dent council" under the charter of the Student
Tribunal. The Student Senate is further charged
with the duty of requiring periodical reports from
the Student Tribunal, which reports shall reveal
to the Student Senate the nature and value of the
Student Tribunal's operation to the declarations
contained in subsections A. and E. of this section.
Section 4. The Association. The Association, acting
by petition, shall have the following powers:
A. . Initiative. By a petition signed by at least
three per cent of the regularly-enrolled full-time
students, to introduce a measure in the Senate.
If, after fifteen days, the Senate shall not have
passed the measure in its original form, another pe
tition in its favor, signed by no fewer than five
per cent of the regularly-enrolled full-time students,
shall require the Electoral Commission to schedule
and conduct a referendum on it within eight class
days. Approval by such a referendum shall require
the President of the Association to enact it by
decree.
B. Referendum. By petition signed by at least
five per cent of the regularly-enrolled full-time stu
dents, to suspend the enactment of any measure
other than the budget passed by Senate, and to
require the Electoral Commission to schedule and
conduct a referendum on it within eight class days.
Rejection of the measure in such a referendum
shall require the President of the Association to
declare it null and void.
C. Recall.
1. By a petition signed by 35 per cent of all the
regularly-enrolled full-time students enrolled in a
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