By-Laws of the

Northeastern Student Government Association

Section I

The NSGA student senate shall have eight standing committees.  These committees shall consist of:

• Campus Safety
• External Affairs
• Finance
• Public Relations
• Senate Administration (SAC)
• Standards and Ethics
• Student Services
• Technology

The duties of the said committees shall be outlined in the Senate Rules.

Section II

Elections

A.        The Senate Administration Committee shall deal with all election proceedings in the manner prescribed within these bylaws.  All candidates shall be required to follow the procedures set forth in these bylaws, as well as other campaign procedures prescribed by the Senate Administration Committee.  Any violations shall be dealt with under Section II and Section III of these bylaws.

            1.            Dates for filing and elections

a.            Candidates for the office of NSGA President and Vice-President, shall be elected on the first Wednesday and Thursday in April of each year. The filing period shall open fifteen (15) school days before and shall close five (5) school days before the election. 

b.            Freshmen senators shall be elected on the fifth Wednesday and Thursday after classes begin in the fall.  Filing period for this office shall open on the second Wednesday after classes begin, and close on the fourth Wednesday after classes begin. 

c.            Homecoming King and Queen Elections shall be held on the Thursday and Friday before homecoming.  Filing period for Homecoming King and Queen shall open four (4) Wednesdays before homecoming and close two (2) Wednesdays before homecoming.  d.            Dates and filing periods for special elections shall be set by the Senate Administration Committee.

B.        Filing Requirements:

1.            Executive Offices.  Any student wishing to run for an executive office shall:

• Submit a petition signed by two hundred (200) NSU students with valid social security numbers to the Senate Administration Committee.
• Submit an affidavit to the Senate Administration Committee certifying that the candidate has attended NSU for at least one (1) semester, is a full time student, and is not on academic or disciplinary probation.

2.            Freshmen Senators. Any student wishing to run for Freshmen Senator shall:

a.            Submit a petition to the Senate Administration Committee signed by fifty (50) NSU freshmen with valid social security numbers to the Senate AdministrationCommittee.

b.            Submit an application to the Senate Administration Committee certifying that the applicant is not on academic or disciplinary probation.

C.            Campaign Guidelines:

a.            There shall be no campaigning within the University Center Lobby or in other unauthorized areas.  Additionally, all candidates must comply with the guidelines set by the Office of Student Affairs and the University Center.

b.            There shall be a limit of two hundred dollars ($200) spent by any candidate in any presidential or vice-presidential election.

c.            All candidates shall keep records of all funds spent in the process of campaigning for an office. 

d.            Free or donated supplies or services requested by the candidate or their representatives shall be considered by the Senate Administration committee at fair market value.  Receipts for all supplies and services shall be submitted to the chairmen of the Senate Administration Committee by noon of election day.

e.            There shall be a limit of one hundred dollars ($100) spent by any candidate in any non-presidential or vice-presidential election.

f.            The Senate Administration Committee shall present any complaints that any candidate has violated campaign guidelines or any provision of the bylaws to the Supreme Court of the NSGA.

D.            Polling Procedures:Polls shall be open no less than a total of twelve (12) hours on the designated days of the election.

                   1.            Polling Places:

a.            Only poll workers may remain at the polling table more than five (5) minutes.

b.            Candidates may inspect the box before it is set out on election day.

c.            Poll workers may not wear campaign materials or influence a student’s vote.

d.            If for any reason a box cannot be watched, it must be returned to the NSGA or Student Affairs office.

E. Voting Procedures:

1.             All students may cast a vote in the race for each election of NSGA   Executive offices, each constitutional amendment, and any other measure affecting the individual student.

2.             Any student wishing to vote must present his or her student ID and be verified by a poll worker as eligible to vote.

3.             No absentee ballots of any kind shall be permitted.

F.            Runoffs:

1.            In the election for NSGA President and Vice-President the candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared the winner. Majority is considered one (1) vote more than fifty percent (50%) of total votes cast.

2.            If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two candidates receiving the most votes shall enter a runoff. The candidates then receiving the most votes shall be declared the winner. Runoff elections, when necessary, shall be held one (1) week after the main election. Each candidate in any presidential or vice-presidential runoff shall be allowed an additional seventy-five ($75) dollars for campaign purposes.

G.             Pictures:

1.            All presidential and vice-presidential candidates shall be required to have their pictures taken by the NSU photo services for display in the lobby of the University Center.

2.             All freshmen senator candidates shall be required to have their pictures taken by the NSU photo services for display in the lobby of the University Center.

3.            All Homecoming candidates shall be required to have their pictures taken by the NSU photo services for display in the lobby of the University Center.

SECTION III

            Violations and Special Senate Elections.

• Persons guilty of violating any of the aforementioned election procedures or of any other procedures prescribed by the Senate Administration committee, as determined by the Supreme Court of the NSGA, shall be dealt with by any or all of the following:
• In dealing with minor offenses:
• Termination of the candidate’s eligibility,
• Punishment, for each separate offense, by a fine not to exceed two-hundred and fifty dollars ($250), which must be paid to the outgoing NSGA Vice President for deposit into the NSGA account before the candidate-elect may be sworn in or hold any other NSGA office.
• In dealing with only the most severe violations:
• Disqualification from holding any NSGA office that the Supreme Court deems fit,
• Disqualification from holding a position on a standing university committee,
• Disciplinary action from the Office of Student Affairs,
• Special elections of the NSGA Senate shall be conducted in the manner provided for in the senate rules.

SECTION IV

The Oklahoma Student Government Association:

• The President of the NSGA shall represent the NSGA in an official capacity at all meetings and functions of the Oklahoma Student Government Association (OSGA) Board of Directors. The President shall also report to the Senate at least once monthly on the important matters under discussion and on relevant state-wide issues of concern to all students.
• The NSGA shall have voluntary or appointed representation at the annual OSGA Conference.
• Individual Senators, Committees and the members of the Executive Branch shall have the power to propose OSGA Resolutions for NSGA to sponsor at the OSGA Conference, provided:
• At least one (1) OSGA Delegate or Alternate shall agree to co-sponsor the proposed OSGA Resolution and work for its passage at the OSGA Conference; That the proposed OSGA Resolution shall be adopted by the Student Senate by a majority vote. Nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent a Senator or Committee from proposing changes to the OSGA Constitution or bylaws.
• The President of the NSGA shall work toward making NSU the host school of the OSGA Conference. In the event that NSU shall become the host school for the OSGA Conference, then the President of the NSGA shall be responsible for fulfilling all of the NSGA’s obligations. The President shall also, by and with the advice and consent of the Student Senate:
• Propose, at his/her discretion, new OSGA By-Laws or Constitutional Amendments,
• Appoint the OSGA Congress Committee Chairs, and
• Appoint all of the other OSGA Officers (that it shall be within the power of the Host School to appoint) that shall be necessary and proper for the conduct of the Conference.

SECTION V

            Executive Officers of the NSGA.

• Secretary of State

1.  The NSGA Secretary of State shall:

• Act as the President’s secretary and administrative assistant;
• Carry on all official correspondences of the NSGA Executive Branch of Government;
• Keep an official list of all NSGA Officers and Senators;
• Assist the President of the NSGA in official functions;
• Codify all legislation passed by the Senate and approved by the President; and,
• Act as the Historian of the NSGA by retaining copies of NSGA documents and photographs.
• By a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the NSGA Senate, the President-Elect of the NSGA shall appoint the NSGA Secretary of State fifteen (15) days after the election. Should the Office of Secretary of State become vacant during the course of the academic year, the President shall have the power to fill the office of Secretary of State, provided two-thirds (2/3) of the Senators present concur.
• Attorney General
• The NSGA Attorney General shall:
• Take charge of all documents belonging to the Senate when requested to do so;
• Issue non-binding, written opinions regarding the Constitution of the NSGA, the bylaws, and proposed amendments as requested to do so by the President or the Senate;
• Argue a case for the Executive Branch of the NSGA when requested to do so by the President;
• Be an ex-officio, non-voting member of all Senate Committees; and
• Advise and assist the President in all legal matters.
• By a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the NSGA Senate, the President-Elect of the NSGA shall have the power to appoint the NSGA Attorney General fifteen (15) days after the election.
• Should the Office of the NSGA Attorney General become vacant during the course of the academic year, then the President shall have the power to fill the office of Attorney General, provided two-thirds (2/3) of the Senators present concur.

SECTION VI

            The Judiciary of the             NSGA.

• The Judicial Power of the Northeastern Student Government Association shall be vested in the Supreme Court of the NSGA. The Supreme Court shall:
• Have the power by a concurrence of four (4) Justices to interpret the Constitution of the NSGA and, as necessary, declare null and void any action of the Legislative Branch or the Executive branch which conflicts with the Constitution;
• Have the power by a concurrence of four (4) Justices to interpret the bylaws of the NSGA and, as necessary, declare null and void any action of the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch which conflicts with the bylaws of the NSGA;
• Conduct a hearing and a trial to consider whether an action of the Legislative Branch or the bylaws. All such hearings and trials shall be conducted in a manner consistent with these bylaws;
• Keep a record of all proceedings, opinions, rulings and actions of the Supreme Court of the NSGA on file in the NSGA Office and make such available to any student upon request, except the records of private Legal Hearings.
• The Justices shall;
• Elect a Chief Justice within ten (10) school days after the selection of all the Justices;
• Individually familiarize themselves with the Constitution and bylaws of the NSGA;
• Not be a voting member of the Senate, but may address the Senate for a specified time in a manner the Senate shall determine.
• The Chief Justice Shall:
• Call and preside over all meeting of the Supreme Court, or designate, in writing, another Justice to do so;
• Call a private meeting of the Supreme Court to consider the validity of petitions filed with the Court;
• Convene all legal hearings of the Supreme Court whenever any two (2) Justices shall deem that any duly filed petition shall merit further investigation;
• Convene a trial to decide issues brought before the Court, provided any two (2) Justices shall deem that there shall be enough evidence to convene a trial;
• Inform, in writing, the President, Vice President, the Senate chairs, and the Office of Student Affairs of the time and place of all hearings and trials at least twenty-four (24) hours before such shall convene;
• Appoint the Bailiff, Court Clerk, and other Judicial Officers they shall deem necessary and appropriate to the operation of the Supreme Court;
• Oversee the administration of the Supreme Court with respect to Court Officers and internal Court procedures;
• Assign the writing of all Supreme Court decisions that shall require an interpretation of the Constitution or of the By-Laws of the NSGA, provided the Chief Justice shall be in the majority;
• Assign the writing of all other Supreme Court documents and papers; and,
• Propose internal Judicial Rules for the operation of the Court, provided such rules are consistent with the Constitution of the Court, provided such rules are consistent with the Constitution and bylaws of the NSGA.
• The Supreme Court shall have the power to prescribe the time, place, and manner for holding all legal hearings and trials, provided such shall be consistent with the Constitution of the NSGA and these By-Laws.
• Whenever five (5) Senators or fifty (50) students shall present to a Justice a petition that shall meet the requirement specified in these bylaws, then the Chief Justice shall call together a private meeting of the Supreme Court to discuss the validity of the petition. However, all petitions that shall allege a violation relating to election provisions of the bylaws (or to any other election procedures that the Senate Administration Committee shall establish) for campaigning for the offices of NSGA President, Vice President, or Student Senator, shall require, to be valid, the signatures of the twenty (20) Senators or sixty (60) students, or the formal request of the majority of the Senate Administration Committee.
• Should any two (2) Justices concur that the petition merits further investigation, then the Chief Justice shall call a legal hearing of the Supreme Court. Three (3) Justices shall have the power to decide if such a legal hearing shall be public or private, but for all legal hearings the court shall keep a record of the proceedings and inform, in writing, all of the parties involved (or alleged to have been involved) in the dispute at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the time that the hearing shall take place.
• All petitions, to be valid, must:
• Be written;
• State precisely the nature of the violation of the Constitution or of the bylaws of the NSGA;
• State the exact action or actions that the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch must not be allowed to take, such actions being only those that shall be alleged to be in violation; and
• Request of the Supreme Court a type of Judicial Relief to correct the violation.
• The purpose of a legal hearing shall be to decide if there shall be sufficient evidence to hold a trial.
• At such hearing, the Justices shall hear arguments from the parties that brought the petition and from parties that dispute the petition. The court may hear or examine other evidence as they deem necessary.
• The court shall then decide if there shall be sufficient evidence to conduct a trial. If two (2) Justices so concur, then the Supreme Court shall name the case, recognize counselors the petitioner(s) and the respondent(s), and establish a time, place, and general manner for the conduct of a trial.
• Under no circumstances shall the Supreme Court issue a final decision relating to the substance of a case during a hearing, except that the Court may determine that there shall be insufficient evident to conduct a trial and thereby dismiss the case.
• The purpose of a trial shall be to decide the final outcome of a case. For a trial to be valid, a representative of the Office of Student Affairs must be present during the trial proceedings.
• At such trial, the petitioner and the respondent shall both be granted the opportunity to argue their case before the Supreme Court, to obtain and present evidence, and to compel the attendance of witnesses for testimony. The Supreme Court shall also retain the right to question witnesses and rule on the validity of all evidence.
• Consistent with the general principles of Oklahoma Civil Procedure, the Burden of Proof at all such trials shall be upon the petitioners, and both the petitioner and the respondent shall be granted approximately equal amounts of time to argue and present their cases.
• After the petitioner and the respondent shall have each presented their case, the Chief Justice shall declare the Supreme Court to be in recess until such time as it shall reach a decision. For the purpose of deciding a case, the Justices of the Supreme Court may elect to meet in private, and all cases shall be decided within ten (10) school days or before the conclusion of the current Spring semester, or the case shall be dismissed and shall not be renewed.

H.

1.             The Supreme Court may issue temporary restraining orders whenever three (3) Justices shall determine that it shall be necessary to prevent the Legislative or Executive Branches of the NSGA, or any sub-groups, or Officer(s), or Member(s) thereof, from taking actions that shall be alleged in a duly filed petition to violate the Constitution or the bylaws of the NSGA. The Supreme Court shall not prevent the legislative or Executive Branches of the NSGA, or any sub-groups, or Officer(s), or Member(s) thereof, from performing duly filed petition. Temporary Restraining Orders shall remain effective no longer than ten (10) school days, unless the Court, as the consequence of a trial, shall renew such.

2.            All Temporary Restraining Orders shall take effect immediately upon the issuance of a true copy of the order to the President or the Vice President of the NSGA (in the President’s absence) and to the party or parties to be restrained. Issuance shall mean: the physical delivery of the order by a judicial officer to the President (or the Vice President) and to the parties to be restrained.

3.            The Supreme Court may issue a Subpoena, provided three (3) Justices concur, for the purpose of requiring the presence of witnesses for the purpose of presenting testimony at a hearing or at a trial, or for the purpose of obtaining physical evidence. Subpoenas shall become effective whenever a Judicial Officer shall present a true copy to the person subpoenaed and/or to the owner of the physical evidence.

4.            All Temporary Restraining Orders and Subpoenas, to be valid, shall be issued between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm during the school days. Twenty-four (24) hours shall be allotted for the gathering of physical evidence requested by a subpoena.

            I.

1.            Whenever four (4) Justices of the Supreme Court shall not precisely agree as to the interpretation of the Constitution of the NSGA, then the Chief Justice shall file the opinions of the Justices in the NSGA Office and dismiss the case in favor of the respondent.

2.             Whenever three (3) Justices of the Supreme Court shall not precisely agree as to the interpretation of the By-Laws of the NSGA, then the Chief Justice shall file the opinions of the Justice in the NSGA Office and dismiss the case in favor of the respondent.

J.        

1.            By a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the NSGA Senate, the President Elect of the NSGA shall have the power to appoint the Supreme Court  fifteen (15) days after the election.

2.             Should any office of the supreme Court become vacant during the course of the academic year, the President shall have the power to fill the Supreme Court office, provided two-thirds (2/3) of the Senators present concur.

3.            Any senator who shall fail to comply with the orders or decisions of the Supreme Court of the NSGA shall be considered in contempt of the Supreme Court, and shall be punished in a manner that the Senate shall deem appropriate, or by the Office of Student Affairs.

4.            Any member of the Executive Branch that shall fail to comply with the orders or decisions of the Supreme Court shall be considered in contempt of the Supreme Court and may be punished by action taken by the President of the NSGA, by the Senate or by the Office of Student Affairs.

5.             Any student who shall have violated the election procedures established in the bylaws of the NSGA shall be punished in accordance with Section III of the bylaws.

K.            The Supreme Court shall have the power to conduct a Moot Court Competition at times during the academic year which shall be convenient. Such Competition shall be open to any NSU student, and for the purposes of conducting such, the Supreme Court shall:

1.            Establish the time, place, and manner of the Competition at least fifteen (15) school days in advance of its beginning;

2.            Prepare all of the case(s) that shall be necessary for the participants to argue;

3.            Supply all participants with the Rules of Supreme Court procedure and decorum;

            4.            Determine the Rules for the evaluation of each participant;

            5.             Evaluate each participant;

6.            Present the three (3) best participants with recognition for their achievement; and,

7.            Request from the Senate appropriate funding for the purposes of conducting the competition.

SECTION VII

NSGA Officer Salaries

• The President of the NSGA shall receive a compensation not to exceed allocated budget amounts of ten (10) hours per week at a minimum wage.
• The Vice-president of the NSGA shall receive a compensation not to exceed allocated budget amounts of ten (10) hours per week at a minimum wage.
• The Speaker of the NSGA Senate shall receive a compensation not to exceed allocated budget amounts of ten (10) hours per week at minimum wage.
• The NSGA Secretary of State shall receive a compensation not to exceed allocated budget amounts of ten (10) hours per week at minimum wage.

SECTION VIII

Miscellaneous

• To be eligible to have a Senator, an organization must meet the following requirements:
• Have a minimum of ten (10) members,
• Have a written constitution or bylaws, including a no hazing, non-discrimination statement, that give the organization an expectation of continuity.
• Be recognized as a campus organization by the Office of Student Affairs.
• Organizations shall be counted present or absent only during roll call. After roll call is complete, organizations arriving late may not receive credit for attending the meeting.
• Roll call consists of the Secretary of State calling each organizations name, allowing each organization in attendance to be given credit for attending the meeting.
• At the end of roll call, the organizations not recognized by the Secretary of State will have an opportunity to receive credit for attending theSenate meeting through an additional roll call.
• The Honorable Student Senate of Northeastern State University is currently the sole representing body of the student(s) and the organization(s) at Northeastern State University. NSGA being held accountable for such they request and require that any and all representing person(s) of NSGA maintain an order of business that is honorable, yet functional to the student(s) of whom they represent. NSGA also requests and requires that the guidelines set forth in these governing documents be followed without waiver to better embody the student(s) of Northeastern State University.

• Organizations will meet all requirements set forth in the By-Laws of NSGA before any consideration for representation and/or funding by appropriations will be considered.
• Organizations that do not meet the requirements and continually do not comply after due reminders of infractions will not be represented in the body and shall be disciplined by such upon due documentation requesting such.
• NSGA retains the right to reject and/or revoke organizations and their charters from Northeastern State University because of recurring infractions and/or any violation(s) the Honorable Student Senate of Northeastern State University finds necessary for such by documentation.
• Excessive absences will not be tolerated by the Honorable Student Senate of NSU and any more than three (3) absences will constitute as an infraction and the appropriate steps for rejection/revoking of the organization in question will begin if no validations of absences are presented.
• A formal protest, documented infractions/violations, and written resolution calling for the rejection/revoking of a Northeastern State University Organization and its charter must be presented to the Executive Board of the Honorable Student Senate of Northeastern State University and sent through a legislative committee before any action will take place against the representative organization. If the resolution is passed by the committee the legislative process will continue and the determining factor of the organization rejection/revoking from NSU will be by majority vote of the Honorable Student Senate of Northeastern State University.