PREAMBLE
The Stuyvesant High School Student Union will serve to promote, encourage and co-ordinate student clubs, societies, sports and social activities. It will serve to represent the interests of the student body and act as a channel of communication in dealing with the administration and other independent institutions. It will work to ensure that the voice of the student body is heard in all discussion of school policy. The Student Union will be composed of many students, those elected, and those appointed, who wish to better the Stuyvesant community. No student who truly shows an interest in investing his or her time in the Student Union shall be turned away. No student’s request of help from, or query to, the Student Union shall go unheard or rejected out of hand.
Article I. Name of Organization
The representative government of the student body of Stuyvesant High School shall be referred to in this Constitution as the Student Union.
Article II. Constituency
Section 1. The constituents of Student Union shall consist of all students of Stuyvesant High School. This group may also be referred to as the constituency.
Section 2. Constituents shall have the right to vote in Student Union elections.
Section 3. Only constituents of the Student Union may hold office.
Section 4. Throughout this Constitution, the pronouns he/him/his shall be gender neutral.
Article III. Equality
All constituents shall be given equal opportunity and equal treatment under the rules, regulations, law and Constitution of the Student Union. All official documents of the Student Union must reflect this belief. This is not inclusive of those publications that, although funded by the Student Union, do not reflect the views of the Student Union as a whole.
Article IV. Powers and Jurisdiction
Section 1. Representation The Student Union shall have the power to represent its constituents within the Stuyvesant High School community
Section 2. Requirements to Hold Office
- No constituent may hold more than one Student Union office at the same time.
- Any elected office defined in this constitution or the Class Council Constitution, as well as any appointed office that must be confirmed by the COSA, shall be considered a Student Union office.
- Editors of The Spectator must either resign from his position or rescind his rights to participate in Executive and Budgetary decisions as outlined in Article VII if appointed to any position in the Student Union, except positions in Student Involvement and Grade Advisory Councils.
- Staff members of The Spectator may hold any position in the Student Union, but may not be involved any actions that will infringe upon the independence and sovereignty of the two bodies.
Section 3. Supremacy This Constitution shall supersede all other Constitutions, documents, and other related governing instruments of the Student Union Government and all Student-Operated Organizations.
Section 4. Legal This Constitution shall be enacted in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, and school policies, but the Student Union shall not be responsible for the enforcement of such laws and policies.
Article V. Elected Officials
Ten elected officials will represent the Stuyvesant student body in the Student Union. A list of their titles and duties follows.
Section 1. The Student Union President who shall:
- Serve in the highest level of elective office in the SU.
- Be the chief representative of the student body in all significant debates, negotiations and meetings.
- Represent the consensus view of the Student Union in school meetings.
- Oversee all SU activities and assume responsibility for all projects.
- Serve on the School Leadership Team [Article VII].
- Appoint cabinet positions. The SU President may create new temporary cabinet positions deemed necessary. These cabinet members will not vote in the Executive Council without a constitutional amendment. [Article VI] The SU President can dismiss any non-elected members of the SU but must re-appoint all constitutionally outlined positions in a timely manner.
- Be elected by a popular vote in the election held during the Spring term and take office on the last day of the school year.
- Veto or sign resolutions, charters, amendments, or allocations passed by the Executive Council and the Budget Committee [Article VII].
- Serve as a vetoing member of the Budget Committee.
- Chair meetings of the Executive Council.
Section 2. The Student Union Vice-President who shall
- Assist the SU President in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities.
- Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council and the Budget Committee.
- Serve on the School Leadership Team.
- Fulfill the responsibilities of the President in his or her absence, removal from office, or sickness.
- Be elected on the same ticket as the SU President, by popular vote in an election held during the Spring term and take office on the last day of the school year.
Section 3. The Presidents of the Freshman and Sophomore Classes who shall:
- Represent the views of their class in all inter-Student Union discussions, and the consensus view of the Student Union in all school meetings where they are present.
- Lead his/her grade in special projects that the grade wishes to undertake for its own or the school’s benefit.
- Promote spirit, unity and activity within his or her grade.
- Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council and the Budget Committee.
- Appoint one student from every homeroom when attainable to a Class Advisory Council to consult monthly on issues of importance to the grade.
- Be elected in the Fall term, by popular class-wide vote, and take office on the last day of the school year.
- Serve as Class President until new elections are held and the winners assume office.
Section 4. The Vice-Presidents of the Freshman and Sophomore Classes who shall:
- Assist their Class President in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities.
- Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council and Budget Committee.
- Fulfill the responsibilities of the Class President in his or her absence, removal from office, or sickness.
- Be elected in the Fall term, on the same ticket as Class President, by popular class-wide vote and take office on the last day of the school year.
- Serve as Class Vice-President until new elections are held and winners assume office.
Section 5. The President of the Junior and Senior Class who shall:
- Represent the views of his/her class in all inter-Student Union discussions, and the consensus view of the Student Union in all school meetings where s/he is present.
- Lead his/her grade in special projects that the grade wishes to undertake for its own or the school’s benefit.
- Promote spirit, unity, and activity with his or her grade.
- Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council and Budget Committee.
- Appoint one student from every homeroom when attainable to a Class Advisory Council to consult monthly on issues of importance to the grade.
- Be elected in the Spring term, by popular class-wide vote, and take office on the last day of the school year.
- Select a Cube Coordinator and form a Cube Committee in September that will meet regularly throughout the year to collect items for the filling of the class cube at the end of May. Refer to Cube Constitution.
- Serve as Class President of the Junior and Senior Class until new elections are held and the winners assume office.
Section 6. The Vice-President of the Junior and Senior Class who shall:
- Assist the Class President in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities.
- Serve as a voting member of the Executive Council and Budget Committee.
- Fulfill the responsibilities of the Class President in his/her absence, removal from office, or sickness.
- Be elected in the Spring term, on the same ticket as the Class President, by popular class-wide vote and take office on the last day of the school year.
- Serve as Class Vice-President of the Junior and Senior Class until new elections are held and the winners assume office.
Article VI. Cabinet Positions
There will be necessary cabinet positions appointed by the Student Union president. The cabinet positions include:
Section 1. The Chief of Staff who shall:
- Serve as an advisor to the SU President
- Ensure all SU officials are fulfilling their responsibilities as outlined in the constitution
- Delegate temporary responsibilities for SU events and activities at the request of the Student Union President
- Serve as parliamentarian of the Student Union and attend Executive Council and Budget Committee meetings to ensure that the constitutionally outlined procedures governing such meetings are followed.
Section 2. The Secretary who shall:
- Attend Executive Council and Budget meetings and record detailed minutes
- Take attendance at Executive Council and Budget Committee meetings
- Maintain the Student Union offices
- Keep all SU files in order and up to date.
Section 3. The Executive Council Assistant who shall:
- Serve as an advisor to the Chief of Staff.
- Ensure that all SU responsibilities are being fulfilled.
- Assist temporarily with any member of the SU.
- Take minutes in the absence of the secretary.
Section 4. The Student Union IT Coordinator(s) who shall:
- Design and update the Student Union website and all other non-caucus SU-sponsored websites.
- Maintain the room reservation system and disseminate such information to the administration.
- Provide the capacity for operating applications development, storing, and securing the electronic information the organization owns, and providing direct operating assistance in software use and data management to all functional areas in the organization.
- Assist the Grade Presidents and Vice-Presidents in the design and maintenance of any grade-specific website
Section 5. Chief Financial Officer who shall:
- Be in charge of all financial issues and accounting in the Student Union
- Be responsible for the collection of SU funds
- Chair meetings of the Budget Committee
- Create official SU financial policies
- Report regularly to the Student Union President on the financial status of the Student Union
Section 6. The Budget Directors (3) who shall:
- Assist the Chief Financial Officer in all financial issues in the Student Union
- Participate in the collection of SU funds
- Manage the budget of one of the three SING! Productions
Section 7. The Club/Publication Director(s) who shall:
- Act as a liaison between the Student Union and all school clubs and publications
- Organize the chartering of all clubs and publications.
- Report regularly to the Student Union President on the activities of clubs and publications
- Organize and regulate all fund raisers performed by clubs and publications
Section 8. The Student Union president may appoint Club/Publication Assistant(s) who shall:
- Assist the Club/Publication Director(s) in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities
- Serve as a voting member of the Budget Committee in the absence of the Club/Publication Director(s)
Section 9. The Communication Director(s) who shall:
- Be responsible for the disseminating of Student Union news to the student body
- Coordinate the advertising of opportunities and events with other large, independent non-SU-chartered organizations, including Big Sibs, ARISTA, and Spectator
- Work closely with the IT coordinator(s) to use the Student Union website and Social Networks to better disseminate relevant information
Section 10. The Student Union President may appoint Communication Assistant(s) who shall:
- Assist the Communication Director(s) in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities
- Serve as a voting member of the Budget Committee in the absence of the Communication director(s)
Section 11. The Special Events Coordinator(s) who shall:
- Organize and supervise all school-wide social events sponsored by the Student Union
- Assist the Grade Presidents and Vice-Presidents in the planning and running of any grade-specific social events
- Report regularly to the Student Union President concerning special events
- May create a subcommittee to assist in the planning and running of Student Union-sponsored social events
Section 12. The Student Union President may appoint Special Events Assistant(s) who shall:
- Assist the Special Events Coordinators in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities
- Serve as a voting member on the Budget Committee in the absence of the Special Events Coordinators
Section 13. The SLT Representative who shall:
- Act as a liaison between the administration, Parents Association, and students.
- Regularly report to the Student Union on the happenings of the SLT.
Section 14. The Student Union President may appoint up to three SLT Alternative Representatives who shall:
- Assist the SLT Representative in fulfilling and exercising all of the aforementioned duties and responsibilities.
- Serve as a voting member of the SLT, Executive Council, and Budget Committee in the absence of the SLT Representative.
Article VII. Subcommittees
There are three major committees on which the Student Union officials will sit or control. Apart from those listed below, only those committees created by a majority vote of the Budget Committee or Executive Council and considered subcommittees of those groups, will be considered official.
Section 1. The Executive Council:
- Will be the general legislative body of the Student Union
- Will be a committee consisting of voting members, vetoing members and non-voting members.
- Voting members include the Student Union Vice-President, the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of each grade, the Chief Financial Officer, the Budget Directors, the Club/Publication Director(s), the Communication Director(s), the Special Events Coordinator(s), the IT Coordinator(s) and the Chief of Staff. Non-voting members include all department assistants and the Secretary. The Student Union President retains veto power.
- Will be chaired by the Student Union President, who will not vote on the committee, but will have veto power.
- Will only meet and vote when at least two-thirds of voting members of the entire Executive Council are present.
- Will operate within Robert’s Rule of Order.
- The Suspension of the Rules may take place by unanimous consent.
- In the absence of the SU President, the Executive Council will be chaired by the SU Vice-President.
- Will have its minutes kept by an appointed secretary.
- Any member of the Council not present at a meeting will be absent, and no representative may vote in their place.
- Will be open to all students wishing to attend. Observers may speak at the discretion of the chair.
- Will review current and upcoming Student Union projects, events and/or activities.
- Will deal with any and all official SU matters that are not direct financial allocations, which will be handled by the Budget Committee. These include the passing and amending of all resolutions and charters, the amending of the Constitution [Article X], and removal from office [ Article IX]
- May vote only after language is constructed and recorded which describes the meaning of the measure proposed.
- Will adopt all resolutions, charters, or amendments passed by the committee with a 2/3 vote of the entire Executive Council. The president may announce a veto immediately after the vote is taken. The SU president may not veto a constitutional amendment.
- May override a Presidential veto of any bill passed by the Executive Council with at least a ¾ majority of those attending in favor.
Section 2. The Budget Committee:
- Will be the financial legislative body of the Student Union.
- Will be chaired by the Chief Financial Officer.
- In the absence of the Chief Financial Officer, the Budget Committee will be chaired by a budget director selected by the SU President.
- Will be made up of voting bodies and vetoing bodies as specified in the Budget Committee Meeting Procedures.
- Any member of the Committee not present at a meeting will be absent, and no representative may vote in their place with the exception of an assistant voting in the case of no directors present as outlined in Article VI. In the case of more than one assistants present without a director, assistants must all agree how to vote or abstain.
- Be open to all students on the agenda. To ensure a place on the agenda, all organizations requesting funds must submit an application for funding. Applications must be made available to the student body.
- Deal with any and all financial allocations. Requests for allocations must be formally presented with an exact dollar amount and reasons for allocations specified. The document in which this information is laid out will be called an Allocation.
- Will operate under the Budget Committee Meeting Procedures. A copy of meeting procedures must be made available at all budget meetings. The budget committee meeting procedures are an official student union document that may be amended with a 2/3 vote of the entire Executive Council.
Section 3. The School Leadership Team
- Is a school-run committee composed of parents, teachers, administrators, and students.
- Has a set of by-laws not under the germane of the Student Union. In accordance with these by-laws, the SU is responsible for providing three Student Union officials at each meeting to represent the student body.
- The Student Union President and Vice-President will vote at every meeting. The remaining seat will be appointed by the incoming SU President. The Student Union President may appoint up to three alternate SLT representatives.
Section 4. The Stuyvesant Students’ Forum
- Will be a parliamentary advisory committee to the Student Union composed of various large student organizations including but not limited to: ARISTA, Big Sibs, Building Stuy Community, The Spectator, and The Stuyvesant Theater Community.
- Will be chaired by the SU President.
- In the absence of the SU President, the SU Vice-President will chair the SSF.
- Will meet at least two times each semester and whenever the SU President deems it necessary.
- Will be open to all students.
- Will discuss major issues affecting the student body and will propose agendum to be discussed at SLT meetings.
Article VIII. Compensation
No officers of the Student Union will receive any type of monetary compensation, salary or otherwise, from the Student Union budget for their duties. This legislation shall not be construed to preclude Student Union officers for receiving compensation, monies or otherwise, from funding sources other than the student activity fee or any reimbursement type of payments for moneys spent.
Article IX. Recall
Section 1. Removal from Office: The Executive Council may vote on the removal from office of any Student Union official, elected and appointed. Removal from office specifically means the complete and total relief of duties and title of Student Union official.
Section 2. In order to “QUESTION:” The official in question must have demonstrated a clear lack of dedication or ability. Such a demonstration may be in the form of a lacking attendance rate at meetings, failure to attend major responsibilities, or lack of discretion and ability in handling Student Union matters. A member of the Executive Council must make a motion to “Question” for a removal from office. This motion must be seconded and a vote must be held. If a 2/3 majority votes in favor of Questioning, the procedures outlined in Section 2 will take effect.
Section 3. Questioning: A Questioning hearing is a formal discussion preceding the removal of a Student Union official that all Executive Council members must attend. At the outset of a Questioning hearing, any member of the Executive Council at the meeting may present reasons for the removal. After members have presented reasons, other interested parties at the meeting may also put forth reasons for the removal from office. Following this discussion, the official in Question will answer the reasons previously laid out. At that point, any member of the Committee may make a motion to remove from office or close the Questioning. If no motion is made, then discussion will continue until such a motion is made. If no member of the committee wishes to contribute to the discussion, then the Questioning is tabled until the next meeting. If a motion is made to close the Questioning, it must be seconded in order to vote to close. If it is seconded, then a simple majority vote will close Questioning.
Section 4. Removal from office: If a motion for removal is made and seconded, a 2/3 majority of the entire Executive Council must vote in favor in order to remove an SU official. There will be no Presidential override of a vote to remove
Section 5. In the case of poor character, the SU President may remove an appointed official without a questioning or a vote from the Executive Council. An appointed official is considered to have “poor character” if he or she has incurred three strikes [refer to Section 6].
Section 6. STRIKES- An official can incur a strike by:
- failing to attend a Budget or Executive Council Meeting.
- failing to show up for a shift that he or she is designated to work in.
- failing to display proper decorum in the fulfillment of his responsibilities.
- displaying lack of discretion and ability in handling SU matters.
Given that at least one week’s notice was given prior to the deadline or event, strikes for infractions i and can be given unless written notification with a valid excuse is given at least 2 days in advance.
Section 7. New officials:
- In the case of EC removal or resignation of a Class President, the Class Vice-President will fill the position and nominate another member of that class to become the Class Vice-President. This new Vice-President will be appointed by a 2/3-majority vote of the entire Executive Council.
- In the case of EC removal or resignation of the Student Union President, the Student Union Vice-President will fill the position and nominate another student to become the Student Union Vice-President by a 2/3 majority vote.
- In case of EC removal or resignation of a Class Vice-President, the Class President will nominate another member of that class to become Class Vice-President. This new Vice-President will be appointedby a 2/3-majority vote to the entire Executive Council.
- In the case of EC removal or resignation of a Student Union Vice President, the Student Union President will nominate another student to become the Student Union Vice-President. This new Vice-Presidentwill be appointed by a 2/3-majority vote to the entire Executive Council.
- In case of EC removal or resignation of an appointed official, the Student Union President will appoint another student to fill the position.
Article XI: Petitions
Section 1. Any issue upon which members of the Union wish to express a formal opinion may be presented for consideration in a petition.
Section 2. Petitions shall be registered with the Secretary. In order for a petition to be registered, it shall:
- Be presented in person to the Secretary by an identified sponsor prior to circulation for signatures.
- Identify a sponsor or sponsors of the petition by name. The Secretary shall not be a sponsor.
Section 3. In order for a petition to be validated by the Secretary, it must be signed by at least fifteen percent of the members of the Union. Each signed must state his/her name and 4 digit ID number.
Section 4. Once a petition has been officially validated by the Secretary, it becomes the property of the Union Government and may not be altered in any way.
Section 5. At the next regularly scheduled meeting following validation, there shall:
- Be a presentation of the petition to the Executive Council by the sponsors of the petition.
- Exist the option for the sponsors to withdraw their petition if the majority of the sponsors wish to do so.
Section 6. The petition vote shall occur within fifteen academic days after the presentation of the petition to the Executive Council. At least eight academic days prior to the Union vote, the Secretary shall announce to all members of the Union and all Union media a description of the petition
Section 7. In order to become the official opinion of the Union, a simple majority of the total number of votes cast must be IN FAVOR of the petition. Abstentions shall not be included in the total number of votes when determining a majority.
Section 8. The Secretary shall certify the results of the petition no later than five academic days following the end of the voting period.
Article XII. Amendments
Section 1. Amending the Constitution
- Amendments to this Constitution must be approved by 2/3 vote of the entire existing Executive Council. The Student Union President must approve it.
- All existing SU documents with language contradictory to this Constitution will be considered null and void until the Executive Council amends, with a simple majority, the contradictory elements of such documents.
- All post-passage amendments must be presented to the Executive Council by members of that body. Amendments will be presented and discussed in accordance with Article III. This Constitution will only be amended after passage in cases where 2/3 of the entire existing Executive Council votes in favor of amending. There will be no Presidential vetoes of Constitutional Amendments.