Glendale Community College
Associated Student Government
Constitution and By-Laws
Revised March 29, 2007
Approved on April 17, 2007
Effective Spring 2007

Table of Contents:
CONSTITUTION
Article I: Name  1
Article II: Purpose  1
Article III: Insignia  1
Article IV: Membership 1
Article V: Faculty Advisor 2
Article VI: Club Representatives
 3
Article VII: Amendments to the Constitution 3
Article VIII: By-laws  4
Article IX: Ratification  4
Article X: Interpretation  4

BY-LAWS
Article I: Executive Officers 5
Article II: ASG Board Members
 7
Article III: General Election
 7
Article IV: Elections of Executive Officers
 8
Article V: Operations 9
Article VI: Voting Procedures  9
Article VII: Funding  10
Article VIII: Referendum  10
Article IX: Permanent Committees
 10

GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ASSOCIATED STUDENT CONSTITUTION


Article I:  Name

The name of the association is the Associated Students (AS) of Glendale Community College (GCC).  The name of the Associated Student’s elected governing body is the Associated Student Government (ASG).

Article II:  Purpose

The purpose of this association is to promote and maintain, with the cooperation of the administration and the faculty, a democratic college community life that meets the intellectual, moral, physical, and social needs and interests of the student body and community and to foster the rights and privileges of all students.

Article III:  Insignia

The college colors are scarlet, white, and black.  The college mascot is the “Gaucho.” The school logo is the “Palm Tree” symbolizing
A)    The archway into education, and
B)    An open book of knowledge

Article IV:  Membership

Section I:
All students enrolled in three (3) or more credit hours at GCC are considered to be members of the Association.
Section II:
To serve as an elected member of the Associated Student Government Council, a student must meet the following qualifications:
A.
 Student must carry six (6) or more credit hours at a GCC campus
B.
 Student must maintain a 2.00 GPA (4.0 = A), unless in his/her first semester
C.
 Officers must maintain a 2.50 GPA (4.0 = A), unless in his/her first semester
D.
 Students shall serve no more than ten (10) semesters
E.
 Students who have been removed from ASG will no longer be eligible to run for ASG
F.
 Meeting shall be on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m..  There shall be a minimum of two (2) business meetings held each month. A change in meeting schedule may be made for one semester by a vote of ¾ of the seated board members

Section III:
If an ASG member misses two consecutive regularly scheduled open business meetings, that member loses the right to vote. The right to vote will be reinstated after attending two full consecutive meetings.  Members who miss more than ¼ of an ASG meeting will be considered absent.  In the event that four (4) total absences occur in one year, that member will be discharged from the ASG board.
Section IV:
An ASG member, including the faculty advisor, may be removed from office by ¾ votes of the elected members of ASG.  Reasons for removal are:
A.
 Excessive absences
B.
 Dereliction of duty
C.
 Conviction of violating county, state, or federal law and/or
D.
 Violation of MCCCD (Maricopa County Community College District) Governing Board Policies or Administrative Regulations
E.
 Resignation Letter

Section V:
Once discharged, a member may not be reinstated

Article V:  Faculty Advisor
Recommendations for appointment of an advisor will be submitted by the ASG board to the Dean of Student Life for approval.

The ASG faculty advisor shall:
A.    Be a full or part-time faculty or MAT employee of the College.
B.    Be reviewed for retention by the ASG once each semester.
C.    Be present for all official meetings and activities or have an approved substitute.
D.    Meet with the ASG President for planning and updates.

Article VI:  Club Representatives

Section I:
Club representatives are students appointed by approved clubs who serve in the voting processes of the Association.

Section II:
Each club may appoint one member who will attend the meetings consistently and participate in ASG sponsored events. That member will be the official liaison to their club and have the sole power to vote on the behalf of his/her club.  That representative may have one approved alternate.
Section III:
The qualifications to become a club representative are as follows:
A.
 Students must be enrolled in one or more credit hours at a GCC campus
B.
 The club advisor will report the name of the student and the alternate who will represent the club on the ASG board in the form of a letter and also signed by the club president to the ASG Vice President
C.
 ASG will allow only one official student representative per club

Section IV:
Club Representatives may not vote on policies and in ASG Officer Elections.

Section V:
Clubs will receive funding (amount set annually) by the ASG based on the consistency of the attendance of their club representative, unless otherwise specified on a vote by ASG.

Article VII:  Amendments to the Constitution
Section I:
Student amendment procedure
A.
 Amendments may be proposed by any AS member at GCC.  The proposal must be reviewed by the Dean of Student Life for comments before the measure is presented to ASG
B.
 If an amendment is proposed by AS member, it shall be supported by ten (10) percent (%) of the members of the association in the form of a signed petition
C.
 Section three (3) of this article will then apply

Section II:
ASG member amendment procedure

A.    ASG members may propose amendments at any time during the semester/year
B.    Amendments must be ratified by ¾ majority of the ASG
C.    Section three (3) of this article will then apply

Section III:
General amendment procedure

A.    All proposed constitutional amendments must be published and posted in the Student Union (SU) building two (2) days before being voted upon.
B.    A special election shall be held two (2) weeks after the presentations of the initiative petitions to the ASG.
C.    If the amendment secures approval by at least 2/3 of the ballots by the AS, it shall be presented to the College president for transmittal to the District Legal Counsel.

Article VIII:  By-laws

By-laws shall be reviewed each year no later November 15. Acceptance of ASG amendments to the by-laws shall require 2/3-majority approval of members present.  Amendments to the by-laws may be proposed only at regular meetings of the Board and may not be voted on until the next regular business meeting.

Article IX:  Ratification

Section I:
The constitution must conform to the MCCCD Governing Board Policy and Administrative Regulations.

Section II:
The constitution supersedes all previous constitutions and by-laws, and will remain in effect until ratification of a new constitution.

Section III:
Any changes to the ASG constitution must be ratified by a vote of the Association members in an open election before the new constitution can be enforced.

Article X:  Interpretation

In the event of a dispute among members regarding constitutional interpretation, the constitution will be referred to and interpreted by the ASG Faculty Advisor, the Dean of Student Life, and the College President or their appointees, who will make the final decision.

GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ASSOCIATED STUDENTS BY-LAWS

Article I:  Executive Officers

Section I:
ASG officers must meet the following qualifications:
A.    Satisfy requirements of a member under Article IV of the constitution
B.    Maintain a 2.50 GPA (4.0 = A)

Section II:
Executive office positions are as follows:
A.    President
B.    Vice President
C.    Treasurer
D.    Secretary
E.    Public Relations
Section III:
The duties of the Executive Officers are as follows:
A.
 The President shall:
a. Call, preside over and conduct ASG meetings
b. Appoint committee chairpersons with the approval of the ASG
c. Serve as the official representative of the ASG. Conduct business previously approved by vote of the ASG
d. Vote on issues that have resulted in a tie
e. Meet with faculty advisor for planning and updates
f. Review and approve, potentially by signature, all financial documents
g. Coordinate and integrate all activities and duties of officers, members and volunteers
h. Facilitate the preparation of agendas with the secretary, executive officers and faculty advisor
B.
 The Vice President shall:
a. In the absence of the President, perform the duties of the President
b. In the event the President office is vacated, the Vice President will fill the vacant office. The new President will then preside over the election of the new Vice President  
c. Assign GCC students to committees upon their request
d. Assist in spokesperson duties
e. Keep an updated list of active clubs, advisors and information on events
f. Keep track of ASG office hours
g. Present funding requests at ASG meetings, upon treasurer’s requests
h. Serve as the chair of the standing Rules Committee
C.
 The Treasurer shall:
a. Purchase ASG supplies
b. Prepare, present and keep records of money matters and report these at the ASG open business meetings
c. Prepare all financial documents and submit to Student Life
d. Work with clubs to complete funding requests, present, and ask VP to present if necessary
e. Handle all petty cash in accordance with fiscal office rules
f. Prepare and present the year-end financial report
g. Serve as the chair of the standing Finance Committee
h. Appoint, as necessary, and assistant to aid in duties outlined above. The Treasurer’s Assistant must meet the Member requirements as under Article IV, section II of the constitution
D.
 The Secretary Shall:
a. Record, publish and distribute minutes of all regular and special council meetings
b. Prepare and post agendas
c. Maintain all archives and office files
d. Circulate attendance sheet, take roll call and record minutes for ASG and club representatives
e. Submit minutes to Student Life after each meeting
f. Record club representative attendance
g. Copy, file and share all incoming/outgoing correspondence with ASG
h. Appoint, as necessary, an assistant to aide in duties outlined above. The Secretary’s Assistant must meet the Member requirements under Article IV, Section II of the constitution
E.
 The Public Relations shall:
a. Prepare releases to the media and have approved by the Dean of Student Life
b. Publicize Associated Student Government events to clubs and student body
c. Develop an annual Public Relations Plan to provide publicity for ASG and to advertise events
d. Assist the clubs in promoting club events through campus resources
e. Develop a proposed advertising budget
f. Have material promoting ASG events approved by the Office of the Student Life, and post and remove ASG publications
g. Work with the GCC campus newspaper (The Voice) and the Public Relations Department to advertise services and events
h. Facilitate the special events calendar with Student Life office
i. Develop and maintain ASG website with an online calendar by utilizing campus resources
j. Serve as the chair of the standing Publicity Committee
k. Appoint as necessary, an assistant to aide in duties outlined above. The Public Relations Assistant must meet the Member requirements under Article IV, section II of the constitution
Section IV:
All executive officers shall
A.    Be entitled to remuneration in accordance with the Maricopa County Community Colleges District Governing Board policy and Administrative Regulations.
B.    Serve on College Committees as requested by the College President.
C.    Participate in forming a vision statement or mission statement for ASG for the year.
D.    Not be an officer in another club.

Article II:  ASG Board Members
Section I:
Associated Student Government Board Members Duties
I.
 Attends bi-monthly ASG meetings every other Tuesday
II.
 Solicits students’ input on their concerns and desires on how ASG could improve campus life
III.
 Participates actively in ASG committees
IV.
 Actively promotes and participates in community service events and tasks sanctioned by the Associated Student Government

Article III:  General Elections    

Section I:
Candidates for membership in the ASG must meet the requirements of Article IV, Section II under the Constitution.

Section II:
A completed application, provided by either the Student Life Office or the ASG, shall be submitted to the Office of Student Life no later than 4:00 p.m. the Friday preceding the election.
Section III:
A.
 Regular elections shall be held on Tuesday and Wednesday of the third week of classes of the fall semester.  The polls shall remain open for four (4) consecutive hours each day.  Online election voting will remain open until the end of the second day of voting at 11:59 p.m.
B.
 A board member can be added during the year, after general elections are held.  Voting will be held after the validation of all signatures provided by the candidates and after the required attendance of two (2) prior open meetings

Section IV:
The ASG Board is made up of 15 elected seats plus one appointed seat for each student club.  Those candidates for board membership with the highest number of votes will win the election.  In case of a tie, a special run-off election will be held, in which the candidate with the highest number of votes will win.

Section V:
All irregularities or complaints about the election procedure shall be reported in writing, before the polls close, to the Dean of Student Life for review.

Article IV:  Elections of Executive Officers

Section I:
Executive officers will be elected during the last meeting of the spring semester. The newly elected executive officers will serve until the last meeting of the following spring.  The election will be run by an election committee consisting of three (3) ASG members not running for executive office or by club representatives.  One of these members will preside over the election to ensure fairness.  The other two members will hand out, collect, and count all ballots.

Section II:
The voting shall proceed as follows:

A.    Only ASG Board members are eligible to vote for executive officer positions.
B.    Voting shall be by secret ballot.
C.    There will be no “write in” candidates or “tickets.”
D.    The candidates must be elected in at least a 2/3 vote of the members.
E.    Voting shall go in the order of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Public Relations.

Section III:
All irregularities or complaints about the election procedure shall be reported in writing to the Dean of Student Life for review.

Section IV:
Executive positions are:
A.    President
B.    Vice President
C.    Treasurer
D.    Secretary
E.    Public Relations

Section V:
Remuneration to officers may be made in accordance with Maricopa Governing Board policy and administrative regulations.  Funds will be set aside at the beginning of each fiscal year for this purpose.

Article V:  Operations

Section I:
Associated Student Government shall:
A.    Serve as the official representative of the Association.
B.    Have the power to delegate duties, to elect officers, and appoint committees and their chairpersons.
C.    Execute all other duties necessary for the successful administration of the Association.
D.    Be in session during the fall and spring semesters and have an interim government as outlined in Article V of the constitution during the summer.

Section II:
ASG business may be conducted at regularly scheduled or special meetings.  The faculty advisor or designee must be present to conduct business.

Section III:
A.    Executive sessions of the ASG members (others by invitation of the ASG) may be called by President, ASG faculty advisor, or other ASG members with a vote of 2/3 the members present.
B.    No voting shall occur during executive sessions.
C.    Minutes shall be in accordance with the by-laws during the executive session.

Article VI:  Voting Procedures

Section I:
All voting procedures outlined in this article shall be for the purpose of business meetings.  It will not apply neither to the election of ASG executive officers nor to the approval of ASG policies.

Section II:
A quorum is defined as 2/3 of the board members.

Section III:
All members in attendance shall be voting members.  The ASG President may vote in the case of a tie.

Section IV:
All Students at large may vote in a GCC student’s vote for the purpose of influencing the vote of the board.

Section V:
All voting shall be conducted by a show of hands unless a member requests a vote by secret ballot.

Section VI:
All votes must pass by a simple majority of members present unless otherwise stated in this constitution.

Article VII:  Funding
Section I:
Guidelines for club funding
A.
  To be considered for funding, the clubs club representative or the alternate must attend the two previous ASG meetings, with the exception of voting in August or September.  The club representative must be present at the ASG meeting for the funds to be voted on and should be prepared to answer any questions for the board prior to the allocation
B.
  A written proposal stating the purpose of the request must be submitted a minimum of four (4) weeks prior to the date of the desired funding

Section II:
ASG reserves the right to deny any request.

Section III:
Information about requesting funds may be obtained from the Treasurer or at the Office of Student Life.

Article VIII:

Section I:
Any rule or regulation adopted by the ASG may be referred back to the ASG upon presentation of a referendum petition signed by at least ten (10) percent (%) of the Associated Students.

Section II:
Upon presentation of such a petition, a review of the measure in question shall occur among the ASG board and the Dean of Student Life.

Section III:
If 2/3 of the votes of the ASG are cast in favor of the measures in question, such measures shall be declared adopted.  

Article IX:  Permanent Committees

Section I:  Finance Committee
A.    Committee members must include;
 B.    The ASG Treasurer must be the committee chair as stated by his/her duties

C.    Duties of this committee include but not limited to:
Section II:  Publicity Committee
A.    Committee members must include:
 B.    The ASG Public Relations must be the committee chair as stated by his/her duties

C.    Duties of this committee include but not limited to;
Section III:  Rules Committee
A.    Committee members must include:
 B.    The Vice President must be the committee chair as stated in his/her duties

C.    Duties of this committee include but not limited to: