University of Louisville
Speed School Student Council
As in effect on April 11, 2011
Constitution and Bylaws
List of Revisions
Date Revision Summary April 11,2011 Complete Revision of ConstitutionContents
Article 1. Name and ObjectiveArticle 2. PurposeArticle 3. MembershipArticle 4. Executive OfficersArticle 5. Class RepresentativesArticle 6. SocietiesArticle 7. ProcedureArticle 8. Duties and PowersArticle 9. Amendment(s) to the ConstitutionArticle 10. Amendment(s) to the BylawsArticle 1. Name and Objective- This organization shall be known and recognized as "The Student Council of the Speed School of Engineering," hereafter referred to as "Speed School Student Council."
- To provide and conduct a forum for the discussion of student issues.
- To further the general welfare of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering and the University of Louisville at large.
Article 2. Purpose- To act as the official organization of the Student Body of Speed School of Engineering on all matters except those assigned to other organizations by the Organizational Outline and Bylaws of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.
- To act as a liaison between students, faculty, and Alumni of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering as provided by the Organizational Outline and Bylaws.
Article 3. Membership- Recognized voting members shall be:
- The Executive Officers.
- All Speed School of Engineering Senators.
- Representatives from each of the recognized classes
- One representative from each society, contingent upon the approval and standing as recognized by the Speed School Student Council.
- Recognized non-voting members shall be:
- An innumerable amount of persons entitled "Members at Large" to maintain efficient communication and representation of the general student body.
- There will be an annual performance review by the executive board of each "Member at Large" seat.
- One member from any Speed School of Engineering organization currently in bad standing.
- One faculty advisor selected by the Speed School Student Council members during the first meeting after the Speed School Student Council Executive Officer elections. The faculty advisor's term of office shall be one year.
Article 4. Executive Officers- The Executive Officers of the Speed School Student Council shall be President, Vice President, Director of Administration, Director of Corporate and Alumni Relations, Director of Finance, Director of Public Relations, Director of Society Relations, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Affairs, and Freshman Council President.
- Selection of Executive Officers:
- Nominations for Executive Officers can be made by any Speed School of Engineering student during the week prior to the elections and the date of elections at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Speed School Student Council. Nominations will be closed immediately before the elections begin. All Executive Officers shall be chosen by the voting members of the Speed School Student Council. If more than one person is nominated for an office, voting shall be conducted by secret ballot.
- In the event of a permanent vacancy of an executive board member, the remaining members of the executive board shall nominate replacement(s) to fill the vacant office(s), subject to two-thirds majority approval by the Speed School Student Council.
- The Executive Officers have the right to appoint representatives to committees at the Speed School Student Council meetings.
- The Executive Officers have the right to appoint members to aid in the fulfillment of their specific executive duties.
Article 5 Class Representatives- The classification of students recognized by Speed School Student Council include graduate, fifth, fourth, third, second, and first year students.
- Any student wishing to become a class representative must be elected from the class they are to represent.
- In the event in which a class has too few members than the requirement to nominate a representative, said nominations may be made by any Executive Officer.
- Membership in an academic class is to be determined by either the number of hours of Speed School of Engineering classes and required non-Speed School of Engineering classes or by the number of years in the Speed School of Engineering classified as full time.
- The number of class representatives shall change upon the approval of two-thirds majority of the Executive Officers of the Speed School Student Council.
- A class representative must attend all general business meetings, allowed only three unexcused absences in order to maintain good standing.
- Class representatives who are considered to be in bad standing must attend 3 consecutive meetings in order to regain good standing. If a fourth unexcused absence is recording during any given semester, the class representative may be removed from the position pending a two thirds majority approval from Speed School Student Council.
Article 6. Societies- The organization's seat will be subject to approval by the Speed School Student Council.
- The organization's members must be Speed School of Engineering students in good standing, and the society must have a minimum of twenty members.
- There will be a bi-annual review by the executive board of each organizational seat at the end of both the fall and spring semesters.
- The executive board upon completion of the bi-annual review reserves the right to change the current standing of the organization under review.
Article 7. Procedure- The number of council members required for quorum will be 50 percent plus one of the voting members active during a given semester. Co-op students are not considered active.
- Parliamentary procedure shall follow Robert's Rules of Order, unless otherwise specified.
- Each voting member of the Speed School Student Council shall have one vote at all balloting except the President who shall have one vote only in the case of a tie.
Article 8. Duties and Powers- The Speed School Student Council may arrange and conduct student assembly meetings.
- The Speed School Student Council shall make recommendations to the Dean regarding matters affecting the students of the Speed School of Engineering.
- The Speed School Student Council may sponsor established functions.
- The Speed School Student Council shall be represented on the proper committees specified by the Organizational Outline and Bylaws of the Speed School of Engineering.
Article 9. Amendment(s) to the Constitution- A Constitutional Revision Committee shall consist of the Director of Administration of the Speed Student Council, who serves as chairman, and at least two additional Speed School Student Council members appointed by the President of the Speed School Student Council and may be established by a majority vote of the Speed School Student Council.
- Amendment(s) to the Constitution of the Speed School Student Council may be proposed by:
- Any student enrolled in Speed School of Engineering by submitting in writing a copy of proposed amendment(s) to the Director of Administration of the Speed School Student Council who will present said amendment(s) to the Constitutional Revision Committee.
- Recommendation to the Speed School Student Council by a petition of at least 5 percent of the student body currently enrolled in the Speed School of Engineering.
- Any member of the Speed School Student Council by submitting copies of the proposed amendment(s) to the Speed School Student Council at any regularly scheduled meeting of the Speed School Student Council.
- Recommendation to the Speed School Student Council in the form of a written report presented by the Constitutional Revision Committee.
- A written copy of any proposed amendment(s) shall be available for each member of the Speed School Student Council.
- Proposed amendment(s) to the Constitution of the Speed School Student Council shall be read at two regular consecutive Speed School Student Council meetings before a vote may be taken by the Speed School Student Council. Amendment(s) to a proposed amendment(s) may be made at either reading of the proposed amendment(s); however, revised amendment(s) may not be voted on at the same Speed School Student Council meeting in which the revision of the proposed amendment occurred.
- Upon approval by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at a Speed School Student Council meeting, notification of said approval shall be made to the student body. The order of amending must begin with 7.5.1.
- The Constitution shall be amended upon a two-thirds majority vote of the student body provided that the number voting constitutes at least 15% of the students attending class at the Speed School of Engineering during that semester. In addition, copies of the proposed amendment(s) shall be made available to the student body at least week prior to a vote being taken by the student body.
- - or - The Constitution shall be amended upon a four-fifths vote of the members present at a Speed School Student Council meeting, at least two weeks after the initial notification of the two-thirds approval.
Article 10. Amendment(s) to the Bylaws- Amendment(s) to the Bylaws of the Speed School Student Council may be proposed by any student enrolled in Speed School of Engineering by submitting, in writing, a copy of the proposed amendment(s) to the Director of Administration of the Speed School Student Council.
- A written copy of any proposed amendment(s) shall be available for each member of the Speed School Student Council.
- Proposed amendment(s) to the Bylaws of the Speed School Student Council shall be read at two regular consecutive Speed School Student Council meetings before a vote may be taken by the Speed School Student Council. Amendment(s) to a proposed amendment(s) may be made at either reading of the proposed amendment(s); however, revised amendment(s) may not be voted on at the same Speed School Student Council meeting in which the revision of the proposed amendment occurred.
- The proposed amendment(s) shall be amended upon approval by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at a Speed School Student Council meeting.