ARTICLE I: Student Government Branches

Section 1. Membership and Powers.

A. The name of this organization shall be: The University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Student Government.

B. The Student Government shall consist of eight members: The Executive Branch, and the Senate.

C. All legislative powers of the Government shall be vested in The University of New Mexico- Taos Campus Student Senate.

D. The Senate shall consist of eight elected University of New Mexico Taos Campus students, all of whom will be elected in the fall semester. Each member shall serve a one-year term before applying for the Executive Branch.

E. All executive powers shall be vested in the President of the Student Government who shall serve a one-year term.

F. The Executive Branch shall advise the president concerning all executive actions.

G. The Executive Branch shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary of the Senate, and the Treasurer.

I. Any member of the executive or Legislative Branches whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 at any time during his or her office, or who is subject to academic or disciplinary probation or who is enrolled for fewer than six credit hours will be automatically removed from office.

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ARTICLE II: Student Government Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Student Government Election Policies

All elections shall be in accordance with the University of New Mexico- Taos Campus Student Government Elections Code.

ARTICLE III: Duties of the Executive Branch for Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Duties of the Executive Branch.

A. The Executive Branch shall prepare all Senate agendas. The branch shall notify all Senators that any additions to the agenda should be presented to the branch within the established additions policy perimeters.

B. It is the purpose of the branch to meet with its respective administrative counterparts at least twice a month. The members should use this time to insure that student issues are being addressed and resolutions are drafted.

C. All fiscal expenditures made by the Executive Branch shall be consistent with the policies of the University of New Mexico and the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus.

D. The Executive Branch shall determine whether any disciplinary action shall be taken against any Senate member.

E. If any member of the Executive Branch is found to be in violation of Article VIII of the bylaws or the Constitution, and his/her position has been deemed vacant, he/she will be ineligible for any benefits, position, and/or membership in the Government and all other committees where student representation is required.

F. The Executive Branch is authorized to take an action, within the powers of the Student Government, on any issue not addressed in this document as set forth in the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Student Government Constitution.

G. It is the role of the Executive Branch to bring to the attention of the Senate any discrepancies in any legislation of the Senate.

H. In dire circumstances the Executive Branch, under the approval of the Student Government, has the power to establish temporary legislation that will be valid for two days. If written legislation is not passed by the Senate and signed by the President during the two-day period to make the emergency legislation permanent, the temporary legislation shall expire at the end of the two days.

Section 2. Duties of the President.

A. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Government.

B. The President shall serve as chair of all Executive Branch meetings and shall serve at or name a student representative to serve at all public meetings of the campus.

C. The President shall serve on all standing administrative committees of the campus. The President shall also have the power to appoint members of the Government to ad-hoc committees if the president is unable to serve on those as-hoc committees.

D. The President shall appoint a member of the Government to meet with the Executive Campus Director once a month to give a written report of the Government’s activities.

E. The President shall appoint a member to serve as the Government representative at the Staff Council Meetings.

F. If a position in the Government is vacant due to resignation or removal from office, the President shall appoint any qualified student to the Government, provided that student has been approved by the Senate Commission on Government Appointments.

G. The President shall appoint all members of the Executive Branch, provided that they have been approved by the Senate Commission on Government Appointments.

H. The President shall review all legislation passed by the Senate and if he/she feels that legislation needs to be re-written or revised he/she has full discretion to send any written legislation to the designated University counsel representative for legal review. The President shall send to the University Counsel Office for Legal review and approval all proposed amendments to the Bylaws, Elections Code, and any other University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Student Government regulations. The President shall have the power to veto any legislation passed by the Senate, except for impeachment. The President shall present written reasons for the veto at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Senate.

I. In dire circumstances the President may call an emergency meeting of the Senate.

Section 3. Duties of the Vice-President.

A. The Vice-President shall be the Vice-Executive Officer of the Government.

B. The Vice-President shall serve as Chair of all Senate general and emergency meetings.

C. The Vice-President shall serve as President Pro-Temperate until the President is able to return to his/her post. If the President is unable to return to his/her post the Vice-President shall become the President of the Student Government.

D. The Vice-President shall have full authority to act on behalf of the President concerning all matters, including with respect to legislation, when the President has notified the Government that he/she is detained to unforeseen circumstances.

E. The Vice-President is responsible for assuring that the Senate has the full opportunity to have any issue addressed in the drafting of the agenda within four business days prior to the regularly scheduled meetings of the Senate.

Section 4. Duties of the Secretary of the Senate.

A. The Secretary shall be the Chief Administrative Assistant to the Government.

B. The Secretary shall present to the Senate written transcripts of the minutes of each meeting and shall prepare, post, and distribute to all students and members of the Government a written agenda for each meeting.

C. The Secretary shall keep all records of the Senate and is responsible for presenting duplicates of all documents to the Senate advisor and the current University of New Mexico-Taos campus standing open Student Government file.

D. The Secretary shall keep an accurate attendance record of the attendance of all Government members at all Government meetings, as well as a record of their participation in all Government sponsored activities.

E. The Secretary is responsible for notifying all Senators of all Government meetings.

F. The Secretary shall keep a record of each Senator’s social security number, home address, home telephone number, and class schedule for purpose of reimbursement allocation and communication amongst the campus community. The Secretary shall also become familiar with Federal law and the University of New Mexico-Taos campus policies on student confidentiality, and shall abide by the same.

G. In the event the Vice-President is unable to chair any meeting of the Senate, the Secretary shall preside over the meeting as Vice-President Pro-Temperate, until the Vice-President is able to return. If the Vice-President is unable to return to the scheduled meeting, the Senate may designate a senator to preside in the absence of the secretary.

Section 5. Duties of the Treasurer of the Government.

A. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an accurate record of all fiscal expenditures of the Government.

B. The Treasurer shall maintain a working relationship with the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Director of Business and Finance.

C. The Treasurer shall require from each organization funded by the Senate an itemization of the expenditures to be made with moneys provided by the Government.

D. The Treasurer shall present the annual Student Government budget to the Senate for approval.

E. The fiscal expenditures shall be reviewed for approval by the Treasurer and the University of New Mexico-Taos campus Business Office, for appropriate processing.

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ARTICLE IV: Duties of the Senate.

Section 1. Obligations of the Senate.

A. Each Senator is responsible and shall be held accountable to the students for attending all general and committee meetings on which he/she serves.

B. The Senate has the power to overturn any veto of the president by eighty percent of the entire Senate.

C. The Senate is responsible for fulfilling any tasks within its powers set forth in the bylaws.

D. The Senate has the responsibility to act as liaison between the students and the Government.

E. Any member of the Senate who does not fulfill any of the duties outlined shall be subject to Article VII. of the bylaws.

F. The Senate shall determine and vote on the dates and times of all Senate regular meetings.

ARTICLE V: Standing Committees and or Commissions of the Government.

The University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Student Government shall consist of the following standing committees and/or commissions:

Section 1. The Senate Commission on Government Appointments.

It is the responsibility of the Commission to provide a written approval and abide by Section 1.

The Student Government Elections Process.

A. The election process must be in accordance with the elections code.

B. Election officials shall consist of three individuals appointed by the Government and approved by the Executive Campus Director or the Director of Student Affairs.

C. If an election official resigns from his/her position on the commission, his/her position vacancy shall be filled by a nominee of the Senate.

D. All election officials must be aware of the election code before assuming office.

E. The election officials shall be the sole interpreters of the campus election code and shall have the power to enforce the code.

F. Alleged violations of the election code shall be investigated by the election officials.

G. No member of the election officials may be granted candidate status and serve on the election board simultaneously.

H. All election officials must be present at all meetings.

I. All fiscal expenditures made by the commission must be approved by the Senate.

Section 2. The Student Government Fiscal Budget Committee.

A. It is the duty of the Senate to review, approve, and reject all budgetary proposals and any fiscal requests made by the Government after the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus annual budget has been approved. The Senate shall also become familiar with the financial codes of the Government and the campus.

Section 3. The Student Government Judicial Commission.

A. The Judicial Commission shall be formed by appointing three(3) members of the Election Commission to the Judicial Commission.

B. The Vice-President of the Government shall nominate three members and designate a presiding judge from the three members. Nominations shall be subject to advice and consent of the Senate Commission on the Government Appointments.

C. If any member of the judicial commission resigns or is otherwise unable to perform his/her duties, commission shall designate one of the remaining Election Commissioners to serve in his/her place.

D. The judicial commission shall be responsible for interpretation of the Constitution and any (regulations, rules, laws, etc.) passed by the Senate or committees of the Government upon petitioning to the presiding judge, except that decision of the Elections Commission concerning alleged violations of the Elections Code which are final and subject to discretionary review under Article II, Section 13 of Elections Code.

E. When a plaintiff has petitioned the presiding judge, the presiding judge shall convene the commission to hear the matter.

F. The commission shall first decide if the matter is valid for courts to entertain.

G. If the commission determines it is appropriate to hear the matter the entire Commission shall review evidence and hear arguments as required by the circumstances of each individual case.

H. Decision shall be by majority of the Judicial commission.

I. A plaintiff may appeal to the other two members of the Election Commission and the Presiding Judge will sit as the Appellate Commission. A majority decision of the appellate commission will be final subject to the discretionary authority of the Executive Campus Director of UNM-Taos to review the appellate commission’s decision and also subject to the discretionary authority of the UNM President and the Board of Regents to review the Director’s decision.

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ARTICLE VI: Special Rules of Order.

The following rules shall govern the conduct of business for the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Student Government.

Rule One: Quorum

1. Quorum for an official meeting of the Executive committee or the Senate shall consist of one half (1/2) plus one membership.

2. Quorum for an official meeting of the Senate or Senate committees and/or commissions shall consist of one half (1/2) plus one membership.

Rule Two: Criteria for declared Vacancy

1. All Government members shall not be absent from any official general meeting without leave. An official general meeting is defined as any meeting time and date upon which the majority of the executive and Legislative Branches have agreed.

2. Absence with leave is interpreted to mean prior notification to the Secretary of the Senate of need-to-be-absent due to unavoidable circumstances.

3. If any executive or legislative member of the Government is absent for more that three (3) general meetings and has not requested absence with leave, that member's position shall be declared vacant.

4. In the event any executive or legislative members of the Government feels his/her position has been wrongfully declared vacant he/she may appeal to the Appellate commission of the Government.

5. If any executive or legislative member of the Government is placed under academic probation and has been subjected to Article VIII of the bylaws, he/she may never again hold office within the Government or serve as a representative of the student body.

6. If an executive or legislative member resigns from the Government or is found subject to disciplinary action, his/her position shall be declared vacant.

Rule Three: Motions

1. All motions shall be recorded in writing by the Secretary of the Senate if desired by the chair or any senator, and shall be read before the same can be debated.

2. Any motion or resolution may be withdrawn or nullified at any time before a decision, amendment, or offering of the vote theron, except a motion to reconsider, at time of evaluation.

Rule Four: Reconsideration

1.When a question has be decided by the Senate, any Senator voting with the prevailing side may on the same day or at the next Senate session thereafter, move to reconsider. If the Senate refuses to reconsider, or upon reconsideration shall affirm its first decision, no further motion to reconsider shall be in order. Motions to reconsider shall be decided by a majority vote.

Rule Five: Voting Procedures of the Senate.

1. Voting on all resolutions shall be by show of hands (except by written and signed proxy.) If the Chair or presiding officer is in doubt on any vote, he/she may, on his/her own motion, again put the question to the required standing vote.

2. The presiding officer may only vote to break the tie.

3. Voting for appointments of senators and executive officers of Student Government, whether during regular session (or emergency elections) or for any promotion or disciplinary action, including impeachment, shall be by secret ballot.

Rule Six: Rules of Order.

1. Robert’s rule of order shall apply to all situations or questions not covered by the special rules of order.

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ARTICLE VII: Finance.

The Student Government shall be funded by a fee of fifty cents on each credit hour for courses taken at the University of New Mexico-Taos campus and all other discretionary revenues generated by the Student Government for expenditure at the Government’s discretion. All funds under the jurisdiction of the Student Government will be expended in accordance with applicable New Mexico law and University of New Mexico policies and procedures.

Section 1. Authority of financial control.

A. The Student Government may allocate any specific amount from the revenues generated by student enrollment Government fees and revenues generated by the Government, in accordance with all policies of the University of New Mexico and the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus.

B. The University of New Mexico-Taos Campus shall be the sole fiscal agent for all financial aid transactions.

C. All expenditures must have prior approved clearance from the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Business Office.

D. The University of New Mexico-Taos campus Student Senate Executive agencies and any organization funded through student Senate may not spend in excess of their approved allocation.

E. Deficit spending may result in substantial penalties. These penalties may consist of immediate repayment of deficit funds and/or removal from office of those in violation.

F. Any emergency fund shall be kept in federally insured account for emergency spending.

Section 2. Education in Financial Matters.

A. Agents shall be responsible for familiarizing themselves with the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus and the Business Office policies and financial procedures before any expenditures are made.

Section 3. Funding of Chartered Student Organizations.

SEE CHARTERING GUIDELINES

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ARTICLE VII: Disciplinary Action.

A. A call for any disciplinary action may be brought against any Government official by any student. Grounds for disciplinary action shall be the willful neglect of office, or gross misconduct within the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus.

B. All disciplinary actions made must meet the following criteria:
1. Any disciplinary action must be made by vote of 80% of the full legislative membership.

C. Disciplinary Actions include:
1. Impeachment - removal from office.

2. Suspension - removal of elected duties, rights, and voting privileges associated with their position for a period of no longer than four weeks.

3. Written reprimand by the President and/or the Vice-President.

4. Mediation must be held between the plaintiff, defendant, Vice-President, and a neutral party upon whom both plaintiff and defendant agree.

D. Any member of the Government who has been subject to any disciplinary action may appeal the action to the Appellate Commission.

ARTICLE IX: Student Government Reimbursement Scholarship.

Section 1. Written Evaluation for Student Government Reimbursement Scholarship.

A. All offices holders will be evaluated on performance by a submitted written report, each semester while in office, addressed to the President of the Government, Government Advisor and Associate Director for Student Affairs. In the case of the President of the Government, evaluation will take the form of a written report each semester while in office, describing his/her administration. This report will be reviewed by the Government Advisor and the Associate Director of Student Affairs. The report shall become a part of the record in minutes of the general assembly.

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Section 2. Objective Criteria for Reimbursement.

A. Attendance and Criteria.
1. General Assembly Meeting (for any office): One absence without leave grace. Second absence without leave reduces scholarship by one credit hour. Third absence without leave results in the removal from office. Absence without leave grace shall be determined by the President, Senate, and the Associate Director of Student Affairs.

2. Three absences without leave reduce scholarship by one credit hour. Absence without grace shall be determined by the President.

3. Reporting (for any office): Lack of progress reports at two consecutive general assembly meetings, as reflected by each meeting’s agenda and minutes, will reduce scholarship by one credit hour. The President shall determine if there has been a lack of progress reports.

4. Academic Standing (for any office): All members of the Government must be in good academic standing each semester while in office to remain within the Government and to receive the full Student Government reimbursement as outlined in this document. This scholarship will be administered at the end of the fall and spring semesters. The UNM-Taos Campus Registrar shall notify the President if any member of the Government is not in good academic standing, and the President shall inform the member that his/her position is declared vacant. In the case that the President is in violation, the Director of Student Affairs shall notify the President that his/her position is declared vacant.

5. Resignation or formal removal from office any time the Government is active voids completely the scholarship in effect for that term. The level of scholarship for which an officer holder is eligible will be that which coincides with the office held at the time of election or appointment. In the case of any newly appointed Government member the executive committee shall prorate how much each newly appointed member of the Government shall receive for his/her reimbursement.

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Section 3. Reimbursement Amount.

A. Reimbursement amounts shall be disbursed as follows:
1. President 12 hours @ reimbursement tuition.

2. Vice-President 9 hours @ reimbursement tuition.

3. Secretary 9 hours @ reimbursement tuition.

4. Treasurer 9 hours @ reimbursement tuition.

5. Senators 3 hours @ reimbursement tuition.

ARTICLE X: Bylaws Ratification and Amendments.

Section 1. Ratification.

A. These bylaws shall be ratified by an open ballot of the student Senate.
1. Each article of the constitution shall be voted on separately.

2. A majority vote of the total votes cast will be necessary for ratification.

B. These bylaws supersede all previous bylaws, agreements, rules of procedure and other documents ever places before, or approved by this student body.

Section 2. Amendments.

A. All amendments to the bylaws must be presented in writing to the designated University council member for legal review and approval. No amendment may be approved by the Senate unless the designated university council member has reviewed and approved the amendment.

B. All resolution for bylaws amendment shall contain actual wording of new or replacement sections and refer to articles, rules, sections, and items by their prospective number and letters.

C. All amendments to these bylaws must meet approval of the Student Senate by two-thirds (2/3) vote cast in Student Senate general meeting.

D. If an amendment fails to pass by the Student Senate, it cannot be brought before the Senate again for a period of at least two (2) months.

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ARTICLE XI: Roles and Responsibilities for the Student Government Advisor.

Section 1. Selection Process of the Student Government Advisor.

A. The Student Government Advisor may be any faculty or Student Services staff member as designated by the President of the Government in collaboration with the Associate Director of Student Affairs.

B. The Advisor is to work closely with the Government solely in an advisory capacity.

Section 2. Duties of the Government Advisor.

A. The Advisor is to attend all general meetings of the Student Senate, and sign the minutes from the meeting to insure that the record is accurate.

B. If the Advisor is unable to attend any meeting of the Senate he/she may designate a representative from the Student Affairs area of the campus. The representative shall serve until the advisor is able to return. The representative shall verify the minutes recorded and the advisor shall sign them.

C. The Advisor is to insure that the Government is working closely with the campus business office concerning all fiscal matters.

D. The Advisor along with the Associate Director of Student Affairs shall approve all fiscal transactions and campus events after consulting with the President of the Government and review of the Senate approval of the allocation.

E. Each semester the advisor will conduct a grade verification of all senators and executive committee officers to insure that all minimum grade and hour requirements are met.

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UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO-TAOS CAMPUS
STUDENT SENATE
ELECTIONS CODE

MISSION STATEMENT:

We the election commissions of the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus shall oversee the electoral process. We are given the power to enforce any legislation concerning any violation of the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus election code, as prescribed by Article V, section 2, of the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Student Government.

ARTICLE I: Election Commission.

Section 1. The commission shall consist of five students of the University of New Mexico-Taos Campus.

Section 2. The commission must be appointed, approved, and activated by the Senate and the Vice-President, no fewer than sixty days before the end of the fall semester. The commission will convene until sixty days before the end of the spring semester. The commission members approved shall serve the Senate until the end of the term set by the Senate. The commission will convene no fewer than two months before the end of the fall semester for the election of four (4) senators, and shall not recess until two weeks after the end of the spring semester election of six (6) senators and one (1) President of the Government. All commission members approved shall serve the Senate until the end of the term set by the Senate.

Section 3. Any commission member who resigns from his/her position on the commission shall be replaced by a nominee of the Senate.

Section 4. The commission shall elect a commission member to serve as chairperson.

Section 5. The commission shall consist of four (4) commission members and one (1) chairperson.

Section 6. all commissioners must be aware of the election code and all state and federal student confidentialities before assuming office.

Section 7. The commission shall be the sole interpreter of the campus election code and have the power to enforce it.

Section 8. Violations of the election code shall be examined by the commission.

Section 9. No member of the commission may be granted candidate status and serve on the commission.

Section 10. All meetings of the commission shall have a quorum of (3) three of its membership.

Section 11. All fiscal expenditures made by the commission must be approved by the Budget Committee, the Senate, and the President.

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ARTICLE II. Duties of the Commission.

Section 1. The commission will meet two months prior to the end of the fall and spring semesters to carry out the duties outlined in the election code.

Section 2. The first meeting of the commission shall be scheduled by the Senate. Every meeting thereafter shall be determined by the commission.

Section 3. The commission shall set the date of both the fall and spring elections. The elections should be held in the last two weeks of the last month of both the fall and spring semesters.

Section 4. The commission must assure that all candidates:
A. Are students of UNM-Taos.
B. Have filed a letter of candidacy.
C. Are not on academic probation.

Section 5. The commission must track all materials posted by all Student Government candidates.

Section 6. The commission must organize a debate of all presidential candidates no later than two weeks before the set election.

Section 7. The commission will examine all violations of the election code.

Section 8. The commission shall determine the payment of the poll workers with the aid of the Senate Advisor and the approval of the Senate and the President.

Section 9. The commission shall print and post fliers with the following information one (1) week prior to the set election date :
A. election date and time
B. location of the polls and time polls open and close
C. name of candidates and position for which each is slated

Section 10. The commission shall determine a deadline up until which all letters of candidacy will be accepted and the last day for candidates to be granted candidate status.

Section 11. The commission shall also print fliers with the deadline by which all students who wish to file for candidate status must apply.

Section 12. Any candidate must be notified of any alleged violations brought against him/her and that the violations are under examination. The candidate shall have an opportunity to present his/her position to the commission.

Section 13. After a candidate is notified of the alleged violations with which he/she is being charged, the Commission shall set a date for the candidate to appear before the Commission to present his/her position. In addition, other interested parties will be notified of the Commission hearing. After hearing all the relevant evidence, the Commission will vote on whether the candidate violated the Election Code and a sanction, if appropriate, will be voted upon by the Commission. The committee’s decision is final, subject to the discretionary authority of the Executive Campus Director of UNM-Taos to review the decision and subject to the discretionary authority of the UNM President and the Board of Regents to review the Director’s decision.

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ARTICLE III: Filing for Candidacy.

Section 1. Any Student filing for candidacy must complete the following.
A. File candidacy with the Student Affairs.

B. Submit his/her student identification number to the commission chair so that the candidate is not on academic probation, if vying for a Government position.

C. Attend a mandatory meeting outlining the election code, if a candidate is unable to attend the meeting they must make arrangements with the commission to reschedule.

If any potential candidates do not fulfill any of the above, their name will not appear on the ballot.

Section 2. All materials needed to obtain candidacy must be presented to the commission chair and only the chair.

ARTICLES IV: Poll Workers.

Section 1. All poll workers must attend accredited courses at the University of New Mexico-Taos Branch.

Section 2. All poll workers must file all proper documents with the commission chair and the financial aid office before assuming their post.

Section 3. Each poll worker must attend a mandatory meeting outlining the operation of the polling area and all election equipment.

ARTICLE V: Polling Districts.

Section 1. The polling district shall be contained to the UNM-Taos campus.

Section 2. The district shall open at 8:00 am. and close at 5:00 pm the same day.

Section 3. The district shall not be operated by fewer than two commission members or poll workers at any time.

Section 4. No poll shall close before the 5:00 pm deadline, unless the commission chair is forced to due to unforeseen circumstances.

ARTICLE VI: Election Procedures.

Section 1. All students who are on the list of current enrolled students shall be eligible to vote.

Section 2. Any student whose name does not appear on the list may file a petition with the Student Affairs Office. The Director of Student Affairs shall determine on the same business day the petition is filed whether or not the student is eligible to vote.

ARTICLE VII: Absentee Ballots.
NO ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

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