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The USG Constitution
ARTICLE IX - The USG ORGANIZATIONS and STUDENT SERVICES
A. Purpose
1. To serve the student body in areas of an academic, athletic, recreational, cultural, professional, religious, social, and/or political nature.
B. Membership of Organizations and Student Services
1. All the USG organizations and student services shall be open to every activity fee-paying student.
2. The activity fee is the only fee that a student must pay in order to be a full member of an organization.
3. The group's membership is to be comprised of activity fee-paying students.
4. There must be at least one faculty/staff/auxiliary services advisor to each organization. Each advisor may advise a maximum of two USG Organizations.
5. The group must maintain at least ten active members.
6. Student members must occupy all officer positions.
7. Each organization shall provide for the fair and democratic election of officers.
8. Faculty and non-student members shall have no voting privileges.
9. Leaders of the organization shall be elected before Study Day of the spring semester, with the election term running from June 1 to May 31.
10.The group must submit election results to the USG office no later than study day of the Spring Semester.
a.Failure to submit election results will result in the organizations budget being frozen until the information is submitted.
11. The group must submit a list of current officers and members to the USG office annually no later than the second week of the fall semester.
C. Requirements to become and remain a USG recognized Organization or Student Service
1. The group must demonstrate that the USG recognition would significantly benefit its ability to carry on these services or activities.
2. The group must provide for meaningful participation of all its members in good standing.
3. The group may not arbitrarily and/or unjustifiably discriminate against any students in accordance with Article II of this constitution.
4. An organization cannot charge fees, nor can they require that a student be a member of a national or local organization that does require fees.
5. The group does not have comparable activities, functions, goals, interests, or purposes, which threaten to draw members from an already existing organization.
6. The group must not promote any action or situation, which recklessly or intentionally endanger the mental or physical health, or involves forced consumption of liquor or drugs for the purpose of initiation into, or as a function of, any organization.
7. The group must complete the r-recognition process every three years and/or after the first semester of inactivity.
8. An organization's inactivity shall be defined as:
a. Missing the USG corporate organizational meeting:
1) More than once a year
2) During the semester an organization is under review
3) Unexcused and/or absent from a judicial hearing
b. An organization's inability to keep a record of 10+ active members
1) Signed and dated attendance sheets for all meetings and programs
2) Failure of the executive board to respond to the Rules and Regulations Committee correspondence
c. Failure of an organization to complete activity report forms
1) Three activities (collaborations included) a month or more is the minimum requirement to be considered an active organization
2) Can be waived due to extraneous circumstances, in which case the activity will be determined by the Rules and Regulations Committee
d. Missing/defunct executive board
1) In the case that an organization has not elected/appointed an executive boards the previous academic year, the organization will be considered inactive
2) If funded, budget will be frozen until proper elections can be held
3) If the organization does not hold proper elections by November 1st for the fall semester or April 1st for the spring semester, the organization forfeits its recognized status as a USG organization.
9. If the Senate recognizes an organization before November 15th they may apply for a budget during the budget process of that year, otherwise they must wait until the following year to apply for a budget. (i.e. an organization is recognized between September 1st and November 15th 2003 they may apply for a budget for the 2004-2005 fiscal year, an organization is recognized between November 16th 2003 and April 30th 2004 they must wait until the 2005-2006 fiscal year to apply for a budget.)
D. Duties and Powers of USG Recognized Organizations and Student Services
1. Shall abide by USG's Non-Discriminatory Statement, Article II of this Constitution.
2. The group's President is required to develop and recommend with the cooperation of the group's elected E-board an approved transition and training program for the newly elected officers.
3. The group must comply with all of the USG Alcohol Policy Guidelines.
4. All money raised through the USG funds by organizations shall belong to the USG.
5. The organization shall keep a complete list of its active membership and shall keep adequate records of its proceedings and also make them available to any activity fee-paying student upon reasonable request.
6. The group will perform an adequate amount of activity, which contributes educationally or socially to the campus environment, and support the organizations constitutional purpose.
7. Organizations CAN NOT hold a Major event at the same time as a major event of another Organization or USG.
8. The entire E-board of the organization shall attend the USGSG's Corporate Meeting.
9. USG mandatory meetings will be held twice each semester. During the Fall Semester the first meeting will be held on the fourth Friday in September and the second mandatory meeting will be held on the forth Friday in November. During the Spring Semester the first meeting will be held on the fourth Friday in February and the second mandatory meeting will be held on the fourth Friday in April. If these dates conflict with College Senate Meetings the date and time will be changed at the discretion of the Rules and Regulations Chair. These meetings will be held to discuss progress of USG and its organizations.
a. All USG organizations and student services must attend the mandatory meeting.
b. At least two (2) E-Board members of the organization must attend every mandatory meeting with the USG Executive Branch.
c. All USG Executive Branch members must attend every mandatory meeting.
d. If USG organizations or student services miss the mandatory meeting;
1) Funded Organizations
(a) The first missed meeting: will result in the organizations budget being frozen for a minimum of 7 days. An organization or student service has 7 days from the mandatory meeting to file a grievance with the Judicial Council. If no grievance has been filed with the Judicial Council, the organization or student service forfeits their right to dispute a 5% budget cut. Organizations or student services that have filed a grievance will have their budget remain frozen until the Judicial Council rules on an appropriate budget cut.
(b) The second missed meeting will result in the loss of their budget for the rest of the fiscal year.
(c) The third missed meeting will result in the loss of recognition.
2) Non-Funded Organizations
(a) The first missed meeting: the USG organization must report to Judicial Council.
(b) If the organization misses two meetings, the organization cannot submit any proposals for any funds for the rest of the present fiscal year.
(d) If three meetings are missed the consequence will be loss of recognition.
10. All Presidents and Vice-Presidents must attend the mandatory training orchestrated by the USG Executive Vice-President.
11. All Treasurers must attend the mandatory training orchestrated by the USG Treasurer.
12. Failure for either the organizations President, Vice-President, or Treasurer to attend the mandatory training sessions;
1) Funded Organizations
(a)This will result in the organizations budget being frozen until that respective officer is trained.
2) Non-Funded
(a) This organization will be investigated by the Rules and Regulations Committee to determine if said organization must undergo the re-recognition.
13. In the course of any organization/club event where 50 tickets are sold for cash attendees, professional accountable person(s) must collect and account for income.
a. A professional accountable person is defined as a paid USG employee, on-site employee of the location of the event, staff or faculty of Buffalo State College, or a paid outsourced person.
E. Constitutions of Organizations and Student Services
1. The Rules and Regulations Committee and the Senate must approve an organizations' constitution.
2. The USG Constitution takes precedence over the constitution of all the USG approved organizations.
3. The group must adhere to the provisions of its own constitution. Any changes in an organization's constitution must be passed by the organization in a manner consistent with the provision in that constitution. Furthermore, the USG Rules and Regulations Committee and a 2/3 vote of the Senate must approve these changes prior to implementation.
F. Removal of Recognition
1. Failure to adhere to one or more of the USG organizational requirements stated in Article VIII Section C and D will be sufficient grounds for the removal of recognition.
2. Removal Process
a. The Rules and Regulations Committee may investigate any organization that may not be following the USG rules or guidelines. During the investigation the following steps must be taken:
1) The Rules and Regulations Committee must hold hearings with all of the following: the organization in question and their advisor as well as all persons who brought a grievance forward against the organization in question.
2) If the Rules Committee finds sufficient grounds for removal of organizational recognition, the Rules and Regulations Committee must supply this recommendation for removal in writing to the Senate and the organization in question.
3) If the Senate passes the recommendation by a 2/3 vote, the organization in question will be notified in writing and will lose its recognition and funding.
G. Budget allocations of USG clubs and organizations
1. No USG club or organization shall receive a budget larger than $30,000.
a. This provision does not include USG services and Executive budgets.
b. To change or edit this provision in the USG constitution it requires a unanimous vote by the Rules and Regulations Committee, then a 3⁄4 majority vote by the Senate.
c. This cap shall be evaluated by the Budget Committee every two years, starting in 2007, and their findings presented to the Senate for consideration.
2. No USG club or organization shall receive larger than a 10% annual increase in their overall budget without a 2/3 majority vote by the senate.
a. This provision does not include USG services and Executive budgets.
b. To change or edit this provision in the USG constitution, it requires a unanimous vote by the Rules and Regulations Committee, then a 3⁄4 majority vote by the Senate.
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