SGA Constitution

Students sitting on staircase

National Park College Student Government Association Constitution

Preamble

We, the students of National Park College, in order to form a democratic and responsible student government, do hereby establish the Student Government Association and adopt this Constitution. Our purpose is to represent, lead, and unify the student body; to act responsibly in the students’ best interests; and to collaborate with the Faculty and Administration of National Park College in the pursuit of mutual interests.

Article I: Name

This organization shall be known as the Student Government Association (herein known as “SGA”) of National Park College (herein known as “NPC”).

Article II: Purpose and Function

The primary purpose of the SGA shall be to:

  • Promote the views of the student body of NPC through participation in shared governance.
  • Promote student activities of the student body.
  • Oversee NPC student clubs and organizations.
  • Facilitate student elections.
  • Participate in and support charitable activities to support the students and the community.
  • Make recommendations to appropriate deciding bodies on any matter relating to the general welfare of the student body.
  • Establish committees, assign the responsibilities and appoint their membership.
  • Encouraging civic engagement and responsibility.

Article III: Membership Composition

The SGA membership shall be composed by the following:

  • The SGA membership shall be composed of no more than sixteen (16) current students and two (2) professional advisors. The SGA Advisors shall be appointed by the VP of Student Services. The Student Life Coordinator shall hold an SGA Advisor position. The other position may be held by a full-time Faculty or professional Staff member.
    • Six (6) students, known as the Executive Council, shall hold officer
    • Five (5) students shall hold At-Large Representatives
    • Five (5) Student Delegate positions are reserved for first-year students, dually enrolled students, and part-time students to ensure diverse Any combination of these student groups may comprise the Student Delegates.
    • The SGA Board, which serves as the main voting arm of the organization, shall be composed of the Executive Council and At-Large Representatives. All SGA Board representatives shall each have one (1) Student Delegates shall not have voting rights. The president shall abstain from voting except in the event of a tie. Advisors shall be non-voting members, except in rare or special cases that are outlined in the By-Laws, Article VI.

Article IV: Organization and Procedures

Section A: Meetings

  • SGA shall hold two (2) open meetings per month during the academic year, accessible to the general student body. The schedule for all SGA meetings shall be publicly posted on the college’s official These meetings may be cancelled provided a motion from a member is passed by two-thirds of the SGA members present at a scheduled meeting.
  • Given 24 hours notice, special meetings may be called by the President or by written petition of any three (3) SGA Board members.

Section B: Quorum

A quorum shall consist of fifty (50) percent of the filled SGA Board member positions. Student Delegates shall not be counted toward quorum.

Section C: Parliamentary Procedures

Robert’s Rules of Order, shall be used to guide the parliamentary procedures for all formal meetings. SGA may conduct votes via an approved electronic platform for procedural matters, budget changes, funding requests, scheduling, and other non-binding decisions. Voting on constitutional amendments, SGA member elections, and major policy changes shall take place in person during an official SGA meeting. All electronic votes must be documented in the next official meeting minutes.

Section D: By-Laws

The SGA Board shall have the power to write By-Laws to affect the purposes of this Constitution.

Section E: Legislative Functions

A motion to change an established policy or introduce a significant measure shall not be voted on immediately upon its introduction. Instead, the motion must be:

  • Presented at a meeting, with the vote postponed until at least the next scheduled meeting (minimum 24 hours later).
  • Or, if an expedited vote is necessary, written notice of the motion must be provided to all SGA members at least four (4) days in advance of the meeting where the vote will take place.

Article V: Elections

Section A: Oversight

  • All SGA elections shall be conducted by the SGA Elections Committee. No student seeking an Officer or At-Large position shall be permitted to serve on the SGA Elections
  • The General Election for SGA members shall be conducted over two consecutive days during April to determine the leadership for the forthcoming academic If vacancies remain after the General Election, a Special Election shall be held at the start of the fall semester to fill open positions. If needed, an additional Special Election may be conducted at the start of the spring semester to address vacancies. If at any time a position is unopposed, an election is not required for that position. If vacancies persist after elections, the SGA Board may appoint qualified candidates by a quorum. This process applies to all membership positions, including Officers, At-Large Representatives, and Student Delegates.

Section B: Eligibility

  • Board Members
    • All students enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, who maintain a minimum 2.50 GPA, and not on academic or disciplinary probation at NPC are eligible to run for any Board Member position.
  • Student Delegates
    • Part-time and dually enrolled students who maintain a minimum 50 GPA and are not on academic or disciplinary probation are eligible to run for Student Delegate.
    • First-year who had a minimum 2.50 GPA in High School and have no known academic or disciplinary probation issues are eligible to run for Student Delegate.
  • Maintaining Eligibility
    • Any SGA members (Board Member or Student Delegate) who fall below their required enrollment statues, are placed on academic of disciplinary action, fail to meet a 2.50 GPA, or do not meet the attendance and participation requirements outlined in Article II of the By-Laws their position, and a vacancy shall be declared.

Section C: Term of Office

The term of office shall be the academic year following the spring elections to start on the first day of the fall semester.

Section D: Vacancies and Succession

  • Should the office of the President become vacant, the Vice-President shall become the President and assume all responsibilities of that office.
  • Should the office of any of the remaining officers’ positions become vacant, the SGA shall fill that office position by a majority vote of a quorum of the SGA Board those positions as outlined in Article V, Section A of this Constitution.

Article VI: Committees

Section A: Standing Committees

The SGA may form Standing Committees, as provided in the By-Laws, to aid in the effective workings of the SGA. The Standing Committees shall include but not be limited to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the Events and Activities Committee, the Interclub Committee, and the SGA Elections Committee.

Section B: Ad Hoc Committees

The President may appoint ad hoc committees for a specific purpose as he/she deems necessary.

Article VII: Amendments

This Constitution may be amended by the following process:

  • Propositing an Amendment:
    • Option 1: A written proposal signed by five SGA board members.
    • Option 2: A student petition with at least 25 currently enrolled student signatures and sponsorship by at least one SGA board member to move forward.
  • Review and Consideration:
    • Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Constitution and By-Laws committee for review.
    • The Constitution and By-Laws Committee shall assess the amendment and return it to the SGA Board with any recommendations by the next regularly scheduled SGA
  • Campus Review and Comment Period:

    • Once approved by the SGA Board, the proposed amendment shall be published and made available for public review for no less than seven days prior to the next SGA meeting for a final review and vote for the change.

    • During this period, members of the campus community may submit comments or concern regarding the proposed changes.
  • Final SGA Board Review and Vote:
    • After the public review period, the SGA Board shall review any feedback and make final recommendations on the amendment.
    • A two/thirds (2/3) majority vote of the SGA Board is required to approve the final
  • Administrative Approval:
    • Upon SGA Board approval, the amendment shall be submitted to the President, Vice President of Student Services, and President’s Cabinet for review.
    • If approved, the amendment shall be forwarded to the NPC Board of Trustees for final approval and implementation.
  • Administrative Mandates:
    • If an amendment to this Constitution is mandated by a policy or change in policy from the NPC Board of Trustees, such mandated change shall be incorporated into the existing Constitution with no vote necessary by the student body.

Article VIII: Ratification

This Constitution shall be adopted by the affirmative vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the membership of the SGA Board and the affirmative vote of the College President, Vice President for Student Services and the Board of Trustees of NPC, in accordance with Board Policy 6.900 Student Organizations.

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