Bylaws of the Morehead State University
Student Government Association
PURPOSE/MISSION STATEMENT:
The Student Government Association will commit itself to addressing student concerns, improving the overall quality of student life and work to make the college experience the best it can be.
ARTICLE I. STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1.
The standing committees will be established as follows:
A. Campus Involvement- Develops and manages civic engagement efforts, educational programming,
and participation in the campus community.
B. Public Relations- Promotes and publicizes information affiliated with SGA in a professional and
positive manner.
C. Funding and Awards- Evaluates campus event proposals; and students for SGA scholarships
D. Student Life- Researches policies and initiates plans to enhance the quality of student life for
students while serving as a liaison to University departments.
Section 2.
Committee Chairs
A. The Committee Chair is the presiding congress member of the committee. This person is responsible
for managing the committees operations.
B. The responsibilities of the chair are to include the following:
1. To determine a time and place for the meeting to be held
2. To produce and agenda for each meeting
3. To conduct the meeting pursuant to Roberts Rules of Order
4. To report committee progress to congress
5. To report directly to the Executive Vice-President
Section 3.
Vice-Chairs
A. The Committee Vice-Chair is the second presiding member of the committee. This person is
responsible for assisting the chair in managing the committee’s operations.
B. The responsibilities of the Vice-Chair are to include the following:
1. To take roll at each meeting (include excused/unexcused absences)
2. To submit roll to Vice-President for Administration
3. To take minutes
4. To submit the completed committee report to the Executive Vice-President
5. To fulfill the responsibilities of the chair in their absence
Section 4.
Advisors to Standing Committees
A. All committees will have an advisor from the Executive committee.
B. Advisor is available for council or feedback.
C. Advisor is not required to attend committee meetings, but should be available should the committee
require assistance.
D. The staff advisors will also be an available resource to the committees to advise as necessary.
Section 5.
Ad Hoc Committee
A. The Executive Vice President may establish and disband supplemental committees with the intent
of addressing specified purposes. These committees shall be referred to as Ad Hoc committees.
B. Ad Hoc committees shall be vested with all powers, privileges, and responsibilities as designated to
standing committees by the SGA Constitution and Bylaws.
Article II. Attendance Policy for Congress Members
Section 1.
Attendance
A. SGA attendance will be regulated as follows; a maximum of 4 absences total will be permitted per
semester that is 3 excused absences and 1 unexcused absence. This will include attendance to
congress and committee meetings.
B. The Executive Committee will notify SGA Congress members individually after their second absence.
After the fourth excused absence, or second unexcused absence the Executive Committee will notify the
member in question to allow them to resign or appeal their absences. The final decision will be
presented and voted upon by the SGA Congress to retain the member or have them removed.
Article III. Adding, Striking, and Amending the Bylaws of SGA
Section 1.
Proposing, Striking, and Amending bylaws
A. A motion may be made by any member of congress to propose, strike, and amend bylaws.
B. Bylaws may be accepted, rejected, and amended by a TWO-THIRDS vote of congress.
Article IV. Dispensation of SGA Funds
Section 1.
A. Prior to each fall semester the executive committee shall take into consideration the SGA budget as a
whole.
Section 2.
A. The executive committee shall earmark funds for SGA standing committees based on analysis of
previous and projected expenditures.
1. Any use of SGA standing committee funds must first be proposed by the respective standing
committee and approved by a majority vote within the committee
2. All standing committee transactions must be approved by a majority vote of the SGA Congress
unless otherwise specified in SGA governing documents.
3. All committee expenditures of less than or equal to $50.00 may be approved by the Vice
President for Finance without a majority vote of the SGA Congress
a. Standing Committees must file a request to dispense funds with the Vice President for Finance
and include:
i. Amount Requested
ii. Description of Expenditure
iii. Sponsorship by the Committee
b. If the Vice President for Finance is inaccessible for a signature of approval, committee
expenditures of less than or equal to $50.00 may be approved by the President
4. All committee expenditures of less than or equal to $100.00 may be approved by the Vice
President for Finance without a majority vote of the SGA Congress for the specific use of printed
promotional materials.
Section 3.
A. All funds not allocated to SGA standing committees shall be designated as the SGA General Fund.
1. Allocations of the SGA General Fund may be proposed to congress and approved by a majority
vote.
2. The SGA General Fund shall be designated for spending outside the specific duties of the
standing committees.
3. Additional funds may be allocated to SGA standing committees
Section 4.
A. The Executive Committee shall present the Dispensation of SGA Funds to congress for ratification, no
later than the second congress meeting of each fall semester.
Article V. SGA Election Rules and Procedures
The following are rules by which the campaigning and elections will be governed. Should there be any violations of these rules, then action may be taken against the individual concerned and/or the candidate for which the individual is campaigning.
Section 1. Voting / Election
A. In order for a student to vote in the election, he/she must be a full-time studentat Morehead State University.
B. Voting may not be used as bribery or as a way to gain admittance or admission into any function.
C. The election will be open during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the day of the election.
Results will be announced after 10:30 p.m. on the day of the election in the Student Activities Office, located
in ADUC.
D. If an election is held on-line and there is any failure of the university data network that
would impair a significant number of students from voting, the results of the election could
be void and a new election may be held within 48 hours. The decision to hold a new election
is at the discretion of the Dean of Students.
E. Absentee Voting: In the event online voting is not available the following process of absentee voting will be in effect.
1. Any eligible voter who is unable to vote during polling hours may vote using an absentee ballot, under
any of the following circumstances;
a. An approved Morehead State University function will take them out of town during the hours
of voting
b. A student’s class schedule prevents them from being present at the main campus during
voting hours.
c. A student’s work schedule prevents them from being present at the main campus during voting
hours.
2. An Affidavit for Absentee Ballots must be filed with the Office of the Dean of Students at the point of
absentee voting before a student will be given an absentee ballot. (The Absentee Ballot may be
completed as soon as the Affidavit for Absentee Ballots has been approved.)
3. Affidavit for Absentee Ballots must be accompanied by proper documentation, showing one of the
reasons outlined in Section 1, as well as proper student photo identification card.
4. Absentee ballots must be completed upon receipt and may not be removed from the office in which
absentee voting is administered.
5. Absentee ballots must be completed no more than 3 business days before the election and by 3:30 pm
the day prior to the election.
6. The voter must sign the Registry of Eligible Voters and will not be permitted to vote on the day of the
regular election.
7. The Office of the Dean of Students and Office of Student Activities will be jointly responsible for the
administration and security of the absentee voting process and all completed ballots.
8. Absentee ballots are not to be opened or counted until the close of voting; and will be counted
with the votes cast during, the regularly schedule election.
9. All election rules, procedures, and decisions made by the Election Committee and SGA Congress
concerning regular polling; prior to the opening of absentee voting, will be in effect during absentee voting.
Section 2. Candidate Requirements and Responsibilities
A. Student Government Association candidates must meet all the qualifications set forth in the SGA
Constitution: be a full-time student, have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA and bein good disciplinary standing
with the university.
B. Any candidate for the office of President must have successfully completed a minimum of 45 hours of
full-time study at Morehead State University.
C. Each candidate, their campaign manager, or a designated representative must attend the first candidate’s
meeting as announced by the SGA Election Committee.
D. The election ballot will list the candidate’s name as registered with the university.
E. While campaigning, candidates, their campaign managers, and any other representatives are required to
conduct themselves in a professional manner.
Section 3. Campaign Regulations
A. Candidates running for office may begin campaigning after, and only after, the election rules meeting as
announced by the SGA Election Committee.
B. There will be no campaigning on the day of the election except within the university free speech area
(approximately 25ft radius around Bell Tower)
C. During the week ending to the day before primary election and during the week ending the day before the
general election, candidates are allowed to engage in door-to-door campaigning within residence halls
(under proper escort) between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. to talk with residents. In order to do
this, candidates must inform the Hall Director of the residence hall they will be visiting and let him/her know
they will be in the building, as well as the name of their escort. To be on floors of the opposite sex, one
must have an opposite-sex escort that is a resident of that particular building. No door-to-door
campaigning may take place on the day of the elections. No campaign materials may be posted in a
residence hall except by Residence Hall Staff on bulletin boards designated for general use. The above rules
just also be followed while conducting any campaign activity in your own residence hall. All residence hall
activities must be properly documented by the Hall Director. A campaign manageror designated
representative at the candidate's meeting muct be listed on the candidate registration form prior to the
close of the registration period.
D. Any campaign activity cannot interfere with the academic mission of the university.
E. Political activities such as meetings, rallies, parades, conferences, speeches, and the information booths
necessitating physical arrangements should be submitted in writing to the Student Activities Coordinator for
approval and then scheduled through Conference after written approval has been received.
F. No sound systems (electrical or battery amplification) are to be used.
G. No mass e-mail, voice mail, or university list serve that operate within or under the control of the University
Information Technology Services Department are permitted to be used for political purposes by a candidate
or individual affiliated with a campaign.
H. No chalking or yard signs are permitted.
Section 4. Campaign Materials
A. A candidate is responsible for all materials, activities or other aspects, relating to his/her candidacy;
therefore, he/she should approve all materials and activities related to his/her candidacies that are
conducted by his/her campaign manager or supporters. All campaign materials must include, “Paid for
by Candidate” or PFBC.
B. The Student Government Association logo may not be used on any campaign material.
C. All political advertising should be put on bulletin boards which are designated for general use and/or other
areas designated by the SGA Election Committee. There will be a limit of ONE poster per candidate
per bulletin board. No poster on a university bulletin board is to exceed 16’’ x 24’’. No campaigning
materials will be allowed to be posted in classrooms, computer labs, on trash cans, departmental
boards, utility poles, buildings, interior walls of buildings, doors, trees, or other places deemed inappropriate
by the Dean of Students.
D. All campaign literature distributed through the University Post Office or Residence Hall mail boxes must be
properly addressed with the name and appropriate box number as well as the sender name. Each
candidate is entitled to one stuffing of mail boxes in the residence halls during all-campus elections.
The Student Activities Office must be notified 48 hours prior to the stuffing of Residence Hall mail boxes in
order to notify the Office of Student Housing.
E. Political banners are to be displayed only during approved rallies, parades, or areas designated by the
Student Activities Office and only with the approval of the Student Activities Office.
F. No candidate may name or in any way refer to his/her opponent or other person affiliated with an opponent
in any campaign materials or events.
G. No under-the-door distribution of materials will be approved for elections.
H. No adhesive material may be used to post campaign materials.
I. A Candidate’s campaign material may be removed only by the candidate, the campaign manager, or a
designated representative.
J. All posted campaign materials must be removed by the candidate or candidate’s designated representative
48 hours following the completion of the election.
Section 5. A person accused of violating an election regulation will have a hearing before the Student Court. Any
complaint against a candidate of his/her campaign shall be registered in writing with the Student
Activities Coordinator no later than 7 school days after the closing of the General Election.
Section 6. The election will follow Robert’s Rules of Order to govern election procedure when not in conflict with
the election rules. If at any time the election rules are found in conflict with the Constitution
of the SGA, constitutional rules and requirements are to be followed.
APPROVED by Legislative Committee: 2/20/07
APPROVED by Congress: 2/21/07
REVISED by Congress: 9/26/07
