Constitution of the Student Government Association of DACC

ARTICLE I: Preamble

We, the students of Doña Ana Community College, hereby adopt this Constitution which makes provision for a democratic student government organization. The executive officers will consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, duly elected by the Doña Ana Community College student body and Senate Leader selected by DACC Student Senate. The members of officially sanctioned student organizations’ shall elect a senator to serve on the DACC Senate Committee. This student government will provide a communication link with the Doña Ana Community College administration, faculty, and student body facilitating the expression of student opinion and voice on campus.  The name of this organization shall be called “Student Government Association of Doña Ana Community College,” hereafter referred to as the SGADACC.

ARTICLE II: Purpose

The primary purpose of the SGADACC shall be as follows:

A.  To represent the student body of Doña Ana Community College.
B.  To encourage cooperation and communication between the students, faculty, administration, and all other campus organizations.
C.  To provide a forum for student expression and the exchange of student-faculty views.
D.  To enhance the quality of student life at this campus.
E.  To develop good citizenship attitudes by performing community service projects on and off-campus.
F.  To develop leadership skills, training, and development.
G.  To provide students with networking skills and opportunities.

ARTICLE III: Membership

Section 1: The membership of the Student Government Association shall consist of the following:

A:  Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall consist of the following elected officials:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Senate Leader

Senate leader: Senators shall select, by vote, a Senate leader.

  • The Senate leader will attend all executive board meetings and work with the Vice-President to assign senator duties.

B.  Senators: Senators shall be an elected or appointed representative from each active officially sanctioned club of DACC.

C.  Executive Board:  The Executive Board shall consist of the SGADACC Executive Committee, and the Vice President for Student Services. The Executive Board will meet prior to each SGADACC senate meeting.

D.  SGADACC Senate:

1. The SGADACC Senate will consist of all senators selected or appointed to SGADACC.
2.  The SGADACC Senate will meet prior to each SGADACC general meeting. The Senate leader will coordinate and conduct all meetings along with Vice President of SGADACC.

E.  Terms of Office: All SGADACC officers and senators shall serve for one (1) year, commencing July 1 and ending June 30 of the following calendar year. Any elected official shall be eligible to remain in office provided that he/she maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for Executive Officers, and 2.0 for Senators.

ARTICLE IV: Meetings and Committees

Section 1: The SGADACC shall hold general meetings at a minimum of once a month during the fall and spring semesters. All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 2:  The SGADACC shall hold senate meetings at a minimum of once a month during the fall and spring semesters.

Section 3:  All students, faculty, and staff associated with DACC may attend general meetings of the Student Government Association.

Section 4:  Standing and Ad Hoc Committees shall be appointed as necessary by the President of the SGADACC and chaired by an officer or Senator. The chairperson will report to the President or designated officer of the SGADACC on the committee’s progress and will present recommendations from the committee to the SGADACC in senate meetings. The chairperson shall assist and coordinate the work of the committee.

ARTICLE V: Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1:  The duties and responsibilities of Student Government Association elected officials include, but are not limited the following:

1.  President:

  • Shall serve as a role model to the student body.
  • Shall have the responsibility of overseeing the duties and responsibilities of the executive committee.
  • Communicating and publicizing the affairs of the student body.
  • Shall meet regularly with the Vice President for Student Services
  • Must attend all SGADACC meetings.
  • Shall represent the student body at the administrative council meetings and/or any other DACC administrative meeting that requires the presence of the SGADACC.
  • May attend meetings with Student Government Associations from different colleges and universities.
  • Shall appoint standing senator committees.
  • Shall approve any Requests for Funding and/or Non-Club Requests for Funding.
  • Will oversee all communication with student organization presidents.  

2.  Vice-President:

  • Shall serve as a role model to the student body.
  • Shall assume the role of President in their absence.
  • Will oversee all communication with the student organization advisers dealing with requests for funding, activity requests, and/or monthly status reports.
  • Will oversee all communication with the DACC departments, dealing with Non-Club requests for funding.
  • Shall attend all SGADACC meetings.
  • Shall assign senator duties with the senate leader.
  • Shall present a report of activities to the student senate.

3.  Treasurer

  • Shall serve as a role model to the student body.
  • Shall keep an accurate record of all monies received and disbursed.
  • Shall prepare financial reports for all SGADACC meetings, including current balance, expenses per student organization, and non-club expenses.
  • Shall oversee all communication with Business Office.
  • Shall meet with the Business Office once a month to check the SGADACC balance.
  • Shall attend all SGADACC meetings.

4.  Secretary

  • Shall serve as a role model to the student body.
  • Shall be responsible for recording the minutes and acting as the official timekeeper of all SGADACC meetings.
  • Shall ensure that copies of the minutes of all SGADACC meetings are distributed in a timely manner to all SGADACC officers and the student senate.
  • Shall approve the agenda prior to a meeting and prepare a presentation if needed. The agenda/presentation shall be sent to the executive team 2 days prior the meeting.
  • Shall prepare the conference room prior to a SGADACC meeting, ensuring that each SGADACC member has a nametag, a hard copy of the agenda, a seat, and keep track of the sign-in sheet, with the SGADACC administrative assistant.
  • Shall update the student database with the SGADACC administrative assistant.
  • Shall attend all SGADACC meetings.

5.  Senate Leader

  • Shall serve as a role model of the student body.
  • Will attend all SGADACC executive board meetings.
  • Will work with the Vice President to assign senator duties.
  • Shall be responsible for directing all standing committees.
  • Shall present a report of activities to the student senate.
  • Shall attend all SGADACC meetings.

  6.  Senators:

  • Shall serve as roles models of the student body
  • Shall serve on at least one standing committee set forth by the senate leader.
  • Shall communicate regularly with the Senate Leader
  • Shall participate in at least two SGADACC-sponsored events per semester
  • Shall attend all SGADACC meetings.

ARTICLE VI: Petitioning, Campaigning, and Elections

Section 1:

A.  Executive Officers shall be elected at large by the general student body at DACC. To be eligible to run for office, a student shall have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better, shall be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits at DACC and have a declared major. DACC Executive Officer candidates must also be in good academic standing and not have any Student Code of Conduct violations as determined by the Vice President for Student Services. During the spring semester, it shall be the duty of the President to announce to the student body the date of the elections. Within two (2) weeks after the announcement of the elections, each student who desires to become a candidate for executive office must present to the SGADACC a complete petition for candidacy with at least fifty signatures from students of DACC. If a student signs a petition for more than one person for the same office, his/her signature on all such petitions shall be declared void.

B.  All candidates will be given an opportunity to campaign with posters and pin-on materials, to be placed throughout the campus in areas designated by the SGADACC. Any questionable material must be presented for approval to the SGADACC Executive Committee.

Section 2:

A.  Voting shall take place on-line and shall be supervised by the Vice President for Student Services. Voting is open to all DACC students.  A candidate running for an executive office who receives a majority of the votes cast shall be elected to office. The Vice President for Student Services shall tally the ballots and the results of the election shall be announced at the next regular meeting of the SGADACC.

B.  All newly elected officers will be affirmed at the last regular meeting of the SGADACC in order to start their tenure on July 1. The affirming ceremony will be conducted by the Vice President for Student Services, at the beginning of the new school year or as determined by the Vice President for Student Services.

ARTICLE VII:  Removals and Resignations

Section 1:   Irreconcilable Differences Between Elected Officials: In the event that irreconcilable differences exist between the elected officials, rendering them unable to work together toward the best interests of the Student Government Association, the Vice President for Student Services upon their recommendation and discretion, may remove any or all elected officials in order to preserve the continued well-being of the SGADACC.

Attendance of each elected or appointed SGADACC officer is mandatory at all meetings. Any officer who is absent from two or more consecutive meetings during one semester without a valid reason shall be sent before the SGADACC Executive Committee for evaluation.  Removals are conducted due to the neglect of performance of duties as specified by the Constitution.

Section 2:  Any elected official desiring to resign from the SGADACC shall submit his/her resignation in writing to the President, who shall read the letter of resignation under “New Business” for the acknowledgment of the Student Government Association. 

ARTICLE VIII: Order of Succession

In the event of the President’s resignation, the letter will be addressed to the Vice President for Student Services. Should the President, in some manner, be rendered temporarily unable to fulfill the duties and discharge the powers of his/her office, authorities, responsibilities and duties of such office, the Presidency will be turned over to the Vice President, and shall revert back to the President upon his/her declaration of fitness to serve. In the event the President should resign or be removed from his/her office, the duties and responsibilities shall be given to the Vice President.  The Vice President for Student Services, Executive Committee, and Senate will determine the order of succession of executive responsibility in the event that both the President and Vice President become unable to fulfill their responsibilities. If the Vice President resigns, procedure will be followed per Article VII, Section 2. If the Vice President is recalled or in some manner rendered unable to fulfill his/her duties, authorities, or responsibilities of such office, the position of the Vice President will be left to the Executive Committee to fill. An announcement will be made within five (5) working days to all DACC Students that the Vice Presidency is vacant. Proper procedures will be followed with a letter of petition submitted within one (1) week after the vacancy has been announced. These petitions will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and all candidates will be given the opportunity to speak before the SGADACC. A quorum is required to vote, and the SGADACC, by secret ballot, will determine who will fill the position of the Vice Presidency. The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint a Secretary or Treasurer in the event of a resignation, removal, or other circumstance by which the office becomes vacant.

A.  Senator(s) who resigns his/her/their seat or is/are removed will be replaced by another student in that student club. Applications for the open positions will be reviewed, and the Executive Committee will then appoint a replacement from the applications.

ARTICLE IX: Organizations/Clubs

Section 1:  To be chartered through the SGADACC, an organization shall have a membership of seven or more students and two (2) community-service or campus projects per semester. Organizations shall submit a Student Organization Recognition/Renewal Form (Form A), a Student Organization Officer Roster (Form B), a club membership list, and official by-laws to the Student Government Association prior to the first senate meeting of the fall semester.  Updated student organization officer rosters and club membership lists are required prior to the first senate meeting of the spring semester.  Forms not submitted by published deadlines will not be chartered for the applicable semester.

Section 2:  For the purpose of obtaining any needed funds, all chartered organizations shall make a request to the Student Government Association in the form of a “Request for Funding” (RFF), Refer to the SGADACC Student Organization Handbook to ensure that all procedures are followed.  Any organization failing to conduct business in the best interest of the DACC and not abiding by their by-laws, the SGA Constitution, and/or NMSU/DACC policies may no longer be chartered by the SGADACC, thus being denied funds by the Student Government Association. Exception to this policy can be addressed to the SGADACC in a closed meeting. 

ARTICLE X: Budgets

Section 1:  the Student Government Association of Doña Ana Community College will adhere to expenditure procedures as outlined in the NMSU Business Policies and Procedures Manual. Financial records shall be maintained by the Doña Ana Community College Finance Office. The Finance Office shall provide monthly reports of all transactions to the treasurer of the Student Government Association so that an accurate record of finances can be recorded by the SGADACC. All funds shall be distributed through the DACC Finance office.

Section 2: Student Government Association monies must be expended according to the following guidelines:

  1. Annual expense budget will be prepared and approved by the SGADACC and the executive board before any expenditure can be disbursed.
  2. Funds can only be used for the benefit of current DACC students for the purposes of enrollment, retention, and/or completion. 
  3. The President and the Treasurer are the only persons who can sign request for funding/purchase orders for expenditures approved by the Student Government Association.
  4. All expenditures require the signature of the President, Treasurer, and the Vice President for Student Services.
  5. Expenditures in excess of $1,500 require competitive quotes and should be coordinated with the Vice President for Student Services and the Vice President for Business and Finance.
  6. All funding requests are subject to approval of the Executive Committee. 

Section 3:  The Student Government Association of DACC shall submit an annual expense budget to the Vice President for Student Services for use by the Student Government Association of DACC.

ARTICLE XI: Payment to Officers and Senators

Section 1:  The Vice President for Student Services and the Executive Committee shall agree on a set amount to be paid to each Executive Officer and the Senate Leader on an annual basis given the annual allotment from student fees and budgetary constraints.  Payments to officers will be disbursed according to Human Resources Policy.

Section 2: The Vice President for Student Services and the Executive Committee shall agree on a set amount to be paid each senator on a semester basis given the annual allotment from student fees and budgetary constraints. 

ARTICLE XII: Emergency Action Clause

Section 1: The Executive Committee shall establish regular meeting times for themselves to discuss agendas and other issues which need to be presented at general meetings. The Executive Committee shall have the power to act in the name of the Student Government Association in situations where the membership cannot be called into session and immediate action is necessary. The Executive Committee shall report any action taken to the general membership at the next scheduled meeting.

Section 2:  The President has executive power to make decisions in the name of the Student Government Association in a situation where the Executive Committee cannot be called into session and when immediate action is necessary. The President shall report any action taken to the Vice President for Student Services. The President shall report any action taken at the next regular scheduled Student Government Association senate and general meeting.

ARTICLE XII: Amendments to Constitution

Section 1:  This Constitution can be amended or revised by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the membership of the Student Government Association. The proposed amendment or revision shall be presented at the next general meeting of the Student Government Association. The proposed amendment(s) or revision(s) shall not be discussed or voted upon until the next general meeting. If passed, the proposed amendment(s) or revision(s) will be reviewed by the Vice President for Student Services for approval or veto.