Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. In this endeavor, we are guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition, the Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning. Exemplifying Benedictine hospitality, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others.

We, the students of Belmont Abbey College, do establish this constitution for the STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION OF BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE, a permanent body operating under the authority of the President of the College. We do this in order to

• Better contribute to the well being of the general College community.
• Promote the general welfare of the student body.
• Facilitate communication of reasonable opinions among and within the student body and
  between the administration and faculty of the College.
• Participate more effectively in the internal governance of the College under the guidance of
  the administration and faculty

The functions of the Student Government Association (SGA) of Belmont Abbey College shall be to:

Section 1. Express the specific and current concerns of the student body, and work to facilitate a solution that is advantageous for both the faculty, staff, and administration as well as the student body.

Section 2. Establish, within the laws applicable to Belmont Abbey College, a constant and effective communication among the administration, faculty, and staff through the committee’s mentioned below. And to add any additional committee if there arises any issues expressed by the student body that cannot be addressed within the already established committees.

Section 3. Participate through appropriate bodies in the formulation of academic and educational policies of Belmont Abbey College.

Section 4. Consider policies, programs, and other matters as the administration, faculty, and student organizations propose.

Section 5. Promote procedures whereby communication within the college may flow freely and systematically.

• A) The Student Body President will ensure a summary every semester recording the changes and issues raised as to promote continuity among the Student Government Association and Belmont Abbey College in the coming years.

Section 6. Assist in creating and maintaining a college environment conducive to the cultivation of scholarship, culture, service, and community under the Benedictine traditions.

• A) The Executive in conjunction with the State of The College Committee, will meet with the campus leaders once a year to observe how they enact the mission of the college within their respective scholarships, recruitments, and running of their programs.

Section 7. Accept and share responsibility with the administration and faculty in all efforts to improve the status and usefulness of Belmont Abbey College.

Section 8. Each year the Student Body President and fellow Executive members shall generate a Student Government Budget for the next academic year and deliver it to the Office of The Dean of Student Life no later than February 15th.

Section 9. Disburse funds from the budget of the Student Government, including but not limited to allocation of funds available to student organizations.

Section 1. Membership of the Student Government Association of Belmont Abbey College shall be composed of the Executive Officers, the Student Senate, class Presidents and Vice Presidents, and major group representatives as specified in this Constitution.

Section 2. Major group representatives shall be invited from all committees that report back to the Student Government, as well as any club or organization President Student Government shall call upon for information. These representatives cannot already be members of the Student Government. These representatives will have the ability to voice their opinions at meetings but do not hold official voting rights.

Section 3. Eligibility for membership is open to all students enrolled in the traditional programs, who have met all requirements of the position sought established by this Constitution (per Article XI) and who have been properly elected as prescribed by this Constitution and bylaws. These members shall possess full voting rights in all matters before the Student Government.

Section 4. No otherwise qualified student may be excluded from membership of the Student Government on the basis of race, age, religion, sex, nationality, or physical impairment.

Section 5. If there arises any issue or appeal by the student body brought against a Student Government member or the Student Government at large. An audience with the Advisor of the SGA may have to adjudicate the plea.

Section 1. The Executive Officers of the Student Government are as follows: Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, Executive Secretary, and Press Secretary

Section 2. Duties and powers of the executive officers
A) The Student Body President shall:

• Serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Student Government Association and represent the positions and opinions of the student body to internal and external groups.
• Supervise the execution of all actions of the Student Government authorized by this Constitution.
• Vote in all matters before the SGA if the case of a tie shall arise.
• Nominate the Chairman of all Student Government Committees
• Meet with the Advisor and Student Body Vice President at least every other week to develop an agenda for meetings and receive any updates.
• Attend appropriate gatherings and meetings with board members and administration of the college.
• Preside at all meetings of the Student Government and receive updates on committees and their programs.

B) The Student Body Vice President shall:

• Assist the president in his/hers duties
• Assume the office of the Student Body President in the events of the President’s resignation, ineligibility, or impeachment. Oversee the coordination of all SGA elections, in conjunction with the Advisor.
• Certify with the assistance of the Advisor that each member is eligible to serve based on his/hers cumulative grade point average. Possess full voting rights in all matters pertaining to the Student Government.
• Be responsible for the purse of the Student Government

C) The Executive Secretary shall:

• Keep files, and distribute the minutes of the Student Government meetings to its members, Advisor, and Dean of Student life. The Secretary will also keep, file, and distribute other documents necessary to the efficiency of SGA.
• Complete and maintain a file of correspondence related to the operation of the Student Government.
• Keep a log of all meetings the Student Body President has with faculty, staff, and administration.
• Call roll at all meetings and maintain records of attendance.
• Inform all members when they are 1 absence away from their limit.
• Possess full voting rights in all matters pertaining to the Student Government.

D) The Press Secretary Shall:

• Generate a weekly schedule for social media.
• Take pictures at Student Government sponsored events, talks, meetings, and dinners.
• Work with the Advisor regarding social media and information that should be shared.
• Possess full voting rights in all matters pertaining to the Student Government.

Section 3. If any of these above Executive Offices become vacant for a period, while in search for a replacement, the Executive Branch as well as the Advisor will meet to determine who shall take on the role in an interim time period.

Section 1. In accordance with this Constitution, students shall elect a President, Vice President and up to six (6) Senators from each class.

Section 2. Duties and powers of the class officers
A) The Class President shall:

• Hold a monthly class meeting and submit meetings to the Student Body President, and Executive Secretary.
• Serve on any committees of which they are appointed to.
• Present any concerns or ideas on the behalf of their class at Student Government meetings.

B) The Class Vice President shall:

• Assist the Class President in holding a monthly meeting.
• Serve on any committees of which they are appointed to.
• Assume the office of the Class President in the events of the President’s resignation, ineligibility, or impeachment.

C) Senators shall:

• Assist the Class President in holding a monthly meeting.
• Serve on any committees of which they are appointed to.
• Assume the office of the Class President upon the request of the Executive Officers in the events of the President’s resignation, ineligibility, or impeachment.
• Write a bill or proposal to be voted on regarding a concern at Belmont Abbey College.

Section 3. All class officers hold full voting rights in all matters before the Student Government.

Section 4. All class officers are to assist in the planning, promotion, implementation, and evaluation of Student Government programs, projects, and fundraising.

Section 5. Reports should be required of each officer, at the end of every semester, as to the contributions they made to their committees or class as well as improvements or events they believe could have been implemented.

Section 1. The current committees of the Student Government:

A) The Legislative Committee.

• The purpose of this committee is to amend and update the Constitution of the Student Government.
• Their duty is to make sure the laws therein are adhered to, as well
  as review legislation that is relevant to the Student Government. This committee shall be composed of elected SGA members appointed by the Student Body President

B) The Outreach Committee.

• The purpose of this committee is to ensure a direct line of communication from the student body to the faculty, staff, and administration with an emphasis on the concerns of the student body.
• This committee shall be composed of elected SGA members appointed by the Student Body President.

C) The State of The College Committee

• The purpose of this committee is to work to keep the student body informed about upcoming changes on campus such as construction, new programs, etc.
• This committee shall work with the Executive Officers in planning the yearly State of The School BQQ or other event as deemed. This committee shall be composed of elected SGA members.

D) The Commuter Committee.

• The Commuter Committee shall be tasked with hearing and bringing sight to the concerns that apply directly to the whole populous of commuter students at Belmont Abbey College. Work to establish a commuter event exclusive to commuter
  students.
• This committee will be composed of commuter students from the student body.

E) The Athletic Committee.

• The Athletic Committee shall be tasked with hearing and bringing sight to the concerns that apply directly to the whole populous of athletic students at Belmont Abbey College.
• This committee will be composed of student athletes from the student body.

F) The Premiere Scholarships Committee.

• The Premiere Scholarship Committee shall be tasked with hearing and bringing sight to the concerns that apply directly to the whole populous of premier scholarship students.
• The Premiere Scholarship Committee shall be composed of students from the following programs (Honors College, Hintemeyer Catholic Leadership, St. Thomas Moore, and Father John Oetgen). This committee will be composed of students from each scholarship program listed above from the student body.

Section 2. Other committees and listening groups of the Student Government shall be established as needed by the Executive Officers with the advice and consent from all Student Government members and the Advisor.

Section 3. All members of the committees do not hold voting rights in any matter of Student Government.

Section 1. The Student Government Association shall meet on a biweekly basis throughout the academic year. The time and location of the meetings will be set at the start of the semester and assured with the Advisor to ensure accountability. The Advisor will be notified if any changes shall be made.

Section 2. A meeting is considered valid if the Student Body President or Student Body Vice President is present. The minutes of the meeting must be submitted to the Advisor after each meeting.

Section 3. The Student Body President, a majority of the Student Government membership, Student Activities Director, the Advisor, the Dean of Student Life, or the President of the college may call to order a special meeting.

Section 4. Meetings of the SGA are not open to the college community. However, throughout the year students and faculty will be invited to attend a State of The College event or open forums to express their concerns. Upon a majority vote of the SGA membership the meeting may move into Executive session.

Section 5. A quorum is defined to be % of the Student Government membership. A quorum must be present to conduct business and for votes to be taken.

Section 6. Attendance of all members is expected at each meeting. Any member who is not able to attend must inform the Student Body President at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. An absence is considered excused if the member makes proper notification and if the absence is due to a college function (sports, academics), illness, or emergency situation. An absence is considered unexcused if proper notification is not made or if it is not related to a college function (sports, academics), illness, or emergency situation.

Section 1. To assume and hold the office of Student Body President the student must be enrolled full-time in the traditional programs. They must also have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and have earned enough academic credits to be classified as at least a junior, as well as have already served in Student Government on the Executive Board for one full academic year. Should the Vice President be required to assume the office of the President in accordance with this Constitution, the individual or student does not have to meet the requirements of being at least a junior.

Section 2. To assume and hold the office of Student Body Vice President the student must be enrolled full-time in the traditional programs. They must have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.75 and have earned enough credits to be considered at least a junior, as well as having already served in Student Government on the Executive Board for one academic year. If nobody is eligible to meet the qualifications it is up to the Advisors discretion.

Section 3. To assume the office of Executive Secretary, Press Secretary, or Treasurer the student must be enrolled in full-time traditional programs. They must have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.50 and earned enough academic credits to be classified as a sophomore. As well as have already served in Student Government for one full year.

Section 4. To assume the office of Class President, Vice President, Senator, or become a committee Chair; the student must be enrolled full-time in traditional programs. They must have a cumulative grade point average of a 2.25 and earned enough academic credits to be a member of the class or organization they are representing.

Section 5. These qualifications for obtaining a position in the Student Government are observed unless the Dean or Advisor of SGA have found there to be exigent circumstances that pose a compelling reason why someone might take the spot without the aforementioned requirements. Refer to Article VII.I

Section 1. Should the office of the President become vacant for any reason at a time other than established elections, the Vice President shall assume the office of the President.

Section 2. Should any Executive Office aside from the Student Body President, or any Senate office become vacant at any time other than established elections, the following procedures will occur:

• Notice of the vacant position, associated qualifications, and the location
  and time of the next Student Government meeting will be emailed to all traditional students and made known via appropriate social media accounts and college bulletins.
• Any student qualified for the position who wishes to be considered for appointment should present themselves to the SGA at the next scheduled meeting, which will be published in the above mentioned email.
• Those qualified should be interviewed by the Advisor of the SGA and deemed fit or unfit for the position before there is a vote.
• After the recommendation of the Advisor has been read before the whole
  of the Student Government the office shall be filled by majority vote of the Student Government.

Section 3. Should any seat assigned to a student organization become vacant for any reason, the organization shall select qualified students to fill the seat with approval from the Student Body President and Advisor.

Section 1. – If there are no candidates eligible or available to run for the Executive Office, because of the requirements expressed in this Constitution or other circumstances, the election operator must report to the Student Government Advisor and from the Advisor obtain a revised requirement for that particular election.

In the case of revised election requirements all newly eligible candidates must be contacted immediately of their ability to participate in the upcoming election.

At the conclusion of the election with revised criteria, all requirements will return to the original requirements laid out in Article VI.

Section 1. Elections are to be coordinated by the Student Body Vice President. Should the Student Body Vice President be a candidate in the election, the Student Government shall elect a member who is not a candidate to coordinate the election.

Section 2. In all campus wide elections, all properly registered, full-time, undergraduate students as defined by the Belmont Abbey College Registrar’s Office, are eligible to vote. In any limited eligibility elections, only those students who meet the following requirements shall be eligible to vote.

Section 3. To be nominated for an office a student must complete and return a nomination form as announced by the SGA. Nominations for an Executive Officer shall require at least 25 student signatures and nominations for a class officer shall require at least 25 student signatures. The period of time for nominations should be at least 3 and no more than 7 business days. Students completing the nomination process as prescribed by the SGA shall be listed on the election ballot. Ballots shall also allow for write-in candidates, except for Executive elections including Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, Executive Secretary, and the Press Secretary.

Section 3.1. – Elections for the Executive Board shall be held no earlier than November 1st and no later than November 30th; the whole of the SGA and student body shall be notified 7 days prior to the election.

Elections for class officers and Senators of upcoming senior, junior, and sophomore classes shall be held no earlier than April 1st and no later than April 30th; the student body shall be notified seven days prior to the said election.

Section 4. Campaigning for elections should be at least 5 business days and not more than 10 business days. Knowledge of the ballot as well as the elections must be promoted and distributed to the student body. Without secrecy or hindrance to a fair and equal election. All candidates are permitted to advertise their candidacy; any poster, signs, etc must be approved by the Office of Campus Life. Any candidate who does not abide by college policy may face disciplinary actions in accordance with the student handbook, and may upon the vote of the SGA be denied listing on the ballot. No campaigning is permitted within 30 feet of election polls.

Section 5. Elections shall be held for one day at the conclusion of the campaign period. Student Government shall establish polling time and locations to encourage maximum voter turnout.

Section 6. The SGA Advisor and two members of the Student Government who are not
candidates shall count the ballots.

Section 7. Any disputed election shall be decided by a panel of college faculty, staff, and students appointed by the Dean of Student Life. The panel’s decision shall be final.

Section 8. – Elected officers and Senators shall assume office upon taking the Oath of Office administered by the Student Body President no earlier than April 20th and no later than April 30th. Once sworn in, one will hold office until the following election cycle and the new winners have taken the oath of office.

The Executive Board members having an election separate from the class officers and Senators will assume office before the college dismisses for winter break upon taking the oath of office administered by the Advisor. Once sworn in, one will hold office until the following election cycle and the new winners have taken the oath of office.

Section 9. In the event of a write-in candidate for non-executive elections, the Executive Board, Dean of Student Life, and Advisor reserve the right to interview the candidate to determine the individual’s interest and fitness for the position.

Section 10. If a position remains vacant following an election the Advisor and existing Executive Board shall appoint a student to serve as an interim member until the next election. At the next Executive or general election, whichever comes first the interim position will be advertised as open to all eligible students and put on the election ballot.

Section 1. Any member of the Student Government may be impeached for unethical conduct, failure to perform duties, failure to maintain minimum qualifications (4) absences from SGA meetings, significant violations of college policy, or inability to hold office for any reason.

Section 2. Recommendation for impeachment must be made by an Executive Officer and at least two (2) Class Officers. Such recommendations are to be made at a meeting of the Student Government.

Section 3. A member being brought forth on an impeachment inquiry will be allowed to present a rebuttal.

Section 4. Members shall be impeached and removed from office with a 3 majority vote of the Student Government members present. While voting takes place, the individual being voted upon must temporarily remove him/her self from the meeting and shall return upon conclusion of the vote.

Section 5. The Advisor can override the impeachment decision.

Section 6. In case of removal of the Student Body President, the Student Body Vice President shall assume the office. In the case of removal of any other member, Article VII shall be followed.

Section 7. Attendance is expected of all members; should any member hold more than one (1) unexcused absence and more than three (3) excused absences from meetings within a semester with direction from the Executive Board the procedures for impeachment will then be followed.

Section 8. Students removed from the Student Government leadership for college policy violations can examine the student conduct process. (See section 37 of the student handbook).

Section 1. The Dean of Student Life, and Provost in accordance with the wishes of the President of the college shall designate the Advisor of the Student Government. If the Advisor were to be absent, the Dean of Student Life would ultimately be responsible for finding a suitable proxy.

Section 1. The Student Government shall set standards and procedures for recognition and funding of student organizations.

Section 2. For recognition of a student organization the SGA shall require at minimum, a written application by the organization to the SGA that includes the groups name, statement of purpose and Constitution, statement of obligation to follow the rules and regulations of the college, list of proposed officers if any, names of the organizations founding members, and signature of the groups Advisor or moderator. A representative of the group must be present at the SGA meeting when the application is to be considered.

Section 3. A unanimous vote by the Dean of Student Life, Director of Student Activities, and the Student Body President shall be required for recognition to be granted.

Section 1. The Constitution of the Student Government should be read at the first meeting of every semester. However, to open the Constitution to amendments, the Advisor of the SGA must approve that the issue within the document is worthy of being amended after facts have been provided that such an issue must be addressed. As follows, any changes to be made must pass a 3 vote and approval from the Dean of Student Life or the Advisor of the Student Government.

Section 2. The writer of this Constitution considers and understands that an issue is best articulated and its solution found when it is being dealt with in real time, thus it is the duty if the chair id the Legislative Committee to meet with the Advisor to consider any amendments as they might pertain to relevant and evolving events.

Adopted by vote of the student body on March 22, 2001.

Last revised on April 20, 2023

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