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A BY-LAW OF THE DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Contents

THE LEGISLATIVE BY-LAW

To Repeal & Replace DSG -BL-2004-022501
Concerning Legislative Elections, Apportionment of Senators, Responsibilities and Powers of Senators and Legislative Officers, Legislative Committees, and Legislative Awards

TITLE I. APPORTIONMENT, ELECTION, AND APPOINTMENT OF SENATORS

Section I. Terminology

For the purpose of appointing seats in the Senate, the undergraduate students of Duke University shall be divided into the following groups:

  • A. Those students who are senators of the Freshman class as defined by the University Registrar’s criteria.
  • B. Those students who are senators of the Sophomore class as defined by the University Registrar’s criteria.
  • C. Those students who are senators of the Junior class as defined by the University Registrar’s criteria
  • D. Those students who are senators of the Senior class as defined by the University Registrar’s criteria

A proportional number of senators from each class will make up the legislative body of the Duke Student Government. This body will be known as the DSG Senate.

Section II. Apportionment Formulae:

  • A. Apportionment of seats in the Senate to the above groups shall be determined by the following formulae:
  1. The Senate will be composed of forty (40) members, not including executive officers. Eight (8) of these senators will be selected from each class through election, together accounting for thirty two (32) members of the Senate. The remaining eight (8) senators will be At-Large members.
  2. A minimum of two (2) members from each class should sit on each of the four standing committees chaired by a Vice President.
  3. Senators will run for one of the four committees. A senator may not run for more than one committee at a time
Total number of Senators Academic Affairs (10 senators) Athletics and Campus Services (10 senators) Community Interaction (10 senators) Student Affairs (10 senators)
8 Fall Freshmen 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators
8 Spring rising Juniors 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators
8 Spring rising juniors 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators
8 Spring rising sophomores 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators 2 senators
8 Fall At Large Can vary from 0 to 8 Can vary from 0 to 8 Can vary from 0 to 8 Can vary from 0 to 8
  • B. Elected Representation:
  1. The selection of senators will be by popular election. Upperclassmen will be elected in the spring and freshman and at large senators will be chosen in the fall. Each student will be allowed two votes for candidates in their class per committee. These elections will be administered by DSG. The candidates will be ordered by number of votes received to fill the available seats (referred to as “The Original List”). The seats will be filled in order from the Original List. In the event of a tie for the last available seat on the committee from a given class, the newly elected Senate will break the tie and select the new senator by a majority vote.
  2. Candidates will be required to submit declaration packets containing the following:
    • a. A signed declaration of candidacy form following the requirements set forth in the Elections By-Law.
    • b. A petition with fifty (50) signatures and phone numbers following the format set forth in the Election By-Laws. The Elections Commission may adjust the required number of signatures for particular campuses or all campuses by a majority vote.
    • c. A list of goals and issues the candidates wish to address in the coming year.
  • C. At-Large Senators:
  1. At-Large senators will be selected by an interview process conducted by the Selection Committee (as defined in Section IV) and approved by the Senate.
  2. Interview Process:
  • a) The Interview Process will be conducted in the following manner: Each candidate for an At-Large seat shall complete a written application created by the Selection Committee and participate in an interview with the Selection Committee. The Executive Vice-President, upon advice from the Selection Committee, shall recommend to the Senate names for approval to fill these seats. Approval will be by a majority vote of the seated Senate. A list of the other applicants will be drawn up from the pool of applicants not receiving seats in the Senate.

SECTION III. Vacancies in the Senate

  • A. First, DSG will advertise that position(s) are available in the Senate and that interviews for said position(s) will be held at a certain time, place, and location.
  • B. Second, the Selection Committee will conduct interviews and select from the pool of interviewees twice the number of candidates as there are seats available.
  • C. Third, these candidates will speak in front of the Senate at the next possible meeting, with each candidate receiving two (2) minutes to speak and a possible two (2) minutes with which to answer questions. In addition, the Senate may nominate, prior to the candidates’ speeches additional candidates. Additional nominations require the support of ten (10) voting members of the Senate.
  • D. Finally, the Senate will vote on the slate of candidates. Each voting member will have two (2) votes. The Senate may change this number of votes by a 2/3 vote. Newly elected senators, who may be elected by a plurality, should be sworn in immediately.
  • E. Should additional vacancies occur after the above replacement process has been completed, the Executive Vice-President, in consultation with the Selection Committee and President, may nominate candidates from the replacement process, in the order of votes that they received, greatest to least, as replacement senators or call for a replacement election. Nominations must then be confirmed by the Senate to become effective. In no case may the Executive Vice-President nominate more candidates than half (rounded up) of the number of senators elected in the previous replacement process.

Section IV. The Selection Committee

At the beginning of each year, the Executive Vice-President will convene the DSG Selection Committee, for service through the year. The Selection Committee shall be responsible for recommending students to fill appointed seats (At-Large senators). The Committee will be composed of the Executive Vice-President (chair, non-voting), the Vice-Presidents for Community Interaction, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Facilities and Athletics. The SOFC Chair, Attorney General, Legislative Pro-Tempore may also be members of the Selection Committee, at the discretion of the Executive Vice-President.

Section V. Group Liaisons

  • A. Selection
  1. DSG recognized and chartered groups as well as groups on the ICC Executive Committee shall have the ability to apply for a liaison position on the Senate. They must apply with the name of a candidate either elected by the general membership or appointed by the executive of the group.
  2. The Selection Committee shall review each application, considering the proposed candidate, the size of the group’s membership, the activity level of the group, its presence on campus, the size of the community the group serves, and any other relevant factors. The committee shall make recommendations to the Executive Vice-President.
  3. The Executive Vice-President shall then consult with the DSG President and nominate group liaisons.
  4. The Senate will then consider the nominations and vote on approval. A majority vote is necessary for approval.
  • B. Powers and Duties of Group Liaisons
  1. Group Liaisons shall serve as non-voting members of the DSG Senate. They shall not have the power to make motions.
  2. They shall have the power to co-sponsor legislation with voting members, but not to introduce it. If a co-sponsor they may be the primary presenter.
  3. They shall be able to participate in debate, representing their group’s positions or views on particular issues, but should generally only participate in debates where their groups are concerned or affected.
  4. Group Liaisons shall have the ability to participate in standing committees at the invitation of the chair of the given committee, which may be given for individual meetings or on a year-long basis.
  5. Group Liaisons should be contacted and given notice when issues are brought up concerning the group they represent.

Section V1. Inauguration of Senators

  • A. All DSG Senators from the Spring Election will be inaugurated by the current Chief Justice at the first meeting of the new academic year. Senators chosen in the Fall Freshmen Election and the At-Large process will be sworn in at the first meeting following their selection. At-Large candidates will be immediately sworn in after approval by the Senate.
  • B. The following statement shall be the DSG Oath of Office and shall be used in swearing in the Senators: (/ indicates a pause): “I, (name of individual),/ swear that I will faithfully execute/ the office of DSG Senator,/ and that I will to the best of my ability/ preserve, protect, and defend/ the Constitution of the Duke Student Government.”

TITLE II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF LEGISLATIVE OFFICERS & COMMITTEES

Section I. Responsibilities of Senators

  • A. Mission Statement:

Senators are responsible for having a proactive role in pursuing student interests and lobbying the Administration through their active involvement in the Senate, DSG Standing Committees, University Committees and their respective living groups.

  • B. Bad Standing:

Senators in Bad Standing are not permitted a voice in any official student government matter. Their position in the Duke Student Government is no different from that of any other student (they cannot be recognized during debate, they cannot vote, etc.). Senators may be placed in Bad Standing by a majority vote of the Cabinet upon recommendation of the Executive Vice-President. They may be removed from Bad Standing at the discretion of the Executive Vice-President or by a majority vote of the Cabinet.

C. Attendance Policy

Senators are responsible for attending all meetings of the General Body, their respective Standing Committees of DSG, other DSG Committees or sub-groups to which they belong, their assigned University Committee, and specially called meetings.

  1. General Body Meetings
    • All Legislative General Body Meetings must be attended. Excuses are only allowed in cases of emergency or if academic business conflicts with scheduled meeting times. Senators and all voting membership should make every effort to schedule classes and other extracurricular meetings around General Body Meetings. Excessive excuse requests will be noted by the Legislative Pro-Tempore and reported to the Executive Vice-President for review.
    • All excuses for meetings should be presented BOTH in writing and via e-mail to the Executive Vice-President AND Legislative Pro-Tempore at least 24 hours before the beginning of the meeting. Late excuses will be accepted at the discretion of the Executive Vice-President for extreme situations.
    • A representative must be in attendance for at least three-quarters (3/4) of a General Body Meeting to be counted as present.
    • The following punishments will apply for missed meetings:
      • One (1) Unexcused Absence: No punishment.
      • Two (2) Unexcused Absences: Name submitted to Executive Vice-President; Contact via e-mail; and Placement in Bad Standing.
      • Three (3) Unexcused Absences: Name is submitted to Cabinet; Contact via e-mail; Possible removal from Senate.
  1. DSG Standing Committee Meetings
    • At DSG Standing Committee Meetings, it will be at the discretion of each Vice-President to determine a policy for excused absences. This policy will be outlined in each committee the first meeting of the year. Each Vice-President is required to deliver attendance sheets to the Legislative Pro-Tempore by noon on the Wednesday following any committee meeting.
    • Punishments for missed meetings follow the same strategy as those for General Body Meetings, as outlined in Part 1 of this Attendance Section.
  1. University Committee Meetings
    • University Committee Meetings are mandatory. When assigned to a committee, each senator has the responsibility to ensure that their academic calendar can accommodate the set schedule of the University Committee on which s/he serves. If s/he cannot accommodate, then it is the senator’s responsibility to contact the Legislative Pro-Tempore no later than two weeks after assignment for reassignment. If problems with attendance during the school year arise, it is the senator’s responsibility to contact the committee chair and the Legislative Pro-Tempore as quickly as possible.
    • The Legislative Pro-Tempore shall be responsible for keeping an active list of committees from year to year.
    • Each semester, EVERY University Committee member must complete the University Committee Report Form. The deadlines for this completion will be set and announced by the Legislative Pro-Tempore no later than the second legislative meeting. Failure to complete the form will result in immediate Bad Standing.
    • Punishments for missed meetings follow the same strategy as those for General Body Meetings, as outlined in Part 1 of this Attendance Section.
  • D. Legislative Responsibility:
  1. General Legislative Requirements:
    • The Dress Code will be strictly enforced. Such a code will be established and communicated by the Executive Vice-President at the beginning of the Legislative Session, including consequences for violations of the dress code.
    • Respect during Legislative Meetings is paramount. No member may hold the floor for speaking unless recognized by the Chair or yielded time from another member who has been recognized by the Chair. All individuals are required to treat one another with respect and courtesy. The Chair (the Executive Vice-President or designate) will rule any comment as OUT OF ORDER if s/he deems it to be disruptive, hostile, inappropriate, unrelated to discussion at that time. Individuals ruled out of order must immediately forfeit control of the floor to the Chair.
  • E. Good Standing
  1. A representative will be considered to be in Good Standing if s/he fulfills all the responsibilities above. The Legislative Pro-Tempore will enforce and oversee completion of the above mandates.
  2. It is the responsibility of any absent representative to provide a non-voting alternate from his/her living group or area to attend General Body, DSG Standing Committees, and other specially called meetings.

Section II. Responsibilities of the Executive Vice-President

The Executive Vice-President, in accordance with and in addition to the DSG Constitution, shall:

  • A. President over the Senate, convening and conducting in an impartial and orderly fashion.
  • B. Consult with the DSG President on all matters, including legislative proceedings.
  • C. Be a member of the President’s cabinet and follow all rules and regulations as set forth in the Constitution and Executive By-Laws.
  • D. Vote on legislation to break a tie. If the Executive Vice-President casts the tie-breaking vote, s/he must announce at that time to the Senate that s/he has done so.
  • E. Direct legislation to the appropriate committee for review.
  • F. Be responsible for ensuring adequate attendance at meetings of the Senate.
  • G. Be the chief administration officer with regard to the preparation of all materials for legislative meetings.
  • H. Be responsible for conveying legislative action to the President’s cabinet.
  • I. Set the agenda for the legislative meetings.
  • J. Maintain a minimum of ten (10) established office hours per week.
  • K. May nominate as many legislative assistants as s/he deems necessary for proper execution of his/her duties, and the effective operation of the Senate, subject to the approval of the full Senate. The assistants will serve as non-voting members of the Senate unless a representative is appointed as an assistant.
  • L. Have the power to create ad-hoc legislative committees and task forces, their chairs and members, subject to the approval of the full Senate.
  • M. Serve as an ex-officio member of all Standing Committees, ad-hoc committees, task forces, and other sub-groups of the Senate, unless there exists a conflict of interest.
  • N. Have the power to step down from the Chair and assume the role of a representative in order to debate an issue. In this situation, the Executive Vice-President acts as a voting member and the Legislative Pro-Tempore serves as Chair, voting only in case of a tie. The Executive Vice-President resumes the position of Chair upon completion of discussion/debate/vote on that issue.
  • O. Serve as the ex-officio DSG office manager and be responsible for the maintenance of DSG properties and office space, and smooth running thereof.
  • P. Exercise any other powers accorded him/her by the DSG Constitution or by other By- Laws.
  • Q. Submit a list of legislation, the votes for which will be recorded, to the President to be approved before each General Body meeting. The Executive Vice-President shall then provide the Attorney General with this approved list prior to the start of each General Body meeting.

Section III. Responsibilities of the Legislative Pro-Tempore

The Legislative Pro-Tempore, in accordance with and in addition to the DSG Constitution shall:

  • A. Report directly to the Executive Vice-President.
  • B. Be elected at the end of the legislative session by the Senate to serve in the following session.
  • C. Be a voting member of the Senate.
  • D. Preside over the Senate when the Executive Vice-President is not present or has to step down due to a conflict of interest or to participate in debate.
  • E. Be responsible for any documents necessary for conducting legislative meetings.
  • F. Enforce the responsibilities of the senators.
  • G. Handle the official correspondence of the Senate.
  • H. Keep a “Calendar of Legislation” open to public inspection containing the following information:
  1. The date of passage or defeat of all legislation
  2. The date of expiration of all legislation; and,
  3. The disposition of expired legislation (Renewed or Expired).
  • I. Perform any other responsibilities as set forth in the Constitution or other By-Laws.
  • J. Be appointed to serve in the position of Administrative Secretary of the DSG. This appointment is subject to the consent of the President and the approval of the Senate. If the Legislative Pro-Tempore is not consented to or approved to fill this position, or is removed, the President shall nominate another person to fill the position subject to the approval of the Senate.
  • K. Serve as an ex-officio member of all Standing Committees, ad-hoc committees, task forces, and other sub-groups of the Senate, unless there exists a conflict of interest.

Section IV. Responsibilities of the Attorney General

The Attorney General, in addition to his/her duties as outlined in the DSG Constitution and other By-Laws, shall:

  • A. Serve as Parliamentarian of the Duke Student Government. If the Parliamentarian is absent at a meeting, then the Legislative Pro-Tempore may substitute temporarily. If the Legislative Pro-Tempore is not available, the Executive Vice-President will select another non-senator to substitute temporarily.
  • B. Advise the Executive Vice-President on parliamentary procedure when asked to do so by the Executive Vice-President.
  • C. Offer opinions on the legality of motions or legislation when asked to do by the Executive Vice-President or Chair.
  • D. Shall maintain the clock during rounds of debate, special presentations, and regular reports.
  • E. Assist the Executive Vice-President in maintaining order in the Senate.
  • F. Upon request of the Executive Vice-President, remove disruptive persons from the meeting.
  • G. Administer all DSG internal and campus-wide elections.
  • H. Determine the vote of each DSG voting member on legislation previously set for tabulation of votes by the Executive Vice-President in consultation with the President. The Attorney General shall then submit the voting records of each DSG voting member for each DSG voting member for each General Body meeting to the Director of Internal Technology. The Director of undergraduate Computing will then be responsible for posting these voting records within 24 hours to an updated DSG homepage. Senators shall have the ability to post comments on their votes as links on the same webpage.


Section V. Responsibilities of the Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary, in accordance with and in addition to the DSG Constitution and Executive By-Law shall:

  • A. Be a non-voting member of the Senate appointed by the DSG President.
  • B. Call the roll and record the minutes of all the meetings of the full Senate.
  • C. Maintain the attendance records of the Senate.
  • D. Submit legislative minutes to the DSG Secretary and Director of Internal Technology for inclusion in the weekly packets.
  • E. Compile the applicable Announcements, Special Presentations, and any other items, with the consultation of the Executive Vice President. This shall be e-mailed to all Senators.
  • F. Assist the Executive Vice-President in the administration of the Senate.
  • G. Assist the Pro-Tempore and Vice-Presidents in the compilation of senators, Vice- Presidents, and Committee logs.
  • H. Perform such duties as may be assigned by the Cabinet.
  • I. Perform any other responsibilities as set forth in the Constitution or other By-Laws.

Section VI. Responsibilities of the DSG Standing Committees

It is the responsibility of each DSG Standing Committee to have a proactive role in addressing student concerns in each of their respective areas of concentration. Each committee is required to meet once a week to discuss, preview and review legislation which will be presented on the floor. Each committee is also responsible for integrating the information that members of the University Committees provide into legislation. The areas of concentration are outlined below, though these are general guidelines, they are not exclusive. Two committees may share jurisdiction on some issues. No Standing Committee may purport to represent all of DSG without approval of the full Senate.

  • A. Standing Committee on Community Interaction
  1. The general scope of issues addressed by the Community Interaction Committee includes: student inter-personal and inter-group relations, Duke/Durham relations, and student/employee relations, intercollegiate relations, race relations, alumni/student relations.
  2. The Vice-President for Community Interaction will be assisted in his or her duties by the Executive Committee of the ICC and the ICC General Body.
  • B. Standing Committee on Academic Affairs
  1. The Academic Affairs Standing Committee will address issues affecting students and academia such as the tenure process, student faculty interaction, the curriculum, advising, computing, study abroad, and intellectualism on campus.
  • C. Standing Committee on Student Affairs
  1. The Student Affairs Standing Committee will address issues affecting services for students at the University under three (3) broad areas: residential life, auxiliary services, and social activities.
  • D. Standing Committee on Facilities and Athletics
  1. The Facilities and Athletics Standing Committee will address issues concerning the physical infrastructure of the University and athletics. This includes providing student input on proposed projects, and lobbying for student interests regarding facilities and athletic affairs.
  • E. Student Organizational Finance Committee
  1. The Student Organizational Finance Committee shall be responsible for administrating the chartering and funding procedures for all undergraduate organizations, determining the Student Activity Fee (as prescribed by the DSG Constitution), and allocating and forwarding recommendations on expenditure of any and all funds received by DSG.

Section VII. Responsibilities of the Chairs of DSG Standing Committees

The DSG Vice-Presidents will chair the DSG Standing Committee that includes his/her jurisdiction. The responsibilities of the Chairs of the Standing Committees shall be to:

  1. Convene and conduct regularly scheduled meetings of the DSG Standing Committees.
  2. Set the agenda for committee meetings.
  3. Be responsible for the effective administration of their respective committees.
  4. Submit all committee approved legislation to the Executive Vice-President for inclusion in the legislative packet.
  5. Insure adequate attendance at committee meetings, and submit attendance records to the Legislative Pro-Tempore.
  6. Maintain a minimum of at least eight (8) established office hours per week.
  7. Maintain an official ledger of actions taken by the committee that have no corresponding legislation as prescribed by By-Law.
  8. Exercise any other powers accorded in the Constitution and By-Law


TITLE III. OFFICIAL ACTS OF LEGISLATION

All acts of legislation will have a heading that reads: DSG-type of legislation-year-date-number of legislation on agenda. The type of legislation will be abbreviated with “R" for Resolution, “S” for Statutes, “BS” for Budgetary Statutes, and “BL” for By-Laws. Executive Orders shall take one of these abbreviations with “O” in parentheses.

All acts of legislation will go into effect within three (3) days, pending the signatures of:

  1. The Executive Vice-President: denoting that the legislation has been officially approved by the DSG Senate;
  2. The Attorney General: denoting that the legislation is valid with regard to DSG By-Laws and the DSG Constitution; and,
  3. The DSG President: demonstrating the commitment of DSG to implement the legislation. A failure to sign a piece of legislation by the President will constitute a veto, which can be overridden by the Senate with a two-thirds vote.

All acts of legislation must be sponsored by at least one (1) voting member of the Senate. Ex-officio, non-voting members of the Senate may co-sponsor legislation but may not be the sole sponsors. At no time may anyone who is not a member of the Senate sponsor or co-sponsor legislation.

Section I. Resolutions

  • A. Resolutions are official statements of opinion/recommendation of the Duke Student Government and will follow these guidelines:
  1. Each resolution will begin with a title on line one. This title will read, “A Resolution of the Duke Student Government...” followed by a brief description of the resolution.
  2. Immediately following the title, the author will give a policy statement labeled “Policy Statement' and will be written in paragraph form.
  3. The rationale will follow the Policy Statement. This section will be labeled “Rationale” and will also be written in paragraph form.
  • B. These resolutions will come before the Senate after being reviewed by the Standing Committee of the author and must pass the Senate with a simple majority vote.
  • C. All Resolutions should contain an expiration date clause. The maximum time period allowed for expiration shall be "perpetuity.” Upon expiration, the Senate may renew the force of a Resolution by amending the expiration date clause. If no clause is included in the Resolution, the expiration will be assumed to be perpetuity.
  • D. Updates on the progress of any passed resolution shall be given by the author(s) at the second legislative meeting after passage of the resolution.

Section II. Statutes

  • A. Statutes are directives from the Senate to another area/position of DSG to perform a specific action.
  • B. Statutes must pass the Senate with a simple majority vote, unless otherwise specified in the Constitution or other By-Laws.
  • C. Statutes become inactive upon completion of the directives of the statutes.
  • D. All referendum questions, including those on fee increases and Constitutional amendments, shall be written as statutes directing the appropriate office to place a matter on the referendum ballot.

Section III. Budgetary Statutes

  • A. Budgetary Statutes concern budget requests or other funding requests made by various organizations that are eligible for DSG funding. The Student Organizational Finance Committee (SOFC) will submit a budgetary statute to the Senate for each organization requesting funding, and the Senate can amend any part of the budget and pass it with a simple majority vote. The form for Budgetary Statutes and other rules concerning them will be prescribed in the SOFC By-Law.

Section IV. By-Laws

  • A. By-Laws define the rules and procedures for the internal operation of the Duke Student Government and its jurisdiction. Two (2) readings are required before a By-Law may be voted upon, at least seven (7) days apart. A two-thirds majority is required for approval.

Section V. Executive Orders

  • A. Executive Orders are interim or temporary decisions made by the Executive Committee during a recess of the Senate, usually under emergency circumstances, that can be repealed by the Senate upon its reconvening. Executive Orders will go into effect immediately following approval by a majority of the Executive Committee. Though not official acts of legislation, executive orders will be submitted in the form of Resolutions or By-Laws in a manner and form to be prescribed by the House Rules, so long as they are consistent with the By-Laws and Constitution [LEGISLATIVE INTENT: The form of the legislation must show that the Senate does not have the right to approve, only to repeal]. Any legislative decision may be decided by Executive Order during a recess of the Senate, except those requiring the allocation of funds.

Section VI. Voting

  • A. The vote required for passage for all pieces of legislation, excluding By-Laws and Constitutional Amendments, shall be a majority. A majority is defined as 50% plus one of the voting members of the Senate, excluding abstentions. All elections for one-person positions to be voted on by the Senate shall require a majority voting for one candidate with a runoff held to achieve such a majority if necessary, but elections for multi-person positions will be conducted by accepting as many of the top vote-getters as there are positions. Procedures for other types of votes, including votes required on motions, will be defined in the House Rules.
  • B. The procedures for voting by proxy and for early casting of votes on issues before the Senate shall be as follows:
  1. Any senator who will be absent for a vote on any issue (including, but not limited to, an election) may vote by proxy provided that the absence is excused and that s/he completes and files a form with the Parliamentarian. Proxy forms must include the departing senator’s signature and the name of a senator presently in attendance who is unconditionally authorized to exercise the departing senator’s right to vote (a right which includes votes to abstain, but excludes the right to propose amendments or make motions by proxy) on any and all issues for the remainder of the meeting or until the return of the departing senator to the current meeting. This form will only be acceptable if offered by the departing senator in person after a meeting of the Senate has begun and will only be valid for the remainder of that meeting of the Senate. Proxy authority may not be transferred to another present senator should the senator to whom the proxy was initially assigned before departing the meeting. Proxy forms may not contain specific instructions on how the departing senator wishes to exercise his/her vote, although voting references may be discussed between the departing senator and the senator to whom the proxy is assigned.
  2. Any senator who wishes to do so may cast his/her vote early for a candidate who is running for any position that is to be filled through election by the Senate. Early casting of votes is only permitted in cases of election voting, but will be allowed for any reason in these instances, including excused absence from the official vote. The senator wishing to cast his/her vote early should file a signed form with the Parliamentarian or Executive Vice-President that includes the names of all candidates for a position and ranks all of them ordinally (i.e. from first to X, with X being the number of candidates) in order of preference. Forms that do not rank all candidates or do assign the same rank to more than one candidate will not be accepted. The candidate ranked first on the early voting form will officially receive the vote of the senator filling out the form. Should a runoff be required, the candidate participating in the runoff who was ranked highest by the senator filling the form will officially receive that senator’s vote. Preference rankings for candidates may be changed at any time subsequent to the filling of an early voting form and prior to the actual election in question.


TITLE V. HOUSE RULES

The procedure in the Senate shall be governed by such House Rules of the Senate may adopt annually, if said rules are consistent with the Duke Student Government Constitution and By-laws.

  • A. At the conclusion of the election for the Executive Vice-President, the House Rules Review Committee shall immediately be convened by the current Executive Vice-President in order to review the House Rules.
  • B. This Committee shall be chaired by the current Executive Vice-President and shall be comprised of the Executive Vice-President-Elect, the Parliamentarian, and additional interested senators or others as chosen by the current Executive Vice-President.
  • C. The House Rules Review Committee will review and recommend amendments to the current House Rules and will submit these recommendations to the Senate two (2) meetings prior to the end of the current Legislative Session for approval for the following Session.
  • D. If the proposed amendments fail to pass the Senate, the unamended-amended House Rules shall be used at the beginning of the following Session until a new House Rules is approved by the Senate.
  • E. The Executive Vice-President and others may propose amendments to the House Rules throughout the Session.
  • F. All members of the Senate may propose amendments to the House Rules.
  • G. All amendments to the House Rules must be ratified by a simple majority vote of the Senate.

TITLE VI. MEETING TIMES

Section I. Standing Committee Meetings

Standing Committees shall meet at least once per week.

Section II. Meetings of the Senate

  • A. A session of the Senate will run from the first Legislative meeting of the academic year to the last day of classes for that year. The session may be extended if deemed necessary by the President in consultation with the Cabinet, Executive Vice-President, or a written request from twenty percent (20%) of the Senate. However, a session may not be extended past graduation of the year in question. If a session of the Senate is extended, the Senate will retain all previous officers and Executive members for the duration of the session, even if new officers and Executive members have been sworn in for the next session.
  • B. Meetings of the Senate must be held at least two (2) times each month. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the President, Executive Vice-President, or a written request of twenty percent (20%) of the Senate. These meetings shall take place at least two (2) days following the Standing Committee meetings unless otherwise prescribed by the Executive Vice-President in consultation with the Cabinet.

TITLE VII. ADVISING

  • The Advisor for the Duke Student Government will be the Director of the Office of Students and Facilities (OSAF).
    • This shall not prevent the DSG from collaborating with other administrators, professors, staff or personnel of the university or community.
    • The DSG may take on another official advisor by a 2/3 majority vote of the DSG Senate
    • An additional advisor will not replace any existing advisor
    • An Advisor can be removed with a 2/3 majority of the Senate
  • The DSG Advisor has the following duties, powers, rights and obligations
    • To meet with members of the DSG for consultation on issues
    • If requested, to assist the Executive Committee in training of new senators
    • If requested, to give a brief overview of DSG policies and practices to new executive members
    • The DSG Advisor, or a person representing him or her should attend the General Body Meetings of the DSG Senate
      • The advisor is allowed 2 absences per semester
      • After a third absence, the senate should review the attendance of the advisor
    • To be recognized during a DSG General Body Meeting
    • Does not have the responsibility to enforce bylaws or the constitution
    • To be present in the tabulation of votes for executive and general elections
      • The Advisor may report illicit behavior surrounding the elections to the DSG Senate
    • To act as the DSG Historian, providing resources as to the past missions and actions of the organization
    • To help develop consistency from year-to year
    • To sign off on contracts on behalf of the DSG with consultation and approval of the DSG

TITLE VIII. AWARDS

The following awards will be chosen by the Senate at the last meeting of the Session by secret ballot. A plurality of affirmative votes will be necessary to declare the recipient of any award.

Section I. The Paul Edwin Harner Award

  • A. The Paul Edwin Harner Award (named for the ASDU 1985 Speaker of the Senate), is awarded to a member of the Duke Student Government who has shown a strong, commitment to the well-being of Duke University by providing strong, consistent leadership and dedication to the Duke Student Government throughout their undergraduate years and has been exemplary in their service to the Duke Student Government.
  • B. Recipients are not required to have been members of the Duke Student Government during their entire undergraduate career, although senators are permitted to take such experience into consideration.

Section II. The Reginald Howard Award

  • A. The Reginald Howard Award (named for the 1976 President of the Associated Students of Duke University, who was killed in a tragic car accident), is awarded to a member of the Cabinet who best exemplifies the traits of excellent leadership, compassion, and dedication that characterized the Reginald Howard presidency.

Section III. The Graydon John Forrer Award

  • A. The Graydon John Forrer Award (named for a 1981 ASDU Senator), is awarded to the Duke Student Government Senator who has demonstrated the highest level of integrity during the legislative session.

Section IV. The Dean Suzanne Wasiolek Award

  • A. The Dean Suzanne Wasiolek Award, named for the Assistant Vice-President for Student Affairs and former Dean of Student Development, is awarded to a member of the Duke University administration who has seriously and effectively considered the interests and concerns of undergraduates in the course of carrying out their duties and/or formulating policy in the best interest of the University community as a whole throughout their tenure at Duke. All administrators will be automatically nominated.

Section V. The Nannerl O. Keohane Award

  • A. The Nannerl O. Keohane Award, named for the former President of Duke University, is awarded to the member of the Duke University administration, faculty, or staff whose work with the Duke Student Government demonstrates service and commitment to undergraduate students which characterized the Nan Keohane presidency.

TITLE VIII. DISTRIBUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE BY-LAW

The Executive Vice-President shall distribute copies of this By-Law to each representative at the beginning of the Legislative Session, and to each new senator who is seated during the course of a Session.

TITLE IX. AMENDMENTS TO THE LEGISLATIVE BY-LAW

In case of future amendments to this By-Law, this By-Law shall be retyped to include the amendments and shall replace the previous full copy of the By-Law in the DSG records. A clause shall be added at the end of the newly retyped By-Law giving the dates of all amendments. Only the most recent amendment shall be retained in the DSG records, and previous ones may be discarded as their text will be included in the full By-Law.

Respectfully submitted,

Jordan Giordano Executive Vice President


Previous Amendments to this bylaw:

  1. February 25, 2001
  2. August 26, 2002 (Executive Order)
  3. September 25, 2002
  4. March 17, 2003
  5. August 2006
Retrieved from "http://student.groups.duke.edu/Legislative_By-Law"