Cabrillo College ASSOCIATED STUDENTS
• CONSTITUTION •

Preamble

We, the students of Cabrillo College, in order to provide an effective democratic Student Government do hereby make the following commitments: To help develop community consciousness; to represent student interests at all levels of federal, state, local and college governments; to encourage and develop activities and services; and to provide for the general welfare of the student body. We do hereby establish this Constitution of the Associated Students of Cabrillo College.

We, the students of Cabrillo College further acknowledge the right of all citizens on the Cabrillo College District equal opportunity to acquire an education responsive to their needs, and equal treatment without regard to social or financial status, ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious or spiritual belief, and physical or mental limitations.

ARTICLE I:
Governing Body

Section 1: Governing Body

ARTICLE II:
Officers

Section 1: Elected Representatives

The elected representatives of the organization shall be:

• President
• Vice-President
• Treasurer
• Student Trustee
• Legislative Representative
• Inter-Club Council Chair
• Watsonville Representative
• Scotts Valley Representative

A maximum of twelve (12) Senators-at-large

(Refer to ASCC Student Senate Bylaws for Duties and Responsibilities.)

Section 2. College Committee Appointed Positions

• Students shall be appointed to college committees as needed by the ASCC Student Senate.
• Vacancies in these positions should be publicized to the Student Body at large.
• These positions may or may not be filled by Student Senators.

(Refer to ASCC Student Senate Bylaws for Filling Vacancies.)

Section 3. Qualifications

• All senate members must, throughout their term of office, be enrolled in and complete an academic load of at least five (5) units of credit courses at Cabrillo College. Incomplete courses do not count towards units requirements for any semester.
• All Senate members must maintain a 2.00 grade point average.
• Failure to maintain any of the above will result in dismissal from the ASCC Student Senate.
• Upon dismissal for any reason, a student may not reapply to the ASCC Student Senate until after the end of the subsequent semester. A subsequent semester shall be defined throughout this document as Fall or Spring only, discounting summer or winter sessions.

Section 4. Term of Office

• The term of office for all student body officers shall be from the last meeting of spring semester until the end of the next spring semester.
• All officers (Executive and Senators) of the ASCC Student Senate will be subject to a six (6) semester term limit.
• Membership for a partial semester shall be considered a full semester’s membership with regard to terms of office.

ARTICLE III
ASCC Student Senate

Section 1. Meetings

• The president shall chair all meetings. In the absence of the president, the order shall be:
  1. Vice-President
  2. Treasurer
  3. Student Trustee
  4. Legislative Representative
  5. A Senator elected by the Senators present at that meeting.
• Each member of the Senate shall have one vote. The President will only vote in the case of a tie. Senate members may not vote by absentee ballot *
• A quorum of voting representatives must be present at meetings to conduct business. A quorum shall consist of one more than half the number of voting representatives in office.
• The Senate shall use the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order as a guide in running meetings. These rules may be amended as the Senate sees fit to enable meeting to proceed smoothly.
• The President shall establish regular meeting times for the ASCC Student Senate, sufficient to transact the business of the Senate. The Senate will meet at least once a week during the Fall and Spring semesters. The Senate may meet during vacations if it so chooses.
• Special meetings shall be called by the President per the Brown Act.
• Any Senate member may request a special meeting. They must notify the President who in turn will follow the guidelines in the above mentioned section (1F)

ARTICLE IV
Student Clubs and Organizations

Sections 1. Student Clubs and Organizations

• All on-campus student clubs, organizations and associations must be officially recognized and chartered by the ASCC Student Senate.
• Charters may be granted to organizations who file statements of purpose; standards and procedures for organizations will be established in a separate campus Organizations Code.
• Any club, organization or association may require its members to pay dues or assessments. Such funds are to be collected and credited to the account of the club, organization or association by which they are collected. Funds are to be deposited with the College Bank. All money spent will be governed only by said club, organization or association.
• All clubs and organizations must be members of the Inter-Club Council and must have a representative present at each council meeting in accordance with the I.C.C. Code.

(Refer to Inter-Club Council Bylaws for the regulation of Clubs and Organizations)

ARTICLE V
Initiative, Referendum, and Recall

Section 1. Initiative

Any rules, regulations or policies may be initiated by the Associated Students by means of a petition presented to the ASCC Student Senate, containing the signatures of 5% of the students enrolled in the current semester as indicated in the most recent census report. Unless otherwise designated by the petition, any such action will be held over until the next general election and may pass by a simple majority vote. If an election is called for by the petition, it shall be organized by a designated Senator and posted for ten (10) business days prior to the election.

Section 2. Referendum

Any action of the ASCC Student Senate may be referred to the ASCC by a 2/3 vote. Unless otherwise designated, any such action will be held over until the next general election and may pass by a simple majority vote. If a special election is called for, it shall be organized by a designated Senator and posted for ten (10) business days prior to the election.

Section 3. Recall

A. Student Body Recall:

Any member of the ASCC Student Senate can be subject to recall. A vote to decide the recall of a member shall be taken after 5% of the students enrolled in the current semester, as indicated by the most recent census report, present a petition to the ASCC Student Senate. A special election shall be called by the Senate ten (10) business days after filing such a petition. A simple majority vote shall be sufficient to remove a Senator from office.

B. Attendance Recall:

Any member, elected or appointed, shall be removed from office for missing three (3) regularly scheduled meetings in one (1) semester without notice as required by the bylaws, review by the Executive Board and excusal by the Senate.

* The ASCC Student Senate Vice-President will notify a member in writing after their second absence.

(See Article II, Section 3 “Qualifications” D concerning reapplying to the ASCC Student Senate)

ARTICLE VI
Constitutional Amendments and Bylaws

Section 1. A Constitutional Amendment may be referred to the ASCC:

• By a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the ASCC Student Senate.
• By a petition containing the signatures of 5% of students enrolled in the current semester, as indicated in the most recent census report and presented to the senate.

Section 3. Bylaws to the ASCC Constitution

1. All ASCC Student Senate Bylaws shall become effective upon ratification by a two­-thirds (2/3) vote of the ASCC Student Senate.

Article VII
Ratification

Section 1. Ratification

• An amendment must be ratified by a simple majority of the students voting in a general or special election.
• The most current constitution supersedes any and all previous constitutions.

Section 2. Posting

Proposed ratification shall be made public at least ten (10) business days before any election. Making public consists of posting all proposed ratification on representative bulletin boards.

May 1987
May 1990
May 1994
March 1997
April 1998
April 1999
May 2003
May 2005
May 2009