Council of Student Leaders

Constitution

Article I | Article II | Article III | Article IV | Article V
Article VI | Article VII | Article VIII | Article IX

Preamble

The Council of Student Leaders is a representative body of Winthrop student leaders and other concerned students serving as a vehicle that provides students a significant role in institutional decision-making and self-governance.

Article I

Name and Purpose

Section I. The organization shall be known as the Council of Student Leaders, herein referred to as the Council.

Section II. The purposes of the Council shall be to:

  1. Serve as the official student voice to the Winthrop University Board of Trustees and administration on appropriate matters. 
  2. Strengthen relations among the administration, faculty, students and Rock Hill community.
  3. Review and approve charter applications from new student organizations, including the annual registration of existing clubs and organizations.
  4. Oversee the distribution of student activity funds to all eligible campus clubs and organizations through the actions and guidelines of the Student Allocations Committee.
  5. Make all student appointments to campus committees as requested by the University's governance structures.
  6. Promote campus-wide institutional events such as Homecoming, Convocation, and other events.
  7. Mutually support the student activities of the Council's members and other campus clubs and organizations.
  8. Perform such acts as are necessary to advance student welfare.

Article II

Membership

Section I. Automatic Members on the Council of Student Leaders will consist of the following persons:

  1. President of the DiGiorgio Student Union, or designee.
  2. President of the Resident Student Association, or designee.
  3. President of the Inter-Fraternity Council, or designee.
  4. President of the Panhellenic Council, or designee.
  5. President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, or designee.
  6. President of the Student Alumni Council, or designee.
  7. President of the Association of Ebonites, or designee.
  8. President of the NAACP, or designee.
  9. President of S.O.A.R., or designee.
  10. President of GLoBAL, or designee
  11. President of the Winthrop Ambassadors, or designee.
  12. One athlete from the Student Athlete Advisory Council appointed by the Director.
  13. One student from each academic college selected by the Dean of each College.

All appointed members to the Council will serve a one year term expiring on the day of May commencement.

 In the event that an organization becomes inactive on the Council or becomes defunct by failing to hold regularly scheduled meetings, the organization will be removed from the roster. The organization will have the opportunity to re-petition before the Council to become active again.

Section II.  

Annual seats on the Council of Student Leaders may be granted to other student organizations or individual students who submit a petition in writing to the President of the Council that must be approved by two-thirds of the current Council. All annual seats may be rescinded by a two-thirds plus one vote of the current Council. Annual members to the Council of Student Leaders will be selected for a one-year term. Service begins the day after May commencement, or at time of selection, and ends the day of May commencement of that academic year. The number of annual members shall not exceed the number of automatic members.

Section III. Good Standing

  1. Any member who misses two consecutive meetings will lose voting privileges and will not be considered in good standing. Any person not in good standing will regain voting rights after the said person attends two consecutive meetings.
  2. In order for an absence to be excused, members must submit a written justification to the secretary of the Council at least one hour before the anticipated absence occurs. In emergency situations, members may submit justification by phone to the secretary of the Council. Determining whether the absence is justifiable will be left to the discretion of the Council President and advisor.
  3. Annual membership will be automatically revoked if the individual has three consecutive, unexcused absences. Automatic members having three consecutive, unexcused absences without sending a representative in their stead will be replaced by another member from their respective organization or college.
  4. Membership will be revoked from any member who misses five or more meetings per semester, excused or unexcused, and the position will be filled, if applicable. Athletic representatives may miss more than five meetings if they receive permission in advance from the Chairperson of the Council.
  5. Each member, in order to remain on the Council, must maintain a minimum Winthrop cumulative  GPA of 2.50. If an organization's representative fails to meet this requirement, the said organization must select a new representative to the Council. If an annual member fails to meet this requirement, the said member will be automatically removed from the Council, and the position will be filled, if applicable.
  6. In order to remain on the Council, members must demonstrate good citizenship and abide by the Student Code of Conduct. Any disciplinary infractions resulting in disciplinary probation will result in the student being automatically removed from the Council. If this student is an organizational representative, the organization must select a new representative to the Council. If the student is an annual member, the said member will be automatically removed from the council, and the position will be filled, if applicable.

Article III

Officers and Duties

Section I. The campus-wide elected officers of the Council of Student Leaders shall be the President and the Vice-President.

Section II. The elected or appointed officers must have earned 24 Winthrop course hours at the time they take office and be in good academic and disciplinary standing with the University. Each officer must have and maintain at least a 2.75 Winthrop cumulative GPA.

Section III. All registered students of Winthrop University are eligible to vote. The President and Vice President shall be elected by a majority vote, to serve a one year term, beginning July 1, and ending June 30 of the following year. Elections must be held in accordance to the CSL General Election Procedures Guide (GEPG). If the outgoing President is unable to serve after May Commencement, the President-elect will take over immediately following May commencement. The CSL GEPG can be amended upon an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the Council, and approval by the Vice President for Student Life.

Section IV. If the President and Vice-President elect previously served on the Council, their position on the committee will be filled at the earliest convenience.

Section V. Duties of Officers

President

  1. Presides over all meetings of the Council of Student Leaders.
  2. Calls special meetings of the Council of Student Leaders, as needed.
  3. Creates committees as needed.
  4. Appoints chairs of all committees, except the Student Allocations Committee.
  5. Serves as an ex-officio member of all Council committees.
  6. Votes in case of a tie.
  7. Coordinates all appointments to University Committees.
  8. Serves as the official student representative to the Winthrop University Board of Trustees and the Winthrop University Administration.
  9. Appoints a secretary from among Council members to write and maintain all minutes of meetings, to keep a roster of all members in good standing eligible to vote, and to tally all votes.
  10. May appoint a position(s) for the Council if deemed necessary.
  11. Performs all other duties as usually pertaining to this office.

Vice President

  1. Serves as the Chairperson of the Student Allocations Committee (SAC) and liaison to the SAC Student Coordinator.
  2. Oversees and coordinates chartering and registration of all clubs and organizations.
  3. Serves as an ex-officer member of all Council committees.
  4. Conducts all duties of the President if absent or unable to serve.
  5. Fulfills all of the requirements of the current job description.

Article IV

Voting

Section I. For a binding vote to take place, either a majority of members in good standing must be present, or the Council must be informed of the meeting at which a vote will take place at least a week in advance. 

Article V

Finances

Section I. The President and the Student Life advisor shall approve all expenditures of the Council of Student Leaders under $500.00. All expenditures over $500.00 shall be approved by a majority vote of the Council. If a majority vote of the Council is not feasible due to the date the expenditure is to be made, or some other unavoidable circumstance, the President, the Vice-President, and the advisor to the Council must approve the expenditure. These expenditures will be reported at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Article VI

Advisor

Section I. The Vice President of Student Life will appoint an advisor(s) from the professional staff within the Division of Student Life; and, if desired, an advisor from the faculty. The Advisors' role is to provide information, support, and appropriate assistance while insuring an institutional purpose and memory for the actions of the Council.

Article VII

Meetings

Section I. The Council of Student Leaders shall meet according to need, but not less than every three weeks during the regular Fall and Spring semesters. The time of all regular meetings will be decided at the initial meeting of each new regular semester. The President will be responsible for calling special meetings of the Council as needed and setting meeting dues and times.

Section II. All meetings are open and non-members are welcome to attend all meetings to address the Council as appropriate.

Article VIII

Graduating Class Representation

Section I. The Council will select from among its annual current members a graduating senior (at either Fall or Spring commencement) who will represent that class for all future alumni and university events after commencement.

Section II. The representative will be the President of the Student Alumni Council if he or she is graduating. If not graduating, the Council's President will take this position. If the Council's President is not graduating, the Council will select by majority vote a graduating senior from among its membership in good standing.

Article IX

Ratifying and Amending the Constitution

Section I. This Constitution shall be ratified upon adoption by the Board of Trustees of Winthrop University.

Section II. All amendments to this Constitution must be proposed in writing to the President before a regularly scheduled meeting, and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Council members present at the next regularly scheduled meeting. All amendments shall be presented to the Vice President of Student Life for information and consideration. Any amendment contrary to the official policies or prerogatives of the University under the State authority of the Board of Trustees will be disallowed.

Final Print- August 23, 2002

Approved by the Winthrop University Board of Trustees- November 8, 2002

Amended by CSL and approved by VPSL- April 21, 2003

Amended by CSL and approved by VPSL- April 27, 2007

Amended by CSL and approved by VPSL- February 11, 2011

Amended by CSL on January 5, 2013 and approved by VPSL- February 8, 2013 

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