2025 SGA BY-LAWS (PDF- 139 KB)
The Student Government Association is a representative body of Winthrop University
student leaders and other concerned students serving as a vehicle that provides students
a significant role in institutional decision-making and self-governance.
Section I: President
The duties of the President of the Student Government/Student Body President shall be as follows:
1. Presides over all meetings of the Student Government Association.
2. Calls special meetings of the Student Government Association, as needed.
3. Creates committees as needed.
a. Appoints Chairs and Vice-Chairs of all committees, except the Student Allocations
Committee.
4. Serves as an ex officio member of all SGA committees.
5. Votes in case of a tie.
6. Coordinates all appointments to University Committees.
7. Serves as the official student liaison to the Winthrop University Board of Trustees
and the Winthrop University Administration.
8. Appoints a Secretary to perform duties as outlined.
9. May appoint a position(s) for the SGA if deemed necessary.
10. Engage with clubs and organizations by holding a meeting at least twice per semester.
11. Perform all other duties pertaining to this office.
Section II: Vice President
The duties of the Vice President of the Student Government/Student Body Vice President
shall
be as follows:
1. Serves as the Chairperson of the Student Allocations Committee (SAC) and liaison
to the SAC Student Administrator. The SAC will make recommendations to the Assistant
Vice President for Student Engagement who will make the determinations of distributions
of student activity and other funds, as designee of the Office of the Vice President
for Student Affairs.
2. Serves as an ex-officio member of all SGA committees.
3. Conduct all duties of the President if absent or unable to serve.
4. Perform all other duties pertaining to this office.
Section III: Secretary
The duties of the Secretary shall be as follows:
1. Take attendance for meetings and update roster.
2. Shall work in tandem with the chair of SGA to handle all internal and external
correspondence.
3. Oversee all recorded documentation, such as:
a. Meetings, agendas, minutes, letters, and memos.
4. Update SGA website regularly with SGA news, minutes, activities, and events.
5. Maintain the SGA kiosk.
6. Inform members of absences.
7. Appointed by the SGA President and enacts all duties necessary for this position
as enforced by the Chair and Vice Chair.
Section IV: Parliamentarian
The duties of the Parliamentarian shall be as follows:
1. Ensures that meetings are conducted according to established rules and procedures,
based
upon Robert’s Rules of Order.
2. Administer flow of debate and voting procedure during meetings.
3. Responsible for educating SGA on parliamentary procedure.
4. Assists the Secretary by ensuring meeting minutes are correctly prepared and documented.
5. Serves as Chairperson of the Constitution Review Committee.
6. Serves as Chairperson of the Bylaws Review Committee.
7. Appointed by the SGA President and assists the SGA President in maintaining order
during discussion.
Section V: Treasurer
The duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows:
1. Appointed by the Department of Student Engagement, this student staff position
coordinates the administrative funding process for the SGA Student Allocations Committee
which includes having access to financial records and assuring that registered student
organizations are adhering to university, state, and local regulations pertaining
to
the allocation of funds.
2. Serving as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee and within SGA.
3. Recording all receipts, expenditures, and appropriations of monies from the Student
Government. All records and funding transactions shall be made public at each regular
SGA meeting.
4. Performs all duties necessary to the position, adhering to the expectations established
by the Department of Student Engagement.
Section I: Appointment
The Vice President for Student Affairs will appoint an advisor from the professional
staff within
the Division of Student Affairs. Additionally, the Provost and the Chair of the Faculty
Conference will appoint an advisor from the faculty.
Section II: Advisor Role
The Advisor’s role is to provide information, support, and appropriate assistance
while ensuring an institutional purpose and memory for the actions of the Student
Government. The advisor in collaboration with the Dean of Students Office, will be
the only individual monitoring good standing (GPA requirement and conduct record)
for SGA members and will inform the Executive committee who has met the requirement
and who has not, without compromising the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA). The advisor will ensure that the Executive
Committee acts in accordance with their duties and responsibilities as outlined in
the Bylaws.
Section I: Standing Committees
1. Internal Operations: Serves to foster a sense of community among members of the
SGA. This committee also serves as the public relations of the organization through
various means of communication, social media, and advertisement.
2. Civic Engagement: Engages in community outreach, service, environmental sustainability
and civic efforts throughout Winthrop University and the surrounding community.
3. Campus Safety: Serves the address issues related to the physical safety and security
of the campus, and aims to ensure that safety policies and practices are transparent,
and in line with the needs of the student body.
4. Student Involvement: Serves to ensure that students are actively engaged in a wide
range of opportunities and activities on campus with initiatives that help students
have a robust campus experience.
5. Campus Well-being: Serves to advocate and support initiatives that improve the
physical, mental and emotional health of students, and provide them with resources
to maintain their well-being during their college years.
Section II: Ad Hoc Committees
The President of the Student Government Association has the ability to create new
committees as
needed.
Section III: Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs
1. Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs must be appointed by the President and Vice President
of the Student Government Association.
2. Committee Chair and Vice Chairs are responsible for:
a. Meeting regularly with departmental leadership within the Division of Student Affairs.
b. Scheduling committee meetings.
c. Communicating and reporting to the Student Government Association as a whole.
d. Planning projects and/or events to support the initiative of the committee while
completing all necessary event logistics.
e. Tracking and reporting attendance within committees.
Section IV: Committee Member Responsibilities
1. Committee members are responsible for attending and participating in meetings and
fulfilling duties assigned by the Committee Chair.
2. Attending at least 75 percent of committee meetings and events planned by your
respective committee.
3. Committees should meet weekly or biweekly at the discretion of the Committee Chair.
4. Committee members should submit an absence notification to the Committee Chair
at least 24 hours in advance of all committee meetings and events.
Section V: Committee Member Removal
Should a committee member not fulfill their duty, they will be subject to review by the Executive Committee contingent upon a report from the Chair or Vice Chair. If found to be in violation of the good standing expectations in Article III, the Executive Committee will discuss actions needed to be taken.
Section I: Quorum
In order for the SGA to vote, a quorum must be met. Quorum is two-thirds of the members
in
good standing. A vote when quorum is met is considered a binding vote.
Section II: Binding Vote
For a binding vote to pass, there must be a two-thirds vote of quorum.
Section III: Online Voting
Online voting may be used as long as quorum is met in the number of votes submitted by members in good standing. Restrictions may be placed on the eligibility to vote in online ballots if deemed appropriate.
Section I: Executive Approval
The SGA President, the Treasurer and the Student Affairs advisor shall approve all
expenditures of the Student Government Association under $500.00.
Section II: SGA Approval
All expenditures over $500.00 shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of quorum of
the full body
of SGA.
Section III: Special Approval
If a majority vote of the SGA is not feasible due to the date the expenditure is to
be made, or some other unavoidable circumstance, the Executive Committee and advisor(s)
must reach consensus on the expenditure. In the event of an inability to reach consensus,
the Vice President of Student Affairs would make the final decision. If approved,
these expenditures will be reported at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Section I: Meeting Times
The Student Government Association shall meet every Monday night at 7:00pm of the
fall and spring semester, excluding breaks and extenuating circumstances. The President
will be responsible for calling special meetings of the SGA as needed. All meetings
are open and non-members are welcome to attend all meetings to address the SGA as
appropriate.
Section II: Executive Session
Executive Session should be enacted as the discretion of the President in the event
they deem it
necessary:
1. The executive session will allow the SGA to address and have an opportunity to
meet in a private manner to discuss pertinent, confidential, and sensitive information
related to the organization.
2. All individuals who are not currently elected or appointed members of the SGA must
leave the meeting space for the duration of the executive session excluding the Executive
Committee and SGA Advisor(s).
3. The Secretary is not required to take regular minutes during the executive session
and voting shall not take place during an executive session.
Section I: Attendance
1. All elected and appointed SGA members are required to attend Monday meetings at
7:00pm.
2. Members must attend mandatory retreats and events as scheduled by the Executive
Committee.
Section II: Absences
1. Excused absences include academic conflicts, illness, personal emergencies, university-sponsored
events, and other reasons approved by the Secretary or Executive Committee.
2. Unexcused absences occur when a member fails to notify the Secretary in advance
or does not meet the criteria for excusal.
3. Any member accumulating more than two unexcused absences per semester may face
disciplinary action, including suspension from SGA or removal from office.
Section I: Grounds for Removal
Members may be removed for any of the following:
1. Failure to fulfill responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution or Bylaws.
2. Misuse of funds.
3. Repeated unexcused absences.
4. Behavior that violates Winthrop University Policy/Conduct Code or disrupts SGA
operations.
Section II: Vacancies
1. If an appointed position of the body becomes vacant, the President shall work with
the respective University Groups to appoint a replacement.
2. If an elected office, distinct from the SGA President and Vice President, becomes
vacant, the President shall assemble a slate of eligible candidates and submit it
to the body for a vote.
3. If an office of the Executive Committee becomes vacant, the President shall appoint
a replacement.
4. If the Presidency becomes vacant, succession shall follow the order outlined in
the Constitution (e.g., Vice President, then Secretary).
Section III: Succession
Only the first officer in the line of succession moves into the vacant role. Other
officers do not automatically shift upward, unless specified by the President. When
an officer ascends to a higher position due to succession:
1. The position they vacate, and only that position, becomes officially open.
2. The new President shall appoint a replacement for that open position.
Section IV: Order of Succession
If the President is unable to serve due to resignation, removal, or incapacity, the
following officers shall assume the Presidency in this order:
1. Vice President
2. Secretary
3. Parliamentarian
4. Treasurer
Section I: Expectations
1. Members of SGA shall uphold professionalism, integrity, and respect at all times.
2. Members are expected to serve as role models and representatives of the student
body.
Section II: Conflicts of Interest
1. Members must disclose any personal or financial interest in matters under consideration.
2. Individuals with conflicts must abstain from voting or influencing decisions related
to the conflict.
Section III: Prohibited Behavior
SGA members shall not:
1. Discriminate, harass, or engage in hostile behavior.
2. Share confidential materials or privileged information.
3. Abuse their position by any means.
Section IV: Ramifications
Violations of this Code may result in warnings, suspension, or removal from office,
as determined by the Executive Committee.
All amendments to these Bylaws must be proposed in writing to the SGA President before
a regularly scheduled meeting, and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the SGA
members present at the next regularly scheduled meeting. All proposed amendments shall
be presented to the Vice President for Student Affairs for information and consideration.
