Student Council Constitution
• Preamble
• Article One: Name and Purpose
• Article Two: Membership
• Article Three: Election
• Article Four: Meetings
• Article Five: Responsibilities of Members
• Article Six: Powers
• Article Seven: Impeachment, Recall, and Dismissal
• Article Eight: Vacancies
• Article Nine: Amendments
• Article Ten: Ratification
• Bylaws: Election Protocol
• Bylaws: Funding Policy
• Bylaws: Appendix A – Duties and Responsibilities of Officers
• Bylaws: Appendix B – Standing Committees
PREAMBLE
We, the members of the School of Medicine Student Council, shall serve as an effective link between the student body, the administration, and the faculty of the School of Medicine (SOM). We shall seek to address the concerns of the SOM student body and to foster a strong academic community. We shall be governed according to the precepts stated in this Constitution while abiding by University policies and fiscal procedures.
ARTICLE ONE: NAME AND PURPOSE
SECTION ONE: This organization shall be known as the Georgetown University School of Medicine Student Council (SOMSC).
SECTION TWO: The SOMSC shall serve as the primary executive agency of the student body. The purpose of the Student Council shall be:
1. To serve as the official representative of the SOM student body to the School's administration and faculty with regard to all matters pertaining to the SOM.
2. To promote interaction between students, faculty, and the administration.
3. To promote student awareness of issues and policies pertinent to the School of Medicine.
4. To consider and act upon matters of concern brought to its attention by individual students, one or more classes, or the student body at large.
5. To seek out and retain funds it deems necessary and useful to carry out its purposes.
6. To manage and distribute SOMSC funds in a manner that contributes to the education, awareness, or involvement of all students at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
7. To serve as a means by which effective communication is achieved between classes, and the student body, and other organizations.
8. To aid student organizations in applying for recognition/funding according to the Funding Policy bylaws.
9. To make the student body aware of teaching awards, and determine nominations and/or recipients as outlined by the specific awards.
ARTICLE TWO: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION ONE: The SOMSC will be composed of five components: one Class Council for each class (MSI, MSII, MSIII, and MSIV) and an Executive Council.
SECTION TWO: The Executive Council will be composed of six Officers who are all voting members to the Student Council: one President, one Vice-President, one Secretary, one Corresponding Secretary, one Treasurer, and one Student Representative.
SECTION THREE: Each Class Council will be composed of elected and appointed members. The elected members comprise one President, one Vice-President, one Secretary, one Treasurer, one Class Representative, two Student Faculty Liaisons (SFL), and Student Medical Education Committee (SMEC) members (four SMEC members if serving in MS-I or MS-II, or six SMEC members if serving in MS-III or MS-IV). The appointed members include Historian, Webmaster, Community Service chair(s), and members of standing committees. Standing committees include Social Committee, Beautification Committee, and Professionalism Committee. Only the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Class Representative will be voting members to the Student Council from each class. The numbers of appointed class officers will ultimately be determined at the discretion of the voting elected class officers. Appointment of all appointed officers is governed by the requirements for the appointment of standing committee members as set forth in Appendix B.
SECTION FOUR: All members must be full time students in good academic standing.
SECTION FIVE: Terms of office shall commence after the close of the last Student Council meeting of the academic year and will continue through the following academic year until the last Student Council meeting of that academic year which is usually in May.
ARTICLE THREE: ELECTION
SECTION ONE: Election period for the MSII-MSIII-MSIV Student Councils and Executive Council shall occur Monday through 5pm Friday, in late April or early May, at a date of the election committee’s choosing, before the end of classes in the spring semester and will be supervised by an Election Committee determined by the Executive Council.
SECTION TWO: Election period for the MSI Class Council shall occur noon Monday through noon Friday two weeks after the first official day of classes for the academic year, and will be supervised by an Election Committee determined by the Executive Council.
SECTION THREE: For elections to be valid, over fifty (50) percent of the eligible student body for that particular class must vote, or fifty (50) percent of the eligible student body for executive council. “Eligible” is defined as those currently enrolled in classes at the Georgetown University School of Medicine who are not in their final medical year. If an election is deemed ineligible, it will be rerun.
SECTION FOUR:
(A) MSII, MSIII, MSIV, and executive council: Candidates who were not members of the class council the previous academic year must submit a 300-word or less written statement declaring their intentions, along with a photo, to the Election Committee by 11:59 pm the Saturday before the first official day of elections. Election week will begin in the spring semester, preferably in late April or early May, at the discretion of the Election Committee. The polls will open promptly at 12 am the Monday of election week and will close promptly at 5 pm the Friday of election week. For incoming students, election week will be the second week of classes.
(A) MSI: Those interested in running for a Student Council position must submit a 300-word or less statement of declaring their intentions, along with a photo, to the Election Committee by 11:59 pm the Saturday before the official elections in order to be considered for an elected position. Student Council candidates will have from Wednesday to Friday of the second week of classes to give a brief 1- 1 1/2 minute speech in front of the class.
1) A member of the Election Committee will make sure to ask Professors for permission that week to allow candidates to give their speeches in between classes.
2) The order of speeches will follow this order: Class President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Class Representative, Historian, Webmaster, Social Committee, Beautification Committee, Professionalism Committee member, Student Faculty Liaisons (SFL), and Student Medical Education Committee (SMEC) members.
SECTION FIVE:
Each student may run for a maximum of one elected position each election period. In the event that, after the deadline for declaring candidacy has passed, there are fewer candidates than the minimum required number of members for a particular elected council role, any candidate for any other elected council position shall have the option to switch candidacy to a vacant council position through the end of the election period before the close of voting. Such switching of candidacy must be declared to the Elections Committee prior to the close of voting, and constitutes a withdrawal of candidacy for the original position. After the close of voting, any council position which remains vacant shall be advertised by the Elections Committee and shall be filled by appointment. Appointment to a vacancy on a class council shall be made preferably by the newly elected voting members of the council on which the vacancy exists, or less preferably by the newly elected Executive Council. Appointment to a vacancy on Executive Council shall be made by the newly elected Executive Council. Non-winning candidates in the election may seek appointment to vacancies, but will not have any priority over other potential appointees. Persons wishing to be appointed to vacant elected positions following the close of elections are responsible for communicating their interest in such positions directly to the appropriate council
ARTICLE FOUR: MEETINGS
SECTION ONE: The Executive Council President shall have called a meeting of the full Council (executive and class) within one week of the election of a full Council.
SECTION TWO: The Student Council shall hold regularly scheduled meetings conducted according to the rules established by the Council in a public room of adequate size and accessibility at a publicized time. The meetings shall be open to all members of the GUSOM community. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Class council President or by any five members of the Executive Council together.
SECTION THREE: Within the first few meetings, the Council must accomplish the following:
1. Appoint members to the various committees;
2. Conduct a thorough examination of the Constitution and by-laws by all the Council members;
3. Discuss and determine the Council's goals for the year;
4. Establish, by majority vote, a regular meeting time and location for the Student Council.
SECTION FOUR: Class Council meetings shall be held regularly during the academic year, and shall be scheduled by the Class President at least three days in advance. This might include meetings at lunch, before, or after school.
SECTION FIVE: All class meetings and meetings of the Student Council shall be open to all students, faculty, and administration of the SOM.
1. The Student Council shall function in meetings conducted by the President.
2. Minutes of the meeting shall be recorded in a permanent manner by a recording secretary appointed from the Council by the President. Copies of the minutes shall be furnished to each member of the Council, and shall post in an appropriate place all minutes of the meetings of the Council.
3. Students wishing to address the Student Council, whether at the executive council or class council meetings, shall notify the President.
ARTICLE FIVE: RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS
SECTION ONE: The Student Council shall meet at least once a semester with the Dean of the Medical School.
SECTION TWO: At least each Class President or Vice President, along with as many of the Executive and Class Council shall be present at the monthly Student Council meetings. It is the responsibility of each Class President or appointed (substituted) student council member to inform and update the rest of Student Council.
SECTION THREE: The Student Council shall coordinate the efforts of the students to periodically re-evaluate the School's curriculum and policies and present those ideas and opinions to the appropriate faculty members.
SECTION FOUR: Each of the members shall be required to fulfill the duties relevant to the Council assigned to them by this Council code or by the Executive and Class Council President.
ARTICLE SIX: POWERS
SECTION ONE: Officers and members shall derive their powers and duties solely from their positions on the Student Council as defined in this Constitution.
SECTION TWO: Monthly meeting are opened to the entire SOM student body; however, only Student Council members shall vote on issues presented to them.
SECTION THREE: The Executive Council shall have the power to conduct the election or appointment of student representatives to official SOM committees. (See Appendix B)
SECTION FOUR: The Student Council shall have the power to approve or disapprove, by a two-thirds vote, appointments to and dismissals from standing and ad hoc committees.
SECTION FIVE: The Executive Council reserves the right to veto any decision made by the standing Committees.
ARTICLE SEVEN: IMPEACHMENT, RECALL AND DISMISSAL
SECTION ONE: Members of the Student Council who fail to abide by this Constitution, who fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or who have excessive absences (two absences without valid reasons - as determined by the Executive Council or Class President - or a total of four absences per year) or who are more than 15 minutes (15) minutes late to two meetings per semester without prior notification are subject to dismissal from Student Council.
SECTION TWO: Any Student Council member who begins an action of impeachment against another member must submit in writing the reasons for the proposed impeachment to the Student Council. Either the President or the Vice-President of the respective Executive or Class Council must notify the member in question of the situation prior to the next meeting.
SECTION THREE: The member in question shall have the option of appearing before the Council at its next meeting. The member making the impeachment charge must also be present and be prepared to present his or her reasons for proposing impeachment either directly through the President. The accused member shall be given the right to present arguments in his or her own defense.
SECTION FOUR: After having heard both sides to the Council's satisfaction (a majority vote of those Student Council members in attendance is needed to end debate), the Council shall determine its course of action by a two-thirds vote of the entire voting members of the Student Council.
SECTION FIVE: If found guilty of the charges, the Council can choose to remove the member from any positions related to the Student Council, censure the member from running for the Council in the future, dismiss the member from all Council duties, or all of the above.
SECTION SIX: In the event that the Student Council determines that the charges of impeachment against the member are unjustified, the charges shall be dismissed.
SECTION SEVEN: Any member of the SOM student body, within two weeks of the posting of election results, may initiate a recall by collecting thirty (30) percent of the eligible electorate on a petition requesting the recall of the member(s). Another election will then be established to re-elect the position in question (yes/no referendum).
ARTICLE EIGHT: VACANCIES
SECTION ONE: Vacancy of the term of office of President shall be filled by the Vice President.
SECTION TWO: Vacancies during the term of office of any other Council position shall be filled at the earliest time possible in a manner designed by the Council (e.g. by election or by appointment).
SECTION THREE: Any member of Council wishing to step-down from their position must provide an explanation in writing to the President or Vice-President at least 10 days in advance.
ARTICLE NINE: AMENDMENTS
SECTION ONE: Any student of the SOM student body may propose an amendment. All proposed amendments to this Constitution, in order to be considered, must be submitted in writing to the President of the Executive Council. He/She reserves the right to appoint an ad hoc committee to facilitate reviewing and presentation of the new amendments to the Student Council.
SECTION TWO: All proposed amendments to this Constitution, in order to take effect, must be passed by a three-fourths vote of the voting members of the Student Council.
SECTION THREE: If a proposed amendment does not receive three-fourths vote of the Council, the amendment will be reconsidered through petition and endorsement by fifty (50) students of the SOM. The proposed amendment can then be passed by a simple majority vote of the Council.
SECTION FOUR: If the proposed amendment does not receive simply majority vote of the Council after petition, the proposed amendment may be passed as a referendum.
SECTION FIVE: Appendix A - Duties and Responsibilities of Officers will be updated each year by the respective Council members, and require the approval of the Executive or Class Council Presidents.
ARTICLE TEN: RATIFICATION
This Constitution, in order to take effect, must be ratified by a three-fourths vote of the Student Council. This Constitution shall also be approved by the Dean of the School of Medicine. This document currently stands ratified.
Ratified October 24, 2008 by the 26 voting members of the Student Council.