Princeton Undergraduate Student Government

Constitution of the

Undergraduate Student Government

of Princeton University

Ratified May 7, 1995

The Undergraduate Student Government is dedicated to the proposition that students must be included in the making of decisions that affect them. We hark back to the words of Woodrow Wilson: We shall fight for the things which we have carried nearest to our hearts...for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments.

ARTICLE I. NAME, PURPOSE, AND STRUCTURE

Section A. Name

Section B. Structure

Section C. Purposes

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP OF THE STUDENT SENATE

Section A. Voting Members

Section B. Non-voting Members

Section C. Alternate Members

Section D. Equality of Voting Privileges

Section E. Eligibility

Section F. Vacancy

ARTICLE III. POWERS OF THE STUDENT SENATE

Section A. Advisory Power

Section B. Senate Review of Committees and Officers

Section C. Senate Approval of Appointments

Section D. Spending and Budget

Section E. Approval of Project Board Grants

Section F. Establishment of Ad-hoc Committees

Section G. Appointment of Undergraduates to the U-Council Executive Committee

Section H. Curriculum Changes

Section I. Amendment

Section J. Organization of Senate Work

ARTICLE IV. MEETING AND PROCEDURES OF THE STUDENT SENATE

Section A. Regular Meetings

Section B. Special Meetings

Section C. Open Meetings

Section D. Publication of Agenda and Minutes

Section E. Quorum

Section F. Procedural Regulations and By-Laws

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Section A. Duties of the President

Section B. Duties of the Vice-President

Section C. Duties of the Treasurer

Section D. Duties of the Executive Secretary

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

Section A. Executive Committee

Section B. Campus Leadership Group

Section C. Student Group Recognition Committee

Section D. Discipline and Honor Committees

Section E. Responsibilities of Core Committee Chairs

Section F. Membership of other Committees

Section G. Academics Subcommittees

ARTICLE VII. ELECTIONS

Section A. Elections Managers

Section B. Election Rules

Section C. Election Dates

Section D. Run-offs

Section E. Eligibility for Office

Section F. Election Expenses

ARTICLE VIII. CLASS GOVERNMENT

Section A. Purpose of Class Government

Section B. Election of Class Officers

Section C. Specific Duties

Section D. Removal of Class Officers

ARTICLE IX. REMOVAL OF STUDENT SENATE MEMBERS

Section A. Recall

Section B. Attendance Review

Section C. Expulsion

Section D. Expulsion of Appointed Officers

ARTICLE X. REFERENDA

Section A. Methods of Calling for a Referendum

Section B. Procedure for Referendum-by-Petition

Section C. Result of Referendum

Section D. Honor Code Referenda

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT

Section A. Amendment by Referendum

Section B. Amendment by Vote of Senate

ARTICLE XII. TRANSITION

Appendices

Revised

ARTICLE I. NAME, PURPOSE, AND STRUCTURE

Section A. Name

The organization shall be known as the Undergraduate Student Government of Princeton University (USG).

Section B. Structure

The Undergraduate Student Government shall be comprised of the Student Senate, the Executive Committee, the Class Governments, the Core Committees, and the Projects Board.

Section C. Purposes

The purposes of the USG shall be

1. To serve as the representative of the undergraduates of Princeton University to the Faculty, Administration, and Trustees of the University;
2. To represent the undergraduates of Princeton University to persons or groups outside of the University whenever such representation is called for;
3. To exercise leadership in all activities affecting the life of the undergraduates of Princeton University;
4. To provide services for the University and members of the University community;
5. To discuss, deliberate, and vote on questions relating to or affecting undergraduate life at Princeton University, or any other question of interest to the undergraduates.

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP OF THE STUDENT SENATE

Section A. Voting Members

The voting members of the Student Senate shall consist of

1. The holders of the eight USG Executive Offices;
2. The ten undergraduate representatives to the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC), herein referred to as the U-Council, other than the USG President and USG Vice-President;
3. Two Class Senators elected from three undergraduate classes.

Section B. Non-voting Members

The President shall appoint 2 Projects Board Co-Chairs, an Executive Secretary, Chief Elections Manager and a Student Groups Liaison. The President may appoint a non-voting Parliamentarian, IT Committee (IT) Chair, or Communications Director to the Senate at his/her discretion. These appointments require Senate confirmation through the approval of a majority of voting members present.

Section C. Alternate Members

If a Class Senator is unable to attend a meeting or event for which attendance is required, the member has the option of finding a replacement in order to avoid an unexcused absence.  First contacted for replacement must be their respective class officers. If all of these officers are unable to attend on the member’s behalf or are unresponsive within 24 hours, the member may furnish to the Executive Secretary the names of all Class Officers contacted, justification why no Class Officers could substitute, and designate any regularly enrolled student in that class to serve as a substitute.  

If a U-Councilor is unable to attend a meeting or event for which attendance is required, the member has the option of finding a replacement in order to avoid an unexcused absence.  First contacted for replacement must be any class officers. If all of these officers are unable to attend on the member’s behalf or are unresponsive within 24 hours, the member may furnish to the Executive Secretary the names of all Class Officers contacted, justification why no Class Officers could substitute, and designate any regularly enrolled student in that class to serve as a substitute.  

If any Executive Committee Member is unable to attend a meeting or event for which attendance is required, he or she may appoint a member of his or her committee or a Class Officer from any class to attend the meeting or event on his or her behalf.   If the absence is to be from an Executive Committee meeting, any voting member of the Senate may be designated as an alternate.

If a non-voting member of the Student Senate is unable to attend a meeting or event for which attendance is required, he or she may designate a member of his or her committee or a class officer from any class to attend the meeting on his or her behalf.

In the case of a committee with co-chairmanship, only one of the chairs must be present for the above commitments. The absent co-chair shall not be assigned an unexcused absence, provided that the other co-chair consents. The absent co-chair is strongly encouraged to send one of the committee members in his/her stead.

For the full duration of the member’s absence, the designated alternate member assumes the absent member¹s full voting rights and will perform that member’s prescribed duties.

Section D. Equality of Voting Privileges

Each voting member of the Senate shall be entitled to one vote on all questions deliberated by the Senate. No person shall hold more than one voting position in the Senate. Any voting member of the Senate who wins election to another voting position in the Senate shall be considered to have resigned the original office on the day which that member assumes the new office.

Section E. Eligibility

Every member of the USG must be a regularly enrolled undergraduate. Any USG member who withdraws from the University for a leave of absence, field study, or suspension shall be considered to have resigned on the day that the absence officially begins, regardless of whether the member returns later in the term.

Section F. Vacancy

No vacancy shall be filled until there has been a publicly-advertised interview process.

1. Class Senators, Should a vacancy occur in the position of Class Senator, the USG President and the class President shall appoint a replacement, pending confirmation by the Senate.
2. Executive Officers. Should a vacancy occur in the position of Committee Chair, Treasurer, or Vice-President, the USG President shall appoint a replacement, pending confirmation by the Senate.
3. U-Councilors. Should a vacancy in the position of U-Councilor, the undergraduate members of the U-Council Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement, pending confirmation by the Senate.
4. President. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall become President. If the vacancy now created in the position of Vice President will not be filled by an election within a month after the vacancy was created, then the position of Vice President will be filled by a special election, to be held within two weeks of the creation of the vacancy. If the vacancy will be filled by an election within a month of the vacancy’s creation, the new President will assume the duties and privileges of the his former office (Vice President) in the interim.

ARTICLE III. POWERS OF THE STUDENT SENATE

Section A. Advisory Power

The Senate shall have the power to initiate discussion, deliberate, and vote on any question relating to or affecting undergraduate life at Princeton University, or any other question of interest to the undergraduates.

Section B. Senate Review of Committees and Officers

The Senate shall have the power to call up for review the work of any committee, appointed member, or officer of the USG. A review shall be initiated either by the President, Vice President, three voting members with support of either the President or Vice President, or by majority vote of the Senate. When a review is initiated, a one-week period of notice to the respective committee, appointed member, or officer is required prior to the meeting during which the presentation shall take place.  

Any decision of the Executive Committee, any other USG committee, or any USG officer may be reviewed by the Senate and may be affirmed or reversed by a simple majority vote of those present and voting at a Senate meeting, unless expressly provided otherwise in this Constitution or in the Projects Board Charter.

Section C. Senate Approval of Appointments

All USG appointments are subject to Senate review. Senate confirmation is required for appointments to the positions of Executive Secretary, Projects Board Co-Chairs, and all other non-voting Senate members. Appointments made by the President of USG must be confirmed or rejected within the first two meetings after the  appointment. If a vote is not held in this time, the appointment is automatically confirmed. Should any vacancies occur, new appointments must be made at the conclusion of a minimum one-week and maximum two-week-long selection process that is advertised through an e-mail to all eligible members of the student body and is open to all eligible members of the student body. Appointments for vacancies must be confirmed or denied at the next Senate meeting following the conclusion of the selection process. Senate approval is also required in the same manner for the appointment of undergraduates to the Honor Committee, the Student-Faculty Discipline Committee, and all other University committees for which the USG is responsible for appointing students.

Section D. Spending and Budget

The Senate shall have the power to direct and/or review the spending of USG funds. Any expenditure over $1000 must be approved by a majority vote of voting Senate members present. Each semester’s budget must be approved by a majority of Senate members prior to the third meeting of each semester. If a budget is not approved by the third meeting of the semester, the most recent proposed budget goes before the senate for a vote within a week after the third meeting is held. The budget is then voted on by the senate at weekly intervals, with modifications allowed between the votes, until a budget is passed. Furthermore, each month the USG Treasurer must make available to the Senate a full accounting and description of every expenditure of USG funds made in that month. The Senate does not have to vote on this document, but may, through a ¾ vote of voting members present, put the budget under review or issue a warning. In putting the budget under review, the Senate gains the ability to vote yea or nay on every transaction, regardless of amount for the month following the vote. In issuing a warning, the Senate publicizes its displeasure with current spending practices.

Section E. Approval of Project Board Grants

Senate approval is required for all grants made by the Projects Board which are greater than $1000 and for all changes to the Projects Board Charter. The projects board information will be presented every month as part of the USG Treasurer’s presentation. The senate can also specifically put the Projects Board budget under review, in the same manner as described in Article III, Section D.

Section F. Establishment of Ad-hoc Committees

The Senate may create ad-hoc committees as it deems appropriate through the vote of a majority of voting members present. The President shall form such committees and appoint the chair.  The senate may overturn the President’s selection of committee chair or membership by a majority vote.

Section G. Appointment of Undergraduates to the U-Council Executive Committee

Following the spring U-Council elections and before the end of the academic year, the Senate shall select, with the approval of a majority of voting members present, two of the newly-elected U-Councilors to serve on the Executive Committee of the U-Council. The President shall designate one of those elected to serve as the Undergraduate U-Council Chair. A three-fifths vote of those present and voting at a Senate meeting may overturn the President's decision.

Section H. Curriculum Changes

In accordance with Faculty Rules, the Faculty commits itself to a second vote on any action on a proposal regarding the undergraduate curriculum when, within thirty days exclusive of vacations after such action, a second vote has been requested by at least two-thirds of the Senate present and voting. If the action to be reconsidered is on a proposal that the Faculty has rejected, a majority vote of the Faculty shall reverse the previous decision. If the action to be reconsidered is on a proposal that has been adopted by the Faculty, a two-thirds vote of the Faculty shall be necessary to affirm the previous decision. The Faculty shall not be requested to reconsider the same action more than once in any academic year.

Section I. Amendment

As provided for in Article XI, the Senate shall have the power to amend this Constitution. Upon the initiative of seven of the nine Honor Committee members, a three-fourths vote of those present and voting at a Senate meeting may amend the Honor Code Constitution.

Section J. Organization of Senate Work

The structure and organization of how projects are undertaken by the USG is entirely at the discretion of the USG President. One method commonly used asks the senators from each class as well as the members of the Undergraduate U-Council to undertake an individual pet project each term. Executive officers may also undertake such projects. The Vice-President  oversees the development of the individual pet projects. In the first two meetings of the semester, Class Senators and U-Council members then  present their projects for the semester to the Senate for approval. After projects are approved, the Senate may call upon members to report on the progress of their projects as per Section B of this article. Another method is the organization of Senate members into “task forces” that tackle projects as a group, with each Senate member serving on several committees.

ARTICLE IV. MEETING AND PROCEDURES OF THE STUDENT SENATE

Section A. Regular Meetings

Meetings shall be held weekly, subject to vacation schedules. The Senate shall hold at least one meeting each month during the months of September, October, November, December or January, February, March, and April. The exact time and location of these meetings shall be determined by the Vice-President, but may be altered by the Executive Committee by the vote of a majority of committee members total.

Section B. Special Meetings

The President or Vice-President may call special meetings of the Senate at his or her discretion. A special meeting of the Senate shall also be called upon the request of any five members of the Senate.

Section C. Open Meetings

All meetings of the Senate shall be open and public. Only by a two-thirds vote of voting members present may the Senate declare itself in Executive Session and close the meeting.

Section D. Publication of Agenda and Minutes

The Executive Secretary shall publish the agenda for each Senate meeting in either or both of print and electronic media in the week preceding the meeting. The minutes of each meeting shall be made available in either or both of the above media after the Senate has approved the minutes at its next meeting but no more than two weeks from the original meeting date.  Minutes are automatically approved if not done within two weeks of the meeting.  

Section E. Quorum

A quorum of the Senate shall be a majority of its voting members. Only when a quorum of the Senate is obtained are decisions made by voting members present binding and in effect.

Section F. Procedural Regulations and By-Laws

1. The Senate shall have the power to set, by two-thirds vote, such procedural regulations and by-laws as it deems necessary to its orderly and efficient operation.
2. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the USG, unless they are inconsistent with this Constitution.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The Executive Officers of the USG, in order of seniority, shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the chair of the Undergraduate U-Council, the members of the Executive Committee of the U-Council, and the chairs of the Undergraduate Life Committee, the Academics Committee, the Social Committee, and the Campus and Community Affairs Committee.

Section A. Duties of the President

The President of the USG shall

1. Make the following appointments:
   1. Two Student Groups Project Boad Co-Chairs;
   2. Executive Secretary;
   3. Student Groups Liaison;
   4. Chief Elections Manager;
   5. U-Council Chair from the U-Council Executive Committee members selected by the Senate;
   6. (optional) Non-voting members at his/her discretion;
   7. Vacancies in the case of:
      1. Class Senators (in conjunction with the respective Class President),
      2. U-Councilors 
      3. Committee Chairs,
      4. Treasurer, and 
      5. Vice President (followed by confirmation by the Senate, see Article III, Section C);
2. Call Special Meetings of the Senate at his/her discretion (See Article IV, Section B);
3. Serve in the following capacities on the following committees.
   1. Executive Committee
      1. Serve as Chair;
      2. Establish the agenda of the Executive Committee;
      3. Call meetings of the Executive Committee.
      4. Serve on the U-Council Executive Committee.
   2. USG Subcommittees
      1. Sit ex officio on all subcommittees, including the Student Groups Projects Board, the U-Council, and the SGRC;
      2. Supervise the operation of all subcommittees.
      3. Select membership along with the respective Committee Chair (e.g. Student Groups Liaison)
   3. Campus Leadership Group
      1. Serve as Chair;
      2. Set meeting times.
4. Be responsible, along with the Treasurer, for the distribution of all USG funds.

Section B. Duties of the Vice-President

The Vice-President of the USG shall

1. With regard to the Senate:
   1. Chair all meetings of the Senate;
   2. Establish the location, date, time, and agenda of all Senate meetings, in conjunction with the Executive Committee. The location, date, time, and agenda must be set so that the Executive Secretary has sufficient time to publish the agenda and information about Senate meetings the week prior to each meeting;
2. Oversee the organizational structure determined by the President;
3. Assist the President in his or her duties;
4. Become President if the Office of the President becomes vacant;
5. Temporarily serve as President during the absence or disability of the President.
6. Serve in the following capacities on the following committees:
   1. Executive Committee Member;
   2. U-Council Member;
   3. Student Groups Projects Board Member;
   4. Campus Leadership Group Member;

Section C. Duties of the Treasurer

The Treasurer of the USG shall

1. Receive and disburse funds of the USG with the President, subject to the direction and review of the Senate (see ArticleIII, Section D);
2. Formulate and administer the budget of the USG in consultation with the Executive Committee and subject to the approval of the Senate;
3. Have final responsibility, along with the President, for the distribution and accounting of all USG funds;
4. Serve as a member of the Projects Board and as its Treasurer;
5. Serve as a member of the Student Group Recognition Committee;
6. Set financial procedures for the USG, in consultation with the President and with the approval of the Executive Committee through a majority vote of total membership;
7. Serve on the Alcohol Initiative;
8. May hold and advertise office hours as needed for the delivery of reimbursements to elections candidates and other administrative duties;
9. Maintain contact with the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students to transfer and disburse funds for all USG and Student Groups Projects Board accounts.

Section D. Duties of the Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary shall

1. Serve as a non-voting member of the Senate and the Executive Committee;
2. Publish the agenda of all Senate meetings and record and make available the minutes of all Senate meetings and Executive Committee meetings;
3. Publish any action taken by the Senate and committees of the USG;
4. Keep track of the attendance of Senate members at Senate meetings and other appropriate events and report to the Senate on such matters by publishing these attendance records in either print or online within two weeks after the event;
5. Attend to any necessary correspondence;
6. Run, maintain, and coordinate the staff of the USG office in the absence of an Office Manager.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

Section A. Executive Committee

1. Membership. The Executive Committee shall be made up of the Executive Officers and the Executive Secretary.
2. Powers. The Executive Committee shall have the power to
   1. Reject any appointments made by any officer of the USG, except the President, through a ¾ vote of total members;
   2. Establish ad-hoc committees through a vote of majority of total members;
   3. Deliberate and vote on any issue that may come before the Senate, this vote is simply advisory in nature.

3. Responsibility. The Executive Committee shall be responsible to the Senate. If the Senate votes on an issue, that vote takes precedence over the vote of the Executive Committee.

Duties. The USG Executive Committee shall be responsible for setting the weekly Senate meeting agendas and coordinating the different offices of the USG.

1. Procedure.  
   1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee. He or she may invite guests to sit in on Executive Committee meetings as he or she deems appropriate.
   2. The Executive Committee shall meet at the President¹s discretion. Upon the request of two Executive Committee members, the President must call a meeting of the Executive Committee within a week.
   3. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of the majority of the voting members in the Executive Committee.

Section B. Campus Leadership Group

This committee, made up of the four class Presidents, the USG President, the USG Vice-President, the chair of the Inter-Club Council, and the five chairs of the residential college councils, is chaired by the USG President and meets at his/her discretion. The Campus Leadership Group aims to improve communication and coordination among the various levels of student government at Princeton University.

Section C. Student Group Recognition Committee

The Student Group Recognition Committee, chaired by the Student Groups Liaison who is appointed by the President and approved by the Senate, shall be comprised of the Projects Board Co-chairs, the Treasurer, the President, and students appointed by application (see Section G). The role of the Committee shall be to assess the viability of newly proposed student groups, and to approve or deny their instatement as deemed appropriate.

Students interested in establishing new student groups shall submit formal requests by filling out the appropriate electronic form on the USG website. Applicants shall then attend Committee meetings to present their proposals. In a closed session at the end of each meeting, the members of the Committee shall render their decisions, which will be forwarded to the Senate for review. Applicants will later be informed via email of the committee’s decision. As a body of experts, the committee shall further direct applicants to organizations already in existence, to proper faculty and administrators, and to other resources that may prove helpful in the pursuit of applicants’ goals. The committee should have ready and shall present to the Senate a list of policies and by-laws if any member of the Senate so requests. Decisions of the Student Group Recognition Committee may be overturned by a majority vote of the Senate.

Section D. Discipline and Honor Committees

The Academics Chair and USG President shall be responsible for appointing members of a selection committee each Spring in order to appoint new undergraduate members of the Student-Faculty Discipline Committee at the same time the Honor Committee appoints its new members. The selection committee for the Discipline and Honor Committees shall be composed of no more than three members of the USG Senate and no less than one, the members of the Discipline Committee who have completed only one year of their two-year term, the senior members of the Honor and Discipline Committees, and the Honor Committee Chair for the following academic year (the rising senior who was elected President of his/her class for his/her sophomore year). No one may serve as a member of the selection committee if he or she is a candidate for a position on the Discipline or Honor Committee. At the end of the selection process, the Senate must approve the new appointments (see Article III, Section C).

Section E. Responsibilities of Core Committee Chairs

1. The Core Committees of the USG are the Undergraduate Life Committee, the Academics Committee, the Social Committee, and the Campus and Community Affairs Committee.
2. Every Committee chair shall be a full member of the committee that he or she chairs, shall preside at all meetings of that committee, and shall serve ex officio on each subcommittee of that committee.
3. The chair of the Undergraduate Life Committee shall serve as the co-chair of the faculty Undergraduate Life Committee with the Vice President for Campus Life.
4. The chair of each Core Committee shall be responsible for requesting money beyond that allocated by the USG Treasurer from the USG Treasurer and monitoring the spending of the committee’s funds.
5. The chair of each subcommittee shall regularly report the activities of his or her subcommittee to the chair of the appropriate Core Committee.
6. The chairs of the Core Committees and ad-hoc committees shall regularly report on the activities of their respective committees to the President, the Executive Committee, and the Senate.
7. All Committee meetings must be open to other students unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so. The Senate is the final authority on whether a Committee meeting is open to the public, able to force a meeting public or private through a majority vote of voting members present.
8. If assigned by the Vice-President, committee chairs shall coordinate the possible pet projects of Senate members.
9. Before the Social Chair commits funds to an event totaling over $1000, the Social Chair must obtain Senate approval (see Article III, Section D). If the Social Chair needs Senate approval before the next meeting of the Senate, s/he may seek approval via electronic mail or call for a special meeting of the Senate.  In seeking Senate approval, the Social Chair shall give the Senate as much general information as possible concerning the proposed event, but s/he reserves the right to refuse to give any information that might break confidentiality agreements.  If the Senate approves the proposed event, the Social Chair shall have the freedom to plan the event as s/he deems fit.
10. The duties of the Campus and Community Affairs Chair shall include sitting on and serving the Communiversity Committee and meeting regularly (at least once each month) with the Princeton University Community and State Affairs Director in order to discuss and explore solutions for issues affecting the University and community relations.

Section F. Membership of other Committees

The Chairs of the Core Committees shall have the power of appointment for their respective committees and subcommittees. The Senate may overturn any appointment by a majority vote.

1. The undergraduate membership of the Undergraduate Life Committee shall be as provided by the Undergraduate Life Committee Charter. They will serve as the undergraduate delegation to the faculty Committee on Undergraduate Life. This faculty Undergraduate Life Committee shall meet monthly to review policies and make recommendations regarding nonacademic life.
2. The membership of the Projects Board shall be as provided for by the Projects Board Charter.
3. The membership of the Election Committee shall be as provided by Article VII.
4. The membership of the Student Group Recognition Committee shall be selected by the Student Groups Liaison in conjunction with the President and shall include the Projects Board Chair(s) and Treasurer as members. Appointments are subject to a 2/3 approval of the Senate.
5. The Senate may create a Student Selection Network to seek and appoint undergraduates to University committees. All appointments made by this body must be approved by the Senate.
6. The Senate may create an IT Committee to serve as the primary liaison to the Office of Information Technology. The committee is also responsible for the maintenance and development of the web-based or web-related initiatives of the USG.
7. The Senate may create a Communications Committee to disseminate the actions, policies, events and updates of the USG to the student body and greater campus community, in conjunction with the CCA committee. The Committee is also in charge of engaging in dialogue with alumni and peer institutions as well as work in conjunction with the Senate on policy and any other areas of responsibility that the USG may delegate.
8. The President may appoint members to committees not otherwise provided for in this Constitution.

Section G. Academics Subcommittees

The Academics Committee shall maintain the student subcommittees on Admission and Financial Aid, Examinations and Standing, and the Course of Study. These subcommittees shall regularly meet with their corresponding Faculty committees. Appointments to these committees shall be made by the Academics Chair, subject to approval by the Senate. The members of these subcommittees shall form the Academics Core Committee. The purpose of the Academics Core Committee is to address student concerns pertaining to the following: examinations, academic calendars, degree requirements, admissions, financial aid, faculty quality, the Honor Code, sophomore selection of departments, and any other academics-related issues. The Academics Chair may create additional student subcommittees to address issues as he/she sees fit.

ARTICLE VII. ELECTIONS

Section A. Elections Managers

1. The President shall be responsible for selecting a Chief Elections Manager, with the approval of the Senate (see Article III, Section C). An additional two Elections Managers may be selected by the Chief Elections Manager in conjunction with the President. The Elections Managers will serve a term of one year, and may not run for office during this time.
2. The Chief Elections Manager has final responsibility for Elections, and shall delegate responsibility to the other two Managers as s/he sees fit. The Elections Managers will work in consultation with the three senior-most Executive Committee members not running during that elections cycleand with the assistance of the Communications Committee, if applicable.
3. The Elections Managers have the following responsibilities:
   1. Publicizing and generally overseeing elections;
   2. Organizing the tabulation of electronic votes through the USG Information Technology Chair and the Office of the Registrar, and for publicly announcing results including vote counts;
   3. Organizing the candidates’ forum;
   4. Investigating all alleged violations and determining if violations have occurred;
   5. Assigning penalties to and/or disqualifying a candidate according to below regulations;
   6. Sending daily emails throughout campaigning to all candidates informing them of all current violations;
   7. Serving as the final arbiters of disputes between candidates concerning an election.

4. Upon certification of election results by the Office of the Registrar, when the Elections Managers publicly announce election results, they must also announce the vote counts for each election. Numerical vote counts must be released for all candidates, referenda, and other questions appearing on the ballot.

Section B. Election Rules

The Elections Managers shall run all USG Elections according to the USG Elections Regulation Packet. The packet may be amended or altered by a majority vote of the Senate. The USG Elections Regulation Packet is in the appendix of this document.

Section C. Election Dates

1. Class Senators and all Executive Officers shall be elected for a term of one year commencing on the first day of the Spring term. Winter elections shall be held during the month of December before the beginning of winter break.
2. Class officers and U-Councilors shall be elected for a term of one year commencing on June 1. Spring elections shall be held during the month of April.
3. Freshman class officers shall immediately take office upon their election. The election shall occur during the month of October. Their term expires the following June 1.
4. The Elections Committee may set the exact date of each election within these parameters.
5. The Social Chair elected for the 2011-2012 school year shall serve an extra semester in order to provide for this change to the Constitution. All subsequent Social Chairs shall serve a one-year term according to the elections stipulated above in Section C, Clause 1-4.

Section D. Run-offs

1. U-Council elections shall be held by the system of approval voting, whereby the ten candidates with the greatest number of approvals shall be elected.
2. If there are three or more candidates who run for one Executive Officer or class officer position and if no candidate succeeds in obtaining a majority, the top two candidates will face each other in a run-off.
3. Class Senator elections shall be held by the system of approval voting, whereby the two candidates with the greatest number of approvals shall be elected.

Section E. Eligibility for Office

1. All candidates must be registered members of the Princeton University undergraduate student body.
2. If a candidate is running for a class office or class senator position, s/he must run for the class office or senator position corresponding to that candidate's class year.
3. All candidates must submit the Candidate Information Sheet and the Candidate Petition by the prescribed time given out to each candidate by electronic mail or in print by the Chief Elections Manager in order to appear on the ballot.
4. No person may run for more than one office in a given election.
5. No more than one person at one time shall serve as USG President, USG Vice-President, USG Treasurer, Class Senator, or any class officer.
6. No person may hold more than one elected USG position at any one time.

Section F. Election Expenses

The USG, as the hierarchical head of Princeton student government, shall defray all election expenses including students' direct campaign expenses, in accordance with the USG Elections Regulation Packet.

ARTICLE VIII. CLASS GOVERNMENT

Section A. Purpose of Class Government

The purpose of undergraduate class government at Princeton University includes:

1. Creating substantive, class-specific programs that contribute broadly to the University, local, and national communities on behalf and to the direct benefit of the class;
2. Planning social events designed to foster the unity of the class;
3. Designing, ordering, and distributing class paraphernalia in an effort to encourage class identity;
4. Fostering relationships with parent and grandparent alumni classes.
5. By using creativity to accomplish all four of these tasks, class government ultimately aims to establish a distinct class identity and unity throughout and beyond the class’s undergraduate years at Princeton.

The senior class government, while still expected to perform the aforementioned duties, has significant additional responsibilities related to successfully planning its Commencement weekend celebration. These responsibilities, which include organizing Class Day, the Senior Prom, Senior Check Out, and other such events, entail greater accountability to the senior class and the University administration, and require superior organizational skills. The senior class government will regularly solicit input from the class at large when making decisions relating to graduation, including occasionally holding referenda at their discretion. If 4 out of 5 senior class officers agree that referenda on such issues shall take place, they shall be bound by the results as explicitly and publicly outlined in advance by the class government.

The class governments of Princeton University do not engage in setting campus policy, except for under extremely rare circumstances in which certain University issues have a unique and singular effect upon one class in particular. In such circumstances, the class government shall work in consultation with its elected Class Senators. The class president should aim, however, to foster student government accountability by neutrally communicating the policy-related efforts of the elected Class Senators to the class at large. If classmates are to ever voice policy-related concerns to the class government, such concerns should be forwarded to their elected Class Senators. Furthermore, if a Class Senator is temporarily unable to fulfill his/her duties, the Senator's class president shall serve as a proxy at all official meetings, or may appoint any other class officer to serve as a proxy in his/her stead (In accordance with Article II, Section C).

Section B. Election of Class Officers

In accordance with USG elections regulations, within the first two months of the fall semester the freshman class shall elect a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Social Chair to serve for the remainder of their freshman year. In the spring, the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes shall elect a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Social Chair to serve for the term of one year beginning after the last day of final examinations for the spring semester during which the officers were elected. If there are three or more candidates for a class officer position and if no candidate succeeds in obtaining a majority of votes cast, the two candidates receiving the most votes shall enter a run-off election.

Section C. Specific Duties

The freshman, sophomore, and junior class presidents, in accordance with the Honor Code Constitution, shall serve on the Honor Committee. The sophomore and junior class presidents shall both serve on the Honor Committee until their senior year, regardless of whether they are re-elected, while the sophomore class president shall also become Chair of the Honor Committee in his/her senior year.

Representatives from the sophomore, junior, and senior class governments are required to attend relevant elections open houses and advise potential candidates about class government as determined by the Elections Regulations and the Elections Managers. All class officers are further expected to attend quarterly class government meetings as organized by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

Section D. Removal of Class Officers

Any class officer may be removed for gross misconduct upon the petition of the other four class officers, followed by a 3/4 vote of the USG Senate. Class officers may also be removed through the recall process outlined in Section A of Article IX. If an officer is removed, the class government must publicly solicit replacements and appoint a new officer based on 3/4 vote of the remaining officers.

ARTICLE IX. REMOVAL OF STUDENT SENATE MEMBERS

Section A. Recall

1. The Elections Committee shall hold a recall election for any elected member of the USG (including class officers and excluding U-Councilors) upon receipt of a petition requesting the recall of that member, clearly stating the reason for the recall, signed by no less than one-fourth of the undergraduates eligible to vote in an election for such a member, and delivered to the Executive Secretary.
2. The Elections Committee shall hold the recall election not less than two nor more than four weeks following the receipt of the recall petition by the Executive Secretary. The election shall be held concurrently with a regular USG election if one is scheduled during the aforementioned period.
3. All undergraduates eligible to vote in an election for the position in question shall be eligible to vote in a recall election. The question shall appear on the ballot as, Shall [member¹s name] be recalled from the office of [name of member¹s office]?
4. The member in question shall be removed from office if a majority of the undergraduates voting in the recall election vote in the affirmative. The recalled member may not be re-appointed to the office from which he or she was recalled.
5. Recall elections for U-Councilor may be held in the manner proscribed by the Charter of the Council of the Princeton University Community.

Section B. Attendance Review

Any voting member of the Senate who misses two consecutive or four or more of any of the following during a given elected term shall be called for review by the Vice President at the next Senate Meeting:

1. Senate meetings;
2. CPUC meetings (this applies only to U-Councilors, the Vice President, and the President);
3. Executive Committee meetings (applies only to members of the Executive Committee);
4. Scheduled commitments to participate in USG events.

A Senate member shall not be marked as absent if he or she provides an appropriate substitute (see Article II, Section C and Article VIII, Section A). A member’s attendance record begins anew at the start of a new elected term, and absences occurring in previous terms will not accrue towards attendance review in the current term.  Justified absences for which the member has notified the Executive Secretary at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting shall be marked as excused, with the reason for absence noted on the attendance record.  Excused absences shall still count towards attendance review.  

The Executive Secretary is responsible for maintaining accurate attendance records and for notifying the Vice President of those who should be called up for attendance review. The Vice President shall notify the Senate member in question via e-mail that their attendance will be reviewed at the next Senate meeting, indicating the dates of absence. At this Senate meeting, the Senate member in question will have the opportunity to defend him or herself prior to the retention vote. When a member is up for attendance review, the Senate will assess how well this Senate member has fulfilled his or her USG responsibilities. The Senate will consider reasons for this Senate member’s absences and the ability of the Senate member in question to discharge his or her responsibilities in the future. The member in question shall be removed from office unless there is a majority vote to retain him or her. Vacancies shall be filled in the manner outlined in Article II, Section F.

To ensure that students involved in certain activities are not precluded from membership in the USG, three-fourths of the senate may vote to grant a U-Councilor, the Vice President, or the President exemption from future attendance review for absences at CPUC meetings.  This exemption shall only be granted in the case of a recurring conflict considered to be beyond the Senate member’s reasonable control, including but not limited to commitments to Princeton athletics.  This exemption shall last the duration of the Senate member’s elected term or a shorter duration specified by the senate. 

Section C. Expulsion

The Senate may expel any of its elected or appointed members following a vote of three-fourths of the Senate. A member may only be expelled for gross misconduct of office or failure to fulfill said member’s assigned responsibilities.

Any three voting members with the support of the President or Vice President, any three Executive Committee members, or a majority of the Senate may initiate the expulsion proceedings. The endangered member shall be notified at least 24 hours prior to the Senate Meeting at which he or she will present a defense.  Before any vote on expulsion, the endangered member shall have an opportunity to defend himself or herself. The senate is urged to move into Executive Session when discussing the expulsion.  Vacancies shall be filled in the manner outlined in Article II, Section F.

Section D. Expulsion of Appointed Officers

The President may dismiss an appointed member for gross misconduct in office or failure to discharge his or her assigned duties.  The appointed member in question shall have the opportunity to appeal the President’s dismissal to the Senate, and the Senate may overturn the President’s dismissal by a majority vote.  

ARTICLE X. REFERENDA

Section A. Methods of Calling for a Referendum

1. Referenda concurrent with USG elections. Following a one-third vote of the Senate or upon petition of two hundred undergraduates, a referendum will be placed on the ballot of the nearest upcoming USG election.
2. Referenda held during the rest of the year. Within three weeks (excluding vacations) of a two-thirds vote of the Senate or receipt of a petition of five hundred undergraduates, a referendum will be held. If a USG election occurs during the three week period, the referendum will be held concurrently with the election.
3. If (1) or (2) has been fulfilled, the referendum may be brought up for review at a Senate meeting. If five-sixths of those present deem the referendum frivolous, then it will not appear on the ballot. In this case, a petition of one-third of the regularly-enrolled undergraduates will place the referendum on the ballot within three weeks (excluding vacations).

Section B. Procedure for Referendum-by-Petition

Any undergraduate wishing to petition for a referendum shall notify the Vice-President of this intention. The Elections Committee shall determine the proper form for the referendum. Completed petitions must be submitted no later than four weeks after notification.

Section C. Result of Referendum

The Senate shall be bound by the result of the referendum if at least one-sixth of regularly- enrolled undergraduates vote in the majority. If the proposal contained in the referendum amends this Constitution or the Projects Board Charter, the amendment shall be considered adopted if three-fifths of those voting, including at least one-sixth of the regularly-enrolled undergraduates, vote in the affirmative.

Section D. Honor Code Referenda

Referenda affecting the Honor Code shall be administered by the USG and carried out in the manner outlined in the Honor Code Constitution.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT

Section A. Amendment by Referendum

The Constitution may be amended by a referendum as provided by in Article X.

Section B. Amendment by Vote of Senate

The Senate may amend the Constitution if at least two-thirds of voting members present at two consecutive meetings vote to do so.

ARTICLE XII. TRANSITION

The transition to this Constitution will be made in the following manner.

1. The October following the ratification, the freshman shall elect their class officers but not any Delegates or Senators to the USG.
2. The December following the ratification, elections will be held for all Executive Officers and for two Senators from the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes.
3. For the remainder of the academic year, the Senate shall consist of the Executive Officers, the ten-U-Councilors, the six Senators, and the nine Delegates. The term of the Delegates (indeed, the very position of Delegate) expires at the end of the academic year.
4. The April following ratification, the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes will elect five officers.

Appendices

1. Student Group Projects Board Charter
2. Constitution of the Honor System
3. Student Selection Network Charter
4. Student Groups Recognition Committee Charter
5. USG Elections Regulations Packet
6. Charter of the Council of the Princeton University Community
7. Undergraduate Life Committee Charter

Revised

1. December 5, 2004
2. March 11, 2007
3. February 24, 2008
4. November 15, 2009
5. October 23, 2011
6. April 1, 2012

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