Constitution


The Constitution of the Trinity University Association of Student Representatives

Article I: Name
The name of the organization shall be the Trinity University Association of Student Representatives.

Article II: Mission Statement and Purpose
To work for the advancement and development of student interests and to represent and advocate on behalf of the students to the University community.

The purpose of the Association of Student Representatives shall be the following:

  • Section 1: To express and promote student opinion through institutional government at Trinity University.
  • Section 2: To evaluate and influence all policies that affect students.
  • Section 3: To serve as an informational conduit between the institution, faculty, administration, and students.
  • Section 4: To promote student awareness and to express student opinions concerning political, social, and residential life issues relevant to the University Community.

Article III: Membership

  • Section 1: For the purpose of definition and clarity in this document, the membership of the Association of Student Representatives shall be referred to as "the undergraduate student body," while references to "the Association of Student Representatives" indicate the representative bodies described herein.
  • Section 2: All students registered as full time undergraduate students at Trinity University will be considered franchised members of the Association of Student Representatives, will be eligible to hold Association of Student Representatives offices, and will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Association of Student Representatives.

Article IV: President
The President of the Association of Student Representatives must have either junior or senior status as a full-time student or be enrolled as a full-time student in their fifth semester at Trinity University.
The privileges and responsibilities of the President of the Association of Student Representatives shall be the following:
A. To represent the interests and opinion of the Association of Student Representatives to the various university constituencies and the community at large.
B. To appoint coordinators and committee chairs, as outlined in the bylaws, to assist in the everyday activities of the organization.
C. To prepare agendas for and preside over all meeting of the Association of Student Representatives, and to vote only in case of a tie.
D. To call special meeting of the Association of Student Representatives Senate on personal initiative or upon petition of four members of the Association of Student Representatives Senate.
E. To call and preside over a Special Assembly to conduct impeachment hearings or to fill any vacancy in an elected office of the Association of Student Representatives, in accordance with Article ­­­VIII.
F. To be an ex-officio member of any standing or ad hoc committee of the Association of Student Representatives.
G. To create such ad hoc committees of the Association of Student Representatives as he or she deems necessary and appoint members the same.
H. To administer and enforce the bylaws, policies and procedures enacted by the Association of Student Representatives by all means at his or her disposal.
I. To create such advisory committees for the Association of Student Representatives, as he or she deems necessary.
J. To fill any work-study positions opened by the organization with the assistance of the University Human Resources Office.
K. To have the authority to use Association of Student Representatives funds to pay bills and transact any other business that would be considered a minor expenditure as outlined by the members of the Senate in the Policies and Procedures.
L. To ensure that agreement between the members of the faculty, administration, Board of Trustees, and student body outlined in the Joint Statement on the Rights and Freedoms of Students is upheld to the best of his or her ability.
M. To select, for appointment by the President of Trinity University, undergraduate student members of the Student and University Conduct Boards, the Conduct Review Board, and the University Honor Council.
N. To veto any motion passed by the Senate

Article V: Vice President
The privileges and responsibilities of the Vice President of the Association of Student Representatives shall be:
A. It is the duty of the Vice President to act as a liaison to the faculty Senate. He or she will work directly with the vice-chair of the Faculty Senate, attend (if requested) Faculty Senate meetings, exchange minutes, generally improve communication between the two elected bodies, and work towards common student and faculty goals.
B. To assume the responsibilities of the President in his or her absence.
C. To assume the office of the President of the Association Student Representatives in the event of the permanent absence or impeachment of the President.
D. To report directly to and meet regularly with the President of the Association of Student Representatives and to carry out any additional duties delegated to him or her by the President.
E. To fulfill any other duties as outlined in the Bylaws.
G. To maintain, in consultation with the Association of Student Representatives Internal Communications Coordinator, any attendance policy instituted by the Senate.
H. To maintain any change made to the Constitution and Bylaws throughout the year and provide a final copy of each document for the annual archives at the end of the year.
I. To serve as a liaison between student members of the university committees and the Association of Student representatives

Article VI: Senate
The Association of Student Representatives Senate will consist of fifteen (15) senators, the Vice President, and the President of the Association of Student Representatives. With the exception of the President, who may vote in the case of tie, the members of the Senate have the right to vote on all issues brought to them during meetings. A quorum for the Senate shall be defined as a majority of the Senate.
The responsibilities of the Association of Student Representatives Senate Shall be:
A. To represent equally and effectively, the needs of both residential and off-campus students. The Senate is responsible for structuring itself in a way conducive to achieving its goals. Each Senate member should serve in one of the divisions outlined in the Bylaws.
B. To choose undergraduate students to serve on University Committees and to remove any undergraduate students serving on any University Committee for malfeasance of office. The Senate may also nominate undergraduate student to other institutional committees, standing or temporary, established through conferences between representatives of the administration and the Association of Student Representatives and may remove these undergraduate student for misfeasance or malfeasance of office.
C. To review the expenditure of the Student Activity Fee funds.
D. To establish procedural guidelines for organizations seeking to apply directly to the Student Finance Board for funds and to approve or reject these organizations and/or programs.
E. To hold public meetings at least twice a month during the academic school year. A simple majority of the Senate will constitute a quorum.
F. To articulate undergraduate student body opinion by issuing statements on matters affecting the student body and lobbying with the University Administration on behalf of students.
G. To facilitate the resolution of and reserve the right to assume an advocate role for individual student grievances.
H. To serve in voting to fill any vacancy in the Senate that will not be filled during annual election in the Spring.
I. To oversee all-school election and referendums of the Association of Student Representatives.
J. To establish, modify, or rescind the Bylaws of the association of Student Representatives by a two-thirds votes after at least one-week reasonable notice to the Association of Student Representatives.
K. To budget the monies allocated to the Association of Student Representatives.
L. To represent the undergraduate student body in the proposal or approval of the Joint Statement on the Rights and Freedoms of Students.
M. To set official policy for the Association of Student Representatives in accordance with the mission and purpose outlined in Article II.
N. To, with a 2/3 majority of the Senate, overturn a veto by the President of the Association of Student Representatives

Article VII: Special Assembly
A Special Assembly shall be called by the President of the Association of Student Representatives to conduct impeachment hearings or to fill any vacancy in an elected office of the Association of Student Representatives. The Special Assembly will be composed of all eligible Officers and Senators. A quorum for the Special Assembly shall be defined as a majority of the Senate.
The privileges and responsibilities of the Special Assembly shall be:
A. To try cases of impeachment and, by a two-thirds vote of the Special Assembly quorum, convict the impeached official.
B. To elect a new official by a majority vote of the Special Assembly quorum when an elected position is vacated leaving open an unexpired term.

Article VIII: Voting
Voting in meetings of the Association of Student Representatives will be divided into “internal votes,” in which all members of the Association of Student Representatives will be eligible to vote, and “external votes,” in which only members of the Senate will be eligible to vote. With the exception of instances laid out elsewhere in the Association of Student Representatives Constitution or Bylaws, the President of the Association of Student Representatives will determine the nature of the vote at the time it is to be taken, with the following guidelines:
A. An “internal vote” will be taken on issues that primarily affect the Association of Student Representatives. These issues will include procedural decisions, the spending of money for internal use, as well as any other internal issues that may arise.
B. An “external vote” will be taken on issues that concern dealings of the Association of Student Representatives with other organizations or the Administration. These issues will include policy decisions, acceptance of ex-officio members, as well as any other external issues that may arise.

Article: IX: Student Leadership
The Association of the Student Representatives is charged with preventing conflicts of interest among student leadership positions.

  • Section 1: No student may hold more than one position salaried from the Student Activity Fee, with the exception of part-time work in the Intramural Office.
  • Section 2: No student may hold more than one of the following positions:
    • Resident Assistant/Resident Mentor
    • TIGER Council Co-Director
    • Student and University Conduct Board members
    • Conduct Review Board members
    • Academic Honor Council
    • Editor, Trinitonian
    • Editor, Mirage
    • Director, Trinity University Voluntary Action Center
    • Association of Student Representatives
  • President
  • Vice President
  • Senator

Article X: Election And Referendums

  • Section 1: Filing date and date for the general election of elected positions of the Association of Student Representatives will be set by the Association of Student Representatives Senate, tentatively, by the first day of February each year. The general election for the offices of the Association of Student Representatives must take place by the first Wednesday in April . All franchised members of the Association of Student Representatives shall be eligible to vote by cast of ballot.
  • Section 2: The President and the Vice President of the Association of Student Representatives will be elected by a majority of the votes cast. If there is no majority, a run-off election between the two candidates with the most votes will take place within one week of the regular election.
  • Section 3:
    • The Senate of the Association of Student Representative is elected in a two round system.  In the first round, candidates who receive the four largest amounts of votes in their class category shall be declared winners.   Class categories will comprise candidates with sophomore, junior and senior status in the fall following the election.
    • In the second round, the candidates who receive the largest amounts of votes among all remaining candidates shall be declared winners.
    • Students may cast four votes in each class category and their remaining three votes for any other candidates, regardless of class category.
    • Class status is determined by the number of semesters completed at Trinity University as a full time student.  Transfer students may request a class status based on number of semester hours to be reviewed by the election committee.  Final determination of class status will be decided by the election committee.
    • If fifteen total candidates, including four in each class category have not filed for the position of senator, the Election Committee may extend filing deadlines as it sees fit.
    • If the number of candidates is equal to or less than four, the election will proceed with the option to vote “no confidence”. 
    • After filing has closed, any remaining seats in each class category will be added to the number available in the second round.
    • If the number of candidates in the second round is less than or equal to the number of remaining seats, the election will proceed with the option to vote “no confidence.”  If the “no confidence” vote receives more than fifty percent of those voting for that office the seat will remain open.  Open seats shall be filled in Special Assembly the following fall.
  • Section 4: The newly elected member of the Association of Student Representatives will assumed office on the last day of classes of the spring semester, but will be eligible to make necessary appointments beginning April 15th.
  • Section 5: In the event of a vacancy in an elected office of the Association of Student Representatives, except that of the President, the following procedure shall be followed:

A. The Association of Student Representatives President will call the Special Assembly fill the vacant position(s) for the remainder of the unexpired term. The Association of Student Representatives President shall preside over the Special Assembly and shall not vote in the proceedings except in case of a tie vote.
B. The Special Assembly shall fill vacancies on the basis of open application for individual qualified for the open position.
C. No student applying for an open position will sit on the Special Assembly during the application process.
D. Following receipt of all applications made within the specified time, the Special Assembly shall meet in order to vote on the final appointment. If it is so desired by the members of the Special Assembly, the applicants may speak at the Assembly in lieu of an interview.
E. A simple majority of the votes cast by a quorum of the Special Assembly shall be necessary to elect a new official.

  • Section 6: An all-school election is one in which all franchised members of the Trinity University Association of Student Representatives are eligible to vote by casting a ballot.
  • Section 7: The Association of Student Representatives President will appoint a neutral Election Committee, with the approval of the Senate, to conduct and tabulate all-school elections. No member of the Election Committee will be a candidate in the election.

A "Neutral Election Committee" shall be defined by meeting the following minimum criteria:
A. Members of the Election Committee will not, at any time, campaign for or against a candidate or referendum, from their appointment until the end of the elections. Campaigning shall include, but is not limited to: posting door signs; discussing personal voting preferences; wearing buttons; and making statements to any individual, group, or publication about candidates and/or referenda.
B. At the time of the appointment of the Election Committee, the Chair of the Election Committee shall provide Committee members with all items in the Association of Student Representatives Constitution and Bylaws that relate to the Election Committee.

  • Section 8: The election rules governing all-school elections will not be altered during the two weeks prior to any all-school election.
  • Section 9: Any all-school election, other than the general election and referendums, will be run as needed by the Association of Student Representatives Senate or within two weeks of the presentation of a petition calling for such an election by two hundred fifty (250) undergraduate students to the President of the Association of Student Representatives.
  • Section 10: No appointments shall be promised before the election.

Article XI: Removal

  • Section 1: All elected members of the Association of Student Representatives may be removed from office as stated in this article.
  • Section 2: All members of the Senate, as well as the Association of Student Representatives Officers shall maintain at the time of election and during his or her term a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5 as determined by the Office of the Registrar.
  • Section 3: The impeachment process shall consist of the following:

A. The aforementioned senators and officers may be called for the initiation of impeachment hearing by a petition in writing from two hundred fifty (250) members of the undergraduate student body to the President of the Association of Student Representatives or by a two-thirds vote of the Association of Student Representatives Senate.
C. No later than ten (10) days following an impeachment by the Association of Student Representatives Senate, the President of the Association of Student Representatives will call a Special Assembly (described in Article IX) to try the impeachment.
D. The President of the Association of Student Representatives will preside over the Special Assembly. In the case that the President is the officer called for impeachment, or where a majority of the Special Assembly declares a conflict of interest, the Vice President shall assume the duties of president for the duration of the impeachment process.
E. A two-thirds vote of the Special Assembly quorum shall be necessary to convict the charged member.

Article XII: Amendments

  • Section 1: Amendments to the Constitution will be proposed in the Association of Student Representatives Senate; a two-thirds vote of the Association of Student Representatives Senate will be necessary to approve an amendment. The proposed amendment will then be presented to the undergraduate student body in an election called for that purpose by the Senate. A majority of the votes cast will be necessary to pass the amendment.
  • Section 2: Amendments to the Constitution not approved by two-thirds of the Association of Student Representatives Senate and Hall Representatives may be brought to a direct vote of the undergraduate student body by a petition signed by two hundred fifty (250) members of the undergraduate student body in an election called by the Association of Student Representatives Senate. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of those voting will be necessary to pass the amendment.

Article XIII: Adoption
To become valid, this Constitution will be submitted to a vote of the undergraduate student body. An affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast will be required for ratification. The election provisions will go into effect immediately upon ratification. All applicable resolution and laws of the Association of Student Representatives Senate will be valid under this new Constitution. By adoption of this Constitution, all previous constitutions of the Trinity University Association of Student Representatives will be invalid.
Established, ratified and adopted February 9, 2005.