Constitution and Bylaws of the
School of Forest Resources and Conservation Student Council
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences 2006

 

Article I. Name and Purpose

The name of this organization shall be the School of Forest Resources and Conservation Student Council of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and is hereinafter referred to as the Council. The purpose of the Council is to provide a representative forum for students of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, herein referred to as the School, and to seek and allocate funds to carry out the objectives of the Council.

Article II. Objectives

The objectives of the Council shall be to:

1. Promote an on-going rapport between faculty and students within the School.

2. Stimulate interest and cooperation among the students, faculty, and majors within the School.
3. Increase public knowledge and understanding of the status, achievements, and goals of the School.

4. Provide for the interests of all recognized organizations within the School.

5. Recognize individual achievements of students and faculty within the School.

The Council will adhere to the rules set forth in the Student Guide and the other laws, rules, and regulations governing the University of Florida and its students.

Members of the Council shall not participate in any form of student hazing.

Article III. Membership

The Council shall be composed of elected voting and non-voting members. Voting members shall include officers, class representatives, a graduate student representative, and representatives from each of the recognized active organizations within the School, which now include the Forestry Club, the Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, the Society For Nature
and Conservation, the Graduate Student Association, and Xi Sigma Pi (inactive). Non-voting members shall include the alternate representatives and faculty representative.

The elected Council officers and class representatives shall be from the School’s undergraduates within the two majors-- Forest Resources and Conservation and Natural Resource Conservation, pursuing the BSFRC degree, and graduate students in the School pursuing a MFRC, MS, or PhD degree. Representatives from the recognized organizations within the School do not have to be enrolled within the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, since some of these organizations’ memberships are open to all University students.

The following guidelines apply to membership:

1. All members shall be students of the University of Florida, with the exception of the faculty member.

2. At least two (2) voting positions will be held by full-time undergraduate students within each major, and one position by a graduate student.

3. All remaining positions will be open to students of the School, regardless of which of the two majors they are in.

4. All members of the Council must meet the criteria listed in the Handbook for Student Organizations for participation in campus activities by students.

5. In order to provide annual continuity within the Council, three (3) voting positions will be held by students who will be enrolled for at least three more semesters at the time of their appointment.

6. In the event that a member has more than two unexcused absences, they will lose their membership and be replaced by an alternate. If no alternate is available, the position will be filled through an election.

7. The Faculty Advisor shall be a current faculty member of the School, and will be elected by the voting members of the Council.

8. Members will not be discriminated against because of race, sex, color, age, creed, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Article IV. Officers and Elections

The officers of the Council shall be the President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer. There shall also be a Faculty Advisor. Officers and other members shall serve for one year and may be re-elected to serve in successive terms.

Information detailing positions available on the Council shall be posted one week in advance of the Council meeting at which nominations will be received. An election by ballot vote shall take place one week after nominations are received. The election shall be well advertised and occur in a location accessible to the entire School student body. Winners shall be determined by majority vote with alternates determined by the next highest number of votes. Any ties or discrepancies in voting shall be resolved by the presently elected Council.

Council officers, one (1) senior representative, one (1) senior alternate, one (1) graduate student, and one (1) Faculty Advisor shall be elected by secret ballot at a Council meeting at least one month before the end of the spring semester. All members of the School’s student body shall be encouraged to attend the meeting and allowed to vote. Each major within the School must be represented by at least one (1) elected undergraduate.

Completion of the Council membership shall take place by the second Council meeting of the fall semester. Nominations for junior representatives will be accepted at the first Council meeting of the fall semester. A ballot election open to the entire School student body will occur one week after nominations are received. Three (3) voting junior representatives and one (1) junior
alternate will be elected by majority vote. Each major must be represented by at least one elected representative. The recognized organizations within the School shall each designate one (1) representative to the Council, preferably by their second meeting of the fall semester.

In the event that any voting position becomes vacant during the year, that position will be filled by the positions’s alternate. If no elected alternates are available, the vacant position will be filled via the election process.

Article V. Appointed Representatives

Representatives shall be appointed to attend meetings of other organizations pertinent to the Council. Those organizations now include the Board of College Councils, the Agriculture College Council, and the School’s Faculty Meetings. These representatives should be appointed by the second Council meeting of the Fall semester.

Article VI. Meetings

The Council shall meet biweekly in the fall and spring semesters. These meetings are open to all students of the School. Regularly scheduled meetings may be canceled and special meetings may be called at the discretion of the president.

Article VII. Quorum

For regularly scheduled meetings the quorum shall be the number of members present. For special meetings, the quorum shall be four members.

Article VIII. Finances

There shall be no collection of dues from members. A Finance Committee consisting of at least the President and Treasurer shall identify needs and prepare and submit a request for funding from Student Government towards the end of the school year. The funds granted from student government shall be used to fund the activities of the Council and the recognized organizations within the School, according to the rules pertaining to spending by student groups.

Article IX. Amendments

This Constitution may be amended in the following manner:

1. A written notice, including a copy of the proposed amendment shall be sent to each Council member at least three (3) weeks before the Council votes on said amendment.

2. The proposed amendment shall be read at a Council meeting held at least two (2) weeks before the Council votes on the proposal.

3. A simple majority vote of the members present is necessary to approve the amendment.

Article X. Parliamentary Authority

The parliamentary authority shall be Robert’s Rules of Order.