Student Assembly

Whereas the proposed version Article IV, Section 1a of the Student Assembly Charter currently under review by President Skorton reads:

ARTICLE 3: Membership
3.1 Composition
The SA will consist of 27 voting members who are registered undergraduate students at Cornell University. Up to two additional votes shall be allocated to the entire community of undergraduates as a whole present at a Student Assembly meeting on motions that express the opinion of the assembly. Such community votes shall be allowed only as provided by the Assembly in its bylaws. Eleven voting members of the SA will be elected by and from the student populations of the colleges and schools, one from each: the College of Architecture, Art and Planning; the School of Hotel Administration; the College of Human Ecology; and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Two each shall be elected from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering; and three shall be elected from the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, twelve voting members will be elected at-large by and from the University undergraduate student population as a whole; two at-large seats are to be reserved for candidates seeking the offices of President and Executive Vice President of the Student Assembly and must be explicitly designated as such; three two at-large seats are to be reserved for non-constituent, undesignated at-large group candidates who do not run for President or Executive Vice President; four five at-large seats are to be reserved for candidates seeking to represent constituent groups of students determined to be underrepresented, two of which shall represent minority students; one of which shall represent international students; one of which shall represent women’s issues; and one of which shall represent the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer community. Five shall be elected by and from new students entering in the fall. Should there be no candidate running for a given seat, the seat shall be considered vacant. The seat will be filled, under Article 3, Section 4, after the newly elected SA takes office.

Be it therefore resolved that Article IV, Section 1a of the Student Assembly Charter be amended to read:

ARTICLE 3: Membership
3.1 Composition
The SA will consist of 27 voting members who are registered undergraduate students at Cornell University. Up to two additional votes shall be allocated to the entire community of undergraduates as a whole present at a Student Assembly meeting on motions that express the opinion of the assembly. Such community votes shall be allowed only as provided by the Assembly in its bylaws. Eleven voting members of the SA will be elected by and from the student populations of the colleges and schools, one from each: the College of Architecture, Art and Planning; the School of Hotel Administration; the College of Human Ecology; and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Two each shall be elected from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering; and three shall be elected from the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, eleven voting members will be elected at-large by and from the University undergraduate student population as a whole; two at-large seats are to be reserved for candidates seeking the offices of President and Executive Vice President of the Student Assembly and must be explicitly designated as such; three two at-large seats are to be reserved for non-constituent, undesignated at-large group candidates who do not run for President or Executive Vice President; four five at-large seats are to be reserved for candidates seeking to represent constituent groups of students determined to be underrepresented, two of which shall represent minority students; one of which shall represent international students; one of which shall represent women’s issues; and one of which shall represent the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer community. The two remaining non-constituent, undesignated at-large seats are to be contested by candidates running for President and Executive Vice President and by non-constituent, undesignated at-large group candidates not running for President or Executive Vice President. Five seats shall be elected by and from new students entering in the fall. Should there be no candidate running for a given seat, the seat shall be considered vacant. The seat will be filled, under Article 3, Section 4, after the newly elected SA takes office.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Gould ‘11
Student Assembly Parliamentarian

Ray Mensah ‘11
At-Large Representative Student Assembly Executive Vice President