XI. Scot’s Council

Preamble

We, the students of The College of Wooster, in order to advocate on behalf of the student body, act as a liaison between the students and the administration, support student organizations, and issue recommendations to the President of the college and their cabinet with regards to The Scot’s Key and other related matters, do establish this governing document for Scot Council.

This Constitution is meant to reflect the understanding of the purposes of this body and to convey the authority herein granted by the Board of Trustees for Scot Council to perform its duties as so defined. This Constitution is subject to the review and approval of the Board of Trustees subsequent to changes and additions as proposed by either party with regular reviews every three years.

Article I: Name and Mission

Section 1: Scot Council

The name of this governing body will be henceforth known as Scot Council

Section 2: Mission Statement/Purpose

Scot Council exists to serve as the collective voice of the student body to the faculty, staff, administration, and the Board of Trustees. It is the unwavering purpose of Scot Council to ensure and protect the welfare, well-being, and best interests of all students of The College of Wooster.

Scot Council strives to serve the student body by: 

  1. Advocating for student interests, including to administrators, faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees.
  2. Recommending on matters it deems appropriate and submitting these recommendations to the appropriate campus body including the President of the College and the Board of Trustees.
  3. Overseeing the allocation of funds to student organizations and officially recognizing student organizations.
  4. Providing services and events catered to enhancing the student experience at The College of Wooster.

Section 3: Non-Discriminatory Statement

We recognize that democratic government is founded on tolerance of all beliefs and respect of the people who hold these beliefs. Therefore, Scot Council will not engage in, support, or assist any activity or organization which discriminates in any manner. Membership shall be open to any student of the college community regardless of age, sex assigned at birth, color, race, creed, religion, national origin, disability, pregnancy, marital status, veteran’s status, sexual/romantic orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political affiliation, economic status, or the ability to pay dues, or any other protected category under applicable local, state, or federal law. 

Therefore, any member of Scot Council who acts to deny, deprive, or limit the access, benefits, and/or opportunities of any member of the college community on the basis of their actual or perceived membership in the communities listed above is in violation of The College of Wooster’s policy on non-discrimination. When brought to the attention of Scot Council, any such discrimination will be appropriately addressed by Scot Council as deemed by The Scot’s Key.

Article II: Membership

Section 1: Eligibility 

Subsection 1.1: Council Members Eligibility

Each class year shall be represented by four (4) elected class Council Members. Scot Council shall also have four (4) constituency representatives: Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Sexuality and Gender Inclusion, International Diversity, and First-Generation/Low Income. Students who are going to be off campus for one semester of their term (for study abroad or any other reason) are expected to pair with another individual who will be off campus for the opposite semester. See the Bylaws for further explanation. 

Outreach to first-year students will begin at the beginning of the fall semester and last until the beginning of fall break. During this time, Scot Council will host information sessions for interested first years. On the sixth (6) academic week of the fall semester, they will collect the necessary signatures for their petition. Their election shall occur on or around the seventh (7) week of the school year and their term will start on or around the week after fall break, the eighth (8) academic week.

Subsection 1.2: Executive Eligibility

Furthermore, Scot Council shall have five executive members: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Chief of Staff. Only members who have previously served on Scot Council may be eligible to run as an Executive Board member. Individuals interested in being members of the Executive Board cannot serve in an executive capacity if they will be off-campus for either semester of their term. 

Section 2: Elections

Subsection 2.1: Election of Scot Council

 Should a student wish to be a class representative or a constituency representative, they must get a petition signed with at least five (5) percent of the student body. The petition will be submitted to the current President by no later than one (1) week before the first day of the election. Elections will be held on the ninth (9) week of classes in the spring semester and shall last for three (3) days unless extenuating circumstances.

Subsection 2.2: Election of the Executive Board

Should a current member of Scot Council or the Executive Board wish to be elected (or re-elected) to the Executive Board of Scot Council, they must get a petition with at least ten (10) percent of the entire student body. The petition will be submitted to the current President by no later than one (1) week before the first day of the election. Should it be the case that the President is involved in this election, petitions shall be filed with the advisor. Elections will be held on the fifth (5) week of classes in the spring semester and shall last for no longer than three (3) days.

Subsection 2.3: The Term

 All elected officials, excluding first-year representatives, shall begin their term on the last meeting of the body for the year following their election. First-year representatives shall begin their term in the first applicable week following their election. All representatives shall go through a mandatory on-boarding process outlined in the Bylaws.

Section 3: Vacancy

Should a vacancy appear in Scot Council at any point during the term, Scot Council shall have the full authority to find a given replacement. The next runner-up in the vacant position’s respective election in terms of votes will be offered the position. If the runner-up denies the offer or there is no runner-up, then Membership Committee shall fill the vacancy through an application process to the respective constituency. The full Scot Council will vote to decide which applicant will fill the vacancy. If no applicant secures a majority of the votes, a runoff election between the top two vote-getters requiring a simple majority will decide the vacancy.

In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Board, a campus-wide special election shall be held by the Membership Committee.

Section 4: Removal of Office

Subsection 4.1: Recall

Should the student body have reason to believe that they are not being represented, they have the ability to recall any member of Scot Council. Should the student body wish to recall a class representative or Executive Board member, they must acquire no fewer than 10% of the respective representative’s constituency. In the case of constituency reps, the student body must acquire signatures from self-identifying members of the respective constituency equal to 5% of the student body. Once this petition is presented to Scot Council, a public vote will be conducted in tandem with the Membership Committee and the Advisor. For class representatives and Executive Board members, in order for a recall vote to be binding, at least one-third (1/3) of the respective constituency must vote and at least a simple majority of the votes must be cast in favor of recall. In the case of constituency reps, self-identifying members of the respective constituency equal to 5% of the student body must vote. Should a member be recalled, the Membership Committee shall take immediate action to fill the vacancy.

Subsection 4.2: Impeachment

 Should Scot Council believe that a member needs to be impeached, a petition of no fewer than three (3) Council Members or two (2) Cabinet Members will be needed to bring impeachment to the full Scot Council. In order for an impeachment vote to be binding, at least two-thirds (2/3) of voting members plus Executive Board members must vote in favor of impeachment. Should the vote result in the removal of either a Council Member or a Cabinet Member, Membership Committee shall take immediate action to fill the vacancy. Please see the Bylaws for the structure of an impeachment proceeding. 

Subsection 4.3: Stepping Down

Should a representative decide to step down on their own accord for any reason, they should reach out to both the Chair of Membership Committee and the President as soon as possible. 

Section 5: Responsibilities

Subsection 5.1:

All​ ​ student members​ ​ should​ ​ attend​ ​ all​ ​ meetings​ ​ of​ ​ Scot Council​ ​ and​ ​ do their due diligence to participate in group matters.

  1. Students have three unexcused absences for General Meetings or for Committee Meetings per semester.
    1. In the circumstance that a member​ ​ is​ ​ unable​ ​ to​ ​ attend​ ​ a​ ​ meeting.
      1. The member must notify the Secretary at least 24 hours in advance of the General Meeting with reasoning.
      2. The President of Scot Council is to let Scot Council know at the beginning of the meeting that the person will not be present. The reason for absence is not needed by anyone but the Secretary.
      3. The member who is missing a committee meeting must notify the chair of their committee that they will not be present before the meeting takes place.
      4. If the member exceeds excused absences, a meeting with the Secretary of Scot Council is required for further determination if their duties are being fulfilled on Scot Council.
    2. Prior notice is needed in all cases except for health
      1. Health has a 48-hour grace period after the meeting for the member to inform the Secretary.

Subsection 5.2: 

Members should adhere to college policies, including, but not limited to, The Scot’s Key and Wooster Ethic.

Subsection 5.3: 

Members should always be prepared for meetings (e.g., reading minutes or reports to be approved, review agenda, etc.).

Subsection 5.4: 

All students shall be required to serve at least three (3) hours of Scot Council sponsored student service initiatives (Shuttle services, ScotLends, etc.) per semester. The Chief of Staff shall oversee the tracking of these commitments. 

Subsection 5.5: 

All non-Executive members shall serve on two (2) Standing Committees unless otherwise approved by the Executive Board. First-year representatives are encouraged to only serve on one (1) standing committee unless otherwise approved by the Executive Board. Those who wish to serve, may serve on Ad Hoc Committees at their discretion. Standing and Ad Hoc Committees are discussed in Articles VII and VIII, respectively.  

Subsection 5.6:

When a representative is elected, it is expected that they will serve the term they were elected to for the full academic year. If after being elected, a representative-elect learns they will not be on campus for one of the semesters of their term, they will forfeit their seat. In the case of forfeiture of a seat, see Section 3 on vacancies.

Article III: Structure of Scot Council

Section 1: Membership

Membership of Scot Council shall be constituted as outlined in Article II.

Section 2: Committees

Subsection 2.1: Standing Committees

Standing Committees and their respective responsibilities will be outlined in Article VIII. 

Subsection 2.2: Ad Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc Committees and their rules will be outlined in Article IX.

Article IV: Powers

Section 1: Legislative

Scot Council shall have unlimited power to initiate, discuss, and formulate recommendations on any matters it deems appropriate and to submit these recommendations to the appropriate campus body, including the President of the college and the Board of Trustees. This includes changes in The Scot’s Key including social regulations, social functions, student conduct, student activities, and chartered organizations. For further explanation, see Article II of the Bylaws.

Scot Council may initiate recommendations on academic matters by forwarding such recommendations to the Vice President of Student Affairs for their action where appropriate or for referral to the appropriate faculty committee. If the recommendation is sent to a faculty committee and they do not issue a response on Scot Council’s recommendations within thirty (30) business days or the committee rejects Scot Council’s recommendations, then Scot Council may request the Vice President of Student Affairs to place the recommendation directly on the next faculty agenda for consideration of the faculty. If the Vice President of Student Affairs does not issue a response within thirty (30) business days, then Scot Council shall have the ability to forward their recommendation to the president of the college for their response.

Scot Council shall have authority to delegate the execution of its policy to appropriate departments and organizations of the campus community.

Section 2: Advisory

Scot Council may act in an advisory capacity on any matter which has been submitted to Scot Council for consideration.

Any group or individual member of the campus community may petition Scot Council on matters within Scot Council’s jurisdiction.

Section 3: Executive

The recommendations of Scot Council will go into effect thirty (30) business days after enactment or upon notification of Presidential approval. The President of the college shall have thirty (30) business days to consider the decision (including proposed amendments to this Constitution) beginning the day on which the President of the college is notified of the decision. The President of the college may pursue any of the following courses of action: a. Inform Scot Council that they have approved the decision. b. Inform Scot Council that they are holding the matter for consideration by the Trustees at the earliest opportunity. c. Recommend modifications in the decision to Scot Council for their further deliberation. Upon reconsideration of the modifications, Scot Council may adopt them, modify them further, or reject them. In the last two cases, the President of the college shall have an additional fifteen (15) business days to consider the matter. d. Inform Scot Council that they are vetoing the decision in which case Scot Council may, by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire membership, submit the decision to the Board of Trustees or its appropriate committee at the next opportunity.

In connection with the foregoing powers, Scot Council may appoint committees to accomplish its purposes and invite members of the campus community to participate in the proceedings of the committees. Scot Council may utilize staff, faculty, and students of the campus community to provide information and may use these groups to gather opinions and suggestions from constituent members.

The powers herein granted to Scot Council are not intended and shall not be construed to be in derogation of the inherent powers of the Board of Trustees or the President of the college.

Article V: Structure of Cabinet 

Section 1: Membership

All members of the Executive Board and all duly elected Committee Chairs shall be members of the Cabinet.

Section 2: Meetings

Meetings of the Cabinet are closed to the student body and to the remainder of Scot Council. The Cabinet shall meet at least once (1) a week.

Section 3: Purpose

The Cabinet shall meet to help ensure that all members are working towards the goal of Scot Council. Furthermore, the Vice President shall chair the Cabinet meetings, unless otherwise agreed upon

Article VI: Structure of Executive Board

Section 1: President

The President shall be in charge of Scot Council and have the following responsibilities:

  • Shall represent the student body to the faculty, administration, trustees, and the rest of the college community.
  • Shall collaborate with the rest of the Executive Board.
  • Shall chair the Student Development meeting of the Board of Trustees.
  • Shall be responsible for preparing all agendas for the General Meetings of Scot Council.
  • Shall meet regularly with members of the President of the college’s cabinet.
  • Shall act as a tie-breaker in the case of an even split in General Meetings.
  • Shall meet weekly with Scot Council’s advisor.
  • Shall manage Scot Council’s email account.
  • Shall participate in regular required Student Organization Trainings, such as financial training.
  • Shall delegate any additional responsibilities not explicitly assigned in this Article to members of the Executive Board.
  • Shall assist in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s goals.

Section 2: Vice President

 The Vice President shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Shall serve in place of the President whenever the President is unable to fulfill their duties, or in collaboration with the President.
  • Shall serve in place of the President should a vacancy in the President’s position occur until a special election among the student body is held.
  • Shall be responsible for the oversight of all Standing and Ad Hoc Committees of Scot Council
  • Shall schedule and chair Cabinet meetings.
  • Shall be responsible for onboarding new Council Members.
  • Shall meet regularly with members of the President of the college’s cabinet in congruence with Scot Council President.
  • Shall Co-coordinate logistics with the President for any at-large Scot Council events, including the Board of Trustees’ Student Development meeting.
  • Shall assist in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s goals.

Section 3: Treasurer

The Treasurer shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Shall be responsible for maintaining the financial affairs and budget of Scot Council.
  • Shall be the formal Scot Council representative to any student organizations who receive funding on behalf of Scot Council.
  • Shall chair the Budget Committee of Scot Council.
  • Shall chair the Allocation Committee to recommend the allocation of funds to campus student organizations yearly.
  • Shall be required to participate in regular Student Organization Trainings, such as finance training.
  • Shall purchase and oversee the distribution of the ARCH medals.
  • Shall assist in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s goals.

Section 4: Secretary

The Secretary shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Shall chair the Membership Committee.
  • Shall chair the Constitution and Rules Committee of Scot Council.
  • Shall work in conjunction with the appropriate administration or staff member to coordinate elections for Scot Council.
  • Shall take attendance for all General Meetings.
  • Shall act as Parliamentarian.
  • Shall record the minutes at every meeting of Scot Council.
  • Shall maintain student organization roster and submit it to Lowry Center and Student Activities by the required deadline each semester.
  • Shall report weekly to relevant parties at ​ The Wooster Voice.
  • Shall assist in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s goals.

Section 5: Chief of Staff

 The Chief of Staff shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Shall co-coordinate logistics for any at-large Scot Council events, including the Board of Trustees’ Student Development meeting.
  • Shall prepares any necessary campus wide emails that would not otherwise be prepared by the President
  • Shall handle the logistics of shuttle services (ex. Setting up the campus survey, overseeing student charges)
  • Shall handle the logistics of ScotLends (ex. Organizing and categorizing liability forms, overseeing student charges, providing orientation to Council Members).
  • Shall be responsible for scheduling weekly Scot Council meetings, including booking any required rooms.
  • Shall oversee member’s service hours.

Shall assist in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s

Article VII: Meetings of the Full Scot Council

Section 1: 

General Meetings with the full body will be held once a week during the academic year at a time designated by the Executive Board and voted on by Scot Council. The General Meeting will be chaired by the President. If the President is absent, the meeting will be chaired by the Vice President or other previously arranged Executive Board member. The General Meeting must have a five-ninths (5/9) quorum of Council Members.

Section 2: 

All motions can be voted on when a quorum is present unless otherwise stated as requiring all members to be present. A simple majority, that is greater than 50% of the voting members present, is sufficient for the adoption of any motion that is in order unless otherwise stated in the Constitution or bylaws as requiring a two-thirds vote.

Section 3: 

A special or additional General Meeting may be called by any member of Scot Council for Executive Board and must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of Scot Council.

Section 4: 

The General Meeting is open to all members of the campus community. There must be time allotted for an open discussion with visitors. At any point during the General Meeting, any member of Scot Council can recommend the meeting be closed to the public, thus going into Executive Session. Such a recommendation must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of Scot Council. During Executive Session, members of the Executive Board become voting members and are allowed to cast official votes. 

Section 5: 

The General Meeting will, to the best of their ability, follow Robert’s Rules of Order. This includes, but is not limited to, formal motions (and seconds) to approve the minutes, use of funds, adjourn, etc.

Section 6: 

The General Meeting will last for approximately an hour, but there is no hard stop. If a meeting, according to the agenda, appears it will last longer than an hour, it is the responsibility of the President to give prior warning to Scot Council. If prior notice was not given and the General Meeting goes over an hour, it is the courtesy of the President or Chair of the General Meeting to acknowledge the time and either motion to adjourn or state that the meeting will end once the agenda is exhausted.

Article VIII: Standing Committees

Section 1: 

The Standing Committees will be Budget, Conduct, Charter, Liaison, Outreach, and Social Justice & Equity.

Section 2: 

For a detailed explanation of the duties of these committees see Article III of the Bylaws.

Section 3: 

Scot Council shall have the power to create, dissolve, and otherwise regulate the general activity of its Standing Committees by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

Section 4: 

The Executive Board shall have full authority to assign all members to their respective committees.

Section 5:

Standing Committee chairs must be approved by Scot Council by the second week of the term. First-year representatives cannot chair Standing Committees during their term. Interested candidates must announce their interest during a committee meeting. If more than one party wants to serve as Chair, they must state their case within two minutes and a private vote will be held to determine who will be the chair of their respective committee.

Section 6:

Standing Committees will meet at least once a week at the discretion of the Chair of the committee. If they need to meet more frequently, it will be determined by the Chair. Should they deem themselves needing to meet less frequently, the Executive Board should need to approve this change. Whether Standing Committees are open to the public is up to the discretion of the Chair.

Section 7: 

The President and Vice President shall serve as ex-officio non-voting members of each Standing Committee at their discretion.

Section 8: 

Each Standing Committee shall have at least one staff, faculty, or administrator on them. The Bylaws shall specify who is to serve on said committees. These members, unless otherwise stated in the Bylaws, shall have voting privileges.

Article IX: Ad Hoc Committees

Section 1: Purpose  

Ad Hoc Committees shall serve the purpose of solving issues on campus that do not occur over regular intervals.  

Section 2: Regulation  

Scot Council shall have the power to create, dissolve, or otherwise regulate Ad Hoc Committees with a two-thirds (2/3) majority.   Section 3: Membership   Only elected officials shall have the capacity to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee. With a two-thirds (2/3) majority, any member of the school community (faculty, administrator, staff, or non-elected student) can be appointed to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee. 

Those who wish to serve within Scot Council may serve on Ad Hoc Committees at their discretion.

Section 3:  Membership

Only elected officials shall have the capacity to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee. With a two-thirds (2/3) majority, any member of the school community (faculty, administrator, staff, or non-elected student) can be appointed to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee. Those who wish to serve within Scot Council may serve on Ad Hoc Committees at their discretion.

Section 4: Meetings

Ad Hoc Committee meetings are to occur as frequently as deemed appropriate by the chair. Meetings of Ad Hoc Committees are closed and, therefore, are not open to individuals not approved as members of the Ad Hoc Committee, unless otherwise noted.

Section 5: Chairs

Only those who are a member of Scot Council may serve as the chair of an Ad Hoc Committee. No one else may serve as the chair. Any non-regularly occurring Ad Hoc Committee shall select its chair in a manner similar to a Standing Committee, see Article VIII, Section 5.

Article X: Advisor

Section 1: 

The advisor to Scot Council will be the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Section 2: 

 The advisor should plan to attend the General Meeting and any special/additional meeting called and approved by Scot Council. If the advisor cannot attend the General Meeting, they should email Scot Council directly or tell the President who will then notify Scot Council.

Section 3:

At each General Meeting, the advisor shall provide an update to Scot Council on any topic they deem pertinent. They will also be present throughout the meeting to give insight or answer questions related to the operations of Scot Council and the college.

Section 4: 

The advisor may be asked to leave by Scot Council with 2/3 approval of all Scot Council members

Article XI: Amendments

Section 1: Constitution and Rules  

The Constitution and Rules Ad Hoc Committee shall have the ultimate jurisdiction over proposed amendments to this Constitution. 

Section 2: Establishment of the Committee

When an amendment has been written, Scot Council shall establish the Constitution and Rules Ad Hoc Committee with a two-thirds (2/3) vote. Members shall volunteer and then be selected by the Executive Board, and membership must include the author(s) of the amendment. For the use and creation of an Ad Hoc Committee, see Article IX.   Section 3: Recommendations   Should an amendment wish to be considered, it must be brought forth to the Constitution and Rules Ad Hoc Committee for a full discussion. Should the Committee agree to bring forth the proposed amendment, Scot Council must begin to have a discussion within two (2) weeks of approval. Scot Council must discuss the amendment for no fewer than two (2) sessions and a vote can be taken afterwards.   Section 4: Ratification   All amendments to this constitution must be approved with a two-thirds (2/3) majority of elected officials and updated in The Scot’s Key. These amendments will be subject to the review and approval of the President of the College and Board of Trustees in accordance with Article IV, Section 3. The composition of the student membership and student election procedures shall be reviewed by Scot Council every third year beginning in 2020. Any approved amendments shall go into effect during the subsequent term.

Article XII: Dissolution

Section 1: 

Previous notice and a two-thirds vote of Scot Council or a majority vote with two-thirds participation of the student body can dissolve this association. The President of the College and 

The Board of Trustees must approve the full dissolution of Scot Council. All outstanding bills will be paid, and the remaining money shall be given for the benefit of Student Organizations. 

(Constitution voted February 2020)