1Associated Student Government

2University of Arkansas
3
4ASG Senate Resolution No. 1
5Author: Chair of the Senate Veronica Johannesen
6Sponsor: Chair of the Senate Veronica Johannesen
7
8 The ASG Senate Standing Rules Act of 2010-2011
9
10Whereas, The ASG Constitution (Article II, Section 7, Subsection N) outlines that the ASG
11 Senate approve a set of Standing Rules as submitted by the Chair of Senate
12 governing procedure of all official senate meetings;
13
14Be it therefore resolved: That the following be adopted as the Standing Rules for the
15 2010-2011 Associated Student Government Senate.
16
17 Associated Student Government
18 2010-2011 Senate Standing Rules
19
20§1 Senator Expectations
21 (A) Senators shall be expected to serve as active members of ASG and participate in the
22 following ways:
23 a. Serve as the representative voice of all students;
24 b. Attend ASG Senate meetings;
25 c. Serve at least one (1) regularly scheduled office hour per week;
26 d. Serve on at least one (1) standing ASG committee and attend committee
27 meetings;
28 e. Seek out leadership opportunities within ASG Senate including, but not
29 limited to:
30 i. Special Senate Offices – Committee Chair Council, Senate Executive
31 Committee, etc.
32 ii. Campus Council Delegates
33 iii. Special Committee Appointments – University Committees, Judiciary
34 Committee, Readership Committee, etc.
35 iv. Elected Committee Membership – Ethics and Appropriations
36 f. Research student concerns and author legislation;
37 g. Participate in discussion on items of business on the senate floor through
38 asking questions of speakers and formal debate;
39 h. Utilize parliamentary procedure to foster efficiency and fairness on the
40 Senate floor;
41 i. Maintain decorum and show respect for all participants in the
42 representative process;
43 j. Consult constituents on student concerns and items of business before
44 the body;
45 k. Collaborate with members of the ASG Executive Cabinet, administration,
46 faculty, staff, and other campus governing bodies to address student issues;
47 l. Participate in and help promote ASG programs and events including, but
48 not limited to the following:
49 i. ASG Town Hall Meetings
50 ii. Fall All ASG Retreat
51 iii. Spring All ASG Midyear Retreat
52 iv. ASG Family Weekend
53 v. Crosswalk Safety Awareness Day
54 vi. Razorback Day at the Capitol
55 vii. ASG Sponsored Homecoming Events
56 viii. Recycling with the Razorbacks
57 ix. Safe Ride
58 x. Razorback Readership

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 1 xi. Make a Difference Day & Students’ Day of Caring
2 xii. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Activities
3 xiii. Rollin’ with the Razorbacks
4 xiv. ASG Elections
5 xv. RSO Showcasing
6 xvi. Student Poll
7
8§2 Meetings
9 (A) ASG Senate shall meet weekly on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM in the Arkansas
10 Union Room 510-511.
11 (B) Per the ASG Constitution and Code, all meetings of the ASG Senate shall be open.
12 (C) The order of business in ASG Senate meetings shall be as follows:
13 a. Call to Order
14 b. Roll Call
15 c. Approval of the Minutes
16 d. Special Orders
17 i. Special Guests
18 ii. Advisor’s Report
19 iii. President’s Report
20 iv. Vice-President’s Report
21 v. Secretary’s Report
22 vi. Treasurer’s Report
23 vii. Committee Reports
24 viii. Chair of Senate’s Report
25 ix. Cabinet Reports
26 1. Chief of Staff
27 e. Public Comment
28 f. Old Business
29 g. New Business
30 h. Announcements
31 i. Adjournment
32 (D) The ASG Chair of the Senate shall make all attempts to publish the agenda to the ASG
33 Website and over the ASG Senator Listserv by 5:00 PM on the Friday before the
34 Senate meeting.
35 (E) Any changes to the agenda shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of Senators
36 present.
37 (F) Approval of the minutes shall require unanimous consent.
38 (G) Legislation will be numbered and placed on the agenda as it is received by the Chair
39 of the Senate.
40 (H) All Senators shall have a placard that displays the Senator’s name which will be kept
41 in each Senator’s ASG binder.
42 (I) Public comment speeches shall be available to students without speaking rights on
43 the ASG Senate floor with no questions or debate permitted. There shall be three (3)
44 public comment speeches available each week, but the Senate may choose to allow for
45 more public comment speeches via a simple majority vote.
46 (J) All speeches in Senate shall be subject to the following time limits:
47 a. All reports shall be limited to five (5) minutes including questions.
48 b. All public comment speeches shall be limited to two (2) minutes with no
49 questions.
50 c. Authorship reports on legislation shall be limited to five (5) minutes
51 including questions.
52 d. There shall be no limit for debate on legislation unless a limit is set by a
53 simple majority vote.
54 e. Individual Senators shall have five (5) minutes to speak during debate.
55 Senators may only regain the floor after all other Senators have been
56 provided the opportunity to speak.

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 1 f. A non-Senator who has been yielded the floor shall also be limited to five (5)
2 minutes to address the body including questions.
3 (K) All changes to the time limits require a suspension of the rules and a two-thirds (2/3)
4 majority vote.
5 (L) The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for monitoring the time limits set in these
6 Standing Rules.
7 (M) Quorum for Senate meetings shall be one-half (1/2) of Senators on roll as described
8 in the ASG Constitution.
9 (N) As standard amongst parliamentary procedure governed meetings, the following
10 guidelines shall apply for gavel use by the presiding Chair:
11 a. One (1) gavel tap shall be used to indicate the announcement of the end of the
12 meeting, completion of a business item, or as a message to be seated.
13 b. Two (2) gavel taps shall be used to call the meeting to order.
14 c. Three (3) gavel taps shall be used to call the body to stand in unison.
15 d. A series of sharp taps shall be used to restore order.
16
17§3 Legislation
18 (A) Drafts of all legislation shall be submitted to the Parliamentarian for consultation by
19 the start of the Senate meeting one week prior to that of the meeting in which the
20 author wishes for the item of business to be placed on the agenda. The
21 Parliamentarian shall review the legislation and return to the Senator by 10:00 PM
22 on the Wednesday following submission of the draft with comments and
23 recommendations.
24 (B) Upon return of the draft to the Senator by the Parliamentarian, the author shall
25 submit a final copy of the legislation to the Chair of the Senate. All legislation shall be
26 submitted to the Chair of the Senate by 5:00 PM on the Friday prior to the Senate
27 meeting in which it is to be considered. Submission shall be via electronic copy to the
28 Chair of the Senate’s email at asgsen@uark.edu.
29 (C) All legislation must follow the format described in the final clause of these Standing
30 Rules or risk disqualification from agenda consideration.
31 (D) On first (1st) reading, the author shall be granted an authorship report to explain the
32 legislation and yield any remaining time to questions.
33 (E) Following the first (1st) reading, all legislation will be referred to a standing committee
34 by the Chair of Senate.
35 a. All legislation which involves expenditure from the ASG Budget shall be
36 referred to the Appropriations Committee in addition to any other
37 committees deemed relevant by the Chair of the Senate.
38 b. All legislation which involves alteration to the ASG Constitution and/or Code
39 shall be referred to the Constitution and Code Review Committee in addition
40 to any other committees deemed relevant by the Chair of the Senate.
41 c. All other legislation will be referred to a standing committee at the discretion
42 of the Chair of the Senate.
43 (F) The committee referred the piece of legislation shall report back to body within two
44 (2) weeks (as described in the ASG Constitution and Code) detailing their discussion
45 and recommendation.
46 a. Recommendations may take the following forms:
47 i. Pass;
48 ii. Do Not Pass;
49 iii. No Opinion; or
50 iv. Hold (in which the committee may request more time from the body
51 to consider the item).
52 (G) Following the committee report(s), the author will be permitted the first (1st)
53 affirmative speech, which will then be followed by a period of alternating debate (i.e.
54 negative, affirmative, negative, etc.).
55 (H) According to the ASG Constitution and Code, a suspension of the rules may only be
56 called to move an item of business to second (2nd) reading and immediate
57 consideration in extraordinary circumstances.

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 1 a. The Senate should avoid suspending the rules to consider on second (2nd)
2 reading items of business which involve expenditure from the ASG Budget
3 and/or alteration of the ASG Constitution and Code.
4 (I) Legislation may be amended by a simple majority of Senators with the following
5 guidelines:
6 a. All amendments must be submitted to the Legislative Clerk on the
7 amendment form provided to Senators in their official ASG binders and on
8 the ASG website before they may be brought to the floor for discussion.
9 b. Debate on amendments shall be subject to the same rules of debate on
10 legislation including time restraints.
11 c. “Friendly” amendments must follow the same procedures as ordinary
12 amendments outlined above.
13 (J) The voting process on all legislation shall take one of two forms as outlined in Title II,
14 Section 17, Subsection G of the ASG Code:
15 a. Adoption via unanimous consent; or
16 b. Roll call vote.
17
18§4 Absences
19 (A) Absences shall be given in accordance with the ASG Constitution and Code. Per these
20 documents, Senators are permitted a maximum of two (2) unexcused absences per
21 semester. Once a Senator exceeds this maximum, the Ethics Committee shall notify
22 the Chair of the Senate of the Senator’s removal from the official Senate roster.
23 (B) Should a Senator be 15 minutes tardy or depart a meeting 15 minutes early without
24 prior approval of the Chair, one-half (1/2) of an absence shall be issued.
25 (C) The Chair of the Senate has the discretion to grant excused absences based upon
26 recommendations generated by the Senate Ethics Committee. Excused absences
27 must be submitted to the Chair of the Senate, Ethics Committee Chair, and
28 appropriate Committee Chair if the absence is from a Senate Committee Meeting via
29 the excused absence form provided to Senators in their official ASG binders and on
30 the ASG website forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting to be missed. The Chair
31 of the Senate shall then notify the Ethics Committee Chair and Senator of the
32 decision regarding their request no later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the
33 meeting to be missed. Only in the event of extreme unforeseen circumstances shall
34 short-notice or retroactive requests be considered.
35 (D) In the event of an absence, Senators should make every attempt to send a proxy from
36 the general ASG membership with a signed proxy form provided to Senators in their
37 official ASG binders and on the ASG website to be turned in to the Legislative Clerk
38 prior to roll call at the start of the meeting. These circumstances shall result in the
39 issuance of only one-half (1/2) an absence. Senators shall still make every attempt to
40 send a proxy even in the event of excused absences.
41 (E) Members of the ASG Executive Cabinet and the Judiciary are not eligible to serve as
42 Senatorial proxies.
43
44§5 Office Hours
45 (A) According to the ASG Constitution and Code, Senators are required to serve at least
46 one (1) office hour per week subject to the following guidelines:
47 a. Office hours are to be served at the same regularly scheduled time every week
48 in the ASG Office on the 6th floor of the Union during the university’s regular
49 operating business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) unless
50 otherwise approved by the Chair of the Senate.
51 b. Should an ASG Senator wish to serve their office hour in a location other than
52 the ASG Office or at a time other than their regularly scheduled office hour,
53 Senators must turn in the form provided in their official ASG binders and on
54 the ASG website prior to the office hour to which the request applies.
55 c. Failure to fulfill three (3) weeks of office hours shall result in an absence and
56 shall also require Senators to submit a report to the body detailing the reason
57 for the neglect of their constitutional duties.

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 1 (B) ASG Senator office hours can be utilized in any of the following ways:
2 a. Conducting constituent input interviews;
3 b. Completing tasks listed on the ASG Senate Office white board;
4 c. Conducting legislative research;
5 d. Reviewing the campus issues binder;
6 e. Preparing for committee meetings; or
7 f. Other activities approved by the Chair of the Senate.
8 (C) ASG Senate standing committee meetings may not count as ASG office hours.
9
10§6 Decorum
11 (A) There shall be an official dress code for ASG Senate meetings; “business casual”
12 means , Senators may be requested to dress in more formal business attire for special
13 events or meetings where special guests may be in attendance.
14 (B) Senators are expected to maintain common courtesy for all in attendance at Senate
15 meetings, including Executives, guests, general ASG members, and other Senators.
16 (C) Failure to offer such respect may result in removal from the chambers by the
17 Sergeant at Arms at the discretion of the Chair of the Senate with consent of the body.
18 (D) The use of personal electronic equipment (including cell phones, laptops, etc.) is
19 prohibited inside the Senate chambers.
20 (E) Fresh HOGS in attendance at ASG Senate meetings may be utilized as Senatorial
21 Pages to pass messages between Senators provided that such use remains respectful
22 and does not become a distraction at the discretion of the Chair of the Senate.
23 (F) Any lengthy conversation is encouraged to be postponed until after the meeting has
24 adjourned so as to respect those speaking on the Senate floor.
25
26§7 Freedom of Chambers
27 (A) Senators shall have freedom of chambers during all senate meetings unless one of the
28 following occurs:
29 a. A member of the assembly moves for revocation, and it is seconded and
30 passed by a majority vote; or
31 b. The Chair of the Senate chooses to revoke for a finite period of time.
32
33§8 Committees
34 (A) Committees are expected to meet monthly as a minimum, or as called upon by the
35 body, in order to review legislation referred by the Chair of the Senate, generate
36 legislation, and research related student concerns.
37 (B) Committees are requested to present committee reports at each Senate meeting in
38 order to report the committee’s progress on student concerns and any other relevant
39 and corresponding information to the body.
40 (C) The Chairs of the ASG standing committees shall serve as members of the Committee
41 Chair Council and shall meet bi-weekly with the ASG Chair of the Senate to report the
42 business and happenings of each committee and request any additional guidance
43 necessary to lead the committee. Committee Chairs are also charged with
44 coordinating and running meetings of their respective committees.
45 (D) Committee Chairs shall set a standing weekly meeting time and location in which the
46 committee will be available to meet in order to fulfill minimum monthly meeting
47 requirements or consideration of legislation or student concerns.
48 (E) Committees must meet quorum requirements (one-half (1/2) of members) at
49 committee meetings in order to make recommendations on legislation.
50 (F) Committees are granted the power to subpoena individuals with relevant insight into
51 the piece of legislation or student concern being considered via the form provided to
52 Senators on the ASG website and in the ASG Office in order to request said
53 individual’s presence or the receipt of specific information at the committee meeting
54 where the item is to be considered.
55 a. Subpoenas must be issued via university email a minimum of seventy-two
56 (72) hours prior to the committee meeting to the individual whose presence

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 1 or information is requested. The reasoning for the request must be included
2 in the body of the subpoena.
3 b. Individuals shall do their best to attend the committee meeting and/or
4 provide requested information, but there is no actual requirement that they
5 conform to the subpoena request. Subpoenas are merely a formal method for
6 requesting an individual’s presence or specific information at committee
7 meetings and carry no actual authority to enforce such attendance or supply
8 of information.
9 c. Examples of individuals who may be subpoenaed include, but are not limited
10 to, the author of the piece of legislation, ASG Executives or Cabinet Members,
11 relevant administrators, faculty, staff, and members of RSOs.
12 (G) According to the ASG Constitution and Code, committees must provide a
13 recommendation on legislation referred to the committee within two weeks of said
14 referral.
15 a. Recommendations may take the following forms:
16 i. Pass;
17 ii. Do Not Pass;
18 iii. No Opinion; or
19 iv. Hold (in which the committee may request more time from the body
20 to consider the item).
21 (H) The committee must also submit a majority and, if necessary, minority report via the
22 committee report template as provided to Senators in their official ASG binder and
23 on the ASG website detailing the rationale for the recommendation to be presented at
24 2nd reading of the legislation.
25 (I) The Chair of Senate has discretion to grant excused absences from committee
26 meetings based upon recommendations generated by the Ethics Committee and the
27 Committee Chair. Unexcused absences from committee meetings will count toward
28 the two (2) absence allowance prior to removal from the Senate body. Committee
29 Chairs shall report all unexcused absences to the Legislative Clerk for recording.
30
31§9 College Caucuses
32 (A) College caucuses shall be charged with seeking the particular constituent input of
33 their enrollment group and addressing college specific issues that may arise and shall
34 consist of all of the Senators representing the eight (8) representative groups:
35 a. Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food, & Life Sciences (AFLS)
36 b. Fay Jones School of Architecture (ARCH)
37 c. J. William Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences (ARSC)
38 d. College of Education & Health Professions (COEHP)
39 e. College of Engineering (ENGR)
40 f. Graduate School (GRAD)
41 g. School of Law (LAW)
42 h. Sam M. Walton College of Business (WCOB)
43 (B) The presiding officer of each college caucus shall be called the College Caucus Leader
44 and appointed by the ASG Chair of the Senate. Each college caucus shall have one (1)
45 College Caucus Leader with the exception of the Fay Jones School of Architecture in
46 which both representative members shall serve as College Caucus Co-Leaders.
47 (C) College caucuses shall hold informal meetings with groups of constituents within
48 their respective enrollment groups at least once per semester to seek out college
49 specific input from students.
50 (D) The ASG Executive Committee shall arrange festive meetings with each of the
51 college’s deans and invite the ASG Senators from that college to assist with opening
52 the lines of communication between the individual college’s administration and
53 elected student representation.
54
55§10 Senate Executive Committee
56 (A) The Senate Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair of the Senate, the
57 Parliamentarian, the Legislative Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, and the Webmaster.

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 1 (B) The presiding officer shall be the Chair of the Senate.
2 (C) The members of the Senate Executive Committee shall serve an additional office hour
3 to the general requirements of an ASG Senator in order to fulfill both the duties of
4 being a Senator and that of serving in a special Senate office.
5 (D) The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for serving as a resource to the ASG Senate
6 for parliamentary procedure, the ASG Constitution and Code, assisting with the
7 writing of legislation, enforcing the time restraints set by these standing rules and at
8 the will of the body, and other duties as assigned by the Chair of the Senate. The
9 Parliamentarian shall also review legislation and make recommendations on
10 formatting and procedure.
11 (E) The Legislative Clerk shall be responsible for taking the minutes of all Senate
12 meetings, keeping track of absences and the official Senate roster, maintaining the
13 official ASG binder library, and other duties as assigned by the Chair of the Senate.
14 (F) The Sergeant at Arms shall be responsible for maintaining decorum during Senate
15 meetings, guarding the doors during reading of the appropriations bill, managing
16 ASG intramural teams, and other duties assigned by the Chair of the Senate.
17 (G) The Webmaster shall be responsible for updating and maintaining the official ASG
18 website to include copies of all agendas, minutes, items of business, and other
19 documents and information of ASG. The Webmaster may be assigned other duties as
20 deemed necessary by the Chair of the Senate.
21 (H) Members of the Senate Executive Committee shall meet bi-weekly with the Chair of
22 the Senate to report the progress of assigned duties and seek any additional guidance
23 necessary.
24
25§11 Official ASG Binders
26 (A) All ASG Senators will be provided with an official ASG binder to include copies of the
27 ASG Constitution and Code, all agendas, items of legislation, forms, rosters of contact
28 information for all ASG members, committee information, and placard.
29 (B) Binders shall be kept in the ASG Binder Library in the ASG Senate and Cabinet Office
30 and will be brought by the Chair of the Senate to all meetings of ASG. Binders may be
31 taken outside of Senate meetings and the office for reference and additional Senate
32 work, but they shall be brought to all Senate and committee meetings.
33
34
35Be it further resolved: That legislation be submitted according to the following format
36 in type Georgia, size 10-point font with enumerated lines, page
37 numbers, top margins of one inch (1”), and side margins of one
38 and a quarter inch (1.25”). Senators may use the template as
39 provided in the official ASG binders and on the ASG website.
40
41
42ASG Senate Resolution/Bill No. ___
43Author: ______________________________
44Sponsor: _____________________________
45
46 Title of Resolution/Bill
47
48Whereas, ; and
49Whereas, ; and
50Whereas, ;
51
52Be it therefore resolved/enacted: ; and
53Be it further resolved/enacted: .
54
55
56
57
58_______________________________________ Date:________________

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1ASG Chair of the Senate, Veronica Johannesen
2
3
4
5_______________________________________ Date:________________
6ASG President, Billy Fleming

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