Student Government Resolution

Note: These resolutions are written in a format defined by the Student Government Association.
 Office of the
Student Senate

SR 10_53.3
– Rules and Procedures of the Student Senate Amendments

Authors: Zachary A. Funk – President of the Senate; C. Steven Hively – Chair of the Legislative
Affairs Committee

RESOLUTION

Amending the Rules and Procedures of the Student Senate

WHEREAS the Rules and Procedures of the Student Senate must be regularly updated to fit and adapt to
the needs of the Student Senate;

WHEREAS the Student Senate has the power to amend the Rules and Procedures of the Student Senate
per Rule XV.2;

WHEREAS the Student Senate must be able to present itself professionally to the IPFW community;

WHEREAS it is important to cultivate a culture of professionalism that will be beneficial to all senators
in future endeavors;

WHEREAS a dress code is needed to ensure the integrity of this legislative body;

WHEREAS Rule I.1.b.ix shall be added and state, “During senator training, the President of the Senate
shall conduct dress code training for new senators.”;

WHEREAS current subsection (f) shall be changed to (g) and a new subsection (f) shall be added to Rule
III.2 and read, “For every two failures to comply with the dress code outlined in Rule IV the President of
the Senate shall record one unexcused absence for the senator. The President of the Senate shall have full
discretion in determining a failure to comply with the dress code outlined in Rule IV.”;

WHEREAS following Rule III, Rule IV shall be added and titled, “Senator Expectations”;

WHEREAS the formatting of the numerical naming of rules following Rule IV shall be changed by one
to reflect a proper sequential order;

WHEREAS section 1 shall be added to Rule IV and titled, “Dress Code”;

WHEREAS subsection (a) shall be added to Rule IV.1 and read, “All Senators are expected to dress
business casual to all Student Senate meetings. There is no dress code requirement for committees.”;

WHEREAS line item (i) shall be added to Rule IV.1.a and read, “Senators are expected to have a neat,
clean, and orderly appearance.”;
 Office of the
Student Senate

WHEREAS line item (ii) shall be added to Rule IV.1.a and read, “Unacceptable articles of clothing shall
include shorts, athletic wear, baseball caps, denim, t-shirts, mini-skirts, leggings, and sandals.”;

WHEREAS line item (iii) shall be added to Rule IV.1.a and read, “Senators who are unable to provide the
proper attire to follow this dress code shall be exempt upon discussion with and approval of the President
of the Senate.”;

WHEREAS section 2 shall be added to Rule IV and titled, “Appeals Process”;

WHEREAS subsection (a) shall be added to Rule IV.2 and read, “All senators shall have the right to
appeal a determination from the President of the Senate regarding Rule IV.”;

WHEREAS line item (i) shall be added to Rule IV.2.a and read, “If a Senator is accused of not acting in
accordance with any section of Rule IV, that Senator may submit an appeal to the President of the Senate
within one week of the accusation.

WHEREAS line item (ii) shall be added to Rule IV.2.a and read, “The President of the Senate must
include the appeal on the agenda immediately following receipt of the appeal”;

WHEREAS line item (iii) shall be added to Rule IV.2.a and read, “A vote of two-thirds of the
membership of the Senate is required to overturn ta determination. If the appeal fails, the determination
stands.”;

WHEREAS these amendments have been appropriately reviewed by the Legislative Affairs Committee;

NOW, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Student Senate that on October XX, 2017:

1. The proposed amendments are hereby approved.

__________________
Zachary A. Funk
Vice President of Legislation
 State Party Resolutions
Note: These resolutions are written in a format defined by the Indiana Democratic Party.
 Resolution – Reorganizing from the Bottom Up

WHEREAS, voting for officers at the highest levels of the party should occur by representatives
selected to serve during the same term, rather than those with expiring terms,

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party has committed to guard against ethical violations and hold fair
elections,

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party should ensure that the current membership has an active
voice in the election of party officials at all levels,

WHEREAS, voting members need appropriate time to vet potential candidates before casting a
vote in an election,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. Elections for officers of the Indiana Democratic Party at the State level shall occur two
weeks prior to the election of the National Chairperson of the Democratic Party.
Candidates must file their application 10 days prior to the State Committee election. A
list of all qualified candidates for all open offices at the State level shall be distributed to
the voting members 7 days prior to the State Committee election.
2. Elections for officers of the Indiana Democratic Party at the District level shall occur two
weeks prior to the election of the officers of the Indiana Democratic Party at the State
level. Candidates must file their application 10 days prior to the District Committee
election. A list of all qualified candidates for all open offices at the District level shall be
distributed to the voting members 7 days prior to the District Committee election.
3. Elections for officers of the Indiana Democratic Party at the County level shall occur two
weeks prior to the election of the officers of the Indiana Democratic Party at the District
level. Candidates must file their application 10 days prior to the County Committee
election. A list of all qualified candidates for all open offices at the County level shall be
distributed to the voting members 7 days prior to the County Committee election.
 Resolution – Code of Ethics & Ethics Committee

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party needs to restore faith and trust among the Democratic base in
Indiana,

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party should be committed to fair and ethical leadership elections,

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party of the United States encourages and supports codes of
political ethics that embody substantive rules of ethical guidance,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. The Indiana Democratic Party shall publish and maintain a Code of Ethics that embodies
substantive rules of ethical guidance for public officials and employees, candidates for
public office, and party officials.
2. This Code of Ethics will be available for review on the Indiana Democratic Party website.
3. All candidates for nomination for any office in the Indiana Democratic Party shall sign an
agreement to abide by this Code of Ethics, which shall be submitted with their
application for the office they are seeking.
4. Failure to submit a signed Code of Ethics shall disqualify the candidate for consideration
of the office they are seeking.
5. Any allegations of a violation of the Code of Ethics shall be submitted in writing to an
Ethics Committee established at the State level. This committee will examine the
complaint and determine in a timely manner if a violation has occurred.
6. Violation of the Code of Ethics prior to a completed vote shall be considered as grounds
for removal from consideration for the office a candidate is seeking.
7. Violation of the Code of Ethics after the vote is completed shall be considered as
grounds for removal from office.
8. If an ethics violation is pending consideration at the time of a vote, the vote shall still
take place at the scheduled time. If it is determined that the candidate has violated the
Code of Ethics, they will be removed from office and the candidate with the second
largest number of votes from the original voting poll will be considered the winner.
 Resolution: Elimination of Secret Ballots

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party organization should be committed to visibility in communities

and fair
leadership elections,

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party is founded on and committed to principles of transparency,

openness, and inclusivity,

WHEREAS, the Indiana Democratic Party is bound by the charter and bylaws of the Democratic
Party of the United States,

WHEREAS, Article 9, Section 12 of the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States
specifically prohibits the use of secret ballots by all official party committees, commissions, and
bodies,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. At all times and all levels of the Indiana Democratic Party, votes shall not be taken by secret
ballot.
 Resolution – Commitment to Environmental Impact Reduction

WHEREAS, the platform of the Indiana Democratic Party states that we are committed to
preserving our natural resources and promoting programs that encourage waste reduction and
recycling,

WHEREAS, the Indiana Democratic Party utilizes significant resources for events, meetings,
notices, and marketing materials at all levels of the party,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. The Indiana Democratic Party shall make every effort to reuse, reduce and recycle waste
at all party functions.
2. We shall use recycled materials whenever possible.
3. Whenever possible, environmentally friendly vendors, materials, and services will be
utilized for party business.
 Resolution – Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised)

WHEREAS, Section 2, Rule 6 of the Rules of the Indiana Democratic Party states that Robert’s
Rules of Order shall govern the procedure of all committee meetings,

WHEREAS, Robert’s Rules of Order was last revised under the same title in 1893,

WHEREAS, Robert’s Rules of Order was completely reworked and 75 percent enlarged in 1915,
and again revised in 1943 and 1951 under the title of Robert’s Rules of Order Revised,

WHEREAS, Robert’s Rules of Order Revised was enlarged more than twofold in 1970, and
significantly re-edited in 1981, 1990, 2000, and 2011 under the name Robert’s Rules of Order
Newly Revised,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. Section 2, Rule 6 of the Rules of the Indiana Democratic Party be updated to reference the
most recent revision of the book originally titled Robert’s Rules of Order.