What does Student Body Senate do?

I have found that many Reedies do not understand the Student Body Senate. Until I started working on this article, neither did I. It is important to know how the government of your community works, hence why we are (hopefully) taught how the US government works in our elementary and high school curriculums. However, Reed does not teach about the structure of its Student Body Government. Today, I’ll walk you through one part of the Student Body Government, Senate. 

According to the Reed College website, Senate “fund[s] student organizations, participate[s] in campus policy-making, and work with the staff members to improve the quality of student life.” That is a dandy description, but also still vague. I hope to clarify the job of Senate with a summary of the titillating Reed College Student Body Senate Bylaws so you can be a more informed citizen of campus. 

Article I. Student-Run Accountability Processes and SHARE:

This article describes the responsibilities of the Judicial Board, Honor Council, Restorative Justice Coalition for Student Accountability Cases, and Sexual Health and Relationship Education (SHARE), who “work closely together to address any case addressing harm.” Senate is responsible for hiring for J-Board, Honor Council, and Restorative Justice Coalition, but not SHARE. Additionally, Senate must appoint liaisons for each group. These liaisons are responsible for: stewarding the relationship between their respective group and Senate; coordination in the event that a member of Senate is involved in the mediation process of case for any of these departments (i.e. if a Senator is being evaluated by J-Board, the liaison will handle the communication between Senate and J-Board); “setting up an introductory meeting after being assigned as well as semesterly meetings between the two bodies.”

Senate executives are expected to invite these groups to “to give an update at one public meeting each semester.” This article also outlines the process by which Senate and Treasury should be held responsible.

Article II. Funding Procedures and Financial Policy

Funding Circus and Hell are Senate’s most well-known jobs. Funding is also the most well-defined job, with a whopping 14 out of 33 pages being dedicated to it. Article II describes the procedures for handling money, and it does not spare any of the gory details. Though convoluted, it seems the average Reedie understands how funding is decided. Interestingly,  every semester the Senate appoints the Assistant Treasurer for a three-semester term. After the first semester, the Assistant Treasurer becomes the Vice Treasurer. After their semester as Vice Treasurer, they become Head Treasurer. Also, the Vice President is the signator for Senate.

Article III. Senate and Student Body Committees, Boards, and Managers

This section describes the required committees of the Senate, and explains how other committees can be established or dissolved. It starts with the Appointments Committee, which appoints people for the positions Senate is responsible for hiring. Additionally, the Appointments Committee can recommend the removal of an appointment or bring in relevant parties to advise their appointments. Next is the Finance Committee, which is composed of the three treasurers, Student Body Vice President, and two or three Senators. The Finance Committee makes funding decisions after Funding Hell. The Student Opportunity Subsidy Committee handles the creation and dispensing of financial opportunities for students. Additional committees can be established or dissolved with a majority vote, and the secretary takes minutes of Senate meetings.

Senate may start the honor process against individual students or the student body at large by a unanimous vote if the Senate feels “injured” by them.

Article IV. Student Body Elections

The Election Czar is appointed before the midpoint of the semester and handles elections according to the handbook. The Vice President immediately fills any vacancy of the President’s role, and serves this term until the next election. If the Vice President resigns before the end of their term, then Senate holds an election and elects a Senate member. Vacancies in Senate are only filled if the term is vacated  before the end  of the Fall or Spring break, or if the vacancy would result in fewer than eight senators. In either of these cases, the vacancy is immediately filled by “unsuccessful candidates.” If no such candidates exist, then there will be a special election.

Article V. The Student Committee on Academic Policy and Planning

The Student Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (SCAPP) is outlined in Article V, Section 3 of the Reed College Community Constitution. This committee is composed of nine students who meet with the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (CAPP). It must have one member of Senate on it, and all others will be appointed by the Senate. Members of SCAPP will remain members until their enrollment at Reed is over.

Article VI. The Student Committee on Diversity

“The Student Committee on Diversity (SCOD) will function as specified in the Reed College Community Constitution (Article V, Section 3), the Student Body Constitution.” SCOD has nine members, one is a Senator, two are student staff members, one from the Students for Education, Equity, and Direct Service, and the other from the Multicultural Resource Center. The other members will be appointed by the Appointments Committee for a one year term.

Article VII. Rules and Procedures for Meetings

Meetings follow Robert’s Rules of Order. Senate must have public, advertised, meetings once a week. The Senate should also have non-public, confidential “executive sessions.” 

Article VIII. Amendment and Suspension of Bylaws

The Senate Bylaws must be reviewed once every two years, and must be approved with two-thirds vote. These bylaws are from February 6th, 2022; the 2024 bylaws are yet to be published. The Bylaws can be suspended for a specific amount of time with a two-thirds vote. They can be reinstated partly or completely with another two-thirds vote.

Congrats, you finished this gripping summary of the Senate bylaws. Now you can school your peers when they reveal their lack of knowledge about the Student Body Government!