THE SOPHIE DAVIS SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL EDUCATION

STUDENT GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be “The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical
Education Student Government Organization.”

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization shall be to promote active student participation
in the development and administration of The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical
Education. This organization shall serve as the general student organization for
the school. The organization will act to support the purposes and principles on
which the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education was founded.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

A.
1. Membership in the organization shall be open to all students enrolled in The
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City College of New York.
2. There shall be no discrimination as to race, color, religion, national or ethnic
origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability as applied to membership
requirements.
3. Membership in the organization shall be automatic when recognition as stated in
Article III, Section A, Number 1 has been met.

B.
1. There shall be no initiation fee.
2. There shall be no dues.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

A.
1. The student government officers shall be:
a. President
b. Vice President/Treasurer
c. Secretary
2. The class representatives shall be:
a. Two representatives of the first year class.
b. Two representatives of the second year class.
c. Two representatives of the third year class.
d. Two representatives of the fourth year class.
e. Two representatives of the fifth year class.
3. All class representatives and student government officers shall have
equal voicing and voting rights and will collectively form the Council of the
Student Government. The Council will resolve all issues which arise before the
organization by majority vote of all Council Members present, a quorum being a
simple majority of all eligible members.
4. There will be monthly Deans’ Meetings and Council Meetings, as

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 needed. The dates and times of these meetings will be determined by the
student government officers at the beginning of each semester. Unscheduled
meetings may be called by the student government president or by a majority
vote of the Council.
5. All student government officers and at least one class representative
per year are required to attend each Deans’ Meeting and Council Meeting. The
Deans’ Meetings are open to the entire student body.
6. Further, one representative from each Sophie Davis club will be
required to attend all Deans’ Meetings and specified Council Meetings.

B.
1. The elected class representatives shall be responsible to notify their
respective classmates of upcoming Deans’ Meetings, topics discussed at the
Deans’ Meetings and the Council Meetings, voicing their classmates’ problems
and concerns at these meetings, informing their classmates of other functions
and events, and maintaining the class list-serves. Class representatives are
required to notify student government officers of any concerns they plan to
voice at the Deans’ Meetings at least 2 days before the Meeting.
2. The elected student government officers will be responsible for
coordinating the administration of all activities of the organization. The
President will chair all Deans’ and Council Meetings, be responsible for creating
the agenda for these meetings, and oversee the duties of all Council Members.
The Vice President/Treasurer is responsible for procurement of all available funds
and the distribution of these funds. S/he will keep records of all monetary
transactions. The Secretary shall inform all Council Members and Club leaders of
upcoming meetings. S/he will record the minutes at each meeting and will post
and distribute the minutes to Council Members and Club Leaders and any other
organization member who requests them. All student government officers will
work in conjunction to plan Student Government sponsored events.
3. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President/Treasurer will chair
the meetings. In the absence of both, the Secretary will serve in this capacity.
4. Copies of the CUNY Medical School Student Government Constitution
shall be distributed at the beginning of each school year to all entering freshmen
and all other members of the organization who desire one.
5. It shall be the collective responsibility of the Council of the Student
Government to ensure that the minutes of each council meeting are faithfully
recorded, and to make these available to any interested organization member.
It is expected that summaries of the reports made by student representatives on
the committees of the CUNY Medical School to the Council be included in these
minutes.

ARTICLE V - STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ON COMMITTEES OF THE SOPHIE DAVIS SCHOOL OF

BIOMEDICAL EDUCATION
A. Students of the organization shall be elected to the standing committees of The
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education as follows:
1. Academic Progress: two students - one 3rd yr. & one 4th yr. student
2. Admissions Committee: one student - either a 3rd, 4th, or 5th yr.
Student
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 3. Curriculum Committee: three students - one 2nd yr, 3rd yr, & 4th yr.
Student
4. Ethics Committee: four students – two 4th yr. & two 5th yr. students
B. Student representatives on these committees shall be responsible for fulfilling their
obligations as committee members, as determined by the various committees, and
to provide the Council of the Student Government with reports on committee
proceedings as pertains to those obligations.
C. The Council of the Student Government shall be responsible for creating any new
committees when and if necessary to fulfill the purpose of the organization.
ARTICLE VI - PROTOCOL FOR IMPEACHMENT
A. Impeachment proceedings may be initiated against any member of the Council of
the Student Government or any student representative on a committee of The
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education.
B. Impeachment proceedings shall be initiated by a majority vote of the Council of the
Student Government, based upon a lack of confidence in the suitability of the
council member or committee representative for their position. In addition,
impeachment proceedings can be initiated by a majority vote of the constituents
over which the officer presides. Thereafter, the council member in question will be
considered a defendant.
C. Once impeachment proceedings are initiated against a council member or
committee representative, that person will lose voting and chairing privileges,
pending the resolution of the impeachment proceeding
D. A defendant will be given a minimum of one week to prepare a defense. The
defendant may waive this privilege. At the conclusion of this period, a closed
meeting of the Council of the Student Government will be devoted to the
impeachment proceedings. At that time, the defendant may invite whomever he/she
wishes to assist him/her in his/her defense to be present. The defendant will be
given an opportunity to present his/her defense with the assistance of whomever
he/she wishes. The Council may set a time limit for this presentation, but it is not to
be limited to less than thirty minutes.
E. A vote of at least two-thirds of the Council of the Student Government will be
required to impeach a Council member or committee representative. Voting will be
by closed ballot. If impeachment occurs, election procedures to fill the vacated
position will be initiated. If impeachment does not occur, the defendant will be
restored to his/her previous position.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTIONS

A. Administration: Elections will be administered by the officers of the Student
Government and their designees. They will administer all phases of the election. If
the impartiality of the officers or their designees is contested by a candidate for any
position, then the faculty advisor of the Council of the Student Government will
administer elections for that position. All unforeseen problems which may occur
during the course of and in relation to an election will be resolved by the
administrators of the election.
A. Scheduling
1. Elections will be scheduled by the administrators of the election. This will
occur:
a. In the event that a Council member or committee representative
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 resigns
b. In the event that a council member or committee representative is
impeached.
c. Annually, in the first week of May, to elect Council members and
committee representatives for the following school year. The election of the
representatives for the first year class shall be held no later than the third
week of September.
2. The administrators will provide written notice of all dates pertaining to elections
at least one week in advance. These dates include the dates of balloting and the
deadline for submission of petitions for nominations to candidacy. In the event
of a run-off election, as provided in Section E, written notice must be provided,
but it need not be one week in advance.
B. Eligibility
1. Students will be eligible for the various positions as follows:
a. Students must be in good academic standing in order to run and hold office.
Students who are on academic probation or on prescription year are
ineligible. Students who are elected must maintain good academic standing
throughout their term.
b. Student Government Officers: Candidates for President must be a current 3rd
year or 4th year student; Candidates for Vice-President/Treasurer and
Secretary may be either a 2nd, 3rd or 4th year student, at the time of the May
election.
c. Class Representatives: Candidates must be members of the respective class
for which they are seeking election.
d. Student Representatives on Committees of The Sophie Davis School of
Biomedical Education: As specified in Article V, Section A. (All candidates
must be from designated years while serving their position.)
2. Students may seek election for only one of the following positions: President;
Vice President/Treasurer; Secretary; Class representative; Admissions, Academic
Progress, Curriculum or Ethics committee representative. No student may
simultaneously serve in more than one position, unless he/she seeks election for
both positions unopposed.
D. Nominations: Nominations shall be by petition by the eligible voting constituency.
Further requirements will be as follows:
1. For nomination of student government officers, candidates must be
petitioned by at least 30 students. All students will be considered a part of the
eligible voting constituency, with the exception of those students graduating in
June, for the annual May election.
2. For nomination of class representatives, candidates must be petitioned by at
least 15 students. Only members of the respective class may petition for a
candidate.
3. For nomination of student representatives on the committees of The Sophie
Davis School of Biomedical Education, candidates must be petitioned by at least
15 students. All students will be considered a part of the eligible voting
constituency, with the exception of those students graduating in June, for the
annual May election.
E. Balloting, Determination of Winners, and Run-Off Elections
1. Voting for the election of Council members and student representatives on
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 committees of The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education shall be by
closed ballot. Ballots will be counted by the administrators of the election.
2. Winners will be determined following one of two schemes, depending upon
whether one or two students will serve in the position.
a. Scheme I: This scheme is to be followed for the election of the President,
Vice President/Treasurer, Secretary, the Admissions Committee
representative, and whenever a single vacancy occurs. Following this
scheme, all members of the eligible petitioning population may vote once
for only one candidate for each position. Candidates shall be selected by
the highest total number of votes, cast by the eligible petitioning
population. In the event of a tie, the candidates will participate in a run-off
election. If the tie is not resolved, candidates will share the position as co-
electees. Details of the shared duties of the co-electees will be determined
in consultation with the remaining members of the Council of Student the
Government.
b. Scheme II: This scheme is to be followed for the election of the student
representatives on the Academic Progress, Curriculum, and Ethics
committees; and class representatives. All members of the eligible
petitioning population may vote once for two candidates (three for
Curriculum Committee) for each position. The candidates with the highest
totals of votes cast by the eligible petitioning population shall be elected. In
the case of a tie, the candidates will participate in a run-off election. If the
tie is not resolved, candidates will share the position as co-electees. Details
of the shared duties of the co-electees will be determined in consultation
with the remaining members of the Council of Student the Government.
F. Terms and Assumption of Offices
1. The term of office for all positions will be one school year. If a position is
assumed during the middle of a school year, the term of office will end at the
end of the school year nevertheless.
2. For annual May elections, offices will be assumed as soon as newly elected
officials have successfully completed their academic year. A transition meeting
between all newly elected representatives and outgoing representatives should
be held in May (following elections).

ARTICLE VIII - FACULTY ADVISOR

The faculty advisor for the organization shall be determined annually by the members of
the Council of the Student Government. The faculty advisor will act only in an advisory
role, unless invited by the Council to do otherwise.

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT PROCEDURES

A. Amendments to the Constitution must be proposed by a petition of at least 30 members
of the organization which shall be presented to the Council of the Student Government,
and a majority vote by the Council shall be required for further consideration.
B. Written notice shall be provided by the president to all members of the organization at
least one week in advance of the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered
by the Council.
C. For amendments that shall govern or restrict actions of students in matters that do not
directly relate to the operation of the student government, a two-thirds vote in a
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referendum of all members of the student organization will be necessary for adoption of
the proposed amendment. It will be the responsibility of the members of the Council of
the Student Government to decide whether such a vote will be appropriate. All other
amendments will require a majority vote in a referendum of all members of the
organization for adoption.