Student Life

Outline of the Constitution of the Bethel College Student Body

(March 19, 2007)

  1. Names
  2. Purpose
  3. Membership
  4. Student Council
    1. Name
    2. Purpose
    3. Membership
    4. Powers
    5. Officers
    6. Representatives
    7. Meetings
    8. Advisors
  5. Constitutional Changes
  6. Ratification

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE BETHEL COLLEGE STUDENT BODY
We, the students of Bethel College, in order to promote a closer relationship and better understanding among the administration, faculty, staff, alumni and students, and to enhance our intellectual, social and spiritual maturity, do estab­lish this constitution of the Student Body of Bethel College.

  1. The Bethel College students shall collectively be referred to as the Bethel College Student Body.
  2. The purpose of the Bethel College Student Body shall be to strive for spiritual, professional, mental, physical, emotional and social growth.
  3. Any person who is currently enrolled part time or full time at Bethel College shall be a voting member of the Bethel College Student Body.
  4. Student Council
    1. The leading student administrative authority within the Bethel College Student Body shall be the Student Council (StuCo).
    2. The Student Council shall purpose to
      1. Provide a liaison between the Student Body and the administration and faculty.
      2. Plan, promote and assist in the supervision of Student Body activities.
      3. Build a closer relationship and better understanding among the administration and faculty and the Student Body.
      4. Advance student and college community interests.
      5. Provide a liaison between the alumni association and the Student Body.
    3. Membership
      1. The members of the Student Council shall be the executive officers, the class representatives, the residential representatives, and the chairpersons of the established committees.
      2. Each Student Council member shall
        1. Be dependable and capable of Christian leadership.
        2. Maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average.
        3. Be a full-time student, unless it is no longer necessary in order to complete graduation requirements.
    4. The Student Council shall have power to
      1. Establish and dissolve such committees as deemed necessary for the efficient operation of the council, upon approval from the faculty of Bethel College.
      2. Determine the rules of its proceedings, discipline its members for inappropriate behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member for inappropriate behavior.
      3. Judge the elections, returns and qualifications of candidates run­ning for any elective office of the Student Council or class councils.
      4. Issue writs of election to fill vacancies in elective offices of the Student Council and class councils.
      5. Charter organizations with the Student Body.
      6. Appoint and remove members of committees of the Student Council.
      7. Lay and collect fees from the Student Body to carry out the purposes of the Student Council, upon approval from the faculty of Bethel College.
      8. Draw money from the treasury, but only in consequence of appropriations made by the council. A regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all Student Body money shall be published at least twice a year.
      9. Exercise such legislation which shall be necessary and proper for the carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the Student Council, or in any department or officer thereof.
    5. Officers
      1. The officers of the Student Council shall collectively be named the Executive Committee, whose purpose shall be to provide direction for the council. The Executive Committee shall
        1. Act on the behalf of the Student Council when necessary between meetings of the council, understanding that any decision may be reversed by the council.
        2. Appoint and remove Student Council committee chairpersons.
      2. The officers of the Executive Committee shall be the president, the vice president, the secretary, and the treasurer.
      3. Each Executive Committee member shall
        1. Have been a member of the Student Body for at least three semesters prior to taking office, or shall have been a Student Council member for at least two semesters prior to taking office.
        2. Serve no more than two years as an officer of the Executive Committee.
      4. The president of the Executive Committee shall
        1. Call Student Body and Student Council meetings.
        2. Preside as moderator at Student Body, Student Council and Executive Committee meetings.
        3. Authorize fund disbursements in the absence of the treasurer.
        4. Serve as a liaison between the students and administration and faculty.
        5. Be a voting member of the Administrative Committee of
        6. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Student Council.
      5. The vice president of the Executive Committee shall
        1. Be ex officio member of the committees and organizations of the Student Body.
        2. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Committee president and the Student Council.
        3. Assume the responsibilities of the Executive Committee president in the absence of the president.
        4. Serve as chairperson of the Alumni Relations Committee to provide a liaison between the students and alumni.
      6. The secretary of the Executive Committee shall
        1. Keep accurate and authentic minutes of all Student Body, Student Council and Executive Committee proceedings.       
        2. Preserve documents of the Student Body.
        3. Announce the calling of Student Body, Student Council and Executive Committee meetings to the members of those groups.
        4. Provide channels of correspondence for the Student Council and Executive Committee to external entities.
        5. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Committee president and the Student Council.
      7. The treasurer of the Executive Committee shall
        1. Be charged with the supervision of the Student Council treasury, authorizing disbursements in accordance with the budget, keeping a complete and accurate account of the receipts and expenditures, reporting the financial situation and recording Student Council fund-raising projects.
        2. Be responsible for the auditing of the financial accounts of all subsidiary organizations of the Student Body.
        3. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Committee president and the Student Council.
    6. Representatives
      1. There shall be three kinds of representative members of the Student Council: residential, committee, and class. 
      2. The residential representatives shall be the presidents or, if unable to attend, the vice presidents, of the officially recognized residential units.  The residential representatives shall
        1. Express the best interests of his/her residential unit.
        2. Inform and update his/her residential community as to the actions and activities of the Student Council.
        3. Act according to the dictates of his/her best judgment and of the residents he/she is representing.
        4. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Student Council officers and/or the Executive Committee.
      3. The committee representatives shall be the chairs of the Student Public Relations and Promotions Committee, the Social Life Committee, the Student Media Committee, the Student Spiritual Life Committee, the Student Academic Service Committee, Student Multicultural Life Committee, and the Student Judiciary Committee.  The committee representatives shall
        1. Express the best interests of his/her committee.
        2. Inform and update the members of his or her committee as to the actions and activities of the Student Council.
        3. Act according to the dictates of his/her best judgment and of the committee he/she is representing.
          d. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Student Council officers and/or the Executive Committee.
      4. The class representatives shall be the presidents or, if unable to attend, the vice presidents, of the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes.  The class representatives shall
        1. Express the best interests of his/her class.
        2. Inform and update his/her class as to the actions and activities of the Student Council.
        3. Act according to the dictates of his/her best judgment and of the class he/she is representing.
        4. Perform responsibilities as assigned by the Student Council officers and/or the Executive Committee.
    7. Meetings
      1. The Student Council shall assemble at least twice per month during the regular school year.
      2. A majority of members shall constitute a quorum to do business.
      3. Minutes shall be kept of all proceedings, and from time to time published, excepting such parts that may in the council's judgment require confidentiality; and the "yeas" and "nays"
        of the members on any question shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the minutes.
      4. Each member present, or represented by proxy, shall have one vote, excepting the moderator (Executive Committee president), who shall have no vote unless the council is equally divided.
      5. The president of the Student Council shall call all meetings, and must do so, upon petition of one-fifth of the members of the council.
      6. Members of the Student Body, the administration or the faculty may visit council meetings and have voice when recognized by the chair. They have no vote and may be requested to leave for closed session.
    8. Advisors
      1. The Student Council. shall choose two advisors from among the administration, faculty and staff of Bethel College with at least one advisor selected from among the administration or faculty to represent the said group at meetings of the Student Body and Student Council.
      2. Each advisor has no vote, but is to offer advice to the council and Student Body on matters that arise.
  5. The Student Council, whenever two-thirds of either the Student Council or the Student Body shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this constitution, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this constitution, when ratified by the faculty of Bethel College and three-fourths of the Student Body.
  6. The ratification of three-fourths of the Student Council and the faculty shall be sufficient for the establishment of this constitution.