25 January625 FebruaryJanuary 2003 58th
Legislative Council Bill #7#4?
University of Colorado
Student Union
Sponsored by: Kirk L. C. HammSergio Gonzales Senator of the School of Law
Legislative
Council President
Kevin Boyer Tri-Executive
Authored
by: Kirk L. C. HammSergio Gonzales Senator of the School of LawLegislative Council President
Kevin Boyer Tri-Executive
A Bill
Internal
Affairs CommissionDistinguished Speakers Board
Bill
History
As of late, a plethora of members of the UCSU have
expressed a desire to establish a distinguished lecture series at the
University of Colorado at Boulder. This series is envisioned to bring speakers of great prestige
and regard to the CU campus and community. CU students would benefit greatly from being able to see and hear a few of the most
intriguing and world-renowned people of the day. There can be little doubt that the UCSU
constituency would not
disapprove of the opportunities that this
bill would allow them. Currently, a substantial number of fellow universities already have such a system
set into place. This
series seeks to move the University of Colorado into the forefront of such
notable programs. While the logistics of this series have taken different
shapes, the goal has remained essentially the same. The tri-executives of this
Union have agreed that Ttossiblelausible
For many years, the UCSU
Legislative Council has found itself poorly equipped to perform the oversight
needed to manage its cost centers. The
Council has too many other obligations during the year that, along with the
Council’s large size, prevent it from effectively overseeing the Cost Centers
and other UCSU entities. As a result,
it is only during the budget season that the Council begins to look into the
policies and actions of the cost centers and other entities, using the budget
process alternately as a carrot or stick to drive the cost centers toward goals
the Council only then begins to articulate.
These last minute decrees, rewards, and punishments invariably spark
resentment in the Cost Centers, which receive no direction from the Council up
to that point. Thus, a better system is
needed to provide the cost centers with constant and dependable oversight, as
well as to provide the Council with the information it needs to set effective
policy throughout the year. In short,
UCSU requires an internal affairs division.
Bill Summary
This bill establishes an internal affairs
commission (IAC) for UCSU that will ensure that all UCSU entities comply with
UCSU law, as well as to investigate the policies of the various UCSU entities,
examine them for efficacy and impact on the student body, and make
recommendations for improvement to the Legislative Council. This bill
establishes a Distinguished Speakers Board responsible for
maintaining an annual distinguished speakers series. This board will be placed within
the direct jurisdiction of the Eexecutive branch and shall ensure that at least
three individuals of the highest
possible stature be brought to CU per year. The actions and work of the board
shall be reviewed within one and one-half years and
a half by the Legislative Council. At this time, the council
will determine if the speaker’s board has been successful in its primary and
secondary missions.
THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED by the Legislative Council of the
University of Colorado Student Union, THAT:
SECTION 1: Purpose.
This bill
establishes a distinguished speakers board which shall be responsible for
implementing a yearly distinguished lectures series at CU. The goal of the series will
be to bring at least three speakers of great national and/or international recognition
to the University
annually. The
Speakers must attract a large percentage of students, with the intent of
broadening their educational perspective as well as bringing prestige and
positive regard to the campus as a whole.
The speakers to be attained by this series should be of the highest
caliber possible while offering the lowest possible cost to students.
.
This bill
establishes an internal affairs commission for UCSU in order to enforce
compliance with the UCSU constitution and various bylaws throughout all UCSU
agencies. The commission will also
serve to evaluate the policies of each UCSU agency, determine their efficacy,
and make recommendations for improvement to the Legislative Council.
SECTION 2: Composition.
The
distinguished speakers board shall be composed of six voting members. One (1) executive appointment,
one (1) legislative appointment, one (1) community member, and three (3) students at large and one UMC staff member
appointed by the UMC Director to serve as an ex-officio member. ,,
SECTION 3: Chair of Board. The executives shall maintain a distinguished
speaker’s board
staff member. This individual will chair the Distinguished Speakers Board, and
act as the primary agent of UCSU within the realm of the distinguished lectures
series. The principle
duties of the
Chair shall include 1) actively searching for a broad array of
distinguished speakers throughout the year 2) retaining background and financial information of
said speakers 3) heading negotiations with the speaker and his/her agent(s) 3)
booking of speakers and finalizing contractual agreements 4) securing venue and
space for speaking engagement 5) reporting the status of the board to the Eexecutives and the Llegislative Ccouncil
Vvice Ppresident.
SECTION 4: Board Duties and Responsibilities. The Board shall approve an annual list of potential speakers to be
contracted for the lecture series. The Board shall is to then direct and assist
the chair in contacting the list of potential speakers. After the chair has provided
proper information to the board, the board shall decide which speaker(s) will
be brought to the university. While a
concensus is most desirable in determining which particular speaker to bring to
the University, as a
last resort majority
vote of the board will
serve to determine which speakers to invite to campus. In accordance with UCSU policy, Legislative
Council may overrule the board by a two-thirds vote of Legislative Council. The Cchair of the board and one Eexecutive
shall serve as the signers of the board account, however, the Distinguished Speakers Board must approve all
expenditures. The primary duty of the students at large will be
to ensure that the student body and
community are aware of board events through extensive and
efficient advertising. The board shall elect one of the
students to serve as chief of public
relations. This individual will serve as the contact for the
students, community and media. In addition, this student shall head the
advertising approved by the board. At least one
member of the board will be assigned the responsibility of acquiring funding, outside of UCSU, for the
events. This shall include but not be
limited to corporate sponsorships, naming rights, and gifts to the board. One member of the board will be
responsible for maintaining the budget of the board and, in conjunction with
the board Chair and the UCSU Finance Director, prepare the budget in accordance
with the budgetary process of UCSU. The board shall seek to also establish events, such as debates, panel
discussions, town meetings, receptions, et cetera, surrounding the various
speaking engagements. The Board shall meet at least once a week during
the fall and spring semesters, and at least three times during the summer
session. Ex officio
members may be added as needed.The UCSU Internal Affairs
Commission (IAC) will be composed of a director and four members of
Legislative Council. An executive,executive or a
member of the executive staff appointed by the executive, and the chair of the
finance board or his representative will sit as observers and advisors to the
IAC. The members of the Legislative
Council sitting on the IAC will span both houses, and both major parties. The Legislative Council President, in
conjunction with the Majority and Minority Leaders, will select two legislators
from each party to serve on the IAC.
The term of service for Council members shall be the shorter of one year
or the expiration of the student’s office.
Beyond that time, the appointment must be renewed. It is strongly recommended that the Council
appointees have served for at least one year in a UCSU agency and have a
thorough knowledge of most UCSU cost centers, joint boards, and
operations.
SECTION 3: Party Affiliation. A UCSU Party is established when three sitting members of the
UCSU Legislative Council choose to form a Party and register its name,
platform, and Council membership with the UCSU election commissioner and
secretaries. Every UCSU Party must
elect from its Council Members a leader and whip each session, whose names must
also be registered with the UCSU secretaries.
Any change in Party information must be registered with the
secretaries. If a party controls a
majority of the Council votes, it will be deemed the majority party. The next largest party will be deemed the
minority party. If no party controls a
majority of council votes, then the largest party in a coalition of parties and
independents, which together comprise a majority of Council, shall be deemed
the majority party and the next largest party unaffiliated with the coalition
will be deemed the minority party.
Anyone not affiliated with a party will be deemed an independent. In the case of a coalition, the largest
party will select a Council leader and the next largest will select the
whip. Independents are not recognized
as a party and may only contribute to the membership of a coalition so long as
the coalition ruling party will permit and the independent desires.
SECTION 54:
Financial Structure. In order for this board to
begin operations, a necessary one-time SOAR
allocation of $1530, 000 dollars will be appropriated into a
Distinguished Lecture Series Board
account within the Budget of the Executives. However, the board shall seek to
recover the cost of each speaker through several means. 1) The board
shall seek to find corporate and private sponsorships of the lecture series
immediately. Potential Sponsorships shall then be presented to the
Legislative Council and the Tri-Executives for approval. Either body will maintain the ability to veto the
proposed sponsorship. 2) The board will
look to various funding sources within the University Administration as possible financial support
3) The board will explore further
financial options and their plausibility such as raising student fees through the Legislative
Council or by referenda. The Board shall
seek to regenerate at least eight
five percent of the funds allocated for each event, additional revenue made
from an event shall be added to the accountpool
for future events.
Director
Selection. The
director of the IAC shall be selected from a pool of candidates approved by the
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, nominated by the executive from that pool,
and ratified by a 2/3 vote of the entire Legislative Council. The director must be competent to perform
the duties of the office stipulated below.
The director must be competent to audit and inspect, to maintain
objective neutrality, and adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct. The term shall be for five years.
SECTION 65: Director
ResponsibilitiesBoard Review.
The Legislative
Council shall review the Board one year and a half after its creation. The Council shall determine
if the board has achieved financial viability. The Council will also assess the financial headway
made by the Board and decide whether it is sufficient. At this time, the Council
shall also determine the continuing financial support to be given to the
board by UCSU.
Section 7: Range of Speakers. The Distinguished Speakers Board
will target a broad range of speakers in its selection, always taking into account the overall value to
the students and the University as a whole. The
speakers should represent a diversity of ideology and backgrounds while keeping
in mind the overall purpose of the board. While
speakers may be controversial, they may not be used as part of any political
campaign. While the board shall attempt to acquire outside funding, this
funding may not be used to unduly influence the board in its selection of
speakers.
Section 8: Distinguished
Speakers Board By Laws. The Distinguished Speakers Board must
present complete By Laws no later than one and a half years from the time of
this bill’s
passage. These By Laws must build upon
this bill and take into account unforeseen matters that will arise in operating. These By Laws must not contradict this bill,
the UCSU Constitution, or any other governing document. These By Laws will then be ratified by a majority vote of Legislative Council.
A.Investigator. The director of the IAC shall be responsible for reviewing the
policies, operations, and expenditures of each UCSU agency, cost center, joint
board, statutory entity, local government, committee, commission, directorship,
and all other UCSU entities. The
director shall review these entities with two objectives: (1) to ensure that
all policies and operations are in compliance with both the UCSU Constitution
and applicable laws and the by-laws or constitution of the entity and, (2) to
review the entity’s policies with regard to efficacy and
impact on the student body.
A.Chair of the IAC. The director will serve as Chair of the IAC, which shall meet at
least twice per month or as frequently as the director deems necessary beyond
that. At these meetings, the director
will make the commission aware of all actions and research regarding a
particular UCSU entity. The director
will then solicit the aid of the IAC in composing a written report. The director will make a monthly written and
oral report to the Legislative Council regarding his research and propose
policy recommendations for improved operations of the various UCSU
entities. The Director shall also ask
the Legislative Council for the removal of commission members if they fail to
fulfill their duties. As an agency of
all three branches of UCSU, the IAC Director may demand the cooperation of any
UCSU employee. The Secretaries of UCSU
Proper will maintain primary responsibility for serving the IAC.
A.Constitutional Marshall. When and if the director finds that a UCSU entity is out of
compliance with the UCSU Constitution, UCSU laws, the entity by-laws, or any
other applicable governing document or law, he shall immediately issue a notice
of the violation to the person responsible for the UCSU entity (director,
chair, manager, et cetera). The notice
shall contain a detailed description of the violation and cite the appropriate
governing documents or laws that have been violated. It shall also give notice that failure to rectify the problem
within one week will result in a hearing before the IAC, which could result in
a complete freeze of the UCSU entity’s operations and finances until the
problem is rectified. If the problem is
not corrected in one week, the director will summon the UCSU entity, or the
offending person if appropriate, to a hearing before the IAC. Immediately upon issuing the notice of
violation, the director shall schedule this hearing to take place upon the
expiration of the one week grace period or as close thereto as possible for the
commission members to attend. At this
hearing, the director will act as primary prosecutor and chief judge.
SECTION 6: Commission Responsibilities.
A.Investigators. Members of the IAC will act to assist the director in all
ways. They shall assist in his
investigations and policy recommendations to the Legislative Council. If they dissent with the recommendations or
actions of the director, they are responsible for noting this and their
reasoning in the monthly written report to Legislative Council.
A.Tribunal. If the director summons a
UCSU entity to appear before the IAC due to a violation of UCSU law, the IAC
members will act as judges. They will
have the power to question the entity before them, as well as to cast one vote
per judge to uphold or dismiss the violation.
In order to dismiss a violation brought by the director, the entity in
question must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that it is not in
violation of the laws cited by the director of the IAC, and a majority of IAC
members, including the director, must cast their votes accordingly. Commission
members may not proxy their votes on the commission. If the entity is found to be in violation of UCSU law, the IAC
may freeze any or all operations and expenditures of the entity in question, be
it the salary of one person or the operation of an entire cost center, until
the problem is remedied. The IAC
director will govern this hearing according to the Colorado Rules of Civil
Procedure and of Evidence to the extent that such rules are applicable. The decision of the IAC may be appealed to
the UCSU Appellate Court by either the party in question or the IAC Director,
but will remain in full force pending a decision by the UCSU Appellate
Court. On appeal, the Court shall use
the Colorado Rules of Appellate Procedure to the extent that they are
applicable. It shall also make use of
all other applicable legal doctrine and cannons. The party or the Director may appeal the Court’s decision to the
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.
A.Observers. The executive and finance board chair shall not have a vote on
the IAC in any fashion, but will act solely as observers and advisors.
SECTION 7: Oversight. The executive and the Vice
Chancellor of Student Affairs shall be responsible for ensuring that the IAC
director fulfills his duties. If the
executive observes that the director has failed to fulfill his duties, the
executive will call for the Legislative Council to dismiss the director by a
2/3 vote. This vote may be initiated by
the call of the Vice Chancellor, executive or by the Legislative Council’s own
initiative. If the Council votes to
dismiss, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs must then approve or veto the
decision before dismissal will take place.
The executive and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs may also set
general investigative priorities for the IAC.
Thus, it may ask the IAC to investigate cost centers first, then local
governments, then commissions. It may
not name specific entities and may not demand more than one investigation into
a general area per year. The
Legislative Council may also set such investigative priorities by majority
vote.
SECTION 8: Compensation. The director of the IAC shall be compensated as . . .???
SECTION 979: Enactment.
This bill
tasks effect upon passage.
Sponsors
__________________________________ ___________________________
Rep.
Sergio Gonzales, Leg. Council President
Sen. Kirk L. C. Hamm Kevin
Boyer, Tri-Executive
2-06-03 Passed 12-4-0
2-13-03 Tabled
02-20-03 Passed
as Amended 10-5-1
__________________________________ _________________________________
Rep. Sergio Gonzales, Leg. Council President Latifah Al-Attas, Tri-executive
__________________________________ _________________________________
Kevin Boyer, Tri-executive Michael Donnelly, Tri-executive