Governance of the Cooper Union Engineering Student Council

Section 1: Name

a. The name of this council, representing the students of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, shall be The Engineering Student Council.

Section 2: Purpose

a. The purpose of The Engineering Student Council is to bring voice to the students of the School of Engineering to inform students of issues which affect them, to manage standing committees and bring issues of constituency to resolution.

Section 3: Authority

a. The Engineering Student Council is recognized as the representative body of the Students of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, by the Student Governance of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and by the Albert Nerken School of Engineering Faculty Governance.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION

Section 1: Election of Student Representatives

a. Elections are to be administered by the Dean of Students and held in the spring semester of each year, except for representatives for the freshman, sophomore, and graduate representatives, who are to be elected in the fall term. The term of office for each representative is one year, from the first Joint Student Council meeting of the academic year until the first Joint Student Council meeting of the next year.
b. If less than 50% of a class votes during the spring election, the representative from that class has the option of having his/her name placed in the fall ballot in order to obtain plurality.
c. Vacant positions on the student council at the beginning of the fall semester are to be open during the fall election.
d. Positions vacated through resignation or dismissal, in the absence of runners-up, shall be open for reelection. Students of unrepresented sections may petition to Engineering Student Council to elect another representative.

Section 2: Membership

a. The membership of the Engineering Student Council shall consist of one representative from each section of the freshman class, one representative from each major for sophomore and upper classes, and one graduate representative.
b. Any engineering student has a right to suggest a topic on the next student council meeting agenda by written request, submitted to one of the Administrative co-chairs.

ARTICLE III - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENGINEERING STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICERS AND INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIVES

Section 1: Administrative Chairpersons

a. Two Ad-Chairs and one alternate will be elected by the Engineering Student Council at the first meeting of the Council.
b. The duties of the Ad-Chairs will include:

• Setting the agenda for council meetings
• Maintaining order at council meetings.
• Conveying council decisions to the appropriate members of the Cooper Community.
• Inviting guest speakers to Council meetings when the need arises.
• Organizing and running the Engineering Open Forum.

Section 2: Secretary

a. A secretary and an alternate will be elected by the Engineering Student Council at the first meeting of the council.
b. The duties of the secretary will include:

• Recording the minutes of council meetings.
• Preparing the minutes of the meeting for distribution at the following meeting.
• Forwarding council meeting minutes to the appropriate members of the Cooper Community.

Section 3: Treasurer

a. A treasurer and an alternate will be elected by the Engineering Student Council at the first meeting of the Council.
b. The duties of the treasurer will include:

• Preparing JAC request forms for the Engineering Student Council.
• Keeping track of Engineering Student Council expenditures.
• Delivering receipts to the Office of Student Services and obtaining JAC reimbursement checks.
• Having council finances available for the council's inspection.

Section 4: Individual Representatives

a. The duties of the individual representatives include:

• Attending or sending an alternate representative to all Engineering Student Council meetings.
• Attending or sending an alternate representative to all Joint Student Council meetings.
• Keeping their constituents informed about the issues affecting them.

ARTICLE IV - ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITY OF COUNCIL COMMITTEES

Section 1: Election to Committees

a. The Engineering Student Council shall elect from amongst its members representatives and alternates to the following Engineering School and institutional committees:

Committee for Academic Standards
Admissions Committee
Commencement Committee
Curriculum Committee
Humanities/Social Sciences Curriculum Committee
Joint Activities Committee
Judicial Committee
Library Committee
Student Activities Committee
Student Faculty Senate
Trustee's Student Affairs Committee
Representatives to the Faculty
Student Representative to Alumni

b. Engineering Student Council special committees will be formed as needed to address particular issues. Representatives to these committees will be elected by majority vote. Non-council members, having been deemed an asset to the progress of the committee, may serve on special committees.

Section 2: Individual and Engineering Student Council Responsibilities To Committees

a. Representatives must attend or send the designated alternate to all meetings of committees to which they are elected.
b. When a representative cannot attend a committee meeting, they shall notify the alternate for the committee with sufficient notice so that the interests of the Engineering School and Engineering Student Council are adequately represented.
c. In the event that neither committee representative nor elected alternate is available for committee meeting, the Administrative Co-Chairs have the right to appoint a council member to attend the meeting.
d. Representatives to committees will raise and seek resolution of student concerns relevant to the committee's purpose and governance.

ARTICLE V - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENGINEERING STUDENT COUNCIL

Section 1: Duties and Responsbilities

a. To facilitate communication between the student body and other segments of the Cooper community, including the administration, faculty, staff, and alumni.
b. To advocate student rights.
c. To bring student concerns to resolution.
d. To provide a basis for continuity and institutional memory.
e. To sponsor the Engineering School Open Forum, a primary mechanism employed by the council to accomplish the above goals.

1. The primary function of the Open Forum shall be to allow engineering students the opportunity to directly address administrators regarding school policy issues.
2. The Forum shall take place at least once a Semester.
3. The Forum shall be open to all members of the Cooper community.
4. The Forum shall be coordinated by the ESC and presided over by the administrative co-chairs of the ESC.
5. The ESC will determine which administrators to invite to sit on the panel.
6. The agenda for the Forum will be left open.
7. Preliminary remarks are at the discretion of the administrative co-chairs of the ESC.

Section 2: Removal

a. The Engineering Student Council may, by a two-thirds vote, remove a council member for failure to perform his/her duties.
b. The Engineering Student Council may, by a two-thirds vote, remove a council member from a particular committee for failure to perform his/her duties as a member of that committee.
c. The Engineering Student Council may, by a two-thirds vote, remove a council officer for failure to perform his/her duties.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

Section 1: Meetings

a. The Student Council will meet at least four times a semester.
b. A quorum is to consist of a simple majority of the members of the council.
c. Special meetings of the Council may be called by an Administrative Co-Chair.

Section 2: Absences

a. If a council member is to be absent from a meeting, an alternate should be sent as a replacement.
b. A council member is issued an unexcused absences if that member fails to:

• Attend an advertised Council meeting;
• Send a valid alternate as a replacement.

c. If a member receives two unexcused absences, the Council by a two-thirds vote, may choose to relieve that member of his/her duties.

Section 3: Voting

a. Decisions made by the Council on any subject matter requires a majority vote of the entire Council.
b. A valid alternate representing an absent Council member's section may vote in lieu of that member only if that alternate is a member of the absent council member's section.

ARTICLE VII - RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENTS

Section 1: Ratification

a. This document, upon approval by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Engineering Student Council, shall be ratified as the Governance of the Cooper Union Engineering Student Council.

Section 2: Amendments

a. Amendments may be made to any portion of the Engineering Student Council Governance by a two-thirds vote.

ARTICLE VIII - PRECEDENCE

Section 1: Precedence

a. This Governance, upon ratification, shall supersede all previous Engineering Student Council constitutions or governances.


Last updated: June 25, 2007.