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UTHSC SGA Bylaws

Article I: Name

Name: The governing body for the students of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center shall be known as the UT Health Science Center Student Government Association (SGA).

Article II: Purpose and Responsibility

  1. Purpose: The purpose of the SGA shall be to represent the collective interests of the UT Health Science Center student body, to serve as a liaison between students and the University administration, faculty, and staff, to promote student welfare and engagement, and to foster a vibrant and inclusive campus community. The SGA shall give voice to the prospectives of a wider group to inform the SGAEC on decisions related to student life on campus.
  2. Membership: The SGA shall be composed of Senators representing each academic program within the University and an Executive Committee comprised of the President of each college student government and Presidents of eligible registered student organizations.

Article III: SGA Senate Composition and Representation

  1. Each academic program within UTHSC shall be entitled to representation in the SGA Senate. The number of Senators allocated to each program shall be based on the program's enrollment as of the official census date for the Fall semester of each academic year.
  2. The following ratio is proposed for determining the number of Senators per program: one (1) Senator for each fifty (50) enrolled students based on FTE to be allocated in March of each year to seat for the next academic year.
  3. Senator Eligibility and Selection:
    1. Ideally, Senators should be individuals holding elected or appointed student government positions within their respective College or program. This could include positions such as College Government Vice President, or other designated representatives.
    2. If there are not enough student government representatives to fill the allocated Senatorial seats for a program, the remaining seats may be filled through an election or appointment process determined by the students within that program, consistent with any existing College or program bylaws.
    3. All Senators must be currently enrolled students in good standing within their respective programs at UTHSC.
    4. If a Senator graduates or is no longer considered eligible to serve on the SGA, a special election will be held by the Senator’s College government to fill the vacancy.
  4. Term of Office: The term of office for SGA Senators shall be one academic year, commencing at the beginning of the Fall semester and concluding at the end of the Spring semester.
  5. Responsibilities of Senators: Senators shall be responsible for:
    1. Representing the interests and concerns of the students in their respective programs.
    2. Attending and participating in SGA Senate meetings.
    3. Communicating information from the SGA to the students in their programs.
    4. Serving on SGA committees as needed.
    5. Contributing to the development and implementation of SGA initiatives.
  6. Voting:
    1. A quorum of 50% plus one (1) must be present to transact official business.
    2. On all matters with the exception of bylaw changes, action will be decided by a simple majority of voting members present.
    3. Absentee Voting: A Senator may not proxy their vote to another representative but may place a vote in absentia with the SGAEC President prior to the meeting.

Article IV: The Student Government Association Executive Committee (SGAEC)

  1. Composition: The SGAEC shall serve as the executive arm of the SGA and shall be composed of the following Members:
    1. The Presidents (or their designated representatives) of each College-level student government (e.g., College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, etc.).
    2. The President (or their designated representative) of any registered student organization at UT Health Science Center that meets the following criteria:
      1. Has a minimum of fifty (50) actively enrolled student members.
      2. Has been officially recognized by the University for a minimum of three (3) consecutive academic years.
  • Has members from three (3) or more colleges within UTHSC.
  1. The Chief Student Affairs Officer shall serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the SGAEC and as the Advisor for the SGA and SGAEC
  2. The Director of Student Life Operations and Finance shall serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the SGAEC and as the secretary for the SGA and SGAEC
  1. Invitation to Additional Presidents:
    1. The SGAEC shall extend an annual invitation to the Presidents (or their designated representatives) of all registered student organizations meeting the criteria outlined in Section 1 of this Article to join the SGAEC.
    2. The SGAEC shall discuss the eligibility of registered student organizations at their summer retreat and extend invitations at least two (2) weeks prior to the first official SGAEC meeting of the Fall semester.
    3. The decision to accept the invitation shall be at the discretion of the registered student organization's President. This invitation must be accepted by the first official SGAEC meeting of the Fall semester in order for the President to sit on the SGAEC.
    4. Organization membership shall be for a term of one year.
  2. Purpose and Responsibilities: The SGAEC shall be responsible for:
    1. Setting the agenda for SGA Senate meetings.
    2. Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the SGA.
    3. Developing and implementing SGA initiatives and programs.
    4. Representing the SGA to the University administration and other stakeholders.
    5. Serve as the official voting body, based on advice from the Senatorial body, on all issues pertaining to students before the SGAEC.
    6. Ensuring effective communication within the SGA and with the student body.
  3. Officers of the SGAEC: The SGAEC shall elect its own President prior to the first official SGAEC meeting of the Fall semester. That President shall be elected from the membership of the SGAEC based upon self-nominations.
  4. Voting:
    1. A quorum of four (4) Members must be present to transact official business.
    2. An official representative to the SGAEC or a designated substitute is entitled to vote on all voting matters.
    3. Absentee Voting: A representative may not proxy their vote to another representative but may place a vote in absentia with the SGAEC President prior to the meeting.
    4. The President shall act as tie breaker on all voting matters.

Article V: Meetings and Procedures

  1. SGA Senate Meetings: The SGA Senate shall hold regular meetings, the frequency of which shall be determined by the SGAEC. The SGA Senate shall meet at least two (2) times per semester when school is in session.
  2. SGAEC Meetings: The SGAEC shall hold regular meetings, the frequency of which shall be determined by the SGAEC. The SGAEC shall meet at least once per month when school is in session.
  3. Meeting Procedures: All meetings of the SGA Senate and the SGAEC shall be conducted in accordance with established parliamentary procedures (such as Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised).
  4. Voting: Each Senator shall have one (1) vote in the SGA Senate, which is advisory to the SGAEC. Members of the SGAEC shall have one (1) vote within the SGAEC.

Article VI: Committees

  1. SGA Members shall serve on a variety of campus-wide committees. These appointments shall be made by the President.
  2. Any SGA Member may chair or co-chair an SGA committee. Committee chairs shall be designated by the President.
  3. The President shall appoint standing committees as needed by the student body or University administration.

Article VII: Board of Trustees Student Member Selection Process

Every five (5) years the UTHSC campus will provide the student member. The SGAEC shall hold the selection process to name three students as nominees. These nominees will then be reviewed by the Chancellor and submitted to the Governor. The final appointment of this member is the duty of the Governor of the State of Tennessee.

  1. Selection Committee
    1. The Selection Committee is composed of the SGAEC. Should an Executive Council Member wish to apply for the position, then that person should appoint their Vice President or appropriate SGA Senator to represent their college on the Selection Committee.
    2. Each member of the Selection Committee will have an equal vote during the selection process.
    3. All decisions of the Selection Committee will be made by a majority vote.
    4. The Selection Committee will approve the timetable at the beginning of the selection process.
  2. Applications
    1. All UTHSC students except graduating seniors and students are eligible to apply.
    2. Each applicant must submit a CV and letter of intent to the Selection Committee.
    3. Each member of the Selection Committee must read and evaluate each CV and letter before the interviews begin.
  3. Interviews
    1. The Selection Committee can exclude an applicant from receiving an interview by a majority vote.
    2. During the interviews, each applicant will be asked the same questions, which will be decided by the Selection Committee before the interviews begin.
    3. Each applicant will be evaluated using the same format.
  4. Selection
    1. The Selection Committee will decide the numerical scale used to evaluate the applicants before the process begins.
    2. The three applicants with the highest scores will be sent to the Chancellor for approval before being sent to the Governor for final selection.
    3. In the event of a numerical tie, the Selection Committee will break the tie with a majority vote. If the Selection Committee is locked in a tie decision, the SGAEC President will break the tie.

Article VI: Amendments

  1. Proposal of Amendments: Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by any SGA Senator or Member of the SGAEC.
  2. Approval Process: Proposed amendments shall be presented to the SGA Senate for discussion and approval. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the present and voting Senators shall be required for the adoption of any amendment. All approved amendments must also be ratified by a majority vote of the SGAEC.
Jul 22, 2025