We, the residents of Marlatt Hall of Kansas State University, in order to establish effective democratic representation in the hall, and to attain the following objectives: provide for social development and promote the general welfare of hall residents, so as not to infringe upon their relative liberties but to maintain individual independence, do hereby ordain and establish this constitution.

This organization shall be named the Marlatt Hall Residents' Association (M.H.R.A.), and shall include only residents of Marlatt Hall.

Section 1: Floor Officers

1. Each floor shall be required to elect a floor president. Positions of vice-president, treasurer, social chairman and intramural chairman may be elected at the floor's discretion.

Section 2: Qualifications of Floor Officers

1. All officers must be residents of the floor which they represent.

2. No officer may be on disciplinary probation by the university or the hall.

3. Staff assistants and resident assistants shall not be eligible for positions on the floor council.

Section 3: Term of Floor Officers

1. The term of floor president shall begin and end two weeks after hall elections.

2. Other floor officers shall be elected at the beginning of the fall term.

Section 4: Nomination of Floor Officers

1. The floor officers shall be nominated and elected within 10 days of hall election day.

2. Secret ballot elections shall be held. The staff assistant or a committee under his supervision shall count the ballots.

3. In case of vacancy:
   1. The vice-president, if elected, shall assume the office of the presidency.

   2. To fill all other vacancies, new officers shall be nominated at a floor meeting, which must be announced at least two days in advance.

   3. A new officer shall be elected within two weeks.

Section 5: Removal of Floor Officers

1. Recall of any floor officer shall be initiated by a petition signed by 30 percent of the floor's residents.

2. Actual recall shall be established by the affirmative vote of at least 60 percent of the total floor membership in a secret ballot vote.

3. Removal from office due to attendance policy violations: After 3 absences by any floor president, the Hall Governing Board may vote to remove the president from office by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the board.

Section 1: Hall Officers

1. The Executive Council of the Hall Governing Board (HGB) shall be a president, vice-president, chief justice, secretary, treasurer, events coordinator, up to 2 KSUARH representatives and communications representative.

2. The Executive Council of the Hall Governing Board shall be convened when deemed necessary by any member.

Section 2: Term of Hall Officers

1. The terms of all hall officers listed in this article shall begin on the first Wednesday in April and end the first Tuesday in April of the following year.

Section 3: Qualifications of Hall Officers

1. Hall officers must have had at least one semester of residence in the hall immediately prior to the semester of their election or appointment.

2. No hall officer may be on disciplinary probation by the university or the hall.

3. Floor officers and Judicial Board members shall not be eligible for positions on the Executive Council.

4. No staff assistants or resident assistants are eligible for positions as hall officers.

5. No one may run for or hold more than one office at the same time.

Section 4: Removal of Hall Officers

1. A petition, signed by 30 percent of the residents of Marlatt Hall (excluding HGB and Judicial Board members) must be presented to the chief justice.

2. The Judicial Board shall try the case, with a simple majority necessary for impeachment. If the chief justice is on trial, another chief justice shall convene a Judicial Board to hear the case and will chair the case).

3. In the event of impeachment, the Hall Governing Board may remove the officer by a two-thirds (2/3) secret ballot vote of the remaining members.

4. Removal from office due to policy violations
   As soon as an officer of the Hall Governing Board is declared absent by the president for the third time during his term of office, the board may vote to remove said officer from his position on the board by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the board.
   Note 1: The officer that was removed will be notified by the president and chief justice as soon as possible.

Section 5: Replacement of Hall Officers

1. The vice-president shall assume the presidency in case of a vacancy.

2. In the event of one vacant position, the Executive Board will take applications and appoint the new officer. If two or more positions are vacant, the new officers shall be elected within three weeks of a vacancy.

Section 6: Election of Hall Officers

1. Election day shall be the first Wednesday of March.

2. The present and newly-elected HGBs will work jointly until the first Wednesday in April, at which time the newly-elected HGB will accept the responsibilities of their offices.

3. All applications for any position shall be due the Friday preceding election day.

4. The chief justice shall be in charge of procedures and ballots for the election, unless he is a candidate for office.

5. Secret ballots shall be used.

6. There shall be no campaigning or posters allowed in the first floor lobby or outside the hall on election day.

7. The election shall be held in first floor lobby.

8. The chief justice or his designee and hall director shall count the ballots, validate the election, and make public the results.

9. The Judicial Board shall hear all cases involving improprieties in the electoral process if a complaint is filed.

Section 1: Special Committees

1. All committees shall be temporary.

Section 1: Structure

1. The Hall Governing Board shall consist of the Executive Council and the president from each floor, with each exercising one vote.

2. If the floor president cannot be present, he must notify another floor officer to attend.

3. All Executive Council members must be present at all Hall Governing Board meetings.

Section 2: Primary Functions of the Hall Governing Board

1. To establish and maintain an effective and beneficial government.

2. To provide and maintain a standard set of policies, consistent with general University policy, to protect the rights of all students.

Section 1: Membership

The Marlatt Hall Judicial Board shall consist of the chief justice and its regular members. No staff member(s) shall serve on the board except as an ex-officio non-voting member.

1. Chief Justice
   1. Shall preside over all meetings of the members.

   2. Shall not vote, except in the case of a tie.

   3. Shall set the deadline for application for Judicial Board membership.

   4. Shall attend all Executive Council meetings as called by the SGA Attorney General as per the SGA Bylaws.

2. Members
   1. Shall be selected among residents living within Marlatt Hall that are in good academic standing.

   2. As according to SGAC Articles and Bylaws, no member of the board shall hold elected office in either the executive or legislative branch of the SGA unless specifically permitted in the Constitution and Bylaws, nor may any member serve on more than one such board at any given time. A person may not sit in judgment on a case which he/she has previously heard as a member of another board.

   3. Duration of membership shall be from the first day of fall semester through the last day of spring semester.

   4. The Executive Council of the Hall Governing Board shall choose members from applications submitted by residents.

3. The residence life coordinator, or that individual whom he appoints as his representative, shall be an ex-officio non-voting member.

4. Vacancies
   1. The chief justice shall appoint existing justices from the other residence halls if the board cannot meet its quorum.
      1. The board quorum shall consist of a chief justice, four (4) associate justices and the Judicial Board adviser (RLC or designee).

5. Removal
   1. Any member may be removed by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Hall Governing Board after presentation of a petition signed by 20 percent of the residents within Marlatt Hall.

   2. Removal is automatic for any member if:
      1. He is placed on disciplinary probation.

      2. He is summoned to appear before the Housing and Dining Services Judicial Board for violations or infractions and is found in violation.

Section 2: Procedures

1. Guidelines set by the Student Governing Association
   All cases heard by the board must and shall comply with the SGAC Bylaws.

2. Origin of cases
   Origin of cases must comply with the SGAC Bylaws.

3. Disposition of cases
   The policies and procedures involved with respondent's rights, conduct of cases, appeals, and all other judicial matters shall be those specified in the SGA Constitution and its Bylaws.

4. Sanctions
   1. Restitution
      Whenever there has been damage caused to state or private property, payment in full for those damages is automatic, and is in conjunction with any other action taken by the board.

   2. Disciplinary Probation
      If a resident is found to have committed another hall rule violation while on disciplinary probation, the Judicial Board will strongly consider removal from Marlatt Hall.

5. Records
   1. Cases are to be compiled into a case file as per the SGA Attorney General and sent to the Residence Life Office at Pittman Building.

6. Confidentiality
   All board justices are required to keep confidential all information not in the public minutes concerning the case.

Section 1: Floor Meetings

1. The floor president, in consultation with the floor staff, shall call meetings of the entire floor whenever such meetings are deemed necessary. Meetings should be announced at least 24 hours in advance.

2. A quorum of over 25 percent of all floor residents shall be required to conduct all floor business.

Section 2: Hall Governing Board Meetings

1. The Hall Governing Board shall meet when necessary.

2. A quorum for all Hall Governing Board meetings shall consist of 10 of the elected members.

Section 3: Judicial Board Meetings

1. The Judicial Board shall meet as called by the chief justice.

Section 4: Committee Meetings

1. Meetings of the several committees shall be called at the discretion of the chairman.

Section 1: Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Hall Governing Board or by a petition signed by one sixth (1/6) of the residents of the hall. When ratified by three fifths (3/5) of the residents who vote at an all-hall election, these amendments shall become part of the constitution.

Section 2: Amendments to and/or changes in the by-laws of this constitution shall be determined by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Hall Governing Board.

Section 1: All questions concerning the interpretation of this constitution shall be decided by a simple majority of the Judicial Board.

Section 2: All matters of procedure that are not specifically defined in this constitution shall be determined by the Hall Governing Board.

Section 3: Special elections and electoral procedure not defined in this constitution shall be determined by the Hall Governing Board.

BYLAWS

Section 1: Floor Officers

1. President
   1. Shall preside over all floor meetings.

   2. Shall inform his floor at their meetings of any pertinent information contained in the minutes of the Hall Governing Board meetings.

   3. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

2. Vice-President
   1. Shall preside over the floor meetings in the absence of the president.

   2. Shall assist the president in the performance of his duties.

3. Treasurer
   1. Shall be responsible for floor funds.

4. Social Chairman
   
   1. Shall assume responsibility for providing social programming.

   2. Shall correlate his program with that of the hall social chairman.

5. Intramural Chairman
   1. Shall assume responsibility for the floor intramural teams and programs.

Section 2: Hall Officers

1. President
   1. Shall preside at all meetings of the Hall Governing Board.

   2. Shall be the hall's official representative to the University.

   3. Shall be a voting member of KSUARH.

   4. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

   5. Shall have emergency authority, in conjunction with the Residence Life Coordinator, to make Board decisions in the event a quorum cannot be obtained through any means necessary.

2. Vice-President
   1. Shall preside over the Hall Governing Board in the absence of the president.

   2. Shall assist the president in the performance of his duties.

   3. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

3. Chief Justice
   1. Shall perform his duties as prescribed in Article VI.

   2. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

4. Secretary
   1. Shall record and keep a permanent file of all Hall Governing Board meetings, and shall see that each Hall Governing Board member receives a copy of the minutes. He shall also provide copies of the minutes to each floor president for posting on his floor.

   2. Shall notify all Hall Governing Board members of pending meetings called by the president.

   3. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

   4. Shall have the responsibility of maintaining a record of events participated in by the people of Marlatt Hall.

5. Treasurer
   1. Shall be responsible for all hall funds.

   2. Shall present to the Hall Governing Board, upon request, a complete account of all receipts and expenditures of the hall for the semester.

   3. Shall pay all hall bills.

   4. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

6. Events Coordinator
   1. Shall act as the hall's Social Chairman.
      A. Will work with the Governing Board in creating social activities for the hall.

   2. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

7. Communications Representative
   1. Shall work with the Hall Governing Board to promote hall events and activities within the hall and to sources outside the hall (i.e. other residence halls, the University, and the Manhattan community in general).

   2. Shall keep the media (the Collegian, the Manhattan Mercury, local radio stations, etc.) informed of hall events and activities.

   3. Shall work with the spokesperson for the hall (i.e. the President) on interviews (i.e. helping in determining how the hall's position on issues shall be represented).

   4. Shall work with the Events Coordinator to coordinate any community activities the hall undertakes (e.g. canned food drives, roadside trash pick-ups, caroling to the elderly, etc.).

   5. Shall develop advertisements to promote hall events and activities.

   6. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

8. KSUARH Representative
   1. Shall be a voting member of KSUARH

   2. Shall be in charge of coordinating KSUARH with hall government.

   3. Shall be required to return to the hall three days prior to its opening in the fall semester.

   4. Shall nominate candidates for Executive Board approval to fill any remaining voting seats delegated to Marlatt Hall by KSUARH.

1. The meetings shall be conducted according to the rules of parliamentary procedure.

2. In any conflicts or disputes, the final decision shall lie in Robert's Rules of Order.

3. The chief justice shall act as parliamentarian for the Hall Governing Board and Executive Council meetings.

4. This constitution shall be reviewed for possible changes by the Hall Governing Board at least every two years.

PDF File (84K)  (Adobe Acrobat Reader ® needed to view and print)

---