Committees

C.1.1 Advisory Council shall be comprised of the ASSOU President, the Speaker of the Senate, the Chief Justice, ASSOU’s Director of Finance and Administration, one (1) member of the Judiciary (non-voting), the President of the Residence Hall Association, and the Chair of the Black and Red Crew of SOU.

C.1.1.1 The Director of Student Life shall serve as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Advisory Council

C.1.1.2 Any member listed above may choose a designee to fill the committee. C.1.2 The Chair of Advisory Council shall be the ASSOU President.

C.1.3 In the case of emergency or otherwise unexpected student body related events when the three branches of ASSOU are not in session or are unable to convene, the Advisory Council shall have the power to act as the student government, so long as those actions are warranted by the situation.

C.1.4 Actions taken through the emergency powers of the Advisory Council may be overturned by a vote of the Judiciary.

C.1.4.1 Judicial must be set before the Advisory Council convenes, in order for a vote to be taken

C.1.5 Actions taken through the emergency powers of the Advisory Council must be communicated to the three branches of ASSOU upon regular session of those bodies.

C.1.6 The Advisory Council shall have the power to speak for the student government when the student government is not in session.

C.2.1 The Heads of Government Committee shall consist of the ASSOU President as chair, the ASSOU Vice President, the Speaker of the Senate, and the Chief Justice.

C.2.2 The Heads of Government shall schedule regular meetings with no less than three a term.

C.3.1 The Committee on Committees shall be comprised of the Speaker of the Senate as chair, the ASSOU Vice President, and three (3) other Senators appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, with the advice and consent of the Senate.

C.3.1.1 If the Committee on Committees is hearing applicants for the Student Fee Committee or any of its subcommittees, the chair of the Student Fee Committee shall be present and have voting privileges.

C.3.2 The purpose of the Committee on Committees is to review appropriate applications for, and to place and formally confirm all appropriate Senators, ASSOU officers, and students at- large to ASSOU and University committees that require such confirmation.

C.3.3 At every meeting of the Senate after each meeting of the Committee on Committees, the committee shall present a detailed report to the Senate body as to the confirmation decisions made at the previous Committee on Committees meeting.

C.3.4 The placement decisions and confirmations of this committee are subject to modification or reversal by a majority vote of the Senate.

C.3.5 This committee shall work in conjunction with the Executive Branch to strive to ensure that all ASSOU and University committees have at least their minimum membership.

C.3.6 An at-large student may withdraw from a committee by personally informing the chair of the committee, while an ASSOU officer may withdraw from a committee only upon the approval of their branch head.

C.4.1 The Budget Committee shall be comprised of the ASSOU President, the ASSOU Director of Administration and Finance, the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the Senate, and two (2) other Senators appointed by the Committee on Committees and approved by the Senate.

C.4.2 The purpose of the Budget Committee is to create ASSOU’s yearly budget and to advise the Senate on the ASSOU budget.

C.4.2.1 The yearly budget created by the committee will be presented to the Education Activities Advisory Committee.

C.4.3 At every meeting of the Senate after each meeting of the Budget Committee, the committee shall present a detailed written report to the Senate body as to the budgetary decisions made at the previous Budget Committee meeting.

C.4.3.1 Budgetary actions may include but are not limited to reallocating funds given to ASSOU in the yearly budget process.

C.4.3.2 The budgetary decisions of this committee are subject to objection by a majority vote of the Senate.

C.14.1 The Bylaws Committee shall be chaired by the Chief Justice and comprised of the following voting members: the ASSOU President, the ASSOU Vice President, the Speaker of the Senate, two other Justices, and two other Senators appointed by the Committee on Committees and approved by the Senate.

C.14.2 The purpose of the Bylaws Committee is to maintain and revise the ASSOU Bylaws.

C.14.2.1 The Bylaws Committee will meet at least once per term.

C.14.3 The Bylaws Committee will give updates to the Senate as needed or appropriate.

C.14.4 All amendments to the bylaws made by this Committee may be reviewed by the Judiciary to ensure they will not cause conflicts within bylaws or branch rules.

C.14.5 Once the Bylaws Committee makes a decision and that decision has been reviewed by the Judiciary the Committee will present at an All ASSOU Meeting.

C.14.5.1 Any changes that are to be presented at an All ASSOU Meeting must be emailed out to all ASSOU Officers alongside the Agenda.

C.14.6 The decisions of this committee must be confirmed by a majority vote of all ASSOU officers at a scheduled All ASSOU meeting before taking effect.

C.14.7 The Chief Justice, alongside the appropriate officers, will make sure the bylaws in their most current form on the ASSOU Website.

C.5.1 The Student Fee Committee’s purpose, procedures, and membership are outlined in Section 5 of the bylaws.

C.5.2 Athletics Advisory Committee is recognized as a subcommittee of the Student Fee Committee.

C.5.2.1 This committee’s purpose, procedures, and membership are outlined in Section 5 of bylaws.

C.5.3 Stevenson Union Advisory Committee is recognized as a subcommittee of the Student Fee Committee.

C.5.3.1 The Stevenson Union Advisory Committee shall be a sub-committee of SFC and this committee’s purpose, procedures, and membership are outlined in Section 5 of these bylaws.

C.5.4 Educational Activities Advisory Committee is recognized as a subcommittee of the Student Fee Committee.

C.5.4.1 The Education Activities Advisory Committee shall be a sub-committee of SFC and this committee’s purpose, procedures, and membership are outlined in Section 5 of these bylaws.

C.8.1 Membership Criteria

C.8.1.1 The Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC) is comprised of nine (9) members of equal voting power including the following: six (6) or more at large members, the Director of Sustainability from the executive branch, the Environmental Affairs Senator from the legislative branch, (1) judicial member and one (1) additional senator.

C.8.1.2 The Environmental Affairs Committee shall conduct itself in such a way as to prevent conflicts of interest. All potential conflicts of interest discovered shall be made public. To this end, each Committee member must publicly disclose all campus groups and organizations of which he or she is a member. Where appropriate, the Committee member shall recuse themselves from voting on grant allocations for projects proposed by such groups. For such votes, the “full Committee membership” as defined for voting majority purposes shall be decreased to account for the Committee member’s recusal.

C.8.1.3 The Environmental Affairs Committee shall have a staff member serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the committee.

C.8.1.4 Each member of the Environmental Affairs Committee shall be appointed for one academic year. All member terms will begin in fall quarter and end spring quarter of the following year.

C.8.1.5 The executive member of the Environmental Affairs Committee shall be a member of the Sustainability Council of SOU.

C.8.2 The purpose of the Environmental Affairs Committee is to:

C.8.2.1 Create and maintain sustainable solutions on-campus through internal efforts as well as in collaboration with other organizations.

C.8.2.2 Organize and provide information for on-campus events, educational campaigns, and other activities that will help the environment, including suggesting legislation to be voted upon before the Senate.

C.8.2.3 Be responsible for the allocation of the Green Fund, a fund provided by the Green Tag Student Fee.

C.8.2.3.1 The Green fund shall be used for renewable energy, water, and campus sustainability projects decided by the students of Southern Oregon University.

C.8.2.3.1.1 Energy: continued commitment to power our campus with clean, renewable energy, including exploring on-site energy generation or purchasing green power, among others.

C.8.2.3.1.2 Water: SOU will become the first university to restore 100% of the water we use on campus to a critically dewatered stream on the nearby Klamath River Basin.

C.8.2.3.1.3 Campus Sustainability projects: A number of student-led sustainability projects will be created to reduce SOU’s environmental footprint.

C.8.2.4 Establish and articulate clear priorities and criteria for allocating grant awards through the Green Fund and make this information available publicly.

C.8.2.5 Review project applications and determine allocations of grant awards

C.8.2.6 Provide resources and advice for students pursuing sustainability-related projects prior to the application and post selection of projects

C.8.2.7 Provide guidelines to obtain regular progress updates and final reports for all grants awarded

C.8.2.8 Represent the Students and their interests in all decisions

C.8.2.9 Be a connection between the University and Student led sustainability efforts.

C.8.3 The Environmental Affairs Committee shall approve submitted projects by a simple majority vote of the full committee membership. The Committee may elect to award only a portion of a grant proposal.

C.8.3.1 Projects seeking funding from the Green Fund must:

C.8.3.1.1 Submit a “Green Fund Request” application electronically to the Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC) executive member, assousustain@sou.edu. This application is located on the EAC website, insert URL.

C.8.3.1.2 Following submission, applicants must present their proposal to the EAC. The guidelines for presentations shall be outlined by the EAC and available on the EAC website.

C.8.3.1.3 For projects equal to or exceeding $5,000, applications must also be submitted to the Sustainability Council (SC) by the chair. If possible, the funding applicant is encouraged to also present their proposal to the SC.

C.8.3.1.4 The EAC and the SC bodies will empower students and enable student-driven projects in sustainability by providing a source of funding, guidance, hands-on experience and networking.

C.8.4 Project Eligibility Criteria

C.8.4.1 Project proposals may only be submitted by SOU students. Individuals and organizations outside of SOU may not submit proposals. Following is a list of broadly-defined requirements that must be followed for a project to receive funding.

C.8.4.2 Projects should directly address sustainability in operation of the SOU campus or in the capacity that off campus activities influence on-campus sustainability. This includes a broad range of environmental considerations, including but not limited to energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste reduction, transportation management, green procurement, green buildings, and education.

C.8.4.3 All projects shall have a mechanism for evaluation and follow-up after funding has been disbursed. Projects that are not completed within a single academic year should have a plan for continuation during the following year, until the project is complete. Projects should include a report made to the Environmental Affairs Committee after successful or unsuccessful implementation.

C.8.4.4 The project should include some component that raises greater awareness of sustainability issues on campus. This might include an outreach component, a press release, or the fact that the project is conducted in public view.

C.8.4.5 Projects shall contain a component of direct student involvement. Such projects include, but are not limited to internships, initiatives with students in oversight bodies, student research, and projects proposed by students.

C.8.5 Prioritization criteria:

C.8.5.1 Does the project add value? We encourage projects that will complement existing sustainability programs and projects in place on campus. We encourage proposals that build on existing infrastructure and commitment to work towards a common goal for campus sustainability.

C.8.5.2 Does the project educate or raise awareness? Preference will be given to projects that are highly visible, impact daily student life, and/or reach a wide demographic within the SOU community.

C.8.5.3 Does the project make economic sense? Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate the greatest reduction in SOU’s negative environmental impact for the least cost, that can obtain matching funds from sources other than the SOU Green Fund, and/or that are able to repay the Fund.

C.8.5.4 Does the project include strong student participation? Preference will be given to projects led by students or that involve students in their implementation.

C.8.5.5 Does the project have long-term impact? Strong preference will be given to projects that will have a lasting impact on campus beyond their completion and beyond the graduation/departure of their original students.

C.8.6 Other Rules Regarding Green Fund Funds

C.8.6.1 Any funds not allocated in a given year shall remain in the Green Fund account for future use.

C.8.6.2 Funds allocated to a project that are not spent within the project timeframe shall be returned to the Fund for reallocation.

C.8.6.3 Green Fund funds are not to be used or reallocated for purposes other than the proposed request.

C.8.6.4 Green Fund shall continue to operate as long as sufficient money remains in the Green Fund account.

C.8.6.5 Green Fund funds may not be used for any purposes that violate SOU policies and procedures.

C.8.6.6 Green Fund funds may be used for student or contracted compensation only with specific approval from the Environmental Affairs Committee.

C.8.6.7 All materials and equipment purchased with Green Fund funds shall become the property of ASSOU.

C.8.7 Accountability, Records and Reports

C.8.7.1 Accountability of GREEN FUND to the Student Body Administration of the Green Fund shall be open and visible to the student body and therefore the Environmental Affairs Committee shall:

C.8.7.1.1 Adhere to Oregon public meeting law.

C.8.7.1.2 Make all of its records available to the public, including project proposals that have and have not received funding.

C.8.7.1.3 Publish an annual report during of its activities and disseminate it to ASSOU within the first three weeks of Spring term.

C.8.7.2 All projects funded by the Green Fund shall submit a report to the Environmental Affairs Committee by the fifth week spring term. The report must include a budget detailing the spending of all funds. Only those expenditures eligible under these by-laws and the specific terms of the grant award will be paid by the Green Fund.

C.8.7.3 All projects funded by the Green Fund are to provide a short presentation to the Environmental Affairs Committee on the current status/progress of the project at the end of the academic year. This may include a PowerPoint presentation or a verbal presentation by the assigned project manager or selected project member.

C.8.7.4 The Environmental Affairs Committee will assign a project manager to be the primary contact with all grantees. The manager will be responsible for
keeping open communication with project group members, provide any guidance, forward updates to the Environmental Affairs Committee, and overall the liaison between student project members, Environmental Affairs Committee and Sustainability Council.

C.8.7.5 Green Fund records will be kept on file with ASSOU. Green Fund must keep on record:

C.8.7.5.1 Minutes of all meetings of the Environmental Affairs Committee indicating the time and place of meetings, the names of those present and the proceedings thereof.

C.8.7.5.2 Adequate and correct ledgers and records of account, including accounts of its properties and business transactions and accounts of its assets, receipts, and disbursements.

C.8.7.5.3 Record of projects selected each year and the funds allocated to each.

C.8.7.5.4 Reports made back to the Environmental Affairs Committee. C.8.8 Disbursement of Funds

C.8.8.1 A budget is required with the application for funding.

C.8.8.2 Funds may be accessed in the following ways (back-up documentation must be provided to the Environmental Affairs Committee at the time of request):

C.8.8.2.1 Reimbursement of expenses (check)

C.8.8.2.1.1 The Green Fund will not reimburse for any expenses incurred prior to funding approval by EAC order)

C.8.8.2.2Directpurchasethroughcampusfinancial system (i.e. purchase

C.8.8.2.3 Allocation to a specific index code with the university

C.8.8.3 All disbursements of funds must be routed and approved through the Office of Student Life.

C.8.8.4 After the funds are expended provide an accounting of the actual funds spent compared to budget, preferably within 30 days of project completion but always before spring finals.

C.8.8.5 Any unspent funds will be returned to the SOU Green Fund unless otherwise approved.

C.8.8.6 All backup documentation for expenses, including receipts and invoices for contracted work, shall be submitted no later than two weeks before the end of spring term.

C.8.8.7 Funds shall not be transferred to ASSOU or student organization group(s) accounts without approval. Funds may be transferred between SOU accounts with the approval of the Environmental Affairs Committee.

C.8.8.8 Funds may be carried over for multiple years on a case by case basis. The final schedule of fund disbursement is to be determined and approved by the Environmental Affairs Committee.

C.8.8.9 A signed copy of Acknowledgement of Receipt of Green Fund By-Laws must be on file with ASSOU prior to disbursement(s).

C.8.9 A majority vote of ASSOU Senate may amend, create, or repeal portions of this charter, unless doing so would materially and adversely affect the mission of the SOU Green Fund.

C.8.9.1 All changes must be approved in the same manner as all other bylaws. C.8.10 “Final Deliverables” are defined as the following:

C.8.10.1 A 2-3 page summary report, including a short PowerPoint or visual presentation, submitted to the primary contact in the Environmental Affairs Committee no later than two weeks before the end of spring term.

C.8.10.2 All final expense documentation, including receipts, invoices, and balances of project funds shall be turned in to the Environmental Affairs Committee no later than two weeks before the end of spring term.

C.8.10.3 Optional presentation in an academic capacity (i.e SOAR, Ecological Symposium, Earth Day etc.).

The Athletics Advisory Committee is recognized as a subcommittee of the Student Fee Committee, and is charged with conducting budget investigations and recommending yearly budgets for all athletics. 

The Educational Activities Advisory Committee is recognized as a subcommittee of the Student Fee Committee, and is charged with conducting budget investigations and recommending yearly budgets for all educational and cultural activities that do not reside in the Student Union and all student government activities.

Guidelines for Childcare Subsidy Program

Section 1: Purpose

1.1 The Childcare Subsidy Program was created in 2014 to provide childcare assistance in the form of a subsidy to eligible student families who could not otherwise afford the full cost of child care.

Section 2: Eligibility Criteria

1.1 Applicant must be a currently enrolled student at Southern Oregon University. 1.2 Applicant must be the parent or legal caregiver of a child.

1.3 Applicants must be registered and maintain at least 8 on-campus undergraduate credits or 6 on- campus graduate credits while receiving the subsidy.

1.4 Applicant must be in good academic standing. Section 3: Provider Criteria

3.1 Child Care Providers must be DHS approved providers. Section 4: Program Regulations

1. 4.1  Applications will only be accepted once per term for the funding in the following term.

   4.1.1 Applicants already approved to receive the subsidy will remain eligible to receive the subsidy provided the provide the Student Advocate with an updated child care bill and course schedule to the term they wish to receive the subsidy

   4.1.1.1 Applicants will remain eligible for up to 1 academic year

   4.1.1.2 All applications will be given the same consideration in spring term for approval for the fall term

2. 4.2  Applications for the Childcare Subsidy Program must be completed and submitted by the

deadline to be set and announced by the Childcare Subsidy Allocation Committee to be considered for eligibility.

4.2.1 If not all the available money is rewarded for a term, the Childcare Subsidy Allocation Committee may consider and approve late applications

4.2.2 Director of Student Advocacy may pre-approve an application to be submitted or completed after the deadline given extenuating circumstances (e.g. death of a family member)

 4.3 Applications must be returned to the Director of Student Advocacy via mail box or email. The subsidy will be allocated on a first come/first served basis to students who meet all eligibility requirements or can demonstrate hardship based on their cover letter.

4. 4.4  Eligible students will receive up to $400/month not to exceed $1,200/term.

5. 4.5  The subsidy is not available for Summer term.

6. 4.6  Payments will be made directly to student account at the beginning of each term for the term that the application was submitted.

7. 4.7  Once approved, recipients of the subsidy will be required to submit proof of childcare services once per term for every term they continue receiving the subsidy.

8. 4.8  Students who do not provide required documentation will be deemed ineligible for funding for the following term.

9. 4.9  All students will be required to resubmit an application for eligibility each term, previous funding does not guarantee future funding.

4.10 The Subsidy becomes part of student’s financial aid award. The subsidy may cause student to exceed the threshold of their “unmet need”, which may affect the amount of financial aid awarded. Students will be notified by the financial aid office if this applies to their particular award.

4.11 All applicants will be notified of Childcare Subsidy Program action with 72 hours of official committee decisions.

4.12 Students who drop below the required number of credits for eligibility must notify the Childcare Subsidy Allocation Committee immediately. Dropping below the required number of credits or losing good academic standing may result in losing eligibility for the subsidy.

4.13 Students who are deemed ineligible for the subsidy who believe they have good cause for their ineligibility (for example, they had to medically withdraw from classes) may request a policy exception.

4.14 Policy exception requests must be in the form of a written narrative and completed within 10 days of the student becoming ineligible or being notified of denial for the Childcare Subsidy Program.

4.15 The childcare subsidy program is intended for SOU students with children. It is not affiliated with and does not contract with any childcare provider. The Associated Students of Southern Oregon University and the Childcare Subsidy Allocation Committee do not endorse or make any recommendations regarding childcare providers. The purpose of this program is to provide childcare assistance in the form of subsidies to eligible student

families who could not otherwise afford the full cost of child care. Students may choose any child care provider that meets provider criteria for this program and are responsible for all screening, contracting and monitoring of their child care arrangements.

Section 5: Program Administration

5.1 The Childcare Subsidy Program is administered by the Childcare Subsidy Allocation Committee, which is made up of the ASSOU Student Advocate; the ASSOU Nontraditional/Military Affairs Senator; one additional ASSOU Executive Cabinet member; one additional ASSOU Senate member; and one ASSOU Justice, who shall serve as a non-voting member. The ASSOU Student Advocate shall serve as chair of the committee and shall ensure that all pertinent information is prepared and ready to be discussed before the committee meets. All members shall be sat by the ASSOU Committee on Committees. The program is funded by Student Incidental Fees and reserves the right to consult with the Student Fee Committee regarding program funding and annual review/revision of the Childcare Subsidy Program guidelines and application.

Section 6: Transition Process

6.1 To ensure that incoming students are able to receive their subsidy with the rest of their financial aid, an ad hock Childcare Subsidy Allocation Committee shall be sat at the ASSOU retreat consisting of the ASSOU Student Advocate acting as chair, the ASSOU Nontraditional/Military Affairs Senator, two other members of ASSOU, and one non-voting judicial member. If the ASSOU Student Advocate is unable to attend the retreat, the ASSOU Vice President shall serve as acting chair. This ad hoc committee will serve as the acting Child Care Allocation Committee until the Committee on Committees officially seats the committee.

The Elections Committee shall be a committee of ASSOU and be comprised of Senate, Executive, and At-Large members.

 The Governmental Affairs Committee is comprised of five (5) or more members.

 The officer within the Executive Branch in charge of ASSOU governmental issues and campaigns shall sit as a member and as chair of this committee.

 The purpose of the Governmental Affairs Committee is to: work on campaigns for university-wide, local, statewide and national issues that affect SOU students; and to propose suggestions for improving ASSOU’s ability to be involved in issues affecting students on a university-wide and larger scale.

 The Multicultural Affairs Committee is comprised of five (5) or more members.

 The officers within both the executive and legislative branches in charge of ASSOU multicultural issues and campaigns shall sit as members of this committee.

 The purpose of the Multicultural Affairs Committee is to: work on campaigns that affect underrepresented SOU students; assist in the integration of culturally focused university groups, clubs, and resource centers with the rest of the university community; and to propose suggestions for improving ASSOU’s relationship with culturally focused university groups, clubs, and resource centers.

 The Stevenson Union Steering Committee is comprised of at least two Senators, at least two at large members, and one justice.

The Chair shall be elected by the Committee from the seated ASSOU Officers on the Committee

 The purpose of the Stevenson Union Steering Committee is to: advise and be responsible for general policies, plans, and procedures for the operation of the Stevenson Union. The committee shall act as a board to carry out the student body’s vision for the Stevenson Union including, but not limited to, the following: providing a forum to address the needs and issues of the SU; develop immediate and long-term plans for maximizing building usage; increase the experiences and services offered through the SU; and create positive development opportunities for students, staff, and faculty.

The Recreation Center Steering Committee, is a standing committee which upholds the Recreation Center bylaws and reviews and recommends the Recreation Center Fee.