Student Government

Student Handbook Information
Student Government Association
SGA Executive Branch
SGA Judicial Branch
SGA Legislative Branch

Student Government Association

Student government is an important part of life at Mary Baldwin. It is the participation in campus activities that gives us spirit and unity and keeps the Student Government Association an integral part of Mary Baldwin College.

The core of the Student Government Association is the student, and it is with each one that the ultimate responsibility for student government rests. As a member of the student body, each student must be willing to express openly needs, desires, and opinions. In this way, the SGA can be an effective working body by contributing beneficial programming and legislation to the system. Thus, the association issues a challenge to each student which demands cooperation, enthusiasm, and involvement.

List of executive committee members and class officers

If you witness, or know of, an honor code or judicial code violation, please complete and send the Contact Report.

 

SGA Executive Branch

Community Service Pledge

We, the Student Government Executive Committee, pledge to unite and enrich our community by committing ourselves to four hours of community service each semester in the Mary Baldwin and Staunton Community. We encourage the Mary Baldwin campus to join in our community service efforts. 

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is elected by the student body. Its duties as a committee are to make suggestions on policy-making, to coordinate the branches of the Student Government Association, to make appointments various committees, and to approve student appointments. Its responsibilities also include acting on Senate legislation and to act as a liaison between the college administration and students.

Inter Club Council

The Inter Club Council (ICC) is comprised of the Executive Committee Treasurer and the president and treasurer of each recognized campus organization. The ICC exists as a communication and support link for student organizations. Its purpose is to help organizations function as vital and productive units and to keep the MBC community informed about the activities of the various organizations.

Residence Hall Association

The Residence Hall Association consists of a chairwoman plus 20 Residence Hall Presidents.
The residence hall presidents are the elected leaders on their residence halls. The RHPs work with a Student Life staff member to carry out various administrative functions such as attending CDT and RHP in-service meetings, distributing campus information, and helping with room lottery. RHPs also schedule meetings with their senators and act as a liaison with Physical Plant. RHPs have primary responsibility for developing community and helping with all residence life based social programs. They are responsible for on-campus events such as Groundhog Day festivities and the annual Mardi Gras dinner.

 

SGA Judicial Branch

Honor Council

The Honor Council consists of a chairwoman and 13 other student members. All members are elected by the student body or appointed after the election process.

The duties of the Honor Council are to hear cases involving lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and failure to report an offence. They are also responsible for imposing penalties as warranted by the individual cases. They must also hear cases referred by the Judicial Board concerning infractions of the Honor System, and to impose penalties as warranted by the individual cases. The Honor Council must supervise orientation to the Honor Code, establish and follow written procedures of operations adopted annually, and represent the HC on a weekly basis in the residence halls.

The Honor Council has two faculty advisors (elected by the council) and one Student Life liaison.  

Judicial Board

The Judicial Board consists of a chairwoman, four seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, and one at-large member. All members are elected by the student body.

The duties of the Judicial Board are to hear cases involving social conduct infractions and to impose penalties as warranted by the individual cases, and to refer cases to the Honor Council, when, in the process of the case, lying, cheating, or stealing becomes a factor. The Board must also establish and follow written procedures of operation adopted annually, to communicate with the Community Development Team on her assigned hall on a weekly basis and to attend all informational hall meetings. The Judicial Board is required to attend all training sessions scheduled by the Judicial Board chairwoman.

The Judicial Board has two faculty/staff advisors (elected by the board)  

Board of Appeals

The Dean of the College is chair of the Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals consists of the Dean of the College, chair; either the chairwoman of the Honor Council (for an appeal of a decision by the Judicial Board) or the chairwoman of the Judicial Board (for an appeal of a ruling by the Honor Council); the Lead Advocate; one full-time member of the faculty; one member of the staff. The faculty and staff members are appointed annually by the Executive Committee of SGA and approved by the Senate.

The associate vice president for student affairs provides support for students involved in the process of an appeal, including members of the boards. S/he is not a member of the Board of Appeals.

The duties of the Board of Appeals are to review cases involving major penalties appealed from the Honor Council or Judicial Board, to establish and follow written procedures of operation adopted annually, to coordinate activities for the residential area, to discuss residential area concerns, and to see that Mary Baldwin College community regulations are upheld.

 

SGA Legislative Branch

Senate

Senate is the Legislative body of the Student Government that began in 1969. The main goal of the legislative branch is to make and amend laws/constitutions. A constitutions is “a written document, that establishes the rules and principles” for groups/organizations.

Senate’s purpose is to handle, through constitutional procedure, desired changes in policies concerning various aspects of student life on and off campus. Through Senate, policies are created, implemented, and revised.

Senators and Hall Presidents act as direct representatives of their residence hall, dorm, house, apartment or commuter students. Their duty is to express the ideas, concerns and suggestions of their peers and vote in accordance with such ideas, concerns and suggestions.

In order to be representative of such ideas, concerns and suggestions, Senators and Hall Presidents need to report Senate information and discussions to their peers in order to find a collective agreement about Senate Business, to present and follow through with during Senate.

Senate Business can only be conducted when there is a quorum of one half plus one of the voting members (Senators/Hall Presidents). Non-Senate members may also propose legislations if a petition is signed by 10 percent of the members of the Student Government Association, which includes all students.

A majority rule or vote is needed for proposals to pass through Senate.  Once passed, a proposal is then taken to the Executive Committee of the Student Government Association for approval. The Executive Committee has two options; approve the proposal, which will then become a bill, or veto the proposal and send it back to Senate. The Senate may override the veto of the Executive Committee by a three-quarters vote. The proposal would then be a bill and it becomes a policy of Mary Baldwin College.

Senate utilizes a variety of Co-chair positions in order to stay connected with various groups and organizations on campus. Such Co-chair positions include the following:

• Academic Affairs
• Board of Elections
• Constitutional Revisions
• Commuter
• Food Services
• Physical Plant
• Publicity
• Recycling
• Security
• Sprit
• Status of Women
• Student Affairs
• Technology