Abbreviated ByLaws v. 20-21

Student Council Condensed Bylaws : v 20-21

Who We Are : BUA’s Student Council is an elected group of 15 students whose primary responsibility is to represent the interests of the student body and to be the link between the students and the administration. The Council collectively meets on a weekly basis for general meetings. 

Subcommittees :  Meet outside of the general meeting time + report back to the Vice President 

(i) Events – Responsible for planning all events. Can change current events/traditions and create new ones as they see fit. Includes the appointed positions of Field Day Officer and Charity Events Officer. 

(ii) Policy – Actively finds ways to improve school policy and address student concerns as they arise, which usually involves the creation of a formal proposal to present to the school administration. Also responsible for handling any internal policy changes or additions as needed.

(iii) Resources – Responsible for finding ways to improve life at the Academy through increasing student access to resources. Includes the appointed position of Inventory Officer, whose primary role is to manage the upkeep of BUA’s lounge areas (the Computer Lab, Reading Room, and Junior-Senior Room). 

(iv) Public Relations – Responsible for managing StuCo’s online presence on Instagram, advertising for all events and student-related affairs, and managing the whiteboard. 

Election Proceedings : Candidates will be self-nominated via an essay of approximately 200 words on a Google Form. All new candidates (including those with previous student council experience) must also attend at least one general meeting before running. 

Spring General Election:

Rising Seniors: 4 elected representatives

Rising Juniors: 4 elected representatives

Rising Sophomores: 4 elected representatives

Fall General Election:

Freshmen: 3 elected representatives

Candidates will deliver a 2-minute speech at ASM. Every student will be given votes equal to the maximum number of representatives in their respective class (i.e. a freshman will be given three (3) votes, a sophomore four (4), etc.). Individuals with the most votes will be elected. Only those present at the time of the election may vote. In the event of a tie, a run-off election will be held. 

Special Elections – In the event of a vacancy in the Council (e.g. due to impeachment, resignation, or fewer candidates running than seats available), a special election will be held at a time set by the advisor. 

General Members : Students who are not elected officials but are interested in participating in student council are eligible to become general representatives. 

Each semester, general representatives must : 

  1. Attend ½ of all general meetings + setup/cleanup one event 
  2. OR assist in the setup/cleanup of all events 
  3. OR join a subcommittee 

General membership will be awarded at the end of the Fall or Spring semester if all requirements have been met. General representatives are not allowed to vote. Students interested in general membership should inform the Secretary at the beginning of either semester.

Meeting Protocol : General Meetings take place weekly. Visitors are permitted to join. 

  • Attendance is of primary importance, and is recorded at every meeting.
  • Representatives must not exceed 3 unexcused absences per semester of either meeting type (general or sub-committee), else they will be considered for impeachment. 

Leadership Positions : There are 8 elected officials within StuCo that will be elected by fellow Student Council Members. 

(I) Committee Chairs – One chair for each committee (4 in all) – They are responsible for creating and upholding an agenda throughout the year for their committee. No prior experience is required, and general members may run for this position. 

(II) Officers – Upperclassmen members with at least one year of experience (can include time as a general member if within the previous year). They work with the Council’s advisor, the elected Freshmen reps, and subcommittee chairs.

(a) Secretary – Records relevant minutes on a shared Google doc, marks attendance, and tracks general membership. Also gives regular ASM announcements highlighting the major developments within Student Council. 

(b) Treasurer – Analyzes events and initiatives from a fiscal perspective. 

(c) Vice President – Assists the President in all matters of policy, oversees all committees and communicates with their chairs to outline the agenda for general meetings, and monitors the buastuco@bu.edu inbox. 

(d) President – Is the main liaison between the Student Council and the administration/faculty, leads general meetings, and is responsible for the proper conduct of all members while in assembly. 

Proposals : Formal write-ups that address specific changes that StuCo desires to make within BUA, all of which are written by subcommittees. 

  • Members of the student body may also bring ideas for new proposals to general meeting, in which elected members will participate in a blind, majority vote to determine whether or not the proposal process will begin.