STATUTES OF THE GREEK COUNCIL

OF

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

GENERAL

The Greek Council shall serve as a representative body of all Greek Organizations at Montclair State University chartered by the Student Government Association. These statutes shall prevail over the precedence set by any previous acts of the Greek Council.

ARTICLE ONE:

STRUCTURE OF THE LEGISLATURE

SECTION ONE:GREEK LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION

  1. General Requirements
  1. The Legislature shall not exceed sixty-five representatives.
  2. Each organization shall appoint a representative to the Greek Council.
  3. Representatives must be undergraduate students of Montclair State University. If no undergraduates are available then a graduate may step in with voice-no vote.
  4. Representatives shall serve a one-year term, beginning each Fall semester.
  5. All representatives shall hold and maintain a cumulative average of 2.5 as certified by the Registrar.
  6. Representatives may not sit on the Greek Council within the calendar year they go through their organization’s intake process.

a.Verifications of this requirement must be made atthe first meeting of the Fall semester and must be reviewed by the Director of Greek Council.

b.Any representative not verified will not be allowed to sit on the Greek Council.

  1. Each organization shall also select an alternate representative, who shall meet the aforementioned requirements and shall take the place of the primary in the event of his or her absence.
  2. If an organization is found to violate the Greek Council statutes by allowing a newly initiated member to serve as their representative or by switching representatives and alternates midyear without approval from the Director of Greek Councilthen the accused organization shall become a non-voting member of the council for the remainder of the academic year.

SECTION TWO:DUTIES OF REPRESENTATIVES

A.Greek Council Representatives shall:

  1. Establish effective communication between his/her organization and the Greek Council.
  2. Perform all duties required by the Constitution and Statutes of the Greek Council as well those other duties generally associated with the office.
  3. Serve on at least one Greek Council Standing Committee.
  4. Be present for the entirety of all meetings of the Greek Council. Only organization members who can fulfill this requirement shall be appointed representatives. The Greek Council Clerk will take attendance at the beginning of the meeting and during Open Forumbefore adjournment.
  5. If for some reason a representative has to miss part of the meeting on a particular day, he or she must forfeit his or her seat to the organization’s alternate and inform the Greek Council Clerk before the commencement of the meeting.

SECTION THREE:STANDING COMMITTEES

A. There shall be sixstanding committees: Public Relations, Fundraising and Finance, Philanthropy and Service, Greek Life andActivities, Academics, and Government and Administration.

  1. Each representative will sit on at least one committee. The Director of Greek Council will thereby appoint the representative to a committee based on the Greek Council’s needs.
  2. All committee members must be the standing representatives of the Greek Council Legislature.
  3. The committee shall be chaired by the corresponding Assistant Director. No representative shall be chairperson of morethan one committee during a semester, excluding Ad Hoc committees.
  4. A secretary shall be elected by the committee to document committee attendance as well as all committee minutes. Attendance and meeting minutes must be submitted to the Greek Council Clerk each week.

6. All committees must meet prior to Greek Council and are required to make a report every meeting. Failure to submit a report three times during an academic semester will be equivalent to missing one Greek Council meeting.

7. Each committee shall promote and cater toall areas of Greek life as outlined by said committee’s description.

8. Missing one committee meeting is equivalent tomissing one Greek Council meeting.

B. Duties of the Assistant Directors

  1. Shall coordinate the activities of their respective committees.
  2. Shall schedule all meetings and hearings of the committee.
  3. Shall chair all meetings.
  4. Shall report all findings and recommendations to the Greek Council Legislature.
  5. Shall perform all duties inherent to the office of the chair.
  6. Failure to attend a Committee Chair meeting without the consent of the Director of Greek Council will result in an unexcused legislative absence.

C. Duties of the Committee Secretary

  1. Shall keep and post all records of the deliberations of the committee and shall forward copies of all records to the Clerk of the Greek Council.
  2. Shall serve as committee chair in the event of the regular chair’s absence.
  3. Shall keep accurate accounts of committee member attendance and provide formal documentation of attendance to the Greek Council Clerk on a weekly basis.
  4. Shall perform all duties inherent to the office of committee Secretary.
  1. Public Relations Committee
  2. Shall consistently strive to promote a positive image of Greek Life throughout thecampus community as well as the local community. Public Relations may do so through programming and by making use of various media means such as social media outlets, newspapers and local television stations.
  3. Shall maintain open channels of positive communication between theGreek community, campus community, and theadministration of Montclair State University.
  4. Shall be responsible for the effective, accurate and timely compilation and distribution of publicity, in all its forms, throughout the academic year.
  5. Shall be responsible for ensuring that there will be no derogatory or degrading information about any fraternal organization at any time.
  6. Shall formulate and maintain a portfolio that showcases Greek Life at Montclair State University.
  7. Shall be chaired by the Assistant Director of Public Relations.
  1. Fundraising and Finance Committee
  2. Shall establish fundraising activities at least twice per semester for the Greek Council to partake in as a whole.
  3. Shall raise funds to subsidize the various expenses for the council.
  4. Must collect records from the President of each Greek organization indicating the total dollar amount of money fundraised by the organization’s members for each academic semester. These records shall be compiled and reviewed by the Fundraising committee so that the committee can inform the council of the total dollar amount fundraised by the Greek Council and its subsidiary organizations each academic semester and year.
  5. Shall be chaired by the Assistant Director of Fundraising and Finance.

G. Philanthropy and Service Committee

1. Shall initiate philanthropic fundraising activities a minimum of once every semester in which the Greek community as a whole can participate.

2. Ischarged with informing each organization of the Greek Council that they are responsible for executing two major philanthropic eventseach year, one per semester.

3. Compile documentation of each organization’s two philanthropic events as well as the total number of community service hours completed by each organization, represented on the council, each semester. The Philanthropy Committee shall formulate a report detailing the total number of community service hours performed by the Greek community and total number donated each semester and year.

4. Shall formulate a donation goal for eachcouncil’s philanthropy and implement fundraisers to reach said goal.

5. Shall be chaired by the Assistant Director of Philanthropy and Service

H. Greek Life and Activities Committee

  1. Shall utilize all means necessary to promote and maintain unification and cooperation between all Greek organizations.
  2. Shall organize a minimum of one “Wear Your Letters” days as well as one Greek unity picture per semester.
  3. Shall plan and implement one Greek unity event per semester in addition to, the “Wear Your Letters” day(s), Greek unity pictures, and Greek Week.
  4. Shall be chaired by the Assistant Director of Greek Life and Activities.

I. Academics Committee

  1. Shall promote all aspects of academic excellence for members of the Greek community, including, but not limited to, time management, stress management, and study skills.
  2. Shall plan and implement academic lectures, a minimum of one per semester thatteaches the Greek community the importance of academia.
  3. Shall create a sample academic plan for the council with incentives and sanctions that organizations can bring back to their organizations and implement.
  4. Shall be chaired by the Assistant Director of Academics.

J. Government and Administration Committee

  1. Shall continuouslyreview the operations of the Greek Council as well as all regulating documents associated with the governance of the Greek Council of Montclair State University. These documents include, but are not limited to, the Greek Council Statutes, the Greek Council Constitution, the Greek Council Expansion and Recognition procedural packet and the Accreditation system.
  2. Shall review any changes made to any policies and procedures listed in the regulating documents of the Greek Council and make recommendations to the Greek Legislature.
  3. Shall have the Director of Greek Council and the SGA Attorney General as ex-officio members.
  4. Statute changes must be approved by 2/3 of the Greek Council, and then submitted to the SGA legislature for approval.
  5. Shall be chaired by the Assistant Director of Government and Administration.

K. Guidelines for Membership Voting on Committees

  1. In order to gain voting privileges in their designated committee, any seated Greek Council Representative must attend two consecutive committee meetings.
  2. At the first two-committee meetings of the semester, any representative of theGreek Council, who is in good standing, may vote without restrictions.
  3. All standing committees shall be responsible for the implementations of all projects requested by the Legislature within their area of jurisdiction.

SECTION FOUR: AD HOC COMMITTEES

A. TheGreek Council Legislature may form an Ad Hoc Committee, by 2/3 vote, to discuss bills or event proposals or issues that extend beyond those encompassed bythe existing standing committees. If an Ad Hoc Committee is formed:

  1. A chairperson will be approved by the Greek Council Legislature.
  2. A time limit will be set on any such committee.
  3. The committee shall make a written report of their findings, within that specified time to the Legislature.

ARTICLE TWO

HOUSE RULES OF THE LEGISLATURE

SECTION ONE: PROCEDURE FOR LAWS

Any representative of the Greek Council Legislature or the Director of Greek Council may author a bill.

A. Allbills or event proposals (e.g. Financial, Policy Statements, and Chartering Procedures) shall be written as follows:

“BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE GREEK COUNCIL OF

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY, THAT:”

  1. All bills or event proposals must be approved and signed by the Coordinator of Greek Life, thensubmitted in their proper form to the Director of Greek Councilno later than 5:00 pm (EST) on the Monday prior to the Greek Council meeting at which the bill is to be introduced:
  1. All guidelines for chartering shall be adhered to as per the Expansion and Recognition procedures in Article Six as well as the Charterment packet which can be obtained from the Student Government Association (SGA).
  2. All guidelines for financial bills or event proposals shall be adhered to as per Article Five as well at the Greek Council Financial Policies.
  3. All guidelines for charter renewals shall be adhered to as per Article V, Section Two, Letter H of the SGA Statutes.

C.The Director of Greek Council shall appropriately number and register the bill prior to the bill being placed on the agenda

D. The Clerk shall make available a copy of the bills or event proposals to the public.

E. The Director of Greek Council shall call for the bill or event proposalto be read by the Greek Council Clerk. The Director of Greek Council shall then place the bill in committee for review unless the Greek Council Legislature motions to call the bill or event proposal into committee as a whole and render a recommendation.

  1. Subsequent to the author providing a report and being questioned, if applicable, by the Greek Council legislature, the organization or other designee then has the right to address the Legislature concerning the proposed bill with additional information. The organization’s report shall be followed by any questions the Greek Council legislature may have.
  2. When the Greek Council legislature has concluded debate and discussion, the Legislature shall vote upon the bill.

F. If a representative is unable to post the bill in time to be considered at the next meeting and he or she feels that it is of an emergency nature, he or she may present it to the Director of Greek Council prior to the meeting. The Director of Greek Council shall determine whether the bill requires immediate attention. The Director of Greek Councilshall give the bill a number if it is of sufficient need to be considered immediately. The Director of Greek Councilshall report the addition of the billto the Legislature before Business. The Director of Greek Council reserves the right to refuse any bill not submitted by the required time.

G. A bill requires a 2/3 majority vote. Only votes for and against the bill are tabulated. Abstentions will not be considered.

H. All regulating documentsbills or event proposals shall go into effect immediately.

I. The SGA Attorney General must be present for the duration of all meetings of the Greek Council. In the event that the Attorney General must step out, the meeting shall be recessed until his or her return.

J. In the event that the Attorney General cannot be present at a meeting or part of a meeting, of the Greek Council Legislature, the Greek Council Legislature shall appoint a temporary Attorney General, by 2/3 approval, to serve during the time of the regular Attorney General’s absence. The temporary Attorney General must be an SGA Legislator.

SECTION TWO: COUNCILS

A. There shall be Six Councils of the Greek Council; Inter-Fraternity Council, Inter-Sorority Council, National Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, United Greek Coalition, and Professional House.

B. Each Council is required to submit a revised copy of their Constitution and By-Laws to the Coordinator of Greek Life at the second council meeting in the Fall semester of each academic year.

C. Councils must meet at least once per month and submit all meeting minutes to the Greek CouncilClerk and the Coordinator for Greek Life. Failure to submit Councilmeeting minutes three times during the course of a semester is equivalent to one absence from the Greek Council general body meeting.

D. Each academic year, each Council may co-sponsor with SGA. Each Council has a $500.00 limit for co-sponsorships with the SGA.

  1. Any co-sponsorship between Councils and the SGA must comply with Article V of these Statutes as well as the Greek Council Financial Policies.

SECTION THREE: CONSTITUTIONALITY OF BILLS OR EVENT PROPOSALS

Upon the request of any member of the Legislature, the Attorney General shall determine the constitutionality of any bill. A ruling of unconstitutionality by the review may be over-ridden bya bill authored by the President-Pro Tempore so long as it is approved by the Greek Council Legislature by a 3/4 vote.

SECTION FOUR: APPROVAL OF BILLS OR EVENT PROPOSALS BY THE DIRECTOR OF GREEK COUNCIL

  1. The Greek Council Clerk shall transmit accurate copies of all bills or event proposals passed by the Greek Council Legislature to the Director of Greek Councilwithin three days of their passage.
  2. After being passed by the Legislature, a bill shall become law upon the signature of the Director of Greek Council.

SECTION FIVE: FILING OF BILLS OR EVENT PROPOSALS

The Greek Council Clerk shall keep a file of all Legislative bills or event proposals in numerical order. Eachbill shall indicate the semester in which the bill was submitted as well as whether or not the bill passed when it was presented to the Greek Council Legislature. Each bill shall have attached to it a statement by the Executive Secretary indicating the author of the bill, the first date the bill was read before the Greek Council, and the date the Bill was called for consideration.

SECTION SIX: MEETINGS

  1. Each Greek Council Legislative session shall meet on Tuesday at 5:30 pm (EST) at a permanent location determined prior tothe first meeting of the fall semester. A temporary exception may be made if the administrator or director of the meeting location’s grounds has deemed that area to be unsafe due to an emergency situation.

B.The weekly agenda for legislative meetings shall be made available by twelve noon the day the meeting is to take place.

C. Procedure for the Greek Council Legislature to declare and move into an Executive Session

  1. Executive session must be announced on an agenda at least 24 hours prior to entering an executive session.
  2. Upon the affirmative vote of ¾ of the Greek Council Legislature present at a given meeting, the Greek Council Legislature may enter into an Executive Session without providing adequate notice so long as:
  3. Such a meeting is required in order to deal with matters of such urgency and importance that a delay for the purpose of providing adequate notice would be likely to result in substantial harm to the interest of the Greek Council; and
  4. The executive session is limited to discussion of and acting with respect to such matters of urgency and importance; and
  5. Notice of such meeting is provided as soon as possible following the calling of such a meeting by posting written notice at the Greek Council Office and at the Coordinator for Greek Council’s office as well as by sending e-mail notification to all Greek Council Legislators or phone calls, if possible.
  6. Either (a) the Greek Council Legislature could not reasonably have foreseen the need for such a meeting as a time when adequate notice could have been provided; or (b) although the legislature could reasonably have foreseen the need for such a meeting at a time when adequate notice could have been provided, it nevertheless failed to do so.
  7. The topic to be discussed in Executive Session must be announced by the individual who motions to move into the Executive Session, before the Greek Council Legislature moves into said session. The Greek Council Legislature may only discuss such business in an executive session as was announced prior to the moving into of said session.
  8. All regular meeting of the Greek Council Legislature shall be open to the public, except those meetings where the circumstances would clearly endanger the interest of the members of the Greek Council or the personal privacy or guaranteed rights ofindividuals would be clearly in danger of unwarranted invasion or disclosure. During an Executive Session, only chartered Greek organizations with voting privileges, Greek Council Executive Branch members, the Greek Council Advisor, and the SGA Attorney General may be present. All others must leave the room while the Executive Session is held. The Legislature may move into an Executive Session to discuss:
  9. Any matter which, by provision of Federal law or State statute or rule of court shall be rendered confidential.
  10. Any material which, if disclosed, constitutes an unwarranted invasion of individual privacy such as any records, data, reports, recommendations, or other personal material of any educational, training, social service, medical, health, custodial, child protection, rehabilitation, legal defense, welfare, housing, relocation, insurance, or similar program or institution operated by a public body or the Greek Council pertaining to any specific individual admitted to or served by such institution or program, including but not limited to, information relative to the individual’s personal and family circumstances, and any material pertaining to admission, discharge, treatment, progress, or condition of any individual, unless the individual concerned (or, in the case of a minor or incompetent, his or her guardian) shall request in writing that the same be disclosed at said Greek Council Meeting. The selection of representatives to serve as jurors for an SGA Judicial review shall be kept confidential and the legislature may make these selections in an executive session.
  11. Any tactics and techniques utilized in protecting the safety and property of the Greek Council or its members, provided that their disclosure could impair such protection or any investigations of violations or possible violations of the law (Criminal, Civil, University, SGA, or Greek Council)
  12. Any pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiation in which the Greek Council is, or may become a party or any matters falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise his or her ethical duties as a lawyer.
  13. Upon moving into an Executive Session, the Greek Council Secretary shall take minutes. Minutes taken during an executive session of theGreek Council Legislature, will be made available to all the members of the Greek Council after the discussion material in the minutes is no longer of a sensitive nature. Any confidential information contained in an Executive Session’s minutes shall be blacked out before said minutes are made available to all Greek Council members. When an Executive Session is entered to select jury members, minutes will not be made available until after said trial or review board, in which said jury members were a part of, has ended.
  14. Minutes taken in an Executive Session must be approved in another Executive Sessionbefore being released. At this time, remaining confidential information shall be “blacked out” (e.g. personal, sensitive information, etc.) and the Greek Council Legislature shall vote on whether or not the minutes shall be accepted.

SECTION SEVEN: PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE GREEK COUNCIL