Student Government

From Gatorpedia

The Student Government of the University of Florida was founded in 1909 to represent and act in the interests of students. It is comprised of three branches: Legislative in the Student Senate; Executive in the Student Body President, Vice President, Treasurer, Executive Agencies, and Cabinet; and Judicial in the Student Government Supreme Court and Student Honor Court. Student Government is charged by Florida Statute 1009.24(10)(b) to participate in deciding the amount, distribution, and expenditure of Activity and Service Fees, which are collected from students, and are to be "expended for lawful purposes to benefit the student body in general" (cite FS1009.24(10)(b)).

[edit] History

[edit] Structure

[edit] Legislative

Main Article: Student Senate

The legislative branch is comprised of a 100-member Student Senate, half of whom are elected each Spring and Fall semester. Senators elected during the Spring semester represent the college to which they belong (e.g. all seats allocated for the College of Engineering belong to engineering majors), and those elected during the Fall semester represent the on-campus residence area or off-campus district based on zip code.

The Senate is presided over by a Senate President, assisted by a Senate President Pro Tempore, both of whom are elected from within the Senate after each Student Government general election.

The composition, powers, duties, and procedures of the Senate are established in Article III of the Student Body Constitution.

The Senate can pass laws to change the Student Body Statutes, direct how student funds are spent, or by a two-thirds vote, pass a resolution stating its collective opinion on a specific issue.

[edit] Executive

The executive branch is headed by a Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, and Student Body Treasurer, and also contains the Student Government Cabinet and Student Government Agencies. These officers are tasked with executing the laws of Student Government, mostly related to putting on events and other activities for students.

Major agencies within Student Government include the ACCENT Speakers Bureau and Student Government Productions, the agency that puts on Student Government-sponsored concerts and events.

The Student Body Treasurer also has an important role in SG-funded student organizations, as he or she approves all expenditures made by these groups.

[edit] Judicial

The judicial branch is comprised of the Supreme Court of the Student Body, the main judicial body of Student Government. Justices of the Supreme Court are law students appointed by the Student Body President, and serve until the time they graduate.

The Supreme Court is created by Article V of the Student Body Constitution, which also provides for a Student Honor Court.