New Senator Orientation

Congratulations on being elected a University of Florida student senator! You have been elected to serve your constituents by protecting their interests, proposing legislation that addresses their needs, and researching and voicing opinions on bills that come to the floor.

This orientation will help familiarize you with senate procedure, language and rules.

Duties of all Senators

1. Remain in good standing- this includes attending all senate meetings as well as the meetings of any committees you join. It also refers to fulfilling your constituency requirements in a timely manner. 2. Be informed! Read Senate Rules and Procedures, Student Body Statutes and UF constitution. Research the issues that come before the senate. Do not ever vote on something you do not fully understand. 3. Keep in touch with your constituents! After all, you were elected to represent them.

Key Powers of the Student Senate

1. Serve as the sole judge of the validity of the election results 2. Approve appointments and recommendations of the Student Body President 3. Provide for the control and disbursement of student body funds 4. Enact all laws necessary and proper for the general wellbeing of the Student Body

Attendance
Maintaining a good attendance record applies not only to senate meetings, but also to committee meetings. If you are absent from either meeting, you must fill out an excuse form and turn it into the R&E dropbox website within one week of the missed meeting. In each fall & spring semester, a Senator is allowed 3.5 unexcused or a total of 4 combined absences (excused or unexcused). In summer, each Senator is allowed 2 unexcused or a total of 3 combined absences.

Attendance
Excused absences include the following: Academic commitments with proper documentation Exams attach a syllabus with date and time of test and ISIS schedule Death in family, illness, car accident, act of God

The Structure of Student Government

Student Governments power is balanced between three branches: the Executive, the Judicial, and the Legislative. The Executive Branch consists of the Student Body President, Vice President, Treasurer, Cabinets, and Agencies.

The Structure of Student Government

The Judicial Branch is comprised of the Student Body Supreme court. The Legislative Branch is the Student Senate. The purpose of the Senate is to represent the views and ideas of the student body.

Student Government Finance

Student Activity and Service (A&S) Fees are collected by the University of Floridas Registrars Office as a component of tuition in the amount recommended annually by the A&S Fee Committee and approved by the State University Systems Board of Regents.

Student Government Finance

A&S fees are collected by the Student Senate through the budget process, where annual budgets are allocated to meet the needs of student groups through the fiscal year (July 1June 30). Allocation may also occur through the Special Request process, which furnishes emergency funds for needs not anticipated during the budget process. Once these allocations are approved by Student Government, the SG Finance Office administers the lawful spending, auditing and reconciliation of A&S fees.

Who is in the Senate?

The Senate is comprised of 100 senators, each serving one-year terms. In the Fall, senators are elected to represent living areas on or off campus. On campus senators are elected according to residence halls and off campus senators are elected by districts, according to zip codes. In Spring, senators representing colleges and classifications (Undergraduate freshman and sophomore, Business, Engineering, etc.) are elected.

Who is in the Senate?

The Senate President is the chief administrative officer and presides over all meetings. The Senate President Pro-Tempore is second in command to the President and resides over his or her absence. The Pro Tempore also serves as the Chair of the Replacement and Agenda Committee. The Senate President and Pro-Tempore are also members of the SG Executive Committee. Elections for Senate President and President Pro tempore are held each semester.

Who is in the Senate?

The Senate Secretary manages the Senate office. The secretary prepares all written materials (agendas, bills, voting records, etc.) and is present for all Senate meetings. The secretary maintains copies of the UF Constitution and the Statutes. They are an employee of the university, not an elected official. The Senate Executive Committee is comprised of the Senate President, the President Pro-Tempore, and all of the committee chairs. There are standing committees and periodically the Senate President will create adhoc committees to address specific issues.

Senate Committees
There are six standing committees within the Student Senate. These committees are designed to effectively organize and distribute the work of the Senate. Replacement & Agenda Committee This committee interviews and recommends replacements for open senate and committee seats. The committee is also responsible for setting the agenda for each senate meeting. The committee is composed of the Pro Tempore (Chair), the Senate President, all party leaders, and two members-at-large elected by the senate body.

Senate Committees
Budget & Appropriations Committee This committee is responsible for preparing the Activity & Service Fee budget, the Special Events Budget, Organizations Budget, and Academic Organizations Budget, using the revenue generated by the Activity & Service Fee. Each funded organization comes before the committee for several hearings, after which the committee determines the appropriate amount of money each should receive and presents the budget to the senate for approval. The committee also organizes line-item transfers from funded organizations and presents those to Senate for approval. Allocations Committee This committee reviews all special requests (funds beyond budgeted amount). It also works with new student organizations in their first two requests for funding from Student Government. It presents all recommendations to the Senate for approval.

Senate Committees
Judiciary Committee This committee reviews all non-budgetary bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments to determine their constitutionality, legality, sufficiency, clarity and internal consistency. In the fall, the Judiciary Committee must recommend to the Senate any actions that should be taken regarding the reapportionment of senate seats. Rules & Ethics Committee This committee deals with senate absences, constituency requirements, and requests for the censure or expulsion of senators. It also hears all complaints concerning alleged acts of discrimination by Student Government funded organizations. It also investigates and gathers information on issues of concern to the senate.

Senate Committees
Information & Communication Committee This committee is responsible for being the independent voice of Senate. It has the responsibility of planning orientations for all new senators, posting advertisements of open seats, and holding retreats for the entire senate in each term. This committee has the duty of building bridges between senators so that Senate can work more effectively. Ad Hoc Committees- It is at the Senate Presidents discretion to form Ad Hoc committees whenever he deem necessary. Ad Hoc committees are usually formed whenever there is a specific problem that could benefit from having a specialized committee to address it.

Constituency Requirements
As a Senator, you are required to fulfill your minimum constituency requirements. This ensures you are interacting with your constituents. For Senators representing professional schools: Attend one (1) Board of College Council or respective College Council meeting or special event and one (1) meeting or special event of a sub-organization of their respective College Council or an academic organization directly affiliated with the college, and complete one (1) hour of tabling per constituency period

Constituency Requirements
For Graduate Senators: Attend two (2) Graduate Student Council or graduate student organizations meetings or special events, and complete (1) hour of tabling per constituency period. Any combination of these meetings will be acceptable For Senators representing colleges: Attend one (1) Board of College Council or respective College Council meeting or special event, one (1) meeting or special event of a suborganization of their respective College Council or an academic organization directly affiliated with the college, and one (1) community service project put on by the Information and Communications Committee. Complete one (1) hour of tabling per constituency period.

Constituency Requirements
For On-campus Senators: Attend one (1) IRHA meeting or special event and one (1) respective Area Government meetings or special events, and one (1) Student Government event or Student Government-funded event. Participate in one (1) community service project put on by the Information and Communications Committee. Complete one (1) hour of tabling per constituency period. For Family Housing Senators: Attend two (2) Mayors Council meetings or special events, and one (1) Student Government event or Student Government-funded event. Participate in one (1) community service project put on by the Information and Communications Committee. Complete one (1) hour of tabling per constituency period.

Constituency Requirements
For District Senators: Attend one (1) City or County Commission meeting, one (1) Student Government-funded organization meeting or special event (excluding IRHA), and one (1) Student Government event or Student Government-funded event. Participate in one (1) community service project put on by the Information and Communications Committee. Complete one (1) hour of tabling per constituency period. For Undergraduate Freshman and Sophomore Senators: Attend two (2) Student Government-funded organization meetings or special events, City Commission meetings or County commission meetings per constituency period, and one (1) Student Government event. Participate in one (1) community service project put on by the Information and Communications Committee. Complete one (1) hour of tabling per constituency period.

Passing Legislation
Senate considers legislation (bills). Each piece of legislation must have at least one sponsor in the senate. Bills must be written, approved through the appropriate committee, passed by the senate, and sent to the Executive Branch for signatures. Once passed, the bill becomes either a law or an authorization. The Student Body President has the power to veto all legislation.

Parliamentary Procedure
Roberts Rules of Order (Parliamentary Procedure) provides common rules and procedures for consideration and debate in order to help the meeting run effectively. There is a senate parliamentarian whom may be consulted at any point for reference to correct procedure. Before motioning you must be recognized by the speaker (SENATE PRESIDENT). Point of Privilege- Call only if you have a concern with the noise in the chamber, comfort or any other environmentrelated issue.

Parliamentary Procedure
Parliamentary Inquiry- Ask to clarify a motion or parliamentary action. Point of Information- Used to ask speaker further technical questions. Order- A call to remain in line with the agenda. Amend- Motion to change or insert a word, phrase or paragraph in legislation. This is also used to change the minutes from the previous meeting.

Parliamentary Procedure
Withdraw a Motion- Motion to remove a previous motion. This must be motioned by the Senator who motioned the original. Recommit to Committee- Motion to send particular bill or resolution back to its original committee for further debate, consideration, and/or amendments. Extend Debate- Use to extend debate, after the close of the debate, by a specific amount of time. This must be voted on by the body. Limit Debate- Closing debate prior to end of debate.

Parliamentary Procedure
Postpone to a Certain Time- Motion in order to suspend a specific piece of legislation to a later date. Date must be stated. Previous Question- Closes debate and moves to a vote. Suspend the Rules- Allow for the bodys rules to be violated. A reason for suspension must be specified. Quorum Call- Use to reassure the body that 51 senators (Fall/Spring) or 50% + 1 senators (Summer) are present.

Being a Senator is a right, not a privilege. You must always conduct yourself in a manner that is both ethically and morally sound while always keeping your constituents best interests at heart. Once again, congratulations on being elected! Senate has the utmost expectations of you.