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Student Activities Council Bylaws

Vision Statement

We will ensure that the Brown School remains a global competitor in social work and social policy education through the promotion of a culture of diversity, empowerment, and cultural competence.

Mission Statement

The Student Advisory Council is a group of elected student leaders who work to make sure the voices and experiences of Social Work and Social Policy students are reflected in the decisions that shape the Brown School. The Student Advisory Council bring forward ideas, event planning, and concerns directly to school leadership and helps create solutions that strengthen the Brown School experience. The primary focus of the council is to provide curriculum input implicitly and explicitly.

Article I. Name and Membership

            Section I. General

  1. Name of organization. This organization shall be known as the Brown School Student Advisory Council in the George Warren Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, henceforth referred to as the Brown School.
  2. Membership qualifications. All full- and part-time Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Social Policy (MSP) students and Social Work Doctoral students enrolled at the Brown School are considered to run to be a representative of Brown School Advisory Council if they are in good academic and conduct standing. This consists of having a minimum 3.0 GPA, zero incomplete grades, and zero violations of academic and professional integrity.
  3. Vote granted to all members. All members in good standing with the Brown School and the Student Handbook shall be granted the right to vote in all Brown School elections.

Article II. Terms of Office

            Section 1. Terms

Elected Advisory Council members will serve a one-year term. Elections will take place in December 2025 and with terms starting in January 2026. Members may serve no more than two consecutive one-year terms, and each term must be confirmed through a vote by the Brown School student body.

Funding Allocation

  1. Fiscal Authority. The Department of Academic Affairs and Advising will give the Student Advisory Council a set amount each year for the council to use.
    1. There will be a deadline for Student Advisory Council when submitting a funding request to the Director for Academic Affairs and Advising. For non-contractual events, requests should be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time. For contractual events, request should be submitted at least a month ahead of time.
    2. Each funding request shall include an estimated budget, description of fund utilization, itemized detailed list of items to purchase and explanation of the event.
    3. The group or person submitting the budget will need to submit the request via email to the by the designated date/time sent out by the Department of Academic Affairs and Advising
    4. Funding requests will adhere to the Department of Academic Affairs and Advising Handbook and Washington University’s Policies.
    5. The Student Advisory Council cannot spend no more than half of their allocated budget per event.
  2. Assessor of fees. Washington University, the Brown School, and Department for Academic Affairs and Advising oversee and determine tuition, room and board, and student related fees. The Student Advisory Council cannot determine tuition, room and board, and student fees.

Section 3. Representation

  1. The Student Advisory Council will have the power to represent the membership before the Brown School Community, alumni, administration, university (e.g., Graduate and Professional Student Council [GPSC]), and the greater St. Louis community when appropriate.

Section 4. Requirements to Hold a Position

  1. Membership required. All Student Advisory Council members must be part of the membership and duly elected by the membership. No Student Advisory Council members may hold more than one SAC position at any time.
  2. Attendance policy. All members should be required to attend meetings.
    1. Members may not miss more than two (2) meetings per semester (fall and spring; summer is not included).
    2. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, they must notify the Director for Academic Affairs and Advising at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
    3. The consequences of not adhering to the attendance policy and additional participation requirements will be determined by majority board vote, excluding the member whose status is being determined. The consequences include but are not limited to removal from the Student Advisory Council.

Section 5. Positions and Duties of SAC Members

  1. Duties. All SAC members will be required to fulfill the following general duties:
    1. Attend all Meetings as scheduled. Members may not miss more than two meetings per semester. 
    2. Attend and represent the student body at Admitted Students Weekend, Orientation, and any other events as available when requested by the Department for Academic Affairs and Advising.  
    3. Meet with Student Advisory Council advisors as needed for updates and information.Maintain communication with the Department for Academic Affairs and Advising.
    4. Must be free on Wednesdays from 12-1pm for Student Advisory Council bi-weekly meetings.
  2. Positions. The Student Advisory Council Should include at least seven (7) members with the following positions:
    1. 4 General Representatives
      1. Create priorities and initiatives and delegate SAC tasks to the necessary members for their respective roles 
      2. Speak on behalf of SAC at Brown School events  
      3. Communicate and meet with SAC advisor regularly to discuss meeting agendas, SAC work, and student concerns  
      4. Support in strategizing and managing SAC communications as needed 
      5. Collaborate with the Department for Academic Affairs and Advising
      6. Assist with appointing students to Brown School committees as requested   
      7. Represent SAC in university judicial cases when the actions of the SAC are challenged.
      8. Organize the SAC Office Hours and two Brown School Student events each semester
    2. Secretary
      1. Compile meeting minutes within 48 hours of meetings; disseminate minutes by uploading them to the SAC Box folder  
      2. Manage, respond, or delegate to representatives the emails received in the SAC account.
      3. Draft up emails to be sent out to the Brown School Community about Student Advisory Council events and initiatives
      4. Assist the Student Advisory Council in planning, recording, and organizing tasks 
      5. Complete miscellaneous correspondence as needed  
    3. 2 GPSC Representative
      1. Attend all GPSC meetings, or assign a proxy to attend instead and serve as advocate to the needs of the Brown School 
      2. Attending all SAC meetings
      3. Follow GPSC membership guidelines as required to maintain good standing 
      4. Update the Student Advisory Council on GPSC meetings, concerns, and events.Serve on committees through GPC to assist in university-wide event planning
      5. Keep GPSC apprised of Brown School events that are open to greater Washington University community
      6. Serve as first point of contact for parties interested in planning events that cross between the Brown School and other graduate schools or undergraduates 
      7. Coordinate with the GSPC to build Brown School relations with other graduate students
  3. Compensation. No Student Advisory Council members shall receive any type of monetary compensation from student activity and service fees for their duties.

Section 7. Meetings

  1. Required meetings. Student Advisory Council should conduct bi-weekly/monthly meetings during the fall and spring semester, and on an as-needed basis during the summer semester.
  2. Term of office. A session shall begin on January 1st, following Student Advisory Council general elections no later than the first week of December. The session shall last one full calendar year, until the following January.
  3. Presentations to Student Advisory Council are permitted. Any individual or group from the membership shall have the right to be placed on the agenda for any Student Advisory Council general meeting, provided at least one week’s notice is given.
  4. Freedom of speech recognized. Any individual shall have the right to speak during any Student Advisory Council meetings, while respecting the limited timeframe of Student Advisory Council meetings.

Section 8. Election of Student Advisory Council Members

  1. Time of election.
    1. Election of members shall be held late in the fall semester.
  2. Management of the Election
    1. The Department for Academic Affairs and Advising oversees the election process.
    2. The collection of the election votes can be created through Qualtrics or Microsoft Form.
  3. Required votes for election.
    1. The candidate who receives the most votes (and a minimum of 25% of votes cast) will be elected.
    2. In the event that no candidate receives a minimum of 25% of the votes cast, a run-off election will be held. Only the two candidates who received the most votes in the initial election will participate in the run-off election.
  4. Vacant Positions
    1. If there are any vacant positions after the election. The Department for Student Academic Affairs and Advising should send an email in January for students to submit an application.
    2. Once the deadline for Student Advisory Council’s vacant positions closes, the Director for Academic Affairs and Advising should send the Student Advisory Council to review the applications and have the members read each candidates’ platform and vote.

Article III. Elections

Section 1. Election Procedures

  1. Announcement timeline. An email announcement will be distributed to all Brown School students, faculty, and staff between late October and early November. These communications will outline the available positions, solicit nominations, and provide details about the election process, including instructions for submitting peer nominations.
    1. During this period information sessions or Office Hours could be held to allow individuals who are nominated, or self-nominated to learn more about each position. Information sessions will be open to any interested student.
    2. Current Student Advisory Board members shall be available to attend information sessions and promote elections.
  2. Nominations and applications. Upon receiving nominations, the Director for Academic Affairs and Advising shall notify nominees and ask them to complete the application form.
    1. Self-nominations are accepted.
    2. Nominations are not required in order to for an applicant to run for a position.
    3. If they do not want the nomination, they will not move forward in the election.
    4. The Director for Academic Affairs and Advising will send an email to the Brown School Community about how to vote and attached each candidates’ platforms.
    5. A nominee is allowed to run for multiple Student Advisory Council positions at a time.
    6. No candidate is allowed to participate in any capacity in the administration of the election process, including vote retrieval.
  3. Campaigning. Candidates are encouraged to campaign to the Brown School Community.
  4. Voting timeline and communication with student body. Nominees’ names and platforms will be sent via email.
    1. Must include date(s) and time(s) of election.
    2. The election will begin no later than the first week of December.
    3. The election period will last no more than seventy-two (72) hours.
    4. Final election results shall be tabulated by the Department for Academic Affairs and Advising.
    5. Only current Brown School students are eligible to vote.
  5. Vacancies post-election. In the event that no candidates accept a nomination for a position, and that that position remains vacant after the election, two courses of action can be taken to ensure the position is filled. Efforts must be made to fill any such vacant position during the spring semester.
    1. If one or more of the other Student Advisory Council positions up for election had more than one candidate, all non-winning candidates in those races will be given the option to seek a vacant SAC position.
      1. Applicants may submit a one (1) page statement within seventy-two (72) hours to the outgoing Student Advisory Council and the Director for Academic Affairs and Advising explaining their preference and rationale for a particular placement.
    2. If for any reason the process detailed above does not fill all vacancies, the outgoing/incoming elected SAC will initiate a separate process of soliciting new nominations from students.
      1. If there are any vacant positions after the election. The Director for Academic Affairs and Advising should send an email for students to submit an application.
      2. Once the deadline for the vacant positions closes, the Director for Student Affairs and Advising should send the applications and share the names of the applicants to the Student Advisory Council members to read each candidates’ platform and vote.
      3. Should positions remain vacant after two requests for applications have occurred, the incoming Student Advisory Council should be empowered to recruit candidates from the student body, and, by majority decision of council Members, appoint them to fill position(s).
  6. Line of Succession:
    1. Elections otherwise required. If any of the other Student Advisory Council positions fall vacant, a special election will be required by the student body. All positions are then effective until the next general election.
    2. Disqualification from office. If a candidate for office is unable to serve for the twelve-month term, then they are ineligible to run for any Student Advisory Council position.

Section 3. Special Elections

  1. Circumstances requiring special election. Circumstances may include, but are not limited to:
    1. SAC member that fall outside the general election cycle.
    2. Student petitions to recall an SAC enactment.
  2. Election integrity. Matters to be decided by special elections shall not conflict the decision-making and operating processes otherwise set forth in the SAC constitution and By-Laws.
  3. Special election vacancies. If an SAC position fall vacant, a special election will be held by the whole student body.

Article IV. Dissolution

            Section 1. Property of Student Advisory Council

  1. Dissolution of SAC, disposition of property. Should the Student Advisory Council cease to exist, all property of same shall conditionally revert to and be held by the Assistant Director of Student Engagement for a period of five (5) years.
  2. Succession of property. Within the said five-year period, if any general student advisory council/board is formed and recognized by a vote of a majority of the Brown School student body and approved by the administration, all property held shall become the property of such successor organization.

Article V. Ethics and Policies

            Section 1. Equality

  1. The Student Advisory Council should uphold the NASW Code of Ethics and policies at Washington University in St. Louis and the Brown School
    1. The NASW Code of Ethics states:
      http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp
    2. Washington University in St. Louis states:
      http://www.wustl.edu/policies/discrimination.html
    3. Brown School Student Handbook