Association of Amherst Students (AAS) AAS Bylaws

 Table of Contents

1. Executive Branch
2. AAS Budget Percentages
3. Master General Fund
4. Recognized Club Budget Allocation
5. Discretionary Funding
6. Check Requests and Purchase Orders
7. Guidelines for Evaluation During Recognition and Review
8. Committee Elections
9. Oath of Office
10. Awards
11. Roles and Powers of the Judiciary Council in Reviewing Referenda
12. Disbursement of the Student Activities Fee
13. Posting of Minutes
14. Campaigning for Elections and Referenda
15. Guidelines for Senate Projects
16. Ex Post Facto Budgetary Requests
17. Rules of Order
18. The Presidential Cabinet
19. Amending the Bylaws
20. The AAS Email Account
21. Standing and Special Committees
22. At-large Committee Seats
23. E-Board Positions
24. The AAS Website
25. Communications Director
26. Van Clerk
27. Committee Participation
28. Impeachment Procedure
29. Eligibility in the Case of Removal

1. Executive Branch

   1. The Executive Branch shall organize a retreat early in the year including orientation for using Parliamentary Procedure.
   2. The President shall submit addresses for publication at least twice a semester.
   3. The Vice-President shall oversee the hiring of a recording assistant and substitutes. The assistant’s responsibilities include but are not limited to recording all business of the Senate meetings and distribute to all elected officials and make available to the student body records of the proceedings of all Senate meetings.
   4. The Vice-President shall also have the duty of defining and announcing the absence policy in any way they see fit (possibly including “half absences”). This policy may be altered at any point during the year but also may be overturned by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Senate. If the Senate so rejects the absence policy, the Vice President is to redefine it addressing the grievances of the Senate.
   5. The Treasurer shall oversee the hiring of all staff positions regarding budgetary responsibilities including an accountant and/or treasurer assistant(s).
   6. The Secretary of the AAS shall also have exclusive use of all-student correspondence lists.

CONTENTS

1. AAS Budget Percentages

   These budgets shall include a breakdown in amount and percentages of the funds to be used for master general, recognized club budget allocation, and discretionary funding. These percentages shall vary by no more than ten (10) percentage points from those set below. The percentages shall be set as follows:

   . The percentages shall be set as follows:

   1. Master General Fund (40%)
   2. Operating Budget of the Association of Amherst Students (60%)
      1. Recognized Club Budget Allocations (40%)
      2. Discretionary Fund (20%)

CONTENTS

1. Master General Fund

   1. The Senate must approve, by majority vote, allocations from the Master General Fund to Master General fees and organizations. The Master General Fund shall include the following fees and organizations:
      1. Five-College Fine Arts Fee
      2. Pioneer Valley Transport Authority (PVTA)
      3. Five College Student Coordinating Board Dues
      4. On-Campus Master General Organizations
         1. Olio
         2. Powerhouse Committee
         3. Campus Activities Board (CAB)
         4. Senate Projects Fund
   2. Master General Fund clubs are subject to any special requirements decided on by the Senate before approval of the Master General allocation.
   3. Rules Governing Mid-Semester Changes Made to Master General Allocations The Senate will be empowered to modify the dollar amount allocated to an organization through the Master General Fund only in cases of:
      1. Gross negligence or malfeasance on the part of the organization receiving Master General funding or its members,
      2. Repeated failure of said organization to adhere to the AAS Constitution and Bylaws, or its own constitution or governing documents, if any,
      3. Circumstances to which the AAS must adapt to significant new financial liabilities, the nature of which may include but may not be limited to
         1. a lawsuit brought against the Association,
         2. a reduction of the Student Activities Fee imposed on the Association by the College or its Trustees,
         3. other unforeseen expenditures that are necessary in order to preserve the quality of student life
   4. Rules Governing Funding Campus Activities Board from the Operating Budget of the AAS No Campus Activities Board initiative, nor any initiative receiving in excess of $4,000 in co-sponsorships from Campus Activities Board, shall be eligible for allocations from the AAS Operating Budget (including the Discretionary Fund) unless the following criteria are met:
      1. Campus Activities Board requests an exception from the Treasurer at least one (1) week in advance of the Budgetary Committee meeting at which they plan to make their request,
      2. Any allocation made to the Campus Activities Board out of the AAS Operating Budget is approved by a two-third (2/3) majority of the Senate.
   5. Rules Governing the Transparency of the Campus Activities Board
      1. Campus Activities Board will be required to take minutes of their meetings. These minutes should be made available online to the student body within two days of the organization’s next scheduled meeting.
      2. In the interest of holding the Campus Activities Board to the same standards of accountability to which the AAS holds the Senate, all Campus Activities Board initiatives which disburse in excess of $10,000 from the portion of their respective budgets allocated by the AAS shall be approved by school-wide referendum conducted by the Elections Committee according to the rules for Discretionary Fund referenda under Bylaw V section F.
   6. The Treasurer or the Senate by majority vote may request an itemized list of all funds disbursed during the current academic year from any organization receiving allocations from the Master General Fund.
      
       

CONTENTS

1. Recognized Club Budget Allocation

   1. AAS recognized organizations shall submit budgets that cover their spending for the following semester. The following guidelines shall be followed when submitting budgets. Form of Budgets:
      1. Budgets shall be as specific as possible.
      2. All budgets shall be itemized by line and include a description of each line item and the expected cost of each item.
      3. All budgets shall contain the official name of the requesting organization and the names and contact information of the organization liaison.
   2. No spring semester funds may be spent in the fall. Furthermore, funds allocated for the fall semester that are not used shall be returned to the discretionary fund. Student organizations that know they will not be using any given portion of allocated funds should return them to the discretionary fund.
   3. Organizations newly recognized during a semester shall not apply for a budget until being approved by the Judiciary Council, becoming an RSO with the Student Activities Office, and being active for three (3) continuous semesters. Active shall be defined as maintaining regular membership, holding regular meetings, and making use of the Discretionary Fund when necessary.
   4. Funds in a Club Budget can only be reallocated for like items, so long as they follow all policies, especially the Food Rule, as set forth by the current Budgetary Committee.
   5. Private functions (for instance a meal with a speaker) involving one or more members of an organization shall not be funded except when there are meetings scheduled for the entire organization.
   6. Only AAS recognized organizations shall be eligible for initial club budget allocations.

CONTENTS

1. Discretionary Funding

   1. Discretionary funding is available to any Amherst student or student organization. It may be used to supplement an organization's budget in order to bring speakers, or any other events that shall serve the Amherst College community.
   2. The process for applying for funding is outlined below:
      1. Each student or organization shall submit a detailed event proposal and budget, including any proposed contracts, to the Budgetary Committee and Student Leadership and Engagement (SEL) in advance of the proposed event.
      2. The Budgetary Committee shall review the event proposal and decide how much funding the proposed event shall receive.
      3. At the following Senate meeting, the Treasurer shall present the recommended allocation of discretionary monies.
      4. The Treasurer shall contact the student or student organizations within twenty-four (24) hours of the discretionary funding decision
      5. Groups may re-apply for Discretionary monies.
   3. In evaluating these Discretionary requests, the Senate shall consider the following criteria:
      1. Benefit to campus
      2. Number of students affected
      3. Student interest
   4. In the case that discretionary funding is needed before the next Senate meeting, students or student organizations may apply for up to $500 of discretionary funding. This request shall be made in writing to the Treasurer at least forty-eight (48) hours before the next regularly scheduled Budgetary Committee meeting, and will be decided upon at the next regularly scheduled Budgetary Committee meeting. The Treasurer will be required to report any requests to the Senate.
   5. All carry over from the previous semester shall be redistributed in the following semester’s Discretionary Fund.
      1. The carry over shall be calculated and announced to the Senate by the first regularly scheduled Senate meeting of each semester by the Treasurer.
   6. Any discretionary request for a single event of $10,000 or more that has been previously approved by the Senate shall go to a school wide referendum within seven (7) days of Senate approval. An affirmative vote by a simple majority of voters is required to finalize the allocation. If no such majority is garnered, no funding shall be allocated.

CONTENTS

1. Check Requests

   1. Students and student organizations may pay for items from discretionary funding or their allocated budgets in the following ways:
      1. Direct check requests
      2. Reimbursement checks
      3. Debit card usage
   2. Direct check requests can be used if students or student organizations know the exact amount of a purchase. Upon presentation of an invoice, they may request to have a check cut in the vendor's name for that amount.
      1. Requests should be made so that the Treasurer shall have at least 7 days to cut the check and distribute it to the student, student organization, or vendor.
   3. Students who use their own money to fund events for student organizations may request reimbursement checks. These students shall be reimbursed for those purchases with detailed receipts of purchases. The Treasurer shall have fourteen (14) days from time of student submission to cut the check and distribute it, provided that all necessary forms are submitted and filled out correctly.
   4. Any student can use the AAS debit card to make purchases for their organization. Requests to use the debit/credit card shall be submitted to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have fourteen (14) days from the time of a request to set an appointment with the student in the AAS office to make an online or telephone purchase with the debit/credit card. The debit/credit card may not be used for direct purchases outside the AAS office, unless made directly by the Treasurer.

CONTENTS

1. Guidelines for Evaluation During Recognition and Review

   1. These criteria shall be used to ascertain status of organizations and shall affect Review and Recognition. The organization shall:
      1. Submit:
         1. A mission statement outlining its unique role and purpose on campus
         2. A leadership/organization chart (positions only, no names are necessary)
         3. A statement of non-discrimination consistent with the AAS Constitution.
      2. Participate in the club fair held during Orientation.
      3. Be registered with the school via the Campus Center.
      4. Hold at least one (1) regularly scheduled meeting per semester.
      5. Submit to the Judiciary Council a list of events from the previous semester. New clubs shall submit a list of proposed events for the upcoming semester.
      6. Not charge entrance fees for Amherst College students to attend events unless specifically approved by the AAS Senate.
      7. Provide the Judiciary Council with the name and contact information of the top contact (President/Leader/Captain) of the club along with the name and contact information of a club member who is a non-senior.
      8. Solicit student opinions.
      9. Be visible, open, inviting, and provide quality programming for campus.

CONTENTS

1. Committee Elections

   1. Any Senator wishing to run for a committee position shall submit their name to the Vice-President of the AAS, who shall conduct these committee elections. Those receiving the greatest number of votes shall be on the committees. In the case of a tie vote relevant to the outcome of the committee position elections, another vote shall be taken between those parties receiving the tie votes. Every Senator shall have as many votes as there are positions on any specific committee.
   2. The Dean of Students will hold a mandatory meeting for any Senators interested in joining the Community Standards Review Board prior to the meeting when committee elections will take place.

CONTENTS

1. Oath of Office

   1. For the purposes of clarity and ethics, every elected member of the Association of Amherst Students shall recite an oath of office. Any member-elect unable to attend their swearing-in ceremony shall email an affirmation before the ceremony. The emailed affirmation shall be publicly announced by the person administering the oath. All members-elect must recite their oath before they may exercise their constitutional powers.
   2. Executive Branch oath.The President-elect, Vice-President-elect, Treasurer-elect and Secretary-elect shall publicly recite their oath at the last official meeting of the sitting Senate. The oath shall be administered by the Judiciary Council Chair and in their absence another member of the Judiciary Council.
      1. I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, or Secretary) of the Association of Amherst Students, and will to the best of my ability represent the students of Amherst College by fulfilling my responsibilities as specified in the Constitution. I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and understand that I shall be held accountable by my peers.
   3. Judiciary Branch oath.The Chair-elect of the Judiciary Council and the four members-elect shall recite their oath at the last official meeting of the sitting Senate. The oath shall be administered by the President-elect of the AAS, and in their absence the Vice-President-elect of the AAS.
      1. I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of Judiciary Council member of the Association of Amherst Students, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Association of Amherst Students. I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and understand that I shall be held accountable by my peers.
   4. Senate oath.The Senators elected by their classes in the Spring shall recite their oath at the last official meeting of the sitting Senate. The oath shall be administered by the Chair-elect of the Judiciary Council, and in their absence another member-elect of the Judiciary Council.
      1. I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of Senator of the Association of Amherst Students, and will to the best of my ability represent the students of my class by fulfilling my responsibilities as specified in the Constitution. I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and understand that I shall be held accountable by my peers.
   5. Mid-year elections. All Executive Branch members, Judiciary Council members, and Senators elected or appointed mid-year shall recite their oaths within two weeks of their elections at an official meeting of the Senate. The Judiciary Council Chair, or in their absence another member of the Judiciary Council, shall administer the oath to all Executive Branch members-elect and to all Senators-elect and the President of the AAS shall administer the oath to all Judiciary Council members-elect. If not possible, the President or Judiciary Council Chair shall administer the oaths via email and publicly announce them during an official meeting of the Senate.

CONTENTS

1. Awards

   1. Instituted in 2000, the AAS Distinguished Teaching Award is an annual celebration of teaching excellence at the college. Through this award the AAS hopes to recognize the profound importance that involved, engaging and dedicated professors have upon our college experience.
      1. The AAS Distinguished Teaching Award shall be administered by the members of the Executive Board.

CONTENTS

1. Roles and Powers of the Judiciary Council in Reviewing Referenda

   This bylaw describes the powers and responsibilities of the Judiciary Council in their review of referenda brought to bear via petition by the student body under Article X, Section A. The Judiciary Council shall review and evaluate the language of the proposed referendum in order to ensure that

   1. All implications of its passage comply with the Constitution of the AAS and its Bylaws, any extant contracts between the AAS and third parties, as well as applicable state and federal laws;
   2. It is factually accurate;
   3. In claiming, by virtue of its proposal under Article X, to yield binding results, the proposed referendum does not arrogate powers unto itself that it does not possess under the laws, rules and agreements detailed under bullet one.

CONTENTS

1. Disbursement of the Student Activities Fee

   1. Any allocation that disburses revenue from the Student Activities Fee shall be approved by a majority vote of the Senate, in accordance with Article IV, Section A, which endows the Senate Budgetary Committee with authority over the Student Activities Fee.
   2. A referendum initiated by a petition of the student body in accordance with Article X, Section A shall be the sole exception to this rule, with the stipulation that if the implications of the passage of said referendum involve an allocation in excess of $10,000 from the Operating Budget of the AAS, then that referendum shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority approval from the student body in order to effect said allocation.

CONTENTS

1. Posting of Minutes

   1. It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary, in consultation with the staff minute-taker, to ensure that Senate meeting minutes are posted.
   2. Minutes of all meetings of the AAS Senate, in addition to any legislative texts, including but not limited to surveys, referenda, resolutions, bylaws and constitutional amendments, shall be posted to the AAS website within three (3) days of the meeting at which they are approved.

CONTENTS

1. Campaigning for Elections and Referenda

   1. All campaigning and petitioning in relation to the AAS election and referendum processes shall be limited to members of the Association of Amherst Students (see “Composition of the Association of Amherst Students”).

CONTENTS

1. Guidelines for Senate Projects

   1. Students may form groups composed of not more than four (4) senators to work together on large projects.
   2. Funding from these projects will be derived from the "Senate Fund" portion of the Master General Fund. In the event the "Senate Fund" is depleted, requests may go through the discretionary processes as though it were a normal discretionary request from a club or other non-AAS associated entity.
   3. On the Last Monday of March, Senators must submit their progress, including purpose, procedures, and outcomes for their project to the Judiciary Council Chair.
   4. Judiciary Council members will review and make recommendations regarding which Senators have successfully completed the requirement. The Judiciary Council may recommend that a Senator has "completed" their project if and only if they are absolutely certain that the project will be completed by the end of that academic year, even if it has not been completed when the report is filed (i.e. an event has been completely scheduled and booked when the report is filed, but the actual event will not take place until after the last Monday of March).
   5. Senators who fail to complete their project as determined by the Judiciary Council recommendations will be barred from re-election to Senate or to any other E-Board position for one year, ending in the first week of April in the year following.

CONTENTS

1. Ex Post Facto Budgetary Requests

   1. The AAS will only fund ex post facto requests when either the AAS is at fault through administrative error or the students responsible for requesting funding are involved in cases which include but are not limited to medical impairment, disciplinary action, and personal tragedy.
   2. In order to fairly evaluate requests of a sensitive nature while also protecting student privacy, a committee composed of three (3) students serving on the Community Standards Review Board, one (1) student on the Budgetary Committee, and the Judiciary Council Chair is tasked with evaluating such cases. With regards to funding requests, a majority vote of the committee would be sufficient to recommend waiving the ex post facto restrictions on funding. Students who make the funding request may ask for this committee’s recommendation at their discretion. This applies to requests made within one year of the expenditure being considered.

CONTENTS

1. Rules of Order

   1. The Senate of the AAS follows Robert’s Rules as laid out at http://www.rulesonline.com/index.htmlwith several exceptions:
      1. Members are not limited to speaking at most twice per round of debate.
      2. Modifications to the rules of order are made as bylaws.
      3. The Vice President shall limit or extend debate with unanimous consent. If a Senator objects, the limitation or extension goes to a vote. It must pass by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
      4. A Senator may ask unanimous consent to put the matter at hand to a vote by saying, “call.” If there is an objection, debate continues. Otherwise, the Vice President shall bring the question to a vote.
      5. If order lapses during the course of a debate, an objection by a single Senator must reinstate order.
      6. The Senate may choose by a majority vote to extend full debate participation rights to non-AAS guests. Absent such a vote, non-AAS guests may only speak when placed on the agenda or when yielded to by a member of the AAS.
      7. The Senate may choose by unanimous consent to take an amendment as friendly. If a Senator objects, the amendment must be put to a vote.
      8. All internal committee elections in the Senate shall be conducted by secret vote, where the Senators put their heads down and raise their hands to indicate their votes. The Executive Board members will count the votes. If any Senator wishes to hide their vote from the Executive Board, they may insist on a secret paper ballot. These elections must remain secret, so senators may not call for division of the assembly or to have each member’s votes recorded in the minutes.
      9. Votes outside of a meeting of the Senate may be conducted via email or GroupMe. The Vice President will open voting by emailing all the Senators. The Vice President will open voting by creating a twenty-four (24) hour poll. The vote will operate just as an in-Senate meeting would.

CONTENTS

1. The Presidential Cabinet

   1. The President of the Association of Amherst Students shall have the power to appoint a Cabinet of students to aid in both advising and carrying out their responsibilities. These officials shall:
      1. Be appointed by the President of the Association of Amherst Students with the consent of a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
      2. Serve at the pleasure of the President of the AAS.
      3. Be subject to the procedures of impeachment and removal that are outlined in Article VIII of the Constitution.
      4. Have the right to request Senate funds as a special appointee of the President.
   2. The nature and title of all new positions shall be described by the President in writing to the Senate before the Senate considers approving any candidate for the position. If the position has been utilized the year before by the President of the AAS in their cabinet, then this position shall be considered presumptively continuing, and the position shall not be subject to the approval of the Senate.

CONTENTS

1. Amending the Bylaws

   1. The Senate may amend the AAS Bylaws by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those voting.

CONTENTS

1. The AAS Email Account

   1. The AAS email account and email lists may only be used for official AAS purposes, including but not limited to announcements regarding elections, referenda, amendments, at-large committee seats, surveys, Senate projects and AAS vans.
      
      The budgetary email and listserv may only be used for official AAS treasury purposes, including but not limited to Budgetary Committee meeting times, club budget deadlines and funding policies. 

CONTENTS

1. Standing and Special Committees

   1. AAS committees shall be divided into three categories: Constitutional Committees, Standing Committees and Special Committees. Unless otherwise noted in the AAS Constitution or Bylaws, all Constitutional, Standing and Special Committees will follow the rules for committees outlined in Robert’s Rules of Order.
   2. Constitutional Committees shall be codified in the AAS Constitution
   3. Standing Committees shall be codified in the AAS Bylaws. The purview and composition of each Standing Committee must be listed in the AAS Bylaws.
   4. Special Committees shall be approved by a majority vote of the AAS Senate.  The purpose and goals of each Special Committee must be approved by the AAS Senate and must be listed online.
   5. AAS members of Constitutional, Standing, Special, Faculty and Trustee Committees must be listed online and updated regularly.
   6. Standing AAS Committees are listed below:
      1. The Transportation Committee consists of five (5) senators and the AAS secretary ex officio.
      2. The committee shall organize and execute shuttle service for students to Bradley International Airport and Boston during appropriate vacations.
      3. The committee shall work to improve PVTA service for Amherst students and make appropriate recommendations to the AAS Senate regarding changes in PVTA dues.
      4. The committee is charged with the maintenance and improvement of the AAS vanpool. The AAS Secretary retains discretion over the day-to-day operation of the AAS vanpool.
      5. The Food Systems Committee consists of three (3) senators and two (2) at-large members appointed by the AAS Senate.
      6. The committee will work closely with the Director of Dining Services and the Executive Chef to improve food systems on campus.
      7. The committee will help to create surveys to better gauge student opinion at least once a year.
      8. The Five College Student Coordinating Board will consist of one (1) Senator and the AAS President.
      9. The Five College Student Coordinating Board is a collaboration of students from Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst The Board serves as an enabling body to initiate, support, and promote interaction and cooperation among the institutions and their students. The Board can make recommendations to the Directors of the Five Colleges with proposals for improved cooperation.
      10. Because of the wide range of academic, social, and recreational opportunities available within each institution and the Pioneer Valley, the Board is committed to:
          1. Encouraging students to make full use of the opportunities and resources of all campuses
          2. Improving communication about issues each campus faces and means to address them
          3. Sponsoring events to encourage interaction and meet student needs and concerns
          4. Assisting in the advertisement of events and activities at the other campuses
      11. The Orientation and First-Year Life Committee shall be comprised of five (5) senators, two (2) of which shall be first-year senators.
      12. The committee, generally charged with addressing First-Year issues, shall be tasked with:
          1. Organizing Orientation week AAS events, including the AAS table at the club fair
          2. Sending one representative to the faculty Orientation Committee
          3. Creating and maintaining a closed Facebook group for the incoming/prospective Amherst class to provide a safe, secure, and accessible avenue for Amherst prospects to gather online
      13. The Arts Committee shall consist of three (3) senators and three (3) at-large members
      14. The Arts Committee will make the arts more visible and accessible on campus. The committee will spread visual arts, dance, music, theatre, and other arts through public events, exhibits, and provision of creative space. The committee is charged with enhancing the creative expression of the student body.
      15. The committee will organize public exhibits of art by Amherst students, maintaining and rotating "gallery" around campus.
      16. The committee will maintain the various pieces of musical equipment not under the purview of the music department, including equipment in Marsh (the Arts House) and in the basement of James and Stearns.
      17. The committee will continually seek new and unique opportunities to advance art creation and appreciation on campus. 
      18. The Student Town Advisory Board consists of one Senator and one at-large member appointed by the AAS Senate.
      19. The Student Town Advisory Board is a collaboration of
          students from Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Board establishes an official line of communication and collaboration between the Town of Amherst and the Students of the various Colleges.
      20. The Student Town Advisory Board shall work together for the common good of the town and institutions by providing advice for best practices, business relations, economic development, media relations, housing policies and any other matters that would impact students living in the Amherst area.
      21. The Student Town Advisory Board meets twice per semester and more often as needed; additional meetings may be requested by both the Students and the Town Manager. The agenda for each such meeting shall include a feedback opportunity for Town issues impacting, or of interest to, students.
      22. Recommendations from the group shall be acted upon directly or forwarded to the appropriate body or stakeholder/s for further consideration and action.

CONTENTS

1. At-large Committee Seats

   1. The following seats are allocated to members of the student body at large:
      1. Arts Committee: three (3) at-large members
      2. Budgetary Committee: two (2) at-large members
      3. College Council: three (3) at-large members
      4. Dreamers Committee: three (3) at-large members
      5. JED Committee: three (3) at-large members
      6. Judiciary Council: four (4) at-large members
      7. Mental Health Committee: two (2) at-large members
      8. Physical Education and Athletics: one (1) at-large member
      9. Powerhouse Committee: three (3) at-large members
      10. Student Town Advisory Board: one (1) at-large member
      11. Student-Trustee Relations Board: three (3) at-large members
      12. Title IX Committee: three (3) at-large members
      13. Wellbeing Steering Committee: three (3) at-large members
   2. If any of these seats cannot be filled by students-at-large, or if the Senate rejects all applications by students-at-large, the senate is authorized to elect a Senator to fill the seat.

1. E-Board Positions

   1. The Elections Committee Chair shall at the beginning of the second semester or three weeks prior to a mid-semester Executive Branch election notify the student body of the Executive Branch election schedule, outline the responsibilities of each position and encourage potential candidates to contact the current members of the Executive Board to learn what training is necessary for each position.

1. The AAS Website

   1. In the case that the Secretary is running in an election, they shall be removed from the permissions group “Elections” until results are publically released.
   2. The Treasurer shall be granted editorial control of the Budgetary tab on the website.
   3. Approved amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws shall be submitted to the Secretary by the Judiciary Council Chair. The Secretary shall update relevant pages of the website.
   4. The entire AAS Senate, along with the Executive Board and the staff minute-taker shall constitute the permissions group “AAS Senate” and be granted viewing access to the Senate Docs section of the website and other relevant sections.
   5. The creation and maintenance of other permissions groups or individual permissions shall be left to the discretion of the Secretary and a majority vote of the Senate.
   6. Maintenance and management of the AAS website shall ultimately be the responsibility of the Secretary. Substantive changes to the website shall require the approval of a majority of the Senate.
   7. The Secretary is required to train anyone with editorial permissions on a section of the website in web management, should they request or require training.
   8. The Secretary and Director of Student Engagement and Leadership shall comprise the permissions group “AAS,” which will have access to and editorial control over the entire website with the exception of the “Elections admin” page.
   9. The Elections Committee Chair shall constitute the permissions group “Elections,” which shall have access to the “elections admin” page of the website and live elections results. No one running in an election may have access to this page during an election. Information contained on this page is strictly confidential. Transmittance of the results while polls are open or within twenty-four (24) hours of the polls closing constitutes a violation of elections rules.
   10. Further website permissions shall be organized as follows.

•  

  1. Communications Director

     1. The Communications Director will actively spearhead student outreach efforts on behalf of the AAS. Operating under the supervision of the Executive branch, the Communications director will be responsible for attending all AAS Senate meetings and major AAS-sponsored events and gatherings (e.g. town hall meetings), publishing some form of weekly release readily available to all Amherst students (e.g. Amherst Student article, weekly wrap-up video, update email etc.), and managing the AAS’s public social media accounts by regularly posting about AAS activity throughout the week. The student will also be expected to stay in touch with AAS members about their ongoing projects and stances on campus issues. The Director will be paid a semesterly stipend of $300 in addition to $10/hour spent at Senate and other mandatory meetings.