Article I: Name and organization​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Ut Lyle vivat.

 

Stephenson Scholarship Hall is one of several scholarship halls in the University of Kansas Scholarship Hall System, built primarily as a result of donations supplied by Lyle and Grace Stephenson in 1952. A Scholarship Hall Director is employed by the Department of Student Housing to serve as the advisor to the hall and to act as a liaison between the hall officers and the Residence Life office.

 

Article II: Executive Council​

 

Section 1: Elected officers to the Stephenson Scholarship Hall government shall consist of the following and shall be referred to as the Executive Council:

 

1) President

 

2) Vice-President

 

3) Treasurer

 

4) Secretary

 

5) ASHC Representative/Alumni Chair

 

6) Health Officer

 

7) Social Chairmen (3)

 

8) Athletic Chairmen (2)

 

9) Community Service Chairman

 

10) ARC Chairman

 

11) Environment Chair

 

Section 2 - Hall Government Officers' duties shall consist of the following​​​​​​​​​​​

 

     1) President

 

          a) Duties

 

    As the hall's chief executive, the President shall preside over and coordinate the activities of the hall government and its meetings. The President will furthermore be responsible to represent the interests of Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents at all university functions and for reporting relevant information to the residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall to the hall government. The President shall have the authority to call meetings of the Executive Council and of the hall residents. The President shall also be responsible for posting an agenda, with the assistance of the Secretary, at least five (5) days prior to all general meetings of Stephenson Scholarship Hall. The President shall give a “State of the Hall” address one week prior to each regularly scheduled hall meeting, this address sent through email or posted in a public forum.

 

         b) Executive Powers

 

                1) The President shall reserve the right to appoint Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents to special committees as the need arises. The President in his best judgment shall appoint those residents he deems most capable to serve the requirements of the committee unless challenged by any voting resident of Stephenson Scholarship Hall.

 

               2) If a President's appointee is challenged by a voting resident of Stephenson Scholarship Hall, then the nomination of that appointee to the committee in question will be determined by a simple majority vote of the hall government.

 

               3) To maintain order at meetings of the hall government, the President shall maintain the right to recommend that Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents who are repeatedly disruptive at meetings of the hall government be required to go before the Judiciary Board to be tried as defendants. Any person who shall not be in attendance of the hall meeting must contact the President or Proctor about such an absence in writing prior to the meeting.

 

4) The President has the power to penalize Executive Board members who are believed to have fallen short of their duties in the form of a Judicial Board. This must be approved by the majority of the Executive Board members.

 

      2) Vice-President

 

The Vice-President shall perform all of the duties of the President in the President's absence.  The Vice-President shall also serve as the Chairman of the Judiciary Board committee, adhering to the rules and regulations established by the Department of Residence Life, and the Stephenson Scholarship Hall government governing Judiciary Board conduct. The Vice-President shall also seek to organize, improve, and for Stephenson Scholarship Hall academic resources. He will also be responsible for maintaining and updating the Constitution. He will also act as parliamentarian during hall functions, meaning that he will be responsible for informing the hall about the functions of hall government, meeting procedure, etc. as outlined in the Constitution. The Vice-President shall lead the hall in a Constitutional review at least once every three years.

 

      3) Treasurer

 

    The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the Stephenson Scholarship Hall social fund budget, including preserving all receipts for expenditures, maintaining a detailed ledger, and presenting a Treasurer's report at all hall meetings. The Treasurer shall also be prepared to present his ledger to the President or the Scholarship Hall Director upon request. The Treasurer shall present a current social fund balance at all hall meetings. The Treasurer shall issue financial disbursements to persons or businesses from the Stephenson Scholarship Hall social fund when authorized to do so by a legitimate majority vote of the Stephenson Scholarship Hall government in a timely fashion. These disbursements must also receive a signature from the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director.

 

 

 

     4) Secretary

 

    The Stephenson Scholarship Hall Secretary shall record minutes of all Stephenson Scholarship Hall meetings, as well as keep all previous minutes of meetings. The Secretary shall be responsible for displaying minutes within three days after each meeting in a location to be decided by a simple vote of the Executive Council. The Secretary shall also be responsible for the forwarding of all Stephenson Scholarship Hall mail to former residents. The Secretary shall curate and maintain test files for the use of hall residents as well as maintaining previous minutes as well.

 

 

 

      5) ASHC Representative

 

    The AHSC Representative shall be responsible for attending all ASHC meetings and reporting back to the hall all information that affects Stephenson Scholarship Hall. The ASHC Representative is the designated representative of Stephenson Scholarship Hall at all ASHC functions for voting functions.

 

 

 

6) Alumni Chair/Historian

The Alumni Chairman shall be responsible for all communication with Stephenson alumnus, including producing an annual newsletter to be sent to alumni, a copy of which shall be filed in the hall. The Alumni Chairman shall also maintain a record of Stephenson alumnus by obtaining from the Secretary at the end of each academic year the permanent addresses of each non-returning resident. It shall also be the responsibility of the Alumni Chairman to coordinate and plan for a hall photo to be taken each academic year. It is the duty of the Alumni Chair/Historian to compile and update the so-called Stephenson Bible. The Stephenson Bible is a collection of any noteworthy events or storys occurring in the Hall or involving Hall alumni (e.g. humorous stories, a notable achievement by alumni).

 

 

 

     7) Health Officer

 

    The Health Chairman shall act as a liaison between Stephenson Scholarship Hall and campus physical and mental health care facilities. - The Health Officer should also conduct and/or arrange seminars designed to provide Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents with information pertaining to improving physical and mental health. The Health Officer shall also be responsible for maintaining the hall's first aid kit and condom supply. It is the duty of the Health Officer to host the Manliest Lyleman Decathlon every year. This is a competition involving a series of events testing one’s manly abilities (e.g. a beard competition following No-Shave November).

 

     8) Social Chairmen

 

    There shall be three Social Chairmen, at least one being a Newman, and they shall be responsible for planning and logistics of Stephenson Scholarship Hall's major social events, as well as designing a social calendar in conjunction with the wishes of the hall government and the approval of the Department of Student Housing. The Social Chairmen, if they desire, may appoint other Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents to social committees to assist in planning social events.  Appointees must be approved by a simple majority vote of the hall government. The Social Chairmen shall represent Stephenson Scholarship Hall at All Scholarship Hall Council (ASHC) Social Committee meetings. Two social chairs are expected to attend each Stephenson Scholarship Hall social event and at least one social chair is expected to attend the social events of other halls.

 

 

 

     9) Athletic Chairmen

 

    There shall be two Athletic Chairmen, at least one shall be a Newman. They coordinate and plan all Stephenson Scholarship Hall athletic activities. The Athletic Chairmen shall also actively recruit Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents to participate in and represent Stephenson Scholarship Hall at all university athletic events. The Athletic Chairmen should be present at all meetings of the University Intramural Managers. The athletic chairmen shall be responsible for organizing the purchasing of intramural t-shirts and organizing camping for sporting events.

 

 

 

     10) Community Service Chairman

 

- The Community Service Chairman shall be responsible for coordinating all volunteer and community events that in which Stephenson Scholarship Hall takes part as well as informing the ASHC of the number of community service hours performed by Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents in. This includes, but is not limited to, organizing at least one community service project each semester that the hall is open each semester.

 

​

 

     11) ARC Chairman

 

– The ARC chairman shall be responsible for maintaining the hall website, generating the hall list serve as needed, organizing the ARC room, and informing the Scholarship Hall Director of needed supplies for the ARC room.

 

     12) Environmental Chairman

 

The Environmental Chair shall research and work to improve the hall’s sustainability and shall work with the environmental chairs of other halls and shall conduct one environmentally-related event per year.

 

 

​

Section 3: Attendance​

 

     1) Each member of the Executive Board is expected to be present at all Executive Board meetings, as well as at least one member of Student Housing (Stephenson Hall Director, Proctor, or Food Board Manager). Each member will be allowed two absences will be allowed per semester. If more than two absences occur, then that member shall be up for review by the Executive Board, which may result in impeachment. It is important that members of the Executive Board attend Executive Board meetings in order to create agendas for general hall meetings and preserve the sound function of the hall.

 

     2) All absences of Executive Board members shall be recorded by the Secretary and shall be included in the minutes.

 

 Article III: Elections

Section 1: Member Eligibility​

 

     1) The following Executive Board Positions have the indicated eligibility requirements:

 

a) President and Vice-President

 

The Stephenson Scholarship Hall resident must have resided in Stephenson Scholarship Hall for at least one full academic year (two semesters).

 

b) Treasurer and Secretary

 

The Stephenson Scholarship Hall resident must have resided in Stephenson Scholarship Hall for at least half of one full academic year (one semester).

 

c) ASHC Representative / Alumni Chair, Health Officer, Social Chairmen, Athletic Chairmen,             Community Service Chairman, Environmental Chair and ARC Chairman

 

All Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents are eligible for these positions.

 

Any Executive Board Position not indicated in this clause will be assumed to be open to all Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents.

 

 

 

2) Only Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents who have paid their relevant housing fees may be eligible for elected positions.

 

 

 

     3) No one resident shall hold more than one elected Executive Council position at one time.

 

 

Section 2: Procedures​

 

     1) Elections shall be held at the last hall meeting each semester each academic year in the spring semester for all Executive Board positions.

 

 

 

     2) Dates of pending elections shall be made available to the residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall at least five days prior to all elections.

 

 

 

     3) Vacancies shall be filled by special election, with the date to be determined by simple majority vote of the hall government. Elections must be held within four weeks of the vacancy. Until special elections can be held, the President may appoint temporary appointees until the position can be filled.

 

 

 

     4) Discussion of candidates and nominations shall take place with the candidates not in the room. The candidates will not be present when the vote is made.

 

 

 

     5) All Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents, except the SHD, returning the next semester to live in Stephenson Scholarship Hall shall be eligible to vote in elections.

 

 

 

     6) A simple plurality of total votes is required for election to any Executive Board position. In the event of a tie, a run-off election shall be held between the tied candidates. In the event of a second tie, the deciding vote shall be cast by the President.

 

 

Article IV: Hall Government​​​​​​​​​​​

Section 1: Definition

 

     1) The term 'hall government' shall be defined as all eligible voting residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall and the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director. A resident shall be defined as the SHD, the Proctor, Food Board Manager, and all persons recognized by the Housing Department as officially living in Stephenson Scholarship Hall.

 

     2) A quorum of the Hall Government shall consist of all of the following:

 

          a) Either the President or the Vice-president;

 

          b) A minimum of three Executive Council members in addition to the President ((or Vice-president in the case of the President’s absence)) for a total of at least four Executive Board members

 

          c)  and At least half of the Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents.

 

When a quorum is not present, official legislation may not occur. An attempt to notify all Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents shall be made five days prior to each Hall government meeting where legislation is to be presented. Exceptions to this would be the first meetings of each semester and special meetings called on short notice.

 

 

 

     3) A proposal must receive a simple majority to pass.

 

 

 

     4) The hall government shall meet no less than one time per calendar month during the regular academic school year.

 

     5) All residents shall attend all hall meetings. Failure to do so will result in a J-Board. Whether an absence will be excused is the prerogative of the President and Proctor.

 

Section 2: Functions​

 

     1) Hall Government will mediate in the interests of Stephenson Scholarship Hall in Student Senate, ASHC, the Department of Student Housing, and in all other matters which affects the residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall.

 

 

 

     2) Hall Government will regulate all cash flow in the Stephenson Scholarship Hall social fund with the approval of the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director.

 

 

 

     3) Hall Government meetings shall be open to all residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall, the Scholarship Hall Director, the Proctor, Food Board Manager, and all other Student Housing representatives. All other persons must obtain the permission of the hall government to be approved, by a simple majority vote.

 

 

 

     4) Strategic Planning meetings may be held by the Executive Board, Scholarship Hall Director, and Proctor in private.

 

 

 

     5) All legislative action to be given consideration by Hall Government shall be passed by a simple majority unless otherwise noted in this constitution.

 

Legislation to be given consideration by Hall Government shall extend to all matters which affect Stephenson Scholarship Hall or its residents.

 

     6) Any resident of Stephenson Scholarship Hall may make a motion or proposal.

 

     7) All Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents are eligible to vote at meetings of the hall government except the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director.

 

Article V: Scholarship Hall Director​​​​​​​​​​​

Section 1: The Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director shall serve as the advisor to the Stephenson Scholarship Hall government and will be appointed by the Department of Student Housing. The duties of the director include, but are not limited to:

 

     1) To serve as a resource for hall governance, including advisory, judiciary, and other student boards while aiding in the development of student leaders.

 

     2) To work closely with hall officers to manage hall operations and to identify and meet residents' needs.

 

     3) To work with residents to plan a balanced, healthy diet within a food allowance determined by the Department of Student Housing.

 

     4) To serve as a liaison between Stephenson Scholarship Hall and the university administration, representing each to the other in student personnel and other concerns.

 

     5) To serve as the advisor to the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Government.

 

     6) Shall present a fact of interest during hall meetings, which shall pertain to nothing of import to hall members.

 

 

​Section 2: Scholarship Hall Director Selection

The Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director will be appointed by the Department of Student Housing.

 

Article VI: The Proctor​​​​​​​​​​​

Section 1: Duties​

 

     1) To assist the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director in the overall operation of Stephenson Scholarship Hall

 

     2) To ensure that shifts are done correctly and on time.

 

     3) To confirm with the SHD that all university policies are being adhered to within the hall.

 

     4) To establish a shift review committee for the purpose of reviewing and/or revising shift descriptions.

 

     5) The Proctor may make minor adjustments to shifts during the semester if he deems it necessary for the proper functioning of the Scholarship Hall.  The adjustments need not be written, as long as all of the residents affected by the adjustments are explicitly notified.  Failure to comply with these adjustments is equivalent to doing the shift incorrectly and can result in Judiciary Board action.

 

Section 2: Proctor Selection

 

     1) The Proctor Selection Committee shall meet each spring to choose the Proctor for the following academic year. If a new Proctor is required in the course of an academic year, then the Proctor Selection Committee shall meet within two weeks to determine the replacement Proctor for the remainder of that academic year.

 

     2) The Proctor Selection Committee shall consist of the following:

 

          a) The Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director,

 

          b) The current Proctor,

 

          c) One returning old man,

 

          d) One non-returning old man,

 

          e) One returning new man. and the

 

          f) The Stephenson Scholarship Hall President.

 

     3) The Proctor shall be selected from a group of applicants that have resided in Stephenson Scholarship Hall for one full academic year (two semesters).

 

​

 

Article VII: The Food Board Manager​​​​​​​​​​​

Section 1: Duties​

 

     1) To organize the meals in Stephenson Scholarship Hall.  This includes, but is not limited to, the coordination of ingredients and orders in conjunction with the Scholarship Hall Director and cooks.

 

     2) To maintain the kitchen and ensure that cooking and kitchen cleaning shifts are completed properly.  The Food Board Chairman has the ability to initiate Judiciary Board action for any improperly completed shifts.

 

     3) To assist the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director in the overall operation of Stephenson Scholarship Hall.

 

     4) To confirm with the SHD that all university policies are being adhered to within the hall.

 

Section 2: Food Board Chairman Selection

 

     1) The Food Board Chairman shall be selected by the Proctor Selection Committee at the same time of year as the Proctor is selected by the same process as the Proctor is selected.

 

     2) The Food Board Chairman shall be selected from a group of applicants that have resided in Stephenson Scholarship Hall for one full academic year (two semesters).

 

Article VIII: Judiciary Council

 

     1) The Judiciary Council of Stephenson Scholarship Hall shall consist of the following:

 

          a) Vice-president, who shall act as chairman of the committee,

 

          b) Two residents who have resided in the hall at least two full semesters,

 

          c) One resident who has resided in the hall less than two full semesters, and

 

          d) One other Stephenson resident.

 

The Judiciary Council except the Vice-President will be elected by a plurality. Three alternates shall also be elected; any resident may be elected as an alternate. The Scholarship Hall Director may also be present for the proceedings of the Judiciary Council.

 

 

 

     2) An offense worthy of a Judicial Board is anything that disrupts the order of the Hall (e.g. missing a shift) excluding issues under the authority of the Department of Student Housing (i.e. issues worthy of an Incident Report).

 

 

 

     3) Defendants shall be notified no less than 48 hours prior to the time and date established by the Judiciary Council of their hearing.

 

 

 

     4) Both the Defendant and the Judiciary Committee shall reserve the right to call witnesses to testify on their behalf and to otherwise provide support or evidence to prove their case during proceedings of the Judicial Board.

 

 

 

     5) Judicial Board hearings shall be carried out in an efficient and timely manner.

 

 

 

     6) Purposely providing false information to the Judiciary Committee in any form written or oral shall be considered contemptuous and shall be grounds for a separate Judicial Board hearing and charges.

 

 

 

     7) Verdicts of 'responsible' or 'not responsible' will be the result of a simple majority vote amongst the Judicial Board Committee. In the event of a tie, the vice-president shall cast the deciding vote.

 

 

 

     8) To respect the privacy of all residents, all Judicial Board decisions are shall be kept confidential.

 

  9) Any sanctions that are given out through the Judicial Board shall be checked by the Proctor. All sanctions must be completed within 10 days of being issued.

 

 

 

     10) The Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director is not a voting member of the Judiciary Committee but shall maintain veto power over all Judicial Board decisions to ensure that all Judicial Board determinations are fair, just, and in accordance with Department of Student Housing policies and r-regulations and to ascertain that all punishments handed down by the Judiciary Committee are suitable and not in excess of the standards established by the Department of Student Housing.

 

In the case of a veto, the Judicial Board Committee may choose to appeal.  All five members of the Judicial Board Committee will vote on whether or not to appeal the veto.  With a 4/5 majority vote to appeal the veto, the veto will be appealed to the Scholarship Hall Complex Director.

 



 

     11) All appeals to Judicial Board decisions must be directed to the Scholarship Hall Complex Director in charge of the Scholarship Halls in writing within a time period not to exceed seven (7) working days from the time a decision is made by the Judiciary Committee.

 



 

      12) All records of Judicial Board hearings shall be maintained by the Scholarship Hall Director for each resident until that resident ceases to reside in the Scholarship Hall system. If a resident moves to a different residence hall at the university, the Stephenson Scholarship Hall Director shall forward that resident's Judiciary Committee's records of that resident to that resident's new Complex or Scholarship Hall Director.

 



 

     13) Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents found responsible of three violations of this constitution and/or the policies established by the Department of Student Housing shall meet with the SHD. Residents found responsible four times shall meet with the Complex Director. Residents found responsible five times or more shall be subject to possible removal from the hall. Any Stephenson Scholarship Hall resident may bring forth charges to the SHD, Food Board Manager, Proctor, President, or Vice-President against any Stephenson Scholarship Hall resident provided that ample evidence is provided to demonstrate cause for a Judicial Board hearing.

 

 

 

Article IX: Impeachment

 

     1) A petition signed by at least 35 Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents and submitted to the President or a 3/5 vote of the Executive Board shall initiate impeachment proceedings against any member of the Executive Board.

 

     2) A vote shall then take place with voting open to the entire hall and which must obtain a 2/'3 majority to have that member of the Executive Board removed.

 

 

     3) In the event of a successful impeachment, a special election shall take place to fill the vacancy. This election shall follow all the election guidelines as stated in Article III, Section 2, Clause 3.3

 



 

Article X: Quiet Hours​

 

     1) Quiet Hours during the semester shall be: 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday through Saturday.

 



 

     2) Beginning Stop Day through the end of Finals Week, Quiet Hours will be observed 24 hours a day.

 

     3) Courtesy Hours shall be in effect 24 hours a day whenever the hall is open.

 

Article XI: By-Laws​

 

      1) By-laws are defined as official policies and procedures not included in the constitution but deemed necessary and approved by a simple majority of the hall members.

 



 

      2) The executive council can pass legislation without the approval of the Hall Government only as by-laws.

 



 

      3) Any by-law may be changed or made invalid by a simple majority vote of the Hall Government.

 



 

      4) Executive By-Law:  On KU game days, the TV room is reserved for the duration of KU athletic events.  A complete football and basketball schedule shall be posted by a member of the executive board with times and dates of the events in order to prevent conflict with other members of the hall.

 

 

 

5) Executive By-Law: Reserving of the TV room by a resident must be posted on the TV room door twenty-four hours in advance of the event. This By-Law does not trump any other existing By-Laws stated within this constitution, nor shall it interfere with the scheduling of scholarship wide social events planned by the Social Chairs.

 

 

 

6) Executive By-Law: The Lylies

Section 1: The Lylies

The Lylies shall be an end of academic year award ceremony honoring the residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall. The spirit of the Lylies shall remain lighthearted, non-offensive, and promote community within the hall.

 

Section 2:

A committee shall be elected to pick the winners of the Lylies. This committee will consist of six residents.

• 1 non-returning oldman

• 1 returning oldman

• 1 newman

• 1 executive board member

• Any 1 resident

• 1 housing representative (Proctor, Food Board Manager, or SHD)

 

Section 3: Awards

There shall be five permanent awards which will be awarded at all Lylies, tethering the first award ceremony to the last. There may also be awards that shall be year specific in subject and number.

• 1. Cutest Couple: two people residing within the hall who are in frequent contact.

• 2. The Panda: A Lyleman of mystery, whom we wanted to get to know better.

• 3. The Beard: Stephenson Scholarship Hall Resident with the most impressive facial hair 

• 4. The Duck: This Award shall be doled out to the participants of the worst disaster in the academic year that took place at Stephenson Scholarship Hall. Preceding the award shall be the story of The Duck.

• 5. Papa’s Most Distinguished Son: An outstanding senior in the eyes of the SHD

 

​

 

ARTICLE XII: Alumni/Guests

 

     1) In order to maintain positive relations with the alumni of Stephenson Scholarship Hall, it shall be deemed appropriate that former residents or guests are enabled to participate in regular lunch and dinner meals served at Stephenson Scholarship Hall, providing all current Stephenson residents have had an opportunity to eat prior to the visiting alumni. Alumni/Guests shall not be served until 10 minutes after a meal is served.

 



 

    2) It is inappropriate for alumni/guests to remove large amount of snacks or extra food in excess of what is needed to complete one meal.

 



ARTICLE XIII: Amendments​

 

     1) Amendments can be proposed by the Executive Board or by a petition, submitted by at least fifteen of Stephenson Scholarship Hall's residents.

 

 

 

     2) Proposed amendments must be posted or otherwise made public to Stephenson residents at least one week prior to voting by the Hall Government. The proposed amendments will be passed by the Hall Government by a majority vote; in which case, it will be proposed for ratification.

 

 

 

     3) Constitutional amendments must be ratified by at least a 2/3-majority vote of Stephenson Scholarship Hall residents and must not violate any guidelines set forth by the Department of Student Housing.

 



 

     4) Amendments must change the language of existing Articles or establish new articles, excluding by-laws listed.

 

ARTICLE XIV: Ratification​​​​​​​​​​​

Section 1​​​​​​​​​​- Ratification of this constitution certifies all previous constitutions of Stephenson Scholarship Hall null and void.

 

Section 2: Definition

 

     1) A vote of 2/3 of the residents of Stephenson Scholarship Hall expressing approval of this constitution shall serve as ratification.

 

 

 

     2) Approval by the Scholarship Hall Complex Director in charge of the Scholarship Halls shall complete the ratification process.