University of Virginia Library

Students To Vote On New Constitution

Executives, Legislature Split
In Planned Reorganization

By Rod MacDonald
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Separating the executive and
legislative branches and establishing
a 50-member legislature,
the new constitution for the Student
Council will be submitted
for final student approval during
the first week of December.

In order to become the Council's
constitution, the students
must approve it with two-thirds
of the votes cast in the elections
for Council and Judiciary Committee.

Legislature

The new constitution provides
for a 50-member Legislative
Council to be elected from various
segments of the student body.
Although the method of apportionment
is not final as yet, the
restrictions are that:

1) the first-year undergraduate
classes may be combined as
one voting body;

2) schools having more than
one representative may be divided
into living areas or classes,
such as to present each student
with equal representation;

3) a school whose enrollment
is smaller than average may be
combined with another school.

Annual Elections

The present system is representation
by school with elections
held each semester, while
under the new system elections
would be held once each year
in April. The actual method of
representation will be decided
upon before the December voting.

The new constitution will also
establish an executive branch
separate from the legislature. The
President will be the head of the
student body rather than of the
Council, and the Vice-President
of the student body will serve
as speaker of the Council.

Other Officers

Other officers will be secretary,
treasurer, chairmen of
standing committees, and other
appointees of the President.

The major difference in executive
officers will be that the officers
will be elected by popular
vote from the student body at
large, rather than from the
Council itself. In addition, no
one may run for more than one
position in the election.

Amendments

The new constitution also provides
for amendments to be proposed
by the following means:

1) by a written petition of 5
per cent of the full-time student
body submitted to the Legislative
Council;

2) by a written petition submitted
to the Legislative Council
and passed by a two-thirds vote
of that body;

3) by a motion of a councilman
passed by a three-fourths
vote.

The proposed amendment
must then be ratified by two-thirds
of the students during the
annual spring elections. If proposed
at any other time, it must
have two-thirds of those voting
in favor of it and fifty per cent
voting.

Powers

The powers of the Legislative
Council will be largely the same
as at present, such as regulating
student organizations and publications,
recommending allocations
of funds for student groups,
granting or withdrawing recognition,
and regulating student
government elections.

In addition, the Council may
approve or reject any appointment
of the student body President
by a majority vote, or overrule
by a two-thirds majority any
veto by the president.

President's Veto

The student body President
may veto within one week of
passage any legislation passed by
the Council, and appoint the
chairmen of the Council committees.

His main duty will be, however,
to enforce the legislation
passed by the Legislative Council.

The only other significant
change in the role of officers will
be that the treasurer will serve
as head of the Organizations and
Publications Committee. At present
the Council Vice-President is
the chairman.

If the constitution is passed
by two-thirds of those voting in
December, it will take effect on
April 30, 1968.