Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: Who is eligible to be on the Congress?
ANSWER: All full-time students registered at East Carolina University are eligible to hold a legislative seat. Congress Representatives may not concurrently serve office within the Executive Council and the Judiciary Body. Congress Representatives must also be in good standing at the university, and must maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA).
QUESTION:What does the Legislative Body do?
ANSWER:The Legislative body is grated by the power of the SGA Constitution the following powers and duties:
1. To appropriate funds acquired by student fees, to various student organizations, via annual funding and emergency funding.
2. To approve or reject (by majority vote) all standing committee chair appointments made by the president of the Congress.
3. To establish procedures for the execution of its businesses.
4. To enact (by 2/3 vote) laws governing the Student Government Association elections, collectively combined in the Election Rules.
5. To impeach and remove from office any elected student official.
6. To require reports from all organizations receiving appropriations from the legislature.
7. To approve all appointments to the judiciary body by the Executive Council.
8. To approve biennially the constitutions and/or bylaws of all organizations recognized by the SGA legislature.
9. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by the constitution.
10. May override a presidential veto by 2/3 vote.
11. Shall enact no laws which do not afford equal protection to each student and all recognized organizations thereof.
12. Shall enact no ex post facto law, nor shall enact any law affecting any incumbent except as directly by an established judicial body.
QUESTION: What are the legislative committees?
ANSWER:The standing Legislative committees are Screening and Appointments, Appropriations, Student Welfare, Rules and Judiciary, and Parking and Transportation. Each Congress Representative is required to be on one of the committees. Ad Hoc (temporary) committees can be created at any time by the Congress.
QUESTION: How long is the term for a student Congress Representative?
ANSWER: The term of a student Congress Representative is from the fifth week of the fall semester through the final week of regular classes during the spring semester. A Congress Representative's term of office may be terminated by the discretion of the President of the Congress, once a Congress Representatives has accumulated three unexcused absences to the legislative meeting, or if a Congress Representative's standing has fallen below good with the university.
QUESTION: What is the difference between Day-student Congress Representatives and Residence Hall Congress Representatives?
ANSWER: A Day-student Congress Representatives is a student that is elected to represent his or her class. A Residence Hall Congress Representatives is a student that is elected to represent his or her resident hall. There are two or three students elected from each Residence Hall (it is based on the number of students per Hall).
QUESTION: How many Congress Representatives are there in the Student Congress?
ANSWER: The number of Student Congress Representatives is based upon two factors outlined by the constitution, the number of students enrolled in the university and the number of students living in the residence halls. Each residence hall of not more than 350 student residences shall elect one representative to the legislature and each residence hall of more than 350 shall elect two representatives.
QUESTION: When is the President of the Congress selected?
ANSWER: The President of the Congress is elected during the first Student Congress meeting of the Fall Semester.
QUESTION: How do I get involved with Congress?
ANSWER: A student may receive a seat on the student body legislator one of two ways. They may win a seat, as either a Day Congress Representative or a residence hall Congress Representative in the fall elections by a plurality of the votes cast. A student may also be given a Congress seat by passing through the standing legislative committee of screening and appointments, by way of an interview process when the legislature falls below maximum capacity.
