Article IV – Committees | ASUN Student Government

Section 1. Standing Committees

The Senate shall have the following Standing Committees:

Academic Committee:
1. The Academic Committee shall be responsible for investigating issues pertaining to the standards of academics at UNL, representing ASUN in any ad-hoc or standing committees or advisory boards pertaining to academic affairs, promoting, and handling 15^th week complaints.
2. The Academic Committee shall consist of no more than two (2) chairing Senate members, up to six (6) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to ten (10) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate.
3. The Academic Committee Chair shall meet on a regular basis with a representative from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
4. The Academic Committee Chair will serve as the liaison to the Faculty Senate.
Campus Life and Safety Committee:
1. The Campus Life and Safety Committee shall be responsible for improving the well-being and safety of all students on campus by creating programming related to a variety of topics that affect college students.
2. The Campus Life and Safety Committee shall consist of no more than two (2) chairing Senate members, up to eight (8) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to ten (10) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate.
3. Responsibilities of the Campus Life and Safety Committee include, but are not limited to:
  1. Responding to issues relating to the safety and well-being of students on campus.
  2. Collaborating with student organizations pertaining to, mental health awareness, alcohol and drug safety, as well as partnering with the Sexual Misconduct Prevention committee on sexual misconduct prevention.
  3. Organizing community service projects to be undertaken by ASUN.
  4. Acting as a liaison between ASUN and University-wide committees and task forces as assigned by the President.
Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
1. The Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shall be responsible for representing the diverse populations of the University.
2. The Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shall consist of no more than two (2) chairing Senate members, up to six (6) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to ten (10) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate.
3. The Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be responsible for working with RSOs, university administrators, faculty and/or staff working with demographics typically underrepresented at the University. Responsibilities of the Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion include, but are not limited to:
  1. Advocating for a diverse, respectful, and inclusive university community.
  2. Researching relevant issues to promote a diverse, respectful, and inclusive university community and recommending appropriate actions to the Senate.
  3. Seeking Senate approval for external liaison actions including, but not limited to, taking a public stance; advocating a position to the University or any other organization, political or otherwise; or actively presenting or programming events on behalf of ASUN.
4. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee shall be responsible for the upkeep and distribution of the ASUN Student Bill of Rights by:
  1. Reviewing the document annually to ensure it reflects current student needs, campus climate, and relevant events affecting student rights and well-being;
  2. Presenting any proposed revisions to the ASUN Senate for approval by the final meeting of the spring semester;
  3. Coordinating with the Office of New Student Enrollment, the ASUN Executive Team, and UNL Housing to distribute the Student Bill of Rights to all incoming students during New Student Enrollment (NSE) and first-year move-in; and
  4. Promoting awareness of the Student Bill of Rights throughout the academic year to ensure all students have access to the document in both digital and physical formats
Communications Committee:
1. The Communications Committee shall be responsible for investigating issues pertaining to organizational communication challenges, generating ideas and goals to improve communication within ASUN and between ASUN and the University community, promoting ASUN’s purposes as stated in the ASUN Constitution, and encouraging membership and participation in ASUN.
2. The Communications Committee shall consist of no more than two (2) chairing Senate members, up to four (4) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to five (5) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate.
3. Responsibilities of the Communications Committee include, but are not limited to:
  1. Overseeing activities and maintaining communications regarding media groups in the University.
  2. Actively promoting a positive image of ASUN throughout the University and greater Lincoln community.
  3. Informing the student body of enacted legislation and information concerning ASUN activities and programs.
  4. Disseminating information from ASUN to the student body.
  5. Managing the image and brand of ASUN, including online.
  6. Working with committees and Student Involvement to coordinate promotional events.
  7. Being responsible for promoting and participating in ASUN sponsored events.
  8. Supporting ASUN committees and senators with their communications needs.
Environmental Sustainability Committee:
1. The Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) shall be responsible for representing the interests of the student body in regard to environmental sustainability and fostering a more environmentally friendly and sustainable campus community.
2. The ESC shall consist of no more than two (2) chairing Senate members, up to six (6) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to ten (10) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate.
3. Responsibilities of the ESC include, but are not limited to:
  1. Reducing the impact of the University on the environment.
  2. Improving the quality of campus life and the well-being of the university community can be done through environmental initiatives.
  3. Encouraging environmental stewardship and education among the students and staff of the University.
  4. Encouraging collaboration among various entities on campus in efforts to preserve the environment.
  5. Representing the student body’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
  6. Acting as a liaison between ASUN and University-wide environmental committees and task forces as assigned by the President and the Office of Sustainability.
Student Services Committee:
1. The Student Services Committee shall be responsible for investigating issues relating to services provided by ASUN to the student body and providing oversight of Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs).
2. The Student Services Committee shall consist of one (1) chairing Senate member, up to three (3) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to three (3) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate.
3. Responsibilities of the Student Services Committee include, but are not limited to:
  1. Approving new RSOs.
  2. Approving amendments to bylaws or constitutions of existing RSOs.
  3. Advancing to the Senate changes in the uniform conditions for the continued approval of RSOs.
  4. Periodically reviewing ASUN Bylaws and recommending changes to the Senate.
4. Nothing withstanding any other provision of these Bylaws, consistent with Article IV, Section 1 and Article VII, Section 1 (K) of the ASUN Constitution, all duties relating to the recognition of student organizations shall be executed exclusively by the Student Services Committee. The Chair of the Student Services Committee shall regularly inform all actions relating to student organizations to the Senate.
Committee for Fee Allocations:
1. The Committee for Fee Allocations (CFA) shall be responsible for recommending to the Senate the establishment and allocation of University Program and Facilities Fees (UPFF).
2. The CFA shall consist of thirteen (13) voting members: one (1) chairing Senate member, two (2) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and ten (10) at-large members, except as exempted below in times of vacancy; and two (2) advisors: the Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Leadership or their designee and the ASUN Director of Administration.
3. At-large members shall be elected in the ASUN spring election, and one (1) position shall be reserved for graduate students.
4. Any at-large vacancy shall be filled by the Appointments Board at the request of the CFA, subject to approval of the Senate. Any student, regardless of class standing, may fill any vacancy.
5. UPFF user members or employees shall recuse themselves from subcommittees and votes specifically dealing with their respective allocation.
6. The CFA may amend its bylaws, but the revision must be submitted and approved by the Senate.
7. The CFA shall submit to the Senate, in the form of an Appropriations Bill, its recommendations for the allocation of student fee monies.
8. In order to prevent a conflict of interest, no CFA retreat shall be sponsored by any recipient of Fund A or Fund B unless the Senate gives prior consent with a two-thirds (2/3) vote of its membership.
9. The CFA subcommittee reviewing the budget of ASUN shall consist solely of at-large CFA members. No senator shall serve as a member of the subcommittee reviewing the ASUN budget. The senators serving as CFA members shall abstain from CFA votes specifically dealing with the UPFF allocation for ASUN, except in case of a tie among members at-large, in which case each of the senators shall cast an individual vote.
Sexual Misconduct Prevention Committee:
1. The Sexual Misconduct Prevention (SMP) Committee shall be responsible for improving the student knowledge surrounding sexual violence on UNL’s campus while working to change campus culture surrounding sexual violence, including but limited to concepts surrounding consent and advocacy.
2. The SMP shall consist of at most two (2) chairing Senate members, up to five (5) general Senate members appointed by the Speaker of the Senate, and up to ten (10) at-large members nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate. The SMP may also include two (2) non-voting advisors: one (1) representative from the Center for Advocacy, Response and Education (CARE) and one (1) representative from the Chancellor’s Commission to Prevent Sexual Misconduct.
3. Responsibilities of the SMP include, but are not limited to:
  1. Advocating for issues that support survivors of sexual violence.
  2. Collaborating and acting as a liaison between various student organizations pertaining to awareness of sexual and relationship violence, in collaboration with the mission of the University to increase student awareness of healthy sexual relationships, and especially consent.
  3. Representing ASUN and UNL’s commitment to hearing survivor voices and planning according to programming.
  4. Encourage learning within the UNL community as it pertains to sexual and relationship violence.
4. Serving on and acting as a liaison between ASUN and University-wide committees and task forces as assigned by the President.

Section 2. Standing Committee Chairs

The Speaker of the Senate shall appoint Senators to chair or co-chair all standing committees. The CFA, TAFC, and Student Services Committee may not be co-chaired. In the event of a committee being co-chaired, neither co-chair shall count toward the general Senate member total of the committee.

Section 3. Special Committees

At-large members of Special Committees created by the Senate shall be nominated by the Appointments Board and confirmed by the Senate. The Speaker of the Senate shall appoint the Chair of any Special Committees, unless outlined specifically in the legislation creating the Special Committee.

Section 4. Ad-hoc Members

Ad-hoc membership of a committee is to be restricted to potential individuals who carry skills or experience above and beyond the normal student to warrant special consideration for addition to one of ASUN’s Standing, Special, or Executive Committees. These Ad-hoc members are to be considered on an individual basis and must meet all requirements listed below:

Come at the official recommendation of the Chair of the Committee. This recommendation must be written and given to the President and the Advisor of ASUN.
Be approved by both the President and a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Be approved by the Senate.

Section 5. Filling Vacant Senator Seats with At-Large Members

The Speaker of the Senate may, at their discretion, direct the Appointments Board to fill vacant general Senate member seats on any standing committee with an at-large member so long as (1) the committee has at least one senator in addition to its chair; (2) every senator has a committee appointment; and (3) the Speaker of the Senate keeps enough senator seats vacant across all committees to match the number of open senate positions. General Senate member seats on the CFA and the TAFC may not be filled with at-large members.

Section 6. Length of Terms of Standing Committees

Following the installation of a new student government, outgoing standing committees shall exist with legislative power until the first formal meeting of the newly appointed standing committee or until the end of the spring semester, whichever comes first. Outgoing standing committees shall be encouraged to meet at their discretion with the newly appointed standing committees. Outgoing standing committees shall report to the newly elected Senate previous research and actions taken by the standing committee.