Slides of the presentation I delivered to the AU Student Government Undergraduate Senate during their orientation on October 10, 2010. Overviews parliamentary procedure and covers procedures used by this body.

1. New Senator
Orientation
October 10, 2010
Sixth Undergraduate Senate
Eric Reath, Speaker
Kristen Cleveland, Clerk
Douglas Bell, Parliamentarian Pro-Tem
Morgan Gress, Director of Communications

2. “Take Five”
Why did you run for
the Undergraduate Senate?

4. I have something
to say.

5. The Quick
“About Me”
Slide
Douglas Bell
Parliamentarian Pro-Tem

6. A Brief History of
Parliamentary Procedure
• Originated from the British Parliament
• 1801: Jefferson’s Manual of Parliamentary Procedure
(Thomas Jefferson)
• 1876: Robert’s Rules of Order (Henry M. Robert)
• 1950: Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary
Procedure (Alice Sturgis)

7. A Brief History of
Parliamentary Procedure

8. Governing Documents
of the Senate
• Constitution On t
www he W
.ausg ebsit
• Bylaws
.org/ e
docs
• Rules of Debate and Decorum /
• “Ethical and Judicial Standards”
• Prior Parliamentary & Judicial Rulings
• The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure

9. Holding a Meeting
• Chair
• Governs the meeting
• Must remain impartial, but doesn’t lose the right
to vote*
• Clerk
• Records minutes of actions taken for permanent
record
• Having minutes of all formal meetings is a legal
requirement
• Quorum: Majority (more than half) of all members

10. Doing Stuff
• A motion is a proposal for the body to do a specific
action
• For us, main motions usually take the form of
legislation
• Subsidiary motions are used to affect how the body
handles the consideration of a main motion
• Also other procedural motions can be used to affect
how the body transacts business

11. Steps to a Motion
• Maker of the motion rises and awaits recognition by
the Chair
• Motion is stated
• Motion is seconded
• Chair restates motion, placing it before the body
• Debate (and possibly subsidiary motions)
• Call for the vote
• Chair announces the results of the vote

12. During Debate
• Sponsor of legislation presents for 4 minutes
• Sponsor of legislation can be questioned for 4
minutes
• Debate: Maximum one minute to speak in debate,
plus no one may speak more than twice on the same
question on the same day
• All of these rules can be suspended by a 2/3 vote

13. During Debate
• The maker of the motion is always offered the
opportunity to speak first to their motion, as courtesy
• Each participant must be recognized by the Speaker
before they may speak
• Speeches during debate must always be addressed to
the Speaker, not to a specific individual
• Debate must be related to the motion on the floor
(sorry, no filibustering allowed)
• An “interrupting” motion means it can interrupt the
flow of debate; it is NEVER permissible to interrupt a
speaker mid-sentence*
• Be courteous and respectful at all times

14. Methods of Voting
• Voice Vote
• Division of the assembly
• Roll Call Vote
• Ballot Vote
• General Consent

15. Voting FAQs
• Do motions always require a second?
• What constitutes a majority vote and a two-thirds vote?
• When can the Speaker vote?
• What does it mean to abstain from voting?

16. Subsidiary and
Procedural Motions
Or what I like to call “The Fun Part”

17. Motion to Amend
• Purpose: Make a modification to the specific
wording of a motion or legislation
• Once moved & seconded, debate focuses exclusively
on the proposed amendment until it’s voted on
• Amendments can be in the form of strike, insert,
strike and insert, or substitute
• Use amendment forms to help keep track of
amendments that are proposed & adopted

18. “I move that we serve birthday
cake at the next meeting.”
• Strike: I move to strike the word “birthday.”
• The motion would then read: “I move that we serve cake at the
next meeting.”
• Insert: I move to insert “and ice cream” after the word “cake.”
• The motion would then read: “I move that we serve birthday
cake and ice cream at the next meeting.”
• Strike and insert: I move to strike “birthday cake” and replace it
with “chocolate chip cookies.”
• The motion would then read: “I move that we serve chocolate
chip cookies at the next meeting.”
• Substitute: I move to substitute the motion with a new motion: “I
move that we host an ice cream social.”

19. Motion to Close
Debate
• Purpose: To end debate on the motion (or all pending
motions) immediately and proceed straight to the vote
• Two-thirds vote required
• Cannot make this motion immediately after participating
in debate

20. Other Subsidiary
Motions
• Motion to Refer: Refer a motion to committee for
further consideration (majority)
• Motion to Table Indefinitely: Kill a motion without
actually voting on it (majority)
• Motion to Postpone (or Table to a Certain Time): Set a
motion aside to be reconsidered under Unfinished
Business at a future meeting (majority)
• Motion to Limit or Extend Debate (2/3)
• Division of the Question: Split a motion up into
multiple motions when appropriate (no vote)

21. Procedural Motions
• Point of Information: Ask a question to help you
make an informed decision
• Parliamentary inquiry: Find out how to do something
the right way
• Question of Privilege: Point out or make a request
about your comfort, convenience, rights, privileges
• Withdraw a Motion: Motions can be taken back by
the maker w/ the consent of the body

22. Did we do
something wrong?
• Point of Order: Speaker makes ruling
• Appeal: Parliamentarian makes ruling
• Appeal to CRP: A special session of CRP decides
whether or not to sustain the Parliamentarian’s ruling
• Appeal to the Judicial Board: Makes the final ruling
on questions of procedure & Governing Documents

23. Legislation
in the
Undergraduate
Senate

24. Bills
• Direct the Student Government to take a certain
action, establishes policy, etc.
• Appears on Senate agenda as first reading, Speaker
will refer it to a committee for consideration
• First reading can be waived by a 2/3 vote
• Committee considers bill, can amend it, votes on
whether to recommend it to the full Senate
• A negative recommendation can be overturned by a
2/3 vote of the full Senate

25. Bills
• Full Senate considers bills in second reading and
may amend as desired
• Roll call vote (by default), majority vote required
• Bill delivered to the President for signature or veto
• A veto triggers a special meeting of the Senate within
72 hours -- overriding a veto requires a 2/3 vote
• Bills are not amendable during a post-veto debate

26. Bill 10-11-000: A Bill to
Show What Bills Look Like
Whereas, this is a statement of fact used to support the
rationale for having a bill; and
Whereas, these are not used as points of debate, nor
are they generally debated or amended in a Senate
meeting; now therefore be it
Enacted, that this is a statement saying what the
Student Government should do; and be it further
Enacted, that the Student Government should also do
whatever is written here.

27. Resolutions
• A statement of opinion of the members of the Senate,
not binding on the entire Student Government
• No first reading, goes directly before the Senate
• Voice vote (by default), majority vote required
• Does not require approval of the President
• Format: Same as a bill, use “Resolved” instead of
“Enacted”

28. Directives
• Made from the floor directing another member of the
SG to take specific actions
• Ask for reports, temporarily direct the Speaker or
Executives to perform a task, or authorize a time/
circumstance-limited course of action
• May not supersede any previously established policy
or bill
• Roll call vote (by default), 2/3 vote required
• Like a bill, requires President’s signature or veto

29. Policy Books
• Outlines the policies of the SG or one of its organs
• So far only the Board of Elections Policy Book and
the Senate Rules of Debate and Decorum
• New policy books cannot be submitted by an
individual senator, they just “come up”
• Reviewed annually by the Senate, review requires
two readings (?) by the Senate

30. Referenda
• Places a question before the student body, or can
propose an amendment to the SG Constitution
• Requires a 2/3 vote of the Senate or a petition signed
by 10% of the undergraduate student body
• Does not require approval of the President
• 14 days written notice must be served to the campus
media before voting on the referendum can
commence
• 2/3 vote of students needed to pass a constitutional
referendum, majority vote to “pass” other referenda

31. Confirmation of
Nominees
• Nominees go to CRP for referral to full Senate; only
one reading required
• Confirmed by a roll-call vote (by default), majority
vote required
• Judicial Board members, the Parliamentarian, the
Board of Elections Chair, and paid Cabinet members
• Senators, Executives, and Class & School Council
executives if appointed mid-term
• Any other appointments can be made through
Executive Order or Legislative Order without
confirmation by the Senate

32. Amending the
Governing Docs
• Constitution: Referendum of the student body
required, 2/3 vote of students necessary
• Bylaws: Amended through a bill that requires a 2/3
vote of the Senate and signature of the President
• Rules of Debate and Decorum: Initially reviewed &
approved annually (2/3 vote required)
• Amendments made through privileged resolutions
that are automatically referred to CRP
• Approval of CRP automatically enacts the
amendment, but can be reconsidered by the full
Senate w/ a two-thirds vote

33. Amending the
Governing Docs
• Board of Elections Policy Book
• Reviewed & approved by the Senate at the start of
the fall semester
• Can be subsequently amended through a bill
• But, amendments cannot go into effect for 2
months, or until after the next election, whichever
comes first

34. Finger-Wagging
Motions
• Censure Motion: Official declaration of disapproval
by the Senate, made from the floor
• Motion of Suspension: Suspend an SG member from
their position for a period of time (maximum one
month)
• Motion of No-Confidence: Remove a member of the
Senate leadership from their position
• Charges of Impeachment: Remove any SG member
from their position

35. Procedures Specific
to the Senate

36. Speaking Rights
• All Senators, the four Executives and their Directors,
the Chief of Staff, Student Activities Advisor,
Parliamentarian, and RHA President enjoy speaking
rights in the Senate
• Except during the election of the Speaker or
Committee Chairs, when only Senators can speak
• Anyone else can be granted speaking rights by a two-
thirds vote of the Senate
• Only Senators can propose legislation, make
motions, and vote
• In committees: All Senators (others not clearly stated)

37. Committees
• Standing committees are established by the Speaker
through a Legislative Order
• All members of the Senate must serve in one
standing committee, will be assigned by the Speaker
• Special/ad-hoc committees can also be established
• Committee chairs are elected by the full Senate,
Deputy Chairs and Clerks are elected by the
committees themselves
• Committees must meet at least twice monthly when
the full Senate is meeting
• All Senators have speaking rights in all committees

38. Committees
• Committee on Rules and Privileges (CRP)
• Members: All committee chairs and deputy chairs
• Chaired by the Speaker
• Deputy Chair of CRP becomes Speaker Pro-
Tempore of the Sneate
• Considers nominees, amendments to governing
documents, other bills affecting the composition
of the Senate, and first appellate of rulings by the
Speaker and/or Parliamentarian

39. Working in
Committee
• Meet at a regular time -- minimum twice monthly
• Quorum applies -- majority of committee members
• When considering bills, be ready to report the status
of each bill & have a record of amendments passed
• Committees can serve as a collaborative forum for
drafting legislation, hearing from constituents, etc.

40. Minutes
• Minutes are a legal record of actions taken in a
formal meeting -- they are required
• The 4 W’s of Minutes
• Where you met
• When you called to order & adjourned
• Who was in attendance
• What was done
• Review & approve minutes at subsequent meeting -
unanimous consent is all that’s required

41. Attendance &
Proxies
• Senators allowed a max. of 4 complete absences from
full Senate per semester; proxy required for at least 2 of
these
• Senators allowed a max. of 4 complete absences from
committee meetings per semester (+1 for each additional
committee served); proxy required for at least 2 of these
• Proxies must be from your constituency (except in
committee meetings)
• Official notice of proxy required at least 3 hours in
advance of a full Senate meeting
• Proxies are encouraged, but not required, to vote as you
would want them to vote

42. Attendance &
Proxies
• Upon exceeding the maximum number of absences,
you will be automatically suspended
• Suspension can be lifted by recommendation of CRP
and approval of the full Senate
• If you don’t try to get your suspension lifted within 3
meetings, you will lose your position in the Senate

43. Final Thoughts

44. General Survival
Tips
• Be familiar with the Governing Documents, but don’t
worry about memorizing them
• Observe more experienced Senators, ask for advice
• Take advantage of the Speaker and Parliamentarian
for help and advice anytime you need help
• Remember that parliamentary procedure is a tool,
not a weapon
• Don’t be afraid to try new things

45. Mission Statement
The American University Student Government
represents the needs and collective voice of
over 6,000 undergraduates. We provide policy,
programming, and service initiatives for the
student body. Our mission is to advocate for
policies that will tangibly benefit students, offer
top-notch programs and lasting traditions,
provide services and resources to students, and
work with clubs and student leaders to establish
a positive cohesion between our groups.

46. Words of Wisdom
• You were selected by your peers to represent their
interests and needs in the Student Government
• Make yourselves open and accessible to your
constituents; they have something to say
• Don’t focus on playing politics, focus on helping to
ignite positive change on campus
• Agree to disagree on the issues, but stay focused and
committed to our common goals
• Remember that everyone in the SG is a volunteer,
and that we are all human
• Make the most of this experience, and have fun!

47. Questions?
Douglas Bell, Parliamentarian Pro-Tem
douglas.bell@ausg.org