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ASSOU - Student Government

By-Laws


ARTICLES
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
 Bills
Special Sessions
The Oath of Office
Assistance to the Rules Committee
Use of Senate Funds
Removal from Office
Senators' Committee Requirements
Quorum of the Senate
Qualifications for ASSOU Positions
 X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
 Elections Procedures and Guidelines
Replacement of Vacant Seats
Authority Over ASSOU Committees
Senate Job Descriptions
Account Signatures
Parliamentary Authority
Senate Agenda
ASSOU Budget Process
Student Fee Budget Appeals

ARTICLE I - BILLS


Section I. All bills considered by the Senate shall be consecutively numbered beginning with one (1) and shall contain the term and year in which the bill was introduced. (example: SBF-1-99 or SRF-1-99 for the first bill or resolution of the fall term of 1999)
Section II. Bills shall be in proper format as determined by the Executive Vice President.
Section III. Bills shall be placed in the Senators' mailboxes in the Student Affairs Office by noon of the day before the Senate meeting at which they are to be considered.
Section IV. The Executive Vice-President shall have the authority to assign emergency status to any bill in which case it may be handed out at the beginning of the Senate meeting.
Section V. The Senator that motions the bill or resolution onto the floor shall beresponsible to see that said bill or resolution is carried out and followed through to itslogical end. Along with the usual duties associated with a bill or resolution this shallinclude, but not be limited to; noting that appropriate By-Law or Constitutional changesare made, that ASSOU attends the event or campaigns for the motion as warranted, and/orthat a report is given as needed, and at the conclusion of the event, in special reports.Should the first on the motion cease to be a Senator then the second shall perform theabove named duties. Should they both cease to be Senators then the Pro-Tem may take oversaid responsibilities, find a new sponsor who shall be officially motioned as such, orbring the bill or resolution back onto the floor. The Executive Vice-President and/or Pro-Temshall be responsible for following through on the progress of said bill or resolution'ssponsor as deemed necessary. Should the bill come from committee then the committee chairshall always be responsible, no matter who motioned the item onto the floor.--
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ARTICLE II - SPECIAL SESSIONS


Section I. The ASSOU President may call a special session of the Senate (ASSOU Constitution Article III, Section III, Clause III).
Section II. A special session of the Senate may be called by eight (8) Senators.
Section III. Senators and members of the Executive Cabinet shall be notified personally at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the special session.

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ARTICLE III - THE OATH OF OFFICE


Section I. The Oath of Office for Senators and members of the Executive Cabinet shall be as follows: I, (state your name), do solemnly pledge to faithfully and to the best of my ability represent the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University, and to uphold the Constitution thereof.
Section II. The Oath of office shall be administered by the Student Advocate (ASSOU Constitution, Article IV, Section II, and Article III, Section II).

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ARTICLE IV - ASSISTANCE TO THE RULES COMMITTEE


Section I. All Senators shall, as requested by the chair of the Rules Committee, assist in the administration of elections.

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ARTICLE V - USE OF SENATE FUNDS


Section I. The Senate shall have exclusive control of the Senate contingency funds (ASSOU Constitution, Article IV, Section V).
Section II. Contingency funds may be allocated by a vote of 50% + 1 of the full seated Senate.
Section III. Unused monies or unissued purchase orders shall revert to the contingency fund within sixty (60) days of the end of an event or project.
Section IV. Expenditures of funds or drawing of purchase orders shall be conducted within the guidelines established by the Stevenson Union Business office.

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ARTICLE VI - REMOVAL OF OFFICERS


Section I. Definitions. Clause I. "Officer," shall be defined as any elected or appointed ASSOU official.
Section II. Removal of Senators due to absences(By-Laws Article XII, Section II, Clause I) from Senate meetings. Clause I. An absence from a Senate meeting shall occur when:
  1. a Senator fails to attend a Senate meeting, or
  2. a Senator is not present at a loss of quorum at a Senate meeting.
Clause II. An absence may be excused at the discretion of the Pro-Tem. Clause III. An absence shall be excused in the event the absent Senator is engaged in a student government activity that prevents his/her presence at the meeting. Clause IV. A Senator shall be removed from office if he/she has more than one unexcused absence in any academic term. Clause V. In the event a Senator has more than two absences (excused or unexcused) in any academic term, prior to the next Senate meeting:
  1. the Executive Vice President, Pro-Tem, and Senate Faculty Advisor shall consult with the Senator regarding the Senator's ability to attend Senate meeting
  2. the Executive Vice President and the Pro-Tem shall use his/her discretion, and the information obtained during the consultation with the Senator, to determine whether the Senator shall be removed from office.
Clause VI. In the event a Senator has more than three (3) absences during an academic term, the Senator shall be removed from office.
Section III An impeachment hearing shall be presided over by the Student Advocate. Should the Student Advocate be impeached, the Executive Vice President shall preside over the hearing.
Section IV. The Senate shall elect one of its members to present charges against the impeached officer. The impeached officer may either defend him/herself or select another officer to act on his/her behalf.
Section V. Prosecution and defense may present evidence and witnesses as they deem appropriate. All witnesses shall be subject to cross-examination.
Section VI. An officer shall be automatically removed from office after having been removed from two (2) committees under the guidelines in Article VII, Section III of the By-Laws.

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ARTICLE VII - SENATORS' COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS


Section I. Senators shall be required to serve on a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of six (6) committees. All Senators must serve on one (1) Student Fee Committee and one (1) ASSOU Standing Committee.
Section II. Committee on Committees Clause I. The committee positions for ASSOU standing, advisory, ad-hoc, special, or select committees, SOU campus standing committees, Administrative committees, Dean's Advisory Committees, Faculty Senate, and/or other miscellaneous committees on which an ASSOU Senator is required shall be filled by the Committee On Committees. Clause II. The Committee On Committees, comprising the President Pro-Tem of the Senate as chair, the Executive Vice President, the chair of the Rules Committee and other Senators appointed by the President Pro-Tem of the Senate, shall appoint all Senators to all committees with the approval of the full seated Senate. Clause III. The Committee On Committees shall assist the Executive Vice- President in administering and coordinating the appointment of all students at large to all campus committees. Clause IV. All student and Senator appointments to any committee requires the approval of the Senate.
Section III. Committee absence by Senators shall be counted towards those requirements in Article VII, Section I in these By-Laws and handled as follows:

Clause I. Senators shall be removed from a committee for three (3) excused or two (2) unexcused absences in an academic term. Clause II. An absence shall be considered unexcused if it has not been approved by the chair of the President Pro-Tem, or the Executive Vice-President within 24 hours of the committee meeting in question.
Section IV. A cabinet member may not sit on the four student fee committees, SFC, EAAC, AAC, SUAC, unless otherwise stated in the description of the committee or in the job description of the cabinet position.

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ARTICLE VIII - QUORUM OF THE SENATE


Section I. The Senate shall not take official action unless a quorum of the Senate is present.
Section II. A quorum shall consist of one-half plus one (50% + 1) of the full seated Senate membership.

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ARTICLE IX - QUALIFICATIONS FOR ASSOU POSITIONS


Section I. To run or petition for office, a student must be considered to be in good standing as defined by the Registrar's Office (a high school GPA of at least 2.0 will be used for Freshmen) and be at least a half-time student during the term of office. A student must also fulfill all the other qualifications stated in Article X in these Senate By-Laws.
Section II. If an officer fails to remain in academic good standing as defined by the Registrar's office, a probationary period of one (1) academic term shall be granted in which he/she may raise it to an acceptable standard.
Section III. To preside in a position of an academic major, a Senator must be registered in that major for the entirety of his/her elected term.
Section IV. To hold a position of residence, a Senator must reside within that living area for the entirety of his/her elected term.

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ARTICLE X - ELECTIONS PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES


Section I. Statement of Principles The ASSOU Election By-Laws shall govern all elections of the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University. These By-Laws shall insure that all candidates, their campaigns, and all other related activities will be carried out according to the following principles:
  1. The interests of the student body are protected.
  2. Fairness among candidates is to be required.
  3. The educational atmosphere of the University shall not be disrupted.

Section II. Definition of Terms The terms used in the Election By-Laws are defined as follows:
  1. CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION: All those persons who act in a candidate's behalf with the candidate's knowledge and permission.
  2. CAMPAIGN MATERIAL: Any matter, either printed, spoken, or otherwise designed to bring about the election of a candidate to the political office.
  3. WRITE-IN CANDIDATES: All persons who file a petition with the Elections Committee after the petition deadline.

Section III. General Procedures Fall term Senate elections will be held during the month of October for the election of Senate seats scheduled for the ballot and for all empty seats. Spring term general elections will be held during the month of April (dates will be decided by March 31 by the Elections Committee) for the election of Presidential and Senatorial officers. Winter term special elections will be held on dates determined by the Elections Committee for Senate vacancies. Election must occur in January or February. ASSOU elections shall be supervised by the Elections Committee.

Clause I. Publicity for the general election shall include:
  1. Notice shall be given to the campus community via all campus email no later than the Monday previous the Thursday petition deadline, if at all possible notice shall also be given in the Siskiyou by the Monday prior to the Thursday petition deadline. 
  2. Placement of two banners in or about the Stevenson Union two weeks prior to the petition deadline.
Clause II. Polls shall remain open during normal operating hours for six (6) hours in the Stevenson Union, for three (3) hours in Cascade Commons, for one (1) hour in family housing, for two (2) days on-line, and for any period of time, as deemed necessary by the Elections Committee. The specific polling hours shall be determined by the Elections Committee for each election, with the approval (50%+1) of the senate. Clause III. No person shall vote more than once for the same office in any election. Clause IV. Filing a petition in the ASSOU office shall constitute declaration of candidacy. The filing deadline is to be set by the Elections Committee, subject to approval by the ASSOU Senate. The candidate shall be responsible for the accuracy of the petition. Any candidate filing false information will be denied office. The petition shall contain the following information: The candidate's name, address, telephone number, email address, position filing for, year in school, number of terms attended, and the current number of hours enrolled. To verify that all candidates are in Academic good standing, it will be necessary for the candidates to sign a waiver allowing the Executive Vice-President access to this information from the Registrar's Office. No information will be accessed except that which regards a student's academic standing. Clause V. The use of campaign organization names shall be governed by the following:
Each campaign organization must register their name and trademark with the Elections Committee. This committee shall not consider trademarks and other related campaign symbols similar to those already registered.
Section IV. Eligibility Requirements Candidates running for President and Executive Vice-President are required to run on a combined ticket
NO SINGLE CANDIDATES.

Clause I. PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT: To run for office, students must be enrolled in at least their fifth (5) term at Southern Oregon University and must remain in academic good standing as defined by the Registrar's office, and be at least a half-time student during their term in office. Clause II. COMPOSITION OF THE SENATE: The Senate shall be composed of twenty (20) members, ten (10) to be elected in Spring term, and ten (10) to be elected in the Fall term (ASSOU Constitution, Article IV). Clause III. SENATORS: To run for office, students must be considered to be in academic good standing as defined by the Registrar's office (a high school GPA of at least 2.0 will be used for Freshmen), be at least a half-time student during the terms of office and meet the requirements of the seat. Clause IV. SPEECHES: The Elections Committee will set up a time(s) and place(s) for all candidates to give a mandatory speech to the public during or prior to the week of elections so that the students can be familiar with their candidates. This speech is mandatory for all candidates who want to have their name appear on the ballot for any ASSOU elected position, be it President/Executive vice-President or Student Senate. All candidates running for the same position will give a speech in the same place and during the same hour. In the event that the candidate is not able to give a speech for the following reasons:
  1. medical emergency,
  2. family emergency,
  3. class conflict,
  4. work conflict;
at a pre-designated time and date set by the Elections Committee and ASSOU, the candidate must submit a written speech in lieu of a personal appearance, which shall be delivered by an individual designated by the Elections Committee.
Section V. Campaign Material Clause I. Campaign material shall not deface University property nor disrupt the educational environment of the University. Clause II. No campaign material may be placed or suspended from trees on University owned or affiliated property. Clause III. Campaign materials may be posted only in the following areas:
  1. Residence Hall exterior walls as approved by the Housing Office.
  2. Windows of private homes or living organizations.
  3. The Stevenson Union and Cascade Dining. Clearance from the SU Business Office is required for materials in the Stevenson Union.
  4. Department bulletin boards with the permission of the department chair.
  5. Any area where public notices are allowed to be posted.
  6. Bumper stickers on automobiles are acceptable.
  7. Campaign material may be placed off campus in private buildings only with the consent of the owner or proprietor.
  8. Any questions regarding these rules should be brought before the Elections Committee before the posting of campaign material.
Clause IV. Campaigning in living organizations shall be subject to the rules and regulations of such living organizations. Clause V. Signs will be posted in a nondestructive manner. Clause VI. Flyer size must not exceed 8.5 x 14 inches and a limit of one flyer per bulletin board. Clause VII. No sound equipment, including horns or other sound-making devices, shall be used. Clause VIII. Campaigning shall not violate the student conduct code or any Ashland city ordinances. Clause IX. Candidates shall remove all campaign material within a 75 foot radius of polling places on the days of the elections. Clause X. Candidates shall remove all campaign material within seventy-five feet (75') of any primary polling places on the days of elections, polling places include:
  1. Any place where paper ballots are distributed or collected.
  2. The Southern Oregon University main computer lab, all labs located in SOU residence halls, all labs in the SOU library, and the business lab in Central Hall.
Clause XI. Candidates shall remove all campaign material on the exterior walls or within the confines of any Southern Oregon University computer lab on the days of elections. (Southern Oregon University computer labs are defined by the computing services center). Clause XII. Candidates shall remove all campaign materials by 5 p.m. on the day following elections. Clause XIII. Candidates may maintain a web page for the purposes of campaigning. Said web page shall be registered with the Elections Committee and comply with all ASSOU by-laws. The presence and use of any links on said web page shall be prohibited. Clause XIV. Any E-Mail that is used for campaign purposes may not contain any links and shall be electronically carbon copied to the current Elections Committee chair. Clause XV. No Southern Oregon University list serves may be used for the purposes of campaigning.
Section VI. Campaign Expenses Clause I. Total campaign expenses, including the value of donated materials for candidates during all ASSOU elections, shall not exceed the following:
  1. ASSOU President and Executive Vice-President $300 combined-
  2. Senators $50 individually.
Clause II. Each candidate shall submit to the committee an itemized report of all campaign expenses to include receipts and a fair market estimation of donated materials/services if requested by the Elections Committee within two (2) weeks (fourteen days) of the election. Clause III. Candidates may not be financially supported by off-campus based clubs or organizations and are limited to donated services.
Section VII. Balloting Clause I. Ballot format:
  1. Ballots shall be divided into the following sections as applicable: PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT, DEPARTMENT, LIVING AREA, FRESHMAN, AT LARGE, and OTHER. The department and living area and other sections shall list each of the Senate positions which belong within them, with the candidates names following their respective positions.
  2. Placement of names during paper balloting shall be in alphabetical order on the other half of the ballots and in reverse alphabetical order on the other half of the ballots. Placement of names during electronic balloting shall be in alphabetical order on the first day of On-Line elections and in reverse order on the second day of On-Line elections.
Clause II. Every candidate may have an authorized representative observe the official tabulation of the ballots with the exception of those cast electronically. Every candidate may have an authorized representative observe the retrieval of the results of the electronic balloting by the Elections Committee Chair or designee from a disk provided by the computing services staff. The Computing Services staff shall place the aforementioned disk in a sealed envelope, and signed by the Elections committee Chair and staff member who placed the disk in the envelope. The envelope shall not be opened until all balloting has ceased. Clause III. The results of the election will be announced by the chair of the Elections Committee and posted on the ASSOU bulletin board as soon as they are available. The Elections Committee chair will formally announce the results at the next Senate meeting following the election. Any candidate may request a recount by 5 p.m. on Friday of the election week if there is less than a ten percent (10%) margin of victory. Clause IV. After retrieval of the results of the electronic balloting, the elections committee chair shall seal the disk in an envelope, sign the envelope and deliver it to student affairs where it shall be kept and maintained in the same manner as the ballots. Should the Elections Hearings board or the ASSOU Hearings board require the data contained on the disk, the Elections Committee Chair shall open the envelope and access the data in the presence of the quorum of the applicable hearings board. After the data has been accessed, the Elections Committee Chair shall again seal the disk in an envelope, sign the envelope, and return it to Student Affairs. Clause V. Election of the Candidates:
  1. General: Any presidential candidate receiving fifty percent plus one (50% + 1) of the total eligible votes cast for that office shall be elected to that office. If no presidential candidate receives fifty percent plus one of the total, the candidates who received the two highest number of votes shall run in a run-off election. Candidates running for ASSOU Senate offices shall be elected into office by a simple majority.
  2. Invalid votes shall include those votes for nonexistent students, write-in candidates who are not registered with the Elections Committee, individuals running alone for President or Executive Vice- President, those which indicate more than one choice for a single office, and those for unqualified candidates (ASSOU Constitution, Articles V and VI).
  3. An invalid vote voids only the vote that is determined invalid and not any other vote on the ballot upon which the invalid vote is found.
  4. Run-off Elections: The run-off election shall be held two (2) weeks following the general election.
  5. All ballots will be kept in the Student Affairs Office until two (2) weeks after the election, at which time they will be discarded.

Section VIII. Invalidation of Election Results Clause I. All alleged elections rules violations must be registered within two (2) school days of the close of the polls. A written complaint must be submitted to the Student Advocate. Said complaint must state the nature of the violation, the alleged violator and the time and place of the violation. Clause II. All parties involved must be notified by the Student Advocate in writing within two (2) school days of the complaint. Clause III. The Student Advocate must within five (5) days of the complaint convene a hearings board to consist of the Student Advocate as chair, the chair of the Elections Committee, the Senate President Pro-Tem, the Executive Vice President and three students at large. Clause IV. The hearings board will take written testimony from both the plaintiff and the defendant. Both the plaintiff and the defendant shall have the right to call witnesses and to cross-examine the witnesses. Clause V. The judgment of the hearings board shall be issued within two (2)school days of the hearing and shall be considered final and binding.

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ARTICLE XI - REPLACEMENT OF VACANT SEATS


Section I. Upon a seat in the ASSOU Senate becoming vacant for any reason, including, but not limited to, impeachment, removal of a Senator from office (ASSOU Constitution, Article VI, Section II), resignation, death, severe illness, or other incapacity to serve, the following steps shall be taken to elect a qualified student to the seat.

Clause I. The Executive Vice-President, the President Pro-Tem, and the Student Advocate shall confer and certify that the seat is vacant. Clause II. Upon certified vacancy, the Executive vice- President shall have issued notice of office vacancy. Notice is to be immediately posted on all ASSOU bulletin boards, and given to the Siskiyou Newspaper, and the Student Affairs office. Clause III. An impeached or removed Senator has 48 hours or two (2) school business days after removal to submit an appeal in writing to the Student Advocate to have an application considered for possible re-appointment to the seat. The appeal is due no later than 5:00 p.m. on the second day. Clause IV. All applications to fill the vacant seat by petition prior to election, are due at 5:00 p.m. on the second Friday after certified vacancy (approximately two weeks). Clause V. An eligible petitioner is one who has met all the conditions of requirements of a Senator (Article X) and has a completed application, two (2) letters of recommendation from departmental faculty, a one page essay, and 20 signatures from SOU students, and is confirmed as eligible by the Elections Committee. The petitioner must then give a brief presentation in front of the full seated Senate based on the essay, the Senate having the right to question the petitioner. Any one candidate must be voted in by the Senate by a vote of fifty percent plus one (50% + 1) of the Senate in quorum. If there is more than one person petitioning in for the same position, a vote will be counted in favor of each candidate in which each Senator can only vote once. A petitioner may only petition for one office at a time and can only be voted into the position petitioned for. Unsuccessful petitioners may petition to fill another vacant office at a later date. Clause VI. The vacant seat, whether filled by petition or not, shall be added to the ballot of the next official election, and candidates for the vacated seat shall follow all election laws and By Laws and the election shall be governed by the ASSOU Election by-laws. Clause VII. In the event that a seat becomes vacant, or filled by petition after the fall election, but prior to the end of regular classes in the winter term, the Elections Committee shall announce dates for a winter term election that shall comply with all relevant ASSOU by-laws to elections. All seats that become vacant after the winter election shall be added to the spring ballot. Clause VIII. No petitions will be taken until at least two weeks after a scheduled election.
Section II. Upon the removal or resignation of a member of the Executive Branch, the following steps shall be taken to fill that position until the next official election.

Clause I. If the position of ASSOU President is vacated, the line of succession outlined in the ASSOU Constitution (Article III, Section VI) shall be observed. Clause II. The ASSOU President shall nominate a qualified student to fill all other vacant executive positions. Clause III. All persons nominated to an executive position in this manner must be confirmed by a vote of fifty percent plus one (50% + 1) of the full seated Senate before taking office.

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ARTICLE XII - AUTHORITY OVER ASSOU COMMITTEES


Section I. Recognized standing ASSOU Committees are as follows: Clause I. The ASSOU recognizes the Student Fees Committee and the Summer Student Fees Committee as standing committees of the ASSOU (Student Fee Guidelines and Procedures for Southern Oregon University (IFGP for SOU), 573-41-005, 1.) Clause II. The ASSOU further recognizes the following standing subcommittees of SFC: Student Union Advisory Committee, Educational Activities Advisory Committee, and the Athletic Advisory Committee (IFGP for SOU, 573-41-010, 2.) Clause III. The ASSOU also recognizes the Technology Counsel, and the following subcommittees of the Technology Counsel: Internet Access Subcommittee, Lab Subcommittee, Technology Fund Subcommittee, and the Request for Proposals Subcommittee. Clause IV. The ASSOU recognizes the Committee on Committees, Rules Committee, Elections Committee, Administration and Finance Committee, Student Advocate Advisory Committee, Governmental Affairs Advisory Committee, Communications Committee, and the Student Planning and Construction Committee. Clause V. The ASSOU recognizes the following Hearings Boards as standing Committees of the ASSOU: the Elections Hearings Board and the Student Fees Hearings Board. Clause VI. The ASSOU recognizes no authority over decisions made by the ASSOU Hearings Board other than those stated in the ASSOU Constitution.
Section II. The Compositions of ASSOU standing committees are as follows: Clause I. The ASSOU recognizes the following standing committees as five (5) member committees: Committee on Committees, Rules Committee, Student Planning and Construction Committee, Elections Hearings Board, and the Student Fees Hearings Board. Clause II. The ASSOU also recognizes the following standing committees as five plus (5+) member committees: Elections Committee, Administration and Finance Advisory Committee, Legal Services Advisory Committee, Student Advocate Advisory Committee, Governmental Affairs Advisory Committee, Communications Advisory Committee.

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ARTICLE XIII - ASSOU JOB DESCRIPTIONS


Section I. ASSOU Senate Representatives / Constituents Clause I. Residential Seats:
  1. 1 Non-Traditional Constituents include all ASSOU who are considered Non-Traditional students.
  2. 3 Off-Campus Constituents include all ASSOU living off campus.
  3. 1 Family Housing Constituents include all ASSOU living in the student family housing areas.
  4. 1 Susanne Homes Constituents include all ASSOU living within Susanne Homes.
  5. 1 Greensprings complex Constituents include all ASSOU living within the Greensprings complex.
  6. 1 Cascade complex
Constituents include all ASSOU living within the Cascade complex.
  • 1 International Constituents include all ASSOU whose legal residence is outside of the U.S.
  • 1 Multicultural Constituents include all ASSOU represented by the Multicultural Affairs Department
    • Clause II. Departmental Senate Seats:
    1. 1 Business Constituents include all members of ASSOU majoring in Business.
    2. 1 Social Science Constituents include all of the ASSOU majoring in the following departments: criminology, geography, history, political science, or sociology/anthropology.
    3. 1 Education/Psychology Constituents include all ASSOU that are psychology or education majors.
    4. 1 Health/PE Constituents include all ASSOU that are health or physical education majors.
    5. 1 Arts and Letters Constituents include all of the ASSOU majoring in the following departments: communications, english, foreign languages and literature, general humanities, and philosophy.
    6. 1 Math/Computer Science Constituents include all ASSOU majoring in math or computer science.
    7. 1 Music/Fine Arts Constituents include all ASSOU majoring in music or fine or performing arts.
    8. 1 Nursing Constituents include all of the ASSOU majoring in nursing.
    9. 1 Sciences Constituents include all of the ASSOU majoring in the following departments: biology, chemistry, geology, or physics.
    Clause III. Class Standing Senate Seats
    1. 4 At-Large Constituents include all members of the ASSOU, except Freshman, Graduate, and Post-Baccalaureate students.
    2. 4 Freshman Constituents include all freshman members of the ASSOU.
    3. 1 Graduate Constituents include all members of ASSOU that are Graduate or Post-Baccalaureate students.

    Section II. Student Senator A Student Senator is responsible for representing and protecting the best interest of the ASSOU and shall be an active participant in the Senate and all Senate functions.

    Clause I. Senate position duties and requirements shall include:
    1. Attendance and active participation at all weekly meetings and special sessions of the ASSOU Senate.
      1. An absence from a Senate meeting shall occur when:
        1. A Senator fails to attend a Senate meeting, or
        2. A Senator is not present at a loss of quorum at a Senate meeting.
      2. An absence may be excused at the discretion of the Executive Vice President.
      3. An absence shall be excused in the event the absent Senator is engaged in a student government activity that prevents his/her presence at the meeting; such an absence shall not count towards a Senator's attendance requirement.
    2. Act as a liaison between the constituency the Senator represents and the Senate. Attend student organizations meetings relevant to their constituency (clubs, residence hall council meetings, etc.).
    3. Meet all committee requirements as outlined in Article VII.
    4. Attend and actively participate in the following training sessions:
      1. Within 2 weeks of being sworn in, the new Senator must attend a training session with the Pro-Tem or the Executive Vice President. At this meeting they will review the job description, expectations, and the Senate Handbook.
      2. Each subsequent term, the Senator shall attend at least 1 Senate training session or retreat.
    5. Understand and be familiar with the ASSOU Constitution, the ASSOU Senate By-Laws, the Senate Handbook, SOU/ASSOU Organizational structure, the fiscal operations, and the policies and procedures under which SOU operates.
    6. Understand and operate under the adopted parliamentary procedures of the Senate.
    7. Participate in ASSOU meetings, business, public service efforts, and other activities.
    8. Assist in ASSOU elections when jointly requested by the Rules and Elections Committee Chairs.
    9. All senators are required to post and attend one office hour per week.

    Section III. Senate President Pro-tem The Senate President Pro-Tem acts as the chief representative and spokesman for the Student Senators and follows the Executive Vice President in line of succession. He/she is nominated and elected by Student Senators at the first meeting of the full senate following spring general elections or upon the vacancy of the position. Election of the President Pro-Tem shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the full seated senate. The President Pro-Tem performs in addition to regular senatorial duties, the following:

    Clause I. Acts as presiding officer of the ASSOU Student Senate in the absence of the Executive Vice-President and assists the President during such absence. Clause II. Serves as chair of the ASSOU Committee on Committees and the senate leadership council. Clause III. Coordinates the orientation of new Senators and the regular training of all Senators. Also coordinates the communication of Student Senators with appropriate constituencies. Clause IV. Assists the Student Senate faculty advisory in evaluating performance and effectiveness of ASSOU President, Executive Vice-President, and Senators for academic credit purposes. Clause V. Serves as a member of the ASSOU EXECUTIVE COUNCIL and attends weekly Executive Council meetings with the Senate Faculty Advisor, the ASSOU President and the Executive Vice President. Clause VI. Confers with Executive Vice-President on all Senate meeting agenda drafts prior to its finalization and is responsible for the accuracy of the agenda. Clause VII. Is responsible for the ASSOU Senate Secretary and clerk of the senate. Clause VIII. Serves as a member of the ASSOU Rules Committee. Clause IX. Represents the Senate at all SOU Faculty Senate meetings (or finds an appropriate alternate) and reports to Student Senate. Clause X. Holds regular Senate leadership meetings. Clause XI. Participates in monthly meetings with the institutional president. Clause XII. Participates in ASSOU Cabinet Meetings. Clause XIII. Is responsible to see that the adopted parliamentary procedure is followed at all Senate meetings, and is responsible for the Parliamentarian. This position requires a minimum of five office hours a week, which must be posted and made available, in addition to the other official duties.
    Section IV. Rules Committee Chair The chair of the ASSOU Rules Committee is an ASSOU Senator who is appointed to the Rules Committee by the Committee On Committees and then elected Chair of the Rules Committee by the members of the Rules Committee. The Chair position does not need to be confirmed by the full Senate.

    Clause I. The Rules Chair presides over and conducts all meetings of the ASSOU Rules Committee and calls unscheduled and special meetings. He/she is responsible for the agenda of the meetings and for seeing that all meetings comply with the ASSOU Constitution and the Senate By-Laws and all public meeting laws. The Chair votes and participates as an active member of the committee. Clause II. The Rules Chair also serves as the third permanent, voting member of the ASSOU Committee On Committees. Clause III. The Rules Chair is also a non-voting member of the ASSOU Elections committee. He/she participates as a member of the committee and provides assistance for the committee as described in the By-Laws (article IV). Clause IV. The Rules Chair is a member of the Senate Leadership Council and must participate in regular meetings as scheduled or called for by the Pro-Tem. Clause V. The Rules Chair announces to the Senate the results of an initiative election (ASSOU Constitution article VII, Section I, clause III) and referendum elections (ASSOU Constitution article VII, Section II,). Clause VI. The Rules Chair verifies the authenticity of a recall petition received by the Rules Committee and presents it to the Rules Committee (ASSOU Constitution Article VI., Section I, Clause I.).
    Section V. Elections Committee Chair The Chairperson of the ASSOU Elections Committee is a Student Senator appointed to the Elections Committee by the Committee On Committees, with the approval of the Senate, who is elected to the chair by the members of the Elections Committee. The Chair position does not need to be confirmed by the full Senate.

    Clause I. The Chair of the Elections Committee presides over and conducts all meetings of the ASSOU Elections Committee and calls unscheduled and special meetings. He/She is responsible for the agenda of the meetings and for seeing that all meetings comply with the ASSOU Constitution and the Senate By-Laws and all public meeting laws. The Chair votes and participates as an active member of the committee. Clause II. The Chair is responsible for seeing that all ASSOU elections comply with the ASSOU Constitution and By-Laws. Clause III. The Elections Committee Chair serves as a permanent, voting member of the ASSOU Hearings Board (Constitution Article V, Section I.) Clause IV. The Elections Committee Chair serves as a member of the ASSOU Elections Hearings Board (By-Laws Article IX, Section XII, Clause III). Clause V. The Elections Chair serves as a member of the ASSOU Community Relations Committee but not as chair. Clause VI. The Elections Committee Chair verifies the results of all elections and reports the results to the full Senate. Clause VII. He/She participates in regular ASSOU Senate Leadership meetings as scheduled or called for by the Senate Leadership.
    Section VI. Administration And Finance Committee Chair The Chairperson of the ASSOU Senate Administration and Finance Committee is a Student Senator appointed to the Administration and Finance Committee by the Committee On Committees, with the approval of the Senate, who is elected to the chair by the members of the Administration and Finance Committee. The Chair position does not need to be confirmed by the full Senate.

    Clause I. The Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee presides over and conducts all meetings and hearings of the ASSOU Senate Administration and Finance Committee and calls unscheduled and special meetings. He/she is responsible for the agenda of the meetings and for seeing that all meetings comply with the ASSOU Constitution and the Senate By-Laws and all public meeting laws. The Chair votes and participates as an active member of the committee. Clause II. The ASSOU Senate Administration and Finance Committee provides oversight and assistance to the ASSOU Director of Administration and Finance, who serves as an ex-officio, non-voting, member of the committee, and the Director's responsibilities involving the administration and finances of ASSOU, especially the ASSOU budget, as described by the ASSOU Constitution, By-Laws, and Executive Job Descriptions. Clause III. The committee serves as the Senate Contingency Fund Committee, directing the expenditures of Senate Contingency Funds, as directed by the Senate (By Laws Article V). Clause IV. The committee acts and may create subcommittees to oversee and implement ASSOU fundraising efforts. Clause V. The Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee participates in regular ASSOU Senate Leadership Meetings.
    Section VII. Director Of Administration And Finance The Director of Administration and Finance shall be the budget officer for ASSOU. He/she is responsible for keeping timely and accurate records of all financial transactions for ASSOU and also serves as the office manager.

    Clause I. Financial Responsibilities
    1. The Director of Administration and Finance shall be in charge of administering the ASSOU budget.
    2. The Director of Administration and Finance shall present to the ASSOU Senate a monthly financial report based on a reconciliation with the Stevenson Union Office records.
    3. He/she shall also prepare the annual ASSOU budget request in cooperation with the Administration and Finance Committee, and is responsible for presenting it to the SUAC.
    Clause II. Administrative Responsibilities
    1. The Director of Administration and Finance serves as the office manager and is responsible for completing the following tasks:
      1. Ordering and maintaining office supplies.
      2. Taking minutes at Cabinet meetings and distributing said minutes.
    2. As appropriate, supervising and evaluating all interns.
    Clause III. Committee Responsibilites
    1. The Director of Administration and Finance shall serve on the following committees:
      1. Student Fee Committee
      2. ASSOU Administration and Finance Committee (ex-officio, non-voting)

    Section VIII. Director Of Communications The Director of Communications shall be the liaison between ASSOU and local government, non-governmental off-campus organizations, merchants, and the media. He/she is responsible to facilitate communication between the ASSOU Senate, students, faculty, administration, and the community.

    Clause I. General Responsibilities
    1. The Director of Communications shall be responsible for all publicity, fliers, public service announcements, press releases, etc. associated with ASSOU.
    2. The Director of Communications shall be responsible for maintaining all ASSOU bulletin boards.
    3. The Director of Communications will appoint and oversee someone to maintain the ASSOU Web page.
    4. At the request of the ASSOU President, write articles for weekly columns in the Siskiyou Newspaper and the Ashland Daily Tidings.
    5. As appropriate, supervise and evaluate all interns.
    6. The Director of Communications will coordinate all student based political forums on campus.
    Clause II. Local Government and Community
    1. The Director of Communications shall attend all City Council meetings.
    2. The Director of Communications, along with the Student Advocate, shall coordinate community service projects.
    3. Help coordinate and facilitate political forums, in cooperation with the Director of Governmental Affairs.
    Clause III. Committee Responsibilities
    1. Elections Committee
    2. ASSOU Communications Committee (non-voting, ex-officio)
    This position requires a minimum of 7 office hours per week and attendance at all ASSOU Senate, Cabinet,and other related committee meetings.
    Section IX. Student Advocate The Student Advocate works to represent the students of SOU and to protect their rights and interests on the university level.

    Clause I. Advocacy Responsibilities
    1. The Student Advocate acts as an advisor and advocate to students who have a problem relating to the University. This may include, but is not limited to, the following areas: grade disputes, conflicts of interest with faculty or administrators, parking enforcement disputes, and housing policies. The Student Advocate also acts as an advisor to students on the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
    2. The Student Advocate sees and helps students through the grievance process, should they choose to file one.
    Clause II. General Responsibilities
    1. The Student Advocate participates in the revision of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook every other year.
    2. The Student Advocate coordinates all community service projects, in conjunction with the Director of Communications.
    3. The Student Advocate presides over Senate impeachment hearings.
    4. The Student Advocate takes an active role in campus safety issues.
    5. Assists the Legal Services Attorney in developing a program budget, programming, and publicity. The Student Advocate is also responsible for presenting the Legal Services budget to the EAAC.
    6. As appropriate, supervising and evaluating all interns.
    Clause III. Committee Responsibilities
    1. Serves as the chair of the ASSOU Elections Hearing Board.
    2. Serves as the chair of the ASSOU Legal Services Council.
    3. ASSOU Hearings Board.
    4. Prevention of Sexual Assault Committee.
    5. Social Security Number and Privacy Issues Committee.
    6. ASSOU Student Advocate Advisory Committee (non-voting, ex-officio)
    This position requires a minimum of 7 office hours per week and attendance at all ASSOU Senate, Cabinet, and other related committee meetings.
    Section X. Director Of Governmental Affairs The Director of Governmental Affairs shall be the chief liaison between ASSOU and state and federal governmental agencies and student organizations.

    Clause I. Oregon Student Association (OSA)
    1. The Director of Governmental Affairs shall serve as a voting member of the Oregon Student Association Board of Directors (OSA), at the direction of the ASSOU President, and shall attend all OSA Board meetings.
    2. The Director of Governmental Affairs shall serve as the chief liaison between OSA and ASSOU, and shall keep both organizations fully appraised of one another. They shall also stay apprised of the activities of the Oregon Student Foundation.
    3. The Director of Governmental Affairs shall perform appropriate duties as assigned through the OSA Board of Directors, such as coordinating issues campaigns.
    4. The Director of Governmental Affairs shall be aware of other national student groups and shall report to ASSOU regarding appropriate matters of student concern at the federal level.
    5. The Director of Governmental Affairs shall coordinate all OSA-related trips.
    Clause II. General Responsibilities
    1. Coordinate a recruitment drive.
    2. Help coordinate and facilitate political forums, in cooperation with the Director of Communications.
    3. As appropriate, supervising and evaluating all interns.
    Clause III. Committee Responsibilities
    1. ASSOU Governmental Affairs Committee (ex-officio, non-voting)
    This position requires a minimum of 7 office hours per week and attendance at all ASSOU Senate, Cabinet, and other related committee meetings.
    Section XI. Senate Leadership Council The Senate Leadership Council consists of the Chairs of the following committees:
    1. The Committee On Committees
    2. The Rules Committee
    3. The Elections Committee
    4. The Administration and Finance Committee
    5. The Student Fee Committee, if the chair is a senator.
    The Leadership Council is not an official committee of the ASSOU, and in as much, does not have the authority to do business. It is an opportunity for the leadership of the Senate to meet together regularly to communicate and plan. The Council is lead by the President Pro-Tem and is not a public meeting. The rules and operating procedures are set internally.

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    ARTICLE XIV - ACCOUNT SIGNATURES


    Section I. Anything that has a cost of $100 or more of the ASSOU account must, for ease of record keeping, have the signature of the Director of Administration and Finance as one of the two required signatures.
    Section II. If an emergency expenditure of said amount is needed the Director of Administration and Finance must be notified before the money is spent, and the Senate will be told at the next meeting of the emergency expenditure.

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    ARTICLE XV - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY


    Section I. The rules contained in the current edition of Scott, Foresman's Robert's Rules of Order Newly (Revised) shall govern the Senate in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws and any special rules of order the Senate may adopt.

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    ARTICLE XVI - SENATE AGENDA


    The following is the accepted agenda for the regular meetings of the ASSOU Senate:

    Section I. Roll Call A call of the roll of seated members of the ASSOU Senate by the senate Secretary. The roll will be kept by the Director of Administration and Finance and be made available to the Executive Vice President for the purposes of monitoring attendance requirements (By Laws, Article VI, Section II), and the Senate President Pro-Tem, the ASSOU President, and the Dean of Students for the purposes of assessing academic credit, and by written request from any member of the Associated Students of SOU.
    Section II. Approval Of The Minutes The chair of the meeting shall ask the assembly if there are any corrections necessary to the minutes of the previous ASSOU Senate meeting. Corrections, when proposed, are handled by unanimous consent, unless there is a dispute over the accuracy or propriety of something in the minutes. If any member requests the floor for the purpose of correcting the minutes, the chair shall recognize the member and the member shall offer the correction as a motion. The motion should be offered and voted on following the accepted procedure. After the final correction has been voted on, or if there were no corrections offered, the chair shall state, "If there are no corrections (or no further corrections), the minutes stand approved (or approved as corrected)."
    Section III. Reports To The Senate
    1. Executive officers - Prearranged reports by members of the Executive Branch, limited to three minutes in length each. The reports are to be offered as information to the Senate and are not debatable. The chair may grant a report "emergency status" if the situation warrants regarding a report not on the agenda.
    2. Standing Committees - Reports by the chair of standing ASSOU committees (or designee) on actions by committees prior to the meeting or to announce the next meeting time. A motion may not be made by the speaker at this time and the report is limited to three minutes and is not debatable.
    3. Special Committees - Reports by the chair (or designee) of any special or ad-hoc committees by prior instruction or arrangement. The report is not debatable, no motions may be made and the report is limited to three minutes.

    Section IV. Special Orders The chair of the meeting shall address any Special Orders that appear on the agenda, and address them in turn. The chair shall recognize speakers and shall only allow speakers to speak for 3 (three) minutes per time recognized by the chair. The chair may ask members to consider extending the time by unanimous consent or a member may make a motion.
    Section V. Unfinished Business Any business that received a first reading the previous meeting, that was tabled, referred to committee and is now returned to the table, or is reported from committee. This is the primary business session of the meeting. All matters must be made in motions and follow all rules of adopted Parliamentary Procedure. only members may speak, UNLESS a member yields time to a nonmember. The chair may not recognize nonmembers unless a member requests that a portion of the member's time be yielded to the nonmember. The chair must ask if there are any objections to the yielding of the time by stating, "Is there any objection to the Senator's request?" If there is no objection, the chair shall yield the time stating, "With no objection the floor is yielded." If an order of business appears to the chair or any member to be controversial, the chair or any member may move to establish a "Limit of Debate". The normal limit is to be ten minutes. The maker of the motion may ask for a longer length. A speaker may request permission to extend the time limit by obtaining the consent of the Senate by unanimous consent or by means of a motion to "Extend the Limits of Debate", which requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote without debate. Unless special rules are adopted prior to the start of debate, all debate on motions of Unfinished Business are governed by the accepted Parliamentary Procedure.
    Section VI. New Business After unfinished business has been disposed of, the chair shall ask, "Is there any new business?" Members may introduce any new business not previously introduced to the Senate or committee. The chair must recognize any members desiring to obtain the floor when no question is pending. So long as members are reasonably prompt in claiming the floor, the chair cannot prevent the making of legitimate business by hurrying the proceedings. The ten minute rule applies.
    Section VII. Open Forum An opportunity for any person to address the Senate informally. The limit of speech is five minutes and no debate is allowed. The chair may ask members to consider extending the time by unanimous consent or a member may make a motion. The forum shall involve no business or motions (except motions to extend or adjourn or points of order).
    Section VIII. Announcements The chair shall make, or recognize any member to make, any announcement of interest to the Senate. The announcements are to be informal and are not debatable. Announcements shall be held to three minutes unless the chair or a member requests an extension of the time by unanimous consent. This forum can involve motions to extend or adjourn with a standard vote. To consider any other motion a 2/3 (two-thirds) vote of the currently present senate shall be required prior to the motion being heard and voted upon.

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    ARTICLE XVII - ASSOU BUDGET PROCESS


    Section I. The ASSOU President and the Cabinet create a budget.
    Section II. The President and/or the Director of Administration and Finance shall present the budget request to the ASSOU Administration and Finance Committee.
    Section III. The Committee shall consider the President's budget and either:
    1. send the President's budget to the full Senate unanimously;
    2. send the President's budget to the full Senate by a majority vote, with the minority having the option to include a Minority Report;
    3. amend the President's budget and send the amended version on to the full Senate by a unanimous vote;
    4. amend the President's budget and send the amended version on to the full Senate by a majority vote, with the minority having the option to include a Minority Report;
    5. disregard the President's budget and create an entirely new budget and send it on to the full Senate by either a unanimous vote or a majority vote.

    Section IV. The full Senate, upon receiving the budget from the Administration and Finance Committee, shall:
    1. vote to pass the budget by a majority vote as reported;
    2. amend the budget and pass by a majority vote;
    3. vote to return the budget to committee (in which the committee has options 3 A-E).

    Section V. Upon a majority voting to pass a budget, the budget is sent to the ASSOU President for final approval, who may either sign the budget, in which case the Director of Administration and Finance presents the ASSOU budget to the Educational Activities Advisory Committee; or veto the entire budget and return it to the Senate.
    Section VI. If vetoed by the ASSOU President, the Senate may either, overturn the veto by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the full seated Senate; in which case the Director must present the ASSOU budget to the EAAC; or amend the budget on the floor of the Senate and re-vote on it and send a new version back to the ASSOU President; or return the budget to committee and begin again.
    Section VII. The ASSOU budget must be received by the EAAC by their final deadline to make the IBL. Once the ASSOU budget is received by the EAAC, it follows the regular Student Fee time line and procedures.
    Section VIII. Once the ASSOU Senate receives the entire IF request back in the spring from the Student Fee Committee, it shall pay special attention to any changes made in the ASSOU budget by the EAAC or the SFC.
    Section IX. The Senate Contingency Funds, as part of the whole ASSOU budget, follow the same process as part of the budget. The Contingency Funds, however, are proposed to the Administration and Finance Committee by the Senate President Pro-Tem. The committee considers the Pro Tem's request and may either include it as is in the budget bill that leaves the committee, or propose a modified version, or create an entirely new Contingency Fund. A minority may send a version of just the Contingency Fund request to the full Senate. In addition, any Senator, including the Pro-Tem, may offer a Contingency Fund amendment once the budget bill reaches the floor of the Senate.

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    ARTICLE XVIII - STUDENT FEE BUDGET APPEALS


    Section I. Appeals Validation Committee Clause I. The Appeals Validation Committee (AVC) will consist of the ASSOU Vice President, the Senate President Pro-Tem, and a Student Senator appointed by the ASSOU Senate. The Senator must not have served on the Student Fee Committee or any of its sub-committees during the current academic year. Clause II. The AVC will only consider information in regards to appeals that are based "on failure to follow prescribed procedure, changes in Initial Budget Level, or changes to priority rankings from the subcommittee." (OAR 573-041-0027, 7.) Clause III.
    1. All members of AVC must be present for quorum.
    2. The AVC shall operate by unanimous consent.

    Section II. Process for Handling Appeals to the Student Fee Committee's Recommendations Clause I. The AVC will schedule a meeting and advertise it in the Siskiyou two issues prior to the meeting date. Clause II. All appeals must be turned into the ASSOU Vice President 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting of the AVC. Clause III. The AVC must meet and make a decision regarding all appeals prior to the first reading of the Student Fee Committee's by the ASSOU Senate. Clause IV. If the ASSOU Vice President receives any appeals he will place the line item "Handling of Student Fee Appeals" on the ASSOU Senate Agenda within Special Orders. Clause V. The Senate Pro-Tem will be responsible for presenting the findings of the AVC to the ASSOU Senate during Special Orders. The ASSOU shall have the option to either confirm or amend the recommendations of the AVC. Clause VI. All appeals deemed valid by the Senate shall be heard during Special Orders prior to the first reading of the Student Fee Committee budget recommendations.
    Section III. Process for Handling Appeals to the Student Fee Committee's Recommendations Clause I. If a representative of the appealing group is present they will be given five minutes to speak, if they are not present then their appeal will be read in front of the senate. Clause II. Following Senate hearing the presentation of each appeal the senate shall have a maximum of ten minutes to ask questions of the appealing group. Clause III. During the question and answer period Senators will be limited to speaking once for a minimum of two minutes.

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