On Feb. 1, the NYU Abu Dhabi Student Government Executive Board discussed the possibility of restructuring Student Government for the first time. This decision was announced during the General Assembly on Feb. 7, citing the objective of creating a task force working “to create a more inclusive student government that will continue to be efficient as the student body grows.”

During the GA on Feb. 14, the Executive Board announced its proposal to change the organization’s structure of governance into a senatorial system. With eight votes in favor and one against, the proposal received a vote of confidence from the GA. Two days later, the Executive Board appointed a task force chartered to write a draft constitution for a new Student Government. Freshmen Victoria Critchlow and Bence Almási, sophomore Khaled Tareq Al Hosani and junior Rend Beiruti were appointed members. Junior Casey Tirshfield chaired the committee.

On March 28, Critchlow published the draft constitution for a new Student Senate at NYUAD on the Student Life Facebook page. She invited students to comment on the draft and attend an open meeting to discuss the proposal on March 30.

Although the task force initially planned that the proposed constitution be ratified and enter into effect before the 2016-2017 academic year, Tirshfield told The Gazelle that they will take until fall 2016 to prepare a finished constitution and bylaws to present to the GA. This means that the upcoming Student Government elections will be regimented by the current constitution. Tirshfield added that a sunset clause for the current constitution will be proposed in the upcoming GA. If approved, the clause will effectively determine when the new constitution will be effective.

The Proposed Constitution of the Student Senate at NYU Abu Dhabi, as the draft is titled, outlines the composition and functioning of a new structure for student governance at the university. If endorsed and accepted, the new constitution would entail a transition from a system of direct democracy to one of representative democracy.

Graphic by Carlos Alberto Escobar and Sebastián Rojas Cabal/The Gazelle

The current Student Government consists of the student body, the GA, the Executive Board and other entities such as the Board of Appeals. The proposal would change the composition of the Government into a Senate comprising the Executive Board, the Judicial Board and elected Senators.

Under the current system, the ultimate decision-making power rests with the student body through the GA. This means that it is the GA — with the students who attend as voting members — which gets the last word on any piece of legislation under consideration by Student Government. The proposed system would confer this decision-making power on the Senate, where the student body’s interests are represented by senators who are accountable to certain constituencies on campus.

The Senate will meet every week of the semester, alternating between a Senate Forum and a Senate Conclave. The Forum will be open to all members of the student body, faculty, staff and guests. The Conclave is exclusive to members of the Senate. Other people can attend by invitation only.

Members of the Senate are Executive Board officers, Senators and Judicial Board members. Of these, all except the Judicial Board members will be elected by students. A President, Vice President, Treasurer and Communications Officer will constitute the Executive Board, overseeing the operations of the Senate and representing the entirety of the student body. There will be 19 senators, each representing a particular constituency: one per class year, one per residential hall, one per academic division, five at-large senators, one senator representing NYUAD in the NYU New York Student Senators Council and a senator to represent visiting students at NYUAD. The senator to the SSC will not have a seat in the NYUAD Senate and will not be able to vote. The senator representing visiting students cannot vote either. The last three seats belong to the Judicial Board: the Chief Justice and the two Associate Justices.

Each senator is expected to actively engage with their constituencies and consult their position with regard to university affairs. The mechanism through which the senators will do this is not specified in the draft constitution. In addition, each senator will chair one Senate Committee. These will be chartered by the Senate to look into specific aspects of the student experience at NYUAD.

The draft constitution also includes provisions for adding more senators as the student body grows; it also mandates that upon the start of every graduate school, an NYUAD graduate student will be selected to represent the school. The document also stipulates the specific eligibility requirements for each position, as well as their terms in office. Under the proposed system, any member of the student body can request to recall a Senate officer on the condition that the said request is endorsed and signed by 50 members of the officer’s constituency. If endorsed, the officer will be removed from the Senate.

Every senator may cast one equal vote in the Senate. Members of the Judicial Board and the Senator for Visiting Students shall refrain from voting. The Executive Board member serving as Chair can only vote in cases of ties.

The Senate may enact legislation and resolutions. Legislation is intended to affect the Senate’s internal operations, whereas resolutions are recommendations issued to relevant authorities on university policy. Any member of the student body can participate in the drafting of either of these. But to be considered by the Senate, all legislation and resolutions must be sponsored by a senator. This is different from the current system, where any student can propose a resolution, amendment or piece of legislation for consideration at the GA.

Upon deliberation and voting in the Senate — which may entail referral of the legislation or resolution to a committee for its study — the President has 48 hours either to veto it or approve it. Presidential vetoes may be overturned by a two-thirds majority in the next Senate meeting. The Senate can also send any piece of legislation or resolution to a student-body-wide referendum. The draft constitution does not mention whether the voting record of Senate officers will be made public or otherwise available for verification by the senators’ constituencies.

Similar to the Board of Appeals in Student Government, the Judicial Board of the Senate determines what is consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws. Members of the Judicial Board are nominated by the Executive Board and ratified by the Senate.

Once ratified, the Judicial Board designates a Chief Justice from its members; the remaining two members serve as Associate Justices. The draft constitution stipulates that two additional Associate Justices will be appointed once total undergraduate enrollment reaches 2000. Justices serve during their whole time as NYUAD students, provided that they are in good academic and disciplinary standing. Further eligibility requirements are specified in the draft constitution.

The Judicial Board responds to petitions to interpret the Senate Constitution and Bylaws. In this effort, it can require any Senate officer or student organization funded by the Senate to do something in light of its constitutional mandate. If a petition makes it necessary, the board can also compel students and Senate officer to provide documents or testimony.

The board communicates their rulings on constitutionality through majority opinions. Justices are free to present concurring or dissenting opinions, although these are not binding.

According to the draft constitution, the board will design its own internal rules and procedures to be included in the Bylaws.

Under the current system, the Student Funding Board approves and disburses the Student Government funds necessary for the operation of Student Interest Groups and the realization of events. The board is chaired by the Executive Board Treasurer, and the four class representatives sit as voting members.

In the proposed Senate, the Treasurer can unilaterally allocate funds up to 2000 AED to SIGs. Requests between 2000 and 4000 AED must be approved by the Executive Board. Requests that exceed 4000 AED must be approved by the whole Senate.