The Student Association constitution and bylaws will wear a new face by the end of the semester.

A rewrite of the constitution and bylaws is expected to be voted on by the SA senate in March.

While the SA constitution is not totally outdated, several revisions need to be made, SA President Robert McCormack said.

The SA seems to be committed to changing both its image and its operations this semester. The constitutional changes were preceded by a change in the SA logo.

Changes in the constitution will be made to put things where they belong, SA President Pro Tem Dave Ivers said.

“As the constitution stands now, we get so tangled in our own rules that we end up taking the long way around in getting things done,” Ivers said.

A constitution should outline general laws, whereas the bylaws and operating rules should detail more specific guidelines, Ivers said.

A good constitution is set up in such a way that it very seldom needs to be amended, Ivers said. For instance, “The U.S. constitution has had 23 amendments in 200 years,” Ivers said.

When writing a student government constitution you should think about what you want it to do, Ivers said.

For instance, since the SA receives approximately $800,000 in student fees each year, “what you want is somebody reasonable to spend the money,” Ivers said.

Current districting zones are representative of the student body, Ivers said. However, the high turnover rate in the senate doesn’t give the representative a chance to get to know their constituents.

A better system would allow past senators to serve as legislators in order to lend some experience to the governing body, Ivers said.

The old constitution is in need of basic reform, he said. “It is not totally broken. Things just need to be put where they belong,” Ivers said.

Anyone having suggestions for change are encouraged to contact Ivers, he said.

“As the constitution stands now, we get so tangled in our own rules that we end up taking the long way around in getting things done.”

Dave Ivers, SA President Pro Tem