CSCU student advisory committee approves updated SAC bylaws

The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities approved updated committee bylaws at a regularly scheduled meeting after members secured quorum and moved to vote.

The bylaws, presented by Cheyenne Erlington, vice chair of the SAC, define the committee's purpose, membership criteria and internal procedures and will be submitted to the Board of Regents office for review and any required formatting changes. "Our bylaws is our governing document for the SAC committee," Erlington said while walking members through the final draft.

The rewrite updates a document last edited in 2018 and shortens and simplifies language for newer students, according to presenters. Key technical provisions noted in the meeting: membership requires a minimum 2.0 GPA and that members be in good standing; members may have up to two absences before sanctions; meetings are public and agendas will be posted online; and bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of SAC members present. The draft is roughly five pages and includes an addendum with definitions.

Cheyenne Erlington moved to adopt the bylaws; Nia Jenkins registered the first and Luis Sanchez seconded the motion. After members indicated their votes by hand-raise and chat, the chair reported that the motion passed (tally not specified in the meeting record). "It has been a long time coming," Erlington said after the vote, thanking the bylaw committee and contributors from multiple campuses.

Next steps described in the meeting: SAC staff will submit the approved student-drafted bylaws to the Board of Regents office, which may require subsection numbering or other formatting changes before final acceptance. Donna Wagner, a representative from Charter Oak, reminded the group that formal numbering can make future amendments easier to reference.

The committee also discussed the changed quorum thresholds in the new draft. When adopted by the Board of Regents, the draft would require at least three of five university representatives and six of 12 community college representatives to meet quorum for SAC business, a reduction the presenters said should make it easier to transact committee business.

Members said the rewritten bylaws are intended to improve clarity for incoming student leaders and to streamline SAC’s ability to forward student recommendations to system leadership. The committee will post the finalized document online after any required edits from the Board of Regents office are incorporated.