Among the three University of North Florida Student Government branches, the Legislative Branch, also known as the Senate, serves the student body by passing legislation and resolutions on their behalf. 

According to Title IV of the SG Constitution and Statutes, this branch is made up of three committees: Rules and Oversight, Budget and Allocations, and University and Student Affairs.

Senate President 

Not to be confused with the Executive Branch’s student body president, the Senate president is the head of the UNF Legislative Branch, and Senate chair. Additionally, the Senate president oversees the Legislative Cabinet, which includes committee chairs and the Senate secretary, as noted on the SG page. 

The Senate president also serves as the primary enforcer of the Legislative Branch’s Policies and Procedures. According to the policies and procedures, the  Senate president also manages the time, date, and location of regularly scheduled Senate and committee meetings, and must call the first Senate meeting within the first five business days of each semester.  

Senate President Pro-Tempore 

According to the SG page, the Senate president pro-tempore maintains all Senate and Committee records. 

Under the Legislative Branch’s Policies and Procedures, they assume the duties of the Senate president in their absence. Other responsibilities include conducting roll calls at the start and end of Senate sessions and enforcing and educating senators about the Absence Policy. The pro-tempore also manages the mentorship program. 

Under Title XIII, they also serve as chair of the Rules and Oversight (R&O) Committee, which oversees all intergovernmental affairs of the Student Government.

The R&O Committee resolves conflicts concerning the SG Constitution and Statutes, and the Senate’s Policies and Procedures. It also vets and approves all legislative appointments by a two-thirds vote, and all other appointments by a majority vote, before they are confirmed by the full Senate. 

Senate Secretary

According to the SG page, the Senate secretary is responsible for attending Senate and committee meetings and taking minutes. Under the Legislative Branch’s Policies and Procedures, they are hired by the Senate president and maintain internal records and upload all Senate meetings to the appropriate digital platform. 

Budget and Allocations Committee Chair 

The Budget and Allocations Committee (B&A) is responsible for allocating funds for special and travel requests and for assisting the student body treasurer in preparing an annual $5 million budget report, according to the SG page. The B&A chair runs the committee’s meetings and helps guide the funding process. 

Under The Finance Code (Title VIII), the committee oversees the fiscal management of the Activity and Service Fee budget, including hearings, budget deliberations and recommendations on allocations from several SG funding indexes. 

According to Title VIII, a special request is preapproved revenue authorized to be spent out of the general reserve and funds, expenses, events, projects, wages and benefits that were not previously budgeted.

A travel request is money sought throughout the fiscal year for events taking place outside UNF.  

University and Student Affairs Committee Chair

The USA Chair runs meetings with the committee and is responsible for planning events for the UNF student body, according to the SG page. These events include administering the Osprey Voice and Finals Frenzy. 

Under Title XII, the USA Committee serves as a liaison among UNF’s student body, university administration, and Student Government. Osprey Voice is a brief survey of the student body that addresses student interests, while Finals Frenzy provides testing materials and supplies. 

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