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Bates College Student Government Records

 Collection
Identifier: CA12.08

Collection Overview

The records of the Bates College Student Government include correspondence, ledgers, programs, publications, minutes, general administrative files, budget proposals, and committee files. These records document the history of the Student Government from 1897 to 2009, including its roles and responsibilities, and how it helps sponsor and fund student organizations on campus.

Dates

  • 1897 - 2009

Creator

Access Restrictions

Administrative records are closed to researchers for 20 years from date of creation.

Copyright Notice

The collection is the physical property of Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library. Bates College holds literary rights only for material created by College personnel working on official behalf of the College, or for material which was given to the College with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from rights holders for publication or other purposes that exceed fair use.

Historical Note

The first student council at Bates was formed in 1890, at the behest of the Alumni Association, and as an agreement between the faculty and students of the college. The first student-initiated government was created in 1910, and was male-only. A women's student government was created around 1912. These separate organizations merged in 1965.

The Bates Student Government is responsible for overseeing the organization and management of student funds, residential life, and student committees/organizations on campus. It is composed of an Executive Council and Representative Assembly.

The Executive Council is made up of the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Chairs of the advisory committees. Responsibilities of the Executive Council include overseeing elections, establishing budgets, allocating funds for student organizations, passing legislation, and acting as a liaison for the Representative Assembly and student body.

The Representative Assembly is the second body of the student government, and is made up of elected representatives. Five student representatives are elected every year from each class of the study body. The Representative Assembly also includes Residential Life Representatives and Officers. The Residential Life Representatives are elected every school year by each dorm or house. The Representative Assembly Officers are the Chair, Secretary and the Parliamentarian. The officers are elected by current members of the Representative Assembly from the previous year and are elected at the beginning of the school term. The Officers oversee the Representative Assembly, to make sure the RA is following its responsibilities and procedures as established in the Constitution.

The Student Government is also made up of many committees, such as Student Committees, Student/Faculty Committees, Advisory Committees and Ad Hoc Committees.

(Background knowledge for the historical description was found at the Bates Student Government website. More information about the Student Government can be found at http://abacus.bates.edu/bcsg/)

Extent

20.5 Linear Feet (41 manuscript boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The records of the Bates College Student Government include correspondence, ledgers, programs, publications, minutes, general administrative files, budget proposals, and committee files. These records document the history of the Student Government from 1897 to 2009.

Collection Arrangement

The records are arranged in five series. Each series is organized in chronological order by academic year. The series are:

Series 1 Student Government records 1897-1969 (originally part of CA12.02, Student Organizations)

Series 2 Chase Hall Committee Records 1970-1987

Series 3 Other Committee Records 1974-2007

Series 4 Financial Records 1980-2008

Series 5 Representative Assembly Administrative Records 1986-2009

Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult archives staff.

Acquisitions Information

The majority of these records were transferred to the Edmund S. Muskie Archives in 2012. (Archives Accession Number 2012-180.) Two boxes of student government records that were originally kept as part of the Student Organizations record group (CA 12.02) were transferred to this collection in January 2013.

Processing Information

Processed by Crystal Magoon, December 2012

Encoded by Michelle Belden, January 2013

Title
Finding Aid for the Bates College Student Government Records, 1897-2009
Status
Edited Full Draft
Author
Processed by: Crystal Magoon; machine-readable finding aid created by: Michelle Belden
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Description is in English

Repository Details

Part of the Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library Repository

Contact:
70 Campus Avenue
Lewiston Maine 04240 United States of America
207-786-6354