Está en la página 1de 10

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE AFRICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MELBOURNE, FLORIDA, USA (REV. 2.0 AUGUST 2012) REVISED BY 2012-2013 EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS

PREAMBLE We, the African students and interested parties at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), hereby establish the African Student Association (ASA) to support, unite and promote awareness of African cultures and issues to all African students as well as interested parties in FIT and the Brevard County community.

ARTICLE I - ORGANIZATION NAME The name of the organization shall be the African Student Association (ASA) at Florida Institute of Technology.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE As an organization, the following will be the purpose of our existence: 1. To promote awareness about African people, cultures and traditions on FIT campus and surrounding communities. 2. To promote academic and personal advancement among its student membership through active participation. 3. To promote and encourage African students active participation and presence on the FIT campus and promote unity amongst all African students and faculty. 4. To promote the recognition and acknowledgment, of the presence, roles and contributions of African students to the universitys diverse culture. 5. To provide additional assistance to incoming African students to transition successfully into the FIT community. 6. To strengthen and facilitate a relationship between the ASA community at FIT and the African continent by rendering assistance through the appropriate channels.

ASA - FIT

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP Section 1: Membership Active membership shall be open to all students, faculty members and staff at FIT, including all other interested non-FIT students who are genuinely interested in the organization. In addition, the following requirements are necessary to constitute active membership:-

Payment in full of financial obligations as determined by organization. Attendance of at least 75% of all meetings during a given semester. Active participation in all activities sponsored by ASA unless the activity interferes with either scholastic or financial constraints.

Each active member shall have the right to receive notice of and attend all events of the organization, attend all General Assembly, Executive Board and special meetings of the organization in accordance with the Articles of the organization and by-laws of the organization. In compliance with the Universities Non-Discrimination Policy, ASA will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. Section 2: Recruitment Recruitment is continuous and membership is open at all times. Section 3: Disciplinary Action against Membership/Group Active ASA members are a direct reflection of the ASA at the FIT campus and surrounding communities. Therefore, any active member may be reprimanded if any behavior deemed inappropriate is in violation with the University Discipline System in accordance with the FIT Student Handbook. Disciplinary action can also be taken against the ASA by the University if any of its members or the organization as a whole is in violation with the Disciplinary Issues for Student Groups under the FIT Student Handbook.

ASA - FIT

ARTICLE IV - EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS Section 1: Eligibility All Executive Board (E-Board) officers of ASA must be current students (not Alumni) enrolled within any college at FIT; hold at least a 2.50 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA); and must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at FIT as defined in the FIT Student Handbook.

Section 2: Titles and Duties Seven (7) members functioning as the E-Board shall direct the organization. Only the General Assembly can approve the creation of the new offices. No officer will be permitted to hold more than one position. All officers shall retain voting rights, however, the President shall only vote in the case of a tie. Any officer may be re-elected, however not for more than two consecutive terms. Officers cannot reappoint themselves for a second term; they must be re-elected as described in Article VI. The E-Board is the main decision making body of ASA, and shall consist of the following officers: 1. President 2. Vice-President 3. Secretary 4. Assistant Secretary 5. Treasurer 6. Cultural & Social Director 7. Assistant Cultural & Social Director 8. Web Administrator 9. SGA Representative 10. Sports Director

ASA - FIT

The President shall: Be the official representative and spokesperson of ASA. Chair General Assembly meetings and E-Board meetings. Assign projects to the other E-Board officers. Coordinate all conferences. Check the ASA mailbox in the Student Life Office at least once a week. The Vice-President shall: Work alongside the President and give him/her support with all his/her duties. Assume all the duties and responsibilities of the President in his/her absence. Plan and be responsible for all retreats and training of the organization. Assist in special projects as assigned by the President. The Secretary shall: Keep and report all deliberations of the E-Board and the General Assembly. Be in constant communication with the President and other E-Board officers, and prepare an agenda for all General Assembly and E-Board meetings. Take/Keep all minutes at all meetings. Facilitate and co-ordinate all correspondence of the organization. The Assistant Secretary shall: Work alongside the Secretary. Keep accurate records of all meetings in the Secretarys absence.

The Social & Cultural Director shall: Co-ordinate and publicize all activities and events of the organization. Organize and co-ordinate all social, cultural, and academic functions.

ASA - FIT

The Assistant Social & Cultural Director shall: Work alongside the Social & Cultural Director to organize and co-ordinate all social, cultural, and academic functions. The Treasurer shall: Be responsible and maintain up-to-date account for all financial transactions of the organization. Be responsible for collecting all dues, donations, and issue receipts. Disbursements of funds with the approval of the President. Be responsible for creating budget reports at the beginning and ending of each semester. Be responsible for depositing all monies into the organizations on-campus account at the Office of Student Life. The Web Administrator shall: Be responsible for updating the organizations website with information pertaining to upcoming events, meetings and other important information that needs to be distributed through such channels. The SGA Representative shall: Be responsible for attending all SGA meetings or delegate a member if not being able to attend and ensure that the organization retains its status. Be responsible for reporting all events and news from the SGA meetings back to the members of the organization. The Sports Director shall: Be in charge of organizing all sporting events. Both within and outside the school. Be in charge of recruiting members interested in playing any school sport for ASA

ARTICLE V - ADVISOR The advisor(s) shall serve as a mentor(s) to the organization by providing guidance to the E-Board officers and General Assembly members. The advisor(s) would assist in the regulation of the organization and advise the President on academic and administrative matters. He/She shall serve as a ASA - FIT 6

general liaison between the organization, faculty, and administration and facilitate the annual E-Board elections. The advisor(s) has/have no voting rights. The advisor(s) position has no term limit and he/she must be a current full-time FIT faculty or staff member.

ARTICLE VI - OPERATIONS Section 1: Voting Eligibility Voting will be limited to all students who are active members as defined in Article III. Members who are non-FIT students, faculty or staff are not under any circumstances allowed to vote. In the event of a tie, the Presidents vote shall be the tie-breaker.

Section 2: Nomination Process Elections for the E-Board shall be held once every academic year towards the end of the Spring semester (March or April) to ensure continuity in the administrative structure of ASA. Any active member present may nominate someone or themselves for office during this procedure. However, the nominee must be considered an active member.

Section 3: Election Process The election of officers shall be held in March or April during the Spring semester only if there are two-thirds (2/3) of the active members present. The nominated candidates will be given a chance to address the organization to discuss his/her qualifications and reasons why they should be selected. Once each candidate has had the opportunity to speak, all active members present will have the opportunity to vote by secret ballot. The advisor and current highest-ranking officer not running for office will tabulate all votes. The highest-ranking officer not running for office shall announce the newly elected officer with a simple majority of votes cast by active members. After announcing the newly elected officer, the highest-ranking officer not running for office shall ask if any active members contest the count. If no active member contests the count, then the newly elected officer shall take office immediately.

ASA - FIT

If an active member contests the count, then the advisor and the highest-ranking officer not running for office will recount all votes. In the event of a tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote for office unless he/she is running for the said office. In that case, the next highest-ranking officer shall make the deciding vote. A candidate can be elected in absentia, provided they have notified the General Assembly membership prior to the election. Section 4: Removal of Officers Any officer may be removed from office with valid reason upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of active members. The officer will be notified in writing of the possible suspension or removal at least 72 hours prior to the vote and will be allowed to address the organization in order to relate to members any relevant defense prior to the voting for removal. Section 5: Resignation Officers no longer wishing to serve on the board must submit their resignation to the President at least two (2) weeks in advance. Prior to the officers final day, he/she shall provide all documents relating to the organization and brief his/her replacement of current projects under his/her care. Section 6: Filling Vacant Officer Positions In the event an officer is removed or resigns, the nomination process as stated in Article VI Section 2 will take place at the next scheduled meeting. The election process will take place as stated in Article VI Section 3 at the next scheduled meeting following nomination or within twenty-one (21) days preceding the vacancy. ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS The General Assembly and the E-Board meetings shall convene bi-weekly. The secretary shall call meetings at the advice of the President. Active members of the organization shall be notified at least two (2) days or three (3) days before a General Assembly meeting via e-mail and/or telephone. Emergency meetings shall be called by at least two (2) of the E-Board officers or five (5) of the General Assembly members. E-Board meetings shall be called by the President, or in his absence, by the vice-president or secretary. The quorum required to conduct a General Assembly meeting is half (1/2) of the E-Board officers and two-thirds (2/3) of the organizations active membership.

ASA - FIT

ARTICLE VIII - FINANCES Section 1: Membership Dues Membership dues will be collected only in the fall and spring semesters. No membership dues will be collected during summer semester. The E-board will review the membership dues annually and then present it to the General Assembly membership. Changes in membership dues can be made only by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the General Assembly membership upon the recommendation of the E-Board. Section 2: Spending Organizations Money Organization funds may only be used on items and services that are directly related with the organization, such as events/activities, advertisement, travel expenses, conference fees, etc., but will not be used for anything illegal under University, local, state, and federal laws and also in accordance with the Student Organization Manual. Funds are not to be utilized by any General Assembly member or E-Board officer for personal purposes.

Section 3: Officer Transition After the elections take place, all vacating officers are required to serve on the E-Board along with the incoming officers for the remainder of the semester in order to facilitate a smooth transition for the new officers. All documents pertaining to the organization are to be handed over to the incoming officers before the end of the semester. ARTICLE IX - ADVERTISEMENT AND PUBLICATIONS Section 1: Compliance All advertisements of the organization must comply with the University Posting Policy in the Student Organization Manual. Section 2: Approval The E-Board must review all publications, shirts, advertisements, flyers, posters, logos, etc. before getting the final approval from the Office of Student Life prior to duplication and distribution.

ASA - FIT

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS Section 1: Amendments to the Constitution Amendments to the constitution may be suggested by any active member of the organization with the support of at least two-thirds (2/3) vote of active members. The amendment must then be presented in written form to the E-Board and then reviewed during a scheduled E-Board meeting. The review of the amendment should include a full explanation and/or rationale for the amendment. The reviewed amendment to the constitution must be voted on at the next scheduled General Assembly meeting and shall not take effect until approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the active members of the organization. Section 2: Constitution Update The constitution should be reviewed and updated every two (2) years by the present E-Board.

ARTICLE XI - BY-LAWS To encourage student participation and fulfill the organizations aims and objectives, the organization shall engage in extracurricular, cultural, and intellectual development programs at FIT and the surrounding communities. Such activities will include but are not limited to: -Colloquiums i.e. seminars, meetings and gatherings. -Social activities, dinners, parties, and cultural dances.

ASA - FIT

10

También podría gustarte