Masala South Asian Cultural Exchange (SACE) Constitution Last Revised: Spring 2014

Transcription

1 Masala South Asian Cultural Exchange (SACE) Constitution Last Revised: Spring 2014 Table of Contents Article I Organization Section 1 Name Section 2 Mission Statement Section 3 Goals Article II Membership Section 1 Qualifications Section 2 Dues Article III: Executive Board Section 1 Establishment Section 2 Qualifications Section 3 Duties Section 4 Selection Section 5 Resignation Section 6 Impeachment Section 7 Turnover Article IV: Subcommittees Section 1 Purpose Section 2 Establishment Section 3 Qualifications Section 4 Duties Section 5 Selection Article V: Amendments Section 1 Amendment Process 1

2 Article I Organization Section 1 Name The name of the organization is Masala SACE (South Asian Cultural Exchange), a Vanderbilt University student association. Section 2 Mission Statement Masala SACE is an organization dedicated towards sharing and celebrating the South Asian culture with the Vanderbilt and Greater Nashville community. Section 3 Goals A. Masala SACE will organize events and activities that embrace the South Asian culture. B. Masala SACE shall serve as a support group, social network and cultural foundation for Vanderbilt students. C. Masala SACE will establish relations and spread cultural awareness within the larger community including both at and away from the university, including the Greater Nashville area. Article II Membership Section 1 Qualifications A. Membership is open to Vanderbilt undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning about, supporting, or promoting the South Asian culture. B. The Executive Board will make membership decisions if any person outside the Vanderbilt student body wishes to become a member of Masala SACE. Section 2 Dues A. Members will pay general student organization dues, typically in the beginning of the Fall semester. 2

3 B. Participants in Masala SACE events, such as Diwali, may be required to pay additional participant dues. Section 3 Active Membership and Membership Rights A. An active member is a student who has paid the general student organization dues and has joined the Masala SACE Anchor Link page. B. Active members have the right to vote during Executive Board elections. C. Only active members will be honored at the Senior Send Off event. D. Further active membership rights are at the discretion of the Executive Board. Article III Executive Board Section 1 Establishment A. The Executive Board exists to coordinate the planning and logistics of all SACE programming events throughout the term of office. B. The Executive Board will consist of the following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Chair, Communications Chair, Publicity Chair, Historian, Technical Chair, Freshman Representative, and Senior Adviser. Section 2 Qualifications A. All members of the Executive Board must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, and may not be on academic or disciplinary probation. Officers must be full time registered students as defined by their colleges or schools. B. All members of the Executive Board must attend all scheduled board meetings unless properly excused. C. All members of the Executive Board must promote a positive image of the organization by 3

4 attending all Masala SACE events unless properly excused and facilitating active participation from the general body. Section 3 Duties A. President a. Serve as a liaison to the Vanderbilt, Nashville, and collegiate communities. b. Create agenda for executive board and general body meetings. c. Serve as chair at executive board meetings. d. Collaborate with other officers in various capacities and keep them abreast of upcoming events. e. Maintain budget with Treasurer and attend budget meetings. f. Meet biweekly with the Advisers to discuss ongoing and upcoming events. g. Assist Secretary with scheduling all events (including meetings) with the Office of Reservations & Events. B. Vice President a. Assist the President in overseeing other officers. b. Communicate with the President to discuss the state of affairs and various issues. c. Organize and oversee Diwali show and dinner. d. Meet biweekly with the Advisers to discuss Diwali ongoings. e. Assume the responsibilities of the President in the event of the President s absence. C. Secretary a. Keep minutes of executive and general body meetings and distribute to other board members and Advisers before next executive board meeting. 4

5 b. Compile a comprehensive directory of active members. d. Keep track of attendance at general body meetings through Anchor Link. e. Organize and oversee the Diwali show and dinner. f. Meet biweekly with the Advisers to discuss Diwali ongoings. D. Treasurer a. Formulate and maintain a general budget through the term of office. b. Collect membership and other participant dues. c. Maintain a copy of all financial transactions and expenditures along with Advisers. d. Fill out AcFee application as well as other forms of requested funding. e. Attend meetings with Advisers and President. E. Social Chair a. Organize and facilitate social events during, and outside of, general body meetings. b. Serve on the Multicultural Leadership Council. c. Organize and facilitate activities with other organizations. d. Provide social, cultural and educational events for Masala SACE members. F. Communications Chair a. Send weekly s to general body. b. Edit and publish organizational newsletters. c. Collaborate with Tech Chair to update website. d. Communicate with the Vanderbilt community via VU Leader, listservs, Hustler and other publishing services. e. Update Masala SACE Anchor Link page on a regular basis. 5

6 G. Publicity Chair a. Publicize and promote Masala SACE events to the Vanderbilt community. b. Head all graphic design projects (flyers, banners, T shirts, etc.) for the organization. c. Oversee in the placement of promotional media on campus and off campus. H. Historian a. Maintain records for all Masala SACE events during the term of office via photography and videography. b. Assist Communications Chair with uploading pictures to website and Anchor Link. c. Update the Masala SACE scrapbook. d. Organize and oversee Senior Send off. I. Tech Chair a. Develop and maintain Masala SACE website. b. Head the tech committee for Diwali and other events. c. Aid Diwali choreographers in cutting music. d. Head all technical projects (promotional videos, lighting and sound requirements, etc.) for the organization. J. Freshman Representative a. Serve as a liaison for the freshman and transfer class. b. Attend and assist in planning all major Masala SACE events. c. Assist other board members with their respective tasks. K. Senior Advisers a. Serve as liaisons for the senior class. 6

7 b. Attend and assist in planning all major Masala SACE events. Section 4 Selection A. All board members must be full time undergraduate students at Vanderbilt University and active members of Masala SACE during the preceding term. B. The President, Vice President, and Secretary must have previously served on the executive board. C. The Freshman Representative and Senior Advisers will be chosen by method of application reviewed by the executive board. These positions are excluded from elections. There shall be a maximum of one Freshman Representative and four Senior Advisers on the executive board. D. The application and interview process for nominees (excluding Freshman Representative and Senior Advisers) will be up to the discretion of the current executive board. All nominees must choose their top two preferences prior to the elections meeting. E. At the elections meeting, nominees will present their qualifications for both preferred positions to the general body. Only active members with the right to vote may attend this meeting. F. The outgoing President and outgoing Vice President (as long as he or she is not up for re elections) and/or other outgoing senior officers shall count votes. Numerical results of the elections will kept secret. G. In the event of a plurality in any form, runoffs will be held until a nominee passes more than 50% of the votes. If a nominee wins both preferred positions, he or she will assume his or her top position, and the nominee with the next highest vote will assume the other position. Section 5 Resignation A. A letter of resignation must be submitted one month before a board member wishes to resign 7

8 from the executive board. B. In the event of the resignation of the President, the Vice President shall be offered the vacant position. If he or she declines it, elections will be held within one month of the resignation date. Candidates must be past board members. Any other vacant position will be filled at the discretion of the current executive board. Section 6 Impeachment A. Any active member may submit a proposal to the executive board for the impeachment of a board member. B. A unanimous decision by the executive board after deliberation will result in the impeachment of the board member. The board will then open the position to the general body. Section 7 Turnover A. Each executive board member must maintain clean, organized, and meticulous records of his/her work; this significantly aids in the transition with the next board. B. Agendas, turnover materials, and other records must be posted to Anchor Link in order to facilitate proper documentation that may be useful to future executive boards. C. The first executive board meeting after elections shall serve as the transition between the two boards. Future board meetings will be held solely by the new executive board. Article IV Subcommittees Section 1 Purpose A. A subcommittee under Masala SACE can be established for the purpose of organizing a group of events or a single event that requires planning and logistics that fall outside the normal responsibilities of the Masala SACE Executive Board. 8

9 B. A subcommittee will be composed of members who have designated roles as defined by the subcommittee, but who are not members of the Masala SACE Executive Board. Section 2 Establishment A. Anyone wishing to form a subcommittee under Masala SACE must make a formal proposal to the Executive Board as well as the Masala SACE Advisers. After hearing the proposal, the Executive Board and Advisers will decide on whether to form the subcommittee. B. The subcommittee must adhere to any amendments the Executive Board or Advisers suggest upon establishment. Section 3 Qualifications A. All members of the subcommittee must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, and may not be on academic or disciplinary probation. Subcommittee members must be full time registered students as defined by their colleges or schools. Section 4 Duties A. Subcommittee Chair (or Co chairs) a. Oversee all subcommittee activity and subcommittee members. b. Act as a liaison to the Executive Board and provide updates, progress, and subcommittee activity. c. Decide on application process for subcommittee members. d. Create subcommittee positions and delegate duties. Section 5 Selection A. The Executive Board will appoint the subcommittee chair or co chairs. The Executive Board also maintains final decision on membership into the subcommittee. 9

10 A. The subcommittee chair will decide on the selection process for the subcommittee members by a chosen method of application. Article IV Amendments Section 1 Amendment Process A. Amendments to this constitution must be proposed by any active member, including board members. B. A potential amendment will be presented to the executive board and Masala SACE Advisers. If the majority vote of the executive board and Advisers approve of the amendment without alteration, the amendment will be passed to the general body for a general body vote. C. If the executive board or Advisers do not approve of the amendment, a legitimate reason must be provided for vetoing the amendment. Vetoed amendments can be altered and resubmitted to the executive board and Advisers for approval. D. The general body will then vote on the amendment. A 2/3 majority of the active members must vote in favor of the amendment for it to pass. E. Successful amendments will take effect immediately upon passage unless other stipulations are explicitly stated in the amendment. 10