Constitution of the Muslim Student Association Purdue University, West Lafayette Ratified November 23, 2015 1
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful Table of Contents Article 1 Aims and Purposes Section 1 Mission Statement Section 2 Objectives Section 3 Scope Article 2 Membership Section 1 Definition of General Membership Section 2 Rights of MSA Members Section 3 Purdue Requirements for Advisors Article 3 Elected Executives Section 1 Executive Positions Section 2 Eligibility Section 3 Purdue Requirements for Holding Office Section 4 Executive Term Article 4 Duties of Elected Executives Section 1 President Section 2 Brothers Vice-President Section 3 Sisters Vice-President Section 4 Treasurer Section 5 Secretary Section 6 Outreach Director Section 7 Marketing Director Section 8 Islamic Education Director Section 9 Community Service Director Article 5 Changes in Elected Executives Section 1 Substitutions Section 2 Removal Section 3 Replacement Article 6 Finances Section 1 Membership Fees Section 2 Donations Section 3 Allocation of Funds Article 7 Meetings Section 1 Executive Meetings Section 2 Decision-making at Executive Committee Meetings Section 3 Emergency Executive Meetings Section 4 General Body Meetings 2
Article 8 Elections Section 1 Time Frame Section 2 Elections Committee Appointment Section 3 Elections Guidelines Section 4 Composition of Elections Committee Section 5 Campaigning by the Election Committee Section 6 Nomination Period Section 7 Nomination Requirements Section 8 Duration of Election Section 9 Voting Privileges Section 10 Campaigning Section 11 Voting System Section 12 Disqualification Article 9 Resignation or Removal from Office Section 1 Reasons for Removal of Executive Section 2 Process for Removal of Executive Section 3 Resignation of Executive Section 4 Replacement of Executive Section 5 Process of Removal of President Section 6 Resignation of President Section 7 Announcement of Changes in Executive to Membership Article 10 Amendments Section 1 Proposal for Amendments Section 2 Referenda for Amendments 3
Article 1 Aims and Purposes Section 1 Mission Statement The Muslim Student Association at Purdue University seeks to serve as a representative body of Muslims on campus, which will do its utmost to cater to their needs, while representing true Islamic faith by spreading awareness and creating an integrated and contributing body within the campus community. Section 2 Objectives The objectives of the MSA are: 1. To serve God and follow the example of His Messenger (Peace Be Upon Him); 2. To serve as a representative voice of Muslims at Purdue University; 3. To build and strengthen unity/brotherhood/sisterhood amongst the Muslims; 4. To expand the influence of Muslims within the campus community; 5. To participate in local community service initiatives; 6. To promote and spread awareness of Islam to the campus community and; 7. To fulfill the spiritual and social needs of Muslim students Section 3 Scope The MSA shall be a student organization independent of any other religious organizations on campus (i.e. Islamic Society of Greater Lafayette). However, it shall still work with the local Islamic Society of Greater Lafayette, when needed, to meet the needs of its members. Article 2 Membership Section 1 Definition of General Membership The General Membership of the MSA shall be constituted as those who pay their membership fees. General Membership shall be regulated and recorded by the MSA with the full name and email address of members, along with their fees. To be eligible to vote, membership dues must be paid at least 2 weeks prior to the election date. Section 2 Rights of MSA Members MSA Members will have the right to vote in elections and constitutional amendments. They can also be nominated for Executive positions, given they have submitted their membership fees, full name, and email address (which the MSA will use to register the organization with the SAO (Students Activities & Organizations) at Purdue University. Section 3 - Purdue Requirements for Advisors 1. All organizations are required to have an advisor, who should serve in an advisory role only and may not have voting rights, including voting to approve expenditures or 4
programs. Advisors provide advisement and support, and enhance student life outside the classroom. 2. Advisors must be either full-time faculty or administrative/professional staff at Purdue University or otherwise approved by the Office of the Dean of Students. Individuals classified as graduate student staff are not eligible to be advisors to student organizations. 3. In addition to their primary advisor, organizations may have community advisors, instructors, and coaches with limited authority. Many recreational and sports clubs have non-university affiliated instructors and coaches because of a need for specialized instruction or discipline. However, the direction of the group remains with the student members. Provisions must be made in the constitution for selection and removal of such instructors and coaches. Article 3 Elected Executives Section 1 Executive Positions The Executives shall consist of nine (9) in number and shall be primarily responsible for the overall administration and functioning of the MSA. The Executives shall consist of: President Brothers Vice-President Sisters Vice-President Treasurer Secretary Outreach Director Marketing Director Islamic Education Director Community Service Director Section 2 Eligibility To be eligible for an Executive position, you must be a current member of the MSA, a student at Purdue, and it is encouraged that one is able to serve as an executive for a full year - exceptions may be granted by the Elections Committee. 5
Section 3 Purdue Requirements for Holding Office The following are requirements set by Purdue University for holding office: 1. These regulations shall apply to the student officers of recognized student organizations on the West Lafayette Campus, and to the student participants in student activities representing Purdue University off campus, including extramural sports clubs, bands, glee club, and debate teams, and to those presented as student participants in all-campus dramatic and musical productions. 2. Each student organization or director of an activity shall be expected to define the requirements for eligibility of its own officers and participants. 3. Regardless of further requirements that may be established by a student organization or director of an activity, an officer or candidate for office of an organization or participant in an activity as defined in Requirements for Members, Officers and Advisors, Section B- 1, must satisfy the following: a. He/She must be in good standing, i.e., has not been dismissed, suspended, or dropped from the University without thereafter having been readmitted. b. Undergraduate students must have: i. Earned a total number of semester hours of credit not less than the number of his/her current classification according to the registrar minus one times 12; or ii. Earned a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit in the semester immediately preceding and be currently enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours of coursework. c. Graduate students must be enrolled as full-time, degree-seeking students. 4. University probation a. A student placed on disciplinary probation or probated suspension, as part of that probation, may be required to resign from an office in a student organization, refrain from seeking such an office or discontinue participation in a special activity. b. Students on academic probation are not eligible to hold an executive officer position. 5. Students may not hold more than one executive officer position within an organization. Section 4 Executive Term The term of office for Executives shall be from the first day of the last week of fall semester (finals week) of one year to the last day before the final week of the fall semester (finals week) of the following year. Article 4 Duties of Elected Executives 6
Section 1 President The President shall be the official spokesperson of the MSA and shall be responsible for: The general management of all the activities of the MSA; Being the representative of the MSA and its Executives; Being the primary BOSO (Business Office for Student Organizations) signatory; Liaising and strengthening relationships with other student clubs, the University Administration, and the wider community; Representing the MSA at functions held by external parties, including meetings called by the University Administration, MSA National and other MSA affiliates; Presiding over meetings of the MSA Executives; Ensuring all MSA activities remain within the teachings of Islam, such decisions should be made with consultation with a scholar of Islam if needed; Ensuring all parts of the MSA collaborate and connect; May appoint up to 2 additional Executives to meet emerging needs in the MSA that are not addressed in the current roles specified in this constitution. These positions will not be voted upon in the next election, and the positions themselves will dissolve when the Executive term ends; May create committees and committee heads to carry out specific tasks or events in areas that are not generally mentioned in this constitution. Ideally, the committee heads would come from the Executives and the President should only branch out to other members outside the board as committee heads if current Executives are unable to take on the added responsibility due to other commitments. These committees will be dissolved before the new Executives are in position; Having a final say for all MSA matters. Section 2 Brothers Vice-President The Brothers Vice-President shall be responsible for: Assisting the President in accomplishing the purpose of the MSA and implementing MSA policies; Generating feedback from Muslim students on their religious and academic needs; developing, in coordination with the Sisters Vice-President, strategies to meet students needs; 7
Overseeing and coordinating the work and activities of MSA Directors which offer services to the Muslim community on campus, such as social and community services; With the cooperation of the Secretary, maintaining an MSA Volunteer Database, and overseeing activities related to volunteerism, such as volunteer recognition; assisting committees with the recruitment and deployment of MSA volunteers; Organizing all events and initiatives for the brothers; Co-organizing with the Sisters Vice-President diverse, campus-wide events such as the MSA Rush Week, MSA Retreat and MSA Ski Trip; Ensuring the specific needs of the MSA brothers are met, including social and spiritual. Section 3 Sisters Vice-President The Sisters Vice-President shall be responsible for: Assisting the President in accomplishing the purpose of the MSA and implementing MSA policies; Generating feedback from Muslim students on their religious and academic needs; developing, in coordination with the Brothers Vice-President, strategies to meet students needs; Overseeing and coordinating the work and activities of MSA Directors which offer services to the Muslim community on campus, such as social and community services; With the cooperation of the Secretary, maintaining an MSA Volunteer Database, and overseeing activities related to volunteerism, such as volunteer recognition; assisting committees with the recruitment and deployment of MSA volunteers; Organizing all events and initiatives for the sisters; Co-organizing with the Brothers Vice-President diverse, campus-wide events such as the MSA Rush Week, MSA Retreat and MSA Ski Trip; Ensuring the specific needs of the MSA sisters are met, including social and spiritual. Section 4 Treasurer The Treasurer shall be responsible for: Assisting the President in accomplishing the purpose of the MSA and implementing MSA policies; Maintaining the record of all the financial transactions of the MSA; 8
Systematic bookkeeping for the MSA; Collecting and depositing of all funds on behalf of MSA; Preparing the annual budget of the MSA for the upcoming year in consultation with the Executive; Presenting, before the Executive, bimonthly reports on the status of the financial affairs of the MSA; Managing MSA finances and overseeing fundraising initiatives; Approving and reimbursing properly documented expenses. Section 5 Secretary The Secretary shall be responsible for: Calling meetings of the MSA Executive; Preparing and circulating the minutes of all MSA Executive and General Body meetings; Presenting at the beginning of every MSA Executive meeting the minutes of the previous meeting for approval by the MSA Executive; Preparing the agenda for the MSA Executive and General Body meetings and notifying the members of the MSA Executive and the General Body of it; Developing and implementing new strategies to improve organizational efficiency; Maintaining the list of members of the MSA; Booking facilities for MSA meetings and events; Maintaining liaison with the University administration, SAO, BOSO, and other bodies on any secretarial matters, with the cooperation of the Vice President; At the end of the MSA term, facilitating the process of handing relevant MSA documents to the next Executives; Co-supervising with the Marketing Director website management and development; Performing general administrative duties of the MSA. Section 6 Outreach Director 9
The Outreach Director is responsible for: Coordinating and overseeing the annual Islamic Awareness Week; Ensuring the MSA has enough da wah material, such as pamphlets, Qur an, etc.; Presenting and speaking about the fundamentals of Islam to non-muslims in the community; Generally, overseeing and initiating da wah and outreach activities to non-muslims. Section 7 Marketing Director The Marketing Director shall be responsible for: Approving of and monitoring notices from the Executives to the community, including Facebook and other web based online platforms; Photography/Videography of the MSA events; Co-supervising with the Secretary website management and development; Overseeing and coordinating the work and activities of MSA Directors associated with advertising, website management and MSA publications; Compiling a year in review annual newsletter recapping the MSA s activities. Approving, with the President, all press releases and advertisements. Section 8 Islamic Education Director The Islamic Education Director shall be responsible for: Events responsible for spreading Islamic knowledge amongst the members and the campus community, which may include weekly halaqahs, speaker events, AlMaghrib trips, etc.; Organizing all events and initiatives in coordination with the Brothers and Sisters Vice- Presidents that have to do with Islamic knowledge; Section 9 Community Service Director The Community Service Director shall be responsible for; Local and global community service projects, such as Winterization, Boiler Blast, Food Finders, AWAKEN, Riley Children s Hospital local soup kitchens, etc. 10
Article 6 Finances Section 1 Membership Fees Membership fees shall be determined by the MSA Executives. Section 2 Donations The MSA may accept donations in any form from any source consistent with the purposes of the MSA. Section 3 Allocation of Funds All funds collected for a specific cause shall be used for that cause unless a 2/3 majority of the MSA Executive authorize its use for a different purpose consistent with the goals and objectives of the MSA. Article 7 Meetings Section 1 Executive Meetings The Executive shall meet at least biweekly at such a time and place as is most convenient and suitable to the majority of committee members. Section 2 Decision-making at Executive Meetings The decision on all matters presented to the Executives shall at first be attempted to reach through consultation, with the aim of attaining consensus. If the issue at hand appears to be irresoluble via consensus, the President can end the discussion and make a decision. Section 3 Emergency Executive Meetings The President may call emergency Executive meetings in addition to the regular meetings, when considered necessary. Section 4 General Body Meetings The MSA shall have at least one General Body meeting during the academic year. Article 8 Elections Section 1 Time Frame Annual elections shall be held within the last two months of the Purdue University fall semester, in order to elect for the following calendar year. The exact date and time of the elections should be announced by the Executives at least 7 days prior to the date of election. The new Executives 11
should be announced at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of the last week of the fall semester (finals week). Section 2 Elections Committee Appointment The elections shall be conducted by an Elections Committee appointed by the Executives. The Elections Committee should be nominated at least four (4) weeks prior to the date of the election. Section 3 Elections Guidelines The Elections Committee may create additional election rules and guidelines, which shall be announced alongside the exact date and time of election. These rules and guidelines must not contravene the MSA Constitution. The suggested outline for the elections process goes as follows: 1. The elections should occur in November. 2. To ensure that all members can attend; it is encouraged that the election day is on a Friday night, since university exams or classes are not often scheduled on Friday nights. a. If the candidate cannot attend the elections meeting then a statement on behalf of the candidate can be read on behalf of the candidate. 3. Members are allowed to accept nominations for more than one position. 4. The elect process happens one position at a time starting at President, working down the list of board members in the following order; a. President, Brothers Vice-President, Sisters Vice-President, Treasurer, Islamic Education Director, Outreach Director, Marketing Director, Secretary, Community Service Director b. If a candidate wins an election for a position then the candidate automatically withdraws from subsequent positions in the listed order. 5. If a candidate loses an election for one position, they are still eligible for subsequent positions that they have accepted. 6. Each candidate statements are encouraged to be less than 3 minutes long. Members are allowed to ask each candidate questions. 7. The candidate with the most votes wins that position. 8. Absentee voting may occur if the Elections Committee allows it; in this case it is encouraged the absentee votes only be gathered regarding the President position. 9. An announcement regarding the positions should be made immediately after the elections. Section 4 Composition of Elections Committee The Elections Committee shall have one chairperson and consist of at least three persons. It is highly recommended to have at least one male, one female, and a previous/current executive (who will not serve in the next term). The Elections Committee is allowed to vote in the elections themselves for the candidates of their liking for each board position. 12
Section 5 Campaigning by the Election Committee The members of the Election Committee shall not campaign on behalf of or against any candidate standing for election or comment on, favorably or unfavorably, any of the candidates standing for election. The members of the Election Committee may not vote in the elections. Section 6 Nomination Period The period to nominate candidates for the Executive Committee should remain open for at least three (3) days, and must be announced to the members of the Association via email. Section 7 Nomination Requirements A candidate requires one nominator in order to be nominated as an Executive. The nominator must be a member of the MSA. Section 8 Duration of Election The elections must take place at the Purdue University campus and voting should be open for at least three (3) weekdays. Section 9 Voting Privileges An MSA member who is not registered as a Member (as per Article 2) within two (2) weeks prior to the date of the election shall have neither right to vote nor the right to be a candidate in the election. An MSA member is eligible to vote and to run for office if he/she is a Purdue student. Section 10 Campaigning There shall be no public campaigning, nor campaigning against any candidate. Section 11 Voting System The Elections Committee shall select the voting system. It is highly recommended the voting is done in person (not online). Section 12 Disqualification The Elections Committee may censure publicly or disqualify any candidate who violates the Constitution or the rules of the Election. Article 9 Resignation or Removal from Office Section 1 Reasons for Removal of Executive An Executive member may be removed from office for: 13
Committing a serious violation of the Constitution; Failing to fulfill the duties of office; Failing to attend three meetings without being excused by the President. Section 2 Process for Removal of Executive If a member of the Executive commits a serious violation of the Constitution, or fails to fulfill the duties of his/her office, or fails to attend three meetings without being excused by the President, he/she shall be asked to give an explanation for his/her behavior to the President. Section 3 Resignation of Executive An Executive wishing to resign from office shall present the reasons for resignation in writing to the President, who shall make the final decision. Section 4 Replacement of Executive If a member of the Executive resigns or is dismissed from office, the President shall appoint a new MSA member or existing Executive to take their Executive position, ensuring all positions are filled. Section 5 Process of Removal of President In the extreme case that the President is no longer acting in accordance with the overall principles of Islam, or is not fulfilling adequately the duties outlined in this constitution, then only the advisor of the MSA may initiate the process for removal of the President. The advisor of the MSA must then approach the President encouraging a course of action to remedy any problems or points of contention. If, after this first step, the advisor wants to continue the removal process they are required to get a signed letter requesting the removal of the President by every Executive of the MSA. This letter should outline points of contention, and the advisor must then chair a meeting of all board members present going over the letter with the President present to try to reach a point of compromise. If any Executive removes their signature from the letter at this meeting then the removal process does not proceed. If, after this meeting, 100% of board members still agree to remove the President. A physical meeting must then take place with the advisor and President present and over 95% of MSA members present. This letter must then be presented to the President and the President must be allowed to defend their position or compromise on any new course of action. A vote will then take place for the removal of the President by the established quorum the vote must be 100% in favor of removing the President and the President is unable to vote. If the President is removed then a new President will be decided by the procedure outlined in Article 9 - Section 6. Section 6 Resignation of President In case the President resigns from the position of President or is no longer eligible to be President because they leave Purdue University for some reason; then an election will take place 14
for the vacated President position between the Brothers Vice-President and Sisters Vice- President - and only the other Executives will be able to vote. Only if neither Vice-President accepts the role of President can another Executives accept a nomination from another Executive and an election will proceed with only other Executives able to vote. The results of the election will only last until the next annual election typically scheduled in November see Article 8. Section 7 Announcement of Changes in Executive to Membership The general members should be informed of any changes in office of the members of the Executives. Article 10 Amendments Section 1 Proposal for Amendments Proposals for amendments to the MSA Constitution may be submitted by any MSA Member with a minimum of ten (10) signatures of other MSA Members who endorse the proposal(s) and consensus of the MSA Executives. Section 2 Referenda for Amendments A voter turnout of ninety percent (90%) of the General MSA Membership must be present for referenda on constitutional amendments. For a proposed amendment to be passed, a minimum of four-fifths (4/5) of the voter turnout must vote in favor of the proposed amendment(s). 15