Preamble Hispanic Business Students Association Constitution Whereby, the Hispanic Business Student Association exists to provide support and opportunities to US Hispanics. In the US, the Hispanic population has experienced significant growth. However, enrollment in top business schools has not seen a corresponding rise in Hispanic students. In this context, these schools have not fully benefited from the wealth of Hispanic students ideas or other input. Consequently, the Hispanic Community and US population as a whole has not fully benefited from their potential leadership. We recognize that serious challenges exist for Hispanic business students. We, the members of the Hispanic Business Students Association at the University Of Michigan Ross School Of Business, are therefore resolved to enhance and enrich the experiences of Hispanic students at the University of Michigan interested in business careers. In order to carry on our aforementioned purpose, we the members of the Hispanic Business Students Association, do hereby establish this constitution. Article I. Name Hispanic Business Student Association, a non-profit student run organization hereafter referred to as the HBSA. Article II. Purpose 1. To increase the enrollment of Hispanic students at the Ross School of Business (RSB). 2. To strive for and encourage academic excellence, personal, and professional growth among the membership. 3. To initiate, develop and maintain contact among members, faculty, administration, other business school organizations, and the general student body at The University of Michigan (University). 4. To develop and maintain an alumni association. 5. To foster and promote interaction with other Hispanic Student organizations as well as other underrepresented minority groups in the university community. 6. To provide the means for social interaction among members, and other groups as necessary.
7. To reach out to the larger community through service-oriented activities that will address the concerns of the Hispanic Community as well as increase HBSA members sense of social responsibility and involvement. Article III. Membership Section 1. Members Members shall be defined as: a. A student enrolled at the RSB who supports the objectives of the organization b. and has registered with the organization through payment of annual applicable dues. Section 2. Active Membership 1. Members are encouraged to participate in both general body meetings and HBSA sponsored or supported activities. 2. Active membership status: a. Members shall remain active for the current semester by attending at least one general body meeting and supporting one HBSA sponsored event during the previous semester, b. or by attending two general bodies meetings or two HBSA sponsored events during the previous semester. 3. Inactive members shall be considered active after attending: a. at least one general body meeting and supporting one HBSA sponsored event during the current semester b. or two general bodies meetings or two HBSA sponsored during the current semester. 4. Members who have joined during the current semester shall be considered active for that semester. 5. Only active members shall be eligible to run for elected office within the HBSA. 6. A roster of active membership shall be readily available to the membership to allow members to verify their current membership status. Section 3. Withdrawal From Membership Members may voluntarily withdrawal their membership; however, dues will not be refunded.
Section 4. Inclusion HBSA is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in its membership or activities unless permitted by university policy for gender specific organizations. Section 5. Disruption Upon joining the organization, all members agree not to undermine the purpose or mission of HBSA. Article IV. Officers and Organization Section 1. Officers and Executive Board 1. The officers of the HBSA shall be: President, Treasurer, Vice President of Prospective Students and Vice President of Corporate Relations. Section 2. Duties of Officers Duties of Officers: 1. The President Shall: a. Be responsible for the formulation and administration of the policies of the HBSA. This function shall be carried out with the agreement of the other standing officers (the Executive Board). b. Be responsible, in coordination with the treasurer, for the safekeeping and wise distribution of HBSA funds. c. Preside at all meetings and call special meetings when necessary. d. Be responsible for an annual State of the Association message delivered at the HBSA Annual Conference or other similar event. e. Carry out assignments given to him/her by vote of the HBSA and perform such other duties that pertain to said office. f. Be a co-signer along with the Treasurer, on all documents required to open and/or maintain MSA and SOAS registration and accounts. g. Serve as liaison between the HBSA and the faculty/administration of the Business School.
h. Shall have authority to approve expenditures in amounts not to exceed $1,000.00, without the requirement of Executive Board approval. i. Upon graduation, should be an active member of the Hispanic Business Alumni Association board. 2. The Treasurer shall: a. Collect all membership fees and other dues. b. Maintain the financial records of the HBSA. c. Present a detailed operating budget and balance sheet for the stewardship period at the HBSA s transition meeting, or on leaving office, whichever is earlier. d. In conjunction with the President, be responsible for the payment of bills incurred in the legitimate execution of the HBSA s affairs. e. Be a co-signer, along with the President, on all documents required to open and maintain MSA and SOAS registrations and accounts. f. Assistant in the development and implementation of, and directly monitor the spending of, budgets for any HBSA event with a budget of one thousand dollars ($1000.00) or greater. 3. The Vice President of Education shall: a. Provide career resources for members including interview preparation, networking training, resume reviews, career path consulting b. Assist Vice President of Corporate Relations in facilitating corporate connections for members 4. The Vice President of Prospective Students shall: a. Liaison with admissions to provide HBSA support of prospective students. b. Coordinate current student outreach to prospective students via information sessions and specials events that support the mission and purpose of the HBSA. 5. Vice President of Corporate Relations a. Serve as liaison between the HBSA and private industry. b. Facilitate the interaction between HBSA members and corporate representatives by scheduling various activities such as presentations, luncheons, off-campus events, etc c. Provide membership with company literature in order to educate the members and aid them in their employment search. d. Prepare the annual corporate relations brochure outlining activities through which companies can interact with HBSA members throughout the year.
e. Coordinate the distribution of the corporate relations brochures and collection of proceeds from the sale of activities as outlined in the brochure working with the fundraising committee as required. f. Collect the resumes of HBSA members so that they may be organized into a professionally prepared book. g. Coordinate the sale and distribution of these books to interested parties. h. Collect the proceeds from the sale of these books to submit to the Treasurer of the HBSA. i. Develop and organize workshops and other career-focused events such as case and interview workshops. Section 3. Other Elected Positions Other elected positions of the HBSA shall be MBA1 Representative, Social Chair, Student Representative(s) to other Ross MBA Programs. Section 4. Duties of Other Elected Positions 1. The MBA1 Representative shall: a. Ensure that the executive board addresses the concerns and opinions of MBA1 s. b. Encourage the participation of all MBA1s in all HBSA activities. c. Encourage knowledge sharing between MBA1s and MBA2s. 2. Social Chair a. The Social Chair shall be responsible for producing and organizing informal social activities, such as happy hours, parties, brunches, etc., thus allowing HBSA members to build lasting bonds and connect more fully. 3. Student Representative(s) to other Ross Programs. a. Each existing master s degree program at Ross shall be allowed one elected representative to the HBSA. (Weekend MBA, Evening MBA, MACC, etc.) b. Each representative shall ensure that the leadership team addresses the concerns and opinions of the their respective program and c. shall encourage the participation of students enrolled in other master s degree programs at all HBSA activities, and d. encourage knowledge sharing between the different master s degree programs at Ross. Section 5. Appointed Positions
1. Within one week of the completion of the annual transition meeting, the newly elected members of leadership team shall appoint active members of the HBSA to perform certain functions on behalf of the HBSA. 2. These positions may include, but are not necessarily limited to Academic Affairs Committee Chair, Alumni Relations Chair, Community Service Chair, Conference Chair (1), Conference Chair (2), Corporate Relations Chair, Historian, and Marketing & Communications Chair. 3. Any member not serving in an elected position may seek an appointed position, including members who are not active. 4. A member interested in serving in an appointed position shall a. submit a memorandum to the president of the HBSA stating his or her desire to be considered for a specific position and relevant qualifications, b. be enrolled at RSB during the duration of the duties of the appointed position c. and submit this document to the president no later than at the commencement of the annual transition meeting. 5. The incoming president shall present all submission to the incoming elected members of the leadership team, along with his or her recommendation on each candidate and or position. 6. The incoming elected members of the leadership team shall vote on each position and announce the final decisions in a timely manner to the general body. Section 6. Duties of Appointed Positions 1. Academic Affairs Committee Chair a. Foster on-going contact between the HBSA and its members, and administration and faculty. b. Maintain and expand projects that aid members in all areas of academic endeavors include examinations, group study, program planning and recommending faculty advisors who can assist where academic difficulty faces individual members. c. Keeping members abreast of any developments that may be relevant for career opportunities. d. Organize and maintain academic and class reference files. 2. Alumni Relations Committee Chair a. Update the Alumni directory. b. Market the Alumni Directory. c. Serve as liaison between the HBSA and its alumni. d. Organize alumni activities and events.
e. Form Sub-Committees as deemed necessary for conference and other Alumni related activities. 3. Community Service Chair a. Coordinate all external outreach activities with executive board concurrence. b. Organize community events; work with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations (i.e.; soup kitchens, Big Brother/Big Sister, tutoring). 4. Conference Committee Chairs (1&2) a. Coordinate all activities for annual conferences and alumni weekends. b. Submit monthly reports to vice president. 5. Historian a. Collect new and maintain all written, video, and pictorial (electronic and hardcopy) data for retrieval by committee chairs. b. Update website with historical information and pictorial records throughout the year. 6. Marketing & Communications Chair a. Maintain the HBSA website and keep it current throughout the school year with events, the HBSA calendar, photos and any other pertinent information. Section 5. Leadership Team 1. The leadership team shall consist of all officers (section 1), all other elected members (section 3) and all appointed positions (section 5) of the HBSA. 2. The leadership team shall manage both the short term operations and long term strategic vision of the HBSA. Section 8. Short Term Positions 1. When required, the president shall designate a member or members of the HBSA to perform duties on behalf of the HBSA. 2. When the duties performed require no more than one month to complete and the budget for such activities is less than or equal to $1000, the president s appointment shall be final. 3. When the duties performed a. require more than one month and less than five months to complete, b. or have a budget of greater than one thousand dollars ($1000) but less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), then c. the president s appointment shall be subject to a confirmation vote of the leadership team and d. a position shall be confirmed by a majority of the leadership team present at the current or next general body or leadership team meeting.
e. All short term positions serve at the pleasure of the president and may be removed by the president at any time, without cause. Article V. Operations Section 1. Election Eligibility and Timing 1. Elections for President, Vice President of Prospective Students, Vice President of Corporate Relations, Treasurer and all other elected positions (from Article IV, Section 3) will be held during February. Each position will be held by an incoming MBA2 immediately following completion of the annual transition meeting until completion of the following year s transition meeting. 2. Any active member who will be enrolled at RSB during the term of the office sought is eligible to hold office. 3. Should the MBA1 representative be elected to a new position during the February elections a. an election shall be held during the next general membership meeting to fill one or more of the positions, as required, b. the duties of outgoing elected position shall be performed by the incumbent member until such an election is completed, and c. the newly elected position holder shall take office immediately following the election. 4. With the exception of the instances mentioned in item 3, no member may hold more than one elected and/or appointed position simultaneously. Section 2. Election Process 1. The general body shall submit nominations during the first week of the election month to the vice president. 2. Candidates will be given the opportunity to accept his or her nomination(s) and compose his or her candidate platform prior to dissemination of ballots to active members. 3. The vice president shall disseminate platforms and ballots to members of the HBSA following the completion of the nomination and acceptance process. 4. Active members shall have at least one week to return completed ballots. 5. The electoral process must be completed by the 20 th day of the election month. 6. The person receiving the most votes from active members shall be considered the winner of each position.
7. In the event of a tie, a run-off election will be held at the next general body meeting. The candidate receiving the most votes from active members present at the meeting will be considered the winner. 8. In the event of a second tie, the executive board shall select the winner. 9. Should a position not be filled via election (due to lack of nominations, candidate withdrawal or some other reason) the president shall appoint a member to hold the office. A positioned shall be confirmed by a majority of the leadership team present at the current or next general body or leadership team meeting. Section 3. Officer Turnover and Transition Meeting 1. Within one week of the February elections the outgoing and incoming officers shall conduct a transition meeting at which outgoing officers shall present their respective reports on the period of their tenure. 2. This transition meeting shall be within two weeks of the election s completion. 3. The installation of new officer will be complete upon adjournment of this meeting. Article VI. Finances Section 1. Annual Operating Budget 1. The treasurer shall maintain the annual operating budget. This budget shall a. detail all spending for the HBSA for the past twenty four (24) months. b. outline the planned spending for the coming six (6) to twelve (12) months. c. be reviewed by the leadership team at the beginning of each leadership team meeting, but no less than once per month. d. made available to any HBSA member for review with one (1) month of such a request. This may be done in combination with the leadership team review, at the discretion of the treasurer. Section 2. Balance Sheet 1. The treasurer shall maintain a balance sheet. The balance sheet shall a. remain separate from the annual operating budget. b. be held private by the executive board and HBSA faculty advisor. c. detail the current assets and liabilities of the HBSA. d. be reviewed by the executive board monthly.
Section 3. Privacy 1. All financial matters of the HBSA shall be held in confidence by each member of the HBSA. 2. Any member who discloses the financial position of the HBSA without the consent of the executive board shall be considered in violation of the constitution and shall be subject to removal from membership in the HBSA. Article VII. Amendments to the Constitution Section 1. Amendment Process 1. The HBSA Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting, or special meeting, where members have been notified of such amendment(s), no fewer than seven (7) days prior to the meeting. 2. Approval of any proposed amendment shall be by two-thirds (2/3) vote of a majority of active members present at such meeting. Section 2. Proposal of Amendments Any member may propose an amendment. Section 3. Voting 1. Voting shall be by a super majority as described in the method of amendment. 2. The constitution is binding to all members of the HBSA. But the constitution is not binding unto itself. 3. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed in writing by any member of the HBSA at any meeting at which 2/3 of the active members is present. These amendments will be placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the executive council or other officer grouping. 4. Proposed amendments will become effective following approval of two-thirds (2/3)-majority vote of active members. Article VIII: Ratification The constitution must be ratified by two-thirds of all active members to take effect and shall be reviewed every 2 years. Article IX: Removal of Membership or Officers
Section 1. Removal of Officers Any officer engaged in any activity that may tarnish the HBSA s image, clearly conflicts with HBSA s objectives or constitution, or if the officer fails to fulfil their responsibilities as outlined in Article IV may be grounds for removal from office in HBSA through the following process: a) A written request by at least three members of the organization. b) Written notification to the officer of the request, asking the officer to be present at the next meeting and prepared to speak. c) A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of eligible voting members is necessary to remove the officer. Section 2. Removal of Membership Any activity engaged in that may tarnish the HBSA s image, or clearly conflicts with HBSA s objectives, may be grounds for revoking membership in the HBSA through the following process: a) The executive board shall designate an investigation committee to review the incident(s) in question and provide a report to the leadership team. Should the incident(s) in question involve an HBSA executive member, that executive member shall be excluded from the process of appointing an investigation committee and the leadership review committee. b) The committee shall consist of at least three (3) members of the leadership team, but not officers, of the HBSA. c) This team shall present a report to the leadership team for review. Should the leadership deem that a removal vote is warranted, a removal vote will be schedule for the next general body meeting. d) Removal will be by a vote of not less than Two-Thirds (2/3) of the active members present at the general body meeting where the findings of the investigation committee are presented. Section 2. Removal Process 1. The executive board shall designate an investigation committee to review the incident(s) in question and provide a report to the leadership team. Should the incident(s) in question involve an HBSA executive member, that executive member shall be excluded from the process of appointing an investigation committee and the leadership review committee.
2. The committee shall consist of at least three (3) members of the leadership team, but not officers, of the HBSA. 3. This team shall present a report to the leadership team for review. Should the leadership deem that a removal vote is warranted, a removal vote will be schedule for the next general body meeting. 4. Removal will be by a vote of not less than Two-Thirds (2/3) of the active members present at the general body meeting where the findings of the investigation committee are presented. Section 3. Removed Member Dues If a member is removed from membership, the member s dues will not be refunded. -