Constitution of the Asian Student Union at Binghamton University, State University of New York

Constitution of the Asian Student Union at Binghamton University, State University of New York Preamble The Asian Student Union (ASU) at Binghamton University recognizes that prejudice and discrimination can be overcome only when cultural, social, economic, political and historical understanding among diverse peoples is achieved. As an umbrella organization comprised of seven subgroups that share the same overall mission, the ASU accommodates multiple conceptions of community. The ASU acknowledges that its strength comes from the unity of all Asians, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders. ARTICLE I: Name, Purpose and Restrictions Section I: Name The name of this organization shall be The Asian Student Union at the State University of New York at Binghamton (hereafter called the ASU). Section II: Statement of Purpose A. To promote unity and harmony among Asian and Asian-American students. B. To educate ourselves and others about the meaning of being Asian and Asian- American. C. To provide a forum for concerned students to discuss and voice their concerns about various interests. D. To address the lack of Asian representation in organizations which are supposed to serve, in part, the Asian community (such as the SA, EOP, BEP, etc.). E. To enrich the University by promoting an understanding of Asian culture and Asian-related issues on the campus and community through guest speakers, workshops, discussion, publication, exhibits and social events. F. To encourage cultural, social and political awareness among Asian and Asian- American students. G. To promote interaction with other cultural unions. H. To provide the Student Association with an Asian and Asian-American perspective. I. To help new students adjust to university life through counseling, social gatherings, sports activities, workshops and meetings. 1

ARTICLE II: Structure Section I: Membership Admissions A. All registered students of Binghamton University, State University of New York who attend three or more ASU meetings or events and/or are already a member of one of its seven subgroups, according to their by-laws, shall be considered a member of the ASU. B. Any student seeking admission to the Asian Student Union shall request membership through PAWS or be added onto the membership list by contacting any current officers. Section II: Rights of Membership A. All members may participate in the general elections of the Asian Student Union B. All members may participate in all events and organizations sponsored by the Asian Student Union and its subgroups. C. Equality of rights shall not be denied or abridged by the Asian Student Union on the grounds of race, age, color, gender, marital status, national origin or citizenship, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, handicap disabilities, veteran status or religious, political, ideological views or affiliations. Section III: Subgroups A. Asian Student Union is the umbrella organization for the following subgroups. 1. Asian Outlook (AO) 2. Binghamton University Japanese Association (BUJA) 3. Chinese American Student Union (CASU) 4. Korean American Student Association (KASA) 5. Philippine-American League (PAL) 6. Taiwanese American Student Coalition (TASC) 7. Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) B. Presidents and Treasurers of any subgroups may not hold the positions of President and Treasurers for other subgroups. Section IV: Officers of the Executive Board The Executive Board is the executive branch of the ASU. The officers of the Asian Student Union consist of (1) President, (2) Executive Vice President, (3) Financial Vice President, (4) Academic Vice President, (5) Executive Secretary, (6) Public Relations Chair, (7) Events Coordinators, (8) Financial Assistant and (9) Website Administrator. A. The Executive board must consist of a four-fifths (4/5) ratio of undergraduates and the Financial Vice President must be an elected undergraduate according to Student Association guidelines. Each officer must be a student at the State University of New York at Binghamton and must perform the duties and responsibilities of their elected office with dedication, enthusiasm, objectivity and punctuality. B. No Executive Board member may sit on the executive board of any ASU subgroups. 2

Section V: Duties of Officers All the officers of the Asian Student Union shall promote active recruitment of new members and maintain a relation with each other and the members of the organization. At least one officer will be responsible for maintaining a current copy of this constitution open to inspection by all members of this association and the University Student Association. A. The President shall: 1. serve as the chief executive officer of the Asian Student Union, carrying the ultimate responsibility for all aspects of its operation; 2. chair and facilitate all meetings of the ASU Executive Board and of the ASU Board of Directors; 3. oversee all activities and functions of the ASU and ensure that its purpose and policies are fulfilled; 4. officially represent the Asian Student Union as its spokesperson; 5. propose dates for meetings and activities; 6. delegate tasks and responsibilities to officers; 7. ensure that activities and operations achieve the mission, goals and objectives of ASU; 8. be the liaison among the ASU subgroups and the ASU Executive Board; 9. support and counsel officers and members of the Board of Directors in their task and responsibilities; 10. assist the Financial Vice President in subgroup budget allocation; 11. promote communication and coordination among officers and members; and 12. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities and programs. B. The Executive Vice President shall: 1. assume the presidential office in the absence of the President; 2. act as the liaison between ASU and the ASU alumni; 3. act as a mediator for internal conflicts within the ASU Executive Board; 4. support and counsel officers in their task and responsibilities; 5. assist the President in the daily operation of the Asian Student Union; 6. serve as the alternate to all meetings unattended by other officers; 7. monitor the progress of activities, events, programs, and plans of the ASU; 8. attend the ASU Executive Board meetings; 9. coordinate at least three (3) philanthropy events per academic year; and 10. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities, and programs, C. The Financial Vice President shall: 1. maintain records of all financial transactions of the Asian Student Union; 2. allocate the ASU budget to the subgroups; 3. with consultation of the treasurers of subgroups, draft the ASU budget proposal to the SA Budget Committee/Financial Council; 3

4. train the treasurers of subgroups in accordance to the Student Association Treasurer s Handbook; 5. report to the SA Financial Vice President; 6. oversee the finances of the subgroups through regular meetings with their respective treasurers; 7. oversee and coordinate all financial matters; 8. be responsible for the ASU financial account; 9. process payments of ASU liabilities and expenses in a timely manner; 10. safeguard all ASU properties and assets; 11. promote fundraising activities for the ASU; 12. attend the ASU Executive Board meetings; and 13. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities and programs. D. The Academic Vice President shall: 1. plan and coordinate educational and awareness events, primarily but not limited to, Asian Empowerment Week; 2. take active consideration of ideas and suggestions from all members of the ASU in regards to event planning; 3. maintain contacts with other organizations and academic departments; 4. Attend all Inter-Cultural Awareness (ICA) meetings and report back to the ASU Executive Board; 5. attend Executive Board meetings; and 6. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities and programs. E. The Executive Secretary shall: 1. keep complete records of the proceedings at all Executive Board and Board of Directors meetings to be presented to the members of ASU upon request; 2. compile the complete ASU membership roster; 3. make room reservations for ASU functions; 4. be responsible for scheduling ASU events, ensuring that these events are not in conflict with the events of ASU subgroups; 5. be responsible for distributing the minutes of previous Executive Board and Board of Directors meetings; 6. notify all officers when an Executive Board, Board of Directors or general meetings is called; 7. be responsible for all official correspondence with Asian student groups at other institutions; 8. maintain the ASU electronic mail (e-mail) account; 9. be responsible for all ASU e-mail correspondences to ASU members; 10. attend Executive Board and Board of Directors meetings; and 11. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities and programs. F. The Public Relations Chair shall: 4

1. be responsible for informing all members and the University at large of all events through flyers, banners, emails and/or other forms of advertisement in a timely manner; 2. design and layout ASU printed material (i.e. flyers, posters, invitations, etc.); 3. ensure that all information to be communicated are precise and correct; 4. be responsible for the production and distribution of all publicity materials (flyers, newsletters, ads, etc.); 5. actively improve existing communication medium; 6. actively seek out new medium and methods to successfully publicize and promote ASU and its activities; 7. attend the ASU Executive Board meetings; and 8. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities, and programs. G. The Events Coordinator shall: 1. plan and coordinate Asian Night and other major events to fulfill the purpose and missions of the ASU (e.g. Lunar New Year Banquet); 2. take into consideration of any suggestions and recommendations provided at the Board of Directors meetings or by individual members of the ASU; 3. attend the ASU Executive Board meetings; and 4. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities, and programs. H. Financial Assistant shall: 1. assist the ASU Financial Vice President in his/her duties except the allocation of ASU budgets to subgroups; 2. not divulge financial information to any party without the explicit consent of the ASU Financial Vice President; 3. not make any decisions regarding financial matters without the explicit consent of the ASU Financial Vice President; 4. attend the ASU Executive Board meetings; and 5. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities, and programs. I. The Website Administrator shall: 1. update the ASU web page as necessary; 2. improve the attractiveness of the ASU web page; 3. attend Executive Board meetings; and 4. assist in the production of all ASU events, activities, and programs. J. The above job descriptions for each office are in no uncertain terms absolute. Each officer may, at certain times, take on the responsibilities of another officer. If in special circumstances and with the majority consent of the ASU Executive Board, one person may hold more than one position within the organization. Section VI: Board of Directors The Board of Directors is the legislative branch of the ASU. The Board of Directors consists of: 5

A. The President of Asian Student Union B. The President of Binghamton University Japanese Association (BUJA) C. The President of Chinese American Student Union (CASU) D. The President of Korean American Student Association (KASA) E. The Philippine-American League Representative (PAL) F. The President of Taiwanese American Student Coalition (TASC) G. The President of Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) H. The Editor-in-Chief of Asian Outlook (AO) Section VII: Powers of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors shall have the final authority to: A. Make policy and Constitutional recommendations to the general membership on issues related to the ASU B. Approve all major decisions that would affect ASU and its subgroups including but not limited to: 1. Adoption of subgroups; 2. ASU Endorsements of Student Association Executive Board candidates; 3. All political decisions of the Asian Student Union. ARTICLE III: Meetings and Procedures Section I: Executive Board Meetings A. All Executive Board meetings shall be held at least three (3) times a month. B. The President of the Asian Student Union reserves the right to call additional meetings as he or she deems necessary. C. No voting during the Executive Board meetings shall occur unless a quorum of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members is present including the President of ASU. D. All motions considered shall be carried by a simple majority vote of those members present unless otherwise specified herein. E. In an event of a tie, the motion returns to the floor for further discussion. Section II: Board of Directors Meetings A. All Board of Directors meetings shall be held at least two (2) times a month. B. Any member of the Board of Directors reserves the right to call additional meetings as he or she deems necessary. C. The meetings shall be chaired by the President of ASU. D. The meeting minutes shall be kept by the Executive Secretary of ASU. E. No voting during the Board of Directors meetings shall occur unless a quorum of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members is present including the President of ASU. F. All motions considered shall be carried by a simple majority vote of those members present unless otherwise specified herein. G. In an event of a tie, the motion returns to the floor for further discussion. Section II: General Body Meetings A. All general meetings shall be held at least once (1) per semester. 6

B. The President of the Asian Student Union reserves the right to call additional meetings as he or she deems necessary. C. All motions considered shall be carried by a simple majority vote of those members present unless otherwise specified herein. ARTICLE IV: Nomination and Elections of the Executive Board Elections of the ASU Executive Board of the next academic year shall be held in the spring semester. Abstaining of votes is allowed in all ASU elections. Section I: President and Financial Vice President A. Qualifications for Candidacy 1. ASU Executive Board shall accept letters of intent for at least one (1) full week prior to the date of the election, stating available positions, the date letter of intents are due by and to whom, and the expected time and date of elections. No letter of intents may be accepted after the stated date the letters of intents are due. 2. Interested candidates must submit letters of intent at least 24 hours prior to the election. 3. Candidates must have at least one (1) year of experience as an officer of the ASU Executive Board, unless otherwise decided upon by the current ASU Executive Board. In which case, the position eligibility will follow that of Article IV Section III Part B. 4. Financial Vice President candidates must be an ASU member. B. Election process 1. The President and Financial Vice President of ASU must be voted on by only the treasurers of the subgroups and the members of the Board of Directors with the exception of the ASU President. All members of the voting population are required to attend the election. Each subgroup may only have two (2) representatives in the voting population, regardless of co-positions. 2. Current ASU Officers are allowed to and encouraged to attend the election and offer insightful comments and inquiries. 3. All candidates shall be allotted seven (7) minutes of speaking time and unlimited time for the Question and Answer period. 4. Candidates running for the same position may not be present while opposing candidates are presenting to the parties present. 5. A motion may be made to conduct further discussion in the absence of candidates among the parties present. The motion must be seconded and approved by at least nine (9) out of the voting population (14) in order to pass. C. Counting of Votes 1. For each office, the winner must receive at least nine (9) votes out of the voting population (14). 7

2. Votes are counted by the current ASU President and the Financial Vice President in private. 3. The presence of a third party, as agreed upon by the voting population, may be allowed during the counting of the votes. 4. Vote count shall not be disclosed by the counting parties to any other entities. Only the winning candidate and the losing candidate(s) may be disclosed to the public. 5. In the event that none of the candidates running is able to achieve the required majority, a run-off election with the top two candidates will occur as per the election process mentioned in Article IV Section I Part B. 6. In the event that an uncontested candidate fails to achieve the required majority, candidacy will be reopened and further solicitation for letters of intent will occur as per the procedure as stated in Article IV Section I Part A. Section II: Executive Vice President A. Qualifications for Candidacy 1. ASU Executive Board shall accept letters of intent for at least one (1) full week prior to the date of the election, stating available positions, the date letter of intents are due by and to whom, and the expected time and date of elections. No letter of intents may be accepted after the stated date the letters of intents are due. 2. Interested candidates must submit letters of intent at least 24 hours prior to the election. 3. Candidates must have at least one (1) year of experience as an officer of the ASU Executive Board, unless otherwise decided upon by the current ASU Executive Board. In which case, the position eligibility will follow that of Article IV Section III Part B. B. Election process 1. The Executive Vice President of ASU must be voted on by only the current officers of the ASU who are not running for the position. 2. All candidates shall be allotted seven (7) minutes of speaking time and unlimited time for the Question and Answer period. 3. Candidates running for the same position may not be present while opposing candidates are presenting to the voting population. 4. A motion may be made to conduct further discussion in the absence of candidates among the voting population. The motion must be seconded and approved by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the voting population in order to pass. C. Counting of Votes 1. For each office, the winner must receive a two-thirds majority (2/3) vote. 2. Votes are counted by the current ASU President and the Executive Vice President in private. 8

3. Vote count shall not be disclosed by the counting parties to any other entities. Only the winning candidate and the losing candidate(s) may be disclosed to the public. 4. In the event that none of the candidates running is able to achieve the required majority, a run-off election with the top two candidates will occur as per the election process as stated in Article IV Section II Part B. 5. In the event that an uncontested candidate fails to achieve the required majority, candidacy will be reopened and further solicitations for letters of intent will occur as per the procedure as stated in Article IV Section II Part A. Section III: General Body Election A. All positions except President, Financial Vice President and Executive Vice President shall be voted on in a General Body Election. B. Qualifications for Candidacy 1. ASU Executive Board shall accept letters of intent for at least one (1) full week prior to the date of the election, stating available positions, the date letter of intents are due by and to whom, and the expected time and date of elections. No letter of intents may be accepted after the stated date the letters of intents are due. 2. Interested candidates must submit letters of intent at least 24 hours prior to the election. 3. Candidates must be members of the ASU. 4. Candidates may run jointly with a partner for the positions of Events Coordinator and Public Relations chair. C. Election process 1. All ASU members are allowed to vote in the General Body Election. 2. Elections will proceed in the following order unless otherwise determined by the ASU Executive Board. a. Academic Vice President b. Executive Secretary c. Events Coordinators d. Public Relations Chair e. Financial Assistant f. Website Administrator 3. Nomination for Write-In candidates shall occur at the beginning of the General Body Election. 4. All candidates shall be allotted seven (7) minutes of speaking time and ten (10) minutes for the Question and Answer period. 5. Candidates running for the same position may not be present while opposing candidates are presenting to the voting population. 6. Ballots will be tailored to the individual positions, as shown below. Asian Student Union General Body Election Executive Secretary Candidate A Candidate B Write-In 9

7. Ballots shall be handed out to the voting population right before the first candidate of a position speaks and collected right after the Question and Answer period of the last candidate of the same position. D. Counting of Votes 1. For each office, if the candidate is deemed eligible and has submitted a letter of intent prior to the elections, he/she must win by a three-fifths majority (3/5) vote. 2. For each office, if the candidate is listed as a write-in, he/she must win by a three-fourths (¾) votes. 3. Votes are counted by the current ASU President and the Executive Vice President in private. 4. Vote count shall not be disclosed by the counting parties to any other entities. Only the winning candidate and the losing candidate(s) may be disclosed to the public. 5. In the event where a winning candidate is not determined, a General Body Election will be held in the following semester at the discretion of the ASU Executive Board. Section IV: Terms of Office A. Term of office for officers elected in the spring semester shall commence on the last day of the spring semester in which the officer was elected and terminate on the second to last day of the following spring semester. B. Term of office for officers elected in the fall semester shall commence immediately after their election to office and terminate on the second to last day of the following spring semester. Section V: Vacancy of an Office In the event an office is vacated, at the discretion of the ASU Executive Board, an emergency election may be held procedurally according to their corresponding positions. ARTICLE V: Adoption and Removal of ASU Subgroups Section I: Adoption of ASU subgroups A. Qualification 1. The organization wishing to become an ASU subgroup must meet the following criteria as laid out by the Student Association chartering process: a. It will provide services or activities that serve the educational or social interests of a segment of the campus community. b. It does not duplicate any already chartered organization in its activities or purpose, unless the organization can show a specific benefit to the campus in such duplication. 10

c. It does not and will not exist solely for private and/or personal gain. d. There will be long-term interest in the organization. e. It does not duplicate an existing Student Association entity in its activities or purpose. 2. The organization wishing to become an ASU subgroup shall draft a constitution which must include: a. A clear structure for the organization. b. A detailed description of the purpose of the organization. c. Definitions of the rights and responsibilities of membership in the organization. d. These definitions must ensure that all members will have the right to full participation in the organization. 3. The organization shall collect names, phone numbers, academic year and signatures from one hundred (100) students who express interest in the adoption of the organization, ten (10) of which must be potential active members of the organization contributing in the formation and operation of the organization. 4. The organization shall have an executive board of at least a president, vice president and treasurer. 5. The organization shall prepare a formally written request to join the Asian Student Union, including a description of all potential events that will be held by the organization. B. Procedure 1. The interested organization must present its proposal to the ASU Board of Directors. 2. The organization must be unanimously voted into the ASU by the members of the Board of Directors. Section II: Removal of ASU subgroup A. Grounds for removal 1. The subgroup may be considered for removal from the Asian Student Union if: a. the subgroup fails to contribute and perpetuate the overall goals and statements of purpose of the Asian Student Union, and b. the subgroup is impeding the operations of the ASU and/or the other subgroups. B. Procedure 1. The motion to remove a subgroup must be brought up and seconded during the ASU Board of Directors meeting. 2. The motion must be approved unanimously by the ASU Board of Directors with the exception of the representative of the group in question. 3. If the motion is approved, it will be moved forward onto a General Body Meeting where a discussion will be held to provide a forum for all ASU members. 4. Voting on the motion will take place in the General Body Meeting mentioned above. If there is a three-fourths (3/4) majority for the removal of the 11

subgroup, then the subgroup will be effectively removed from the Asian Student Union as of the conclusion of the General Body Meeting. ARTICLE VI: Impeachment and Removal of officers Section I: Procedure A. Any member of the Asian Student Union may move to impeach any elected officer based on constitutional grounds. B. The charged officer(s) and the General Body Meeting population must be present with a written document stating the charges at the General Body Meeting where the motion for impeachment is made. C. The motion must be seconded and carried by three-fourths (3/4) vote of the General Body Meeting population. D. If the motion is carried, an impeachment hearing must then be called and held within two (2) weeks after the said motion has been carried. Section II: Hearing A. The President shall preside over the impeachment hearing unless he or she is being charged, in which case the Executive Vice President shall preside. B. The hearing is opened to all ASU members. C. The charged officer(s) as well as the ASU member(s) who brought forth the initial motion to impeach shall present their cases and go through a Question and Answer period at the hearing. D. At the end of the hearing, a voting will occur to determine whether the charged officers shall be removed from office. E. If there is a three-fourths (3/4) majority for the removal of the charged officer(s), then the charged individuals will be removed from office at the conclusion of the hearing. ARTICLE VII: Discrimination Policy Section I: Discrimination The Asian Student Union of the State University of New York at Binghamton does not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of race, age, color, gender, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, natural or ethnic origin, handicap disabilities, veteran status or religious, political, ideological views or affiliations. Section II: Harassment The Asian Student Union does not permit the harassment of one individual by another individual or group. Behavior prohibited under this rule includes actions threatening substantial risk of physical or mental injury; actions exposing the individual to 12

distressing, repulsive, or alarming situations; actions in the form of social pressure which might cause harm to an individual. ARTICLE VIII: Adoption and Amendments Section I: Adoption of the Constitution Adoption of the constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) favorable vote of the general meeting population at a General Body Meeting. Section II: Proposed Amendments A. Proposed amendments to the constitution must be submitted in writing to the President one (1) month prior to the general meeting where the proposal(s) is to be considered. B. Amendments shall be ratified by a three-fourth (3/4) favorable vote of the general meeting population at a General Body Meeting. Section III: Parliamentary Procedure In instanced where the constitution or by-laws are unclear, the Board of Directors serves the right to interpret them in order to make decisions on behalf of the Asian Student Union. 13

Declaration of New Constitution We, the Asian Student Union Executive Board and Board of Directors of the spring semester of 2010 at the State University of New York at Binghamton, hereby agree with the terms of our new constitution. We will follow it and pass it down to our following future members. We understand the constitution s purpose and hereby follow it. ASU President: Stephanie Kuo Executive Vice President: Kevin Cheng Financial Vice President: Shawn Lee Academic Vice President: Yang Hu Executive Secretary: Shirley Hu Co-Events Coordinator: Iris Lau Co-Events Coordinator: Shamiao Qu Co-Public Relations Chair: Jackie Lee Co-Public Relations Chair: Qixin Sun BUJA President: Sang Hun Bae CASU President: Shirley Du KASA President: Michelle Lee PAL Representative: Amanda Caballero TASC President: Natalie To VSA President: Tiffany Gee AO Co-Editor-in-Chief: Prem Prashad AO Co-Editor-in-Chief: Jeffery Hwang 14