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Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE FILIPINO STUDENT ASSOCIATION
The Filipino Student Association
At the University of Florida
300-5 JWRU
Gainesville, FL 32611

ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Filipino Student Association at the University of Florida, and hereafter may be referred to as “FSA”.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The purposes of this organization are:

  1. To promote the culture, heritage, and unity of Filipino peoples.
  2. To promote the welfare of its members.
  3. To enhance interaction between members and other students, faculty, and staff of the University of Florida.
  4. To provide a social atmosphere for all FSA members.
  5. To sponsor activities in line with the purposes stated above.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The membership shall consist of four types:

  1. Active – Must be a UF student and fulfill requirements of active and new membership. (See Bylaws)
  2. Non-Active – Must be a UF student and fulfill requirements of membership.
  3. Associate – Open to faculty, staff, and student spouses of active members except that they may not hold office.
  4. Honorary – May be conferred upon an individual provided he or she show a desired interest shared by the members of FSA and is chosen by the executive board for such honor. Such a member is entitled to the same privileges as an associate member.

Section 2. Member Suspension
Any member that is involved in any action(s) which are not beneficial and are deemed destructive to the purposes of this organization may have his/her FSA membership suspended for an indefinite period of time by recommendation of the executive board and two-thirds vote of the membership. A member on suspension forfeits all rights and privileges entitled to FSA members.
Any member placed on suspension may petition, the semester following the suspension, to the executive board to have his/her membership reinstated for a probationary period of time stated by the executive board.

ARTICLE IV – NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Filipino Student Association is open to everyone who is interested in the culture and heritage of Filipino peoples. No one shall be discriminated on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. Any such discrimination shall not be tolerated.

ARTICLE V – THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

  1. The executive board shall consist of the elected officers.
  2. The executive board shall handle the regular business of the organization.
  3. Regular meetings of the executive board shall be held prior to each general meeting.
  4. A quorum for conducting the business of the executive board shall be one more than half of the members of the board empowered to vote. Only elected officers are empowered to vote.
  5. Each outgoing board must pay off all unpaid bills and obligations incurred during its elected term, and shall leave sufficient funds to sustain initial programming for the incoming executive board.

ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS
Section 1. There shall be the following elected officers:

  1. President
  2. Executive Vice President
  3. Vice President of Finance
  4. Vice President of Mass Communications
  5. Vice President of Internal Affairs
  6. Vice President of Cultural Affairs
  7. Vice President of Membership
  8. Vice President of Multimedia
  9. Asian American Student Union Representative

Section 2. Removal of Office
An officer who does not comply with assigned responsibilities may be relieved of office by a two-thirds vote of the executive board. Appointment of a replacement shall be made by the President with a two-thirds approval of the executive board.

Section 3. Chair Position Appointments
The President may appoint chair positions immediately after installation. Appointments must be approved by majority vote of the elected board. Ad hoc chair positions may be created upon a majority vote of the executive board, to best carry out the purposes of the organization. This chair position is terminated upon the completion of its intended purpose. (See Bylaws)

Section 4. Faculty Advisor
The advisor shall be a member of the University of Florida’s faculty or staff. It is the role of the advisor to give any help or input towards achieving the goals of this organization. The advisor shall be chosen by majority vote of the executive board prior to the academic school year and may maintain this position for an indefinite period of time. Should the advisor step down from this position or is not fulfilling his/her duties, then a new advisor may be chosen by majority vote of the executive board.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTIONS
Section 1. Elections Committee

  1. An elections committee of three members shall be appointed by the President to conduct the elections.
  2. The elections committee shall consist of current or previously elected officers who have forfeited their right to run for an office.
  3. The elections committee shall conduct all voting procedures as detailed in Article VII, Section 2.

Section 2. General Elections Details

  1. All members active, associate, and honorary shall each have one vote. Members must be present to cast their vote. There shall no voting by proxy.
  2. Elections shall take place during the month of April of each year.
  3. Elections shall be by secret ballot.

Section 3. Voting Procedures*

  1. Ask for nominations for each elected office.
  2. Create a list of all nominated members running for an elected position for all members to see.
  3. Create a discussion and debate atmosphere for each elected position for the membership to ask the nominated members questions.
  4. Hand out ballots.
  5. Collect the ballots after the voting process.
  6. Count all the ballots and announce the newly elected officers.

*Once the voting procedures begin, all voting members present shall be accounted for. Should the numbers of votes cast exceed the number of voting members present, then the election is void and the procedures shall start over. Members are elected by a majority vote. In the event of a tie, the voting procedure will repeat between the nominees in question. A recount may be requested by any voting member of FSA.

Section 4. Term of Office
Officers shall be elected for a term of one academic school year to serve from the summer following the elections until the following spring semester. Officers may not serve more than two years in the same office in the case of President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Finance, and Vice President of Mass Communications

Section 5. Transition of Administration
There shall be a meeting of the executive boards immediately following installation. It should include the outgoing and incoming officers. All new business and files are turned over to the newly installed President, who then becomes the presiding officer. All old business must be taken care of prior to the transition by the past President.

Section 6. Vacancies
In the event of the vacancy of an office, a replacement officer shall be appointed by the President with a two-thirds approval of the executive board. This applies to all offices except the office of the President. The Executive Vice President shall take over for an absent President and appoint a replacement Executive Vice President with a two-thirds approval of the board.

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF ELECTED OFFICERS
Section 1. The President shall

  1. preside at all meetings of the executive board, general meetings of the organization, and at any special meetings;
  2. appoint chair positions after installation;
  3. sign all checks with the Vice President of Finance;
  4. sign all contracts with the Vice President of Finance after approval of the executive board;
  5. sign all membership cards with the Vice President of Membership;
  6. serve as an ex-officio member of all committees;
  7. call a special meeting when it is necessary;
  8. supervise the other officers of the Executive Board;
  9. continue any unfinished work from the other officers or chair positions;
  10. serve as a liaison to Student Government.

Section 2. The Executive Vice President shall

  1. fulfill the duties of the President when absent;
  2. be responsible for the week to week operations;
  3. supervise the coordination between the officers and their assigned chair positions;
  4. act as a liaison to the Greek Community;
  5. ensure the conformity to the FSA constitution;
  6. compile and maintain the records of FSA activities.

Section 3. The Vice President of Finance shall

  1. have charge and custody of, and be responsible for, all funds and securities of FSA;
  2. make a monthly financial report to the executive board;
  3. sign all checks with the President;
  4. sign all contracts with the President after approval of the executive board;
  5. receive, and give receipt for, monies due and payable to FSA from any source whatsoever;
  6. disburse the funds of FSA as may be directed by the executive board, keeping receipts for such disbursements;
  7. keep and maintain adequate and correct accounts of FSA’s properties and business transactions, including assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, and losses;
  8. represent FSA in related budget hearings.

Section 4. The Vice President of Mass Communications shall

  1. record and communicate to the executive board the minutes of all its meetings;
  2. handle the correspondence of the organization;
  3. keep membership records including the names and addresses of all current members;
  4. be custodian of the seal of FSA and affix the seal to duly executed documents of FSA;
  5. produce a newsletter for every general body meeting.

Section 5. The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall

  1. keep order during any meeting of FSA at all times;
  2. be responsible for the attendance records at meetings and events;
  3. be responsible for Parliamentary procedures;
  4. be the presiding officer and head committee chair during elections;
  5. coordinate and be responsible for the Annual Def Talent Jam.

Section 6. The Vice President of Cultural Affairs shall:

  1. educate the members of the culture and history of Filipino peoples;
  2. promote the culture of Filipino peoples throughout the community and campus events;
  3. instill Filipino Pride among members;
  4. organize the Annual Barrio Fiesta;
  5. have a cultural presentation prepared for each meeting.

Section 7. The Vice President of Membership shall

  1. be responsible for the Rush and Recruiting period at the beginning of each semester at which time new members are identified;
  2. plan events, meetings, and socials in order to retain new members and integrate them into the rest of the membership;
  3. plan the Kuya/Ate Weeks during or after the Rush and Recruiting period;
  4. collect data from the entire membership and update the database as necessary;
  5. plan the induction of any new members who have fulfilled the membership requirements;
  6. assure that members receive phone calls, electronic mail, or any other notice as to upcoming events and deadlines.

Section 8. The Vice President of Multimedia shall:

  1. keep a record of and be responsible for all FSA memorabilia;
  2. send out promo packets to sister FSAs;
  3. produce videos for meetings, events, etc.

Section 9. The Asian American Student Representative shall:

  1. act as a liaison to the Asian American Student Union (AASU);
  2. attend all AASU Meetings and inform executive officers of current events;
  3. promote the relationship between FSA and AASU sub-organizations.

ARTICLE IX – MEETINGS

  1. There shall be bimonthly meetings during the academic school year of the fall and spring. Notice of such meetings shall be given at least one day before the meeting.
  2. Special meetings may be called by the President or the executive board. Upon written notice by 30 members, the President shall call a meeting. Notice of special meetings shall be at least 3 days in advance.
  3. Two thirds (2/3) vote of the entire membership present is required for FSA to take action upon any issue.

ARTICLE X – FINANCES
Section 1. General Funds

  1. Activities may be financed by existing Student Government funds, fundraising activities, and donations.
  2. If there exists an ongoing liability that extends past the elected term, the outgoing executive board must inform the incoming executive board of its existence.

Section 2. Restricted Funds

  1. Restricted funds may be used for the designated purpose only and must be kept in a separate account.
  2. Restricted fund accounts may only be created by vote of the executive board.

ARTICLE XI – FSA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The Filipino Student Association shall adhere to the Student Guide and the other laws, rules, and regulations governing the University of Florida and its students. Hazing of any form is not permitted, nor will it be tolerated in FSA.

ARTICLE XII – AMENDMENTS
The bylaws may be amended or revised by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all voting members present at a meeting designed for that purpose. Copies of the proposed amendment shall be given to the membership in writing at least one month prior to the meeting. During the meeting for such a vote, the proposed amendment shall be announced, discussed, and then voted upon. After two years, an amendment written into the bylaws may be inserted in the Constitution by amendment.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I – REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP
A student must:

  1. Attend two FSA general meetings.
  2. Attend two new member activities.
  3. Fulfill requirements of “active” membership (see Article II).
  4. Participate in an initiation ceremony.

ARTICLE II – REQUIREMENTS FOR ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP
A member must participate in at least one fundraiser and one community service event designated by the executive board per semester.

ARTICLE III – VOTING MEMBER
A member must attend at least one-half of all general body meetings held during the year to vote.

ARTICLE IV – CHAIR POSITIONS
The following are appointed chair positions (additional chair positions may be created by the President on an ad hoc basis). Each chair position shall be assigned a supervising officer by the President once appointed. All chairs must fulfill requirements for active membership:

  1. Achievement
  2. Alumni
  3. Community Service
  4. Culture
  5. Dance
  6. Fil-Am Contact
  7. Florida Network Ambassador
  8. Fundraising
  9. Rush/Recruitment
  10. Semi-Formal/Formal
  11. Social
  12. Sports
  13. Webmaster
  14. Yearbook

ARTICLE V – Vice Presidents of Membership
There shall be two Vice Presidents of Membership.

PROPOSALS

ARTICLE VI – Vice Presidents of Membership

  1. There shall be 3 Vice Presidents of Membership.
  2. Article 8: Section 9 shall be dissolved and the duties transplanted into Article 8: Section 7.
  3. Article 8: Section 5B shall be transplanted into Article 8: Section 7.

ARTICLE VII – Alumni Advisor
There shall be an alumni advisor appointed every year by the new Executive Board. His/Her responsibility is to counsel the Executive Board in times of need.