African Students' Association at Purdue

We the African students of Purdue University, in order to form a more perfect union, establish mutual understanding, provide for the common good, promote culture and stronger ties with various students, and secure the blessings of freedom to ourselves, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the African Student Association.

Name and Nature

The name of this organization shall be the African Students' Association at Purdue University. The Organization shall be an independent, non-profit, non-sectarian, socio-cultural and educational student organization.

The Aims of the Association shall be:

1. To consolidate and promote mutual understanding among the African Students.

2. To promote a better mutual understanding and stronger ties with the American community.

3. To promote understanding with students and other student organization in and around the University.

4. To act as liaison between the African Students of the University and other African Students organizations outside.

Name and Nature

The official language to be used on all records at all Association functions shall be English.

Membership

There shall be two types of membership:

1. Full membership shall be restricted to Purdue University students from the continent of Africa and the associated islands.

2. Associate membership shall be open to:

   • Spouses of full members of the Association.
   • Non-Africans on application and approval of the full members by two-thirds majority.

Associate members may participate in the meetings, pay dues, exercise the vote, but may not hold office.

Executive Council

1. The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by an Executive Council.

2. The Executive Council shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, Publicity and Information Officer, and a Program Chairman.

3. The Officers shall be elected by a single majority of the members present, by secret ballot.

4. The term of office shall be one academic year. The officers may be nominated for re-election, such re-election being for one additional term only.

5. Any vacancies shall be filled by a special election called for by the Executive Council.

Faculty Advisor

The Association shall have a Faculty Advisor who shall be elected by a simple majority of the members present by secret ballot. His term of office shall be same as that of the Executive Council.

The Faculty Advisor may be nominated for re-election.

Duties of Officers

The Aims of the Association shall be:

1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive council. He may call special meeting whenever necessary.
2. The Vice-President shall succeed the President in case of his inability to fulfill his office. He shall assist the President in the performance of his duties.
3. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Council and the Association. He shall prepare the Agenda with the President.
4. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and pay all bills approved in accordance with Article X. He shall submit a financial report at the end of each semester or whenever required. He shall keep accounts and handle the funds in a manner approved by the Auditor of Student Organizations, Purdue University.
5. The Publicity and Information Officers shall handle all matters of publicity and public relations for the Association. He should contact new students in Africa prior to their departure and arrange for their reception on arrival at Purdue University.
6. The Program Chairman shall prepare and execute detailed plans for social activities.
7. The Faculty Advisor shall be the vinculum between the University and the Association.
8. The Executive Council shall present a budget and a tentative program at the first meeting of the academic year.
9. The House shall have the right to suspend, expel, or exclude any member from the Association and from its functions upon the recommendation of a discipline committee set up in accordance with Article XII, section I.
10. The Executive Council shall at all times be responsible to the Association for the proper conduct of the affairs in discharging his duties, he may on the recommendation of the Assembly be dismissed form the post. Failure to attend three consecutive meetings of the Executive without a reasonable cause shall automatically disqualify the member.

Meeting:

1. At least two business meetings shall be held in any semester.
2. The first meeting of the academic year shall be held no later than the third week of the Fall Semester and the last meeting shall be held at any convenient time during the latter part of the Spring Semester.
3. No business meeting shall be called to order in the absence of quorum. A quorum shall consist of two-third of the active membership.

Dues:

1. General membership dues shall be six dollars ($6.00) per semester.

Expenditures:

1. All expenditures approved in the budget shall be executed by the Treasurer.
2. Each year twenty percent (20%) of the budgeted income from dues shall be placed in a special reserve fund to cover any extra ordinary expenditure or to supplement a deficit in the budget.
3. The budget shall be estimated in accordance with previous membership and any income in excess of the estimate shall automatically be placed into the special reserved fund. Any surplus of budget shall be placed in the reserve fund.
4. Any extra ordinary expenditures which do not exceed fifteen dollars ($15.00) may be approved by the Executive Council. Any extra ordinary expenditure in excess of fifteen dollars ($15.00) must be approved by the Assembly. If the total of the extra ordinary expenditure for the budgeted period exceeds twenty percent (20%) of the budgeted reserve fund, the approval of the Assembly must be obtained.

Assembly:

1. At each business meeting the Assembly shall approve the minutes of the previous business meeting, after which it shall be signed by the President or his deputy
2. Any member may with the support of ten percent (10%) of the membership, require that an extraordinary meeting be called./li>

Disciplinary Committee:

The disciplinary committee shall be composed of five members, two from the Executive Council and Three from the full members of the Association. The committee shall cease to exist with the submission of a report to the Association.

Elections:

1. Elections of the officers shall be held at a meeting before the final meeting of the academic year. New officers shall take office at the last meeting of the academic year.
2. Annual elections shall be conducted by a Returning Officer duly elected by secret ballot, and the Returning Officer shall appoint his own secretary.
3. A nomination, to be valid, must be seconded by at least two members, and must have the consent of the nominee.
4. A member shall not hold more than one office at the time.

Ammendments:

1. The Constitution may be amended upon the request by a minimum of ten percent (10%) of the membership and the approval of two-thirds of the active membership.
2. Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be announced at least one meeting prior to the voting on the issue.
3. All amendments shall be subjected to the approval of the Offices of the Dean of Men and Dean of Women.

All contingencies not covered by the constitution shall be governed by the bylaws and by "Robert's Rules of Order"
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