We, the students from Pakistan attending Purdue
University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, hereby establish an
organization to be known as Pakistani Students’ Association herein
after referred to as PSA, and have agreed to and adopted this
constitution. We want to bring to attention that PSA was previously
known as All Pakistan Students’ Association.
b.
“Pakistan”
----------------------------- Pakistan
c.
“Pakistani”
---------------------------- A citizen of Pakistan
d.
“Student,
Faculty and Staff”
---------------------------- As defined by the
University.
e.
“Members”
---------------------------- As defined by Article
IV, section
f.
“Immediate
Family”
---------------------------- Spouse, parents, siblings and
offspring of a member.
Section 1.
PSA shall promote the culture of Pakistan, serve the
best interests of Pakistani nationals, and the student community.
PSA shall promote discussions on topics of National
and International areas of interest among its members as well as
members of other organizations.
Section 3.
PSA shall promote and coordinate the social and
cultural activities of Pakistan.
Section 4.
PSA shall provide help and counseling to its members.
Section 5.
PSA shall provide assistance and guidance to newly
arriving Pakistani students, faculty and staff.
Section 6.
PSA shall keep a close liaison with the International
Student Office
and represent Pakistan in all international events arranged by the
University.
PSA shall keep a liaison with the Pakistan Embassy in
USA, in order to
get information about Pakistan Governmental
policies for the benefit of its members.
PSA shall coordinate with other student organizations
of the University
in planning activities of common interest.
PSA shall arrange special function to commemorate
various Pakistani
holidays.
Section 1.
Membership and participation are free from
discrimination based on
race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital
status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a
disabled or Vietnam-era veteran.
Section 2.
Membership of PSA shall consist of Members, Honorary
Members and the
Executive Committee.
Section 3.
Only Purdue University students are eligible for
regular or active
membership in the organization.
Section 4.
Members shall be those who qualify as per section 2 of
Article III and
have paid the membership dues for the current semester.
Section 5.
Honorary Members are those individuals such as the
Purdue University
staff and faculty who are eligible for adjunct membership, which means
that they may not vote or hold office. Honorary Members are not
required to pay a membership fee. The Executive Committee shall have
the power to grant or cancel an Honorary membership.
Section 6.
Membership dues shall be determined by the Executive
Committee with
approval of the simple majority of the General Body.
Section 7.
Membership dues shall be non-refundable and
non-transferable.
Section 8.
The Executive Committee shall nominate the faculty
advisor as per the
regulation of Purdue University.
Section 9.
The faculty advisor is a non-student member of the
organization, with
all rights and privileges therein, except for the right to vote or hold
office. The advisor must be a faculty member who shares the goal and
aspirations of PSA as per Article II.
Section 1.
The Executive Committee of the PSA shall consist of nine Pakistani student members of the PSA.
Section 2.
The term of office for the Executive Committee shall
be one academic
year/two semesters, and then elections within the executive committee
must be held.
Section 3.
The members of the Executive Committee shall be:
President
Vice President
General
Secretary
Treasurer
Sports
Director
Cultural
Director
Web Designer
Publicity
Director
Student
Coordinator
No member shall hold more than one Executive Committee
office at a time.
Section 5.
The Executive Committee shall coordinate the affairs of PSA and represent its members for interacting with other agencies.
The Executive Committee shall attempt to identify
potential sources for
Fund raising and exploit such sources for the financial benefit of PSA.
Section 7.
To be an Executive Committee member you have to be a junior or of a higher status.
Section 8.
Elections for the new members of the Executive
Committee shall be held
during the second half of each Spring Semester, at least two weeks
before the finals week. The new Executive Committee shall however
become effective from the first day of June.
Section 9.
Nominations for the candidates for the new Executive
Committee shall be
filed with the current Executive Committee, at least, one week before
the elections. In case no nominations are filed for an Executive
Committee position, the nomination filing date may be extended for that
particular position only.
Section 10.
The Executive Committee shall inform all members of
the PSA about
various nominations at least four days before the elections. Each
nominee who may also be communicated shall provide a brief bio-data, to
the members so as to assist them in making a choice.
Section 11.
Election proceedings shall be presided over by the
Executive Committee.
Section 12.
Voting shall be held through a secret ballot.
Section 13.
Voting in absentia shall not be allowed.
Section 14.
Any complaints regarding the election process may be
addressed to the
President of PSA. In case, the President is unable to resolve the
issue, the matter will be presented to the Faculty Advisor who shall
consent with the present Executive Committee, provided that these
members are not running for office themselves. After consulting the
Executive Committee, the Faculty Advisor shall take a decision which
should be considered final.
Section 15.
Bye-elections shall be held for any position which is
vacated at least
three months before the completion of the full term of one year. Same
procedure as in sections 1 to 14 shall be followed for conducting the
bye-elections.
Section 16.
To be an eligible candidate for any Executive
Committee office an
individual should have been a member of the PSA for at least one term.
Section 1.
The President shall be responsible for:
Ensuring the
PSA remains duly registered with the University.
Attending the
meeting of the presidents of all registered organizations held under
the auspices of the University.
Conducting
the Executive Committee and The General Body meetings.
Coordinating
the efforts of other members of the Executive Committee.
Acting as the
official spokesperson for PSA.
Coordinating
with the office of International Students’ Affairs to obtain a list of
new Pakistani students, with the objective of writing to each one of
them and providing them assistance with transportation/accommodation
and counseling at their arrival.
Organizing
participation of PSA in the University sponsored cultural and social
events open to student organization.
Maintaining a
regular contact with the Embassy of Pakistan at Washington, D.C., with
an aim of obtaining current information and funding from the Embassy.
Keeping the
members informed of the latest changes in Pakistan Government policies
related to Pakistani students in USA.
Organizing
and coordinating all social and cultural functions of PSA and managing
the distribution of work and finances
among the PSA members with their consent, for these functions.
Making sure
that PSA is financially a sound institution and the members are kept
informed of the financial state of PSA.
Section 2.
The Vice President shall be responsible for:
Performing
the duties of President whenever the President is indisposed.
Reserving an
appropriate space for PSA functions well in time.
Organizing
discussions on topics of interest to Pakistani Community.
Arranging individually or in collaboration with other University organizations, to invite scholars of repute for giving talks on topics, which are of interest to Pakistani Community.
Acting as
chairperson of at least one of the special committee appointed by the
President.
Section 3.
The General Secretary shall be responsible for:
Preparing the
agenda for Executive Committee/General Body meetings and communicating
it to all concerned at least three days in advance of the scheduled
meeting.
Preparing and
maintaining minutes of the General Body and Executive Committee meeting.
Presenting
the minutes of the previous meeting for the approval of the General
Body/Executive Committee at the beginning of every General Body/
Executive Committee meeting.
Keeping a
record of all official correspondence of PSA.
Keeping an up
to date record of all university regulations concerning student
organizations and providing the members with this information on their
request.
Safe custody
of all official documents of PSA including the constitution.
Preparing a
calendar of events at the beginning of each semester.
Preparing and
procuring necessary documents like membership forms receipt pads,
letterheads, etc.
Providing information about PSA objectives and activities to interested individuals.
Section 4.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for:
Keeping
up-to-date financial records.
Attending any
treasurers’ workshop arranged by the university.
The treasurer
keeps accounts, deposits the organization’s funds, and makes
expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student
Organizations.
Procuring
University sponsored funds for financing events planned by PSA.
Making
statements of all PSA finances available to any member upon request,
during the General Body meeting.
Filing the
State and Federal Tax returns on behalf of PSA before April 15th,
each year.
Preparing
budget for all planned PSA activities at the beginning of each semester.
Collecting
membership dues.
Advertising
the President on the financial state of PSA.
The Treasurer
is given the authority to question the accountant at any point
regarding financial position for any event.
Ensuring that PSA remains a financially sound institution.
Section 5.
The Sports Director shall be responsible for :
Upholding all
sporting events for PSA.
The Sports
Director will work with the General Secretary to come up with the entry
fee for every sporting event to be taken place.
The Sports
Director is responsible to collect exact information regarding the cost
for upholding any sporting event and reporting the information to the
treasurer.
If the Sports
Director Rep. wants to hold sporting events that requires Purdue
University’s permission, he/she may write a formal letter requesting
permission for the event and pass it on to the President of PSA. It is
than the President’s responsibility to pass the letter to whoever it
may concern.
The Sports
Director is also required to coordinate with other associations
sporting organizers and together at least organize couple sporting
events during the year.
Section 6.
The Cultural Organizer shall be responsible for:
Arranging
activities and entertainment for the members of PSA.
Will work
with the General Secretary to come up with the entry fee for every
activity.
To collect
exact information regarding the cost for upholding any activity and
reporting the information to the treasurer.
Coordinating
with other association’s Event Organizer and together try their level
best to organize an event.
Event
Organizer is required to appoint as many as two students from the
General Body (freshmen and sophomore) to help him/her in setting up the
activity.
Section 7.
The Web Designer shall be responsible for:
Regularly
updating the website.
To fix any
problem occurring with the website.
If anyone
from the General Body is having difficulties accessing the website it
is the Web Designers responsibility to help him/her.
Web Designer
is the head of the Editorial Board.
Web Designer
shall publish a newsletter at least once a month, which will be
distributed to the General Body by US/Campus/Electronic Mail according
to each member’s preference. The purpose of the newsletter shall be to
promote the aims
and objectives of PSA.
Is required
to appoint as many as four students (freshmen or sophomore) from the
General Body to help him/her write the newsletter.
Maintaining
the current directory of members every semester including the summer
semester and mailing it to all members.
Preparing and
maintaining a directory of university alumni whom were members of PSA.
Keeping the
members informed of all PSA activities either through Electronic mails,
US mails or any other means suitable.
Section 8.
The Publicity Director shall be responsible for:
Arranging
window displays at the University to highlight and promote the culture
of Pakistan and the PSA.
Preparing
publicity materials for the PSA and organizing small committees to be
display them around the Purdue University Campus area.
Preparing
schedules for all the members in the Executive Committee when selling
tickets for functions.
Section 9.
The Student Coordinator shall be responsible for:
Providing
help to newly arriving Pakistani students.
Dealing with
the complaints and wishes of the members of the PSA and relating them
to the President and the Vice President.
This constitution may be amended by two thirds of the
quorum during a
General Body meeting. The proposed amendments shall be presented to the
President, in writing, by at least, thirty percent of the members. The
proposed amendment/s shall then be mailed to all members no less that
thirty days prior to the General Body meeting. During such meeting the
quorum shall meet the requirements of Article XV, Section 9 and 10. No
amendments to the constitution and bylaw are subject to approval of the
Office of the Dean of Students. Once a proposal is not adopted it shall
not be presented again during that academic year.
Section 1.
PSA shall have its power in accordance with the
General Not For Profit
Corporation Act of the state of Indiana.
Section 2.
PSA shall maintain an office or a mailbox on the
University premises.
Section 3.
The structure of the organization shall consist of the
General Body as
defines by Article V Section 1, an Executive Committee as defined by
Article VIII, Section 1 and Faculty Advisor as per Article XI.
Section 4.
PSA shall operate within the rules and the regulations
outlined by the
University regarding University Organizations and shall abide by the
State and Federal Laws.
The General Body shall consist of all the members of
PSA.
ARTICLE IX: Privileges of
Members.
Section 1.
Members shall be kept informed of all PSA activities.
Section 1.
The members shall abide by the Constitution of PSA.
Section 2.
The members shall promote the culture of Pakistan.
Section 3.
In case a member does not abide by the constitution of
PSA or involves
in actions against the interest of the community, his/her membership
can be revoked with the approval of the Executive Committee.
Section 1.
Complaints and grievances shall be petitioned to the President, by at least, thirty percent of the total members.
Section 2.
The Executive Committee shall meet within two weeks of
the receipt of
such petition, in order to setup a panel to address the issue.
Section 3.
The panel shall consist of one member of the Executive Committee and three additional members, to be appointed by the Executive Committee who are not themselves members of the Executive Committee.
Section 4.
The members of the panel shall elect the panel
chairperson.
Section 5.
The panel Chairperson shall fix the time for the first
session of the
panel within two weeks of the formation of the panel. The Chairperson
shall notify the panelist, at least one week before the scheduled
session.
Section 6.
The panel shall submit detailed reports on their
findings, recommending
actions, and if any, to the Executive Committee which shall communicate
it to the General Body in a meeting. The General Body shall then decide
the issue with a simple majority.
Section 1.
President of the PSA shall have the authority to
convene a General
Body/ Executive Committee meeting. A notice of the General Body meeting
shall be delivered to the General Body of PSA, at least one week prior
to the date of the meeting.
Section 2.
PSA shall hold, at least, one General Body meeting
every semester.
Section 3.
General Secretary shall formulate the agenda for each
meeting after
considering any suggestions by the members and communicate it to all
concerned, at least three days in advance of each meeting.
Section 4.
The President shall preside over all Executive
Committee/General Body
meetings.
Section 5.
In each General Body meeting the Secretary shall
present the minutes of
the previous meeting, for approval by the members.
Section 6.
During a General Body meeting, the President shall
brief the members
about the activities of PSA and its financial expenses and get approval
for any activities planned in the future.
Section 7.
A petition signed by thirty percent of all the members
may call an
emergency meeting of the General Body. Such a meeting shall be held
within two weeks after the written petition is presented to the
President.
Section 8.
The quorum requirement of the General Body meeting
shall be two thirds
of the members of PSA.
Section 9.
If the quorum requirement is not met according to Article XIV, Section 9, a second General Body meeting shall be called within two weeks during which the quorum requirement shall be waived and the members present, during this meeting, shall constitute the quorum.
Section 10.
The Executive Committee shall meet, at least twice a
semester and once
during the summer semester.
Section 11.
An emergency meeting of the Executive Committee may also be called by at least two of the Executive Committee members. Such a meeting shall be held within one week after a written request is made to the President.
Section 12.
ARTICLE XIII: Special Committees
Section 1.
The Executive Committee shall appoint standing or
special committee/s
for a specific activity or duty.
Section 2.
All committees shall report to the Executive Committee.
Section 3.
A special or standing committee may be dissolved by a
majority vote of
the Executive Committee.
Section 1.
A member of the Executive Committee, desirous of resigning his/her office, must tender his/her resignation in writing, to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall then honor the resignation within two weeks of the request.
Section 2.
A vote of no confidence can be passed against any Executive Committee member by a simple majority of the quorum during a General Body meeting. A ‘no’ confidence move must be communicated in writing by no less than thirty percent of the PSA members to the Executive Committee, at least, two weeks prior to such a meeting. If the motion is not up held, it shall not be moved for the next four months.