WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Constitution of the South Asian Students Association
(SASA)
SASA Executive Board
1/24/2013
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Table of Contents
Article I: Name .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................... 3
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................... 3
Article II: Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................... 4
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................... 4
Section 3:................................................................................................................................................... 4
Article III: Membership ................................................................................................................................. 5
Section 1: Membership Criteria ................................................................................................................ 5
Section 2: Membership Categories ........................................................................................................... 5
Section 3:................................................................................................................................................... 6
Article IV: Officers and Advisor(s) ................................................................................................................. 7
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................... 7
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................... 7
Section 3:................................................................................................................................................... 7
Section 4:................................................................................................................................................... 8
Section 5:................................................................................................................................................... 8
Section 6:................................................................................................................................................... 8
Section 7:................................................................................................................................................... 8
Section 8:................................................................................................................................................... 9
Section 9:................................................................................................................................................... 9
Article V: Meetings...................................................................................................................................... 10
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 10
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................. 10
Article VI: Elections ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 11
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................. 11
Section 3:................................................................................................................................................. 11
Section 4:................................................................................................................................................. 11
Section 5:................................................................................................................................................. 12
Section 6:................................................................................................................................................. 12
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Section 7:................................................................................................................................................. 12
Section 8:................................................................................................................................................. 12
Section 9:................................................................................................................................................. 13
Article VII: Resignation ................................................................................................................................ 14
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 14
Article VIII: Removal from Office ................................................................................................................ 15
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 15
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................. 15
Section 3:................................................................................................................................................. 15
Article IX: Quorum & Voting ....................................................................................................................... 16
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 16
Section 2:................................................................................................................................................. 16
Section 3:................................................................................................................................................. 16
Article X: Amendments & By-laws .............................................................................................................. 17
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 17
Article XI: SOC Enabling Clause ................................................................................................................... 18
Section 1:................................................................................................................................................. 18
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article I: Name
Section 1:
The name of this organization shall be the South Asian Students Association (hereafter SASA), as of this day,
January 24th, 2013.
Section 2:
The word “South Asian” does not solely refer to the people from the region of South Asia, either ethnically
or residentially, but all who identify to this description in any way.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article II: Purpose
Section 1:
SASA shall represent its members on campus in matters of business, academia, culture, and presence.
Section 2:
SASA shall serve to bring together those who show interest in matters of South Asian origin and culture.
Section 3:
SASA shall cater specifically towards those members who are part of the WPI community.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article III: Membership
Section 1: Membership Criteria
a.
Membership to SASA is open to the entire WPI community.
b. SASA shall not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, age, sexual orientation,
disability, veteran status, marital status, or national origin.
c. All members are members of their own will.
Section 2: Membership Categories
a.
SASA membership shall consist of three (3) types: Active Members, Non-Active Members, and Matriculated
Members.
b. Active Member status shall be placed upon those who will have attended at least one (1) General Body
Meeting (GBM) and one (1) major SASA event by the end of D term.
c. Active Member status shall be identified through regular attendance at meetings, participation and
organization of SASA events.
d. Non-Active Member status will be given to an individual who does not meet the aforementioned
requirements of Active Member status, but who does meet the requirements of affiliation with the
association.
e. Matriculated Member status (also known as Alumni Member status) shall be placed upon those who
have graduated from WPI, whether or not they were formerly an Active Member or a Non-Active
Member. In addition, Matriculated Members are required to pay a nominal membership fee of $10
per calendar year.
a.
Matriculated Members are unable to vote in the executive SASA board elections, or run for any
executive position in SASA.
i. EXCEPTION 1: Matriculated members will be allowed to vote, provided that they
fit the Active Member status specified in Article III, Section 2, Paragraphs b-c.
ii. EXCEPTION 2: Matriculated members are allowed to run for the position of
Public Relations Officer of Alumni and Affiliates, provided they fit the Active
Member status specified in Article III, Section 2, Paragraphs b-c.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
f.
A database of attendance and a record of participation shall be updated at the beginning of every
academic semester here at WPI. Active Members shall be eligible to vote and run for any position in
the election (Article VI).
g. All members have the right to nominate a member, themselves or otherwise, for either an executive
or representative position.
Section 3:
a.
A membership fee of $10 per calendar year may be enforced by the Executive Committee upon
those who wish to obtain or maintain Matriculated Member status.
b. The $10 fee ensures membership for as long as the fee is honored, or as long as the fee is instated.
c. Matriculated Members shall be recognized and given benefits such as discounts at SASA events, etc.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article IV: Officers and Advisor(s)
Section 1:
a.
The executive board of SASA shall be composed of the following elected officers:
a.
President
b. Vice President
c. Secretary
d. Treasurer
e. Head of Information Technology (IT)
f.
Public Relations Officer of Undergraduate Students
g. Public Relations Officer of Graduate Students
h. Public Relations Officer of Alumni and Affiliates
b. Each officer, upon accepting office, shall agree to abide by the provisions of this Constitution.
c. The term of office for all executive positions shall be one fiscal year.
a.
EXCEPTION: Members may be elected to be a part of the executive board in exceptional
elections caused either by resignation (Article VII) or removal from office (Article VIII).
These members shall hold their office until the end of the term of office of the members
they have replaced.
d. No member shall hold more than one executive position per term in SASA.
Section 2:
By virtue of this office, the President shall:
a.
Preside at all meetings and/or other functions of SASA;
b. Serve as the official chairman/spokesperson of the association;
c. Oversee executive decisions and goals of the association;
d. Serve as a liaison between SASA, WPI and other associations on/off campus.
e. Appoint officers/committees as deemed necessary.
Section 3:
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
The duties of the Vice-President shall be to:
a.
Assist the President and assume all the duties of the President in his/her absence;
b. Arrange and plan all events of the organization;
c. Maintain the Active Member database.
Section 4:
The Secretary shall:
a.
Maintain a report of all SASA proceedings throughout the year;
b. Keep minutes of each meeting of the SASA;
c. Overseeing the duties of all Public Relations Officers;
d. Overseeing the emails and social networking correspondences sent to and from the organization.
Section 5:
The Treasurer shall:
h. Allocate specific funds only upon sanction of the President;
i.
Maintain an account summary for the SASA budget;
j.
Ensure compliance with all student government regulations, bylaws, and handbooks.
Section 6:
The Head of Information Technology (IT) shall:
a.
Maintain and update the website of the organization;
b. Maintain and update the organization’s UNIX account and OrgSync account;
c. Maintain and update the mailing lists;
d. Maintain and update the social networking sites.
Section 7:
The Public Relations Officers shall:
a.
Actively communicate with respective demographics (undergraduates, graduates, alumni and
affiliates) related by their office.
b. Actively report to the Secretary communications between their respective demographics
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Section 8:
a.
The team of Officers shall work together and share tasks at all times.
b. For an executive decision, three out of the five Executive Committee members must agree.
Section 9:
a.
SASA must have at least one advisor, and more than one advisor if deemed necessary by the
members.
b. SASA Advisor(s) shall be a member of the WPI faculty or staff and will act as the SASA’s right hand
person.
c. SASA Officers shall hold meetings with the SASA Advisor(s) at least once every term.
d. The Advisor(s) shall not go through an election process on an annual basis as students do.
e. The Advisor(s) may be removed from office in the same manner as an elected officer (Article
VIII).
f.
The Advisor(s) may resign from Office by submitting a letter to the SASA President.
g. It is the duty of the Officers to propose a new person to take up the empty position as Advisor(s) no
later than one month following the resignation or dismissal of the present Advisor(s).
h. Procedures for normal notification, acceptance and election of officers (Article VI) will be followed
when a person is identified for the position.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article V: Meetings
Section 1:
The Officers shall meet at least twice every term during their term of office, excluding the general SASA
meetings and meetings with the Advisor.
Section 2:
a.
SASA’s General Body Meetings shall be held at least once every two terms.
b. Special meetings may be called by any member/officer once approved by all Officers.
c. Meetings must be announced to members at least four (4) days in advance by means of email and all
social media.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article VI: Elections
Section 1:
a.
Regular elections shall be called by the Officers and be held at the first general meeting of B term.
b. In case of exceptional elections caused either by resignation (Article VII) or removal from office
(Article VIII), the elections can be held no later than two general meetings following the
resignation(s)/removal(s).
c. The outgoing Officers must transfer all documents to the new Officers no later than the start of C
Term.
i.
All paperwork to be completed by the end of B term is the responsibility of the outgoing
Officers.
ii.
All incoming Officers are required to be present during the completion of B term paperwork, in
order to officially represent transfer of Office.
d. All Active Members may vote.
i.
Matriculated Members are allowed to vote for this position only, except in the case of
Article III, Section 2, paragraph e, sub-paragraph a-ii. In this case, they may also vote for the
Executive body positions.
Section 2:
a.
Nominations shall take place at the GBM prior to the elections, and may also be submitted to the
Officers by inter-campus mail or email no later than one week prior to the elections.
a.
Only Active Members can be nominated for elections.
Section 3:
The President shall notify by email all the members, at least two weeks in advance of the exact date and place
of elections meeting.
Section 4:
a.
All nominees are recommended to give a personal statement about their suitability and interest for
the position(s) they have been nominated for. Statements will be made at the election meeting and
can also be posted on the organization’s website.
b. It is the responsibility of the Officers to inform the nominees about their status and need to make a
statement, no later than one week prior to election.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
c. If the nominee is not in attendance, the nominee must provide the Officers with a letter as to the
reason and a preference of position and order to be nominated. This nominee may provide his/her
statement in the form of a letter, to be read by the President at the elections meeting.
Section 5:
a.
The elections are presided over by the outgoing Officers.
b. Elections will be held within one week after the election meeting.
c. Elections will go on for three days, during which time voters can cast their vote at a place designated
by the Executive Committee and the Advisor of the organization.
d. The Officers have the responsibility to establish the ballots, and to supervise the voting process.
e. Immediately after the end of the voting process, the Officers and the Advisor shall count the votes
and notify the members of election results through email.
Section 6:
a.
Any member of the SASA may submit nominations for not more than two candidates.
b. The nominee may accept or refuse the nomination.
c. The nominee’s name will only be added to the election list and voted on upon the nominee’s
acceptance and the executive board’s approval of the nomination.
i.
The nominee will lose such status upon a refusal of the nomination.
ii.
If no response is obtained from the nominee up to four days before the executive board’s
elections meeting, the nominee automatically forfeits his or her nominee status.
d. In case of absence of the nominee, a letter of acceptance should be made available (by post or email).
Section 7:
a.
The eight Officers of SASA shall be elected via electronic secret ballot.
b. Only Active Members may vote.
c. Each voter may only cast one vote per position.
Section 8:
a.
The nominee receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to the respective position he or
she is running for.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
i.
In the event of a tie between the top two contenders of a particular office, the voting
process is repeated, with only the two contenders running for the respective position.
ii.
If the tie persists, the presiding executive board will call for a meeting with the Academic
Advisor in order to decide which contender is more suitable for the position, based on the
contenders’ level of involvement with SASA during the year and other factors.
Section 9:
There shall be no voting by mail, email, proxy, or any other means which may identify the voter.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article VII: Resignation
Section 1:
a.
In the case of one or more resignations of SASA Officers, eligible substitutes from Active Member(s)
shall be nominated and elected.
b. Approval of substitute Officer(s) will involve a vote either at the next GBM, or via an electronic
voting system.
c. The voting of substitute Officer(s) shall be in complete accordance to Article VI.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article VIII: Removal from Office
Section 1:
a.
Any member of SASA can propose to the general assembly or the Advisor(s) or the Officers a
request to remove one or more of the Officer(s).
b. A request of removal shall be respected only granted due validity, necessity, and Advisor approval. If
granted, the members shall be notified via email and other social media within one week of approval.
Section 2:
a.
Removal of Officer(s) shall require a two-thirds or more Active Member majority, and the presence
of the presiding Advisor, at a duly constituted meeting.
b. Regardless of the decision of the general assembly, the Advisor will moderate the final decision based
on validity and necessity of the officer in question’s removal.
i.
The Advisor has the power to veto any decision made by the general assembly during this
process.
c. In the case of an executive member being asked to resign from his or her position, the executive
member in question is allowed a chance to defend his or her current office before a vote is called on
the issue.
Section 3:
For all intents and purposes, the replacement of the removed Officer(s) shall follow the same guidelines as
resigned Officer(s) specified in Article VII.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article IX: Quorum & Voting
Section 1:
For the purpose of elections and voting in GBM’s and virtually via an online medium, a quorum of at least
fifty percent of all members, plus one member, of all Active Members is necessary.
Section 2:
For the purpose of constitutional amendments, a quorum of at least two-thirds of Active Members is
necessary.
Section 3:
Only Active members are eligible to vote.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article X: Amendments & By-laws
Section 1:
a. The Constitution is binding to all members of SASA.
b. The date of past amendments, the originator of the change, and the reason(s) for change shall appear on
the Constitution for all amendments on or after 1/24/2013.
c. The Officers have the power to make minor modifications to the Constitution, as long as it adheres to the
core of the current Constitution and/or its by-laws, has the unanimous approval of each officer of SASA, and
has the Advisor’s approval.
SASA at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Article XI: SOC Enabling Clause
Section 1:
The SASA agrees to abide by the policies of Worcester Polytechnic Institute as well as all federal, state, and
local laws. This constitution and any changes to this constitution and/or by-laws will follow, in word and
spirit, all WPI policies and all federal, state, and local laws.