The Constitution
of
International Students Association
ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Name of the Organization
Section 1:
Categories
The name of the organization will be
Michigan State University International
Students Association. The acronym shall be
ISA.
Section 2: Purpose of the Organization
2.1 To promote and enhance international
awareness, cooperation, cultural diversity,
and dialogue among international students,
and between international students and
domestic students at Michigan State
University and the wider communities.
2.2 To provide the international student
community with formal representation within
the University and the wider communities.
2.3 To promote, advocate, and advance
international students’ rights, interests, and
privileges in the United States.
2.4 To provide programs to support and serve
the needs of international students.
2.5 To engage the wider MSU community on
international issues through events such as,
but not limited to, festivals, workshops,
exhibits, seminars, food festivals, and
academic/educational events.
2.6 To actively participate in MSU students’
community organized functions and events.
2.7 To act as an umbrella organization for the
nationality clubs on MSU campus.
Eligibility and
Membership
1.1 All registered MSU students are eligible
for ISA membership. ISA will not
discriminate on the basis of age, color,
gender, gender identity, disability status,
height, marital status, national origin,
political persuasion, race, religion, sexual
orientation, veteran status, or weight.
1.2 There will be two categories of
memberships: individual membership and
organizational membership.
1.2.1 Individual Membership:
All MSU international students are
considered members of ISA subsequent to
the completion of their official registration
and enrollment at MSU. Registered MSU
domestic students can become a member by
registering their e-mail with ISA through
ISA’s website, e-mail, or at sponsored events.
1.2.2 Organizational Membership:
A Registered Student Organization (RSO)
which represents nationality group is eligible
to be a member of ISA as an affiliate group.
An RSO is required to register with ISA and
appoint a member of its organization as a
liaison to the ISA in order for it to be
considered as an affiliate group of ISA. ISA
designates several of its meetings to be
General Assembly Meetings at which liaisons
of affiliated groups are expected to attend to
maintain their affiliate group status. Each
RSO is required to be compliant with the
regulations of the Department of Student
Life.
1.3 There will be no membership fee for ISA
members.
1.4 ISA members who wish to be removed
from membership may do so at any time.
Request for removal can be communicated
through ISA’s e-mail or website.
Section 2: Rights and Privileges
Only graduate members are eligible for the
office of Representative to Council of
Graduate Students (COGS) given that COGS
is a graduate student government. Similarly,
only undergraduate members are eligible for
the offices of Representatives to Associated
Students of MSU (ASMSU) as ASMSU is an
undergraduate student government.
2.1 Individual members have the right to vote
at General Elections and run for the position
of office bearer in the Executive Board of the
ISA.
Only MSU faculty/staff are eligible to be
appointed for the role of Advisor.
2.2 Individual members have the right to vote
on and propose an Amendment to the
Constitution.
1.2 Positions
2.3 The rights specified above (2.1 and 2.2)
are extended to the members of ISA affiliated
RSOs.
ARTICLE III. OFFICE BEARERS
Section 1: The Office Bearers of the
Executive Board
1.1 Eligibility
The Executive Board represents both the
Graduate and Undergraduate members of the
ISA.
Both Graduate members and Undergraduates
members are eligible for the offices of the
President, Vice President, Treasurer,
Secretary, Director of Public Relations,
Director of Events, Assistants Director of
Events, Assistant Director of Public
Relations, and Assistant Treasurer.
Past ISA presidents are eligible to be
appointed for the role of Student Advisor.
The Executive board will consist of the
following positions:
• President
• Vice President
• Representatives to MSU Student Governments:
-One Graduate Representative to
Council of Graduate Students (COGS).
-Four Undergraduate Representatives to
Associated Students of MSU (ASMSU)
consisting of one for Student Assembly,
one for Academic Assembly, and two
for Programming Board.
• Representative to the Residence Halls Association
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Director of Public Relations
• Director of Events
• Assistant Director(s) of Events
• Assistant Director(s) of Public Relations
• Assistant Treasurer
• Advisors:
-Student Advisor(s)
-Faculty/Staff Advisor
• Liaison Officers
1.2.1 Advisors
Both Faculty/Staff Advisor and Student
Advisor(s) are entitled to one vote in all ISA
meetings.
1.2.2 Liaison Officers
Each affiliated nationality group is expected
to appoint a member of their organization to
serve as a Liaison Officer to the E-board of
ISA. Liaison Officers are then required to
attend General Assembly Meetings. They are
entitled to a vote only in the General
Assembly Meetings.
In the event that the previous term’s
President is unwilling or unable to serve as
Student Advisor, replacement can be
appointed. The following members of the
previous term’s E-Board can be appointed to
the position with priority given in a
descending order: Vice President, Director of
Events, Director of PR, Treasurer, and
Secretary.
Section 3: Duties of Office Bearers
President:
(a) To pursue the Purpose of the Organization
of ISA.
Section 2: Nomination and Elections
(b) To act as the chief executive of ISA.
2.1 As stated in Article II Section 2, all ISA
members are eligible to vote and run for
office at the General Election.
(c) To oversee and maintain ISA activities
and projects.
2.2 General Elections for Executive Board
positions will be held annually at the end of
the academic year.
2.3 Elections will be held by secret ballot and
will require a simple majority of voting
members present.
2.4 Liaison Officers are appointed by their
respective organization. They can be
removed and changed at the discretion of
their organization at any time of the year. The
name of the Liaison Officer should be
communicated to the E-Board of ISA.
2.5 Past ISA Presidents are appointed to
serve as Student Advisors provided that they
both willing and able and received the
approval of the current Faculty/Staff Advisor.
(d) To expand ISA's outreach by means of
communicating
with
Michigan
State
University departments and other student
organizations.
Vice President:
(a) To assist the President in the pursuit of
the Purpose of the Organization of ISA.
(b) To assist the President to maintain ISA
activities and convene ISA meetings.
(c) To assume Presidential Charge in the
absence of the ISA President.
(d) To work closely with executive members
to ensure that duties are carried out for each
position.
Representatives to MSU Student Governments:
COGS Representative:
(a) Work with COGS committees and
representatives to promote and raise
awareness for ISA and international students’
needs and concerns.
(b) Mandatory attendance at COGS meetings.
(c) Report COGS information to ISA EBoard and general members.
(d) Present ISA budgets to COGS.
(e) Represent ISA’s and its members’
interests and voice their opinion and
concerns.
ASMSU Representative:
(a) Work with ASMSU committees and
representatives to promote and raise
awareness for ISA and international students’
needs and concerns.
(c) Report ASMSU Programming Board
information to the ISA E-Board and general
members.
(d) Work with other E-Board officers to plan,
budget, and implement programs and events
for ISA.
(e) Represent ISA’s and its members’
interests and voice their opinions and
concerns.
RHA Representative
(a) Work with RHA and its constituents
group to promote and raise awareness for
ISA and international students’ needs and
concerns
(b) Mandatory attendance at RHA General
Assembly Meetings.
(c) Report RHA information to the ISA EBoard and general members.
ASMSU
(d) Represent ISA’s and its members’
interests and voice their opinions and
concerns.
(c) Report ASMSU information to the ISA EBoard and general members.
(e) Mandatory attendance at the RHA
Committee Meetings.
(b) Mandatory attendance
General meetings.
at
(d) Represent ISA’s and its members’
interests and voice their opinions and
concerns.
ASMSU Programming Board Representative
(a) Mandatory attendance at
Programming Board meetings.
ASMSU
(b) Present ISA budgets to the ASMSU
Programming Board.
Treasurer:
(a) To manage and maintain all ISA funds
and to keep record of all transactions made
on the ISA account, with the consent of the
ISA President.
(b) To manage fundraising for ISA.
(c) To ensure timely payments
reimbursements for ISA events.
Assistant Treasurer:
and
(a) To assist the Treasurer in fulfilling his or
her duties and responsibilities.
Secretary:
(a) To record and communicate the
proceedings in the ISA meetings and of all
activities and projects including, but not
limited to, meeting minutes, attendance lists,
membership lists and registrations.
(b) To archive all above records regularly.
(c) To prepare and distribute meeting
agendas and minutes in a timely fashion.
Director of Public Relations:
(a) To manage and maintain Public Relations
for ISA, including, but not limited to,
managing the ISA website, the mailing list of
individual and organizational members,
publication and press releases.
(b) Promote and advertise ISA sponsored
events in coordination with the Events
Committee.
Assistant Director of Public Relations:
(a) To assist the Director of Public Relations
in fulfilling his or her duties and
responsibilities.
Director of Events:
(a) To plan and prepare activities and events
for ISA.
(b) To manage the proceedings at ISA
sponsored events.
(c) To recruit and coordinate volunteers for
ISA sponsored events and activities.
Assistant Director of Events:
(a) To assist the Director of Events in
fulfilling
his
or
her
duties
and
responsibilities.
Advisors:
(a) To advise the Executive Board on all
matters pertaining to the general affairs of
ISA.
Liaison Officers:
(a) Represent the interests and opinions of
his/her nationality group.
(b) Serve as a channel for the flow of
information between his/her nationality
group and ISA.
(c) Assist in coordinating activities of ISA
especially in relation to his/her nationality
group.
(d) Contribute to the decision making process
of ISA.
3.1 All office bearers with the exception of
Liaison Officers are required to attend all EBoard meetings. Three absences without a
reasonable excuse qualify as grounds for
Non-Confidence motion.
Section 4: Removal of Office Bearers from
Position
4.1 A Non-Confidence motion may be
initiated against an office bearer of ISA if it
is signed by at least half of the E-Board
members. The motion will be considered
successful if it wins two thirds of the EBoard members vote.
4.2 If any office bearer of the Executive
Board other than the President resigns or is
removed from the office through a non-
confidence motion, the E-board will vote to
elect a new bearer of the office.
semesters unless otherwise specified by the
President.
If the President resigns or is removed from
the office through a non-confidence motion,
the E-board will call for a general election for
the office of the President by all ISA
members.
2.3 E-Board meetings will be open for
observation and participation to all general
members.
4.3 E-board members who wish to resign
from their position are expected to give
written notice to the President at least two
weeks prior to resigning. A report of their
past duties and tasks must be submitted and
approved by the President and any materials
essential to the association should be
relinquished.
ARTICLE IV: OPERATING
PROCEDURES
2.4 General Assembly Meetings are for the
purpose of coordination between ISA and its
affiliated RSOs. It will be held at several
designated times during the school year that
will be determined and communicated to the
affiliated group at the beginning of fall and
spring semesters. Liaison Officers are
required to attend.
2.5 General Membership Meetings of the
association shall be called at least once a
year. Otherwise, the Executive Board shall
employ
all
available
means
of
communication to keep members informed of
its activities and projects.
Section 1: Rules of Order
The Rules contained in the current edition of
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern ISA in
all cases to which they are applicable and in
which they are not inconsistent with these
bylaws and any special rules of order ISA
may adopt.
Section 2: Meetings
2.1 The President will call all meetings of the
association. The Vice President will take the
responsibility in the absence of the President.
2.2 E-Board meetings are for the purpose of
determining policies, activities, programs,
and other business. Meetings will be held on
a weekly basis during the regular school
ARTICLE V: AMENDMENTS TO THE
CONSTITUTION
Section 1: Proposal
Any ISA member may propose an
amendment to the constitution, provided it is
supported in writing by at least 10 members
of the association including at least one
member of the Executive Board.
Section 2: Approval
Proposed amendment to the constitution will
be reviewed by the Executive Board and a
general meeting will be called at the earliest
convenience to vote on the amendment.
Section 3: Ratification
The proposed amendment will be approved if
it receives a simple majority during the
voting process. If approved, it will be ratified
and be effective immediately. The Executive
Board is responsible for communicating
ratified amendments and its implication to
the general members.
ARTICLE VI: MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1: Miscellaneous
If a decision is to be taken which is not
clearly mentioned in the constitution, the
issue will be discussed in the meeting of the
Executive Board and will be approved if the
majority of the Executive Board votes in
favor of it.