Constitution of the Japan-America Student Association
Article I: Name
Section 1:
The name of this organization shall be known as the “Japan-America Student Association” or by the acronym JASA.
Article II: Goal
Section 1:
I. JASA will act as a facilitator for all those interested in either Japanese or American culture and present to each side the amazing world created when the two combine. Members will be given many opportunities in the form of special events where they can meet and interact. It will be JASA’s position to welcome all cultures while incorporating them into the organization.
II. Outside of the university system, JASA will be a part of the community by expanding our passion to area high schools. This will impact not only students, but will also benefit the university itself by recruiting prospective students. The conclusive goal, aside from encouraging the sharing of culture and self, will be to improve our community through cultural exchange.
Article III: Membership
Section 1:
Any person interested in Japanese or American culture is welcome to be a member of JASA. No restrictions will be placed on those who would like to be a part of the organization.
Section 2:
As events require funds, we ask that our members pay dues in order to support JASA. Dues will be requested within the first full month of the school year. If a member joins after the set deadline, their dues will need to be paid upon their inscription. Should dues be posted as delinquent, the member’s activities within the organization shall be suspended.
Section 3:
Members who are in high school will be considered as honorary members. We will attempt to provide most services to them for free. However, items such as t-shirts must be paid for by everyone including such honorary members.
Article IV: Officers
Section 1: Officer Positions
I. There will be at least six elected officers who will oversee the organization and represent it at the university level
II. JASA shall set a standard as an organization where there will be no strict hierarchical barriers separating officers.
III. The term of each officer shall be one academic year (or subsequent academic years should the member run for a position and again be elected)
IV. Elections for officers shall take place nearing the end of the present school year. Officers from the previous school year may be of assistance to the newly elected officials
Section 2: Officer Duties
I. The advisor oversees all that occurs within the organization and will be there to advise officers and help organize and plan events.
II. The President will be responsible for planning/scheduling events as well as meetings with officers and members. S/he governs these meetings ensuring that every voice is heard. This position involves delegating the organization’s obligations to members and the university in a fair yet clear manner. The President should be a figure that encourages his/her fellow officers. It will be the President’s task to monitor the work of his/her fellow members. The President of JASA must have already served at least one year as a JASA officer.
III. The Vice President shall aid the President and assume his/her position and duties if the President is unable to perform them. In addition, the Vice President will act as an extension to the President in completing objectives while the President is occupied with other assignments.
IV. The Secretary shall be responsible for creating a charting system to track the activities of each member. This form will state the name of every member, which events they have attended, and whether or not they have paid their dues. The Secretary will also summarize officer meetings and send these summaries to their fellow officers. The Secretary, other than the President, is the only member who may ratify the constitution and must therefore hold the most recently updated copy.
V. The Treasurer shall be responsible for organizing finances and funds by keeping records of all expenditures and preparing a budget. The Treasurer will assemble a clear chart showing any changes to the budget. The Treasurer shall be required to meet with the Secretary to be assured data is recorded efficiently. It will be the Treasurer’s task to ensure that the budget is not exceeded.
VI. The Student Government Association Representative shall be responsible for attending SGA meetings and representing the organization. S/he will then be expected to report their findings to the other officers. The SGA Representative will also include in these reports certain variables presented by the SGA that may affect JASA, such as budget cuts. It will also be the task of the SGA Representative will also be expected to present upcoming JASA events at SGA meetings.
VII. The Public Relations Officer has the responsibility of drawing attention to the organization. S/he shall be looked to for ideas on campaigning JASA’s message, ideas, and purpose on campus and in surrounding communities. It is therefore encouraged that this person should live on campus. The Public Relations Officer must encourage general members to support the growth of JASA by attending events and spreading knowledge of our organization.
Section 3: Elections
Elections for officers will take place before the end of the academic school year. However, if in case a position needs to be filled because a previous officer has resigned or been impeached, an election may occur at any time.
I. Election results shall be determined by majority vote of members who have paid their dues.
II. All ballots will be entered via e-mail and reviewed by an anonymous source.
III. In the event that there is only one candidate running for an officer position, a formal election will not be necessary.
IV. In the event that an officer cannot fulfill his/her commitment to the organization, an immediate election following the tenants outlined above will take place to fill the position. A message will be sent out to describe the open position and encourage all willing members to send in short biographies which will be used in the election to show their intent.
V. Should officers and members feel an officer is not committing his/herself completely to the organization, an impeachment may occur. In the rare case an impeachment is considered, the advisor must be present at a meeting to discuss whether there is room for change. Re-election after an impeachment will occur in the same way a regular election would. In the event of impeachment, refer to the actions of Article V of Section 3.
Article V: Meetings
Section 1:
I. Officer meetings shall occur no less than two times every month at a designated time. The time and day of the meetings will be decided at the beginning of each semester after every officer’s final schedule is determined. Current and future issues of the organization will be discussed at these meetings. Officers may call special meetings whenever there is a fitting reason for such action.
II. Member meetings shall occur at least twice every semester. Members will be given a formal location to express their ideas, meat other members, and learn about upcoming events.
Article VI: Amendments
Section 1:
I. Any member may propose an amendment to the constitution.
II. An amendment shall be ratified when approved by a two-thirds majority in an official vote. Should the amendment not be passed, the member may edit the content of the amendment and re-submit it.
III. The same amendment shall be seen no more than three times within an academic year.
IV. Upon approval of an amendment, the President or Secretary will be responsible for updating all official copies of the constitution.
