MULTICULTURAL BUSINESS STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Constitution
The following is MBSA's 2003 - 2004 Constitution (A revised one will be posted as soon as possible):
The Multicultural Business Student Association (MBSA) is dedicated to providing a foundation for growth through synergies of diversification as well as unification; to enhance the link between members and business corporations at large with professionalism as our hallmark.
a. The name of the organization shall be the Multicultural Business Student Association.
b. The organization is a student organization at The University of Arizona.
The objectives of the organization shall be:
a. To promote interest in all areas of business.
b. To help develop professional and networking skill for diverse students.
c. To help underclassmen prepare for the advanced standing application process.
d. To provide fellowship among students and faculty.
e. To initiate its members, by all appropriate means, into the business community.
f. To develop a better understanding of the nature and functions of the role of diversity in the college and the workplace.
g. To make its members more aware of current related topics through lectures and speeches given by professional businessmen and faculty members.
h. To encourage leadership and development skills that further develops member skills.
i. To take a proactive approach to developing our organizational and community cohesion through fundraising, philanthropic, social, and recruiting events
SECTION 1: Members
a. Any student of The University of Arizona is eligible to be an active member and may hold office.
b. Non-students may act as associate members, but may not vote or hold office.
c. All members shall have equal rights and privileges.
SECTION 2: Suspension or Expulsion
The officers, by a majority vote with the faculty advisor, shall have the power to suspend or expel any member for conduct considered contrary to the best interest of MBSA. If such a vote is to be taken, the member in question shall be given an informal hearing, after which the vote shall be taken.
SECTION 3: Meetings
a. General meetings shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the officers. Determination of time shall be voted on by current members of MBSA.
b. Executive meetings shall be held in a convenient location for all executive members and committee chairs. Only executive officers shall have voting privileges in executive meetings.
c. Special meetings may be called by the president, by any other five officers, or by written request of 10% of the active members.
d. All meeting notices shall be posted in prominent places.
e. Meetings will be open to all MBSA active and associate members, faculty, and Student Programs representatives. A notice of at least two (2) weeks will be given prior to all meetings. The meetings are to be organized and controlled by officers and active members.
SECTION 1: Election of Officers
a. The MBSA shall have six elected officers: President, Vice-President of Public Relations, Vice-President of Administration, Treasurer, Recording Officer, and Webmaster.
b. All members in good standing shall be eligible for nomination to any of the above officers. Each candidate will present their platform to all members attending MBSA elections.
c. Nominations for new officers will be held during the second to last meeting from the termination of end of the academic semester, followed by the elections during the last meeting from the termination of the current semester.
d. Newly elected officers, besides the Vice-President of Public Relations, will be installed after commencement of the academic year and their term will continue until commencement of the following academic year.
e. The Vice-President of Public Relations is elected at the commencement of the fall semester and their term will continue until the commencement of the following fall semester.
f. Officers who are unable to continue in their duties, for any reason, need to submit an official resignation to another officer.
g. All incumbent officers are eligible for re-election, or to fill a vacant office. This shall be completed by means of a special election.
SECTION 2: Recall of Officers
a. Officers are subject to recall for malfeasance in office.
b. Recall procedures will be initiated at the request of five active members.
c. A hearing will be conducted at a regular meeting for the presentation of evidence from all concerned parties.
d. A majority of those active members voting in a recall at the end of the hearing is necessary to remove an office.
a. This constitution and by-laws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3)-majority vote of those voting, a quorum being present.
b. Voting on amendments must be conducted after a minimum notice of two (2) weeks.
c. Only active members may participate in election of e-board members.
ARTICLE VI – Not-for-profit statement
This is a not-for-profit organization.
This organization shall not discriminate on the basis of age, color, ethnicity, gender, national origin, disability or handicap, race, religion, sexual orientation, or Vietnam Era veteran status. This policy will include, but is not limited to recruiting, membership, organization activities or opportunities to hold office.
a. MBSA shall manage and control the funds and property of the association.
b. All financial policies shall be consistent with the University's requirements.
c. All expenditures are to be reviewed by the officers.
d. All expenditures must bear the signature of two officers.
e. Membership fees shall be set and established by MBSA officers. Members will be considered delinquent if dues are not received within 30 days of receipt of the membership application.
f. Neither the association, nor any of its sponsors, shall pay, assume, or become responsible for the personal or unapproved debts or liabilities of any member of MBSA.
This organization will not conspire to engage in hazing, participate in hazing, or commit any act that causes bodily danger, physical harm, or personal degradation or disgrace resulting in physical or mental harm to any fellow student or person attending the institution.
This organization shall comply with all University and campus policies and regulations and local, state, and federal laws.
a. Any officer may make a motion for amendment to the constitution or bylaws.
b. Once an amendment has been proposed, a majority of the officers and the faculty advisor must approve. If approved, the proposed amendment must be announced to all members at least two weeks prior to a vote. A discussion, of the proposed amendment, will occur at a general meeting at least one week prior to a vote on the amendment. Two-thirds of the members present, at the general meeting, must approve to pass the amendment.
SECTION 1: Student Group Organization
a. MBSA shall be a professional student organization of the Eller College of Business and Public Administration of the University of Arizona.
b. MBSA may be affiliated with any number of organizations for the purpose of improvement.
SECTION 2: Student Organization Requirements
a. Organizational status is recognized by the Eller College as a group of students interested in furthering their education by attending professional presentations and academically oriented lectures.
b. The Constitution and Bylaws of the Association shall not be amended to become conflicting with University Bylaws concerning University organizations.
SECTION 3: Relationship to College or University
MBSA must have a coordinator (advisor) who is a member of the University faculty. MBSA must meet the requirements for student groups at the University of Arizona.
Cabinet
a. PRESIDENT: The President is, among other things, responsible for the overall success of the association. The President will represent MBSA in any contact with ASUA, CSIL, or the administration of the Eller College. The President will also preside over general and executive meetings. The President works primarily with the Vice President of Public Relations and the Vice President of Administration to develop, execute, and evaluate the organization's long and short term goals. The President shall partake in other duties as applicable.
b. VICE-PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS: The Vice-President of Public Relations is responsible for recruiting clients to speak to MBSA. The VP of PR is responsible for creating and maintaining all client relationships. The VP of PR spends most of their time in the community finding new potential clients and facilitating ongoing contact with existing clients. The Vice-President of Public Relations shall be responsible for maintaining open lines of communication with alumni, as well as maintaining their support and interest in MBSA. The Vice-President of Public Relations will lead the Social Chair and also serve as the liaison to the social committee. The Vice-President of Public Relations will partake in other duties as applicable. As one of the most high-profile representatives for MBSA, the job requires poise, professionalism, and knowledge and research of every business approached.
c. VICE-PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION: The Vice-President of Administration shall be responsible for all recruiting activities involving MBSA.
The Vice President of Administration leads the Recruiting Chair and ensures that project tasks and goals are being met in a timely manner, is head of all recruiting efforts and is responsible for answering general questions regarding the activities of MBSA, including discussing new ideas and concerns. This officer shall also oversee all general and special elections. In addition, the Vice-President of Administration will partake in other duties as applicable.
d. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall work in close proximity to the President and will assume joint responsibility for all financial transactions in dealing with MBSA. Additionally, the role of the Treasurer is to lead initiatives to actively manage and develop MBSA's financial resources. These initiatives are carried out by working independently or with the E-Board on managing our revenues and expenses. The Treasurer will provide members a monthly financial update. In addition, the Treasurer will keep a list of current membership. The Treasurer leads the Fundraising Chair and will also serve as the liaison to the fundraising committee. The Treasurer will partake in other duties as applicable.
e. RECORDING OFFICER: The Recording Officer (RO) shall be responsible for taking minutes at general and executive meetings and delivering them weekly, following meetings. The minutes of executive meetings shall be made available to all officers and the minutes of general meetings shall be made available to all MBSA members. The RO leads the Philanthropy Chair and will also serve as the liaison to the philanthropy committee. This position is also responsible for tracking member participation for recognition and scholarship purposes. The RO will take attendance weekly to keep track of participation points. The RO will partake in other duties as applicable.
f. WEBMASTER: The Webmaster shall be responsible for the design, modification, and daily update of the MBSA homepage. Along with day to day maintenance the Webmaster has free reign to take our web site to new heights. The Webmaster shall be responsible for all information administrative tasks. The Webmaster will also serve as the liaison to the philanthropy committee. The Webmaster will partake in other duties as applicable.
g. FESO REPRESENTATIVE: The Federation of Eller Student Organizations (FESO) Representative will be the MBSA's primary liaison for all transactions with FESO. The FESO Rep is in charge of creating and maintaining relationships with corporate sponsors and donors on behalf of MBSA. This involves maintaining a contact list, attending networking opportunities, and keeping in constant contact with all sponsors. As one of the most high-profile representatives for MBSA, the job requires poise, professionalism, and knowledge and research of every business approached.
** All the positions above are leadership positions, in that each officer may assemble a team of members to assist that officer in performing their responsibilities.
Chairpersons
a. FUNDRAISING CHAIRPERSON: The Fundraising Chairperson (FC) is responsible for developing initiatives to actively manage and develop MBSA's financial resources. The FC is responsible for assisting the FESO Rep and Treasurer with raising funds for our organization. This position is overseen by the Treasurer.
b. PHILANTHROPY CHAIRPERSON: The Philanthropy Chairperson (PC) is responsible for researching and coordinating philanthropic events for MBSA's members, to provide a service to the community. The PC will coordinate with the Recording Officer the location and nature of all philanthropy events. This position is overseen by the Recording Officer.
c. SOCIAL CHAIRPERSON: The Social Chairperson (SC) is responsible for the planning and execution of Homecoming, Spring Fling, and all other social events. The SC will coordinate with the VP of PR the location and nature of all philanthropy events. This position is overseen by the VP of PR.
d. RECRUITING CHAIRPERSON: The Recruiting Chairperson (RC) has the unique responsibility of obtaining MBSA merchandise for our members: shirts, business cards, and miscellaneous MBSA merchandise. This ensures a uniform atmosphere when meeting with clients and at various social functions. The RC is kept abreast of all MBSA events in order for the shirts, business cards, presentations, MBSA logos, letterheads, and other files related to MBSA to be readily available.
Participation Point System
a. A point system will be implemented to encourage the active role of MBSA's membership, whereby members earn points for their involvement in general meetings, committee-sponsored events, and all MBSA-related activities
b. Members are required to have a total minimum of 15 points each semester to be considered active members; of those 15 points, a minimum of 8 points must be from participation in committee-sponsored events
c. Point system breakdown:
|
EVENT: |
POINT VALUE: |
|
General Meetings |
1 point |
|
Committee-sponsored Events (fundraising, recruiting, social, philanthropy) |
2 points |
|
Extra Funding |
2 points for every $25 |
|
Member Referral |
2 points for each member referred (after dues paid) |
Benefits of active membership
a. Access to recruiters
b. Access to club-sponsored events
c. Access to workshops
e. Eligibility for MBSA scholarships
f. Eligibility for Spring Trip
g. Name on MBSA Professional Resume List
h. Name on website indicating "active" membership
Policies
a. Any officer may have their powers suspended by a unanimous vote of the other officers and the faculty advisor.
b. All checks must have two officer signatures to be valid.
c. The Executive Board is comprised of all officers of MBSA.
d. If any elected officer resigns the Executive Board must hold a general election.
e. Any decision of an officer(s) can be overturned by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
f. The MBSA Constitution shall be reviewed by ALL e-board members and revised as needed.
g. All elected officers and chairpersons have one vote each, which are of equal weight.
h. The President is responsible for finding qualified candidates to fill the positions of BPAC Representative, FESO Representative, and Historian. Other board members may also recommend individuals to fill the positions.
i. A two-thirds majority vote by the Executive Board appoints a nominated officer.
j. Appointed officers may vote only on areas specific to their job duties.
k. All chairpersons shall be voted on at the beginning of each semester, and will fulfill their role to the semester's end.
l. Attendance will be taken at every meeting.
m. Committees will be evenly split.
n. Membership dues MUST be paid No Later Than 3rd attended meeting or non-paying individual is ineligible for scholarships, resume list, web list, workshops, or Spring Trip.
o. Amendments to the MBSA constitution must be approved by a minimum 2/3 vote of MBSA's members.