BYLAWS OF THE VIRGINIA TECH - INDIAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
Bylaw I - General
Section 1. The Virginia Tech -Indian Students Association, hereafter referred to as the ISA or the Organization, shall be a socio-cultural, non-profit, secular, voluntary organization representing the interests of and promoting the culture, heritage and way of life of the Indian and Indian-origin community in Virginia Tech.
It would strive to achieve the following objectives:
i) To serve as an ambassador for Indian values and traditions in the international community
ii) To foster cultural bonding and interaction among and between members of the organization and the Indian community in the U.S. at large.
iii) To promote engagements between the Indian community and American society with a spirit of universal brotherhood
The ISA would use the celebration of Indian festivals, cultural events and the conduct of volunteer activities to achieve the above mentioned objectives and also serve as a forum to promote individual talent and scholarship.
Section 2. These Bylaws shall govern the proceedings of the Organization in all matters concerning the day-to-day activities of the ISA.
Section 3. This Organization shall conform to such rules and regulations of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (hereafter VPI&SU) and of the Colleges of VPI&SU as may apply to the ISA.
Section 4. In the event of conflict between the Constitution and Bylaws of the ISA and the rules and regulations of VPI&SU and/or Colleges of VPI&SU, the rules of VPI&SU shall prevail, and the President and the Vice-President of the ISA shall be notified of the circumstances of the conflict.
Bylaw II - Government and Officers
Section 1. The Organization shall be composed of members who are interested in the activities of the ISA within the general student body. Membership of the ISA shall be open to all members of the Virginia Tech community (students, faculty and alumni) regardless of race, color, religion, sex or disability. The membership also is open to local (New River Valley) community.
Section 2. The Organization shall have full control of its individual affairs, subject to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Organization, which control shall be exercised by the active membership of the Organization and its Executive Committee. An active member of this Organization shall be defined in Bylaw IV, and only active members shall have the privilege of voting on new Executive Committee members.
Section 3. The officers of this Organization shall be a President, Vice President, Student Advisor, Treasurer, General Secretary, Committee Liaison Officer, and two Cultural Secretaries, Webmasters, Food Committee, Public Relation Officers, and representatives from affiliate organizations; and one faculty advisor.
Section 4. The duties of the officers shall be those usually performed by persons holding such offices, those prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Organization.
Section 5. The President shall chair and call all Executive Committee Meetings. He/she shall be the person in overall charge of the activities and the affairs of the club. He/she shall preside over the Committee Meetings. He/she shall assist the Treasurer in preparing the budget. He/she shall also extend full cooperation to the new ISA Executive Committee until he formally hands over the charge to the new President. He/she shall ensure that the Meetings and activities are adequately publicized. He/she should also take up the post of Student Advisor at the end of the term.
Section 6. The Vice President will preside over all the meetings in the absence of President. He/she shall assist and advise President in all the executive decisions. He/she shall assist the President and the General Secretary during the election of a new ISA committee. He/she will also assume the post of President, if the post is vacated for some reason.
Section 7.
The Treasurer is responsible for all the financial affairs of the organization such as drafting and submitting a budget plan for the forthcoming year to the ISA Executive Committee, and presenting the budget proposal for the forthcoming year to the Student Organizations Budget Board. The Treasurer shall make the accounts public at the end of the year. All active voting members are entitled to examine the accounts at all times. He/she shall also attend the mandatory training sessions held twice every year by the Student Budget Board.
Section 8. The General Secretary is responsible for keeping the minutes at all ISA Executive Committee Meetings and keeping an up-to-date membership list and an active voting status list.
Section 9. The Cultural Secretary is responsible for planning and coordination of the entertainment and cultural programs of the Organization.
Section 10. The Committee Liaison Officer is responsible for meeting with other organizations when needed, to collaborate on any event and also attend Council of International Student Organizations (CISO) meetings and represent ISA interests in CISO.
Section 11. The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for all media related contacts on behalf of the ISA and help publicize the activities of the ISA, coordinate all communications to the general student population. He/she will also be responsible for document all ISA events.
Section 12. The Food committee is responsible for organizing the food and drink for various events of the ISA, within the budget constraints of the ISA.
Section 13. The Webmaster is responsible for the maintenance of the website up to date.
Section 14. The Representatives from affiliate organizations will be nominated by the respective organizations and will attend ISA Executive Committee meetings on a need basis.
Bylaw III – Meetings of the Executive Committee
Section 1. Regular meetings shall be scheduled and held based on the need for a meeting.
Section 2. A meeting can be called for by any member of the Executive Committee and conducted on acceptance of the call by a simple majority of committee members.
Section 3. The officers shall present a tentative calendar of events for approval at the first meeting of each semester.
Section 4. All meetings shall last no longer than one hour, unless extended by an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members present. The order of business at these meetings shall be as follows:
a. Attendance
b. Reports of committees
c. Unfinished business
d. New business
e. Adjournment
This order can be suspended by an affirmative vote of the members present.
Section 5. A quorum of 2/3 of the Executive Committee would be needed to change the constitution, termed as special business.
Section 6. An Installation meeting would be held after the election of the new Executive Committee, no less than one week after the last event of the year.
Bylaw IV – Membership Status
BYLAWS OF THE VIRGINIA TECH - INDIAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
Bylaw I - General
Section 1. The Virginia Tech -Indian Students Association, hereafter referred to as the ISA or the Organization, shall be a socio-cultural, non-profit, secular, voluntary organization representing the interests of and promoting the culture, heritage and way of life of the Indian and Indian-origin community in Virginia Tech.
It would strive to achieve the following objectives:
i) To serve as an ambassador for Indian values and traditions in the international community
ii) To foster cultural bonding and interaction among and between members of the organization and the Indian community in the U.S. at large.
iii) To promote engagements between the Indian community and American society with a spirit of universal brotherhood
The ISA would use the celebration of Indian festivals, cultural events and the conduct of volunteer activities to achieve the above mentioned objectives and also serve as a forum to promote individual talent and scholarship.
Section 2. These Bylaws shall govern the proceedings of the Organization in all matters concerning the day-to-day activities of the ISA.
Section 3. This Organization shall conform to such rules and regulations of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (hereafter VPI&SU) and of the Colleges of VPI&SU as may apply to the ISA.
Section 4. In the event of conflict between the Constitution and Bylaws of the ISA and the rules and regulations of VPI&SU and/or Colleges of VPI&SU, the rules of VPI&SU shall prevail, and the President and the Vice-President of the ISA shall be notified of the circumstances of the conflict.
Bylaw II - Government and Officers
Section 1. The Organization shall be composed of members who are interested in the activities of the ISA within the general student body. Membership of the ISA shall be open to all members of the Virginia Tech community (students, faculty and alumni) regardless of race, color, religion, sex or disability. The membership also is open to local (New River Valley) community.
Section 2. The Organization shall have full control of its individual affairs, subject to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Organization, which control shall be exercised by the active membership of the Organization and its Executive Committee. An active member of this Organization shall be defined in Bylaw IV, and only active members shall have the privilege of voting on new Executive Committee members.
Section 3. The officers of this Organization shall be a President, Vice President, Student Advisor, Treasurer, General Secretary, Committee Liaison Officer, and two Cultural Secretaries, Webmasters, Food Committee, Public Relation Officers, and representatives from affiliate organizations; and one faculty advisor.
Section 4. The duties of the officers shall be those usually performed by persons holding such offices, those prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Organization.
Section 5. The President shall chair and call all Executive Committee Meetings. He/she shall be the person in overall charge of the activities and the affairs of the club. He/she shall preside over the Committee Meetings. He/she shall assist the Treasurer in preparing the budget. He/she shall also extend full cooperation to the new ISA Executive Committee until he formally hands over the charge to the new President. He/she shall ensure that the Meetings and activities are adequately publicized. He/she should also take up the post of Student Advisor at the end of the term.
Section 6. The Vice President will preside over all the meetings in the absence of President. He/she shall assist and advise President in all the executive decisions. He/she shall assist the President and the General Secretary during the election of a new ISA committee. He/she will also assume the post of President, if the post is vacated for some reason.
Section 7.
The Treasurer is responsible for all the financial affairs of the organization such as drafting and submitting a budget plan for the forthcoming year to the ISA Executive Committee, and presenting the budget proposal for the forthcoming year to the Student Organizations Budget Board. The Treasurer shall make the accounts public at the end of the year. All active voting members are entitled to examine the accounts at all times. He/she shall also attend the mandatory training sessions held twice every year by the Student Budget Board.
Section 8. The General Secretary is responsible for keeping the minutes at all ISA Executive Committee Meetings and keeping an up-to-date membership list and an active voting status list.
Section 9. The Cultural Secretary is responsible for planning and coordination of the entertainment and cultural programs of the Organization.
Section 10. The Committee Liaison Officer is responsible for meeting with other organizations when needed, to collaborate on any event and also attend Council of International Student Organizations (CISO) meetings and represent ISA interests in CISO.
Section 11. The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for all media related contacts on behalf of the ISA and help publicize the activities of the ISA, coordinate all communications to the general student population. He/she will also be responsible for document all ISA events.
Section 12. The Food committee is responsible for organizing the food and drink for various events of the ISA, within the budget constraints of the ISA.
Section 13. The Webmaster is responsible for the maintenance of the website up to date.
Section 14. The Representatives from affiliate organizations will be nominated by the respective organizations and will attend ISA Executive Committee meetings on a need basis.
Bylaw III – Meetings of the Executive Committee
Section 1. Regular meetings shall be scheduled and held based on the need for a meeting.
Section 2. A meeting can be called for by any member of the Executive Committee and conducted on acceptance of the call by a simple majority of committee members.
Section 3. The officers shall present a tentative calendar of events for approval at the first meeting of each semester.
Section 4. All meetings shall last no longer than one hour, unless extended by an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members present. The order of business at these meetings shall be as follows:
a. Attendance
b. Reports of committees
c. Unfinished business
d. New business
e. Adjournment
This order can be suspended by an affirmative vote of the members present.
Section 5. A quorum of 2/3 of the Executive Committee would be needed to change the constitution, termed as special business.
Section 6. An Installation meeting would be held after the election of the new Executive Committee, no less than one week after the last event of the year.
Bylaw IV – Membership Status
Section 1. New members would become part of the organization upon payment of a one-time fee of $25. This membership fee would make the members a Life Member of the organization.
Section 2. All members who claim to have been members before Fall 2009 will by default become life members, requiring no renewal fees and should claim so before the start of term for Fall 2009.
Section 3. All members should produce the membership card upon request during events and when availing the discounts at various local businesses.
Section 4. Members of the local community can become life members after paying the stipulated membership fees, which would be set by the Executive Committee for that year.
Section 5. Only students with good graduate standing status can be considered as active members of the association with voting rights and rights to run for elected office positions.
Bylaw V - Election of New Executive Committee Members
Section 1. Elections of new members shall be held in the fall semester, the exact date to be set by the Executive Committee, and publicized to the General ISA Body. The date of the election shall be announced at least four weeks in advance.
Section 2. Only students of good graduate standing as stipulated by the university and the individual colleges shall be eligible for election to the various posts. Each current student member can stand for no more than two positions. In the case of being elected for more than one position, the member would have the option of selecting the position he/she would be interested in taking up.
Section 3. Current active members would be eligible to vote through a secret ballot online.
Section 4. Election shall be based on the simple majority of the votes.
Section 5. Nominations for the President must be forwarded and seconded by ISA members and shall be accepted until 5:00 pm of the last date set by the Executive Committee.
Section 6. In the event of a single nomination being filed for the President, Vice President, Treasurer and General Secretary, the nominees shall be declared elected and no polling shall be conducted.
Section 7. If no more than one nomination is filed for the other posts, the President elect will have the discretion to select candidates for that post and no election shall be conducted.
Section 8. The ballots would be handled only by the current President, Vice-President and General Secretary. The results will be verified, finalized and declared by the Faculty Advisor.
Section 9. When an office is vacated, an appointment shall be made by the Executive Committee for the reminder of the term.
Section 10. The election procedure shall be as follows:
a. The Executive Committee would announce the election schedule to the general body of the ISA and call for nominations.
b. Members willing to be elected would submit a written manifesto stating the plans and vision for the future for the ISA two weeks before the election day or on a date set by the Executive Committee.
c. At least one meeting will be held by the Executive Committee to acquaint the eligible students with the requirements for each office and to explain the purpose of the organization and other ideas deemed appropriate.
d. Candidates shall be notified either in writing or by telephone after the Election of Candidates but before the general body is informed of the election results.
e. Once the elections are complete, an interview process will be held, with the outcome of this interview contributing to an additional one-fourth of the total votes registered.
e. All items not specifically mentioned in these Organization Bylaws concerning election and initiation of new members shall be carried out by the Executive Committee with the consent of the Faculty Advisor of the Organization in accordance with the guidelines established in the Constitution and Bylaws of the Organization.
Section 11. Old and new Executive Committee shall work together in the time between office election and installation to insure a smooth transition.
Section 12. The outgoing President, to help the new committee during the various events based on his/her experience, should fill the Student Advisor post.
Bylaw VI - Finances
Section 1. The expenses of the Organization shall be borne by the membership fee, budget board allocations and by such dues and pro rata assessments as may be voted by the Executive Committee. A majority vote of two-thirds of the active membership shall be required to change any fees or dues or to levy any assessment.
Section 2. The individual student membership fee shall not exceed $40.00. The specific amount to be charged shall be set during the first Executive Committee meeting in the fall semester of each year. It shall be paid in advance of the initiation.
Section 3. Within the first two weeks of election, each committee shall submit an estimate of its expenses to the Treasurer. The Treasurer will then formulate the budget and present it to the Executive Committee for approval. The budget shall include a recommended amount for the membership fee to be charged during the year.
Section 4. There shall be at all times a minimum balance of $250.00 in the Organization treasury (the bank account). A sum of no more than $20.00 may be kept in petty cash.
Section 5. Expenditures in excess of $15.00 shall be made by check. Expenditures of less than $15.00 may be paid from petty cash.
Section 6. The Organization’s fiscal year shall be May 1 to April 30. Immediately following the end of the Organization’s fiscal year, the Treasurer shall audit the books. Following the audit, the Treasurer, shall make the accounts public.
Bylaw VII - Records and Equipment
Section 1. All permanent records of the Organization shall be kept accurate and up-to-date.
Section 2. All equipment shall be maintained in good order in a secure manner by the President, and shall be kept under lock and key.
Section 3. All records and an inventory of all physical equipment owned by the Organization shall be turned over to the new officers at the Installation of Executive Committee Meeting.
Section 4. All records of this Organization shall be open for inspection to any member of the Organization, and to any official of VPI&SU who has received approval from the Executive Committee.
Bylaw VIII - Suspension of the Bylaws
Section 1. These Bylaws may be suspended only by a three-fourths affirmative vote of the active membership of the Organization.
Bylaw IX - Amendments
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 quorum of the Executive Committee and would be informed to the general body of the organization.
Bylaw X - Enactment
Section 1. These Bylaws were adopted by a vote of this Executive Committee and became effective on August 24th, 2009.
Signed Signed Signed
Dr Kumar Mallikarjunan Naresh K C Selvarasu Shalini Ramesh
Faculty Advisor President Vice President