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VIETNAMESE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Constitution Article I- Name Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Vietnamese Students Association at Columbia University, hereafter referred to as 'VSA.' Section 2. The Executive Board of VSA, hereafter referred to as the 'Board,' shall be made up of the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Liaison, and the Activities Coordinator. Article II- Purpose Section 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to promote awareness and understanding of Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American cultures. Section 2. The Executive Board shall coordinate all of the activities sponsored and cosponsored by VSA. Article III- Membership Section 1. Membership is open to all full-time undergraduate students in Barnard College, Columbia College, or the School of Engineering and Applied Science who share and are willing to contribute in any form to the purpose of the organization as stated in Article II, Section 1. No full-time student from one of the undergraduate schools shall be excluded from membership on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or disability. Section 2. Only members who are undergraduate students in Barnard College, Columbia College, or the School of Engineering and Applied Science may vote or hold office. Section 3. The privileges and responsibilities of membership are: a) To attend at least 25% of the meetings. b) To propose, decide, organize, and participate in the activities sponsored and cosponsored by VSA. Section 4. Membership may be revoked by a majority vote of the active members due to failure to meet the requirements stipulated by Article III, Section 3. Article IV- Meetings and Procedures Section 1. Meetings should be held at least once a month and shall be called by the Board. Section 2. In order to vote on any matter of policy or procedure, there must be a quorum Two-thirds (2/3) of the membership will constitute a quorum. Majority agreement of the quorum will decide issues brought to vote. Article V- Officers Section 1. The organization shall have the following officers: President, Vice-President. Treasurer, Secretary, Liaison, and Activities Coordinator. Nominations for these positions can be made by any member in good standing. Officers of VSA shall be elected annually, during the first meeting in the month of April. A quorum of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership must win a majority vote by secret ballot. Each elected officer shall serve a term of one year. Any member is eligible to run for office. Section 2. The following will be the duties of the officers: a) President To represent VSA to the University and to the community beyond. b) Vice-President To assist the President with his/her duties. c) Treasurer To handle all financial transactions. d) Secretary To take minutes of meetings. e) Liaison To represent VSA to other student organizations of the University. f) Activities Coordinator To coordinate activities for members of VSA. Section 3. An officer may be impeached and removed by the membership for failure to perform his/her duties. The specific charge shall be reviewed at an open meeting at which time the membership shall decide whether to proceed with an impeachment vote. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote by secret ballot of the members present shall be required to confirm the removal of the officer. Article VI- By-Laws Any member can propose by-laws. A majority vote is required to establish or alter bylaws. Article VII- Amendments to the Constitution Any member can propose amendments to the Constitution. Proposed amendments must be discussed before a vote by secret ballot by membership whether to adopt or reject these proposed amendments. Two-thirds (2/3) of the voting membership is required to adopt an amendment. Article VIII- Ratification This constitution shall be established by a vote of a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the membership of the organization. |