ARTICLE I
Section I
Name: The name of this organization shall be known and called "African Students Association", Norman, OK; United States of America. The acronym for the African Students Association shall be AFSA.
ARTICLE II
Purpose: The organization shall be non-profit, non-political and non-religious. It's purpose is to promote unity amongst African students, to create a network which supports African students at the University of Oklahoma and to further promote African culture on the University campus.
ARTICLE III
Membership: Membership is open to all students of the University of Oklahoma and members of the university community (faculty, staff, and spouses) interested in furthering the organization's aims, regardless of gender, race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, or political belief.
To be considered a member of the African Students Association, a person must contribute a yearly payment of $20 ($10 per semester). The money is due by the end of the second month of the semester that the person wishes to join the Association. After this deadline, the fee will be increased to $24.00 ($12.00 per semester).
There are 2 types of membership status available to paid Association members. These are active and passive.
An active status refers to members who have paid their yearly dues and attend meetings and/or participate in activities and/or participate in committees and/or contact officers about the organization's progress at least once a month.
A passive status is for members who are unable to accomplish these requirements. Active and passive members may not be entitled to the same rights and privileges; however, the Association is only required to inform 3/4ths of the active members when important decisions are to be made.
A member's status is to be decided on a bi-monthly basis the officers and committee chairs. The Secretary will keep track of these decisions and will make them available to members upon request. These decisions are to be based strictly on the enumerated guidelines.
A member listed as passive will remain passive until his/her status is changed during one of the bi-monthly meetings of the officers and committee chairs. If at this meeting it is decided that a member has fulfilled the requirements for active status, his/her status will be changed.
ARTICLE IV
Section I -- Officers:
Office holders are empowered to serve and not to be served. It is expected that office holders will inform and seek the consent of the general assembly when making decisions on behalf of the AFSA.
Section II -- The President
i) Is to oversee the running of the organization. Full accountability as to the deeds of this organization as a group lies on this person.
ii) Is responsible for organizing the Association's activities, keeping the association visible and active on campus, keeping abreast of opportunities that further the organization's aims.
iii) Is to give a monthly account of this office.
iv) Has the authority to conclude miscellaneous problems over which the general assembly is split.
v) Is to display commitment to learning and exhibiting African culture.
vi) Is to be a full time student at the University of Oklahoma who has completed at least one semester at the University of Oklahoma.
vii) Is to keep in close contact with the sponsors, advising them of the Association's progress.
viii) Keep in touch with other associations and people that are beneficial to AFSA, and ensure good rapport with them.
ix) Ensure effective recruitment of members
x) Propose ideas and activities that will ensure AFSA's respectability and responsibility to its members and the community
xi) Prepare agenda for the executive council meetings and communicate it to the secretary to print for the executive members in attendance.
xii) Enforce AFSA's constitution and ensure the rules and regulations are complied with by all members
Section III -- The Vice-President
i) Assists the President and takes over the duties of the president should the president be ill disposed, unavailable or be unable to fulfill his/her duties for the remaining period of his/her tenure.
ii) Is responsible for the recruitment of new members to the organization.
iii) Promoting the retention of current members and seeing that they remain active and involved in the organization.
iv) Monitor all the committees and sub-committees of AFSA
v) Prepare the agenda for general assembly meetings and communicate it to the secretary to print copies for the members in attendance.
vi) Head any disciplinary committees
vii) Is to give a monthly account of this office.
viii) Is to display commitment to learning and exhibiting African culture.
ix) Is to be a full time student at the University of Oklahoma who has completed at least one semester at the University of Oklahoma.
Section IV -- The Secretary
i) Is to keep up with all the organization's paper work, outside of those that are financial in nature. Examples of forms of paper work for which the Secretary is responsible include minutes, the Constitution, Historical information, (albums, slides etc.), University related business etc.
ii) Is responsible for taking the minutes in every meeting.
iii) Administration activities like compiling and keeping a current list of members and their contact addresses, keep AFSA's records properly, prepare AFSA's annual schedule, print meeting agendas, update the constitution when amended.
iv) Assists other executive members, if necessary
v) Conduct the executive council elections
vi) Is to give a monthly account of the files.
vii) Is to display commitment to learning and exhibiting African culture.
viii) Is to be a student at the University of Oklahoma.
Section V -- Public Relations Officer Internal
i) To act as a liaison between the Association and all related on-campus organizations especially those concerned with African and African-American affairs.
ii) Is required to periodically attend the meetings and activities of other organizations, at least once a month and will be responsible for informing such meetings of AFSA events and activities.
iii) Is responsible for publicizing important internal affairs on and around the campus vicinity. This includes chalking the floors, putting up flyers and posters etc.
vi) Will be the next person in line after the President and Vice- President for representing AFSA at meetings and events.
vii) Head all communication committees
viii) Ensure the association's homepage is updated as and when necessary, that is, work with the Webmaster to post events on the homepage.
ix) Ensure that the newsletter is prepared and sent out.
x) Will work with the P.R.O. External to publicize events.
xi) Is to display commitment to learning and exhibiting African culture.
Section VI -- Public Relations Officer External
i) Will be the contact person/ representative of AFSA off-campus.
ii) Will be responsible for establishing contact with other schools within and outside Oklahoma.
iii) Will be responsible for informing AFSA of external events such as community services. For example- the Big Event, Pickard Street etc.
iv) Should attend all other cultural organizations' meetings at least once a month, if the P.R.O Internal cannot make such meetings. Will also inform these meetings of AFSA events and activities.
v) Will work with the P.R.O. Internal to publicize events
Section VII -- The Treasurer
i) Is preferably a person with knowledge in accounting.
ii) Ensure AFSA's finances are in good standing
iii) Keep a good record of AFSA's finances
iv) Prepare the annual budget
v) Head all financial committees, except an audit committee
vi) Collect membership dues
vii) Is responsible for organizing fund raising events and soliciting funds from campus or private organizations.
viii) Is to give a detailed monthly account of the organization's funds that includes expenditures, deposits and totals.
ix) Is to display commitment to learning and exhibiting African culture.
x) Must follow the AFSA's guidelines for the office of the Treasury
xi) Is to be a full time student at the University of Oklahoma who has completed at least one semester at the University of Oklahoma.
Section VIII -- Webmaster
i) Is preferably a person with knowledge in web design.
ii) Ensures AFSA's web site is updated regularly.
iii) Ensures AFSA's web site contains pertinent information to publicize AFSA and its activities in good light.
iv) Is responsible for obtaining the necessary multimedia technology to keep AFSA's web site running properly.
vi) Must follow the AFSA guidelines for the office of the Webmaster.
vii) Is to be a full-time student at the University of Oklahoma.
Section IX
Faculty/Staff Advisor: The Association must have an advisor who is a full time member of the University faculty or staff.
The sponsors: The Association may have multiple sponsors. At least one of them is required to be a part of the University of Oklahoma faculty and staff.
The sponsors along with the President will act as a liaison between the AFSA and institutions such as embassies, businesses etc. The sponsors will act as advisors to the Association.
Section X
Removal and Resignation of Officers: If an officer is not accomplishing his/her duties, the person may be removed by 2/3rds vote of Association members present at a meeting called after 3/4ths of the association's active members have been contacted. The members promoting the measure are to do the contacting with assistance from the Secretary and Social Secretary and must keep a reasonable record showing that they have achieved the 3/4ths requirement. If and when an officer is removed, the members will create a committee to take over the duties of that office. This also holds if an officer resigns.
ARTICLE V Section I
The meetings of the Association will be held the 1st and the 3rd Fridays of each month in a specified location.
Officers and Committee chairs are required to have 2 additional meetings per month, to decide on the direction of the organization and to make decisions that do not require direct input from the assembly as a whole.
Special future meetings excluding those of which 3/4th of the active members must be aware, will be agreed upon by those present at a general meeting in which it is proposed.
ARTICLE VI Section I
The Committees
The officers may seek assistance from the Association's members in carrying out their responsibilities by forming committees. Members will voluntarily and within reason of numbers, join a committee of their choice. Each member is required to assist in at least one committee in a semester interval. Each committee will choose a chairperson that is not an officer. The chair will ensure that the committee is fulfilling its obligations. The chair will report to the officer who created the committee. These committees are to be temporary in nature, not enduring longer than one semester.
In a meeting after 3/4ths of the members have been notified and by a 2/3rd' vote of members present, a member of the Association may move to create a committee that does not overlap any present committee or does not infringe upon the duty of an officer. These committees are to be temporary committees, not enduring past one semester. Again membership in this type of committee is voluntary within reason of numbers. Committees that are created by general members of the Association are responsible to the Association as a whole, and also to the President and are required to give an accounting of their activities at every general meeting.
The President may decide conflict as to the number of members who may be in a committee that cannot be solved by the association.
Section II
Removal and Resignation of Committee Chairs: If a committee chair is not fulfilling his/her duties, the person may be removed by the same procedure used for officers. However, the petition to remove a committee chair must come from within the committee or from one of the officers.
ARTICLE VII Section I
Parliamentary Proceedings: A different member will volunteer to chair each general meeting until all willing participants have had a chance. The Secretary will keep track of those who chair each meeting. The future chair is to be decided in the meeting previous to his/her duties and should contact the officers, the committees and necessary members as the business for the next meeting. The parliamentary procedure of each meeting is to be based on the AFSA parliamentary procedures.
ARTICLE VIII Section I
Amendments:
The procedure for amending the AFSA constitution are as require a 2/3rd' vote of the Association's members present at a meeting called after 3/4ths of the association's active members have been contacted. Any member may promote an amendment. The members promoting the measure are to do the contacting with assistance from the Secretary and Public relation officer and must keep a reasonable record showing that they have achieved the 3/4th' requirement.
ARTICLE IX Section I
Elections: Elections will be by secret ballot.
Dates of Elections: Officer elections will take place at least one month before the end of the current officers term.
Section III
Electoral Committee: An election committee will be appointed having between 3 to 5 members. Members of the committee cannot vote. In the case of voting ties, the President of the Electoral Committee must break the tie. One person in the committee is responsible for the committee's finance and one will chair the committee. The committee will give an account of its activities, including financial statements at each general and executive meeting. The committee treasurer must follow the AFSA Guidelines for the Office of the Treasury.
Like other committees, Electoral Committees are temporary, lasting only for as long as needed, but no longer than 1 semester. Electoral Committees will usually last for one month.
Section IV
Candidates: A person who is graduating before the term of his/her post expires may not run for office. A person running for office must have an active status in the organization during the ten-day period when his/her intent of candidacy is presented to the Electoral Committee.
Section V
Electoral Process: Candidates for executive positions should campaign in an individual platform. Each candidate may run for a maximum of two executive positions to ensure a smooth electoral process.
A person running for office must fill out a form created by the election committee containing information related to the particular office of interest. These records are to be made available to the General Assembly and are to be read prior to the voting.
A person running for the offices of President or Vice President must contribute $10 to the election committee funds. All other officers will contribute $5 dollars. The funds will be used to make forms and information available to the candidates and members. Funds may not be used to promote any particular candidate. All funds not used by the electoral committee on election expenses will be transferred to the general AFSA fund at the end of the election.
There is to be a one-month period from the time an election committee is created to the actual officer election. From the time an election committee is appointed, candidates will have 10 days to submit their intent of candidacy to the election committee and to fill out required forms.
The President and Vice President must give speeches (maximum of 10 minutes) and/or conduct debates prior to the voting.
