Constitution

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Article I. Name:  

The name of the organization shall be the "Muslim Students' Association of the Pennsylvania State University" hereon referred to as the "Association".  

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Article II. Purpose:        

A. To unite all Muslim students of all nationalities, races, and backgrounds under one organization, and under the banner of, (There is no GOD but Allah, and Muhammad (PBUH) is the messenger of Allah).        

B. The Association shall be a non-profit organization and the fundamental purpose of the Association shall be to encourage and to enable Muslims with the basic knowledge and competence in Islam to contribute both individually and collectively towards meeting human needs in conformity with Islamic doctrines and belief. It shall also be the purpose of the Association to promote discussion of Islamic practices and to create a feeling of brotherhood in an Islamic social environment.        

C. To create a haven for Muslims on campus, where they can freely and easily practice their faith by providing a suitable                environment and the necessary facilities.      

D. To foster friendly relations with all other students at The Pennsylvania State University and provide an atmosphere for acquiring the correct knowledge about Islam by means of lectures, discussions, etc.  

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Article III. Membership:   The Association's membership shall consist of two memberships, “Active” and “Associate” membership.     

A. Active members shall consist of members who have paid their annual active membership dues and are full-time students at The Pennsylvania State University. Active members must attend a minimum of 25% of the meetings/events/socials per semester. Only active members may vote, preside, officiate or solicit funding on the Association's behalf. Furthermore, the Association shall at all times consist of at least 10 active members.        

B. Associate members shall consist of all other individuals, including but not limited to: faculty, staff, and community members who paid the annual associate membership dues. The majority (50% +1 of the active membership) must be undergraduate students.        

C. Any and all new members will be made aware of the documents and resources available to them during recruitment, including but not limited to the disclosure of:                  

1. Organizational documents (Constitution, Bylaws, Manuals, etc.)                  

2. Organization events and activities                  

3. A list of responsibilities of members                                

4. A copy of the University Hazing policy, prescribed by Policies and Rules for Student Organizations        

D. All members, including but not limited to new members and recruits, reserve the right to refrain from participating in any activities without consequence, based upon personal/religious beliefs, personal values, or moral reserve as defined by the member.         

E. Any and all interaction/activity between members and/or new members will be limited to guidelines stated by university policy, as well as local, state, and federal laws.  

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Article IV. Officers:            

A. The Executive Committee shall be composed of:                  

1. President                     

a. Shall be the official spokesperson for The Association.                     

b. Preside over all meetings of the Association.                  

2. Vice-President                    

a. Substitute for the president when the latter is absent or relinquishes the chair.                     

b. Assist the President in fulfillment of his/her duties.                                

3. Secretary                     

a. Shall be responsible for notifying members of all meetings of the Association.                     

b. Shall be responsible for keeping the minutes of the General Assembly and the Executive Board meetings.   

4. Treasurer                     

a. Shall be responsible for collecting dues, writing receipts, and paying the necessary bills.                     

b. Keep all accounts of the finances of the Association and submit an annual financial report of the Association's account to the General Assembly.                  

5. Diversity Coordinator                     

a. Shall be held by an active female member of the Association.                     

b. Shall be responsible for contacting and addressing issues and concerns of various members of the Association.     

6. Events Coordinator:                     

a. Shall be responsible for organizing major events, managing volunteers, and preparing for these events.   

7. Webmaster                     

a. Shall be responsible for updating the Association's website as directed by the president.       

B. The board shall vote in a democratic manner. All decisions made by the Executive Board will be based on a simple majority. In case of a tie, the President shall cast the tie-breaking vote.        

C. The members of the Executive Committee shall hold office for one year and shall be eligible for reelection.       

D. The remainder of the Executive Board shall appoint vacancies in the Executive Board, except for the president’s position. When the president’s position is vacant for reasons other than impeachment, then the vice president assumes the presidency and will then appoint a new vice-president. All decisions will be made by a simple majority vote.       

E. Impeachment

1. Procedures: If a president is called in to question due to misconduct or lack of responsibility. The general body can hold an impeachment vote where 2/3 of all active members must vote to impeach.                  

2. If the president is impeached, an election must be held between 5 and 15 school days, for which the vice president will be an automatic candidate.                  

3. Until a new president is elected, the vice president shall assume the responsibilities of the president.        

F. Undergraduate candidates must be full-time, officially registered active student members to be selected as officers at the time of the appointment or election. AND Graduate candidates may be full-time or part-time, officially registered active student members to be selected as officers at the time of the appointment or election. Officers may change from full-time to part-time, or vice versa, after becoming an officer. Student organizations may establish and apply additional eligibility criteria for appointed or elected leaders/officers, but should first seek approval from the Office of Student Activities.  

 

Article V. Meetings:        

A. Meetings                  

1. The Executive Board shall decide the frequency of all meetings.                                

2. Any active member of the Association can make a proposal for a special meeting by filing a petition with any executive board member signed by at least ten other active members. After the reception of the petition the executive board must hold a special General Assembly meeting between three and ten school days during the fall and spring semesters.             

3. The executive board is responsible for notifying all of the Association members at least three days in advance for special meetings, and at least five days in advance for normal meetings by the means of electronic mail and other available forms of communication.      

B. Board meetings                  

1. Board meetings will consist of elected and appointed officers.                  

2. The President may invite guests to board meetings, however, the guests are limited to observing the meeting. The guests may make suggestions or advice with prior approval from the board.                  

3. Active members of The Association may request to attend a board meeting with the prior approval of the President, however, they will be limited to observing the meeting, and may make suggestions or advise only with the prior approval of the board.  

C. GeneralAssembly                                

1. General Assembly meetings will consist of active and associate members.                  

2. The General Assembly can only be held during fall and spring semesters and should be held at least twice a year.        

3. Quorum                      

a. The quorum will be in effect during the General Assembly meetings if the General Assembly meeting was announced at least five school days in advance and if at least twenty-one active members or at least fifty percent of the total active membership is present, whichever is lower.                      

b. If the minimum requirement for the quorum is not met on the day of the General Assembly meeting, then another General Assembly meeting shall be held between five and ten schooldays, any number of active members present shall suffice the quorum for this meeting.                  

4. Any amendment, proposal, or impeachment sanctioned by the quorum shall be final.  

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Article VI. Voting:        

A. Election                  

1. Only active members of the Association are eligible to vote during the elections.                                

2. A simple majority of votes is required for electing a candidate into office.                  

3. Each voting member is allowed one vote per office.                  

4. No proxy votes are allowed.        

B. In case of a tie, the Election Committee shall have a tie-breaking vote.        

C. General proposals                  

1. Only active members of the Association are eligible to vote for general proposals.                  

2. A simple majority of votes is required for passing a general proposal.                  

3. Each voting member is allowed one vote.                  

4. No proxy votes are allowed.                  

5. In the case of a tie, the Executive Board shall cast the tie-breaking votes.        

D. Amendments                  

1. Only active members of the Association are eligible to vote for amendments.                  

2. A simple majority of votes is required for passing an amendment.                  

3. Each voting member is allowed one vote.                  

4. No proxy votes are allowed.                  

5. In the case of a tie, the Executive Board shall cast the tie-breaking votes.        

E. Impeachment:                  

1. Only active members of the Association are eligible to vote for impeachment.                  

2. A minimum of 66% of votes is required for enacting an impeachment.                  

3. Each voting member is allowed one vote.                  

4. No proxy votes are allowed.

F. Quorum: A minimum of 33% of active members need to be present for voting to proceed.  

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Article VII. Finances:        

A. All of the Association's funds are to be handled solely by the Associated Student Activities (ASA) at The Pennsylvania State              University. The Association will not have an off-campus account.        

B. Active membership dues shall be collected annually and shall be a minimum of one U.S. Dollar ($1).        

C. Associate membership dues shall be collected annually and shall be a minimum of one U.S. Dollar ($1).        

D. The Executive Board shall determine the price of the active membership dues annually.

E. The Executive Board may spend up to $500 per semester (excluding UPAC funding) without the approval of the general body.

F. The Executive Board may spend UPAC funding without the approval of the general body.  

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Article VIII. Elections:        

A. Election Procedures                                

1. The election will include a ballot with all candidates listed. A list of active members shall be accessible for voter verification.    

2. Committee members shall be responsible for selecting an appropriate time for the election, which will be held in Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.                  

3. The Election Process shall be a minimum of 3 hours and not exceed two days. This is to give members with varying availability times the opportunity to cast their vote.                  

4. Votes will be counted and results will be announced by 24 hours following the day of elections.        

B. Election Committee                                

1. The election committee shall be selected on a volunteer basis. Should enough members not be found, the executive board will then appoint members to the committee. The committee members will decide who will lead the Election committee. The established committee shall consist of an odd number of members so that in case of a tie, the committee will vote                  

2. The purpose of the Election Committee is to ensure an efficient and fairly run election process. Election committee members will be chosen on a volunteer basis. All active members will be informed via e-mail at the same time elections are announced. Committee members will be chosen on a first come first serve basis. The committee shall have representations from each gender.                  

3. Eligibility                                     

a. The election committee members must be active members of the Association and must not be running for any office in the election.                       

b. Election committee members nominated for any position in the election must reject their nomination at least two days before the election day or their election committee membership will automatically terminate.                       

c. Executive board members are also eligible to be on the election committee if they are not running for any position in the election.                                

4. Duties                       

a. The election committee is responsible for all the election day activities.                       

b. Nominees for the board are responsible for contacting the committee to request their candidacy. The election committee will contact the nominees to confirm and will publish the names at least two days before the Election Day.                      

c. The Election Committee is responsible for working with the board in order to notify all members of the election.

d. The election committee will cast tie-breaking votes in case of a tie during elections.        

C. Eligibility                                

1. Candidate Status                       

a. All candidates must be Muslim active members of the association and must have acquired full membership. This includes not only dues, which may have a deadline, but also attendance.                       

b. All candidates are eligible to run for only one position.                       

c. Candidates must be physically present during the elections. Candidates will be given the opportunity to give a small speech prior to the casting of votes, listing reasons they think they are well-qualified for the position

2. Nominations.                       

a. Candidates for all positions other than the president may nominate themselves or be nominated by a proposer.    

b. The candidates for the presidency my not nominate themselves and must be nominated by a proposer.            

c. All proposers for candidate nominations must be active members of the Association.                       

d. The Election Committee will start accepting nominations two weeks before the election and stop accepting nominations five days before the election day.                       

e. The proposers of candidates and the candidates themselves may give speeches on election day, the duration of which shall be at the discretion of the election committee.        

D. The newly elected board shall assume office alongside the current board for the remainder of the semester as a transitory period

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Article IX. Amendments to the Constitution:        

A. Eligibility                  

1. Only the quorum of active members of the Association shall have the power to amend any or all parts of this constitution, except for Article II, section B.                  

2. Any active members of the association can propose an amendment by filing a petition with any executive board member.                  

3. For an amendment to be considered the petition must be signed by at least five active members or one percent of the Association members, whichever is higher.        

B. Procedure                  

1. After an amendment is considered it must be published and made available to all the Association’s members.

2. Once an amendment is considered a General Assembly meeting must be held to vote upon the proposed amendment(s) between five and fifteen school days.        

C. Once passed by the General Assembly all amendments are subject to approval from the Office of Student Activities, where the amendments shall take effect immediately after the approval from the Office of Student Activities.  

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Article X. Parliamentary Authority:   The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, by Sarah Corbin Roberts, shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.  

 

 

Article XI. Accessibility of this Constitution:   This constitution will be available to everyone upon request at the Office of Student Activities at the Pennsylvania State University.  

 

 

Article XII. Advisor:        

A. The Association may have one advisor who is a full-time faculty or staff member at the Pennsylvania State University.            

B. The advisor shall be chosen through a majority vote by the General Assembly.

C. An advisor is not required for the organization to proceed with all activities.

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