Membership
Section 1: Active Members
A member is considered active if he meets the following conditions:
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is enrolled as a full-time student in residence,
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is in good standing with the University, and
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pays his dues on or before the date specified by the VP of Funds. A member may take leave of absence from MASA and regain active status at a later time if the member is studying abroad or has another reason deemed legitimate by the VP of Membership.
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Section 2: Dues
At the beginning of each semester, the VP of Funds recommends an amount for membership dues after consulting with the other officers. This recommendation is then presented to the general membership for approval. Members will then pay dues within two weeks of approval. Within two weeks of new membership, each new member must also pay the approved dues.
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Section 3: Attendance Expectations
All members are expected to attend all official MASA functions. These functions include the following: all official general meetings, each member's respective committee meetings and projects, and any other meeting, function, or project deemed official by the President. Failure to meet this expectation may result in members being subject to probation and dismissal as outlined in Section 4 of the MASA by-laws.
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Section 4: Probation and Dismissal
Members are placed on probation after compiling two absences from official MASA functions in a single quarter
(1/2 semester). Missing a function is not considered an absence if the member 1) has a valid reason, and 2) notifies the VP of Membership of that reason prior to the function actually taking place. Once placed on probation, the member remains so until the end of the quarter, at which time the member must provide a written explanation to the VP of Membership. The VP of Membership then distributes copies of the explanation to all of the officers. Each officer considers the explanation and makes a recommendation to the VP of Membership either to retain or dismiss the member in question. If a majority of the officers recommend retention, the member maintains membership status and is taken off probation. If a majority of the officers recommend dismissal, the matter is presented to the general membership at the final meeting of the quarter, at which time a majority vote is taken on whether to retain or dismiss the member in question.
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Officer
Elections
Section 5: Time of Elections
The elections for the following year are held in the spring semester. Nominations take place at the first general meeting after spring break, and elections are held at the next general meeting.
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Section 6: Nominations
At the end of the first meeting after spring break, the President opens the floor for nominations beginning with nominations for President, and proceeding to the subsequent offices as listed in the constitution. Members may either nominate themselves or be nominated by another member, but each nomination requires a second. Once nominated, nominees may decline their nomination at any point prior to the election by notifying the President.
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Section 7: Conduct of the
Elections
The election begins with the nominees for President drawing numbers for speaking order. After a speech of no more than five minutes from each Presidential candidate, members vote by secret ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes on the first ballot, a runoff is held between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes. After the President is chosen, elections for the remaining offices are held in subsequent order as listed in the constitution. Candidates for all elections beginning with VP Education are limited to three minutes of speaking time. These elections are secret ballot and require a runoff if no one receives a majority of the votes in the first ballot. Losing candidates may declare themselves candidates for subsequent offices.
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Section 8: Removal of Officers
Officers may be removed from office in the following manner. A motion must be made for an officer's removal during a general meeting. This motion must receive a second. If the motion receives a second, a written explanation of grievance must be presented to the officer in question from the member who motioned for the officer's removal within 48 hours, or the motion is nullified. At the next general meeting, the officer and the member who motioned for the officer's removal will each have five minutes to speak on the matter. Immediately following the speeches, a secret ballot vote is taken on whether or not to remove the officer from office. A two-thirds majority vote is required for an officer to be removed.
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New Member Selection
Section 9: Selection Committee
The VP of Membership will preside over the committee as outlined in the MASA constitution. The selection committee shall be chosen in the following manner. Any member or officer who wishes to serve on the selection committee must submit a written explanation, of no longer than one page, to the VP of Membership explaining why the member or officer wishes to serve on the committee. Based on the written explanations, the VP of Membership and the President will select the members for the selection committee. The selection committee will remain the same for the duration of the semester (that is, the committee will serve in both quarterly membership drives).
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Section 10: Selection Process
After all applications have been received, new members shall be selected by the selection committee in the following way. The selection committee reviews all applications individually in order to determine which applicants the committee wishes to initiate into membership. The selection committee will then vote on each member in a two-thirds majority vote. The selection committee will use the criteria outlined in the MASA constitution as the criteria for membership selection (Article II.A, Article III.). If an applicant meets all requirements set forth in the constitution and the by-laws and upholds the values of MASA, they will be accepted as a
member.
