MISA's Student Group constitution as ratified of Fall, 2009:

CONSTITUTION OF THE
MINNESOTA INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE I - GENERAL

Section 1:       The official name of this organization shall be the Minnesota International Student Association.

Section 2:       The club shall maintain status as a non-profit organization as defined by federal and state statute.

Section 3:       The club shall abide by the applicable rules and policies of the University of Minnesota pertaining to student organizations.

Section 4:       This organization's mission is:

Section 5:       The term "international" refers to the cooperative ventures of students from different countries, including the United States.

Section 6:       MISA shall be a non-political and non-religious organization.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Section 2:       No more than 1/3 of the membership shall consist of non-students.

Section 3:       Membership is open to all students without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, creed, marital status, public assistance status, or sexual orientation.

Section 4:       A person will be considered an active MISA member after they have signed up for the MISA mailing list.

Section 5:       Voting members shall be; members of the secretariat, and members of the General Assembly

Section 6:       Board Members should not be a university department program or should not be run by a university employee on university payroll. It should be an organization completely run by students in the University of Minnesota

Section 7:       Any member/officer/GA member group may be impeached for misconduct. The member/officer/ GA member group shall be given a seven-day notice and an opportunity to defend him/her.  This impeachment vote shall require a 2/3-majority vote of the secretariat. Impeachable offenses shall include but not limited to:

• Substantial failure to perform the duties of their office as outlined in this constitution and in any relevant job descriptions
• Deliberate misuse of funds outside of established fiscal policies.
• Substantial violation of local, state or federal laws in the United States or internationally.
• Substantial violation of University policies and/or the University Student Conduct Code.

Section 8:       In the event that an individual member/ officer / GA member group's behavior is considered a threat to the safe and effective operation of MISA they may be suspended by the President pending a hearing at meeting of the General Assembly. Such suspension will have to be served in writing with an explicit description of the reasons. A General Assembly meeting must be called with in two calendar weeks of such suspension where the President as well as the member in question shall have an opportunity to present to the General Assembly.

ARTICLE III - SECRETARIAT / OFFICERS

Section 1:       The secretariat/officers of this club shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary of Administration, Secretary of Finance, Secretary of Programming, Secretary of Public relations, Secretary of International Relations and Secretary of Technology.

Section 2:       The secretariat/officers act as the Board of Directors of the organization and are responsible for the day to day management of the organization, the fulfillment of MISA's mission and implementation of the constitution.

Section 3:       All officers must be currently enrolled students at the University of Minnesota and actively pursuing a degree, as defined by their respective college or department.

Section 4:       The President shall be elected by the General Assembly and the Secretariat/Officers during the spring semester with a majority vote. The president can hold the post for a maximum of 2 (two) years.
All other officers will be interviewed and nominated by the President of the previous year, newly elected president, and a nomination committee to be made up of at least 4 members of the General Assembly. No more than three of the newly officers shall be from the same nationality unless there are not enough applicants from other nationalities. No more than two of the members of the nominations committee shall be from the same nationality group. The report of this committee shall be presented to the General Assembly for a yes or no vote on the report as a whole.
In the event of a vacancy, the Secretariat shall assign the duties of the vacant position to an existing member of the Secretariat until a new officer can be approved by the Secretariat and General Assembly.

Section 5:       All members of the Secretariat shall have written job descriptions. Their respective positions shall have general duties as follows:

1. President - Preside over all meetings of the club and serve as Chairperson of the Secretariat and the General Assembly.  Act as official representative of the club at other meetings and events. S/he shall act as a supervisor to the rest of the Secretariat and any paid staff. S/he may delegate some of these duties to other members of the Secretariat.
2. Vice President - Coordinates the working of MISA and all its programs. Heads the organization in the absence of the president. The Vice President works closely with the president to oversee the overall operation of the MISA board.  The Vice President also works with other organizational leaders to assure MISA is involved with its General Assembly organizations.
3. Secretary of Administration - Ensure the proper retention and accuracy of all records or the organization.  This person shall also oversee the administration of the any ad hoc committees. The secretary of administration maintains the office environment, completes clerical tasks around the office and takes meeting minutes.  The secretary of administration works closely with other board members to ensure adequate communication among board members.  The secretary of administration needs to finish tasks in a timely manner, be organized and detail orientated.
4. Secretary for Finance - Ensure thorough and accurate records of all transactions.  Produce financial reports as required by the club. Keep an up to date account of the budget and any other pertinent finances. 
5. Secretary of Programming - Shall organize MISA events & programs, and oversee the Programming Committee. The secretary of programming plans MISA's events.  The secretary of programming works to ensure proper planning and execution of events and sees that all necessary preparations are completed for a successful event.
6. Secretary of Public Relations - Oversee outreach, member recruitment and publicity of events. Publicizes events, creates flyers with the Secretary of Technology and comes up with innovative ways to advertise MISA events.  The secretary of public relations works to bridge gaps and host events that attract a diverse group of students and increase MISA membership. 
7. Secretary of International Relations - This position is only for an international student.  This member works with the MISA GA to involve GA members in MISA’s events. S/he works on recruiting GA members, organizing GA meetings and promoting MISA events to GA members
8. Secretary of Technology - The secretary of technology maintains the MISA website and maintains all of the technology in the office, including the computers and printers. S/he helps Secretary of Public Relations with creating flyers.

ARTICLE IV - COMMITTEES

1. The Secretariat.
2. Programs Committee - Handles all planning and arrangements for events  
   sponsored by MISA.
3. Development Committee - oversees the distribution of cultural grants and the solicitation of funds, outside of the Student Service Fees process.

Section 2:       Additional committees may be established to carry out special assignments.

ARTICLE V - GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA)

Section 1:       The highest legislative body of MISA shall be called the "General Assembly". It is responsible for the general oversight of the organization to ensure the fulfillment of the mission of the organization.

Section 2:       The General Assembly shall consist of the Officers and one representative from each National/Multinational student organization recognized by MISA. The manner of their election shall be determined by the member group.  Each GA member and member group shall have one vote.

Section 3:       International and Multicultural Student Groups shall be nominated for GA membership by the Secretariat.  All nominations shall be presented to the GA for a yes and no vote to accept them as members of the GA. Thereafter they shall maintain membership by providing a copy of the annual student group registration form from the University Office of Student Activities. If a group fails to provide such proof they will lose their status as members and need to reapply for GA membership.

Section 4:       A meeting of the General Assembly shall be held at least three times each Semester during the academic year.  A special meeting may be called by the President, the Secretariat or by a petition of ten percent of the active membership.

Section 5:       A quorum shall be present in order to conduct official business of the club.  A quorum shall be initiated by the presence of 50% of the general Assembly. Thereafter quorum shall be maintained by 50% plus 1of those signed in for a given meeting.

Section 6:       All member groups must have representation at every meeting of the General Assembly. After one absence the group in question will receive a warning letter and after a second absence the group will lose their membership status. Any group removed for non-attendance will have to reapply to the General Assembly for membership.

Section 7:       Decisions of the club shall be enacted by a majority vote of the voting membership and be binding on the organization.

Section 8:       The President shall have veto power over the GA.  Any veto of the President can be overridden with a super-majority vote of 80% of the GA assembly.

ARTICLE VI - FINANCIAL MATTERS

Section 1:       The club shall not provide financial gain, incidentally or otherwise to its directors or members.  This does not restrict the payment of wages, salaries, stipends or awards by the club for services rendered.

Section 2:       Unless otherwise specified by the membership at the time of dissolution of the organization, residual assets shall be distributed to the following not-for-profit organizations: University of Minnesota International Student Services Office.

ARTICLE VII - BY-LAWS

Section 1:       By-Laws may be proposed by the Secretariat and may be adopted by a majority vote of the Secretariat during a Secretariat meeting, when a quorum is present and notice of the proposed by-law change is posted at least 5 days prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

Section 1:       Any member of the club may propose Amendments to the constitution. Such proposals shall be submitted in writing to the Secretariat for a first reading to the membership at the regular meeting prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be voted on.

Section 2:       Duty proposed amendments should be submitted to a vote of the voting members at a General Assembly meeting providing a quorum is present.  A two-thirds majority vote in favor shall be required for adoption of such amendments.