The Constitution of the
Cornell India Association
I Name of the Organization
The organization shall be known as the Cornell India Association heretofore in this document referred to as CIA.
II Purpose of the Organization
MISSION
To be sensitive and responsive to the needs of existing and incoming Graduate and the professional Indian student community at Cornell and further, celebrate and spread the rich Indian culture within the Cornell community.
VISION
- To establish a supporting framework for Indian Graduate and Professional students and their families
- To be prompt in anticipating and addressing the diverse needs of existing and incoming students and help new students adapt themselves to the new environment
- To organize Indian social and cultural events and promote social understanding and cooperation
- To extend involvement to Indian faculty and family
- To collaborate with other student organizations to promote international understanding and goodwill
- To participate and create an Indian presence in campus programs
III Affiliation
The CIA is not affiliated with any other organization.
IV Membership
Membership shall be open to any individual of Indian origin in and around the Cornell campus. This includes full time or part time students, faculty and their families. People who are not of Indian origin but are interested in Indian culture and wish to participate in CIA activities can also become members after approval from the Board of Directors.
V The Board of Directors (BOD)
The BOD shall comprise of the following members:
- President
- Secretary
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Faculty Advisor
- Social Programs Director(s)
- Vocational Programs Director(s)
- Cyber Director
- Public Relation Officer(s)
Other officers may be elected for special purposes as and when required. All the office bearers are elected for a period of one year (unless otherwise noted and agreed upon) and can be re-elected for any additional number of terms.
VI Elections
A. General Elections
The election for the new BOD for the next academic year shall be held during the month of April/May of every year. Nominations will be called for by the BOD or someone appointed by the BOD, and after a period of 15 days, elections will be held if more than one person has applied to a particular post. In the event that no person has filed nominations for any particular post including that of the President, the current BOD can nominate a person of their choice for that post.
B. By-Elections
In the event that one of the officers is unable to perform his/her functions and voluntarily resigns his/her post or if a person has been removed from office as mentioned in Article X, a by-election shall be held to fill up the post immediately by the BOD. If no nominations are filed for the post, the BOD shall appoint a person of their choice for that post.
VII Faculty Advisor
The Faculty Advisor for CIA shall be chosen by the BOD. The advisor should be of Indian origin and serve as a full time faculty member at Cornell University. The term of service of the advisor shall coincide with that of the BOD.
VIII Meetings
Only the BOD shall meet regularly. There will usually be no regular meetings involving the general body.
A. BOD Meeting
The BOD shall meet at least once a month except during the time of exams when there may be no meeting. The meeting shall be called by the President. In case of absence of the President, first the Vice President and then, any other BOD can call the meeting. The BOD needs to be informed at least 3 days prior to such a meeting. The President shall preside the meeting**.
B. Committee Meeting
Different committees formed for different projects shall meet as and when required during the course of the project. However it is mandatory that the BOD be informed at least 3 days in advance about such meetings. The respective committee head shall preside the meeting.
C. General Body Meeting
Members of the BOD or the general body can request a meeting of the general body to discuss certain issues or carry out any resolutions. Any proposal carried out in such meetings is not final and has to be ratified by the BOD in either its regular BOD meeting or a special meeting. The President shall preside the meeting**.
D. Special Meeting
Special meetings to address any urgent issues can be called at the discretion of the President. Such meetings may involve one or more of the BOD and/or general body members. Any financial proposal should involve the Treasurer. The President shall preside the meeting**.
IX Quorum
For the BOD meetings, a minimum of fifty percent of the BOD shall constitute a quorum. There shall be no quorum requirement for the other meetings.
X Referendum and Ratification
A. Referendum
Any member of the general body can initiate a Referendum by obtaining the signature of at least 10 members of the general body. The referendum is subject to ratification by the BOD.
B Ratification
The BOD shall initiate the ratification process and it requires a simple majority* to pass.
XI Termination, Recall and
Resignation
A. Termination:
If an elected or appointed member other than the President does not perform the duties assigned to him/her, that person can be removed from office by the simple majority of the BOD*. If the President is found guilty of similar charges, the entire BOD, save for the President, has to be unanimous in removing the President from the office.
B. Recall:
If there is no unanimity in removing the President from office, then, any BOD can call for a recall for the President. The general body will then vote on the recall with a minimum of 30 votes. A simple majority of the votes polled is sufficient to impeach the President. The general body can also initiate the process of Recall against any of the members of the BOD if they get the signature of at least 10 members of the general body.
C. Resignation:
If a member of the BOD is unable to perform the duties and responsibilities assigned to him/her, an official letter of resignation explaining the reason for resigning should be submitted to the President. The resignation shall be passed be a simple majority of the BOD*, failing which the particular member shall be required to continue office.
XII Amendments
Any amendments need to be approved by a simple majority of the BOD*.
Note:
* In case of a tie, the President reserves the right to cast the deciding vote.
** In case of absence of the President, the meeting shall be presided by the Vice President and in case of absence of both President and Vice President, any member of the BOD (at the discretion of the President) shall preside the meeting
By Laws of the Cornell India
Association
A. Membership
There are no membership dues. There are no attendance requirements for the general body members. The BOD is required to maintain a minimum of seventy five percent attendance.
B. Duties of Officers
1. President:
The President shall serve as the ex-officio chairman of all committees and shall preside over all general and special meetings with the exception of committee meetings that shall be presided by the committee heads. The President shall oversee the activities of the CIA and ensure that the activities are aligned with the overall mission of the organization. He/she shall ensure smooth functioning of the organization and resolve peacefully, any conflicts, internal or external. He/ she shall be responsible to address all issues affecting the CIA directly or indirectly and shall take decisions accordingly. The president shall also ensure sustainability and growth of the organization.
2. Secretary:
The secretary shall maintain minutes of all meetings with the exception of committee meetings. The secretary shall forward the minutes on the CIA list serve no later than a week after the meeting. The secretary shall also be responsible for maintaining official records of activities carried out by the CIA throughout the year.
3. Vice President:
The Vice President shall assist the President in all his/her duties and responsibilities. In absence of the President, the Vice President shall take charge of the proceedings. He/she shall preside over the meetings and also take decisions in consultation with the President. The Vice President may provide feedback to the President on his/her performance and activities of the CIA in general.
4. Treasurer:
The treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining financial details of the activities carried out by the CIA. He/ she is responsible to correspond and communicate with the appropriate funding source for reimbursement. The treasurer shall also be responsible to try and raise funds from external sources to fund various activities of the CIA. His/her presence shall be mandatory in financial decisions/transactions.
5. Faculty Advisor:
The faculty advisor shall serve as a guiding force to the CIA. HE/she shall show keen interest in the activities of the CIA and also provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. He may attend Board meetings at his own discretion. Further, the faculty advisor may serve as a liaison between the Indian faculty on campus and the CIA. He/she shall serve as a channel of communication and also try to increase involvement of the faculty in the various programs organized by the CIA. He/she may appoint a student faculty coordinator to assist him/her in the process.
6. Social Programs Director(s) (SPD):
The SPD shall be responsible to organize social and cultural activities reflecting the Indian culture. The SPD is also responsible to encourage interaction within the student community especially between students from different cultures. The SPD shall further try to ensure participation to create an Indian presence in international events and related programs organized by other student organizations. Finally, the SPD shall make a sincere effort to spread the rich Indian culture within the Cornell community.
7. Vocational Programs Director(s) (VPD):
The VPD shall be responsible to organize vocational activities to promote intellectual growth and professional development of the Indian community. Such events will include seminars, panel discussions, literary events such as quizzes, and so on. The VPD shall further try to ensure participation to create an Indian presence in international events and related programs organized by other student organizations.
8. Cyber Director (CD):
The cyber director is primarily responsible for designing and maintaining an attractive website for the organization. He/she shall coordinate with the BOD and committee members to collect and provide information on the website. He/she shall try to upload the photographs of recent events and promote the use of the website. As a secondary responsibility, he/she shall assist the President to manage the CIA list serves as a secondary owner/moderator.
9. Public Relation Officer(s) (PRO):
The PRO shall serve as the communications liaison for the CIA. The PRO shall publicize all activities of the CIA to target audiences. He/she shall coordinate with the other members to chalk out a PR campaign for specific projects and obtain the relevant information. The PRO shall compile a bimonthly newsletter and circulate it on the list serve providing a report on recent activities as well information on upcoming events. The PRO shall coordinate with the Cornell media to provide coverage for major events.
C. List serves:
1. INDIA-L@cornell.edu:
Subscription shall be open to all individuals who wish to receive information about the activities of the CIA and related organizations. However, posting of messages shall be moderated. The President shall be the primary owner and there would be a couple of secondary owners, one of them being the Cyber Director for the year.
2. boardcia@yahoogroups.com:
This list serve is reserved exclusively for board members. Membership is therefore moderated. However, any member of the BOD can post messages.
3. Forwarding Policy:
Messages relevant to India and information about events organized by international organizations that are open to all shall be forwarded on the list serves. Messages from other student organizations that are primarily country based shall not be forwarded on the list serve unless decided otherwise by the board. Additionally, any important information shall be forwarded on the list serve after the permission of the President, Cyber Director, and PRO.
