mission statement

Section I. Statement of Purpose

The creed that all men are created equal is a fundamental pillar of the United States of America. While this foundation rests on a principle of equality, the Asian Students' Alliance of Vassar College recognizes that it is an ideal that does not exist within the frames of this society. With this in mind, the Asian Students' Alliance, hereafter abbreviated as ASA, wishes to establish an organization of social, cultural and political awareness at Vassar College. Our goal is two-fold. First, we will strive to overcome and eradicate the existing racial inequities of this society. Second, we will educate Vassar and the greater public about Asian and Asian American culture and situations within the borders of the United States and overseas. To this end, ASA will satisfy the following objectives:

A. ASA will program and hold events that further advance cultural, social, political and historical awareness.

B. ASA will promote and represent the distinct cultures of Asia to the best of our ability.

C. ASA will support and encourage coalition building between ASA and other student organizations on campus.

D. ASA will consist of an Executive Board that will carry out the terms in this Constitution.

E. ASA will keep records of activities for ASA’s archives. This includes but is not exclusive to event evaluation sheets.

Section II. The Executive Board

A. Officers


1. The Executive Board of ASA will consist of six members. In the event that two people wish to run together as co-presidents, the board will consist of seven members. To qualify as co-president, the decision to run jointly must be announced prior to elections.

2. The members of the Executive Board will consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Administrative Liaison and Committee Chair.

3. At the onset of each year, the Executive Board will draft a set of goals for the year to be publicized to the General Body.

4. Each executive board member has one vote in executive decisions. In the case of a tie, the President will break the tie.


B. Officer Responsibilities


The Officers will hold weekly Executive Board meetings and weekly General Body meetings when feasible.


1. President


a. The President will serve as the main contact person of ASA.

b. The President will direct the programming of events.

c. The President will be a liaison to Vassar College’s administration, the Vassar Student Association (VSA), and other student organizations on campus.

d. The President will preside over all Executive Board and General Body meetings. He or she may choose to relinquish his or her position as facilitator at General Body meetings if he or she so chooses.

e. The President will have an agenda for every Executive Meeting. He or she will send the agenda to the Executive Board prior to Executive Board meetings.

f. The President will guide, direct and oversee the Executive Board and ASA to the best of his or her ability.


2. Vice-President


a. The Vice-President will facilitate the programming of events in every aspect. This incorporates but is not inclusive to filing appropriate forms with Campus Activities, negotiating contacts, and managing publicity.

b. The Vice-President will be the liaison between ASA and ASA’s Campus Activities Intern.

c. The Vice-President will serve as the President’s authorized proxy when the President cannot be present.


3. Secretary


a. The Secretary will keep the Executive Board informed of ASA’s activities. This includes but is not exclusive to keeping copies of the Constitution, contracts and forms, VSA Organization Reports, Event Evaluation Sheets and Executive Board meeting minutes.

b. The Secretary will be in charge of sending out e-mails to the General Body. This includes appraising the General Body of ASA, ALANA Center and Vassar events.

c. The Secretary will be responsible for copying and distributing pertinent documents and information to Executive Board members and, when necessary, General Body members.

d. The Secretary will fill-out VSA Organization Reports.

e. The Secretary will make a sign-in sheet at the beginning of every General Body meeting. He or she will keep the sign-in sheet as a part of ASA’s official records.

f. The Secretary will maintain a list of active ASA members as well as the Asian student population at Vassar.


4. Treasurer


a. The Treasurer will oversee and maintain the ASA budget. He or she will be responsible for keeping paper accounts of all of ASA’s monetary transactions. This includes copies of all receipts.

b. The Treasurer will serve as the liaison between ASA and the VSA Treasurer.

c. The Treasurer will be responsible for the submission of reimbursements, cash advance requests, checks, purchase orders and all other necessary financial transactions.

d. The Treasurer will serve as the financial consultant in matters regarding contracts, rentals, booking speakers and events, and so forth.


5. Committee Chair


a. The Committee Chair will coordinate and guide all event-oriented and special interest committees.

b. The Committee Chair will oversee the Asian Students’ Council (ASC) in order to ensure that the ASC is successful in its purpose.

c. The Committee Chair will represent ASA on the Multi-Cultural Awareness Week committee.


6. Administrative Liaison


a. The Administrative Liaison will serve as ASA’s liaison to the Asian Pacific Alumni/e of Vassar College (APAVC), the Admissions Office, and the Asian Studies Department.

b. The Administrative Liaison will coordinate ASA’s Big Brother and Big Sister Program. He or she will match incoming freshmen with already matriculated ASA members. He or she will program events for the Big Brother and Big Sister Program over the course of the year.

Section III. Terms of Office

Each officer shall hold his or her office for the length of the school year. ASA Officers are eligible to run for office more than once. Terms will officially begin the day after elections.

Section IV. Nominations and Elections

The ASA Executive Board will be newly elected every spring by the end of classes in May. To oversee the elections processes, an Elections Committee will be chosen by the General Body.


A. Elections Committee


1. The Committee will be responsible for distributing, collecting, and counting the votes at the election.

2. The Elections Committee shall be chosen at a General Body meeting at least one month prior to the election. The process of election will be random—for example, drawing straws.

3. The Elections Committee will be comprised of three seniors who satisfy the following conditions:


a. The senior may not be an active Executive Board member.

b. The senior must be on the current ASA mailing list.

c. The senior must volunteer to serve.


4. The Elections Committee will submit all votes to the residing Executive Board after the elections for ASA records.


B. Nominations Process and Eligibility


1. Nominations shall be submitted to the Executive Board prior to the elections.

2. Students may be self-nominated or nominated by other students.

3. Nominees must be a currently matriculated student at Vassar College.

4. Nominees must have attended at least four General Body meetings during the current academic school year.

5. Voters must be a currently matriculated student at Vassar College.

6. Voters must have attended at least three General Body meetings during the current academic school year.

7. Executive Board members may not officially advocate a nominee.


C. Voting Process


1. Candidates


a. Each candidate must prepare a speech to be presented at the election.

b. In the event that a candidate cannot make it to the election, he or she must request permission from the Executive Board for a proxy. Upon approval, the candidate must provide his or her own proxy.

c. Each speech will be followed by a question and answer session that will last at the discretion of the Elections Committee.


2. Tallying Votes


a. A candidate must have more than 50% of the votes in order to win. If there is more than one candidate for an office, and no candidate has more than 50% of the votes, the Elections Committee will hold an instant run-off between the two candidates with the most votes. Voters must vote again between the two candidates at that time.

b. In the event that a candidate is running unopposed, he or she must have two-thirds or more of the votes to win.

c. When tallying the votes, all abstentions shall be disregarded.

d. In the event of a tie, the Executive Board will break the tie. If an active Executive Member is running for the office that is tied, he or she must abstain from voting in the tie.

e. Votes submitted prior to the completion of all the candidates’ speeches will be invalid.

f. Ballots must be completely filled out in order to be valid.

g. Voting by proxy is not permitted.


In the event that an office is left unoccupied, the new Executive Board maintains the right to fill the office as it so chooses.

Section V. Vacancies

1. Resignation


a. Executive Board


i. In the case that an Executive Board member wishes to resign, he or she must first confer with the President. If the member who wishes to resign is the President, he or she must confer with the Vice-President.

ii. To resign, the Officer must then submit a formal resignation in writing. The written resignation should include the reason for abdication. The written resignation shall be submitted into ASA records.

iii. Resignations must be submitted two weeks prior to de facto abdication so that the Officer may complete unfinished business and give the Executive Board time to find a replacement.


b. Asian Students’ Council


i. A member of the ASC may resign after first conferring with the Committee Chair and the President. Resignations must be submitted one week prior to de facto abdication.


2. Impeachment and Removal


a. Executive Board


In the event that an Executive Board Officer is performing in a manner that is determined detrimental to ASA as a whole, the Executive Board may vote to bring this matter to the ASA General Body. The majority of the Executive Board must vote for such a motion. For an Officer to be removed from office, two-thirds or more of the ASA General Body present at the meeting must vote for the Officer’s impeachment.


b. Asian Students’ Council


In the event that an ASC member is deemed unfit to serve on the Council, the Executive Board and the ASC must vote for impeachment. The ASC member who is being impeached is allowed one vote. The ASC member is also permitted to submit a formal defense in verbal or written form if he or she so chooses.


Before the impeachment is put into official motion, the Executive Board must do everything in its power to avoid impeachment of the ASC Member. If after all possibilities and attempts have been exhausted, the Executive Board may put impeachment into motion.


3. Filling Vacancies


If at any time there is a vacancy on the Executive Board or the Asian Students’ Council, the Executive Board reserves the right to fill the position as it so chooses.

Section VI. Amendments

A non-Executive General Body member of ASA may propose an amendment to the Constitution. The proposal must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board. The Executive Board may then bring the proposal to the attention of the General Body at its discretion. In order for the amendment to pass, two-thirds or more of the General Body present at the meeting must accept it.

Section VII. The Asian Students’ Council

Each year, the Executive Board has the power to create the Asian Students’ Council (ASC). The council will be separated into three committees, hereafter known as the political committee, the community committee, and the entertainment committee. The Executive Board will choose the ASC during the first semester. Any person who is on the current e-mail list is eligible to serve on the ASC. Each committee will coordinate one event during the school year. Further responsibilities of the ASC will be decided at the discretion of the Executive Board.