THE CONSTITUTION
The present constitution shall be the binding force and effective as of date (06/25/04). Any constitution in effect prior to da.te (06/25/04) is rendered null and void as of date (06/25/04).
Article I. NAME
Section 1.01 – This organization shall be known as Indian Association of Tuscaloosa.
Section 1.02 – For the sake of simplicity and ease of identification, the association shall be referred to by use of the acronym “IAT”.
Article II. PURPOSE
Section 2.01 – The general purpose of this organization shall be to among its members.
Section 2.02 – The specific purpose shall be to among its members.
Section 2.03 – The achievement of these purposes shall be to among its members
Article III. BASIC POLICIES
Section 3.01 – The following are the basic policies of the organization:
(a) The organization shall be non-profit, self-sustaining, private, non-commercial, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
(b) The name of the organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose not appropriately related to promotion of the objectives of the organization.
(c) The organization shall not – directly nor indirectly – participate or intervene in any way, including the publishing or distribution of statements for any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for the public office; or devote more than an insubstantial part of its activities to attempting to influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise.
(d) The organization shall cooperate with The University of Alabama to support the improvement of education and promote an inter-cultural interaction in ways that will not interfere with administration of the University and shall not seek to control its policies.
(e) The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies, but persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the organization.
(f) In the event of this organization becoming inactive, all monies left in the treasury after all outstanding debts and claims have been paid shall be donated to World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Article IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 4.01 – Full Members: All currently registered students and staff in service at The University of Alabama shall be deemed eligible to be full members of the IAT. (Full members redefined)
Section 4.02 – Affiliate Members:
(a) All previous graduates of the university having registered themselves as the alumni members of IAT;
(b) interested members of permanent or visiting faculty and the staff and their families at The University of Alabama who subscribe to the purpose and basic policies of the organization, shall be deemed eligible to be affiliate members of IAT. (Affiliate members redefined)
Section 4.03 – The dependents/families of members mentioned in Article IV, Section 4.01 and Section 4.02 may also become affiliate members of IAT.
Section 4.04 – Affiliate membership may be extended to persons who evince interests in the objectives of the IAT but do not satisfy the eligibility standards of Article IV, Section 4.01,
Section 4.05 – Section 4.02 and Section 4.03, subject to the approval of the Executive committee of the IAT.
Section 4.06 – Honorary Members – The Director, Office of International Student Affairs and the President, International Student Association, the President, Student Government Association, the President of The University of Alabama, the Dean of Graduate School, the provost, at the University of Alabama shall be honorary members of IAT.
Section 4.07 – Any one who meets above criteria for membership cannot be denied membership on the basis of race, color, nationality, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, veteran’s status, or sexual preference. (Rephrased)
Section 4.08 – The organization shall enroll members twice a year as set by the executive committee and persons may acquire membership at that time. The procedure and time for registration shall be announced atleast a week in advance. Registration in the fall semster is open to all interested students,faculty and staff of the University , while Spring semester registration is open only to those students registering for the first time at the University in that semster. (Time constraints for membership introduced)
Section 4.09 – A member shall lose his/her rights to be the same in case of any kind of misconduct on his/her part that may tarnish the reputation of the organization or India. The Advisory Committee shall take the decision regarding the retention or relinquishment of such a member.
Article V. MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES
Section 5.01 – All the members of IAT shall be entitled to participate in all the General Body meetings and activities of IAT.
Section 5.02 – Only full members shall be entitled:
(a) To vote at General meetings of the IAT.
(b) To vote in IAT elections and referendums.
(c) To propose or second amendments to this constitution.
(d) To contest for the Executive committee elections and to hold office.
(Section 5.02 (d) of the original constitution nullified)
Article VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND ADVISORY BOARD
Section 6.01 – Composition
(a) The Executive committee of IAT shall comprise of the following officers:
(i) President
(ii) Vice-president
(iii) Secretary
(iv) Treasurer
(v) Public relations officer
(vi) Web master
(b) The Advisory Board shall comprise of 12 members out of which six (6) would be the current Executive committee members.
(c) All the officers of the Executive committee except webmaster shall be elected at the Annual Election.
(d) Webmaster shall be selected by the executive committee from the nominees who apply for the that post
(e) The other six members of the Advisory Board shall be nominated by the Executive committee based on the following guidelines:
(i) One member from the previous committee.
(ii) At least two members from all the contestants who ran for a post and acquired at least 10% votes in the elections but didn’t win.
(iii) At least one member from the latest batch of students.
(f) A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the non-expired term by a person elected by majority vote of the remaining members of the Advisory and Executive Committee . Should the presidency become vacant, the vice president shall assume the post of president, and the vacancy shall exist in the post of the vice president. The committee may then fill the vice president’s vacancy.
Section 6.02 – Duties of the Executive Committee
(a) Officers shall assume their official duties fifteen (15) days after the Annual Elections and shall serve for a term of one year and/or until their successors are elected.
(b) The duties of the executive committee shall be to promote the objectives as mentioned in Article II and particularly:
(i) To undertake such action that may be required in the name of IAT within the meaning and spirit of this constitution.
(ii) To carry out all resolutions and mandates of the General meeting of the association.
Section 6.03 – Powers of the Executive committee
(a) To appoint six members of the Advisory Board after the IAT Annual Elections.
(b) To appoint an Advisor for IAT.
(c) To convene General meeting of the association.
(d) To engage upon financial undertakings to meet the interests of the association.
Section 6.04 – Powers of the Advisory Board
(a) To constitute boards and special committees as it may think fit and necessary for the conduct of its business.
(b) To appoint officers on the Executive committee in lieu of vacancies that may arise due to some tangible reason, for the rest of the year or until the next Annual Elections.
Section 6.05 – Duties and powers of the officers of the Executive Committee
(a) The President shall:
(i) Be the Executive officer of the Association.
(ii) Preside over General Meeting of the Association.
(iii) Have the power and discretion to appoint or depute another officer of the Executive committee to preside, whenever necessary.
(iv) Preside over the meetings of the Executive committee and the Advisory committee and have the power and discretion to appoint or depute another full or affiliate or honorary member of the Association to attend the deliberations of the Executive committee.
(v) Take necessary steps to ensure adequate and proper representation of the Association on all external bodies and committees at official functions and on public celebrations or occasions.
(vi) Act expeditiously at his sole discretion, whenever such action becomes necessary, without convening the Executive committee or the Advisory committee, provided that any such action shall be reported as soon as possible to the Executive committee for ratification.
(vii) Appoint, in consultation with the Executive committee and the Advisory committee, special committees to carry out specific programs.
(viii) Submit reports on the state of affairs of IAT, from time to time, to the General meeting.
(ix) Ensure that all activities of the associations fall within the goals stated in the constitution.
(x) Be one of the signatories in any of the financial transactions.
(b) The Vice-president shall:
(i) Exercise the powers and be charged with the duties of the President in his absence or inability or upon request.
(ii) Assist President with the duties of office, perform any necessary function designated by President, and advise President on all executive matters. (Introduced)
(iii) To oversee and coordinate all temporary or appointed committees of IAT. (Redefined from 6.05 (b) (ii) of the original constitution)
(c) The Secretary shall:
(i) Be responsible for all official correspondence and records of the Association and for keeping the minutes of General meeting, Executive committee meeting and Advisory Board meeting.
(ii) Be the Chief Election Commissioner.
(d) The Treasurer shall:
(i) Receive all monies of the organization; shall keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures; shall pay out local funds in accordance with approved budget as authorized by the Association.
(ii) Prepare a financial statement for the year and before the end of the term of office.
(iii) Be responsible for the overall financial management of the Association.
(iv) Have the authority to sign any checks issued to any person/organization on behalf of the Association.
(v) Be responsible for the process of getting funds from the University sources namely the Student Government Association (SGA) and shall also oversee/guide any fund raising activities.
(e) The Public relation officer shall:
(i) Take necessary action to publicize all the activities of the Association.
(ii) Be principal organizer of the various activities of the IAT.
(iii) Establish contact with the public and sister organizations.
(iv) Take steps for raising funds for the Association, from patron and donors.
(v) Help the prospective students of The University of Alabama by regular correspondence and guidance.
(f) The Web-master shall:
(i) Establish and maintain the IAT web page on the World Wide Web.
(ii) Be the focal point for the email addresses and assure that they as well as address changes, when they are provided, are updated.
(iii) Have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving the organization communications through technology.
(iv) Be responsible for the authenticity and credibility of any information that is posted on the Web page.
Article VII. ELECTION
Section 7.01 – All officers of the Executive committee of IAT shall be elected through the Annual General Election to be held during the month of February of each year. The term of office for each officer elected at such election shall be for one year from the date of assuming office unless and otherwise resigns or impeached.
Section 7.02 – Anyone interested in running, as a candidate for any officer position of the Executive committee must file an application with the Secretary of IAT. The Secretary of IAT will have applications available no later than 7 days prior to the day of the election.
Section 7.03 – All candidates must be full members of IAT.
Section 7.04 – The election rules and procedures shall be published in writing no later than 15 days prior to the day of elections. The election rules shall consist of the election rules adopted by the Advisory Board of IAT.
Section 7.05 – Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. All ballots returned during the time of elections shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7.06 – An Election committee shall be created by the Advisory Board, which shall comprise of three (3) members including the Chief Election Commissioner. The Election Committee will ensure smooth and fair election proceedings. Election committee will also be responsible for breaking the tie by casting their vote.
Section 7.07 – In case of a single nomination for any executive committee post, the nominee would be considered as elected unopposed otherwise the nominee shall be elected on the basis of absolute majority.
Section 7.08 – In case of no nomination for any executive post, the executive committee shall be entitled to elect the officer for that post among the other full members. (Introduced)
Section 7.09 – The Election committee shall handle any election violation or contest. Violations occurring during the election should be reported to the Chief Election Commissioner. Any party dissatisfied with the decision of the election committee regarding an alleged violation or contest may approach the faculty advisor.
Section 7.10 – The elected officers of the Executive committee shall select the remaining six (6) members of the Advisory Board based on the guidelines set by Article VI, Section 6.01d.
Section 7.11 – No officer shall hold an office in the Executive committee or the Advisory Board for more than two consecutive terms.
Section 7.12 – A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the non-expired term by a person elected by majority vote of the remaining members of the Advisory Board. Should the presidency become vacant, the vice president shall assume the post of president, and the vacancy shall exist in the post of the vice president. The committee may then fill the vice president’s vacancy.
Section 7.13 – Chief Election Committee shall execute their vote, only in case of a tie for any executive post during the election, in order to break the tie and not before. (Introduced)
Article VIII. IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURES
Section 8.01 – Impeachment proceedings may be brought against a Committee Member or an Advisory Board Member for the following reasons:
(a) Extended negligence of duties. Negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is related to one’s responsibilities.
(b) A lack of desire to serve in the best interests of the organization.
(c) Inabilities to perform in the best interests of the organization, or an inability to properly represent the members of the organization.
(d) In case of impeachment, the vacant office will be filled in accordance with Article VI, Section 6.01e of the constitution.
(e) The impeachment procedure shall be carried out as follows
1. The executive committee member against whom the impeachment procedure is to be carried shall be given 1 month grace period to defend his/her position.
2. If other executive members are not satisfied with the improvements even after a month of grace, they can talk with the advisory committee for invoking the impeachment procedure.
3. Fate of the Executive committee member against whom impeachment procedure is invoked shall be decided by the simple majority of the votes casted by Executive and Advisory board members.
4. In case if the Executive committee member against whom impeachment procedure is invoked loses, he/she will be fired from the executive post.
Article IX. MEETINGS (Article heading redefined)
Section 9.01 – General Meetings
(a) IAT shall convene a General Body Meeting at least twice each academic year at the discretion of the officers. The quorum for any such meeting shall be 15% of the total full membership.
(b) General meetings shall be convened at the call of the Executive committee.
(c) A special requisition of the General meeting shall be convened by the President upon the presentation of a petition signed by at least one-third (1/3rd) of the total full membership of the Association, with a minimum notice period of seventy-two (72) hours.
(d) All General meetings are open to all the members of IAT.
(e) All full members present at the General meeting shall be entitled to vote.
Section 9.02 – Advisory Board meetings
(a) The Advisory Board shall meet at least every sixty (60) days and shall frame and decide upon the procedure for its deliberations, with due regard to the objectives stated in Article II.
(b) Advisory Board meeting shall be convened at the call of the Executive committee.
(c) A 2/3rd quorum of the Advisory Board shall be necessary to take any decisions or make any amendments to the constitution.
Section 9.03 – Executive committee meetings
(a) IAT shall convene an Executive Committee Meeting every fifteen (15) days to discuss the regular functioning of the organization and to resolve any discordance within the discretion of the committee.
(b) Any officer of the Executive committee with a minimum notice period of twenty-four (24) hours can call executive committee meeting.
Article X. ADHOC COMMITTEES
Section 10.01 – Committees shall be created at the discretion of the Advisory Board for managing the affairs and events of IAT, but may function only as long as authorized and no longer than the term of office of the Board which created them.
Article XI. ADVISOR/S
Section 11.01 – The IAT Advisor shall be chosen and approved by the Advisory Board.
Section 11.02 – The Advisor must be a faculty or staff member of The University of Alabama, not necessarily an Indian national. (Redefined)
Sections 11.03 – The Advisor shall advice and assist IAT for the promotion of the objectives stated in the Article II. (Section 11.04 of the original constitution nullified)
Article XII. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
Section 12.01 – Notice of a proposed constitutional amendment shall be given at an Advisory Board meeting prior to the General Meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be approved for referendum (Article XIV).
Section 12.02 – The amendment shall be presented to a referendum of the full members of the Association and shall require simple majority of the members who participate in the referendum.
Section 12.03 – Amendments shall take effect immediately after its approval if the effective date was not satisfied.
Article XIII. BY-LAWS
Section 13.01 – The by-laws shall be considered an integral part of the constitution. They are binding force and effective so long as the constitution remains binding and in full force.
Section 13.02 – The Advisory Board shall have the authority to establish the by-laws of the IAT.
Article XIV. REFERENDUM
Section 14.01 – The question to be decided by referendum shall be conveyed to the full members.
Section 14.02 – This Constitution may be amended at an Advisory Board meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Advisory Board members.
Article I. NAME
Section 1.01 – This organization shall be known as Indian Association of Tuscaloosa.
Section 1.02 – For the sake of simplicity and ease of identification, the association shall be referred to by use of the acronym “IAT”.
Article II. PURPOSE
Section 2.01 – The general purpose of this organization shall be to among its members.
Section 2.02 – The specific purpose shall be to among its members.
Section 2.03 – The achievement of these purposes shall be to among its members
Article III. BASIC POLICIES
Section 3.01 – The following are the basic policies of the organization:
(a) The organization shall be non-profit, self-sustaining, private, non-commercial, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
(b) The name of the organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose not appropriately related to promotion of the objectives of the organization.
(c) The organization shall not – directly nor indirectly – participate or intervene in any way, including the publishing or distribution of statements for any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for the public office; or devote more than an insubstantial part of its activities to attempting to influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise.
(d) The organization shall cooperate with The University of Alabama to support the improvement of education and promote an inter-cultural interaction in ways that will not interfere with administration of the University and shall not seek to control its policies.
(e) The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies, but persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the organization.
(f) In the event of this organization becoming inactive, all monies left in the treasury after all outstanding debts and claims have been paid shall be donated to World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Article IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 4.01 – Full Members: All currently registered students and staff in service at The University of Alabama shall be deemed eligible to be full members of the IAT. (Full members redefined)
Section 4.02 – Affiliate Members:
(a) All previous graduates of the university having registered themselves as the alumni members of IAT;
(b) interested members of permanent or visiting faculty and the staff and their families at The University of Alabama who subscribe to the purpose and basic policies of the organization, shall be deemed eligible to be affiliate members of IAT. (Affiliate members redefined)
Section 4.03 – The dependents/families of members mentioned in Article IV, Section 4.01 and Section 4.02 may also become affiliate members of IAT.
Section 4.04 – Affiliate membership may be extended to persons who evince interests in the objectives of the IAT but do not satisfy the eligibility standards of Article IV, Section 4.01,
Section 4.05 – Section 4.02 and Section 4.03, subject to the approval of the Executive committee of the IAT.
Section 4.06 – Honorary Members – The Director, Office of International Student Affairs and the President, International Student Association, the President, Student Government Association, the President of The University of Alabama, the Dean of Graduate School, the provost, at the University of Alabama shall be honorary members of IAT.
Section 4.07 – Any one who meets above criteria for membership cannot be denied membership on the basis of race, color, nationality, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, veteran’s status, or sexual preference. (Rephrased)
Section 4.08 – The organization shall enroll members twice a year as set by the executive committee and persons may acquire membership at that time. The procedure and time for registration shall be announced atleast a week in advance. Registration in the fall semster is open to all interested students,faculty and staff of the University , while Spring semester registration is open only to those students registering for the first time at the University in that semster. (Time constraints for membership introduced)
Section 4.09 – A member shall lose his/her rights to be the same in case of any kind of misconduct on his/her part that may tarnish the reputation of the organization or India. The Advisory Committee shall take the decision regarding the retention or relinquishment of such a member.
Article V. MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES
Section 5.01 – All the members of IAT shall be entitled to participate in all the General Body meetings and activities of IAT.
Section 5.02 – Only full members shall be entitled:
(a) To vote at General meetings of the IAT.
(b) To vote in IAT elections and referendums.
(c) To propose or second amendments to this constitution.
(d) To contest for the Executive committee elections and to hold office.
(Section 5.02 (d) of the original constitution nullified)
Article VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND ADVISORY BOARD
Section 6.01 – Composition
(a) The Executive committee of IAT shall comprise of the following officers:
(i) President
(ii) Vice-president
(iii) Secretary
(iv) Treasurer
(v) Public relations officer
(vi) Web master
(b) The Advisory Board shall comprise of 12 members out of which six (6) would be the current Executive committee members.
(c) All the officers of the Executive committee except webmaster shall be elected at the Annual Election.
(d) Webmaster shall be selected by the executive committee from the nominees who apply for the that post
(e) The other six members of the Advisory Board shall be nominated by the Executive committee based on the following guidelines:
(i) One member from the previous committee.
(ii) At least two members from all the contestants who ran for a post and acquired at least 10% votes in the elections but didn’t win.
(iii) At least one member from the latest batch of students.
(f) A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the non-expired term by a person elected by majority vote of the remaining members of the Advisory and Executive Committee . Should the presidency become vacant, the vice president shall assume the post of president, and the vacancy shall exist in the post of the vice president. The committee may then fill the vice president’s vacancy.
Section 6.02 – Duties of the Executive Committee
(a) Officers shall assume their official duties fifteen (15) days after the Annual Elections and shall serve for a term of one year and/or until their successors are elected.
(b) The duties of the executive committee shall be to promote the objectives as mentioned in Article II and particularly:
(i) To undertake such action that may be required in the name of IAT within the meaning and spirit of this constitution.
(ii) To carry out all resolutions and mandates of the General meeting of the association.
Section 6.03 – Powers of the Executive committee
(a) To appoint six members of the Advisory Board after the IAT Annual Elections.
(b) To appoint an Advisor for IAT.
(c) To convene General meeting of the association.
(d) To engage upon financial undertakings to meet the interests of the association.
Section 6.04 – Powers of the Advisory Board
(a) To constitute boards and special committees as it may think fit and necessary for the conduct of its business.
(b) To appoint officers on the Executive committee in lieu of vacancies that may arise due to some tangible reason, for the rest of the year or until the next Annual Elections.
Section 6.05 – Duties and powers of the officers of the Executive Committee
(a) The President shall:
(i) Be the Executive officer of the Association.
(ii) Preside over General Meeting of the Association.
(iii) Have the power and discretion to appoint or depute another officer of the Executive committee to preside, whenever necessary.
(iv) Preside over the meetings of the Executive committee and the Advisory committee and have the power and discretion to appoint or depute another full or affiliate or honorary member of the Association to attend the deliberations of the Executive committee.
(v) Take necessary steps to ensure adequate and proper representation of the Association on all external bodies and committees at official functions and on public celebrations or occasions.
(vi) Act expeditiously at his sole discretion, whenever such action becomes necessary, without convening the Executive committee or the Advisory committee, provided that any such action shall be reported as soon as possible to the Executive committee for ratification.
(vii) Appoint, in consultation with the Executive committee and the Advisory committee, special committees to carry out specific programs.
(viii) Submit reports on the state of affairs of IAT, from time to time, to the General meeting.
(ix) Ensure that all activities of the associations fall within the goals stated in the constitution.
(x) Be one of the signatories in any of the financial transactions.
(b) The Vice-president shall:
(i) Exercise the powers and be charged with the duties of the President in his absence or inability or upon request.
(ii) Assist President with the duties of office, perform any necessary function designated by President, and advise President on all executive matters. (Introduced)
(iii) To oversee and coordinate all temporary or appointed committees of IAT. (Redefined from 6.05 (b) (ii) of the original constitution)
(c) The Secretary shall:
(i) Be responsible for all official correspondence and records of the Association and for keeping the minutes of General meeting, Executive committee meeting and Advisory Board meeting.
(ii) Be the Chief Election Commissioner.
(d) The Treasurer shall:
(i) Receive all monies of the organization; shall keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures; shall pay out local funds in accordance with approved budget as authorized by the Association.
(ii) Prepare a financial statement for the year and before the end of the term of office.
(iii) Be responsible for the overall financial management of the Association.
(iv) Have the authority to sign any checks issued to any person/organization on behalf of the Association.
(v) Be responsible for the process of getting funds from the University sources namely the Student Government Association (SGA) and shall also oversee/guide any fund raising activities.
(e) The Public relation officer shall:
(i) Take necessary action to publicize all the activities of the Association.
(ii) Be principal organizer of the various activities of the IAT.
(iii) Establish contact with the public and sister organizations.
(iv) Take steps for raising funds for the Association, from patron and donors.
(v) Help the prospective students of The University of Alabama by regular correspondence and guidance.
(f) The Web-master shall:
(i) Establish and maintain the IAT web page on the World Wide Web.
(ii) Be the focal point for the email addresses and assure that they as well as address changes, when they are provided, are updated.
(iii) Have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving the organization communications through technology.
(iv) Be responsible for the authenticity and credibility of any information that is posted on the Web page.
Article VII. ELECTION
Section 7.01 – All officers of the Executive committee of IAT shall be elected through the Annual General Election to be held during the month of February of each year. The term of office for each officer elected at such election shall be for one year from the date of assuming office unless and otherwise resigns or impeached.
Section 7.02 – Anyone interested in running, as a candidate for any officer position of the Executive committee must file an application with the Secretary of IAT. The Secretary of IAT will have applications available no later than 7 days prior to the day of the election.
Section 7.03 – All candidates must be full members of IAT.
Section 7.04 – The election rules and procedures shall be published in writing no later than 15 days prior to the day of elections. The election rules shall consist of the election rules adopted by the Advisory Board of IAT.
Section 7.05 – Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. All ballots returned during the time of elections shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7.06 – An Election committee shall be created by the Advisory Board, which shall comprise of three (3) members including the Chief Election Commissioner. The Election Committee will ensure smooth and fair election proceedings. Election committee will also be responsible for breaking the tie by casting their vote.
Section 7.07 – In case of a single nomination for any executive committee post, the nominee would be considered as elected unopposed otherwise the nominee shall be elected on the basis of absolute majority.
Section 7.08 – In case of no nomination for any executive post, the executive committee shall be entitled to elect the officer for that post among the other full members. (Introduced)
Section 7.09 – The Election committee shall handle any election violation or contest. Violations occurring during the election should be reported to the Chief Election Commissioner. Any party dissatisfied with the decision of the election committee regarding an alleged violation or contest may approach the faculty advisor.
Section 7.10 – The elected officers of the Executive committee shall select the remaining six (6) members of the Advisory Board based on the guidelines set by Article VI, Section 6.01d.
Section 7.11 – No officer shall hold an office in the Executive committee or the Advisory Board for more than two consecutive terms.
Section 7.12 – A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the non-expired term by a person elected by majority vote of the remaining members of the Advisory Board. Should the presidency become vacant, the vice president shall assume the post of president, and the vacancy shall exist in the post of the vice president. The committee may then fill the vice president’s vacancy.
Section 7.13 – Chief Election Committee shall execute their vote, only in case of a tie for any executive post during the election, in order to break the tie and not before. (Introduced)
Article VIII. IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURES
Section 8.01 – Impeachment proceedings may be brought against a Committee Member or an Advisory Board Member for the following reasons:
(a) Extended negligence of duties. Negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is related to one’s responsibilities.
(b) A lack of desire to serve in the best interests of the organization.
(c) Inabilities to perform in the best interests of the organization, or an inability to properly represent the members of the organization.
(d) In case of impeachment, the vacant office will be filled in accordance with Article VI, Section 6.01e of the constitution.
(e) The impeachment procedure shall be carried out as follows
1. The executive committee member against whom the impeachment procedure is to be carried shall be given 1 month grace period to defend his/her position.
2. If other executive members are not satisfied with the improvements even after a month of grace, they can talk with the advisory committee for invoking the impeachment procedure.
3. Fate of the Executive committee member against whom impeachment procedure is invoked shall be decided by the simple majority of the votes casted by Executive and Advisory board members.
4. In case if the Executive committee member against whom impeachment procedure is invoked loses, he/she will be fired from the executive post.
Article IX. MEETINGS (Article heading redefined)
Section 9.01 – General Meetings
(a) IAT shall convene a General Body Meeting at least twice each academic year at the discretion of the officers. The quorum for any such meeting shall be 15% of the total full membership.
(b) General meetings shall be convened at the call of the Executive committee.
(c) A special requisition of the General meeting shall be convened by the President upon the presentation of a petition signed by at least one-third (1/3rd) of the total full membership of the Association, with a minimum notice period of seventy-two (72) hours.
(d) All General meetings are open to all the members of IAT.
(e) All full members present at the General meeting shall be entitled to vote.
Section 9.02 – Advisory Board meetings
(a) The Advisory Board shall meet at least every sixty (60) days and shall frame and decide upon the procedure for its deliberations, with due regard to the objectives stated in Article II.
(b) Advisory Board meeting shall be convened at the call of the Executive committee.
(c) A 2/3rd quorum of the Advisory Board shall be necessary to take any decisions or make any amendments to the constitution.
Section 9.03 – Executive committee meetings
(a) IAT shall convene an Executive Committee Meeting every fifteen (15) days to discuss the regular functioning of the organization and to resolve any discordance within the discretion of the committee.
(b) Any officer of the Executive committee with a minimum notice period of twenty-four (24) hours can call executive committee meeting.
Article X. ADHOC COMMITTEES
Section 10.01 – Committees shall be created at the discretion of the Advisory Board for managing the affairs and events of IAT, but may function only as long as authorized and no longer than the term of office of the Board which created them.
Article XI. ADVISOR/S
Section 11.01 – The IAT Advisor shall be chosen and approved by the Advisory Board.
Section 11.02 – The Advisor must be a faculty or staff member of The University of Alabama, not necessarily an Indian national. (Redefined)
Sections 11.03 – The Advisor shall advice and assist IAT for the promotion of the objectives stated in the Article II. (Section 11.04 of the original constitution nullified)
Article XII. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
Section 12.01 – Notice of a proposed constitutional amendment shall be given at an Advisory Board meeting prior to the General Meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be approved for referendum (Article XIV).
Section 12.02 – The amendment shall be presented to a referendum of the full members of the Association and shall require simple majority of the members who participate in the referendum.
Section 12.03 – Amendments shall take effect immediately after its approval if the effective date was not satisfied.
Article XIII. BY-LAWS
Section 13.01 – The by-laws shall be considered an integral part of the constitution. They are binding force and effective so long as the constitution remains binding and in full force.
Section 13.02 – The Advisory Board shall have the authority to establish the by-laws of the IAT.
Article XIV. REFERENDUM
Section 14.01 – The question to be decided by referendum shall be conveyed to the full members.
Section 14.02 – This Constitution may be amended at an Advisory Board meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Advisory Board members.