VSA Constitution
Purpose:
To provide social interaction among all students at Rice, to serve as a contact for an intercollegiate information network,
to serve the Vietnamese community, and to increase awareness of the Vietnamese presence on campus.
Requirements for Membership:
Membership is open to any currently enrolled Rice student who has contributed the specified
amount of dues for the given year.
Election/Appointment of Officers:
The cabinet shall be elected through popular vote of the members in a general election. All
non-cabinet officers shall be appointed and filled based upon the needs of the cabinet each academic year.
Rights and Responsibilities of the Officers:
Officer Meetings will be held twice monthly, except under extenuating circumstances.
All officers (cabinet and non-cabinet) must attend every meeting, except under extenuating circumstances. Participation in organization activities and
events are strongly encouraged. Each officer shall have one vote, with the President(s) acting as tie-breakers when necessary.
The Cabinet will include:
President(s):
The President shall be responsible for conducting meetings and handling general administrative duties. Representing
the face of the organization, the President(s) must act in a professional manner, always being mindful that decisions should be based primarily upon the
interests of the organization. The President will delegate duties to officers and fill in as needed. Each President must be a former officer of the organization.
External Vice President:
The External Vice President shall be responsible for co-conducting meetings with the assistance of the Internal
Vice President in the absence of the President(s). The External Vice President shall also be responsible for organizing events and/or facilitating relationships
with other Vietnamese organizations outside of Rice University. An ancillary duty may include organizing restaurant trips.
Internal Vice-President:
The Internal Vice President shall be responsible for co-conducting meetings with the assistance of the External
Vice President in the absence of the President(s). The Internal Vice President shall also be responsible for organizing events and facilitating relationships with
other Rice University organizations. Specific duties may include coordinating Rice University’s Youth Leadership Workshop, Lunar New Year, and study breaks.
Treasurer:
The Treasurer shall be responsible for monitoring the expenditures of the organization and the delegation of funds. The Treasurer
shall also be responsible for working with the President(s) to draw the organization budget at the beginning of each semester. Specific duties of the Treasurer
include collecting membership dues, keeping an updated list of paid members, and coordinating fundraisers for the organization.
Secretary:
The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a current directory of people on the organization mailing list (adding/removing email
addresses and sending messages). The Secretary shall also be responsible for taking attendance at organization events and writing officer-meeting minutes, which
shall be stored in an official folder. An ancillary includes designing flyers.
Additional officers (non-cabinet):
Webmaster:
The Webmaster shall be responsible for maintaining the organization website. Specific duties include updating information of
organization events in a timely manner as well as promptly posting officer-meeting minutes on the website.
Historian:
The Historian shall be responsible for taking pictures at all organization events. Further duties include creating a scrapbook and
tri-board for the current year.
Community Chairperson:
The Community Chairperson shall be responsible for organizing community service projects within Rice University
and the Vietnamese Community.
Alumni Liaison:
The Alumni Liaison shall be responsible for contacting and inviting current alumni to organization events.
Funds:
The allocation of funds requires the signatures of the Treasurer and either the President(s), Internal Vice President, or External Vice President.
Sponsor:
Selection of a sponsor is contingent upon consensus of the cabinet.
Amendments to the Constitution:
Amendments to the constitution must be approved by a majority of the officers.