Constitution and Bylaws

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) iSchool Student Group at San José State University

Article I – Name

The name of this organization is the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) iSchool Student Group.

Article II – Purpose

The purpose of the AANHPI iSchool Student Group is to bring awareness to the needs of AANHPI students and staff in information professions, to engage the student body in recognition and support for AANHPI students and communities, and to promote connection and cultural understanding.

Our Vision is to establish a lasting place in the School of Information where AANHPI students and experiences are represented and valued.

Our Mission:

• To be a safe space to connect and share with peers.
• To highlight AANHPI experiences and recognize that all are unique and valid.
• To discuss trends and topics of interest pertaining to AANHPI students and professionals.
• To support all members in their educational and professional journeys.
• To promote and embrace diversity, equity and inclusion in San José State University’s (SJSU) School of Information and information professions.

Article III – Authority

Section 1 This organization is a Recognized Student Organization at San José State University and adheres to all campus policies as set forth in the Student Organization Handbook.

Section 2 The rules contained in the most recent version of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for this organization and shall govern in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not consistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the organization may adopt.

Section 3 This organization is not affiliated with any external organization.

Article IV – Membership

Section 1 Membership in the organization shall be open to all those enrolled San José State University students who are interested in membership. There shall be no other requirements for admission to regular membership. Each regular member has equal rights and privileges. Membership is only open to enrolled San José State University students.

Section 2 Membership must comprise at least five (5) currently enrolled San José State University students, including Chair and Treasurer.

Section 3 Only current San José State University student members may vote or hold office.

Section 4 Eligibility for membership and appointed or elected student officer positions shall not be limited on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability. Only fraternities and sororities with federal documents on file with Student Involvement are permitted to discriminate on the basis of sex, as outlined by Federal Law in Title IX. The organization shall have no rules or policies that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or disability. 

Section 5 This organization shall prohibit all members and officers from engaging in hazing or committing any act that injures, degrades or disgraces any fellow student.

Section 6 This organization shall comply with Title 5, Section 41301, Standards for Student Conduct.

Section 7 Membership dues will not be required. See Article XI for further information on dues and fees.

Section 8 To establish membership in the organization, students must sign up to join the AANHPI iSchool Student Group. General members are highly encouraged but not required to attend meetings.

Section 9 Members who participate in votes are required to attend relevant informational meetings or review required informational material before the votes take place.

Article V – Officers, Committees and Duties

Section 1 The elected officers will be Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Section 2 Powers and Duties of Officers:

1. The Chair is the chief executive officer of the organization. They shall: 
   1. preside at and prepare the agenda for all meetings of the organization.
   2. be the official spokesperson of the organization, representing the policies, views, and opinions of the organization in its relations with the campus and community at large. 
   3. update and renew the organization’s recognition status with SJSU.
   4. be the primary point of contact with the Chairs of other organizations.
   5. have further powers and duties as may be assigned by the organization and approved by the Executive Committee.
2. The Vice Chair shall:
   1. perform all legal duties assigned by the Chair and approved by the Executive Committee.
   2. preside at organization meetings in the absence of the Chair.
   3. assume the office of Chair if the office becomes vacant under extenuating circumstances.
3. The Treasurer shall handle all financial affairs and the budgeting of the organization. They will:
   1. collect and deposit all dues and fees.
   2. maintain an Associated Students bank account in the organization’s name, which requires the signatures of both the Treasurer and Chair for authorized disbursements.
   3. maintain all necessary accounting records and prepare monthly financial reports for the membership. Records shall be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
4. The Secretary shall:
   1. take minutes at all meetings of the organization.
   2. keep all minutes on file and submit required copies to all organization members. 
   3. be responsible for all organization correspondence and keep copies thereof on file.

Section 3 Qualifications necessary to hold office in this organization are as follows:

1. To be eligible for and to hold office, candidates for Chair, Treasurer and Vice Chair must meet the requirements of CSU’s policy on “Minimum Qualifications for Student Office Holders,” which include: over 2.0 Cumulative GPA (all SJSU classes), over 2.0 Term GPA (previous semester completed), enrollment in at least 6 or 3 units for duration of term if undergraduate or graduate student, respectively, and less than 150 units completed as recognized by the University.
2. To hold the position of Vice Chair, candidates must be willing to step into the position of Chair on short notice.
3. Term of office will be one calendar year plus two months, i.e. two one-month transitional periods for onboarding and offboarding.
4. Officers must be currently enrolled in an SJSU School of Information program.

Section 4 Major business matters, including but not limited to finances, amendments to the Constitution, and meeting minutes approval will be decided by a voting body. The voting body comprises the Executive Committee sans the faculty advisor. Each elected officer and coordinating officer has the right to cast a single vote.

 Article VI – Selection of Officers

Section 1 The Executive Committee officer positions of Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary shall be decided by election. All other officer positions shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.

Section 2 The length of appointed officers’ terms shall be determined/decided by the Executive Committee. Officer terms shall include time for onboarding and offboarding. All officers shall begin their terms immediately following the announcement of election/appointment results.

Section 2 Elections and appointments for established/existing officer positions shall take place at least six weeks prior to the last day of the current semester. Nominations for open positions and notice of any election shall take place at least two weeks prior to said election. 

Section 3 Elections shall take place over a consecutive seven-day voting period. All current organization members have voting privileges in officer elections.

Section 4 The elected officers shall be elected by majority vote. If no candidate receives a majority vote, a runoff election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

Section 5 Votes shall be cast by secret ballot; however, when there is only one candidate for an office, a motion may be made to elect the candidate by acclamation.

Section 6 Officers may be recalled from office for just cause. Any member or group of members may submit a written complaint to the Executive Committee for review. The Executive Committee retains the right to initiate a recall election. Any Executive Committee member who is the subject of a complaint shall have the right to defend their position, but must abstain from the decision for recall. If any member is dissatisfied with the Executive Committee’s decision, they may escalate their complaint to the faculty advisor. The faculty advisor must confer with the Executive Committee and may overturn the Executive Committee’s decision with just cause. The officer subject to recall shall be given written notice of the recall at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at which the recall vote will be held and shall be given an opportunity to provide a defense. A two-thirds vote is required to remove an officer. All complaints, defenses, decisions and outcomes regarding recalls must be kept in writing for three years.

Section 7 If the position of Chair becomes vacant as the result of resignation, ineligibility, or recall, the Vice Chair shall assume the office of Chair. Vacancies in any other elected office shall be declared by official announcement, and the Executive Committee may appoint an interim officer to fill the vacancy until the next election is held.

Article VII – Meetings

Section 1 Regular and special meetings shall be scheduled during the academic year. Meetings may be scheduled during the summer if necessary.

Section 2 Standing and ad hoc committee meetings may be called by any officer of the respective committee and announced by the committee’s coordinating officer. All appropriate officers must be given sufficient notice prior to the meeting time.

Section 3 Business cannot be conducted at committee meetings unless a quorum of its body is present. A quorum for this organization is defined as a majority of its officers. 

Section 4 Attendance at Executive Committee meetings is required for all members of the Executive Committee (i.e., elected officers, appointed coordinating officers of standing committees, and the faculty advisor) and coordinating officers for any ad hoc committees. Attendance is optional for all other officers. In the event that an Executive Committee officer is unable to attend a mandatory meeting, said officer shall either appoint a substitute officer from the proper committee to attend who should be prepared to speak on their committee’s behalf, or they shall provide any status updates in writing to the Executive Committee prior to the scheduled meeting. Substitute officers may not vote on a voting member’s behalf. If a voting member is absent, they shall relinquish their right to vote on any matter that requires immediate attention. Otherwise, any matter requiring a vote shall take place after the secretary delivers the meeting minutes. The minutes shall include the instructions and deadline to cast votes. Meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Article VIII – Advisor

Section 1 The organization shall appoint an individual employed as a faculty or staff member by San José State University to serve as the university advisor to this organization. A Graduate Assistant/Intern may assume the advisor role if approved by the Student Involvement staff. The advisor shall fulfill the responsibilities specified in the Student Organization Handbook. Advisors shall serve on an academic year basis or until their successor has been selected. The advisor shall be a non-voting member of the organization. 

Section 2 Each officially recognized student organization must have a university advisor who is either a faculty member or professional member. Advisors must:

1. Be full-time SJSU faculty or staff. Currently, advisors cannot be an employee of an SJSU auxiliary department (e.g. Associated Students, Spartan Eats, Student Union, Research Foundation, Tower Foundation, Spartan Bookstore). All advisors are verified by Student Involvement.
2. Be able to serve as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) and complete the required online module through the SJSU Clery Office.
3. Provide continuity from year to year.
4. Assist the student organization in fulfilling its mission and purpose.
5. Understand the student organization’s Constitution and Bylaws and assist members in interpreting them.
6. Understand University policies and procedures regarding student organizations and ensure the student organization’s compliance to the best of their ability.
7. Stay abreast of the student organization’s activities.
8. Stay abreast of the student organization’s financial standing and all financial transactions using the student organization’s funds.
9. Attend the student organization’s executive meetings.

Article IX – Executive Committee

Section 1 The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected and coordinating officers, with the advisor serving as non-voting member.

Section 2 The Executive Committee shall meet on a monthly basis during the academic year. Special meetings may be requested by one or more members of the Executive Committee and announced by the Chair when applicable. All members must be given sufficient notice prior to the meeting. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Executive Committee members.

Section 3 Regular tasks shall be conducted asynchronously. Executive Committee officers shall stay in communication between meetings.

Section 4 The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the organization between meetings and is authorized to take action when action must be taken prior to the next meeting.

Article X – Standing and Ad Hoc Committees

Section 1 The Executive Committee shall have the authority to establish standing and ad hoc committees as may be necessary from time to time to carry out the work of the organization.

Section 2 The elected officers shall appoint the coordinating officers and officers of all committees.

Article XI – Finances

Section 1 There is no cost to be a member of the Student Group. However, fees may be charged at Student Group events in order to defray the costs of the event. In order to support its budget, the organization may solicit donations from members by holding fundraisers through financial support platforms approved by SJSU.

Section 2 Requirements for payment of singular event fees may vary depending on the associated event. The organization must inform members of the price of any fees and due dates prior to the event taking place.

Section 3 The Executive Committee shall prepare and submit budget proposals a sufficient amount of time prior to spending. Budgets for organization events and programs must be reviewed by the Treasurer and approved by the Executive Committee. 

Section 4 Organization funds shall not be used to purchase or reimburse members for alcoholic beverages.

Section 5 All funds of this organization will be banked with Associated Students.

Article XII – Discipline of Members

Section 1 All complaints alleging violations of the Student Conduct Code, Title 5, section 41301, et seq., shall be investigated pursuant to Executive Order 1097 and/or 1098 (in cases involving allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation based on protected status). Investigations and other proceedings under Executive Orders 1097 and 1098 shall be conducted by campus administration, not student organizations, and this organization shall refer any complaints alleging subject matters covered by Executive Orders 1097 and 1098 to the campus Vice Chair for Student Affairs or other designee for investigation and resolution.

Section 2 Complaints may also be brought to the attention of the Executive Committee or the Student Involvement Office. A written charge may be filed with the Executive Committee. The Committee shall review the charges and may conduct a preliminary investigation if deemed appropriate. If the preliminary investigation concludes that misconduct appears to have occurred, the Executive Committee may conduct a hearing on the matter. In this instance, the member alleged to have engaged in the misconduct shall be given at least one week’s notice of the hearing and will be given an opportunity to present a defense. By a majority vote, the Executive Committee shall determine whether misconduct occurred. If they determine that misconduct did occur, the Executive Committee shall prepare a report to the membership of its decision and sanctions, which may include expulsion, suspension, or lesser sanction(s) including but not limited to a reprimand, removal from office, or corrective remedies. The accused member shall be notified of the outcome before the report is made public. 

Section 3 The member accused of misconduct shall have an opportunity to rebut the information in the complaint. After providing a statement to the membership, the member accused of misconduct shall not be present for the remainder of the deliberations.

Section 4 Expelled individuals may petition for reinstatement. By a two-thirds vote, the membership may reinstate a member who has been suspended or expelled.

Article XIII – Amendments

Section 1 Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall first be presented in writing to the Executive Committee at a regular meeting. After discussion at the Committee meeting, proposed amendments shall remain open for consideration by the Executive Committee for a minimum of two weeks. Following the consideration period, the amendment shall be voted upon by the Executive Committee at a meeting or through asynchronous virtual voting. The proposed amendment shall be adopted if approved by a majority. The adopted amendment shall be effective immediately.  

Section 2 The adopted amendment will then be announced to the membership at a meeting or through asynchronous communications. The Executive Committee and/or Bylaws Committee will hold a minimum two-week consideration period for the membership to submit feedback or comments on the amendment. After the consideration period, any feedback will be reviewed by the Executive Committee and/or Bylaws Committee. If any changes are necessary, a second round of revisions will occur, followed by another Executive Committee vote and a subsequent update to the membership.

Section 3 A copy of any amendments to these bylaws must be submitted to Student Involvement at San Jose Staté University within two weeks after adoption.

This constitution and bylaws were adopted on: January 17, 2024 and most recently revised on January 17, 2024.