SJSU ALASC Constitution

San José State University (SJSU) American Library Association Student Chapter (ALASC) Constitution 

 

ARTICLE I (NAME) 

The name of this organization shall be the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) American Library Association Student Chapter (ALASC). 

 

ARTICLE II (PURPOSE) 

Mission 

The SJSU ALASC fosters community and connection among all students and across all career pathways within the iSchool. 

Vision 

ALASC is committed to providing an all-encompassing, welcoming, and supportive environment for all iSchool students to connect, collaborate, and grow. To prepare students for service as library and information professionals of all kinds, membership is open to all iSchool students free of charge and includes opportunities for professional development, scholarly engagement, and networking. 

Through ALASC, students can share their creativity, showcase their skills, gain experience, learn from each other and experts located nationally and internationally, and connect with ALA.

We believe that we can make a difference in the lives of our members by implementing programs and services that enrich their scholastic and professional experiences. These opportunities will give students access to a new era of scholarship, innovation, and contribution on both local and global levels. 

Value Statement 

The SJSU ALASC was founded on May 17, 1994 with a history of service and encouraging the achievements of our members. As the 42nd official student chapter of our parent organization, our chapter has always supported our members’ efforts to excel in both their studies and their professional lives. 

 

ARTICLE III (AFFILIATION) 

ALASC is affiliated with the national organization, the American Library Association (ALA), and serves as the local SJSU student chapter. The ALA Constitution and Bylaws are available online. 

 

ARTICLE IV (MEMBERSHIP) 

All currently enrolled students of the SJSU iSchool are automatically members of this organization. Membership in the organization shall be open to all currently-enrolled SJSU students who are interested in membership. No fees shall be required for membership, and there shall be no other requirements to hold membership. Each member has equal rights and privileges, including the right to vote in all ALASC elections. Students indicate their ALASC membership by attendance at ALASC events, participation in ALASC online social networks, and/or volunteering to help with ALASC activities.

There are no membership meetings as such. ALASC events and functions, which are open to all iSchool students, occur in lieu of membership meetings. 

Eligibility for membership or appointed/elected Executive Committee 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. 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 (Title 5, California Code of Regulations, Section 41500). 

No member of this organization shall engage in hazing, participate in hazing, or commit any act that causes or is likely to cause bodily danger, physical harm, or personal degradation or disgrace resulting in physical or mental harm to any fellow student or person attending this institution (California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 2, Standards for Student Conduct, Section 41301(b)(8). Individual students may be disciplined for hazing under Section 41301(b)(8). This organization shall comply with Title 5, Section 41301, Standards for Student Conduct. 

 

ARTICLE V (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE) 

The SJSU ALASC Executive Committee may consist of

  • the Officers
    • Chair
    • Vice Chair
    • Treasurer
    • Secretary/Archivist
  • the Blogging team
    • Blogging Coordinator(s) 
    • Blogging Assistant(s)
  • the Events team 
    • Events Coordinator(s) 
    • Events Assistant(s)
  • the Social Media team
    • Social Media Coordinator(s) 
    • Social Media Assistant(s) 
  • the Website team
    • Website Coordinator(s)
    • Website Assistant(s)

Only Officers are elected. Coordinators and Assistants are appointed through the internal voting process described in the Appointments subsection of Article VIII. Officers and Coordinators are expected to serve for a minimum of one year and Assistant positions are expected to serve for a minimum of one semester. All Executive Committee members are eligible to stay in their position for as long as they remain students. The Executive Committee may vote to override the minimum length of service as they deem fit. 

All Officers, Coordinators, and Assistants of this organization must be currently-enrolled students in the SJSU iSchool and maintain active membership in ALA. If an individual not holding ALA membership is elected or appointed to the Executive Committee, they must pursue ALA membership immediately. 

The Chair and Treasurer of this organization must maintain a minimum overall 2.0 grade point average, must be enrolled in at least 3 units and may not have completed more than 50 units, and must be in good standing with SJSU during their term of office. A single individual may not hold the position of Chair and Treasurer concurrently. 

Meetings can be requested by any member of the Executive Committee. A quorum of over 50% of the current Executive Committee must be present at any meeting for business to be conducted. 

Meeting Attendance

All members of the Executive Committee, including Officers, Coordinators, and Assistants, are required to attend all monthly Executive Committee meetings. Officers and Coordinators are required to attend all Executive Committee meetings because they are responsible for updating the rest of the Committee on current projects and representing their teams. Assistants are required to attend Executive Committee meetings because their participation in meetings is vital to the effectiveness and cohesion of the Committee. Attendance ensures continuity in communication, supports team collaboration, and strengthens leadership development within the chapter. All Executive Committee members are counted toward quorum and hold voting privileges for committee decisions. If any member of the Executive Committee cannot attend a monthly meeting, they must notify the Chair in advance as soon as possible. Officers and Coordinators must update the agenda with any important information prior to the missed meeting. Meetings are conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised. 

Voting

Voting may take place during synchronous meetings, provided a quorum of over 50% of the Executive Committee, or by asynchronous voting. Asynchronous voting is conducted through Google Forms, and the results of such votes are only valid when over 50% of current Executive Committee members submit a vote. All Executive Committee members can vote on finances, amendments to the Constitution, meeting minutes approval, the theme of the semester, appointments for non-elected positions, and other items of business.

 

 

ARTICLE VI (DUTIES) 

The responsibilities of the Officers, Coordinators, and Assistants shall be the following:

Chair 

  • Directs and has the ultimate responsibility for the organization’s functioning (including matters concerning membership, publications, projects, and activities) and the student chapter’s relationship with ALA;
  • Develops and articulates a vision and/or goals for the student chapter to the rest of the Executive Committee;
  • Participates in organizational planning and preservation strategies to ensure the long-term health of the student chapter;
  • Serves as the student chapter’s main representative in all settings and official correspondence;  
  • Provides guidance and support to the rest of the Executive Committee and works to resolve any internal conflict;
  • Calls meetings when necessary and presides at all meetings;
  • Announces calls for recruitment and prepares the nomination forms and/or ballots; 
  • Updates and renews the ALASC’s status as a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) with SJSU Student Involvement; 
  • Conducts outreach and networks with other individuals and organizations inside and outside of SJSU to develop partnerships and build relationships that will further the ALASC’s goals and activities. 

Vice Chair

  • Assumes the duties of Chair in their absence;
  • Assists with all of the aforementioned Chair duties and may perform any additional functions requested by the Chair; 
  • Supports the Chair with advisory and administrative tasks; 
  • Serves as the de jure Membership Coordinator, which entails:
    • Preparing and publishing a monthly membership newsletter;
    • Updating the iSchool Student Leadership Canvas site and alerting the appropriate iSchool staff when new Executive Committee members need to be added to the course;  
    • Leading efforts to encourage iSchool student involvement with the ALA.

Treasurer

  • Establishes and maintains banking arrangements for the organization; 
  • Collects and disburses funds as directed; 
  • Discloses a monthly report of the organization’s financial condition; 
  • Keeps accurate records documenting all of the student chapter’s financial matters and transactions;
  • Assumes responsibility for understanding and utilizing all possible sources of funding; 
  • Communicates with internal and external parties, including SJSU Associated Students, about matters related to the student chapter’s finances;
  • Participates in updating and renewing the ALASC’s status as a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) with SJSU Student Involvement;
  • Supports the Chair with advisory and administrative tasks.

Secretary/Archivist

  • Supports the Chair and Vice Chair with advisory and administrative tasks as requested; 
  • Records the minutes (notes) during all meetings and provides Executive Committee members with access to the meeting minutes;
  • Upkeeps the ALASC group email and when necessary, notifies the appropriate parties of correspondence that requires attention; 
  • Develops and carries out an action plan to organize and maintain all of the organization’s files, including the contents of the shared ALASC Google Drive; 
  • Creates standard procedures for file organization and enforces Executive Committee compliance with such standards; 
  • Assists and advises upon communication with individuals and organizations inside and outside of SJSU. 

Blogging Coordinator(s)

  • Leads the ALASC Blogging Team by supervising Blogging Assistants and creating a publication plan of blogs (minimum 2 per semester);
  • Plans and writes the majority of the student chapter’s blogs;
  • Maintains a calendar of scheduled blog postings and reports blogging activities to the Executive Committee;
  • Brainstorms ideas and invites guest writers to contribute content to the SJSU ALASC blog;
  • Supports the Events team by providing event coverage when necessary/desired;
  • Assists and advises the Chair on executive decisions.

Blogging Assistant(s)

  • Assists Blogging Coordinator(s);
  • Participates in the writing and publication of at least two blogs each semester;
  • Works with other Blogging Assistants to plan and research relevant content for blog posts; 
  • Supports the Events team by providing event coverage when necessary/desired.

Events Coordinator(s) 

  • Leads the ALASC Events team by supervising Events Assistants and creating a programming plan of events (minimum 2 per semester);
  • Plans and hosts the majority of the student chapter’s events;
  • Writes promotional text and creates promotional graphics for event marketing; 
  • Works closely with other internal teams (Blogging, Social Media, and Website) to coordinate event promotions;
  • Uploads virtual event recordings to the SJSU ALASC YouTube account;
  • Conducts outreach to individuals and organizations inside and outside of SJSU for event planning purposes;
  • Collects event statistics and maintains documentation for event planning purposes;
  • Assists and advises the Chair on executive decisions.

Events Assistant(s)

  • Assists Events Coordinator(s);
  • Attends and provides Zoom support during virtual events;
  • Helps lead or co-host at least one event each semester;
  • Participates in event planning and marketing;
  • Assists in creating presentation slides, graphics, and other event materials.

Social Media Coordinator(s)

  • Leads the ALASC Social Media Team by supervising Social Media Assistants and overseeing all SJSU ALASC social media platforms and content;
  • Assumes primary responsibility for the creation and posting of social media content (graphics, text, etc) to ALASC’s social media accounts; 
  • Responds to internal social media posting requests and external engagement on social media platforms in a timely manner;
  • Works closely with the Blogging and Events Teams to coordinate blog/event promotions;
  • Collects and reports upon social media statistics and trends;
  • Assists and advises the Chair on executive decisions.

Social Media Assistant(s)

  • Assists Social Media Coordinator(s);
  • Oversees various ALASC social media accounts; 
  • Participates in creating and posting content (graphics, text, etc) to ALASC’s social media accounts; 
  • Responds to internal social media posting requests and external engagement on social media platforms in a timely manner;
  • Works closely with the Blogging and Events Teams to coordinate blog/event promotions.

Website Coordinator(s)

  • Maintains and regularly updates the ALASC website, including the calendar of upcoming events and Executive Committee bios;
  • Develops the ALASC website to meet the needs of the student chapter while emphasizing and adhering to web content accessibility guidelines;
  • Identifies the student chapter’s technology needs and pursues innovative solutions to enhance the ALASC’s web presence;
  • Compiles and presents reports of website analytics to identify strengths and areas for improvement; 
  • Serves as the primary contact for the iSchool IT support, as needed;
  • Assists and advises the Chair on executive decisions.

Website Assistant(s)

  • Maintains ALASC’s website in the absence of the Website Coordinator.
  • Assists the Website Coordinator(s) as directed.

 

ARTICLE VII (SUBCOMMITTEES) 

The Chair shall have the authority to construct subcommittees and name subcommittee chairpersons. 

 

ARTICLE VIII (NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS, AND APPOINTMENTS) 

Nominations, elections, and appointments for the following semester or academic year shall take place as needed. When possible, the timeline of this process shall allow training and shadowing time for incoming Officers, Coordinators, and Assistants before they officially assume their position at the conclusion of the final Executive Committee meeting of the semester (May/December).

Nominations

Nominations are the first step of an election and/or appointment cycle. All ALASC members, as defined in Article IV, have the right to self-nominate and to be nominated. The Chair will announce a call for nominations through the official iSchool email list. Interested candidates may submit their names and preferred position(s) before the posted deadline.

Screenings

After nominations are submitted, the Executive Committee members most relevant to the available position(s) shall screen the nominees through interviews or other consistent methods to evaluate their experience and suitability for their preferred position(s). Current Executive Committee members who are running for another position on the Executive Committee shall not participate in interviewing the other candidates for that position. The Executive Committee reserves the right to select which individuals move forward as final nominees in the election or appointment process.

Elections

Final nominees for elected positions are placed on the official ballot. The Chair distributes the ballot through the official iSchool email list. All ALASC members are eligible to vote in the election before the posted deadline. After the deadline, the votes shall be counted by the Faculty Advisor. Officers are elected by a plurality vote. In the event of a tie, the Executive Committee shall vote on the tied nominees, and the nominee with the most votes shall be elected. 

Appointments

Final nominees for appointed positions are voted on synchronously or asynchronously by the Executive Committee. Current Executive Committee members who are running for another position on the Executive Committee shall not vote on appointments to that position. If voting is asynchronous, the votes shall be counted by the Faculty Advisor. Appointments are approved by a plurality vote.

Vacancies

If a position is vacated outside of an election/appointment cycle, the Chair may seek recommendations from the rest of the Executive Committee and appoint a temporary replacement if needed. If the Chair vacates their office, the Vice Chair shall assume those responsibilities and appoint their own replacement. Temporary replacements interested in continuing the role in later semesters shall nominate themselves in the next election/appointment cycle.

 

ARTICLE IX (RESIGNATION/REMOVAL) 

Any Officer, Coordinator, or Assistant may resign from their position in writing addressed to the Chair, stating their wish to resign and the effective date of the resignation. If the Chair wishes to resign, they may announce the resignation in writing to the Executive Committee.

Any Executive Committee member experiencing dissatisfaction with the work and/or conduct of another Executive Committee member shall first discuss their grievances with the member in question and develop an agreement to resolve the situation. If the Executive Committee member is not comfortable directly addressing the situation with the member in question, they may relay their complaints to the Chair or Faculty Advisor, who will speak to the member in question on the complainant’s behalf. If the situation fails to improve after reasonable attempts at resolution, or any member of the Executive Committee continuously fails to meet the established organizational expectations, they shall be subject to review by the Chair, Vice Chair, and Faculty Advisor. If the Chair, Vice Chair, and Faculty Advisor come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest of the ALASC and the Executive Committee to remove the member from their role, that member will be notified and removed from their position. 

Any Executive Committee member(s) experiencing dissatisfaction with the work and/or conduct of the Chair and who does not feel comfortable directly discussing the situation with the Chair may direct their complaints to the Faculty Advisor or present their complaints to the rest of the Executive Committee during a meeting. The Chair shall take action to address the complaints and resolve the situation. If the situation fails to improve after reasonable attempts at resolution, or the Chair is continuously failing to meet the established organizational expectations, the Executive Committee shall consult with the Faculty Advisor before proceeding to a vote. (The vote may take place either synchronously or asynchronously, in accordance with the stipulations described in Article V.) A majority vote of over 50% of the current Executive Committee voting in favor shall result in the Chair’s removal. The Faculty Advisor shall verify the results of the vote and notify the Chair of their removal from their position, effective immediately. The Vice Chair shall immediately assume the vacancy, as described in Article VIII. 

 

ARTICLE X (ADVISOR) 

ALASC must have a University advisor. This person must hold at least a bachelor’s degree and be employed as a faculty or staff member at SJSU. The advisor shall be a non-voting member of the organization. 

The duties of the Faculty Advisor are as follows: 

  • Assists ALASC in fulfilling its mission and purpose; 
  • Understands the ALASC’s Constitution and Bylaws and assists members in interpreting them; 
  • Understands University policies and procedures regarding student organizations and ensures ALASC’s compliance to the best of their ability;
  • Stays abreast of ALASC’s activities; 
  • Stays abreast of ALASC’s financial standing and all financial transactions using ALASC’s funds; 
  • Attends ALASC’s meetings. 

 

ARTICLE XI (AMENDMENTS) 

Any ALASC member can originate an amendment to this Constitution. Proposed amendments shall be read at an Executive Committee 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 the next meeting or through asynchronous voting. The proposed amendment shall be adopted if approved by a majority, and the adopted amendment shall be effective immediately. This Constitution and its Bylaws were adopted in August 2000 and amended September 2006, August 2009, April 2012, December 2013, December 2018, April 2019, May 2021, December 2021, December 2022, July 2023, October 2023, November 2024, June 2025, and October 2025.

Version: October 2025 | approved 10/22/25