Constitution

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the International Students’ Association (ISA).

Article II – Purpose

  • The main goal of the organization is to create a sense of belonging for international students within the broader Lafayette College community by fostering a space where students can feel at home.
  • The organization seeks to promote international diversity and cultural awareness on campus while encouraging values of respect, empathy, and compassion among the student body.
  • The organization aims to educate the campus community on global issues, especially those that are underrepresented in mainstream U.S. media and thought.
  • The organization aims to facilitate relationships between domestic and international students and integrate a range of world cultures and ideals within the campus community at large.
  • The organization seeks to serve as a support system for members throughout the entirety of their Lafayette experience, especially those from abroad transitioning to living, studying, and possibly working in the U.S.
  • The organization aims to embody the spirit of global citizenship.

Article III – Membership

  • All incoming visa-holding students, US citizens abroad, and students who participate in International Orientation, are automatically added to the organization’s mailing list (to ensure receipt of important updates shared during the first semester). These students have the option to opt out at any point. 
  • ISA membership is open to all students who have a genuine interest in the purposes of the organization. 
  • Active member status applies to members who:
    • Regularly attend ISA General Body Meetings and ISA sponsored/co-sponsored events 
    • Make meaningful contributions to ISA programming and to the ISA community

Article IV – Officers’s Elections and Appointments

  • A form will be sent out to all active members to vote for new appointments. At least 60% must respond in order for the election to be valid. 
  • All candidates must fill out the intent-to-run form that will be sent out prior to the election and are required to follow all steps.
  • Individuals running for election give permission to the advisor to look at their disciplinary records. A student on disciplinary probation must speak to the ISA Advisor before running for the board. A student on disciplinary probation may not run for the position of President or Vice-President. Candidates may submit an appeal to the ISA Advisor. 
  • All candidates running for a position should do so with the expectation of being present for the full academic year. If a candidate anticipates not being present for one semester, he or she needs to inform the President at the time of application. The President and Vice President must be present for the entire year of their appointment. 
  • All candidates should be made aware of the responsibilities and duties of the positions that they wish to run for before elections take place.
  • A candidate can run for a maximum of 2 positions. If the candidate is elected for both positions he/she may select the position of his/her choice. The position vacated will be filled by the candidate who received the next highest number of votes for that position.
  • An online ballot will be taken to appoint the new officers.
  • Should a position not be filled through the ballot, new nominations will be accepted and a new online election will be held.
  • In the case of a resignation or impeachment, the position will be opened up for election with the exception of the President position, which will be automatically filled by the current Vice-President. An election will be held for the Vice-President position, and anyone running must have served on the board for one year.  If no one decides to run, anyone on the board can decide to step up as VP (the requirement of one year of experience is waived in this case, as that role needs to be filled).
  • If the board deems it necessary to hold an election for any reason during the year the aforementioned election process will be adhered to.
  • In the case of the resignation or impeachment of the Events Coordinator, the ISA Advisor will resolve the situation.
  • There will be mid-year and end-of-year peer evaluations of board members by the board to ensure that the board members are performing their duties to the best of their abilities. The Advisor may contribute to these evaluations. A board debrief will be held afterward. 
  • In the event that the board creates a new position, they will craft a description and present it to the General Body in a town hall meeting. Active members present at the meeting will be eligible to vote on the creation of the new role. If passed, an election will be held for that position when appropriate (unless the board determined that the position was an appointed one). 
  • Positions may be added to or removed from the ISA Board based on the needs of the board. The board reserves the right to make decisions in consultation with the advisor without a vote in unique and unprecedented circumstances if time does not allow for a town hall/election when it is in the best interest of the general body. Such a position will be temporary and will be re-evaluated at the end of the semester based on need. If it is deemed a necessary position, proper procedure will then follow. If this is to be a temporary position, it will be indicated upon creation. 
  • Seniors on the board will run the election. In the case that there is no senior on the board, juniors with no intention of running will run the election. 
  • In the case of a tie, the person running the election will approach the ISA Adviser, who will vote to break the tie.

Article V – Officers’s Elections and Appointments

General Requirements:

  • Officers must regularly attend weekly board meetings, monthly general body meetings and ISA-sponsored/co-sponsored events. If an officer cannot attend, they must notify the President in advance. Inconsistent or irregular attendance will first result in a warning from the President. If no change in action follows, there will be a sit-down meeting with the ISA President and Advisor, followed by a probationary period. 
  • Failure to comply or carry out assigned tasks will also result in a meeting with the President followed by a probationary period.
  • In the case of special/larger events, officers must notify the President no later than 24 hours in advance if they are unable to attend. At the President’s discretion, they may have to find someone to take their place. 
  • Officers are responsible for overseeing at least one committee (responsibility can be shared with other officers), with the exception of the President and the Head Peer Advisor. If a board member feels their official responsibilities coupled with the leadership of a committee is too great, they may be exempted from this responsibility at the discretion of the board. These responsibilities will be delegated within the first three weeks of the academic semester. 
  • Take responsibility for executing ISA events. Board members share a commitment to ensuring proper preparation and clean-up for events and general body meetings.
  • Be willing to devote time and energy into the group wherever and whenever needed – not limited to duties specific to an individual position.
  • Model enthusiasm, creativity and a positive attitude.
  • Motivate the General Body.
  • Respect confidentiality. All confidential matters discussed during board meetings should not be disclosed to non-board members.
  • Act with integrity and thoughtfulness.
  • Stand by board decisions and understand that the board acts as a united front.

Probation / Removal from Office:

Any board member may be removed for the following reasons:

  • Absence from three weekly board meetings without informing the President of their inability to attend. Board members will be given a warning after missing two meetings.
  • Failure to follow through with assigned tasks. Board members will be given a warning if they are unable to complete an assigned task.
  • Consequences of other misconduct (not stated above) will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the President and an appointee on a rotating basis, and up to their discretion, may be brought to the attention of the board. 
  • If an officer has cause for concern, they should bring it up to the board. The board will discuss whether there should be a probationary period before a vote of termination, or simply a vote of termination. A decision will require a 2/3 majority. 
  • A motion to impeach a board member must be brought up during a board meeting and requires a 2/3 vote to pass.
  • In the case of impeaching the President, an officer must bring it to the attention of the ISA Advisor. It would then be taken to the board for a vote. Requires a 2/3 vote for the motion to pass.
  • ISA Advisor will act as the tie-breaker.

The elected officers:

  • President
    • Must have served as an active member of the ISA Board for one full academic year
    • Visionary for the ISA, offering ideas and a tentative schedule of events for the year
    • Runs board and general meetings
    • Handles all administrative tasks
    • Oversees mid-year and end-of-year peer evaluations of board members
    • Ensures tasks are delegated and completed to the best possible degree
    • Shares oversight responsibility with the Vice President of all non-event committees (Birthday Committee, Art Committee, Instagram Committee, etc)
    • Meets regularly with ISA Advisor
    • Serves as contact for the college administration
    • Represents the ISA at events (or delegates if necessary)
  • Vice President
    • Must have served as an active member of the ISA Board for one full academic year
    • Shares oversight responsibility with the President of all non-event committees (Birthday Committee, Art Committee, Instagram Committee, etc)
    • Serves as the point person and oversees committees for all large ISA Programming Events: International Education Week, XPosed, and Extravaganza
    • Keeps President abreast of committee progress
    • Assists the President as needed with administrative tasks
    • Serves as additional contact for the college administration
    • Assumes the role of President in the event that the current President resigns or is impeached.  A new Vice-President will be appointed by the board
    • In the event that the current Vice President resigns or is impeached, a new Vice-President will be appointed by the board
  • Secretary
    • Takes notes at board and general body meetings
    • Cleans up board meeting minutes so that they are ready to be sent out to the General Body
    • Assists Public Relations and Advertising Coordinator with any communication
    • Prepares and maintains Google email database of international student class years, and active members
    • Keeps track of emails sent to the ISA account daily
    • Responsible for overseeing the writing of thank you notes on behalf of the ISA
    • Sends “The ISA Weekly” emails
    • Responsible for managing and analyzing assessment data
    • Creates summary reports for all ISA events alongside the Information Coordinator, oversees summary reports for events organized by committees
  • Treasurer
    • Meets bimonthly with International Student Advisor, President and Vice President to review the budget
    • Provides overview of expenditures from previous years
    • Gathers necessary paperwork from vendors, board and ISA members and fills out purchase requisitions or reimbursement forms for payments or works with OID Office Coordinator to pay vendors
    • Keeps an accurate account of all spending from the ISA account.
    • Provides regular budget updates at board meetings
    • Serves as liaison between board and International Student Advisor with budget allocation questions.
    • Requests funding from OID, Student Government, individuals, departments and student organizations for major events
  • Public Relations Coordinator
    • Serves as contact between ISA and other school organizations and communicates with other organizations for co-sponsored and collaborative events
    • Attends LINC meetings
    • Spearheads the ISA social media plan for the year
    • Must be creative and comfortable using digital imaging software for poster and flyer designing
    • Oversees production of banners or other forms of advertising for major events
    • Manages the ISA Instagram page
  • Information Coordinator
    • Maintains and regularly updates the ISA website, OurCampus portal and Facebook page
    • Tracks attendance at general body meetings and specific events to determine membership voting privileges alongside the Secretary
    • Sets up board election process through OurCampus
    • Works with Storage Coordinator to identify member eligibility prior to sign-ups.
    • Maintains the ISA photo archive
    • Serves as Chief Historian, maintaining a calendar of ISA events for the archives, assessment and annual reports
    • Works with the Secretary on program assessment methods and reporting
  • Events Coordinator (selected by ISA Advisor)
    • Students planning to study abroad in fall or spring of the coming year are not eligible to apply
    • Recruits and coordinates volunteers for the following annual events: the ISA Alumni Homecoming Brunch, Thanksgiving break dinner and weekend events, Spring Break events
    • Works closely with Advisor to recruit and organize volunteers for the annual March Around the World program at F.A. March Elementary School in March
    • Serves as the liaison for Landis Community Outreach Center to provide information on ASB and other volunteer opportunities and organize ISA’s participation in Make a Difference Day/Laffapalooza
    • If on campus during the summer, organizes volunteer efforts at the local public libraries and childcare centers for students not going home 
    • Handles reservations/scheduling and posting of events on the college calendar and OurCampus
    • Manages Alumni relations
    • Additional Suggestions for Programs:
      • Events with Grossman House and relevant LLCs
      • Intramural events of interest to members
      • ISA Interclass Olympics (Fall) and ISA World Cup (Spring) 
      • Individual class year social events
  • Head Peer Advisor (appointed / application based on International Orientation)
    • Manages specific programming for first-year students (Family Weekend and Senior/First Year Brunch)
    • Periodic check-ins with Peer Captains and Peer Advisors 
    • Check-ins with first year students
    • Liason for Conversation Pardner chats
    • Works with First Year Representative on March Around the World
  • First Year Representative (elected by First Years, elections held in October)
    • Attends weekly ISA board meetings and fulfills all the general requirements of a board member
    • Supports Head Peer Advisor in communicating with 1st year students about upcoming activities on their class’ Facebook page, LafSync and via email
    • Assists with planning and implementation of ISA events, particularly those geared toward 1st year students
    • Solicits 1st year volunteers for ISA sponsored events
    • Helps advisor organize small group lunch meetings
    • Helps advisor with focus groups and soliciting 1st year activity feedback
    • Support specific programming led by the Head Peer Advisor, co-leading as assigned
    • Serves as a member of the March Around the World Steering Committee

Article VI – Meetings

Board Meetings:

  • The board must meet weekly unless an exception is made due to urgency or college breaks.
  • The agenda of the board meetings should be created by the President and presented to the board.
  • All meeting minutes will be made public for all members. 
  • If a member is interested in attending a board meeting for observation purposes, they should reach out to the ISA President. 

In these meetings:

  • The agenda of the upcoming general meetings should be formulated.
  • The success or failure of previous activities should be discussed.
  • Future activities should be planned and responsibilities for these activities should be assigned to the board members.
  • Discussion should cover issues and conflicts related to the functioning of the ISA.
  • The board should host town halls for general body members when making important decisions related to the ISA community as a whole.

General Meetings:

  • Open to everyone who shows interest.
  • The time and place of these meetings should be set by the Board and announced to all members.
  • The Board is responsible for food arrangements.
  • Agendas should be made by the President in consultation with the Board. 
  • Any last-minute additions to the agenda can be made by the President if prior consultation with the board is not possible.
  • Board members are responsible for encouraging and informing members of upcoming activities.
  • Members will be asked to voice their opinions and ideas on possible improvements in the functioning of the ISA.

Article VII – Administrative

  • At the start of every academic school year, the President shall revise the Constitution and determine if there is a need to make revisions. In the case of revisions, the whole board must participate, and the revised Constitution must be presented to the general body for a vote.
  • The constitution MUST be revised every 3 years, at a minimum.
  • In the case of adding a new clause, it must be approved by the entire board