The constitution of the
Japanese Association of MIT
Effective April
9th, 2004
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall
be the Japanese Association of MIT (JAM).
Article II. Purpose
The principal objectives of this
organization are:
- to represent the interests
of MIT students, faculty, and staff who have affiliation
with Japan, both within and outside the MIT community,
- to foster friendship and information
exchange among people who are interested in Japan,
Japanese language, and Japanese culture, and
- to initiate and coordinate
activities within and outside MIT to cultivate understanding
of Japanese culture and society.
Article III. Membership
Membership is open to all members
of the MIT community as well as to those who are not officially
affiliated with MIT but are interested in achieving the
objectives of JAM as stated in Article II. This organization
will not discriminate based on any characteristics listed
in MIT's Non-Discrimination Statement. At least five of
the membership shall consist of MIT students, and at least
half of the membership shall consist of members of the
MIT community. One is considered a member of this organization
when his/her application form has been received by the
Executive Committee. The membership must be renewed every
academic year.
Article IV. Officers
The officers of JAM consist of a
president, one or more vice presidents, treasurer, and
other officers as necessary. The president, vice president(s),
and treasurer must be officially affiliated with MIT.
The term of office expires at the end of each academic
year, with possibility for renewal.
Section 1. Duties
- The president shall be the
official representative of JAM. The president calls
and presides over Executive Committee meetings and
General Assembly meetings.
- The vice president(s) shall
assist the president, and shall act on the president's
behalf when delegated by the president.
- The treasurer shall be responsible
for the finances of JAM, and shall keep accounts of
all incomes and expenses.
Section 2. Selection of Officers
Any member of JAM is eligible for
office; however, the president and treasurer must be distinct
MIT students. At the December General Assembly meeting
there will be an announcement to call upon prospective
officers for the following year. Prospective officers
will be encouraged to attend Exectutive Committee meetings.
At the end of each academic year the Executive Committee
shall select officers for the following year by a majority
vote of those present and voting. Quorum for the vote
shall be one-half of the members of the Executive Committee.
The appointment of these officers remains provisional
until the September General Assembly meeting, at which
time the appointment of officers for the new academic
year must be approved by a majority vote of those present
and voting at the General Assembly meeting. The Executive
Committee may appoint additional officers as necessary,
which must be approved at the next General Assembly meeting.
Section 3. Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy in the
office of the president, the vacancy will be filled by
the first available officer in the order specified in
Article IV, Section 1. In the event of a vacancy in any
other office, the president shall appoint a temporary
replacement, subject to ratification by a majority vote
of the Executive Committee. The vacancy will be filled
at the next General Assembly meeting by a majority vote.
Section 4. Removal
Officers may be removed by a two-thirds
majority vote of the Executive Committee, followed by
a two-thirds majority vote of the members present and
voting at a General Assembly meeting.
Article V. The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be
the administrative body of JAM. The Executive Committee
consists of all JAM officers, each having one vote. Decisions
concerning JAM, including allocations, activities, and
schedule, are made at Executive Committee meetings, which
are held approximately once in two months. Quorum for
Executive Committee meetings is one half of the officers.
Any JAM member may participate in discussions at Executive
Committee meetings as a non-voting participant. Each decision
requires a majority vote of those present and voting.
In the case of an emergency, the president shall make
any necessary decisions. In that case, the action taken
must be approved at the next Executive Committee meeting.
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the interpretation
of this constitution and the enactment of the policies
of JAM. Any decision made by the Executive Committee may
be subject to appeal to the full voting JAM membership,
if such an appeal is requested by a written petition signed
by at least ten JAM members. A two-thirds majority of
the members present and voting is required to overturn
the decision of the Executive Committee.
Article VI. General Assembly
Meetings
General Assembly meetings shall be
held at least twice a year (September and December). Approval
by the General Assembly is required for the appointment
of the president and other officers, as specified in Article
IV, Section 2, and amendment of this constitution, as
specified in Article VII.
Article VII. Amendments
Amendments to this Constitution may
be presented by any member of JAM. The text of any amendment
must be distributed with the agenda for the meeting at
which the amendment is to be considered. The amendment
requires a two-thirds majority vote of those present and
voting at the Executive Committee meeting, followed by
a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting
at the General Assembly meeting. Quorum for amending this
constitution is one-third of all members of JAM.
Article VIII. Application
When common sense dictates that the
application of any provision of this constitution would
contradict the purpose of JAM as stated in Article II,
the spirit, rather than the letter, of this constitution
shall govern its interpretation.
Article IX. ASA God Clause
The Japanese Association of MIT agrees
to abide by the rules and regulations of the Association
of Student Activities (ASA), and its executive board.
This constitution, amendments to it, and the by-laws of
this organization shall be subject to review by the ASA
Executive Board to insure that they are in accordance
with the aforementioned rules and regulations.
Article X. Ratification
This constitution shall supersede
all previous constitutions of JAM. This constitution shall
be ratified upon acceptance by two-thirds of the members
present and voting at the December 1996 JAM General Assembly
meeting. Upon ratification, this constitution shall go
into effect immediately.
Ratified 11/19/96 by
the JAM Executive Committee
Ratified 12/06/96 by the JAM General Assembly
Amendment ratified 04/02/04 by the JAM Executive Committee
Amendment ratified 04/09/04 by the JAM General Assembly
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