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Constitution of the MIT Muslim Students’ Association (MITMSA)

Article I: Purpose

SECTION 1 – Goals

  1. To help campus Muslims in their practice of Islam and to non-intrusively provide a structure for self-improvement.
  2. To serve Muslims on campus by providing social outlets, academic opportunities, and spiritual growth, as well as outlets for intellectual exploration and Islamic learning.
    1. To extend, whenever possible and prudent, the MITMSA services and activities to Muslims in the greater Boston Area
  3. To make Islam better understood by the MIT community and to promote understanding between Muslims and other faiths at MIT.

SECTION 2 – Means

In order to reach its goals, the activities of the organization include, but are not limited to:

  1. Arranging religious activities including prayers, celebrations of Islamic occasions, meetings, and discussions.
  2. Organizing educational, social, and athletic activities involving both Muslims and people of other faiths.
  3. Extending help to Muslim students in pursuit of their educational and spiritual endeavors
  4. Making a library of books, periodicals, and audiovisual material accessible to all members.
  5. Issuing publications and statements on Islam or regarding issues of concern to Muslims.

Article II: Definitions

The following terms are used in this constitution and pertain to the organization:

Article III: Membership

SECTION 1 — Eligibility

SECTION 2 — Fees

All regular members are required to pay a membership fee. The amount of the fee is left to the discretion of the Executive Office. Only those eligible for Regular Membership and who have paid their membership fee shall be eligible to vote and to be nominated for any office in the Executive Committee.

Article IV: Executive Committee

SECTION 1 — Definition

The Executive Committee shall be the administrative body of the organization and is elected from among the Regular Membership of the organization. The Executive Committee must comprise MIT Students throughout their terms of service.

SECTION 2 — Composition

The Executive Committee shall consist of the following offices and their respective officer positions. Only one person shall be elected per position.

Office of the Executive

Service Office

Office of Events and Publicity

Office of Religious Events

SECTION 3 — Function and Powers of the Executive Committee

  1. The function of the Executive Committee shall be to discuss and deliberate on questions of general policy and to vote upon matters of executive policy to be presented by the President.
  2. The Executive Committee shall concisely present the annual budget at the first General Body meeting of each semester. Approval of the budget is left to the Executive Office, giving sincere credence to General Body and Executive Committee.
  3. The Executive Office shall be responsible for the interpretation of this constitution. Severe grievances against the Executive Office with respect to interpretation of the constitution or method of execution of their mandate may be put to a vote by any Executive Committee member, where a ¾ majority will secure overrule of the Executive Office.

SECTION 4 – Meetings and Voting

  1. The meetings of office chairs shall take place weekly, with the option to hold virtual meetings as necessary as long as attendance is taken and minutes are recorded.
  2. Informal meetings of committees shall take place weekly with the option for virtual meetings with the prior approval of the President or Vice-Consul.
  3. Executive Committee meetings shall be called by the secretary as necessary.
  4. Elections and votes with 30 or more Regular Members shall be considered a democratic forum in which each member including the President is entitled to one vote. In votes with fewer than 30 voting members, participant shall have one vote, except the President who shall have shall have 1/5 of all votes or 2 votes, whichever is more.
  5. Especially in the case of a tie in voting the President shall deliberate and sincerely consider any forthcoming advice.
  6. All decisions are by vote unless this constitution specifies the need for agreement, a particular officer’s authority, or some other means of decision making.
  7. An emergency vote may be called by an Executive Committee member to overrule a prior vote or decision in an Executive Committee meeting. A three fourths majority is needed to overrule and the president shall not have extra voting powers.

SECTION 5 — Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs in any office of the Executive Committee, it shall be filled by appointment. Appointment is based on simple agreement between the President and the relevant committee chair, with informal nominations and advice from the Executive Committee and General Body. If agreement cannot be reached, a vote will be put to the appropriate office subject to referendum by the Executive Committee. Vacancy of the President shall be filled by majority vote of the Executive Committee. Vacancy of any committee chair shall be filled by appointment, also of the President, subject to referendum by the committee.

SECTION 6 — Removal of Officers

Two negligent absences from any meeting (General Body meeting, Executive Committee, or Office Meeting) without prior approval of the meeting’s chairperson puts the absentee’s position on the Executive Committee in jeopardy. In this case, the absentee, the relevant chairperson, and the Executive Office, will decide whether the absences shall be excused or whether the absentee’s position shall be made vacant (and the absentee made a non-voting member-at-large of the executive committee for the remainder of the academic year).

SECTION 7 — Election of New Officers

  1. The General Secretary shall choose an election committee consisting of outgoing Executive Committee members. The secretary may opt to choose any outgoing voting member to be the moderator in consultation with the rest of the Executive Office.
  2. The date of the annual general/election meeting will be set by the Executive Office at the first Executive Office meeting of the semester in which elections will be held.
  3. Elections will, by default, be held during the spring term for academic year terms. The Executive Committee may alternately vote in favor of calendar year terms and fall semester elections.
  4. Non-Executive Office officers interested in continuing their positions may be re-elected by secret ballot referendum. If an officer loses their bid at re-election by referendum, there will be a secret-ballot majority election in which the officer is still eligible to run.
  5. To be elected to office in the case of a secret-ballot majority vote, the candidate must carry the votes of a majority of the regular members present and voting. In the event that no candidate has a majority, the candidate with the least number of votes shall be stricken from the ballot and a new vote taken.
  6. The outgoing and incoming Executive Committees shall work jointly for a period not to exceed eight weeks that shall be agreed upon by the outgoing and incoming Presidents.
  7. The new Executive Committee shall serve their offices for a total period of thirteen months or the next transition period, whichever happens first.
  8. Each officer shall submit a set of guidelines of their understanding for their respective positions signed by each member of their committee. The guidelines must be submitted to the president within two weeks of elections.

Article V: Functions of the Officers

SECTION 1 – The President

  1. Shall manage and coordinate the affairs of the organization.
  2. Shall preside at the meetings of the Executive Office, the Executive Committee, and the General Body or else specify a moderator from within the Executive Committee in the case of non-attendance.
  3. Shall be responsible for promotion of MITMSA activities and fulfillment of its objectives with the cooperation of the other members of the Executive Committee.
  4. Shall be authorized to appoint extra voting members-at-large to the executive committee as necessary, subject to the referendum of the Executive Committee and assent of the intended Office Chairperson.

SECTION 2 – The Vice President

  1. Shall assist the President in his duties and shall be the default moderator in case the President is absent and no moderator has been specified.

SECTION 3 – The General Secretary

  1. Shall be responsible for the records and files of the organization.
  2. Shall delegate or shall take on the responsibility for producing and archiving meeting minutes for all office, executive, and general meetings.
  3. Shall keep record of ongoing and upcoming MITMSA activities through any means (i.e. weekly bulletin and/or calendar) in order to inform the President and Vice President of organizational duties and potential office coordination.
  4. Shall call Executive Committee and General Body meetings as necessary.

SECTION 4 – The Treasurer

  1. Shall, with the sanction of the Executive Committee, administer the finances of the organization and shall have the power to receive and make payments in the name of the organization subject to periodic review by the Executive Office.
  2. Shall maintain records of all financial transactions of the organization.
  3. Shall make periodic and biennial reports of the finances of the organization to the Executive Committee.

SECTION 5 – The Social Coordinator

  1. Shall coordinate events including, but not limited to BBQ’s, Semester Inter-MSA Dinners, study breaks, and athletic events.
  2. Shall maintain open communication with MSAs in the Greater Boston area.

SECTION 6 – The Da’wah Coordinator

  1. Shall reinvent the “Da’wah Table” periodically if necessary in order to maintain public attention and interest.
  2. Shall strive to create Islam Awareness Periods (Islamic Awareness Day, Islamic Awareness Week) at public venues or particular dormitories.
  3. Shall procure Islamic awareness and Islamic knowledge material and maintain contact with editors and publishing houses as necessary.

SECTION 7 – The External Relations Officer

  1. Shall handle in a timely manner non-MITMSA inquiries that are directed to the Executive Committee email list.
  2. Shall work with the MITMSA officers to coordinate with outside and campus organizations.

SECTION 8 – The Musalla Officer

  1. Shall plan and oversee maintenance of the Musalla (prayer room) and the wuduu` (ablution) room. This includes short-term beautification efforts and cleanliness of the areas as well as long-term scouting for appropriate space: office space or other
    structural extensions to the Musalla space as necessary.
  2. Shall arrange Musalla furnishings, layout, and message posting.
  3. Shall be responsible for the schedule of events in the masjid and shall ensure that no schedule conflicts occur.
  4. Shall be responsible for enforcing Executive Committee policies regarding the use of the Musalla.
  5. Shall plan and oversee fast-breaking in the Musalla during Ramadan and as necessary.
  6. Shall collect mail.

SECTION 9 – The Alumni Relations Officer

  1. Shall maintain and expand the pool of active alumni who are interested in networking, reunion, and fundraising initiatives of the MITMSA.
  2. Shall work with the MIT Alumni Association and appropriate MIT offices to plan events with the MITMSA Alumni Association.
  3. Shall assist in the planning of alumni activities and fundraising events in coordination with the Office of Events and Publicity.

SECTION 10 – The Community Service Coordinator

  1. Shall maintain connections between MITMSA and campus service organizations, foremost the MIT Public Service Center.
  2. Shall organize and participate in regularly scheduled service trips to locations such as local shelters and soup kitchens.
  3. Shall organize special participation in one-time service events on and off-campus.

SECTION 11 – The Lecture/Event Coordinator

  1. Shall plan periodic lectures, securing speakers and venues at least two months ahead of the event. May also provide for impromptu lectures in addition to planned events.
  2. Shall track relevant lectures/events and, with the help of the General Secretary, Publicity Chair, and External Relations Chair, communicate these opportunities to the MITMSA.
  3. Shall organize Ramadan lectures and coordinate with the Musalla Officer to provide for Iftar during Ramadan as necessary.

SECTION 12 – The Publicity Chair

  1. Shall understand the policies for advertisement and shall coordinate with Institute-governed advertisement outlets.
  2. Shall assist all committees with the publicity aspects of their events including but not limited to designing posters, emailing, and reserving spaces for publicity purposes.
  3. Shall establish an advertising timeline for the committee events.

SECTION 13 – The Journalism Scout

  1. Shall write or assign writers for the Tech or other local media weekly (during the academic year), at least one week in advance of the editorial deadline. Shall stay abreast of world and local politics, economics, and events in keeping with this task. Writings on behalf of the MITMSA are subject to Executive Office review before the applicable editorial submission deadline.
  2. Shall procure writers and content contributors for an annual or biennial MITMSA literary production, each three pledges for contribution replacing the next week’s written piece as described in 1) above. Shall coordinate with the Lecture/Event Coordinator to find noted contributors to write for the literary production, pursuant to this item.
  3. Shall pay special attention to local and campus media with an eye for useful or unusual articles towards stimulating dialogue within the MITMSA.

SECTION 14 – The Halaqa Organizers

  1. Shall coordinate no later than one month in advance in order to provide leaders and content for periodic halaqas and opportunities for Islamic learning for both genders.
  2. Shall plan content and invite speakers from community MITMSA members, local activists, and MIT alumni.
  3. Shall coordinate with the General Secretary and the Lecture/Event Coordinator in order to invite prominent Muslims to lead halaqas.

SECTION 15 – The Chaplain Liaison

  1. Shall, with the help of the Office of Religious Events and the Publicity Chair, coordinate with religious groups and interfaith organizers to assure MITMSA participation in interfaith events.
  2. Shall support the MITMSA Imam in scheduling Friday Prayer speakers as far in advance as possible.
  3. Shall assist the Imam and work with the Da’wah Coordinator in order to provide for chaplain-sponsored events.
  4. Shall join W11-Religious Center committees as necessary to support the chaplain or advocate for the MITMSA.
  5. Shall coordinate with the Imam and the General Secretary to track important submission, reservation, and request deadlines pertaining to the chaplain position.

SECTION 16 – The International Development Coordinator

  1. Shall work with campus international development initiatives to promote development, especially in poverty stricken nations and in the Muslim World.
  2. Shall work with the Events and Publicity Office to promote international development on MIT campus and in the Greater Boston area.

SECTION 17 – Webmaster

  1. Shall maintain and update the contents of the MITMSA website including the calendar and events page, coordinating with the Office of Events and Publicity as necessary.
  2. Shall redesign and update the graphics and layout of the website as necessary.
  3. Content changes made by the Webmaster are subject to approval by the Executive Committee.

Article VI: Office Functions

SECTION 1 – Bureaucracy

Each office shall elect a chair for the year by vote, except for the Executive Office, which is chaired by the President. If there is a tie or if two or more officers abstain from the election, the President shall appoint a chair. The committee chair position may be
reassigned at any time by majority vote of the Executive Office, at the behest of an office or an office chairperson, or for any other reason.

SECTION 2 – Responsibility

  1. The officers composing any office are collectively responsible for that office’s success. It is incumbent on every officer to collaborate, take on extra tasks, or provide volunteers to help in the office’s tasks insofar as any other officer within the office seems to need assistance.
  2. The offices composing the Executive Committee are collectively responsible for the success of the MITMSA. It is incumbent upon office chairs to coordinate the sharing of human resources between offices or to coordinate the recruitment of extra volunteers as necessary.
  3. The Office Chairs are required to submit a biweekly review of their office to the Executive Office at least biweekly. The report, though informal, must at least include a comparison of officers’ adherence to all components of their constitutional mandate.

SECTION 3 – Members At Large

  1. Shall assist their Office and the Executive Committee on the whole with projects,
    planning, and communication and act as voting support staff.
  2. The number of Members at Large is left to the discretion of the President and their home-office is left to the discretion of the Executive Office.

Article VII: General Meetings

SECTION 1 — Definition

A general meeting is a business/organizational meeting of the MITMSA in which the General Assembly of the organization is invited to discuss, deliberate, and vote upon affairs related to the organization. The General Assembly consists of all membership classifications.

SECTION 2 — Rules for Calling a General Meeting

  1. General meetings shall be called by the General Secretary at the behest of the Executive Office. General meetings shall be held a minimum of once a semester.
  2. For any general meeting, the members must be notified immediately after the first Executive Office meeting of each semester and periodically thereafter as organized by the Publicity Chair. This is excepting situations of unavoidable postponement.
  3. Emergency meetings shall be called by the General Secretary, subject to the concurrence of the President, at any time with at least twenty-four hours notice.

SECTION 3 — Rules of Order

  1. The President is the chairman of the general meeting and shall recognize a member before the member provides input.
  2. The Executive Office shall agree on an agenda for the General Assembly up to a week in advance of the meeting and the President will take reasonable additions at the time of the meeting, providing that time permits.

SECTION 4 — Quorum and Voting

  1. Thirty regular members or half of the Regular Membership, whichever is less, not including the Executive Office, shall constitute a quorum.
  2. Each regular member shall have one vote, except the President who shall have votes totaling 1/5 the membership attendance or two votes, whichever is more.
  3. Only regular members who are present at the time of a vote may vote.
  4. In case of a tie, the President may ask for further discussion and a second vote, in which the President receives only one vote. If the second round of voting ends in a tie, the President may make an executive decision about the case.
  5. A simple majority vote of the regular members present and voting shall determine the vote on any matter except revisions or amendments to the constitution and removal of officers.

Article VIII — Constitutional Amendments and Revisions

SECTION 1 — Requirements

Any amendment of the constitution must not violate:

  1. Any laws in Islam as derived from the Qur’an or authentic sayings of Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
  2. Any rules or regulations of MIT.
  3. Any laws or rules of the MIT Association of Student Activities.

SECTION 2 — Procedure

  1. The proposal for an amendment or revision must be made in writing by at least one of the regular members.
  2. The proposal for the amendment or revision must be circulated among all the regular members one week prior to a general meeting.
  3. The amendment or revision must be approved by two-thirds majority vote of the regular members present and voting at a general meeting.
  4. The amended and ratified constitution immediately supersedes the previous constitution.

Last updated on November 30, 2008