Wayne State University Association of Chinese Faculty and Staff (WSU-ACFS)

ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Wayne State University Association of Chinese Faculty and Staff (WSU-ACFS) shall be open to Wayne State University faculty, staff and allies, regardless of their country of origin or citizenship.

ARTICLE II. MISSION

1. WSU-AFCS is a non-profit, non-political organization for professional activities. The mission of the association includes the following objectives.
2. To promote interaction among its members and to promote the interests of its members.
3. To exchange ideas on how to thrive at Wayne State University and how to excel as an educator, researcher, and community contributor.
4. To enhance the communication between the Chinese faculty community, university leadership, and other faculty groups on campus.
5. To serve as a support network for the university’s mission and affairs.
6. To promote academic and cultural exchange between the Chinese community and other ally communities.

ARTICLE III. OFFICERS AND AUTHORITIES

The association is governed by an executive committee, which consists of a president, a president-elect, a secretary/treasurer, a communications officer, and seven representatives across campus. Executive Committee (EC) members are all volunteers and shall receive no financial compensation for their services.

The president or her/his appointed substitute shall represent the association in association affairs. The president, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall have the authority to appoint ad hoc committees to undertake specific tasks. A current voting member shall be required to volunteer and participate in at least one committee, which can be chosen when joining the association.

The president-elect shall become the president when the term of the current president expires. In the event that the president cannot complete his/her term, the president-elect shall take over the duties of the president for the remaining term, before serving as the president. In the case that an Executive Committee member (except for the president-elect) cannot complete his/her term, the president can appoint a replacement within 30 days.

The treasurer will maintain the association’s financial account according to the rules established by the Executive Committee and will submit a financial report annually. The treasurer shall also serve as the Secretary of the association and will maintain the membership list. 

The communications officer shall be responsible for the association’s communication-related tasks, including maintaining and further developing the website (to be established), as well as posting relevant news and announcements to the website.

The Executive Committee shall have the authority to set the association’s agenda.

The Executive Committee can overrule the president by a simple majority vote. The association can overrule the Executive Committee by a simple majority vote at a general meeting with at least two-thirds of all association members present. The Executive Committee shall have the right to interpret the bylaws of the WSU-ACFS, subject to amendments by a vote of members. 

Members of the Executive Committee shall serve for a term of two years. There is no restriction on how many terms members of EC can serve. A new EC member who replaces a previous EC member whose term is not complete yet will not abide by the two-year term requirement. His/her term ends on Dec. 31 of the election year. 

ARTICLE IV. ELECTION

The term of the president, the president-elect, the secretary/treasurer, the communications officer, and each of the representatives is two years, from Jan. 1 of the first year to Dec. 31 of the second year. Any member can nominate other members or self-nominate as a candidate for election. Nominations for the new president-elect and other Executive Committee members shall be made to the president.

The election will be monitored by a three-person Election Committee and its chair, both to be appointed by the president. The Election Committee members shall not be on the ballot and shall not have conflicts of interest. The Election Committee shall verify the eligibility and availability of the nominees and make detailed rules for the election according to the bylaws and approved by the Executive Committee. The call for nomination shall be at least 30 days before the election. The announcement of nominations shall be made at least seven days before the election. Each association member shall cast one vote for the president-elect, and one vote for each open position on the ballot. 

The person who receives the largest number of votes shall be elected. In case of a tie between two leading candidates, the President shall cast the tie-breaking vote.

The election shall take place in the first two weeks of November in each election year either at a general meeting or by email/online. Email or absentee ballots must be received before the deadline to be counted.

The election results will be posted on the official website at the end of the election weeks. 

ARTICLE V. DUES

The membership dues shall be established by the Executive Committee annually.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

The association shall hold at least one general meeting of its members each year.  The meeting shall be chaired by the president of WSU-ACFS. Motions may be proposed before the meeting via electronic communication. Meeting minutes shall be disseminated to and approved by all the members by a simple majority vote in a timely fashion. The Executive Committee Members should prepare annual reports and have them delivered at the general member meeting. Other general meetings may be scheduled by the Executive Committee. Furthermore, the written petition may be made to the Executive Committee by at least five association members to request a call for a General Meeting.   

ARTICLE VII. APPROVAL AND AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS.

These bylaws shall take immediate effect after they are approved by two-thirds votes of members present at the inaugural general meeting. Upon approval of these bylaws, the ACFS will be established. Amendments to the bylaws must be proposed jointly by at least five association members. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Executive Committee in writing. The proposed amendments shall be discussed by association members and then decided by a simple majority of all members. The president shall break any tie vote.