MBAA Constitution

Preamble
We, the members of The MBA Association, in order to improve the full-time Robert H. Smith MBA community, enhance the overall experience for its students, and maximize the value of the Robert H. Smith brand, establish this Constitution of the MBA Association.

Article I- Name
The name of the organization is The MBA Association, henceforth referred to as the MBAA or the Organization. The governing body of the MBAA is The MBA Association Board, henceforth referred to as the Officers or the Board.

Article II- Purpose
The MBAA is established for the express purpose of furthering the needs of the Robert H. Smith MBA student body.

In so doing, the MBAA is charged with, but not limited to:

  1. Encouraging and facilitating communication and social interaction among MBA students, faculty and administration in the R.H. Smith MBA program;
  2.  Promoting and enhancing the reputation of the R.H. Smith MBA program;
  3.  Enhancing the educational experience and professional development of all members; and
  4.  Managing resources to promote MBAA-recognized clubs.

In order to accomplish these efforts, the MBAA shall work in conjunction with sponsored clubs. Additionally, the MBAA understands and is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities of abiding by University of Maryland policies.

Article III- Membership
Active membership shall be limited to persons officially connected with the University of Maryland as students. Students enrolled on a part-time or full-time basis in the fall, spring, or summer semesters are eligible for membership. In addition, the following requirement is necessary to constitute active membership:

  1. Payment in full of financial obligations as determined by the Officers

The MBAA openly admits students to its membership and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, nationality, sex or sexual orientation.

Article IV- Officers
The MBAA will be governed by the following officers:

  1. An elected President will preside over all meetings of the Board. The President shall maintain the power to appoint all committee chairpersons, shall present all motions to the body present, and shall be present at no less than 75 percent of all meetings of the Officers. Additionally, while the President has the final authority to act on behalf of the MBAA, his/her decision may be overruled by a 2/3 majority of the Officers. Lastly, the President shall attend necessary R.H. Smith MBA meetings as determined by the Organization. The President will be elected in February.
  2. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Executive Vice President. The Executive Vice President’s duties shall be to preside over all meetings and functions that the President cannot attend, act as the MBAA-recognized clubs’ advocate on the Board, communicate the Board’s desires to the MBAA-recognized clubs, and act as the President’s chief advisor. The Executive Vice President will also be responsible for submitting the MBAA’s registration renewal with the Office of Campus Activities annually during the spring semester. The Executive Vice President will be elected in February.
  3. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Vice President of Finance, whose duties will be to handle all dues and accounts. Secondly, the Vice President of Finance shall preside over the Finance Council, whose objective is to develop the MBAA-recognized clubs’ budgets. In addition, the Vice President of Finance will be responsible for presenting the Financial State of the MBAA to the membership once a semester and for updating MBAA financial guidelines annually. The Vice President of Finance will be elected in February.
  4. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Vice President of Marketing and Communications who will be responsible for organizational communications. In addition, the Vice President of Marketing shall be responsible for the announcement of all MBAA meetings. The Vice President of Marketing will be elected in February.
  5. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Vice President of External Relations who will act as a liaison between the student body and the external relations office. The Vice President of External Relations will be responsible for meeting monthly with external relations and alumni representatives, as well as for coordinating MBAA events and initiatives with the offices of external relations and alumni affairs. The Vice President of External Relations will be elected 2nd Semester.
  6. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Vice President of Community Development who will create and manage all MBAA community events. The Vice President of Community Development will be responsible for creating event themes and timelines, as well as managing logistics and securing event volunteers. The Vice President of Community Development will be elected in February.
  7. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Vice President of Professional Development who will work with the Office of Career Management to help tailor programming and external efforts to better meet the needs of MBA students. The Vice President of Professional Development will be elected 2nd Semester.
  8. The MBAA shall also maintain an elected Vice President of Student Affairs who will work with the Masters’ Program Office to create orientation and academic initiatives that foster a sense of community in the program. The Vice President of Student Affairs will be elected in November.
  9. The MBAA shall also maintain elected Track Representatives. Each first-year track will elect two representatives to act as liaisons between that class and the MBAA. Track Representatives shall attend all MBAA meetings and shall communicate any pertinent information from the MBAA, faculty, staff or alumni to their classmates. The Track Representatives will be elected in September.

Article V- Operations

  1. Voting Eligibility
    Those members meeting all requirements of active membership as set forth in Article III shall be granted voting privileges in elections.
  2. Election Process
    All officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the eligible voting members of the Organization. All elections will be held on an annual basis with all officers elected in the spring semester, with the exception of the VP of Student Affairs. All voting shall be done by secret, electronic ballot.
  3. Removal of Officers
    Any officer of the MBAA in violation of the Organization’s purpose or constitution may be removed from office by the following process:
    1. First, a written request of removal signed by at least three members of the Organization must be presented to the Board
    2. Second, written notification of the request must be presented to the officer in question, asking the officer to be present at the next Board meeting and to be prepared to offer a verbal explanation to any members who choose to attend.
    3. If a majority of Board vote to continue with the procedure then
    4. A meeting will be convened with the Organization and a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the attending membership is necessary to remove the officer.
  4. Organization Meetings
    All meetings will occur on at least a semester basis at a time and place selected by the Board. Notification of the time and place of said meetings shall be accessible to all Organization members. Meetings shall follow an agenda set by the President.

    Minutes for each meeting shall be kept by the Executive Vice President.

    Communications regarding the announcement of all meetings shall be the responsibility of the VP of Marketing and Communications.

    In addition, at least one time per semester, the VP of Finance shall present the financial state of the MBAA to Organization members at one of the said meetings.
  5. Officer Meetings
    Officers of the MBAA shall meet at least on a weekly basis as determined by the Officers at the time.

Article VI- Finances
The MBAA will finance its activities and the sponsorship of MBAA-recognized clubs through the following means:

  1. Membership dues (appropriate amount set by the Board);
  2. MPO funds; and
  3. Fundraising activities and sponsorships in accordance with all University of Maryland policies.

Article VII – MBAA-Recognized Club Responsibilities
All MBAA-recognized clubs must have a charter, readily viewable by its members, which at a minimum must address the following issues:

  1. Stated purpose of the club
  2. Membership criteria and rights
  3. Club officer roles and responsibilities
  4. Officer election process
  5. How to amend the charter

Additionally, the MBAA-recognized clubs must ensure a fair and equitable election for their officer positions, and as such may not amend their charter from the first day of spring semester until completion of their election process. This provision should be noted in each club’s charter.

In order to ensure full participation and representation in the MBAA, all MBAA-recognized clubs shall require that the Club President position be held by a full-time R.H. Smith student.

Article VIII- Amendments
This constitution is binding to all members of The MBAA. However, the constitution is not binding unto itself. Changes to the constitution require the following steps and may not be made from the beginning of spring semester through the end of the Officer election process:

  1. Amendment(s) to the constitution may be proposed in writing by any voting member of The MBAA at any Board meeting at which over two-thirds (2/3) of the Officers are present.
  2. The proposed amendment(s) must then carry a simple majority vote by the Board in order to proceed for further consideration.
  3. The Board approved amendment(s) will be, at the discretion of the President, brought before a quorum of the MBAA-recognized club presidents and/or the entire MBAA membership. A quorum shall consist of twenty five percent (25%) or more of the MBAA-recognized club presidents or Organization membership. The amendment will become effective following approval by a simple majority.

Article IX- Registration Renewal
The MBAA will apply to the Office of Campus Programs for registration on an annual basis one month after The MBAA’s new officer elections. Responsibility for submitting the said Registration Renewal lies with the Executive Vice President as stated in Article IV, Section 4.