The Constitution of the Islamic Society of Boston University
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Drafted on May 12th, 2015. Edited April 1st, 2019.
| Article I. | Name |
| The name of this organization is the Islamic Society of Boston University (ISBU). | |
| Article II. | Mission |
| The Islamic Society of Boston University strives to aid its members in practicing their faith, to establish a sense of unity among Muslim brothers and sisters at Boston University and beyond, and to disseminate accurate information about Islam among students and staff with the ultimate goal of pleasing Allah (God). Ultimately, ISBU aims to engage with the broader community at BU in a social and spiritual context in accordance with Islamic values.
ISBU sponsors various activities throughout the year in an effort to reach these aforementioned goals. These include Friday prayers, Weekly Halaqaat (discussions), Iftars and Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan, as well as various other academic, spiritual/religious, and social events. ISBU strives to organize joint events with other ethnic, cultural, and religious organizations at BU, which includes delving into thought-provoking discussions or building connections for future initiatives during and beyond the members’ time at BU. |
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| Article III. | Membership |
| Section 1: Membership | The membership of the organization shall consist of Active Members and General Members. In accordance with University policies, there will be no discrimination on the basis of race, religion, political views, sexual orientation, nationality, handicap, sex, etc. Membership will not be contingent upon any of these factors. Only Active Members shall have the right to vote or hold office. |
| Section 2: Active Members | Active Members shall be undergraduate students at Boston University who have attended at least two events (excluding Friday prayer) held by the organization in a school year. Active Members shall agree to abide by the rules of this constitution. |
| Section 3: General Members | General Members shall be any person who wishes to be part of the organization including graduate students, community members and undergraduates who have attended less than two events. General Members shall agree to abide by the rules of this constitution, but cannot vote in elections. |
| Article IV. | Officers and Executive Committee |
| President | The President provides leadership to the Executive Board and the entire Islamic Society. The President will set the vision, strategy, and goals for both the fall and spring semesters. Responsibilities include: running Executive Board and general meetings, building relationships with BU administration, maintaining connection between ISBU and BU Graduate School MSA, and providing for the general Islamic community at Boston University. The President also delegates tasks to other members as well drafting meeting agendas and making sure they are met. He/She must also stay in contact with the advisor. |
| Vice President | In addition to supporting and advising the President, the Vice President will oversee and follow up on any committees the general body chooses to have for the semester. He/She will provide a more cohesive vision and structure for ISBU’s goals, oversee progress of all programs and events, and ensure any conflicts that arise within the Islamic Society are resolved through a unified community. They also oversee the progress of every board member to ensure deadlines are met. The Vice President shall preside over meetings in the absence of the President. |
| Secretary | The Secretary will be responsible for taking notes during Executive Board and general body meetings, and the overall organization and communication of the Islamic Society. The Secretary must also manage the ISBU email account by responding to questions, adding new members to email list, and condensing announcements into a weekly newsletter. He/She will also reserve venues for ISBU meetings and events, and ensure that all necessary paperwork for events is submitted according to SAO guidelines. |
| Treasurer | The Treasurer will attend allocation meetings during the semester if there is a special request. They will follow both Student Activities Office and Allocation Board procedures as set by the University. He/She will submit funding requests and event descriptions for anything ISBU requests money for. He/She will deal with SAO in regards to any paperwork having to do with money (ex: purchase orders, check requests). The Treasurer should remain conscious of the group’s account balance and ensure adequate funds are available for the upcoming semesters. He/She will keep an excel spreadsheet of financial transactions occurring throughout the year. |
| Public Relations Chair | The Public Relations Chair is responsible for updating the website as well as keeping active all ISBU social media accounts, making flyers if not allocating that responsibility to others, and making Facebook events in a timely manner. He/She must also respond to messages in and manage the FB messages inbox. He/She is the head of advertising of all programs and events and must keep the community updated on them. |
| Sisters Religious Chair | The Sisters Religious Chair is responsible for working with the Chaplain to organize bi-weekly halaqas and anything she feels will benefit the community. She is also in charge of working with the Brothers’ Religious Chair, and committee if deemed necessary, to accommodate all the religious needs of the organization. She will acquire and provide Islamic resources for members and non-members alike. |
| Brothers Religious Chair | The Brothers Religious Chair is responsible for working with the Chaplain to organize bi-weekly halaqas and anything he feels will benefit the community. He is also in charge of working with the Sisters’ Religious Chair, and committee if deemed necessary, to accommodate all the religious needs of the organization. He will acquire and provide Islamic resources for members and non-members alike. |
| Sisters Social Chair | The Sisters Social Chair is responsible for organizing social events for the Islamic Society, with the help of a committee if deemed necessary, to locate and contact new sisters and aid in community building and fostering a strong sense of sisterhood among the members of the organization. She must organize at least two social events per semester. She must be in contact with and build relationships with other student organizations and MSAs, and have knowledge of their events and programs. |
| Brothers Social Chair | The Brothers Social Chair is responsible for organizing social events for the Islamic Society, with the help of a committee if deemed necessary, to locate and contact new brothers and aid in community building and fostering a strong sense of brotherhood among the members of the organization. Must organize at least two social events per semester. He must be in contact with and build relationships with other student organizations and MSAs, and have knowledge of their events and programs. He is also in charge of staying in contact with Brother Ibrahim for Jummah Prayers. |
| Article V. | Nomination and Election Procedures |
| Section 1: Term of Office | The term of the Executive Board members shall be one year, beginning immediately after the conclusion of the previous academic year and ending immediately at the end of that academic year for which they were nominated. One can only have an Executive Board position of President, Vice President, Secretary and/or Treasurer for three years. |
| Section 2: Nominations | The Executive Committee shall solicit by email from the General Membership for nominations for elected officers at least two weeks prior to election day. The email will outline the election procedures listed below. The nomination period will be one week long. Only Active Members will be eligible for nomination. Self-nominations will be accepted. Acceptances of nominations will be due 48 hours after emails are sent out to nominees. Students studying abroad during election day have the opportunity to run for an Executive Board position. |
| Section 3: Qualifications to Run | To run for President, one must have previously been a member of the ISBU Executive Board for one year. To run for Vice President one must have had at least one year of a Executive Board experience at BU. To run for any other position, one must be an active member who exhibits qualities needed for the specific position based on the description and duties above. |
| Section 4: Written Statement and Speech | Nominees must submit a short statement outlining their qualifications and leadership experience. The statement shall not exceed a length of 2 minutes and will be sent out by email to the general body 48 hours before elections and will be presented at elections. All candidates must give a speech. |
| Section 5: Absentee Ballot | If an Active Member cannot attend the Elections night due to legitimate reasons, he/she can submit an absentee ballot that will be sent to them on Election Day by the Executive Board. |
| Section 6: Vote Counting | Voting must be done through an electronic system and displayed to all attendees of Election Day. The previous President will announce the results. |
| Section 7: Vacancy Elections | In the event of a vacated Executive Board position, the person with the second highest amount of votes for that position will take the vacant seat. |
| Section 8: Training Period | The outgoing Executive Board shall train and advise the newly elected Executive Board. Specific advice and suggestions shall be passed on verbally and/or in writing during this period. |
| Article VI. | Meetings |
| Section 1: Executive Board Meetings | There will be weekly meetings held by the Executive Board on a day and time of the week every Executive Board member can meet. It is mandatory for Executive Board members to attend these meetings, unless a valid excuse is given at least 12 hours prior to the meeting. |
| Section 2: General Body Meetings | There will be at least 2-3 general body meetings per semester that act as a community forum, facilitated by Executive Board members. These meetings can be paired with regular meetings. |
| Article VII. | Office |
| The Islamic Society shall maintain its office at 775 Commonwealth Avenue in Room 242. | |
| Article VIII. | Ratification and Amendments |
| Ratifications and amendments will be proposed by the serving Executive Board. The constitution shall be ratified or amended by greater than 50% of the active members at a general body meeting. The transition period (training period) acts as an exception in that eboard can review the constitution during that time. | |
| Article IX. | Conflict Resolution |
| Section 1: General Conduct | Members of the organization shall strive to remain on good terms with one another in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood espoused by Islam. |
| Section 2: Independent Arbitration | Independent arbitration should be used as a last resort; all other reasonable avenues should be exhausted to correct disputes. The Independent Arbitrator shall be the Chaplain. |
| Article X. | Chaplain |
| Section 1: Chaplaincy Role | TBD |
And all praise is for Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad.
Islamic Society of Boston University 