Thursday 13 October 2011

An International Student Association Provides Resources For Foreign Students

By Michelle Conner


International Student Associations were created to provide international students with a resource that can help them adjust to a different environment, bridge cultural gaps, and maintain a connect with their heritage while on foreign grounds. These associations are offered to students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate schools. Association guidelines vary from university to university. Some, however, are governed by official bylaws.

Some International Student Associations do not work under the doctrine of bylaws. This does not have to remain the case. Anyone within an Association can draft bylaws and submit to the officers to review and vote to adopt. Some of these associations may not utilize bylaws because no one ever attempted to write them. By following a few guidelines, you can draft an official document for your Association that can be used for the next incoming students. Staying well informed with the most up to date information about online graduate school will help with your journey.

The foundation of any set of bylaws is the Mission Statement. The mission statement indicates the association's goals and objectives, and the bylaws are details of how the membership and officers plan to carry them out. Consequently, it is imperative that the association has a mission statement in place before writing bylaws. If there is no mission statement, seek permission from the officers to write a draft version for their approval.

Once you have a mission statement in place, you can concentrate on membership eligibility requirements. All associations have some form of eligibility requirements, which are used to accept or refuse a candidate. It is also a good idea to outline non-discrimination policies within this section. If you do some research, you will find that typically International Student Associations do not bar candidates that are of a different societal group from membership. However, if this is one of the eligibility requirements, be sure it is listed.

Along with eligibility guidelines, there should also be expulsion regulations. Avoid writing this section using vague and ambiguous text. This information should be clear and definitive, so that if used, it can stand on merit. Be specific as to who are the official parties involved with removing members and detailed procedures associated with membership termination.

Your bylaws should entail a complete listing of all of the officers of the association. This refers to titles like president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and/or other emeritus status officers. Within this section, also include officer nomination, voting, and election procedures. It is very important that you take time to write out all of the steps associated with the election process so that all members are familiar with the procedure. This section could also include policies regarding officer's terms, resignation, and termination. Researching how online master degree programs will help you, is a smart move.

It is highly recommended that you include an overview of the officer's duties and responsibilities. If you are not familiar with the general responsibilities of your officers, check the Internet for standard descriptions. Roles and responsibilities help to maintain transparency, especially for officers that have the fiduciary responsibilities, and keep each officer accountable to the association and each other.




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