The Constitution of the
Washington State University
MBA Association



ARTICLE I: Purpose

     The MBA Association is established as a student and service organization to aid its members in career placement and to provide its members a social framework. The Association will achieve this purpose through an organized working environment which attracts the finest people, fully develops and challenges our individual talents; encourages our free and spirited collaboration to drive the business ahead; and maintains the Association's principles of integrity and doing the job right. Through the successful pursuit of our commitment, we expect our members upon curriculum completion to achieve leadership positions and that; as a result, the MBA Association and Washington State University will prosper.

ARTICLE II: Membership

     Member qualification is attained by official acceptance in the MBA Program, attendance and participation in meetings or MBAA activities and formal enrollment and registration as a student at Washington State University. The MBA Association is open to all Washington State University students regardless of race, religion, sex, color, national or ethnical origin, age, marital status or handicap.

ARTICLE III: Funding

     The MBA Association shall be a self-supporting organization. All funding will be acquired through the organized efforts of current members in sponsored fund-raising projects or through voluntary contributions and other funding support.

ARTICLE IV: Governing

  • Section 1: Executive Council
    • The formal MBA Executive Council governing body shall consist of the elected President, Vice President, Treasurer, and all elected Officers. (Responsibilities defined in ARTICLE VIII).

  • Section 2: MBA Association Council
    • The members of the MBAA Council shall consist of The Executive Council, Committee Members, and all those attending MBA meetings.

  • Section 3: Elected Officers
    • The President and the Vice President are elected by the members of the MBA Association. The President and Vice President are elected in April of each year, and they serve in those positions until the spring or fall semester after election. All other officers will be elected in the second week of fall semester. (See Election Process - ARTICLE VI).

  • Section 4: Selected Committee Members
    • Each Officer will appoint committee members to support and assist as needed. All Committee Member assignments will be reported to the next possible Council Meeting (Responsibilities ARTICLE X).

ARTICLE V:

     The MBA President will form and facilitate a relationship with the President of the GPSA. It will be his/her responsibility to oversee the Senators selected to represent the MBA. GPSA meetings should be attended by the both the President and student Senators to encourage activity and participation within the GPSA, foster relationships and gather information.

     SENATOR SELECTION: Based on the number allocated to represent the MBA to the GPSA, that number of students will be announced to the student body and those students will be selected by a quorum in attendance at the earliest MBA Association meeting.

ARTICLE VI:

     In April and the second week of fall semester the Executive Vice President will begin conducting the election process. The process schedule is:

  1. Announcing collection of nominations:
    • The Vice President will announce the time for nominations to be made and collected (for at least one week). Nominees can be self-nominated or by peers.

  2. Confirming each nominee:
    • Upon collection of nominations, each nominee will need to be contacted to inquire if they meet the time requirements for two remaining semesters and if they indeed agree to be on the ballot.

  3. Personal bios from each candidate:
    • A brief (no more than one-page) personal bio should be collected from each candidate and announced, emailed and/or posted for students to learn about each candidate.

  4. Opening the elections:
    • A formal announcement will be made to all MBA students who the nominees are and elections shall remain open for at least seven days.

  5. Collecting Votes:
    • The votes will be collected by email or ballot collection with only one vote being cast by each individual in the MBA Association.

  6. Closing the elections:
    • A formal announcement should be made as the elections come to a close. On the seventh day after the elections were open, the Executive Council will then collect and count all votes. All three Council members must agree on the ballot count outcome.

  7. Announcing the new Officers:
    • Once the winners have been selected, the Vice President will let the candidates know the winners and then make the formal announcement to the entire student body.

  8. ONLY ONE CANDIDATE ON BALLOT:
    • If in the chance there is only one candidate on the ballot, that students cannot assume the President and Vice President position without a vote of confidence from other MBA Association students. Such vote will be conducted from those present in the MBA Association meeting when vote of confidence is taken. For a single candidate on the ballot to take office of the Vice President, there needs to be at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes affirming the confidence from those in the MBA Association. The President wil not vote unless there is a tie, in which case he will be the tie breaker.

ARTICLE VII:

  • Section 1: Administrative Decision Process
    1. All major decisions should be taken through this process.
    2. Executive Council: Changes and implementation of decisions shall be by consensus.
    3. Executive Council: Each member physically present at a Council meeting may cast only one (1) vote on each matter that requires a vote. If circumstances create a tie-break, the President's decision of one (1) vote will be the deciding vote.
    4. MBA Association Council: The decision from the Executive Council will then be taken to the MBA Association Council for a vote of support.

  • Section 2: Constitution Changes
    1. The same process would be followed as Section 1, with the exception where a two-thirds (2/3) votes is required from MBA Association Council for changes.

ARTICLE VIII:

  Responsibilities of Executive Council Members

  1. It shall be this Council's duty to represent the MBA students to the administration of the College of Business and Economics, Washington State University, and all outside concerned.
  2. Administer the planning of all MBA Association events
  3. Approval of all MBA budget expenses.
  4. Vote on the decisions requiring a Council vote
  5. Attendance to all Executive Council Meetings
  6. Support all MBA Association Event
  7. Building a positive work environment
    1. Establish goals and performance standards
    2. Establish values and high standards
      i. Quality of the Association's functional strategies
      ii. Improve results from year to year
      iii. Quality of written plans and oral presentations (substance and style)
      iv. Quality of Officers
      v. Improving Productivity
  8. Establish a strategic direction
    1. Tasks - definition, mission, competitive position, and functional goals and efforts.
    2. Resources - leadership, personnel, financial, technological, and working environment.
    3. Structure - organization, controls, systems, standards, rewards, policies, processes and values.
  9. Allocation and marshalling resources
    1. The President assumes the responsibility to pursue a strategy once a decision is made; including, marshalling the resources to do everything that is proposed.
  10. Upgrading the quality of management
    1. Defining and supervising the process for selecting and developing the Association's Vice Presidents.
    2. Making sure the Vice President positions are sufficiently challenging to attract the best people.
  11. Organizing Effort
    1. Deciding on the organization structure and the inter-functional relationships of positions
  12. Creating excellence in operations and executions
    1. Operational Planning
    2. Decision Making
    3. Problem identification and solution.
  Section 1: Specific Responsibilities of the President
  1. Guiding all of the Executive Council Meetings
  2. Direct accountability for the Vice President, Treasurer, Officers of Career Services and the student senators.
  3. Directing all Association Meetings
  4. Facilitating the relationship with the GPSA President.
  5. Organize attendance to GPSA meetings with Vice President
  6. Coordinate with Vice President in managing the bulletin boards in the grad lab.
  7. Assist and make presentation at new student orientations
  Section 2: Specific Responsibilities of the Vice President
  1. Direct accountability for the Officers of Student/Faculty Relations and Information Services.
  2. Assume the duties of the President if he/she is physically unable to function as President
  3. Assist President in managing the bulletin boards in the grad lab.
  4. Attend the new student orientation and assist with presentation.
  5. Take minutes of Executive Council Meetings and post them
  Section 3: Specific Responsibilities of the Treasurer
  1. Receive all monies and deposit them to the MBA Association Washington State University account.
  2. Initiate and process all requests for payment or reimbursement in a timely fashion.
  3. Assist with fundraising efforts if needed.

ARTICLE IX: Responsibilities of Officers

  1. It shall be this Council's duty to represent the MBA students to the administration of the College of Business and Economics, Washington State University, and all outside concerned.
  2. Assist in the planning of all MBA Association events
  3. Vote on the decisions requiring a Vice President Council vote
  4. Attendance to all Council Meetings.
  5. Support all MBA Association Events.
  Section 1: Specific Responsibilities for Career Services Officer
  1. Reports to the President
  2. Organize programs as the MBAA liaison with the WSU Career Services for the MBA Association.
    a. Distribute bulletins from Career Services as they are made available.
    b.Post current information on scholarships, grants, etc.
  3. Coordinate the MBA students with Career Services in assisting with semi-annual Career Expo.
  Section 2: Specific Responsibilities for Relations Officer
  1. Reports to the Vice President
  2. Host and plan for all MBA Association events on a semester basis.
    1. Graduation Dinner
    2. Golf Tournament
    3. International Dinner
    4. Other events approved by the Executive Council.
  3. Create relationship with faculty and students to participate in our activities and events.
  4. Bring alumni representatives to speak with MBA Association study body. Encourage participation from branch campuses.
  5. Plan seminars, guest speakers and create/establish contacts in the business area through field trips, guest speakers, etc.
  6. Assist Treasurer with fund raising efforts that involve the Alumni.
  Section 3: Specific Responsibilities for Information Services Officer
  1. Reports to the Executive Vice President
  2. Update and maintain MBAA website
    1. Create the need for students to actively and continually check the website for information and news.
    2. List current activities and events
    3. Post information from Career Services Vice President
  3. Manage the publication and distribution of the MBA Newsletter.
    1. Publish and schedule of MBA activities
    2. Distribute and post on the website the MBA Newsletter

ARTICLE X: Responsibilities of Committee Members

  1. It shall be this Council's duty to represent the MBA students to the administration of the College of Business and Economics, Washington State University, and all outside concerned.
  2. Attend Council Meetings
  3. Report to appropriate VP to support and assist them as needed to carry out specific responsibilities.
  4. Support all MBA Association Events

ARTICLE XI: Responsibilities of MBA Association Council Members

  1. It shall be this Council's duty to represent the MBA students to the administration of the College of Business and Economics, Washington State University, and all outside concerned.
  2. Vote on the decisions requiring a MBA Association Council vote
  3. Attend MBA Association Council Meetings
  4. Support all MBA Association Events

     The original MBA Constitution was enacted on October 1, 1987. The MBA Constitution was the amended again on December 6, 1995. Then amended to this form by vote of the Executive Council on December 1, 2001. It was further amended by vote of the Executive Council on February 22, 2006.

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