Asian Faculty Association at Yale (AFAY)
BYLAWS (Draft 09/11/23)
ARTICLE I. MISSION
The mission of the Association includes the following objectives:
(i) to promote the active contributions of its members to the mission and core values of Yale University;
(ii) to advocate for its members, especially its members of Asian heritage, as a representative body for the benefit of Yale University and community at large;
(iii) to provide a support network for the career and leadership advancement of its members;
(iv) to provide aid to students at Yale, especially Asian students when they face special challenges related to their cultural background or heritage;
(v) to foster academic and cultural exchange between Yale University and other institutions and organizations domestically and internationally.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of this Association shall be open to faculty at Yale University, regardless of their country of origin or citizenship. When a member retires from Yale University, he or she has the option to continue his/her affiliation with the association as an emeritus member with voting rights. When a member joins another institution as a faculty member, his/her membership will be automatically terminated on the last employment day at Yale.
ARTICLE III. GOVERNANCE
The Association is governed by its Board of Directors, which consists of Association Officers: a President, a President-Elect, an Immediate Past President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and up to six other Board members representative of diverse ethnic backgrounds, stages of career development, and academic disciplines. The quorum of the Board is more than half of the members of the Board. The Association Officers form the Executive Committee, which is responsible for all daily functions, whereas important decisions need to be presented to and approved by the Board.
The President, or in the absence of the President, the President-Elect, shall represent the Association in Association affairs. The President, in consultation with the Board, shall have the authority to set up committees, appoint committee chairs and members, assign tasks to members, oversee annual reports, and make statements on behalf of the association. When the President or the President-Elect makes any statements, he/she should clearly indicate whether these statements are on behalf of the association or his/her personal views.
The President-Elect shall become the President when the term of the current President expires. In the event that the President cannot finish 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 following term.
The Secretary shall be responsible for the Association’s communication related tasks, including recording the minutes of General Meetings, maintaining and further developing the website, posting relevant news and announcements to the website.
The Treasurer will maintain the Association’s financial account according to rules established by the Board, and will submit a financial report annually. The Treasurer shall also serve as the chair of the Membership Committee and maintain the membership list.
The other Board members will lead additional ad hoc activities as determined by the Association. The Board shall have the authority to set the Association’s agenda.
The Board shall overrule the President by a simple majority. The Association shall overrule the Board by a simple majority vote at a General Meeting. If the vote is a tie, the President’s vote shall serve as the tiebreaker.
ARTICLE IV. ELECTION
The terms of Officers: the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer shall be two years, from July 1 to June 30. The terms of the other six board members shall be two years, from July 1 to June 30, renewable once by membership election. Therefore, the election of the Officers and Board members shall be every other year.
Nominations for the new President-Elect, and all the Board members shall be made to the immediate past President who chairs the Nomination Committee. Self-nomination is encouraged.
The election (except for the inaugural election to establish the association) will be monitored by a three-person Election Committee, which is chaired by the immediate past President and includes two other Association members appointed by the immediate past 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. Each member shall only cast one vote 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 members of the Board shall vote to break the tie. Except for the first election for the inception of AFAY, the elections shall take place around early June each year either at a General Meeting or by online voting system with a clearly indicated deadline.
ARTICLE V. DUES
The membership dues shall be established by the Board annually.
ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS
The Association shall hold at least one General Meeting and one Board meeting in person or virtually each year. Other General Meetings may be scheduled by the Board. Furthermore, a written petition should be made to the Board by at least five Association members to request a call for a General Meeting. The quorum of the General Meeting is at least a quarter of its members.
ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Bylaws must be proposed either by the Board or jointly by at least ten percent of Association members. In the latter case, the proposed amendments must be submitted to the Board in writing. The proposed amendments shall be discussed by Association members and then decided by a simple majority vote either in person or online, with the majority votes constituting at least a quarter of the total members. In case of a tie, the members of the Board shall vote to break the tie. Amendments to the Bylaws can specify the effective date for changes to take place or shall take effect with a default date coinciding with the start of the next administration.