B. This corporation shall be organized and operated exclusively for the educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

C. No substantial part of the activities of this corporation shall carry on propaganda or attempt to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign including the publishing or distribution of statements on behalf of any candidate for public office.

1. Promote higher education;

2. Serve as a bridge between students, community leaders, and scholars with the Hmong community and the broader American community;

3. Address the concerns and needs of students and the Hmong community;

4. Provide leadership opportunities for aspiring students;

5. serve as a resource for students;

6. serve as a channel to develop, display, and recognize the talents and creativity of the students;

Article I:
Official Name

Section 1: Non-Exclusive/Hazing Membership shall be open to any individual irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, handicap, or age. Membership shall be open to special interest group organizations. "HASA" shall comply with state hazing laws.

Section 2: Dues Membership shall be recognized upon the payment of dues by prospective members to "HASA". The presiding officers and members shall advice, but the Presiding Co-chairs shall have the power to decide on the membership fee amount during each administration. A two-thirds (2/3) vote is required by the Presiding Co-chairs members.

Section 3: Deadlines Payment of membership fee must be received within 30 days of the first general meeting of each semester.

Section 1: Offices and Officers

A) The "Hmong American Student Association " shall be administered by the following officers:
1) Co-chairs (at least three and no more then five)
2) Class Representatives (at least one for each class)

Section 2: Duties of Officers
A) Co-chairs:

1) Buisness Admistration:
a) Co-chairs shall act as a leader and an administrator over "HASA" by maintaining, promoting, and executing HASA goals.
b) The Co-chairs shall supervise over HASA and all its activities.
c) The Co-chairs shall preside over all business meetings.
d) The Co-chairs shall have the authority to appoint committees and their chairs.
e) The Co-chairs shall have the authority to sign letters or documents necessary to carry out the will of the organization.
f) One Co-chair will be appointed treasurer of HASA. He or She will handle the financial aspects of HASA and along with another Co-chair will only be permitted to endorse HASA checks.

2) Communication:
a) The Co-chairs shall represent and speak for HASA to other organizations and to the public.
b) Every Co-chair will be assigned an academic month to be the contact person for that month.
c) All Co-chairs are responsible for the reservations of rooms
needed for general meetings and other events.

3) General:
a) A Co-chair shall serve as an ex-officio member on all boards, committees, and councils.

B) Class Representatives
1) Carry out duties and tasks as assigned by the Co-chairs.
2) Maintain communication links with respective class representatives.
3) Represent and voice the concerns and ideas of his/her class.

Section 3: Liabilities of Officers
An officer or any person acting on behalf of HASA shall not be liable for debts, losses, or suits of the organization and is not guilty of fraud or bad faith as defined by local, state, or federal laws, if the officer performs his or her duties with reasonable care. Law suits against any individual acting on behalf of the organization should be directed at the organization.

Section 4: Terms of Offices
A) Term Limitations:
1) All officers shall have the privilege to run for re-election as
many times as he or she wishes.
2) The terms of each office shall expire on May 30th of each
academic year.
B) Assumption of New Officers:
All newly-elected officers shall assume their positions immediately on June 1st .

Section 5: Succession of Offices
A) Absence of a Co-chair:
If upon the resignation, impeachment, and/or absence of a Co-chair, which results in two or less Co-chairs a separate election will be held to meet the minimum number of Co-chairs.
B) Absence of a Class Representative:
If upon the resignation, impeachment, and/or absence of a Class Representative, which cause the position to be vacated a separate election will be held to meet the minimum number of Class Representative.

Section 6: Resignation
Any officer of the organization or chairperson or member of any committee may choose to resign at any time he or she wishes; a resignation letter must be sent to the Co-chair informing them at least one month in advance.

Section 7: Qualifications
All officers or candidates for offices must meet the following
requirements:
A) Co-chairs
1) Be a registered student, in residence at a college for the
entire academic year of elected into office.
2) Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
3) Show interest in promoting the goals of HASA.
4) Be a paid member prior to the time of election.
5) Be a Class Representative for at least one term.
B) Class Representative
1) Be a registered student, in residence at a college for the
entire academic year of elected into office.
2) Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
3) Show interest in promoting the goals of HASA.
4) Be a paid member prior to the time of election.

Section 1: Nomination
Definition -- A nomination is the formal presentation of the name of a member as a candidate for a particular office to an assembly or membership of HASA.

Section 2: Process of Nomination
A) The presiding officer must call for and recognize nominations.
B) All nominations shall include the name of the candidate, his/her eligibility and qualifications, and the name of office seeking.
C) Nominations may be made by any member.
D) Ways of Nominating:
1) By self-nomination
2) By being nominated by a member.

Section 3: Voting Rights
A) Individual Members:
1) All members shall have equal voting rights: One member is entitled to one vote.
2) Only paid members shall be allowed to vote. CHANGED THROUGH 1 ST AMENDMENT
3) Only paid members may run for and hold offices. (part of
qualifications)
4) A member shall not give his or her right to vote to another person.
5) One member shall have one vote in general or special elections.

Section 4: Challenging an Election:
1) All challenges to an election should be filed with the presiding Co-chairs.
2) An election may only be challenged during the time that it is
taking place or within one month thereafter.
3) When an election is challenged, the presiding Co-chairs shall investigate the matter and take appropriate actions. The presiding Co-chairs shall report its findings and actions to the members.
4) When an election is challenged while it is in progress, it shall continue unless a decision is reached to stop the
election and declare it void. If it shall be challenged after it
is completed, the officers chosen at the election take office and remain in office until a decision on the challenge is reached.
5) If all challenged practices or votes which could have changed the result of the election are proven invalid, the election shall be void. However, illegal practices or votes which could have not affect the election shall not void the election.

Section 5: Date of General Election
The general election shall be held during one of the first two
weekends in April of every academic year.

Section 6: Election Committee
A) Membership:
1) The Election Committee shall consist of Co-chairs and advisor.
2) The Election Committee shall elect a chairperson from within itself to preside over the election processes.
B) Duties:
1) The duty of the Election Committee shall be to conduct and maintain the integrity of the election.
2) The Election Committee shall prepare questions that will be ask of the candidates at the time of the election.
3) The Election Committee shall supervise the preparation and printing of ballots and their distribution to voting members at the election.
4) The Election Committee shall also collect and count the ballots and the preparation of a report showing the results of the election.
5) If a tie vote occurs, the Election Committee shall also bear the responsibility of selecting, by majority (50%+1) vote the winner from the top candidates for each vacant office.
C) Determining The Legality of Ballots:
The legality of the ballots shall be governed by the following
rules:
1) A mistake in voting for a candidate for one office shall not
invalidate the vote for candidates for other offices on the same ballot.
2) A technical error, such as misspelling, or using a cross instead of a check, shall not invalidate a ballot if the intent of the voter is clear.
3) A torn or defaced ballot shall be valid if the intent of the voter is clear.
4) Blank ballots or votes for ineligible persons are counted as
invalid ballots.
5) If the results of the count by the committee do not check, a
recount must be made.
6) If more ballots have been cast than there are members entitled to vote, and the result of the election could have been affected by the extra ballots, or if there has been any substantial violation of the right of members to vote in secret, the vote must be retaken. If there are minor errors which could not change the result of the election, a vote need not be taken.

Section 7: Vote Necessary to Elect
A) Co-chairs:
1) Those candidates receiving the top 5 votes will be elected into the Co-chair office.
2) In the event that there are fewer than 5 candidates running for this office, every candidate running will automatically be elected.
B) Class-representatives
1) A candidate will be elected as a class-representative if he/she receives a majority (50+1) of the votes.

The headquarters of HASA shall be located in Madison, WI.

Section 1: Place of Meeting
The place of meeting(s) shall be left to the executive officers to decide.

Section 2: Quorum for General Meeting
A majority (50%+1) of the members and officers present constitutes a general meeting quorum.

Section 3: Quorum for Officers' Meetings
Two-thirds (2/3) of the officers must be present to constitute an officers' meeting.

Section 1: Roll-Over
A) All financial assets and properties of HASA shall be transferred from the previous administration to the new administration on the last working day of June of each academic year.
B) The out-going administration shall leave at least $500.00 for the new administration.

Section 2: Expenditure
All expenditures shall be reviewed by the Co-chairs. Each
transaction exceeding twenty dollars ($20) must have approval of the Presiding Co-chairs; a check exceeding that amount must bear the signatures of approval by the Presiding Co-chairs able to endorse the checks for HASA. Of the Co-chairs, at least two of the presiding Co-chairs shall be
responsible for endorsing all checks.

Section 3: Disclosure of Financial Records
All financial record shall be made available to the members upon request. The Co-chairs shall provide annual budgetary report and a mid-year general accounting report.

HASA shall have the power to suspend, fine, or expel any member by means of a majority vote of the officers for conduct considered to be contrary or damaging to the
interests of the organization. Any suspended, fined, and/or expelled member must apply for re-instatement, with the approval by means of a majority (50%+1) vote of the officers and general council members.

Section 1: Charges
Charges in affidavit form stating the alleged violations and
preliminary proof should be filed with the Secretary immediately after the alleged violation.

Section 2: Investigation
The investigative committee shall investigate the charges promptly and, if it decides that a hearing is warranted, it shall set a date and notify the Secretary.

Section 3: Notification
The Co-chairs shall then send the accused member a letter at least fifteen days before the date of the hearing containing a copy of the charges, the time and place of the hearing, and a statement of his or her right to be present at the hearing, to defend himself or herself, and to receive a copy of any transcript.

Section 4: Hearing
In conducting the hearing, the committee should observe decorum and fair play, restrict evidence and testimony to the written charges, and uphold the right of the accused member to defend himself or herself, to cross-examine witnesses, and to refute the charges against him or her.

Section 5: Decision
The Hearing Committee should within a reasonable time make only findings of fact on the essential points at issue, recommend a decision of guilt or innocence, and send a copy of the recommended decisions and findings of facts to the accused member and the Secretary.

Section 6: Penalty
The penalty for a guilty verdict shall be revocation of membership. (See first paragraph of Article XIII for application for possible reinstatement.)

A) HASA shall have bylaws to make sure that all rules and order are properly implemented.
B) Bylaws of HASA shall be modified only by a majority (50%+1) of the officers and the general council.

Any amendment to the Constitution shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present.

FIRST AMENDMENT:

All registered members have the right to vote. Registration must be received within 30 days of the first general meeting.