[295] in UA Senate
Re: 41 UAS 5.4 - ASA Bylaws
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Rachel Meyer)
Sun Nov 15 09:09:10 2009
In-Reply-To: <71c951390911091606q7383dadaof5bbf655297fbb40@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:08:50 -0500
From: Rachel Meyer <remeyer@MIT.EDU>
To: ua-senate@mit.edu
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to bring this thread up again to see if anyone has any
additional questions after the last meeting. As you can see from the
agenda, I plan on trying to bring this off the table and it needs a
2/3rds vote to come off the table and a 2/3rds vote to pass.
-Rachel
On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 7:06 PM, Paul Baranay <pbaranay@mit.edu> wrote:
> Tim,
>
> The answer to your question is, in short, yes.=A0 Changing the ASA Bylaws=
is
> intentionally made to be difficult, and intentionally requires approval f=
rom
> both the UA and the GSC.=A0 This is because the Bylaws are, for the ASA, =
the
> highest and most fundamental document.=A0 They define the basics of what =
the
> ASA is and does, and are not intended to change frequently.
> (http://web.mit.edu/asa/rules/asa-bylaws.html)
>
> To address matters that are somewhat more fluid, and may need to change m=
ore
> often than the Bylaws, the ASA also has a set of Operating Guidelines.=A0=
By
> design, these can be changed somewhat more easily than the Bylaws, by a 2=
/3
> vote of the ASA Executive Board; however, the UA and GSC both have an
> opportunity to oppose a change to the Operating Guidelines, and force the
> amendment to come before the Senate and the GSC for approval.
> (http://web.mit.edu/asa/rules/asa-guidelines.html)
>
> Finally, the ASA also has a limited number of policies, which can be enac=
ted
> as needed by the Executive Board, but are intended to be fairly limited i=
n
> scope. (http://web.mit.edu/asa/rules/asa-policies.html)
>
> You can find much, much more about ASA document structure, policies, and
> rules on the website: http://web.mit.edu/asa/rules/index.html and the
> associated subpages should be helpful.=A0 If anything still seems confusi=
ng
> after reading those pages, please let me know.=A0 I'm constantly on the
> lookout for ways to improve the ASA website, and I'd be eager to hear you=
r
> thoughts on how to make it better.
>
> - Paul
> (ASA Secretary)
>
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 4:37 PM, Tim Jenks <trjenks@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I'll preface my comments by saying that I'm not overly familiar with the
>> innards of the ASA, so please correct me if I'm wrong on any points, but
>> there are a few issues that I'd at least like more information on before
>> voting on the bill.
>>
>> If the ASA ever needs to change its bylaws, wouldn't it have to ask Sena=
te
>> and the GSC to amend their bylaws too to get those changes made?=A0 This=
might
>> happen only once in a blue moon, but it still seems unnecessary and
>> excessive.
>>
>> Also, the other committees are just enumerated in the Senate Bylaws.
>> There are no other bylaws, mission statements, guidelines on how the
>> committee should be run within the Senate bylaws.=A0 It seems reasonable=
to me
>> that the ASA bylaws should be kept in a different document, and the Sena=
te
>> bylaws should address just the Senate.=A0 But the problem arises because=
the
>> ASA already operates under its current bylaws, and the GSC has already
>> approved them, so any changes we made would have to be approved by the G=
SC
>> too...
>>
>> --Tim Jenks
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 9:12 AM, Rachel Meyer <remeyer@mit.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey, one more time...
>>>
>>> As I said in my earlier email: =A0I just wanted to start some threads a=
bout
>>> the
>>> various pieces of legislation I wrote so we can try to get some questio=
ns
>>> resolved before tonight. =A0Sorry for not doing this sooner - I've been
>>> sick.
>>>
>>> This bill is at: http://web.mit.edu/ua/senate/UAS41/5/4/.pdf
>>>
>>> Basically, I think it would be sorta nice if ASA technically existed an=
d
>>> was
>>> recognized.
>>>
>>> The ASA Bylaws as posted on the ASA website
>>> (http://mit.edu/asa/rules/pdf/ASA-Bylaws.pdf) and as they appear in the
>>> GSC
>>> Bylaws (http://gsc.mit.edu/index.php/about-gsc/const-bylaw) require tha=
t
>>> the
>>> bylaws are in both the UA and GSC Bylaws since ASA is a joint committee
>>> of the
>>> UA and GSC.
>>>
>>> Why in the Senate Bylaws?
>>> (which are at:
>>>
>>> http://web.mit.edu/ua/docs/senate/govdocs/Senate%20Bylaws%20as%20of%20A=
pril%2027,%202009.pdf)
>>> This is where the committees are enumerated so it seemed like the
>>> appropriate
>>> place for any further bylaws on committees.
>>>
>>> Why hasn't this happened previously?
>>> I don't have a particularly good or complete answer for this... I would
>>> guess
>>> that these bylaws may have been viewed as a separate document or as bei=
ng
>>> bylaws of the ASA and ASA being a committee of the UA they were already
>>> in the
>>> UA bylaws. =A0Whatever the case may be, I think it would be highly
>>> beneficial for
>>> these bylaws to be explicitly in one of the 3 main UA governing documen=
ts
>>> and
>>> this seems like the most appropriate place.
>>>
>>>
>>> Again, please ask any questions, discuss any concerns, etc.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Rachel
>>
>
>
