Constitution Florida International University Accounting Association
Student Affiliate Chapter of the
Association of Latino Professional in Finance and Accounting 
Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants Constitution ARTICLE I
Names & Objectives Section I:
This organization shall be known as the Florida International University Accounting Association, a student affiliate of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) (including ALPFA National Honor Society) and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA). Section II:
The objectives of this organization are:
a) To provide unity among the accounting, finance and MIS students of Florida International University
b) To enhance their leadership skills and instill the qualities of integrity, credibility, and ethics, which are vital to the accounting profession
c) To provide the foundation of professionalism deemed necessary in order to soothe the transition of members from students to professionals Section II-a:
The objectives of the ALPFA National Honor Society are:
a) Recognize outstanding academic achievements within the Latino student community in the fields of accounting, finance and information systems; b) Promote the study and practice of professional fields related to these disciplines, as well as the pursuit of higher education; c) Provide opportunities for self-development and association among members and practicing financial professionals; d) Encourage a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibilities. ARTICLE II
Membership Section I:
Eligibility for Membership:
a) Membership to this organization is available to all Florida International University Undergraduate Accounting, Finance and MIS majors provided they have at least a 2.5 overall GPA, on a 4.0 scale, all Graduate business majors (having either a concentration in Accounting or a degree in Accounting) and Certificate of Accounting majors with at least a 3.0 GPA, on a 4.0 scale, and all those with a Bachelors in Accounting who are awaiting acceptance to the Graduate Program
b) Members must be willing to abide by the rules and regulations of this organization, as set forth in this constitution Section I-a:
Eligibility for Membership in the ALPFA National Honor Society: a) Membership to this organization is exclusive to ALPFA members
b) Membership to this organization is available to all Florida International University Undergraduate Accounting, Finance and MIS majors in their Junior year of study provided they have at least a 3.2 overall GPA, on a 4.0 scale, all Graduate business majors (having either a concentration in Accounting, Finance, or MIS or a degree in Accounting, Finance, or MIS) and Certificate of Accounting majors with at least a 3.5 GPA, on a 4.0 scale, and all those with a Bachelors in Accounting, Finance, or MIS who are awaiting acceptance to the Graduate Program
c) Members must be willing to abide by the rules and regulations of this organization, as set forth in this constitution Section II:
Membership Status:
a) Active Members:
1. Must pay an initiation fee as set forth by the Executive Board
2. Must be an affiliate student member of the ALPFA and/or FICPA and must pay the annual membership fee as set forth by the ALPFA and FICPA
3. Must follow-up membership of the ALPFA and FICPA by paying fees due to them.
4. Must meet the minimum attendance requirements set forth by the Executive Board each semester
5. Active status is determined as 80 % of total points available for the entire semester. Exceptions are made for cases discussed before hand with the executive board. 85 % activity is required to run for the office of president.
b) Unsatisfactory Members:
Members that do not meet the active member requirements are in unsatisfactory standing and will be notified of their unsatisfactory status. They are no longer active members. The individuals have the right to appeal their unsatisfactory standing to the Executive Board. Unsatisfactory members will not be allowed to run for an officer position or to vote in elections.
c) Re-admittance of Unsatisfactory Members:
1. If any member in unsatisfactory standing appeals to the Executive Board and the appeal is approved, then the member will automatically be re-admitted into the organization. No membership renewal fee must be paid.
2. If the member in unsatisfactory standing appeals to the Executive Board and the appeal is not approved, in order for the individual to again be member of the organization, that member must re-pay the membership initiation fee. Section III:
Member of Participation:
a) Members must belong to at least one committee within the organization
b) Members are required to meet the minimum standards set up by the Executive Board. This also applies in the planning and carrying out of functions sponsored by this organization. Section IV:
Nondiscrimination:
"To comply with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, the Florida International University Accounting Association will not discriminate in its membership as to race, color, age, handicap, sex, or national origin." ARITICLE III
General Meeting Section I:
The Executive Board Committee:
a) The Executive Board shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Webmaster, and Consulting Officer
b) The Executive Board shall meet regularly to plan the organization's meeting agenda and for the purpose of assisting the President in the planning and fulfillment of a well-rounded, active organization program.
c) The Executive Board meeting shall be open to all members. However, the President has the right to call special closed meetings as deemed appropriate.
d) The President shall serve as chairperson of the Executive Board and shall report on any action recommended or taken by said committee.
e) The President and Vice-President each have the authority to call a Special Meeting of the Executive Board.
Section II:
Duties of the Executive Board:
a) It shall be the duty of this board to plan the organization's activities and establish in general its overall policies and goals.
b) To oversee the operation of the chapter and to guide it in the accomplishment of its goals.
c) The Executive Board will set the deadline for the acceptance of membership applications.
d) The Executive Board shall interpret and enforce by-laws. Section III:
Qualifications of Officers:
a) Officers must be either full-time, part-time, or alumni students at Florida International University.
b) Officers must be members of the organization for at least one semester.
c) Officers must meet the active requirements as set forth by the executive board. Section IV:
Responsibilities of the Executive Board:
a) The President
1. The President is the Chief Executive Officer and administrative hand of the organization and shall be held responsible for its efficient and inefficient operations.
2. The President will preside over the chapter meetings and such other organization affairs and activities, as appropriate.
3. The President must delegate responsibility and involve others and members of the organization. Also, the President shall instruct and periodically review with the other officers their duties and responsibilities.
4. The President should be constantly at the forefront of the organization's progress, development, standards, purpose, and responsibilities.
5. The President shall be responsible for the analysis of the organization's position, standing, and progress, definite or potential problems, as well as the establishment of new goals and priorities.
6. The President has the authority to create new ad-hoc committee to serve to a specific purpose.
7. The President shall serve as liaison between ALPFA and FICPA and the organization.
8. The President shall sit on the ALPFA Miami Professional Board as the student representative. b) President-Elect
1. The President-Elect will be the representative of the FIUAA in every Student Organization Committee meeting and shall be responsible for attending all student Organization Committee (SOC) meetings.
2. The President-Elect shall serve as a liaison between the organization and the Student Government Association.
3. The President-Elect has the responsibility for bringing to the attention of the Executive Board and the members any matter that affect the organization.
4. The President-Elect will be in charge of all recruiting activities.
5. The President-Elect shall prepare the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) seminar offered by the Florida International mailings, catering services, and room reservations. If the President-elect cannot fulfill this duty, it is at the President's discretion to appoint an officer to take over.
6. The President-elect shall contact the firms to organize the Friday functions. He/she shall work with the Vice-President of Professional Affairs of Beta Alpha Psi to coordinate the function dates. 
7. The President-elect shall organize Industry Night by contacting the companies, government agencies, and firms that will participate. c) Vice-President
1. The Vice-President of the organization must work closely with the President in carrying out the above responsibilities.
2. The Vice-President shall serve as President of the Cabinet. Said Cabinet shall be composed of the chairpersons of the various committees.
3. The Vice-President has the power to appoint members to standing committees.
4. The Vice-President shall serve as the liaison between the committees, via the Cabinet, and the Executive Board.
5. Should the President be absent or unable to fulfill the duties of the position, the Vice President must be prepared to effectively assume the duties and responsibilities of the president.
6. The Vice-President has the authority, along with the President, to create a new ad-hoc committee to serve a specific purpose.
7. The Vice-President has the responsibility of organizing the Spring charity volleyball tournament. d) Treasurer
1. The Treasurer collects and preserves all moneys due, and disburses moneys as the organization needs and directs. Such collections and disbursements shall be consistent with the requirements of good business and fiscal procedure, organization policy and resources.
2. The treasurer shall prepare a budget at the start of the semester and present it to the Executive Board for approval and see its provisions are followed; consistently reviewing operations to insure that the organization operations to insure that the organization operates within its means. 
3. The Treasurer and President are authorized to sign checks. Events to be funded by the organization shall be subject to a majority vote of the officers.
4. It will be the duty of the Treasurer to call a special meeting where the itemized budget is approved by the Executive Board.
5. The treasurer is responsible for communicating and insuring awareness of the organization's financial position to the members and preparing financial statements. e) Administrative Assistant (Recording & Reporting)
1. The Administrative Assistant shall keep records, reports, and minutes of the organization meeting and other operations that the organization may require.
2. The Administrative Assistant shall be responsible for keeping the by-laws and shall amend them as required by the organization.
3. The Administrative Assistant with the President-elect shall set up a semester calendar of activities and functions.
4. The Administrative Assistant shall be responsible for all outgoing and incoming correspondence.
5. The Administrative Assistant shall be responsible for events set up. f) Parliamentarian
1. The Parliamentarian shall keep necessary records to determine whether or not members are meeting the minimum requirements for membership in the organization.
2. The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for maintaining the organization's permanent records of its members' personal data and pertinent information.
3. The Parliamentarian shall open and close all meetings.
4. The Parliamentarian shall enforce all by-laws. 5. The Parliamentarian shall be the designated Honors Council representative unless he/she does not fulfill the honors GPA requirement, in which case another executive board member will be assigned the Honors Council duties by the President. g) Webmaster
1. The Webmaster shall be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the website.
2. The Webmaster shall assist the organization in being at the forefront of technological change. h) Consulting Officer
1. The consulting officer can only be appointed by the President.
2. The consulting officer can only be a past officer.
3. Preference is given to previous presidents. Other officers will be considered on a rank basis. The president will make the final determination on whom he/she feels is deserving.
4. The consulting officer is considered a member of the executive board and thus holds the same voting rights as the executive board.
5. The consulting officer shall assist the new board in the transition from the previous semesters board. i) Faculty Advisor
1. The faculty advisor shall be responsible for assisting the student leaders in maintaining and creating contacts within the industry.
2. The Faculty advisor shall sign any University documents that may require the use of University facilities or equipment.
3. While serving as a guide the Faculty Advisor cannot implement their own agenda.
4. The faculty advisor shall be appointed by the director of the school of accounting. However, the Association has the right to revoke the advisor's privileges and petition for a new advisor. 
ARTICLE IV
The Committees Section I:
Members of the Cabinet:
a) The Vice-President shall serve as President of the cabinet. Said cabinet shall consist of all committee chairperson and shall report to the Executive Board
b) The Committee Chairpersons shall meet regularly, as deemed necessary, with their committee members to ensure that all its responsibilities will be carried out
c) The Vice-President may, with reasonable cause, ask any committee chairperson to resign. Note that a committee chairperson has the right to appeal the vice-president's decision with the Executive Board
d) The Chairpersons of the following committees shall be appointed by the executive board:
1. Alumni Affairs
2. Banquet
3. Community Service
4. CPE (Summer and Fall only)
5. Fund-Raising
6. Historical
7. Newsletter
8. SOC
9. Special Events
10. Technology Section II:
Duties of the Committees:
a) Alumni Affairs: The Alumni Affairs committee chairpersons shall be in charge of all operations concerning alumni organization relation and shall serve as a liaison between the organization and alumni. The committee is responsible for maintaining the alumni roster and notifying the alumni of any upcoming events as well as informing the alumni of any information pertinent to the association. b) Banquet: The Banquet committee chairperson shall be in charge of the semester's banquet. This includes invitations, hotel reservations, programs, awards, decorations, catering, and any other items deemed necessary for the banquet to be successfully carried out. c) Community Service: The Community Service committee chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating events with social service programs in need of volunteer assistance. In addition, the committee chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating membership attendance at the events. d) CPE: The Continuing Professional Education (CPE) committee chairperson shall work directly with the president-elect in organizing and preparing the CPE conferences to be held in the fall semester. This includes contacting professional speakers, invitations, programs, awards, decorations, catering, and any other items deemed necessary for the CPE to be successfully carried out. e) Fund-Raising: The Fund-Raising committee chairperson shall be in charge of generating funds by coordinating various fund raising activities. f) Historical: The Historical committee chairperson shall be responsible for gathering and keeping a permanent record of this organization's history. In addition, the committee shall also be charged with the responsibility of keeping tradition. The committee will meet with the new chairpersons to educate them about the tradition and history of this organization. The chairperson's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the updating of the association's photo scrapbook. g) Newsletter: The Newsletter committee chairperson shall be responsible for writing the newsletter. Members are responsible for writing and submitting the articles regarding all events and functions of the organization on a timely basis. h) SOC: The Student Organization Council (SOC) committee chairperson shall work directly with the president-elect in matters regarding FIUAA and student government. Responsibilities include and are not limited to attending SOC meetings, participating in University events as a representative of the FIUAA, and other measures as deemed necessary by the President-elect. i) Special Events: The Special Events committee chairperson shall be responsible for organizing on campus and off campus functions with the firms, posting signs, setting up before and picking up after functions, and ordering food. In addition, the chairperson shall assist the President-Elect in organizing the charity Volleyball tournament. j) Technology: The technology committee chairperson shall be responsible for working directly with the chairperson in preparing and maintaining the website. ARTICLE V
Elections Section I:
General Elections:
a) All positions will be open for elections at the end of the Spring and Fall semester.
b) The elections will be held during the month of March and November respectively.
c) All positions shall be elected on a date during these months, which has been agreed upon by the Executive Board.
d) If any discrepancies cause a failure to elect any positions, it will disqualify the election process. Elections may, however, be recessed until the following meeting.
e) It shall be the responsibility of the current administration to make the necessary preparations to hold timely elections.
f) All Executive Board members have the right to vote.
g) The Consulting Officer and a witness, as agreed upon by a majority of the membership, shall be responsible for counting the votes and determining the winner.
h) Quorum for elections is defined as 51% of active membership.
i) Elections will be chaired by the Consulting Officer who accepts and comprehends these election guidelines.
j) Members must meet the requirements for active membership as set forth by the executive board.
k) Once the first candidate has completed his/her speech the individuals that are currently in the room will be the only ones allowed to vote for that position. Any members entering late will have to wait till the election for the next officer position.
l) Each individual running for president-elect will have 5 minutes to make their speech, followed by a 2 minute question & answer to be completed by the consulting officer and members of the organization. For every other officer position each individual will have 3 minutes and there will be no Q & A period.
m) Only active members will be allowed to vote. Those members with the required number of points will be permitted to vote. Certain exceptions are made for members that joined the association late. Each member will receive one ballot and will vote anonymously. Ballots will be retained as property of the FIUAA and will be held as record.
n) To avoid any possible bias the Consulting Officer, will chair the elections. One witness will help and assist in counting the votes and running the elections.
o) In the event that elections end in a tie, the members who are tied will have a minute to speak again and elections will take place again.
p) Members are listed alphabetically by first name on the ballots. There will be a write-in portion on the ballots for new candidates. Further each member is allowed to roll-down to the next position if they did not win the position they were running for. Section II:
Nomination of Officers:
a) The nominations and acceptances for Executive Board positions shall take place in one meeting. The elections for Executive Board positions shall take place in a following meeting. 
b) Candidates shall be allowed to speak on their own behalf on election day with no time limit. There shall be no debate concerning any of the candidates.
c) When a candidate cannot be present and is running for a position, the candidate's opponents shall not be penalized by not allowing them to speak.
d) The Executive Board members shall not nominate any candidates.
e) The aforementioned rules of Article VI. Section I and II shall apply to all elections of Executive Board Officers.
f) Nominated individuals must meet the requirements for active membership as set forth by the executive board. Section III:
Best Committee Chairperson & Best Member
a) The executive board shall vote for the best committee chairperson.
b) The best committee chairperson should exhibit service beyond the call of duty
c) The executive board shall vote for the best member.
d) The best member should exhibit participation above and beyond that of other members
e) A majority e-board vote is required, with the president having final say. 
Section IV:
Best Officer
a) The membership shall vote for the best officer based on whom they feel has put in service above and beyond the call of their duties.
b) Officer cannot vote for themselves, but may vote for another officer. Section V:
Presidents Award
a) The president may present an award to any individual whom they feel has served the FIU Accounting Association above and beyond their normal duties and responsibilities.
b) This award is available to reward those individuals whom the members have not acknowledged, but that the President has seen work above and beyond. Section VI:
Most Supportive Firm
a) This award is given to the Professional firm that has exhibited superior service and assistance to the FIUAA. Assistance that is above and beyond the normal activities that firms participate in.
b) This award is to be voted on by the executive board only. Section VII:
Most Supportive Professor
a) This award is given to the Professor that has exhibited superior service and assistance to the FIUAA. Assistance that is above and beyond the normal activities that firms participate in.
b) This award is to be voted on by the executive board only. Section VIII:
Most Supportive Professional
a) This award is given to the Professional that has exhibited superior service and assistance to the FIUAA. Assistance that is above and beyond the normal activities that firms participate in.
b) This award is to be voted on by the executive board only. ARTICLE VI
Impeachment and Resignations Section I: 
a) Impeachment can be proposed by any executive board member or active member. However, in order to impeach an officer, a majority vote of the executive board is required. 
b) If impeachment is proposed by a member of the executive board a special closed meeting will take place among the executive board only to determine if impeachment is necessary.
c) The President shall chair this meeting. If the president is being impeached the consulting officer will chair the meeting. The president will voice the concerns to the impeached officer. The impeached officer will then have the opportunity to state their case. If the e-board feels that the case is viable, impeachment may be overturned, so long as the majority agree. However, if the majority wish to proceed with impeachment the impeached officer will have two options. They can either resign and no public knowledge will be made regarding the impeachment or they can take it up with the active membership.
d) If the individual resigns no documentation shall be made regarding the incident.
e) If the individual decides to take the matter up with the membership all events shall be documented. The same holds true if impeachment is proposed by an active member. The president shall hold a special meeting with the membership (If the president is being impeached then the consulting officer will run the meeting). The president shall voice the concerns. The impeached officer will then have an opportunity to state his case. The membership will then have an opportunity to ask questions. All active members and e-board officers can vote. A majority is needed to impeach. If a majority is not reached the officer will remain.
f) If a position becomes available because of an impeachment or resignation, the following process will be taken:
1. If the Office of the President is vacated, the Vice-President will assume the duties of the President.
2. The President-Elect will assume the duties of any vacancy that would arise. The President-Elect does not lose titles of President-Elect should such a situation arise.
3. If the position of President-Elect should become vacant then the current president and consulting officer may appoint a new president-elect or hold a special election
4. If more than one position should become vacant then the president and consulting officer may appoint someone or hold general elections to fill the vacant positions. ARTICLE VII
Case Competitions Section I:
ALPFA Case Competition
a) Is held each Fall at the ALPFA National Convention
b) The team consists of 5 individuals
c) The Team Captain of the case team will be the Consulting Officer of the Fall Semester, only if he/she were president-elect in the Fall semester of the prior year. This is to insure that there is one member on the team that was on the team in the prior year.
d) If the Consulting Officer was not president-elect in the prior year, then the President will be the team captain.
e) The President-Elect and the President of the Spring Semester must both be on the team.
f) The remaining two positions are open to the other officers and are to be determined by the team captain.
g) The team captain will have final say in which of the remaining officers will be on the team. Section II:
Johnson & Johnson Case Competition
a) Is held each spring
b) The team consists of 5 individuals
c) The Team Captain of the case team will be the Consulting Officer of the Spring Semester, only if he/she were president-elect in the spring semester of the prior year. This is to insure that there is one member on the team that was on the team in the prior year.
d) If the Consulting Officer was not president-elect in the prior year, then the President will be the team captain.
e) The President-Elect and the President of the Spring Semester must both be on the team.
f) The remaining positions are open to the other individuals as determined by the team captain.
g) The team captain will have final say in which individuals will be on the team. Section III:
Other Case Competitions
a) As case competitions arise, the President of that semester should organize the team and implement a long-term strategy following the guidelines for both the ALPFA and Johnson & Johnson Competitions.