CONSTITUTION OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE INITIATIVE

 

ARTICLE I.

NAME

 Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Foreign Language Initiative whose

                  initials FLI shall also stand for “friendship,” “language,” & “integration.”

 

ARTICLE II.

OBJECT OF PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this organization shall be to:

a.   further the cause of diversity by giving any interested individual an opportunity to learn a foreign language for free, specifically those languages spoken by the University’s many friends from international communities. The Foreign Language Initiative (FLI) shall not at any time offer the following languages:English, French, German, Norwegian, Spanish or Swedish as these are offered through traditional departmental channels. 

b.   coordinate contacts & liaisons between native speakers (councilors) of specific languages and students (envoys) interested in learning said languages with the objective of organizing language classes that will be offered one hour per week for free. 

c.   raise awareness of the importance of learning a foreign language at all levels: social & linguistic, cultural & historical.  

d.   inform all envoys of current events in parts of the world where the target language is spoken 

e.   encourage interaction between the diverse groups at MNSU through cultural activities and help form positive attitudes toward foreign languages

f.    expand minds, foster meaningful friendships & enrich lives  

g.   maintain unity between all the language contingents in the spirit of cooperation & collaboration

 

ARTICLE III.

MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1.  Membership in this organization is open to any individual interested in acquiring a foreign language, including anyone on MNSU’s campus, residents of Mankato as well as surrounding communities.

 

Section 2.   Membership will be established by:

a.  invitation

b.  recruiting

c.       regular attendance

 

Section 3.   Membership dues are to be collected once a month.

 

Section 4.   Honorary membership may be conferred upon any Faculty member by a

                   majority vote of those present-and-voting at a regular meeting.

 

ARTICLE IV.

OFFICERS

 

Section 1.   The officers of this organization shall be one Ambassador, and any         

                    combination of Emissaries, Councilors & members of the   

                    Ministry of Cultural Research & Ministry of Information & Technology.

 

Section 2.    The duties of the Foreign Language Ambassador are as follows:

                     a.  oversee the entire organization of the FLI ensuring that it operates

                          according to its stated objectives

b.   promote the FLI through public relations

c.   conduct surveys & interviews and reach out to future members

d.   convey any new information to the Emissariat (Emissaries)

e.   coordinate with all Emissaries, Councilors & the FLI Advisor on issues relating to teaching methodology, curriculum development & lesson plans and other FLI related affairs

f.    offer new ideas & perspectives conducive to the further development and growth of the FLI

g.   promote a new language and create new learning opportunities for envoys

h.   appoint new emissaries & councilors

 

Section 3.     The duties of the Emissary are as follows:

a.    manage one contingent of envoys interested in learning a foreign

       language

b.    organize class meeting time according to councilor’s & envoys’

schedules

c.    do the utmost to accommodate and place every envoy in a language

class

d.    promote the language class through advertising

e.    record all activities linked with the language class

f.     direct any questions to the Ambassador

g.    in some cases, an Emissary will play the dual roles of Emissary & Councilor

 

Section 4.     The duties of the Councilor are as follows:

a.   instruct a foreign language according to the methods prescribed by the

FLI and agreed upon by the Ambassador, Emissaries, Councilors & FLI Advisor.

b.   take attendance

c.   promote the language class through advertising

d.   send out MP3s of review material to all envoys

 

Section 5.    The duties of the Envoy are as follows:

a.    freely attend at least one language class offered by the FLI regularly

b.    learn as much as possible about the FLI and its objectives

c.    attend some of the FLI’s cultural activities and weekly meetings

d.    direct any questions  regarding the FLI to the Ambassador, Emissaries, Councilors and/or the FLI Advisor

e.    offer any suggestions that lead to the improvement of the FLI

 

Section 6.     The duties of the Ministry of Cultural Research are as follows:

a.    interact with diverse groups and get ideas for fun and interesting games and activities in which FLI members can participate

b.    organize and announce such games and activities to all members of the FLI

c.    research current events pertaining to an area of the world whose language is being offered by the FLI

 

Section 7.     The duties of the Ministry of Information & Technology are as follows:

a.     maintain and manage the FLI’s website

b.     research linguistic data pertaining to any language being offered by the

FLI

c.     disseminate said information to all members of the FLI

 

Section 8.   Date of election and length of the term in office.

a.     A new Ambassador shall be appointed at the last meeting in May of each year. Office can be held for one calendar year. The Ambassador can be re-elected. 

Section 9.      Method of election.

a.     The Ambassador in office will appoint a new Ambassador and must be approved by a majority vote of those present and voting at a regular meeting or 

b.     any member of  the FLI can run for the position of Ambassador provided they meet the qualifications and can demonstrate the requisite knowledge and skills needed to manage all aspects of the FLI

 

Section 10.     Voting

a.      a candidate must receive a majority of votes of those present-and – voting to be elected  or re-elected Ambassador.

 

Section 11.     How office vacancies may be filled.

a.     if a vacancy occurs, it shall be filled at a special meeting called for

the purpose of electing the officer. Member shall be given at least forty-eight hours notice of this special meeting.

    

 

Section 12.      Officer eligibility.

a.     officers must be bilingual or currently attending an FLI class or

enrolled in a language course offered by MNSU’s Department of Modern Languages

b.     officers must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the time of their election and remain in good standing during their tenure in office

c.     a GPA of 3.3 or above is required in order to hold an officer position in the FLI

 

Section 13.      Removal from Office.

a.     Any officer who has failed to fulfill their responsibilities with regard to commitment, loyalty and diligence in the interest of the FLI, may be removed by a majority of votes of those present-and-voting during a special meeting held for this purpose. A petition for the removal of an officer must be submitted to the entire voting membership at least one week prior to the special meeting and all parties concerned shall have the opportunity to present their case. Proceedings in such cases shall be confidential. A vacant office shall be filled according to Section 11 & Section 12.

 

Section 14.       Resignation

a.   any officer who voluntarily leaves the FLI must give the FLI  14 days written notice.

ARTICLE V.

MEETINGS

 

Section 1.          Meetings shall be held weekly.

 

Section 2.           Provisions for special meetings.

a.     special meetings may be called by the Ambassador, any Emissary or the FLI Advisor provided that all members have been notified at least twenty-four hours in advance.

 

Section 3.            Percentage of voting members needed for a quorum.

a.     a majority of votes of those present-and-voting is necessary to constitute a quorum

 

ARTICLE VI.

FINANCES

 

Section 1.          Source of Funds

a.   membership fees

b.   fund raising

 

Section 2.           Method of the expenditure of funds.

a.   all funds are deposited with and expended through the MNSU

Business Office.

b.   funds shall be expended upon the authorization by a majority vote of those present or in case of an emergency, expenditure upon the authorization the Ambassador, two Emissaries and the approval of the FLI Advisor.

c.   all checking accounts at local banks will have two signatures for expenditures. These signatures should come from the Ambassador and one Emissary.

Section 3.          Provisions for an audit of funds.

a.    an audit may be conducted at any time in compliance with current

University policy. A special audit can be undertaken upon a vote of the majority of the members present at any regular meeting.

 

ARTICLE VII.

Reading of the Constitution

 

  Section 1.         Provisions for reading of the constitution (and by-laws).

a.    the constitution (and by-laws) shall be read /distributed to all members at the first meeting of each year.

 

Section 2.    Provisions for the distribution of copies of the constitution (and by-laws).

a.    each new member shall receive a copy of the constitution (and by-laws) at the time they are accepted for membership.

 

                             ARTICLE VIII.

                          ADVISORS

 

Section 1.            Provisions for the selection of advisors.

a.   one Advisor shall be elected by the organization.

b.   the advisor must be approved by SLD & SL

c.   the Advisor must be a University Faculty/Staff member

 

Section 2.            Advisor’s duties            

                            a.   endorsement of organization’s linguistic & cultural activities

b.   guidance in some aspects of curriculum development & designing

lesson plans

c.    attendance of some FLI meetings

d.    promotion of FLI

 

     ARTICLE IX.

     Method of Amendment

 

Section 1.              Provisions for Amending the constitution.

a.  this constitution may be amended at a regular meeting by a

b.  majority of votes of those present-and-voting. The proposed amendment(s) shall be submitted in writing to all members of the organization at least seven days before being voted upon.