Constitution

WILLIAMS AFRICAN STUDENTS ORGANIZATION CONSTITUTION

 

PREAMBLE:

We, the members of Williams African Students Organization, established to provide students of African descent and any students/alumni with an interest in issues concerning the African continent with a forum to come together and discuss relevant topics; to provide the campus population with the true picture of  Africa; to organize events on campus to reach out to the general Williams community showcasing African heritage and culture, do ordain and establish this constitution and subscribe to the regulations and policies of Williams College.

 

ARTICLE I: NAME AND BRIEF BACKGROUND

The name of this organization shall be the Williams African Students Organization, hereinafter referred to as WASO.

WASO is a group of students who share an interest in the African continent. The group is open to all students of African descent and nationality. WASO serves as an avenue for all students to gather and discuss issues pertinent to Africa in a friendly space. WASO also organizes a number of events such as the African Heritage Week and collaborates with other groups on campus in bringing in speakers to talk about issues affecting the continent.

 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

Our purpose is twofold:

  1. To raise awareness of the political, economic, social, environmental issues that are relevant to countries in Africa and the African Diasporas. We will accomplish this by doing such things as having benefit dinners, inviting guest speakers, having movie screenings, cooperating with other minority groups on campus, etc.
  2. Allow members of WASO to share their experiences and perspective with one another to create a rich and welcoming atmosphere. This includes providing a mechanism that will enable WASO members to sustain relationships with alumni of Williams College, and providing a support network for WASO members especially freshmen.

It is also the purpose of this organization to abide by the Code of Student Conduct and to uphold the educational mission of Williams College.

 

ARTICLE III: AFFILIATION

WASO has direct affiliation with the Williams College Minorities Coalition (MinCo) under the Multicultural Center(MCC).

 

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

  • Membership

Membership shall be open to all Williams College students of African descent and nationality and those with an interest in African issues and culture, and must comply with federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, political, veteran or religious affiliation/status. Compliance with these laws means that membership, benefits and the election of officers will not be made on the basis of these factors.

Students can sign-up to become members of WASO at the Purple Key Fair, at MinCo Fest or by attending general body meetings. Members of WASO must be committed to upholding the tenets stated in Article I. Members are entitled to the following privileges: voting eligibility, holding coordinating positions, and access to the various substantive resources WASO offers.

Only active members of WASO shall hold office. 

 

NON‐DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

WASO agrees not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, or military service. Any member of the College community who on any of these grounds feels discriminated against by another member of the community should take action and reach out to the Office of Campus Life, Dean’s Office, Davis Center, or Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Advancement.

 

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

  • WASO shall be governed by a board that has the following positions:

  1. President(s) (1 or 2 members)
  2. Secretary
  3. Treasurer(s) (1 or 2 members)
  4. Minority Coalition Representative
  5. Communications and Outreach Chair
  6. Events Coordinator(s) (1 or 2 members)
  7. Historian
  8. The Horn Editor-in-Chief
  9. Upperclassmen Representative
  10. Freshman Class Representative(s) (1 or 2 members)

 

  • Board

  1.   WASO Board members are voted into power by the general WASO members.
  2.   WASO is required to have a Winter Study Interim Board consisting of first years and members of the current Board.
  3.   To be on the WASO Board or Winter Study Interim Board, individuals have to meet membership requirements as set forth in Article IV. A.
  4.   Board members and Interim Board members are required to follow the tenets set forth by this document. Breach of the WASO constitution can result in a vote of no confidence proceeding against a Board member.
  5.   Lack of accountability of the Board or individuals can result in a vote of no confidence proceeding against the Board or stated individual(s).

 

2024–2025 Board Members

President

Ian Dominic

Secretary 

Michael Okpoti

Treasurers 

Beatrice Ansah

Awuah Acheampong 

Events Coordinators

Mawusi Sefogbe

Uchechi Ibewuike 

Communications & Outreach Chair

Ariel Ntim-Addae

Historian

Keziah Osei-Agyemang

MinCo Representative

Oluwatosin Ibidokun

Upperclassmen Representative

Honorine Ilboudo

The Horn Editors

Beneyam Hassen

Oluwatosin Ibidokun

Freshman Class Rep(s)

Eeman Abakura

Gertrude Appiah-Ackah

 

  • Duties and Powers of the Board

  1. The governing board shall be the official leading body of WASO,
  2. The governing board shall be responsible for representing the views of WASO  to the administration, faculty, and other organizations when necessary,
  3. The governing board shall be responsible for resolving all disputes concerning the interpretation of this Constitution,
  4. The governing board shall uphold the principles of the mission statement of WASO,
  5. The governing board reserves the right to call meetings of the general body of WASO,
  6. All members of the governing board are required to attend all board and general body meetings.

 

Responsibilities Of Each Board Member

The President(s) shall be responsible for:

  1. representing WASO to the community at large,
  2. mediating between WASO and other organizations,
  3. organizing and running meetings of WASO,
  4. delegating authority when deemed necessary,
  5. undertaking a project that is deemed necessary,
  6. maintaining and strengthening alumni relations with the general body of WASO

The Treasurer shall be responsible for:

  1. all the monetary funds received from the college and spent during the academic year,
  2. all financial records and bookkeeping pertaining to WASO.
  3. serving as a liaison between WASO and the administration, faculty, or any other organization concerning financial issues,
  4. giving a monthly financial status report to be made available to any member of the general body upon request,
  5. ensuring that the organization does not engage in deficit spending.

The Secretary shall be responsible for:

  1. recording and keeping all the minutes of the board and general body WASO meetings,
  2. making the minutes available to the general body,
  3. publicizing general body meetings,
  4. organizing and running meetings of WASO when the President(s) is/are absent,
  5. overseeing the WASO listserv

The Minority Coalition Representative shall be responsible for:

  1. representing WASO and its interest at mandatory meetings of the Minority Coalition,
  2. keeping the general body informed about all the decisions of the Minority Coalition, as they pertain to WASO,
  3. acting as a liaison between the WASO and other minority organizations,
  4. all duties articulated for the Minority Coalition Representative within the Minority Coalition Constitution.

The Events Coordinator(s) shall be responsible for:

  1. planning non-academic and community events, trips both on and off campus and social gatherings (parties, cookouts, etc.).
  2. undertaking any project deemed necessary in pursuit of the above-mentioned goal(s) including advertising, event setup and breakdown
  3. securing necessary permits, licenses and reservation of spaces needed for group events, etc.
  4. coordinating with vendors and suppliers providing services to events planned.

The Historian shall be responsible for:

  1. preserving records, documents, and other materials of historical value for future members of WASO and the MinCo community
  2. acting as a liaison between WASO and WASO alumni
  3. constantly updating the website with relevant materials
  4. documenting WASO events using various forms of media, e.g. video, photographs, etc.

The Horn Editor-in-Chief shall be responsible for:

  1. acquiring articles and other materials for The Horn from current members, Williams students, alumni, faculty, and anyone interested in making a submission
  2. carrying out the editorial work of The Horn material with a committee
  3. layout and publishing of The Horn

The Communications and Outreach Chair shall be responsible for:

  1. developing and maintaining effective communication channels within WASO through the website, listserv, GroupMe and social media.
  2. creating and distributing newsletters, emails, or other internal communications
  3. managing WASO’s social media platforms
  4. coordinating media coverage for events and initiatives
  5. developing and implementing a crisis communication plan
  6. building relationships with campus media outlets

The Upperclassmen Representative shall be responsible for:

  1. representing the interests and concerns of the upperclassmen within the organization
  2. identifying and addressing challenges faced by upperclassmen
  3. providing a voice for upperclassmen in WASO discussions and decisions
  4. sharing experiences and knowledge about the organization to newer members
  5. helping resolve conflicts and disputes within WASO

The Freshman Class Representative shall be responsible for:

  1. representing the interests and concerns of the freshman class within the organization
  2. identifying and addressing challenges faced by freshmen
  3. providing a voice for freshmen in WASO discussions and decisions
  4. encouraging freshman involvement in WASO activities
  5. collecting feedback from freshmen and sharing it with the board for discussion

 

ARTICLE VI: ELECTIONS

  • Voting

  1. Only members of WASO as per the registration data reflects and are active within WASO as defined in Article IV. A. are eligible to vote.
  2. All class years are eligible to vote as long as they meet the tenet set by Article IV. A.
  3. Elections are to be held at least two(2) weeks before the spring semester final exam period
  4. The Winter Study Interim Board is not voted into power. It is at the discretion of the Board to work with first years in integrating them into the Interim Board.

  • Voting Procedure

  1. Members eligible to vote must choose between an affirmative or negative or an abstaining vote.  A simple majority is needed to win.
  2. If there are more abstentions than negative votes but fewer abstentions than affirmative votes, the affirmative vote wins. Example vote: 11 abstentions, 12 affirmative, and 8 negative
  3. If there are more abstentions than affirmative votes but fewer abstentions than negative votes, the negative vote wins. Example vote: 11 abstentions, 8 affirmative, 12 negative
  4. If there are more abstentions than either negative or affirmative votes, then there is a vote of no confidence and the debate will reopen. Example vote: 12 abstentions, 8 affirmative, 11 negative

 

ARTICLE VII: ADVISOR

This organization may select and secure an advisor from the active faculty or staff of Williams College and will register their name with Student Life annually.  The advisor will be informed of all meetings and activities of the organization and may call a special meeting of the organization to discuss concerns for the ongoing nature of the organization.

  • Selection Procedure

At the beginning of the academic year, the Board shall select a faculty member of Williams College to be the advisor for one academic year. The selection is subject to the approval of the majority of the members of WASO. The faculty member must be duly notified and must accept the position prior to being expected to fulfill the duties of an advisor.

  • Duties of the Advisor

The faculty member shall be responsible for submitting recommendations concerning the organization’s policies and events, and providing sound judgment with regard to the ongoing operation of the organization.

The advisor shall also attend at least one general meeting and at least one Board meeting of WASO.

 

ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS

  • General Meeting (WASO Wednesdays)

WASO will have monthly General meetings on Wednesdays and all members are eligible to attend these meetings. If there is to be no meeting, the WASO Secretary will inform the members at least 24 hours before the scheduled day of the meeting. These will mainly be held in the Dodd House Common Room at 6pm. Meetings can be moved to another place if members are in agreement.

  • Board Meetings

The WASO Board shall have weekly meetings on Fridays at 6:00 PM to discuss issues concerning the running of the organization. These are compulsory for all Board members. The meeting will be opened to all members for attendance at their own convenience at least twice a semester. If a board member is going to be absent from a meeting, they have to notify either the secretary or the president(s) at least 24 hours before the meeting takes place. Consecutive absences by board members will be dealt with as stipulated in Article V. B of this constitution.

 

ARTICLE IX: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

All amendments, additions, or deletions must be approved and filed with the College Council.

Section 1: An amendment may be proposed by any member of the organization.

Section 2: The procedure for amendments to this Constitution shall be as follows:

  1. The proposed amendment shall be announced at a meeting at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting when the vote will be taken.
  2. Two (2) weeks after the proposed amendment has been announced, the organization may adopt the amendment by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present.
  3. The secretary of WASO shall inform members about a proposed amendment Two(2) weeks before the amendment is voted on.
  4. Amendments that change the structure of the group and it is important to have that 2/3 approval from the members at large.

 

AMENDMENT I: 

WASO will not, under any circumstances, serve alcohol at any of its events. 

 

ARTICLE X: FUNDING

WASO  agrees to abide by all funding bylaws set forth by FAST and MinCo. This includes the process for applying for funding and the possible uses for FAST and MinCo funds by student organizations.  The treasurer will be responsible for budgeting the student organization’s funds in accordance with FAST funding bylaws.  The treasurer (and organization as whole) is responsible for all activities involving funding.

In approving this constitution, WASO also acknowledges that it may fundraise of its own accord, but alumni solicitation must be coordinated through the Development Office.

 

ARTICLE XI: DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution, any money that WASO  has acquired prior to dissolution will be donated to the Williams College Council Projects Fund.

 

ARTICLE XII: COMPULSORY EVENTS THAT ARE HELD ANNUALLY

  1. MinCo Leadership Training: A day-long gathering of all the board members of all the minority groups on campus. It is geared towards training board members (especially treasurers). It helps board members to better understand their position and the resources that are offered by the college and MinCo. (All board members should be in attendance)
  2. Purple Key Fair: A huge fair that is held at the beginning of the year that is geared towards frosh. It is a good opportunity to recruit new members.
  3. African Heritage Week: The BIG week. This is when WASO stamps its identity by organizing campus-wide events. Different events are held almost every day of the week and capped by a traditional mock wedding and fashion show. African Heritage week is usually held after spring break.
  4. Minco Fest:  At the end of the school year MinCo organizes a gathering in or around Paresky in which all the Minco groups display different things. Music, food, pictures, small artifacts, and anything that represents WASO is fair game.
  5. Homecoming Dinner: this event is considered mandatory as some WASO alumni come for homecoming and this is an opportunity for members to interact with them. The food is prepared by the members of WASO and may be done as a collaboration event with another RSO of similar identity to WASO.
  6. MinCo Senior Award Ceremony: MinCo organizes a brunch/dinner at the end of the year to honor seniors that have contributed to helping push the diversity at Williams.
  7. The Horn: The Horn is a magazine that is published by WASO once per school year. A “horn committee” is organized to edit and publish the magazine.

 

APPROVAL

Signed,

Ian Dominic ’27

WASO President ’24-’25