[ASA-Official] [ASA-OFFICIAL] GBM and Elections, Anti-Hazing Forms, CPW Midway Signup, New Groups Updates, LEF-ARCADE, Space Updates, Poster Updates

Mon Mar 7 23:27:30 EST 2016

Dear Student Group Leaders,

Please take note of the following announcements:

(1) Required Attendance: General Body Meeting (3/17/16)
(2) Executive Board Elections (3/17/16)
(3) Annual Required Membership Confirmation and Anti-Hazing Form
Signing (due 3/11/16)
(4) CPW Midway Applications Now Open (Deadline 3/27/16)
(5) Stuff on Groups
(6) LEF-ARCADE Spring Cycle Deadline (3/18/16)
(7) Space Allocation Categorizations
(8) Space Allocation Timeline
(9) Postering
(10) MindHandHeart Innovation Fund

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(1) Required Attendance: General Body Meeting (3/17/16)

This is an announcement that the spring General Body Meeting will be
held on Thursday, March 17, at 6:30pm in location TBA. Dinner will be
provided after the meeting; please arrive early so we may start on
time. Every student group is required to send a representative, with
the exception of individual FSILGs and club sports; those groups’
governance groups must still attend. Groups that do not send a
representative will incur a $50 fine, and may be suspended or
de-recognized if the group has repeatedly missed GBMs.

Any member may check in for a group, and a member may check in for
more than one group. However, only students listed as president,
treasurer, group admin, or GBM proxy in the group's ASA Database entry
may exercise the group's vote. Furthermore, nobody may exercise the
vote of more than one group, and each group has only one vote even if
they send multiple representatives.

All GBM proxies from previous GBMs have been cleared, so if you would
like someone other than your President, Treasurer, or Group Admin to
vote, you must re-designate them in the Database.

The tentative agenda is:

1. Updates from the Board
2. Elections for President, Treasurer, Secretary, GMALs, UMALs, SMAL
(in that order)

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at <asa-exec at mit.edu>.

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(2) Executive Board Elections (3/19/14)

At the GBM, elections for the 2016-2017 ASA Executive Board will be
held. We will elect eight positions: President, Treasurer, Secretary,
two Graduate Members-at-Large (GMALs), two Undergraduate
Members-at-Large (UMALs), and one Student Member-at-Large (SMAL).

Together, Board members are responsible for:
- advocacy on behalf of student groups
- allocation of resources among student groups
- oversight of student group activity (including recognition and derecognition)
- student group arbitration and support
- organization of events such as the Activities Midways
- upkeep of the new ASA database, which helps us better keep track of
student groups
- establishing and enforcing policies for student groups

Most Board members will pick a handful of these responsibilities that
interest them to focus on.

If you are interested in running for any of these positions, we
encourage you to contact us at <asa-elect at mit.edu> with any questions
you might have, or to learn more information about the Board’s
activities. If you would like to submit a slide for your candidacy to
be shown at the GBM, you may email it to the same address.

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(3) Annual Required Membership Confirmation and Anti-Hazing Form
Signing (due 3/11/16)

It is now time for the ASA’s annual update process. We use this to
verify that all groups are active and have enough members.
Additionally, by Massachusetts law, every group is required attest to
having distributed a copy of the Massachusetts hazing law to its
members. Finally, we also ask that groups reaffirm that they do not
discriminate.

Each ASA-recognized student group must have an officer listed in the
ASA database complete the form at
https://asa.mit.edu/membership/update/.

Each group also must have at least five MIT student members confirm
membership by filling out the form at
https://asa.mit.edu/membership/confirm/.

Each group should submit these forms by March 11, 2016 at 11:59PM EDT.
Late submissions will be penalized by fines (up to $150) and
eventually suspension and derecognition. Groups that have been newly
recognized THIS 2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR do NOT need to complete this
process.

If, at any time, you have questions, including about the timeline or
getting extensions, please email us at asa-exec at mit.edu.

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(4) CPW Midway Application Open (due 3/27/2016)

The application for a booth at the CPW Activities Midway can be found
at <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16rpsNFDMCm8-_1cX09OLpAHWLWdfdRKHowy-WkbcFTU/viewform
>. Applications are due on March 27th at 11:59 PM EDT. Please fill
these out as soon as possible, however. The Midway will take place
from in Johnson Ice Rink at 1-3PM on Saturday, April 9, 2016, during
CPW.

For more information, see
<http://web.mit.edu/asa/publicity/midway.html> or email us at
<asa-midway at mit.edu>.

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(5) Spring Groups Cycle Update

The deadline for applications in the spring groups cycle has passed
already. You may still submit applications, but they will be
considered in the fall cycle next semester. For those who already
applied, group meetings with ASA are happening this week, March 7 to
March 11.

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(6) LEF-ARCADE SPRING CYCLE DEADLINE (3/18/2016)

The deadline to submit applications to the Large Event Fund (LEF) and
the Assisting Recurring Cultural And Diversity Events (ARCADE) fund
Spring Cycle is 3/18/2016 at 11:59PM EST. This deadline is for events
occurring between April 1, 2016 and June 30, 2016. The application and
more information about the funds are available online:
<http://web.mit.edu/asa/resources/large-events.html>.

You are encouraged to meet with someone from the Student Activities
Office to discuss your application, particularly if you are unclear on
any part of your application.  You MUST meet with the Student
Activities Office to discuss an event if it will involve paying a
speaker or performer.  You can contact Joel Pettigrew,
<joelp at mit.edu>, about scheduling an appointment.

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(7) Space Allocation Categorizations

The ASA would like to apologize for the delay in getting
categorizations for space out. We are now releasing the priority
categorizations, here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yr-dLq0aJOPIE8CFDEAXatuSG19coUWr8vQXofusJuY/edit?usp=sharing.
There is a key at the top of the spreadsheet, as well as later in this
e-mail.

Appeals to these categorizations must be received by *Monday, March
14th*. You can find the format of these appeals in Article VII,
Section 4 of our Operating Guidelines
<web.mit.edu/asa/rules/pdf/ASA-Operating-Guidelines.pdf>

We will try to release full assignments by *April 1st* and facilitate
movement of groups the following week.

Key:
RCS-expected to retain current space
RAS-expected to retain current AMOUNT of space
MDS-may have space decreased
EDS-expected to have space decreased
HPIS-high priority increase space
MPIS-medium priority increase space
LPIS-low priority increase space

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(8) Space Allocation Timeline

March 14: deadline to appeal categorization
March 21: appeals have been heard
Apr. 1: full allocations released

Details regarding the application and our priorities in assigning
space can be found in Article VII of our Operating Guidelines,
<web.mit.edu/asa/rules/pdf/ASA-Operating-Guidelines.pdf>. Feel free to
email <asa-space at mit.edu> for more information, or with questions or
concerns.

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(9) Postering Updates

Bulletin boards are a privilege given to ASA student groups who have
applied and been assigned an allocated postering space. As a reminder,
general guidelines are listed here
<http://web.mit.edu/asa/resources/bulletin-board-alloc.html> to which
you will be expected to follow. We have just completed a thorough
clean-up of ASA allocated bulletin boards and will fine $25 to groups
who have been found in violation of postering rules, including those
who consistently poster over other groups’ spaces. We will also be
reaching out to groups who have not kept their poster space updated
with current materials and will be re-allocating this space to other
groups on the waitlist.

Please contact us at <asa-postering at mit.edu> with any requests,
questions, or other inquiries.

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(10) MindHandHeart Innovation Fund

The MindHandHeart Innovation Fund is now accepting applications for
projects, activities, events, or campaigns that promote mental health
and well-being at MIT. The fund offers grants of up to $10,000.
Applications are due Thursday March 31st. Find out more and start an
application at: <https://mindhandheart.mit.edu/innovation-fund>.

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Please feel free to email <asa-exec at mit.edu> with any requests,
questions, or other inquiries.

Sincerely,
The ASA Executive Board
<http://web.mit.edu/asa/about/board-members.html>