Egyptian Student Association
Last active term
Club Name
The name of the club will be Egyptian Student Association. We are not agent or representative of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), and our views and actions in no way represent the WUSA.
Governance
The club will uphold the values, mission, and mandate of both the University of Waterloo (UW) and WUSA through following the directives outlined in the WUSA Clubs Manual, all WUSA By-Laws, Policies, and Procedures, as well as all policies and procedures outlined by the UW Secretariat. Furthermore, the club will abide by all laws of the Region of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada. All club matters will ultimately be governed by the WUSA Clubs Manager.
Purpose
The purpose of the club is to gather University of Waterloo students, staff, faculty and members of the UW community at large to
Our purpose is not only to create a sense of home for Egyptian students, which is a large demographic at this university but also to offer an inclusive space for all individuals interested in learning more about Egypt's history, art, cuisine, and contemporary issues. The Egyptian Student Association is all about fun, connections, embracing and learning about our unique culture, and we want you to be part of it! We're all about celebrating Egyptian culture while embracing everyone, no matter where you're from! We believe diversity makes our community stronger, so although we're passionate about our Egyptian roots, our doors open to everyone — whether you're Egyptian, fascinated by the culture, or just looking for an awesome community, you're more than welcome!
Club events, activities, and/or initatives will include
The Egyptian Students Association will be organizing events, activities, and initiatives that will enhance the cultural experience of its members and promote awareness within the broader university community. Some specific events include:
1. Cuisine Nights:
- Host events featuring various cuisines from different a countries, areas in Egyptian providing an opportunity to educate others about the culinary delights while trying our favourite dishes.
2. Movie Marathon - Egyptian Cinema Night:
- Screen popular Egyptian films with English subtitles.
- Provide a cozy setting with traditional snacks for a cinematic experience.
3. Open Mic Night:
- Showcase talents within the ESA community.
- Encourage performances of music, poetry, or storytelling.
4. Collaborative Events:
- Partner with other cultural and student organizations on campus to organize joint events that promote cross-cultural exchange between Middle Eastern and North African countries.
--> Cultural Night Extravaganza:
- Showcase Egyptian traditions, music, dance, and cuisine.
- Collaborate with other cultural clubs for a diverse experience.
Membership Structure
The club will be fully inclusive and welcoming to both its current and potential membership. New membership is welcome and accepted at any time during a club’s active term. Eligible club members may be current: WUSA Members, as outlined by the WUSA By-Laws; UW graduate students; UW staff or faculty; and/or members of the UW community at large, as defined in the Clubs Manual.
Only current UW students (graduate or undergraduate) may hold voting membership within the club. UW Staff, faculty, and members of the UW community at large may hold non-voting membership within the club. (If Applicable) UW undergrad students who are eligible to obtain voting membership in the club who do not wish to pay the club membership fee at the time of joining may hold non-voting membership within the club. Voting membership can be obtained for said members by paying the membership fee.
At least two thirds of the club's membership must be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate).
Membership Fee
Executive Officers
The majority of executives will be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate). The club president will be a current UW undergraduate student. All club executives will be elected, not hired or appointed. The term of office for all executive positions is one academic term, as outlined by the UW Registrar’s Office. All club decisions will be determined by executive vote, as no executive officer (not even the President) holds decision making power for the collective.
The President ensures that:
- The club operates according to the guidelines of its constitution and some agreed upon guidelines for running a meeting, such as Robert's Rules of Order;
- The club works towards its objectives as agreed upon by the membership; and
- Their successor is trained.
- They will provide visionary leadership, setting the overall direction and goals of ESA.
- The vision and mission of ESA are clearly defined and consistently aligned with the goals of the organization.
- Major events and initiatives are well-planned, executed, and evaluated to ensure their success and alignment with ESA's mission.
- Conflicts are addressed promptly, and solutions are found to maintain a positive and cohesive organizational culture.
- The association's budget is managed responsibly, and financial activities adhere to university policies.
- There is a smooth transition of leadership, with incoming executive members well-prepared and guided by the outgoing President.
The President is a signing authority.
The Vice President ensures that:
- Records of what the group has done are maintained, distributed, and are accessibile to all the members;
- Meeting minutes/notes are recorded and made available to all voting members;
- All club correspondence is monitored and brought to the attention of the appropriate person(s);
- Their successor is trained.
- Assist the President in providing overall leadership to the Society.
- Collaborate with other executive members to plan and coordinate events, ensuring they align with the goals and vision of ESA.
- Step in to fulfill the President's duties in their absence, ensuring continuity in organizational activities.
- Oversee specific committees or subgroups within EAS, ensuring their activities align with the overall mission of the association.
- Attend meetings or events on behalf of EAS when necessary.
The Vice President is a signing authority.
The Treasurer ensures that:
- The club's WUSA bank account and all financial transactions for the club are monitored and verified;
- All club revenues are collected, deposited into the club's WUSA bank account, and reconciled correctly and within a timely manner;
- Club cheque requests are submitted correctly and in a timely manner; and
- Their successor is trained.
The Treasurer is a signing authority.
The Marketing Executive ensures that:
- The ESA brand is consistently and effectively communicated, enhancing visibility and recognition within the university community.
- ESA maintains an active and engaging presence on social media platforms, fostering community engagement and promoting events to a wider audience.
- Comprehensive marketing strategies are developed and implemented to promote ESA events, ensuring maximum attendance and participation.
- Positive relationships are built and maintained with campus media, ensuring accurate and favourable coverage of ESA events and activities.
- Feedback from marketing efforts is analyzed to assess the effectiveness of different strategies, allowing for continuous improvement and optimization.
- Ensures that the next Marketing Executive is trained.
The Content Creator ensures that:
- Utilizes a variety of multimedia formats, such as graphics, videos, and infographics, to diversify content and cater to different audience preferences
- Crafts compelling narratives that effectively convey the stories, experiences, and traditions of Egyptians culture, engaging the audience on an emotional level.
- Incorporates interactive elements into content, such as polls, quizzes, or calls to action, to encourage audience participation and feedback.
- Collaborates with other content creators, influencers, and organizations to broade ESA's reach and engage with diverse audiences.
- Utilizes analytics and metrics to evaluate the performance of content, understand audience demographics, and refine content strategies for optimization.
- Ensures that the next Content Creator is trained.
The Event Coordinator ensures that:
- Develops comprehensive plans for each event, outlining logistics, timelines, and key responsibilities to ensure a smooth execution.
- Works closely with the Treasurer to develop and manage event budgets, ensuring financial resources are allocated effectively.
- Oversees the registration process, managing RSVPs, ticketing, or any other means of tracking event attendance.
- Manages on-site operations during events, addressing any issues that may arise and ensuring everything runs according to plan.
- Conducts post-event evaluations to gather feedback, assess the success of the event, and identify areas for improvement.
- Works closely with Outreach Coordinator to secure venues/spaces that align with the nature and size of each event.
- Ensures that the next Event Coordinator is trained.
The Outreach Coordinator ensures that:
- Actively engages with various campus communities, student groups, and organizations to promote ESA's mission and events.
- Collaborates with relevant authorities to secure suitable venues/spaces
- Manages emailing newsletters and general members Whatsapp announcements group chat, updating members about events as well as maintaining connections with the ESA community
- Represents ESA in university meetings and discussions to raise awareness and advocate for the interests of North African students.
- Develops and implements strategies to attract new members to ESA, encouraging a diverse and inclusive membership.
- Ensures ESA's active participation in campus-wide events, fairs, and orientations to connect with a diverse audience and recruit new members.
- Ensures that the next Outreach Coordinator is trained.
The Secretary ensures that:
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of club meetings, decisions, and important events. This includes keeping minutes of meetings and creating a record of attendance.
- Handle club correspondence, including emails, letters, and other communications
- Assist in organizing and coordinating club meetings. This involves scheduling, preparing agendas in collaboration with the president or other leadership members, and distributing meeting materials.
- Work closely with other club officers, including the president, treasurer, and event coordinators, to facilitate effective communication and coordination of club activities.
- Assist in the transition process when new officers take over. This involves providing the incoming secretary with relevant documents, information, and insights to ensure a seamless handover.
- Ensures that the next Secretary is trained.
It is important to assure that the person with the most information and/or knowledge in the club is not the full-time chairperson. Therefore, the club will occasionally rotate the role of chairperson among voting members.
Executive Support Structure
The First-Year Representative ensures that:
- Works closely with Outreach Coordinator to Facilitate the integration of first-year students into ESA, helping them feel welcome and engaged in the association's activities.
- Serves as a point of contact for first-year members, addressing their questions, concerns, and providing guidance on how to get involved.
- Provides information and support during university orientations, introducing new students to ESA's mission, events, and the benefits of membership.
- Gathers feedback from first-year members to understand their experiences, challenges, and suggestions for improvement within ESA.
- Ensures that the next First-Year Representative is trained.
- Ensures that the next First-Year Representative is trained.
The Second-Year Representative ensures that:
- Assists second-year students in transitioning smoothly into their sophomore year, addressing any challenges or concerns they may face.
- Connect second-year students to provide peer support and a community considering it is a new club.
- Gathers feedback from second-year members to understand their experiences and expectations, using this information to enhance ESA's offerings.
- Works closely with Outreach Coordinator to develop strategies to retain second-year members by creating a supportive and engaging environment that meets their evolving needs.
- Ensures that the next Second-Year Representative is trained.
- Ensures that the next Second-Year Representative is trained.
Meetings
General Meetings
The club will hold monthly general meetings. Quorum for general meetings will be 15 voting members of 20% of voting membership (whichever is more).
Executive Meetings
The club will hold weekly executive meetings. Quorum for executive meetings will be 2 executives or at least 51% of the executive body (whichever is more).
The first meetings (both general and executive) of the following term will be arranged by the outgoing executive. At said meetings, subsequent meeting dates and locations will be set. Meeting dates and times will be forwarded to voting members by:
- Phone
Emergency meetings can be called by an executive via:
- Phone
and must be sent to the appropriate members at least 48 hours prior to the meeting time.
ELECTION PROCESS
Elections shall take place at the end of each term for the following academic term. Only University of Waterloo students who are members of the club can vote. Club members must be notified, by email, two weeks in advance of the meeting where executive elections will take place. The term of office shall be for one term. An executive can only hold office (any position) for a total of up to three terms.
Nominations for executives can be made from any club member. The majority of executives must be undergraduate University of Waterloo students. The successful candidate will be the one with the most votes. In the case of a tie, a re-vote will take place until the tie is broken.
IMPEACHMENT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
A movement to impeach an executive officer may be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. When the motion is made the Clubs Manager will be informed. An emergency general meeting will be called as soon as is reasonably possible. No club funds will be spent until the issue is resolved.
At the impeachment meeting, the individual(s) who initiated the process will state their case. Afterwards, the officer(s) under impeachment will have an opportunity to defend their position(s) on the matter.
There will then be a question and answer period followed by the selection process for a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) who will oversee the voting process to ensure the decision is fair and democratic. Any executive officer who is neither the initiator nor subject of the impeachment may volunteer as CRO. If there is no such officer, then any voting member of the club present at the meeting may volunteer. If there are multiple volunteers, then the CRO will be selected based on a simple majority vote cast by secret ballot and tallied publically by the chairperson of the meeting. If there is no such volunteer for CRO, then the meeting will be at a standstill until either an eligible executive officer or voting member volunteers.
The vote will be by a “YES/NO” secret ballot, tallied publically by the CRO. If at least two thirds of the votes are for impeachment, then said officer will immediately be stripped of their position. The remaining executive may choose to call an immediate by-election to replace the newly vacant executive officer position.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
A claim against any executive officer or club member regarding a potential conflict of interest can be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. If such a claim arises, then said individual(s) under suspicion have the opportunity to remove them self (or themselves) from said potential conflict without acknowledging intention of wrongdoing. In the event the claim is contested, then the Clubs Manager will be informed and an emergency executive meeting will be called to determine the validity of the claim. Executive officers who have a claim against them cannot vote to determine the validity of said claim. If executive quorum is not possible due to the removal of said vote(s), then an emergency general meeting will be called and the same proceedings described for impeachment will be used to determine the validity of the claim.
If the claim is validated and there is suspicion of intentional wrongdoing, an immediate impeachment proceeding may be called by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members, of whom are not named in the claim. If it is determined that a club member is involved in intentional wrongdoing, the impeachment proceeding will be called to determine said member’s club status.
AMENDMENTS
Constitutional amendments may be proposed by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. The amendment will then be voted on by referendum. The voting procedure will be the same as for the impeachment process. If the vote passes, the amendment and the vote will be forwarded to the Clubs Manager for final approval. If the Clubs Manager approves, then the constitution will be amended and any changes will be inserted into the constitution.
A motion to officially close the club will follow the same procedure as a constitutional amendment. If such a motion passes, then the club will be purged from the clubs system.
AFFILIATIONS
No organization(s) is/are currently affiliated with this club.