State of the MSA

State of the MSA

Questionnaire

The purpose of this questionnaire is to compile as much general information about Muslim Student Associations as possible for the purposes of making them better, networking ideas, and developing methodologies for solving similar problems that they face. This questionnaire is divided into 6 topics: general information, social, political, economic, intellectual, and miscellaneous information. Please take your time in answering this questionnaire. When you are done, you can e-mail your responses to the umbc_msa@yahoo.com or mail them to:

UMBC MSA

1000 Hilltop Circle, SFC #27

Baltimore, MD 21250

For more information about the UMBC MSA, check out our website at sta.umbc.edu/orgs/msa.

Jazakallah Khairun. May Allah (swt) reward you greatly for taking the time to fill out this survey.

General Information

Part A

What type of school do you attend? (circle one)

State University Community College Private University

Graduate School Law School Medical School

Technical/Occupational Other___________________

My school is a __________. (circle one)

Commuter School Large Dormitory School

Other: ________________

My school emphasizes: (circle one)

Liberal Arts Social Science Natural Sciences

Information Tech. Math/Engineering Other:___________________

My school is in/near a ______________ area: (circle one)

Metropolitan Urban Suburban Rural

What is the official name of the Muslim organization at your school?

Are there other MSA’s near your school? Yes No

If yes, how often do you interact with them? (circle one)

Once a year

Once every semester

Twice a semester

Once every month

Weekly

Are there any Masajid near your school? Yes No

If yes, how often do you interact with them? (circle one)

Once a year

Once every semester

Twice a semester

Once every month

Weekly

Is your MSA part of an MSA Council? Yes No

If yes, how often do you interact with them (circle one)

Once a year

Once every semester

Twice a semester

Once every month

Weekly

If you answered “yes” to either question 6,7, or 8, please answer the following:

What types of activities do you engage in?

____________________________________________________________

10. Is there more than one Muslim organization at your school? Yes No

a. If "yes", do they get along with each other? Yes No

b. Why is there more than one Muslim group?

____________________________________________________________

Part B

Does your MSA have a constitution? Yes No

If yes, could you briefly describe:

i. The purpose of your MSA:

________________________________________________________

ii. The types of officers, their duties, and their terms according to your constitution.

________________________________________________________

My MSA is most closely associated with:

i. Democracy – (Elected officials, regular voting)

ii. Shura - (an amir appointed by a type of committee through mutual discussion and consent, some positions are elected while others are appointed)

iii. Dictatorially – (Officials are self-appointing or put into office through a previous administration)

Do you feel that your constitution is well written? (circle one)

Yes No

How do you think your constitution could be improved?

________________________________________________________

If your MSA does not have a constitution, why not?

________________________________________________________

Elections:

How often does your MSA have elections?

Never Once every four years Once every year

Do you feel that MSA elections are taken seriously? (circle one)

Yes No

Who runs the election? (circle one)

Graduating Seniors Committees Other:_______________

Who is eligible to vote? (circle one)

People who attend regularly

People who attend occasionally

People who attend Jumaah

Anyone can vote

Records:

What types of records does your MSA have? (circle all that apply)

Agendas Minutes Constitution Yearbooks Financial

Other___________________________

Does your MSA keep track of all of its documents?

Yes No

i) If you answered “yes” to question 3b, how does your MSA keep track of its documents? (circle all that apply)

Books

Electronically – Disk

Electronically – Online, through the internet

Are the records of past MSA administrations accessible?

i) If you answered “yes” to question 3c, what procedures are there to access them?

________________________________________________________

ii) If not, has your MSA ever through of doing so and for what reasons did it choose not to?

________________________________________________________

Is your MSA recognized by either a student government association or the campus administration?

Yes No

History

How did your MSA start? (circle one)

From an already existing organization (ex: PSA, MESA, ASU)

From a group of brothers/sisters who performed Islamic duties in congregation (ex: Jumaah, salaat, iftar)

Other: ____________________________________________

On average, how many people participate in:

a. Meetings - _________________

b. Jumaah Salat - _________________

c. Iftar - _________________

What event did you have that had the most Muslims in attendance?

What event did you have that had the most non-Muslims in attendance?

Meetings

a. Does your MSA have weekly meetings? Yes No

b. Does your MSA have monthly meetings? Yes No

c. Are these meetings open to the entire Muslim body? Yes No

d. Are these meetings open to the entire student body? Yes No

Are there agendas for your meetings?

Yes No

If you answered “yes”, please also answer the following:

a. Are these agendas available only for officers? Yes No

b. . . . for all of the people attending the meeting? Yes No

c. How are the agendas made available (circle all that apply)

Hard Copies passed out

Written on board at the beginning of the meeting

Posted on a transparency

E-mailed to everyone attending the meeting

Posted on the website so everyone can print it out at their own discretion

How well does your MSA communicate with:

a. Its own members? Excellent Good Average Poorly

b. Other Muslim groups? Excellent Good Average Poorly

c. With other MSA’s? Excellent Good Average Poorly

d. With other student groups? Excellent Good Average Poorly

e. W/ your campus admin? Excellent Good Average Poorly

Why do you think people choose not to participate in MSA activities? (circle all that apply)

Apathy

MSA is perceived as a self-righteous group

They feel unwelcome

Lack of time

Political conflict of some sort deters interest

Other_______________________________________________________

Does your MSA have its own reserved, campus recognized area for:

a. Daily prayers? Yes No

b. Iftar? Yes No

c. Jumaah Salat? Yes No

i) If you answered “no” to any of the question in 13, is your MSA trying to get a reserved area for those activities?

Yes No

ii) What kind of obstacles have you been facing in order to get those areas reserved?

Campus Administration

Lack of Space

Lack of Funds

Opposition form other Groups

Other:

________________________________________________________

Social

1. What types of social activities does your MSA engage in? (circle all that apply)

Ice Cream Socials

Picnics

Sports

Movies

Eating Out

Other ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

2. What types of community service activities does your MSA engage in? (circle all that apply)

Food Drives

Cloth Drives

Blood Drives

Humanitarian Fundraising

Cleaning up your school

Other

_______________________________________________________

3. Does your MSA get Zabiha food from your school?

Yes No

a. If no, does your school get zabiha from surrounding area businesses?

Yes No

b. How far is the closest zabiha restaurant from your school? __________

c. Do members of your MSA visit these restaurants frequently?

Yes No

4. What is your MSA's position on gender segregation?

________________________________________________________

a. Is there a clause in your constitution that enforces GS? Yes No

b. Does it depend on who has been elected? Yes No

c. Is this issue a source of conflict in your MSA? Yes No

5. If your MSA has elections . . .

a. Are women allowed to vote? Yes No

b. Are they allowed to run for high offices? Yes No

c. Is there a seperate office in your MSA that is dedicated solely for activities pertaining to women? Yes No

6. What types of events does your MSa have that are for sisters exclusively?

________________________________________________________

Political

1. What types of political activities does your MSA engage in? (circle all that apply)

Protests

Voting in local elections

Voting in national elections

Hosting lectures

Proposing legislation

Human rights work

Working with Muslim political organizations (ie: CAIR, MPAC, AMC, AMJ)

Other:

________________________________________________________

2. Is your MSA opposed to participating in political activities?

Yes No

3. Has Islam ever been publicly degraded either by students, faculty, or members of the campus administration?

Yes No

a. If you answered "yes" to question 3, what was your MSA's response

____________________________________________________________

b. What was your school's response?

____________________________________________________________

c. If you answered "no" to question 3, what is your MSA's contingency plan in the event that you are confronted with a hate crime or hate speech?

________________________________________________________

4. Has any Muslim ever been the victim of a hate crime at your school?

Yes No

a. If you answered "yes" to question 4, what was your MSA's response?

_________________________________________________________

b. What was your schools' response?

_________________________________________________________

Economic

1. Does your MSA recieve funding from any one of the following, and if so, how much?

a. SGA - amount recieved: __________________________________________

b. Campus AdministratioN: _________________________________________

c. Donations: _____________________________________________________

d. Masjid: _______________________________________________________

e. Other: ________________________________________________________

2. What types of fundraising activities does your MSA engage in?

a. Bake Sales

b. Carwashes

c. Henna/Mehndi Tattooes

d. Fundraising Dinners

e. Donation boxes

f. Telethons

g. Membership Fees

h. Other

__________________________________________________________________

3. What do you think is the best way for an MSA to raise funds?

_________________________________________________________________

Intellectual

1. What types of educational activities does your MSA have? (circle all that apply)

Halaqas

Arabic Classes

Other Language Classes: ________________________________________

Quran Class

-Tajweed

-Tafseer

Fiqh Class

Hadeeth Class

Class for reverts

Dawah Events

Seerah Class

Other: _________________________________________________________

2. What types of issues concern your MSA now or in the past?

Hijab

Beard

Conflict between Madhabs

Conflict between Sects

Conflict between "conservatives" and "liberals"

Racial Tensions

Linguistic Tensions

Political Conflicts

Other ___________________________________________________________

3. How were these conflicts resolved, if they were resolved at all? What types of mechanisms for conflict resolution, does your MSA have?

________________________________________________________

4. What types of media does your MSA have? (circle all that apply)

Newsletters

Newspapers

Website

Radio

TV Show

Journals

Other

________________________________________________________

Miscellaneous

1. What are the weaknesses of your MSA?

________________________________________________________

2. What do you expect from the Muslim leadership of America?

________________________________________________________

3. What do you expect from your MSA?

________________________________________________________

4. Where do you see Islam in the next 20 years?

________________________________________________________

5. Do you feel that MSA has made you a better Muslims? Yes No

6. Do you feel that MSA has made you a worse person? Yes No