Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations
Encyclopedia
The Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (MAUVSA) (Vietnamese:Liên Hội Sinh Viên Việt Nam Mid-Atlantic) is a non-profit alliance of college-based cultural organizations from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. It consists of local chapters from eight major schools throughout the region: George Mason University
, The George Washington University, James Madison University
, University of Maryland – College Park, University of Virginia
, Virginia Commonwealth University
, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, and the most recent addition, Georgetown University
. MAUVSA seeks to unify the Vietnamese American community, facilitate communication and cooperation among the various schools, empower and develop young leaders, foster cultural awareness and education, and promote social justice.
and other regional networks. The seven universities that would form MAUVSA held their first summit on October 14, 2006. Representatives from these schools were greeted by the helpful direction of uNAVSA President Hai T. Ton, External Vice-President Minh Thanh Nguyen, and Treasurer Aileen Pham. The uNAVSA officers presented an overview of leadership, and facilitated workshops on topics such as membership, coalition building, and project management. After this initial summit, leaders from the seven VSAs continued to meet throughout the academic year, and focused on drafting MAUVSA's new constitution. On July 21, 2007, they ratified and signed the constitution, officially recognizing and sanctioning the organization.
Each January, MAUVSA hosts a retreat for its general body members. Programming for the event emphasizes networking and social interaction. It also includes information seminars and workshops on topics such as Vietnamese history, Vietnamese cinema, personal finance, and teambuilding.
MAUVSA also supports and promotes the programs of its campus chapters, such as:
1) VSA
Families, a mentoring program for new freshmen and transfer students;
2) VSA Interns, a training program for emerging leaders;
3) Cultural holiday celebrations, including Full Moon Festival and Tết
Show;
4) Vietnamese language
and culture classes; and
5) College Preparation Seminar, an outreach and development workshop for high school students.
Each year, the members of MAUVSA participate in a Collective Philanthropy Project (CPP) to raise money for charity. In 2007, MAUVSA's efforts benefitted the Catalyst Foundation, an organization supporting homeless and poverty-stricken children in Vietnam. After various fundraising activities and events throughout the year, MAUVSA donated $7,000 to Catalyst.
In 2008, MAUVSA successfully raised $7,700 for Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscious Empowerment (VOICE), an organization offering legal and social services to Vietnamese refugees overseas. To celebrate and commemorate their achievements, the members of MAUVSA hosted a formal ball in June.
In 2009, MAUVSA donated to VietHope, an organization dedicated to building schools and offering scholarships in Vietnam. MAUVSA presented a ceremonial check for $5,000 at a formal dinner gala in June.
MAUVSA's charitable efforts and contributions have received attention from various media sources in the Vietnamese community. They have been featured on stations such as Vietnamese American Television (VATV) and Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
(SBTN), as well as news websites such as VietBao Daily and Vietmedia.
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
, The George Washington University, James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
, University of Maryland – College Park, University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, and the most recent addition, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. MAUVSA seeks to unify the Vietnamese American community, facilitate communication and cooperation among the various schools, empower and develop young leaders, foster cultural awareness and education, and promote social justice.
Recent News
MAUVSA will host the first regional summit of the 2009-2010 term on September 12 at James Madison University.History
In 2006, the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA) approached students from Virginia Commonwealth University with the idea of creating an umbrella organization in the Mid-Atlantic area, similar to UVSAUnion of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California
The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California is a network of Vietnamese Student Associations at various Southern California universities and colleges...
and other regional networks. The seven universities that would form MAUVSA held their first summit on October 14, 2006. Representatives from these schools were greeted by the helpful direction of uNAVSA President Hai T. Ton, External Vice-President Minh Thanh Nguyen, and Treasurer Aileen Pham. The uNAVSA officers presented an overview of leadership, and facilitated workshops on topics such as membership, coalition building, and project management. After this initial summit, leaders from the seven VSAs continued to meet throughout the academic year, and focused on drafting MAUVSA's new constitution. On July 21, 2007, they ratified and signed the constitution, officially recognizing and sanctioning the organization.
Members of the Union
- VSA - George Mason University
- VSA - The George Washington University
- VSA - James Madison University
- VSA - University of Maryland - College Park
- VSA - University of Virginia
- VSA - Virginia Commonwealth University
- VSA - Virginial Polytechnic Institute & State University
Activities
The primary activity for MAUVSA is a series of monthly leadership summits. Each summit provides the opportunity for students to exchange information, establish relationships, evaluate activities, and coordinate programs at the campus level. The summit series also provides a forum for student leaders to discuss common organizational challenges such as membership recruitment, membership retention, conflict resolution, and project management.Each January, MAUVSA hosts a retreat for its general body members. Programming for the event emphasizes networking and social interaction. It also includes information seminars and workshops on topics such as Vietnamese history, Vietnamese cinema, personal finance, and teambuilding.
MAUVSA also supports and promotes the programs of its campus chapters, such as:
1) VSA
VSA
- Associations :* Veterans for a Secure America* Victorian Speleological Association* Vietnamese Student Association* The Violin Society of America* Voluntary Service Aberdeen* Volunteer Service Abroad* VSA arts- Science and technology :...
Families, a mentoring program for new freshmen and transfer students;
2) VSA Interns, a training program for emerging leaders;
3) Cultural holiday celebrations, including Full Moon Festival and Tết
Tet
Tet can mean:*Tết or Tết Nguyên Đán, the Vietnamese new year**Tet Offensive, a military campaign that began in 1968*Têt in Roussillon, France*Equal temperament, abbreviated as 12-TET, 19-TET and so on...
Show;
4) Vietnamese language
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
and culture classes; and
5) College Preparation Seminar, an outreach and development workshop for high school students.
Collective Philanthropy Project
In 2008, MAUVSA successfully raised $7,700 for Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscious Empowerment (VOICE), an organization offering legal and social services to Vietnamese refugees overseas. To celebrate and commemorate their achievements, the members of MAUVSA hosted a formal ball in June.
In 2009, MAUVSA donated to VietHope, an organization dedicated to building schools and offering scholarships in Vietnam. MAUVSA presented a ceremonial check for $5,000 at a formal dinner gala in June.
MAUVSA's charitable efforts and contributions have received attention from various media sources in the Vietnamese community. They have been featured on stations such as Vietnamese American Television (VATV) and Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, abbreviated SBTN, is the first 24-hour Vietnamese language channel geared towards the Vietnamese diaspora. It is currently available in the United States on many cable systems as well as through DirecTV. The channel provides children, arts, entertainment,...
(SBTN), as well as news websites such as VietBao Daily and Vietmedia.
See also
- List of Vietnamese American Groups
- Union of North American Vietnamese Student AssociationsUnion of North American Vietnamese Student AssociationsThe Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations is a non-profit, community-based organization founded in 2004 as a means for Vietnamese youth organizations from across North America to network, share common resources, and collaborate with one another on youth-related and philanthropic...
- Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern CaliforniaUnion of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern CaliforniaThe Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California is a network of Vietnamese Student Associations at various Southern California universities and colleges...
- Vietnamese Student AssociationVietnamese Student AssociationThe Vietnamese Student Association refers to campus-based not-for-profit student groups located all over the world in areas where communities of overseas Vietnamese exist...