Constitution & Bylaws
Revised February 12, 2000
Constitution of the Illinois College Press Association
PREAMBLE
In order to stimulate greater interest and development in journalism in the colleges and universities of Illinois and to create a spirit of emulation and cooperation which will foster this end, we do hereby form ourselves into an association for college student newspapers for the State of Illinois.
We further agree that this organization shall at all times strive to raise the standards of journalism in colleges and universities in the State of Illinois and to promote fellowship and cooperation to aid each college and university in this endeavor.
Article I – Name
The name of this organization shall be the Illinois College Press Association.
Article II – Membership
Section 1. All Illinois four-year college student newspapers showing an active interest in better journalism shall be eligible for membership in the Association.
Section 2. Membership shall be maintained by meeting requirements further stated in the Bylaws.
Article III – Officers
Section 1. A Board of Directors shall constitute the official governing unit of the organization. The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Immediate Past President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and four At-Large Directors, two each from schools grouped into two classes, under 9,000 enrollment and 9,000 enrollment and over. All Officers and Directors shall be nominated by the Association’s Board and elected at the annual convention, as provided for in the Bylaws.
Section 2. The tenure of the President, Immediate Past President and Vice Presidents shall be for terms of two years each. The tenure of all the Directors shall be for terms of one year each. In all cases, the Officers and Directors shall be subject to re-election.
Section 3. The tenure of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be for a period of two years, subject to re-election. A new Secretary-Treasurer may be appointed at any time by the Board, be it evident to the Board that the Secretary-Treasurer has not discharged his or her duties competently.
Section 4. The five officers shall be student newspaper/publications advisers/publishers and the four Directors shall be students, all from colleges or universities at which student newspapers are in good standing with the Association.
Article IV – Meetings
Section 1. The annual meeting of the Association shall be conducted each spring. The site and date of this convention shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or
Secretary-Treasurer at any time, subject to the mutual convenience of all concerned.
Section 3. Special meetings of the Association may be called upon approval of the President and other members of the Board of Directors. All such petitions shall be addressed to the President.
Section 4. Distinctions between members and non-members of the Association at various meetings of the Association shall be provided for in the Bylaws.
Article V – Amendment
This Constitution shall be subject to amendment at any regular meeting of this organization, or at any special meeting called by the President and the Board of Directors, by a three-fourths vote of the members present.
Bylaws of the Illinois College Press Association
Article I – Membership
Qualifications for membership by student newspapers in the Association shall be as follows:
- Association with a four-year college or university of good standing in the State of Illinois
- Payment of fees according to a schedule established by the Board of Directors
- Attendance and participation in the annual convention of the Association
- Display of active interest and cooperation in all activities and functions of the Association at all times.
Article II – Officers
Section 1. The President shall appoint (and be a member ex-officio of) all committees. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall be the official representative of the Association. The President shall be in charge of membership and recruitment.
Section 2. The Immediate Past President shall be one of the consulting officers of the Association and shall be in charge of the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 3. The First and Second Vice Presidents shall be consulting officers of the Association and shall each be in charge of either the annual contest or the annual convention, at the direction of the Board of Directors. The First Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence. The designated Vice President shall have complete charge, subject to the approval of the Association’s Board of Directors, of the annual Association convention. All expenses for the convention shall be covered by the convention registration, which shall be determined at least 30 days in advance of the convention by the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Association.
The Vice President shall make a detailed financial report to the Board of Directors within 30 days after the convention. Any funds remaining after convention expenses have been paid shall revert to the Association treasury. In event of a deficit, said deficit may be paid from the Association treasury with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall handle all official correspondence, file all records and communications, and record the proceedings at the meetings of the association as well as all the business in general which comes before and is disposed of by this Association. He or she also shall act as treasurer of the Association and shall make a statement of finances at the business meeting of the Association’s convention. He or she also shall act as a member ex-officio of all committees. The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive an annual stipend, to be determined by the Board. The Secretary-Treasurer position may be split at the Board’s discretion or jointly administered.
Section 5. The four Directors shall act as consultants and generally offer advice to the Board on the conduct of Association affairs.
Article III – Elections
Section 1. To be eligible for any office of the Association, the candidate must qualify under the appropriate definitions for officers and directors in Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, during the year in which the election is conducted.
Section 2. Time and place of the elections shall be during the business meeting of the (annual) convention. Each member newspaper represented at the convention shall have one vote in a public election, although if a member newspaper requests, the members shall vote by secret ballot. A candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected.
Article IV – Vacancies
Any vacancy occurring during the school year in any executive office shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Board of Directors.
Article V – Functions
Section 1. Function of this Association shall be pertinent and worthwhile to college and university newspaper staffs.
Section 2. Specific functions of the Association’s Secretary-Treasurer shall be a
newsletter, an annual directory of the Illinois four-year college newspapers, and
encouragement of (a) the exchange of publications among members and (b) cooperation in coverage activities, whenever appropriate, by member newspapers.
Article VI – Disbursements
All disbursements must be ordered and approved by the Board of Directors and signed by the Secretary-Treasurer.
Article VII – Quorum
Section 1. At any meeting of the Association, a majority of those member newspapers represented shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2. At any meeting of the Board of Directors, one-half of the membership shall constitute a quorum.
Article VIII – Suspension
Any member of the Association who has failed to show an active and cooperative interest in the Association or its convention and attendant activities or who has failed to pay the specified dues set by the Association shall be subject to suspension by a majority vote of the convention.
Article IX – Amendment
Section 1. These Bylaws shall be subject to amendment at any regular meeting of the Association, or at any special meeting called by the President and other Association Officers on written petition, by three-fourths vote of the members present. Amendments may be proposed and passed at any of the aforementioned meetings of the Association.
Section 2. Persons not members of the Association attending its annual spring convention shall not be permitted to participate in the business session held at that time. Non-members may not vote in Association matters.
Section 3. Written resolutions only may be presented in reference to any Association business.
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Illinois College Press Association 