CMA Bylaws

ARTICLE I MEMBERS

Section 1. There shall be five classes of membership in the corporation: active, associate, institutional, honorary and lifetime.

Section 2. Active members shall be restricted to individuals who are performing duties as advisers, supervisors or directors of editorial, business or technical phases of student media operations in colleges or universities, or not-for-profit student media corporations. To be classified as an active member, the individual must have fully paid his/her membership dues for the current fiscal year. 

Section 3. Only active members and lifetime members may vote. Only active members may hold office, be eligible for CMA adviser awards, or serve on the advisory council or the board of directors. Only media products and students working for student media operations advised by active members are eligible for current or future CMA awards competitions that judge-student-produced work.

Section 4. Associate membership shall be extended to individuals not qualifying for active membership but who are involved in collegiate journalism education including teaching, conducting workshops or serving on publications boards or whose profession or business brings them into close contact or association with any one of the various phases of student media operations. They shall pay associate annual dues, but shall not be eligible to vote, hold office, or enter CMA awards competitons.

Section 5. Institutional membership shall be extended to organizations whose profession or business brings them into close contact or association with any one of the phases of student media operations. They shall pay institutional annual duties, but shall not be eligible to vote, hold office, or enter CMA awards competitions.

Section 6. Honorary membership may be conferred upon any individual or organization by majority vote of the board of directors deemed worthy based on contributions and service to the organization and to student media. Honorary members shall not be required to pay dues, have no vote, and hold no office.

Section 7. Lifetime membership may be conferred by majority vote of the board of directors on individuals who are retiring and have had active CMA membership status for at least 10 years and who are deemed to be worthy of this recognition by the board of directors. Lifetime members shall be named for life and maintain voting status, but are not required to pay dues and may not hold office. Benefits may include complimentary subscriptions to College Media Review and the CMA Newsletter if requested, inclusion in the CMA Membership Directory, waiver of registration fee for fall convention except portion for meals, and such other benefits as may be approved by the board of directors.

ARTICLE II OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the corporation shall be the president, vice president, vice president for member services, secretary, treasurer, immediate past president and executive director. All officers except the executive director are voting members of the board of directors. They shall be active members of CMA for at least five years and have been active media advisers at the time of nomination, a fact which must be verified by their immediate supervisor. The president and vice president shall be elected by the membership at large to serve two-year terms beginning in odd-numbered years. Subject to approval by the board of directors, the vice president for member services shall be appointed by the president for a two-year term beginning in odd-numbered years. The treasurer and secretary shall be appointed by the board of directors for two-year terms beginning in even-numbered years. The executive director shall be appointed by the board of directors and serve on the board of directors as a non-voting member. The executive director’s length of term shall coincide with the term of the corporation's contractual agreement with the host institution. The board of directors annually shall review the performance of the executive director. All officers will assume their duties upon taking an oath of office during an installation ceremony at the annual fall convention, except in emergency situations as declared by the board of directors.

Section 2. No member of the board of directors shall hold more than one board office at a time. The president and vice president may not succeed themselves. No person may serve more than three consecutive two-year terms as secretary or treasurer.

Section 3. In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of president, the vice president shall serve the unexpired portion of the term. The board of directors shall be responsible for appointing individuals to fill all other unexpired terms on the board.

Section 4. A. The president shall preside at all meetings of the corporation, its board of directors and its advisory council. As chief executive, this officer shall supervise the work and activities of the corporation and shall initiate such measures as are deemed advisable for the welfare of the corporation. Contractual and similar documents shall be signed by the president on behalf of the organization following approval of the board of directors. The president shall appoint the following, whose terms of office coincide with that of the president: all liaisons to other professional organizations, curators of archives, committee chairs and, in consultation with those chairs, all members of those committees. The president may establish special committees as deemed appropriate. The president may award the President's Citation to those individuals or institutions deemed to be deserving of such recognition. Presidential appointments are subject to approval of a simple majority of the board of directors.

B. At the discretion of the president, the vice president may coordinate the external relations of the corporation, the newsletter, journal and other official publications of the organization, efforts of liaison with other professional groups, and perform any other duties that may be mutually agreed to with the president or assigned by the board of directors. In the event the president is unable to serve, the vice president shall become president.

C. The vice president for member services may be responsible for coordination of professional development programs and for any other duties that are assigned by the president and/or the board of directors.

D. The secretary shall offer counsel and guidance to other officers and members in developing organizational policies and activities. The secretary shall take minutes of meetings of the board of directors and the advisory council, assemble board and advisory council reports, distribute minutes, reports and notices of meetings, and conduct special elections and certify results of all elections. The secretary shall perform any other duties as are directed by the president or board of directors.

E. The treasurer of the corporation shall assure that the executive director properly discharges all financial functions assigned to the headquarters office. The treasurer shall serve as chair of the finance committee and be authorized to sign on financial accounts of the organization.

F. The immediate past president shall serve on the board of directors as a special adviser to the president and other officers.

G. The executive director of the corporation shall manage the headquarters office, maintain financial records, deposit dues and other revenue, disburse funds as authorized, issue monthly and annual financial records to the board of directors, invest funds in consultation with the treasurer and such other officers as the board of directors shall require, reconcile monthly any and all corporation checking and savings accounts, prepare and file necessary records for tax returns and provide records to the finance committee for auditing purposes. The executive director may not serve on the finance committee. The executive director, on behalf of the secretary, shall maintain records of membership, administrative appointments and committee memberships. The executive director shall be authorized to sign on financial accounts of the organization and shall perform such additional functions as are deemed necessary and are assigned by the board.

ARTICLE III MEETINGS

Section 1. There shall be a fall and spring convention each year. The annual business meeting of the corporation shall be during the fall convention. A quorum shall be a simple majority of all active members present and voting.

Section 2. The board of directors shall meet during the fall and spring conventions and at any other times designated by the president. A quorum shall be a simple majority of the members of the board present and voting.

ARTICLE IV BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. The board of directors shall consist of the officers of the corporation.

Section 2. The board of directors shall have general supervision of the affairs of the corporation between its business meetings, make recommendations to the corporation, approve contracts and agreements, hire, evaluate and appoint staff and perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws.

ARTICLE V ADVISORY COUNCIL

Section 1. The advisory council shall consist of the board of directors, committee chairs, editors and business managers of corporation publications, and curators of corporation archives.

Section 2. The advisory council shall be informed by the board of directors of financial and operational procedures for the corporation and shall perform any other duties as are specified in these bylaws or assigned by the board of directors.

Section 3. The advisory council shall meet at the fall and spring conventions. A quorum shall be a simple majority of the members of the council who are present and voting.

ARTICLE VI COMMITTEES

Section 1: Standing committees

A. Awards committee. This committee shall consist of a majority of former award recipients and shall be representative of the membership composition of the corporation. The chair shall follow the guidelines established by the board of directors when soliciting nomination and entries and when selecting award recipients. The committee may decline to present an award in any category if the entries are deemed to be of insufficient number and/or quality. All awards are subject to approval by the board of directors. The board, in consultation with the awards committee chair, shall determine the awards categories and the appropriate requirements, criteria and procedures. The awards shall include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:

1. The Distinguished Adviser Award. The committee may select one or more recipients with a minimum of five years experience as an adviser. The awards committee chair shall receive written verification from the executive director that all recipients are active CMA members in good standing. Award categories may include the following: newspaper adviser, yearbook adviser, magazine adviser, business manager, electronic adviser, and multi-media adviser.

2. Honor Roll Award. This certificate award may be presented to worthy active CMA members with less than five years experience as a college media adviser. Award categories may include the following: newspaper adviser, yearbook adviser, magazine adviser, business manager, electronic adviser and multi-media adviser.

3. John A. Boyd Hall of Fame Award

The John A. Boyd Hall of Fame Award honors those long-time members of College Media Advisers whose dedication, commitment and sacrifices have contributed to the betterment and value of student media programs both on their campuses and nationally. It also recognizes the contributions of CMA members who have actively contributed to the organization through extensive and varied service on committees, the board of directors and other leadership roles and have presented programs and sessions at meetings that have been insightful, relevant and well prepared.

Eligibility: Each person being considered for this award must have contributed to college journalism education for 20 years or more while an active member of College Media Advisers. Recipients will have served as role models and mentors for both students and colleagues, been steadfast in their support for freedom of expression in student media and willing to assume some risk in defense of that support, consistently supported the codes of ethics of CMA and other related professional associations, and been trendsetters in setting standards of excellence and achievement by which other advisers can measure their contributions and achievements.

Selection: Any member of CMA may submit or sponsor nominations for this award. Nomination from supervisors, colleagues and present or former students also may be accepted. There may be no self-nominations. The Hall of Fame committee shall establish procedures and deadlines for receiving and evaluating nominations and recommend to the CMA board of directors the names of not more than two persons per year for induction into the College Media Advisers Hall of Fame. The selection committee shall give equal consideration to a nominee’s contributions to both College Media Advisers and to collegiate journalism education and advising. Recipients shall have achieved a recognized history of contributing to the advancement of student media programs balanced with firm and continued support for CMA’s mission thorugh service to the organization.

Presentation of Award: The Hall of Fame display will be located at CMA’s Headquarters Office. Each recipient will receive an engraved, distinctive and appropriate trophy or similar symbol. The induction shall be a major function at the Fall National College Media Convention and reflect the importance of this award as the highest award presented by College Media Advisers.

John A. Boyd Hall of Fame committee: This committee will be composed of four CMA Hall of Fame members and two CMA members without Hall of Fame membership. The two non-Hall of Fame members should be of active CMA member status and should have 10 and not more than 17 years of membership plus previous experience either on the CMA board or advisory council or be an adviser award winner. Appointments will be for three years. Committee members cannot be reappointed to additional terms until they have spent at least two years removed from committee service. Terms will be staggered with two members replaced each year. The CMA president will apppoint committee members with approval by the CMA board of directors. The president shall designate one member of the committee as chairperson to run concurrently with the presidential term. The chairperson is not authorized to vote. A member of the CMA board, chosen by the president, will serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the committee.

4. Reid Montgomery Distinguished Service Award. Individuals or institutions outside the advising field may be selected to receive a distinguished service award for enduring contributions to college student media. This award is to made only when deemed appropriate.

5. Noel Ross Strader Memorial Award. This award is presented for outstanding contributions to the college media in the areas of "freedom of the press" and/or "innovative editorial, advertising or production procedures" as demonstrated by Ross Strader, who died in 1978. It will be awarded only when deemed appropriate.

6. Louis E. Ingelhart First Amendment Award. This award is presented to a professional journalist, institution or adviser who has made extraordinary, long-term contributions in support of the First Amendment. One such award may be made annually if deemed appropriate.

7. The Ronald E. Spielberger Service to CMA Award This award was established in 2002 to honor CMA ‘s executive director and long-time fall convention coordinator, Ron Spielberger. in recognition for his first 20 years of dedicated service to the organization.

The award is presented to a CMA member who has made an outstanding contribution to the organization. The recipient will have advanced the quality of member services provided by initiating or executing enhancements to CMA conventions, workshops, publications, advocacy, operations and/or mew programs.

8. In 1992, CMA created the Golden Leaf Memorial Award to honor Terry Vander Heyden.

9. Other awards. The board of directors may by majority vote establish or discontinue award categories as deemed appropriate.

B. Elections committee. The elections committee is responsible for handling the elections process, including nominations and counting ballots, for the elections of the president and vice president, arranging for returned ballots to be counted by an independent party, and for presenting the tally to the secretary who shall certify and communicate the results to the membership.

C. Finance committee. The finance committee shall consist of the treasurer, who serves as chair of the committee, and three other members appointed by the president. The committee shall prepare and present proposed budgets to the board of directors at its meeting during the spring convention. The finance committee shall arrange for an independent audit of the financial records of the corporation at the end of each fiscal year ending June 30 and shall report the findings to the membership during the annual business meeting during the fall convention. Guidelines for the audit shall be approved by the board of directors.

Section 2: Other committees.With the concurrence of the board of directors, the president may establish any other committees deemed necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes and objectives of the corporation, appoint the chair and members, and determine the charge to the committee.

ARTICLE VII PUBLICATIONS

Section 1. The board of directors shall establish such publications as it deems advisable to further the interests of the organization and to accomplish its purposes.

Section 2. Publications will be operated under guidelines approved by the board of directors.

ARTICLE VIII FINANCES

Section 1. Annual dues, registration fees and other fees shall be determined by the board of directors.

Section 2. The fiscal year shall begin July 1 and end June 30. The executive director shall assure that statements for annual membership dues are mailed on a timely schedule prior to the beginning of the corporation's fiscal year. Follow-up billings will be sent via regular issues of official publications and other mailings to the membership.

Section 3. No person whose membership has lapsed shall remain on the active membership list for longer than four months after the beginning of a new fiscal year.

Section 4. Methods of raising revenue and contractual relationships must be approved in advance by the board of directors.

Section 5. The executive director shall assure that no check is written which would exceed the budgeted expense account. The treasurer will monitor the disbursement of funds and notify the board of directors of any variance from the approved budget.

Section 6. An annual audit of the corporation's records shall be conducted under the auspices of the finance committee.

Section 7. The corporation may receive gifts of money or other valuable instrument as a not-for-profit corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 1954.

ARTICLE IX ARCHIVES

Section 1. The Student Press in America Archives shall be an official function of this corporation. The archives shall be maintained by a curator appointed by the president and approved by the board of directors for a term of office determined by the board. The curator shall serve on the advisory council.

Section 2. The John A. Boyd Archives shall be the official repository for records of College Media Advisers, Inc., and shall be maintained under the auspices of the executive director.

ARTICLE X HEADQUARTERS

Section 1. The site of the headquarters office and terms and conditions of the operating agreement with the host institution shall be determined and approved by the board of directors.

Section 2. The originals of all corporation documents, contracts and financial records shall be maintained in or under the auspices of the headquarters office.

ARTICLE XI PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. The most current issue of Robert's Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedures not specifically covered by the bylaws of this corporation or by special rules or procedures adopted by the board of directors or advisory council.

Section 2. The president may appoint a parliamentarian to serve during any meeting.

ARTICLE XII AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Section 1. Any active member may propose an amendment to the bylaws by submitting it in writing to the secretary who will submit it to the board of directors for consideration. The board shall consider the proposed amendment at its next regular meeting unless a majority of the members of the board shall agree to hold a special meeting. Should the board of directors decide to not submit it to the membership with a recommendation for approval, the member who submitted the proposed amendment may submit to the secretary a petition signed by 10 percent of the then active members. The secretary shall then submit it to the membership as provided for in the bylaws.

Section 2. Amendments to be considered at the annual business meeting shall be communicated in writing to the membership via either the CMA Newsletter, direct mail or electronic mail by the secretary at least 30 days before the meeting. A majority vote of active members present and voting at the annual business meeting shall be required for ratification of any such amendment.

Section 3. Amendments may be submitted to the membership between annual meetings if certified appropriate by the board of directors. Such amendments shall be either mailed by first-class mail or sent by electronic mail and posted on the CMA website. All ballots returned by 30 days after the mailing date will be counted under the auspices of the secretary who shall certify the results. Of the ballots returned, a simple majority of the votes cast must be affirmative for the amendment to be ratified.

Section 4. The secretary and executive director shall provide a supply of copies of the current charter and bylaws for distribution to active members upon request. The bylaws shall also be posted on CMA's website.

Section 5. All amendments become effective upon certification by the secretary unless otherwise provided for in the amendment.

Section 6. All circulated copies of the bylaws must contain the date of the last ratification. Under no circumstances are official bylaws to be circulated that do not contain a dateline.

Certification

These bylaws of College Media Advisers, Inc., are hereby certified as having been approved by the membership of College Media Advisers, Inc., and are effective as of the 20th day of December, 1990.

/s/ Bonnie Thrasher, Secretary

Revised Oct. 29, 2011