Constitution of the Radio-Television Journalism Division of AEJMC

RTVJ Bylaws and Signatories

Preamble

In accordance with Article 3 of the Constitution of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and with Article 2 of the Bylaws of the Association, the Division of Radio-Television Journalism was created in 1965 as a Division of the Association. In all instances in which the intentions and purposes of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication are clearly defined, the constitution and bylaws of said organization (hereinafter also referred to as AEJMC) shall take precedence over those of this Division.

Article 1: Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of the organization is the Radio-Television Journalism Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Section 2. The purpose of the organization is the improvement of education in those aspects of communication associated with electronic journalism. To this end members of the Division shall undertake the following objectives:

a. To enhance the subject matter of courses related to radio-television journalism and encourage the effectiveness of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

b. To foster research and inquiry in these and related areas of mass communication.

c. To promote a sense of public service, professional responsibility and freedom among practitioners in the radio-television industry and those in academe.

d. To stimulate close relationships between the teachers of these subjects and professional organizations and individuals.

e. To encourage the adoption and practice of high standards for teachers of these subjects, and an adequate system of rewards and assurances for teachers to support such standards.

f. To increase the understanding and awareness among professional and academic personnel of the importance of radio-television journalism in the communication process.

g. To attract to the study of these subjects a growing number of able students.

h. To plan a program annually at the AEJMC national convention to further the improvement of and the practice and advancement of radio-television journalism.

Article 2: Membership

Section 1. The Radio-Television Division membership shall be comprised of individuals concerned principally with college-level teaching and/or research in those areas listed in Article 1, Section 2, and those in professional activities related to these subject areas.

Section 2. Membership classifications, qualifications, dues and privileges shall be defined in the bylaws.

Article 3: Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Division shall be as follows: head, vice head/program chair, secretary/newsletter editor, research committee chair, teaching standards committee chair, professional freedom & responsibility (hereinafter referred to as PF&R) committee chair and membership committee chair.

Section 2. The principal officer of the Division shall be designated as its head and be chosen in the manner prescribed in the bylaws. The head shall perform the duties assigned to that position in the bylaws and such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the Division membership or applied to all Division heads of the Association.

Section 3. The secondary officer of the Division shall be a vice head/program chair, who shall perform the duties requested by the head and shall serve as head should the principal officer be absent from the annual meeting or otherwise unable to serve.

Section 4. The third officer of the Division shall be the secretary/newsletter editor, who shall perform the duties assigned in the bylaws, and any other duties requested by the head, and shall serve as head should the two principal officers be absent from the annual meeting or otherwise unable to serve.

Section 5. The head, vice head/program chair, secretary/newsletter editor, research committee chair, teaching standards committee chair, PF&R committee chair, and membership committee chair shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Division, which shall be vested with the authority to govern the Division and to direct its affairs. The head shall serve as chair of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill vacancies pro tempore in its own membership. The outgoing head of the Division shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Executive Committee for one year from the end of his or her term as Division head. The outgoing head shall not be counted in determining a quorum or in polling the Executive Committee by telephone or other interactive means.

Section 6. The Division head shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, appoint a chair of the Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Educator award committee (hereinafter referred to as DBJE chair). The head shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, also appoint an officer to serve as liaison with the Radio-Television News Directors Association (hereinafter referred to as RTNDA). Any member of the executive committee is eligible to serve as either DBJE chair or RTNDA liaison officer.

Section 7. The head, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may appoint any other committee chairs, associate chairs or other officers not herein described, that he or she deems necessary for the efficient and successful operation of the Division.

Article 4: Dues

Section 1. The officers shall have the right to apprise the need for operating funds, from time to time, and, upon ratification of such proposal by a simple majority of the membership voting at any annual meeting, to raise or lower annual dues as a requirement for membership in the Division.

Article 5: Meetings

Section 1. Meetings shall be held as prescribed in the bylaws.

Article 6: Establishment and Amendments

Section 1. This constitution and its bylaws shall be established and later amended by the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the members participating in any meeting at which a proposed amendment or amendments is or are presented for action by the members.

Section 2. The head shall prepare and distribute the text of the proposed amendment or amendments at least two weeks before the meeting at which the amendment or amendments is or are presented for consideration and action.

Article 7: Promulgation

Section 1. This constitution and its bylaws attached shall become effective upon adoption by a two-thirds affirmative vote of those members present and voting at the annual meeting to be held in conjunction with the annual convention.

RTVJ Bylaws and Signatories