03/01/2004
Voices of Diversity Interest Group Bylaws
This draft of the proposed Voices of Diversity bylaws is being posted for your perusal prior to our interest group meeting in Boston. Please send any comments, questions, or suggestions to Robert Westerfelhaus at westerfelhar@cofc.edu
Voices of Diversity Interest Group Bylaws
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Voices of Diversity Interest Group (VofD) of the Eastern Communication Association (ECA). VofD operates under the constitution and bylaws of ECA and shall be bound by all applicable rules and decisions of that association.
Article II - Purpose
The purpose of the interest group is to explore the various theories and practices that pertain to the research, teaching, and study of communication within, between, and among diverse communities, especially as these communities are affected and/or marginalized culturally, economically, institutionally, politically, psychologically, and socially because of age, class, disabilities, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion or sexual orientation. The Voices of Diversity interest group seeks to facilitate dissemination and discussion of such theories and practices within the field of communication studies.
Article III - Membership
Membership in the interest group shall be open to all members of ECA who are interested in communication issues relating to diversity.
Article IV - Meetings
Section One: An annual business meeting shall be held in conjunction with the ECA convention. The time and place of the meeting shall be determined by the First Vice President of ECA
Section Two: Those members present at the annual meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Article V - Officers
Section One: The officers of the interest group shall consist of the chair, the vice chair, the vice chair-elect, and the secretary. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by the organization's bylaws.
Section Two: The chair shall preside at the business meetings of the interest group, shall plan the program for the interest group to be featured at ECA's next annual meeting, shall attend all meetings of the nominating committee of ECA scheduled by the ECA First Vice President, and shall discharge the duties normally adhering to this position. It shall also be the responsibility of the chair to plan and organize a fall conference in conjunction with a state communication association that falls within the range of states serviced by ECA.
Section Three: The vice chair shall plan the program for the interest group at the annual meeting of ECA to be held two years from the date of the officer's election, shall attend all meetings of program planners scheduled by the ECA First Vice President-Elect in the year following the officer's election, and shall discharge the duties normally adhering to this position. These duties include undertaking special assignments delegated by the interest group chair and assuming the role of chair should the duly constituted chair be unable to perform the requisite duties of that office.
Section Four: The vice chair-elect shall plan the program for the interest group at the annual meeting of ECA to be held three years from the date of this officer's election.
Section Five: Succession shall be automatic from the vice chair to the chair and from the vice chair-elect to the vice chair.
Section Six: The secretary shall be responsible for maintaining a written record of the business meetings of the interest group held at the annual meeting of ECA in the year following this officer's election. It shall also be the responsibility of the secretary to maintain a record of attendance and to solicit names of potential reviewers, program chairs, and program respondents on behalf of the chair. The secretary shall be responsible for transmitting these records to the chair within a reasonable period following the business meeting of the interest group, but no later than the deadline for program submissions established by the interest group and ECA.
Section Seven: The offices of secretary and vice chair-elect may be combined in any given election to accommodate differing sizes of nominee pools. The process for combining the offices shall be by a motion offered and seconded by members of the interest group and passage by simple majority. In the event that the offices are combined, it shall be understood that the rule of succession in section five shall apply.
Article VI - The Executive Committee
Section One: The officers of the interest group shall constitute an Executive Committee.
Section Two: The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the interest group between its annual meetings and shall perform such other duties as are specified by these bylaws.
Section Three: The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of any one of its officers. Business may be conducted by postal mail, phone, fax, Internet, or by any other medium of communication that permits such meetings to occur.
Article VII - Representative to the ECA Executive Council
Section One: Each interest group shall select a representative to the association's Executive Council in accord with the principle of rotating membership on that body.
Section Two: An Executive Council member shall serve a two-year term.
Section Three: An Executive Council member is responsible for attending all meetings of that body at the association's convention and at other prescribed times during the year when the ECA Executive Council convenes.
Section Four: The Executive Council member shall present timely reports to his or her interest group about the deliberations at the Executive Council and undertake any special tasks assigned by the President of ECA.
Article VIII - Parliamentary Authority
American parliamentary practice as set forth in the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the conduct of the interest group and the procedures at its meetings.
Article IX - Amendment of the Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the interest group by a majority vote, provided a previous notice of at least thirty days has been given, or by a two-thirds vote without notice.
Adopted: N/A