03/31/2005

Applied Communication Interest Group Bylaws

Applied Communication Interest Group Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Applied Communication Interest Group (ACIG) of the Eastern Communication Association (ECA). The Applied Communication Interest Group 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 Applied Communication Interest Group focuses on the application of theory and research to practical issues, problems, and situations.

Applied Communication research highlights the connection between theory and practice, seeking to demonstrate the usefulness of recommendations to potential users. Topics of interest to Applied Communication include contemporary social issues, marketplace contexts, and the concerns of local communities that are addressed through projects grounded in communication theory.

The Applied Communication Interest Group is committed to helping the general public solve socially relevant problems and to test the usefulness of communication theory in "real-world" settings.

Article III - Membership

Membership in the interest group shall be open to all members of ECA who are interested in issues related to applied communication.

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, 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.

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: Succession shall be automatic from the vice chair to the chair.

Section Five: 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 Six: 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 four 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