Statutes
INTRODUCTION
The Student Media Statutes are not a part of the Student Body Statutes and are not subject to approval by the Student Senate, but due to the important subject and for informational purposes, they should be included in the Student Body Documents.
PREAMBLE
The student media are valuable in establishing and preserving an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion and intellectual exploration within the University community. To that end, the Student Media Authority (SMA) exists to ensure that the Code of Ethics is followed. All media which are supported in whole or in part by funds from University Student Media Fees shall be defined as Student Media. These include Agromeck, Americana, The Nubian Message, Technician, Windhover and WKNC-FM.
CODE OF ETHICS
Freedom of inquiry and expression are guaranteed and, of equal importance, corollary responsibilities must be exercised by student editors and managers to provide reliable and responsible journalism. Such responsibilities include the avoidance of libel, obscenity, undocumented allegations, harassment, and unwarranted attacks on personal integrity.
STUDENT MEDIA STATUTES
1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
1.1-The Student Media Statutes are the by-laws of the Student Media Authority (Article V) SMA of most recent Student Body Constitution.
1.2-These Statutes are to expound upon the provisions of the Constitution and to detail procedures for implementing the media processes for the student body.
1.3-The Statutes are public records. Copies shall be made available upon request. Copies shall be provided to the Archives of D.H. Hill Library, the Student Government Offices, and all incoming members of the Student Media Advisory Board.
1.4-No part of these Statutes may be in conflict with the provisions of the Student Body Constitution.
2.0 THE STUDENT MEDIA ADVISORY BOARD
The advisory board will serve to assist the official student media at North Carolina State University in their efforts to provide on-time, quality publications. In addition, board members will serve to maximize the educational experiences for members of the student media. Students who work on official student publications determine the content of those publications and are responsible for that content.
2.1
Composition
In accordance with the Student Body Constitution,
representation of the Media Authority shall be:
A. one representative from each Student Body Media, chosen as stipulated in the Student Media Statutes.
B. Student Body Representatives shall be elected at-large to equal one more than the total representation from the Student Body Media; Student Body Representatives at-large shall be elected by a majority of those students voting in the Student Body Elections. Members must not be members of the Student Senate or of a Student Body medium. In the event that conditions call for the election of an additional Representative at-large in the interim between Student Body Elections, the Student Senate shall elect the needed Representative;
C. The President of the Student Body as an ex-officio member.
D. The Treasurer of the Student Body as a non-voting ex-officio member.
2.15 Term of office
All members of the Student Media Advisory Board will serve for one calendar year beginning May 1 and ending on April 30.2.16 Vacancies
a. Should an at-large student body representative position become vacant, the student body president will appoint a replacement within 30 days. Should the student body president fail to appoint a replacement, the vice chancellor for student affairs or his/her designee will appoint a replacement.
b. Appointees who fill vacancies shall serve until April 30 when the original position was set to expire.
2.17 Board officers
a. The board will elect, by majority vote, a chair and vice chair at the board's first meeting in May.
b. The chair of the board will be a student body representative.
c. In the absence of the chair, the vice chair will serve as the chair.
2.2 Powers and Duties
Members of the board, in general, are responsible for the vision and direction of the student media. Board members are not charged with day-to-day operational issues that are left up to student staff or professional staff members. The board is charged with
a. selecting the top editor/manager for each official student media;
b. approval of the budget for each media;
c. review of the financial operation of the each media and student media in general;
d. review of complaints that have not been resolved by the student staff members of any media;
e. review and approval of staff policy and procedure;
f. removal or disciplinary action of any editor or other student staff member appointed by the board; and
g. serving as an educational resource for all student media student and professional staff members.
2.3 Meetings
a. The Student Media Advisory Board shall meet at least once a month during the months of August, September, October, November, January, February, March, April and May.
b. During the summer months or during the months when no regular meeting is scheduled, the chair of the board or a majority of the board members may call a special meeting.
c. The chair of the board or a majority of the board members may call a special meeting at any time to deal with emergency matters.
d. The Student Media Advisory Board will follow all applicable laws generally applied to governmental entities for open meetings includuing posting notice for any meeting at least 72 hours in advance.
e. Seven of the voting members of the board will constitute a quorum. No official business, including the appointment of editors/manager or approval of the budget, will take place if a quorum is not present. Of those seven voting members, four must be student members who are eligible to vote.
f. The chair of the board will set the agenda for each meeting and appoint a voting member to maintain the minutes which will be distributed to all board members and posted in public within 72 hours of the conclusion of the meeting.
g. All members of the board may vote on all issues. No proxy votes are allowed.
h. Meetings will be governed by Robert’'s Rules of Order.
i. E-mail votes, votes by fax or any other method other than at a meeting are not allowed.
2.67-Amendments to Statutes: SMA Statutes may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the SMA's voting quorum. An amendment to the Statutes goes into effect immediately unless the motion to adopt specifies a time for its going into effect. Documents of Policy may be amended by a simple majority vote of the SMA's quorum.
2.68-At regular SMA business meetings, a simple majority vote will be in effect.
3.1-General
3.11-All student media shall be chartered. Each charter shall require a two-thirds vote of the Student Media Advisory Board for initial ratification or modification.
3.12-Each media shall review its charter each year, bringing proposed modifications before the Student Media Advisory Board.
3.2-Agromeck
Agromeck shall present a picture and word record of the year's events utilizing the artistic and journalistic talents of the University community. Agromeck publication and distribution shall be as early as possible in the fall semester.
3.3-Americana
Americana's mission is to produce a student web publication which informs the campus community of issues and concepts that affect our lives in both overt and subtle ways, and promise to shape our futures. It will contribute to the creation of a more dynamic, vibrant, and rigorous intellectual atmosphere on the N.C. State Campus. It will use its unique medium to encourage artistic and journalistic expression in all forms, and heighten the awareness and appreciation of the arts and letters at N.C. State.
3.4-The Nubian Message
The Nubian Message shall be a media representative of the Afrikan-American voice for North Carolina State University. The Nubian Message will be a newspaper publication in which people can learn about different aspects of Afrikan-American culture, as well as other cultures. The periodical will be a source of useful information for all students by reporting on events that will appeal to the NCSU community. The Nubian Message will be printed on a schedule determined by the editor in chief at the beginning of each academic year.
3.5-Technician
The newspaper shall report events of interest to the University community with emphasis on those of interest to students, shall function as a meeting place for campus opinions through letters and guest-written material, and shall maintain an unfettered editorial opinion voice. Technician shall be a periodical of frequency between weekly and daily, with the specific format and frequency to best suit staff and budgetary capabilities.
3.6-Windhover
Windhover shall present a magazine of written and visual art representing student, faculty, employee, and alumni creativity of North Carolina State University. The content of the magazine will emphasize literary arts, i.e., poetry, fiction, drama, and essays; and the visual arts, i.e., photography, painting, sculpture and line works. The format of the magazine shall be without advertisements; specific content and format shall be left to the discretion of the editor.
3.7-WKNC 88.1 FM
The campus student-operated radio station shall present musical and other forms of entertainment, and supplement the newspaper with instantaneous coverage. Whenever appropriate, the station shall engage campus and other figures of student interest for discussion and debate programs. In short, WKNC-FM shall compliment, through its unique format, the functions of the other student media.
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4.0 STUDENT MEDIA FINANCE
4.1-Budgets
4.11-Each media group shall present a proposed budget to the Student Media Advisory Board for approval at the first Student Media Advisory Board meeting following election of media heads in the spring. The budget proposals shall follow the guidelines outlined in the Student Media Documents of Policy and shall be made available to the Student Media Advisory Board at least three days prior to the budget meeting.
4.12-The budgets must be approved by a majority vote Student Media Advisory Board. Budgets may be amended by a majority vote.
4.13-In preparing the annual budget, the Student Media Advisory Board shall allow adequate reserve for contingencies. The reserve fund shall function primarily to maintain monies in the case of emergency, (e.g., equipment malfunctions that necessitate major repairs, purchasing new equipment or liabilities). It shall also serve as a loan resource for media organization budgets if necessary.
4.14-New budgets shall be in effect at the beginning of the fiscal year, which is July 1.
4.15-The accounts for a given fiscal year shall be closed June 30.
4.16-The Student Media advisors shall provide monthly budget summaries to the Student Media Advisory Board during the fall and spring semesters and as requested during the summer. Budget reviews may be requested by any Student Media Advisory Board member.
4.17-A medium may borrow from Student Media reserves for a substantial expenditure that would reasonably be expected to increase the publication's ability to generate revenue. The Student Media Advisory Board has the responsibility to query media heads on the status of major budgeting expenditures to evaluate their necessity.
4.18-In the event that a medium requests funding for special projects and does not carry them out, the funding is reverted to the SMA reserve fund.
4.2-Appropriations from the Reserve Fund
4.21-An appropriations motion may be presented for consideration to the Student Media Advisory Board by any voting member.
4.22-Appropriations made from the Student Media reserve fund must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote. All other appropriations must be approved by a simple majority vote.
4.3-Contracts for Services
4.31-The SMA shall be empowered by a majority vote to accept contracts for services. Contracts should be signed by the media head responsible for the contract, with exception of WKNC. Their contracts must be routed through The Office of Contracts and Grants.
4.4-Purchasing Procedures - Acquisition of materials and services should follow University guidelines as defined in the Administrative Services Manual and the Accounts Payable/Purchasing System (APPS). However, these procedures may be waived by th e SMA at any time.
4.5-Surplus Property Disposal
4.51-All surplus and scrap equipment and material must be disposed of as per the General Statutes of the State of North Carolina. This program is administered for the University through Central Stores. Surplus property is defined as any property o r material which a department or office determines it no longer needs to continue its operations.
4.52-All equipment and material to be surplused or scrapped must be listed on the NCSU Property Disposition Form (SDF01), revised 01/87. The completed form plus two copies should be forwarded to Central Stores for action.
4.53-Items are offered for sale to the public on a sealed bid basis. Proceeds from sales are deposited in the University General Fund and/or in departments that are due a return for the sale of equipment.
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6.0 DOCUMENTS OF POLICY
6.1-Description - The Student Media Documents of Policy shall contain listings and descriptions of policies which deal with operational responsibilities common to the Student Media. The Documents of Policy are based on dicta from two areas:
6.11-Details of university, state, and federal policies concerning the Student Media.
6.12-Policies and procedures developed and instituted by the Student Media or the Student Media Advisory Board.
6.2-Implementation and Modification
6.21-Proposed changes and additions to the Documents of Policy shall require a simple majority vote of the Student Media Advisory Board.
6.22-Amendments to the Documents of Policy shall be effective immediately, unless otherwise stated in the provisions of the amendment.
6.23-Suspension
6.231-Suspension of a specific policy shall be possible in exceptional cases. The appropriate vehicle for suspension shall be a Resolution of Suspension and shall require a simple majority vote of the Student Media Advisory Board.
6.232-A Resolution of Suspension shall outline the specific issue and shall contain a clear explanation of why the situation warrants an exception to standard policy. Included in the Resolution shall be a statement of which policy is to be suspended:
6.2321-A listing of all parties and/or policies to be covered by the suspension.
6.2322-The length of time during which the suspension will have effect. No suspension shall have effect beyond the first meeting of the next incoming Student Media Advisory Board or April of the current school year, whichever comes last.
6.3-Publication
6.31-The Documents of Policy are public records. Copies shall be made available upon request. Copies shall be provided to the Archives of D.H. Hill Library, the Student Government Offices, and all incoming members of the Student Media Advisory Board. Current copies are also available on the Internet.
Board agendas and minutes | Policies | Statutes | Press releases | Professional staff
Agromeck | Americana | Nubian Message | Technician | WKNC | Windhover
N.C. State Student Media • 321 Witherspoon, CB 7318 • Raleigh, NC 27695
919/515-1685 • fax: 919/513-2030
