Iowa Communication Association Constitution and By-laws (Revised August 2018)

                                 CONSTITUTION

  Article I: NAME                                           

The name of the organization shall be the Iowa Communication Association.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

  1. The purpose of the Iowa Communication Association shall be to unite those persons with an academic or professional interest in all disciplines of Communication Arts and Sciences at all educational and professional levels in Iowa, for the promotion of their mutual interests and the advancement of their common field.

  2. The Association, a not-for-profit corporation, exists for educational, scientific, and literary purposes only. No part of the organization’s net revenue, if any, may be used for the private benefit of any individual or group.                                                   

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS

  1. The officers of the Association shall be the President; President-Elect; Executive Secretary; Immediate Past President, and Communication Director. 

  2. The President-Elect shall serve for two years, succeed to the office of President for two years, and then succeed to the office of Immediate Past President for two years. The Executive Secretary shall serve for three years. The Communication Director shall serve for three years.                               

  3. The duties of the officers shall be as specified in the by-laws. Officers may invite additional members to share in accomplishing the duties of their position.

 ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President; President-Elect; Immediate Past President; Executive Secretary; Communication Director, and two Committee Members At-Large. Committee Members-at-large shall serve staggered three-year terms. Therefore, typically, just one Committee Member-at-large will be elected in a given year.Effort will be taken each year to insure the Executive Committee has broad representation from institution types (i.e. community college, private, regent, for-profit, K-12). Any Executive Committee member may be re-elected or re-appointed.

  2. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for carrying out the work of the Association and shall exercise the authority allocated to it by the Articles of the Constitution and the By-laws.

  3. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for selecting a person to receive the ICA Citation award to be presented each year at the annual conference.

  4. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for selecting a person to receive the Outstanding New Teacher Award to be presented each year at the annual conference.

  5. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for selecting a person to receive the Outstanding Adjunct Teacher Award each year to be presented at the annual conference.

 ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. The Board of Directors for the Iowa Communication Association shall be composed of the Executive Committee as well as the following appointed members: Journal Manager, Journal Editor, Membership/Outreach Chair, Newsletter Editor, Digital Media Chair, IAAE Mentor Chair, and Archivist.

  2. Board of Director members other than the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Committee and shall serve for three years. Individuals appointed to these positions may serve two or more consecutive terms.

  3. One person may be appointed to two positions or co-chairs/directors may be named in extenuating circumstances; however, the desire is to have a single individual assume each responsibility. Board members may invite additional members to share in accomplishing the duties of their position.

  4. Membership changes to the Board of Directors will be affirmed by a formal vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI: ADVISORY COMMITTEES

  1. The Executive Committee shall appoint two ICA members to the States Advisory Committee of the Central States Speech Association and two ICA members to the States Advisory Committee of the National Communication Association each year. Any ICA member appointed to these committees may be reappointed.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

  1. Special committees, such as membership, public relations, auditing, strategic planning, nomination, fund-raising, etc. may be appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Committee.                                                    

ARTICLE VIII: PUBLICATIONS

  1. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to publish two or more issues of the Iowa Journal of Communication annually.

  2. The Editor, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee shall have the authority to select such associate editors and assistants as deemed necessary.

  3. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to publish two or more issues of the ICA Newsletter annually.

  4. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for all decisions pertaining to financing the Iowa Journal of Communication and the ICA Newsletter.

ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS

  1. Amendments may be initiated by the Executive Committee or upon the petition of ten members to the Executive Secretary.

  2. Amendments may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Association who vote on any proposed amendment.

  3. Amendments may be adopted in the general meeting of the annual conference provided the proposed amendment had been electronically mailed to the members at least two weeks in advance of the annual conference.

  4. Amendments may be adopted by electronic vote of the members on the basis of those ballots which are received within ten days after the ballots have been electronically mailed to the members by the Executive Secretary. The Executive Secretary shall count the ballots and announce the results publicly in the next issue of the ICA Newsletter. All ballots shall be filed for record until the close of the next annual conference of the Association.

  5. Amendments shall take effect immediately following their adoption.

                                                            

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP

  1. There shall be five types of membership: Basic Member; Patron; Student; Library, and Emeritus.

  2. Basic, Patron, and student Members shall be considered members of the Association for one year from September to September; shall have voting privileges; shall be eligible to hold office; shall receive an annual subscription to the Iowa Journal of Communication and the ICA Newsletter, and may exercise other such privileges as may be provided by the Association.

  3. Emeritus members shall have voting privileges and may hold office. They may choose membership with or without receiving the Iowa Journal of Communication.

  4. Library members receive an annual subscription to the Iowa Journal of Communication.

ARTICLE II: DUES AND FEES

  1. Fees for various types of membership shall be established by the Executive Committee.

  2. The Executive Committee shall establish a conference fee to be paid by each member or non- member who attends the annual conference.

 ARTICLE III: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

  1. Not later than four months preceding the annual conference of the Association, the President, after consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint a nominating committee.

  2. The nominating committee, chaired by the President-Elect, shall prepare a slate of at least two candidates for each office to be filled at the next election.

  3. The slate of nominees for election shall be e-mailed with the notification of the annual conference to each paid member of the Association at least two weeks prior to the conference. Absentee votes may be returned electronically and must be returned to the Executive Secretary before the scheduled election.

  4. At the regular business meeting of the annual conference, members shall have an opportunity to make nominations from the floor.

  5. Should a candidate for President-Elect or Executive Secretary fail to receive a simple majority, the President shall conduct a run-off election between the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes.

  6. Executive Committee members-at-large shall be elected by a plurality vote.

  7. The results of the election shall be published in the next issue of the ICA Newsletter.

  8. The President, President-Elect, Executive Secretary, and the elected Members-at-large of the Executive Committee shall take office immediately following their election.

  9. In the case of the resignation or the inability of the President to carry on the functions of the office, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President. Should the office of the President-Elect become vacant, it shall be filled by the candidate for that office who received the second highest number of votes in the preceding election. If no other candidates ran for that office in the previous election, the Executive Committee shall appoint a President-Elect.

  10. In the case of the resignation or the inability of a Member-at-large of the Executive Committee to complete his or her term within the first or second year of the term, an election will be held at the next annual meeting to fill the vacant slot for the remainder of the term. In the case of the resignation or the inability of a Member-at-large of the Executive Committee to complete his or her term within the third year of the term, that seat shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term until the next election.

ARTICLE IV: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

  1. The President shall plan the annual conference program during the first year of his or her term with the advice of the Executive Committee; shall preside at the meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee; appoint committees with the approval of the Executive Committee; serve as the official representative of the Association; and promote the best interests of the Association.

  2. The President-Elect shall plan the annual conference program during the second year of his or her term with the advice of the Executive Committee; chair the Strategic Planning committee of the Association when formed; and perform such other duties as assigned by the President. The President-Elect shall chair the adjunct teacher award committee.

  3. The Executive Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings; receive and disburse funds, prepare accounts for annual audit and have charge of the Association’s business. The Executive Secretary shall maintain a list of duties and responsibilities for all members of the Executive Committee and appointed positions. These duties and responsibilities shall be available on the ICA website.

  4. The Immediate Past-President shall facilitate the selection and presentation of the ICA Outstanding New Teacher Award each year at the annual conference. The Immediate Past- President shall collect and forward materials of any appropriate ICA award winners, or other nominations to regional, national and international award committees for consideration in their award selection as authorized by the Board.

  5. The Program Planner (President’s first year of term and President-Elect’s second year of term) shall collect and forward materials for ICA conference sessions chosen by the Executive Committee to be submitted to the Regional organization for acceptance to their conference.

  6. The Past President and the Executive Secretary shall annually review the Constitution and By- laws. They shall report any necessary changes to the Executive Board. After Board approval, changes to the Constitution shall be recommended to the membership for approval at the fall conference. Changes to the By-laws shall be approved by either the Executive Committee or the membership at the fall conference.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

  1. The President shall call at least three meetings of the Executive Committee annually. One meeting shall take place before the annual conference begins; one shall take place at the conclusion of the annual conference; and one shall take place in January or February of each year. Other meetings of the Executive Committee shall take place as necessary.

  2. Except in periods of emergency, the Association shall hold an annual conference at a time and place to be selected by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI: QUORUM

  1. The quorum shall consist of those paid members present at the meeting.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS

  1. Amendments to the by-laws may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee or by a two-thirds vote of the members present at the annual business meeting.