Student Chapter Constitution & Bylaws

Each group of students applying for a NSMA charter must submit a "personalized" version of these bylaws with the official application form.)

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the ________­­­­­______________________________ Chapter of the National Sports Media Association (NSMA).

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this Chapter shall be to encourage the under­standing of current theories and procedures in the practice of journalism/sports media, to provide and promote a better understanding of the functions of sports media and its values, to stimulate and encourage sports media professionalism through sports media education, to apply the skills, creativity and energy of sports media to help become better communicators, to develop the individual abilities of its members, to provide students of sports media with the opportunity to become acquainted not only with their peers but with professional practitioners as well, and to encourage students to adhere to the highest ideals and principles of the practice of sports media and to instill in them a professional attitude.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall comprise undergraduate and/or graduate students who have demonstrated an interest in sports media. Membership will not be based on or refused to anyone for reasons of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or age. Only those students enrolled in (name of college or university where the NSMA Chapter is located) shall be eligible for membership.

Each Chapter shall officially be known as the "(name of college or university) Chapter of NSMA," unless special permission is granted by the NSMA staff for an alternate title.

[Note, not for inclusion in Bylaws: See section of Chapter Handbook entitled "Naming NSMA Chapters."]

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS AND ADVISERS

The officers of this Chapter shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations/Marketing Director and Membership Director. The offices of Treasurer and Secretary may be combined. Election of officers and advisers shall be held before April 15 each year, with those elected assuming office the following June 1 for one calendar year. (If the Chapter is new, elections shall be held within two weeks of the granting of the charter.) One‑third of the dues‑paying membership of the Chapter shall constitute a quorum. A simple majority vote of the quorum is required for election to office.

ARTICLE V. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

The duties of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (or Secretary‑Treasurer), Public Relations/Marketing Director and Membership Director shall be such as usually pertain to the offices they hold.

ARTICLE VI. FACULTY ADVISOR

The Chapter shall elect or ratify annually, before April 15, for a one‑year (renewable) period the Faculty Adviser who is a Member or Associate Member of NSMA . S/he shall teach at least one of the sports media courses required for the establishment of a NSMA Chapter. The Faculty Adviser shall be recognized as the official faculty representative in and to the Chapter, and shall act as the official link between the student Chapter and the National Sports Media Association. The elected Faculty Adviser shall assume office on June 1.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS

The Chapter shall meet at least once during each month that school is in session at a designated location within the campus community.

ARTICLE VII. NATIONAL DUES

National dues ($45/year for period from August 1 - July 31) shall be collected from each member by the Chapter Treasurer at the outset of each academic year and sent to NSMA Headquarters not later than November 1 and March 1. National dues for students joining the Chapter on November 1 shall be forwarded by the Chapter Treasurer, together with the official forms provided by NSMA, to NSMA Headquarters in the fall. On payment of said dues, a student is entitled to one full year's membership, extending from November 1 to October 31 of the following year. National dues for students joining the Chapter on March 1 shall be forwarded by the Chapter Treasurer, together with the official forms provided by NSMA, to NSMA Headquarters in the spring. On payment of said dues, a student is entitled to one full year's membership, extending from March 1 to the last day of February the following year. There shall be no prorating of dues during either one‑year period.

ARTICLE IX. CHAPTER DUES

Each Chapter may establish its own initiation fee and dues structure in addition to National dues as may be necessary to carry local expenses. Any initiation fee or local dues shall be collected by the Chapter Treasurer at a time to be established by the Chapter officers.