College Sports Information Directors of America

To The CoSIDA Membership: Just a note about the proposed constitutional updates that will appear in future issues of the CoSIDA Digest - as many of you will remember, Pete Moore and I proposed some revisions last year that were ultimately tabled at the annual meeting. This is a follow-up in bringing our governing document forward to where it needs to be today. Please don't take this as an effort to "scrap" our constitution and the traditions of our organization. When you look article by article, there are a number of sections that are no longer current, in other places, there are just things missing. This attempt to update is not a criticism of past leaders who did not make changes - it's simply time to get our constitution in order to reflect the growth CoSIDA and its outreach have experienced in the past 50 years. As is specified by our constitution, all proposed changes to that document must be posted in the Digest at least 21 days prior to the annual meeting. Thus, these are some of several updates and changes that I will be bringing formally to the floor for discussion at this year's business meeting in Rochester. If you have any changes to the constitution that you would like to propose, you can do it in one of two ways: by submitting your own amendment/revision to Fred Nuesch for publication, or by contacting me with your ideas and I will be glad to include them in the article-by-article revisions I will be presenting up through the May issue. CoSIDA at its best is an organization that represents the goals and aims of its members, and your input is both important and appreciated. Please take the time to consider these proposed changes before we get together in Rochester. Shelly Poe Sports Information Director West Virginia University shelly.poe@mail.wvu.edu 304/293-2821 CoSIDA Constitution: Article 1 - Name The name of this organization shall be the College Sports Information Directors of America, hereinafter referred to as the Association or CoSIDA. Article 2 - Purpose Section 1: The purpose for which this association is formed is to bring together persons of like professional interests who are desirous of furthering their professional standing, of being helpful to one another, of raising the standards and complying with the ethics of their profession, and of increasing their opportunities for fellowship. Section 2: In addition, CoSIDA shall have as one of its primary objectives the preservation and promotion of the concepts of intercollegiate athletics as they relate to the principles, objectives and philosophies of higher education, and the indoctrination of its members with a requisite of dignity for the profession which they represent. Proposed change in italics: Article 2 - Mission Statement The purpose of this organization is to empower its members in their roles as sports information professionals. The objectives include: * Provide a collective voice for sports information professionals in promoting the image of their institutions and their professional both internally and externally, * Encourage discussions of issues and exchange of ideas that impact and enhance the image of their institutions and the role of sports information professionals, * Provide helpful information to sports information professionals via various workshops, newsletters, directories, surveys, studies, websites, etc., * Provide and encourage an emphasis on diversity in the areas of gender, race and divisional representation, * Provide ideas and resources to enhance current and develop new recognition programs for collegiate student-athletes and athletic professionals, * Align ourselves with other organizations whose missions are compatible with CoSIDA. Article 3 - Membership Section 1: The membership of the Association shall consist of persons whose qualifications, in the judgement of the Board of Directors hereinafter constituted, shall warrant their election to one of the following classifications: A. Active member: Any person actively engaged in the administration of a sports information program at an accredited institution of higher learning, an intercollegiate athletic conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or of similar organizations devoted to the administration of collegiate athletics. B. Associate member: Any person whose duties are related to, but not a part of, the administration of a sports information program at an accredited institution of higher learning, an intercollegiate athletic conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or of similar organizations devoted to the administration of collegiate athletics. C. Student member: Any person enrolled at an accredited institution of higher learning and employed in the sports information program at that institution, at an intercollegiate athletic conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or of similar organizations devoted to the administration of collegiate athletics. D. Honorary member: Any person who, in the opinion of the Association, has made an outstanding contribution to college sports information. Proposed change in italics: A. Active member: Any person actively engaged in the administration of a sports information program at an accredited institution of higher learning, an intercollegiate athletic conference, a national athletics governing body, or of similar organizations devoted to the administration of collegiate athletics. B. Associate member: Any person whose duties are related to, but not a part of, the administration of a sports information program at an accredited institution of higher learning, an intercollegiate athletic conference, a national athletics governing body, or of similar organizations devoted to the administration of collegiate athletics. C. Student member: Any person enrolled at an accredited institution of higher learning and employed in the sports information program at that institution, at an intercollegiate athletic conference, a national athletics governing body, or of similar organizations devoted to the administration of collegiate athletics. Rationale: language is more inclusive to reflect membership from the junior college ranks, Canadian members, Olympic sports groups, and annual special events. Section 2: Associate, student and honorary members of CoSIDA shall enjoy the same rights and privileges as active members, except that they may not hold office or serve on the Board of Directors of the Association. Section 3: Any qualified person who has been approved by the Board of Directors may become a member of the Association upon payment of the annual membership fee. Section 4: Applications for membership in the Association, the form and content which will be determined by the Board of Directors, shall be referred to the Treasurer, who shall examine the qualifications of the applicant, make a determination regarding the eligibility of the applicant for membership, and notify said applicant of his or her provisional acceptance or rejection for membership pending the approval of the Board of Directors. Article 5 - Duties of Officers Section 1: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors and shall assume all other duties of that office as prescribed in Roberts' Rules of Order. Section 2: The First Vice-President, in the absence of the President, shall assume all the duties of the President. He/she shall also serve as chair of the Program Committee for the annual meeting. Section 3: The Second and Third Vice-Presidents shall carry out such duties as assigned to them by the President. The Second Vice-President shall chair the Social Committee for the annual meeting. The Third Vice-President shall chair the Special Awards Committee. Section 4: The Secretary shall handle all correspondence, edit the Digest and coordinate all non-financial areas of the annual workshop, serve as historian for the Association and direct all publications work for the Association. Section 5: The Treasurer shall handle all financial matters for the Association, including the processing of all memberships, the mailing of dues notices and all financial responsibilities dealing with the annual workshop. The Treasurer will also be responsible for filing an annual report with the United States government concerning CoSIDA's financial affairs , and presenting an annual financial report to the Board of Directors and the membership (in person or via the mails). Article 6 - Terms of Office Section 1: With the exception of the Secretary and Treasurer, no officer of the Association shall be eligible for election to an office he/she has been elected to previously. Section 2: The Secretary or Treasurer, elected for a six-year term, may be eligible for re-election upon completion of said term. Section 3: A College Division (delete) member-at-large of the Board of Directors who shall have served in that capacity for three successive years shall not be eligible for re-election as a member-at-large of the Board of Directors. Article 7 - Directors and Election of Directors Section 1: There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of all officers of the Association, four college division members, four members at-large and the three immediate past presidents who continue to be active members of the Association. Section 2: The Board of Directors shall have the power to act in the name of the Association when the Association is not meeting. Section 3: College division members of the Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Association and shall represent institutions which are not classified as "major" in either football or basketball. College division members of the Board may be elected to three-year terms. Section 4: At-large members shall come from the membership as a whole, and must be fully qualified members of the Association. At-large members may be elected to a three-year term. Section 5: In case of a vacancy on the Board of Directors, the Board shall have the power to fill the position and the appointee shall serve until the next regular election. Article 9 - Meetings Section 1: There shall be an annual meeting of the Association, to be held at a site and time to be determined by the Board of Directors with the advice and counsel of the Site Committee which will be named by the president. Section 2: The Board of Directors of the Association shall hold at least two meetings during the year at a time and site to be determined by the president. Section 2: The Board of Directors of the Association shall meet during the annual workshop. The agenda shall be set by the president. Section 3: For the purpose of transacting business at the annual meeting, a quorum shall consist of a majority of the active members who have registered for the annual meeting. Article 11 - Dues, Fees, Financial Policies Section 1: The annual dues for the membership will be established by the Board of Directors. Section 2: Registration fees for meetings of the Association shall be determined by the Board of Directors and announced in advance by the treasurer. Section 3: The fiscal year of the Association shall begin on September 1 and continue through August 31 of the next year. Section 3: The fiscal year of the Association shall begin on July 1 and continue through June 30 of the next year. Article 12 - Order of Business The order of business of the Association's annual business meeting shall be: A. Call to order B. Reading of minutes of previous meeting C. Committee reports D. Report of the treasurer E. Correspondence F. Unfinished business G. New business H. Election of officers I. Adjournment