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CSC Constitution
CSC Members: Click here to vote
Voting will be available until a quorum has been reached
Questions? Contact a member of the Executive Board of Directors
The College Sports Communicators Executive Board of Directors in 2021 approved a new All-In group membership model, beginning with the 2022-23 membership year. This has proved to be highly successful, resulting in a record 4,410 members in 2023-24, a 43-percent growth rate since 2021.
Based on this membership growth and the evolving nature of athletics communications, the executive board is recommending the following changes to the CSC constitution related to membership and service.
The changes are intended to address several membership elements:
- Clarify various membership types and corresponding benefits and privileges;
- Identify who may serve on the CSC Executive Board;
- Outline who may serve on and chair CSC committees.
While the executive board considers these changes simply responsive to the growth and evolution of the organization and non-controversial, these constitutional updates still require a membership vote. Per the CSC constitution, approval outside of the annual business meeting requires a quorum of at least 10 percent of current members, with a positive vote of 60 percent of those to pass the proposal(s).
Per the constitution, proposals must be available to the membership for 21 days prior to a vote. Voting opened Aug. 1 and will remain open until a quorum has been reached. CSC members for 2023-24 as well as new members who join beginning Aug. 1 through the vote closing date are eligible to vote.
The proposed changes – and the rationale supporting them – are outlined below:
MEMBERSHIP
Article 3 - Membership, Section 1:
- Active member: An active member of College Sports Communicators (CSC) is any person in the administration of a collegiate sports public relations and communications program at an institution of higher learning, conference office, college sports governing body or collegiate football bowl game. Digital content creators in all of the previously listed categories are active members. In the event where no one fills the role of a communications professional by title at a particular institution, the account guardian will be the active member or his or her designate.
Only active members of CSC may serve on the Executive Board positions and vote on Academic All-America Teams.
- Advocate Member: An advocate member of College Sports Communicators (CSC) is any person who does not qualify for membership under A above, including, but not limited to, professional and high school sports communicators, educators/faculty members, freelance communicators, and retired/former athletics communicators. Lifetime Members are considered Advocate Members. Lifetime members are persons who receive the Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and subsequently receive complimentary status and benefits each year.
Rights and Privileges: Advocate members, undergraduate students and honorary members of College Sports Communicators shall enjoy the same rights and privileges as active members, including serving on CSC committees. They may not serve on the Executive Board.
- Honorary Member: A person so designated by vote of the Executive Board. An honorary member may not serve on the Executive Board.
Rationale: This proposal would replace Article 3, Sections 1 and 2 of the current constitution and would adjust the membership language to align with CSC's governance restructure and All-In membership implemented over the last three years. These adjustments will streamline and better define membership categories and the rights and privileges of each category.
Article 4 – Executive Board:
New second graph under Section 1:
Candidates for the Executive Board must be active association members who are employed at an institution of higher learning, conference office, college sports governing body or college bowl game and have at least five years of experience in college sports communications.
New Section 15:
If an Executive Board member no longer qualifies as an active member, he or she may complete the current membership year, but is not eligible to serve for any remaining years of the term.
Rationale: This proposal will more thoroughly define who is eligible to serve on the CSC Executive Board of Directors and also detail board service for board members who no longer qualify as active members of the association, based upon their employment status.
In Article 5 – Committees:
The below would replace the first sentence of the second paragraph of Section 1:
The Nominating Committee shall consist of all past presidents who continue to hold membership in the Association.
The new paragraph would read as follows:
The Nominating Committee shall consist of all past presidents who continue to hold membership in the Association; the College Division members of the Executive Board whose terms expire at the close of the annual meeting; and at-large members of the Executive Board whose terms expire at the close of the annual meeting. The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the Past President.
The below would replace the third sentence of Section 2:
Advocate members may serve on committees, but they may not serve as a chair of a committee.
The new paragraph would read as follows: Any current dues-paying or Lifetime member of College Sports Communicators may hold committee membership. Committee chairs must be members of the Association and serve with Executive Board approval. Advocate members may serve on committees, but they may not serve as a chair of a committee. The staff shall survey committee chairs annually to determine the need for additions to the committee. The staff shall survey members annually to determine their willingness and/or preference for committee service.
Rationale: This proposal would further define who may serve on the Nominating Committee and would require all committee members to be active members of the association.