CoSIDA Constitution

CURRENT CONSTITUTION (2011) - PDF

Updated July 2010


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 - Mission Statement

The purpose of this organization is to empower its members in their roles as collegiate sports public relations and communications professionals. The objectives include:

• Provide a collective voice for collegiate sports public relations and communications professionals in promoting the image of their institutions and their profession 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 collegiate sports public relations and communications professionals;

• Provide helpful information to collegiate sports public relations and communications 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 collegiate sports public relations and communications 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 collegiate sports public relations and communications 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 collegiate sports public relations and communications 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.

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 4 - Officers & Elections of Officers

Section 1: The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Third Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2: All officers of the Association shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Association. The candidate for an office who shall receive the highest number of votes shall be declared elected to that office. The Association’s Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership for the open officer positions each year. The Nominating Committee shall meet prior to the annual workshop and vote on a new slate of officers for nomination. The officer rotation shall include a representative from four regions: Northeast, Southeast, Central and West.

The breakdown of states and provinces is: 

Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland,
Nova Scotia, Quebec, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia;

Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia;

Central: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Ontario, Wisconsin;

West: Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Yukon Territory

Section 3: In the case of a vacancy in the office of President, the First Vice-President shall succeed the office of President and shall serve until the expiration of the current term. In case of a vacancy in any other office, the Board of Directors shall have the power to fill the position and the appointee shall serve until the next regular election.

Section 4: The Secretary and Treasurer of the Association shall each be paid an annual stipend as determined by 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 will have additional duties determined and assigned by the President with Board approval.

Section 3: The Second and Third Vice-Presidents shall carry out such duties and responsibilities as determined and assigned by the Board.

Section 4: The Secretary shall carry out such duties and responsibilities as determined and assigned by Board.

Section 5: The Treasurer oversees all financial matters for the Association, including the financial responsibilities dealing with the annual convention. 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 representative, either College Division or At-Large who shall have served in that capacity for a full three-year term, shall not be eligible for re-election as a College Division or At-Large representative to 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, six 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 Division I 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 8 - Committees

Section 1: The standing committees of the Association shall be:

• the Nominating Committee, consisting of all past presidents who continue to hold active
or associate membership in the Association and are still active in the field of college athletics; the College Division members of the Board of Directors whose terms expire at the close of the annual meeting; and atlarge members of the Board of Directors whose terms expire at the close of the annual meeting. The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the third-year Past President;

• the Special Awards Committee, whose members shall be appointed by the president
of the Association.

• the Workshop Program Committee, chaired by one of the officers as assigned by the President and approved by the Board.

• the Workshop Social Committee, chaired by one of the officers as assigned by the President and approved by the Board; and

• the Committee on Committees, which will assign members to committee service.

The Board of Directors may establish other committees as warranted, including those to provide recognition for outstanding achievements in specific areas of the profession.

Section 2: Any member of CoSIDA may hold committee membership. Committee chairs must be active members of the Association. The Committee on Committees shall survey members annually to determine their willingness and/or preference for committee service.


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.

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 attending the business meeting.


Article 10 - Voting
Each active member of the Association shall be permitted to cast one vote on any motion requiring a vote by the membership.


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 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:

Article 13 - Awards & Citations

Section 1: The Association may, at its annual meeting, present the following awards, voted upon by the Special Awards Committee:

• Arch Ward Award: member who has made an outstanding contribution bringing dignity and prestige to the profession;
• Warren Berg Award: college division member who has made an outstanding contribution
bringing dignity and prestige to the profession;
• Jake Wade Award: an outstanding contributor in the media to intercollegiate athletics;
• Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award: individual or organization making a lasting contribution to intercollegiate athletics, demonstrating a long and consistent commitment to excellence and support to CoSIDA and its mission;
• Bob Kenworthy Good Person Award: member demonstrating outstanding civic involvement
outside sports information;
• Bill Esposito Backbone Award: member displaying sound judgement and unusual courage in taking a stand in intercollegiate athletics contrary to public opinion and sentiment, or who displays sound judgement and unusual courage in guiding their institution through difficult public relations situations.
• Trailblazer Award: an individual who has been a pioneer in the profession, helping improve
the level of ethnic and gender diversity within CoSIDA.
• Lester Jordan Award: an individual cited for exemplary service to the Academic All-America Program and the promotions of the ideals of being a student-athlete.
• Rising Star Award: a university division and a college division member with 10 years of
full-time service or less in the profession, for service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm that make the individual a “rising star” in sports information.

Section 2: The Association may, at its annual meeting, present up to five members with the
Hall of Fame Award. Each year, two college division and two university division members may be inducted, along with the next highest vote-getter from any division from among those nominated.

These awards will be selected by previous Hall of Fame recipients and the Special Awards committee members; the Third Vice-President will chair the Hall of Fame selection as a non-voting member.

The Special Awards Committee will also create a subcommittee that will address vintage members of the profession and develop a structure to submit such members for consideration for the Hall of Fame as they are deemed worthy. This will be an additional member above the five and will not have to be done on an annual basis.

Section 3: The Association may, at its annual meeting, present the following awards to all members who have provided documentation of appropriate achievements to the Third Vice-President:

• 25-Year Award: given to active members who have served 25 years as a full-time employee
in the profession;
• Lifetime Achievement Award: given to members who have served a minimum of 25 years
as a full-time employee in the profession and who have subsequently retired.

Section 4: Nominees for any awards will remain on the ballot for three years if not previously selected. After that period, the nominee must be resubmitted as a new candidate.

Section 5: The Association may, at its annual meeting present special commendation to members whose work has been meritorious. These recipients shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
 
Section 6: The association may, at its annual meeting, present the Dick Enberg Award to a person whose actions and commitment have furthered the meaning and reach of the Academic All-America Teams Program and/or the student-athlete while promoting the values of education and academics. The award winner will be selected by a special committee appointed and chaired by the Third Vice President, with representation to include the CoSIDA Board, the Academic All-America Committee and AAA Hall of Fame members.

Section 7: The association may, at its annual meeting, present the Bud Nangle Ethics and Integrity Award to an individual or team from within the college athletics community that demonstrates ethics and integrity during stressful situations. The award winner will be selected by the Ethics Committee, with approval of the Special Awards Committee and the Board of Directors.


Article 14 - Publications

Section 1: The Association shall publish a periodical - CoSIDA Digest - for distribution to its members during the year, including one issue announcing the time, site and program
of the forthcoming annual meeting. Information in the Digest shall also be posted on the
CoSIDA website in a timely manner.

Section 2: The Association may print and distribute, or have distributed to its members,
other publications deemed to be of value to members in their performance of their duties.

Section 3: The Association shall maintain a website for distributing information to the
membership and those interested in learning more about the Association. The Director of External Affairs will post content. The Association shall retain rights to the domain name “CoSIDA.com.”


Article 15 - Affiliations

The Association shall maintain a close alliance with organizations which have as their purpose the achievement or aims and objectives related to those of CoSIDA, including the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, national organizations of community and junior colleges, U.S. and Canadian Olympic committees, Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Track and Field Writers of America, regional and conference-based sports information groups, and similar organizations of public relations professionals, writers and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada.


Article 16 - Use of Name

The name and registered marks of the Association may not be used for commercial purposes or in any manner which may imply Association endorsement of a product or project for which endorsement has not been granted by the Association.


Article 17 - Parliamentary Authority

Roberts’ Rules of Order shall govern all proceedings of any regularly constituted meeting in the absence of any other rule to the contrary which shall have been adopted by the Association.


Article 18 - Amendments

The Bylaws of the Association may be amended at any annual meeting by the vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting, provided that the proposed amendment is submitted to the Secretary of CoSIDA at least 45 days prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be acted upon. The proposed amendment shall be published in the on-line digest and posted on CoSIDA’s wensite at least 21 days prior to that meeting.


Article 19 - Additional Positions

Section 1: The Director of External Affairs shall be selected by the CoSIDA Board of
Directors. The appointment will be for a minimum of three years, renewable each year thereafter upon discretion of the CoSIDA Board. The Director of External Affairs will serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.

Section 2: The Director of External Affairs shall be paid an annual stipend as determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 3: The Director of External Affairs shall have the following responsibilities:
• Serve as the organization’s chief communications and marketing coordinator
• Work with President, officers, Board, Executive Director and other organizational staff to develop and implement a comprehensive communications and marketing plan for the advancement of the profession, organization and membership
• Serve as organization’s convention coordinator as it relates to working with the officers and Board
• Coordinates the complete management and operations for the organization’s website in conjunction with CoSIDA’s web management provider
• Other duties determined by the Board of Directors

Executive Director

Section 1: The Executive Director, a fulltime salaried employee, shall serve as the chief administrative officer of the Association, reporting to the Board of Directors. The Executive Director will serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.

Section 2: The Executive Director shall be hired by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will conduct an annual performance review to determine continued employment.

Section 3: In the case of a vacancy in the position of Executive Director, the Board of Directors will name an interim director during the hiring process for a replacement.

Section 4: The Executive Director shall have the following responsibilities:
• Serve as Association’s spokesperson.
• Responsible for Association’s strategic planning
• Secure positive publicity of the sports information profession
• Oversee fund-raising efforts for Association.
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant industry developments and trends that affect
the membership.
• Represent Association at selected intercollegiate athletics events
• Serve as liaison to national governing bodies.
• Assist with planning of the annual workshop.
• Oversee the Association’s communications mediums - the Association website and Association
publications.
• Other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

Section 5: The Executive Director shall be paid an annual salary as determined by the Board of Directors.