CONSTITUTION

I. Name
a. The name of the organization shall be Pitt Communication Club.
II. Acceptance and Compliance to Certification Requirements and Limitations
a. The Pitt Communication Club and its membership accept and will fully
comply with the requirements and limitations of certification.
III. Limits of Certification
a. The Pitt Communication Club and its membership accept and will fully
comply with the limits of certification.
b. Membership in a certified student organization and participation in its
activities are voluntary and all risks of personal injury, property damage or
other losses incidental to membership or participation in activities are
assumed solely by the student organization and/or individual member(s)
or participant(s).
IV. Annual Recertification
a. The Pitt Communication Club will submit its annual application to the
SORCE within one week after the election of new officers.
V. Purpose
a. The purpose of this club is to provide social, educational, and professional
functions that are relevant to the membership of the club.
VI. Activities
Activities may include but are not limited to:
a. Events and activities that promote pride in the study and practice of
Communication.
b. Events and activities that promote interaction between undergraduate
students and faculty (within the department or from other departments or
institutions) related to the purpose of the organization.
c. Events and activities that promote interaction between undergraduate
students and communication practitioners related to the purpose of the
organization and/or the study of Communications.
d. Events and activities that foster social interaction between undergraduate
students related to the purpose of the organization and / or the study of
Communications.
VII. Membership Requirements
a. Membership is open to currently enrolled Pitt students as defined herein: full
and part-time undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh
who are interested in the goals and purposes of the club and/or the study of
Communications.
b. All members must accept and comply with all of the requirements and
limitations of certification as a condition of membership.

c. Membership in the Pitt Communication Club is voluntary and all risk of

personal injury, property damage or other losses that occur incidental to
membership or participation in activities are assumed solely by the student
organization and/or individual member(s) or non-member participant(s).
Accordingly the University of Pittsburgh, its officers and agents shall not be
responsible nor liable for any claims or causes of action for damage or loss of
property or personal injury of any kind or nature which may arise out of or are
incidental to the conduct of any organization's activities or that of any
individual's participation in any group-related activity. it is further understood
and agreed that it is the responsibility of the officers of the organization to
assure that all of the organization's members and non-member participants in
all activities sponsored by the Pitt Communication Club are fully informed and
advised of this ASSUMPTION OF RISK, and in the event any individual member
or participant should express or indicate non-acceptance, the organization's
officers shall forbid participation and/or membership of such individual. In
regard to the organization member or non-member participant Assumption of
Risk, the Pitt Communication Club acknowledges that the University
recommends that the organization members and non-member participants
make every effort to arrange for the acquisition of liability insurance sufficient
to protect all participants against those risks being assumed.
d. No hazing or illegal discriminatory criteria for membership, including those
listed in the University of Pittsburgh's non-discrimination policy, will be used
as a condition for membership in the organization. These factors include
race, color, religion (except for religious organizations which may restrict
membership to those who share their faith-based beliefs), national origin,
ancestry, sex (except same sex organizations permitted under Title IX), age,
marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and
expression, genetic information, disability or status as a veteran. This nondiscriminatory policy will be applied in a manner consistent with the
requirements of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and
other laws applicable to student organizations.
e. Membership will not be based on race, gender, physical ability, major,
religion, national or ethnic heritage, or sexual preference. No hazing or illegal
discriminatory criteria for membership, including those listed in the University
of Pittsburgh's non-discrimination policy, will be used as a condition for
membership in the organization. This non-discriminatory policy will be applied
in a manner consistent with the requirements of the First Amendment of the
United States Constitution and other laws applicable to student organizations.
f. There are no specific membership requirements for our organization.
g. There are no financial requirements for membership.
VIII. Membership Procedures
a. Pitt Communication Club has open-enrollment and accepts everyone that
meets our membership requirements stated above.

IX. Voting Privileges

1. Voting privileges are limited to currently enrolled Pitt student members in
good tanding with the organization.
2. Only members in good-standing may vote, hold office, and receive the
benefits and services of membership in the club.
3. All voting shall be decided by a simple majority, unless otherwise indicated in
this Constitution, or agreed to by a properly constituted quorum.
4. Unless otherwise designated in this Constitution, all votes will be by ballot in
favor/ yes, against/no abstain.
X. Associate Membership
a. The organization may have associate members comprised of Pitt faculty, staff
and alumni and other non-Pitt person.
b. Associate members may not vote, hold office nor serve in a formal leadership
role. They may participate in organization meetings and activities. Pitt
student membership shall comprise of at least 75% of the total membership
at all times.
XI. Officers
The organization shall have the following officers:
President
a. Preside over all club and board meetings
b. Attend all meetings and events (with flexibility and coordination with
the Vice President, one or the other must be present at all events)
c. Draft and approve agenda 24 hours+ before each meeting (In
conjunction with Dr. Gareis / academic advisor and VP)
d. Sign all official documents
e. Appoint all committees and members (committees = members
volunteer/ are nominated and president officially appoints them)
f. Serve as the official representative at all appropriate University events
(or appoint VP / another board member to go in place)
Vice President
g. Attend all meetings and events (with flexibility and coordination with
the President, one and/ or the other must be present at all events)
h. Assist with setting meeting agendas
i. Step in as acting President if elected president cannot fulfill duties
through the end of his / her term (whether temporarily or permanently)
j. Serve as NCASC liaison; oversee all communication with NCA, submit
material for The Scholastic (bi-yearly NCASC newsletter)
k. Coordinates annual election; sets ballot, counts votes (confirmed and
approved by academic advisor and president)
Business Manager
l. Serve as liaison to Office of Student Activities and Allocations
Committee liaison MUST attend Allocations 101 sessions at beginning
of elected term
m. Collect annual dues from members

n. Keep records of all club receipts and expenditures

o. Disburse funds as approved by board / members as necessary
p. Draft, approve, and submit annual budget for club
Secretary
q. Record minutes for all club and board meetings and email out within
24- 48 hours
r. Maintain an updated membership roster
s. Drafting / revising official constitution as needed, with approval from
majority of the board
t. Keep an organized binder/ notebook/ other of necessary paperwork
(including copies of official documents, roster, constitution, etc.)
Public Relations Chair
u. Maintain social media presence (Facebook group, Twitter, etc.)
v. Coordinate all recruitment efforts (fliers, tabling, activities fair, etc.)
w. Release notices or promotional information to Pitt News or other
relevant publications
x. Get all publications approved through SORC
Programming Chair
y. Responsible for scheduling all programs through SORC (room
reservation, contacting and confirming guest speakers, requesting
refreshments from SORC, etc.)
z. Maintain Google Calendar / Facebook events
aa.Work closely with P, A, S chairs to avoid scheduling conflicts or overlap
Historian
ab.Document all club activities (via photography, film, or short write-ups)
ac. Work closely with PR chair on advertising and external relations and VP
on newsletter material
Professional Chair
ad.Propose and plan at least two activities per semester that relate to
Communication careers (e.g. networking with professionals /
corporations, speakers/panels, job shadowing, resume help, etc.)
Academic Chair
ae.Propose and plan at least two activities per semester that relate to the
academic study of Communication, Pitts department specifically (e.g.
graduate school information and / or panel, program for students
interested in declaring the major, etc.)
Social Chair
af. Propose and plan at least two activities per semester than enable club
members to interact with each other and the community, including
fundraising efforts and volunteering.
XII. Terms of Office

a. The term for each office position will last the entirety of the academic school
year (2015-2016).
XIII. Election of Officers
a. Any Elected officer, other than the President, unable to continue in office will
be replaced by an election.
b. If both the positions of President and Vice President are left unfilled, a general
election will be held to fill those positions.
c. All members in good standing at the time of the election may vote at the last
meeting of the academic year.
d. An officer may hold more than one position
e. Absentee ballots may be cast.
f. Election results are announced to members and verified upon announcement.
XIV. Voting Power of Officers
a. Officers retain voting rights, however, the chairperson often votes only in the
event of a tie.
XV. Removal of Officers
a. Should the need arise, an officer may be removed by a motion stating just
cause and a majority vote of the members at a regularly scheduled meeting.
XVI. Vacancies
a. When an officer resigns or is removed, elections will be held to fill the
vacancy.
b. The replacement officer will hold the position for the remainder of the current
term (academic year).
XVII. Committees
a. Pitt Communication Club does not contain any committees.
XVIII. Meetings
a. Club meetings are opened to club members, guests, and all interested
persons.
b. There should be a club meeting at least bi-weekly (twice a month).
c. Special meetings can be called by the President and will notify members
through email.
d. Chairperson is the President and will implement the Rules of Order for
meetings.
e. Quorum
i. A quorum must be present in order for any official club business to be
acted upon.
ii. A quorum shall consist of at least club members in good standing.
XIX. Finances
a. Dues (if we join the NCA as a member student club). The individual
membership fee will cover the annual dues for the membership in the NCASC.

A person will be considered a member in good standing if his / her dues are
paid.
b. Funds will be spend for activities and will be earned through fundraising
events.
c. The Pitt Communication Club shall fully comply with the University
fundraising policies and procedures for certified student organizations.
d. The organization will not maintain an outside bank account if it receives
funding from The Student Government Board.
XX Publications Code
a. In compliance with the Publications Code for Student Organizations, all
publications of the organization will comply with current copywriter laws, be
distributed according to policies and procedures, refrain from expressions
that are considered obscene or libelous according to current statute,
advocate or insight the material interference of physical disruption of the
educational process of the peace, order and decorum of the campus, or that
advocate or insight imminent, lawless action or the violent overthrow of the
government and identify the organization as publisher and specify that the
group is a certified student organization at the University of Pittsburgh.
XXI. Adviser
a. The club advisor shall be appointed by the Chair of the Communication
Department.
b. Be the club liaison to the NCASC and represent the club at the meeting of the
NCASC club advisors to be held at the NCA national convention. If the advisor
is unable to attend the convention, he/she may appoint a stand-in who will
have the right to vote on all issues.
c. Be a nonvoting member of the club.
d. Shall oversee the operation of the club.
e. Be a cosigner, along with the Business Manager, for all payments made by
the club.
XXII. External Affiliations
a. As an option, we may join the National Communication Association as a
member student club, in this case a membership fee must be paid and
student members must pay dues every semester or once a year.
XXIII. Bylaws
a. Members should attend bi-weekly meetings.
b. Notifications and information will be sent out via e-mail.
c. Officers will fulfill their duties and expectations as stated above.
d. Pitt Communication Club will act as a liason between students interested in
communication. fields and professional, educational and social functions.
XXIV. Amendments
a. All constitution additions, revisions and deletions must be reported to the
SORC.

b. May be proposed by any member in good standing.

c. Must be voted upon.