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To: Task
Force on Journalistic
Integrity
From:
Subcommittee on By-laws
and Mission of The
Recorder and Media
Board
Date: April
30, 2007
The school newspaper at
CCSU was recommended for
recognition as a
student-run organization
by the Student Affairs
Committee of the faculty
senate as is the policy
to initiate any other
student-run organization
requesting recognition
from the University.
(Article 2.1 and 2.2 of
the Student Handbook)
The constitution of the
student-run newspaper
called The Recorder
(1972)
http://clubs.ccsu.edu/mediabd/Recorder_Cons.htm
is not unlike other
student-run organization
constitutions at CCSU
and is in keeping with
constitutions of weekly
student-run newspapers
at other CSU schools and
the eleven peer
institutions we
reviewed.
The Media Board was
established at CCSU in
1997 out of the interest
of students in
leadership roles with
the support of the
journalism faculty and
student activities
advisor.
http://clubs.ccsu.edu/mediabd/Media_board_cons.htm.
Students and advisors
saw the need for
increased development
and took the initiative
to initiate a vehicle to
provide that. The
constitution was amended
in 2002 to reflect an
added fiduciary
responsibility for the
portion of the activity
fee designated for
student media
organization use. (BOT
November 2001)
Changes to student-run
organization
constitutions are
submitted to the Student
Affairs Committee of the
faculty senate by the
vice president of
Student Affairs or their
designee (Student
Handbook 2.2) Changes
to the Media Board
Constitution would be
approved by the Board
itself and submitted to
the University president
for approval.
The Media Board was
developed to increase
the relationship between
student leaders of media
clubs and advisors on
campus and to support
them in improving the
sophistication of the
organization as their
goals and challenges
grow and change. The
Board is the youngest of
all the current boards
on campus that play a
role in the development
of student-run
organizations.
Of the 14 other schools
reviewed, the CCSU
student-run newspaper
was the only weekly
publication that put its
constitution on-line for
review. The CCSU Media
Board was the only Media
Board with a
constitution and the
minutes of every meeting
on-line. Of the 14
institutions reviewed,
only six had websites
for the student
newspaper publication
that were current
(reflecting the current
year).
In conclusion, the
subcommittee on by-laws
and mission found the
CCSU student newspaper
constitution to be on a
par with other weekly
publications at peer
institutions.
Student-run media
organizations are
acknowledged as
requiring a higher skill
level, a larger time
commitment, and having
greater liability than
other student-run
organizations.
Using the current
structure and government
already in place at
CCSU, the following
recommendations could be
made.
-
The Media Board
should review the
student newspaper
constitution and
provide feedback to
the student- run
newspaper which
would increase
standards for
student
participation and
improve editorial
board oversight.
-
The Media Board
should establish
more extensive
by-laws for funding
and expenditure of
media fees.
-
The Media Board
should meet with the
Student Affairs
Committee of the
faculty senate to
review and better
establish their role
with media
organizations and
their relationship
to the Committee.
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