WKCR Constitution
I. Name
The name of the organization shall be WKCR Radio.
II. Purpose
The purpose of the organization shall be to operate radio stations
WKCR and WKCR-FM,
III. Membership
1. Membership shall not be denied to any person on account of race,
color, creed, national origin or sex.
2. The Executive Board of WKCR Radio shall maintain and make public
at intervals not to exceed four months a list of' all current
members.
3. Membership, and concomitant voting rights, shall be limited to
undergraduates registered in Columbia College, Barnard College, the
School of Engineering, the School of Nursing and the School of
General Studies. Further membership shall be determined solely by
the Station Manager of WKCR Radio.
4. The stations' facilities shall be restricted to members of WKCR
Radio, and others approved by any member of the Executive Board of
WKCR Radio.
5. Membership may be rescinded by a majority vote of the Executive
Boar of WKCR Radio. Failure to comply with the Rules and
Regulations of the federal Communications Commission shall
constitute grounds for the suspension or revocation of membership
in WKCR Radio, as shall refusal or inability to adhere to the
policies of the Executive Board, and the commission of other
serious offenses. Every former member who has had his membership
suspended or revoked by the Executive Board shall be entitled, upon
written request submitted to the Station Manager of WKCR Radio, to
a periodic review of his membership status by the Executive Board
of WKCR Radio.
6. A member may, at any time, tender his written resignation from
WKCR Radio to the Station Manager.
IV. The Executive Board
1. The composition of the Executive Board as specified directly
below shall not be subject to change, except as provided for under
Article VI, section 9 below. The members of the Executive Board,
and their respective areas of responsibility, are as follows:
a. Station Manager. The Station Manager shall be chairman
of the Executive Board. He shall be responsible for the
creation and implementation of station policy. He shall
be the chief representative of WKCR Radio in all the
organization's official dealings, negotiations and
contracts with any outside organizations or individuals.
Upon appointment the Station Manager shall select a Vice
Chairman.
b. Director of Operations and Engineering. The Director
of Operations and Engineering shall implement station
policy concerning day to day station operations and
engineering, and shall maintain the equipment and
physical plant of WKCR Radio.
c. Program Director. The Program Director shall implement
programming policy and, in consulation with the Station
Manager, shall create programming policy.
d. Director of Development and Business. The Director of
Development and Business shall implement station policy
concerning fund raising. development projects, audits,
expenditures and other matters of finance,
e. Director of Public Relations. The Director of Public
Relations shall implement station policy concerning
public awareness of WKCR Radio and its activities.
2. The Executive Board shall convene at least bi-weekly at which
time the Station Manager shall inform the Executive Board of
decisions reached.
3. Any action taken by the Station Manager can be vetoed by a
majority vote of the members of the Executive Board.
4. Any member of the Executive Board shall be subject to removal
from office by a two-thirds vote of the membership of WKCR Radio,
upon presentation of a petition-to-remove approved by a majority of
the Executive Board.
5. A member of the Executive Board may at any time tender his
written resignation from office to the Station Manager. The Station
Manager may at any time tender his written resignation from office
to the Executive Board.
6. The Station Manager shall have the power to create
administrative offices and to appoint officers. An officer may at
any time tender his written resignation from office to the Station
Manager. All terms of office, unless otherwise specified by the
Station Manager, shall automatically expire on the first day of the
next annual winter recess, as such recess is defined in the
official academic calendar of Columbia College. A majority vote of
the Executive Board is needed to dissolve an office or to remove an
officer.
7. The members of the Executive Board, after appointment but before
assuming office, must acknowledge. in writing, the following:
a. Their liability for any and all expenditures made by
WKCR Radio but not specifically approved by the Office of
Student Activities.
b. Their obligation to comply with all University
regulations pertinent to student organizations.
V. Committees
Committees may be created and dissolved by the Station Manager, who
shall have the sole power to determine their purpose and membership
and to delineate their limits. Where appropriate. a committee
chairman and vice-chairman shall be appointed by the Station
Manager.
VI. Selection of the Executive Board
1. Candidacy requirements for the Executive Board.
a. All members of' the Executive Board must be current
members of WKCR Radio. and must be undergraduates
registered in Columbia College, Barnard College, the
School of' Engineering, the School of Nursing or the
School of General Studies for a program leading to a
bachelor's degree.
b. Except as provided for in Article VI, Section 9 and
Article VII below, all members of the Executive Board of
WKCR, before assuming office, must have satisfactorily
completed at least four semesters in an accredited
college, and have successfully completed at least one
autumn or spring semester of full-time attendance in
Columbia College, the School of Engineering, Barnard
College, the School of General Studies or the School of
Nursing. Point totals may not be substituted for actual
attendance to meet the requirements of this or any other
section of the constitution.
2. A majority of the members of' the Executive Board must be
undergraduates registered in Columbia College or the School of
Engineering.
3. The Station Manager of WKCR Radio must be an undergraduate
registered in Columbia College, the School of Engineering or
Barnard College.
4. An ad hoc Selection Committee shall be convened annually for the
sole purpose of selecting a new Executive Board.
a. The Selection Committee shall consist of any current
members of WKCR Radio who are in at least their second
academic year of station membership and who will receive their
undergraduate degree in January or May of the academic year in
which they will serve on the committee.
b. The current Station Manager shall publicly solicit written
applications for membership on the Selection Committee from
all eligible members of WKCR Radio.
c. Membership on the Selection Committee shall be determined
by a majority vote of the Executive Board of WKCR Radio,
pursuant to Article VI, Section 4a of this Constitution.
Appeals of any decision regarding membership on the Selection
Committee may be brought before the Committee itself.
d. No person may serve on the Selection Committee in more than
one academic year.
5. The Selection Committee shall accept written applications for
appointment to the Executive Board until November 15 of each year.
The Selection Committee shall publicly solicit such applications
for a period of at least 15 days from eligible members of WKCR
Radio as defined in Article VI, section lb.
6. The Selection Committee shall hold meetings to interview
candidates for the Executive Board. Upon selection of a Station
Manager, the senior committee shall solicit his recommendation for
the remaining members of the Executive Board.
7. The Selection Committee shall publicly present a proposed
Executive Board to the membership of WKCR Radio no later than
November 30 of each year.
8. A proposed Executive Board presented by the Selection Committee
shall be subject to written veto signed by at least a majority of
the membership of WKCR Radio, submitted to the Selection Committee
within three full days of the Selection Committee's initial
decision. In the event of a veto, the Selection Committee shall
again present a proposed Executive Board to the membership, and
shall continue to do so until no veto is exercised.
9. The Selection Committee may not accept applications from
candidates not meeting the qualifications outlined in Article VI,
section 1. However, the Committee may vote by a two-thirds majority
to solicit and select a candidate to fulfill the functions of any
position on the Executive Board other than that of Station Manager.
The candidate must be a member of WKCR Radio and must, before
assuming office, have completed at least three semesters in an
accredited college and at least one autumn or spring semester of
full-time attendance in Columbia College, the School of
Engineering, Barnard College, the School of Engineering or the
School of Nursing.
10. The Executive Board shall automatically assume office on the
first day of the annual winter recess, as such recess is defined in
the official academic calendar of Columbia College. The terms of
office of the previous Executive Board shall automatically expire
with the assumption of office by their successor.
VII. Vacancies.
Vacancies on the Executive Board shall be filled by a majority vote
of the remaining members of the Executive Board. In no case shall a
vacancy on the Executive Board exist for a period of more than
fifteen days. Any person selected to fill a vacancy on the
Executive Board shall meet the requirements set forth in Article
VI, Section la above, and must, at the time of selection, have
successfully completed at least three semesters at an accredited
college and at least one autumn or spring semester of full-time
attendance in Columbia College, Barnard College, the School of
Engineering, the School of General Studies or the School of
Nursing. The appointment shall be subject to a veto signed by a
majority of the membership of WKCR Radio submitted to the Station
Manager within three full days. In the event of a veto, the
Executive Board shall again present an appointment to the
membership and shall continue to do so until no veto is exercised.
VIII. Amendments.
Proposed amendments to this Constitution shall be submitted to the
membership of WKCR Radio by the Executive Board. Such amendments
shall take effect upon ratification by a two-thirds majority of the
current membership of WKCR Radio.
IX. Ratification
This Constitution shall take effect immediately upon ratification
by a majority vote of the current membership of WKCR Radio.
Ratified 9/30/07
The WKCR Constitution governs the structure of WKCR; the following
document defines the substance of our broadcasting and the purpose
of our activities. This document aims to ensure that WKCR's
orientation and mission cannot be cursorily or arbitrarily altered.
Undergraduate Self-Determination
WKCR undergraduate members are responsible for guiding and motivating
the activities of the station, on-air and off-air, including
programming, personnel, and day-to-day operations.
II. Programming Determination
WKCR's programming content serves (in priority order):
The body of WKCR programmers' belief in the inherent value of
meaningful art and informed reporting, and in propagating these,
irrespective of current or past popularity.
ii. Our listeners and the cultural communities surrounding the
disciplines and art forms WKCR represents.
iii. Columbia University.
WKCR is dedicated to presenting a spectrum of alternative programmingÑ
traditional and art music, spoken arts, and original journalismÑthat
meets the above criteria.
WKCR is committed to broadcasting regularly-scheduled programming that
embodies our mission as stated above and in Section III below.
WKCR is committed to broadcasting festivals and special extended
programs that embody our mission as stated above and in Section III
below.
WKCR has historically held Jazz as the most represented genre in its
programming. WKCR is committed to continuing that tradition.
WKCR is committed to continuing the tradition of broadcasting selected
Columbia University Athletics events.
III. Research and Education
WKCR affirms its dedication to Columbia University's stated goals of
research and education.
WKCR expects its programmers to constantly sharpen their expertise in
their fields.
Quality programming entails scholarship, primary-source research, and
fieldwork.
Listening is essential to our research and education.
Programmers' commentary should consist of substantive information and
informed interpretation regarding the subject matter.
IV. Methods and Technology
a. WKCR believes in the importance of live hosting and engineering,
where in most cases the host is the engineer. All members will be
trained to be self-sufficient in both the technical and stylistic
aspects of broadcasting.
b. WKCR will maintain full analog capability, including analog record
and tape media in addition to other useful technology, irrespective of
shifting technological trends.
c. WKCR believes in owning and playing the best-sounding audio
sources, and in owning and maintaining the equipment to do so.
d. WKCR is committed to preserving and maintaining the media in
its archives in perpetuity. Archiving decisions will be made
according to what content ought to be preserved and what media
will best preserve it.
These are the standards to which we hold ourselves and according to
which future policies will be realized. Any change in this text, and
thus the orientation of WKCR, will require the approval of two
consecutive, unanimous Boards; the approval of four consecutive
majority boards; or the approval of voting station membership by the
standard means of constitutional revision, as specified in the WKCR
Constitution.
|