Associates Committee SOP

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Associates Committee Standard Operating Procedures

Adopted 6/2/2004

Contents

Preamble

Associates are the on-air voices, the upholders of the station's democracy, and the volunteers who maintain the equipment, the building and the organization that is WEFT. Without Associates, WEFT simply couldn't exist.

This document represents the policies set by the Associates to govern their own business.

Section A: Committee Membership

Part 1 - Definition of Associate Status

From the WEFT By-Laws, Section 5.02

A person shall become an Associate by completing three requirements and signing an Associate contract. The requirements are:

  1. current station membership in accordance with Article 4 of these Bylaws,
  2. attendance in the last 12 months of at least one Associates meeting, and
  3. filling of a volunteer position based on the current needs of the station under the supervision of a standing committee or staff member.

Associate status shall become effective at the beginning of the first station meeting that the person attends after completing the requirements and signing an Associate contract.

The collective body of Associates shall be referred to as the Associates' Committee.

(a) Associates' Committee Meeting Attendance

Associates must attend regular or special meetings of the Associates' Committee. Excused absences will be granted for people whose on-air programs take place during Associates' Committee meetings, who notify the Associates' Executive Committee about a conflict at least 24 hours prior to the meeting, and others at the discretion of the Associates' Executive Committee. The Associates' Executive Committee will provide the Associates with a list of those excused. Excused absences fulfill the attendance requirement for Associate status.

(b) Committee Work Requirement

In order to meet the volunteer requirement of Associate status, a person must participate in volunteer work with a committee or staff member. Each committee and staff member is expected to report a membership roster to the Associates at least annually, which will be used to verify Associate status. The Station Manager shall be the reporting staff member for all duties not otherwise assigned to an active committee or other staff member.

Part 2 - Pledge Drive Work

In addition to meeting the volunteer work requirement for Associate status, any Associate having an official show is required to perform a job related to the pledge drive during the pledge drive. Pledge drive jobs will be designated by the Pledge Drive Committee, the Station Manager, or the Associates' Executive Committee. This requirement may be waived by the Associates' Executive Committee.

Section B - Committee Make-up

Part 1 - Associates

All station members who have met the requirements for Associate status as defined by the WEFT By-Laws and this document are considered full voting members of the committee. Only Associates may hold elected positions within the Associates' Committee.

Part 2 - WEFT Members, Board Members, Professional Staff, and Others

Board members and Professional staff of WEFT are invited to participate in all meetings. Board members and professional staff may not be Associates and may not be elected to committee positions.

WEFT Members, as described in Article Four of the WEFT By-Laws are welcome to attend Associates' Committee meetings but may not vote. The Chair(s) of the Associates' Committee shall have the authority to decide whether any WEFT non-members may be present at Associates' Committee meetings.

Part 3 - Sub-committees

Standing sub-committees of the Associates' Committee shall include the Associates' Executive Committee and the Public Relations Committee. Ad-hoc subcommittees may be formed by majority vote of the Associates during a properly scheduled meeting. Ad-hoc subcommittees must be formed with a specific charge or mission. Ad-hoc subcommittees are automatically dissolved upon completion of their charge or mission, or one year after their creation unless their charge or mission is renewed by majority vote of the Associates during a properly scheduled meeting.

(a) Associates' Executive Committee (AEC)

The Associates will elect an executive committee to coordinate activities of the Associates' Committee.

Chair(s)

The chair(s) of the Associates' Committee are also considered the chairs of the AEC. Either a single chair or two equally-empowered co-chairs may be elected. The Associates' Committee chair(s) are responsible for oversight and implementation of all Associates' Committee actions, including scheduling meetings, setting agendas, communicating meeting notices, reporting to the Board of Directors, and performing other duties specified in this document.

Secretary

The secretary of the Associates' Committee is also considered the secretary of the AEC.

The secretary is responsible for recording the minutes of all committee meetings and submitting these minutes to the Associates, as described in Section C, part 7 of this document.

At-large members

The Associates may elect at-large members of the executive committee. Total membership of the AEC shall be no more than five.

Terms of office

All AEC positions are elected by a majority of Associates' attending the first meeting of the calendar year.

All terms of office conclude upon adjournment of the first meeting of the calendar year.

The terms of office for all AEC positions begin immediately following the conclusion of the meeting at which they are elected.

Vacancies

Vacant positions on the AEC may be filled at any properly-scheduled Associates' Committee meeting.

(b) Pledge Drive Committee

The Pledge Drive Committee is responsible for planning and executing pledge drives. The Pledge Drive Committee may require that Associates attend pledge drive training sessions.

Section C: Associates' Committee Meetings

Part 0: Robert's Rules

Procedures not described in this document shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.

Part 1: Time and Place

Regularly-scheduled Associates' Committee Meetings are to occur at 7 PM on a quarterly basis, according to the following schedule:

Quarter Meeting Date

1 First Thursday in March

2 First Wednesday in June

3 First Thursday in September

4 First Wednesday in December

Under extraordinary circumstances which shall be communicated to the Associates, the AEC may re-schedule a regularly-scheduled meeting to take place within one week of the date defined above.

Meetings will be held at a venue large enough to accommodate all Associates.

Part 2: Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Associates may be called by the Chair of the Corporation, the Board of Directors by a majority vote at a regular or special board meeting, or any 3 Associates as defined in the By-Laws through a written petition to the Chair of the Associates' Committee. Written notice stating the purpose, place, and time of the meeting shall be communicated not less than ten nor more than twenty-five days before the meeting. At special meetings, Associates shall only conduct the business for which the meeting is called.

Part 3: Postings and Notifications

All postings and notifications regarding meetings must be communicated in the following manner: (1) e-mail to the main Associates e-mail list, and (2) posting, at a fixed location in the front hall of 113 N. Market Street.

Unless otherwise specified in this document, all required postings shall be made at least two weeks prior to the event.� In addition, an announcement shall be read once per shift on the air.� An additional meeting announcement shall be sent by mail one week prior to any Associates meeting.�

Part 4: Meeting Agendas

The AEC shall set the agenda for Associates' Committee meetings in consultation with the Station Manager and committee chairs. The AEC shall solicit agenda items via email and posting at the station. This solicitation shall take place at least two weeks prior to any regularly-scheduled meeting. The final agenda shall be posted at least seven calendar days prior to any Associates' Committee meeting.

Associates' Committee meetings shall not be scheduled to last longer than two hours. The agenda for regularly-scheduled meetings shall include the following items:

• Call to order

• Introductions of those in attendance

• Approval of agenda

• Approval of previous meeting's minutes

• Elections (when necessary)

• Reports from the Station Manager, Board of Directors, and Committees

• Old Business (from previous meetings)

• New Business

• Announce date and time of next meeting

• Adjournment

Additions to the Agenda

Additions to the agenda of an Associates' Committee meeting must be approved by a 2/3 majority of the Associates attending the meeting. Proposals to change the agenda are followed immediately by a vote.

Part 5: Meeting Procedure

The Associates' Committee Chair(s) shall preside. If the Chair(s) is/are unavailable, then another member of the Associates' Executive Committee shall preside.

A timekeeper shall be appointed by the Chair(s) at each Associates' Committee meeting. The timekeeper notifies all speakers of their time constraints in the interest of holding efficient meetings.

Meetings may not be called to order without the necessary quorum, which is twenty Associates, or one third the total number of Associates if the total number is less than sixty. When quorum is reached, the meeting may be called to order.

Part 6: Voting Requirements and Procedure

Only Associates may vote.

Non-election votes may be conducted by a show of hands unless an Associate in attendance requests a roll call vote.

If a roll call vote is requested, the question shall be stated clearly, the Secretary will state each Associate's name, and Associates will respond in turn with their vote which the Secretary will record. The Secretary will announce the results once the vote is counted.

The procedure for conducting elections shall be as follows:

The meeting chair shall announce that nominations are open for a given position. Only Associates may run for Associate elected positions. Candidates for a position may be nominated by any Associate in attendance. Nominations must receive a second. After all nominations have been received, discussion may be held wherein candidates present statements, and Associates ask questions of the candidates. The Associates may then have final discussion about each candidate.� The candidate in question may not be present in the room during this discussion.� All candidates will return before the voting commences.

Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot distributed to all Associates in attendance, including candidates.

Each associate is given a ballot. The associate may write on the ballot as many names as there are open seats being voted on. For any open seat the associate may write "no candidate" on the ballot or leave a blank space. The associate may not vote twice for the same person. Example: if there are 3 seats open and 4 candidates running, the voter may write 0, 1, 2, or 3 different names on the ballot.

A candidate wins a seat if their name appears on a majority of the ballots cast.

Part 7: Meeting Minutes

Minutes of Associates' Committee meetings shall be maintained by the Secretary. Minutes shall be distributed and posted no less than twenty (20) days prior to the subsequent Associates' Committee meeting, and minutes shall be approved with or without amendment at that meeting. It is recommended that minutes be prepared in accordance with the secretary's guide maintained by the AEC.

Section D: Miscellaneous

Part 1: Revision of this Document

Changes to this document must be ratified by a 2/3 majority vote of Associates attending any properly-scheduled meeting.

Part 2: Failure to Adhere to this Document

If any party feels that this document has not been adhered to, or that the committee has been procedurally deficient, they are to alert the chair(s) of the committee prior to requesting action by any other parties. If the response of either the chair or the committee as a whole is viewed as being negligent in their response to the initial complaint, the complainant may also request that the Human Resources Committee or the Board of Directors, look into the complaint.

Part 3: Sunset Clause

Because the By-Laws state that these standard operating procedures must be re-approved every three years, this document will expire on June 6, 2007.

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