University of Connecticut Student Television

Article 1 – Organization Name

• Section 1. The organization shall be officially known as the University of Connecticut Student Television. The acronym UCTV shall be used as an abbreviation when appropriate.

Article 2 – Mission Statement

• Section 1. UCTV is entirely run by undergraduate students on the Storrs campus at the University of Connecticut. UCTV will strive to educate students in the practice of production and broadcasting through the creation of original student-made programming and prepare them for future endeavors in the broadcast and entertainment industry. UCTV also offers practical experience in broadcast news, finance, music, marketing, and studio operations. UCTV will serve as a source of information and entertainment as well as an outlet for creative expression for all undergraduate UConn students with an interest in Television and it’s related areas of business.

Article 3 – Membership

• Section 1. Any undergraduate student, as fee-paying members of the University of Connecticut-Storrs student body, is eligible to be an active member of the UCTV general staff.
  • 1.1. Graduate students hoping to attain membership at UCTV must receive permission from the UCTV Board of Directors by way of a majority vote.
  • 1.2 Additional access and activity by members of UCTV not expressly written in the Constitution shall be governed by the bylaws of the organization.
  • 1.3 UCTV is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in any form, in accordance with all state and federal laws.
• Section 2. Active membership status shall be granted to members regularly participating within a specific UCTV department, on a committee within the organization, or in the production of a show.
  • 2.1 Active members have the privilege of voting at general meetings. This right may not be revoked, so long as the member remains active.
• Section 3. No UCTV member may claim to officially represent the organization unless such representation is detailed by their position description or expressly permitted by the UCTV Board of Directors.
  • 3.1 All members currently serving on the UCTV Board of Directors may claim themselves as an official representative of the organization in any capacity. Such representation shall be permitted until said member’s tenure with the Board of Directors has ended.
  • 3.2 No general staff member may claim him or herself as an official representative of UCTV without the consent of the UCTV Board of Directors. Any member who violates this section may be subject to reprimand and/or revocation of membership. Procedures regarding Board consent in this matter shall be governed by the bylaws of the organization.
• Section 4. The UCTV Board of Directors retains the right to revoke the membership of any staff member at UCTV, regardless of whether they serve the organization as a volunteer or paid position. Actions that may be considered grounds for dismissal, as well as procedures regarding revocation of active membership, shall be governed by the bylaws of the organization.
• Section 5. New members are prohibited from using UCTV’s camera, studio, master control and editing equipment until they have successfully completed training in the appropriate subject(s) as per the guidelines set forth by the Training Director.

Article 4 – Officers

• Section 1. The executive officers of UCTV, as recognized by the University of Connecticut and in no particular order, shall consist of the General Manager, Operations Manager, Production Manager, and Finance Manager. Main responsibilities of these officers are bulleted below. Further responsibilities shall be regulated by the bylaws of this constitution.

  • 1.1 General Manager

    The General Manager shall be responsible for overseeing the progress and operations of all UCTV officers, employees and departments.

  • 1.2 Operations Manager

    The Operations Manager shall be responsible for the maintenance and management of all studio equipment and to provide advanced technical advice to members.

  • 1.3 Production Manager

    The Production Manager shall be responsible for overseeing all UCTV productions utilizing the UCTV and ultimately responsible for the content of all programming broadcast on UCTV.

  • 1.4 Finance Manager

    The Finance Manager shall be responsible for overseeing all finance records, expenditures, revenue, inventory, payroll, and annual reviews in accordance with the University of Connecticut Department of Student Activities operating guidelines, policies, and procedures for trustee accounts.

• Section 2. The additional officers, as recognized by the University of Connecticut and in no particular order, shall consist of the Music Director, News Director, Sports Director, Advertising Director, Marketing Director, and Training Director. Main responsibilities of these officers are bulleted below. Further responsibilities shall be regulated by the bylaws of this Constitution.

  • 2.1 Music Director

    The Music Director shall be responsible for overseeing the production of all music programming which is relevant to the interest of the student body and for ensuring consistency in programming with UCTV policies and procedures at the behest of the Production Manager.

  • 2.2 News Director

    The News Director shall be responsible for overseeing the production of all news programming which is relevant to the interest of the student body and for ensuring consistency in programming with UCTV policies and procedures at the behest of the Production Manager.

  • 2.3 Sports Director

    The Sports Director shall be responsible for overseeing the production of all sports programming which is relevant to the interest of the student body and for ensuring consistency in programming with UCTV policies and procedures at the behest of the Production Manager as well as being the point of contact for any athletic entity that contacts the station.

  • 2.4 Advertising Director

    The Advertising Director shall be responsible for overseeing all programming breaks on UCTV and involved with the production of original advertisements for student organizations and other businesses.

  • 2.5 Marketing Director

    The Marketing Director shall be responsible for creating UCTV as a positive and recognizable brand on the Storrs UConn campus.

  • 2.6 Training Director

    The Training Director shall be responsible for training all incoming and current members of UCTV.

• Section 3. The Board of Officers will consist of all executive officers and directors as listed above. Their responsibilities as a whole are as follows:
  • 3.1 The Board shall adhere to the Constitution and constantly work toward the mission statement and goals of the organization.
  • 3.2 The Board shall, by a majority vote, establish by-laws for the organization that are consistent with this Constitution.
  • 3.3 The Board may, by majority vote, establish any policy for the organization that is consistent with this Constitution.
  • 3.4 The Board shall, by a majority vote, approve all salaries and contracts including employment contracts before they are deemed effective.
  • 3.5 The Board shall, by a majority vote, approve the members of the Board for the following year.
  • 3.6 The Board shall, by a majority vote, approve a yearly budget.
  • 3.7 The Board may, by a majority vote, make any purchases and reimbursements they deem necessary for the use of UCTV.
  • 3.8 At the discretion of the Board, director positions may be added or removed as necessary.
  • 3.9 No member shall hold more than one Board position at any time unless deemed appropriate by the Board of Officers by majority vote.
  • 3.10 By a majority vote of the Board, a manager or director may be asked to resign or be terminated.

Article 5 – Meetings

• Section 1. General Meetings
  • 1.1 General meetings shall be held at least once during each fiscal year to discuss matters regarding UCTV.
• Section 2. Board of Officers Meetings
  • 2.1 The Board of Officers shall meet regularly and as frequently as board deems necessary.
  • 2.2 Quorum constitutes a majority of the Board of Officers, excluding the officer running the meeting.
• Section 3. Special Meetings
  • 3.1 The right to call special meetings is to be addressed in the bylaws.
  • 3.2 Any meeting requiring a vote of all members is to be considered a special meeting. Votes may be approved by the majority of members in attendance.
  • 3.3 A public announcement is to be made known to all active members at least one week prior to the meeting.

Article 6 – Advisor

• Section 1. Professional Staff Advisor to UCTV
  • 1.1 The role of the media advisor is to provide guidance in decision making in the areas of organization development, fiscal management, promotions, program planning and implementation, risk management, policies and procedures, and other general operations issues.
  • 1.2 The media advisor will provide information regarding applicable policies, procedures and laws, including requirements and regulations of local, state and federal agencies.
  • 1.3 The media advisor will be a resource for and liaison between organizations and other University departments or external organizations as needed.
  • 1.4 The media advisor does not have any decision making power within UCTV.

Article 7 – Finances

• Section 1. The finance department must abide by the University of Connecticut Department of Student Activities operating guidelines, policies, and procedures for trustee accounts. It is the officers’ responsibility to familiarize themselves with these guidelines and ensure that UCTV is in compliance at all times.
• Section 2. All means of financial approval should be addressed in the bylaws.
• Section 3. The definition of UCTV’s fiscal year is outlined in the bylaws.

Article 8 – Relationship with the University of Connecticut

• Section 1. UCTV primarily serves the undergraduate student body of the Storrs campus.
• Section 2. UCTV is a registered fee-funded student organization with the Department of Student Activities at the University of Connecticut.
• Section 3. Although we receive support from the university, UCTV maintains its sovereignty in all operations including but not limited to programming, governance, decision making, and all other internal and external affairs.

Article 9 – Amendments

• Section 1. Amendments to the Constitution must be ratified at a special meeting.
• Section 2. An updated copy of the Constitution shall be distributed to the active membership within 24 hours of the enactment of any amendment.
• Section 3. A current copy of the constitution shall be available in the UCTV studio at all times.
• Section 4. An updated copy of the Constitution shall be submitted to the Department of Student Activities after any revisions have been approved.

Article 10 – Beneficiary

• Section 1. In the event that UCTV’s account remains inactive for 12 consecutive months, a committee shall be formed to determine the fate of UCTV’s funds. This committee shall be comprised of one representative from each of the student fee-funded media groups as well as one representative from the Department of Student Activities.

Article 11 – Enabling Clause

• Section 1. This Constitution shall go into effect on April 3rd, 2009, upon approval of the Active Membership of UCTV. This Constitution shall replace and render any and all previous constitutions, procedures, practices and precedents for UCTV null and void.