POLICY STATEMENT OF THE TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE FOR OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATIONS OF THIS UNIVERSITY.
(Adopted October 16, 1974; updated with committee-approved recommendations on March 4, 1975, April 11, 1977, November 19, 1979, December 1, 1981, March 9, 1982, April 20, 1982, November 29, 1983, May 10, 1984, March 4, 1987, April 8, 1992, and April 14, 2001.)
I. MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE
The Student Publications Committee is composed of fifteen members: two from the administration; five from the faculty, including the chair of the Department of Journalism; seven from the student body; and the chair, who is a member of the faculty but not from the Department of Journalism, as the fifteenth member. The administration, faculty members and committee chair are appointed by the chancellor. Three of the students are appointed by the officers of the local chapters of the journalism organizations in consultation with the Department of Journalism and four are appointed through the Student Government Association. All are voting members of the committee. The Journalism Department chair is the secretary of the Student Publications Committee, and the records of the committee are kept in the Journalism Department. Eight members of the committee constitute a quorum. The committee follows Robert's Rules of Order.
II. FUNCTIONS OF THE STUDENT PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
The functions of the Student Publications committee are as follows:
1. To oversee specified aspects of the publication of the TCU Daily Skiff and Image magazine and to approve the publication of any other official student publications. The definition of such publications is given in section III of this policy statement.
2. To establish policies for the operations of those publications. Policies for those publications, or changes in existing policies, may be presented by students, faculty or administration to the committee for its consideration. Establishment of such policies by precedent resides in this committee.
3. To select editors and advertising managers for the officially approved publications.
4. To recommend, as appropriate, contracts regarding official student publications.
5. To hear at least once each semester reports from the editors and advertising managers of the officially approved publications.
6. To remove an editor or advertising manager for unsatisfactory performance of his or her official duties on approved publications and to name replacements. Persons to be removed are to be informed in writing by the chairman of the committee of the nature of the charges against them and be given an opportunity to refute those charges through existing channels. The committee alone has the power to remove an editor or ad manager.
When a vacancy occurs in a committee-appointed position, the Student Publications director in consultation with the publication's staff, shall make an acting appointment until the committee can make a formal appointment.
7. To act as an appeal and judicial body regarding problems arising from those publications.III. DEFINITION OF AN OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS FOR ESTABLISHING SUCH A PUBLICATION
Official student publications of Texas Christian University are those totally owned and/or published by the university, produced mainly by students, approved by the Student Publications committee, operating under the policies of this committee and are of general campus-wide circulation.
Official student publications may be established, abolished or altered by this committee after due consideration of any and all presentments in duly called meetings at which quorum is present.
Publications may be established through the following process:
1. Submission of a written application for such a publication to the committee and appearance by authorized representatives of the proposed publication before this committee.
2. The written application must include the following information:
a. Statement of purpose of the publication.
b. Description of the proposed format.
c. Name of the sponsoring department or student group.
d. Indication of proposed distribution.
e. Statement as to proposed financing.
3. Publications involving the financial resources of the university must be approved through the appropriate budget channels.
IV. THE COMMITTEE ACTING AS AN APPELLATE BODY
Decisions of the Student Publications Committee are binding on the appealing parties and the university unit involved unless the decision is appealed by one of those parties to the University Court in accordance with the Bill of Student Rights and Responsibilities or to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. Final authority rests with the chancellor.
In case of appeal, the chair shall establish the time and place of the hearing and inform the appellant that he or she may seek counsel and ask witnesses to appear in his or her behalf. Any student or member of the faculty may serve as counsel for the appellant upon request of the appellant or of the chair of the committee. The appellant also has the right to be represented by legal counsel. If legal counsel is to be present, the chair must be notified at least one week in advance so that the committee may also have legal counsel present if it desires to do so. Presence of legal counsel does not turn the hearing into a court of law; counsel will not be allowed to cross-examine witnesses or to address the committee unless given permission by the chair.
V. GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT
Official student publications of the university are directed primarily to the general student body of the university though they are not exclusively so directed. Readership includes other members of the academic community the faculty, staff and administration and some readers outside the university community. Such distribution is encouraged by the Student Publications Committee. The committee does not regard the approved publications as intended primarily to fulfill a public relations function. The Skiff and Image belong to the general student body and to the university as a whole and are entrusted to the care of the student editors, managers, and staff. That arrangement and trust should not interfere with traditional freedoms of speech and of the press or inhibit the practice of responsible journalism as described in the Associated Press Managing Editors and National Conference of Editorial Writers codes of ethics, copies of which are attached. Official student publications are advised by a member or members of the university faculty or staff. However, the student editors of those publications have editorial responsibility and choice regarding their contents so long as materials chosen for publication are consistent with the APME and NCEW codes of ethics, the policy of this committee and community standards of taste. The committee will be the judge of such consistency, subject to appeal to higher review.
VI. STAFFS FOR THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE
1. Positions and Conditions for Appointment
The staffs of both the newspaper and magazine are to be formed of full-time students of the university. The editor of the TCU Daily Skiff is appointed by the Student Publications Committee for a tenure of one semester and may seek reappointment to that position. The editor of Image magazine is appointed by the Student Publications Committee for one year and may seek reappointment. Those appointments are made by the committee no later than one week before the end of the semester prior to the term of appointment.
The sub editors of Image and the Skiff and staff members are appointed by the editors of those publications after consultation with and subject to the approval of the student publications director. In the event the director does not approve such appointments, the editors may appeal to the Student Publications Committee.
Students applying for or holding any staff position on either the Skiff or Image are required to maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, to be full-time students, and to currently be in good standing with the university, i.e. not on disciplinary probation (see "Disciplinary Probation," Section 5.2.4. of the Code of Student Conduct).
The editor and other key editors must have satisfactorily completed at least three courses in journalism, including Media Writing and Editing I and experience as judged by the Student Publications Committee for one semester and may seek reappointment. The advertising manager of Image is appointed by the Student Publications Committee for one year and may seek reappointment. One person may serve as both Skiff and Image advertising manager. The advertising manager must be appointed by the committee no later than one week before the end of the semester preceding the term of service. The advertising manager should have taken the Advertising Principles course or be enrolled in the course while serving. Or the ad manager should have adequate knowledge of ad sales and management as judged by the student publications director or Department of Journalism chair.
The editor and advertising manager of either publication may not, except with the special permission of the student publications director or the Journalism Department chair, carry an academic load of more than fifteen semester hours. A reduced load is recommended unless the student has unusually good scholastic and work records. The chief editors and ad managers of both Skiff and Image may not hold outside employment.
2. Compensation
Editors, managers and staff of both the Skiff and Image should be compensated, and priority should be given to such compensation in the development of the budgets for those publications. However, such compensation is subject to the availability of funds within the budgets of the Skiff and Image and subject to the approval of the student publications director or Journalism Department chair. Compensation for Skiff and Image staff will be specified in a Student Publications pay policy, which will be reviewed annually.
VII. THE "TCU DAILY SKIFF"
The TCU Daily Skiff, the student newspaper of Texas Christian University, is intended to serve the general university community by offering news, information, editorial statement, letters to the editor, and other material, such as invited articles, art and photographs, thus providing a forum for discussion of matters of interest and importance to the university community.
The Skiff is owned and published by the university, which is legally solely responsible for the contents of the newspaper. The Skiff is expected to follow journalistic practices consistent with those described in the APME and NCEW codes of ethics and with the statement of general policy of this committee.
VIII. EDITOR OF THE "TCU DAILY SKIFF"
The editor of the TCU Daily Skiff is to have the traditional editorial freedoms and responsibilities of professional journalism. The editor should be mindful of his or her obligation to present accurate, fair and complete reports on the activities of the university community. He or she should be cognizant of the traditions and history of the university and should recognize his or her importance as a spokesperson within and beyond the university. Editorial comment in the newspaper should normally be confined to a single editorial page.
IX. "IMAGE" MAGAZINE
Image magazine is a Texas Christian University student periodical whose format is determined by the Student Publications Committee. It is designed to offer a lively portrayal of university and university-related activities.
Image is owned and published by the university, which is legally solely responsible for its contents. Image is expected to follow journalistic practices consistent with professional journalistic ethics and those of the general policy of this committee.
X. THE EDITOR OF "IMAGE" MAGAZINE
The editor of Image and the staff, with the guidance of the student publications director, will strive to produce a publication that is attractive and artistic and in good taste, reflecting the creative talents of the staff and presenting an interesting and accurate image of campus life and of the philosophy and objectives of the university.
XI. THE STUDENT PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE "TCU DAILY SKIFF" AND "IMAGE" MAGAZINE
The student publications director for the TCU Daily Skiff and Image is appointed by the Department of Journalism in consultation with the Dean of the College of Communication and the Vice Chancellor of the university.
For instructional purposes and to insure accuracy, the student publications director or someone designated to assist the director, has the right to read any material submitted for publication, but is not required to do so. Persons involved in review of Skiff copy will not have any role in the general administration of the university. However, it is the editor who makes the decision as to what will appear in the publication involved, consistent with committee policy, the APME and NCEW codes of ethics and community standards and taste. If the student publications director believes publication of certain material could be libelous or is contrary to the APME or NCEW codes of ethics or community standards of taste, the director may delay publication until the matter can be referred to the Student Publications Committee. Publication of the questionable material may be delayed no longer than it takes to convene a quorum of the committee.
How We Began Administrative Staff Organizational Chart Student Publications Committee Advertising Policies General Policies
Student Pay Policy Job Descriptions Job Applications
TCU STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
Robert Bohler, Student Publications Director Bitsy Faulk, Business Manager Jeanne Cain Pressler, Production Manager
