CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Ohio Communication Association.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

1. To unite those persons interested in communication studies.
2. To act as a clearing house and advisor to the various Association special interest groups.
3. To encourage excellence in faculty preparation.
4. To develop guidelines for curricular and co-curricular activities.
5. To strengthen all learning and teaching programs.
6. To publish research studies and scholarly materials.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership shall be open to any person or agency interested in the purposes of this organization.
2. Membership shall be verified by written application and payment of specified annual dues.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICES AND TERMS OF OFFICE

1. The elected officers of the Association shall be:
   1. President
   2. Vice-President/President-Elect
   3. Five Board Members-at-Large
   4. Graduate Student Representatives
2. The officers appointed by the Executive Committee shall be:
   1. Executive Director
   2. Journal Editor(s)
   3. Conference Coordinator(s)
   4. Communication Coordinator
   5. Sponsorship Coordinator
   6. Awards Coordinator
   7. Archivist
3. The terms of office shall be:
   1. The President shall serve for a period of two years.
   2. The Vice President/President-Elect shall serve for a period of two years, and then advance to the office of President.
   3. The Executive Director shall serve for a period of three to five years.
   4. The Journal Editor shall serve for a period of two years.
   5. The Assistant Journal Editor shall serve for a period of two years, and then advance to the position of Journal Editor.
   6. The Conference Coordinator shall serve for a period of two years.
   7. The On-Site Conference Coordinator shall serve for a period of one year.
   8. The Communication Coordinator shall serve for a period of two years.
   9. The Sponsorship Coordinator shall serve for a period of three to five years.
   10. The Awards Coordinator shall serve for a period of two years.
   11. The Archivist shall serve for a period of three to five years.
   12. The Board Members-at-Large shall serve for a period of two years.
   13. The Graduate Student Representatives shall serve for a period of one year (renewable).
4. The duties of the officers shall be specified in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the following members, each of whom shall be entitled to one vote.
   1. President
   2. Vice-President/President-Elect
   3. Executive Director
   4. Journal Editor(s)
   5. Immediate Past-President
   6. Conference Coordinator
   7. Communication Coordinator
   8. Sponsorship Coordinator
   9. Awards Coordinator
   10. Archivist
   11. Board Members-at-Large
   12. Graduate Student Representative(s)
2. The Executive Committee shall:
   1. Be the initiating legislative body of the Association.
   2. Transact the Association business between the annual conventions.
   3. Approve, by majority vote, appointments made by the President.
   4. Fill vacancies when they occur in elected positions by a special election carried out by the Vice President.
   5. Meet at the annual conference, periodically during the year, and for special sessions called by the President.
3. A quorum for the Executive Committee shall be defined as ½ of the committee.
4. Amendments shall take effect immediately following the announcement of their adoption.

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS

1. The Executive Committee, by majority vote, may initiate amendments to this Constitution.
2. Any member(s) of the Association may petition the Executive Committee, which shall then mandate it to consider a proposed amendment.
3. Any 20 members of the Association may present a petition that will mandate the Executive Committee to submit a proposed amendment to the full membership.
4. Amendments initiated as specified in the Sections above shall be made available to the membership at least fifteen days prior to the annual conference, and shall be voted and approved by the membership as specified in the Bylaws.
5. A 2/3 vote of the members present at the business meeting will constitute passage of the proposed amendment.

BYLAWS

Click here to view: Amended OCA Bylaws June 5 2020 (PDF)

Revised: October 7, 1977
Revised: October 10, 1980
Revised: November 28, 1983
Revised: March 28, 1984
Adopted: March 20, 1992
Revised: February 22, 1998
Revised: March 20, 2003
Approved: March 20, 2003
Revised: October 5, 2007
Revised: October 4, 2008
Revised: October 4, 2009
Revised: October 1, 2011
Revised: October 4, 2013
Revised: June 5, 2020