SACOMM OBJECTIVES AND CONSTITUTION OBJECTIVES
To encourage contact and co-operation among Communication Departments in the various tertiary education institutions offering Communication Studies.
To provide a forum to promote communication research, collaboration and debate between communication practitioners, communication industry professionals, academics and students.
To promote networking and academic debate.
To facilitate professional communication practice in Southern Africa
CONSTITUTION
CONSTITUTION (AMENDED 2006)
ARTICLE 1 NAME
The name of the Association is the South African Communication Association (abbreviated SACOMM), hereafter “the Association”.
ARTICLE 2 GOALS OF THE ASSOCIATION
2.1 To work for the enhancement of Communication Studies as an academic discipline in Southern Africa
2.2 To encourage, by means of this goal (Article 2.1) contact and co-operation among various departments in tertiary education institutions offering Communication Studies, as well as acknowledged communication research bodies and communication practitioners; and
2.3 To deal with matters relating to Article 2.1 above, as decided upon by an Annual General Meeting (hereafter the AGM) of the members and/or at a meeting of the Management of the Association.
ARTICLE 3 LANGUAGE
All the activities and documentation of the Association will be conducted or written in English. English will be used as the business language of SACOMM. Members are free to use their language of choice but it should be accessible to all.
ARTICLE 4 MEMBERSHIP
The following categories of membership are distinguished:
4.1 Honorary members
Honorary members are elected from time to time by the AGM on the basis of their outstanding contribution, over a period of at least ten years, to the field of Communication Studies. No particular degree, lecturing or research requirements need to be satisfied and they need not have been members of SACOMM. Honorary members are recognised as full individual members with voting rights at the AGM.
Procedures for the election of honorary members
Any individual full member of SACOMM may nominate a person for honorary membership. Motivated proposals are canalised by the Executive Officer of the SACOMM secretariat to the Board, comprising the current President and two members who have been nominated without a countervote. Nominations for honorary membership must be recommended by the Board with an ordinary majority before they may be submitted by the current President to the AGM for approval. Approval is granted when at least a two-third majority of the individual full members present at the meeting vote in favour of the nomination (for honorary membership), either by ballot or postal vote.
4.2 Fellows
The Board shall have the authority to bestow lifelong fellowship on members of the Association in recognition of at least ten years’ excellent service rendered to the Association or Communication Studies.
The procedure for election are similar to those for honorary members.
4.3 Full members
Individuals will qualify as full members if they work actively in any field of Communication Studies as lecturers or researchers at acknowledged tertiary education institutions or research institutions, as well as practitioners with an applicable, at least three-year, post- matric qualification.
4.4 Affiliate membership
Affiliate members must have worked as communication practitioners for a period of at least two years, but have not yet attained an applicable three-year post-matric qualification.
Affiliate members do not have voting rights at the Annual General Meeting.
4.5 Student members
Student members are all registered students studying in Communication Studies or a part-discipline thereof and who do not qualify for the other two categories of membership.
Student members do not have a vote at the AGM.
4.6 Forfeited membership
A member (excluding honorary members and fellows) forfeits membership by default if his/her membership fees are in arrear for a year or longer. For these purposes a year is a period from one AGM to the next.
ARTICLE 5 FINANCES
5.1 Membership fees
5.1.1 Membership fees, as determined by the Management Committee and approved by the AGM, are paid annually together with the conference registration fee. New members wanting to join pay the membership fee upon joining, any time during the year.
5.1.2 Honorary members; and fellows do not pay membership fees.
5.1.3 An entrance fee (as determined annually by the AGM) is payable on admittance of a member to all membership categories (excluding honorary members and fellows).
5.2 Control over finances
The Management Committee decides on the application of funds with due notice to and the condonation of the AGM. Two persons will have signing rights to the cheque account of SACOMM at ABSA. Both persons must sign cheques as payment for products and/or services provided to SACOMM. The finances of SACOMM will be audited annually and the financial year end will be 31 October, to follow directly after the annual conference and the year-end to co-inside with the university financial year end.
ARTICLE 6 CONTROL
The activities of the Association are controlled by:
6.1 The AGM of its members
6.2 The Management as elected by the AGM.
ARTICLE 7 THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
7.1 Constitution:
An AGM will be held preferably annually, but at least once every second year, at a time and place as decided on by the previous AGM, or the Management.
7.2 Quorum:
Thirty precent (30%) of the number of full members form a quorum.
7.3 Voting:
All honorary members, fellows and full members of the Association have a vote at the AGM.
7.4 The President of the Association is the Chairman of the AGM.
7.5 The AGM may decide to appoint an Executive Officer (EO) annually on a part-time temporary basis, at an honorarium as decided on by the Management.
7.6 The Executive Officer of the Association is secretary of the AGM.
7.7 The Management is elected by the AGM.
7.8 Congress:
A congress is held annually, or at least biennially. The AGM decides where and when the subsequent congress will be held, on the basis of proposals submitted by SACOMM members at the AGM.
ARTICLE 8 NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Written notice of the AGM must be given to all members with voting rights at least six weeks in advance.
ARTICLE 9 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
An extraordinary General Meeting may be called for by:
9.1 The Management
9.2 The Management, on receipt of a written application to this end, made by at least ten per cent (10%) of the full number of individual members (honorary members and fellows excluded).
9.3 Such an extraordinary meeting will discuss only the matter(s) it has been called for.
9.4 Written notice of an extraordinary meeting must be given to all members at least one month (30 days) in advance of the meeting.
ARTICLE 10 THE MANAGEMENT
10.1 Nominations for the Management
Nominations for members of the Management must reach the EO in writing or by fax at least three weeks before the AGM.
10.2 Election
The AGM elects the following members of the Management from the full members by closed voting or as arranged by the President of the AGM concerned:
10.2.1 A President, elected for a term of two years.
10.2.2 A Vice President, elected for two years, who will succeed the President, if he/she is available.
10.2.3 Executive Co-ordinator
10.2.4 Membership Officer
10.2.5 Conference Convener
10.2.6 One additional member
10.2.7 The Management has the right to co-opt additional members, if the need should arise.
10.2.8 The Executive is composed of at least the President, the Vice-President, and one other member of the Management.
10.3 Meetings of the Management
10.3.1 A meeting of the Management may be called at the request of at least two members of the Management.
10.3.2 Three members of the Management form a quorum.
10.3.3 Notice of a meeting of the Management must be given to all members at least one week in advance.
ARTICLE 11 JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS
The President and the Secretary act in their official capacities on behalf of the Association in judicial proceedings.
ARTICLE 12 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Amendments to this Constitution require a two-third majority of the members with voting rights present at the AGM. Members with voting rights must be informed of such proposed amendments before the time.
ARTICLE 13 RULES AND REGULATIONS
The Management may make rules and regulations deemed necessary for the orderly day to day functioning of the Association.
ARTICLE 14 ASSETS
The Management may purchase or hire essential moving assets on behalf of the Association, on the understanding that, in the opinion of the Management, sufficient funds are available. These assets (such as computers, printers, fax machines, stationary, etc) remain the property of the Association and, should the Association dissolve, the assets must be handed over physically to the final Management, which may then dispose of them at a public auction. The funds thus generated must be applied for the purposes of the Association, as determined in Article 2.
ARTICLE 15 DISSOLUTION
Dissolution of the Association takes place if at least two thirds of the members with voting rights present at an AGM, or an extraordinary meeting, pass a resolution to that effect by closed voting. Should the Association dissolve, the last elected Management Committee will be responsible for tying up the affairs of the Association. Any remaining funds must be applied for the purposes of the Association, as determined in Article 2.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
COMMUNICATION STUDIES
The academic discipline offered as Communication Studies, Communications, or Media and Cultural Studies at Southern African universities and technikons, that is, the study of social or human communication.
PART OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Aspects such as journalism, advertising, information and counselling communication, as well as other related part-disciplines.
Constitution signed.
Prof M Iqani
27 September 2023
Dr N Sisanda
27 September 2023
Prof TE Bosch
27 September 2023