Constitution & By-Laws

Article I.
Nature of the Organization

Section 1. Name

The official name of the organization is the Southeast Asian Media Studies Association, hereafter SEAMSA.

Section 2. Description

The organization is an international, non-profit, non-government community of academics, researchers, and media practitioners, who are actively involved in and committed to the study and research of the mass media of Southeast Asian nations and peoples.

Section 3. Headquarters

The headquarters of SEAMSA is in the Philippines.

 Article II.
Vision and Mission

Section 1. Vision

SEAMSA seeks to be the leading organization for the study and research of the mass media of the Southeast Asian nations and peoples.

Section 2. Mission

The mission of SEAMSA is to contribute to the promotion, growth, development, and popularization of the study and research of Southeast Asian mass media.

Article III.
Membership

Section 1. Membership Information

SEAMSA membership is open to academics, scholars, writers, and practitioners from around the world who are interested in the study of the various forms of mass media in the Southeast Asian region. Individual membership is the only type accommodated by the organization. Institutional memberships are not accepted as of this time.

Section 2. Membership Application and Renewal

Prospective members of SEAMSA shall submit a completed application form to be provided by the organization and a curriculum vitae. Memberships can begin at any month of the year and shall be renewed every January. Members who wish to renew their membership shall pay their membership dues to the Treasurer in or before January of each year.

Section 3. Membership Dues

The cost of annual membership to be paid by each member shall be based on their monthly salary. The amount shall be as follows:

Membership fees (2021)

The annual membership fee will be used to fund the administrative needs and projects of SEAMSA, including but not limited to conferences, trainings, workshops, journal publication, and website management and maintenance. Membership fees shall be remitted to the official bank account and/or Paypal authorized by the organization.

Section 4. Duties and Responsibilities of Members

All SEAMSA Members are expected to:

  1. Pay the annual membership fee;
  2. Participate in the elections of the members of the Executive Council;
  3. Participate in any committee of their choosing;
  4. Participate in the annual general meeting;
  5. Participate as members of the staff/secretariat and moderators in the conferences, fora, seminars, trainings, and/or other projects of the organization.

Section 5. Rights and Privileges of Members

All members of SEAMSA have the following rights and privileges:

  1. Voting rights during Executive Council elections;
  2. Eligibility for nomination and election to the Executive Council and/or appointment as heads or members of the standing and other committees of SEAMSA;
  3. Access to newsletters, events, and financial reports;
  4. Discounted registration rates for upcoming conferences, seminars, trainings, and other activities sponsored by the organization;
  5. Eligibility for appointment as editorial board members, issue editors, and peer reviewers for the Southeast Asian Media Studies.

Section 6. Revocation of Membership

Membership in SEAMSA may be revoked at any time for just cause and after due process. Just cause for revocation of membership includes behaviors/actions inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the organization including but not limited to:

  • Fraud committed in connection with the application for membership;
  • Commission of grave misconduct against the organization or any of its members;
  • Repeated violations of the rules, regulation, principles, and purposes of the organization;
  • Inactivity

The due process involves the following process:

  1. Submission of a written request and sources of evidence to revoke membership that can be initiated by a member or officer of SEAMSA to the Executive Council;
  2. Formulation by the Executive Council of an Ad Hoc Ethics Committee composed of five members of the membership committee;
  3. Notification of member-defendant;
  4. Provision of a reasonable opportunity for the affected member to respond, in person or in writing, to show cause why membership should not be revoked;
  5. Ad Hoc Ethics Committee hearing, meeting, and revocation vote;
  6. Notification of affected members in writing regarding the decision of the Ad Hoc committee;
  7. Removal of name from membership records

Article IV.
The Executive Council

Section 1. The Members of the Executive Council

The Executive Council is the policy-making body of SEAMSA. The executive council is composed of the SEAMSA Executive Director, Secretary, Finance Director, Membership Director, External Relations Director, and Events Director.

Section 2. Duties of Executive Council Members

Executive Director

The Executive Director shall serve as the chief executive officer of the organization. His/her duties include (1) planning, organizing, leading, and presiding over the meetings of the Executive Council and/or general members, (2) representing the organization to the public, governments, and other organizations, (3) breaking the tie during voting by the Executive Council, (4) supervising the operations and events of SEAMSA. Other duties can be assigned to the Executive Director upon approval of the Executive Council.

Secretary

The Secretary General is tasked to (1) record and disseminate the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Council and/or the general members, (2) preserve and update the membership records and/or directory of the organization, and (3) assist the Executive Director in the performance of his/her duties. Other duties can be assigned to the Secretary General upon approval by the Executive Council.

Finance Director

The Finance Director oversees the receipt, allocation, and disbursement of the money of the SEAMSA to be received from annual membership dues, sponsorships, and other legitimate sources, as approved by the Executive Council. He/she is responsible for keeping and managing the official bank account and the PayPal account of SEAMSA. He/she may initiate and organize fund-raising activities upon approval by the Executive Council. He/she/they shall serve as the head of the Finance Committee. Other duties can be assigned to the Finance Director upon approval by the Executive Council.

Membership Director

The Membership Director is in charge of the receipt, processing, and management of membership registration, renewal, and other concerns. He/she is also assigned to serve as the head of the Membership Committee. Other duties can be assigned to the Membership Director upon approval by the Executive Council.

External Relations Director

The External Relations Director oversees heading the production of advertisements, press releases, and other external communication materials for the SEAMSA. He/she is also assigned to manage the website, social media accounts, and official e-mail address of the organization. He/she is also assigned to head the External Relations Committee. Other duties can be assigned to the External Relations Director upon approval by the Executive Council.

Events Director

The Events Director is in charge of heading the organization of conferences, trainings, seminars, and other events of SEAMSA. He/she is assigned to head the Conferences and Trainings Committee. Other duties can be assigned to the Events Director upon approval by the Executive Council.

Section 3. Terms of Office

The terms of office of all members of the Executive Council shall be for three years and shall commence in January after the scheduled elections. All members of the Executive Council may stand for re-election for up to three consecutive terms.

Section 4. Nominations and Elections

The annual elections for the members of the Executive Council of SEAMSA shall be done every November to December of each year. The procedure for the nomination and elections are as follows:

  1. On November 1 of each year, the members of the Executive Council shall put up a special committee on elections, which shall be composed of three (3) members. They shall not be current members of the Executive Council.
  2. The members of the aforesaid committee shall convene (personal or online) to plan the guidelines, schedules, and procedures of the nomination and election.
  3. Upon approval of the Executive Council, the Election Committee shall carry out the nomination and election processes.
  4. The Election Committee shall invite nominations from all members of SEAMSA. The method of nomination shall be determined by the committee. After the nomination period, the committee shall present a complete list of nominees to all members.
  5. The election of all the members of the Executive Council shall be conducted by Google Form ballot to be sent to all members not later than November 25 of each year. Ballots shall be due on December 10 of each year.
  6. The winners of the elections shall be announced not later than December 15 of each year.

Section 5. Compensation

Members of the Executive Council shall receive NO monetary compensation for their service. They are entitled to a 50% discount in the payment of their membership fees as an incentive for their services.

Section 6. Executive Council Meetings

The Executive Director shall be tasked to organize the meetings of the members of the Executive Council. The purposes of the meeting include but are not limited to (1) determining annual targets and activities, (2) planning and organizing annual activities, and (3) budgeting of funds. Due to financial and other constraints, the meetings of the members of the Executive Council can be conducted through physical or online means.

Section 7. Removal or Resignation from Office

Any member can lodge a formal request for the removal of any member of the Executive Council. A member of the Executive Council may be removed from office due to any of the following reasons:

  1. Failure to effectively carry out the duties of office;
  2. Graft and corruption;
  3. Conviction in any criminal offense;
  4. Violation of research and/or managerial ethics.

Also, any member of the Executive Council who wishes to resign from office shall furnish a letter of resignation. It shall take effect fifteen (15) days after receipt of the letter. A special Executive Council meeting shall be organized to replace the member who resigned from his/her post.

Article V.
Standing Committees

Section 1. SEAMSA Committees

The Standing Committees of SEAMSA are the (1) Membership Committee, (2) External Relations Committee, (3) Finance Committee, (4) Research and Publications Committee, and (5) Conferences and Trainings Committee.

Section 2. Specific Functions and Duties

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee shall be headed by the Membership Director of SEAMSA. The committee shall be in charge of the receipt, processing, and notification of new membership applications. They shall also be tasked to administer the renewal of memberships.

External Relations Committee

The External Relations Committee shall be headed by the External Relations Director of SEAMSA. The committee shall be in charge of planning, organizing, and implementing strategies for public and external relations, including but not limited to the promotion of the organization and its endeavors to institutions, governments, other organizations, and the public. This committee, in partnership with the Finance Committee, can source out additional funding for the administration, main projects, and other activities of the organization.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee shall be headed by the Finance Director of SEAMSA. They shall be tasked to assist the Finance Director in managing the money of SEAMSA.

Research and Publications Committee

The Research and Publications Committee shall be headed by the editor-in-chief of the Southeast Asian Media Studies Journal (SEAMSJ), who shall report directly to the Executive Director of SEAMSA. The members of the committee shall oversee the planning and implementation of activities related to the publication of the journal. Each member shall be assigned as members of the editorial team (e.g. Assistant Editor, Editorial Assistant, Copy Editor, Section Editor, Layout Artist, Peer Reviewer etc.) depending on their expertise or skills.

Conferences and Trainings Committee

The Conferences and Trainings Committee shall be headed by the Events Director. The committee shall oversee planning and organizing the annual international conference and other events by SEAMSA.

Article VI.
Special Committees

Section 1. Nature of Special Committees

The heads of each special committee shall not be members of the Executive Council. The terms of office of the members of each special committee depend on the duration of the activity for which they were created.

Section 2. Regular Special Committees

Committee on Election

The members of the Election Committee shall be assigned by the members of the Executive Council. They are tasked to plan, organize, and conduct the elections. The winners shall be announced by the head of the committee to all SEAMSA members once the results are available.

Ethics Committee

The members of the Ethics Committee shall be assigned by the members of the Executive Council. They are tasked to process membership revocation and other ethics-related complaints.

Section 3. Creation of Other Special Committees

The creation of other special committees can be initiated and organized by any member of the Executive Council upon approval of a two-thirds majority of the council members.

Article VII.
Annual General Meetings

An annual general meeting of all members of SEAMSA shall be organized by the Executive Council during the first quarter of each year or during the final day of the SEAMSA’s annual academic conference. The location of the meeting shall be determined by the Executive Council. Due to financial and other constraints, the council can choose to hold the meeting through a conference call at a time when more than half of the members are able to participate. The Executive Council shall determine the agenda for each meeting. Special general meetings could be convened by the Executive Council for emergency purposes. The minutes of the meeting shall be recorded and written by the Secretary and shall be distributed to all members through e-mail at least two weeks after the meeting was held.

Article VIII.
Amendment to the Constitution
and By-Laws

The constitution and by-laws of SEAMSA may only be amended after a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the organization. Amendment/s to the constitution and by-laws of SEAMSA can be proposed by any member of the organization to the Executive Council anytime within a year. The council shall then discuss the proposal within themselves before the annual general meeting of the organization. If approved by two-thirds of all the members of the Executive Council, it shall be sent by the Secretary to all members of SEAMSA for approval. During the annual general meeting, the members shall vote for the approval or rejection of the proposed amendment/s to the SEAMSA’s constitution and by-laws.

Article IX.
Dissolution

Section 1. Rules for Dissolution

The dissolution of SEAMSA may be proposed by any member of the Executive Council at any time of a year. The members of the Executive Council shall review the proposal based on its merit and weight of its justifications. If deemed acceptable by two-thirds of the members of the Executive Council, the proposal will be subjected to the approval of two-thirds of all the members of SEAMSA through a vote by e-mail.

Section 2. Dissolution Activities

Upon approval of the dissolution of SEAMSA, all members of the Executive Council shall carry out all necessary tasks in relation to the closure of the organization. These include but are not limited to (1) notifying all members of the dissolution of SEAMSA, (2) determining the action to be done in relation to the usage of the remaining funds of the organization, (3) maintaining the archive of SEAMSA, and (4) processing all necessary documents.