![[SEAMSA]](https://seamsassociation.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/cropped-fb-profile-picture-seamsa-png.png)
ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION
Section 1. Name
The official name of the organization is the Southeast Asian Media Studies Association, hereafter SEAMSA.
Section 2. Description
SEAMSA 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. SEAMSA is the main organizer of the Southeast Asian Media Studies Conference (SEAMSC) and the publisher of the Southeast Asian Media Studies Journal (SEAMSJ).
Section 3. Headquarters
SEAMSA is a virtual organization until official registration in a Southeast Asian country.
ARTICLE II. VISION & MISSION
Section 1. Vision
SEAMSA seeks to be a leading organization for research advancement and knowledge production in the disciplinary area of Media and Communication Studies applied to Southeast Asian social, political, and cultural contexts.
Section 2. Mission
SEAMSA’s mission is to contribute to and enhance the growth, development, and popularization of Media and Communication Studies in Southeast Asia by organizing and supporting public conferences, trainings, seminars, workshops, and journal publications.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership Information
SEAMSA membership is open to all academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners who are interested in the study of the various forms of media and communication in the Southeast Asian region. SEAMSA accepts individual members as well as organizational members. Membership runs from 1 January to 31 December of every year.
Section 2. Membership Application and Renewal
Prospective members shall submit a completed membership application form provided by SEAMSA. The 4-month membership renewal period for current members runs from 1 December to 31 March. Members shall pay the annual membership fee during a period stipulated by the Executive Council.
Section 3. Membership Dues
The annual membership dues are used to fund the administrative needs and projects of SEAMSA.
Section 4. Members’ Duties and Responsibilities
All SEAMSA Members are expected to participate:
- In the elections of the members of the Executive Council;
- In the Annual General Meeting (AGM);
- In Standing Committees and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of their choice;
- As members of the staff/secretariat and moderators in the conferences, fora, seminars, trainings, and/or other projects of the organization.
Section 5. Members’ Rights and Privileges
All members of SEAMSA have the following rights and privileges:
- Voting rights during Executive Council elections;
- Eligibility for nomination and election to the Executive Council and/or appointment as heads or members of the standing and other committees of SEAMSA;
- Access to newsletters, events, and financial reports;
- Discounted registration rates for upcoming conferences, seminars, trainings, and other activities sponsored by the organization;
- 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;
Due process entails:
- 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;
- Formulation by the Executive Council of an Ad Hoc Ethics Committee composed of five members of the membership committee;
- Notification of member-defendant;
- 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;
- Ad Hoc Ethics Committee hearing, meeting, and revocation vote;
- Notification of affected members in writing regarding the decision of the Ad Hoc committee;
- Removal of name from membership records.
ARTICLE IV. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Section 1. Members of Executive Council
The Executive Council is the policy-making body of SEAMSA. The executive council is composed of the Executive Director, Secretary General, Finance Director, Membership Director, External Relations Director, Publicity 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 whose duties include (1) planning, organizing, leading, and presiding over the meetings of the Executive Council and general members, (2) representing the organization to the public, governments, and other organizations, (3) supervising the operations of SEAMSA, (4) supporting events of SEAMSA, and (5) breaking the tie during voting by the Executive Council. Other duties can be assigned to the Executive Director upon approval of the Executive Council.
Secretary General
The Secretary General is tasked to (1) assist the Executive Director, (2) record and disseminate the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Council and the general members, and (3) document, quality-check, and update the processes and best-practice procedures of the whole organization. Other duties can be assigned to the Secretary General upon approval by the Executive Council.
Finance Director
The Finance Director (1) oversees the receipt, allocation, and disbursement of the moneys of the SEAMSA received from annual membership dues, sponsorships, and other legitimate sources, as approved by the Executive Council, (2) is responsible for keeping and managing the official accounts of SEAMSA, (3) may initiate and organize fund-raising activities upon approval by the Executive Council (4) 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 (1) the receipt, processing, and management of new member registration and current member renewal, (2) updating membership records, and (3) engaging with current as well as prospective regarding all membership concerns. Other duties can be assigned to the Membership Director upon approval by the Executive Council.
External Relations Director
The External Relations Director (1) oversees the production of advertisements, press releases, and other external communication materials for SEAMSA, (2) explores, secures, and processes partnerships with other organizations, (3) is assigned to head the External Relations Committee. Other duties can be assigned to the External Relations Director upon approval by the Executive Council.
Publicity Director
The Publicity Director (1) oversees the production of calls, advertisements, press releases, and other publicity materials for SEAMSA and (2) is in charge of all postings on SEAMSA’s website and social media accounts. Other duties can be assigned to the Publicity Director upon approval by the Executive Council.
Events Director
The Events Director (1) is in charge of the organization of webinars, seminars, trainings, and all other SEAMSA events, (2) is a regular member of the conference organization committee and assists the conference director, and (3) is assigned to head the Events and Trainings Committee. Other duties can be assigned to the Events Director upon approval by the Executive Council.
Section 3. Terms of Office
The term of office of any member of the Executive Council shall commence on the day after the scheduled elections and shall last for three consecutive years. A member of the Executive Council may stand for re-election for up to three consecutive terms.
Section 4. Nominations and Elections
The elections for the members of the Executive Council of SEAMSA shall be done in September in a year of elections. The procedure for the nomination and elections are as follows:
- On 1 July in a year of elections, the members of the Executive Council shall put up a special committee on elections, which shall be composed of at least five (5) members. They shall be SEAMSA members in good standing and must not be current members of the Executive Council.
- The members of the aforesaid committee shall convene (personal or online) to plan the guidelines, schedules, and procedures of the nomination and election.
- Upon approval of the Executive Council, the Election Committee shall carry out the nomination and election processes.
- 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.
- The election of all the members of the Executive Council shall be conducted online on 15 August. Ballots shall be due on 31 August.
- The winners of the elections shall be announced not later than 15 September.
Section 5. Compensation
Members of the Executive Council shall receive NO monetary compensation for their service. They are entitled to a full waiver of their membership dues.
Section 6. Executive Council Meetings
The meetings of the members of the Executive Council can be conducted through physical or online means. The Executive Director shall be tasked to organize the meetings of the members of the Executive Council. The purposes of each meeting include but are not limited to (1) determining annual targets and activities, (2) planning and organizing annual activities, and (3) budgeting of funding.
Section 7. Removal or Resignation from Office
Any SEAMSA member in good standing 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:
- Failure to effectively carry out the duties of office;
- Graft and corruption;
- Conviction in any criminal offense;
- Violation of research and/or managerial ethics.
Any member of the Executive Council who wishes to resign from office shall furnish a letter of resignation to all other Executive Council members. 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.
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, (5) Publicity Committee, and (6) Events 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 funds and bank accounts 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). 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.
Publicity Committee
The Publicity Committee shall be headed by the Publicity Director. The committee shall oversee the production of SEAMSA’s publicity materials and manage all posting on SEAMSA’s website and social media accounts.
Events and Trainings Committee
The Events and Trainings Committee shall be headed by the Events Director. The committee shall oversee the planning and organization of the annual international conference and other events by SEAMSA, such as webinars and workshops.
The six directors report directly to the Executive Director.
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. Refer to Article IV, Section 4.
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. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs)
Section 1. Purpose
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) serve to further the research and discussion in specific areas of Southeast Asian Media Studies. SEAMSA hosts a flexible number of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), whereby each SIG is headed by one or two experts for the duration of at least two and not more than four years. SEAMSA members may be active in up to three SIGs.
Section 2. Duties
The Heads of SIGs in cooperation with the Events Director regularly organize events for SEAMSA members and the public. The Heads of SIGs in cooperation with the Conference Director also organize panels for the annual international conference.
The Heads of SIGs report directly to the Events Director and the Executive Director.
ARTICLE VIII. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
Section 1. Organization and Purpose
An annual general meeting of all members of SEAMSA shall be organized by the Executive Council during the academic conference or, alternatively, during the first half of a year without a conference. The location of the meeting shall be determined by the Executive Council. 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 AGM agenda. Special meetings could be convened by the Executive Council for emergency purposes. The minutes of the meeting shall be recorded and written by the Secretary General and shall be distributed to all members through e-mail at least two weeks after the meeting was held.
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
Section 1. Process
The constitution and bylaws of SEAMSA may only be amended after a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the organization. Amendments to the constitution and bylaws of SEAMSA can be proposed by any member of the organization to the Executive Council at any time. The Council shall discuss the proposal within themselves before the AGM. If approved by two-thirds of all the members of the Executive Council, it shall be sent by the Secretary General to all members of SEAMSA for approval. During the AGM, the members shall vote for the approval or rejection of the proposed amendments.
ARTICLE X. DISSOLUTION
Section 1. Rules for Dissolution
The dissolution of SEAMSA may be proposed by any member of the Executive Council at any time. 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, within one month the proposal will be subjected to the approval of two-thirds of all the members of SEAMSA.
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 taken in relation to the usage of the remaining funds of the organization, (3) maintaining the archive of SEAMSA, and (4) processing all necessary documents.
[SEAMSA] 