W&M Comparative Humanities Undergraduate Journal
of
The College of William & Mary
Constitution
ARTICLE I: NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION
This organization will be known as the W&M Comparative Humanities Undergraduate Journal.
ARTICLE II: MISSION
The purpose of this organization is to produce a publication that will provide an outlet for
undergraduate students in the Humanities to have their work published. The W&M Comparative
Humanities Undergraduate Journal is a student-run academic journal for undergraduate work at
W&M in the Humanities. The papers presented will be in conversation with one or more of the
following interdisciplinary academic fields: cultural studies, critical theory, comparative
literature, gender studies, media studies, film studies, sociology, and English literature. Works
that could be critically examined by authors include literature, film, television, video games,
photography, and other cultural texts.
The general and non-cumulative goals of this organization are:
Section 1. To provide an outlet for undergraduate work in the Humanities to be published and
recognized.
Section 2. To increase the visibility of the Humanities as a course of study on the W&M campus.
Section 3. To bring the study of digital media into conversation with the study of traditional
cultural texts, such as literature, film, or photography.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Membership in this organization will be open to all interested members of the William and Mary
community.
Section 1. A voting member is a member whom engages with the organization on a regular basis,
and has assisted in some capacity in the production of a given semester’s issue.
Examples of opportunities for involvement include participating in the review process
and assisting in marketing and advertising for the publication, online and on-campus.
Section 2. Members of the executive board will be the only members to possess voting privileges
regarding submissions, except for the Production Editor and Assistant Production
Editor, who will not possess voting privileges regarding submissions.
Section 3. In the event that a member of the executive board fails to perform his or her duties,
any officer may make a motion of impeachment. This motion may be made at an
executive meeting. At the following meeting, the officer in question does have the
chance to address the executive board. A vote will be taken; a majority vote passes the
impeachment.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
Section 1. Officer election is described in Article V of this Constitution.
Section 2. Any vacant position can be filled during the semester by a special election held by the
executive board with at least (7) days notice.
Section 3. Newly elected officers will assume their position after the meeting in which they were
elected.
Section 4. The responsibilities of vacant members are absorbed by the next higher ranked officer.
Section 5. The following subsections list of the officers of the CHUJ in rank-order and a noncumulative list of their responsibilities.
Subsection a: Editor-in-Chief (EIC)
i.
Serve as the official representative of CHUJ.
ii.
Oversee the entire organization.
iii.
Produce a publication calendar and instill appropriate deadlines.
iv.
Handle all monetary elements.
v.
Compose a letter from the editor.
vi.
Handle all tasks needed to actually publish each issue.
vii.
Provide one of four votes regarding whether an approved submission will be
included in an issue.
Subsection b: Managing Editor
i.
Oversee the distribution of submissions to reviewers.
ii.
Help reviewers with anything needed.
iii.
Provide one of four votes regarding whether an approved submission will be
included in an issue.
iv.
Subsection c: Production Editor
i.
Compose the actual layout and design of each issue in an online publishing
application, according to specifications of the printer being used.
ii.
Will not review submissions or participate in the review process.
Subsection d: Assistant Production Editor
i.
Assists Production Editor.
ii.
Will not review submissions or participate in the review process.
Subsection e: Submissions Editor
i.
Receives all submissions, removes all identifying markers (names, etc.), and
sends them to Managing Editor.
ii.
Sends a weekly email to CHUJ’s listserv with announcements, etc.
iii.
Provide one of four votes regarding whether an approved submission will be
included in an issue.
Subsection f. Copy Editor
i.
Copy edit all approved submissions, and correspond with the submission’s author
about grammatical changes to the submission.
ii.
Provide one of four votes regarding whether an approved submission will be
included in an issue.
ARTICLE V: ELECTION PROCEDURE
Election procedure is very informal and held at each of the officer’s discretion with notice to the
EIC. Members interested in applying for an officer’s position must approach a current officer,
who then decides the procedure. The current officer knows more than any other individual who
would be best for his or her position.
Note on election procedure: After the first successful publication of CHUJ (during Spring 2013,
probably April 2013), the Executive board will re-assess the election process according to how
many voting members there are, how many people have expressed interest in which positions,
the current wishes of the executive board, and what new roles will need to be
created/acknowledged. Prospective members, please realize that if you join this organization,
there will be definite room for your efforts on the publication to be acknowledged via promotion.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section 1. The executive board should meet once a week at a time and location chosen by the
EIC. The cancelation, rescheduling, or appropriation of meetings is also deemed by
the EIC with written notification at least twelve (12) hours to the scheduled meeting.
Section 2. Large group meetings are less formal and attendance is not required for contribution to
the organization.
ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the constitution of this organization are only acknowledged during the first
meeting (pre-production meeting) and last meeting (post-production meeting) of each semester
and require a majority plus one vote from the entire organization before execution. Only
members with voting privileges can propose amendments through written requests that are
submitted to the executive board. Members of the executive board also reserve the right to write
and propose amendments. All amendment requests must be submitted prior to the first and last
meeting.