Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.

Organization Policies

The Concordian

Preamble:

Written communication is both a fragile and a powerful phenomenon that depends upon the human judgment for its ultimate value. This means that newspaper reporting be fair, accurate and responsible and reasonable human judgment for its ultimate value. This means that newspaper reporting be fair, accurate and unbiased; that it uphold the rights of the minority or unpopular opinions as well as opinions held by the favored or majority; that it protect the coverage of truth in all sides of a controversy; that it clearly separate news coverage from editorial comment; and that it readily admit and correct errors of human judgment.

Statement of Purpose:

The Concordian is a not-for-profit, student-staffed newspaper produced for the Concordia College community and funded through advertising revenue and an annual subscription fee paid by the students through student fees. The Concordian provides information about news, features, athletics, and opinion on local, national and world events, emphasizing campus news and other issues closely affecting the campus community. The Concordian abides by the canons of responsible journalism, such as avoiding libel, plagiarism, indecency, undocumented allegations, attacks on personal integrity, and the techniques of harassment and innuendo. The newspaper also respects the mission and policies of Concordia College expressed in official college documents.

Legal Status of The Concordian:

The newspaper at Concordia College will be known as The Concordian.
Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, is legally entered as the owner of The Concordian.
The publisher of The Concordian is the president of Concordia College.
The Board of Publication is designated by the publisher.
The Concordian is a not-for-profit publication.

Administrative Responsibility and Organization:
Publisher

The publisher is responsible for overseeing the publication of The Concordian.
The publisher, or the publisher's designee, has the sole right to approve changes or amendments to this policy statement.
The publisher is the official representative of the college in legal actions regarding The Concordian.

Board of Publication

The Board of Publication receives complaints or suggestions regarding The Concordian and/or its staff. Whenever possible complaints and suggestions should be forwarded first to be processed by the editor and/or staff.
The Board of Publication advises the publisher on any matter concerning The Concordian.
The Board of Publication, or its representative, maintains an open line of communication with the publisher, adviser, design consultant, financial consultant, and students associated with The Concordian. In so doing, a cooperative effort will be made to maintain and improve the quality and financial standing of The Concordian .
The Board of Publication is responsible for recruiting, interviewing, and selecting the editor, business manager and advertising manager.
The Board of Publication interprets and enforces this policy and suggests changes when necessary.
The Board of Publication makes a recommendation to the Publisher on the naming of the Adviser.

Adviser

The adviser is appointed by the Publisher.
The adviser serves as a resource to actively provide suggestions and/or criticism concerning elements of The Concordian.
The adviser is someone sympathetic with the aims of Concordia College and sensitive to the concerns of the Concordia community. The adviser is someone knowledgeable about the literary and technical aspects of The Concordian.
The adviser is responsible for reviewing The Concordian with the staff on a regular basis. The adviser is to provide advice on matters which relate to concerns, ethics, literary appeal, quality, technical problems, the canons of responsible journalism, policy interpretation and management and organization of the staff.
e. The adviser maintains open communication with the Board of Publication and The Concordian staff. The adviser works with the editor, the business manager and the advertising manager to resolve conflicts.
The adviser maintains open communication with the Board of Publication, based on the following criteria:
      - The Concordian does not contain any legally or ethically questionable materials.
      - The subject matter reflects the interests and standards of the Concordia community.
      - The Concordian is worthy of a college publication.
      - The adviser is responsible for directing and ensuring that The Concordian staff seeks advice from the financial and design consultants when needed and   appropriate. The adviser will report any mishandling of design or financial matters to the Board of Publication.
      - The adviser is not a member of the Board of Publication.

Design Consultant

The design consultant is appointed by the publisher upon recommendation by the adviser.
The design consultant serves as a resource to provide suggestions and/or criticism concerning the design-related elements of The Concordian.
The design consultant may be called upon to report any design problems to the adviser and/or the Board of Publication.

Financial Consultant

The financial consultant is appointed by the publisher upon recommendation by the adviser.
The financial consultant serves as a resource to provide suggestions and/or criticism concerning the financial aspects of The Concordian.
The financial adviser may be called upon by the Board of Publication to report on the financial condition of The Concordian.

Student Responsibility and Organization:
Editor, Business Manager and Advertising Manager selection requirements as prescribed by the Board of Publication:

The positions are to be held by full-time students who have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and continue to earn a GPA of 2.5 or better for the term of office.
The positions are appointed by the publisher upon recommendation of the Board of Publication.
The students holding these positions may not be members of the Board of Publication.

Procedures for removing the Editor, Business Manager and Advertising Manager from office, as prescribed by the Board of Publication:

The students holding these positions are subject to removal from office for stated and proper reasons, and then only by orderly and prescribed procedures established by the Board of Publication.
A complaint may be brought to the publisher, the Board of Publication, or the adviser.
The Board of Publication has authority to recommend to the publisher removal from office. The publisher makes the final decision to dismiss.
Should the need arise, an interim appointment may be made by the publisher upon the recommendation of the Board of Publication.

Responsibilities of the Editor:

The editor is responsible for all aspects of The Concordian production, editorial policy, and the supervision of the Concordian staff, excluding the advertising and business departments. Except for the business and advertising staff, the editor selects and trains all other staff members, who must be full-time Concordia students.
The editor should not only be aware of general newspaper operation, but should also be sensitive to the financial, business and advertising aspects of the newspaper.
The editor is responsible for making sure The Concordian does not contain any legally or ethically questionable materials, the subject matter reflects the interests and standards of the Concordia community, and the layout and format are worthy of a college publication.
The editor works closely with the business manager to insure the financial accountability of the newspaper.
The editor keeps the Board of Publication and the adviser informed about the status of The Concordian.
The editor is responsible for presenting an updated procedure manual to the Board of Publication for ratification by the close of the position's term of appointment.

Responsibilities of the Business Manager:

The business manager has responsibility for the business operation of The Concordian.
The business manager will keep the editor, the Board of Publication and the adviser informed about the financial state of The Concordian.
The business manager should become knowledgeable about general newspaper operation.
The business manager should work closely with the editor to insure the financial accountability of the newspaper's operations.

Responsibilities of the Advertising Manager:

The advertising manager has responsibility for the advertising and sales operations of The Concordian.
The advertising manager will keep the editor, Board of Publication and the adviser informed about the advertising and sales status of The Concordian.
The advertising manger should become knowledgeable about general newspaper operation.
The advertising manager should work closely with the business manager to insure the financial accountability of the newspaper's operations.
The advertising manager is responsible for insuring that advertising placed in The Concordian does not violate or contradict the college promotions policy.

Policy Guidelines:

In every issue, the editorial page is to include the disclaimer "Opinions expressed in The Concordian are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty, staff or administration."
Stories and photographs relating to news, features and sports must be clearly distinguished from those relating to editorial comment, opinions and reviews.
Letters to the editor are printed at the discretion of the editor. Letters to the editor are not to be edited except for obvious factual errors, space considerations, clarity and libel. Letters in poor taste will not be printed. Unsigned letters will be printed only upon consultation with the adviser or a member of the Board of Publication.
Prior to publication and distribution, the publisher, Board of Publication, and the adviser are not to censor the contents of The Concordian except for libelous material.
All editorial copy, letters and advertising relating to personnel matters of the college must receive the consent of the publisher prior to publication.
Names of students, faculty, staff and/or administrators of the college accused or suspected
of a violation of college policy or civil or criminal offense will not be printed without the permission of the publisher.
The publication schedule for The Concordian must be approved by the Board of Publication by the end of the academic year for the following year.

Financial Guidelines:

The Concordian is financed through advertising revenue and student fees. The allocation of student fees will be determined by the college when it sets student fees.
The business manager will submit a preliminary budget for the following year by October
1st to the Board of Publication. This budget, when approved, will be given to the Tuition and Fees Committee for the setting of the fees.
Once the fee has been set and the total amount allocated to The Concordian has been determined and approved, it will be up to the editor and business manager to author a preliminary budget to determine how the money will be used. This must be completed and brought before the Board of Publication before the close of the academic year.
Updated budgets will be provided by the business manager to the Board of Publication in September and January.
Stipends will be set in the year the precedes the current year.
Advertising rates must be approved in advance by the Board of Publication.

Advertising Guidelines:

The Concordian cannot accept ads that violate civil law, stated policies of the college, or are conflicting with the stated goals and policies of Concordia College.
The Concordian reserves the right to refuse any advertising that may prove harmful to the reputation of the newspaper or the college.
The Concordian is responsible for the truthfulness of advertising copy and the reliability of the advertiser.
The Concordian accepts only monetary payment from advertisers. Any exceptions must be approved by the Board of Publication.
Political advertisements for the Fargo-Moorhead community, regional or national races can be printed only if the advertisement is prepaid and a proper disclaimer is included.
The Concordian advertising must follow Concordia College's Promotions Policy.
The Concordian may not accept advertising for any establishment serving alcohol that is mandated by law to require proof of age to enter.
The Concordian reserves the right to refuse ads from businesses that make doubtful claims, such as unrealistic earnings or financial aid potential, or employers that have taken serious advantage of student employees.
Questionable advertisements should be directed to the adviser or to the Board of Publication.

Disciplinary/Dismissal Procedures:

A staff member may be disciplined or dismissed for good and proper reasons including, but not limited to:

Inability to perform job requirements.
Uncooperative behavior and/or insubordination.
Abuse of Concordian property or equipment.
Careless work or negligence.
Habitual absences and/or tardiness.
Reporting to work under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Violation of Concordian or College Policy.

Disciplinary actions may include:

Oral reprimands.
Written reprimands.
Probation from The Concordian staff.
Suspension for appropriate amount of time from The Concordian staff.
Dismissal from The Concordian staff.

Dismissal of a staff member will follow after these steps have been taken:

Adequate cause should be determined by the editor and the business manager.
Verbal or written statement citing reasons why termination is being considered.
One week will be given to allow the employee time for correction.
Letter of warning giving staff member one additional week for correction. The written warning will be signed and dated by the editor, the business manager, and the adviser. Notice in writing must state that termination will follow in two weeks.
If a staff member wants to appeal dismissal an appeal can be sought through the Board of Publication.

Resignation Considerations:

Any employee who no longer meets the minimum requirements of the position will resign immediately without pay.
In the case of a planned resignation, all employees are required to submit a written resignation at least two weeks in advance.

Organization Policies

The Concordian

Sustainability at Concordia

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