Bylaws

Bylaws

The Constitution of Korean American Communication Association
As of March, 2023 (Created August, 1979, Amended May, 1999, May 2006, June 2011, & March 2023)

1.0 Name 

The name of the association shall be Korean American Communication Association (KACA, hereafter referred to as KACA where convenient).

2.0 Purpose

KACA is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or the corresponding section of any future United States Internal Revenue law. The purpose of KACA is:

2.1 To encourage and facilitate exchange of professional knowledge in various fields of communication.

2.2 To encourage and facilitate cooperation among members in exchanging professional information and conducting research in communication, especially focusing on subjects related to Korea, Korean-Americans, and Korean diaspora.

2.3 To facilitate academic exchange of Korean scholars or professionals in North America and around the world.

2.4 To facilitate professional cooperation with other associations of Korean scholars or professionals in North America and around the world. 

2.5 To facilitate social exchange among the members.

3.0 Activities of the Association

The activities of the association may include:

3.1 An annual academic conference or seminar.

3.2 Publishing an academic journal and/or newsletter.

3.3 Cooperation and seminar with other related associations of Korean scholars or professionals in North America or other countries.

3.4 Cooperation for communication research related to Korea, Korea-U.S. relations, Korean-Americans or Korean diaspora.

3.5 Academic conference or seminar in cooperation with related academic associations or institutions in Korea or other countries.

3.6 Professional activities appropriate to the objectives of the association.

4.0 Membership and Membership Dues

There are two types of membership, their qualifications and dues are:

4.1 Regular Member Any Korean or Korean-American college professor, researcher or professional in various fields of communication or related fields in North America is eligible to be a regular member. In addition, professors and researchers, or professional outside the North America who support the mission of the KACA may become a regular member.

4.2 Student Member Any college or graduate school student in various fields of communication or related fields studying in North America is eligible to be a student member. In addition, students outside the North America who support the mission of the KACA may become a student member.

4.3 All members shall pay annual membership dues. The amount of the dues is decided annually by the executive committee. The membership dues shall be used for the expense of the association’s activities.

4.4 The annual membership dues cover the calendar year from January 1 to December 31 and is not prorated.

4.5 All members in good standing have voting rights in the association. The voting right for a year shall not be given to those who fail to pay membership dues for the year.

5.0 Officers of the Association

5.1 The officers of KACA shall consist of the following, and will be elected by all voting members: President, Vice president for the International Communication Association (ICA), Vice president for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Vice president for the National Communication Association (NCA), Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, Webmaster, and Student Representatives.

5.2 Term The term for all officers is two years.

5.3 The president is the official representative of the association. He/she is the ex officio member of the executive committee (see Article 6.1), and is in charge of executing activities of the association and conducting new elections for the officers.

5.4 The vice presidents assist the president and shall take turns to serve as acting president in case of the president’s absence. Each vice president is in charge of planning and implementing KACA activities at ICA, AEJMC and NCA, respectively.

5.5 The secretary is instrumental to the functions of the president and the vice presidents. His/her major duties include general administrative roles including coordination of publishing web-based newsletter, publicizing the association’s activities and events. He/she shall be the acting vice president in case of the vice president’s absence.

5.6 The treasurer is instrumental to the financial functions of the association. His/her major duties include general financial management, accounting works, collecting membership dues, and searching for grants and other external financial resources.

5.7 The newsletter editor-in-chief is responsible for creating and distributing newsletter designed to promote the association to its members and general public. The frequency of the newsletter publication will be determined by the president.

5.8 The webmaster is responsible for creating and managing various web-based communication resources for the association’s website.

5.9 The social media director is responsible for creating and managing content for the association’s social media platforms to inform the members and external public.

5.10 Student representatives function as links between the association and student members. He/she accommodates student members’ opinions, needs and concerns. He/she also assists the secretary. The number of student representatives will be determined by the president.

6.0 Executive Committee

6.1 An executive committee consisting of the following committee members shall manage the affairs of the Association: President, Vice president for the International Communication Association (ICA), Vice president for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Vice president for the National Communication Association (NCA), Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor-in-Chief, Webmaster, Social Media Director, and Student Representatives.

6.2 All committee members must be regular members of KACA in good standing.

6.3 The term for all committee members is two years. In the event of a vacancy in any position, the replacement is elected or appointed according to rules and procedures set by the committee. The term of the replacement is the remaining term of the replaced person.

6.4 The president sits as the chairperson of the executive committee. The chairperson summons the committee meeting at least twice a year, of which one may be held during the annual convention of NCA, AEJMC or ICA. Other meetings may be summoned if the chairperson or two or members of the executive committee call the meeting. In case of geographic or time difficulty, the meetings can be substituted for by teleconference or email correspondence. The majority rule shall be applied to decisions in the executive committee. The chairperson holds the casting vote in the meetings.

7.0 Election Procedures

7.1 All officials shall be elected by all members through an electronic ballot (email or other means approved by the Executive Committee) in June in the election year.

7.2 Election Committee. In consultation with the Executive Committee, the president shall form an Election Committee to oversee the election process.

7.3 The number of Election Committee members should be no less than three. The president may choose to appoint one of the officers to serve as an ex-officio member of the Election Committee.

7.4 The Election Committee will solicit nominations for the officer positions at least two months prior to the election date. Nominations may be made by any member (s) of the association.

7.5 The Election Committee will conduct election by announcing nominees for each officer positions, and requesting votes from members.

7.6 Every voting member shall have one vote.

7.7 The candidate, in each category of officer, receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. In case of a tie vote, the president shall have the deciding power.

7.8 If and when no one was nominated for an officer position, the President shall appoint an officer in consultation with the Executive Committee.

7.9 The announcement of the results shall be made to the members by August 15th of the same year.

7.10 The term of all officers is two years beginning September 1st of the year in which they are elected.

8.0 Divisions and Special Committees

8.1 Through the adoption of a resolution by the executive committee, divisions may be created or dissolved as needed. At such time divisions are established, the executive committee shall specify the number of divisions, purpose and responsibility of each division.

8.2 Special Committees. Special Committees may be appointed by the executive committee for specific tasks when the need has been determined. At such time a committee is established, the executive committee shall specify the purpose and responsibility of the special committee, the number of individuals to serve as members, and the specific type of expertise required. The president shall appoint the chair of any special committee who shall then appoint the committee members after conferring with the president.

9.0 Revision of the Articles of the Association

The articles of KACA may be amended or revised by a two-thirds majority vote of the all ballots cast.

9.1 The petition for the amendment or revision of the article(s) can be made to the president either by a decision of the executive committee or by five or more members of the association. The petition must be accompanied by a statement explicating the rationales of the amendment or revision of the article(s).

9.2 The president shall conduct a mail or e-mail ballot or direct ballot at a meeting during the annual meeting of ICA, NCA or AEJMC. The ballot will be forwarded with the statement of the petition to each member. The results of the ballots shall be announced in the association’s web site or through e-mails.

10.0 Dissolution

Upon the winding up and dissolution of KACA, after paying or adequately providing for its debts and obligations, the remaining assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

11.0 Effective Date

This constitution shall be effective immediately upon the approval of the members. The undersigned certifies that the foregoing constitution has been adopted as the amended constitution of KACA. The constitution shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the members of KACA at a special meeting held by electronic mail.

12. 0 PUBLICATION

12.1: Journal Overview

The Korean American Communication Association (KACA) will sponsor the publication of the refereed journal, “Korean Journal of Communication” (KJC). The scope of KJC encompasses communication and media research regarding Korea and its related issues across different continents. All communication research topics about Korea (South and North) will be considered for review.

 12.2: Structure

12.2.1: Editor and Editorial Staff

 The editor of KJC is appointed by the Executive Committee of KACA (President, three Vice Presidents-AEJMC, ICA, and NCA, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Webmaster, Social Media Director, and Student Representative(s)). An ad hoc selection committee will evaluate all nominations, including self-nominations, and make recommendations to the Executive Committee of KACA. The ad hoc selection committee (except for the inaugural ad hoc selection committee) comprises the current EIC, President, and up to three current member(s) of KACA appointed by the Executive Committee. An exception is that the inaugural ad hoc selection committee shall not include an editor.

The EIC shall be appointed for a three-year term and shall exercise his/her final authority on editorial content. The editor shall serve no more than two terms and the second term shall only be served consecutively.

The editor shall implement important tasks for the success of the journal, including forming the editorial board, promoting the journal, and publishing journal articles. The editor shall serve as a business manager of KJC publication and direct all business and fiscal matters of the journal operation. The Executive Committee of KACA supervises KJC’s overall management. The editor shall appoint an associate editor(s) and one editorial assistant. The EIC must remain a member of KACA through the term of service. The incoming editor will take over the editorial responsibilities of the journal from the date of appointment.

If the editor is not able or willing to serve his or her complete term, the selection committee, after consultation with the President, will propose and make an interim appointment to complete the unfinished term. Unanimous agreement of the selection committee is required to submit a recommendation for the removal of the EIC to the President only in the direst of circumstances, such as repeated non-publication of journal issues, clear violations of peer review procedures, misappropriate use of funds, or violations of academic integrity. A two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee is required to remove the EIC. Past EICs shall serve as KJC’s advisory board except for the case of early removal, or unless he/she refuses to do so.

12.2.2: Editorial Board

 The editorial board comprises individuals with expertise in the communication and media field. The EIC, in discussion with associate editor(s), shall appoint editorial board members. Editorial board members’ terms shall be reviewed and renewed every three years by the editorial committee.

The editorial board advises and assists the EIC with the journal’s review and publication process. The board’s roles may include:

  1. Identify topics for special issues.
  2. Advise the future direction of the journal with feedback on past issues.
  3. Suggest potential reviewers, board members, and contributors.
  4. Provide editorial contributions through articles and reviews.
  5. Recommend peer reviewers for submitted manuscripts.
  6. Assist the editor with conference meetings and journal agenda.
  7. Promote the journal to higher education institutions, conferences, and potential scholars.

12. 3: Editorial Meeting

Once per year, KJC shall present an annual report at the KACA business meeting during the annual conference of either AEJMC, ICA, or NCA. The report shall include publication data and financial information. KACA supports EIC’s travel for reporting to the KACA business meeting for no more than $2,500. EIC shall request reimbursement within a month after the editorial meeting is over each year. Or, KACA shall offer $2,000 of stipend to EIC. The EIC is responsible for determining how the tax law applies to his/her particular circumstances regarding the stipend.

12.4: Journal Management

Each year, KACA shall allot a portion of KACA membership dues to KJC to support its publication. The fund shall be used for the management and promotion of KJC.

12.5: Journal Issues

KJC shall publish two to four issues per year. In addition, at least one issue per year may be published to address specific topics, in which case, a co-guest editor may be appointed to help plan a special issue in agreement with the Editorial Committee. The Editorial Committee comprises the editor and associate editor(s).

 Dated: March 8, 2021
Original Signed KACA President Hye-ryeon Lee March 24, 2009

Dated: Original Signed KACA Secretary Seok Kang

Revised and approved by the KACA officers March, 2021

Revised and approved by the KACA officers March 2023

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