WRBB Constiution

Note: This is the current constitution as of 2021.

Preamble

The purpose of this constitution is to set forth guidelines for the governance of WRBB 104.9FM. All interpretations of this constitution shall be determined by the Executive Board, through the power invested in the Executive Board by the membership, subject to the rules and regulations of Northeastern University.

Article I - Name

Section 1

The name of this organization shall be WRBB 104.9FM, and hereafter referred to as either ‘WRBB’ or ‘the Station’. The leadership of this organization will be guided by the Executive Board, and hereafter referred to as ‘the Board’.

Article II - Purpose

Section 1

The purpose of WRBB shall be to provide Northeastern University, the surrounding community, and beyond with quality, diverse, and independent radio programming, to provide the students of Northeastern University with an opportunity to participate in the operation of a radio station, and to organize and facilitate events which might provide the student body and local community with concerts, shows, fundraisers, and other opportunities. 

Article III - Membership

Section 1

WRBB does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, religion, religious creed, genetics, sex, age, ancestry, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation.

Section 2

Members of WRBB include the following: On-Air Personnel, Broadcast Personnel, Administrative Personnel, Media Personnel, and Executive Board.

Membership will be open to all full-time undergraduate students.
On-Air Personnel are all On-Air Personalities who are granted a show on the programming schedule during the given semester.
Broadcast Personnel are all members of the Podcast Team, Sports Team, and other Personnel who create recorded or live content for WRBB.
Media Personnel are all contributors, editors, and content creators on the Media Team.
Administrative Personnel are staff members who work for a WRBB department reporting to an officer of the Board, and work-study employees.
Executive Board are the officers who serve on the Board and are the voting members of WRBB.

Section 3

Staff members are Station personnel who hold specific roles at the station and vote as a collective block in General Manager Elections.

All Staff members will be appointed at the beginning of each term by the current General Manager and officer of the Board to whom they will report, followed by approval by a simple majority of the Board.

Internal Events Coordinator (Reporting to the Events Director)
Curation Manager (Reporting to the Music Director & Marketing Director)
Internal Communications Manager (Reporting to the Marketing Director)
Social Media Manager (Reporting to the Marketing Director)
Music Assistant (Reporting to the Music Director)
Webmaster (Reporting to the Technical Director)

All Staff members must adhere to the points outlined in Article IV.
Staff positions will be reviewed every semester, and can be added or removed by a simple majority vote of members of the current Board.

Section 4

Graduate students, part-time undergraduate students, College of Professional Studies students, and non-Northeastern affiliates may become associate members. Associate members are not eligible to hold any Executive Board position but may hold a position on On-Air Personnel, Broadcast Personnel, Administrative Personnel, or Media Personnel, etc.

Section 5

WRBB will maintain a membership of at least twelve members at all times.

Section 6

The Board is responsible to represent the membership and tasked with addressing the issues, concerns, and comments brought forward by the membership.

If the membership feels that they are not being properly represented by their officers, they may submit a written notice to their respective officer and the General Manager.

Article IV - Officers

Section 1

All officers of the Board will be responsible for knowing and understanding the information in the Student Organization Handbook, the Code of Student Conduct, the Guide to Residence Hall Living, and all other published university policies.

Section 2

All officers of the Board must be full-time undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

Section 3

The officers of the Board and their roles shall be:

General Manager

Leads the Board and all staff, represents the Station to all communities

Program Director

Leads and represents On-Air Personnel, manages all On-Air broadcasts

Music Director

Leads and represents Media Personnel, manages all written music and media content

Podcast Director

Leads and represents all Podcast Team broadcast personnel, manages all podcast-related content

Sports Director

Leads and represents Sports Team broadcast personnel, manages all sports related content

Marketing Director

Leads Marketing staff, manages all marketing and promotional strategy and projects

Events Director

Manages concerts and other WRBB-sponsored events for the Northeastern and greater Boston community

Technical Director

Leads Technology Team staff, manages all technical aspects of the Station

Finance Director

Manages finances and fundraising, attends Student Activities Business Office meetings

Operations Director

Manages the Work-Study team and Station Librarian, responsible for administrative duties and tasks

Each officer of the Board will be required to update the “Positions Descriptions” document by June 1st, and otherwise ensure the incoming officer of the Board is prepared for the undertaking of their duties.

Section 4

Any officer can fulfill the role of serving, or designating a representative, on the respective Student Organization Leadership Council.

Article V - Advisor

Section 1

The advisor to the club must be a full-time faculty or staff member at Northeastern. The advisor will be an ex-officio, non-voting member on all committees of the organization.

Section 2

The advisor will be responsible for financial oversight by signing all financial forms for the Student Activities Business Office

Section 3

The advisor shall meet with officers as needed.

Article VI - Election of Officers

Section 1

The term of office shall be one year, from the beginning of Summer I to the end of the Spring semester of the following year.

Section 2

Officers of the Board are to serve at least one term, and are prohibited from applying for a position if they are aware that they will not be able to serve the full term.

Section 3

Officers of the Board are limited to serving two consecutive terms in any one position.

Section 4

Officers of the Board can request an interim position to the General Manager if they wish to temporarily vacate the position for a maximum period of six months.

The General Manager will appoint the interim officer after consulting the current Board member.
If the officer wishes to vacate the position for longer than the maximum six month period, the position will be fully vacant, and will be filled by the General Manager.
This interim period will not reset the consecutive term limit since the position is not fully vacant, but will be deducted from the Board officer’s consecutive term count. 
Interim officers of the Board will carry the full duties and powers of the Board officer’s position including voting rights.
The temporary period will not count toward the interim officer’s term limit if they are selected to the same position after the interim service.
The Current Board member that the Interim officer replaces will not maintain the full duties and powers of the Board's official position including voting rights while they have vacated the position.

Section 5

The General Manager shall appoint auxiliary members to the Board on an ad hoc basis.

The General Manager will appoint the auxiliary officer after the advice and consent of the current Board.
Auxiliary Board members must adhere to the points outlined in Section IV.
The tenure of the auxiliary Board member will be decided on a semester to semester basis.
Auxiliary officers of the Board will carry the full duties as assigned to them by the General Manager but will not have the powers of the other members of the Board, including voting rights.
Auxiliary officers will cast their vote along with the rest of the Staff in the General Manager Election as a part of the block vote.

Section 6

Officers eligible to serve another term in the same position are required to submit a written or verbal notice of intent to the General Manager one full month before the end of the term.

Section 7

The General Manager may appoint auxiliary members to the Board on an ad hoc basis.

The General Manager will appoint the auxiliary officer after consulting the current Board.
Auxiliary Board members must adhere to the points outlined in Section IV.

Section 8

Vacancies on the Board, excluding the General Manager, are to be filled by appointment by the currently seated Board member and the current, or if the current General Manager is an outgoing General Manager, by the incoming General Manager, after application from viable candidates.

Thereafter, all Executive Board appointments will be confirmed by a vote of simple majority from the currently seated Board.

Section 9

Officers of the Board wishing to resign before the end of a full term shall submit a written notice to the General Manager, and a new member shall be appointed to the position.

The newly appointed officer’s term count will start at the beginning of the new term.

Section 10

The General Manager shall have the authority to remove an officer of the Board for failing to carry out the duties and responsibilities of their position.

Section 11

When the General Manager’s term has been reached, or if the General Manager wishes to resign, the position shall be filled by a vote by the officers of the Board and the Staff.

Candidates for General Manager must submit their candidacy to the current, outgoing General Manager within two weeks after the formal written or oral notice to the Board that they will be stepping down.
The vote must take place at the second to last Board meeting for the term, and shall be administered by the outgoing General Manager.
Candidates for General Manager, if they are current officers, shall be included in the vote.
Interim officers of the Board will have a vote. The individual returning to reclaim the interim officer’s position for the following semester will not have a vote.
Board positions with more than one individual (Co-Directors) may cast one vote total. If the individuals cannot agree on what to cast their vote, there will be an abstention.
The Staff will have one block vote that is of equal weight as one Board vote. On the day of the election, the outgoing GM will administer a process to determine the outcome of the Staff’s block vote.
Board members may nominate themselves.
Staff candidates may also nominate themselves. The Board will then vote on if the Staff member can continue their candidacy. Simple majority wins. If there is a tie, the outgoing General Manager will cast the final vote.

The Staff member must have served at least 2 total semesters as a member of Staff
There will be no limit on the number of Staff nominees.

If there are two candidates, both will be given 5 minutes to discuss why they would make the best GM in front of the Staff and Board, followed by 5 minutes for questions. The Board and Staff will vote. Simple majority wins.
If there are three or more candidates, the Board will do ranked choice voting until there are two candidates. Then, both candidates will be given 5 minutes to discuss why they would make the best GM in front of the Staff and Board, followed by 5 minutes for questions. The Board and Staff will vote. Simple majority wins. If there is a tie, the outgoing GM will cast the final vote.

Section 12

A voting member is defined as one who has attended at least 50% of meetings and functions during the current Board’s term.

Section 13

If the General Manager fails to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position, the Board may choose to remove the General Manager by a simple majority vote.

The Board must issue a notice to the General Manager and hold a vote within one week after the notice without the presence of the General Manager.
The vote shall be administered by the advisor of the Station.
If the vote results in a tie, the Board shall hold an emergency vote the following day and continue to vote until a majority is reached.
If the General Manager is removed, the Program Director shall assume the position and duties as the Acting General Manager, and candidates must submit their candidacy to the Acting General Manager.
The vote shall be held one month after the removal and shall follow the protocol listed in Article VI, Section 8 administered by the advisor of the Station.

Section 14

If the General Manager is removed without notice, the line of succession shall be the Program Director, Music Director, Operations Director, Marketing Director, Podcast Director, Technical Director, Events Director, Finance Director, Sports Director.

Election of a new General Manager shall follow the protocol listed in Article VI, Section 8 administered by the advisor of the Station.

Article VII - Parliamentary Authority

Section 1

Robert’s Rules of Order will be the guide for all organizational procedures not specifically defined in the constitution or by-laws

Section 2

Quorum will be over 50% of total current membership.

Article VIII - Amendments

Section 1

The by-laws and constitution may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of present members.

Section 2

Notice of the amendment must be presented in writing at least one meeting prior to the vote.

Section 3

After a constitutional amendment is approved by the organization, the amendments must be presented to the Student Government Association’s designated approval body.