Constitution of the Cyberculture Working Group


Article I. Name and Purpose
  1. The name of this organization is the Cyberculture Working Group (hereinafter, CWG).
  2. Its purposes are to foster the study of cyberculture in all its aspects, to provide a forum for communication and mutual interest among its members and among its members and the general public, to promote scholarship and activism, and to lead the University of Maryland community in this field. These ends are to be achieved by the organization of events and projects, and by recognition of outstanding contributions to the study of cyberculture.
  3. CWG is a not-for-profit educational organization based at the University of Maryland.

Article II. Membership
  1. The Members of CWG shall consist of:

      a. Voting Members
      b. Associate Members

  2. Voting Members must be affiliated with the University of Maryland.
  3. Associate membership is open to any person interested in the study of Cyberculture irrespective of affiliation. Associate Membership in CWG shall be signaled by subscription to the CWG listserv.
  4. Only members in attendance at face-to-face meetings may vote unless they make prior arrangements to vote by proxy.
  5. Only voting members may hold office or serve on CWG's Steering Committee.

Article III. Officers
  1. The Officers of CWG shall be a two co-chairs, the Editor of CWG's Web page, and the chairs of various CWG sub-committees such as but not limited to, the Cyberculture Reading Group and the Cyberculture Internship Group.

      a. The co-chairs shall preside at all meetings of CWG's Steering Committee. They will formulate and/or facilitate such policies and programs that, if approved by the Steering Committee, will carry out the chartered purposes and obligations of CWG. CWG's co-chairs shall not be undergraduates or faculty members.

      b. The Editor of CWG's Web page shall be responsible for taking minutes during CWG's meetings and suggesting editorial policies regarding the Web page to the Steering Committee. He/she shall be responsible for implementing policies set by the Steering Committee and updating CWG's Web site in a timely fashion. She/he shall work with the Steering Committee to ensure that the page meets the needs of CWG's membership. The Editor shall report to the Steering Committee at its regular meetings. The Editor of CWG's Web page shall not be an undergraduate or a faculty member.

      c. Various sub-committees of CWG will be formed as deemed appropriate and timely. The chairs of these committees shall serve on the Steering Committee and shall help formulate policies and programs that, if approved by the Steering Committee, will carry out the chartered purposed and obligations of CWG

  2. Members of the Steering Committee shall serve without compensation. . They may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in service to CWG when such services and reimbursement are approved in advance by the Steering Committee.

Article IV. Steering Committee
  1. The Steering Committee shall consist of the officers and a maximum of six additional elected members representing the various interests of the group. All members except the co-chairs shall serve one-year terms. Elected members may succeed themselves.
  2. The members of the Steering Committee, shall be elected by the members of CWG in attendance at an annual meeting in April of each year. Terms will run from June 1st through May 31st of each year. Announcement of the date and time of the annual meeting as well as all nominations shall be e-mailed to the membership at least two weeks before this annual meeting.

      a. One co-chair shall be elected each year to serve a two year term.

  3. The times and places of all meetings of CWG and the Steering Committee will be determined by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will meet on, at minimum, a semester basis, the April election meeting, and at such other times as the Steering Committee shall determine. A quorum shall be 2/3 of the current membership of the Steering Committee.

Article V. Sub-Committees
  1. Sub-Committees shall be formed at the pleasure of the membership with the approval of the Steering Committee. At the time of formation a chair person shall be selected at the pleasure of the membership with the approval of the Steering Committee to lead the sub-committee and serve on CWG's Steering Committee. Thereafter, chairs shall be elected as described above.
  2. Sub-Committees shall disband at the pleasure of the membership.

Article VI. General Operating Fund
  1. The Steering Committee shall solicit funds for and manage a General Operating Fund for CWG. These funds shall be solicited from appropriate sources such as grant giving bodies.
  2. The solicitation and expenditure of these funds must be approved by a vote of the Steering Committee.

Article VII. Various
  1. The Steering Committee shall adopt by a two-thirds vote, bylaws consistent with the provisions of this constitution, upon any matter of concern to CWG.
  2. The Steering Committee shall adopt such regulations and rules as may be necessary to give full force and effect to the constitution and bylaws and to determine their procedures.
  3. The Steering Committee shall, as appropriate, appoint delegates to the meeting of various professional organizations whose goals and purposes coincide or supplement our own.
  4. CWG's officers are empowered to speak for CWG on public issues where these directly affect our work as scholars of cyberculture and/or cyber-activism.
  5. Amendments to this document may be proposed by members of the Steering Committee. Such proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to all Steering Committee members at least thirty days prior to any meeting of the Steering Committee. At this meeting, the amendments shall be submitted to a vote, a favorable vote of two-thirds being required for approval.
  6. The current members of the cwg@umail.umd.edu mail-reflector, shall, upon adoption of this constitution, have the power to decide upon the details of the transition from the existing organization to the one embodied in this document.

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