ARTICLE I
Name
The name of this organization will be the Tennessee College Public Relations Association or TCPRA.
ARTICLE II
Purpose
Section I. The purpose of this organization is to promote the cause of higher education through the development of the professional practice of public relations, communications, or marketing and related functions in all facets of higher education in Tennessee.
Section II. The organization will provide:
– Programs of continuing education and professional development for its members.
– Assistance to members in creating an increased understanding of the value of public relations and marketing in their institutions.
– A forum for the mutual exchange of ideas, materials, and technologies.
– A voice for higher education in the state and region.
ARTICLE III
Meetings
Section I. Time of Meetings: An annual business meeting of the members of the Association shall take place during the spring of each year.
Section II. Place of Meetings: The annual meeting of members of the Association shall be held at a location to be determined by the Executive Committee of the Association.
Section III. Notice of Meetings: Advance notice of the time and place of meetings shall be given by written notice of the Secretary and sent to all members of the Association.
Section IV. Quorum: For the purpose of conducting business, all voting members present shall constitute a quorum.
Section V. Voting: Voting shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order. Each member institution shall have one vote. The voting representative shall be designated by the institution.
ARTICLE IV
Membership
Section I. Membership in the Association shall be open to any Tennessee college, university, or two-year colleges/schools, including community colleges and technical colleges. Any individual employed on a member institution’s public relations, marketing, communications, or public information staff or related area, or public information or public relations personnel of state governmental educational agencies, is eligible to affiliate with the Association.
Section II. Associate membership in the Association may be held by any interested student of a Tennessee college, university, or two-year colleges/schools, including community colleges and technical colleges, who is in public relations, journalism, broadcasting, marketing, communications, advertising, or by any professional employee of a Tennessee university, college, or two-year college. Associate members shall have no power of voting in the Association.
Section III. Affiliate membership may be held by individuals and organizations supportive of the Association.
Section IV. No representative, other than the President, or the President’s designee, may speak of behalf of the Association.
ARTICLE V
Executive Committee (was Board of Directors)
Section I. General Powers: The Executive Committee, composed of all officers, may exercise all the powers granted by this Association and may delegate such powers to members of the Association as it sees fit. Officers shall be members of the Association.
Section II. Approval of Executive Committee: The Executive Committee officers shall be nominated and approved at the annual meeting of the members of the Association by an affirmative vote of the majority of the membership of the Association in attendance.
Section III. Time of Meeting: There shall be a meeting of the Executive Committee held during the annual meeting of the Association and at such times as the President may call.
Section IV. Quorum: A majority shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee.
Section V. Vacancies: . Vacancies: Vacancies on the Executive Committee shall be filled by appointment by the President of the Association or majority vote of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VI
Committees
Section I. The President shall appoint standing committees.
Section II. The Communications Committee shall plan and implement a communications program for members via the organization’s website and other communication venues and will be chaired by the Secretary of the organization.
Section III. The Conference Planning and Activities Committee shall plan, implement, and coordinate conferences, seminars, and other special activities approved by the Executive Committee.
Section IV. The Professional Recognition and Awards Committee shall manage award entries, obtain judges for the awards, and order awards for the conference. Complete awards information is located at TCPRA.org/awards/
Section V. The president shall appoint Committees as need dictates.
ARTICLE VII
Officers
Section I. General: There shall be seven (7) officers of the Association: a President, a Vice President for Professional Development, a Vice President for Awards & Recognition, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Sponsorship Coordinator, and a Conference Planning Coordinator. An officer shall be a representative of the member institutions.
Section II. Term of Office: Each officer will serve at minimum a two-year term. Officers may serve no more than two consecutive terms in the same position unless otherwise approved by a majority vote of the membership.
All officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the active member institutions of TCPRA during the Annual Business Meeting. A call for nominations shall be issued at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting, and nominations may be submitted by any member in good standing, including self-nominations. All nominees must confirm their willingness to serve prior to appearing on the ballot.
Voting shall be conducted either in person or electronically, as determined by the Executive Committee. In the event that no nominee receives a majority vote, a runoff election will be held between the two candidates with the highest number of votes.
Vacancies occurring mid-term may be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee until the next scheduled election. Any partial term served by an appointed officer shall not count toward their two-term limit.
Section III. Duties of the President: The President of the Association shall be the executive head of the Association and, as such, may delegate such of his/her authority as he/she sees fit to other officers and representatives of the Association. He/she shall be endowed with such discretionary powers as are required for the Association to run in an orderly manner and such other duties as are incident to his/her office.
Section IV. Duties of the Vice President for Awards & Recognition: The Vice President for Awards & Recognition of the Association shall: provide oversight of the annual awards program by managing the entire lifecycle of the TCPRA Communication Awards, from announcing the call for entries to coordinating the judging process and presenting awards at the annual conference and ensuring that the awards program reflects current industry standards and recognizes a diverse range of communication efforts; coordinate the judging process by recruiting and liaising with external judges, such as professionals from advertising, marketing, or public relations fields, to evaluate submissions impartially and provide judges with clear criteria and guidelines to maintain consistency and fairness in the evaluation process; collaborate with the Communications Committee to promote the awards program through various channels, including the TCPRA website, newsletters, and social media and ensuring timely dissemination of information regarding submission deadlines, categories, and entry requirements; Organize the awards ceremony at the annual conference, coordinating logistics such as the venue setup, award materials, and presentation schedules and highlighting award winners through press releases, social media shout-outs, and features on the TCPRA website to amplify their achievements.
Section V. Duties of the Vice President for Professional Development: The Vice President for Professional Development of the Association shall: develop and implement a comprehensive professional development strategy that addresses the needs of TCPRA members by identifying emerging trends and topics relevant to higher education communications and marketing to inform program content; solicit and coordinate guest speakers whose expertise aligns with the conference theme and the professional interests of TCPRA members; develop opportunities for members to gather in regional groups or virtually to meet for short in-person programs or webinars; collaborate with the Conference Planning Coordinator to design a cohesive program that integrates keynote addresses, workshops, and panel discussions to ensure that the content is diverse, inclusive, and caters to varying levels of professional experience; implement mechanisms to gather feedback from conference attendees regarding the quality and relevance of professional development sessions, and collaborate with Executive Committee. Additional duties include creating and distributing educational materials, such as guides, toolkits, and best practice documents, to support ongoing member learning and establishing relationships with external organizations and professionals to expand the pool of potential speakers and resources.
Section VI. Duties of the Secretary: The Secretary shall: maintain official minutes for all Executive Committee meetings, annual business meetings, and special sessions; ensure that official records and bylaws are accurate, current, and accessible to members; track organizational decisions, action items, and voting outcomes; monitor and manage the official TCPRA email account; distribute meeting agendas, notices, and official correspondence in a timely and professional manner; coordinate communications to members about deadlines, events, elections, and initiatives; serve as the chair of the Communications Committee, which manages the TCPRA website; post conference details, award submission forms, job postings, and member spotlights; collaborate with committee chairs to keep content fresh and reflective of current activities and achievements; troubleshoot or coordinate technical updates with web administrators or vendors; maintain consistent messaging across platforms (website, email, social media if applicable); assist with creation and distribution of digital newsletters, member updates, and event recaps; support social media coordination when needed, working with Communications Committee members; coordinate officer election communications and ballots; maintain an up-to-date directory of members and Executive Committee contacts; serve on the Executive Committee and provide input on organizational strategy and events; support the work of other officers (President, VPs, Treasurer, etc.) through document creation and logistical communication.
Section VI. Duties of the Treasurer: The Treasurer shall: collect annual membership dues from participating institutions, ensuring timely payments in accordance with the April 15 deadline; maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records, including income, expenditures, and account balances; present detailed written reports of income and expenditures at each Executive Committee meeting, and provide an annual financial summary at the business meeting; oversee the management of Association funds, ensuring that all financial activities comply with established policies and procedures; assist in preparing the annual operating budget, working closely with the Executive Committee to align financial planning with organizational goals; monitor expenditures to ensure adherence to the approved budget, and advise on financial implications of proposed initiatives; ensure that all financial records meet the conditions set by funders or statutory bodies, and that the Association complies with relevant legislation; work closely with other TCPRA officers and committee chairs to provide financial insights and support for various initiatives, including conferences and awards programs; advise on the development and implementation of financial policies and procedures to enhance the organization’s fiscal responsibilities; and assist in training and transitioning new treasurers to ensure continuity in financial management practices.
Section VII. Duties of the Sponsorship Coordinator: The Sponsorship Coordinator shall: identify and secure sponsors, manage sponsor relationships, coordinate sponsorship deliverables, develop sponsorship packages, and follow up with the sponsors post-event.
Section VII. Duties of the Conference Planning Coordinator: The Conference Planning Coordinator shall: have the responsibilities of event planning and execution, venue and vendor coordination, budget management, communication and promotion, on-site management, and post-event evaluation. He/she will work closely with various committees and members within TCPRA, including the Executive Committee, Communications Committee, and Treasurer. Regular reporting and updates are provided to ensure transparency and alignment with organizational goals.
ARTICLE VIII
Execution of Instruments
Deposition of Association Funds
Section I. Signing of Instruments: All official documents of the Association, such as the bylaws, certificates of membership, and minutes of meetings, shall be signed by the President and Secretary of the Association. All other legal instruments, with the exception of those later listed in this article which may be signed otherwise, shall be signed in like manner.
Section II. Deposits: The officers of the Association shall select depositories for the funds of the Association, and the President and the Treasurer of the Association shall have the power to co-sign checks and drafts for the Association.
Section III. TCPRA Student Scholarship: TCPRA will provide a $500 check to the institution that hosts or is located in the host city of the annual conference. This represents the TCPRA-sponsored student scholarship to be awarded to a communications/PR/marketing student attending the hosting school. Representatives of the hosting organization have full authority in the selection process as well as how the funds can be used by the recipient. The scholarship is to be presented to the student or representative from the hosting school at some time during the annual conference.
ARTICLE IX
Dues
Section I. Annual dues for membership in the Association shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
Section II. Annual dues of all members are due and payable by April 15 of each fiscal year.
Section III. No representative to the Association may participate in the annual meeting, which includes the award competition, without advance payment of institutional dues.
ARTICLE X
Offices
Section I. The offices of the Association shall be located at a place designated by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XI
Amendments
Section I. Amendments: These bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote of the member institutions in attendance at the annual business meeting or such special general meeting that might be called by the President.
Current Executive Committee Members
President – Bobbie Maynard
Vice President for Awards and Recognition – Peggy Reisser
Vice President for Professional Development – Hannah Eden
Treasurer – Carol Tomlinson
Secretary – Russ Porter
Sponsorship Coordinator – Denise Colwell
Conference Planning Coordinator – Irene Sullivan