A Constitution for the TMU newspaper “The Eyeopener”

Passed by the Board of Directors of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc. on January 16, 1989

Passed by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., April 3, 1989

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Jan. 25, 1990

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Jan. 31, 1991

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Feb. 9, 1994

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 26, 1997

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 17, 1999

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 15, 2000

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing, March 30, 2015

ARTICLE 1

Statements of Principles

The EYEOPENER is a student newspaper which is owned and operated by the full-time students of Toronto Metropolitan University
The EYEOPENER is published weekly during the academic school year. The EYEOPENER’s role is to provide information to its readers on matters which affect student life. The accent will be on covering Toronto Metropolitan University events and issues but it must be remembered that student life is not restricted to the campus.
Because the EYEOPENER is owned by Rye-Eye Publishing and is therefore responsible to all full-time students, every effort must be made to ensure that the EYEOPENER’s editorial content appeals to the greatest possible number of Toronto Metropolitan University students.
It is the Eyeopener’s mandate to instruct and train all interested students in the practice of ethical journalism.
All other things being equal, an application for any position at the EYEOPENER by a member of the Toronto Metropolitan University community shall take precedence over an application from someone outside the Toronto Metropolitan University community.

Ethics and Practices
- The EYEOPENER shall ensure that its coverage is accurate, timely and honest. Reports which display a sexual, racial or religious prejudice shall have no place in the pages of the EYEOPENER.
- The EYEOPENER shall not publish any submission which is known to contain information which has been falsified or distorted to promote the aims or concerns of any special interest group, political body, or individual. Nor shall the EYEOPENER’s editorial board allow to be published any report, column, photograph, letter or graphic which it finds to be libelous, offensive or unethical (See also ARTICLE 3—Acceptance of Material Submitted.)
Rye-Eye Publishing Inc.
- The EYEOPENER is published by RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC., a non-profit corporation of which all full-time Toronto Metropolitan University students are members. Funding is derived from student fees and from advertising revenues.
- The board of directors of RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. is ultimately accountable to Toronto Metropolitan University students.

ARTICLE 2

At a meeting of the members of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc. held on January 31, 1991, this Article was moved to the corporation’s Bylaw 2, where it exists as Article 2.5.

ARTICLE 3

Acceptance of Material Submitted–Editorial Content
- There is no guarantee that works submitted will be published in the EYEOPENER.
- The decision whether or not a contribution will be published rests with the appropriate section editor(s) under the supervision of the editor-in-chief.
- The editor may refuse to publish any contribution which is libelous, slanderous, or which contravenes this constitution.
- The editorial board may refuse to publish a submission in accordance with Section 1.2.2

Acceptance of Material Submitted—Advertising
- The EYEOPENER shall strive to maintain a ratio between editorial and advertising copy of 60:40. The maximum advertising content in any issue shall be 50 per cent; the minimum shall be 30 per cent average over the year. Understanding that the editorial content and advertising fluctuate over the school year, the minimum EYEOPENER issue should strive to be no less than 16 pages
- Advertisements are subject to the same regulations as editorial copy (See Article 1.2).
- All advertisements will be accepted for publication until a complaint is registered (See Bylaw 4)
- No advertisement shall be accepted after a deadline agreed to by the editor, production manager, and general manager.
- Personal classified ads are a free service to Toronto Metropolitan University students. A fee shall be charged for all other classified ads.
- Classified advertisements are subject to the same standards as editorial content
- The EYEOPENER reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish any classified editorial content or advertisement. (See Bylaw 4)

Acceptance of Material Submitted—Letters
- In order to be published, all letters submitted must be signed or submitted to the EIC’s e-mail directly. If received by another means, the EIC must contact the writer and confirm they wish the letter to be published. In the case of students, letters should contain the year and program of study; in the case of those affiliated with Toronto Metropolitan University who are not students, their position within the University.
- The name of the author will be withheld if the author so requests and can demonstrate just cause.
- A letter may be rejected by the editorial board provided that good reason can be demonstrated.
- Letters will be published as editorial space allows. Any letter which is held back due to a lack of space will be published in a subsequent issue only if it is timely or deals with an issue of significance to students, or if it constitutes a reply to a previous letter by an interested party.

Editorial Response to Letters
- Responses to letters to the editor may only be published in the following instances:
  - The letter-writer requests information;
  - The letter contains an obvious factual error;
  - To provide information which the letter-writer has missed, this causes the letter to create a misconception.
  - Discretion must be used in publishing an editorial response.
  - Responses should be strictly informational, should be kept as brief as possible and should be labeled ‘Editor’s Note.’

Editorials

1. 1. Editorials published in the EYEOPENER shall generally represent the official opinion of the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, but may, on occasion; represent the opinion on the masthead.
  2. The editorial shall provide a fact-based opinion on topical subjects, both on and off-campus, and shall attempt, whenever possible, to be a voice for the improvement of student life.
  3. While the editor-in-chief is responsible for the writing of editorial, any staff member may write one, in accordance with 3.51, 3.52 and 3.55.
  4. If the editorial is to represent the opinion of the masthead it must be ratified by a simple majority of EYEOPENER editorial board members. If this ratification is not obtained, the editor-in-chief must make the appropriate changes, produce a new editorial or publish the editorial under the author’s byline and label it “OPINION.”
  5. The editorial is bound by the same regulations as all other copy.

ARTICLE 4

EYEOPENER Editorial Board—Composition

The EYEOPENER’s editorial board shall consist of the following elected officials
- The editor-in-chief
- The news editor(s)
- The arts and culture editor(s)
- The sports editor(s)
- The features editor(s)
- The photographic editor(s)
- The business and technology editor
- The fun editor
- The photo and media editor(s)
- The communities editor
- The online editors(s)

EYEOPENER Editorial Board—Mandate and Powers
- The editorial board shall be responsible for all editorial content found in the EYEOPENER.
- The editorial board will meet weekly for a postmortem of the previous week’s issue, to discuss editorial policy, and to determine the content of the upcoming edition. These meetings shall be called by the editor-in-chief.
- This meeting shall take place at least two days before the publication of each issue. Quorum shall be 50 per cent of the editorial board’s members, plus one.
- The editor-in-chief shall chair all meetings of the EYEOPENER editorial board. He/she shall only vote in the case of a tie.

EYEOPENER Editorial Board—Mandate and Powers
- Assistant section editors shall be elected by the editorial board and staff as needed by the appropriate section editor, in consultation with the editor-in-chief.
- Special section editors shall be elected by the editorial board.
- While these editors and assistant editors sit on the editorial board and may attend editorial board meetings, they shall not have voting privileges.

ARTICLE 5
- At a meeting of the members of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc. held on January 25, 1990, this article was moved to the corporation Bylaw 1, where it exists as Article 6.

ARTICLE 6

Chain of Command
- Should the editor-in-chief be unable to complete the term of office, the masthead representative shall assume the position and responsibilities such time as a new editor-in-chief is in place (See Bylaw 1, Section 13.2.7 and Bylaw 2, Section 2.8)

Election of the Editor-in-chief
- The mechanism for the election of the editor-in-chief of the EYEOPENER is detailed in the bylaws for the EYEOPENER (Bylaw 2, Article 2).

ARTICLE 7

Amendments to the Constitution
- Amendments to this constitution shall be proposed at a meeting of the EYEOPENER/RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. board of directors, and will require a two-thirds majority in order to pass. After passing the board of directors, amendments will then be introduced at the annual general members’ meeting of the EYEOPENER/RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC., and require a two-thirds majority to pass.

Bylaws for the Toronto Metropolitan University newspaper The Eyeopener

BYLAW NO. 1

A BYLAW relating generally to the transaction of affairs of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc. (the “corporation”).

Passed by the membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Jan. 15, 1990

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Jan. 31, 1991

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Feb. 6, 1992

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Feb. 9, 1994

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Feb. 16, 1995

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 26, 1997

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 17, 1999

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 15, 2000

ARTICLE 1—HEAD OFFICE
- The head office of the corporation shall be in the City of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, and at such place therein as the board of directors (the “board”) may from time to time determine.

ARTICLE 2—THE SEAL
- The seal of the corporation shall be in such form as prescribed by the board shall be kept at the head office.

ARTICLE 3—JURISDICTION
- In the case of a conflict between this bylaw and any other rules, regulations or established procedures which are implemented by the corporation—except the corporation’s constitution—this bylaw shall take precedence.

ARTICLE 4—MEMBERSHIP
- Definition of Members
  - The membership of the corporation shall consist of every full-time student enrolled in a program at Toronto Metropolitan University (the “university”) which collects a levy on the corporation’s behalf. The members of the corporation are in affects the shareholders of RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC.
- Duration of Membership
  - Individuals become members of the corporation upon registration as a full-time student and cease to be members at such time as they are no longer registered as stuest as outlined in section 4.1.1, or on the first day following the completion of their program.
- Non-student Members of the Corporation
  - The board chair, president, general manager, and such full-time staff as are required for the operation of the corporation shall be considered members of the corporation and shall retain the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as the student membership.

ARTICLE 5—QUORUM AND MEETINGS, GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
- Place and Time of Meetings
  - The annual (or other) meeting(s) of the membership of the corporation shall be held at the head office or any place within the university as the board shall determine and at such date and time as the board shall designate.
- Frequency of Members’ Meetings
  - At least one meeting shall be given at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
- Notice
  - Campus-wide notice of the meeting shall be given at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
- Agenda
  - The agenda for meetings of the general membership shall be set by the secretary of the board of directors.
  - The agenda and any other such relevant material concerning a meeting of the membership shall be made available to the members not less than 48 hours prior to such meetings.
  - At every annual meeting the following shall take place, in addition to any other business that may be transacted:
    - The president’s report
    - The financial reports
    - Accountants shall be appointed for the upcoming year.
- Calling of General Meetings
  - Meetings of members may be called by the board or by a petition of 25 or more of the members.
  - In the case of a members’ meeting being called by petition, the meeting shall deal only with the subject matter of the petition. No other business shall be transacted
- Quorum
  - Quorum for members’ meetings shall be 25.
- Voting Members
  - At all members’ meetings every question shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members in attendance.
  - Each member is entitled to one vote.
  - Every question shall be decided by a show of hands unless a member requests a poll. Upon the show of hands, the chair shall declare whether the resolution has been carried or not carried.
  - If a poll is demanded and not withdrawn, the question shall be decided by a majority of votes given by the members present. The result of such a poll shall be deemed the decision of the corporation.
  - If there is a tie in the voting of the board, the chairperson breaks the tie by voting.
- Errors or Omissions in Notice
  - Any error or omission is giving notice for a meeting of the board shall not invalidate such a meeting.

ARTICLE 6—BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Composition
- The board of directors will consist of the following:
  - Chairperson
  - President/editor
  - Grad caucus representative
  - General manager
  - Masthead representative
  - Staff representative
  - RSU representative
  - Two directors elected from students enrolled in the faculty of communication and design and 2 from the faculty of arts
  - Two directors elected from students enrolled in the faculty of business
  - Two directors elected from students enrolled in the faculty of community services
  - Two directors elected from students enrolled in the faculty of engineering, architecture and science

Chair, Board of Directors
- The chair shall be appointed by the directors at the first board meeting of each financial year.
- The incoming president shall nominate a candidate to be ratified by the directors. A simple majority shall confirm the nominee as chair.
- If the nominee is not accepted by the directors, the president shall nominate a new candidate and the process shall be repeated until the board ratifies a candidate.
President
- One director, the president, shall be elected to the board by the staff of the corporation.
- Should the president be unable to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the position for the duration of the term of office, the vice-president/treasurer shall assume the office until such time and the EYEOPENER editorial board may duly elect a replacement.
Vice-President/Treasurer
- One director shall be appointed by the board to act as vice-president and treasurer.
General Manager
- The general manager of the corporation shall be an ex-officio voting member of the board, and may not act as president of the corporation.

Representative of Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union
- One director shall be appointed by Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) from its board of directors.
- No TMSU representative may act as an officer of the corporation, with the exception of secretary nor will they receive an honorarium.
- No other members of the TMSU board of directors may sit on the board of directors of RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC.

Masthead Representative
- One director shall be elected by and from the editorial board of the Eyeopener newspaper as a representative.
- Neither the general manager nor the editor-in-chief may be a masthead representative.

Election of Masthead Representative
- The masthead representative shall be elected by and from the membership of the editorial board at the first meeting of the new editorial board which has quorum. Quorum shall be 50 per cent of the total editorial board positions (vacancies included) plus one.
- The editor-in-chief will explain the duties and responsibilities of the masthead representative and then receive nominations from the editorial board.
- If the editor-in-chief receives more than one nomination a vote will take place.
- The candidate who receives the majority of votes will become the masthead representative.

Secretary, Board of Directors
- One director shall be appointed by the board to act as a secretary.

Staff Representative
- One director shall be elected by and from the staff of the corporation as a representative.
- The director cannot already sit on the board.

ARTICLE 7(A)—FINANCE COMMITTEE

Composition

1. 1. The finance committee shall consist of the following:
    1. President/editor-in-chief
    2. General manager
    3. Design director
    4. Any two appointed directors of the corporation except for the masthead representative and the RSU representative.
  2. Appointment of the Finance Committee members
    1. Two directors shall be appointed by the board of directors, at its first meeting with quorum, to act as finance committee members.

Chair, Finance Committee

1. 1. The president/editor-in-chief shall occupy the chair of the Finance Committee.
  2. If the president/editor-in-chief cannot occupy the chair, the general manager shall occupy the chair until another president/editor-in-chief is appointed by the board.

Members, Finance Committee

1. 1. The president/editor-in-chief, the general manager, and the design director shall all be voting members of the Finance Committee.

The Two Appointed Board Members
- The two appointed directors shall have one vote each.

ARTICLE 7(B)—DUTIES OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

To be custodians of the corporation’s funds.
- To co-operate with the general manager in preparing the annual budget and to present that budget to the board.
- To present the monthly financial statements to the board.
- To present the annual financial statements to the board.
- To co-operate with the general manager and carry out the financial decisions of the board.

Duties of the members

Chair
- The chair shall ensure that all orders and motions of the finance committee are carried into effect.

General Manager
- The general manager shall report on all financial decisions, recommendations, etc. to the board, unless otherwise directed.

Meetings of the FInance Committee
- The finance committee shall meet at least once every two months for the months of September through April. When Rye-Eye Publishing Inc.’s monthly statements are to be presented to a non-emergency board of directors meeting, the Finance Committee shall meet within the week prior to the said meeting.

ARTICLE 8—OFFICERS AND DUTIES, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers of the Corporation
- The officers of the corporation shall be:
  - Chair
  - President
  - Vice-president/treasurer
  - Secretary
- Other officers deemed necessary by the board may be added by a two-thirds majority vote of the directors.

Eligibility to be an Officer of the Corporation
- Ex-officio directors may not serve as officers of the corporation.
- The treasurer and secretary shall be elected from the membership of the board of directors.
- Should the president be removed from the board or become unable to meet his/her obligations as president, a new president shall be elected from the membership of the board of directors at the earliest possible opportunity.

Duties of the board—General
- The board shall have the authority to establish committees to exercise any function of the board.
- The board shall have the authority at any time to call a general meeting of the members of the full corporation, or a referendum for the transaction of any business.
- The board shall exercise general supervision over all disbursement of the corporation’s monies.
- The board shall consider and approve the annual budget.
- The board shall be responsible for hiring and firing employees.
- The board shall approve or reject the election of all positions in the corporation.
- The board shall be responsible for interpreting and enforcing the constitution and bylaws of the corporation.

Duties of Officers

Chair
- The chair will see that all orders and resolutions of the board are carried into effect.
- The chair shall be nominated by the president and ratified by a simple majority vote of the directors.
- The chair will not have a vote except in the event of a tie, whereby the chair will cast the deciding vote.
- In the absence of the chair, his/her duties may be performed by any other director as the president may, from time to time, appoint for the purpose, subject to the board’s ratification.

President
- The president shall be chief executive officer of the corporation and shall be charged with the general management and supervision of the affairs and operation of the corporation, except in accordance with section 2.3.3 of Bylaw 3.
- The president is responsible for the publication of the EYEOPENER according to its its constitution.
- The president, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the board and at his/her discretion, invite the secretary or any other director to do so.
- The president shall be responsible for calling and chairing meetings of the EYEOPENER editorial board and shall cast the deciding vote in the case of a tie at such meetings.
- The president shall act as the official representative of the corporation and its members on all occasions.
- The president shall be charged with ensuring that all directors carry out those duties assigned to them by the board.
- The president shall be charged with training the president-elect. The president shall be chair of the Finance committee unless otherwise directed.

Vice-President/Treasurer
- The vice-president/treasurer shall be the custodian of the corporation’s funds and shall co-operate with the general manager in preparing the proposed budget for the fiscal year, present the financial report to the board, and present the audited financial statements to the board and at meetings of the corporation’s general membership.

Masthead Representative
- The masthead representative shall represent the masthead of the EYEOPENER at all meetings of the board. He/she shall make a report to the board

Secretary
- The secretary shall attend all meetings of the board and shall record all votes and minutes of all proceedings.
- The secretary shall give all notices required to be given to members and to directors.
- The secretary shall ensure that copies of all facts and minutes of all proceedings are submitted to members of the board of directors as soon as possible after the particular meetings have been held.

Election
- The board of directors shall be elected as outlined in Bylaw 2.

Resignation of Directors
- Any director who finds that he/she is unable to perform the duties of his/her office may submit his/her resignation in writing to the secretary, who shall then present it at the next regular meeting of the board of directors for its consideration.

Removal of Directors
- The board may, by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority vote of those directors who are not affected by the resolution, remove any director before the expiration of that director’s’ term.
- The procedure for the removal of a director shall be as follows:
  1. Notice of a motion to remove a director shall be given at a regular meeting of the board.
  2. That motion shall be made at the next meeting of the board, after which a vote on the director’s removal shall take place.
- Any director who misses three consecutive meetings without notice will be automatically removed from the board.
- This section does not apply to cases where the impeachment of the president/editor has been called for.

Remuneration of Directors
- Honoraria may be considered for directors in the sum of $250 per semester upon attendance of two-thirds of the regular board meetings.

ARTICLE 9—FORMATION OF COMMITTEES

General
- The board has the right to delegate powers to committees made up from members of the board of directors to formulate broad policies, negotiate contracts or investigate areas of interest to the board.
- A committee of the board will have no fewer than three members and no more than five members.
- The president will sit on every committee struck by the board except for a conflict of interest committee as outlined in Bylaw 3.
- The general manager must sit on every committee that involves the proposed disbursement of corporation monies, except a committee negotiating the contract of the general manager.
- The board must form a committee in the following instances:
  - Searching to fill a vacancy of the design director or general manager’s position
  - Negotiating a contract with an employee and the president/editor
  - Forming new bylaws
  - Amending bylaws or the constitution
  - Investigating a conflict-of-interest allegation

Procedure to Strike a Committee
- Any member of the board may put forward a motion to strike a committee. The director must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the board, that is necessary to form a committee. This will be decided by a simple majority vote in favour of striking a committee.
- If the vote is in favour of striking a committee the chair will then receive nominations for the available positions on the committee. If the chair receives more nominations than there are available positions, a vote will take place. The directors who receive the most votes will a position on the committee.

ARTICLE 10—QUORUM AND MEETINGS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Quorum and Place, Meetings of Board of Directors

A majority of directors in office (50 per cent, plus one) shall form a quorum for the transaction of business.
The board of directors may hold its meetings, at such a place as it may from time to time determine.

Meetings
- Meetings of the board may be formally called by the president or the secretary.
- Meetings may also be called by the secretary on direction by the president or vice-president, or direction in writing by any two members.
  There shall be at least one meeting of the board per month between the months of September and April.

Notice of Meetings
- Notice of meetings of the board shall be delivered or telephoned or e-mailed to each member of the board of directors not less than one day before the meeting is to take place or shall be mailed not less than five days before the meeting is to take place.
- The statutory declaration of the secretary or the president that notice has been given pursuant to Section 10.3.1 shall be sufficient and conclusive evidence of the giving of such notice.

Regular Meetings, and Meetings without Notice
- The board of directors may appoint a day or days in any month or months for regular meetings at an hour to be named, and at such regular meeting no notice needs to be sent.
- Meetings of the board may also be held, without notice, immediately following the annual meeting of the corporation.

Emergency Meetings
- If the board of directors is unable to meet and a decision is necessary because it would immediately endanger the corporation and newspaper, the president, general manager and one director shall be able to form an emergency board for the purposes of making a decision that falls under the jurisdiction of the board of directors.
- Any decision or action of an emergency board must be reported to the board of directors at its next meeting.
- The decision of the emergency meeting is not binding on the board of directors.

Attendance at Meetings
- Any member of the corporation may attend any regular or special meeting of the board of directors subject to the bylaws. Speaking privileges shall be obtained from the chair.

Closed Meetings
- The board may, from time to time, move to have a meeting, or part thereof, declared in camera by a simple majority of the directors.

Reports in Writing
- All reports, statements, requests, recommendations and documents for the consideration of the board of directors shall be given in writing to the secretary.

Order of Business
- The order of business at regular meetings of the board of directors shall be as follows:
  - Commencement
  - Minutes of the previous meeting
  - Unfinished business
  - New business
  - Other business.
  - Discussion

Consideration of New Business
- Subject to Section 10.9.1, the order of consideration of items of new business at regular meetings of the board of directors shall be as follows:
- Report of the president
- Report of the General Manager
- Report of the Masthead Representative
- Report of the Staff representative
- Report of the Secretary (if any)
- Reports of other Directors (if any)
- Reports of the COmmittees of the Board (if any)
- Other reports and/or Presentations
- Resignations, Appointments, etc.
- Other New Business.

Records of Proceedings
- A record of the proceedings of all meetings of the board of directors, and its committees, shall be kept in a book or books provided for that purpose, and the minutes of every such meeting shall be submitted at the next meeting of the board of directors and shall be open to the inspection of any members of the corporation at any time during the regular office hours of the corporation’s head office.

Robert’s Rules of Order
- Incident’s not provided for in the corporation’s bylaws shall be governed by the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, the interpretation of which shall be made by the chair.

ARTICLE 11—VOTING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Methods of Voting
- Questions arising at any meeting of directors shall be decided by a simple majority of votes. In the case of a tie, the chair will cast the deciding vote.
- All votes at any meeting of the board shall be taken by ballot if it is so requested by any director. If no such demand is made, the vote shall be taken by assent or dissent.
- A declaration by the chair that a resolution has been carried and an entry to that effect in the minute shall be sufficient evidence that the resolution has carried, without proof of the number/proportion of votes recorded for or against it.

Declaration of Interest
- Any director having a possible conflict of interest shall declare that conflict in advance of voting on any resolution to which that conflict applies, and such declaration shall be recorded in the minutes. The director must abstain from voting on the motion pertaining to that conflict.

ARTICLE 12—EDITORIAL BOARD

Composition
- The composition of the editorial board is outlined in the constitution

Editorial Board Election
- The procedure for the election of the editorial board is outlined in Bylaw 2.

General Definition
- The EYEOPENER shall have an executive committee, the editorial board, which shall be responsible for the production of the EYEOPENER newspaper and website and its editorial content.
- The editorial board will meet at least once a week to discuss and critique the previous week’s edition/website and to plan for the upcoming week’s edition and website. These meetings will be chaired by the editor-in-chief.

Duties of the Members of the Editorial Board
- Editor-in-Chief—The responsibilities of the editor-in-chief include:
  - Becoming familiar with the legalities of running a newspaper and corporation
  - Printing and distributing the newspaper on schedule, allowing for reasonable technical/logistical difficulties.
  - Acting as the EYEOPENER’s official representative
  - Recruiting, training, advising and co-ordinating all staff as required
  - Ensuring that interested persons are provided a reasonable opportunity to work for the EYEOPENER.
  - Chairing meetings of the editorial board
  - Presiding over the RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. board of directors
  - Ensuring that an editorial is written for each week’s edition
  - Ensuring that copy is edited in such a manner that it is acceptable quality to be published in the EYEOPENER.
  - Making the final decision on the total number of pages allotted to each department.
  - Approving the layout of advertisements
  - Approving the layout of each section’s pages
  - Maintaining a list of eligible voting staff members
  - Ensuring that all staff members (editors, reporters and photographers) are provided with proper press credentials.
  - Originating copy and ensuring the paper initiates investigative coverage

- Section Editors (News, Arts, Business, Sports, Communities, Features and where appropriate Media and Online)—The editors of each of the EYEOPENER’s sections are responsible for:
  - Posting and adhering to office hours
  - Preparing coverage of upcoming newsworthy events
  - Choosing appropriate photos in consultation with photo editors
  - Ensuring that appropriate photos are obtained by the photo editors
  - Editing copy from their section; however, no section editor shall be bound to edit copy which does not come under their jurisdiction
  - Deciding on the magnitude/priority of the stories in their department
  - Layout of pages for their section
  - Attending meetings of the editorial board
  - Assisting reporters, when necessary, in locating background and resource materials and to assist all interested persons in learning the techniques of ethical journalism
  - Maintaining a set of deadlines for the submission of copy and ensuring that these deadlines are adhered to
  - Ensuring that reporters obtain correct press credentials as representatives of the EYEOPENER
  - Ensuring that reporters and photographers are provided with the appropriate tickets, passes and other materials necessary to complete their assignments
  - Reporting directly to the editor-in-chief
- Photographic Editor(s)—The photo editor(s) are responsible for:
  - Ensuring the digital media is available to all photographers
  - Recruiting a staff of photographers and illustrators
  - Managing the photography staff and assigning photographers to cover events
  - Maintaining an archive of photos used in pass issues
  - Editing of all submitted photos. Choice of image and presentation are done in consultation with section editors. Presentation means alteration of photo
  - Photo editors are responsible for photo credits
  - Attending meetings of the editorial board
  - Reporting directly to the editor-in-chief
- Media Editors(s)—The media editors are responsible for:
  - Recruiting a staff of videographers, audiographers and illustrators
  - Managing and recruiting volunteers for videos
  - Media editors are responsible for all video credits
  - Overseeing the edits of all material submitted to the section
  - Ensuring all video content aligns with the EYEOPENER brand and voice
  - Media editors will make sure all content is true and best representative of the stories they are built for. Choice of video and presentation are done in consultation with section editors. Presentation means alteration of the video
  - Attending meetings of the editorial board
  - Reporting directly to the editor-in-chief
- Fun Editor—Fun editor is responsible for:
  - Posting and adhering to office hours
  - Making readers laugh
  - Choosing appropriate photos in consultation with photo editors
  - Ensuring that appropriate photos are obtained by photo editors
  - Editing copy from their section; however, no section editor shall be bound to edit copy which does not come under their jurisdiction
  - Deciding on the magnitude/priority of the stories in their department
  - Layout of pages for their section
  - Attending meetings of the editorial board
  - Assisting reporters, when necessary, in locating background and resource materials and to assist all interested persons in learning the techniques of ethical journalism
  - Maintaining a set of deadlines for the submission of copy and ensuring that these deadlines are adhered to
  - Ensuring that reporters obtain correct press credentials as representatives of the EYEOPENER
  - Ensuring that reporters and photographers are provided with the appropriate tickets, passes and other materials necessary to complete their assignments
  - Reporting directly to the editor-in-chief
- Online Editor(s)—The online editors are responsible for:
  - Posting and adhering to office hours, although will be expected to work overtime and weekends
  - Posting content online and on social media, ensuring posts are correct and align with the EYEOPENER brand
  - Attending meetings of the editorial board
  - Maintaining consistency on the website and supervising section editors to make sure that content is posted in a timely manner
  - Oversees all online representation of the company and answers readers through various platforms
  - Ensures that all content that passes their screen is accurate, researched and correct
  - Ensuring that appropriate photos are paired with content and that the proper credit is given on content
  - Will provide updates to the editor-in-chief when communicating with viewers online who provide contentious information or a correction
  - Will provide clear corrections online when necessary and communicate responsibly with our audience
  - Tuesdays the online editors will act as copy editors for the print edition
  - Reporting directly to the editor-in-chief

ARTICLE 13—REMOVAL OF THE PRESIDENT/EDITOR

Condition for Removal—The president may be impeached if any or all of the following conditions exist:
- The president is operating the corporation in an unlawful manner;
- The president is not publishing the EYEOPENER newspaper in accordance with the aims and objectives of the constitution;
- The president is operating any facet of the corporation in an unconstitutional manner;
- The president repeatedly defied the board of directors
- The president continuously defies the editorial board

Procedure for Removal
- In the event that the conditions outlined in 13.1.1 exist, the president shall be removed immediately by a two-thirds majority vote of the board of directors.
- In the event that the conditions outlined in 13.1.2 through 13.1.5 exist, a member of the editorial board may serve notice during an editorial board meeting that he/she will move for impeachment at the next meeting of the editorial board. Anyone eligible to vote in editorial board elections, except the members of the board of directors, may vote in an impeachment motion at the editorial board.
- At such a meeting, the motion will be introduced and voted upon. A two-thirds majority shall be required to pass the resolution.
- If the resolution carries, any two of the following—the president, the general manager or the masthead representative (these being members of both the board of directors and the masthead)—may call a special meeting of the board of directors.
- The board shall be asked at the special meeting to vote for or against impeachment. A two-thirds majority shall be required to pass the motion.
- Immediately upon passage of the motion by the board of directors, the president shall no longer be allowed to serve.
- His/her duties as president of the board shall be assumed by the vice-president, and his/her duties as editor of the EYEOPENER shall be assumed by the masthead representative (see Constitution Bylaw 1, Article 8.4.4.c) until such time as a new editor/president can be found as outlined in section 2.8 of Bylaw 2.
- The editor/president may also be removed from office in accordance to the procedure as set out in Bylaw 3.

ARTICLE 14—REMOVAL OF A MEMBER OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD OTHER THAN THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Conditions for Removal
- A member of the editorial board, other than the editor-in-chief, may be removed if any or all of the following instances occur:
- An editorial board member continually defies the decision and policies of the editorial board;
- An editorial board member violates the ethics and practices as outlined in the constitution;
- An editorial board member is unable or unwilling to fulfill his/her duties as outlined in this bylaw;
- An editorial board member is found guilty under the conflict-of-interest bylaw;
- An editorial board member is caught stealing corporation property
Procedure for Removal
- The editor-in-chief must notify an editorial board member that he/she will be seeking the removal of that editorial board member at least 24 hours before the meeting of the board of directors where the editor-in-chief will be tabling this motion.
- Once the editor-in-chief has tabled this motion, the editor-in-chief must demonstrate to the board of directors that one or all of the conditions for removal exists pertaining to this editorial board member, and that the editor-in-chief has been fair-minded in dealing with this editorial board member (i.e.: warnings, proper notification of removal, exhausted every other avenue to resolve the problem).
- The accused editorial board member may defend his or herself at the meeting of the board of directors, or appoint any member of the corporation to defend them against a removal motion.
- If the accused editorial board member does not defend his or herself in person or have an appointee defend them, the masthead representative will defend, to the best of his/her ability, the accused editorial board member.
- If the accused editorial board member does not defend his or herself, the editorial board member must submit a written statement to the board of directors naming an appointee or masthead representative who will defend them.
- Once the board has had sufficient time to hear from all concerned parties, questioned those parties, and discussed the motion,a vote of the board of directors will be taken.
- It will take a two-thirds majority of the board of directors to remove a member of the editorial board.
- If the board votes in favour of removal, the editorial board member will be relieved of his or her duties immediately and their position will be declared vacant. The position will be filled in the manner outlined in Bylaw 2, Article 2.11.

Procedure for Removal due to Conflict of Interest
- The procedure for removal of an editorial board member due to a conflict of interest is outlined in Bylaw 3.

ARTICLE 15—EXECUTION OF DOCUMENTS

Co-signing of Cheques
- All cheques or expenditures shall be signed by the general manager, advertising manager and/or the design director.
- The board of directors will be notified if it is necessary to have an additional person who can co-sign cheques, other than those specified in 15.1.1.

Co-signing of Contracts
- Contracts or any document requiring the signature of the corporation shall be signed by any two of the president, vice-president, general manager, or secretary, and all documents co-signed shall be binding on the corporation without any further authorization.

ARTICLE 16—FINANCIAL YEAR

Duration
- The financial year of the corporation shall begin May 1 and end April 30.

Annual Budget
- The annual budget of RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. must not forecast a deficit
- The annual budget must be presented at a regularly scheduled board meeting before Sept. 30 of the budgeted year.

ARTICLE 17—BOOKS AND RECORDS

Upkeep of Books and Records
- The board of directors shall see that all necessary books and records required by the bylaws of the corporation or by any applicable statutes or laws are regularly and properly kept.

ARTICLE 18—AMENDMENTS TO AND CREATION OF BYLAWS

To create or amend a bylaw of the corporation, the following procedure must be followed:
- The board of directors shall strike a committee to research and draft a new bylaw or an amendment to an existing bylaw.
- The committee will present a draft of the proposed bylaw or amendment to the board of directors.
- The board will vote on whether to accept, reject or amend the proposed bylaw or amendment. The proposed bylaws or amendment has to be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the board to be accepted.
- Once a proposed bylaw or amendment is approved by the board it will be presented to a meeting of the members of the corporation.
- The meeting of the membership of the corporation will vote on whether to accept or reject the proposed bylaw or amendment. A proposed bylaw or amendment has to be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the meeting of the membership of the corporation to become law.
- The bylaw or amendments will take effect 24 hours after approval by a meeting of the membership of the corporation.
- Copies of amended or new bylaws will be given to every member of the editorial board and director of the corporation at the next scheduled meeting of the editorial board and board of directors meeting following the approval of the meeting of the membership.

ARTICLE 19—EMPLOYEE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

General Manager—The General Manager shall:
- File correspondence for business matters
- Have an understanding of libel and defamation laws and publication bans and offer advice where necessary
- Handle accounts receivable
- Supervise the bookkeeper who will maintain records regarding accounts payable and receivable, payroll, income, and expenses
- Prepare an annual budget and report on same at each meeting of the EYEOPENER/RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. board of directors
- Effect all financial decisions of RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC.
- Co-sign all cheques drawn by RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC.
- Supervise the sale of advertising space in the EYEOPENER
- Promote the Eyeopener to potential advertisers
- Maintain records of advertising insertions
- Recruit and train and advertising sales staff
- Supervise the design and production of advertisements
- Supervise the design staff
- Prepare financial statements to be presented to meetings of the board of directors
- Provide financial information to the president/editor upon request
- Be a voting member of the Finance Committee and report on all findings to the board of directors
- Train all Finance Committee members in the functions/duties of the Finance Committee

Design Director
- The duties of the design director shall be:
- The overall look of the EYEOPENER
- Teaching proper publication design and layout to members of the editorial board of the EYEOPENER
- The design of all promotional materials produced by RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. (unless otherwise delegated)
- Overseeing all aspects of production including the photo editor(s) and volunteers
- Facilitating computer software & hardware usage and upgrades
- Being a liaison between the printer as well as the network administrator and the EYEOPENER staff
- Being a member of the Finance Committee and any other committee deemed appropriate or necessary by the general manager or editor-in-chief
- Reporting to the general manager

BYLAW NO. 2

A BYLAW concerning election procedures of RYE-EYE PUBLISHING INC. and the EYEOPENER

Passed by the membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Jan. 31, 1991

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., Feb. 16, 1995

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 29, 1997

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 17, 1999

Amended by the General Membership of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc., March 15, 2000

ARTICLE 1—ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Date of Election
- The election of the Rye-Eye Publishing Inc. board of directors shall be held at the AGM

Eligibility of Candidates for Student Representatives on the Board of Directors
- Any member of the corporation may be a candidate for the board of directors in the capacity of student representative.
- Two directors from each of the following faculties shall be elected:
  - The faculty of Arts
  - Ted Rogers School of Management
  - The faculty of Community Service
  - The faculty of Engineering and Architecture
  - The faculty of Science
  - The faculty of Communication and Design
  - Yeates School of Graduate Studies

Nominations of the Board of Directors
- Members of the corporation interested in being nominated for the board of directors shall come forward at the AGM.
- Each candidate shall be nominated by two members of the corporation.

Term of Office
- The directors shall serve a term of one year, beginning on May 1 and ending on April 30.

Re-election of Directors
- Any director may be eligible for re-election or re-appointment to the board of directors if they meet the criteria in Sections 1.2 and 1.3 of Bylaw 2.

Voter Eligibility
- All members of the corporation are eligible to vote.
- Members shall be nominated to the board in the same manner as other items are passed at the AGM.

Advertising Elections
- Advertising indicating the availability of positions on the board and outlining the election process shall be included in all advertisements for the AGM.

Vacancies Remaining After Board Election
- Any vacancies remaining after the AGM will be appointed by the board of directors. A simple majority vote will pass the appointment of a director.
- The existence of such vacancy must be publicized for at least two weeks prior to any appointment.

Proxy Voting
- Proxy votes will not be counted in the election of the board of directors.

ARTICLE 2—ELECTION OF PRESIDENT/EDITOR AND EDITORIAL BOARD

Nomination of Candidates for President/Editor and Members of the Editorial Board
- Nominations for positions opening in January of the publishing year shall be declared open the last Thursday of October and shall be closed the third Friday of November. The Eyeopener shall publicize the opening of the nomination period throughout this time.
- Nominations for section editors and president/editor of the Eyeopener shall be declared open on the second Thursday in February and shall be closed on the second Friday in March. The Eyeopener shall publicize the opening of the nomination period throughout this time.

Eligibility of Candidates
- Candidates for the position of president/editor must be full-time students at Toronto Metropolitan University with a grade point average of 2.00 or higher, or a graduate of a degree or diploma program of Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Candidates for the positions of section editors must be full-time students of Toronto Metropolitan University when runninng.
- All candidates must fill out official nomination forms. The forms will be distributed and collected by the president/editor.
- Each candidate must be nominated by two eligible voters.

Term of Office
- The president/editor and section editors shall serve for one year, beginning May 1 and ending on April 30.
- Some editors may elect to serve from May 1 to December 31. Positions rendered vacant thusly will be filled through an election in November (see section 2.1.1).

Date of Election
- The election of the president/editor and section editors shall be held on or around the fourth Friday in March.
- Elections to replace staff leaving on December 31 shall be held on or around the last Friday in November.

Eligibility of Voters
- The following people are eligible to vote in the election of the president/editor and section editors:
  - President/editor;
  - Members of the Eyeopener editorial board;
  - General manager
  - Design Director and Advertising Manager;
  - Any other employee of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc.;
  - Members of the board of directors of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc, excluding the chair of the board;
  - Any student, full or part-time, who has made six contributions to the newspaper during the publishing year (November elections only).
  - Members who served on the Eyeopener masthead during the fall term but left to serve at the On The Record during the winter term. Masthead members who left the Eyeopener for any other reason must qualify under bylaws 2.5.2 through 2.5.5.

The following shall be considered to be a contribution to the newspaper:
- An original, previously unpublished piece of writing, not including letters to the editor, or classified advertisements;
- An original, previously unpublished photograph;
- An original, previously unpublished graphic drawing, editorial cartoon or comic;
- Proofreading, copy editing, or layout during one layout session.
- Only one contribution per issue will be registered and staffers shall be credited with the same in the “staff box” on the editorial page of each issue of the Eyeopener.
- Accurate lists of eligible voters shall be kept by the president/editor and made available to any member of Rye-Eye Publishing Inc. upon demand.
- (The Dave Stonehouse Clause) In the event that there is a disagreement over a person’s eligibility as a vote, the matter shall be resolved by a vote of the editorial board. Simple majority vote of the editorial board shall be sufficient to ratify a person’s voter eligibility.

Voter Notification
- A complete voters’ list will be published in every edition of the newspaper in November and March.
- The list will also include students who require three or fewer contributions to become eligible voters for the March elections; and two or less contributions for the November elections.
- The finalized voters’ list will be posted in the Eyeopener office on the third Friday of November, and again on the fourth Thursday of March.

Ratification Vote
- In the event that only one candidate has filed a valid nomination for any position by the close of nominations, there shall be a ratification vote on the ballot with the other candidates, to be voted on by the eligible voters of the corporation.
- A “yes” vote for 50 per cent of the votes, plus one, shall ratify the candidate

Absence of Candidates for President/Editor Position
- If no nominations for president/editor are received two weeks prior to the election date, the board of directors hall strike a committee to appoint a president/editor.

Tie Votes
- In the event of a tie vote for any position outlined in Article 2, Bylaw 2, the deciding ballot shall be cast by the chair of the board of directors.

Proxy Voting
- Proxy votes will not be counted in the election of the editorial board or the president/editor

Vacancies on the Editorial Board after Elections
- The president/editor will search for and nominate appropriate candidates to fill vacancies on the editorial board after the election by placing a minimum ¼ page ad for one week in the Eyeopener and by placing notices throughout the Toronto Metropolitan University community in appropriate places and, as possible, appropriate publications. No applicant will be refused, provided the applicant meets the criteria laid out in section 2.2 of Bylaw 2.
- The existing members of the editorial board and staff will vote on the candidates nominated by the president/editor. A simple majority is needed to fill the vacancy or vacancies.
- The editor-in-chief will ensure the duties of the vacant position are completed until the position is filled.

Board of Directors’ Approval of Successful Candidates and Appointees of the Editorial Board
- All elected and appointed members of the editorial board must be approved by the board of directors. A simple majority vote will approve each editorial board member.
- If the person is not approved by the board of directors they will have to give up their position.

ARTICLE 3—POLLING PROCESS OF EDITORIAL BOARD ELECTIONS

Polling Station and Voting Hours
- The polling station for the president/editor and editorial board elections will be located in the Eyeopener office.
- The polling station will be open at 10 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. on the day of the election.

Election Returns Officers
- Two returning officers shall be appointed by the board of directors. The returning officers shall be any member of the corporation, but cannot be candidates in the election.

Returns Officers’ Duties
- The returning officers are responsible for:
- Overseeing the polling station;
- Issuing official ballots to eligible voters;
- Checking off voters’ names on the voters list as they are issued official ballots;
- Attending the ballot box constantly while the polling station is open;
- Counting ballots immediately after the polls are closed;
- Recounting ballots if requested by a candidate;
- Posting the election results in the Eyeopener office.

Re-counts
- Any candidate may request a re-count of the ballots within two weeks after the election. Different returning officers shall be selected to re-count the ballots.

Retaining Ballots and Voters List
- The ballots and voters list of the president/editor and editorial board election must be retained by the president/editor no less than two weeks after the date of the election.

Rye Eye Publishing Inc./The Eyeopener

Editorial Board Member Nomination Form

I, the undersigned, wish to enter my nomination for _____________________________ of the Eyeopener

Name: ____________________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

Phone #: ___________________________________________________________________________

Student #: __________________________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________________