I. Name of the Association

• The association is named the Chinese Communication Association (hereafter CCA).

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II. Objectives of the Association

• To encourage and facilitate the exchange of professional knowledge among scholars and students in various fields of Chinese communication, including communication theory and methodology, journalism and mass communication, telecommunications, speech communication, public relations, advertising, broadcast and film, theater and other disciplines related to human communication.

• To facilitate professional cooperation with other associations of scholars or professionals.

• To facilitate social exchange among members.

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III. Activities of the Association

• Academic conferences and seminars.

• Publishing a newsletter.

• Cooperation and seminar with other related associations.

• Cooperation for communication research related to Chinese communities worldwide, Sino-U.S. relations or Chinese-Americans.

• Professional activities appropriate to the objectives of the association.

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IV. Membership and Finance

The association is a non-profit organization and is financed by membership dues. There are two types of membership. Their qualifications and dues are:

• Regular member: Any college professor or researcher who shares a research interest in the broadly defined areas of Chinese communication is eligible to be a regular member.

• Student member: Any college or graduate school student in various fields of communication is eligible to be a student member.

• All members shall pay annual membership dues. The amount of the dues is decided annually by the Steering Committee. A student member pays half the regular membership dues. The membership dues shall be used for the expense of the association’s activities.

• The membership dues are paid once a year. The dues for a year’s membership’s shall be paid to the secretary within the first month of each financial year beginning September 1.

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

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V. Officers of the Association

There are four officers in the association: president, vice president/president-elect, secretary/treasurer, and newsletter editor. The CCA membership will elect vice president/president-elect, secretary/treasurer and newsletter editor.

• The president is the official representative of the association. He or she is the ex-officio and chairperson of the Steering Committee and is in charge of the executing activities of the association and conducting new elections for the officers and division chairpersons. He or she may hold the presidency for no more than two consecutive terms. Each term carries two years.

• The vice-president/president-elect assists the president and shall be acting president in case of the president’s absence. He or she may hold the office for no more than two consecutive terms. Each term carries two years. The vice president/president-elect also serves as a research chair, starting the 2002-2004 term.

• The secretary/treasurer is instrumental to the functions of president and vice-president/president-elect. His or her major duties include general paperwork, financial management, and clerical works for the association’s activities. Secretary/Treasurer shall be the acting vice-president/president-elect in case of the vice-president/president-elect’s absence.

• The newsletter editor shall publish the CCA News twice a year. Unless otherwise specified by the Steering Committee, the CCA News shall be published in June and December.​

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VI. Steering Committee and Divisions of the Association:

The association has a Steering Committee and six divisions. Their structure and functions are:

• Steering Committee consisting of the president, vice-president/president-elect, secretary/treasurer, newsletter editor, and chairpersons of the divisions shall discuss and decide major activities of the association. The president sits as the chair of the committee. The committee shall meet or hold a teleconference at least once a year. The majority rule shall be applied to decisions in the Steering Committee. The chair holds the casting vote in the meeting.

• The six divisions of the association are:

  • Mass Communication and Society.

  • Intercultural and International Communication.

  • Public Relations and Advertising.

  • Broadcasting and Film.

  • Speech Communication.

  • Theory and Methodology.

• Members of the association may join any of the divisions. No additional dues shall be required for the division’s membership.

• Each division shall elect a chair every two years by popular vote by its members. The division chair is in charge of planning the division’s activities and providing the agenda for the Steering Committee meetings.

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VII. Election Procedures

The president shall announce election procedures and call for nominations for the three officers and division chairs to all members in early January.

• Nominations for the three elected officers (vice-president/president-elect, secretary/treasurer and newsletter editor) may be made by any member of the association. All nominations shall be made in writing to the president by February 1.

• The president will forward by mail a ballot to each member by the end of February. The completed ballot will be then returned to the president by March 15 of the same year.

• The candidates, in each category of officer and chair, receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. The announcement of the results shall be made to the association by April 1 of the same year. In case of a tie, a runoff ballot shall be completed by May 1 of the same year.

• The term of all three officers and division chairs is two years beginning September 1 of the year in which they are elected.

• If there is no nomination of candidates for an office or chairship, the Steering Committee shall appoint the officer or chair for the coming year by April 1.

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VIII. Revision of the Articles of the Constitution:

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

• The petition for the amendment or revision of the articles can be made to the president either by a decision of the Steering Committee or by five or more members of the association. The petition must be accompanied by a statement explicating the rationale of the amendment or revision of the article(s).

• The president shall conduct a mail ballot within two weeks after receiving a petition for the amendment or revision of the article(s). The ballot will be forwarded with the statement of the petition to each member. The completed ballot shall be returned to the president within three weeks since its mailing to the members. The results of the ballots shall be announced within a week after the close of the ballots.

• The articles of the CCA constitution shall be effective immediately upon approval in the inaugural meeting of the association.