1. Your group must be represented at the December meeting of the Council of Divisions by an elected officer. All conference programming is done at this meeting. If you are not represented by an elected officer then your group will not be allowed to program. This is a Council of Divisions’ policy. Your group must also be represented at both of the Council of Divisions’ meetings at the conference.

2. Meet all deadlines for filing information for conference programs.

3. Meet all deadlines for filing official interest group reports with the AEJMC Central Office. Formats for these reports will be mailed to you by the Central Office.

4. Mail some type of newsletter to your members at least twice each year.

5. Interest groups are granted AEJMC status for a finite period of time, from one to three years. Groups seeking a renewal of interest group status must formally petition the AEJMC Board of Directors for renewal. These renewals must include the following:

• A formal statement of the mission and goals of the group;
• A list of current and incoming officers;
• What this group has accomplished thus far (include specifics);
• Why this group fills a unique niche within AEJMC; and
• Copies of the annual reports for the past two years.

6. Interest group renewal petitions will be considered at the second AEJMC Board of Directors meeting during the conference. One set of all the paperwork for the renewal must be filed with the Executive Director (or left at the AEJMC registration desk) by the end of the AEJMC plenary session, which occurs on the second morning of the AEJMC Conference. Petitions may also be filed with the Executive Director before the conference, but make sure it arrives in the Central Office prior to the staff leaving for the conference (by early July is best). If a renewal petition is filed late, it will not be considered by the Board of Directors on Saturday and might result in a loss of interest group status. Failure to file a renewal petition at all will result in loss of interest group status.

Creation of New Interest Groups
All requests for new interest groups must petition with a formal statement of the mission and goals of the group, and how this group would fill a unique niche within AEJMC. New interest group requests may be filed with the Executive Director as in number 6 above or by November 1 each year. Petitioners must also submit signatures (must be real signatures; email support not accepted) from at least 25 regular AEJMC members who support creation of the new group. New petitions will not be voted on until the Board of Directors’ December meeting. If approval is granted then, the new group will only be allowed to conduct a business meeting at the following conference in order to establish itself and elect officers. It will officially become an interest group the next October 1. However, if there are timeslots remaining after all other groups have programmed, then the Council of Divisions’ chair may grant incoming interest groups an available timeslot for a program. For example, if a new group petitions for interest group status by November 1, 2010, then the Board of Directors will consider it at its 2010 December meeting. If approved, the new group will have a business meeting at the August 2011 Conference, and will formally become an interest group on October 1, 2011, with full interest group programming rights for the 2012 Conference. (08/10)

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