Northern Star Hall of Fame

Constitution / Bylaws

Article I

PURPOSE / HISTORY

The Northern Star Hall of Fame honors former students, former advisers, and friends of the Northern Star who have made significant impacts on the Northern Star, journalism and related fields, or who have otherwise achieved notoriety based in part on experience gained at the Northern Star. The Hall of Fame will serve as a means to keep alumni actively involved in support of the Northern Star and to encourage current Northern Star students toward excellence in their chosen career path.

The Northern Star Hall of Fame was established in 1999. The charter class will be inducted in February 2000.

Article II

CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

1. Student

2. Adviser

3. Friend of the Northern Star

Article III

ELIGIBILITY

1. Any former Northern Star student employee is eligible for nomination beginning 10 years after his or her last day of student employment at the Northern Star.

2. Any former adviser is eligible for nomination beginning 5 years after his or her last day of employment by the Northern Star and/or Northern Illinois University.

3. Friends of the Northern Star may be nominated based on special support or defense of the Northern Star, either during an exceptional situation or over the course of many years.

 

Article IV

NOMINATION / SELECTION PROCEDURES

Nominations will be solicited through (1) a late-summer mailing to Northern Star Alumni, (2) e-mail to Northern Star Alumni, (3) the Northern Star Alumni Web site, and (4) outside publications such as the NIU Department of Communication newsletter or NIU alumni publications.

Nominations must be submitted by mid-October, in care of either the Northern Star advisers or the Northern Star Alumni president. Nominations will not be made public. The Selection Committee will in early November each year to consider the nominees. Exact deadlines and meeting dates will be determined by the committee each year.

A minimum of two-thirds affirmative votes from the Selection Committee is required for induction.

In the event of a large number of nominees and widespread balloting in which no one receives the minimum two-thirds affirmative votes, the Selection Committee is authorized, at its discretion, to conduct preliminary balloting to reduce the number of nominees it deems workable or manageable for further discussion. In the preliminary balloting, the pool of nominees may be narrowed, but not elected into the Hall of Fame. From that point on, subsequent balloting should be aimed at meeting the two-thirds vote criteria.

In no case is the selection committee obligated to induct any nominees.

All voting will be done by secret ballot, with the Northern Star Alumni president tabulating the votes.

Article V

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The Selection Committee will include a maximum of 9 or a minimum of 5 voting members.

The Northern Star Alumni president shall chair the Selection Committee. If the president is unavailable, the Northern Star Alumni vice president shall act as chair.

Every effort will be made to create a Selection Committee with diversity of career experience, gender, and age.

Selection Committee members will be in place by October 1 of each year.

Article VI

INDUCTION CEREMONY

All induction ceremonies will be held in February during the annual Northern Star Alumni dinner.

Article VII

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION / BYLAWS

This constitution may be amended or revised when such proposed action is approved by two-thirds vote of the Selection Committee. Proposed amendment(s) or revision(s) shall be submitted in writing to the Northern Star Alumni president.