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ARTICLE 1 – NAME AND INCORPORATION
The name of the Teachers College, Columbia University newspaper is: TC Public Space. Established in 2014. Founding members: Paula Impalli Davis, M.A.’15 (Philosophy & Education); Matthew Hastings, M.A. ’15 (Philosophy & Education); T. Derrick Hull, Ph.D. ’18 (Clinical Psychology).
ARTICLE 2 – MISSION STATEMENT
TC Public Space (TCPS) is a student-run, independent, newsprint publication of and for the Teachers College community to include students, staff, faculty, alumni and other TC community members.
As an official student organization, TCPS publishes and disseminates the reports, ideas, and opinions of TC students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other community members to inform readers of institutional plans, policies, and other happenings as they affect the body of the College.
With an autonomous editorial board, TCPS serves as a valuable channel of communication, connecting students, faculty, and staff across various disciplines, programs, and departments within the College.
The organization’s mission is simple — to build, cultivate, and substantively enrich a sense of community and fellow-feeling through dialogue, discussion, and dissent. Put differently, TCPS offers a “public space” wherein the respective concerns of all TC community members, once voiced, hopefully translate into constructive, democratic action beneficial to both Teachers College and Columbia University.
Democratic action within community necessitates that no power is left unchecked, and that every stakeholder have a voice in open, ongoing, and at times difficult but necessary dialogue. TCPS strives to create a non-discriminatory platform that enables such constructive critique and conversation to take place with the primary goal of aligning individual voice with substantive, collaborative action.
ARTICLE 3 – EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERSHIP
SECTION A – GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Membership on the Editorial Board and participation in TC Public Space is open to Teachers College students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
TCPS does not have staff writers. Although the newspaper takes the style of a traditional newsprint, the publication functions as a “public space,” or forum, to which any TC community member can contribute. Editorial Board staff members are free to submit, and encouraged to do so. However, staff members’ primary responsibilities are to connect with community members, solicit submissions, and maintain all aspects of the publication pertinent to his or her position’s outlined responsibilities.
SECTION B – EDITORIAL BOARD PURPOSE, PROTOCOL AND POSITION DESCRIPTIONS
PURPOSE. The Editorial Board shall act as the governing body of TC Public Space. They are responsible for directing, supervising and managing the operations of the paper and the regulations of the Constitution. The Board approves the budget and expenditures. The Editorial Board can select and appoint staff members as necessary. Board members may serve for as long as they are able and willing, with a minimum of one academic year.
PROTOCOL.
Removal
A special meeting can be held in order to remove an individual from the Editorial Board, and is done upon a 2/3 majority vote of the paper members. The person being removed shall be notified and given due process.
Vacancy
In the case of a vacancy, the Editorial Board shall make an appointment to fill the position for the unexpired portion of the term and can be done by a simple majority vote.
POSITION DESCRIPTIONS. The Editorial Board shall be elected and in place by April 1 of each year. The following board member positions and respective responsibilities of each shall comprise the Editorial Board:
- Editor(s)-in-chief:
- Maintain and uphold the values of the newspaper;
- Ensure mission is lived, not merely stated;
- Make final decisions regarding which articles and visuals are included in the newspaper;
- Work with the office of Student Development and Activities (SDA) regarding approval of the organization’s annual budget and other financial matters;
- Respond to general public inquiries about the newspaper;
- Approve final layout of each issue and send approved draft to printer;
- Maintain organized and logical folder hierarchy within shared DropBox;
- Oversee the newspaper’s online/social media presence in collaboration with Web Editor;
- Delegate recording of minutes for all General Editorial Board meetings;
- Support editorial staff as needed.
- Communications Manager:
- Monitor organization email (tcpublicspace@gmail.com) and reply to and/or forward received messages as appropriate;
- Streamline submissions process and communication between the public and Editor(s)-in-chief;
- Place all received original submissions in appropriate DropBox subfolder;
- Solicit article submissions by posting to MyTC forum and other campus media outlets;
- Maintain up-to-date contact lists for editorial staff and contributors;
- Offer input on final article/visual selections.
- Layout Editor:
- Arrange all edited and finalized article/visual submissions into the current issue layout;
- Make decisions regarding the flow of the issue;
- Submit layout draft to Editor(s)-in-chief and work in collaborative fashion with Editor(s)-in-chief to make changes to layout as deemed necessary;
- Offer input on final article/visual selections.
- Web Editor:
- Publish finalized content onto website (tcpublicspace.wordpress.com), making each article/visual a separate post with a “friendly” URL, adding appropriate categories and tags, and embedding links where necessary;
- Upload electronic PDF of each issue to appropriate “stack” (according to Volume #) on ISSUU.com, then embed PDF on “Issues Archive” page on WordPress site;
- Manage and oversee all web activity and communication on website, Facebook page, Twitter, and ISSUU;
- Work with Communications Manager to solicit submissions utilizing above social media outlets, and discuss appropriate response to website comments, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc.;
- Explore new avenues to build and grow online presence;
- Offer input on final article/visual selections.
- Copy Editor(s):
- Edit and proofread assigned article submissions FOR STYLE AND GRAMMAR ONLY (quantity assigned to each Copy Editor varies per issue based on total number of submissions and submissions’ length);
- Contact author(s) via email to seek approval of edits, or to ask any clarifying questions, if necessary;
- Offer input on final article/visual selections.
- Visual Editor(s):
- Edit and proof assigned visual submissions (quantity assigned to each Visual Editor varies per issue based on total number of submissions);
- Contact artist(s) via email to ask any clarifying questions, if necessary;
- Ensure finalized visual files are highest quality possible;
- Design solicitation fliers, event invitations, and other advertising/marketing materials for both print and web circulation;
- Offer input on final article/visual selections.
ARTICLE 4 – SUBMISSION TYPES AND POLICIES
TYPES. TCPS publishes reports on current events and disseminates the ideas and opinions of members of the TC community. Given that Reports are qualitatively different than Opinion pieces, care will be taken to differentiate the two. The respective writing styles will be identified as such in each issue, and must conform to the following guidelines:
POLICIES.
Reports
Submissions classified as “Reports” should objectively document events, never relying on hearsay, but instead on substantial and verified sources of information. The veracity of claims should be substantiated through other parties when available. Ideally, the events documented potentially impact all members of the College and are not reflective of narrow interests (e.g. a single faction within a single department on a single issue).
Critical pieces identifying particular individuals or groups within the College may be printed as long as those criticized are given an opportunity for rebuttal in the same or the following issue. These rebuttals may be responded to in kind by the original author, if so desired.
Idea and Opinion
Submissions classified as “Idea and Opinion” may be shared, and are encouraged due to their possibilities for developing a sense of community, so long as they pertain to larger College issues.
Critical pieces identifying particular individuals or groups within the College may be printed as long as those criticized are given an opportunity for rebuttal in the same or the following issue. These rebuttals may be responded to in kind by the original author, if so desired.
ARTICLE 5 – EDITORIAL GUIDELINES
Editors have the right to reject or request modifications for any submission, but the author(s) must be provided with the reasons and possible improvements, as well as the opportunity to resubmit.
Articles submitted from outside Teachers College may be considered if the content pertains to the College and its interests.
All changes desired by an editor must be approved by the author(s) via email before publication. If the author(s) does not respond within 48 hours, the edits are approved by default.
Editors should avoid making determinations on articles submitted by people with whom they affiliate, and should instead pass these on to other members of the Editorial Board whenever possible.
Aliases and withheld names and/or sources are not generally permitted. In cases when information has been provided and the individual fears retribution, this information may be written up as a Report by a member of the Editorial Board and published under the editor’s name referring to information received from the individual who desires to remain anonymous. Editors will take special care in verifying the claims made by individuals in this circumstance.
Attempts by certain groups external to the publication to systematically influence published content will be resisted. Modifications, if any, made to articles are made on the basis of new information, a correction of facts, or the clarification of an idea or opinion. Controversial articles will be double-checked and verified before published, assuming the author(s) makes factual claims.
Mistakes made on behalf of the newspaper will be retracted, corrected, and clarified in following print editions as well as electronically, whenever appropriate.
ARTICLE 6 – AMENDMENTS
Amendments of this Constitution may be adopted, altered, or repealed at Editorial Board meetings by a 2/3 vote of the Board.
TC Public Space 
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