Game Studies Division International Communication Association Bylaws
Approved at the Game Studies business meeting during the International Communication Association Conference’s June 2006 annual conference
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1: Name.
The name of this group shall be the Game Studies Division of the International Communication Association.
Section 2: Authority.
The Game Studies Division exists under the authority of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the International Communication Association.
Section 3: Purpose.
The overall purpose of the Game Studies Division is to promote communication- related research about digital games in order to advance scholarship in this field. The study of digital games and the game experience offers opportunities for the study of human communication that involve multidisciplinary approaches that merge the disciplines of conventional communication studies and research, arts and visual design, cognitive sciences, computer sciences, cultural studies, engineering, social sciences, health sciences, and information design.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: Membership Eligibility.
Any Active member of ICA who expresses interest in, and subscribes to, the purposes of the Division is eligible for membership in the Game Studies Division.
Membership requires declaration of interest in joining the Division and payment of the dues for the Division when membership to ICA is initiated or renewed. The official membership roster will be maintained by ICA central administration.
Section 2: Affiliate Membership.
Any Affiliate Member of the International Communication Association who expresses interest in, and subscribes to, the purposes of the Division is eligible for Affiliate Membership. Affiliate members are not eligible to vote nor hold office.
Article III: Officers, Nominations, Elections
Section 1: Officers.
The officers of the Game Studies Division shall include a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, International Liaison, and Student and Early Career Representative (SECR). The Vice Chairperson/International Liaison and Secretary/SECR shall be elected in alternate years, with the Vice Chairperson/International Liaison elected in even years. An additional non-officer position, the PR Director is appointed by a selection process as defined below.
The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary comprise the Game Studies Division (GSD) Executive Committee.
Section 2: Terms of Office
The terms of the office of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, International Liaison, and SECR shall be two years each. The Vice Chairperson automatically becomes Chairperson at the expiration of the term. The term of office for the PR Director shall be one year or longer (through reappointment), with (re)appointment happening at the time of other division position transitions or possibly mid-cycle as needed. Non-members of the Game Studies Division may not hold office. A term of office shall begin on the last day of the ICA Annual Conference.
Section 3: Duties of Officers.
The Chairperson is responsible for coordination of Division activities with ICA central administration and for communication of matters of interest or policy to the entire Division membership. He or she presides at the annual meeting of the division and represents the division on the ICA Board of Directors. The Chairperson is also responsible for final authorization of expenditures from the Division budget and for maintaining Division finances in good order.
The Vice Chairperson coordinates the submission and review of papers and other presentations at the ICA annual conference. She or he is responsible for communication and coordination with the ICA conference program administration.
The Secretary is responsible for keeping notes of the annual business meeting, for keeping division records, and for carrying out the announcement of candidates and elections process.
The PR Director composes, edits, and/or distributes information relevant to members of the Games Studies Division, ICA, the academic community, or other audiences. This position also entails maintaining various channels of communication for the Division as determined by the GSD Executive Committee (website, listserv, social media, etc.).
The SECR serves as the voice of graduate students and early career game studies scholars to the GSD Executive Committee. This position also entails actively seeking input from those aforementioned groups, and conveying insight from those perspectives to the GSD Executive Committee. The member holding this position also represents the Game Studies Division to the ICA Student and Early Career Advisory Committee (SECAC). Additional duties may entail organizing events specific to the interests of graduate students and early game studies scholars.
The International Liaison serves as the force for internationalization within the division and their aim is to network with other games-related international organizations. Their role is to connect games scholars from a diverse set of backgrounds and to advocate for the interests of international scholars. They will also represent the interests of international scholars at the GSD Executive Board level.
The GSD Executive Committee confers on matters of Division policy, makes recommendations of actions for membership approval, and proposes budgets and expenditures. The GSD Executive Committee may choose to involve other division representatives in related discussions or decision-making processes at their discretion, such as the PR Director or the SECR.
Section 4 – Removal from Office.
Any elected officer of the Division may be removed from office by the following procedure: At least one-third of the active members of the Division must sign a petition to the Executive Director of ICA requesting a special election and including nominations for the office in question. The Executive Director will arrange an extraordinary election within 60 days at the Division’s expense, with the challenged officer(s) included on the ballot. The result of the election becomes effective immediately. Appointed representatives can be removed or replaced by the GSD Executive Committee, at their discretion.
Section 5 – Resignations or Inability to Perform Duties.
In the event an elected officer resigns or is unable to perform the duties of their office, the remaining members of the GSD Executive Committee, by unanimous vote, are empowered to appoint an individual to the office on an interim basis to serve out the remainder of the officer’s term. If the Chairperson resigns or is unable to perform duties, the Vice Chairperson assumes the Chairperson’s position and an interim Vice Chairperson is appointed.
Article IV: Committees
Section 1: Nominating Committee.
The GSD Executive Committee is empowered to appoint a nominating committee to develop a slate of candidates for Division elections. This committee will solicit nominations and self-nominations from Division members, and is charged with recruiting candidates with the highest qualifications and professional standing for elections.
Section 2: Communication Committee.
The GSD Executive Committee is empowered to either a) appoint; b) recommend and seek confirmation from the membership; or c) have an open election for a PR Director and Communications Committee of one or more members. This committee will be responsible for maintenance of the Division Web site, maintenance of the Division mailing list, and preparation of announcements and articles for the ICA Newsletter.
Section 3: Student and Early Career Committee.
The GSD Executive Committee is empowered to either a) appoint; b) recommend and seek confirmation from the membership; or c) have an open election for a Student and Early Career Representative and GSD Student and Early Career Committee (SECC) of one or more members. This committee will be responsible for representing the interests of graduate students and early career game studies scholars. This committee will report directly to the GSD Executive Committee on any recommendations made by the GSD SECC, and shall advise the GSD Executive Committee on issues related to students and early career faculty members in the division.
Section 4: Ad Hoc Committees.
The Chairperson is empowered to establish and appoint members of ad hoc committees to assist in the conduct of the affairs of the Game Studies Division. All ad hoc committees created by the GSD Executive Committee must be communicated to the rest of the Division through the normal channels of Division communication.
Section 5: Association Committees.
When requested by the President of the International Communication Association, the Division Chairperson is empowered to recommend members of the Division to serve on designated Association committees.
Section 6: Term of Office.
The term of office of any appointed committee member shall not exceed the term of office of the Chairperson. Committee members may be reappointed when the new Chairperson assumes office, with their consent.
Article V: Annual Meeting and Reports
Section 1: Annual Meeting.
An annual business meeting of the Game Studies Division shall be held at the time and place of the Annual conference of the Association. The registered Active Members of the Division in attendance at the business meeting of the Division shall constitute a quorum for officially conducting the business of the Division.
Section 2: Agenda.
The agenda for the meeting will be composed by the Chairperson and will include a summary of Division business for the year, a financial report summarizing Division revenues and expenditures, and activity reports of officers and committees of the Division. The agenda will be announced to members attending the business meeting, and when practicable, distributed to members of the Division at least one week before the first day of the annual conference. Agenda items requiring action must be identified as such, and shall be discussed and presented for vote by the active Members of the Division in attendance at the meeting.
Section 3: Voting
Voting at the annual meeting will occur by voice vote for items on which there is no serious division among members. A voice vote deemed inclusive by the presiding officer will be followed by a show of hands vote, counted and recorded by the Secretary. A secret ballot may be requested by a show of hands of two-thirds of the members in attendance at the meeting. The presiding officer will then conduct the secret ballot. The ballots will be counted by the Secretary and Vice Chairperson, or by volunteers chosen from the meeting attendees by the presiding officer if one or both of these officers are not in attendance.
Article VI: Program Selections
Peer reviews shall be the basis for annual conference program development. The Vice Chairperson, in consultation with the other members of the GSD Executive Committee, shall recruit qualified members of the Game Studies Division to review the papers/panel proposals submitted for review. In special cases requiring particular knowledge or expertise, the Vice Chairperson may recruit individual reviewers who are not Division members.
Article VII: Awards
The Division will present Top Paper awards in Game Studies at the annual ICA conference. In addition, the Division may institute additional awards for scholarly performance, with the approval of the membership. These awards and the procedures for their selection will be developed by the GSD Executive Committee and presented to the membership for their approval. Awards for meritorious service can be conferred by the GSD Executive Committee, at their discretion.
Article VIII: By-Law Amendments
Section 1: Initiation.
Amendments to these By-Laws may be initiated by petition of any three members of the Game Studies Division, including the three members of the GSD Executive Committee. Texts of revisions must be made available to the Chairperson of the Division two months before the annual business meeting to enable their timely distribution to the membership.
Section 2: Adoption.
A two-thirds majority of those members present and voting at the annual meeting of the Division shall be required for adoption of an amendment to Division By- Laws.
Article IX: Parliamentary Authority
In the absence of any provision to the contrary in these By-Laws, all business meetings of the Game Studies Division shall be governed by the parliamentary rules and usages contained in the current edition of ‘Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised’ as required by the official ICA Bylaws (9/89).
Most recent amendments approved by vote October 2020